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Disturbing Statistic

13
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by user M.Smith

I was reading an article by Ben Harper of the AP which summarized a bunch of polling results on the MLB from fan rate to steroids. The study was done AP-AOL sports.

Sure, the fact that only 1/3 of Americans consider themselves a fan of baseball seems low, but it's consistent with levels for the last fifteen years. Not suprising are the findings about steroids and Barry Bonds. But this next statistic shocked me.

Only 38 percent of those with school-aged children said they'd let their children stay awake past their bedtimes to watch a playoff game.

WHAT? Isn't this a tradition of fathers and sons across the nation? I thought it still was, but I guess I am wrong. Are we so obsessed with bedtimes, grades, and success that we can't allow children to have some late night bonding with their dads?

I remember sitting on the couch with my dad on several occasions while I was growing up and clandestinely watching late night Texas Rangers games behind my mother's back... of course, she knew what we were doing and only said no just to keep the order, but she was supportive of the act on occasion secretely. Sports is often one of the only ways young sons and fathers bond, unfortunate but true. I find it unacceptable that so many parents are willing deprive their children of this memorable joy for the sake of a few extra hours of sleep.

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M.SmithSoccer Kid
1140 days ago
Score 2+-
Oh by the way... I apologize for cheating ArmchairGM and reading an article elsewhere... I hang my head in shame. ArmchairGM just messaged me to break up because of my infidelity.
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Alex HolowczakHall of Famer
1140 days ago
Score 2+-
I am not surprised. I think MLB should move games earlier so that anyone can watch regardless of the time. There is no way a schoolchild can watch a Monday Night Game until about midnight your time. (?) In England, our matches finish no later than 10:30PM, and that is only if it goes to penalties. That way you get the biggest possible audience. I think all US Sports should start a bit earlier in the evening so most can watch it. I say that since all US Sports take about 3 hours to complete, games should start at the latest of 7PM so that people of any age can watch.
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Alex HolowczakHall of Famer
1140 days ago
Score 1+-
Like they do with the Super Bowl.
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M.SmithSoccer Kid
1140 days ago
Score 1+-
It is also tough in the US because of the time zones. If a game is played in the west coast on a week night. You have to start 7pm or so because of work audiences... game doesnt start till 10pm on east then... likewise... if you start a game at 7pm on east coast, then it starts at 4pm in the west, not exactly wonderful for ratings. Its weird for scheduling in a country with multiple time zones
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Alex HolowczakHall of Famer
1140 days ago
Score 1+-
It annoys me, e.g. when the World Snooker Championship Final in 2006 didn't finish until ten to one in the morning... And it could have gone on for three more frames (at which point) the time was on pace to be about 2:30 - 3:00. So yes, all games should start so that people of any age can watch them.
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ThecrookedcapAll-Star
1140 days ago
Score 3+-
Screw kids. I have to be up at early in the morning too. I don't want to be watching games until 1 am if I don't have too either. Fox (*shudder*) doesn't have to guts to cut into local programming (which is I'm sure part of the problem) on weekdays to do it. They should start at 8:05 sharp. Take a half hour beforehand to pregame. Then the game is over in the p.m.
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BigPPupMajor Leaguer
1140 days ago
Score 0+-
I agree. I have to wake up early for work. I cannot afford to be up at 1 or 2 in the morning just to watch a game. There is no reason that MLB cannot start their games at 7 30 or 7.
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M.SmithSoccer Kid
1140 days ago
Score 0+-
Yeah, I completely agree that the games need to be moved up... thought that was not really my point. The fact that parents don't let their kids stay up to watch a big playoff game is what bothers me... MLB scheduling is idiotic at times, that much is certain.
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Alex HolowczakHall of Famer
1140 days ago
Score 2+-
Parents (as Crookedcap says), have the same problem. They don't want to hear a TV blurting out if they need sleep. Also, the stat was 38%. With 8/30=just > 25% of the teams making the playoffs, I think that's pretty good. Perhaps that accounts for the statistic, no-one said that their team is in the playoffs.
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M.SmithSoccer Kid
1140 days ago
Score 0+-
"And while most fans, 73 percent, said they would stay up late to watch the World Series, only 38 percent of those with school-aged children said they'd let their children stay awake past their bedtimes." --- From the article (at the bottom) Its clear here, that 35% that would stay up themselves but won't let their kids stay up. Has nothing to do with team affiliations.
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TartanVarsity Captain
1140 days ago
Score 1+-
England doesn't have the same time zone problem the United States does. Mean time across the country allows everyone to watch at the same time. In the US, games starting at 5 on the east coast, no one on the west coast will watch, they're all at work. Games starting at 9 are the only way the entire country can watch at the same time, which puts east coast residents at a disadvantage, because the game will likely go past midnight, regardless of sport.
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M.SmithSoccer Kid
1140 days ago
Score 0+-
haha, weird, both typing same thing at the same time.
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ThecrookedcapAll-Star
1140 days ago
Score 3+-
The thing I wish is that Fox took some flexibility into account. I remember when the Yankees and Mets played in the Series everyone complained about the times. When a series takes place within one time zones (or two adjoining time zones) those fans should be taken into account. Face it, if we had a Angels-Padres seriously would someone in Boston really care? Maybe if they were from those towns, but otherwise not really.
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Alex HolowczakHall of Famer
1140 days ago
Score 1+-
The game should be played at local times to the city played in. E.g. Mets @ Yankees 7PM EST. Angels @ Giants 7PM PT. The fans that have to attend the games should be taken into account as the main factor (as that helps generate revenue), so I think that the way forward. The West Coast seems to have the best deal with watching sport. Then again, they have the worst deal geologically, so it's swings and roundabouts...
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TartanVarsity Captain
1140 days ago
Score 1+-
No one would settle for a game that wasn't live, big gripe with the World Basketball Championships. And what if the Series this year was A's Mets, then what would you do. Fans will go to games regardless, the TV revenue is where the money actually is drawn from. Its a tough question to answer, and I think the networks do a good job of it, realizing that their main goal is to make profit. They achieve this without too much dissent from fans. Imagine a 7PM west coast start time, half the country won't even bother tuning it, that could not possibly work.
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Awrigh01All-Star
1140 days ago
Score 1+-
I play on a softball team in New York City. We play up in Harlem, where there are a bunch of baseball fields that they must have build around WWII. While all of us played softball, all of the local kids were playing a tough game of football.

The pattern is the same in Newark. I take the train home to New Jersey and the train is elevated and you can see some old baseball fields in Newark. Countless times I have seen kids banding together to play football instead of baseball.

Its kind of sad.
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ASwaffAll-American
1140 days ago
Score 0+-
I didn't watch games behind my mom's back, but I definitely remember staying up late to watch World Series games when I was a kid. My brother was a HUGE Braves fan, so we had a lot of late nights in the '90s. Went to bed disappointed a lot, too. But, still.
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Jgov05All-American
1140 days ago
Score 0+-
Basketball does the same thing. Even the NFL starts their Saturday night playoff games too late for me to stay up through the whole thing.
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