tepid participation

Quit abiding by the emerging new rule that sports are better vicariously. I’m really tired of this shit, and we’re sending one helluva crappy message to following generations. I’m talking about how people have a new tendency to say “I’d rather watch it on TV.” I don’t care how damn fantastic your TV is. It’s stupid. This is going to sound like a Brett Lawrie-style rant, but I think it is a ridiculous sentiment. I don’t get angry about much and damn sure not about much when it comes to sports, but this is silly. I was having a conversation about young Jurickson Profar a few days ago with a gentleman who lives in Frisco. He’s a self-described “Rangers fanatic” and someone who is interested in prospects and player development. I excitedly asked if he’d been out to see Profar yet, and he told me he’d just wait until the TXA 21 broadcast on Saturday. Don’t get me wrong, given my affection for minor league baseball, the fact that the local AA squad is on television every Saturday is f-ing fantastic. I love it. But it isn’t a substitute for going out there yourself.  The best tickets in most minor league stadiums are around $15. Parking, concessions, and souvenirs are, generally, noticably cheaper than an MLB  experience for obvious reasons. I’m probably painting with a broader brush than I want to, but I think it’s a societal issue. Vicariously looking at pictures of the Irish coast instead of saving up, planning a trip and actually looking at the Irish coast. It’s one thing to know what minor league baseball looks like, its another to know what is smells and sounds like. I often say that no one ever gets old and says “I wish I would have taken my kids to less ball games.”  It’s true. I have the attention span of a toddler, so I drift around during minor league games and even in the most oppressive Texas heat, I still see people having a great fucking time. Especially kids. So turn off your badass TV, pony up the $45 for some tickets & food and take yourself and your kids to the ballpark. Dammit.