Today at THT

by
January 19, 2009

We now have ourselves a Super Bowl match up, and because we’ve all known where the game is going to be played for years and because weather is not an issue, we now have two whole weeks worth of media days, Playboy parties, VIP gatherings, television specials, marketing tie-ins, and countless other media, P.R., and corporate-driven baloney before any actual football is played. On this august occasion, I would ask Buster Olney, Tracy Ringolsby, and all of the other writers who came out in favor of a pre-planned neutral-site World Series back when it was raining in Philadelphia in October how they would feel if the vapid stupidity that will take place between now and the Super Bowl accompanied the World Series. Which it certainly would if you had date, weather, and location certainty like the football people do. Something tells me that a few raindrops isn’t worth turning the Fall Classic into a circus like we’ll be seeing down in Tampa for the next two weeks.

But that’s for another day. Today at THT:

  • Chris Jaffe takes yet another look at the Hall of Fame vote. We’re not going to get a break before next year’s voting, are we?
  • Evan Brunell looks at last week’s transactions. The Astros signed Danny Graves? That Danny Graves? Whoa.
  • Finally, over at Fantasy Focus, Derek Carty tries to figure out what the heck happened to Robinson Cano last year and gives you some guidance as to where you should draft him. Also, Victor Wang hips us to something called the ludic fallacy. You may be surprised to learn that the term is not a dirty one. Wait, you wouldn’t be surprised to learn that? I’m the only one who giggles when I say “ludic fallacy” out loud? Fine, fine . . . sorry to offend you, YOUR MAJESTY.


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    Pete Toms
    16 years ago

    I’ll nitpick…I’m pretty sure the Playboy party has been cancelled.  There have been a number of reports about corporate America scaling back at Super Bowl….less $$$ to throw around….perceptions of their behavior in “difficult times”….but I get it…it will still be pretty grotesque.

    No to neutral sites, the loyal hometown fans deserve better ( even if they can’t afford to be at the ballpark, at least it’s being played in their city ).

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    Roger Moore
    16 years ago

    On this august occasion, I would ask Buster Olney, Tracy Ringolsby, and all of the other writers who came out in favor of a pre-planned neutral-site World Series back when it was raining in Philadelphia in October how they would feel if the vapid stupidity that will take place between now and the Super Bowl accompanied the World Series.

    They would love it.  That’s why they’re advocating it.  The “vapid stupidity” of the next couple of weeks is designed to make life as nice as possible for sports writers.  They get to fly to a nice warm place and stay in comfortable hotels for a couple of weeks.  Then there will be a whole series of events that are designed specifically to give sportswriters ready made column material, all in predictable locations at predictable times.  That gives them plenty of time to lounge around enjoying their stay.

    The whole event is as close to paradise as most sportswriters are likely to get.  Of course they want the other leagues to copy it.  They’d like few things more than extra weeks of taking it easy.

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