Why Baseball? Why not Football...?

The fam and I were at Rachel's parents' house for dinner tonight, and Rachel's mom asked me if I wanted baseball (Angels at Rangers) or football (preseason Saints at Raiders) on the television. I thought quickly, didn't really have a preference, but responded with "Baseball's fine."

A couple different things...

Baseball was my Malcolm Gladwell Blink choice. In case you haven't read the book, Blink talks about how your first instinctual decision is more than likely your true preference and is therefore the "correct" decision. The book also delves into being more aware of your "blink decision making process" and also the notion that you can develop it, nourish it, help it evolve into a lean, mean, correct decision-making machine. But I digress...

So... baseball was my Malcolm Gladwell Blink choice. And as I analyzed the choice, I came to the following conclusions.

1. I didn't choose baseball because I enjoy it more. If anything, I enjoy football way more than baseball. Baseball on TV has essentially been the same since the 1960s. Football television broadcasts have evolved tremendously: telestrator, sideline commentary, mics on coaches, mics on players, enhanced instant replay, sky cams that follow the action... Football is a better television product.

2. I didn't choose baseball because I wanted to watch the local team. I'm a Dodger fan, through and through. I'd much rather watch a game in Chavez Ravine than down the street from Disneyland. And blue's a better color on me than red...

3. I didn't choose baseball because of the star power. Jared Weaver? Josh Hamilton? Other players that I don't know or care about? Nope... not the reason. If anything I would have rather watched the third string Saints quarterback trying to impress the coaches so he wouldn't have to plunge any further down the depth chart...

So why did I choose baseball? I'm more of a fan of football, baseball isn't as interesting, more interesting players are on the football field...

And then it dawned on me...

I chose baseball because the game counted.

The Angels are two games back of the Rangers (now three because they lost. hehehe). There are less than 35 games left in the season. The playoff picture is beginning to truly crystallize. The game matters, the players will be giving their all, the winner will be psyched, the loser will have a long night...

And the football game is just a preseason jaunt, who will get cut, are we in regular season shape, let's pull the starters so they can rest, let's see how the draft pick is developing, let's pan to the crowd and see how many Saints fans are in the Oakland Coliseum... womp womp womp...

It's more fun when it counts. Just like shows are more fun than rehearsal. Just like the playoffs are more fun than the 12th game of the season. Just like the customer service call with the pissed off patron is more fun than reading the training manual...

Life is more fun when it counts. Which is interesting because it counts everyday. But sometimes we somehow convince ourselves that it's only the preseason...