My view on professional sport in the United States....

[duckmeat]

I disagree. The lack of a salary cap hurts. When Boston, NYY, NYM and the usual suspects are always the only teams in the hunt for marquee free agents that can turn a franchise around, be the guy on the front of the media guide, and give them some identity. Why would you stay with the Reds when they only offer you five mil, and the Yankees give you twenty? Not only do teams like this get one or two of these top tier guys, they build their whole roster with them. Small market teams can't keep their players, it's just disheartening to watch a player come up through the minors and watch him grow into a superstar only to know his contract is up and your team has no chance to keep him. The Rays this year were a result of being constantly awful, and building their team the right way. They won't stay on top though, their best players will be gone in a few years. The Yankees and the rest will stay at the top or near the top, because they will just keep buying what other people built, it really is like the majority of the MLB is a farm team for these big time teams.

I couldn't deal with a 160 game Cowboys season. I couldn't take having to play the rest of the NFC East that many times a year, I'd go crazy. I still would probably watch them all though. I stay on Cowboys forums every day I'm near a computer, and do it even more in the offseason.

Random trivia for you R13, and proof that I guess these studies people do don't mean squat. In a poll that was about sports fans and their tendencies, it was proven that with Liberal and far left leaning people that baseball is their favorite sport. Pretty interesting stuff though, I'll see if I can find the whole poll and the results. Heard it on Colin Cowherd's show.

[pvfan]

Yea, I heard the same poll. I found it odd, around here the more conservative you are, generally the more you like baseball, well from my expereince at least.

If Edinson Volquez/Jay Bruce/Joey Votto/Johny Cueto turn into studs and the Reds let them walk I seriously may fall out with baseball. This is the first time in a decade the Reds really have a chance to make some hay in a few years if their players develop. I think the Reds will flirt with .500 this year, could be wrong but the Central is worse this year than it has been. The Brewers are much worse as are the Astros and the Pirates, well they are the Pirates. St. Louis has problems on defense, and are counting on Chris Carpenter to come back healthy and be the pitcher he used to be. The Cubs will be the class of the division again, sadly.