🏈 Another site change coming...need a little feedback from you guys on professional sports.

[TerryP]

In the near future we're going to be upgrading the forum software package. At this point, the new release of vB has its "issues." The support staff from our server calls it "unpredictable." That's not saying a lot, but it's saying enough.

As we move towards that I'm changing things here preparing for the transition. One of those changes is adding a forum specific to pro sports. I've received a number of requests to do so.

So, that said...

I'm planning on formatting the new forum along the same lines as what you see on the Today's News section with a twitter news feed including on that page, news feeds you can quickly access, etc.

Those that follow professional sports...where to you go to find your news? I've found different resources like RSS feeds from MLB.com, twitter feeds from the same site, etc. to include...but I'm interested in how you guys find your "fix."

Any and all suggestions welcomed!

T

Oh, as much as some of you would like it I can't see it being feasible to be team specific. For all I know, we might only have one Eagles fans (God bless her soul) when it comes to the NFL...and I don't think it would be very user friendly to include feeds from 32 teams in the NFL, all the teams in the MLB, etc.

 

[sean]

wait.....you mean there are other sports outside of THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA?! :icon_scratch:

huh...never knew that.




inkbiggrin:

 

[TerryP]

wait.....you mean there are other sports outside of THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA?! :icon_scratch:

huh...never knew that.




inkbiggrin:

sk33tr, I don't follow anything other than collegiate athletics. Some do...lost on me as to why.

That said, I did see something about MLB adding instant replay...thought that was interesting. It's not going to bring me back to the sport.

OH, got to add this...I do watch some of the Olympics which is professional sports in a sense, I guess. It's limited to things like Women's soccer, ice hockey, and I've got this weird fascination with curling for some reason. :headscratch:

 

[Swamptick]

I am completely down with a pro sports section.

 

[TheChief]

Terry, I don't follow the NFL or NBA either. I think an MLB forum would be cool. I get my baseball news from the MLB Network. I'm an ardent baseball fan, so that ought to be cool.

Curling? Really?

 

[Swamptick]

sk33tr, I don't follow anything other than collegiate athletics. Some do...lost on me as to why.

That said, I did see something about MLB adding instant replay...thought that was interesting. It's not going to bring me back to the sport.

OH, got to add this...I do watch some of the Olympics which is professional sports in a sense, I guess. It's limited to things like Women's soccer, ice hockey, and I've got this weird fascination with curling for some reason. :headscratch:

I have several solutions to MLB's quandary.

1. Expand the replay even further.
2. Go easier on PED scrutiny. The game is too defensive right now. People want to watch scoring. The casual fan of MLB wants to see runs. A hardcore fan may love a pitchers duel, but you need to cater to the widest audience. We need more homeruns. To that end:
3. Use aluminum bats. I get that purists will say this will ruin historical stats. So what. Babe Ruth wouldn't make an MLB roster today. Guy was 5'9" and fat. He played against roofers and farmers. The MLB then WAS different. Get with the times. Use aluminum bats and the balls will LAUNCH out of the park.

I can go on about this for hours. And I am right.

 

[TerryP]

Terry, I don't follow the NFL or NBA either. I think an MLB forum would be cool. I get my baseball news from the MLB Network. I'm an ardent baseball fan, so that ought to be cool.

Curling? Really?

I can't explain it Chief.

Have you ever played shuffleboard in a sports bar? When I was in that business I used to have a table and played often: enjoyed it.

It's not the same...but some of the same principles apply. Like I said...can't explain why...it's just, well, fascinating to me.

MLB network: √

 

[TerryP]

I am completely down with a pro sports section.

Where do you go for your news on the sport you follow, Tick?

 

[mhardiman]

I have several solutions to MLB's quandary.

1. Expand the replay even further.
2. Go easier on PED scrutiny. The game is too defensive right now. People want to watch scoring. The casual fan of MLB wants to see runs. A hardcore fan may love a pitchers duel, but you need to cater to the widest audience. We need more homeruns. To that end:
3. Use aluminum bats. I get that purists will say this will ruin historical stats. So what. Babe Ruth wouldn't make an MLB roster today. Guy was 5'9" and fat. He played against roofers and farmers. The MLB then WAS different. Get with the times. Use aluminum bats and the balls will LAUNCH out of the park.

I can go on about this for hours. And I am right.

Agreed; I've been saying too that maybe adding some corky-ness to the playing fields like a couple trees in the outfield, maybe a pond out there could make things interesting, or maybe a big hill like Nashville's old Sulphur Dell stadium had would limit the defensive side a bit.<o></o>
Photos of Sulphur Dell

 

[TerryP]

[MENTION=15663]mhardiman[/MENTION] That's a cool pic...I see Vols in the background.

Minor league, I assume, with the home team named Vols.

 

[mhardiman]

Nashville's Minor league team was the Vols; Didn't change to the Sounds till sometime around the 60's or early 70's.
Wiki of Sulphur Dell "421' center field!" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulphur_Dell

 

[TheChief]

@swamptick , what makes baseball great IS its sameness. The bats, the bases, the mound, nothing changes and the records can be compared over centuries. If you want to see copious homeruns, go watch slow pitch softball. The game is great the way it is. Want to ruin it? Include Instant replay. I can enjoy a game watching ONLY THE UMPIRES.
I’m familiar with every aspect of baseball. I’ve played, coached, umpired, announced games for a radio station, even dragged and mowed the field, and of course I’ve been a fan. Baseball, the way it is, is great.

 

[BamaCore]

A baseball forum would be cool as well. While I'm not 24/7 into it, I do love watching my Braves. Usually just get all my info from ESPN and various twitter feeds.

Also, I'm with you on the curling [MENTION=12209]TerryP[/MENTION] ...it just looks like fun, and I have no idea why.

 

[Swamptick]

Where do you go for your news on the sport you follow, Tick?

ESPN, sports radio and here. I usually don't internet for much of my news. I do follow some folks on Twitter and will read links on Facebook.

 

[Swamptick]

@swamptick , what makes baseball great IS its sameness. The bats, the bases, the mound, nothing changes and the records can be compared over centuries. If you want to see copious homeruns, go watch slow pitch softball. The game is great the way it is. Want to ruin it? Include Instant replay. I can enjoy a game watching ONLY THE UMPIRES.
I’m familiar with every aspect of baseball. I’ve played, coached, umpired, announced games for a radio station, even dragged and mowed the field, and of course I’ve been a fan. Baseball, the way it is, is great.

I totally get where you are coming from, but numbers don't lie. The MLB is in a slow, steady decline. Ratings are down. Attendance is down and the average demographic for the MLB is older, white men.

While I respect your opinion and I understand where you are coming from, it's just not working for the MLB. Look at the NFL. Every year, like it or not, they alter the rules. Slowly, steadily changing the game to make it more relevant and more palatable for the masses. I fear that unless MLB figures that out, they are going to continue to erode.

Yes, it's still a major sport, but it's not like the NFL, NBA or NCAA Football.

 

[252BAMA]

<!-- BEGIN TEMPLATE: dbtech_usertag_mention -->@mhardiman<!-- END TEMPLATE: dbtech_usertag_mention --> That's a cool pic...I see Vols in the background.

Minor league, I assume, with the home team named Vols.

Nashville Vols - Chattanooga Lookouts - Birmingham Barons - Memphis Chicks - Mobile Bears - New Orleans Pelicans - Atlanta Crackers - Little Rock Travelers. The old Southern Association. Great Double-A ball in the 40s and 50s. Closed down in 1961. Today's Southern League was spun off of the old Single-A Sally (South Atlantic) League.

Great geography for scheduling. Road trips would be scheduled in pairs; Atlanta-Birmingham, Nashville-Chattanooga, Memphis-Little Rock, and New Orleans-Mobile. And those pairs were the big rivalries in the SA.

My grandparents lived on 4th Ct West in B'ham. Two blocks straight out of Gate 7 at Legion Field and walk through their front door. My Grandad was a B'ham cop and worked security at Rickwood when off duty. I never missed a game there until his death in '48. Went with my Dad a lot in the 50s.

 

[RollllTide!]

I don't follow the NFL unless the Saints are in the play-offs. It is easy to poo poo changes, however you guys have a great format that can be applied to other sports as well. Just make it a separate choice when you get to the home page and everyone will love it.

 

[ElephantStomp]

Only pro sports I follow is NHL and MLB.

One of the things they need to do with baseball is stop letting writers vote people into the hall and have former players, managers, commishs vote them in because although I'm against PEDs and think it's cheating the game there are a lot of dudes that will never get into the hall that should be because the writers think they have no place no matter what the numbers say.

I am purest in the sense of aluminum bats, etc but I can see people having the opinion that MLB needs to allow them I just don't share it. My thoughts about offense is the batters need to get better.

 

[ElephantStomp]

[MENTION=12209]TerryP[/MENTION] I really enjoy curling too. Can't explain it, but really like watching it

 

[RollllTide!]

I hate bowling but I love to watch it. Weird. I also love shooting pool and love to watch it at the professional level. How about having a Billiards forum? :tennis: