Rigel says: 2006-08-02 16:28:18
It's nice to see Black Thorn has temporarily turned his attention away from flogging the the dead horse sometimes known as the Bring Back the Jets campaign, but what the Goldeyes have to offer really isn't much better. Their games may be OK for people with limited attention spans who need a steady stream of circus acts to be entertained, but a genuine fan wants to see baseball and can live without infantile diversions interrupting the continuity. Did the recent soccer World Cup have a dog-and-pony show taking the field every 5-10 minutes? Anyone wanting to see how real baseball should be played should have been watching the world championship tournament won by Japan last March. All games moved along at a steady pace that allowed spectators to stay focussed on the action without any sideshows. By contrast, North American leagues in general and not just the Northern have allowed the formerly leisurely pace of baseball to become a lethargic one. Teams like the Goldeyes overdo it for several reasons. Firstly the majority of Winnipeg crowds aren't particularly knowledgeable about the sport. Secondly, all the the little games and contests are designed to mask the fact that the Northern League is a third-rate circuit at best. And third, the longer the game the greater the opportunity to sell food, drink and various paraphernalia at inflated prices. As for Black Thorn's assertions that this is the next best brand of ball or team outside of Toronto, hasn't he ever heard of the Ottawa Lynx of the International League which is at least one cut above the Northern? In fact, if Winnipeg were a real baseball town, it would have a Triple A club, especially since cities our size, like Omaha and Toledo, have had ones for years. Besides who cares who wins the Northern League anyway? At least a few years ago the champion would go against the winner of its eastern counterpart circuit based in New York and Pennsylvania. Now that's over and just as bad is the fact that four teams fled the NL to join the American Association. So it's all very nice that Winnipeg has the best attendance and all that, but maybe lower figures in other cities tell us that fans there recognize something about this league that locals haven't figured out yet.

tmbrwlf says: 2006-08-04 09:45:41
just to backup blackthorn both Calgary and Edmomton the two cities that everyone wants winnipeg to copy had triple a baseball they now are part of the northern league because of winnipeg and want our style of ball