I’m one of those folks who always try to make the best of a bad situation.
The way I look at it, when life gives you lemons, you should say, “Cool! Free lemons,” and move on. So, when I found out Monday afternoon that today’s St. Louis Cardinals playoff game would be televised only on the MLB Network, I tried to look at the bright side.
“At least I won’t have to listen to Bob Costas call the game,” I said.
I don’t mean that in a bad way. Well, actually I do, in the sense that I don’t like the way Bob calls baseball games. Look, Bob’s probably a nice guy, and he is a pretty good announcer, but he just talks too much for my taste. See, Bob loves baseball, and he wants everybody to know how much he loves baseball, so he constantly talks during the games.
When I watch baseball on TV, I want to — follow me here — watch baseball. I don’t want to hear Bob tell me how, in 1961, Mickey Mantle hit two doubles from both sides of the plate and found a quarter in the Yankee dugout.
Since I can’t watch Bob call the Cardinals game on the MLB Network, I will instead take my free lemons and listen to Mike Shannon and John Rooney call the game on the radio.
But I have to admit that the fact that the greedy suits in charge of Major League Baseball have taken a playoff game off basic cable and placed it on their own network — which, I believe, is available to approximately 38 people — bothers me.
OK, I know the MLB Network is available to more than 38 people, but it’s not available to me. The reason the MLB Network is not available to me is the same reason the NFL Network is not available to me: I’m not a moron. I don’t want to pay for a TV channel that I am going to watch only six months out of the year. From what I understand, even if I did want to pay for a TV channel that I would watch only six months out of the year, I would have to switch from my cable provider to some sort of satellite provider.
I read somewhere that if I knew what I was doing, I could watch the Cards game on my computer for a small fee, but that doesn’t appeal to me, either. Over the past few years, my wife and I have slowly replaced our old TVs with newer, flat-screen TVs. I like watching games on them. The idea of having to pay to watch a game on my computer doesn’t appeal to me much. I mean, what am I supposed to do between innings? Has it come to this? Baseball, apple pie and Dell?
I don’t think so.
It’s un-American, is what it is.
Many years ago, the late, great Peter Gent — a former wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys and the author of the classic “North Dallas Forty” — wrote a novel in which he described how the NFL would gradually shift all of its games to some sort of pay-for-view channel. At the time, I thought Peter was exaggerating. Now, I’m not so sure.
I’m pretty sure that if a bunch of St. Louis Cardinals’ or Washington Nationals’ fans who don’t have the MLB Network run out and purchase it or pony up the money to watch the game on their computers, next year the greedy Major League Baseball suits will put more playoff games on their network.
Call it a hunch.
But I won’t be one of those folks who run out and sign up for the MLB Network or watch the game on my computer. Instead, I’ll just dial up Mike Shannon and John Rooney.
What the heck? Free lemons.
DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA for Mike Pound’s column? Call him at 417-623-3480, ext. 7259, or email him at mpound@joplinglobe.com. Follow him on Twitter @mikepoundglobe.
Local News
Mike Pound: Un-American trend grows in baseball
- Local News
-
-
Missouri Prairie Foundation plans BioBlitz for June 1-2 at prairies in Barton, Vernon counties
The Missouri Prairie Foundation’s Denison and Lattner prairies in Vernon and Barton counties will be the focus on Saturday and Sunday, June 1 and 2, of the fourth annual Prairie BioBlitz.
-
Stream sampling in Jasper County finds elevated levels of E. coli
Stream sampling conducted just before the Memorial Day weekend by the Jasper County Health Department found elevated levels of E. coli in every stream and river tested. Twenty-one sites were tested on May 22, following heavy rains earlier in the week.
-
Families, friends invited to honor veterans with flags this weekend
Small lengths of plastic pipe have been installed behind the headstones of veterans graves in Joplin cemeteries so that every veteran will have a flag on Memorial Day.
-
Mike Pound: Writing column like making pasta
It’s Friday afternoon as I’m typing this and my wife is worried. She’s not worried about what I’m typing; she gave up worrying about that a long time ago. Besides, my wife knows that even though I’m typing right now, I likely don’t have a clue what I’m writing.
-
Joplin to New Orleans bike tour to raise money for disaster victims
Louis Niewald will travel 800 miles on a bicycle next month, pedaling from Joplin to New Orleans. He’ll have a lot to think about along the way. Niewald was returning to Joplin on May 22, 2011, when sirens sounded and an EF-5 tornado began grinding its way across the city.
-
Joplin photo rescue effort gears up to help Moore storm victims
A photo rescue operation based in Carthage that helped salvage and return thousands of pictures after the 2011 tornado in Joplin is reaching out to storm victims in Moore, Okla.
-
Events, activities to honor veterans planned in Joplin area on Monday
No Memorial Day ceremonies are planned at Joplin cemeteries this year or at Mount Hope Cemetery in Webb City, but a number of other events are scheduled in cities around the region.
-
Area pools ready for plunge; Schifferdecker opening still to be announced
Though this week’s mild temperatures may not signal swim season, most area pools are ready anyway. And, the mercury should rise a little this weekend to help those anxious to dive in. Highs will be in the low 80s today and Sunday. There is a chance for isolated thunderstorms on Monday, but the thermometer should hit 82 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
-
Joplin School Board decision could take up to two weeks; Turner remains on paid leave
It could take up two weeks for the Joplin Board of Education to decide whether Randy Turner’s teaching contract should be terminated, the school district’s attorney, John Nicholas, said Friday.
-
Joplin insurance agent seeks donations for Moore, Okla.
After losing an office building and her home in the tornado on May 22, 2011, Loretta Bailey is familiar with the destruction that a tornado brings. The 400 households that her insurance agency helped through the aftermath of the tornado also know that loss. \
- More Local News Headlines
-
Missouri Prairie Foundation plans BioBlitz for June 1-2 at prairies in Barton, Vernon counties
