Published: October 19, 2009 03:29 pm      

SPORTABOUT: The Cold War

By Tom Daniels

As is the rest of the world money rules in sports. Major League baseball installed the playoff format back in the early 70s and has expanded it ever since. As a "yute" in New Jersey the World Series would have been long over by now. The threat of weather was nothing more then rain.

This weekend the Yankee and Angel players could have joined Admiral Perry in his expedition, as warm as they were dressed. Cities like Denver, Pittsburgh, Boston, Detroit, Milwaukee, Cleveland and Chicago not only have airports, they also have baseball teams and snow already. Baseball has been lucky so far, but the World Series is still a week away. Weather will ultimately do the World Series, as you know it, in. They will be going to a neutral field. A doomed or is it domed stadium. A warm weather site.

Football plays the Super Bowl at a neutral site and usually a warm one. They have toyed with the idea of a cold weather site, but what would happen if you really had a blizzard. Worse yet, what would happen if they just forecast one? Football can be played in sub-zero, it wouldn't be the first time. It can also be played in 100-degree heat. I am sure the boys at Princeton didn't intend it as a warm weather sport.

Football, like baseball, once played 12- and 14-game schedules. Santa Claus knew the NFL champion. The season now runs 17 weeks followed by three weeks of playoffs, followed by the Super Bowl, followed by the Pro Bowl, followed by Valentines Day, followed by baseball spring training. Pre-season in August and Super Bowl in February. Spring training in February and World Series in October. We will never see the likes of another Deion Sanders or Bo Jackson playing both sports, unless we go to a 14-month year.

If baseball and football got together and lobbied Congress they might be able to get the 14-month year. It would delay social security payments, make longer summer vacations, longer political terms, make us younger longer and allow baseball and football to more easily co-exist. It might even eliminate Daylight Saving Time.