We tend to think of baseball as the American national pastime, but is this sport still worthy of the title? Baseball hasn't been the most popular sport in the US for quite some time now and even though it is undeniably an important piece of our national heritage, it doesn't occupy the same place of prominence in the American consciousness which it once did. Baseball has largely been replaced both as a form of entertainment and as a shared cultural experience by different sports and activities.
Baseball was the American pastime since it was emblematic of broader American culture at the time. It was children or young people playing in an open field or perhaps in the street. A ball and bat or any reasonable substitutes which were at hand and you could play.
The game had a casual, easy going pace for a society which was much more casual itself. Each pitch is separated by a pause, each moment of intensity is broken up by a break. It matched our society which, without the internet or even television, had a much longer attention span.
Baseball games were broadcast of course, but on the radio. Radio is a medium which suits baseball's slower rhythms perfectly. Broadcasters could describe the action as it happened, allowing radio audiences to enjoy the game and understand everything which was happening on the diamond. Television, however, proved not to be the match made in heaven that radio was for the game. The faster paced game of football came to television and within a couple of decades, baseball found itself playing second fiddle to this newcomer.
When you saw football on the television, you could see the size, strength and speed of the players. You could see how hard the hits were, how devastating the impact was. You could almost feel the hits yourself. The plays happened quickly and the game as a whole moved rapidly. None of these qualities were easily described on the radio, which had hindered the growth of the sport.
But baseball's perch as the American national pastime was hindered by more than football. While football overtook it as the most popular sport in the country, an ever increasing list of distractions emerged to take its place. New sports to play and watch, more television channels, video games, the Internet and many other factors as well. At the same time, in international competitions, America is routinely destroyed by other countries. Baseball is no longer necessarily the strongest and most beloved in the country of its origin.
Baseball has suffered some serious self-inflicted injuries as well. A strike caused the World Series to be cancelled in 1994 and the league has regularly handled steroid use scandals poorly, refusing to accept any responsibility for a culture of performance enhancing drug use. Football has had its own steroid scandal, something the NFL quickly handled and has not recurred since.
What this all comes down to is that baseball is no longer America's favorite pastime. The sport will always have a place in our culture and remains an iconic symbol of the country, but the days when it was America's national pastime are for better or worse, in the past.
Baseball was the American pastime since it was emblematic of broader American culture at the time. It was children or young people playing in an open field or perhaps in the street. A ball and bat or any reasonable substitutes which were at hand and you could play.
The game had a casual, easy going pace for a society which was much more casual itself. Each pitch is separated by a pause, each moment of intensity is broken up by a break. It matched our society which, without the internet or even television, had a much longer attention span.
Baseball games were broadcast of course, but on the radio. Radio is a medium which suits baseball's slower rhythms perfectly. Broadcasters could describe the action as it happened, allowing radio audiences to enjoy the game and understand everything which was happening on the diamond. Television, however, proved not to be the match made in heaven that radio was for the game. The faster paced game of football came to television and within a couple of decades, baseball found itself playing second fiddle to this newcomer.
When you saw football on the television, you could see the size, strength and speed of the players. You could see how hard the hits were, how devastating the impact was. You could almost feel the hits yourself. The plays happened quickly and the game as a whole moved rapidly. None of these qualities were easily described on the radio, which had hindered the growth of the sport.
But baseball's perch as the American national pastime was hindered by more than football. While football overtook it as the most popular sport in the country, an ever increasing list of distractions emerged to take its place. New sports to play and watch, more television channels, video games, the Internet and many other factors as well. At the same time, in international competitions, America is routinely destroyed by other countries. Baseball is no longer necessarily the strongest and most beloved in the country of its origin.
Baseball has suffered some serious self-inflicted injuries as well. A strike caused the World Series to be cancelled in 1994 and the league has regularly handled steroid use scandals poorly, refusing to accept any responsibility for a culture of performance enhancing drug use. Football has had its own steroid scandal, something the NFL quickly handled and has not recurred since.
What this all comes down to is that baseball is no longer America's favorite pastime. The sport will always have a place in our culture and remains an iconic symbol of the country, but the days when it was America's national pastime are for better or worse, in the past.
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