A Night MLB Got Everything Right—and the NFL Never Will
We’re taking a break — probably for only a day — from our short series on the top Browns’ plays in that special season of 1980 to address something else that’s extremely timely, and special as well.
That would be the Major League Baseball All-Star Game on Tuesday night in Atlanta.
Wow!
Double-wow!!
Triple-wow!!!
Especially with the incredible tribute to Hank Aaron and his 715th career home run in 1974 in Atlanta that broke Babe Ruth’s record, what happened that night — and actually on Monday as well with the Home Run Derby and all the other things that went on during this festival of the sport — was spellbinding, must-see TV.
Hank Aaron Memorabilia
→ Hank Aaron books, posters and cards
“Celebrate the legacy of Hank Aaron with collectible memorabilia perfect for any baseball fan or history buff.”
In reality, it was darn near perfect.
Even the game, which dragged for a while after the National League’s dominant start, got good and then great when the American League rallied to tie the score in the ninth inning to force another home-run-hitting contest to decide the winner, which turned out to be the NL by just one homer.
Baseball Home Run Derby Games (For Kids or Adults)
→ Home Run Derby in Your Own Backyard
“Bring the derby fun home with backyard baseball games perfect for parties and summer nights.”
By contrast, the NFL, which sets the gold standard in almost everything in both pro and college sports, struggles mightily with its all-star game, the Pro Bowl. As good as the MLB All-Star Game was, the Pro Bowl has been that degree bad — horrible, really — for years. It’s a complete embarrassment. And there appears to be no way to make it better, even just a little so, or at least no one has figured it out yet.
The good thing for the NFL is that it has its own outdtanding annual event in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Festival that will be held in Canton in a couple weeks.
But the top people in the NFL had to have been shaking their heads in dismay and disgust while watching baseball steal the all-star show of sports in a way they can’t ever match.
Steve King
