America's Favorite Pastime Baseball or Football

[Rhonda Rousey's Sports Bra]

I have always said baseball is America's favorite pastime, but alot of people think football has taken that crown as of late. So what do you think is baseball still America's favorite pastime or has it become football?

 

[santinoistight44]

i think it is definately baseball. for me, at least. it has always been my favorite sport, and i love watching it on tv. i suppose football could be the most popular sport nowadays. but i always find it nice to kick back, and relax, while watching a game of baseball, regardless of the team. sometimes (watching football), if i'm uninterested in the team, i will get bored and not find it as enjoyable. maybe i'm just biased because i know the joy of playing baseball (i have never played recreational football), but in my opinion, baseball is, and should remain, America's pastime.

 

[Davi323]

Baseball may be America's pastime, but football is America's passion.

This really is a simple question to answer. Football is so important, ESPN had a two hour program tonight devoted solely to discussing the NFL schedule. Not games, just the schedule.

Thursday, the NFL draft will be aired live during prime time hours. Is the MLB draft even televised at all? I bet most won't know the answer.

How many high school football games have you been to? How many baseball games? Do you know if your high school even had a baseball team? I bet far more people go to HS football games than baseball games.

Unless you have the Big Ten Network or SEC network, how many college baseball games have you ever watched? How many college football games? Again, I bet the football to baseball ratio is pretty damn high.

Ever tailgated a baseball game? Neither has anyone else.

 

[People's Champ]

Got to agree with Davi here. It really is obvious which sport it is. The fact of the matter is baseball is not attracting the younger viewers. I love the SF Giants but I can't sit through an entire game on tv and say its enjoyable. At least in football I get to see hits whereas watching baseball on tv I can see grass growing.

All you have to do is look at the number. Besides last years W.S the ratings have down. Whereas in football, the viewership is at an all-time high. More and more people are tuning in to College and Pro football than ever before. Watch the draft Thursday and look at the ratings it will draw. I bet it outdraws any baseball game we will see this year. And I'm just talking Draft.

 

[The Roid Rage]

At one time the clear cut answer was baseball but that has changed over the last 60 years or so, and the Super Bowl has become far bigger an event than the World Series. Most people don't even know when baseball season starts, ends, or when the World Series takes place. Everyone knows that football comes in fall, and the Super Bowl takes place around February. Baseball has made a bit of a comeback I will say, but Football seems to have eclipsed it by a long shot.

 

[Mr. TM]

The historical pastime was of course Baseball. But you really have to say baseball has lost its ground as America's favourite sport. Just look at the Football draft thread, nearly 1000 posts in two days, way more than the baseball the baseball thread will get all year. The Superbowl is the biggest draw every year in sports.

For baseball to compete, I think they need to cut the season down in games. 162 is way to long to make games a draw. make the season end in early October, and start in May. Spread the games out a bit more. Every single NFL game is a draw, because of the short season. MLB should take hints there.

 

[gd]

Has to be football at this point. Sure, baseball is fun and all, but at this day in age, people just don't have the attention span anymore. When you get down to it, baseball is a pretty boring sport at the core. I still like it, but certainly not compared to watching basketball, football, or hockey.

With the NFL becoming the biggest and baddest league in the country and the Super Bowl becoming the biggest sporting event period, it seems rather obvious that football has taken over at this point.

 

[CH David]

Ever tailgated a baseball game? Neither has anyone else.

I agreed with everything until this, because haha, it is a bullshit statement. I don't give a shit if you haven't tailgated a baseball game, but I know I have, and I know thousands of others have. So for this statement, you are an idiot. Other than that, keep up the good work.

The answer really is football, and this is coming from a huge baseball fan, the first sport I ever loved. (I even got my sig back for the season) Baseball used to be a huge deal all around the country, but with people, myself included at times, making big deals about steroid controversy (which is for another thread) long drawn out games, and with the always growing popularity of the NFL and NCAAF, it has taken a backseat. I'll be leaving for work, or coming home from school, and I'll see more people in grassy fields playing football than I will baseball, even by baseball fields.

I think what makes it so interesting is that there is only 16 regular season games, 4 rounds for the playoffs including the Super Bowl. Football is hard hitting, and in your face. People like to see big hits, and brash, loud mouth players. Baseball has the 162 games that make for a looooong season, and it doesn't help when your team is in the shitter in April or May. Can baseball get back to the top? Possible but unlikely with the NFL continually going full head of steam at the top of American sports.