Big game, little event, and a couple of boneheads

Am toddling off the Buffalo today to set the scene for the big NFL match coming to Toronto on Sunday and got to thinking:

Are neutral site games such a big deal any more?

I mean, if you’re in a major city like Toronto (where the Mayor isn’t nearly as well liked as she is in Hazelville; nyah, nyah, nyah) is a visit from a team like the Bills to play a regular season game something that’s important?

Can’t imagine it really is any more, although Silvio at the Rogers Centre tells me here that ticket sales are up, which I would think has to do as much with the Bills not sucking as it does any sense of “event.”

Back in the day, when you couldn’t see basketball, baseball or hockey games every night from the comfort of your home or every game every Sunday either in some local or on that same couch, it would be a big deal when something new and exciting came to the city.

I imagine there were people who very much looked forward to, say, a visit by the Buffalo Braves to the Gardens back in the day because it finally presented a chance to see something live that you couldn’t normally see.

Now, so many people don’t care about the drive to Buffalo, games are so prevalent on your television every night, the sense of big time event seems to be gone.

That’s not to mean it’s not a good thing that they’re here to play, though.

(Speaking of, we’ve got a little poll thing going on over at the Facebook Bureau; I know some of you are adverse to it and that’s cool, there’s not much there that you can’t get here, but if you want to take part, we’d be glad to have you. If the ‘likes’ increase, the Tall Foreheads are happy and if they’re happy, I’m happy and we know it’s all about me).

Anyway, back to the Bills.

It’s certainly not going to be like a “real” NFL game because all the ancillary stuff can’t match what you can do in a parking lot at, say, Orchard Park and that’s what makes it a unique experience for so many of you.

I guess the thing that makes it a bit hum-drum for some is that it’s not really a one-off event. They’ll be back n ext year, probably, and the year after that and they’ve already been here three times so the draw has to now be the game, rather than the event.

I’d imagine promoters would have a difficult time drumming up much interest if the Bills were their usual below-average selves; they’ve kind of been rescued by a quick start to a traditionally average team.

And that’s what’s making this a special game, not the event.

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So it’s 5:25 a.m. when I get in the car to start the journey (Niagara Falls and then Buffalo to continue to my role as Mr. Football) when I learn there’s something called:

National Sleep In Day!

How could no one have told me?

People!

Here’s the deal, I’d appreciate some warning when it’s:

National Take The Afternoon Off And Go Golfing Day.

Figure that’s a biweekly occurrence in the spring, summer and fall, right?

National The House Buys Many Rounds Day.

In celebration of regularity.

National Don’t Leave The Couch Night

Oh, wait. We celebrate that often. Never mind.

National Super Son Does Everything Around The House Day

May never happen but a guy can dream, right?

National The Leaves Magically Disappear From The Backyard Day.

See “a guy can dream, right?”

What have you got?

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Man, are we getting old or what?

It was 25 years ago today – a quarter of a freaking century – that Bill Buckner let that ball go through his legs in Game 6 of the Red Sox-Mets World Series.

Now, Irregulars will know I was a bit of a Bosox fan back then, sitting quietly in Super Dad’s living room watching by myself, a small bottle of champagne at the ready.

Wonder what kind of vinegar that’s turned in to?

Anyway, the Buckner news – and I’d almost forgotten about the Bob Stanley wild pitch that preceded it that was almost as disgusting – got me thinking about the major gaffes we’ve seen in the game, not including Tony LaRussa’s mental meltdown with his bullpen and phone the other night.

Fred Merkle?

Ever hear of him?

Well, it’s detailed here and if Buckner’s a goat, Freddy Boy might be the goat of all time.

And I know for years Buckner, a former batting champion and pretty darn good ballplayer who probably should be remembered for things other than one error, took some umbrage at the abuse he was dealt.

Well, imagine how Fred felt when he woke up one day and saw this.

Yes, newspapering may never be the same; we should find ourselves a good sports cartoonist.

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First call for mail, folks.

Please do your thing here, it’s much appreciated, as always.

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Okay, debate time.

On this day in 1962, The Rolling Stones recorded their first demo tape (it wasn’t the version we know now but you get the point).

On this day in 1965, the Beatles were invested with their MBE’s (Member of the Order of the British Empire) by The Queen.

Now, I don’t know about you, but as a wee tot and into my mis-spent youth years, there used to be a discussion every now and then:

Beatle fan?

Stones fan?

Not sure that then, as you can now, you could swear allegiance to both; if that was the case for Irregulars Of A Certain Vintage, which side did you come down on?

Me?

Beatles. All the way.

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Comments

[doug]

omg this is to funny...Holland being Caray and Kinsler it's hilarious....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fo9CBJxl7A

[Billy Biroux]

Listen to the Tranna people making all the excuses why nobody shows up for the football game at teh Skydome.
Just because a few people show up at a bar to watch the NFL on Sunday doesn't make you a football town.
LIke butts in the seats tells the true story.
And you ain't got no butts in the seats.
So enough of the baloney.

Blogger's note: Yawn. Go find your cousin and plough the back 40, would you?

[D-Mac Ottawa]

@doug, Let's hope you're right, swami. Play ball! Cheers.