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Monday, July 09, 2012

Norman Chad: My argument to expand MLB’s playoffs

C.H.A.D. “Cannibalistic Humanoid Aria Dweller”

Unlike most baseball purists, Couch Slouch actually is in favor of an inflated playoff field. Postseason baseball is riveting. Regular-season baseball is like shopping at Kohl’s on a Saturday – you’re not sure why all the people are there and you can’t figure out why you are there.

So I am here today to propose an extreme, expanded postseason. It involves shortening the regular season. The 162-game regular season is so 20th century, anyway; who can watch an early spring Padres-Rockies game?

I say let ‘em all into the postseason – all 30 teams are playoff-bound! This is how we do it:

We shorten the regular season to 58 games; every team plays every other team twice. Done. That takes care of April and May.

June 1: Playoffs!

(Of course, with a 58-game schedule, I assume Barry Bonds’ single-season home run mark of 73 is safe, unless the pharmaceutical industry can provide Barry Bonds’ son with a bigger body than his dad and he starts knocking out one or two dingers a game every night.)

Repoz Posted: July 09, 2012 at 08:33 AM | 9 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: playoffs

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1. TomH Posted: July 09, 2012 at 08:51 AM (#4176790)

I would respond, but
* * maybe 1/1000th of all MLB fans would be in favor of this, after hearing al of the obvious reasons against it, and
* * MLB wouldn't do it even if my estimate above was off by two orders of magnitude.

Instead, I will nominate it for dumbest sports article of the year. Does anyone have any competing nominations?

2. Ray (RDP)

Posted: July 09, 2012 at 11:50 AM (#4176948)

Is this the guy who announces poker on ESPN?

Anyway, the column has to be sarcastic. I think.

3. Randy Jones

Posted: July 09, 2012 at 11:55 AM (#4176951)

Is this the guy who announces poker on ESPN?

Anyway, the column has to be sarcastic. I think.

Yes and yes

4. Edmundo got dem ol' Kozma blues again mama

Posted: July 09, 2012 at 12:22 PM (#4177002)

I think Norman no longer does the WSOP. I liked him in that role but he's horrible as a humorist -- HE MAKES MURRAY CHASS LOOK LIKE MARK TWAIN, MR. PULITZER!

5. RMc don't hate anyone Asian Posted: July 09, 2012 at 01:50 PM (#4177092)

As suggestions go, this is right up there with the studio exec who wanted to give "Back to the Future" a different title: "Spaceman From Pluto".

6. Joey B. has ignited his October #Natitude Posted: July 09, 2012 at 02:25 PM (#4177137)

I think Norman no longer does the WSOP. I liked him in that role but he's horrible as a humorist -- HE MAKES MURRAY CHASS LOOK LIKE MARK TWAIN, MR. PULITZER!

I think he'll still be part of the edited Main Event shows that will be aired later, but he doesn't do any analysis on the "live" streams.

Amazingly, Chad actually made a final table this year: he placed sixth in event #42: Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Low 8 or Better.

7. Why Bloody Valdespin? Posted: July 09, 2012 at 02:38 PM (#4177155)

Chad's supposed to be pretty decent at Stud 8. He's made a handful of runs in WSOP Stud 8 events the past few years. Limit O8 is another "old man's game," so it's not shocking to see him make that final table.

He's also not exactly a master of NL holdem hand-reading, so the live coverage (which doesn't feature hole-card cams until after each hand is over) is a thousand times more watchable with someone like Antonio Esfandiari or Olivier Busquet doing the analysis.

8. The Yankee Clapper Posted: July 09, 2012 at 02:43 PM (#4177158)

Norm Chad is a humorist who writes about sports. His ideas shouldn't be taken seriously most of the time.

9. AJM Posted: July 09, 2012 at 02:56 PM (#4177177)

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Monday, July 09, 2012

Norman Chad: My argument to expand MLB’s playoffs

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