Essay: What is America’s game? 3 sports, 3 American eras

What is America’s game?

Is it the quirky and cerebral sport that, in its highest form, is unfolding this week in the World Series between the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals? Baseball is, after all, still called the national pastime.

Is it the gladiatorial battle that unfolds on any given Sunday (and Monday and Thursday), the one that channels raw male power into accomplishments measured in yards and completions and high-octane collisions? Former star wide receiver Jerry Rice thinks so; a new book about the NFL that he co-authored, out next week, is called “America’s Game.”

Or is it the acrobatic contest with the big orange ball, the one in which players dwarfed only by their global online star power hurtle through rare air, putting on nightly clinics to demonstrate what the human body can do? There’s a strong case to be made there, too.

What, not contract bridge?

In any event, a consideration of three sports and their potential meaning in American life and society- make of it as you please.

OT - NBA Thread, Start of the 2019-2020 Season

I estimate only 10-12 Primates care about the NBA, and we’re the only people that matter.

OT - NBA thread (pre-season)

I estimate only 10-12 Primates care about baseball, and this thread is the only thing keeping this site alive.

A’s closer said Golden State Warriors ‘treated us like s–’

Oakland A’s closer Liam Hendriks says he doesn’t follow the Golden State Warriors, who were the A’s neighbors before their move to the Chase Center in San Francisco for the upcoming 2019-20 season.

“They treated us like s— over here so we don’t care for them much,” Hendriks said to The Athletic’s Ethan Strauss on Tuesday morning.

Hendriks has played for the A’s since 2016, the year after the Warriors won the first of their three most recent NBA titles. He spoke about the difference between how the Warriors were treated by the A’s when they “sucked” and how the Warriors treated the A’s as they ascended to dynasty status.

Mind you, hasn’t this been the Athletics story since it went from being owned by people who wanted a strong team to people who wanted to shake down someone in the East Bay for a new stadium?

OT - NBA thread (Playoffs through off-season)

I estimate only 10-12 Primates care about the NBA, and this one only cares about the NBA thread and the Cubs so I have no idea what the rest of the website cares about.

OT - NBA Thread (2018-19 season kickoff edition)

I estimate only 10-12 Primates care about the NBA, none of whom knew the old thread would get closed, thus detracting from what this site is really about: the baseball playoffs, maybe?