I’m not buying the new Seton Hall poll purporting to show that the American public would maintain its interest in MLB at current levels if home runs were to decline next season.
“The home run will always be an exciting play, and the public talks about the increase, but on balance, they like baseball whether the totals are up or down,” said Rick Gentile, director of the Seton Hall Sports Poll, which is sponsored by the Sharkey Institute within the Stillman School of Business.
A couple of things here:
One, the poll reports that 85 percent of those surveyed say they would maintain their current level of interest in the game, which, great.
Two, those surveyed were then asked if they are sports fans – not specifically baseball fans, just sports fans.
Fifty-four percent said they follow sports “very closely” or “closely.” The rest: not closely or not at all.
Issue here: so, we’re supposed to believe that people supposedly maintaining their current level of interest means anything when just under half of those surveyed don’t even follow sports closely or at all?
The close to half who don’t watch sports might vaguely know what a home run is, might not.
A home run could be a goal kick or a double-dribble, for all they know and care.
Ask me what I think about some new controversial trend in modern art. Seriously, ask me.
Whatever the new controversial trend in modern art is, it’s not going to affect my current level of interest in modern art.
There. I said it.
Not meaning to crap all over this poll. I like that there’s a Seton Hall Sports Poll, and that they sent a note to me to get me to write about it.
I like talking and writing about controversial sports topics.
This one just felt a little sloppy.
Which isn’t to say that it affects my current level of interest in Seton Hall Sports Polls.
Column by Chris Graham
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