Home Field Advantage, My Ass
Our local radio station just announced that the retractable roof at Minute Maid Park will be open for tonight's Game 3 of the World Series. The retractable roof, last time I checked, is part of the Houston Astros' home field. That's where they'll be playing Game 3 tonight.
The Astros wanted the roof closed. That would have been their home-field advantage, which they are supposed to enjoy for Games 3, 4 and (if necessary) 5 of the Series. Major League Baseball, however, doesn't want to pass up their aerial shots of the diamond as provided from the Met Life blimp or the Coca-Cola blimp or the "Family Guy Only On FOX" blimp.
So, good-bye home field advantage. Hello, crass commercialism conspiring to once again send a tiny but significant streak of luck the way of the Chicago White Sox.
For those of you who aren't baseball fans, you may be asking, "What difference does it make?" Well, when the roof is closed and the seats are full, Minute Maid Park is the loudest stadium in baseball -- maybe the loudest sports venue anywhere. Obviously, that helps the home team. Open up the roof, and it's just another ballpark.
It's supposed to get down into the 40s tonight. Didn't MLB learn anything with the drizzly, chilly weather in Chicago during Game 2? Didn't they learn that the players and, more importantly, the fans should be allowed to watch the game in a reasonable amount of comfort? Those fans who bought their tickets at face value (all 14 of them) paid $185 a piece; just about everyone else paid hundreds or thousands per seat. I say, give 'em shelter.
It's the Astros' home field. Let them decide what to do with it. Thanks a lot, Bud Selig, for once again making the exact wrong call ...
The Astros wanted the roof closed. That would have been their home-field advantage, which they are supposed to enjoy for Games 3, 4 and (if necessary) 5 of the Series. Major League Baseball, however, doesn't want to pass up their aerial shots of the diamond as provided from the Met Life blimp or the Coca-Cola blimp or the "Family Guy Only On FOX" blimp.
So, good-bye home field advantage. Hello, crass commercialism conspiring to once again send a tiny but significant streak of luck the way of the Chicago White Sox.
For those of you who aren't baseball fans, you may be asking, "What difference does it make?" Well, when the roof is closed and the seats are full, Minute Maid Park is the loudest stadium in baseball -- maybe the loudest sports venue anywhere. Obviously, that helps the home team. Open up the roof, and it's just another ballpark.
It's supposed to get down into the 40s tonight. Didn't MLB learn anything with the drizzly, chilly weather in Chicago during Game 2? Didn't they learn that the players and, more importantly, the fans should be allowed to watch the game in a reasonable amount of comfort? Those fans who bought their tickets at face value (all 14 of them) paid $185 a piece; just about everyone else paid hundreds or thousands per seat. I say, give 'em shelter.
It's the Astros' home field. Let them decide what to do with it. Thanks a lot, Bud Selig, for once again making the exact wrong call ...
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