To your list of pandemic-inspired changes I would add:
1. RIP the all-you-can-eat buffet. It was never, not once, at any time in my life, a good idea. NO.
2. A more flexible approach to work. My company is leaning hard into the idea of a hybrid schedule, with 2-3 days in the office and the remainder at home.
3. A shift to voting by mail. So many perks, including deciding the future of democracy from the comfort and privacy of your home.
4. The end of pressure for perfect attendance. People who are sick should stay home. We finally get it.
Last but not least, I think you have a good balance with the twice weekly schedule. The Tuesday issue is shorter, with a more casual tone, and includes pictures! A win-win. Today's even had a photo of my husband talking on the phone with AT & T.
Think of hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes as professional breeders of super germs of all types. We think of them as just killing the germs that are on our mind, but they are selecting the hardiest bugs of all varieties present every time we use them. I will bet that within 20 years they will be discouraged or outright banned for what they do to our microbial environment.
Accelerating the pace of baseball games depends on reducing the endless repetition of wasted time. For example:
1). The batter must move expeditiously from the on-deck circle to the batter’s box, get into the box with both feet and stay in the box with both feet. Assign each team a specific amount of time per inning for such maneuvers. On the umpire’s signal, the wasted-time clock begins when the batter leaves the on-deck circle; on the umpire’s signal, the clock stops when batter has both feet in the box. If the team’s allotted time expires, its half inning is over. Umpires can stop the clock when a batter is injured, steps out to avoid being hit, and so on. Each time a team scores, it could be credited with more time on its wasted-time clock, thus allowing a team in the midst of a big inning to continue its offensive attack. In this age of data and analysis, there must be people who could advise us on how much time each team should be permitted per inning.
2). Cut out lengthy delays when teams change positions between innings. Make the transition period, say, 90 seconds. This would speed up the game for the fans in attendance. Media could splice their commercials into their broadcast, making the game for fans watching at home the same length as it is now. (Of course those fans could record the game and fast-forward through the commercials just as they might be doing now).
Re college sports: I share the feelings you express. One point, though. Where smaller colleges are concerned, sports help drive enrollment. I personally don't care whether the school has a golf team, or tennis team, or wrestling, or swimming, etc., but the dozen kids on those teams do care, and they often select a college where they will get to compete. This is an important recruiting tool for small colleges, where any given team might actually be 2% of the student body. For such schools, a sport is necessary to reach its enrollment goal. What matters then is the net between the cost of the sport and the real (non-discounted) tuition dollars gained. Of course, comparing sports at a small liberal arts college with the Big Ten is apples to oranges.
In baseball, to add more drama to the approximately 7000 games played each season, they could turn the whole season into successive series, say 5-game series, where each team logs a win for each series they win. The basic idea is to mimmic playoff season drama throughout the whole year. They could allow only one extra inning in all games except those necessary to break a series tie. The main downside is that many scheduled games wouldn't happen, but this might be offset by the increased interest in potential clinching games where a lot more would be at stake.
I prefer normalizing, while not mandating, mask wearing in any public or private location, especially schools, going forward. The spread of viruses, including COVID, will continue and intensify during the winter months and this protection is proven to be most effective.
I know this new bigotry over mask wearing will continue, but I hope those responsible will keep their mouths shut as advised by our esteemed friend.
I'm confused. My wife, who dislikes card games, gave me a note saying this: "Marriage is like a deck of cards. In the beginning all you need are two hearts and a diamond. By the end, you wish for a club and a spade." I don't get it.
About your list of preferred changes after the pandemic:
I have always objected to the fist-bump as a substitute for a handshake. I think it originated in the sports world as a congratulation to a teammate. But no matter.
As a handshake substitute to reduce germ transmission, it's not the best. It brings people closer than 6' apart. It includes bare-skin physical contact. But it also is something that not everyone might be able to do, because of invisible physical difficulties. My mother, who left this world years before the pandemic (thankfully in a way, because she died in a nursing home), had a rotator cuff problem for some years. Surgery was not advised. She couldn't lift that arm high enough to do a fist-bump. I even made a blouse for her which she could put on and off without having to lift an arm beyond where she actually could.
My preferred and recommended substitute for a handshake is an Asian-style bow. Most people are already familiar with it. On the other hand, I had a hard time telling Ald. Harry Osterman before this year's Lunar New Year Parade on Argyle, why I was responding to his offer of a fist-bump with an Asian-style bow. You would think he'd get it, at this event. Geez!
A bow allows the people to maintain social distance, avoid physical contact, and not have to try to lift an arm higher than they physically can. If they can stand, they can bow.
It's very nice to be familiar with this bow when you are interacting with an actual visitor from an Asian country where this bow is standard. They can see that you "get it." It doesn't turn you into an Asian-cultured person, if you're not. You are just respecting and speaking their body language.
1. Pitcher can only throw once to first base to catch a runner. A second throw and the base runner goes to second.
2. Creation of a designated runner who can go in and out of the game only to run the bases.
I expect more base stealing and action as a result.
3. Eliminate balks - stupid and I can never figure out what a balk is anyway.
4.Batter can call time out one time per game. an extra time out reults in a strike call.
5. Batter can leave the batter's box one time per at bat. A second time results in a strike.
6. Each side can use 3 pitchers per game - a 4th pitcher and they forfeit.
7. 6 foul balls and the batter is out.
8. And now a fun one - per WGN morning show - every team has to have a tree somewhere in its outfield for every home game. Crazy but fun - and hey we already have ivy in Wrigley and Fans love it.
I don't understand your wanting to get rid of the handshake. How else am I supposed to be sure that the medieval knight I just met doesn't have a sword in his hand or a knife up his sleeve? I mean, honestly, it's just a commonsense precaution.
Bet Jerry B. stopped reading after the word “someone “.
To your list of pandemic-inspired changes I would add:
1. RIP the all-you-can-eat buffet. It was never, not once, at any time in my life, a good idea. NO.
2. A more flexible approach to work. My company is leaning hard into the idea of a hybrid schedule, with 2-3 days in the office and the remainder at home.
3. A shift to voting by mail. So many perks, including deciding the future of democracy from the comfort and privacy of your home.
4. The end of pressure for perfect attendance. People who are sick should stay home. We finally get it.
Last but not least, I think you have a good balance with the twice weekly schedule. The Tuesday issue is shorter, with a more casual tone, and includes pictures! A win-win. Today's even had a photo of my husband talking on the phone with AT & T.
Think of hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes as professional breeders of super germs of all types. We think of them as just killing the germs that are on our mind, but they are selecting the hardiest bugs of all varieties present every time we use them. I will bet that within 20 years they will be discouraged or outright banned for what they do to our microbial environment.
Accelerating the pace of baseball games depends on reducing the endless repetition of wasted time. For example:
1). The batter must move expeditiously from the on-deck circle to the batter’s box, get into the box with both feet and stay in the box with both feet. Assign each team a specific amount of time per inning for such maneuvers. On the umpire’s signal, the wasted-time clock begins when the batter leaves the on-deck circle; on the umpire’s signal, the clock stops when batter has both feet in the box. If the team’s allotted time expires, its half inning is over. Umpires can stop the clock when a batter is injured, steps out to avoid being hit, and so on. Each time a team scores, it could be credited with more time on its wasted-time clock, thus allowing a team in the midst of a big inning to continue its offensive attack. In this age of data and analysis, there must be people who could advise us on how much time each team should be permitted per inning.
2). Cut out lengthy delays when teams change positions between innings. Make the transition period, say, 90 seconds. This would speed up the game for the fans in attendance. Media could splice their commercials into their broadcast, making the game for fans watching at home the same length as it is now. (Of course those fans could record the game and fast-forward through the commercials just as they might be doing now).
3). Umpires must enforce the rules.
Re college sports: I share the feelings you express. One point, though. Where smaller colleges are concerned, sports help drive enrollment. I personally don't care whether the school has a golf team, or tennis team, or wrestling, or swimming, etc., but the dozen kids on those teams do care, and they often select a college where they will get to compete. This is an important recruiting tool for small colleges, where any given team might actually be 2% of the student body. For such schools, a sport is necessary to reach its enrollment goal. What matters then is the net between the cost of the sport and the real (non-discounted) tuition dollars gained. Of course, comparing sports at a small liberal arts college with the Big Ten is apples to oranges.
In baseball, to add more drama to the approximately 7000 games played each season, they could turn the whole season into successive series, say 5-game series, where each team logs a win for each series they win. The basic idea is to mimmic playoff season drama throughout the whole year. They could allow only one extra inning in all games except those necessary to break a series tie. The main downside is that many scheduled games wouldn't happen, but this might be offset by the increased interest in potential clinching games where a lot more would be at stake.
I prefer normalizing, while not mandating, mask wearing in any public or private location, especially schools, going forward. The spread of viruses, including COVID, will continue and intensify during the winter months and this protection is proven to be most effective.
I know this new bigotry over mask wearing will continue, but I hope those responsible will keep their mouths shut as advised by our esteemed friend.
I'm confused. My wife, who dislikes card games, gave me a note saying this: "Marriage is like a deck of cards. In the beginning all you need are two hearts and a diamond. By the end, you wish for a club and a spade." I don't get it.
My first Zorn read and already I’m in, can’t wait for another. Great way to start the day. Thank you
About your list of preferred changes after the pandemic:
I have always objected to the fist-bump as a substitute for a handshake. I think it originated in the sports world as a congratulation to a teammate. But no matter.
As a handshake substitute to reduce germ transmission, it's not the best. It brings people closer than 6' apart. It includes bare-skin physical contact. But it also is something that not everyone might be able to do, because of invisible physical difficulties. My mother, who left this world years before the pandemic (thankfully in a way, because she died in a nursing home), had a rotator cuff problem for some years. Surgery was not advised. She couldn't lift that arm high enough to do a fist-bump. I even made a blouse for her which she could put on and off without having to lift an arm beyond where she actually could.
My preferred and recommended substitute for a handshake is an Asian-style bow. Most people are already familiar with it. On the other hand, I had a hard time telling Ald. Harry Osterman before this year's Lunar New Year Parade on Argyle, why I was responding to his offer of a fist-bump with an Asian-style bow. You would think he'd get it, at this event. Geez!
A bow allows the people to maintain social distance, avoid physical contact, and not have to try to lift an arm higher than they physically can. If they can stand, they can bow.
It's very nice to be familiar with this bow when you are interacting with an actual visitor from an Asian country where this bow is standard. They can see that you "get it." It doesn't turn you into an Asian-cultured person, if you're not. You are just respecting and speaking their body language.
List of things to make baseball better.
1. Pitcher can only throw once to first base to catch a runner. A second throw and the base runner goes to second.
2. Creation of a designated runner who can go in and out of the game only to run the bases.
I expect more base stealing and action as a result.
3. Eliminate balks - stupid and I can never figure out what a balk is anyway.
4.Batter can call time out one time per game. an extra time out reults in a strike call.
5. Batter can leave the batter's box one time per at bat. A second time results in a strike.
6. Each side can use 3 pitchers per game - a 4th pitcher and they forfeit.
7. 6 foul balls and the batter is out.
8. And now a fun one - per WGN morning show - every team has to have a tree somewhere in its outfield for every home game. Crazy but fun - and hey we already have ivy in Wrigley and Fans love it.
I don't understand your wanting to get rid of the handshake. How else am I supposed to be sure that the medieval knight I just met doesn't have a sword in his hand or a knife up his sleeve? I mean, honestly, it's just a commonsense precaution.