Humphrey Bogart is Really Dead

[LizzieMaine]

We very nearly got one of those concrete saucers. Tom Yawkey was making a lot of noise in the mid-sixties about the inadequacies of Fenway and was looking for a modern stadium, to the point of considering moving the team to San Diego. Then 1967 happened, suddenly the Sox were drawing 1.8 million a year in an antique park that seated 34,000 and Fenway became untouchable. They tried again in the late '90s, with the idea of building a "replica Fenway" on an expanded lot, but there's no way to expand on the current property. The current ownership had the place renovated yet again in the early 2000s, with the idea that it would last at least another fifty years. If, that is, the Sox don't become so wretched that they have to move to Pawtucket.

Current Fenway's basic configuration dates to 1934 -- the old 1912 park was demolished, with the exception of the main grandstand, and redone as it now stands. The wooden seats in the right field grandstand date to that renovation.

As much as I think Walter F. O'Malley was Satan's cabana boy, Dodger Stadium was a good example of the right way to do a modern stadium. Legend has it that he got hold of the early plans for Candlestick Park and sent them to his architect with a note: "DON'T DO THIS."

 

[TimeWarpWife]

As far as I'm concerned, real football died in March 1980 when Roger Staubach announced his retirement from the Dallas Cowboys. The 70s was the last decade when players had to work other jobs during the off season because they weren't getting paid the mega-millions like Troy Aikman did when he signed with the Cowboys in 1989 (I believe his signing bonus was something like $50 million). Even when the Cowboys won back-to-back Super Bowls in 92 & 93, it was never like the days of Staubach, Randy White, Too Tall Jones, Harvey Martin, and Bob Breunig. <Heavy sigh> The NFL and its players have made professional football nothing but another business. There's no player loyalty to one team anymore, it's all about who'll pay the most money. I can no longer stomach watching it, so on Sundays in the fall when dh watches the games, I watch old movies or read. My time is better spent and my blood pressure stays lower. Still, I long for the days of the Dooms Day Defense.

 

[HudsonHawk]

...the mega-millions like Troy Aikman did when he signed with the Cowboys in 1989 (I believe his signing bonus was something like $50 million)...

Just a point of order...Aikman's rookie contract in 1989 was six years/$11.2MM, which included a $2MM signing bonus. It was the largest rookie contract ever at the time.

 

[Fading Fast]

This is one I don't think there is a good answer for as I want players to be able to negotiate the best contract they can (otherwise, the money will just accumulate to the owners and media outlets) as a point of freedom and fairness, but a system that allows that, has to allow for free agency and team hopping, etc. But because of that, to me, the teams don't feel like they really mean something (in the '70s, when I grew up, the Giants might have stunk, but they were "our" Giants with 90% of the same players year in, year out) nor do the players feel like "Yankees" or "Raiders" when they move from team to team every year. (Which is part of the reason why there was such a great feeling toward Jeter - same team his entire career - he felt like a true Yankee.)

I don't know the / don't think there is an answer to getting back to a time of team and player loyalty, but with the players also capturing a fair share of the revenue (the owners and media outlets weren't working two jobs in the '50s, '60s, 70s - but the players had to). If there are only two options, I'll take today and more fairness for the players, but as a fan, free agency definitely took something out of the game for me - for my emotional attachment to the teams and players.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I favor community ownership of all sports teams along the model of the Green Bay Packers. The Milwaukee Braves tried to go in this direction in the early sixties, but were vexed by a bunch of Chicago carpetbaggers getting control of the stock and heisting the team to Atlanta. But properly regulated, I think it would lead to the ideal balance of team loyalty to community.

And yes, after reading some of the crap people like Charles Comiskey, Connie Mack, and Branch Rickey used to pull on their players, free agency is a far better alternative. Even if the Sox do always end up spending money on a bunch of lemons.

 

[Fading Fast]

I favor community ownership of all sports teams along the model of the Green Bay Packers. The Milwaukee Braves tried to go in this direction in the early sixties, but were vexed by a bunch of Chicago carpetbaggers getting control of the stock and heisting the team to Atlanta. But properly regulated, I think it would lead to the ideal balance of team loyalty to community.

And yes, after reading some of the crap people like Charles Comiskey, Connie Mack, and Branch Rickey used to pull on their players, free agency is a far better alternative. Even if the Sox do always end up spending money on a bunch of lemons.

Didn't the Sox win two World Series in the last ten or so years - I don't think the Cub's fans would appreciate your woe-is-me Sox-fan attitude. Now, as a Yankee fan, I know suffering - it's been over five years since our last Series victory.

 

[TimeWarpWife]

Just a point of order...Aikman's rookie contract in 1989 was six years/$11.2MM, which included a $2MM signing bonus. It was the largest rookie contract ever at the time.

I stand corrected, I thought it was a $50 million signing bonus, but it was actually an 8-year contact for a total of $50 million. Sorry about that. At any rate, it was a boat load of money.

 

[2jakes]

^^^ Poor sap went... “off topic”...