Off-Topic Forum

I'm with you on that. I don't really like to watch baseball games anymore. The games take too long and my kids and my wife  have no interest in watching so I find myself not really watching sports anymore. I do like watching the 10-15 minute condensed highlight videos on YouTube.  It's a much better bang for your buck time wise. 

I watched the Yankees/Astros, part of the Sox/Tigers and of course the Cubs/Rangers. I was a bit disappointed that they didn't do the quadruple-header this year. I love when there's a game at noon, 3, 6, and 9. Waiting until 2 for a pretty meh game was a letdown. I didn't even watch it. I'm one of those people that if there is a baseball game on, I will watch it. Not always actively so, but I'll put it on in the background. I get mlb.tv free from TMobile every year so even if I'm working I'll just have a tab with a game running if there is one (and I think there should be at least one day baseball game every day). I'll watch/listen to/attend nearly every Cubs game for sure. I've had season tickets since 2014 (when I couldn't GIVE away the tickets I couldn't use) and make it to around 40 a year or so. It's just a quick bus ride away for me. 

Living in Michigan, opening day is an unofficial holiday.  Made the drive to Chicago and back yesterday for the Tigers @ White Sox game.  Sunny day and saw a 1-0 gem of a pitching duel.  Game lasted 2:03, which is perfect!  Can't wait until the home opener in Detroit next week, it's one of the biggest parties in the city.  

I do buy a few packs of regular Topps to rip each year.  I still build the complete set, mostly through trades on TCDB.  I enjoy the basic Topps cards, especially the stats on back.  In many ways this is the same relationship I had with cards when I was a kid.

Opening day, is one of my favorite traditions. All teams are equal and the future is bright...and then reality sets in. I forced myself to stay up and watch the first few innings of the Red Sox/Mariners. It is tough to watch when 1st pitch is 10PM and the morning alarm clock goes off at 5:30.

I cared. My Cubs were playing Texas on ESPN. Great, extra inning game, with quirky plays, some impressive defense and timely hitting. After the game ended, I literally told my backup child, “I love baseball.” Even though the Cubs lost. 
v3

Opening Day is my favorite day of the year. I've been collecting since the late 80's and even though the Red Sox are my home team, opening baseball cards expanded my interest in lots of players no matter what team they played for. I started subscribing to MLBtv in 2018 and since then, baseball games are all I watch. Between MLBtv and opening cards, I find that I'm more interested than ever in baseball. There are definitely teams I love and teams that I hate, but I will still watch any game. This is also why I love building sets over collecting one team or certain players, because I enjoy something about them all.

Baseball is literally the only TV I watch. I also have MLB.TV and I will watch (in the background) every game I can that's on prioritizing the Rangers and I will do it as much as I can in my busy life. I prefer the radio so I can do things around the house or work while I listen and I have a SportsSync radio that I will turn on while I watch the TV because the analysis is so much better.

I love to be able to just sit and watch a game or even go but right now in my life it is a pasttime and not a priority. I am lucky to catch the final 2 innings each night on TV. When I was younger I would dream of having the ability to buy season tickets but (for the better) the realities of prioritizing other things important in life like family, church, work, etc. Hopefully as my son gets older we will be able to watch and go more often but just not a priority right now for the family as a whole.

FYI, if any of you have T-mobile as your cell phone service provider, you can get MLB TV for free. I switched from verizon to T-mobile a few years ago and have enjoyed this free MLB TV service each year. You have to sign up this week through the T-mobile to  get it for 2024.  

Much the same for me. We dropped cable several years ago due to the cost and only watching a few Astros games each year (and The Walking Dead became too gory and boring). Since about 2015 I've only watched post-season games, again only Astros.

The past three years, including this year, I've subscribed to MLB.TV via T-Mobile but have never used it. I tried yesterday for the first time and was disappointed that I only got audio with graphics, but no video, which is what I thought I'd get. I'm sure I'm doing something wrong.

But that's the thing, sports (and all entertainment) has gone through the roof and priced commoners like me out. It's a chore to find sports broadcasts on free TV anymore.

Collecting is my tie-in to the sports, but I lean heavily on the past - it's my fountain of youth. I keep up with my Astros and some current or retro designs that I like, even some tribute sets interest me still. But I'll get them via trade or large lot purchases. The last pack I bought was at a Cracker Barrell on a whim I bought a pack of 2020-21 Upper Deck Hockey. I suspect I won't be buying anymore anytime soon.

go sox!