I Owe Baseball Fans and Apology - Speed of Change Revisited

Posted by Vince Poscente on Fri, Oct 28, 2011 @ 12:24 AM

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Did you see game six on Thursday night?

Below you'll see an article I wrote December 3rd, 2008 - just as the economy was swirling down the great white telephone. Turns out I was... well... wrong.

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Before we get into this week’s eBrief I have a confession to make. As a Canadian, I am required by law to favor hockey over baseball. You baseball purists out there might be offended by my thinly veiled disregard for America’s favorite pastime and bias for the fastest team sport on earth.

Like any good Canadian, my response to you is, “I’m sorry.”

Now don’t get mean with jokes like: “I went to the fights and a hockey game broke out.”

This article is about seizing opportunity in dark times.

Remember when the baseball players went on strike (or locked out, I wasn’t really paying attention)?

Naysayers said it would be the ruin of baseball. Since then, steady declines in television viewers and attendance made it look like they were right. But the strike didn’t cause the decline? Being unwilling to accelerate change did.

Compare this to the hockey player’s strike. In their lost season the NHL took advantage of some time off and changed a few rules. Smaller goalie equipment meant more goals. Taking away the two-line pass sped up the game. Salary caps mean more equity in the league.

Hockey players reconvened the next season. Viewership has climbed since then.

It is possible hockey leadership took a page out of the only game slower than baseball – cricket. Popular amongst some of the Commonwealth of countries, cricket, like baseball, involves bats, balls, grass and napping. Cricket matches can last a week and even end in a tie.

A couple of decades ago, cricket instituted a shorter game lasting a few hours. Fans loved the innovation. Cricket didn’t lose viewers by making a change, they gained new fans.

Again, I might be too Canadian here but I have a great idea for the baseball commissioner in the off-season. Change the rules and fans will come back.

Here’s my idea. Put both teams out on the field at the same time. Alternate each team at bat. Each position has opposing players at it. Whoever gets the ball tries to throw it to their teammate. Meanwhile the other team tries to take the ball away. Keep the nine innings but both teams are playing the same inning at the same time. Poof. The game speeds up into half the time. The action goes from an induced coma to a flurry of activity.

Could be fun.

Okay, now for a real idea you can use.

The media is helping remind us all that we are in dark times. Economists say it’ll get worse before it gets better. Some say that a recession is when your neighbor loses his job. A depression is when you lose your job. To all naysayers I say, “Take off you Hosers.”

This is a perfect time to reassess. Notice what you can do to take advantage of your situation for the long run. Learn ways to eliminate things that cause drag in your life. Embrace new ideas and act quickly.

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Game 6 of the World Series 2011. OMG (I've never written that acronym before but right now, it so totally is awesomely perfect).

Congratulations to the St. Louis Cardinals for pushing through for a game seven.

Congratulations for the Texas Rangers for playing your hearts out and returning to the World Series.

Both those teams put on a clinic. And in my little world, it was a revalation.

Change will happen so be aware. But the speed of change means you need to be consistently aware.

I could have spent all my time, trying to be right about how boring baseball is. For what it's worth, I gave the sport another shot. And - oooooh doggie - was it worth opening up.

The Cardinals BIG GOAL is to win the World Series was 5 years ago. Multiply that by the entire franchise history of the Rangers - 50 years - and you'll know they've never won.

Is this hockey player going to watch game 7? You bet.

Stay open, be aware and you will be on top of the speed of change.

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Tags: Goals, Sales, Motivational, Business Leadership