MLB Bowing Down for 2016 Olympics

[Sammys Boombox]

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090615&content_id=5338296&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

The formal presentation at IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, included a commitment by Major League Baseball not to broadcast of MLB games during 2016 Olympic baseball competition, to ensure full media focus on the Games.

 

Furthermore, MLB vowed not to play any games on the final "medal" day of the Olympic tournament.

 

• Baseball will offer a five-day, eight-team tournament that will allow maximum participation of the top players from the countries that qualify for the Olympic. The qualifier for 2016 would be held during the 2015 offseason.

 

• All four potential host cities for 2016 already have established baseball venues and domestic baseball programs in place.

 

• The MLB offer not to broadcast any games in direct competition with the 2016 Olympic baseball schedule, or have any games on its schedule on the climactic day of Olympic medal play.

 

• The participation of eligible "elite players" around the world; cited as examples were de Jong and Bryce Harper, the 16-year-old Las Vegas phenom recently featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

 

The MLBPA has and will continue to work ... to come up with the best scenario so that more top players will be able to participate," Fehr said, "and fulfill the dream of representing their countries in the Olympic Games. We will make sure that happens, and the 2016 Olympics will have the best representation of players ever to participate in any Olympics.

 

"I am confident that MLB and the MLBPA ... will make available to the qualifying countries a to-be-determined number of top players, with the rest of the roster coming from the best athletes available from the professional ranks. The teams will have a sampling of the best individuals in the sport, and the best-ever representative national teams."

 

I don't like this very much. I would take it if it meant they get rid of the WBC though (they won't).

[NCCubFan]

Unacceptable to not allow telecasts of MLB games. The only acceptable arrangement would be to not play any major league games at all during that time.

[Sammys Boombox]

Unacceptable to not allow telecasts of MLB games. The only acceptable arrangement would be to not play any major league games at all during that time.

 

Agreed. You can't just turn off MLB for five days while the teams are still playing, especially in August.

 

Of course, by then I'm sure you could pay the low cost of $39.99 and get MLB.tv for those five days, or something stupid like that.

[Banedon]

I don't think they'll be playing untelevised games. MLB only stands to lose money doing that.

 

Put the All Star game around that time and take an extended ASB.

[Sammys Boombox]

I don't think they'll be playing untelevised games. MLB only stands to lose money doing that.

 

Put the All Star game around that time and take an extended ASB.

 

I think this idea could be developed and considering it only happens every 4 years I would much rather this happen than the WBC which hijacks the spring training of a lot of stars. I still don't really like it though. You can't force a sports popularity on the rest of the world or international baseball on Americans who already have their rivalries and pennant races.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Baseball is not a sport that lends itself to Olympic-style competition.

 

I like the WBC, but you can't ruin the regular season for it.

[mjohnson71]

Are they talking about blacking out every single game or just the national (ESPN and Fox Network) stuff? Would there still be Comcast and Fox Sport regional games?

[jersey cubs fan]

Are they talking about blacking out every single game or just the national (ESPN and Fox Network) stuff? Would there still be Comcast and Fox Sport regional games?

 

I have to believe they are talking about not playing games during that period of time. With many teams already taking 4 days off for the ASB, it would not be hard for them to take 6 days. But not televising games that are actually played seems like a horrible option.

[UMFan83]

Are they talking about blacking out every single game or just the national (ESPN and Fox Network) stuff? Would there still be Comcast and Fox Sport regional games?

 

I have to believe they are talking about not playing games during that period of time. With many teams already taking 4 days off for the ASB, it would not be hard for them to take 6 days. But not televising games that are actually played seems like a horrible option.

 

I got the impression from reading that, that they would play games during that time period, but they would only schedule games when there are no Olympic Games going on. For example, if the games are in Chicago and there is a group of games at 1PM and 4 PM, then all the days MLB games would start at like 7PM or later. But then again, if they are using MLB players in the Olympics, then I can definitely see the need to shut down the league for a week.

[mjohnson71]

Are they talking about blacking out every single game or just the national (ESPN and Fox Network) stuff? Would there still be Comcast and Fox Sport regional games?

 

I have to believe they are talking about not playing games during that period of time. With many teams already taking 4 days off for the ASB, it would not be hard for them to take 6 days. But not televising games that are actually played seems like a horrible option.

 

Great. We'll end up with a World Series ending the same week as Thanksgiving.

[illiniguy]

Are they talking about blacking out every single game or just the national (ESPN and Fox Network) stuff? Would there still be Comcast and Fox Sport regional games?

 

I have to believe they are talking about not playing games during that period of time. With many teams already taking 4 days off for the ASB, it would not be hard for them to take 6 days. But not televising games that are actually played seems like a horrible option.

 

Great. We'll end up with a World Series ending the same week as Thanksgiving.

If the Cubs would happen to be in that World Series I would give two poops. In fact I would have something to be thankful for.

[UMFan83]

Are they talking about blacking out every single game or just the national (ESPN and Fox Network) stuff? Would there still be Comcast and Fox Sport regional games?

 

I have to believe they are talking about not playing games during that period of time. With many teams already taking 4 days off for the ASB, it would not be hard for them to take 6 days. But not televising games that are actually played seems like a horrible option.

 

Great. We'll end up with a World Series ending the same week as Thanksgiving.

 

It's better than watching the Lions get creamed again.

[NCCubFan]

It's better than watching the Lions get creamed again.

Not if it's the Bears doing the creaming. :D

[Mark Priors Calves]

It's better than watching the Lions get creamed again.

Not if it's the Bears doing the creaming. :D

 

briggs and urlacher have put those legal troubles behind them.

[manbearcub]

If its in Chicago they will have baseball no matter what right?

[Derwood]

How about just not having Olympic baseball? I wouldn't miss it

[laurens]

How about just not having Olympic baseball? I wouldn't miss it

 

Weren't the 2008 Olympics the last time baseball would be included?

[Banedon]

Are they talking about blacking out every single game or just the national (ESPN and Fox Network) stuff? Would there still be Comcast and Fox Sport regional games?

 

I have to believe they are talking about not playing games during that period of time. With many teams already taking 4 days off for the ASB, it would not be hard for them to take 6 days. But not televising games that are actually played seems like a horrible option.

 

Great. We'll end up with a World Series ending the same week as Thanksgiving.

 

I realize you're being sarcastic here, but we're only talking about 6 days here. Put 2 at the beginning of the season, 2 at the end, and eliminate an off day or two somewhere in the season.

[jersey cubs fan]

Are they talking about blacking out every single game or just the national (ESPN and Fox Network) stuff? Would there still be Comcast and Fox Sport regional games?

 

I have to believe they are talking about not playing games during that period of time. With many teams already taking 4 days off for the ASB, it would not be hard for them to take 6 days. But not televising games that are actually played seems like a horrible option.

 

Great. We'll end up with a World Series ending the same week as Thanksgiving.

 

I realize you're being sarcastic here, but we're only talking about 6 days here. Put 2 at the beginning of the season, 2 at the end, and eliminate an off day or two somewhere in the season.

 

The ASB already accounts for 4 days for many teams. Then you are talking about adding one day.

[champaignchris]

You know, the real simple way to fix all this is to simply switch baseball to a "Winter" sport and make sure the host city has a dome. That way it's going on in the off-season and none of this is at all relevant.

 

I mean it's not like basketball is really a "Summer" sport.

[kujay]

Are they talking about blacking out every single game or just the national (ESPN and Fox Network) stuff? Would there still be Comcast and Fox Sport regional games?

 

I have to believe they are talking about not playing games during that period of time. With many teams already taking 4 days off for the ASB, it would not be hard for them to take 6 days. But not televising games that are actually played seems like a horrible option.

 

Right. That's why the quoted portion in the original post said something about allowing the best players to play, or something like that.

 

I'm fine with taking a week off.

[wvcbxl]

How about just not having Olympic baseball? I wouldn't miss it

 

Weren't the 2008 Olympics the last time baseball would be included?

 

The IOC is talking to seven different sports (baseball, softball, golf, karate, rollersports, rugby and squash) about possibly adding them to the 2016 Summer Olympics. The final decision will be made in October.