#1 ·
I was watching some highlights last night and it got me thinking about how much of professional sports is actually about the game, and how much is just high-stakes poker.
It feels like every time a superstar player is due for a big outing, the fans start holding their breath not because of the matchup, but because of what might happen *after* the game. We see it all the time—teams sitting on their best assets or pulling them from the rotation right when things are heating up, all because they're looking at a calendar instead of the scoreboard.
It’s a weird tension to deal with as a fan. One minute you’re hyped to see a generational talent go at it, and the next, you're reading theories about whether the front office is going to "protect" them or move them. It almost feels like the actual competition takes a backseat to the business side of things once the season hits a certain point.
Does anyone else feel like the tension of the "deadline" era makes it harder to actually enjoy the games, or am I just being too cynical?
It feels like every time a superstar player is due for a big outing, the fans start holding their breath not because of the matchup, but because of what might happen *after* the game. We see it all the time—teams sitting on their best assets or pulling them from the rotation right when things are heating up, all because they're looking at a calendar instead of the scoreboard.
It’s a weird tension to deal with as a fan. One minute you’re hyped to see a generational talent go at it, and the next, you're reading theories about whether the front office is going to "protect" them or move them. It almost feels like the actual competition takes a backseat to the business side of things once the season hits a certain point.
Does anyone else feel like the tension of the "deadline" era makes it harder to actually enjoy the games, or am I just being too cynical?