The coronavirus is destroying everything

[NWI_Irish96]

The first major North American sporting event since everything was shut down is tomorrow, with the Belmont Stakes running 3/8 mile shorter than its usual 1½ miles, and serving as the first leg of the triple crown instead of the usual final leg.

[kevinb1994]

The first major North American sporting event since everything was shut down is tomorrow, with the Belmont Stakes running 3/8 mile shorter than its usual 1½ miles, and serving as the first leg of the triple crown instead of the usual final leg.

Somewhere Jeff Bezos is like "˜Well, this is still better than no horseshit at all'

[hbelkins]

And, it just ruined the National League. They're going to use the DH for whatever season they play this year and also for next year.

The plan is for 2 years, until everybody realizes that it's better and they adopt it permanently.

Yep.  They are using this to backdoor its way in.  And its great!

I disagree. I don't mind having just the AL with the DH, as a refuge for pitchers who can't hit and hitters who can't field. But leave the NL alone, with its premium on managerial strategy. Even two years with the DH in the NL will be unfair to the NL teams, who are locked into personnel and management decisions optimized for no DH (except some World Series and other interleague games).

I like the difference between the two leagues. I felt like Torre gave the Yankees an advantage with a more NL managerial style in the AL and some substitution quirks other managers wouldn't have been open to. Weird things make the game fun.

Pinch-hitting for the pitcher and/or making double substitutions to shake up the batting order late in a game are classic National League managerial strategies that will be long-gone. I do realize, as someone else said, that this is just for whatever season is played this year plus next year, but it's been widely acknowledged that this is probably a way for the MLBPA to back-door it into permanence.

[Max Rockatansky]

The first major North American sporting event since everything was shut down is tomorrow, with the Belmont Stakes running 3/8 mile shorter than its usual 1½ miles, and serving as the first leg of the triple crown instead of the usual final leg.

Last I checked the PGA and NASCAR still had major sporting events.  I certainly would put them both on a higher tier in the sports world these days over horse racing.   

[ftballfan]

The first major North American sporting event since everything was shut down is tomorrow, with the Belmont Stakes running 3/8 mile shorter than its usual 1½ miles, and serving as the first leg of the triple crown instead of the usual final leg.

Last I checked the PGA and NASCAR still had major sporting events.  I certainly would put them both on a higher tier in the sports world these days over horse racing.   

I agree. There are parts of the country where NASCAR is/was more popular than the NBA or NHL.

[Roadgeekteen]

The first major North American sporting event since everything was shut down is tomorrow, with the Belmont Stakes running 3/8 mile shorter than its usual 1½ miles, and serving as the first leg of the triple crown instead of the usual final leg.

Last I checked the PGA and NASCAR still had major sporting events.  I certainly would put them both on a higher tier in the sports world these days over horse racing.   

I agree. There are parts of the country where NASCAR is/was more popular than the NBA or NHL.

Not up here in New England, nobody ever talks or knows about nascar.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Funnily enough, I thought NASCAR's Rockingham race was NH, not NC for a number of years.

[Max Rockatansky]

The first major North American sporting event since everything was shut down is tomorrow, with the Belmont Stakes running 3/8 mile shorter than its usual 1½ miles, and serving as the first leg of the triple crown instead of the usual final leg.

Last I checked the PGA and NASCAR still had major sporting events.  I certainly would put them both on a higher tier in the sports world these days over horse racing.   

I agree. There are parts of the country where NASCAR is/was more popular than the NBA or NHL.

Not up here in New England, nobody ever talks or knows about nascar.

Never been to a race at Loudon?  The modified series had a huge following up there in New England, especially back in the 1990s.  My Dad ran a show car tour in Connecticut for Dave Marcis when Prodigy was the sponsor, we had hundreds of people show up for the autograph sessions.   

[NWI_Irish96]

The first major North American sporting event since everything was shut down is tomorrow, with the Belmont Stakes running 3/8 mile shorter than its usual 1½ miles, and serving as the first leg of the triple crown instead of the usual final leg.

Last I checked the PGA and NASCAR still had major sporting events.  I certainly would put them both on a higher tier in the sports world these days over horse racing.   

None of the events that the PGA and NASCAR have had to date would qualify as "major" within those sports. I guess maybe the 600 at Charlotte could be considered major, but it's not on the level of the Daytona 500 or the championship race.

[GaryV]

Not up here in New England, nobody ever talks or knows about nascar.

Never been to a race at Loudon?  The modified series had a huge following up there in New England, especially back in the 1990s.  My Dad ran a show car tour in Connecticut for Dave Marcis when Prodigy was the sponsor, we had hundreds of people show up for the autograph sessions.

He wasn't born yet.   

[hbelkins]

Looks like my comment about baseball strategy in the NL, and NASCAR, got removed. 

[Max Rockatansky]

Not up here in New England, nobody ever talks or knows about nascar.

Never been to a race at Loudon?  The modified series had a huge following up there in New England, especially back in the 1990s.  My Dad ran a show car tour in Connecticut for Dave Marcis when Prodigy was the sponsor, we had hundreds of people show up for the autograph sessions.

He wasn't born yet.   

Speculative deduction that there is still far more NASCAR and PGA fans in New England over Horse Racing fans during his life time though.

[Alps]

Looks like my comment about baseball strategy in the NL, and NASCAR, got removed. 

If you want to limit it to sports, we'll allow it to stay.

[Roadgeekteen]

Not up here in New England, nobody ever talks or knows about nascar.

Never been to a race at Loudon?  The modified series had a huge following up there in New England, especially back in the 1990s.  My Dad ran a show car tour in Connecticut for Dave Marcis when Prodigy was the sponsor, we had hundreds of people show up for the autograph sessions.

He wasn't born yet.   

Speculative deduction that there is still far more NASCAR and PGA fans in New England over Horse Racing fans during his life time though.

Probably, but horse racing is even more obscure.

[rickmastfan67]

None of the events that the PGA and NASCAR have had to date would qualify as "major" within those sports. I guess maybe the 600 at Charlotte could be considered major, but it's not on the level of the Daytona 500 or the championship race.

The Coca-Cola 600 @ Charlotte is one of the top 4 events of the season.
1) Longest race of the season.
2) Memorial Day weekend, and drivers sometimes attempt both it & the Indy 500 in the same day (1100 miles).
3) It's a 'home' race for NASCAR, as almost all the teams are in the Charlotte area.

[Alps]

Looks like my comment about baseball strategy in the NL, and NASCAR, got removed. 

If you want to limit it to sports, we'll allow it to stay.

restored the non-political half

[hbelkins]

None of the events that the PGA and NASCAR have had to date would qualify as "major" within those sports. I guess maybe the 600 at Charlotte could be considered major, but it's not on the level of the Daytona 500 or the championship race.

The Coca-Cola 600 @ Charlotte is one of the top 4 events of the season.
1) Longest race of the season.
2) Memorial Day weekend, and drivers sometimes attempt both it & the Indy 500 in the same day (1100 miles).
3) It's a 'home' race for NASCAR, as almost all the teams are in the Charlotte area.

It was also one of the races included in the old Winston Million -- the biggest (Daytona 500), the longest (World/Coke 600), the oldest (Southern 500) and the fastest (the Talladega race that was included.)

[formulanone]

None of the events that the PGA and NASCAR have had to date would qualify as "major" within those sports. I guess maybe the 600 at Charlotte could be considered major, but it's not on the level of the Daytona 500 or the championship race.

The Coca-Cola 600 @ Charlotte is one of the top 4 events of the season.
1) Longest race of the season.
2) Memorial Day weekend, and drivers sometimes attempt both it & the Indy 500 in the same day (1100 miles).
3) It's a 'home' race for NASCAR, as almost all the teams are in the Charlotte area.

It was also one of the races included in the old Winston Million -- the biggest (Daytona 500), the longest (World/Coke 600), the oldest (Southern 500) and the fastest (the Talladega race that was included.)

Other than the Daytona 500, there seems to have been a gradual shift in the past twenty years to de-emphasize some of the "great" events. I suppose the payouts used to vary greatly, TV scheduling/coverage was patchy or even non-existent, but since most teams run the entire season schedule, it's all about the first race and building momentum from there. And I think that the major sponsorship packages had a big part of that...which is why having so many races actually dilutes things a little.

I still see the "500 mile" races as the important ones (along with the 600). 

[thspfc]

2) Memorial Day weekend, and drivers sometimes attempt both it & the Indy 500 in the same day (1100 miles).

Wow, that's crazy. Racing 500 miles, jumping on a plane, racing 600 more miles. I can't imagine how exhausted those drivers must be at the end of the day.

Here's my list of NASCAR's most important races:
1. Daytona 500
2. Championship race (used to be Homestead, is now Phoenix)
3. October Talladega race
4. Coke Zero 400 (Daytona July race)
5. Coke 600

[Max Rockatansky]

2) Memorial Day weekend, and drivers sometimes attempt both it & the Indy 500 in the same day (1100 miles).

Wow, that's crazy. Racing 500 miles, jumping on a plane, racing 600 more miles. I can't imagine how exhausted those drivers must be at the end of the day.

Here's my list of NASCAR's most important races:
1. Daytona 500
2. Championship race (used to be Homestead, is now Phoenix)
3. October Talladega race
4. Coke Zero 400 (Daytona July race)
5. Coke 600

I always found it anticlimactic that the season ended at Homestead and now Phoenix.  Atlanta generally offered a better race because of the 1.5 tri-oval configuration.   Usually at Homestead and Phoenix someone usually dominates the race. 

[rickmastfan67]

2) Memorial Day weekend, and drivers sometimes attempt both it & the Indy 500 in the same day (1100 miles).

Wow, that's crazy. Racing 500 miles, jumping on a plane, racing 600 more miles. I can't imagine how exhausted those drivers must be at the end of the day.

Tony Stewart did it quite a few times!

[SEWIGuy]

Stewart did it twice.  In 2001 he finished sixth at Indy and third at Charlotte.  He had to go to the back of the field in Charlotte because he missed the mandatory driver's meeting.  Prior to 1994, Charlotte was not a night race.  Occasionally they were held on different days though.

[NWI_Irish96]

Since we've been discussing NASCAR: I'm in the middle of re-watching The West Wing, and there is an episode where the first lady attends a NASCAR race in Martinsville--in January. Not even in a pandemic world is there ever going to be a race in Virginia in January. Also, in the world of The West Wing, Jamie McMurray can in at Martinsville even though in real life he never won at any track shorter than 1½ miles.

[hbelkins]

Stewart did it twice.  In 2001 he finished sixth at Indy and third at Charlotte.  He had to go to the back of the field in Charlotte because he missed the mandatory driver's meeting.  Prior to 1994, Charlotte was not a night race.  Occasionally they were held on different days though.

Montoya did it at least once, I believe. And didn't one or both Gordons (Robby or Jeff) try it?

[SEWIGuy]

Stewart did it twice.  In 2001 he finished sixth at Indy and third at Charlotte.  He had to go to the back of the field in Charlotte because he missed the mandatory driver's meeting.  Prior to 1994, Charlotte was not a night race.  Occasionally they were held on different days though.

Montoya did it at least once, I believe. And didn't one or both Gordons (Robby or Jeff) try it?

Robbie Gordon has done it a number of times.  Neither Jeff nor Montoya have.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Duty