# What is the least favorite thing about your most favorite sport? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 5, 2012, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-least-favorite-thing-about-your-most-favorite-sport/630476 "2012-08-05T02:00:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-least-favorite-thing-about-your-most-favorite-sport/630476/21 "2012-08-06T02:46:37Z")
Baseball: batters should keep the bat while they run the bases. Basketball: raise the baskets to 4 meters (approx. 13 feet) Football: narrow the playing field from 48.8 meters (160 feet) to 35.6 meters (120 feet) ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-least-favorite-thing-about-your-most-favorite-sport/630476/22 "2012-08-06T03:30:03Z")
Golf and tennis really should dial back the club and racquet technology already; in the former, too many courses have had to push their pro tees way back, and in the latter, serve-and-volleying is almost extinct. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-least-favorite-thing-about-your-most-favorite-sport/630476/23 "2012-08-06T03:32:41Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Baseball: batters should keep the bat while they run the bases. What???!!! I agree with most of RickJay’s points. The dicking around needs to be cut down by both the batter and the pitcher. In Fact, baseball, unlike many other sports, can do without timeouts altogether. Ban manager and catcher trips to the mound to chat with the pitcher. Just play the damn game. Pep talks are for the dugout, not the field. Eliminate the DH. Limit pitching changes. Some kind of cap on all substitutions except in case of injury. In fact, I want this for all team sports. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-least-favorite-thing-about-your-most-favorite-sport/630476/24 "2012-08-06T03:32:41Z")
Stop making it a penalty to touch the QB ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-least-favorite-thing-about-your-most-favorite-sport/630476/25 "2012-08-06T03:36:36Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > For soccer I’d like harsher punishment for faking injuries and diving. It’d probably involve giving fines or suspensions after the fact, but I think it’d be a pretty easy to implement and effective fix. I propose that any fake injuries be made real, performed by an official with a baseball bat. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-least-favorite-thing-about-your-most-favorite-sport/630476/26 "2012-08-06T04:43:33Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Oh, and for hockey; no point for losing a game in OT/shootout. Either you win a game or a you lose a game. You don’t need “points” at all. All you need to count are wins. I’m okay with: 4pts: win in reg 3pts: win in ot 2pts: win in so 1pts: loss in ot or so Assuming they keep the shootout, which I hate. The more and more I think about it, the thing I hate most about Hockey is the salary cap. I miss rooting for and against dynasties and the parity right now is just killing my interest. I probably like baseball or basketball a little more than hockey but I probably would’ve just repeated picking up the pace as well as scrapping the dh for baseball and as for basketball, nothing instantly came to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-least-favorite-thing-about-your-most-favorite-sport/630476/27 "2012-08-06T05:09:41Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > What???!!! > > I agree with most of RickJay’s points. The dicking around needs to be cut down by both the batter and the pitcher. In Fact, baseball, unlike many other sports, can do without timeouts altogether. Ban manager and catcher trips to the mound to chat with the pitcher. Just play the damn game. Pep talks are for the dugout, not the field. > > Eliminate the DH. Limit pitching changes. Some kind of cap on all substitutions except in case of injury. In fact, I want this for all team sports. There is already a cap on baseball substitutions: the roster. Pulled players cannot return. This makes substitution an important game tactic (the manager’s most important decision, after writing the starting lineup), and roster-building the key organizational strategy (the choice of an extra reliever instead of a bench player reverberates for months). Besides, allowing free subbing for injuries is just a directive to fake injuries as necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-least-favorite-thing-about-your-most-favorite-sport/630476/28 "2012-08-06T05:15:17Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Oh, and for hockey; no point for losing a game in OT/shootout. Either you win a game or a you lose a game. You don’t need “points” at all. All you need to count are wins. No, a differential there is good, because it incentivizes both teams to play hard in the last minutes of regular-time close games. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-least-favorite-thing-about-your-most-favorite-sport/630476/29 "2012-08-06T08:24:48Z")
Cricket: Beamers should be permitted again, as long as they are not at the batsmans head. Ditto body line. Association Football:Refs getting more strict wrt fouls and grabbing in the penalty area. ---
**Author:** ![Kiros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/439d5e/32.png) [@Kiros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiros)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-least-favorite-thing-about-your-most-favorite-sport/630476/30 "2012-08-06T13:05:10Z")
**AK84** just beat me to it, but for soccer: [QUOTE=FIFA - The Laws of the Game] A direct free kick is also awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any of the following three offences: […] •holds an opponent [/QUOTE] It’d be a big adjustment period, I’m sure, but I’d really like to see the excessive/unnecessary physical aspects of the game called a bit tighter, and let skill take back over a bit. On the other hand, you probably have to fix the diving thing first to do this, and you’d run in to the same quality-of-refs issue that basketball has… ---
**Author:** ![diku](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@diku](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diku)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-least-favorite-thing-about-your-most-favorite-sport/630476/31 "2012-08-06T13:21:17Z")
College Basketball: The one and done rule. Either they should be able to go pro as soon as they turn 18 or they should stay in college. Don’t force kids that are able to go work in their chosen profession to have a goofy unpaid year. (And I’m a UK fan). ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-least-favorite-thing-about-your-most-favorite-sport/630476/32 "2012-08-06T13:21:35Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > No, a differential there is good, because it incentivizes both teams to play hard in the last minutes of regular-time close games. It does **precisely the opposite**. If you can just hold on until the end you’re guaranteed a point and could win two. Your expected average outcome is 1.5 points per game if you coast to the end of a tie game, instead of 1 point per game. If it could be done a team would be best off agreeing with all its opponents to never play hard at all until overtime, since they could then expect to rack up about 120 points a year. If you don’t hand out points for ties, a team that coasts is rolling the dice on the possibility of getting no points at all. It’s preposterous to reward a team for losing, and it sets up the possibility - which has, in fact, happened - of a team making the playoffs that won fewer games than a team that doesn’t make the playoffs. As to the 4-3-2-1 suggestion made by drm, which is something long suggested, I don’t understand why it needs to be that complicated. No other pro sport does that. You don’t see baseball awarding four points for a win but three or a win in extra innings and blah blah blah. The NFL doesn’t reward teams for losing in overtime, nor does basketball. Here’s my system: Win: You get one win Lose: You get nothing I see no downside to this. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-least-favorite-thing-about-your-most-favorite-sport/630476/33 "2012-08-06T13:24:36Z")
How about stopping diving by requirng that the precious snowflake who was in such pain on the field must be taken to the hospital for a full checkup including diagnostic imaging and a colonoscopy, and must then produce a doctors note atttesting to fitness to return to play. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-least-favorite-thing-about-your-most-favorite-sport/630476/34 "2012-08-06T13:41:47Z")
The degree to which television dictates the flow of play. It’s getting beyond ridiculous in football. Kickoff, TV timeout. First string of plays, 1st down, TV timeout. 2nd string of plays, another 1st down, TV timeout. Third string of plays, someone gets hurt, injury and TV timeout. Play resumes, no 1st down, punt, TV timeout. I swear they don’t string together 5 minutes of play without a TV timeout. I get that football’s huge, and is now becoming too expensive for the average fan to be able to attend anyway (necessitating comprehensive TV coverage), but it’s obnoxious and affects the game. Each team’s three timeouts per half are less of a factor when you’ve got all the TV time for planning. You’ve lost strategy and pace. So quit it, already. Run plays without the TV if you have to, that’s what recaps are for. Or start counting the TV timeouts as the team’s timeouts. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-least-favorite-thing-about-your-most-favorite-sport/630476/35 "2012-08-06T14:06:25Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > It does **precisely the opposite**. If you can just hold on until the end you’re guaranteed a point and could win two. Your expected average outcome is 1.5 points per game if you coast to the end of a tie game, instead of 1 point per game. The expected PPG is a problem with points for a regular-time win, not with the OT awards. All games should be worth three points total. Even with the present flaw, though, the kind of coasting you describes only makes sense for teams of near-equal strength who are already tied going into the final RT minutes. Otherwise there should be furious play to get into, or stay out of, the tie. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-least-favorite-thing-about-your-most-favorite-sport/630476/36 "2012-08-06T14:08:32Z")
In MLB, I think the home-away sequence of playoff series should be 3-4 instead of 2-3-2. I think that teams should be forced to use the depth of their starting rotations and rosters. Having only 1 rest day accomplishes this. I understand that one team would not be able to win a series at home. But it’s baseball, and home field isn’t as much of an advantage as in other sports. The lower ranked team would get the first three home games, followed by a rest/travel day, finished by a four game series at the higher record team. Also, I think the DH should be adopted by the NL. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-least-favorite-thing-about-your-most-favorite-sport/630476/37 "2012-08-06T14:12:52Z")
For white water paddling, the worst thing is also the best thing: holes. The offer endless playing and surfing, but also eat you and can kill you. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-least-favorite-thing-about-your-most-favorite-sport/630476/38 "2012-08-06T16:20:18Z")
The NFL is overcoached. The players are big boys with years of experience playing the game; so I would like to see coaches on the field during the game limited to one – the head coach. And he can’t communicate with any assistants or other “eyes in the sky” until halftime. He’s there to make the big decisions and handle some substitutions. Figuring out what to do is a big part of football. I’d like to see which of the players do that part best. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-least-favorite-thing-about-your-most-favorite-sport/630476/39 "2012-08-06T16:46:16Z")
> [@hrhomer](#): > > Baseball. Get rid of the designated hitter. This, not much more to say. Mighty Casey didn’t play for the Mudville Ten. As for the pace, if I’m not mistaken there already is a rule in place limiting the amount of time between pitches. A ball or strike can be called if a pitcer or batter delays the game. I have never, ever, seen or even heard of this rule being enforced. Hmmm… [Excerpts from Rule 6.02](http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/downloads/y2012/Official_Baseball_Rules.pdf): > [@](#): > > Umpires will not call “Time” at the request of the batter or any member of his team once the pitcher has started his windup or has come to a set position even though the batter claims “dust in his eyes,” “steamed glasses,” “didn’t get the sign” or for any other cause. > Umpires may grant a hitter’s request for “Time” once he is in the batter’s box, but the umpire should eliminate hitters walking out of the batter’s box without reason. If umpires are not lenient, batters will understand that they are in the batter’s box and they must remain there until the ball is pitched. See Rule 6.02(d). > > If pitcher delays once the batter is in his box and the umpire feels that the delay is not justified he may allow the batter to step out of the box momentarily. > > The umpire has the discretion to issue a warning to a batter in lieu of calling an automatic strike for the batter’s first violation of Rule 6.02(d)(1) in a game, so long as the batter’s violation is judged to be brief and inadvertent. The umpire shall give the batter a reasonable opportunity to take his proper position in the batter’s box after the umpire has called a strike pursuant to Rule 6.02(d)(1) and before the umpire calls a successive strike pursuant to Rule 6.02(d)(1). I’m sure I recall once reading a rule that quoted an actual time limit (20 seconds or something like that.) Perhaps it’s been changed. But essentially it’s up to the home plate ump to keep the game moving. ---
**Author:** ![Rudiger\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rudiger\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rudiger_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-least-favorite-thing-about-your-most-favorite-sport/630476/40 "2012-08-06T17:51:43Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > How about stopping diving by requirng that the precious snowflake who was in such pain on the field must be taken to the hospital for a full checkup including diagnostic imaging and a colonoscopy, and must then produce a doctors note atttesting to fitness to return to play. Or, similarly, the “injured” player must remain on the sidelines for 5 minutes before returning to the game. The 4th official is doing pretty much nothing for 98% of the game, so he can track the time. A legitimately injured player could substituted for immediately. Also, video reviews of diving after the game. Game results would not be changed, but harsh penalties for “simmelation.” Something along the lines of 5 games (or rest of tournament) and forefeiture of salary for a dive in the box, for instance. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-least-favorite-thing-about-your-most-favorite-sport/630476.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-least-favorite-thing-about-your-most-favorite-sport/630476.md?page=3)