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| Vol.3.62 | |
Strike for Changeby Vince PoscenteAuthor of The Ant and the Elephant, Invinceable Principles and The Age of Speed 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.
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. Until next week it’s full speed ahead,
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© 2010 Vince Poscente. All Rights Reserved. |
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.