24 April 2010

Seeing Red: Deconstructing Why The Red Sox Are Off To A Slow Start

photo courtesy of Jim Rogash/Getty Images

The system
Why did they change their system to one more oriented towards pitching and defense? Why fix what wasn’t broken? So far, their changes aren’t working out, as the Sox are already in the hole with a 7-10 record. Last year, they ended up with a 95-67 record, and this year, they’re on pace to reverse that with a 67-95 record. According to last year’s final standings, that record would tie Boston for second to last in the American League. The Red Sox have to pray that their system starts to work or abandon ship if they hope to see the postseason.

22 April 2010

Target Field Goes Above and Beyond in Accessibility

image courtesy of http://www.areavoices.com

This season, the Minnesota Twins unveiled their new stadium, Target Field, and fans are talking about more than the views, the food, and the LEED Certification.

They're talking about accessibility.

Instead of simply adhering to state and federal guidelines, the organization strove to surpass them and give fans with special needs the baseball game and experience they deserve.

Some of the new improvements include:
  • Approximately 800 accessible seats at all ticket levels.
  • Lower concession counters with Braille and/or large-print signs.
  • 1-2 electrical outlet boxes in accessible seating areas.
  • Captioning boards for the announcer's messages and free assisted listening devices.
  • All entrances to the ballpark are wheelchair accessible.
  • Accessible seating areas do not have obstructions from railings or standing fans.
You can read more about the stadium's accessibility from the Star Tribune and the Twins' official access guide.

05 April 2010

Golden Age to Info Age


The Golden Age of Sports and sportswriting is something that my generation sees in movies.  The Golden age of Sports and sportswriting is something that my generation, as well as generations to come, will only see in movies.

Today, it's not about novelty, and many times, it's not even about the beautiful, lengthy articles that Frank Deford strove to publish.  Today, it's about breaking the story as quickly as you can.  It's about technology and bending over backwards to provide audiences with short, to-the-point stories faster than anyone else can.