Back in 2008 I suggested that Major League Baseball would benefit from an expanded playoff. Recently I heard rumors which asked if adding more Wild Card teams would do the season justice. This was not what I had in mind.
I believe one (1) more playoff series would be fantastic for ratings not to mention league revenue. In the World Cup, which we can all agree is a premier tournament, the final is decided in the last game of the tournament while on that same day a 3rd place match takes place. Brilliant!
What I propose is one best of three (3) series between the losers of the League Championship Series. I realize that this sounds like desperate move to see a little more Dodgers Baseball in both 2008 and 2009 but look at whos playing in the world series this year and tell me with a straight face that you actually care and I’ll call you a liar.
Lets take a look at the last 3 years.
In the 2008 ALCS, the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox in a thrilling 7 game series and in the NLCS the Philadelphia Phillies painfully beat my Los Angeles Dodgers in 5 games. Does anybody outside of Philadelphia or Tampa Bay with a combined population of less than 2 million really remember or care what happened in that World Series? Didn’t think so. Now Imagine a best of three series between the Red Sox and Dodgers. Can you see it? Can you see all the plot lines? Torre vs the Red Sox again. Frank McCourt vs the team he couldnt buy which is also his hometown team. Derek Lowe vs Terry Francona. JD Drew vs Dodgers Fans. Jeff Kents last chance at a Championship and of course who could forget Manny vs the Red Sox?
Now thats drama!
In the 2009 NLCS once again, my Dodgers were painfully defeated by the Phillies in 5 games and in the more interesting of the two LCS, the ALCS pitted the Anaheim Angels and the NY Yankees. Of course the Yankees won that series setting up an all East-Coast World Series. This years anticipation was to see either the first ever freeway world series or to revive an all-time classic rivalry between the Dodgers and Yankees. Well, what about an all West-Coast 3rd place series? I don’t need to get into how exciting a freeway series like this would have been for Los Angelinos and the Orange County. Not that I consider Anaheim to be a Dodger rival at all. I see them much like I do the Padres…. annoying little brothers that keep pestering you. It would be a HUGE success for the Anaheim people especially since here in LA we only hang up Championship pennants and only retire hall of famers…. that is Hall of Famers that are wearing a Dodgers cap in their plaque. Get what I’m saying? Intriguing no?
In 2010 the proposed 3rd place series would have been a rematch of the 2009 World Series. Do I really have to mention the benefits of that?
I guess what I’m saying is, in the last three years, two world series have been a total bore and the proposed 3rd place series would have made baseball, a little bit more exciting for everybody.
It is a rare occasion when I ever have fun at neighborhood council meetings or events. Granted, I didnt join the neighborhood council for its fun appeal and there have been some good times in the past. Lately however it seems its been an epic drag. I’ve taken to making pop culture references in my arguments at the risk of sounding unprofessional and silly but the purpose is to see how many of my colleagues actually get the reference or if they are as dull as I suspect. Don’t hate me if I’m still not 30.
Two weeks ago for example, we were discussing a post office that falls withing the Little Armenia neighborhood. When the question was brought up to possibly rededicate it several great suggestions were made for example, William Saroyan and Charles Bukowski. Both have there merit and both deserve to have their name immortalized on a Post Office wall but when you consider the content Charles Bukowski is the most logical choice. He wrote a novel called ‘Post Office’ for crying out loud and he lived in that very neighborhood when he penned it. For all I know he may have actually worked there. Of course, I had another idea and wanted to lighten the mood a little and test my colleagues knowledge of pop culture. I suggested we rededicate it as the Armen Tamzarian Post Office. I got one chuckle (Thank you Silent Android). Armen Tamzarian is of course a world famous Vietnam War Veteran of Armenian descent. If you do not know his place in pop culture then maybe you shouldn’t be reading this entry since he has graced our television screens for 22 years now in the longest American prime-time entertainment series.
Today while chairing a committee meeting we heard from a great developer that is creating low income housing in a neighborhood that is slowly gentrifying beyond the communities means. In short, yes the developer is asking for four code variances which if you don’t know, are exceptions to the law which of course means this could take forever especially when you have professional NIMBY’s holding projects hostage and will no doubt continue to held them hostage through appeals and lawsuits and litigation which in the end only hurt the community we are trying to help by leaving either a blighted lot or a rundown property in the middle of an otherwise thriving community. During this 105 minute hearing that oh-by-the-way was tabled I made yet another pop culture reference only this time it went unnoticed. Excellent. OMG I just wrote a pop culture reference into this blog entry without even thinking about it and most of you are probably wondering “wtf?”. Anyways, near the end of the hearing I made my feelings regarding the project known, since as the chair my primary objective is to make the meeting move smoothly rather than flood it with my thoughts. I said:
LA is a major city that needs to start acting like it. Transit oriented development is a must and affordable housing is a vital component of it. “These people cook our meals, haul our trash, connect our calls, drive our ambulances and guard us while we sleep”.
Of course that last sentence is a quote from Tyler Durden.
