Is the 2019 Season a Blatant Tank Job?

[atomic]

6 minutes ago, Uli2001 said:

Thanks, that's my point exactly. You forgot to mention that a team can start in the 4th division and rise to the 1st if they are well-managed and have (or acquire) enough fan support. The quintessential American rags-to-riches story.

The problem with American sports leagues is corporate socialism. The owners protect each other and the government protects them all by giving them anti-trust exemptions. You can make a lot of money in socialism, at least the corporate kind. Do not kid yourself, many industries in the US operate exactly like this. In the US capitalism is for the little guy only, for the rich mostly it is corporate socialism.

 

 

I believe that baseball is the only league with the anti trust exemption.

[Frobby]

2 hours ago, atomic said:

I believe that baseball is the only league with the anti trust exemption.

Yes, but it really makes very little practical difference at this point.   The players union was able to overcome the obstacles that presented.    

[LocoChris]

On 6/19/2019 at 10:22 AM, wildbillhiccup said:

Please feel free to combine this thread with another if it's appropriate, but I wanted to discuss the blatant tank job the team seems to be doing this season. I realize the team is in rebuilding mode, but it really feels like they are passive aggressively not trying to win games and that's something I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around. How else would you explain someone like Dan Straily still being on the active roster? I'm not putting this on the players or the manager because I think they're both doing the best with the talent they have to work with, but I am putting it on ownership the the GM. And my fear is if they don't make some level of effort to compete they are going to completely lose what's left of the fan base. Will the fans come back when/if they start winning again? Maybe, but it's not a definite. And by competing I'm not talking about major free agent signings. I'm talking about not continuing to put the same terrible product/players on the field. Straily is the poster child and gets the majority of my angst, but it's not limited to him. If a player isn't performing cut him or demote it's really that simple. I'm fine with losing, but don't insult my intelligence by continuing to play terrible players who show no hopes of being better. Rant over and stepping down off my soap box. 

I've been surprised by how bad Straily has been. His last few years were at least serviceable and at the time of his release from MIA I thought it was a no brainer to sign him for filler and I know others on here agreed. Everyone knew this team was going to be bad from day one and yet these threads still keep popping up. Get comfortable because this is how it's going to be from here on out for another couple of years.