Sports too commercial to enjoy anymore

Barry Rozner was right on the mark with his column suggesting new projects for Major League Baseball officials. His column should be etched in stone for the benefit of every MLB team. However, Rozner should have also extended his observations to include the NFL, NHL, NBA, NCAA, most college athletic associations, and even a few high school groups.

In the last 50 years professional sports have degenerated from games to businesses, and they are now justifying themselves by outsourcing via fantasy sports and virtual gaming. I would not be surprised to find a fantasy Tiddlywinks league, which brings in several billion dollars, before I die.

Nobody in his right mind can attend most live sports venues that are festooned with tailgaters and boozed-up foodies who have paid fantastic ticket prices. It does little good to stay home and watch TV, because of the cable strangleholds, and the advertisers who have totally disrupted the games themselves. Ads are not usually worth watching, and the games have lost their continuity. Thank God that we can still pitch horse shoes in the backyard - or are they also now commercialized?

Joseph Haggin

Arlington Heights