Posted by Drago on May 05, 2003 at 16:31:14:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Saving orchestras posted by Brian Frederiksen on May 05, 2003 at 14:10:19:
Does Gene still play clarinet in a community band? Quite honestly, I think that he's such a fine musician that the instrument doesn't really matter all that much. He'd sound like a million bucks on an accordion.
A good question to ask is "Why is baseball so popular in this country?" Viewed objectively, it's a slow-moving game with lots of nothing happening most of the time. By an objective assessment it should attract the same audiences that curling tournaments do.
But baseball signs multi-million dollar deals for broadcast rights, has big parks constructed and pays huge signing bonuses to players. What gives?
I think you can start with Little League. Every grown-up kid who's ever played sandlot ball knows the strategy and the gamesmanship and puts him/herself in the place of the players during a game. In other words, it takes amateurs if you want an enthusiastic following. And an amateur following needs encouragement.
Maybe the next time I see Gene, he'll autograph my tuba.