Has the NBA passed MLB?

[Matthew C.]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.... no. They tend to be more detail-oriented, though. Or even borderline autistic. Academics and intelligence don't necessarily go hand in hand. When I was in grade school, my teachers and parents were contantly befuddled by the fact that I was contantly passing by the skin of my teeth. They'd say, "You're so intelligent, why do you keep getting nothing but 70%?" My reaction was usually, "Hey, they require me to get 70% to get through this nonsense, so that's what I give them."

And, for the record, I couldn't care less for basketball. I mean, I like one-on-one for exercise, but as a spectator sport, it's not for me in the slightest. And this coming from someone whose close friend is Senior VP of Legal & Business Affairs for MSG. Growing up, he wasn't much of a basketball or hockey fan either, but the Knicks and Rangers have been his job now for nearly twenty years. He still prefers baseball over both.

Trust me, I know that intelligence and academic achievement do not go hand in hand - I am a professional educator. This is why I said that he was "lazy and academically challenged" and not "stupid". There was nothing even remotely stupid about this kid.

For the record, if you meet hardcore basketball fans, you will find out that the intellect involved with defensive/offensive systems and strategy can be every bit as detailed and nuanced as baseball strategy. A lot of that gets lost in the post-Jordan, hip-hop lovin', disposable pop culture image of the game that has both been driven to a certain degree by the league trying hard to promote its stars to young people AND placed upon the league by some by many fans ignorant of the game itself.

By the way, the NBA has BY FAR the second largest sabermetric following, after baseball, of course. Much stronger than the much more popular NFL. This is some evidence that basketball is a thinking man's sport. OR at least it lends itself to it. In fact, that is one reason why baseball does so much better on the radio than basketball. Everybody listening can understand a ball being hit or a ball being caught or a pitch being called a strike. But when you get into 1-2-2 zones and match-up switches and pick-and roll defense, etc., it can be too detailed and nuanced for a radio audience.