Daily Dirt: Sports’ best postseason starts tonight

Daily Dirt for Oct. 4, 2021

The best part of waking up in the mornings between April and October is not a cup of Folgers Coffee, it’s knowing that it is baseball season. That will make more sense as you work your way through Vol. 86 of today’s three thoughts.

1. We’re in the first week of the MLB playoffs, which begs the question: Is there a better postseason than baseball? No.

I enjoy writer Ethan Levine’s assessment: “After a season in which no one game represents more than a drop in the bucket, each pitch in the playoffs is analyzed under a microscope and every scenario is broken down into dozens of potential outcomes. “Managers manage differently in the playoffs. Pitchers work differently, and a hitter must adjust as a result. Because there’s such a shift in on-field culture from the regular season to the postseason, the baseball playoffs are one the more satisfyingly unpredictable postseasons in sports.”

Here’s my ranking for the intrigue, interest and appeal tied to the specific pro sports playoffs:

1. Major League Baseball: No other sport builds to a crescendo in the fashion baseball does.

2. National Football League: The one-and-done format is perfect for this sport.

3. National Basketball Association: There are too many teams involved, and the playoffs last way too long. Way-y-y-y too long.

4. National Hockey League: But at least a reasonable amount of people care about the NBA playoffs (at least the latter stages). In hockey, do you think a series involving Phoenix Coyotes and Vancouver Canucks matters to anyone outside of Phoenix or Vancouver. The answer is no.

5. Major League Soccer: Seriously?

2. I’ve had quite a bit of conversation — in-person and e-mails — since we shared some of the best and worst commercial jingles last week. Here is another round of the good, bad and ugly in those jingles:

The good

Chili’s: “I want my baby back, baby back, baby back … ribs!!” (Quality. It makes you both feel good … and hungry.)

Folgers Coffee: “The best part of waking up … is Folgers in your cup!” (I feel good just reading that line, let alone hearing it sung to me.)

The bad

ACE Hardware: “ACE is the place with the helpful hardware man.” (It’s … just … so … annoying.”

Kay Jewelers: “Every kiss begins with K.” (I think I just threw up a little in my mouth …)

The ugly

The clapper: “Clap on! Clap off!” (Who didn’t want to throw something at the TV set at the height of this particular commercial phenomenon?)

Liberty Mutual: Liberty! Liberty! Liberty! … Lib-er-ty-y-y-y” (If not for The Clapper, this might be the all-time most annoying. And remember, someone actually got paid for these lyrics. Or should I say “lyric”?)

3. It was interesting to see the Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis will play host Jan. 29 to the 35th annual WWE Royal Rumble.

The event will be headlined by by separate battle royals for the men’s and women’s superstars of the squared circle. More than 40,000 will be expected for the Rumble, which dates to 1988.

The Rumble was virtual-attendance only from Tampa, Fla., last January because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but drew 42,715 at Houston in 2020 and 48,913 in Phoenix in 2019, according to WWE figures.

Steve Fact O’ The Day Steve has never worn tights.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. And we will see him tomorrow night.