Opening day

I'm not going to get all deep and philosophical about baseball's Opening Day. It's nice, but has been undermined somewhat by the fact that they now play a night game the day before, so it's not really the opening day anymore. Also because of that night game, the first game isn't played by the Cincinnati Reds anymore. They previous had the honor of playing the season's first game, since they are baseball's oldest franchise.

What I really like is anytime live sports are played in the middle of the day during the week. Golf does that all the time, but I don't care for golf. Baseball plays weekday day games on Opening Day and an occasional one after that. The Olympics go on during the day, though coverage is apt to be shifted to prime time by broadcasters. Tennis could be on live at any time of the day or night, depending on where the match is being played. The NCAA Tournament early rounds result in weekday day games, as do the conference tournaments that precede it. The Chicago Cubs were about the last baseball team to install lights( some time in the 80s), and still play more day games than anyone else.

It's hard to imagine a time before widespread primetime broadcasts and stadium lights when about all the baseball games were day games, including the World Series. Football has mainly always been on the weekend, so that's not such a big deal. Indoor sports have presumably always played with lights, so I presume they in fact had no compelling reason to play weekday day games.

All this daytime play is great for the unemployed, but what of the employed, and kids in class? Such people must engage in deceitful subterfuge to see the games. The schoolboy of long ago hid a transistor radio in his desk. The working man may or may not have been able to listen or watch openly. Indeed, he may have been able to attend games in person.

Anyway, I like day games.