Thursday, March 16, 2006

Selling-out of the heartland

Simon Barnes is one of the best in the business - of writing, that is. His articles on sport in the Times (of England, not the tabloid in India) are great reads. Do read this one on how every sport tries to change its core to attract the 'non-fans', and in the process runs the risk of alienating the heartland (the hardcore fans of the sport), and also the dangers of pandering to a fickle audience who may leave if they find something sexier the next week. He cites examples from baseball (designated hitters in the American League who replace pitchers), football (penalty shoot-outs) and of course Twenty20 cricket.

Hat tip to Cricinfo for the link.

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