There are no sports, so, yeah, this guy has been, let’s say, a bit bothered since hockey and the NBA went away in March.
The owners and players of Major League Baseball haven’t helped with the angst either, what with all of the back-and-forth bickering over the number of games, the salaries, and when Opening Day may finally take place. That’s because Jeff Yost is a 36-year-old sports fan who played the games before his graduation from Brooke High School in 2002 and educating his way to becoming a C.P.A.
And his wife, Jessica, is a sports fan, too, and that has made for some adventurous road trips to places like Toronto, South Bend, and Nashville. However, that’s not to say the Yosts are wishing for the players to place themselves in danger, and Jeff feels a better idea for the NBA and the NHL is to scrap the interrupted seasons and prepare for the next one.
As far as big-league baseball?
Yost can offer only an impatient shoulder shrug.
Which sport is your favorite to watch on television, and which sport is your favorite when attending games?
I would say my favorite sport to watch both on television and in person is hockey. I enjoy the fact that the games are non-stop motion (except for obvious stoppages, penalties, etc.), and it takes a real team effort to be successful. When at a game in person, I love to sit high up behind the goal end so I can watch the breakouts and look for defensive misses and what not. I feel like it gives me the best idea of how the game is put in motion by the players.
Where does PNC Park rank as far as baseball stadiums are concerned, and why?
Of the baseball stadiums I have been to personally (Great American Ballpark in Cincy, Progressive Field in Cleveland, and Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia back in the ’90s), I would rank PNC Park as the best of them. Between the views of the field from all sections of seating, the beautiful panoramic sight of the city beyond the right field wall, and the wonderful food and drink options available, PNC Park offers a fantastic experience for anyone who is able to attend. If only the team on the field offered something worth going for, it would be an even more enjoyable event.
Which sport have you missed the most during the coronavirus pandemic? (explain why)
With how big of a fan I am of the sport, I would have to say I have missed hockey the most. It was just getting to the point where playoff matchups were going to be decided, and, the Penguins, my favorite team, were well in the mix to get one of the better seeds in the East. I have also missed basketball a bit, as there were some interesting storylines happening in the NBA, but hockey is obviously my #1.
Do you believe it is a good idea for leagues like the NHL and the NBA to finish their respective postseasons? Why or why not?
I personally do not feel it is a good idea for the NBA or NHL to finish their postseasons. Although I will love to get to watch sports again, and I’ll be interested to see who wins, I think the better idea would have been to look forward to having a full season next year, rather than sacrificing some of next season simply to say you had a champion this year. Hockey has already experienced a season with no champion, so it is not like they can say it’s uncharted territory for them. Although I know they have plans in place for testing and being as safe as possible, knowing that it cannot be 100 percent safe leads me to think that putting the safety of your teams as well as future benefits next season over finding a champion for this strange year is for the best.
How often have you stayed up late to watch professional baseball in Korea? Why?
Since I am a night owl who normally stays up until 1:30 or later pretty much every night, I have had a chance to catch some of the KBO games, but I wouldn’t say I’m a religious follower or make sure I catch it every time it is on. While I do like having a live sporting event to watch, the games simply feel different from the action of the American version of the sport. I also know it will be rather rare that I actually get to watch a game from beginning to end, normally feeling ready for bed by the 4th/5th inning, so I struggle to get into it knowing I won’t get the payoff of seeing what happens at the end of the game.
