Baseball in the 1980's vs 2010

What’s the difference?

- 1980: Baseball game
- 2010: Baseball game, scrolling banner, team branding, teams, score, inning, count, out(s), runners-on, MLB branding, broadcasting network and series standings.

The broadcast may be in HD and the instant replay’s may be better than ever but baseball, like other sports, is not getting easier to watch. In fact, baseball is focused more than ever on taking your attention away from the game. Just take a look at the difference (above). What used to be a baseball field has become a billboard. What used to be served up by commentary is now handled by a persistent heads-up display. Leaving the door open for guys like Joe Buck to somehow end up announcing the World Series.

I remember when I was 9 years old, I had a subscription to Sports Illustrated for Kids. There was a cartoon that depicted $100 hot dogs in addition to athletes and their field of play covered head-to-toe in sponsors. It looks like that cartoon wasn’t too far-fetched. Sadly, this makes the sports we love harder to watch. Here’s hoping for a renaissance in broadcast design.