which are really just your opinion.

You also don't recognize that baseball itself is going through a major restructuring, yet you praise them for having the "best model." They're basically in the process of reorganizing their whole model and have been catching shit for it from the fan base.

1) Of course the post represents my opinion. The title of the post started with "I wonder".

2) Regarding baseball: my comment was only about the superiority of their college/pro decision model. The arrangement allows for a meaningful choice between college and professional baseball. Football imprisons some of its stars in an often useless 3-year college model, and basketball embarrasses universities by pretending that "1 and done" is a meaningful university experience.

Baseball has other advantages, too, specifically in the number of games and the demographics of its stars. The greater number of games provides far more revenue opportunities, which translates into bigger salaries for the players. In addition, baseball is the only major traditional American sport with a significant number of Latino stars. This is important because the Hispanic population is a fast-growing demographic in the US. It also positions baseball to be more prepared than the other major American sports to compete for fan attention alongside increasing interest in professional soccer, both domestic and international.

1) I disagree with much of what you say regarding the popularity of football and the future of the game. Your post might have started with "I wonder" but then the statements you make seem to indicate that you're speaking with certainty. Of course the NFL is going to be hurt financially due to the virus (so will any business) but they have television contracts coming in that will (for them) hopefully recoup many of the losses.

2) I find your knowledge of baseball limited; they've had massive issues with marketing their best stars over the past few years, which is odd given how many games they play, how easy it would be to give these guys exposure, etc. They are nothing like basketball and not really even football when it comes to marketing. The union is strong and that has led to strong, guaranteed contracts (which football does not have) but the endorsement deals pale in comparison to NBA guys (as an example). Also, while you might be a fan of their "system" of pro vs. college, they certainly aren't as they are in the process of dismantling much of their minor league system. College baseball also only gives (at maximum) 11.7 scholarships for 35 players and they have very little paid full time staff. It's a struggle to say the least.

You can talk about the latino stars all you want, and I agree that the sport is thriving in Latin America and I am happy for that. With that said, there isn't going to be as many avenues for those guys to make it anymore starting pretty soon, and they don't do a good job of marketing those top stars anyway. Baseball is the third most popular sport by a pretty wide margin.

For the record, I love baseball and I enjoy watching the games. I have several friends working in the game at various levels, including MLB, and none of them share your rosey outlook. Now, hopefully you're right and the game is in great shape.