Gains Theory Preview 🍀

Does anyone remember this commercial? You know, back when baseball was fun and they actually played games? Aside from Rob Manfred being the absolute worst, what the fuck happened to the MLB?

Let's set aside for now the general smugness, calling the World Series trophy a "hunk of metal," and slashing countless minor league programs - the complete inability to relinquish the ‘unwritten rules’ of yesteryear is also completely torpedoing the sport in today’s climate.

Compare this to the KBO and try to convince yourself we’re not hopelessly screwing this up. With the league cultivating a sterile product that comes nowhere close to capitalizing on the internet age - it has become impossible for the Sotos and Acuñas of today to properly market and monetize themselves. 

Meanwhile, over on the PGA Tour…

Night and day or what? This looks like it could be a cross between ‘Gladiator’ and a Stone Cold highlight. Fucking epic. Golf was once viewed as a game for your grandparents (rightfully so) - but the PGA has done wonders in recent years embracing Bryson and other young stars who openly flout tradition and usher in an exciting new era. We'll see how the whole Saudi tour situation plays out, but in the meantime these moments don’t just shape the future of the sport, they are inherently meme-able too:

This factor has become absolutely vital in the modern 24/7 viral news cycle - and while the NBA has gone above and beyond in this regard as well, the MLB has been left back in the stone ages. The playbook is right there in front of them, they just can’t seem to get out of their own way long enough to follow it.

The Bottom Line: If you were running Adidas (or any other major corp. for that matter) who would you bet on tomorrow as the better long term investment if your career depended on it? Mike Trout? Or Charlie Woods? Exactly.

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- G.T.