Do you want your game scores earlier?

[BDWard]

When I was a young boy back in the 1960's, my grandmother got me a transistor radio for my 9th birthday. It opened a whole new world for me! I snuck my radio under my balled up blanket at night (I didn't have a pillow), placed it under my head with the volume low, listening to the dulcet tones of Bob Elson and Red Rush, refusing to fall asleep until the conclusion of that night's game involving my beloved White Sox. When my parents came in to check on me, I pretended to be asleep. They never really caught on, for if they had, my dad surely would have asked me the score! I remember one game vividly, when Ken Boyer, whom the Sox acquired from the Mets in a late July deal, in the twilight of his career and nursing a badly pulled hamstring, blasted a pinch hit SINGLE off the left field wall with two outs to clear the loaded bases in a mid August game against Kansas City in 1967 to help lead the Sox to a much needed victory as they battled in perhaps the greatest pennant race of all time.

During the off season I listened to the Bulls and Black Hawk games in the same manner. When the Sox and the Bulls played on the West Coast (the NHL had only the original six teams at that time and had not yet expanded West), I often fell asleep during the game, waking up in the morning to find the radio playing under my blanket.

Now, nearly 45 years later, I still struggle to stay up late to get the scores. But these are not scores from the West Coast, but are scores from that night's online Strato games. Yes, I still live in the Chicago area and waiting for the scores, which generally come in between 11:10 to 11:50 P.M. Central Time, is very much akin to waiting for Sox scores when they are on the West Coast.

I first bought the Strat-o-matic computer game when it was in its infancy about 15 years ago. Back then, when computers were much slower and the technology comparatively archaic, a whole season, complete with statistical reports and individual box scores, could be played in about an hour. Although I don't have the latest release of the computer gsame, my guess is that a whole season can be played in less than half an hour, which leads me to ask:

[color=red:a6dc96abc1][size=12:a6dc96abc1][b:a6dc96abc1]WHY CAN'T WE GET OUR GAME SCORES EARLIER?[/b:a6dc96abc1][/size:a6dc96abc1][/color:a6dc96abc1]

During the two years or so that I've played the online game, TSN has often solicited suggestions from gamers for improvements to the game. In making the suggestions for improvement, people have focused on the game itself, not when the scores are returned. Yet if the scores were returned an hour earlier I could watch the news, get my scores and go to bed sooner instead of staying up for an extra hour to get the game results.

I know that it is possible to get the scores more quickly, as there have been a few times that system problems resulted in a delay in the start of the games, but when the system came back up the scores were returned at their usual times, despite the delay in starting the games for that night.

[andycummings65]

I would imagine it has something to do with the time zones. I mean, PDT folks have to have their lineups set by 7 local time, and moving that up much more would probably not work the best for them.
I would guess trying to be equitable across 4 time zones, not to mention MM, Kevin, thaibill, and all our other players across the various ponds

[BDWard]

[quote:4c069895c3="andycummings65"]I would imagine it has something to do with the time zones. I mean, PDT folks have to have their lineups set by 7 local time, and moving that up much more would probably not work the best for them.
I would guess trying to be equitable across 4 time zones, not to mention MM, Kevin, thaibill, and all our other players across the various ponds[/quote:4c069895c3]

Andy, I understand your concern. However, my post mentioned nothing about moving up the time to get lineups set. Based upon my experience with the computer game and technological advances since that time, I believe that it's possible to get game scores earlier WITHOUT requiring lineups to be submitted earlier. If such is possible, would you like your game scores earlier? To see or not to see, that is the question!

[voovits]

If pushing the times up means pushing the lineup deadline up, then I'm against it.
If pushing the times up means no chance to the lineup deadline, then I'm for it.

I'm sure the deadline is what it is for a reason, otherwise it would be later than what it currently is.

[wavygravy2k]

From what I remember, it's a lot better than it used to be. I think SN switched or upgraded their servers to make it better.

It's also been very consistent. I can usually get scores between 9PM-10PM Pacific every night.

[PotKettleBlack]

I check in the AM at work. Had no idea I could stay up late and look at them. Of course, that would lead to a divorce, so I voted to keep it as it is.

[BDWard]

PKB, now that you know that you can stay up late and get the scores, you better put the number for the divorce lawyer on speed dial! If the scores came back an hour earlier, you could have the best of both worlds, your scores and your wife, not to be confused with scoring with your wife! Plus you could "sleep in" in the morning or just get extra work done.

What I thought would be a slam dunk no brainer in favor of early scores has turned into a horse race. I'm not seeking earlier lineup submissions, just earlier scores, if possible.

Maybe I'm missing something, but I just don't see any downside to getting scores earlier. If you don't care to see your scores until the morning, then just don't log on at night, but why hold up those who want to see the scores early and hit the hay? - Bernie W

[216 Stitches]

Was thinking of your poll when I read this:

[quote:1c27e1258d]Not a fan of these late night west coast games, They are deadline killers. We write a story, grab quotes, throw a couple in and hope it reads well.
[/quote:1c27e1258d]

Its from a Twins Beat writer after an extra inning game in Oakland
([url] http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/blogs/122214789.html [/url])

Not sure what to think about "earlier." Are you thinking an hour? two hours?

Wouldn't matter to me when I am at home (west coast), but when I travel,
I pretty much can't follow strat at all, because the mornings are busy and
the evenings are too late. So maybe it would be helpful, even though I
voted I didn't care.

[BDWard]

Geez, only 38 votes? I would've thought that there are a lot more people playing ATGs who might actually care about this issue! - Bernie W

[FUDU]

You know what I want, an app for my Droid in which I can managerially interact during the game simulation so HAL does not insert Kenny Rogers in the sixth inning of a game Tom Hall is pitching at F9 with 81 pitches while only allowing 2 hits & being down just 0-1.

That's what I want.

[u:a02ff1b0b0]http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/stratomatic/league/boxscore.html?group_id=132609&g_id=582[/u:a02ff1b0b0]