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| Jodie can't take the ambiguity. |
But today, I'm attempting to change that. On a scale from 1-10 below, I've rated every live sporting event I can think of, with a "10" being virtually un-missable, and a "1" being virtually unwatchable. We'll call this List F. I also had Lindsey rate every possible reason for keeping me from watching said sporting event, from the birth of a child to buying a purse. That will be List G.
The idea is that once the two lists are finished, you post List F next to List G on the refrigerator with the magnet your dentist gave you, and have an pre-determined, totally-objective verdict to any FVG case. If Chad's got the Red Sox as a 7, and Morgan has "discussing weekend plans" as a 5, then sorry Morgan, discussing weekend plans will have to wait 'til the end of the inning. And be over by the time the next one starts.
Matt's LIST F*:
10: Super Bowl, College Football National Championship, NCAA Basketball Tournament
9: NFL Playoffs, NBA Finals, NBA Playoffs, NBA Draft
8: NFL Regular Season, College Football Bowl Game, College Football Regular Season, College Basketball Championship Week, Winter Olympics, World Cup
7: NFL Draft, MLB Regular Season (Mets), NBA Regular Season, NBA All-Star Saturday Night, NBA Draft Lottery, College Basketball Regular Season
6: NCAA Tournament Selection Special, Summer Olympics, Hot Dog Eating Contest, Tennis Major Final
5: NFL Preseason, NBA All-Star Game, College Football Spring Games, NBA Summer League, NBA Preseason, World Baseball Classic, Golf Major Championship Final Round, Tennis Major
(This is the point at which I'll look for something other than sports on TV, if you were wondering.)
4: CFL, Westminster Dog Show, Triple Crown Horse Race, NFL Scouting Combine
3: MLB Playoffs (assuming no Mets), MLB Preseason (Mets), MLB All-Star Game, Little League World Series, Pro Bowl, College World Series, NHL Playoffs
2: Home Run Derby, Scripps Spelling Bee, International Soccer, Tennis, Poker
1: MLB Regular Season (non-Mets), MLB Preseason (non-Mets), MLB Draft, NHL Regular Season, Golf, MLS, PBA Bowling, NASCAR, X-Games
(If there's any live sporting event I've forgotten, it's probably a 1.)
*Surely, there are LOTS of variables that can't be accounted for -- the most significant being which two teams are playing. Obviously last year's Lakers-Celtics NBA Final carries much more national appeal than last year's Giants/Rangers World Series. But other than specifying Mets and non-Mets games for baseball, I decided it wasn't worth noting because it made my head hurt, sort of like reading too much of this italic font.
Lindsey's LIST G:
11: Wedding (your own), Baby being born, Child's birthday
10: Wedding (immediate family), birthday party (hers)
9: Parents' Night at School, Surgery
8: Wedding (extended family), Romantic Weekend
7: Friends in town, Parents in town, Taking a class together
6: Romantic dinner
5: Commiserating about work, Watching a Bravo show together
4: Going to the movies, Work Christmas Party, Royal Wedding
3: Shopping (for me), Informal Work Get-Together, Renting a movie
2: Going for a walk, Going for a run, Going to a Broadway play
1: Shopping (for her), Museum Opening
Lindsey ran into difficulties ranking as well, such as "Which friends are in town?", and "Whose baby is being born? MINE????"
Lindsey ran into difficulties ranking as well, such as "Which friends are in town?", and "Whose baby is being born? MINE????"
I'd tell you to go do this on your own, but to be honest, it probably won't solve anything. There's just too many nuances, caveats, and other French-sounding words that come into play. I think the one thing I did learn from this exercise is that the FVG dilemma never really can be boiled down to a science.
Which means I guess you'll just have to keep reading this blog!
