Different stadiums, albeit about 500 yards apart, I went to games of each sport in Seattle back to back to see what all the fuss was about the Seattle Sounders and if a Mariner's game was worth its price tag.

First, the fans are totally different. It is physically impossible to stand for the length of a Major League Baseball game, while the Sounders fans pride themselves on giving their team the "full 90". Seattle is known for having great fans all the way around, but I had to wonder WTF was up with all of the Seattleites wearing Red and pretending to be from Boston. Sure, "B" is for "Bandwagon", but I would prefer to see a scarlet "L" emblazoned on their chests for LAME. (caps definitely intended). If you're from the Northwest, you have a moral obligation if not to cheer for your home team, to at least not obnoxiously support the opposing side during a game. I would say 99% of the people at a Sounders game are wearing lime green (and we know it is not a flattering color on most people, so it is more than coincidental) and the other 1% are wearing blue.

Also, soccer fans tend to be a little more fevered in their support. I've seen Gorillas in jerseys, people carrying large unwieldy flags and those dressed up like Mexican Professional Wrestlers. Of course, that could be because the people at baseball games tend more to be families or those nerdy-types who get all dreamy about player stats. I'm not sure.


The atmosphere is also different. The singing at the Sounders games  be a factor, the faster pace of the game, or maybe the fact that you aren't interrupted every five minutes by some hawker sellling cotton candy, peanuts, or beer. (although I do wish the "Beer Guy" would have come around a little more often at the Sounders games). Plus, the Mariner's have all these little schticks to keep you interested- little kids stealing bases, loud stadium music, classic rock quizzes, and more. Seriously, did I go to a baseball game or a circus? I'm not really sure.

The games. Non-stop action for 2 45+ minute halves vrs. 9 innings stretched out over 3+ hours. The constant running (and hot legs) of soccer players, versus the tobacco chewing of pitchers and the dirt-kicking of bored players in the outfield. Now, baseball does tend to be higher scoring than soccer, so this is a definite edge for baseball for those who prefer to see the "scores" (so to speak).

And ok, we have to look at the athletes themselves. How many baseball players are in good enough shape to be Calvin Klein underwear models? Think about Soccer- David Beckham and of course, Seattle's very own Freddy Ljungberg. It's true that baseball players play more games and that pitchers and catchers work hard, but don't most baseball players stand around doing nothing for a majority of their games? I mean, seriously, come on. If baseball players and soccer players had to change sports to let's say, American football, don't you think that soccer players would kick fricking ass?