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At the heart of Page 2's Election 2004 coverage are the many points of contention between the two dominant parties, the Purists and the Progressives. Where do they stand on the major issues of our time? The chart below begins to paint the picture, though you'll be hearing directly from the campaigns themselves later this week.
| PAGE 2's ELECTION COVERAGE |
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Tune in to Page 2 for up to the minute action in the Race to the SportsNation Presidency: |
The ultimate referendum comes on November 2, when Page 2 will offer the chance to vote on the direction of the sports fan nation. Until then, stick with Page 2 for comprehensive campaign coverage of the most competitive political battle in sports history. In the chart below, the battle lines begin to be drawn:
| HEAD TO HEAD: PURISTS VS. PROGRESSIVES | ||
| Category | Purist | Progressive |
| Best era | Back then | Right now |
| Team loyalty | Local, through thick and thin | Fantasy, shifting annually |
| Reaction to sports news | Reflective | Knee-jerk |
| Free agency | Has ruined loyalty to teams | Fosters competition |
| SABRmetricians | Geeks | Gadflies |
| Determining a champ | Pollsters | Playoffs |
| Medium for news | Newspapers and magazines | Internet |
| Pro eligibility | After four years of college | Whenever they're ready |
| Ads on uniforms | Never! | Get over it |
| On-court/-field celebrations | Tone it down or be penalized | Award extra points for creativity |
| "Games" | Olympic | X |
| "Fantasy" | Camp | League |
| Analysis source | Scouts | Stats |
| Rule Changes | Why? | Why not? |
| Performance-Enhancing Drugs | Crack down | Legalize |
| "Amateur" status | To be fiercely protected | An anachronism |
| Controversial mascots | Keep them | Change them |
| Tattoos | Hideous | Expressive |
| Computers | Have ruined sports | Have made game better |
| Ballpark food | Hot dog | Low-carb |
| Announcers | Vin (Scully) | Stephen A. (Smith) |
| Replica jersey | Retro | Rookie |
| Argument TV show | Sports Reporters | PTI |
| Favorite book | "Boys of Summer" | "Moneyball" |
| Dynasties | Great for sports | Parity is better |
| College recruiting | Shenanigans part of the experience | System needs a complete overhaul |
| NCAA | Needs reform, but a good institution | Eliminate it and replace |
| NASCAR | "I still don't get it" | "Has replaced NHL in Big 4" |
| Boxing | Sweet science | Barbaric |
| Hockey | At least follows playoffs | What's "hockey?" |
| Tracking a game | Scorecard and a pencil | GameCast and "Refresh" button |
| Stadium/Arena | Retro (Fenway Park) | "New Retro" (Fenway barstools) |
| Hero | Bill Parcells | Billy Beane |
| Villain | Nouveau riche sports owners | Hall of Fame voters |
| Pete Rose | Ban for life | Let him in |
| Barry Bonds | Juicier than an orange | Better than Babe |
| Instant replay | Human error part of game | Hmm...baseball next? |
| Bandwagons | A dirty word | Riding shotgun |
| Expanded playoffs | Postseason is too big already | More teams, more excitement |
| Day Games | Call in "sick" to work | Dude, I have a job |
| Franchise contraction | Leave our teams alone! | Survival of fittest |
| Shoe | Chuck Taylor | What's hottest? |
| Stadium accessory | Baseball glove | Camera-phone |
| Halftime shows | Up With People (or a marching band) | A little skin isn't a bad thing |
| "Curses" | Ya gotta believe | All explainable |
| In-game entertainment | Organist | Dancing hotties |
Dan Shanoff is a columnist for Page 2. His "Daily Quickie" commentary appears every weekday morning.
