Skip Bayless from The Mercury News says in his column that baseball fans will be back, even if there is another baseball strike. He says baseball in our American DNA and that there's too much shared memories that get passed down from parents to their children about the game. I'm not sure I agree with him.

I think the American psyche has really changed since 9/11. I think the constant stories of greed and hype from the dotcom boom and bust to the Worldcom and Enron debacles have taken a toll on America's wallet. What are these baseball players thinking?

The US economy was still reeeling from the tech collapse in 2000 when 9/11 happened. 9/11 didn't cause the US economy to tank, it was already on its way, but 9/11 definitely was the kick in the butt down the economic hell hole we are finding ourselves in today. Has the baseball players' union not been reading the news? Are they so rich that they're that immune from the current economic downturn? I guess they must be, because they are striking for more millions for their multimillion dollar salaries.

I hope the baseball players come to their senses, because Skip Bayless is wrong. Baseball hasn't recovered from the last strike. There are still teams who are losing money, especially the small market teams. To get the fans back into the stadiums, the owners have mortgaged their future to pay players exhorbitant sums. And I'm sorry, it's now working.

Sure, some fans will come back, but not all. And the ones who left because of the first strike will stay away, passing down different memories to their children. If you follow Skip Bayless' argument that baseball is in America's DNA and is kept alive by memories. what happens to baseball when fewer and fewer americans have those memories. Baseball might not die a quick death. No one does. Quick painless death are only in the movies. Most people die incredibly painful deaths that go on longer than they should. The same will be true for baseball. As the game, the players and the owners become more out of touch with the people who actually watch the games, the game will surely die. Slowly and painfully of course. And baseball will probably be around longer than it probably should, but it will end and die nevertheless. And that will be a sad day for America and it's favorite national pastime sport.