No need to raise your hand

For those who did not grow up in a big city, the first few times attending major league sports events as a kid tend to make a big impression.

And I have a theory. To the extent that children give any real thought to their future, I suspect a fair percentage of these kids found themselves thinking “When I grow up, I’m definitely going to live someplace where I can go to a big-league game any time I feel like it — without having to drive halfway across the state.”

Then many of these children become adults and find themselves residing in places such as good old Spokane. What happened?

A) Real life doesn’t turn out to have much to do with proximity to stadiums. B) There are considerable downsides and trade-offs to living in a major league market. C) I sort of lost interest in sports about the time artificial turf appeared on the scene. D) The cheap seats stopped being cheap. E) Job offers did not tend to come from places such as Minneapolis or Denver. F) I wanted to be near nature. G) The things that knocked my socks off when I was 9 stopped seeming quite so special. H) Other.