Why Nobody Watches Baseball

Americans love sports. The NFL and the NBA are hugely popular throughout the nation. Even more minor sports leagues such as the NHL have regional popularity. Sports are actually increasing in popularity in the U.S. Attendance rates in the NFL and NBA, as well as the NHL have seen relatively consistent increases. Teams in these leagues are constantly upgrading and increasing the size of their stadiums. Despite the widespread success of the sports industry in America, one sport has struggled. The MLB has, since the beginning of the 21st Century, been struggling to average large attendances at its games. The nickname "America's pastime" no longer truly applies to the sport of baseball. Fans of baseball are becoming increasingly used to half-empty stadiums. It's an embarrassment for the sport that its attendance rates and online interest pale in comparison with other sports.  One might wonder then, given these realities, why has baseball declined in popularity, when the reverse has happened to other sports in America? There are two factors at play, in my opinion.
Firstly, it is the shear length of a baseball season. The regular season of baseball lasts from early April to September. Each team has a game multiple times a week, and 162 regular season games in total. In today's culture, which promotes rapid events, baseball seems an ancient relic. Whilst the NFL, with its 17-week regular season, has seen incredible success, baseball's 6 month season has become too much of a time commitment for the average fan. It doesn't take a genius to deduce that, even if one is a fan of a baseball team, one would never go to all of his or her team's 162 regular season games. When baseball was at its peak, in the mid 20th century, Americans had much more time on their hands, and thus were able to attend a large chunk of their team's games.
Another reason why baseball is in decline is due to the slow pace of the game itself. Baseball, unlike football or hockey, relies less on athleticism than it does on skill. In fact, many of the great baseball players are/were very overweight. Baseball lacks the unpredictability of the other sports. It is fairly routine, one team bats, the other team defends, and so on. Whilst this formula was once a winner with the public, it is now outdated and, frankly, boring.
In conclusion, baseball has fallen in popularity where other sports have not. It will take a lot of work to set baseball on the right track, but there is still hope for the sport. There is still a steady flow of young talent, which is increasingly coming out of Asia and Latin America. Hopefully baseball can turn itself around, as it is an integral part of America.