I'm sure there are plenty of stories like this out there but as a sports fan this was a pretty cool read. 

A good read on how security has changed around professional sports teams in a post 9/11 world. 

We are about an hour away from the MLB All-Star and one big story surrounding this game is just how many "All-Stars" there are.

By now the list is up to 84 players. At any given point in the season there are only 750 active players. This means that this year one out of every nine player is an all-star. I understand the need for the expanded rosters and have no complaints about it. What I do find stupid is how replacements for injured or ineligible players are named. Jon Lester was named as an injury replacement just because MLB rules for the next highest vote recipient to be named as the replacement. The problem there is that Lester is on the DL and obviously not able to pitch but since he got named as a replacement he gets his all-star bonus. Ricky Romero got selected as a replacement for him but couldn't they just have selected him the first time around? Of course not. There is way too much money involved. What an absolute joke.

Speaking of jokes, lets get to C.C Sabathia and Derek Jeter. We've spent the last two weeks listening to stories about Jeter being a class act and and ambassador for baseball. You guys already know where I stand on that. Derek Jeter should never have been voted into the game in the first place. His batting average was below .270 when the teams were announced yet Yankees fans had stuffed the ballots for him. Him getting named as an all-star starter was a joke. Him skipping the game is a bigger one. Jeter is skipping the all-star game because he is tired. Ok, I have no problem with him deciding against playing (since his season is hardly all-star worthy) but he should be in Phoenix as the ambassador for the game that he supposedly is. That is not happening. Jeter is staying at home and still collecting a $500,000 bonus. Disgraceful. I'll throw Sabathia into the same boat. He was named an all-star but is not showing up but took a trip to the Bahamas instead. Yup, he will be getting any all-star bonus in his contract as well.

But Selig said today that if he was Jeter he would have done the same thing. This guy isn't serious right? This is the commissioner of baseball? Why are we still sucking up to Derek Jeter? Instead of calling out the players   Bud Selig is actually condoning this? How does he justify this when MLB wants the All-Star to matter?

How do you resolve this? Any player named to the team and skipping the festivities has to skip the first series back from the break. Even pitchers who aren't eligible to pitch in the game because they pitched on Sunday must still show up.

Would Derek Jeter seriously get so overrated if he didn't play in New York?

I highly doubt it. Don't get me wrong, he's had a good career but to call him an all time great is a joke. The guy hasn't even been the best player on his own team throughout the career. A year by year breakdown shows one maybe two years where he was the best player on his own team. I have felt for a long time that there are three primary reasons why Jeter gets so overrated. 1) New York City 2) Rich Garcia making a horrible call in RF 3) Jeremy Giambi not knowing how to slide (he should have still been called safe because the play was a tie at worse).

In casual conversation yesterday I was coming up with a list of position players in the American League alone who I would take ahead ahead of Jeter from the past 15 years. I came up with the following list that included the likes of Vladimir Guerrero, Manny Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez. Going a bit down to the next level and guys like Jim Thome, Ivan Rodriguez, David Ortiz make real strong cases. I'm sure if I put more thought to I'd come up with a longer list. All this is even before we start to get into pitchers like Roy Halladay and Pedro Martinez. Again, this is before going into a list of guys in the National League.

Please don't give me any b.s about "playing the game the right way". Jeter's not the only guy who goes into stands to make catches or back up throws from the outfield. Don't give me the garbage about him being a loyal guy either. Just because he's played his entire career with the Yankees doesn't make him a loyal guy. If he had this loyalty to the Yankees and New York he wouldn't have held them hostage for every last penny last off season after the Yankees had overpaid him the last time around. Don't give me any crap about him being a leader or making others better. Just where has he shown any of those characteristics? The guy made A-Rod's life miserable when he first arrived in New York. Heck, if Jeter was this big team guy wouldn't the best shortstop on the team (A-Rod) be playing shortstop?

I went year by year from 1996 to 2010 to look at guys on the New York Yankees who outplayed Jeter in that particular year. Here is what I came up with.

Derek Jeter

1996 - O'Neil, Tino, Bernie, Pettitte, Wetteland and Rivera
1997 - O'Neil, Tino, Bernie, Pettite, Cone and Rivera
1998 - Bernie and Rivera
1999 - Rivera
2000 - See Below
2001 - Mussina, Clemens, Rivera
2002 - Giambi, Soriano, Bernie,
2003 - Rivera, Giambi, Posada, Soriano
2004 - A-Rod, Matsui, Sheffield,Rivera
2005 - A-Rod, Sheffield, Rivera
2006 - See Below
2007 - A-Rod, Posada
2008 - A-Rod, Abreu, Mussina and Rivera
2009 - Sabathia, Rivera and Teixeira
2010 - A-Rod, Teixeira, Cano, Swisher, Sabathia,

In 1997 I left Davild Wells off the list despite him winning 16 games because his ERA was high. Heck, Chad Curtis in 334 less ABs hit for the same average, more HRs, just 20 less RBIs and significantly higher OPS. No, I'm not saying I'd take Chad Curtis over Jeter but just put #s into perspective.

In 1998 I left off Tino off the list despite him driving in 123 runs and O'Neil despite him driving in 116. I'll leave Cone off despite him winning 20 games. I left Wells off despite him going 18-4 with a 3.49 ERA. I left off Orlando Hernandez and his 3.13 ERA because he only started 21 games. I'm being pretty generous with 1998.

In 1999 I say he's a push with Bernie and you could make a strong case that Jeter's .349 with 24 HRs and 102 RBIs deserves top spot but Rivera had 45 saves with a 1.83 ERA and a WHIP of .883 I probably won't complain if someone wants to give Jeter 1999 but Rivera was definitely better.

In 2000 yes Jeter his .339 and you could make a case for him but a case for Bernie can easily be made. He hit 30 HRs with 121 RBIs despite only playing in 141 games.

In 2001 I left Tino off the list despite him getting 34 HRs and driving in 113.

In 2002 I left Pettitte and his 3.27 ERA off because he only pitched in 22 games.

In 2003 I left off I left Mussina and his 17-8 record with a 3.40 ERA off the list.

In 2004 I left Posada off the list despite him having a significantly higher OPS and more RBIs in 200 less ABs just because he hit only .272. I also left off Orlando Hernandez who went 8-2 3.30 ERA because he only started 15 games.

In 2005 I left off Giambi and his 32 HRs because he drove in just 87 and hit for a low average. I even left off Matsui's 116 RBIs because he "only" hit .305 and had only 23 HRs. Matsui still had a better OPS and more extra base hits. Again, I'm being fairly generous here.

In 2006 there is a strong case for Jeter again. He hit .343 and drove in 97. Arguments against Jeter? Cano hit .342 and drove in 78 despite having 140 fewer ABs. A-Rod also hit 35 HRs and drove in 121. Giambi ht 37 HRs and drove in 113. Rivera, Mussina and Wang also had great years. I'd give Jeter a push with Cano but people can make a case for A-Rod being right there too.

In 2007 you could make a case for Cano as well. I'm leaving 100+ RBIs from Matsui and Abreu off the list.

In 2008 I am leaving off a 32 HR season from Giambi.

In 2009 Jeter hit .334 and you can make a case for him but 5 other guys in the starting lineup alone matched his OPS. How can argue against Teixeira hitting 39 HRs and driving in 122? I'll leave A-Rod off the list because he only hit .286 to go along with 30 HRs and 100 RBIs. Every other player in the starting lineup drove in more runs then Jeter despite having fewer Plate Appearances (Cano was only one with more ABs and he had just 3 more ABs). Everyone but Melky Cabrera had more HRs. Everyone but Cabrera had more extra base hits as well. How can you hit .334 in over 600 ABs and only drive in 66?

In 2010 I am leaving off Pettitte's 11-3 with a 3.28 ERA because he only started 21 games. Heck, someone could make a case that Gardner and/or Posada (edit: also editing in Granderson here) had years that were just as good if not better.

Biggest reason I couldn't care less about Jeter is because how ridiculously over the top Yankees fan get with him. Jeter was almost never the best player on the team. He spent few years being at best the 3rd or even 4th best SS in the American League alone (no matter how much Yankees fans want to claim that he was better then Nomar those years). Yesterday Yankees beat writers were posting quotes placing Jeter in the top tier of Yankees historically. Have these people heard of Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio and Mantle? At best he is on the 3rd tier of Yankees.

Being a good player is not a knock on a guy. Yesterday YES Network guys were already taking about him getting to 4,000. Can we settle down please?

My Los Angeles Angels called up 19 year old Mike Trout to the majors earlier today. He was listed as top prospect in baseball earlier this year by MLB.com

I can't confirm or deny that I seeded this just so I could point out that Mike Trout will be playing in the same outfield where Tim Salmon once played. 

Jim Riggleman will get a bad rap here but the Nationals are quiet stupid not to have picked up the option to begin with. What sense does it make to have a lame duck manager? 

What a great story it turned out to be the last time he took over the Marlins. Yes, he was helped by the arrival of Dontrell Willis and Miguel Cabrera but that team still over achieved. 

Love this. I play "Beat the Streak" on a regular basis and it is great to see Colbert take up the challenge. It will be kind of funny to see Colbert tweeting from the @mlb account though. 

He's far from being the most likable guy but managing 5,000 games in the MLB is a hell of an achievement. 

More then likely he will never actually step on the field in a game but a nice gesture by the Rangers. It'll probably lead to a job for him in the organization somewhere. 

The Astros did something similar later in the draft as well. 

This is definitely on my bucket list. Would love to have the opportunity to attempt this one year. An 18,000 mile road trip over 5 weeks that lands you at all 30 MLB stadiums. 

Great gesture from Barry Bonds

Jorge Posada is an idiot.

There are no ifs, ands or buts about it. When you are making $13.1 million to play baseball and you ask out of the lineup because you got demoted in the lineup you need to get in touch with reality in a hurry. Reports out of New York are saying that an hour before the start of the game Jorge Posada asked out of the lineup for tonights game against nemesis Boston Red Sox because he got dropped down to 9th in the batting order. Just what was going through his head? In 109 at bats this season Posada is hitting only .165 (he is 0-24 against left handed pitching) and being in the last year of his contract likely would not play next year. According to Buster Olney of ESPN the Yankees are keeping all options open and that includes a possible suspension. Jack Curry of the YES Network quoted Posada's father saying that Posada should have played today.

 Late in tonights game word came out that he asked out of "back stiffness" but several baseball reporters are quoting sources who are denying that. The Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman himself went on the record earlier tonight and said that it was not an injury issue.

"There is no injury, obviously I've talked to Jorgie. I'm not going to comment on my conversations with Jorgie on it. That's the only thing I've got to tell you."

Posada's wife got into the mix too commenting on the story via twitter.

Jorge loves being a Yankee > anything. He's trying his best to help his team win. Today, due to back stiffness he wasn't able to do that.

Yes, the Yankees are being hypocritical in demoting him when guys like Jeter and Teixiera are also struggling but being a major star does earn you that pass. Everyone has heard stories about him and Joe Girardi not getting along but again that doesn't excuse this at all.

I am not discounting the great charitable work he has done on behalf of the "Jorge Posada Foundation" but him asking out of the lineup tonight is inexcusable.

All that money spent and all we get is a mistrial?

In light of today's reports that Manny Ramirez is retiring due to an issue with a drug test, do you think he is a Hall of Famer? Do you think he will go in? Do you think he has any shot at being a first ballot Hall of Famer?

I have to say he still belongs first ballot until we know when he began to take it. He had some great years in the 90s. He was the most feared right handed hitter of his era.

What do you think?

How much of a lowlife do you have to be to do something this? Hopefully these guys get caught fast. This disgusts me as a sports fan.

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was forthright when asked about the New York Mets' usage of left-handed specialist Pedro Feliciano last season, calling it "abusive."

Did I miss something? Did someone force the Yankees to sign Feliciano? What a joke. Did the Yankees not know how much he had pitched in the last few seasons? What about the guys like Scott Proctor that the Yankees have "abused" in the past?

Here is how I see all the 2011 MLB Season playing out.

AL 

East
Red Sox
Yankees
Blue Jays
Rays
Orioles

Central
Twins
Tigers
White Sox
Indians
Royals

West
Angels
Rangers
Athletics
Mariners

MVP - Adrian Gonzalez
Cy Young - Jon Lester
Rookie of the Year - Kyle Drabek
Manager of the Year - Mike Sciosca

NL

East
Phillies
Marlins
Mets
Braves
Nationals

Central
Brewers
Reds
Cardinals
Cubs
Astros
Pirates

West
Giants
Rockies
Diamondbacks
Dodgers
Padres

MVP - Prince Fielder
Cy Young - Roy Halladay
Rookie of the Year - Aroldis Champan
Manager of the Year - Ron Roenicke

Playoffs
Angels over Yankees
Red Sox over Twins

Phillies over Brewers

Giants over Reds

Red Sox over Angels
Giants over Phillies
'
Red Sox over Giants

How do you see the 2011 season playing out?

Sounds like a fun gig if they do it right. Would love my own fan cave.

Kudos to Mr. Showalter for taking on the Yankees and the Red Sox.

20 years ago Nolan Ryan became baseball's first $1 Million man. Today, the average MLB player is making $3 Million. Wow.

Next time an ignorant American sports fan wants to use the "soccer is boring because most of the time they are just standing around" card just send them this link.

Interesting read. Did yuh guys read the football study they did earlier this year?

If you follow baseball (and most likely even if you don't) you've heard of the "Shot Heard 'Round the World". Bobby Thomson, who hit that famous home run for the New York Giants has passed away at the age of 86. If you haven't seen the clip of the home run you can find it here as Ernie Harwell talks about it and the radio call from Russ Hodges.

I'm a big fan of Tim Kurkjian's work on ESPN. Little quirks like this make him that much better.

I was on vacation in Florida this time last year and missed the MLB All-Star Game because I was at EPCOT. Completely forgot the extra nonsense that goes along with a MLB (and to be fair all sports) All-Star Games. Did we really need that woman from Glee? That "heroes" bit ran for too long. Did we really need the kids reading the starting lineups before the game started? 8:50 PM Eastern first pitch for an All-Star Game? Speaking of Disney, does the MLB realize that Disney no longer owns the Angels? What is up with the Disney related All-Star Game merchandise?

That being said, how cool was the ovation for Vladimir Guerrero? I loved it as an Angels fan. The Angels don't make mistakes like that too often but how much do they wish they hadn't let him go last off season? Speaking of Vlad, does anyone know the last player was to be selected to start the All-Star Game for 3 different franchises (Expos, Angels, Rangers)? I've seen a lot of talk on Twitter in reference to the Yankees being booed on the day George Steinbrenner died. Are you kidding me? Unless George Steinbrenner's casket was actually out on the field I have absolutely no problem with the Yankee players being booed.

By the way, the Yankees revealed the patches they will be wearing for the remainder of the season.

Rod Carew was a fine choice to throw out the first pitch but why not someone like Tim Salmon or Troy Percival who won a World Series with the Angels? I had no idea that David Price is the first #1 overall draft pick to be the starting pitcher in an All-Star Game. How cool was the Jeter introduction? I missed the part where Bob Sheppard actually introduced him as representing the American League. I'm guessing he had that one recorded for 2008? A nice little nugget from Jayson Stark of ESPN:

Here's how long it's been since the NL won an All Star Game: The Yankees have played 38 World Series games since then - & won it 5 times.

Just as many of us predicted the game just sped along early on. An hour flat for the first four innings is not bad at all but the sun did play a big part in the early going. I don't think I will ever get used to seeing Roy Halladay without a Blue Jays jersey on. Big bases clearing hit for Brian Mcann.  It's a shame that he doesn't get recognized more around the league, he really is a good ghitter. 

Colbie Caillat sings God Bless America. It really is strange how every time I watch an All-Star game there is someone singing the Star Spangled Banner or God Bless America and I've never seen or heard of this person prior to that moment.

Did the immortal John Buck (I know he's having a nice year but it is strange watching a .239 career hitter in this game) just double to start a rally for the American League?  Is that really the Rally Monkey at the All-Star Game? Sure, why not. Two on two outs for Torii Hunter, might as well bring the Rally Monkey out. He was of no use here though as Adam Wainright struck him out to end the threat. Real shame too because I would've loved to see the Torii Hunter get the big hit in front of his home crowd.

It's the 8th inning and the American League only has Alex Rodriguez left on the bench? Didn't we just expand rosters recently because of something like this?

David Ortiz leads off the 9th with a single. Someone please tell me why Girardi doesn't let A-Rod pinch hit for Beltre there? Beltre strikes out and with John Buck (who did manage to bloop one in) to follow it pretty much had sealed the deal.

National League wins 3-1, their first win since 1996.
As always you can leave a comment here, reach me by e-mail or contact me on twitter.

End of an era in baseball. There will never be another owner like him. I wonder how soon until his sons sell the team though, it has never looked like they had an interest in owning the team longterm. He bought the team for $12 million. The best $12 million anyone has ever invested?

Best quote I read today, "even in death he is taking the spotlight away from on field action (in this case the All-Star game)"

Bob Sheppard passed away today at the age of 99. He was the Public Address voice of the Yankees (for 56 years) and the New York Giants (for 50 years). His voice was synonymous with the old Yankee Stadium. Sheppard left the Yankees in 2007 but Derek Jeter to this date is introduced by an earlier recording of Mr. Sheppard and will continue to use that voice for the rest of his career I believe. Bob Sheppard was known for his quiet but straight to the point introductions,

"Your attention, please, ladies and gentlemen," Bob Sheppard begins in his deep, distinguished voice before nearly every announcement he makes as Yankee Stadium's public address announcer. "Now batting for the Yankees, the shortstop, Derek Jeter ... No. 2."

The Yankees looked into using technology to recreate his voice on a permanent basis for generations to come.

Reggie Jackson once referred to him as "The Voice of God." Mr. Sheppard debuted on the same day as Mickey Mantle, how's that for baseball trivia?

If this method does succeed it obviously will have far reaching implications in sports around the world. Pretty sure there are guys taking HGH in baseball right now to get around their steroids testing.

"Americans don't care about Soccer."

We've heard that line for years. People who don't like soccer have used one lame excuse after another to ignore the world's most popular sports and the world's biggest sporting event. We've heard people whine about the lack of scoring, we've heard them moan about the "diving" and we've heard them complain about the officiating. This time around we've even seen them try to knock the Vuvuzelas. I wanted to use this space to address some of these "issues" and hopefully give you some other reasons why you must tune in.

We've all heard people say that no one watches soccer right? The US/England game which was played on a Saturday afternoon drew over 17 million people to their televisions in the US. That number is higher then the average for the first six games of the NBA finals. Heck, it was comparable to the roughly 18 million people who watch NFL games from week to week during the course of a football season. To put that into perspective keep in mind  that "only 13.5 million tuned in to watch the finale of "Lost," which is the same number of viewers who watched the "Dancing with the Stars" finale." Through the first 14 games of the World Cup ratings on ESPN/ESPN2/ABC have seen "a 64% increase from the same period in 2006." That number does not include people watching the Spanish broadcasts on Univision or the authorized live streams provided by ESPN 3 and Univision.com. That number includes millions more. 

The World Cup has dominated social media too. Twitter recognized ahead of time that the World Cup was going to dominate discussion on its platform for the month so they dedicated a portion of their site to the World Cup. A quick search of the terms "USA" or "USMNT" will provide thousands of tweets from around the country. It has always made it easy for fans who are at work or in classes to discuss the game from the comforts of their homes, desks or offices. 

ESPN needs to be applauded for their efforts this time around. At Euro 2008 they took measures to reduce costs and let announcers call games from a studio in Bristol, CT. Thankfully that is not the case at this World Cup. ESPN has gone all out and has sent out a very good team to South Africa. Darren Rovell of CNBC recently reported that ESPN sent over 300 people to South Africa to handle their coverage. That a huge improvement for ESPN from 4 years ago when they called 20 games from studios in the US. ESPN 3 (where available) has been a huge asset for them. Early in the World Cup there were 1.3 million people watching live online. That number has likely gone up now as they continue to advertise it on a daily basis. I am a big Olympics fan but get annoyed by their tape delayed coverage. For the 2nd straight World Cup the ESPN family of networks are airing all 64 games live. 

There is a segment of the population that believes that soccer is boring because there is a lack of action. I will never understand the fascination with high scoring games. I would much rather watch a 1-0 or 2-1 baseball game with great pitching and defense in the National League over a 7-5 American League game. High scoring hockey games get annoying as do most high scoring football games. Is a 127-125 NBA game really fun? Whatever happened to "defense wins championships?" Yes, there is less scoring but the ball is always in play. There are no lengthy "TV timeouts". I don't now how many of you caught this but Wall Street Journal had a great article earlier this year about there only being 11 minutes of actual action in a NFL game.  Just think about that for a second. That works out to roughly 18% of the actual game time and obviously far less once you factor in all the stoppages. I haven't seen a similar study for baseball but I can't imagine that the numbers would be much different there. How can you complain about soccer being dull when after every pitch the batter takes 15 seconds to adjust everything from his helmet to his cup? How can you complain about there being down time in soccer when the last 5 minutes of a basketball game take about 40 minutes to complete?  

Over the past two weeks I've seen people comment on not being able to watch soccer because players "dive" too much. These people can't possibly be serious right? I can't help but laugh at these people since many of these same people were just going on and on last week about the greatness of the NBA Finals. How can anyone be a NBA fan and complain about diving in other sports? We're talking about a league where even the tiny bit of contact gets you a foul. We're talking about a league where players exaggerate contact just so they can get to the free throw line. We're talking about a league where players and coaches work the officials the entire game so they notice and call fouls on every little contact. Are these people seriously trying to tell me that a Wide Receiver in the NFL has never tried to sell a pass interference penalty? Have these people never seen a catcher move his glove after a pitch to try and sell a strike? How is any of this any different? Athletes and coaches have been working officials for a long time in ALL sports. 

Vuvuzelas have been a huge a subject on conversation at the World Cup this year. If you are not familiar with Vuvuzelas I wrote about them last week. Again, I have to ask you, how is that any different then what happens at sporting venues around the world? Part of what makes sports great is regional traditions. ESPN spokesman Mike Soltys said it best recently:

It's part of the experience and flavor of football in South Africa. 

I couldn't agree with him more. I was at a Raptors/Nets NBA Playoff game in 2007. It was Game 6 at what is now known as the IZOD Center. The majority of the fans in attendance though were Raptors fans. Nets players were getting booed throughout the game on their home court so for the final minute the Nets game day crew piped in crowd noise into the arena to drown out the Raptors fans. There was no way the Nets fans were actually that loud that night. Would you rather have that over actual noise being made by fans? Things like the thundersticks are widespread around North American sports. How is that any different? If you're that bothered by it, buy ear plugs. 

I always get a kick out of US media trying to sell to us the idea that close to a billion people watch the Super Bowl. I can believe the 100 Million viewers in the US for the Super Bowl but if you try to tell me that people actually care about the Super Bowl in Buenos Aires, Seoul, Johannesburg, Madrid or Athens I will just laugh at you. Believe it or not there actually is civilization on the other side of the Atlantic and Pacific and they do have different interests. The FIFA World Cup truly is that global event. It has stopped wars and it is a passion followed closely around the world. 

Will this World Cup run help grow soccer in the US? Sure it will and it has been. People in this country have been embracing Soccer for the better part of the last 20 years. Hosting the World Cup in 1994 was big and stadiums were sold out from coast to coast.  MLS has definitely helped the sport in the US as well. Is it comparable to the big international leagues? Of course not, but it is growing. The success of hockey at the Olympics this year helped the NHL ride the momentum to record TV ratings, surely MLS can expect a similar bump? Average MLS attendance is expected to increase 15.4 percent in 2010, to about 18,500 fans per game. There are teams in the NBA and MLB who would love to have those attendance numbers. There are new soccer specific stadiums being built around the league and the MLS has been expanding across the continent. ESPN has been doing a great job promoting the sports while also appeasing the real fans. Coverage this year hasn't been "dumbed down" like previous events were. 

How can you not like this sport? How can you not like the World Cup? I love the format. Pool play is great and the knockout stage is even better. ESPN has a great advertising campaign that says "One Game Changes Everything" and that couldn't be more true. Just take the US win over Algeria that won them their group for the first time since 1930. The US was on the verge of elimination from the tournament but one great play, one great moment, one great game changed everything. The success of the at this World Cup will go a long way towards securing the rights to host either the 2018 or 2022 World Cup here in the US. FIFA is going to award those rights in December. 

Dan Levy said it brilliantly earlier today:

I'm getting ahead of myself. It was just one goal. But remember today when the bids are announced later in the year. If the United States gets the 2022 (or even 2018) World Cup, today was a huge reason why. Some ten year old kid out there who watched today's match and ran outside to re-enact that goal over and over again in his backyard...he might just be thanking Donovan in 12 years. 

I would love the opportunity to go to World Cup games here in the US. It is one of the items on my bucket list.

I grew up in Karachi, Pakistan. I have been a fanatical sports fan all my life. It doesn't matter what the sport. Cricket will always be number one for me but even as a 9 year old living in Pakistan I used to get up at all hours of night to watch the 1994 World Cup which was held in front of sold out stadiums around the US from  the Rose Bowl to Giants Stadium. When I moved to Toronto in 1995 the city was getting ready for the induction of the Raptors into the NBA so I quickly became a basketball fan. That fall the great playoff series between the Yankees and the Mariners was going on and that led me to embrace baseball. Living in Toronto I quickly became a hockey fan and remain a fanatical Maple Leafs fan to this day living here in New Jersey. In international sports I generally root for Pakistan or Canada but I have been fully behind the US Soccer team since I moved here 10 years ago.

Don't try to tell me that Americans don't care about soccer. There is nothing wrong with you not liking the sport but quit announcing it to the world. No one cares. It really has been a shame seeing some really smart people act like ignorant fools for the past 12 days. If you are that bothered by it turn off your TV and stay off of twitter. No one cares about your "jokes" about soccer being boring. It doesn't make you cool.  I ran across a brilliant column on this subject from Andrew Kron. 

Oh, American Sports Fans…

It hasn't even been a week and you're already starting to complain about the World Cup.

There isn't enough scoring. Why would I want to watch Ghana play Serbia? What in the world is that damn buzzing noise in the background of the television? I can't understand the commentators. There isn't enough scoring. Why do half of these guys only have one name? There isn't enough scoring.

Just stop. Slow down for a second… Now do me a favor. Don't like what you see? Then turn your television off. Don't read the newspaper articles. Don't watch the highlights on SportsCenter. Just, don't watch anymore. Go watch baseball or motocross, or Hannah Montana, I don't really care. To me, the more you rant and rave and complain the more you are embarrassing not only yourself, but your country as well. So again, do me a favor. Turn your television to the Disney Channel and keep it there.

I couldn't agree with him more. If you don't like it, don't watch it. Turn off ESPN but please let us watch in peace. You can't tell us that people don't care when we see US soccer jerseys everywhere. I was at a hospital today. It was an amazing sight to see doctors, nurses and other hospital staff spill into the waiting room to catch the closing minutes of the US game. Don't try to tell me that Americans don't care when World Cup talk has been dominating twitter in the US.

I leave you with this brilliant Youtube brilliance.

As always you can leave a comment here, reach me by e-mail or contact me on twitter.

Figured that some American sports team would do this sooner rather then later. Miami is the perfect spot for it too with the amount of soccer fans there.

The White House Press Corps is buzzing on twitter tonight. Barack Obama is at the Nationals game tonight as they face his beloved Chicago White Sox.

Hats off to Mike Memoli, he was the first one I saw ask a week or so if Obama was going to make a trip to this Nationals game tonight. It is the perfect night for him to show up at the ballpark. Not only is his favorite team in town, it is also "Strasmas." If you don't follow baseball "Strasmas" is the name given to each start made by the young star Stephen Strasburg who has taken the baseball world by storm.

Anyone know whether this is the first time his family has accompanied him to a sporting event since he became President? Obama's love for sports is well documented. Now I know that a certain segment of the population will be up in arms over Obama enjoying himself while the Oil Spill is going on but those are the same people who will complain about anything and everything this man does. I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if they complain about the amount of oxygen he takes in on an average day!

By the way, how lucky is Sam Youngman of "The Hill"? He was the pool reporter for Obama's opening day trip to Nationals Park as well. One of the great perks of the job.

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The overreaction to the Vuvuzela continues! As I mentioned the other day the talk about the Vuvuzela has been far more annoying then the sound of the Vuvuzela.

This was at a Yankees/Phillies game though so one can only wonder how many fights there were without the Vuluzela even being a factor.

If you were playing competitive sports this weekend, would you want to play for the BP Crosstown Cup?

Apparently the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs came to an agreement with BP back on April 26th. Yes, that was a week after the the oil spill began. The sponsorship agreement gives BP the naming rights to the pretty insignificant "BP Crosstown Cup". Under the 3 year agreement the trophy will be given to the winner of the 6 game interleague series each year between the Cubs and White Sox.

While no one from BP has commented, Chicago Cubs spokesman Kevin Saghy told the Chicago Sun-Times that:

We're trying to stand behind our sponsor, but at the same time be respectful of what's happening off the ballfield,

The trophy made an appearance at Wrigley Field today and was booed by the crowd on hand.

This immediately reminded me of Citi Bank agreeing to pay the New York Mets $20 Million a year for the naming rights to their new stadium. We all know how that turned out. Citi Bank was one of the companies that took Federal bailout money just a couple of years later.

Now I'm not necessarily saying that it is a bad move long term as they are well within their rights to advertise but I wonder if the White Sox/ Cubs had put an out clause in this agreement?

Any other similar instances in recent memory that stick out? 

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The Stephen Strasburg era has begun.

The kid lived up to the hype. He was flat out dominant despite giving up a 2 run homerun in the 4th he still managed to strike out 14 in 7 innings. He threw only 94 pitches for the night. Yes, I know this was against one of the worst teams in the National League but this was a kid making a debut with the eyes of the entire country on him. The atmosphere was electric all night. His stuff was just electric. Whether it was his fastball which reached triple digits on the gun or his filthy breaking ball he kept the Pittsburgh Pirates and homeplate umpire Tom Hallion on their toes the entire night.

This kid really does have a chance to be something special. It's a shame that Mark Prior got hurt at a very young age because he had all the potential for a great career. Hopefully Strasburg can stay healthy and fulfill the hype. I can't remember the last time I was this fired up for the debut of someoen who didn't play for my one my teams. I'm going to have to time my July D.C trip with one of his starts. He's going to sell tickets everywhere. Hey Cleveland, buy tickets NOW for Sunday.

Will baseball finally embrace 21st century technology?

Was tonight the straw that will break the camel's back? People like me have been calling for instant replay in baseball for years. I mean this is 2010, why not make use of the technology? I have never understood the argument against it. People complain that baseball is already too long. Ok, but it's not like we save time when umpires enter lengthy arguments with players and managers. I'd much rather sit an extra 5 minutes in front of my TV and make sure the call was right.

The whole "human element" excuse is just ridiculous. That worked in the 60s. It just can't work in 2010 when there are so many cameras covering every play from every angle imaginable. Get the call right. There is no excuse for it. I'm a big cricket fan. People used to argue against replay in cricket too for those same reasons. But guess what, cricket started phasing replay into the game in 1993 and it has worked brilliantly ever since. Replay has done wonders for the NHL, NBA, NFL and Tennis as well. Get the call right.

It is an absolute shame that a bad call robs us of a great baseball night. It is a shame that this will overshadow the retirement of Ken Griffey Jr. tonight. It is a shame that it will rob Austin Jackson's catch a place in the all-time highlight reel. It is a shame that Armando Galarraga will not get to take his place in baseball history. Once again as a fan all I ask is that you get the call right.

Tomorrow happens to be the 15th anniversary of the night Pedro Martinez went perfect for 9 innings.

By the way hats off to Armando Galarraga and Jim Leyland for being class acts tonight and to a lesser degree Jim Joyce.

Ken Griffey Jr. is retiring. Hats off to one of the greatest players ever.

Ken Griffey Jr. was as big a part of baseball as anyone in the 90s. It really is a shame that injuries have dominated the 2nd half of his career. He ends up with 630 career homeruns despite missing an average of 56 games a season after turning 30. That is as remarkable as it gets.

I have long had a rule that you can't be a fan of a division rival and therefore can't buy their jersey or any other merchandise. Ken Griffey Jr. is one of the few guys I would make an exception for. If you grew up in the 90s and liked baseball, you wanted to be Ken Griffey Jr. Whether it was the backwards hat in the Homerun Derby or his smooth play in Centerfield it was hard not to like the guy or root for him. He genuinely looked like he loved the game. He proved it again in 2000 when he probably could have landed a much bigger contract on the open market but requested a trade to the Reds so he could play closer to his home.

He will no doubt be a first ballot Hall of Famer. I would like the MLB to incorporate Darren Rovell's idea and put a backwards hat on his plaque! I would love to make the drive to Cooperstown for Griffey's induction.

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What a shame. MLB's backwards stance to social media continues. What a shame that this company has no sense of how much social media can help grow the sport.

What an idiot. I heard the remark and had thought it was from a congressman or reporter. Did this idiot not realize that Obama is guaranteed to touch the trophy next year being the President..........and the Yankees aren't?

Credit to Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus for getting the ball rolling on this story yesterday with his reporting. What a shame. Volquez had one hell of a rookie year in 2008. Early reports are that he can serve the suspension on the DL where he is because of Tommy John Surgery and be activated in June when the injury itself would have kept him out of until July? So what is stopping anyone from taking PEDs if they are out for a long time since they can serve it on the DL?

He was a former NFL player and was just 48 years old. The early reports are that he passed away of natural causes.

BREAKING NEWS: MLB PED suspension imminent!

Looks like we'll be talking about steroids for the next little while. During the World Series last year I wrote about there not being many names released from the "steroids list". After the A-Rod story broke last year I figured we would have seen a couple of more names too. I am honestly shocked that we haven't seen names get leaked one or two at a time every couple of months.

There does seem to be a Performance Enhancing Drugs related suspension coming very soon. The story is spreading like wildfire on Twitter right now. There is no word on who the player is but that didn't stop some people from accusing players but the story was first reported by Will Carrol of Baseball Prospectus yesterday.

"PED suspension coming."

It was a simple tweet but it ofcourse has created a wide spread scramble as everyone tries to figure out who the player involved is. He posted some more details in his column yesterday adding that the player is reportedly a pitcher and the player began an appeals process about a month ago. Just moments ago Craig Calcaterra of NBC Sports reported that the player involved is a National League pitcher. This really does have me curious. Which pitcher could it be? Anyone have guesses?

If you are on Twitter you will see #42 trending at some point today. Today is "Jackie Robinson Day" in baseball where players from around the league wear #42 to honor Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in baseball.

I'll take the obvious for $300 Alex.

99% of their games seem to go longer than 4 hours. I laugh at the people who say that instant replay will slow down baseball. I'd rather take the extra time to get calls right rather than spending it on watching Jeter fix his batting gloves after every pitch.

Opening Day is here. Who are your picks to make the playoffs this year?