1. The DH
2. Turf
3. Humidor balls
4. Congress intervening in baseball when there are more pressing issues than Steroids
5. Fans who scream for a balk, when clearly, there was no balk. Most fans don't know what a balk is
6. Fans who boo pick-off moves
7. Fans who boo intentional walks
8. Maple bats
9. Really baggy pants
10. No salary cap
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
My Response
Over at The Shooter's Take, Shooter wrote an entry about 50 things in sports that have been on his mind. Here is my take on each of points:
1. Disagree
All 3 of the rivalries usually have big impacts in each of their respective sports. The Yankees and Red Sox are always in the hunt for the World Series title. The excitement during the regular season (barring games in September) is overhyped because of how many games are played. UNC and Duke are always in the top 10 and the passion of each school makes the games very exciting. Ohio State and Michigan haven't been too impressive on a national scope as of late, but this game often decides the Big-10. I understand that each of these rivalries are over-publicized by ESPN, which can be very annoying. But, that doesn't mean the games are not of importance and plenty of people care.
2. Sort of agree.
Yes, it would be nice if the refs made more correct calls and lessened the allowance of traveling, but often, they call too many ticky-tack fouls in the lane. I would like to see LESS of that.
3. Agree.
Blame Vlade.
4. Agree
There is too much flopping, but its a part of the game. Soccer will never be big in America. Baseball, basketball, and football will never be overcome by soccer. If ESPN bought the rights to the English Premier League, the popularity would take over hockey.
5. Mixed
Some of them ARE athletes (cheerleaders, X-Games competitors, swimmers) and some ARE sports, but they should not get the coverage they do on ESPN when the network could spend that money on something more useful, like English football.
6. Agree
Although I believe that kids should look towards their parents and people they personally know as role models, there are certain kids who don't have real role models in their life and look up to athletes.
7. Agree with all except less bowl game.
More bowl games helps local economies right now and we know our country needs it.
8. Who cares?
Both are boring.
9. Absolutely.
Do not get me started.
10. Disagree.
Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux, Derek Jeter, and Vladimir Guerrero are just a few of many to be remembered.
11. Duh.
12. Chin music has always been a part of the game and always should be. Pitchers establish their territory this way and if the batter doesn't want to be hit in the head, don't crowd the plate. They are taking their own risk.
13. Sort of agree.
Gambling does make horse racing what it is and I am a big horse racing fan, but it does not improve the quality of entertainment for football, basketball, or baseball.
14. Agreed.
Sadly though, they are the 3 consistent college programs on the west coast.
15. Agreed.
16. Disagree.
Kiper is Joe Montana, but it's not the 80's anymore, it's the mid-90's and McShay is Steve Young. It's McShay's world now. He is the better analyst. Kiper has lost his touch.
17. Hahaha....so true.
18. Pac-10 and Big-10 are talked about plenty when they prove their worth. Sadly, this year isn't one of those years.
19. A-Rod WILL be in the hall-of-fame.
20. Ya, it's tacky, but would you turn down that money? I think not.
21. Agreed full-heartedly.
22. John Kruk does NOT know baseball.
23. David Stern turned the NBA into a multi-billion dollar enterprise from a lower-tier sport in America. That is obsurd. Yes...Selig must go.
24. Agreed on McCain. Cuban...sure?
25. It's far too early to call him a bust. Was he over-hyped? Yes. Has he lived up to expectations? No. But he hasn't even finished a season in the NBA and he is having injury issues. It is far too early to call him a "bust."
26. The Clippers should move to San Diego, IMO.
27. Thanks for stating the obvious, Shooter.
28. Most likely, the 49ers. That's where his numbers are. As a 49er fan...I don't want him.
29. You and everyone in Westwood. I'd rather Willie Mays.
30. To make soccer popular in America, it would take a lot to happen. First, ESPN would have to get rights to show English Premier League and expose great soccer to America. After numerous years of doing so, the fanbase for soccer will increase. After which, MLS franchise will have to start spending big money to get big players out of Europe and spend big money to create stadiums more suitable for soccer. The MLS would need a commisioner like David Stern to make the magic happen.
31. Tony Reali just might. I think Michael Wilbon and Tony Cornheiser might considering that they not only discusses sports on PTI but they travel to big sporting events. Jim Rome is a tool.
32. Yup.
33. I hate the Superdome, but for New Orleans' economical benefit, I'll agree.
34. The Padres asked the city of San Diego for a stadium shortly after reaching the World Series and when the Chargers were one of the worst teams in the league. By the time Petco park was finished, the Padres were decent, although they are terrible now, and the Chargers have consistently become one of the better teams in the league. Unfortunately, San Diego just does not have the money to fund another stadium right now. It's just bad timing and it has nothing to do with what they deserve.
35. New stadiums and arenas are being built up instead of out.
36. He might turn into a prominent porn-star.
37. In this day and age, good commentators are very rare.
38. Barry Bonds HAD the biggest ego in sports. In the early 90's he was just like T.O. As he got older and became a father, he toned it down, but the media played it up. The media bugs him about steroids and he always said during his press conferences that he was there to talk about the game and not steroids. He doesn't go looking for publicity like Curt Schilling, who I think has the biggest ego in sports, and he doesn't make outlandish statements that distract a team.
39. Who cares?
40. Eh, so did Gary Payton.
41. You forgot about Pacific Northwest sports fans being to delusional and biased.
42. No.
43. Agreed.
44. Agreed.
45. No. There are at least 100 nicknames of baseball players that are better.
46. Agreed.
47. Always thought about that.
48. Jack Nicholson...that's about it.
49. He was too young to call him a first-ballot, but he was definitely a hall-of-famer. And yes, they deserved to be put away for life, regardless of the fact that Sean Taylor was a tremendous athlete.
50. So true.
1. Disagree
All 3 of the rivalries usually have big impacts in each of their respective sports. The Yankees and Red Sox are always in the hunt for the World Series title. The excitement during the regular season (barring games in September) is overhyped because of how many games are played. UNC and Duke are always in the top 10 and the passion of each school makes the games very exciting. Ohio State and Michigan haven't been too impressive on a national scope as of late, but this game often decides the Big-10. I understand that each of these rivalries are over-publicized by ESPN, which can be very annoying. But, that doesn't mean the games are not of importance and plenty of people care.
2. Sort of agree.
Yes, it would be nice if the refs made more correct calls and lessened the allowance of traveling, but often, they call too many ticky-tack fouls in the lane. I would like to see LESS of that.
3. Agree.
Blame Vlade.
4. Agree
There is too much flopping, but its a part of the game. Soccer will never be big in America. Baseball, basketball, and football will never be overcome by soccer. If ESPN bought the rights to the English Premier League, the popularity would take over hockey.
5. Mixed
Some of them ARE athletes (cheerleaders, X-Games competitors, swimmers) and some ARE sports, but they should not get the coverage they do on ESPN when the network could spend that money on something more useful, like English football.
6. Agree
Although I believe that kids should look towards their parents and people they personally know as role models, there are certain kids who don't have real role models in their life and look up to athletes.
7. Agree with all except less bowl game.
More bowl games helps local economies right now and we know our country needs it.
8. Who cares?
Both are boring.
9. Absolutely.
Do not get me started.
10. Disagree.
Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux, Derek Jeter, and Vladimir Guerrero are just a few of many to be remembered.
11. Duh.
12. Chin music has always been a part of the game and always should be. Pitchers establish their territory this way and if the batter doesn't want to be hit in the head, don't crowd the plate. They are taking their own risk.
13. Sort of agree.
Gambling does make horse racing what it is and I am a big horse racing fan, but it does not improve the quality of entertainment for football, basketball, or baseball.
14. Agreed.
Sadly though, they are the 3 consistent college programs on the west coast.
15. Agreed.
16. Disagree.
Kiper is Joe Montana, but it's not the 80's anymore, it's the mid-90's and McShay is Steve Young. It's McShay's world now. He is the better analyst. Kiper has lost his touch.
17. Hahaha....so true.
18. Pac-10 and Big-10 are talked about plenty when they prove their worth. Sadly, this year isn't one of those years.
19. A-Rod WILL be in the hall-of-fame.
20. Ya, it's tacky, but would you turn down that money? I think not.
21. Agreed full-heartedly.
22. John Kruk does NOT know baseball.
23. David Stern turned the NBA into a multi-billion dollar enterprise from a lower-tier sport in America. That is obsurd. Yes...Selig must go.
24. Agreed on McCain. Cuban...sure?
25. It's far too early to call him a bust. Was he over-hyped? Yes. Has he lived up to expectations? No. But he hasn't even finished a season in the NBA and he is having injury issues. It is far too early to call him a "bust."
26. The Clippers should move to San Diego, IMO.
27. Thanks for stating the obvious, Shooter.
28. Most likely, the 49ers. That's where his numbers are. As a 49er fan...I don't want him.
29. You and everyone in Westwood. I'd rather Willie Mays.
30. To make soccer popular in America, it would take a lot to happen. First, ESPN would have to get rights to show English Premier League and expose great soccer to America. After numerous years of doing so, the fanbase for soccer will increase. After which, MLS franchise will have to start spending big money to get big players out of Europe and spend big money to create stadiums more suitable for soccer. The MLS would need a commisioner like David Stern to make the magic happen.
31. Tony Reali just might. I think Michael Wilbon and Tony Cornheiser might considering that they not only discusses sports on PTI but they travel to big sporting events. Jim Rome is a tool.
32. Yup.
33. I hate the Superdome, but for New Orleans' economical benefit, I'll agree.
34. The Padres asked the city of San Diego for a stadium shortly after reaching the World Series and when the Chargers were one of the worst teams in the league. By the time Petco park was finished, the Padres were decent, although they are terrible now, and the Chargers have consistently become one of the better teams in the league. Unfortunately, San Diego just does not have the money to fund another stadium right now. It's just bad timing and it has nothing to do with what they deserve.
35. New stadiums and arenas are being built up instead of out.
36. He might turn into a prominent porn-star.
37. In this day and age, good commentators are very rare.
38. Barry Bonds HAD the biggest ego in sports. In the early 90's he was just like T.O. As he got older and became a father, he toned it down, but the media played it up. The media bugs him about steroids and he always said during his press conferences that he was there to talk about the game and not steroids. He doesn't go looking for publicity like Curt Schilling, who I think has the biggest ego in sports, and he doesn't make outlandish statements that distract a team.
39. Who cares?
40. Eh, so did Gary Payton.
41. You forgot about Pacific Northwest sports fans being to delusional and biased.
42. No.
43. Agreed.
44. Agreed.
45. No. There are at least 100 nicknames of baseball players that are better.
46. Agreed.
47. Always thought about that.
48. Jack Nicholson...that's about it.
49. He was too young to call him a first-ballot, but he was definitely a hall-of-famer. And yes, they deserved to be put away for life, regardless of the fact that Sean Taylor was a tremendous athlete.
50. So true.
The Most Dominant Football Clubs in the World
1. Real Madrid
League Titles: 31
League Cups: 26
Champions League/European Cups: 9
UEFA Cups, Cup Winner's Cups, and Super Cups: 3
Intercontinental Cups and FIFA Club World Cups: 3
2. AC Milan
League Titles: 17
League Cups: 10
Champions League/European Cups: 7
UEFA Cups, Cup Winner's Cups, and Super Cups: 7
Intercontinental Cups and FIFA Club World Cups: 4
3. Ajax
League Titles: 29
League Cups: 17
Champions League/European Cups: 4
UEFA Cups, Cup Winner's Cups, and Super Cups: 5
Intercontinental Cups and FIFA Club World Cups: 2
4. Bayern Munich
League Titles: 21
League Cups: 23
Champions League/European Cups: 4
UEFA Cups, Cup Winner's Cups, and Super Cups: 2
Intercontinental Cups and FIFA Club World Cups: 2
5. Liverpool FC
League Titles: 18
League Cups: 15
Champions League/European Cups: 5
UEFA Cups, Cup Winner's Cups, and Super Cups: 6
Intercontinental Cups and FIFA Club World Cups: 0
6. Manchester United
League Titles: 17
League Cups: 14
Champions League/European Cups: 3
UEFA Cups, Cup Winner's Cups, and Super Cups: 2
Intercontinental Cups and FIFA Club World Cups: 2
7. Juventus
League Titles: 27
League Cups: 13
Champions League/European Cups: 2
UEFA Cups, Cup Winner's Cups, and Super Cups: 6
Intercontinental Cups and FIFA Club World Cups: 2
8. FC Barcelona
League Titles: 18
League Cups: 33
Champions League/European Cups: 2
UEFA Cups, Cup Winner's Cups, and Super Cups: 6
Intercontinental Cups and FIFA Club World Cups: 0
9. Inter Milan
League Titles: 16
League Cups: 9
Champions League/European Cups: 2
UEFA Cups, Cup Winner's Cups, and Super Cups: 3
Intercontinental Cups and FIFA Club World Cups: 2
10. F.C. Porto
League Titles: 23
League Cups: 17
Champions League/European Cups: 2
UEFA Cups, Cup Winner's Cups, and Super Cups: 2
Intercontinental Cups and FIFA Club World Cups: 2
League Titles: 31
League Cups: 26
Champions League/European Cups: 9
UEFA Cups, Cup Winner's Cups, and Super Cups: 3
Intercontinental Cups and FIFA Club World Cups: 3
2. AC Milan
League Titles: 17
League Cups: 10
Champions League/European Cups: 7
UEFA Cups, Cup Winner's Cups, and Super Cups: 7
Intercontinental Cups and FIFA Club World Cups: 4
3. Ajax
League Titles: 29
League Cups: 17
Champions League/European Cups: 4
UEFA Cups, Cup Winner's Cups, and Super Cups: 5
Intercontinental Cups and FIFA Club World Cups: 2
4. Bayern Munich
League Titles: 21
League Cups: 23
Champions League/European Cups: 4
UEFA Cups, Cup Winner's Cups, and Super Cups: 2
Intercontinental Cups and FIFA Club World Cups: 2
5. Liverpool FC
League Titles: 18
League Cups: 15
Champions League/European Cups: 5
UEFA Cups, Cup Winner's Cups, and Super Cups: 6
Intercontinental Cups and FIFA Club World Cups: 0
6. Manchester United
League Titles: 17
League Cups: 14
Champions League/European Cups: 3
UEFA Cups, Cup Winner's Cups, and Super Cups: 2
Intercontinental Cups and FIFA Club World Cups: 2
7. Juventus
League Titles: 27
League Cups: 13
Champions League/European Cups: 2
UEFA Cups, Cup Winner's Cups, and Super Cups: 6
Intercontinental Cups and FIFA Club World Cups: 2
8. FC Barcelona
League Titles: 18
League Cups: 33
Champions League/European Cups: 2
UEFA Cups, Cup Winner's Cups, and Super Cups: 6
Intercontinental Cups and FIFA Club World Cups: 0
9. Inter Milan
League Titles: 16
League Cups: 9
Champions League/European Cups: 2
UEFA Cups, Cup Winner's Cups, and Super Cups: 3
Intercontinental Cups and FIFA Club World Cups: 2
10. F.C. Porto
League Titles: 23
League Cups: 17
Champions League/European Cups: 2
UEFA Cups, Cup Winner's Cups, and Super Cups: 2
Intercontinental Cups and FIFA Club World Cups: 2
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