Sunday, June 27, 2010

Did It Really Matter?

Yesterday's game was a good effort by the U.S. team. The bottom line is, they made it to where they should have, and anything more would have been icing on the cake. It's probably better that they went out valiantly against Ghana, because quite frankly, I think it would have been ugly had the U.S. had to play Uruguay in the quarterfinals. We saw it happen in three out of the four games that the U.S. played; they gave up the early goal, and it's extremely hard to come back in soccer. The fact that they managed to come back two of the three times is pretty incredible in itself. Yes, it's hard to accept defeat against a team in consecutive World Cups, but sometimes that's just the way things go. I'm not sure how much this will help soccer in the long run, but it certainly hasn't hurt the popularity in the U.S. like another early exit in the group stage would have done.

On the bright side, at least we won't have to wonder "what could have been" for the next four years as England and Mexico will likely have to do. Both were the victim of missed calls by the referees; in the England game, a shot by Frank Lampard that clearly crossed the goal line was not ruled a goal. This would have tied the game at 2-2 in the first half, and although Germany went on to win the game 4-1, could have had an impact on the game. According to England coach Fabio Capello, "We could have played a different style" had the goal counted. So, are you saying that had the goal gone in, you would have changed your style of play from that point on? Since we're in the knockout stage, I'm pretty sure the name of the game is to aggressively attack and try to win instead of play for a tie. How exactly does that style of play change whether the game is 2-1 or tied? The fact of the matter is, England did not play well throughout their stay in this World Cup, and one goal was not going to change the way they played. Germany was the better team, and that was evident by the fact that they scored four goals for the second time this World Cup.

Mexico on the other hand was victim of those all too common offside calls that aren't called. In the 26th minute, Argentina's Lionel Messi headed the ball to Carlos Tevez, who was clearly behind all the Mexican defenders, and Tevez promptly put the ball into the back of the net. However, like the England vs. Germany game, you're splitting hairs if you argue that the missed call was a game changer. Argentina won the game 3-1, and was in control for most of the game other than the first couple of minutes. With this being said, what we have here are a couple of cases of overmatched teams on the wrong end of a call arguing that they were cheated. Sorry guys, but regardless of the calls, you didn't deserve to win.

Tomorrow I'll begin with my "Live from Omaha" posts. It's not really anything special; basically, I'll just be writing about my experience at the College World Series finals in addition to the other topics that I would originally cover. Other than the actual baseball part, I'll also comment on the waiting in line, the food, the atmosphere, and of course, the ladies. I'm looking forward to it, and hopefully this lighter tone in my writing will attract more than my usual readership, which typically maxes out at about four.



- K. Becks

Friday, June 25, 2010

Time To Exceed Expectations

Two weeks ago when the World Cup began, the United States advancing to the knockout round and keeping it close against predicted Group D winner Germany would have been enough to satisfy both hardcore and casual fans in the States. Those set of expectations have been wiped right off the board, however, as the United States looks at a game against Ghana and a potential quarterfinal match against either Uruguay or South Korea. When you think of soccer powerhouses, none of those names come to mind (unless you want to go back to the 1930's, in which case Uruguay would probably be on your short list). So, does that mean that the United States should be the favorite to advance to the semi-finals? Well, let's see.

Uruguay

This team looked very good in the group stage, getting a tie against France and then dispatching both South Africa and Mexico. What is scary about this team is that not only can they score (they had three goals against South Africa), but they didn't allow even one goal throughout the entire group stage. Teams that can score are the ones that do well in the knockout stage, but it also helps to have a stifling defense in case of an off day offensively. Also, Diego Forlan is the best player on any of the four teams in this section of the knockout stage.

South Korea

Of the teams in this section, South Korea is the only team with recent experience playing in a game beyond the Round of 16. With that being said, it is obvious that South Korea will not be intimidated by any of the teams that they may have to play. The Koreans did not look good against Argentina, and unfortunately, they have to play another South American team in their first knockout round game. Uruguay plays a similar style of soccer that Argentina plays, so South Korea will need to be more sound defensively if they want another shot at the semi-finals.

Ghana

Quite honestly, I would have expected Ghana to look a little better in group play than they did. Other than a penalty kick goal against Serbia, Ghana did not do much on the offensive end. Talent wise, Ghana has a slight edge on the United States. However, Ghana is a young team, and will be going up against a squad that remembers the loss they suffered in group play in 2006 that sent them home early. The key for this team will be to capitalize on their scoring opportunities, and try to create those opportunities often.

United States

There is no doubt that they like to keep things interesting for the entire game, scoring late goals that make us all breathe a sigh of relief. Based on FIFA's rankings, the U.S. is the best team in this section. However, as I mentioned earlier, rankings mean little when you actually put the men on the field to play. The United States has looked much more capable of scoring goals than Ghana, and although not all of them have counted, I see the U.S. having the edge offensively. However, other than Tim Howard, I am still a little uneasy about the defense, especially early on in the match. This is really true of every team from here on out, but the United States truly needs a complete game on both ends if they want to make it to the semi-finals.

So, who is moving on and who is going home? Well, take a look at my Knockout Round Predictions: Version 2 to find out what I think will happen.

Round of 16

Uruguay vs. South Korea
Winner: Uruguay
United States vs. Ghana
Winner: United States
Netherlands vs. Slovakia
Winner: Netherlands
Brazil vs. Chile
Winner: Brazil
England vs. Germany
Winner: Germany
Argentina vs. Mexico
Winner: Argentina
Paraguay vs. Japan
Winner: Paraguay
Spain vs. Portugal
Winner: Spain

Quarterfinals

Uruguay vs. United States
Winner: Uruguay

Am I anti-American? No. I will be cheering for the United States and I absolutely hope that the Americans pull off the win and prove me wrong. However, from a neutral standpoint, I see Uruguay as the better team. The U.S. hasn't seen anyone like Diego Forlan, and yes, I am aware that they have already faced Wayne Rooney. However, unlike Rooney, Forlan is playing well in this tournament, and will be a handful for the U.S. defense. My heart is with the Americans, but my head tells me Uruguay.

Netherlands vs. Brazil
Winner: Brazil
Germany vs. Argentina
Winner: Argentina
Paraguay vs. Spain
Winner: Spain

Semi-Finals

Uruguay vs. Brazil
Winner: Brazil
Argentina vs. Spain
Winner: Spain

Third Place Game

Uruguay vs. Argentina
Winner: Argentina

Final

Brazil vs. Spain
Winner: Spain


So, there are my updated predictions. South America has proven, both in this World Cup and in past ones, that they travel extremely well, and I believe that in the knockout round, they will continue to play outstanding soccer. However, when all is said and done, I still believe that Spain will be hoisting the trophy. Now all that's left is for the games to begin. Tomorrow at around 2:30 p.m. Eastern time, we will see if the United States will in fact exceed expectations.



- K. Becks

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

That's How We Like It? Yea, Actually, It Is

Once again the United States soccer team defined "late game drama" in their 1-0 heart stopping victory over Algeria that propelled them to the top of Group C and earned them a date with Ghana in the Round of 16. If any team in the World Cup deserved to make it to the knockout round, it was the U.S. team. They battled back from not one, but two, missed calls that cost them crucial goals. I understand that in soccer this kind of thing happens quite frequently as they do not have instant replay to fall back on (I'm not saying that they should institute instant replay into soccer, either). However, you still have to feel for a team that did everything right on two separate occasions and had nothing to show for it. Luckily, it didn't matter in the end, because the important thing is that the U.S. is moving onto the knockout stage, which is where they should be.

Now that they have advanced, it is time for the team to focus on the next game. In winning their group for the first time since 1930, the United States will have a chance to avenge their loss to Ghana in the 2006 World Cup. Obviously, this matchup is much more favorable than a match against Germany would have been. In this World Cup, Ghana has only scored one non-penalty kick goal. As I have said, the teams that want to continue to advance are the teams that are willing to attack instead of sit back and defend. If any of my readers watched the Australia vs. Serbia game this afternoon, you likely agree with me. The bottom line is, Ghana isn't Algeria. What I saw from Algeria today was a team that was going to be satisfied just by preventing the U.S. from advancing. Unlike Algeria, Ghana will be looking to score; to move on. The United States has the talent to beat the Black Stars, but they absolutely need to attack. The Round of 16 is not kind to teams content with sitting back and defending.

While everyone was watching the U.S. soccer game, there was another equally spectacular match going on at Wimbledon. The first round match between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut has lasted for over nine hours, has been suspended due to darkness two straight days, and is currently in the fifth set tied at 59 games. Go ahead and read those italicized words again, and remind yourself that what you're reading is true. It's no surprise that this match has shattered the marks for longest match played and most games played in a match. I had a chance to watch a replay of the fifth set at work today, and I watched as the match was halted so that the players could take a bathroom break. Needless to say, this is incredible, and probably won't happen again for a long time, if ever again. The next piece of information may be the craziest of the entire story. You'd think that after a match like this, their next opponent would have a huge advantage over them. This isn't exactly the case though, as the winner will face Thiemo De Bakker, who won 16-14 in the fifth set in his first round match, meaning he'll be very tired as well. Who's to say the winner of Isner vs. Mahut can't pull off another?



- K. Becks

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

The Sad Truth For African Teams

As teams prepare for their final game in group play, I have come to the very sad realization that only one African team has a legitimate shot of moving on to the knockout round. This is not only sad due to the fact that I picked three of the six participating African nations to advance, but because they probably feel as if they've underperformed on their home continent. Disappointing play, as well as bad luck, has played a part in this sad showing. To start, South Africa is the first host nation to not advance to the knockout stage. If it weren't for Mexico scoring a goal in a moment of confusion for the South African defense, the Bafana Bafana may very well have advanced. Nigeria didn't have any points coming into today's game against South Korea, but were still in position to advance with a win. They had the perfect opportunity to do so in the 66th minute, but Nigerian striker Yakuba missed possibly the easiest shot ever. Had Yakuba capitalized on the chance and Nigeria gone on to win the game, they would have moved on to the knockout stage because of goal differential. Cameroon, who supposedly had a high octane offense that was sure to produce goals, has only scored one goal in this World Cup. They were the first team to be mathematically eliminated from the tournament, which is obviously a tough pill to swallow for a team that thought they had a legitimate shot at moving on to the knockout stage. The Ivory Coast would have had a shot at advancing if they were to win their final group play game, but didn't receive any help from North Korea. Thanks to the Korean's 7-0 loss to Portugal, the Ivory Coast would have to make up a nine goal differential in order to jump Portugal in the standings and advance.

With all that being said, the hope of the African continent lies with the Black Stars of Ghana. Leading Group D, Ghana can move on with either a win or a draw against Germany. They can also lose and potentially move on, but that situation is much more complicated, and it means that their fate is decided by another team (if you would like to learn exactly what that situation is, send me an email). I think it would be a travesty if not one African team were to move on, because South Africa hosting the World Cup is bigger than just South Africa. It is huge for the entire continent, for all the nations trying to make strides in bettering their countries and becoming respected in the world. So, sorry to all you fans of Deutschland, but along with an entire continent, I will be pulling for the Black Stars tomorrow afternoon.

As for the United States, the message is simple: win and you're in, lose and you're out, and let's not even mention the word tie. Algeria hasn't showed that they are capable of offensive firepower thus far. With that being said, pulling men back to defend would be a poor decision for Bob Bradley to make. The U.S. needs to play like they did in the second half of the Slovenia game if they want to win. This is the final game of group play, and the teams that win their final game are the teams that go out and attack and come away with goals. The U.S. is fortunate enough to be more talented than their opponent, so if they go out and attack, conventional wisdom says they should come away with the win. The entire country will be watching; if the U.S. Soccer Federation wants that to happen ever again, they better hope that the United States delivers and moves on to the Round of 16.

Eventually, I will cover Wimbledon, and although we are still in the early rounds and some big names have already been knocked out (James Blake, Fernando Verdasco, Juan Carlos Ferrero to name a few), I haven't had a chance to watch any matches and thus can't give a educated analysis on the tournament. Friday will be my first chance to watch some of the tournament, so I will likely write something about it then.



- K. Becks

Friday, June 18, 2010

Some People Are Missing The Point

Okay, so the United States didn't get the win today, even though it was pretty clear to everyone but Koman Coulibaly that they had scored the go-ahead goal in the 86th minute. However, many people are missing the bigger picture; the U.S. is still in great position to move on to the next round. Sure, they only have two points, but with all the parody in Group C, they still control their own destiny. With a win against Algeria, the U.S. will move on, regardless of what happens in the England vs. Slovenia game. The only reason that a tie was unacceptable going into today's game is because everyone thought England was going to pick up three points against little Algeria. After England's nil-nil snorefest with Algeria, every team but Algeria has the capability of propelling themselves into the knockout round without help from another team. So, before we start grilling Mr. Coulibaly for his mistake (because trust me, I think the rest of the world can pick up the slack for us), let's remember the more important thing; we did enough today to assure ourselves of moving on with a win against Algeria. In the long run, that's all that matters.

While on the topic, here's another thing. The late game foul call was not the sole reason that the U.S. didn't win the game today. Go back to the first half, when Slovenia somehow snuck not one, but two, goals past the U.S. defense, and there lies why they didn't win the game. Here's what I don't understand; if the U.S. has the ability to play like they did in the second half, then why don't they start playing that way...oh...I don't know...when the game starts? Instead of trying to rely on their supposed superior athletic talent to carry them to a win, maybe they should play with the tenacity of a team that is down 2-0 for the entire game. If they did that, then their superior athletic talent would actually show up, and they would run away with games against teams like Slovenia and Algeria.

If the U.S. does manage to move on the knockout round, they may have a better chance of moving on further than most people would have thought when the World Cup started. Serbia's 1-0 win over Germany created as much parody in Group D as there is in Group C, with three teams (Germany, Ghana, Serbia) sitting atop the group lead with three points. My prediction is that after tomorrow, Ghana will be alone at the top with six points (they play Australia tomorrow), but the Germany vs. Ghana game next week will be very important concerning the final standings. If the U.S. finishes second in their group, they may very well have a rematch with the Black Stars of Ghana; a game that is much more winnable for the U.S. than a game against Germany.

I feel that this post was very short, so if you're looking for a little more substance when you sit down to read, I'm am sorry. However, if you would like to converse about U.S. soccer, the World Cup in general, or anything else sports related that is on your mind, leave me a comment in the comments section or shoot me an email at aroundthecornsportsblog@gmail.com. Also, thank you to all of you who joined the fan page on Facebook.



- K. Becks

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Okay, I Guess I Understand, But...

Utah leaving the Mountain West Conference on Thursday for the Pac-10 makes me scratch my head a little bit. They are leaving a conference where they and Boise State would have been the class of a very respectable football lineup, which also features TCU and BYU. I understand that the Pac-10 has the automatic bid to the Rose Bowl, but with all the conference swapping and uncertainty, things could change quickly. I still believe that this conference swapping will lead to the institution of a college football playoff, which would make having an automatic bid to a BCS bowl meaningless. Also, with the lineup that the Mountain West would have had, I think that they would have been given an automatic bid in a playoff. Also, the top of the Mountain West is much more stable and predictable year in and year out than the Pac-10. Every year, you can count on Boise State, TCU, and BYU to put together a competitive team. In the Pac-10, USC and Oregon are really the only teams that have been good most years during the past decade. In fact, here is a stat that backs up this claim: the Mountain West Conference's record against the Pac-10 in bowl games in the last ten years? Try 6-5. What I'm saying is that I understand why Utah moved to the Pac-10. The automatic bid is there, and the Pac-10 gets more respect from the media than the Mountain West. However, it's instant gratification, because in a few years, there won't be any more automatic bids to BCS bowl games. With Utah, the Mountain West would have been better than the Pac-10, and might have even secured an automatic bid to a BCS bowl game while automatic bids are still around. Now, all we have are two conferences that both need another good team to legitimize their claim as a true elite football conference.

I think that Boston's Glen Davis needs to give up the nickname "Big Baby" so that the man who truly deserves the name can have it. That man would be Washington Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. Haynesworth, who signed the biggest contract ever by a defensive player last year, decided not to show up to the team's mandatory minicamp this week because he is unhappy with the Redskins instituting a 3-4 defense. His teammates are right; he is being completely selfish here. Not only has he decided not to show up to practice, but he has also reportedly demanded a trade out of Washington. Well, Albert, your ticket out of Washington would be giving back the one-hundred million dollar contract that you signed last year. Considering his selfishness, he won't do it, and will likely come back to the Redskins stomping his feet like a little kid whose mom didn't buy him a candy bar at the store. Albert, while you're making a stink about the defense you'll have to play in, consider this: Mike Shanahan has a Super Bowl Ring, and you don't. Maybe you should just do what he says, and you'll have a chance of getting one too.

Today at the U.S. Open, both Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson failed to make even one birdie. That's not exactly a way to attract the attention of the casual golf fan, but on the bright side, Tiger is only five shots off the lead. Considering the difficulty of the course, and the fact that Tiger had a very mediocre first round, I wouldn't be surprised if Tiger is right in the thick of things as we head into the weekend. Maybe, just maybe, he can save the U.S. Open after all.

Tomorrow morning's soccer match between the United States and Slovenia will determine whether or not the majority of the United States will continue to follow the World Cup. A tie is not enough, and the U.S. already received their gift. Hopefully Clint Dempsey & Co. can pull through, because I don't want to be the only person left still wanting to talk about the World Cup.



- K. Becks

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Reign In Spain?

Every team in the World Cup now has one game under their belts, and unsurprisingly, some teams are pleased with where they currently stand, while others are scratching their heads wondering what they're going to have to do in order to move on. Let's take a look at the first set of group play games, and what we might be able to expect from this point forward.

Team That Should Be Most Pleased With Their Performance
South Africa

Not very many people were giving the South Africans a chance in this group, but after their 1-1 draw with Mexico in the World Cup opener, the Bafana Bafana are right in the thick of things. If they can manage to pull off a shocker against Uruguay (which is being played currently), then South Africa may be able to extend their stay in this tournament. At any rate, still being in the hunt has given the home fans something to cheer about, which is good for the country as a whole.

Outlook: They still have a lot of work to do; a tie against Mexico was great for the morale of the team and country, but they will have to get a win against either Uruguay or France to feel good about their chances of moving on. Obviously, getting a win today against Uruguay seems like the easier route. I'd like to see it happen, but I wouldn't put money on it.

Team That Should Be Least Pleased With Their Performance
Spain

They didn't play a terrible game (nothing went their way today), but the co-favorites to win this tournament should be very disappointed with the result. Switzerland goalie Diego Benaglio played an excellent game, but Spain had a plethora of chances, and just didn't capitalize on them. Apparently, the pressure of being the favorites did affect Spain a little bit.

Outlook: This probably won't prevent Spain from moving on, but they no longer have the cushion that I'm sure they thought they'd have at this point. They should be able to take care of Honduras, so the game against Chile (who already has three points) will be the crucial game. The Spanish will definitely be rooting for a tie in the Switzerland vs. Chile game so that Spain will be able to gain some ground on the leaders. If Spain uses this as motivation, they should be fine.

Best Game So Far
Slovakia vs. New Zealand (ended in a 1-1 tie)

It's a shame that many people were not even awake in the U.S. to watch this game, because it definitely defined the term "last minute drama". Down 1-0 with two minutes in extra time already gone, New Zealand fullback (yes, fullback) Winston Reid saved the day for the Kiwis by heading in a goal in the 93rd minute. It's the first point ever scored by New Zealand in a World Cup, and it could very well be their last for awhile. Regardless, it's still great, and a must see if you haven't seen it yet.


While much of ESPN's (and this blog's) attention has been focused on the World Cup, there has been a lot of other worthy sports stories to talk about. The biggest non-soccer headline today is that Michigan State coach Tom Izzo has decided not to take the Cleveland Cavaliers head coaching job. I think that this was a good decision on Izzo's part. Sure, in the NBA he could have made more than twice the amount of money that he is currently making, but along with the extra money comes a whole new set of headaches that you don't have as a college coach. One of those headaches is dealing with the players. In college, the coaches actually coach. In the NBA, coaches essentially babysit and make sure everyone plays nice with each other. Even if Lebron were to stay and Izzo were to take the Cavaliers coaching job, Lebron would still be the de facto coach of the team. Izzo is the kind of guy who wants to actually coach kids make them better. The NBA is not that kind of game, so I think it was a wise decision by Izzo to stay in East Lansing.

Tomorrow is the start of the U.S. Open, and for the first time in a very long time, Tiger Woods isn't the overwhelming favorite to win. Golf needs Tiger back. I know that the World Cup is kind of overshadowing it, but the U.S. Open has been getting very little media attention. It's being played at Pebble Beach, possibly the most revered golf course in the United States other than Augusta National, and even that isn't getting as many people as usual excited. We've been through this before, and we're going through it again; golf needs Tiger Woods on his game to get the casual fan interested. It's not enough for Tiger to be in the tournament anymore; now he needs to be in the hunt for the win for people to tune in. For golf's sake, I hope he does well this weekend.

For whatever reason, the polls don't seem to be working. Maybe it's just my computer, so if it's also a problem for all you guys, please let me know so that I can try and get it fixed. Thanks everyone.



- K. Becks

Monday, June 14, 2010

Actually, We're Going To Stay

Apparently, Texas did not think that it would be a good idea to move to the Pac-10, set off what would have been a chain of events that would have led to the creation of a collection of "super" conferences, and invoke talk of a college football playoff. Instead, now we essentially have what we started with; a twelve team conference and a ten team conference. The only thing left to do now is switch the names of the conferences to avoid confusion. I still believe that in a few years, Texas will bolt for another conference. As I have said before, it is all about the money. Texas is the Big 12, and therefore is content to stay in it and rack in all the benefits. However, when it becomes clear to all the college presidents that a college playoff is on its way, Texas will realize that they can make even more money by helping create a super conference. It may be a few years, but Texas will eventually be a member of the Pac-10, and the Big 12 will become defunct.

While on the subject of conference expansion, let me correct a mistake from my last post that was brought to my attention by a few of my readers. I had said that the Big 10 would end up with thirteen teams by adding Nebraska, Missouri, and Notre Dame, when the total should actually be fourteen. Thank you to those who pointed that out to me. With that being said, it would be even more logical for the Big 10 to do something like this if the conference swapping were to take place, because having fourteen teams would allow for two seven-team divisions.

The World Cup is now well underway, and thanks to a certain musical instrument, the fans in South Africa are making sure that the world is paying attention. Personally, I kind of like the vuvuzelas; after about five minutes, you almost forget that the noise is there. It has apparently been a tradition in South Africa to blow the horns during games for a long time, and telling a country that they cannot partake in their traditions is unfair. Regardless of what some players say, it's not hurting anyone. That is why I am glad that FIFA will not ban the horn. As for the U.S. team, they should be feeling confident about their chances of moving on if they stay focused. They got a gift in the game against England, but they have the talent edge over both Slovenia and Algeria. Slovenia did not look impressive in their win over Algeria on Sunday (they also received a gift from Algerian goalkeeper Farouzi Chaouchi), and assuming that the U.S. attacks and does not sit back and defend, they will beat Slovenia. As for Algeria, again; it comes down to staying focused. If the U.S. goes into the Algeria game with a good mindset, then they will end the group stage with seven points, and will move on to the knockout round. Anything less will be a disappointment.

Once again, Stephen Strasburg did not fail to impress, striking out eight and getting his second win in as many starts against Cleveland on Sunday. Many people have been wondering if Strasburg will cool off once he faces a team that has a winning percentage over .410. I believe the answer to that question is no. It would be one thing if Strasburg had just one pitch. But he doesn't. He doesn't have just two, either. He has three dominating pitches. In the major leagues, batters study pitchers enough to have at least somewhat of an idea what the pitcher may throw depending on the count. However, because of Strasburg's control with multiple types of pitches, the hitters are almost guessing at what he may throw next. There shouldn't be too much of a drop-off from that kind of command, even in a few months when hitters have had time to figure Strasburg out. The bottom line is this guy is just that good.



- K. Becks

Friday, June 11, 2010

It's A Techtonic Shift

We are amidst a major change in the landscape of college athletics; namely, college football. With Colorado bolting for the Pac-10, Boise State moving to the Mountain West, and Nebraska moving to the Big 10, the domino effect has been triggered. When all is said and done, I predict that we will have a collection of "super" conferences that will dominate the politics in college football. By politics, I mean the steps that will go in place to institute some type of playoff that, believe it or not, the college presidents have wanted for a long time.

Here is what I think will happen (and obviously, by the middle of next week we will know if I am correct or not, as many more changes are on their way in the near future). Joining Nebraska in the Big 10 will be Missouri. Not only does this make sense geographically, but Missouri already has a longstanding rivalry in place with Illinois, and it would compliment their schedule to become a part of the Big 10. Next, Texas will leave the Big 12 high and dry, as they, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State will join the Pac-10. This will give the Pac-10 a total of 16 teams, completing what will be our first "super" conference. This also leaves the Big 12 limping to the barn with four teams, obviously not enough to be a full conference. This will prompt the remaining teams (Kansas, Iowa State, Baylor, and Kansas State) to combine with the Mountain West Conference, who are actually a very respectable conference with BYU, Utah, TCU, and Boise State. The Big 10 will still be at twelve teams by the end of next week, but will be hungry to expand their conference to sixteen as the Pac-10 will have done.

That is what I believe will happen by the end of next week. The next section is pure speculation; or rather, what I think will be done to ensure that a playoff can be achieved.

Since the Pac-10 has sixteen teams, the other "power" football conferences, the Big 10 and SEC, will try to follow suit. It makes sense for the SEC to take Florida State, Miami, Virginia Tech, and Georgia Tech. This will complete our second "super" conference. The third "super" conference will come as a result of a mass merger between the remaining eight teams in the ACC and the eight teams in the Big East. For those clever readers out there, I know what you're thinking: "What about basketball? You can't have a 24 team conference." Number one, basketball isn't the major revenue generator for a university. Number two, yes you can. Make two divisions. Eight teams from each division qualify for the conference tournament, and BOOM, you have the same setup you had before the merger.

Now that just leaves one more conference. The Big 10, having run out of opportunities to further expand, only have one possible team left that they can attempt to add. That would be Notre Dame. Notre Dame, seeing the "super" conference picture almost complete, will realize that without joining a conference, it will be close to impossible to get into the playoff system that will soon be devised. The Fighting Irish let go of their beloved independence and their NBC contract, and join the Big 10. This gives the Big 10 thirteen teams, three short of the sixteen that all the other "super" conferences have. However, it won't matter, because now the power is in the college presidents' hands to institute a playoff.

Let's take a look at what we have so far.

Pac-10- 16 teams
SEC- 16 teams
Mountain West- 16 teams
ACC/Big East (which name is kept is unimportant)- 16 teams
Big 10- 13 teams

Now, you can have an eight team playoff by doing the following. Take the conference champion from each of the aforementioned "super" conferences, as well as one team from one of the smaller conferences (MAC, Conference USA, Sun Belt, WAC) or an independent team that is the highest ranked. The final two spots will go to the highest ranked teams that have not already qualified for the playoff.

What will this do? Well, not only will it solve the problem of not having a college football playoff, but it is a goldmine (no pun intended) from a money making perspective, which is what the college presidents are most interested in. Not only that, but every bowl game can be preserved. The two teams in the playoff finals will play for the national championship, and the six remaining teams will go to the other three BCS bowl games. Notice that I called them BCS bowl games. Yes, for ranking purposes, the BCS will still be around. However, since it will no longer choose the two teams that play for the national championship, it won't be hated. As for the rest of the smaller bowl games, they will be played as usual.

As I said, only the second paragraph is what will likely happen. The rest of the post is pure speculation. However, this should generate a lot of conversation, and I'm excited to hear all your thoughts on the topic. Post a comment in the comments section, or send me an email at aroundthecornsportsblog@gmail.com. I'd really like to hear what you guys think about this issue. Thanks everyone, and be sure to check out the new World Cup scoreboard on the left side of the page.



- K. Becks

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

World Cup Preview: Knockout Stage

Okay, so maybe I was wrong. The hype for Stephen Strasburg was about as great, if not greater, than the hype for Bryce Harper is and will be. The guy was a monster tonight; seven innings pitched, two earned runs, four hits, fourteen strikeouts, and the icing on the cake, a win. I don't think I've ever seen Nationals Park as excited and as into a baseball game as the fans were tonight. Strasburg has arrived, which means more than just quality outings every five days for the Nationals. It means more ticket sales, more jersey sales, and an actual fear from opposing clubs, something that has been relatively foreign to the Nationals up to this point. Still think that the hype for Strasburg has been blown out of proportion? Go watch the highlights from tonight's Nationals game, and you'll see why Strasburg was worthy of it.

In my final World Cup preview post, I will list my picks for the Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and the final. I will give a description on each potential matchup starting with the semifinal games. To make it easy on my readers, I also put in parenthesis where each of these teams came from Group-wise.

Round of 16

France (1st in Group A) vs. Nigeria (2nd in Group B)
Winner: France
England (1st in Group C) vs. Ghana (2nd in Group D)
Winner: England
Netherlands (1st in Group E) vs. Paraguay (2nd in Group F)
Winner: Netherlands
Brazil (1st in Group G) vs. Chile (2nd in Group H)
Winner: Brazil

Germany (1st in Group D) vs. United States (2nd in Group C)
Winner: Germany
Argentina (1st in Group B) vs. Mexico (2nd in Group A)
Winner: Argentina
Italy (1st in Group F) vs. Cameroon (2nd in Group E)
Winner: Cameroon
Spain (1st in Group H) vs. Ivory Coast (2nd in Group G)
Winner: Spain


Quarterfinals

France vs. England
Winner: England
Netherlands vs. Brazil
Winner: Brazil

Germany vs. Argentina
Winner: Argentina
Cameroon vs. Spain
Winner: Spain


Semifinals

England vs. Brazil
Winner: England

For the first time in the tournament, Brazil's lack of style will catch up to them. In past tournaments, Brazil has stressed playing the game beautifully just as much as actually winning the game. This year, that isn't the case. However, England is a team that has the talent to match up with Brazil, and Brazil will not be able to physically muscle their way past England like they will be able to do against other teams. This is the end of the road for the Selecao, whose fans will be disappointed beyond belief.

Argentina vs. Spain
Winner: Spain

South America will go 0-2 in semifinal matches at this year's World Cup, with Argentina losing a close battle with Spain. Messi has the sheer talent and will to carry his team this far, but Spain has too many weapons to let him single handedly take his team to the final. This game will be exciting, and Argentina will likely leave South Africa wondering what could have been. However, they will have done a good job if they make it this far.


Third Place Game

Brazil vs. Argentina
Winner: Brazil

Not much to say about this game. The disappointment from both teams will likely be visible on the field, but Brazil will manage to score enough to win this game against their South American rivals. We know where Brazil really wants to be, but for now they'll have to take solace in being the best South America has to offer.


2010 World Cup Final

England vs. Spain
Winner: Spain

After 12 unsuccessful tries, Spain will finally win their first World Cup with lucky number 13. They have talent at every position, and will not succumb to the pressure of being one of the co-favorites to win the World Cup before it starts. Xavi, Fernando Torres, David Villa; these will be the men that will forever be remembered in Spain, as the men who finally broke through and delivered the biggest sports honor to their country. World Cup Champions.


Obviously, my readers are going to have some opinions that differ from my own. Please, let me hear your thoughts. Either leave a comment in the comments section, or send me an email at aroundthecornsportsblog@gmail.com. Hopefully, at the very least, this preview got you excited for the world's favorite tournament. Maybe you even learned something that will make your viewing more pleasurable. Anyway, thanks a lot to all my readers. I can't wait until Friday; it should be fun to watch.



- K. Becks

Monday, June 7, 2010

World Cup Preview: Groups G and H

Who is Bryce Harper? Try "the most hyped prospect in pro sports" since Lebron James. Think Stephen Strasburg has been hyped? It's not even close to the kind of hype that Harper has been receiving. He played high school baseball for two years, then as a seventeen year old enrolled in junior college in hopes of facing better competition. It apparently doesn't matter that he was the youngest guy on the field, because he tore up his junior college league as well. Harper is Ken Griffey Jr., Jorge Posada, and Joba Chamberlain rolled into one. He has a powerful bat, is very talented behind the plate, and has a cannon for an arm. I think they may already be clearing a space for Harper in Cooperstown. The bottom line is, if Harper and Strasburg end up being as good as everyone predicts they will be, then we may be talking about the Nationals as the team to beat in a few years.

Now, for my final World Cup preview, Groups G and H.

Group G
Teams: Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Coast, Portugal

Match to Watch
Ivory Coast vs. Portugal (Tuesday, June 15th)

After Didier Drogba broke his arm last Friday in an international friendly, this game got a whole lot more interesting. Portugal is essentially the "Cristiano Ronaldo Show", which he probably doesn't mind, but if Drogba's play is at all compromised because of his arm, then the Ivory Coast may have a hard time scoring. The outcome of this game could determine who moves on in Group G; and if that isn't enough to make you watch, remember that this game features arguably the second and third best forwards in the world.

Player to Watch
Didier Drogba, Ivory Coast

If any girls from my school read this blog (granted, I don't think any of them do), they will likely disagree with my pick (considering that Cristiano Ronaldo is in this group as well). However, Drogba is my favorite player in this World Cup that does not play for the United States. He plays hard, and can score against any defense on the field, especially against the ones in Group G, who (other than Brazil), are rather weak. Drogba could be a leading candidate for the Golden Boot award if his arm doesn't affect his play too much.

Final Standings

1. Brazil- They don't always get it done beautifully, but there is no denying that they still get it done. They are the favorites to win this tournament, and to Brazil, group play games are like tune-ups for the real tournament.
2. Ivory Coast- They're in the Group of Death this time around, but the Ivory Coast has about as good a shot of advancing to the knockout stage as they did in 2006. Drogba is extremely talented, but it doesn't end there. Salomon Kalou and Kolo Toure help make this team as dangerous as any in this World Cup.
3. Portugal- We will find out if Cristiano Ronaldo is capable of carrying his team on his back. It's the equivalent of Alexander Ovechkin taking his team to the Stanley Cup Finals, which as we saw, did not happen. Like Ovechkin, Ronaldo will have a tough time finding enough support to beat the likes of Brazil and the Ivory Coast.
4. North Korea- In most conversations, North Korea is not known as the "other" Korea. However, in soccer circles, they are. Unlike South Korea, the "other" Korea should just be happy to be playing.


Group H
Teams: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile

Match to Watch
Honduras vs. Chile (Wednesday, June 16th)

No one is giving Honduras much of a chance, so they will likely go out and play hard, knowing they have nothing to lose. Chile, on the other hand, are many peoples' pick to move on in this group. Both teams are able to score goals, so it will be interesting to see if Chile will attack and try to score, or if they will be playing not to lose.

Player to Watch
Xavi Hernandez, Spain

This man is the backbone of a team that is looking to win their first ever World Cup. If they do, then expect this man to be the first to raise the Cup. He is possibly the best midfielder in the world, and is deadly in free kick situations. Unlike many teams, Spain won't live and die with their best player, but they will need him to play well if they expect to win the entire tournament.

Final Standings

1. Spain- This team is very solid at pretty much every position. They might as well book their hotels in South Africa past June 25th (when they play their final group play game), because they will be staying longer than that.
2. Chile- Chile is the only other team in this group besides Spain with both a solid offense and defense. They are good enough defensively to stop Honduras' offensive attack, and good enough offensively to slip a goal past Switzerland. A tie against Spain would all but end Switzerland's and Honduras' chances of advancing.
3. Switzerland- They won't excite you with their style of play, but the Swiss are very tough defensively and will make it tough on any team to get good scoring opportunities. If they can manage to put together some offensive firepower, they will find themselves with a few wins and could possibly swap positions with Chile in the final standings.
4. Honduras- As I said earlier, no one is giving this team much of a chance. However, if they somehow prevent teams from scoring at will against their porous defense, then they have the offensive weapons to pick up some points.


Tomorrow I will conclude my World Cup preview with a look at the knockout rounds, where I will eventually give my thoughts on who will be holding the Cup on July 11th.



- K. Becks

Sunday, June 6, 2010

World Cup Preview: Groups E and F

In today's news, Rafael Nadal won his fifth French Open by defeating Robin Soderling of Sweden. Soderling beat Nadal at last year's French Open, so this is actually bigger news that most would think (in other words, Nadal was not the hands down favorite in this year's match). It is clear that Nadal is healthy now, which raises the question "can he challenge Federer at Wimbledon?" The answer to that question will come in a few weeks, when that tournament begins. As for the Memorial Tournament, the fan favorite and always colorfully dressed Rickie Fowler couldn't quite pull off the win. It was a valiant effort however, and he made sure that people will know his name from here on out with his great play this weekend, as well as his unique wardrobes throughout the tournament.

Now, onto my World Cup Groups E and F preview.

Group E
Teams: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon

Match to Watch
Netherlands vs. Cameroon (Thursday, June 24th)

With Dutch star Arjen Robben's health now in question, this game could be huge. The Netherlands are favored to win this group, but without a healthy Robben, it gets a lot more interesting, with both Cameroon and Denmark capable of pulling off an upset against the Dutch. Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o makes everything exciting, and without Robben, the Dutch give away an offensive advantage that would make them the overwhelming favorite in this game.

Player to Watch
Samuel Eto'o, Cameroon

Eto'o is good, and he knows he's good. He will demand the ball in lots of key situations, and for good reason. He is the top goal scorer on the team, and is one of the best strikers in the world. If his team can get him the ball with room to work, then he will definitely produce some goals worthy of ESPN's highlight reel. Cameroon needs Eto'o to do well if they want to advance to the knockout round.

Final Standings

1. Netherlands- Whether or not Robben will be one hundred percent healthy is pure speculation at this point. With that being said, the Dutch are still the favorites to be atop the standings at the end of group play.
2. Cameroon- Cameroon has the potential to do very well in this year's World Cup, but they also could perform very poorly. Playing on their home continent will be a boost, but they will need Samuel Eto'o to score goals and hope that the defense doesn't give up too much.
3. Denmark- The Danes play a great team game. If their solid defense is too much for Eto'o and Cameroon to handle, then they have the possibility of moving on in this group instead of the Indomitable Lions.
4. Japan- Japan will need to hope that someone steps up as a scorer, because as of now, they don't have a go-to guy. With scoring happy Cameroon and the Netherlands in their group, it may be hard for Japan to keep up.


Group F
Teams: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia

Match to Watch
Italy vs. Slovakia (Thursday, June 24th)

It's the old vs. the new. Italy is likely the strongest team in this group, but is an older team. Slovakia is composed of young, quick players who will be energized in every match they play. This is the third game for both teams, so it's possible that Italy may want to rest its veteran players, giving Slovakia a chance to make this one interesting.

Player to Watch
Daniele De Rossi, Italy

There are no real "global stars" in this group, so taking one of the best players on arguably the best team in the group will usually give you a decent player to watch. De Rossi will create the chances that Italy's forwards get, and considering the opposition he will face, he may look better than he really is by the time the Round of 16 is set.

Final Standings

1. Italy- The Azzurri aren't the team they were in 2006, but they are still good enough to make it out of this relatively weak group. They will likely play around with their line-up a bit, because they still need to find answers to a few questions if they plan on making a deep run again.
2. Paraguay- Slovakia could be tough, but Paraguay should be able to move on. They are a tough, physical team, and will look to intimidate the young Slovakian team into making mistakes.
3. Slovakia- In four years, this team could be serious contenders at the World Cup. However, for now, their players lack the experience to move on to the next round. They will be an exciting team to watch, though.
4. New Zealand- They should just be happy to be in the World Cup. If they get more than one point in this World Cup, they should be commended for an outstanding effort.



- K. Becks

Saturday, June 5, 2010

World Cup Preview: Groups C and D

Yesterday night, one of the ambassadors of college basketball, a mentor and idol to many, passed away. John Wooden was 99 years old. I won't go into too much detail, because ESPNEWS has been covering the story the moment they received word that Wooden had passed away, but I will end this topic with a quote from Wooden himself: "Material possessions, winning scores, and great reputations are meaningless in the eyes of the Lord, because He knows what we really are and that is all that matters." Mr. Wooden, I think you'll be fine in that regard. Rest in peace, Wizard of Westwood.

In other news, Garret Wittels, who I mentioned yesterday, continued his hitting streak, which now stands at 56 games. Unfortunately, he will have to wait until next year to continue it, as Florida International was defeated by Dartmouth today, and is now out of the tournament.

Now, for my Groups C and D preview.

Group C
Teams: England, United States, Algeria, Slovenia

Match to Watch
England vs. United States (Saturday, June 12th)

For U.S. fans, this is undoubtedly the biggest game of the World Cup. Not only is England the team to beat in Group C, but this is the first time that the rivalry with the team from "Across the Pond" has been played in 60 years. Supporters will get to see right off the bat how good the young, aggressive U.S. team really is. The game is just as important for England; losing to the United States would not sit well with the English faithful.

Player to Watch
Wayne Rooney, England

Okay, so if he doesn't perform well, he probably won't end up in a trailer park eating baked beans like the Nike commercial suggests. However, England's chances of doing exceptionally well in this year's World Cup do depend heavily on how Rooney plays. England is a serious contender to win their first World Cup in 44 years if Rooney is on his game.

Final Standings

1. England- Barring a colossal meltdown in one of their games, the only team in this group that will give England trouble is the United States.
2. United States- After the England game, they will need to stay focused and take care of business. Even a tie against Algeria or Slovenia could potentially mean that their fate rests in someone else's hands, which is not ideal.
3. Slovenia- This team could sneak up on someone, as they have not really been receiving a lot of attention leading up to the tournament. Although they don't have a lot of flashy players, they are a tough team and not an easy out.
4. Algeria- Algeria's defense is questionable, which will probably hurt them when playing the likes of strikers such as Rooney and Donovan. However, they are also capable of scoring, and if an opposing team's defense slips up, Algeria will capitalize on the mistake.


Group D
Teams: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana

Match to Watch
Australia vs. Ghana (Saturday, June 19th)

This game will be extremely important, as it will probably determine who finishes second in the group. The crowd will be behind Ghana, playing on their home continent, which will make things difficult for the Socceroos. The last thing either team would want to do is lose this game, as it would put them in a very precarious position heading into the third game of the group stage. However, they will have to be aggressive, because a draw likely won't put them in a much better position.

Player to Watch
Tim Cahill, Australia

On a defensive oriented team, Cahill carries the offensive load for Australia. He will play a significant role in determining how Australia fares, creating offensive chances for other players as well as himself. If he doesn't perform well, it will be hard for Australia to score goals.

Final Standings

1. Germany- They aren't the team that they would have been with Michael Ballack and Rene Adler, but they are still a talented team. They can't take any of the other teams in their group lightly though; this is arguably the second toughest group in the World Cup.
2. Ghana- As mentioned earlier, the game against Australia will likely determine whether or not Ghana moves on. They will miss the leadership of midfielder Michael Essien (out due to a knee injury), but the combination of their aggressive play and the fact that they are on their own continent gives them the edge over Australia to move on to the knockout stage.
3. Australia- Australia is a very good defensive team, but that's only half the battle. You have to be able to score too, and the offense is a question mark for the Socceroos. They must get something working on the offensive end if they want to move on.
4. Serbia- Looking to avenge their poor showing as Serbia and Montenegro in the last World Cup (they went 0-3), Serbia has experienced players such as Dejan Stankovic and will try to surprise someone in their group. No better place to start than their opening game against Ghana, where a win could open the door for them to advance.



- K. Becks

Friday, June 4, 2010

World Cup Preview: Groups A and B

The only news I have for you today before I begin my World Cup analysis is that the Division 1 College Baseball tournament has begun. The reason I bring this up is for two reasons; one is that I get the opportunity to attend some of the College World Series games this year, which is especially exciting because 2010 is the last year that the College World Series will be played at the famous Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium. The other reason I bring this up is because the game that is currently on TV, Texas A&M vs. Florida International, features a player that is currently riding a 54-game hit streak. His name is Garrett Wittels, and he is only four games away from tying Robin Ventura's record of 58 straight games with a hit, set back in 1987. FIU will have to win some games if Wittels hopes to break, or even tie, Ventura's record, so it should be an interesting Regional to watch.

Now, the start of my World Cup preview.

Group A
Teams: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France

Match to Watch
France vs. Mexico (Thursday, June 17th)

In Group A, this game could potentially decide who wins the group. Thierry Henry, the 2006 Footballer of the Year, will lead the French attack. Although Mexico does not have any real international stars, they have a solid attack led by Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Javier Hernandez. If both these teams can get a win in their first match, then this game will be the biggest game in the group.

Player to Watch
Luis Suarez, Uruguay

If Uruguay wants to make it out of group play, then this is the man who will have to step up. He is one of Uruguay's top goal scorers, and when he isn't scoring, he is helping create chances for other top goal scorer Diego Forlan. Uruguay is a hungry team, and if Suarez plays well, they have the ability to surprise some people.

Final Standings

1. France- The best team in this group, they will be able to handle South Africa, and even a tie with the other two teams should get them through to the next round.
2. Mexico- They are aging and injured, but they have the experience edge over a young Uruguay team.
3. Uruguay- They will be exciting to watch, but are going to have a hard time beating Mexico, which is what they will need to do if they want to move on.
4. South Africa- The host team will be extremely happy to be playing, but their chances of moving on are low in a group featuring three other very talented teams.


Group B
Teams: Argentina, Nigeria, South Korea, Greece

Match to Watch
Argentina vs. Nigeria (Saturday, June 12th)

This game will likely determine who will win Group B. Unfortunately for the loser, it means that they will have to regroup and regain their focus, or else they could find themselves in big trouble. As far as soccer goes, this could be a high scoring game. Both Argentina and Nigeria have very good front lines, and Nigeria has had some issues on defense. Nothing like waking up to some high-octane soccer on a Saturday morning, right?

Player to Watch
Lionel Messi, Argentina

No surprise here. The 2009 World Player of the Year will be the most watched player in the group, and possibly in the entire tournament. He shouldn't have trouble getting his team out of the group stage, but we'll really see what he's made of in the knockout stages, where he could potentially have a quarterfinals date with always tough Germany.

Final Standings

1. Argentina- Other than the first game, Argentina shouldn't have too much trouble in the group stage. Diego Maradona may not be as talented a coach as he was a player, but pure talent should carry the Argentinean team into the Round of 16.
2. Nigeria- The Super Eagles (the nickname for the Nigerian team) may be the best hope for an African team to make it out of group play after injuries to Michael Essien and Didier Drogba hurt Ghana's and the Ivory Coast's chances. Their game against South Korea will be extremely important if Nigeria wants to move on.
3. South Korea- It's hard to leave South Korea out, as they are undoubtedly the best team in Asia. However, it will be extremely hard for them to outplay a Nigerian team that is very determined to do well on their home continent.
4. Greece- If you go back and look at the group Greece was part of in order to qualify for the World Cup, you wouldn't exactly be impressed. The surprise winner of Euro 2004, these guys will have one shot at qualifying for the next round; if striker Theofanis Gekas plays lights out for three games.


I am going to put up new polls every day so that the readers can vote on who they think will move on from each group. I'd also like to hear your comments about anything World Cup related, so you can either post a comment in the comments section, or email me at aroundthecornsportsblog@gmail.com. Thanks guys.



- K. Becks

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Oh My Goodness Jim Joyce, No!

You don't have to tell him, he knows it. "I just cost that kid a perfect game," said Joyce in an interview after the infamous play in which Joyce called Cleveland's Jason Donald safe, when the replays clearly showed that Donald was in fact out. When asked about it later, Joyce said that he thought that Donald was safe at the time, but when he saw the replay, he knew he was wrong. However, Joyce did something that a lot of other umpires would not have done (at least publicly); he admitted that he was wrong. He went up to Armando Galarraga after he saw the replay and apologized for missing the call. He apologized again in a press conference, and again admitted that he had been wrong. He said that the call is the biggest in his career.

This is why we need two things to happen; one is for Major League Baseball to institute instant replay into the game. The other is for Bud Selig to exercise his power and overturn the call, thus giving Galarraga his much deserved perfect game. Jim Joyce is respected by managers and players alike, and should not be remembered for something like this. Both Joyce and Galarraga showed the utmost class in the way that they handled the situation. Joyce said that he wouldn't have been surprised if Galarraga would have been in his face after the call, but you know what? Galarraga wasn't. He trotted right back to the mound, and made the next out. I don't who we should feel worse for. However, it doesn't have to end like this. Bud Selig, you have the power to use "the best interests of the game" clause in order to make this right. Overturn the call. This isn't setting a precedent; rather, it would allow a kid to take his rightful place in history, and it would allow one of your league's classiest umpires, one who does not deserve the hateful things from all of the people on social networking sites bashing his reputation, to be forgiven for being a human being. For making a mistake.

Another reason that this will not set a precedent is because this won't have to happen again if instant replay is instituted into the game. Major League Baseball is the only major sport left that does not use instant replay to aid its officials in the call-making process. Imagine how many football, basketball, or tennis matches would be controversial had those sports not instituted instant replay into their game. Don Denkinger sure as hell agrees that baseball needs instant replay, and I'm sure that Jim Joyce would support it as well. Instant replay wouldn't hurt the sacredness of the game of baseball; rather, losing the 21st perfect game due to the fact that instant replay isn't used hurts the sacredness of baseball.

In lighter news (or not, depending on how you look at it), Ken Griffey Jr. announced that he is officially retiring. If it had not been for Jim Joyce's call, this may have been the biggest story of the day. Griffey Jr. is one of the best players of his era, and possibly of all-time. He was a classy guy, and as far as we know, everything he did was done clean. Years from now, when we look back at the steroid era, there will be one guy that exemplifies those great players that did it right. That guy will be Ken Griffey Jr. I still remember playing Ken Griffey Jr.'s Slugfest on my N64, and I can tell you, I'm going to miss the guy with the backwards hat who could hit almost any pitch out of the park. So long, Kid.

Tomorrow I will begin my breakdown of the World Cup by covering Groups A and B. I will continue to cover two groups per day, and on the final day, I will give my predictions on who will be hoisting the Cup in July. If there are any big stories that I feel I should cover in addition to the World Cup preview, then I will start the post with that news. Thanks guys.



- K. Becks

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Cleveland Is Excited Now

For the first time in a very long time, the city of Cleveland may finally have some luck and good fortune on their side. This is because their Favorite Son, Lebron James, actually has an allegiance to his hometown and said in an interview that will air Friday on "Larry King Live" that Cleveland "absoultely" has an edge over other cities looking to uproot James out of Ohio. I don't know why anyone would be surprised, as I've said before that Cleveland is still the best place for him to play if he wants to win a championship and create a legacy, but some people need to hear it before they believe it. James has said he hasn't made a decision yet, but I think that he's just biding his time. The chances of another team being able to afford James and either Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, or Joe Johnson are extremely low, and that is the only reason why I can see James possibly leaving his hometown. If any city were to have their heart ripped out by a player bolting for another team, then Cleveland would be it. However, I just don't see that happening.

I just got done watching the Rafael Nadal vs. Nicolas Almagro quarterfinal match at the French Open, which brings the count to: Number of French Open matches watched: 2, Number of NBA Playoff games watched: 1. Due to the number of upsets on both the men's and women's sides so far, this has been a pretty interesting Major to follow. Both Roger Federer and Serena Williams went down in the quarterfinals, and although that means the casual fan is less inclined to watch the finals, it just shows that the gap between the "best" and "the rest" isn't as far as many people would think. In fact, this is the first time since 2004 that Federer has not reached the semi-finals of a Grand Slam tournament. This means that Nadal is the favorite to win, but in the words of Lee Corso, "not so fast my friend!" The man who upset Federer, Roger Soderling, is an extremely talented player on clay, and played exceptionally well in last year's French Open Final against none other than Federer. If Soderling meets Nadal in this year's Final, then it is definitely a match worth watching.

Since I tried to get a press pass to this event (although for whatever reason I found it impossible to attain one), I'll comment on the news at the Memorial Tournament. I've seen a lot on SportsCenter about Tiger Woods' neck, and how it might affect him during the tournament. Um, correct me if I'm wrong, but is it really that big of a deal? It's not the U.S. Open; it's the Memorial Tournament. I'm sure I'm going to get a lot of angry comments from my readers that live near the Muirfield Golf Village, but it's the truth. I understand that he's trying to defend his title, but does that automatically make it a bigger deal? Those are just my thoughts, so if you disagree, let me know in the comments section.

Yesterday I said that I would give my thoughts concerning the last two polls that I have put up for my readers to vote on. The first poll was "do you think that MMA style fighting should be a club/sport in high school". I was very pleased with this poll, as it was the most voted on poll the blog has ever had. The results were close, as "No" edged out "Yes" by just one vote. I'm going to have to agree with those who said no. One of the arguments for having MMA style fighting in high school is that it has proven to be safer than both football and boxing, with fewer injuries sustained during MMA style fighting than in the aforementioned sports. However, one of the reasons this may be so is that the number of individuals that participate in MMA style fighting is small compared to the number of football players in high school and college. Also, high school athletes normally do not have the body control that professional MMA fighters have, which means that the number of injuries would likely skyrocket if the sport were offered to high school students. A club that teaches high school athletes the basics of MMA style fighting would not be a bad idea, but having sanctioned tournaments for high school students would be.

As for the "who is currently the worst franchise in pro sports" poll, the results show a tie between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Detroit Lions. It's tough to choose between which franchise has been better at being bad, but I think that the Pirates have a slight edge over the Lions in that department. Although the Lions defined futility two years ago with their 0-16 season, they have at least shown a desire to get better and improve their franchise. I honestly don't think that the Pirates have. Outfielder Andrew McCutchen is one of the few bright spots on the team, but chances are he will be traded for a slew of young players that won't demand as much money. It's the nature of the beast for a small market team, but it's still frustrating to see. Of course, it has to be ten times as frustrating for fans of the team. Then again, how many Pirates fans are there?

Check out the newest poll I have up for you guys, and if you know someone who still hasn't seen the blog, let them know about it. I plan to continue posting more frequently, so let them know they'll actually have something current to read if they decide to check out the blog. Thanks guys.



- K. Becks

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Now Things Will Heat Up

Today marks the first day that baseball becomes relevant to those who aren't passionate fans of the game. We are about to enter into the crucial part of the season where the teams that have it are going to try to extend their leads or make their runs, and the teams that don't have it are going to look at that trade deadline and hope that they can pull some strings to get a head start on next year. As "The Boys of Summer" begin to take center stage in the sports world, here's a look at what happened during the first two months of the season.

American League

Best Team
Tampa Bay Rays

After the Yankees won the World Series in 2009, not very many people predicted that anyone but New York would be leading the AL East this late into the season. However, the Rays rediscovered their 2008 form, in which they surprised everyone by making it to the World Series. Tampa Bay is finally reaping the fruits of their labor from prior years' drafts, as Evan Longoria and David Price have blossomed into complete players that are capable of leading their team. Obviously, it would be foolish to count New York, and even Boston to some extent, out of the AL East pennant race, but Tampa Bay has certainly put themselves into a good position. If they keep up their stellar pitching, the Rays may be sitting pretty come playoff time.

Biggest Disappointment
Seattle Mariners

So far the 2010 campaign has been a huge disappointment for Seattle, who was supposed to be a contender in the weak AL West. Instead, they are last in their division, and don't look to be making a move out of the cellar any time soon. Of the nine teams they play in June, six of them are in first or second in their respective division. One of the biggest surprises is that their ace, Felix Hernandez, is just 2-4 on the season. However, possibly the bigger problem is that Hernandez is not getting very much support from his offense; Seattle ranks 27th in team batting average and runs scored. If the Mariners don't want this season to be a lost cause by July, then they need to bring the bats out soon.

Biggest Surprise
The Competitiveness of the AL East

It was expected that at least two teams, maybe three, would contend for the AL East lead, but four? New York, Toronto, and Boston are all within five games of Tampa Bay, who has the best record in all of baseball. The biggest surprise has been Toronto, which has been led by Vernon Wells and Jose Bautista, who are both experiencing "comebacks" of sorts. If all four teams can keep up the intensity, then they will make the end of the summer very interesting. Chances are one of the three that doesn't win the division will claim the Wildcard.

Best Performance
Dallas Braden's Perfect Game

I've already commented on Braden in a previous post, but his name must be mentioned again when talking about the best performances in baseball this season. Relatively unknown before the season began, he first made a name for himself with his public discontent for Alex Rodriguez. However, after his perfect performance on Mother's Day, he etched his name in history, becoming only the 19th pitcher in Major League Baseball to toss a perfect game.


National League

Best Team
St. Louis Cardinals

Currently, they are tied for the NL Central division lead with Cincinnati, but as of late have been playing better baseball than the Reds. The scary thing is that so far the Cardinals have not been as good on offense as they have been in prior years. Assuming that they will regain their offensive prowess as the season wears on, the Cardinals have nowhere to go but up. That should send chills down the spines of all the other NL managers. Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter, and Jaime Garcia are the core of a pretty solid pitching staff that has shown the capability of carrying this team even as the offense struggles. The bottom line is, if things come together for this team, they will be a force in September.

Biggest Disappointment
Arizona Diamondbacks

Considering that no one in the NL is that much ahead of anyone else, this was a hard one to pick. However, in the NL West, everyone is supposed to have a chance, and at 11.5 games back, Arizona doesn't have much of a chance left. Granted, San Diego has been a surprise, but if you're 11.5 games back in the NL West at the beginning of June, then you are probably pretty bad. Nothing has been going Arizona's way this season, and last night's loss on a balk in the bottom of the ninth is just a taste of the Diamondback's woes. With the worst team ERA in baseball, the first thing that the Diamondback's need to address is their pitching. However, it's going to take a lot more than that before they can find any silver lining in this disappointing season.

Biggest Surprise
San Diego Padres

Many people thought that the Padres were going to be the worst team in the NL West, not the team with the best record in the entire National League. The Padres have had great pitching so far (which isn't a huge surprise considering that Petco Park is a pitcher's paradise), which is what has helped them get out to such a great start. If they are still in the hunt in August, then the Padres should be extremely pleased and could be looking at a possible playoff bid; that month, they play the Diamondbacks eight times and a three game series against the Pirates.

Best Performance
Tie Between the Play of Ubaldo Jimenez and Roy Halladay

These guys have been seemingly trying to one up each other all year. Jimenez has a no-hitter, Halladay has a perfect game. Halladay is 7-3 with a 1.99 ERA, Jimenez is 10-1 with a freakishly low 0.78 ERA. So far, it has been the Year of the Pitcher, and these two men are the class of the field. Jimenez's teammate and catcher Miguel Olivo predicted earlier this year that Jimenez would win the Cy Young award, and if he keeps pitching like he is now, then that prediction will become a reality.


Tomorrow I will give my opinion on MMA-style fighting in high school, as well as who I think is the worst franchise in pro sports. In a few days, I will begin to give my breakdown and predictions for the 2010 World Cup, and then sometime after that I will post the article about the juggernaut fencing team I mentioned a few posts ago. If you haven't subscribed yet, please do by clicking "Follow" on the left hand side of the page and doing whatever it asks of you, as I would really appreciate it. Thanks everyone.



-K. Becks