WTF is going on in the world of Sports here in the United States?
I can never remember so many big stories and scandals at the same time. Let’s recap what’s going on:
1 – One of the most honored records in all of sports is about to be broken by Barry bonds. Yet the Commissioner of Major League Baseball refuses to attend the games where the record will most likely be broken. Why? Because Barry Bonds is a disgrace. He has never been caught and never admitted using steroids but it’s undeniable.
2 – The National Football League, perhaps the most popular and profitable professional sport is dealing with one of it’s superstars in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. Michael Vick is accused of running his own professional dog fighting league. There are witnesses willing to testify Mr. Vick paid off the winners of dog fights in cash with amounts totaling over $20,000. On a side note how’s Michael Vick’s younger brother doing these days? There’s another model citizen for you.
3 – The National Basketball Association is dealing with one of their top-rated referees caught up in a point-shaving scandal. The effects of this may never be known. Those in the know say it’s not as easy to identify inappropriate actions as you may think. We can’t just look at technical fouls and other penalties called but for the more subtle calls. To manipulate the game as an official is done by way of traveling and lane restriction calls or other violations that result in turnovers, NOT freethrows. These types of judgment calls are difficult to pick-out.
4 – The professional soccer team from LA has given the biggest contract ever to David Beckham. This is a player who is clearly on the down-side of a stellar career. How much longer can he play at the level he used to? I’ll give you a hint. In the first game he was in uniform for he played on the last 12 minutes of an hour long match. Sounds like he’s earning his money, huh?
5 – Professional Wrestling (Sports Entertainment) suffered an incredible blow to it’s image when Chris Benot murdered his wife & child. This brought to light the number of these athletes who have died prematurely. In case you missed it, John Kronus, another Tag-Team former Champion died last week. In his 40s IIRC.
How are the fans going to react to these stories once all the facts come to light?
Baseball has suffered terribly since the strike and I don’t see their fan-base expanding. Major League Baseball is in serious trouble my friends.
The case of Michael Vick will play itself out in court. I think the damage to the league will be minimal and forgotten quickly.
The integrity of the NBA must be called into question. They’ve known this referee to be a gambler from reported sightings in Atlantic City, NJ. This employee was also known to have other legal problems pending with his neighbors. This guy was a known problem child since at least 2005.
Soccer? Soccer? If I didn’t get it by now I never will. Soccer is taking over the youth of America though. Boys, girls, it doesn’t matter, they love it. Players like Mia Hamm and David Beckham are drawing our youth away from the great American past-time of baseball and its cousin Softball, both High-Arc & Fast-Pitch.
Professional Wrestling. What can I say? As a child growing up in the ‘70s with Cap’n Lou Albano, Chief Jay Strongbow & the like I loved wrestling. That’s a far cry from what it’s become. The stars are all gross misrepresentations of the human body. Wrestling now = soft-core porn & soap operas mixed together.
/End Rant
I can never remember so many big stories and scandals at the same time. Let’s recap what’s going on:
1 – One of the most honored records in all of sports is about to be broken by Barry bonds. Yet the Commissioner of Major League Baseball refuses to attend the games where the record will most likely be broken. Why? Because Barry Bonds is a disgrace. He has never been caught and never admitted using steroids but it’s undeniable.
2 – The National Football League, perhaps the most popular and profitable professional sport is dealing with one of it’s superstars in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. Michael Vick is accused of running his own professional dog fighting league. There are witnesses willing to testify Mr. Vick paid off the winners of dog fights in cash with amounts totaling over $20,000. On a side note how’s Michael Vick’s younger brother doing these days? There’s another model citizen for you.
3 – The National Basketball Association is dealing with one of their top-rated referees caught up in a point-shaving scandal. The effects of this may never be known. Those in the know say it’s not as easy to identify inappropriate actions as you may think. We can’t just look at technical fouls and other penalties called but for the more subtle calls. To manipulate the game as an official is done by way of traveling and lane restriction calls or other violations that result in turnovers, NOT freethrows. These types of judgment calls are difficult to pick-out.
4 – The professional soccer team from LA has given the biggest contract ever to David Beckham. This is a player who is clearly on the down-side of a stellar career. How much longer can he play at the level he used to? I’ll give you a hint. In the first game he was in uniform for he played on the last 12 minutes of an hour long match. Sounds like he’s earning his money, huh?
5 – Professional Wrestling (Sports Entertainment) suffered an incredible blow to it’s image when Chris Benot murdered his wife & child. This brought to light the number of these athletes who have died prematurely. In case you missed it, John Kronus, another Tag-Team former Champion died last week. In his 40s IIRC.
How are the fans going to react to these stories once all the facts come to light?
Baseball has suffered terribly since the strike and I don’t see their fan-base expanding. Major League Baseball is in serious trouble my friends.
The case of Michael Vick will play itself out in court. I think the damage to the league will be minimal and forgotten quickly.
The integrity of the NBA must be called into question. They’ve known this referee to be a gambler from reported sightings in Atlantic City, NJ. This employee was also known to have other legal problems pending with his neighbors. This guy was a known problem child since at least 2005.
Soccer? Soccer? If I didn’t get it by now I never will. Soccer is taking over the youth of America though. Boys, girls, it doesn’t matter, they love it. Players like Mia Hamm and David Beckham are drawing our youth away from the great American past-time of baseball and its cousin Softball, both High-Arc & Fast-Pitch.
Professional Wrestling. What can I say? As a child growing up in the ‘70s with Cap’n Lou Albano, Chief Jay Strongbow & the like I loved wrestling. That’s a far cry from what it’s become. The stars are all gross misrepresentations of the human body. Wrestling now = soft-core porn & soap operas mixed together.
/End Rant