Tell me when people stopped caring about the Major League All-Star Game.
How did this happen?
All I know is that growing up in the 1970s and 80s, fans and players did care. It mattered who won, which was good for bragging rights all the way around.
In a just world, Omar Vizquel and Greg Maddux would be American folk heroes.
Sadly, thanks to steroids, the era of doubt settled on Major League Baseball during their careers.
But the two of them brought class, grace and beauty to a sport often mired in controversy.
And this is probably the last summer we'll get a chance to watch them perform.
I've never done this before. But I've heard it's fun, so I'll try it. I'm going to Yankee bash.
Now I've always dismissed Yankee bashers, attributing their hatred to jealousy directed at a quality franchise. At least the Yankees' performance on the field, most years, justifies the inordinate attention.
But this season, with their record hovering around .500, the Bombers deserve the bombardment of disdain. At 48-42 -- only three games better than the uninspiring Orioles -- the Yankees fall short of relevancy as a mediocre, rebuilding team.
So why does Joba Chamberlain's transition from the bullpen warrant daily ongoing coverage? How can more Yankees make the All-Star team than the Rays, the team with the best record in baseball? Who at ESPN thinks everyone is so interested in a team that probably won't be a factor in the playoff hunt?
Ever since the fans started voting, the All-Star Game has been a popularity contest.
Many times over the years the more deserving players were either reserves or left out altogether.
However this trend hit an all-time low this season with seven American League starters being either members of the Red Sox or Yankees.
Ho hum. It's just another example of what is wrong with baseball as a whole.
We realize that New York and Boston feel the entire baseball world revolves around their team. Heck, at times even Major League Baseball itself seems to only care about the Yankees and Red Sox.
However, heading into Saturday's games, the Tampa Bay Rays were in first place in the the AL East by three games over Boston and nine ahead of the Yankees.
The Rays are a story that is getting too little attention. Too many people still care more about Alex Rodriguez' marital woes.
Will Tampa hold on? It is hard to say, although be sure that the few fans (okay, very few) who don't care about the Sox or Yanks certainly hope so.
The U.S. Open playoff battle between Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate was compelling theatre to say the least.
Here was the No. 1 player in the world -- likely the best of all time going against a 45-year-old player, who played in relative obscurity before the Open.
I don't mean to sound like an old fogey, but that was not the CBS I grew up with on Saturday night.
In the network prime-time debut of mixed martial arts (which you can read much more about on Ted Czech's blog), a bald and bearded fellow named Kimbo Slice rolled around with a fellow named The Colossus.
Mr. Slice was finally declared the winner when Mr. Colossus’ cauliflowered left ear nearly came off in revolting fashion, following a barrage of punches from Mr. Slice.
(What’s next, CBS? Richard Dawson sending Jim Brown out to kill people on national TV?)
Anyway, I dug up some info on Mr. Slice, who is apparently the Next Sports Superstar (tm):
Get ready for what could be an incredible Stanley Cup finals when Pittsburgh take on Detroit, beginning Saturday in Motown.
Both teams are entering the finals in style and fans should be treated to a classic series that features the absolute two best teams in hockey.
Also, both have a one-two punch that are second-to-none in the league with the Penguins’ Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin facing the Red Wings’ Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk.
This series is the marquee match-up for the NHL.
Hockey fans: Enjoy it. Non-hockey fans: Check it out, you might join the rest of us
After seeing their favorite go without a win again, Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans were upset that Kyle Busch spun him out on the way to victory at the Richmond International Raceway last weekend.
According to reports, Busch had to be escorted from the track for his own safety. Now that is really pathetic.
Why do I think some of these same people would have cheered if Junior would have pushed Busch out of the way? Or how many of these same folks cheered when Dale Sr. did the same thing?
At least Junior took the high road saying to chastise Busch would be “hypocritical,” especially since he admittedly pushed Busch out of the way at Kansas last year.
Too bad some of his fans can’t feel the same way.
So the Dallas Mavericks and their league-high payroll were ousted from the NBA playoffs in the first round. For the second straight year. By the Hornets of all teams.
So now Dallas is left without a coach (Mark Cuban fired Avery Johnson on Wednesday), an aging roster (Josh Howard is the only signed player in his 20s), no first-round draft pick (traded to New Jersey in the Jason Kidd trade) and a bunch of so-so players — Dirk Nowitzki notwithstanding.
Here’s hoping that Cuban can straighten up this mess.
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