Home Field Advantage With All Star Game

Hey All,

Everyone has been speculating about home field advantage with the All Star Game in the MLB. And Twitter and Facebook have been blowing up about it. Here's what's been going on


Hashtag: #Enough.

I'm changing dugouts, switching sides, calling a failed experiment for what it is.

I renounce my support for World Series home-field advantage being attached to the All-Star Game.

Twitter did it.

Not that I don't see value in Twitter. I do. Especially when Ozzie Guillen is at the control. For some reason, I love knowing that he loves shopping at Bed, Bath & Beyond. I was so sad when Guillen de-Twitter-ed. (Is that a word? It should be a word.)

Not that I'm anti social media. I'm on Facebook. I see its value. It allows us to learn things about our kids we'd never learn in a million years during dinner-table conversations ("So what about this party Friday night?" "I dunno." "Will Hannah's parents be home?" "I dunno." "Does Hannah even have parents, or did she hatch from a giant Slurpee cup?" "I dunno."). But, Twitter and Facebook as a part of the All-Star Game?

This is where I part ways with its attachment to the World Series.

At this point, why not just have the home-plate umpire text ball and strike calls after each pitch a week from Tuesday in Kansas City? Just add barbecue sauce and unicycles and the circus will be complete.

In case you missed the memo, here it is: Major league baseball is setting up computer stations near the dugouts and is encouraging players to Tweet and Facebook upon exiting the game.

The idea came from Arizona last summer, when players were allowed to tweet during the Home Run Derby, and baseball deemed it a smash hit.

Too much time in the desert without enough water, and now look what happens.

"At its core, baseball is a social activity, so it's natural that social media has become such a huge part of how fans enjoy the game today," Tim Brosnan, an MLB executive vice-president, said in a statement several days ago. "This initiative will bring fans closer than ever to their favorite players, resulting in what will no doubt be the most 'social' event in baseball history."

The whole "This Time It Counts" thing?

The effort to make the All-Star Game serious and meaningful?

Sorry, but you can't have it both ways. If you're going to tie this game to the ultimate competition, the World Series, then you absolutely can't treat this game as a 140-character mid-summer dip in the pool.

Here's the thing: A whole lot of people have hated the idea of attaching the World Series home-field prize to the All-Star Game ever since Commissioner Bud Selig introduced it within hours after the waterlogged fiasco that was the All-Star Game tie in Milwaukee in 2002.

Not me. Maybe I was in the minority, but I never saw a good reason why the All-Star Game had to be a meaningless exhibition in the first place.

It's always been, by far, the best All-Star game of any sport.

There is absolutely no reason why it shouldn't continue to be the best, if handled properly.

Which is why I was with Selig from the beginning on this. The All-Star Game does not have to be a meaningless exhibition. But that's what it was on its way toward becoming by the time of the Milwaukee disaster.

Because Orioles fans at the 1993 game in Camden Yards boxed Cito Gaston's ears with boos when he left Baltimore's Mike Mussina warming in the bullpen and never used him, subsequent managers turned the game into an adult version of one of the worst aspects of today's youth sports: Everybody plays.

Time was, Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio played all nine innings at the All-Star Game (Williams did so in 1941, the year he hit .406).

In today's touchy-feely world, Williams would get his prerequisite two All-Star at-bats and then Skip would send Mario Mendoza up to bat for him in the fifth.

That's what I thought we'd be getting away from when Selig unilaterally attempted to re-inject the All-Star Game with meaning by decreeing that the winning league would get World Series home-field advantage. Good for him, I thought. People often criticize Selig for being too wishy-washy, or too slow to move. Well, he wasn't in this case, and I've always applauded him for it.

It absolutely was worth the effort to make -- or keep -- the All-Star Game relevant.

Now, this.

Cincinnati's Brandon Phillips is an All-Star player and, for my money, an All-Star Tweeter (@DatDudeBP). Dat Dude is drop-dead hilarious. But he leaves the game in, say, the sixth inning, and now maybe instead of picking up a subtle infielder shift and passing it on to an NL teammate, he's not even watching the game. He's locked in at some computer screen.

Extreme example, yes. Guys often aren't watching the game once they depart, anyway. They're socializing, or leaving the park early to catch a flight.

But at least there was a movement to return the All-Star Game to a serious competition.

This completely undermines that.

Bottom line is, if you're going to link something to a championship event, then it's all got to be treated -- not tweeted -- as a championship event. And not as simply another link to click.

Put this on Facebook: Baseball, at this point, should just return to each league getting World Series home-field advantage in alternate years and be done with the myth of "This Time It Counts." I'd tweet that, but it's too many characters.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports.

Phelps Wins 200 Freestyle Final

Hey All,

 It's time for a spot that I know very well, Swimming, with a man who I have wanted to be like until my injury that sent me packing with that dream. Michael Phelps had yet another one of his finals for another event that he will be racing in London. The 200 Freestyle, which Ryan Lochte was also in, was raced today. Phelps was able to inch out Lochte in a thrilling race.


Now I know these two are teammates on the the USA Olympic team, but they are rivals when they are not on the same team and swimming against one another. But in a way these two can work on making one another better, while still pushing each other and competing at a high level. If they, Phelps and Lochte, stay rivals and try as hard as they did in this last race to beat one another, well then that can only make them push themselves that much more in training so that they can beat each other.


Round 2 goes to Michael Phelps. Lochte won the 400 individual medley on the opening night of the games, his third straight major victory over the winningest Olympian ever. But Phelps isn't going down that easily.

He got off to a stronger start that usual, leading at the first turn and holding the advantage through all four laps. Both swimmers got a big boost off the final turn, cutting through the water like missiles, and Lochte went stroke for stroke down the stretch. But Phelps stretched out his right arm at the wall, touching just ahead of Lochte. The winning time was 1 minute, 45.70 seconds — five-hundredths of a second ahead of Lochte.

''Obviously it's been a while, so it felt better'' to beat Lochte, Phelps said. ''But there's still some things I can improve on.''

Phelps' victory was even more impressive given his busy night. He didn't even have time to celebrate, hustling back to the warm-down pool to get ready for the semifinals of the 200 butterfly. He came back 40 minutes later to post the third-fastest qualifying time, moving on to Thursday night's final looking to lock up a chance to defend the gold he won at the last two Olympics.

''I feel old,'' the 26-year-old Phelps quipped. ''Just getting in the water to race is what motivates me.''

Speaking of busy, Missy Franklin left no doubt that she is swimming's next big star with a stunning performance in the 100 backstroke, signaling a changing of the guard in an event Natalie Coughlin captured at the last two Olympics.

''I have dreamed of this moment, but I never thought it would come true at 17 years old,'' Franklin said. ''Dreams do come true.''

Coughlin got off to a typically strong start and was under world-record pace at the turn. But the 29-year-old couldn't hold off two teenagers. Eighteen-year-old Rachel Bootsma got past the 11-time Olympic medalist, as well, claiming the second Olympic spot in 59.49.

Coughlin was third in 1:00.06 and has only one more chance to make her third Olympic team: the 100 freestyle. She swam over to congratulate Franklin in the middle of the pool, but her chances of making a third straight Olympic team are hanging in the balance.

She hopes to have a shot at winning at least one medal in London, which would pull her even with Jenny Thompson and Dara Torres as the most decorated U.S. female Olympians.

''I did exactly what I needed to do tonight and gave it my best. That's really all you can ask for,'' Coughlin said. ''I have won two golds in that. I am very proud of what I've done in the 100 backstroke and it's time for Missy and Bootsma.''

Thompson and Torres each have 12 medals, and the 45-year-old Torres is back trying to make one more Olympic team. She has entered only one event in Omaha and has yet to swim.

''It's not exactly what I was hoping for coming into this,'' she said. ''I'm a little bummed, but not nearly as much as everyone is expecting me to be. You're walking around the pool deck and people are acting like you're dying or something. I have another shot to make the team in the 100 free, and I'm looking forward to that. For the rest of this season, I'm a freestyler.''

In another final Wednesday, Breeja Larson pulled off a huge upset in the 100 breaststroke, beating Rebecca Soni and world-record holder Jessica Hardy. Soni rallied to get the second spot on the team, but Hardy finished third — about a half-second too slow to earn a spot in London. She was eager for redemption after missing out on the 2008 Olympics because of a failed doping test, which resulted in a one-year suspension.

Also, Matt Grevers captured the men's 100 backstroke with the second-fastest time ever, 52.08. Nick Thoman finished second in 52.86 to claim the second spot on the Olympic team.

Lochte said he went out too slow in the beginning of the 200 free, a mistake he intends to correct when he gets to London. Phelps' winning time was nearly 3 seconds slower than his gold-medal effort in Beijing, though that was aided by high-tech bodysuits, which have since been banned by the world governing body.

''We didn't really try to pick it up until, like, the last 75, so I'll save that for the Olympics,'' Lochte said. ''I was just really relaxed for the first 125, and then the last 75, I was like, `All right, now we've got to put it in gear.' So I kind of waited a little late, but I'll take it.''

Lochte is standing in the way this time. ''I love racing against him,'' the Floridian said. ''It was really fun.''

I can't wait to see these two go at it in London, and they way that they make each other better. It can only help team USA to another swimming victory and make the two individuals better.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports

College Football Playoff System

Hey All,

 Finally, the moment everyone has been waiting for, a playoff system for NCAA Football. In the 2014 season, there will be a four team playoff system.


Playoffs and tournaments long have determined champions of every college sport from baseball to bowling.That ended Tuesday. Come 2014, the BCS is dead.

A committee of university presidents approved a plan for a four-team playoff put forward by commissioners of the top football conferences.

For years, the decision-makers had balked at any type of playoff because they said it would diminish the importance of the regular season. If only two teams had a chance to win a championship in the postseason, even one loss could be too many. That made for some very high stakes regular-season games. As recently as 2008, Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive proposed the type of plan adopted Tuesday, and it was quickly shot down.

Four years later, minds changed. The 12 university presidents stood shoulder to shoulder on a stage at a news conference in a posh hotel in the nation's capital and delivered the news.

''It's a great day for college football,'' BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock said. ''As soon as the commissioners realized they could do this and protect the regular season, the light went on for everybody.''

The move completes a six-month process for the commissioners, who have been working on a new way to determine a major college football champion after years of griping from fans. The latest configuration is certain to make even more money for the schools than the old system,  and not satisfy everyone.

''There were differences of views,'' said Virginia Tech President Charles Steger, who headed the BCS presidential oversight committee. ''I think it would be a serious mistake to assume it was a rubber stamp.''

''This is the package that was put forth and we will strongly support it,'' he said.

Instead of simply matching the nation's No. 1 and No. 2 teams in a title game after the regular season, the way the BCS has done since 1998, the new format will create a pair of national semifinals.

Many college football fans have been clamoring for a playoff for years, and the BCS has been a constant target for criticism. Lawmakers have railed against it. A political action committee was formed, dedicated to its destruction. The Justice Department looked into whether it broke antitrust laws. Even President Obama said he wanted a playoff.

Now it's a reality.

No. 1 will play No. 4, and No. 2 will play No. 3 on Dec. 31 and/or Jan. 1. The sites of those games will rotate among the four current BCS bowls — Rose, Orange, Fiesta and Sugar — and two more to be determined. One of the new sites likely will be wherever the newly formed bowl created by the SEC and Big 12 is played, Slive said.

The Cotton Bowl, played at the $1.1 billion Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, has long wanted to be part of the BCS and is expected to make a strong push to be in the semifinal rotation.


The winners of the semis will advance to the championship on the first Monday in January that is six or more days after the last semifinal. The first ''Championship Monday,'' as it was called in the BCS release, is set for Jan. 12, 2015.

The site of the title game will move around the way the Super Bowl does, with cities bidding for the right to host.

The teams will be selected by a committee, similar to the way the NCAA basketball tournament field is set. The men's tournament has 68 teams, and 37 at-large bids.

The football committee will have a much tougher task, trying to whittle the field down to four. This season, 125 schools will play at the highest level of college football.

Among the factors the committee will consider are won-loss record, strength of schedule, head-to-head results and whether a team is a conference champion. The selection committee will also play a part in creating matchups for the games at the four sites that do not hold a semifinal in a given year.

''I think it's tremendous progress,'' Washington State coach Mike Leach, a playoff proponent. ''Five years ago there wasn't even dialogue about a playoff. Instead of diving in the water, they dipped their toes in. I think it's going to be ridiculously exciting and it's going to generate a bunch of money. I wish they dived in.''

The BCS had given automatic qualifying status to six conferences, the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, Atlantic Coast Conference, Pac-12 and Big East. That allowed those leagues better access to the big, high-payout games than the other five conferences, such as the Mountain West and Conference USA.

Automatically qualified status is gone and the commissioners believe the new system will create more interesting games beyond the ones that determine the national title.

''What the system now is, several semifinals, championship game and some access bowls. By creating a couple of access bowls, people will be able to play high-quality opponents in big venues with big brands,'' Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany said.


Get the latest news, features, stats and more from one of greatest sources of college football information.

No one has put a hard number on it yet, but this new format figures to more than double the TV revenue of the current BCS and Rose Bowl contracts. Those pay out about $155 million annually.

The commissioners want to lock in this format for 12 years with a television partner. The current four-year BCS deal with ESPN runs through the 2013 season. The new format will be presented to potential TV partners in the fall, starting with ESPN.

''I think we have found what we think is the right place and it stabilizes the postseason for a length of time that I think is healthy for the game,'' said Slive, whose members have won the last six BCS championships.

There are still some details to work out,  such as who will be on the committee and what new bowls will be involved in the semifinal rotation, but all the decision-makers are on board.

Lower divisions of college football already have a playoff, but the highest level has always used bowls and polls to determine its champion. Those days are coming to an end.

''We believe this new format will be good for student-athletes, for the alumni and for our institutions,'' Steger said. ''It's a best of both worlds result. It captures the excitement of the playoff while protecting the regular season.''

Phelps Going For 10

Hey All,

It's getting to that time, Olympic time. The trials for the 2012 London Olympics is coming up soon. And Michael Phelps will be going for 10 gold medals in his last Olympics ever.

At his final Olympics, Michael Phelps could be going all out, shooting for 10 medals in seven kinds of races. The Baltimore Sun and Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde reported Monday morning that Phelps will swim in seven events at the U.S. Olympic trials, which will be held June 25-July 2 in Omaha, Neb. If Phelps finishes in the good within each race (first or second is required to make the Olympics for each race), he'll have an unprecedented opportunity to bring home a double-digit medal inventory from London.

Phelps will attempt to qualify for Olympic races in the 200- and 400-meter individual medley, the 100- and 200-meter butterfly, the 200-meter backstroke, and the 100- and 200-meter freestyle. He'll also be part of three U.S. men's swimming relay teams.

The 200 backstroke is an event Phelps did not swim in at the 2008 Olympics. The same goes for the 100 freestyle. In total, Phelps swam flawlessly in eight events in Beijing, winning eight golds (three from team relays), setting an Olympic record.

Forde qualifies the reporting by stating there is a chance Phelps could be a late scratch from a race or two. Most recently, at the 2011 World Championships, Phelps swam well but wasn't completely dominant. He won gold in the 100- and 200-meter butterfly. He picked up two more golds, but those were in team relays (the 4x200 freestyle and 4x100 medley). Phelps took Silver in the 200 freestyle and the 200 individual medley.

The news is pretty big in the swimming world, considering Phelps, at one point, seriously deliberated on not competing in London entirely. Now he's potentially taking on a more-daunting race load than what he burdened himself with four years ago.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports.

Winless Streak Ends

Hey All,

 I know yesterday was fathers day, but that didn't stop the NASCAR Sprint Cup from running at Michigan. This race had a bit of talk well before the race even got started. This was the race were 4 years ago Dale JR. won his last race. It also wasn't just about the drivers, but the track had some issues with the tires that were being run there, and let's not forget about the record breaking speeds.

Michigan International Speedway (MIS) had been re-paved over the off-season, and the drivers would know first hand how it changed that cars. Since the track was redone the speeds the drivers were hitting was out of this world. Tony Stewart, the raining cup champion, hit a top speed of 215 MPH. No that is not a typo, that's an actual stat that was given from yesterdays race. But since the drivers were able to hit such high speeds, that caused a little bit of tire issues along the way.

The speeds were so high and the track so hot, that it blistered the tires on the cars on long runs.Some teams even tried using scuffed tires to try and counter act the blistering problem. There was one team that didn't have that type of problem in yesterdays race, and that was Hendrix Motorsports. Hendrix's had 3 of it's 4 drivers finish in the top, with one of those drivers taking home the win. That driver was non other than Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Jr was able to pull ahead in the race, and never look back, leading the most laps in the race as well as the most important one, the last lap. Dale Jr. has been winless for over 120 races, which equals out to 4 years worth of losses. We all know that Jr has been looking for that all important win, get to the monkey off of his back and back into the winning side of things.

With the win yesterday, Jr was able to move into the top of the points race, and he couldn't be happier. This means nothing but good things to come for him, and the rest of his team, who have been running well this season, with Jr having one of his best season since joining Hendrix. I think he has one of the best chances of contending for the championship this season, if he can keep up what he has been doing from the start of the season, run up near the front.

 With everything that happened yesterday, the rain, the new surface causing record breaking speeds, the tires being blistered on long run, and all the wrecks that happened, this was a great win for Dale Earnhardt Jr. I look for him to continue this winning trend and make a strong run for the Sprint Cup Championship.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports.

Crosby's New Contract

Hey All,

I know hockey ended this month, but that doesn't mean there isn't any news going on in the world of the NHL. Some players becoming free agents as of the summer of 2013, and one player in particular I want to talk about is the great Sidney Crosby. He has been with the Pens since joining the league and will look to stay in the burgh.

Crosby becomes an unrestricted free agent in Summer 2013, but one imagines he'll finalize a new contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins before the rules change for player compensation and contract duration under the next CBA.

The question is how large the Penguins and Crosby want to go in keeping the captain in the Steel City.

Elliotte Friedman of CBC Sports revealed some details on the Crosby contract picture during the Hot Stove report on Saturday night.

He's coming into the last year of a five-year, $8.7 million a year contract. When they made that deal, his agent Pat Brisson and the Penguins discussed a longer term but decided not to do it. Now there's an appetite for it. I think we're going to have a pretty good idea by July 1, which is the earliest they can even sign him to a deal, if it's going to get done. It might even be done by then.

His new contact won't cover concussions, but it's Sidney Crosby, wouldn't you do it? I know I would. But it's not up to me, it's up to the Pittsburgh Penguins. I'm sure they will make a deal and it would be a long one to keep Crosby a Penguin. I will keep you up to date as soon as I know anything.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports.

Lebron Has To Do It All

Hey All,

Last night was game 1 of the NBA finals, with the Heat playing the OKC Thunder. It was a back and forth game from the start of this game, but once again the burden of the game fell again on the shoulders of Lebron James.


LeBron James found himself doing all of the work again in Game 1 of the 2012 NBA Finals.

When you only play six guys real minutes, they need to be able to play. That's the dilemma facing the Miami Heat as they assess a 105-94 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the 2012 NBA Finals at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

As advertised, Oklahoma City showed on Tuesday night that it is a deep, talented and versatile team, one capable of going big or small, capable of getting good looks in transition or in the halfcourt, capable of playing steadily from behind or with a lead.

"That's what they do," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "They keep coming. They're relentless. They beat us at their game."

In NBA Finals history, the winner of Game 1 has gone on to win the series 47 times and lose the series 18 times. For a half, Miami was well-positioned to steal a crucial road win. The key was Heat forward Shane Battier, who scored 14 of his postseason high 17 points in the first half, including three first quarter 3-pointers.
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"We moved the ball and Shane was the recipient," Heat forward LeBron James, who finished with a team-high 30 points, said. "He knocked down a lot of shots and he helped us to spread the floor. He's a big part of our unit and when he knocks down shots we're a very, very good team."

It wasn't just Battier. The Heat passed the ball around the perimeter with great pace and purpose, finding open shooters and hitting six of their 10 three point attempts. In the first half, the Heat registered 14 assists on 22 field goals and got 34 of their 54 points from players not named LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

That all added up to a solid 7-point halftime lead. Unfortunately, hopes were dashed as quickly as they were raised. In the second half, just six of Miami's 14 field goals were assisted and the James/Wade duo combined for 29 of Miami's 40 points. The previously precise ball movement disappeared and the hot perimeter shooting disappeared in turn, as the Heat shot just 2-for-9 from deep in the second half.

"We didn't attack as much in the second half," Spoelstra admitted.

The Thunder simply dominated the game's late stretches, with All-Star forward Kevin Durant scoring 17 fourth quarter points by himself (on 10 shots) as the Heat managed just 21 as a team (on 17 shots). Durant finished with a game-high 36 points and easily carried the day with the game on the line.

One major factor late: Oklahoma City went eight players deep in its rotation while Miami played just six players for more than 10 minutes. Thunder center Nick Collison was big, making energy plays but also finishing offensive possesions at the rim on his way to eight points and 10 rebounds. Derek Fisher and James Harden were bit players but both were competent, more than can be said for their little-used Miami counterparts. Their combined presence and energy made it that much easier for Durant to find his open looks and to dissect Miami's weary defense at will.

Spoelstra and James both agreed after the game that perhaps the Heat would need to use more of its reserves if it was going to be able to keep up with the Thunder.

"We know we have to have more [bench] production for sure," he said. "We're going to have to have more guys in there to give me and [Dwyane] Wade a rest. And Shane [Battier]. Shane played a lot of minutes. But [coach Erik Spoelstra] will figure that out. We'll be more conscious about it, just trying to get a minute or two here or there so we can finish strong."

Spoelstra, in turn, was oblique regarding his rotation, insinuating that perhaps someone was not available to him, either due to injury or some other explanation.

"Because of the circumstances, I had to shorten the rotation, but I'll probably make that change and find out who will be available in the next game," he said.

Later, when pressed on what "circumstances" meant, Spoelstra dodged: "The next game I'll be able to go a little deeper. Again, in this first game we were trying to keep [the rotation] tight. But I think we'll have a day of rest, guys will be ready to go on Thursday."

Whether they have mysterious reinforcements available or not doesn't matter all that much. The Heat can talk about increasing their bench production all they want but it's never been there for them on a consistent basis during the playoffs. Cracks started to show when Chris Bosh went down with an injury against the Indiana Pacers and they nearly proved fatal against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals. The Heat simply lack talented big bodies that would be useful in match-up situations and their perimeter reserves don't defend all that well and haven't shot the ball reliably enough to make up for those deficiencies.

In the two previous series, Miami's stars emerged to carry the day. That will be their burden again in this one. The role players can do more but they can't do enough here. James plays A+ basketball, Wade (who finished with just 19 points) gets back to playing like a real superstar and Bosh becomes a major X-factor like he was against the Celtics in Game 7, or the tight-knit, focused and confident Thunder goes home as champions.

"Well, this one is behind us now," Spoelstra said in opening his post-game comments.

Sure, one loss is now in the past. But the depth and consistency questions remain firmly in the present and short-term future. It's not too much to say even after just one game that they loom as Miami's potential downfall.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports.