Defending the Truth

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...06/5056630.stm


World cup!!!!

Maybe if I was from anywhere other than the U.S. I enjoy watching The World Cup matches every four years, but I don't see what all of the hype is about? The U.S own team is pretty much aliented from the select few who appreciate Soccer a.k.a Fotbol and Europeans don't even like the U.S team anyway. It's loose-loose situation. In The U.S we have baseball, that's my past time. If other countries won't respect Baseball then why the hell should we respect Fotbol? that's how I feel about it ;-D. Go Team U.S! haha. With the Japaneese we don't have this problem. Not only are they discplined they are half-mutated brothers and sisters.

Yawn......

Respect baseball???
One stinking country plays baseball... "world champs" my ass.

On the other hand the whole world is competing and watching the very exciting FIFA World Cup.

The only reason soccer isn't popular in America is that the 2 by 45 minute uninterrupted playtime doesn't allow for stupid commercials.

Ouch. I wonder what all the players in the MLB from Cuba, Canada, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Panama, Venezula, Puerto Rico, Carribean Islands, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea etc. etc. would have to say about that comment. That is definitely one of the most ill-advised things you have said. In fact, baseball just had its first World Classic. Obviously it doesn't touch the World Cup, but it was the first one ever (America didn't win). The World Cup I think at this point is one of the greatest international spectacles because soccer is easily the most popular sport in the world. I think the fact that the U.S. puts a competitive team out there, yet the sports we are most focused on are football and baseball, basketball a slight runner up in there, is a testament to American athletics.

My point was simply that countries do not compete against each other in MLB yet it is a "world title".

Hello?

The World Baseball Classic just happened. I already said its not on the same level as soccer.

Plus, you said "one stinking country plays baseball" which is just wrong. You weren't making the point you later said you were, which is wrong anyway.

Canada is in the MLB too right? So two countries then? Sure there are players from other countries but it is not the "world" event like the FIFA World Cup.

I hadn't even heard of the World Baseball Classic. Is this new? How was it received? 6 games per team???


I have been watching a few World Cup games on ESPN. Very exciting. Brazil is looking even more amazing that usual this year!

I agree, the World Cup and soccer in general wipes baseball off the map. The WBC was advertised all over and the games were on national TV. There weren't as many countries in it, nor were there as many countries with a chance to qualify, still rosters from the Dominican Republic and Venezuala featured as much star power as the U.S. Japan had a couple of its stars playing in MLB, but basically put on a show (and won it) with the pros playing in the very competitive Japanese baseball league. S. Korea turned heads and so did Cuba (who everyone thought, while Cuban baseball used to be legendary, was now in shambles). It was received very well. You probably didnt notice because you dont like baseball.

I watched a lot of matches this weekend...they were awesome. It's so exciting and so competitive. I think it really is the world's sport. It is the World Cup and certainly is worthy of being the world title. What about the gold at the Olympics though? Also, here in the U.S. we have basically no exposure to the highly competitive professional leagues that these guys spend the majority of their time playing in. I don't think it's that bad that its called the World Series and that the winning team are World Champions. The most competitive baseball league in the world is the MLB. The best baseball players in the world play in the MLB. Doesn't seem like a stretch to me, even though baseball doesn't claim a list of countries quite near the list for soccer.

Go U.S.!
Go Italy!

Otherwise we don't advance

I just noticed watching Argentina-Mexico that they do not play sudden death in overtime. That is so weak. It's not like basketball where a sudden death period would be inappropriate - it's so low scoring that you would think anything else besides sudden death would be stupid.