Lets talk World Baseball Classic

So lets get right into this, I'm sorry for the delay (1 month at least) but I'm going to retry to get on top of this blog. I want to talk about the World Baseball Classic. It is a great event I think, but what does it really mean on a grand scale of things? What does a World "Cup" essentially of Baseball mean for Baseball around the world?

Lets look at first the Soccer World Cup...what do we notice? Well first off qualification for the World Cup takes nearly 4 years, as soon as one is over you start qualifying for the next WC. So here is the great thing, basically every nation is in the soccer world cup, it just goes through rounds of qualification/elimination for three years until you reach the actual World Cup tournament hosted in a single nation.

When the teams (and fans) get together it is a great show of culture and many get to see a very large array of styles. Lets be honest, soccer isn't a very hard game to grasp...don't touch the ball with your hand, no cherry picking (offsides rule) and put the ball in your opponents net. Easy enough right? Now think about how many different styles there are to play the game? Even just in Europe there are divisions, if you watch Italy you'll see a very defensive and quick counter strike, a lot finesse play and great acting. Watch Germany and you see a very rigid, strict, controlled style of play and yet still very dangerous. Go over to Portugal and you see flair much like you see in Brazil, great individual play, fancy ball movement and whatnot. It is exciting I think to see all these different styles and see how they work against one another.

So lets pull it back to the Classic. Watch the Asian bracket, see the Japenese team play. They have different styles of batting and pitching and it looks nothing like the American style of play, yet they won the last Classic and the Americans didn't even sniff the Championship game. Watch the flair of the Latin American nations, the jumping up and down and dancing in the dugouts. I think its the most incredible thing to watch, we often think of baseball as just an American sport, but take a second to watch this Classic and you'll realize that it truly is growing into an International sport.

What will become of the World Baseball Classic? Well I think the IBAF (International Baseball Federation) will continue to grow into something more like FIFA and they will further take control of this competition and who knows maybe one day the fanfare of the World Cup of Soccer will be equaled by the WBC. It was a brilliant idea for MLB to start this and even more brilliant that they are beginning to turn it over to IBAF (half of the umpire crew is now IBAF umpires, half MLB instead of all MLB).

All I can say is go watch it and you'll know what I'm talking about.

So we have our Super Bowl

So the CARDINALS, yes thats right the Cardinals have made it to the Superbowl...wow. There may be hope for the Lions to win a GAME next year if the Cardinals can make it to the Superbowl. But they will face a TOUGH Steelers team. Can the Cardinals luck continue? I'm thinking no...but at this point can you really bet against them?

I can: Pittsburgh 24 Arizona 17

Hockey news - The Wings had a disappointing game against San Jose, dropping it 6-5 but I have to say San Jose always chokes in the playoffs, if the Wings can take the top seed by the end of the year...I really don't see a team that can beat em. As it is, San Jose is undefeated at home and they still are only 3 points ahead of Detroit. Wings are amazing.

College hockey is a bit disappointing up here at Tech. MTU hosted North Dakota this weekend, and skated to a 3-3 Draw on Friday, looking really sharp, but Saturday they were just outplayed. One thing I've noticed is an incredibly low shot total. 15 shots all of Saturdays game won't win when you let up 30 some shots and 5 goals. Yikes. The thing is the Huskies have a good offense, but their players are still very young and they need to figure out when its the right time to shoot the puck. If they can figure that out, they should be able to improve.

More to come later...MTU Pep Band!

Quick Recap

So after a long hiatus I'm back! I have moved up to Hancock, Michigan as I'm attending Michigan Tech for the next few years. I got a job working with the Michigan Tech Athletic Dept, so you can expect me to give some insight on NCAA D2 athletics. Both Basketball teams are doing very well in January, the Lady Huskies are ranked 15th in the Nation! Hockey Huskies are home this weekend hosting the Fighting Sioux of North Dakota Friday and Saturday!

In Soccer news, Dan Duggan owner of the Michigan Bucks (PDL team), is currently looking for investors in Europe to invest $7 Million in a USL-1 soccer club in Detroit. USL-1 is the level of soccer JUST below MLS, in many cases the level of play is equal to MLS. The plans include a 5,000 seat stadium possibly in Waterford near the new minor league baseball park they are planning on building to create a sportsplex. This is all tentative as of now, the stadium could be pushed up to 7,000 some believe that would be better as crowds could get to 7k easily.

In Football news, who expected the Cardinals and Ravens to be where they are now? Can you imagine a Cardinals/Ravens Superbowl? I can't and I won't...but I think it will be Cardinals/Steelers. Thats my prediction but what do I know, I hate the NFL.

The Wings continue to roll in the NHL, I have kinda ignored most sports outside of my soccer duties and MTU Huskies recently because of the move and getting settled in. My bad, i'll be back up to speed in a few days for sure!

Check out this video of the Timbers Army of USL-1 team Portland Timbers. A lot of people say Detroit wouldn't support a "minor" league team. Let me remind you USL-1 is proffessional soccer, and this is a massive crowd for "minor" league, it rivals that of and is better in some cases than MLS support. Imagine this for Detroit!

A Great Week of Sports

Tonight the world saw a team go undefeated, and yet they won't get a chance to play for the National Title. Why? Because Utah is from the Mountain West. As most of you know I'm a huge fan of the Mountain West Conference, this is a conference that deserves respect. And it got me thinking watching Utah completely manhandle Alabama...is this the beginning of a rise of new College Powers? The First Sugar Bowl was held between Tulane and Temple...not really the class of College football anymore.

Could we see the Mountain West replace a conference like the Big East? Its possible. The Big Ten needs to add credibility and to do that they need to add another team and have a Conference Championship game, and Notre Dame doesn't look like they are budging...Cincy or Pitt could join the Big Ten, which would spell the collapse of the Big East football conference and leave a big ole mess with the rest of the College football world. It could happen.

I love this week, there are a ton of sports on, almost too many to keep up with. But congrats Iowa on the only Big Ten win so far in the Bowls. MSU...you failed, you had the game and you choked, no big deal. But one of the most specatular sights all week was the NHL Winter Classic. Chicago did a WONDERFUL job hosting the game it was a great sight to see hockey in Wrigley Field, I almost want to see a team have all their games outdoors just because I think its such a great idea, but of course it was so great cause the weather was so perfect.

The Wings started slowly, but looked amazing in the throwbacks and a sold out Wrigley in the background. Actually falling behind 3-1 to Chicago was a great thing, it got the crowd really rocking which I was ok with, nervous but ok with. The Wings showed me and the rest of the world why they are the greatest club in the World, and came back to own the game 6-4. No matter where, indoors or outdoors, home or away the Wings are the greatest hockey team in the World right now. That being said...it would be interesting to see a Club World cup of Hockey huh? See the Wings bring in some big European Clubs or something? Mix it up instead of just NHL teams all the time? Don't get me wrong I LOVE seeing a good ole fashioned Wings/Leafs or recently Wings/Hawks game but it could be cool seeing them play ya know...Berlin or Stockholm...interesting to ponder!

For those of you who didnt get to see it, here is the intro to that Winter Classic!

Bowl Games are Unfair

Have you ever noticed something about Bowl Games? The fact that they are all down South and out West? Now its obvious why, these bowl games are mega money makers, and they want to host them someplace warm where they can draw tons of people on vacation. But regardless of that fact, it is completely unfair how the Big Ten is judged based on its Bowl record every year. And its not just the Big Ten, the MAC and the Big East get screwed too.

Here is a great example, Penn State vs USC is in Pasadena...its a home game for Penn State and yet if PSU losses the Big Ten will be "weak"...even though they had to cross the country to play USC while the Trojans hardly have to cross the street. Northwestern played Mizzou in San Antonio, its not next door but its pretty much a home game for Mizzou. And what about Michigan vs Florida last year...in ORLANDO?! Michigan beat Florida in Florida and yet it was just sort of brushed aside as a weak Florida team.

Even for the MAC, Western Michigan is playing Rice in the Texas Bowl. Rice is in Texas, home game Rice. Though I will say the MAC gets a home game for the Motor City Bowl..but that bowl game hardly matters.

A lot of people say that no one would go to a bowl game in the North during January. You're right its cold, but I'm willing to bet if you put a Bowl game in New York and Chicago, the games would be sold out. Could you imagine the Fiesta Bowl (Ohio State vs Texas) in Solider Stadium in Chicago? Snow blowing around, freezing temperatures, Ohio State fans filling the Stadium...classic Big Ten football. Ohio State would be an instant favorite. Or how about USC vs Penn State in Philadelphia or New York? Virtually a home game for Penn State. Three teams in the Big Ten routinely draw over 100k (Michigan, OSU, PSU) so I don't see where people think they wouldn't be able to fill an 80k NFL stadium for a Bowl Game against a high ranking opponent.

But even if they put a bowl game in either Chicago, New York or Philly the problem would be getting a team from the South to come...none would. They all know their strengths in Bowl season is being able to stay close to home, in the relatively similar climate with huge fan support behind them. They would NEVER leave the South and give the Big Ten or any Northern teams the advantage of home field, crowd and climate. It's a shame, but think about that when you watch the Rose Bowl and see the it covered in 80% Red and Gold. Than for one second imagine it in Giants Stadium, snowing hard and 80% Blue and White. Completely different game eh?

Too bad...too bad for the Big Ten. Imagine a Bowl game like this more often...