Now in our ninth calendar year!
PCR #427 (Vol. 9, No. 22) This edition is for the week of May 26--June 1, 2008.
The Rays Are Best in Baseball
Call your mama, the Rays are the team to beat in the majors. To tell you the truth, I don’t remember when the Rays were 1 game over even. Now they are unbeatable at home, and they have been generating that buzz that Rays’ fans felt just before the season started. Attendance is up at the Trop, but will it hold up? If the Rays want their fancy new stadium, winning is key. We are 1/3 of the way through the MLB season and the Rays are on top of the division (NY Yankees are at the bottom) and fans are happy.
Iraq Kicked Out Of Soccer League
Team Iraq was recently kicked out of FIFA Tourney, then reinstated. FIFA kicked them out because of the Iraqi government’s (whoever is running it this week) decision to disband all national sports leagues and teams in the country. A day after the ejection, they were reinstated, but the ban on leagues is still ongoing. In a country with so many problems, you would think that sports would help the youth there. Sports could be used to detour youth from carrying around a rifle like it’s a fashion statement, just like sports are used to keep teens of the streets and out of trouble. Just goes to show you how well democracy is going in Iraq.
Are You Replaying? There’s No Replaying in Baseball!
Hell has officially frozen over. Baseball is flirting with instant replay in their Arizona minor-league system. Some of us would say it’s about damn time, others would say not only no, but hell no. Baseball has always seemed to be sheltered from the technology that’s taking the sports world by storm. Instant Replay has helped the leagues that use it to get close calls, missed calls, and controversial calls correct according to the league’s rule book (except for the Raiders vs. Patriots AFC Championship in 01, but that’s another story). Recently, officials can’t get close home run calls right in baseball, leaving us fans no choice but to demand instant replay in the sport. MLB officials, have always missed home-run calls over the years, but not as much as they have this year and it’s needed now more than ever. I hope the tryout goes well and they implement the replay system. They call baseball “America’s Past-time” for a reason, their rules were created more than 100 years ago, some have been amended to fit today’s game and players, but not much.
Big Brown, Triple Crown?
Can he do it? Big Brown will be trying to be the first Triple Crown winner since “Affirmed” did it in 1978. For those who don’t remember, Eight Belles lost to Big Brown and was euthanized for trying to beat him, breaking her ankles in the process. Big Brown also has a crack in his hoof, thrusting trainers to use stainless steel wires to “stitch” it up.
Congrats Lakers Congrats Celts
The Lakers did it, they beat the Spurs (last year’s champs) and now they’re in the NBA Finals, waiting to play the Boston Celtics. Boston has a strong team on the court and won't be easily beaten. By anyone. Including the Darth Vader of the NBA, The Lakers. If The Lakers win the Finals, that would give Phil Jackson 10 NBA Championship titles making him the coach with the most championship rings (currently tied at 9). If the Lakers win it all, I think Phil Jackson will retire shortly after.
Thanks For Reading Sports Talk. Check back next week for more.
"Sports Talk" is ©2008 by Christopher Munger. All graphics this page, except where otherwise noted, are creations of Nolan B. Canova. All contents of Nolan's Pop Culture Review are ©2008 by Nolan B. Canova.
