World Baseball Classic

[AndSomeAreAngels]

Anyone else excited about the World Baseball Classic? I'm not really a fan of baseball at all (unless I'm trying to sleep), but I'm excited for this tournament. Maybe it's because I love international tournaments, or the fact that the Olympics have deteriorated into shite, but I'll be watching the games for sure.

I think the Dominican Republic has the best team, but Venezuela and the U.S. are gonna be tough to beat.

Anyone else going to watch?

[Twenty26Six]

Anyone else excited about the World Baseball Classic? I'm not really a fan of baseball at all (unless I'm trying to sleep), but I'm excited for this tournament. Maybe it's because I love international tournaments, or the fact that the Olympics have deteriorated into shite, but I'll be watching the games for sure.

I think the Dominican Republic has the best team, but Venezuela and the U.S. are gonna be tough to beat.

Anyone else going to watch?

I don't have a lot of time to pay attention but I will try to turn out for a few games and then the Semis and Final.

[655321]

I'll be watching a few here and there. I'm a big baseball fan and would love to see this eventually become a respected and anticipated event.

[Suss]

I probably won't watch it much because I'm not a big baseball fan. But I hate how every single American journalist or radio personality is bashing this idea and calling it a worthless tournament. Sure, there are plenty of problems with it, but the idea is good. Americans in general don't appreciate international competitions, and that bothers me. We are happy with our MLB and NFL, even when the rest of the world doesn't care.

[AndSomeAreAngels]

I probably won't watch it much because I'm not a big baseball fan. But I hate how every single American journalist or radio personality is bashing this idea and calling it a worthless tournament. Sure, there are plenty of problems with it, but the idea is good. Americans in general don't appreciate international competitions, and that bothers me. We are happy with our MLB and NFL, even when the rest of the world doesn't care.
Exactly. Why the hell are people knocking it before it even starts? The spirit of the tournament is great. There should be more global tournaments that people actually care about. Sadly, I feel the Olympics is not that type of event any more.

Baseball is the second or third largest sport in the world (I think basketball may be #2). I think a baseball World Cup is long overdue, and part of the greatness of it is that there are several teams that could be considered a favorite to win.

I'll be watching if for no other reason than to support this type of event. I'm happy that the American MLB'ers are treating it with respect, i.e. the big guns are actually playing (Jeter, A-Rod, Clemens, etc).

Hopefully with a good viewership this event will take off.

[liverbird]

Couldn't give a rat's ass. Now baseball joins the eggchasers with a copy cat World Cup. Problem is there are really only 5 countries that are any good. I mean Italy and Holland in baseball?

[655321]

I'm definitely more interested in the Giants' pre-season games, but I'll still pay attention.

[stanaccrington]

As a season ticket holder for Yankees spring training games I'm a little pissed not seeing Jeter and co, but not as much as George and his concessions, I am not holding my breath that it will be successfull due to the season being so long, plus who compensates the teams if a super star gets injured, not too bad for the Yankees or Sox but what if Crawford or someone from the Devilrays gets hurt its end of season.

[655321]

...who compensates the teams if a super star gets injured.

No one...same deal if someone gets injured in the world cup.

[Twenty26Six]

I hate it already. It is preempting all 5 Champions League matches on [4 on ESPNdeportes and one on ESPN2] Tuesday and 2 CL matches [both deportes] on Wednesday.

So instead of seeing all the 2nd legs. I'm missing 5/6, including Chelsea v Barcelona.

F********K Bud Selig! I hope the Brewers finish dead last this year! :mad:

[TheNewOrleansHammer]

I hate it already. It is preempting all 5 Champions League matches on [4 on ESPNdeportes and one on ESPN2] Tuesday and 2 CL matches [both deportes] on Wednesday.

So instead of seeing all the 2nd legs. I'm missing 5/6, including Chelsea v Barcelona.

F********K Bud Selig! I hope the Brewers finish dead last this year! :mad:


I'm a Whufc fan but I love Liverpool too, todays game was a F-ing shame 79% possesion????
I say this as not to get a bunch of neg-rep crap.

On the baseball subject, I was wondering why the 2nd leg CL games were not on ESPN and now I know its been debunked for this crap, I'm livid.
Give it it's worthy time spot, like 3 in the morning on a non-sport channel like Spike. Baseball is not a sport it is a GAME, like Gridiron football. How is a player going to get injured? forget to tie his laces and trip and fall into an advertising board? Eat too much and explode???

CRAP!

[TheNewOrleansHammer]

Baseball is the second or third largest sport in the world (I think basketball may be #2).


Knock those places down a notch, the largest sport in the world is...........


................http://www.escapeartist.com/efam/38/elephant_polo.html :D

[TheNewOrleansHammer]

Or read this, please note the subject at the foot of the page.

http://www.johann-sandra.com/popular.htm


in response........
....http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Sport/Question30084.html

[stanaccrington]

No one...same deal if someone gets injured in the world cup.
Through the advice of a certain Mr Selig the players in the baseball classic are not insured, unlike the World Cup, which all national association must have full insurance cover above and beyond all club cover.

Critics and skeptics have blasted it as an ill-conceived, poorly organized and stupidly scheduled exhibition, predicted the quality of play will be embarrassing and the potential for injuries high, and pointed as proof to the hefty number of major-leaguers who have declined to participate for assorted reasons.

"I think it's bull----," Yankees principal owner George Steinbrenner told USA Today. "Some good player is going to get hurt and they don't have insurance on him. It's a bad situation. A lot of the players, the smart ones, are dropping out. ... Baseball didn't need this."

Saturday, the Yankees went even further, posting a sign at Tampa's Legends Field apologizing to fans for the absence of their Classic-bound stars and making it clear where they stood on the matter by noting they "did not vote to support this event" and directing fans to relay their feelings to MLB and the players union, which are co-producing it.

Even supporters of the concept have some problems with it, specifically the timing of the tournament.

Playing it early in spring training, they say, endangers players who are not in top shape but could get caught up in the emotions and competitiveness and hurt themselves. It also forces some players to choose between their country and their team, and risk the wrath of whichever is spurned. Further, the timing disrupts preparations for teams that have spent tens of millions

[quentinc]

I really don't care. I guess it's nice simply because competitive baseball is starting back up again. But then again, I don't know if I'm comfortable with Roger Clemens starting actual pitching a month earlier than usual.

[655321]

On the baseball subject, I was wondering why the 2nd leg CL games were not on ESPN and now I know its been debunked for this crap, I'm livid.
Give it it's worthy time spot, like 3 in the morning on a non-sport channel like Spike. Baseball is not a sport it is a GAME, like Gridiron football. How is a player going to get injured? forget to tie his laces and trip and fall into an advertising board? Eat too much and explode???

ZZZZzzz...bitch all you want about it pre-empting CL matches, but let's not turn this into an ignorant discussion about what is and isn't a sport. You try hitting a 95mph fastball and then come back and tell me if it's a "sport" or a "game".

[AndSomeAreAngels]

ZZZZzzz...bitch all you want about it pre-empting CL matches, but let's not turn this into an ignorant discussion about what is and isn't a sport. You try hitting a 95mph fastball and then come back and tell me if it's a "sport" or a "game".
Seriously. I'm not a baseball fan really, but saying that it's not a sport is ridiculous. How is someone going to get injured? By taking said 95 mph fastball in the head or by colliding full speed with a catcher at home plate. And then there's the even more ridiculous statement of calling American football "not a sport".

As far as pre-empting CL, yeah, that's ************. But if you're relying on ESPN for soccer coverage then you're just asking to be bent over. ESPN has done virtually nothing for its soccer fans in the U.S.

[liverbird]

Seriously. I'm not a baseball fan really, but saying that it's not a sport is ridiculous. How is someone going to get injured? By taking said 95 mph fastball in the head or by colliding full speed with a catcher at home plate. And then there's the even more ridiculous statement of calling American football "not a sport".

As far as pre-empting CL, yeah, that's ************. But if you're relying on ESPN for soccer coverage then you're just asking to be bent over. ESPN has done virtually nothing for its soccer fans in the U.S.

"Not a sport" has to be confined to any athletic endeavor that requires a judge to tell you who won -- with the exception of prize fighting. By that I mean figure skating, gymnastics, and diving. If they are sports, so then are ballet and a variety of circus acts. But anything involving a team and total points, or individuals and a finish line, is by definition a sport. It can be a crap sport like arena football, rugby league, or indoor lacrosse but it is still a sport.

[quentinc]

As far as pre-empting CL, yeah, that's ************. But if you're relying on ESPN for soccer coverage then you're just asking to be bent over. ESPN has done virtually nothing for its soccer fans in the U.S.
But more people watch baseball than do football. It's a programming decision, plain and simple. I'm really not going to complain too much, because I understand that this is the United States. There are plenty of other outlets for watching fooball.