July, 2007

Okay, I was gonna go soft on Pete Rose. I had reconsidered my support for his ban from the Baseball Hall of Fame. I was going to write about it. And then--- this NBA ref thing came up.

The annual debate over whether baseball's hit king should be allowed into Cooperstown's shrine will swirl again--especially this weekend. It always does. It's induction week, and it's one of the most cherished events in sports.

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank can't afford to wait for the NFL. He must suspend Michael Vick-- now. 

Spare me the passionate "innocent until proven guilty" rhetoric. It belongs in a courtroom. Public opinion isn't always bound by constitutional constraints.

Vick is accused, among other things, of sponsoring dog fighting at his home in Virginia. That's the sanitized version. The 18-page federal indictment also alleges Vick and others executed dogs by hanging and electrocution. If it's true, it's sick stuff.

I want it to work. I really do. But I don't think it will. At least, not to the degree enthusiasts are hoping for. 

I'm talking about David Beckham's goal to popularize American professional soccer.

Beckham has a long and successful career as a European football player. That's football, as in soccer. He's won titles for Manchester United, perhaps the most famous sports franchise in the world. He's captained England's World Cup teams. He most recently played for Real Madrid in Spain.

In 1970, Pete Rose tried to prove the All-Star game means something. In 2007, Jim Leyland proved it, and he didn't have to flatten a catcher (Ray Fosse) in the process.

Did you see Leyland fidget and fuss in the dugout last night? It was great. That's why I like the rule giving World Series home field advantage to the winning league. I am in the minority of baseball fans and media that like the rule. I've liked it from the beginning because, well, it works.