I hear it's due to this series being governed like the olympics in regards to steroid testing...bonds says it's due to his not wanting to jeopardize the upcoming season...if that's really his reason, why commit in the first place?
So basically my kid won't be able to go to college, but at least I'll have a set where the three most expensive cards are of a player I despise ~ CDsNuts
Not surprised but I don't think Bonds should be singled out. There are lots of big names not playing for the USA. Hideki Matsui is not playing for Japan for similar reasons Bonds noted and even refused after Sadaharu Oh personally asked him to play.
I wonder if anyone is going to care about this whole series, anyway. And, it seems like awful timing to have this right before the MLB regular season begins, and players are still rusty from the winter layoff. Who will be the first big name player to get injured?
There's no such thing as a "winter layoff" for these guys. Perhaps they shouldn't drive to the grocery store as they could get hit by a bus. These guys are ballplayers. That's what they DO. I think the Classic could be a great thing. I'm looking forward to it and hope the Cuban's will be represented. Injuries happen. You can't live your freakin' life worried about such nonsense. The only guys who have to worry are fantasy geeks. I'm far more excited about the WBC than the start of the season. A World Championship would be great! The chance to see the world's best come together --- how can THAT be bad? It's baseball, plain and simple. I know you guys just can't wait for that huge Milwaukee/Pittsburgh tilt in 40 degree weather. The WBC is a great idea and I applaud baseball for doing something original. It's ideas like these that can put baseball back in the driver's seat. It's popular to bash it right now...that's fine, but perhaps an intelligent argument against it would be more refreshing than "...duhhhhh who's gonna git hert..." As for Bonds: Bonds' surgically repaired knee is really pretty bad. I was shocked he agreed to play in the first place when many qualified M.D.s have said he won't be playing above 80% on that knee this year for certain and likely ever again. Beginning with the Giants own staff physician citing he'd be encouraged to see Barry participating in a limited capacity in the WBC, but doubted it would actually happen given the daily swelling on Bonds' knee. Barry wanted to be a presence, but was advised against it by his doctors. No diferent than happens to any one of us who bites off a bit more than they can chew.
My problem with the WBC isn't so much about who's going to get hurt or not get hurt, but just that it seems so contrived - a desperate marketing gimmick rather than a truly spirited international competion. Maybe I'll be proven wrong, but I doubt that most fans care that much about it, and I'd be willing to bet that the players aren't that much more motivated than they are for the All-Star Game.
But then again I'm one of those gay soccer fans that's eagerly anticipating the real World Cup.
<< <i>My problem with the WBC isn't so much about who's going to get hurt or not get hurt, but just that it seems so contrived - a desperate marketing gimmick rather than a truly spirited international competion >>
I'm afraid you may be correct on that note. I'm not sure about the desperate part--baseball is far from desperate--but it seems to be pretty random and was thrown together pretty quickly.
One note of a similar theme, the "Super Bowl", originally known as the A.F.L-N.F.L. Championship I believe?, didn't start gaining any popularity and was viewed as a marketing gimmick--with less interest than the Pro Bowl-- until Namath's Jets beat Baltimore. That's when the wheels started turning toward what is now a virtual National holiday. It's important to reserve judgement on this sort of thing and stay positive. We all love baseball and this has a chance to be either riveting or entertaining or poorly showcased and fizzle. I'm willing to give baseball the benefit of the doubt as the game is great, the talent is strong and the participation is far more than anyone expected at this point. It seems to be important to the players. When that is no longer the case, I'll punt.
Yawie, just because you love a gay sport doesn't mean YOU're gay...not that there's anything wrong with that. Soccer has its' rightful place right up there with pin the tail on the donkey, dodgeball, sack-races and other picnic & rec. class engagements. The only difference being that your safety is in question while viewing it in certain venues. Nothing is more awe inspiring as watching a dozen 5-year olds knock each other down whilst chasing a ball in no particular direction. I will say that guys like you digging soccer makes the sport easier to stomach as you seem genuinely cool. dgf
<< <i>I will say that guys like you digging soccer makes the sport easier to stomach as you seem genuinely cool. dgf >>
Why, thank you. However, I'm not sure if that ringing endorsement will be enough to change my wife's opinion of me, my hobbies and my music: "Gay, gay, gay!"
Seriously, though, desperate is probably a tad strong since it's not like baseball is a moribund sport (vis-à-vis, my beloved NHL, at least in the U.S.). I'm willing to give the WBC a chance, but I can't help but expect some schmaltzy, made-for-TV orgy of corporate excess (e.g. the Olympics) rather than a genuinely cool international competition like - and I'll inject some manliness here - the Rugby World Cup.
<< <i>my wife's opinion of me, my hobbies and my music: "Gay, gay, gay!"
>>
That's hilarious. My wife always thought I was a card geek when I was around my friends, but she thought it was endearing. Until I got banned from the secret society of super-cool collectors "LTS". A friend of mine used my "secret password" to read information being posted about himself...anyway, when she heard about that she was surprised I would ever even belong to such a thing as that was "chart-topping GAY!" A secret chat board to discuss sportscards...I guess you have to hit the bottom for things to be looking up, but being banned by card geeks and have NO "friends" speak up on your behalf may be a touch below the earth's core.
Tell your wife that one and she'll think you're super-cool in comparison. LTS...indeed.
I'll have to pull that one out next time she chides me for yelling during the ass-slapping festival that is pro football or for singing along too loudly to Belle & Sebastian.
Axtell
Posts: 10,037 ✭✭
Comments
<< <i>Anyone surprised? >>
not really, is their a dh in the WC? If so he should've just DH'ed, maybe he is scared of getting shown up by cuban pitching.
<< <i>Anyone surprised? >>
No. Juice hasn't fully drained(?).
E
4000000 displaced Iraqi refugees * 655000 Iraqi deaths *
4047 dead servicemen * 27104 wounded servicemen *
Billions of dollars wasted ....
Unfocused, impulsive collector of everything ...
Quite honestly, I wish all the Cardinals would pull out too.
<< <i>Quite honestly, I wish all the Cardinals would pull out too. >>
Berkman just had to pull out due to minor surgery.
Link
As for Bonds: Bonds' surgically repaired knee is really pretty bad. I was shocked he agreed to play in the first place when many qualified M.D.s have said he won't be playing above 80% on that knee this year for certain and likely ever again. Beginning with the Giants own staff physician citing he'd be encouraged to see Barry participating in a limited capacity in the WBC, but doubted it would actually happen given the daily swelling on Bonds' knee. Barry wanted to be a presence, but was advised against it by his doctors. No diferent than happens to any one of us who bites off a bit more than they can chew.
dgf
But then again I'm one of those gay soccer fans that's eagerly anticipating the real World Cup.
<< <i>My problem with the WBC isn't so much about who's going to get hurt or not get hurt, but just that it seems so contrived - a desperate marketing gimmick rather than a truly spirited international competion >>
I'm afraid you may be correct on that note. I'm not sure about the desperate part--baseball is far from desperate--but it seems to be pretty random and was thrown together pretty quickly.
One note of a similar theme, the "Super Bowl", originally known as the A.F.L-N.F.L. Championship I believe?, didn't start gaining any popularity and was viewed as a marketing gimmick--with less interest than the Pro Bowl-- until Namath's Jets beat Baltimore. That's when the wheels started turning toward what is now a virtual National holiday. It's important to reserve judgement on this sort of thing and stay positive. We all love baseball and this has a chance to be either riveting or entertaining or poorly showcased and fizzle. I'm willing to give baseball the benefit of the doubt as the game is great, the talent is strong and the participation is far more than anyone expected at this point. It seems to be important to the players. When that is no longer the case, I'll punt.
Yawie, just because you love a gay sport doesn't mean YOU're gay...not that there's anything wrong with that. Soccer has its' rightful place right up there with pin the tail on the donkey, dodgeball, sack-races and other picnic & rec. class engagements. The only difference being that your safety is in question while viewing it in certain venues. Nothing is more awe inspiring as watching a dozen 5-year olds knock each other down whilst chasing a ball in no particular direction.
I will say that guys like you digging soccer makes the sport easier to stomach as you seem genuinely cool.
dgf
<< <i>I will say that guys like you digging soccer makes the sport easier to stomach as you seem genuinely cool.
dgf >>
Why, thank you. However, I'm not sure if that ringing endorsement will be enough to change my wife's opinion of me, my hobbies and my music: "Gay, gay, gay!"
Seriously, though, desperate is probably a tad strong since it's not like baseball is a moribund sport (vis-à-vis, my beloved NHL, at least in the U.S.). I'm willing to give the WBC a chance, but I can't help but expect some schmaltzy, made-for-TV orgy of corporate excess (e.g. the Olympics) rather than a genuinely cool international competition like - and I'll inject some manliness here - the Rugby World Cup.
<< <i>my wife's opinion of me, my hobbies and my music: "Gay, gay, gay!"
>>
That's hilarious. My wife always thought I was a card geek when I was around my friends, but she thought it was endearing. Until I got banned from the secret society of super-cool collectors "LTS". A friend of mine used my "secret password" to read information being posted about himself...anyway, when she heard about that she was surprised I would ever even belong to such a thing as that was "chart-topping GAY!" A secret chat board to discuss sportscards...I guess you have to hit the bottom for things to be looking up, but being banned by card geeks and have NO "friends" speak up on your behalf may be a touch below the earth's core.
Tell your wife that one and she'll think you're super-cool in comparison. LTS...indeed.
dgf
<< <i>ass-slapping festival that is pro football >>
...not that there's anything wrong with that
dgf