It’s now over, and just what do we have here with the World Cup? Not sure how much of it you really watched and if it was fad-following for you, but by most accounts it was a good tournament. There were some goals scored early in the tournament, and we learned later that the better the teams the harder it was to score.
With that said, I have decided to help a sport that is in dire need of help if they want it to work in this country. Then I’m not sure if the rest of the world really cares what America thinks when it comes to playing soccer. I have plenty of other real sports to follow, but while I am in the mood of helping, here you go.
Let’s start with the timing of the sport. We see the running clock that happens to be running the wrong way, and at the end of regulation they tack on this thing called “extra time.” That is when the referee looks at his watch and adds on a few minutes. This may be due to injuries or whatever other reason that we are never clear on.
Why not just stop the clock when a faker goes down? If he’s not up and running within the time out, his team plays short for the time he is down unless the team calls a timeout. The opponent will also get the ball from the spot of the injury. Too many frauds already play this game, and they get away with a lot. The officials need to tighten things up.
As for the officials, the files are too big and too many things happen for one guy to oversee. The NHL, NBA, MLB and NFL all have more than one set of eyes that are strategically placed to insure a better game. In this case, eliminate a lot of the diving and other irregularities where an official can say to a player or coach, “I didn’t see it.” More officials can be used here.
When it comes to substitutions, why not expand their role? Players are worn down in the later part of a 90-minute game and certainly in overtime periods. Fresh legs can reduce the penalty kicks. If these teams feature the best players in the world, let’s see for ourselves. Why have a bench if you cannot use it?
A memo to the U.S. Soccer crew: Want better athletes? Open up the game more. Encourage scoring. The highest-paid players will be goal scorers always. Show kids that there is a system that is proactive in producing offense, and they will come.
Athletes give up on soccer at an early age for two reasons: politics and boredom. For such an inexpensive sport to play in the inner city, it is amazing why U.S. Soccer is not more aggressive in getting kids more involved.
Did I mention politics? While the soccer purist will gloat about how well the games did rating-wise on TV, I would ask them what other major sports programs were they going up against? Just baseball. No NFL, no NBA playoffs, no golf featuring Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson.
Soccer has a place in American sports. They now need a chair to sit at the table.
LeBron’s ripple effect
Now that everything is right with the world because of LeBron James’ decision to go back to his home state of Ohio to play, the ripple effect will be felt for some time.
For the Cavaliers and the city of Cleveland it is like manna from heaven to have the best player in the world want to come home. James’ letter on SportsIllustrated.com is a must-read. It covers everything. Hence, there was no need for a press conference/circus, a far cry from “The Decision.”
The letter should be a discussion point in all media and public relation classes, as it is more real than what is being taught in the classroom. Seldom do we see such a “patch up and move on” approach like what James and Cleveland Cavalier owner Dan Gilbert have displayed. It may have been about the money, but a lot of other things had to come up before they got to the happy ending.
LeBron made a lot of players in the NBA a lot of money as the free agency market just exploded. The league will have a new look for sure and it will take time to see who is really better, including Cleveland and Miami. The fact that LeBron signed for just two years with an option to opt out of the contract is unique for sure, but he again may be the smartest guy in the room.
He knows when the next collective bargaining agreement with the owners expires, and he wants to be first in line for another big payday. Which most anticipate will happen, as the NBA is financially growing at a pace where it will soon be time for everyone to get paid. It also puts him in a prime position where, if things do not go according to plan for some odd reason, he can be in the power chair to orchestrate change.
As for the team, that is still a work in progress, as there are all sorts of rumors on who will come to play with the “King.” There will be a lot of teams that will have a new look for now and certainly position themselves for the future.
I posed the question on Twitter to all of the alleged NBA haters: “What player, from a team sport in this country, can be on the front page of every paper and website in the world and not a game was ever played?” Yes, St. Louis, the NBA is alive and no matter what the nay-sayers tell you, they have become out of touch.
