Three Questions
Does the MLB All Star game really count now that the winner gets home field advantage in the World Series?
Just looking at the World Series results from the past 20 years undoubtedly proves that it does. Over the past twenty years the home team has won the World Series 17 out of 20 times. Maybe even more importantly over the past twenty years, home teams are 7-0 in game sevens. This may not be the perfect way to determine home field (I’d prefer regular season record), but it’s certainly better than the prior determinant of just alternating each year between leagues (it was changed to this format in ’03). At least it gives some meaning to the game, for the players and the fans, and that couldn’t have been more evident in last night’s game.
20 of the league’s 30 teams are six games or less out of either their division lead or the wild card. So arguments that players from teams not in contention really not caring didn’t really hold true in last night’s game. And the player that can be easiest to blame for last night’s National league loss, Trevor Hoffman, plays for the Padres who are currently first in the National League West division.
Both managers, having played in last year’s World Series and more importantly having a chance to again play in this year’s, said before the game they would manage it as it was game 7 of the World Series and watching the game it seemed that they did just that. MLB already has the best All Star game of all of the leagues, and adding this nuance just seems to make it that much more interesting.
Does Juergen Klinsmann’s resignation as Germany’s soccer coach mean he will now become the coach for the US team?
First things first, Bruce Arena is still the US coach and until further notice (likely any day now) that is where we stand. Klinsmann’s resignation may be the writing on the wall for Arena’s future, however, and there were already rumors starting to circulate that Klinsmann was offered the US coaching job early last week. The president of US Soccer, Sunil Gulati, has continuously stated that no action would be taken until the end of the World Cup and that his plans are to sit and talk with Arena this week about the current state of US Soccer.
Klinsmann, now making his home is California, was probably already the favorite to replace Arena (assuming he resigns or is asked to resign) and now that he has relieved himself of his duties in Germany that becomes even more the case. He had no coaching experience prior to taking over the struggling German squad two years ago, but was able to exceed expectations at this year’s World Cup leading Germany to a third place finish. The team was tabbed as too young and inexperienced to compete, but behind Klinsmann’s lead were rejuvenated right before the Cup and quickly became one of the favorites going into the knockout stages.
It isn’t totally clear whether Bruce Arena will continue as the coach for the US beyond this World Cup (his contract ends at the end of the year), but I surely hope if he doesn’t that Klinsmann’s name is at the top Gulati’s short list of replacements. His resignation from his native Germany’s team shows that maybe Klinsmann hopes so as well.
Is it just me or is Entourage slumping somewhat in its third season?
This season hasn’t been nearly as funny as the previous two, and at times has gotten too serious even for me. In the first two seasons, as they have in the third, they would always end the episode on a serious cliffhanger-like note, but it seems in this season the episodes have been dominated by seriousness. Also, I really didn’t like the bad chemistry that the Dom character introduced and was very glad to see him go after only two episodes.
Don’t get me wrong, I still feel it’s the best show on television, but I wish they’d revert back to their more comedic approach from the first two seasons. So here’s to more scenes with Turtle and Drama, and less with execs from Warner Brothers.
