Futbol, Football and oh yeah, some guy in Cleveland.

We have a winner!!

64 games, 5 weeks and wayyy too many vuvuzelas but Copa Mundial 2010 is en los libros and Espana is El Winner. Personally I was rooting for the Dutch. Erica's family is Dutch and we were pulling for the Oranje. Congrats to La Furia Rojo. I would imagine the party in Madrid, Barcelona, Ibiza, etc. is probably still going on. For The Netherlands, the third time in the final was not the charm. Holland did all they could for 116 minutes but their lack of composure (9 yellow cards, 1 red) reduced them to 10 men and eventually cost them the World Championship. Although in Amsterdam, there are enough things to do to make you forget the loss. For what its worth, Europe now leads South America 10-9. There also has not been a repeat champ since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. That was also the last time a continent won back to back.

Ok...I just used Dutch, English and Spanish in the same paragraph...I am indeed an international man of mystery. Yeah, baby!!

I have to hand it to the Soccer world. I again enjoyed the World Cup. I guess for me it is, as mentioned before, like the Olympics. Not a fan in off years and I do not follow the MLS, EPL, Serie A or La Liga but when the National Team is involved every 4 years...I like it. Rio in 2014 should be interesting seeing as how Brazil got knocked out early this time around. Agradecimentos, Selecao for messing up my winner prediction. (Ooh...I just added Portuguese) Yeah I think Kaka and his side will be amped up for that one. The U.S. is in the running for the 2018 and 2022 WC, that would be cool and we all know that Jerry Jones will be all over those committee members to have Jerryworld as one of the sites. With a new Giants Stadium, Ford Field, Lucas Oil Staduim, Qwest Field as well as Jerryworld....FIFA would be stupid to pass us up. In 1994, we had the most attended and most watched tournament in history. We can do it again.

Ok, with the world's biggest tournament done, its time to concentrate on our football. The Browns start their camp first on the 23rd with the Cowboys starting on the 24th and everyone else joining in after that. I have but two words for this...

Thank God.

You can't get enough football and I am soooo ready. Got the fantasy football mag...will be setting up the leagues soon....its a sign of the seasons. Fall is near and the pigskin's a-comin. I think the NFC will be up for grabs this year with the Vikes, Cowboys, Pack and the defending champ Saints. The AFC should be just as wild. Peyton and the Colts will be there, as well Brady and the Pats. San Diego will make some noise and the Jets and Ravens might have the top two defenses. I will be making predictions closer to the season.

I think just two fantasy leagues for me this year. Down from three last year and five the year before. Yeah, you're right...what the hell was I thinking?

Totally off the subject...this week I will be recording my entry to the Mad Dog Russo Sports Host contest. If I win, I can get up to eight shows on Sirius Satellite Radio. Please keep positive thoughts for me. I will keep you posted on my progress.

Then there is the elephant in the room.

LeBron.

Being the Self Proclaimed Sports God of the Southwest...and now the Midwest, I have been asked by tons of people what I think about the whole LeBron sideshow. Well, first thing I can say is I was totally wrong about where he was going. :) I picked Chicago..oops. Miami pulled off what some thought was impossible. They basically erased their roster to pull of the Free Agent hat trick of keeping D-Wade, adding Chris Bosh and securing the services of LeBron. Hey...it's the best 3-on-3 team on the planet and in the history of basketball. Not even Chili Bowl, Kris Winston or the mighty THP could take them. Well, maybe THP...after all, I have 5 fouls and there are no easy buckets. The question is can they secure enough role players to supplement Miami Thrice. Mike Miller signed today and Udonis Haslem re-signed today. They also still have Mario Chalmers and drafted three players in the second round this season, including DeSean Butler whom I think, when he fully recovers from his devestating knee injury suffered in the NCAA's, can be a good NBA player. So if they have the Tres Grande, with Miller, Chalmers and the Tres Ninos (hey, why can't the rookies get a nickname too?) that is nine players. They are allowed 15 on the roster (you can suit out 12) so that leaves 6 spots. Ok, if the sports radio thing doesn't work out...I, too, this fall will take my talents to South Beach. (In the NBA, I get 6 fouls..woot!)

The celebration in Miami-Dade county was almost as big as the one in Spain. As happy as they were in South F-L-A, they were as sad and angry in C-L-E. Not just angry....freaking pissed off!! Burning jerseys, throwing rocks at LeBron posters and general mayhem. A lot of people outside of Cleveland didn't understand the anger and were even dissing those fans for acting that way. I totally get their reaction. I get it because I almost had it 10 years ago.

The summer of 2000 proved to be a pivotal one in San Antonio. The Spurs were one season removed from an NBA title and were poised to challenge the Lakers for another one when Tim Duncan hurt a knee and was unable to play for most of the first round. A round which saw the exit of the Spurs to Phoenix. Bigger than that was Duncan's impending Free Agency. The rumors were flying like the cicadas that buzz like Nature's little vuvuzelas during the summertime. Much like this year, there was talk of a trio of stars. Orlando was trying to get Tracy McGrady, Grant Hill and Duncan..or some combination thereof. Peter Vescey on a daily basis was telling us that his sources confirmed that TD was staying...then he was going...then he was staying. I'm not kidding....every day he changed his mind. Tool. These rumors precipitated the Great Message Board War of 2000 on SpursCentral (now ClubSpurs) The funniest rumor I heard that summer was on that site where someone said that they had a friend who knew someone at the HEB pharmacy (for my peeps in Lansing...think Meijer) and that Amy Duncan had switched her prescriptions to an Orlando pharmacy. Another media tool, Peter Brown, "just knew" that Duncan was not coming back. As did many callers on national radio shows. As we all now know, Duncan chose SA (maybe you dumbasses really didn't know?) and three titles later...the rest is history. But what if.....Duncan chose Mickey Mouse over Henry the Puffy Taco? I can tell you what would have happened...a reaction much like we saw in Cleveland...maybe worse. Cleveland still has the Indians and the Browns...San Antonio just has the Spurs. The good people of SA would have gone ape-shit...and you all know it. They have to rebuild around a soon to be retired David Robinson and 4 titles shrinks to 1. Spurs fans have to hear the tired asterisk talk still...but imagine if they only had 1 title?

I feel for the fans of Cleveland. Their sports history reads like a bad dime store novel. No championships of any kind since 1964 and countless examples of being this close then RRRIIPPPPPP...out comes their hearts. So, no, I don't blame those fans at all for how they reacted. I don't necessarily agree with what they did but I can't say for sure that I would not have reacted similarly. It's not right because in the grand scheme of things, its just a sport but we love our sports. We invest in them emotionally and the pain we feel is real.

Then there is Dan Gilbert. On one hand, I also get him. Again, if I was in his position..maybe I do something similar. It would, however, still have been the wrong way to handle it. I thought it was funny....inappropriate....but funny. I like the way he rallied the support of the fans. I just hope he didn't get some of the less stable ones to be encouraged to commit real violence. Yell, scream, stomp your feet...let it out. You deserve it Cavs fans, but don't be destructive by words or actions. It was reported today that the Commish fined Gilbert 100K....I imagine he feels it was money well spent.

Oh and for what its worth....Reverend Jesse....with all due respect...shut it. I admire what you do for people who need help but, and this will come as a shock, its not always racial. Just because a rich white guy loses his temper does not mean he is reaching for a white hood. That "runaway slave" comment was wayyy out of line. The loyalty issue, I agree, doesn't fit here...but just because Gilbert accused James of being disloyal to Cleveland is not even close to even inferring that he is calling LeBron a slave. Slavery is a horrible stain on our history and while we should never forget it in order to grow from it, we cannot grow with comments like that. Implying racism where there is none is almost as bad as racism itself.

Which brings me to the man who would be King. (again LBJ...Kings have titles...you don't) I am all about loyalty. I am loyal to those close to me almost to a fault. While I feel for the Cavs fans who got hosed, I'm sorry.....LBJ did nothing wrong. Loyalty on the professional sports level, with few exceptions, is dead. Gone are the days where your superstars and favorite players stayed with one team. Tim Duncan is almost the last future hall of famer currently playing to fit that description. Bird did it. Magic did it. Robinson did it. Kobe and D-Wade are doing it but that is about it. Shaq didn't. Neither did Barkley or Olajuwon. Hell, Jordan didn't do it. He started to, then he got that wild hair up his ass and came back and went to the Wizards. (Still don't know who spiked his Gatorade on that one) It's a business. Does it suck that its a business? Yes. However, because it became a business, we are enjoying the NBA as we know it now. I can't fault LeBron for wanting to go somewhere where he feels he can win a title. That is, after all, what athletes should strive for...and yes, technically he is taking less money to go there in order to win. Yeah..poor LeBron...he is only going to make $110 million instead of $140 million. Boo f-ing hoo. Also...this "decision"? What the hell were you thinking son? You just went from arguably the most liked NBA player to one of the most disliked in 60 minutes..and not just in Cleveland where you have been placed at the same table as Satan and Art Modell. Really Lebron? A one hour commercial to promote yourself? I have no problem with you leaving Cleveland but doing your hometown like that? Damn...that is homeroom during summer.....No Class. When I saw that...I momentarily thought about breaking one of my cardinal rules and wishing for a blown knee..but I know what Karma is so I thought better of it.

One last thing....I don't want to hear how LeBron and Bosh are "sacrificing" for a title. Ok, so each left $30mil on the table...they are still getting $110mil!!!! 110 is less than 140 but its still $110 MILLION tell me again what great sacrifice they are making? A sacrifice is when a parent gives up their personal time or rewards so junior can make soccer practice or when mom and dad have to pay a bill next month in order to pay rent this month. James and Bosh want to impress me? Donate a year's salary to the charity of their choice. LBJ has a $90mil contract with Nike...you telling me he couldn't donate that and live off "just" his $110 mil? Child, please.

Enough of that pretension though....football is around the corner. Time to get in the right mode and bring on the new season. The countdown begins now. Are you ready for some football? Because I sure as hell am. :)

Peace.