Should the MLB All-Star game decide home-field advantage in World Series?

Without a doubt, the MLB all-star game is the best all-star game in professional sports because it means something. In the NBA, the all-star game is always high scoring, but there is always a lack of defense, hustle, and determination to win the game since a win does not mean much. In the NFL, the all-star game is pretty much pointless. Except for last year, the pro bowl has taken place after the entire season was over (a week after the Super Bowl). The players show very little motivation because they do not want to risk injury going into the off season. The only inspiration NFL superstars have is a little more extra money when they win. The MLS Soccer All-Star game is at least somewhat exciting this year as the MLS players take on the very talented Manchester United club. Also, NASCAR has an all-star event, but does anybody even watch it or know about it? The same thing goes for the National Hockey League, a game which is usually only on cable.

Since 2003, the winner of the all-star game has decided which league gets home-field advantage in the World Series in October. This decision was made by the MLB commissioner because in 2002, there was a tie in the all-star game. Bud Selig wants this game to count, be worthwhile for the players to participate in, and be worthwhile for the fans around the world to watch. A mid season exhibition game decides the fate of a champion. Is this the right move for sports? I think it is. The MLB midsummer classic has meaning. The fielders hustle for ground balls, the outfielders dive for sinking line drives, and pitchers show off their best stuff in order to win the ball game. The two managers from the previous World Series coach and manage the players just like it is a meaningful game because they know how important home-field advantage is to their respective leagues.

The American League has owned the National League since 1996. This year (2010) was the first time the NL beat the AL. Honestly, this year was somewhat boring. Only four runs crossed the plate. The AL scored on an unearned run, and it was Brian McCann's late hit that put the NL up 3-1, which was the final score. There was very little offense. No home runs were hit. However, the defense was exciting to watch. Corey Hart made a spectacular diving catch in left field. In the ninth, the right fielder for the NL made a nice throw to get David Ortiz out at second in a game-saving situation.

So, home-field advantage determined by a mid season game does make professional baseball more intriguing. It seems to make intuitive sense, but has it really influenced who would actually win the World Series? From 1996-2009, the American League has won the all-star game. Since 2002, the American League has won the World Series five times, and the National League has won three times. So, there is a slight advantage to winning the all-star game, but there is not much because the World Series is a way bigger game than the all-star game. The players' emotions are running high. There is less room for error. The World Series is all or nothing. While the all-star game just determines how many games a team will have at their home ballpark in front of their fans come October.

Overall, I hope other professional leagues will follow Major League Baseball's example and make the mid season exhibition game meaningful to take part in and watch. This was a great idea for America, America's game, and sports history.

Twins get 1st Walk-Off Victory at Target Field; take three of four from Chicago and gain ground in AL Central

The Twins struggled right before the all-star break as they fell to third in the division behind the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers. Entering into the second half, the White Sox had been the hottest team in baseball, and Detroit has a potential triple crown winner in Miguel Cabrera. The AL Central is heating up. The White Sox won their first game out of the break by beating the Twins 8-7 because of a bad pitching performance by Kevin Slowey.

However, the Twins took the next three games because of great pitching performances by Francisco Liriano and Carl Pavano. On Saturday, Carl Pavano pitched a complete game 3-2 victory over the Sox. This was Pavano's fourth complete game of the season,and it was his eleventh win. Pavano's pitching opponent, Mark Buerhle, also pitched a complete game, but Pavano was just a little bit better. Saturday's game lasted just one hour and fifty-two minutes. It had been the middle of the lineup for the Twins in the White Sox series that did most of the damage offensively including Mauer, Cuddyer, Kubel, and Thome, but the entire lineup contributed to help the Twins to three straight wins.

Danny Valencia has filled in nicely at third base where he has not made an error yet. J.J. Hardy has fully recovered from his wrist injury, and his offensive and defensive presence is being felt. With Justin Morneau out with concussion-like symptoms, Michael Cuddyer is taking over first. This means Jason Kubel can play right field, and Thome can swing the bat as the designated hitter on a daily basis.

Ozzie Guillen must be thrilled to be leaving Minnesota and the dangerous piranhas. Chicago now has lost three straight games, and they only lead the central by 1.5 games over the slumping Tigers and the resurgent Twins. This weekend Detroit got swept by the last place Indians in Cleveland in a four-game series, and the Indians will come to Target Field starting tomorrow for a three-game division matchup.

On Sunday, the Twins captured their first walk-off victory at Target Field. Nick Blackburn pitched five okay innings by keeping the ball low in the strike zone, but he gave his team a chance to win the ball game. The walk-off could not have come at a better time. In the ninth, Bobby Jenks walked Orlando Hudson and Joe Mauer to start the inning. Then, he gave up singles to both Kubel and Cuddyer before being pulled. The next Sox pitcher, Sergio Santos, walked Jason Repko. After five batters, there was still nobody out in the inning. Delmon Young stepped up to the plate. Young was the one who hit the two-run home run in the bottom of the second to give the Twins a 2-0 lead.

Delmon Young softly hit the ball into right-center, which allowed Kubel to score, and Cuddyer was able to cross the plate as the go-ahead run because of a wild throw by center fielder, Alex Rios. The Twins fought back to score four runs in the ninth, and they did not give up. On Sunday, the Twins won by a final score of 7-6. Three of the four games were decided by one run. Minnesota, like every other team, will go through ups and downs, but they must go out and play to win each and every game of the season.

After a good start to the second half of the season, the Twins now look forward to taking on Cleveland, Baltimore, and Kansas City in their next three series. All three of these teams have sub .500 records. Baltimore has the worst record in baseball. What a weekend for the Minnesota Twins.

How to be the next NBA Superstar....Sports Science: Accuracy in Shooting a Basketball

The main goal for a basketball player is to shoot and score. Where is the best place to shoot or which areas on a basketball court have a high percentage shot? Does distance and angles from the basket have to do anything with shooting accurately? The objective of the offense in basketball is accuracy of each attempted shot and most players recognize this; but, only the better shooters learn how to practice correctly and work at improvement year round.

When shooting from anywhere on the court, there is a mental and physical aspect involved. At not time is psychological conditioning more critical than when shooting the basketball in a game. Shooters need to learn to develop concentration when shooting, so they know that the ball will score. Shooters need confidence and the ability to relax. It is not a good idea to shoot when in doubt. Do not take a low percentage shot except in desperate circumstances. If a person does not have confidence in their shot, the player should not take the shot because they are more likely to miss than to make. A person may have had their confidence shaken by a string of misses, or they may be overly tense, tired, or may have a lapse in concentration.

There is also a physical aspect of shooting the ball. Shooting a ball and connecting with the target involves several factors. One factor is sighting or locating the target. In sighting, the eyes are used merely to locate the target in space, and the computing of an intercept trajectory is left for the brain. When a shooter concentrates on an object such as the basket, their eyes will get quite wide. The eyes are like a computer. They continuously are updating a three-dimensional fix on whatever is being held focus. Another physical aspect of shooting the basketball is body balance. when properly balanced, a shooter can coordinate the efforts of each muscle to produce a force in the direction of the basket. There is also the factor of timing and rhythm to consider. The timing of a shot begins with getting the correct foot down for takeoff and ends with the follow through and recovery.

Which spot on the basketball court is the best place to shoot from? There really is not a best spot the way most people shoot. In order to make a shot, a person needs to have accuracy in their shooting. The accuracy is affected by the way a person aims the ball and their effort in shooting the ball. The ball will have a chance to go in the net if the center of mass of the ball is inside an imaginary cylinder extending upwards over the hoop, and if the ball is coming in too flat, the target zone disappears and its unlikely the ball will go in except by "a lucky shooter's bounce" off the rim. So, there is not one true good spot on the basketball court to shoot from because a person needs to aim and put effort in the shot.

Shooting from a closer spot allows the shooter more error in aim. A hard shot will bounce off the rim much harder than a soft shot. So, if a person hits the rim, they are better off hitting it softly because the change in direction of the ball is going to be less and may keep the ball in the target zone. It is more difficult to shoot a ball softly and make the shot. Basically, what the shooter is trying to do is to have the peak of the ball's flight path as close to the hoop as possible, and the downward flight of the ball will still be in the target zone

When learning how to become a consistent shooter, it takes time. It takes time because a person needs to practice, follow, and listen to important basketball tips. Having a good shot makes a person a threat on the floor, especially if the person can drive well to the hoop. In order to shoot, a person needs to know the fundamentals. For shooting a basketball, a person must have their entire body in the right position to ensure that they have the greatest chance of making the shot. That means a person's stronger arm should be up and bent at 90 degrees. When a person shoots the ball, they should flick their wrists and push their arm to propel the ball. In order to shoot well, your body needs to be positioned right. A person's feet should be shoulder-width apart and parallel to each other, and a person's weight should be equally distributed on each foot.

World Cup a huge success in S. Africa; Can Brazil overcome challenges as it prepares for 2014?

After a successful World Cup in South Africa, players, coaches, fans, and journalists head back to their homes. Many feel disappointed in their teams' efforts. Other countries like the Netherlands and Spain have a lot to be proud of. This World Cup has globalized the game of soccer all around the world, especially in the United States where soccer's popularity is considerably lower than in other countries.

The country of South Africa had a lot to prepare for, but they managed to pull off an incredible soccer environment as they hosted Africa's first World Cup. With the hard work of so many South Africans, there is no doubt that another country in Africa will be a host soon.

However, Brazil will face many of the same challenges South Africa went through as Brazil starts preparations for the tournament in 2014. Just like South Africa, Brazil has huge crime problems, a large income gap, cities that are spread out, and has very little infrastructure like stadiums and airports. Brazil is falling behind pace in order to be ready in four years. This country cannot afford to fall behind anymore because they also host the Confederations Cup in 2013 and the Olympics in 2016.

Brazilian soccer federation president Ricardo Teixeira and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva say that there is nothing to worry about because everything will be ready in time. Fifa is not happy with Brazil's progress so far. They still need to build new stadiums, airports, set up roads, and construct a communication system. Brazil plans to handle air travel by investing money in sixteen airports across the country. They also expect to build twelve new stadiums including one in Sao Paulo, the continent's largest city.

There are plenty of financial issues because not every country can handle a venue as big as the World Cup. It will cost Brazil an estimated $18 billion in construction, but the government says that this is a wonderful opportunity because preparation will bring in around 700,000 jobs and over 600,000 fans are estimated to come from outside of the country during the tournament.

Brazil has a huge task at hand as the last time they were the host nation was 1950. The World Cup can either bring a country into financial disaster, or it can bring huge economic success like it did in South Africa.

Soccer is a world's game. Players are training with professional teams. Coaches are preparing with players and studying film for how to perform better. Construction workers are doing all they can to get stadiums built, polished, and fields ready to play on. Do not forget about the youth. They are the future of soccer. There are soccer camps across the globe like the ones the Minnesota Thunder Academy and the University of Minnesota have that kids participate in to eventually be professional, World Cup athletes. One of the biggest soccer events for youth is the Schwan's USA Cup where youth from many countries play soccer and some of them go on to play the game in professional leagues and for national teams. The 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa has localized the global and globalized the local.

Spain wins first World Cup; defeat Netherlands 1-0 in extra time

On July 11, 2010, Netherlands and Spain played for the final World Cup trophy in Johannesburg, South Africa. After a long month of watching 32 teams compete in exciting matches, two clubs that had never won a World Cup took the field Sunday.

Netherlands came into the match by winning all six of its matches including an impressive victory over number two ranked Brazil in the quarterfinals. Entering the tournament, the Netherlands' world ranking was fourth compared to Spain who was ranked second. The Spanish entered the competition by winning the European Championship in 2008, losing a group play match to Switzerland, and winning every game since that defeat.

On Sunday, Netherlands started the match as the underdog, and Spain was the favorite. The game sure started off that way. Fernando Torres of Spain did not start, but the Spanish players controlled most of the first half with ball possession, scoring chances, and passing percentage. However, it was an intense game from both sides as the two teams played with a do-or-die attitude. The winner was taking a plane ride home with a trophy, and the runner-up would be filled with disappointment.

After scoring just seven goals in the tournament, could Spain win another game by the score of 1-0? Spain has one of the toughest defenses in the world anchored by a phenomenal goalkeeper in Iker Casillas. Casillas kept the Spaniards in the match with some incredible saves including a lucky one off his foot.

Netherlands played their heart out, but Spain had the final say with Andres Iniesta's goal in the 116th minute (extra time). With four minutes left before penalty kicks, Torres crossed the ball right in front of the goal for Iniesta. All Iniesta had to do was to put the ball right past the keeper.

The match was rough. By the end of the first half, the referee had administered more yellow cards than there were shots on goal by either team. Each team played with purpose and gave an effort that this entire world will not forget.

Netherlands took home the silver. Spain, for the first time, took the gold, and the players will go home to their country proud with tears of happiness. If you thought this World Cup was exciting, just wait until 2014 when it comes to Brazil.

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University of Minnesota women's soccer team prepares for a tough 2010 schedule

Summer of 2010 is filled with many opportunities for players of all ages to learn and play the game of soccer. Immigrant children have the chance to participate in the Minnesota Thunder Plus program where they learn valuable skills on and off the playing field. Youth players can sign up for day camps this summer through the Minnesota Thunder Academy in order to sharpen their abilities for upcoming soccer seasons. Plus, young girls have the opportunity to practice, perform, and perfect their talents with the University of Minnesota women's soccer team.

Minnesota is the place to be for soccer this summer, especially since Buzz Lagos' son, Manny Lagos, is coaching the NSC Minnesota Stars (Minnesota's new professional soccer team). With events like the World Cup, soccer is the most popular sport in the world, and there is no better way to spend a hot summer day playing, learning, or watching soccer.

In Minnesota, summer is about at its half way point through the season. The State Fair is at the end of August, and then, school starts back up in September for most kids. However, it is not too late to attend some sporting events. The University of Minnesota women's soccer schedule is now available online. Looking at who they play, this could be their toughest season. The Gophers will play twelve games on the road compared to only eight at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Their toughest test will be the beginning of the season when they play four non-conference teams on the road including Notre Dame (season opener) on August 20, Vanderbilt, Western Kentucky, and Belmont. Notre Dame reached the national semifinal, but they lost to national champion North Carolina. The fighting Irish have nine of their starters from last season. Vanderbilt, from the SEC, has ten starters coming back and had a record of 11-8-1 in 2009. Western Kentucky, from the Sun Belt Conference, will play Minnesota on August 29. They finished second in their conference with 14 wins, 4 losses, and 2 draws. The Gophers will finish the six day road trip in Nashville, Tennessee, facing Belmont out of the Atlantic Sun conference where they finished second with ten wins and only allowing sixteen goals last season.

Minnesota has little to worry about because all eleven starters from 2009 are returning from a phenomenal season. They finished fourth in the Big Ten with a record of 12-5-3, but they just missed the NCAA tournament having the best RPI of any team that did not make it.

The Gophers' home opener in St. Paul will be Friday, September 3, against the UC-Santa Barbara Gauchos (Big West Champion) in the Minnesota Gold Classic. Their second game at home will be two days later on Sunday versus the San Diego Toreros who finished second in the West Coast conference.

After the Minnesota Gold Classic, the women's team heads to Ohio where they will play Bowling Green and Toledo. Before coming back home to finish the non-conference schedule against Missouri Valley winner, Illinois State, they will play the 2009 SEC Tournament winner, South Carolina Gamecocks, on September 16.

The conference part of the season will start for the Gophers on the road. They begin Big Ten conference play against Iowa on September 23. They will also play Penn State (winner of 2009 Big Ten Conference), Ohio State (finished secon in conference), Northwestern, and Indiana away from St. Paul as well. Big Ten teams that make their way to Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium include Illinois, Wisconsin, Purdue, Michigan, and Michigan State.

If the Gophers have a good year, their season may continue into the NCAA tournament, which starts on November 13 and goes through December 6. The National Championship game is in Cary, North Carolina.

The preseason starts on Tuesday, August 3. The Minnesota Gophers have their hands full as they try to prepare for one of the toughest, biggest soccer seasons in team history. Come cheer on and support the Gophers to victory this fall. For a copy of the schedule, click here.

Steve Nash experiences South African life in township of Soweto

The highlight of this summer for most people around the world has been the World Cup including Phoenix Suns point guard, Steve Nash. Steve Nash traveled to South Africa to watch some of the games. He was originally born in South Africa where his father played soccer. Both of his parents are from England, but he spent his childhood growing up in Canada.

Steve Nash loves the game of basketball, but he also spends much of his time playing soccer. As a kid, he started off playing soccer. In middle school, he switched over to basketball because that is what his friends played. Nash is a better basketball player, but he likes both sports equally. He even says soccer has helped him become a much better basketball athlete.

When he went back to South Africa, he got the chance to interact with fans and players, but more important, he received the opportunity of a lifetime to stay in one of South Africa's biggest townships and play soccer with the kids there. The name of the town is Soweto. This is the same place where Nelson Mandela spend a lot of his time during the apartheid.

What is a township? A township is a piece of land set apart for the black South Africans where they could separate themselves from the whites during the times of the apartheid.

After Nash's exit from the NBA playoffs, his focus was on the World Cup and soccer. The evening in Soweto was one of Nash's most memorable experiences as he played soccer with the children and got to see what life was like for so many in South Africa.

The people in South Africa do not have much. The soccer ball the children were using was a flat basketball. Nash went to South Africa to film his experiences in order to share them with the people in the states. The films are a great way to put life into perspective. So many times Americans are trapped within the United States, and do not see what life is really like beyond the country.

The films of Steve Nash's journey to South Africa can be seen on youtube. These films can really help Americans understand what is going on outside of the United States as well as what is happening inside the country.

The children of South Africa have hopes and dreams just like everybody else. The World Cup in South Africa this year has brought countries closer together to play a worldwide game to show that anything is possible and to help show the history and life of South Africa.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYWz1OPWQ1c&feature=player_embedded
Steve Nash's memorable evening in Soweto

Life after the Minnesota Thunder for long-time head coach Buzz Lagos

Buzz Lagos is the face of Minnesota soccer. He was the head coach of the Minnesota Thunder for sixteen seasons, and the Thunder have only been around for twenty years. Lagos is passionate, determined, and spirited about the game of soccer. He was part of a soccer organization that was around longer than most soccer clubs in North America. The Minnesota Thunder dissolved away in 2009.

In 2005, Buzz Lagos stepped down as the Thunder coach in order to lead young, immigrant players (mainly from Somalia) at Higher Ground Academy in St. Paul. Most of the players are eighteen or nineteen years old from Africa who know little English. Most of these players come to Minnesota from East African refugee camps.

Why would Lagos give up the Thunder to coach an under nineteen soccer team? Some might consider him crazy, but Lagos thinks of it as a promotion and a great opportunity to challenge, to help, and to inspire these young boys. Some of the players have said that they would have never attended college without the assistance of coach Buzz Lagos on and off the field.

He is a very humble, generous person. He washes the team uniforms. Plus, after the games, he gives each player a ride home, which can take up to a couple of hours. He does whatever it takes to help his players on the soccer field improve their abilities. Also, Lagos knows the players have other responsibilities besides soccer, so he tries to be flexible and assist them in any way he can.

These immigrant players come from one of the most dangerous countries in the world (Somalia), and Buzz Lagos is giving his time to provide these athletes with a safe, friendly environment to play soccer. All the players love their coach for what he has done for them. Buzz Lagos gave up his professional coaching career in order to give hope and brighter futures to young, teenage athletes.

Minnesota Thunder is out; NSC Stars are Minnesota's new professional soccer team

When Minnesotans think of professional soccer in Minnesota, they think of the very popular Minnesota Thunder. The Thunder have been around for twenty long seasons in Minnesota. Those who grew up with this franchise will see it no longer. 2009 was the last official season for the Thunder because of financial problems. In November 2009, the franchise had to release the players and coaching staff from their contracts because the organization just could not keep up with the economics of a professional soccer team.

Where are Minnesotans going to enjoy and watch professional soccer games in the summer now? The year 2010 introduced a whole new franchise to the state of Minnesota called the NSC Minnesota Stars. This team looks to continue and improve the Minnesota soccer tradition with a combination of former Thunder athletes and new, young players.

After the Thunder only making the postseason one time in the last five years, the veteran leaders of the old Thunder team hope to give Minnesotans something to cheer about and to revive the game of soccer in the United States. The NSC Stars play their home games at the National Sports Center in Blaine as they have already started their first season playing in the United States Federation Division 2 professional league.

Some of the former Thunder soccer stars who have made their way over to NSC Minnesota include Johnny Menyongar, Melvin Tarley, and Joe Warren. The Stars really like these players because they have very good leadership skills, and they provide a lot of energy to score goals. These players have the right attitudes for a soccer team, and they play smart soccer in order to win games.

Many people remember Buzz Lagos as the coach for many years for the Minnesota Thunder. Well, his son, Manny Lagos, is going to be coaching the NSC Stars and try to follow in his father's Minnesota soccer footsteps. The Thunder may be gone, but the future of soccer in Minnesota looks bright for the fans, players, and coaches of the NSC Minnesota Stars.

For more information, check out this website: http://bit.ly/d1lxtu

Minnesota Thunder Academy offers camps to improve soccer skills

During the summer, the Minnesota Thunder Academy will put on summer camps for children and youth of all ages. This is the perfect opportunity for young soccer players to improve on critical skills like shooting, passing, dribbling, and working well with others on the field. Camps run throughout June and July, so it is important to register and check your calendar. You do not want to miss an opportunity like this one. This summer program is specifically targeting young soccer players who have a deep passion for the game of soccer and who want to reach new levels of development.

The Academy Camps last about a week from Monday to Thursday. There is no training on Friday because this gives the kids extra time to rest their bodies on the weekends. Having Friday off reduces the risk of injury and allows the players to have lots of energy and focus during the four days of camp.

There are also the Mini Bolts Camps. These camps are set up for very young players. Ages appropriate for this camp are between five and eight years old. This camp is not meant for serious training or for intense workouts. During the two hours each day, the kids receive the opportunity to play soccer with other kids for the sole purpose of having as much fun as possible.

Then, there is the Girls Elite Camp. This camp is looking for highly determined, young girls who want to develop their talents in order to play soccer at higher levels.

All of the dates and information about the Minnesota Thunder Academy summer camps can be found at: http://www.mnthunderacademy.org/player-camps-clinics/