In Other News: 7/8/10

Quick hits from around the sports world for your afternoon delight. Note: All proceeds from sponsorships will be donated to inflating my ego

Big Night for Big Lebron

Yes, tonight Lebron will end the free agent madness by announcing which team he will sign with in front of a televised audience. I could write a book about this and still not cover an ounce of what the media world has already covered on this topic, so instead of talking about the possibility of him going to Miami or him donating tonight's proceeds to the Boys and Girls club, I want to talk about Cleveland. We have to stay in character, right? Let's take a look at the franchises Cleveland fans can fall back on. Their baseball team, the butt of many a joke in the movie Major League, is currently managed by an even bigger joke who wasn't good enough for the powerhouse Washington Nationals. Their farm system American Hockey League Lake Erie Monsters (that name just strikes fear in you, doesn't it?) have had an impressive 94 - 116 record in their 1st 3 seasons. Oh, and then there's the Browns, who look forward to seeing what their latest all-star addition can do for the team (can you say #1 overall fantasy pick?). In the short term, though, they get to look forward to tonight when their home-grown hero announces he has picked his ego over his home admitted he can't win alone taken up voodoo decided to go in another direction. Shoulda listened, Cleveland...

In other news...

Voting for the final roster spot for the All-Star Game ends at 4 PM

At 4 PM today the voting will officially be over for the last roster spot on each All Star Team. Having the fans determine almost the entire roster and then shortly after the final player on each team make as much sense to me as allowing Augustus to pick which candy flower he wants best if he had successfully navigated the chocolate stream of death (guess who routinely chose to "Ford the River" and never made it all the way down the Oregon Trail). Seriously, every since this "final vote" business started, fans engage in a popularity contest and usually pick a handful of players who haven't performed well enough to be All-Stars (see: Yankees and, hate to say it, Mets who make the All-Star Game). As a result of this, the teachers "sports experts" spend the next several days rebuking the children for ignoring the smart but unpopular kid ranting about players X, Y, and Z who have been left off the team until fans choose those players in the "final vote." Nonetheless, it'll be interesting to see what players get the sympathy vote get voted in with the last vote, and I'll have a full post on the All-Star Game as it gets closer.

In other news...

Spain and Netherlands set to face off in World Cup Final

After just yesterday talking about how awesome a Germany vs. Netherlands final could be (although I said it would be a good final either way, so no jinx in my book), Germany was ousted by Spain, setting up a Spain vs. Netherlands World Cup Final. The reason why this is awesome is that neither team has ever won the World Cup, so one team will go down in history while the other continues to haunt their fans. What is interesting, however, is how there is a game for 3rd place taking place on Saturday. This creates a scenario that is rare in U.S. sports. Would I have been happy if the Vikings played the Jets this past year for 3rd place (let alone, in 1999)? I don't think so. But would I be happy if the Terps "settled" for playing in the Orange Bowl after hypothetically coming up one game short of the National Championship game (I know, I know, but what if)? I can't honestly say right now. A better question is, would I be happy watching the U.S. play for third if they had lost in the semifinals? Would I enjoy that bittersweet taste? I can't decide.

Any thoughts on routing for your team in a battle for 3rd place?