Instant Replay in the MLB

It's been a constant debate all year and it's heating up even more now that the miscues are coming in the MLB Playoffs. What should Major League Baseball do about instant replay? Umpires have been making mistakes since the game was invented but with instant replay on television and the constant media attention these games get, the blown calls are seen easier by the fans and are blown out of proportion even more by the media showing the highlight over and over.

The one that we will be talking about for years is Jim Joyce's "safe" call that ruined Armando Galarraga's perfect game with two outs in the ninth. Joyce obviously blew the call and felt badly about it after seeing the replays but there is no way to correct that mistake. Galarraga will probably never throw another game like that in his life. That was his one shot and with just one out to go it was taken from him. Recently, umpires have blown several calls that have affected the Divisional Series games. In San Francisco the Giants got a huge break when Buster Posey was called safe at second when he was out and then came around on the next play to score the game's only run. Joe Maddon was ejected after the Ranger's Michael Young went around on check swing that would have been strike three but was called safe. Young promptly sent the next pitch over the centerfield fence for a three run homer.

I believe that instant replay should be used in the MLB. Don't get me wrong, I'm a baseball fan and like the "purity" of the game but it's time for a change. These blown calls are seriously changing a game's course and it's time to institute the replay in a few areas. Bud Selig and the front office need to make it available for safe/out calls, fair/foul calls and if it hit the batter or not. There should never be instant replay for ball/strike calls but for the other three areas most definitely.

It's uncertain when the MLB will make this move but I would say it's almost certain that we see it sometime in the next five years. It is much needed, that's the one sure thing.

The Sad Summer of LeBron

What is LeBron James thinking?? I don't have to remind you of this summer's events such as the hour-long, egocentric, narcissistic interview with Jim Gray dubbed "The Decision" or the jersey-popping hype show that took place in Miami just days later. No, I don't have to remind you of that because we all saw it, we all "witnessed" it. Recently, in his latest blunder, LeBron told the media that all the hate that has been thrown at him since he left Cleveland is a racist thing. Yeah, you're right LeBron. It's because you're black.
When Charles Barkley heard of this he said, "It's like watching a movie. Just when you think it couldn't get any stupider, it gets more stupid." Amen Chuck.

Whoever advises LeBron isn't giving him very good advice. He said last week that if he had to do it all over again he would do the hour show to announce his decision and give the money to kids. For some reason it doesn't seem like he did that for the kids. Now LeBron comes out and brings up the race issue which is possibly the worst thing he could have done. The media has dissected this Heat team from every angle and they are always hunting for stories. They are already under a microscope and what LeBron did by saying it's a race issue is equivalent to throwing meat to a pack of hungry dogs.

It's sad to watch this iconic man make mistake after mistake. LeBron has lost fans, credibility and respect because of the way he has gone about things. The only thing that can save him now is a good season on the court.