What is Digg?121 Comments
- rayjitsu, on 08/24/2008, -13/+71The reason why MLB players didn't go... Drug testing. IOC's pretty strict about doping and steroids. MLB, not so much.
- fattehboi, on 08/23/2008, -5/+28no they didnt...they're too busy making mad money to even consider going over to play and get hurt for just a "medal".
and some are also having an affair with madonna - GregFD3S, on 08/24/2008, -7/+25Digg is filled with a bunch of ***** baseball haters that have never played baseball in their lives.
- Mononuclear, on 08/24/2008, -1/+17Soccer didn't allow many top players to play in the Olympics either. FIFA was trying to make clubs release their players for Olympics but many did not.
- BlackTye, on 08/24/2008, -0/+15Wait.... did you just use the word "chink"..
Yep, I just double checked... You did. - vagrantwade, on 08/24/2008, -0/+14What the ***** do steroids have to do with anything? You don't think Cuban players are fed steroids daily? Maybe they didn't send players because IT'S THE ***** MLB BASEBALL SEASON. Do you realize the contractual obligation ass-***** they would get if they let their players play in it and have them hurt? You want them to compete in the Olympics and WBC? I am one of the few people on digg who actually follows sports. And as a huge baseball fan, I'd like to say, screw the olympics. I do not want my favorite players ***** over my favorite team to go play in a tournament that hardly anyone in the world pays attention to.
- inactive, on 08/23/2008, -5/+17Baseball will not be represented in 2012, but by 2016 don't you think the initiatives in China and other parts of the world will be bearing fruit? One would certainly hope so. Baseball will be missing a huge publicity and marketing opportunity, while Beach Volleyball, Handball, and Water Polo (not to mention soccer and basketball) get prime time coverage. Baseball needs to make strides to be there. Even if it means sacrificing two weeks of the season once every four years.
- SirBotchness, on 08/24/2008, -0/+11You're saying baseball needs more publicity? Have you seen the nationalities of the players these days? Opening day for this season was in Japan if i recall. They're in the middle of the season when the olympics are going on and it's after the allstar break going into the post season. Teams are not going to give up top players or even prospects to possibly be injured or worn out in Olympic competition. If the Olympics were held during the time frame the world baseball classic runs then it would work. Yes the olympics are only ever 4 years but fans and teams pay lots of money to win now. They can't justify it and they don't want to.
- GawtMilk, on 08/24/2008, -3/+13"...if Carlos Zambrano was attacked by a crazy chink"
Are you sure the chink would do it alone? Maybe a sand ***** would help him out too? I bet the gooks would give this mystical "chink" support, too. Where where the spics when they heard their "hombre" was killed? Probably mowing lawns, right? - FreshHaikus, on 08/24/2008, -0/+10Ok well the 5 people who downvoted me obviously do not follow baseball.
The World Series and playoffs are a month after the end of the olympics. You really think if thats how baseketball was scheduled that we would see NBA players in the Olympics? Hell no. MLB is the highest baseball competition and athletes would rather have a world series ring than an olympic medal. - inactive, on 08/24/2008, -0/+10It makes no sense that you were dugg down. That is absolutely the reason major leaguers are not in China right now.
- FreshHaikus, on 08/24/2008, -6/+15The season is still going. In fact, its the most important part of the season. This article makes no sense. Should they cancel the entire season on olympic years?
- rockstar1o9, on 08/24/2008, -1/+9The NHL season takes place during the Winter Olympics and hockey players still go to represent their respective countries. They also make millions of dollars in salary and one could even argue that the sport of hockey takes a much greater physical toll on player's bodies.
- Lionhart, on 08/24/2008, -0/+8I absolutely hate baseball. BUT there is no reason that makes that statement even logical. It has plenty of fans, and makes plenty of money.
- Apocalyptic0n3, on 08/24/2008, -4/+10I want to see football in the Olympics. Only because I want to see them do 5-6 games in two weeks like a normal professional athlete does.
- xfirei, on 08/24/2008, -1/+7No but I can see that can of WD40
- dekuscrub, on 08/24/2008, -1/+7MLB players are in the middle of playoff races and do not have time to go to China for 2 weeks. Their teams wouldn't let them. They're under contract to play for their teams, and they're getting paid millions to do so.
- aside, on 08/24/2008, -1/+6Speaking as a baseball fan and a Tampa Bay Rays fan, this is a once in a lifetime thing that's happening and I'd be damned if ANY of these players left for 2 weeks. Sorry, but I'm sure every actual baseball fan feels that way. Go USA and all, but this is a playoff race... Use your brain when you ask these questions...
- johndavidjack, on 08/24/2008, -1/+6If American football was in the Olympics, and American players participated, there would be no contest. America would win EVERY SINGLE TIME.
There really isn't an international following or interest for American football, unlike other sports.
- ThinkIcouldburn, on 08/24/2008, -1/+6I said it before, I'll say it again. Baseball now has the World Baseball Classic. It's the same exact thing, with the best players around the world including major league players. Also, no matter what anyone else says, the gold medal isn't the highest award one can earn by playing baseball. That's probably a close fight between a world series ring and A-Rod's Contract.
- sirflibble, on 08/24/2008, -0/+5And it's an under 23 competition
- FreshHaikus, on 08/24/2008, -0/+4Arod? He played for the U.S. in the World Baseball classic. He was born in Miami. He would play for the United States.
- whoomp123, on 08/24/2008, -0/+4They could have sent better quality minor league players to represent the US. But it would be a big financial risk and developmental risk to send your top prospects.
And I do not think baseball and softball were dropped because of a lack of interest, it was to save money by not needing to build stadiums for the sports. - nymphetamine, on 08/24/2008, -1/+5I love all three of you.
- Apocalyptic0n3, on 08/24/2008, -0/+4@cwgannon: And what they do in hockey isn't just as bad for the body? They play three games a week easily. Sometimes as many as 5.
- Daniel591992, on 08/24/2008, -1/+5It'd be USA v. USA every game!
- johndavidjack, on 08/24/2008, -1/+5You're most important players can't take the chance of getting hurt in baseball. You can't have yor ace pitcher getting hurt for a non-profit competition. Endorsements help the individual, not their team.
It is harder for a US team to get into the Olympics, especially when it is very money and team oriented. - hockeyplayer66, on 08/24/2008, -0/+3The U23 with 3 age exceptions used in soccer is a much better model than about any other team sport in the olympics. I wish they would all do that.
- jmpeagle, on 08/23/2008, -3/+6Olympics occurs during the MLB season, the foregone profit of today would have been greater than the future discounted excess profit from expanded markets.
- KMartSheriff, on 08/24/2008, -1/+4I am neutral with myself.
- sloppychris, on 08/24/2008, -1/+4Considering the best players in the world play in the league, it isn't too much of a stretch.
- harrison5394, on 08/24/2008, -0/+3What's more profitable? Yankees vs Sox or USA vs Japan. Nobody cares about international play. All of the world's best players are playing in the MLB anyways.
- rockstar1o9, on 08/24/2008, -0/+3I take it you don't live in one of the areas below where ppl follow hockey regularly. Hockey has plenty of worldwide exposure, just in different parts of the world. And you have to remember they cut baseball from the Olympics, not hockey. So unless you live in a region with a colder climate, you probably don't realize how big it is.
Baseball - Latin America, USA, Japan, Korea.
Hockey - northern parts of the USA, Canada, Northern Europe, Eastern Europe, Russia.
seems pretty even, no? - Morrison1002, on 08/23/2008, -7/+10I like baseball, but don't let the Big guys come in there. I mean they already get enough money and enough press from doing there regular jobs. Let the people who work there asses off and get notice instead of hearing all about Basketball and Baseball. Next thing you know football. Then all those guys who are ALWAYS in the sports news will take over the olympic news. So why can't those athletes just stay in there MULTIMILLION DOLLARS jobs and let some other people get in the spot light for once
- barc0001, on 08/24/2008, -1/+3Totally! Look at the winter olympics. They always fall right in the middle of the hockey season, and those guys never go. Oh, wait..
- Pedobear, on 08/24/2008, -0/+2Hear, hear!
Congratulations on being one of the few rational voices in a comment section full of retards. The "durr hurr hurr steroids lol" mantra was really getting unnerving. - purplehaze420, on 08/24/2008, -0/+2Umm..... If you life in NYC, Boston, or any other city near an MLB franchise, I'm pretty sure you'd hear otherwise.
- Mononuclear, on 08/24/2008, -0/+2yes but that has nothing to do with professional teams letting their players go. If the guy on your team is over 23 and not one of the 3 overage players chosen then it doesn't matter if you allow them or not because they can't go anyway.
- cyberdork, on 08/23/2008, -14/+16I thought all MLB players are doped, so who cares? They wouldn't be allowed to played in the olympics.
- cyberdork, on 08/24/2008, -1/+3Reading through the comments of MLB fans I came to the conclusion that baseball doesn't DESERVE to be an olympic sport.
To many of you baseball is first of all a business and not a sport.
Sportsmanship and the olympic spirit seem to be foreign to most of the baseball fans here.
It seems like you don't love the sport of baseball you only love your team. - proficient, on 08/24/2008, -0/+2wat
- stubear, on 08/24/2008, -1/+3I've read both that excuse and the fact that it's logistically very difficult to manage the number of players, coaches and other personnel on your typical baseball team. The regular season roster is 25 players, plus coaches (1B, 3B, pitching, hitting, bullpen, bench, head coach, etc), plus medical/therapy staff. plus clubhouse staff, and on, and on, and on. I think this is a more reasonable excuse as baseball DOES have an international presence. MLB is the biggest league in the world and when many think baseball they think of MLB in the US.
However, Latin America provides a large number of players with countries such as Cuba creating baseball schools that teach kids who would otherwise have no other career opportunities how to play baseball. This isn't a new trend either, Latin American players have been a large part of baseball for decades now with players such as Orlando Cepeda and Roberto Clemente to name just two.
Japan is also making a HUGE impact on modern MLB with players such as Daisuke Matsuzaka and Ichiro Suzuki but they have had their own baseball leagues since the early part of the 1900's but they were introduced to the sport in the latter half the 1800's (there are too many arguments as to who started what and when to really nail this down to a specific date so I won't try I don't care what wikipedia says on the subject). The regular season for MLB began in Japan this year when the Boston red Sox played the Oakland A's in the first three games of the schedule.
Korea, China, Taiwan, Australia, Italy and of course Canada have all had representatives on numerous MLB teams and Canada still has one MLB team (the Toronto Blue Jays) who has won two World Series (back-to-back in fact) against the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta braves, winning the '93 series against the Phillies outside the U.S., the first and only time this has happened in the history of the sport.
To say baseball doesn't have an international presence is complete and utter *****. It does not have a European presence but that's Europe's problem and since the IOC is headed by a European, the secret decision to axe baseball and softball from the 2012 Olympics is suspect. Perhaps the IOC should do more to assist MLB in opening itself up to the world instead of removing it from the Olympics altogether. - idontlikeyou2, on 08/24/2008, -0/+2Baseball was never a big thing in the Olympics same as with football, just because an event is in the olympics doesn't make it the pinnacle of that sport. There are other ways for baseball to raise it's international profile.
- inactive, on 08/24/2008, -0/+2MLB does not need the olympics. Previous comments have mentioned the steroids issue, but the truth is it's horribly inconvenient for the MLB to stop mid-august for the olympics. This is why the MLB set up the World Baseball Classic. The WBC is exactly like the olympics in every respect except it is run my the MLB.
- BrandonJM, on 08/24/2008, -1/+3Who cares?
The NHL and NBA send their big stars and it gets the U.S. nowhere. - herpescrusader, on 08/24/2008, -1/+3you obviously don't ***** follow baseball at all, so don't make grandiose claims about it, *****
- neocr0n, on 08/24/2008, -2/+4Shameless plug of your own submission on a thread that has nothing to do with Phelps or his mother. Buried.
- Sfenton, on 08/24/2008, -3/+5See that can of WB40, spray it in your eyes.
- GregFD3S, on 08/24/2008, -5/+7No.
- worldnick, on 08/24/2008, -0/+1I think the Olympics is more about personal achievement anyway like gymnastics or even one on one sports. Once you get into these big teams with tons of rules it means something different.
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