David Lengel puts MLB’s 30 local telecasts to the test as he takes a tour round baseball’s broadcast boothsWith baseball’s lengthy regular season stretching from April to October, it’s not uncommon for fans to have the game on every night. Naturally, with 162 games, the broadcasters themselves become an enormous part of the fan experience.The hyper-local model which defines Major League Baseball also means that most fans have little idea what other local broadcasts are like outside their baseball bubble. Luckily MLB Advanced Media are the owners of what is probably the most comprehensive live streaming service on the planet, and I took a tour of all 30 commentary teams. Related: What's wrong with the Cubs? A backslide to mediocrity...
The Miami Marlins owner is an ode to everything that’s distasteful about US sports. He is the least palatable host for baseball’s showcaseFor most owners in Major League Baseball, hosting the All-Star festivities this week would be a source of immense pride and a chance to show off their organization and city to a watching nation.But for the Miami Marlins owner, Jeffrey Loria, the mid-season showcase of baseball’s best talent is little more than a lucrative open house as he looks to secure a billion dollar profit on his $158.2m purchase of the team in 2002. Many in the city will see any sale as a merciful ending to his tenure in Miami. Related: Beckham's Miami soccer dream inches closer...
Players are hitting the ball out of the park at a record setting pace in 2017, yet their achievements are not receiving the attention some would have expectedBaseball is in the midst of a power explosion the likes of which historically has filled stadiums, driven ratings and created a new crop of home run-bashing American sports legends, yet the reaction this time around has been a little more ambivalent. Yankees rightfielder Roger Maris led the original power explosion in 1961 when he slugged a then-record 61 home runs to pass Babe Ruth’s long-time single season mark. There were 2,717 home runs in baseball that season, which set an all-time MLB mark for 0.95 home runs per game. There was some...
The USMNT coach has always respected players from the domestic league, and this summer is likely to be a showcase of the talent available in MLSAmerican heroes tend to have a familiar look. Indeed, the US national team took to the field on Saturday in a new shirt that would suit Captain America perfectly: stripes across the chest, stars along the shoulders. But while the look is a familiar one around the fourth of July, those who wore it in the 2-1 friendly win over Ghana were not.This was something of a new-look US side, with three players handed their debuts. Dom Dwyer, the English-born striker who recently received American citizenship, scored the opener as Kelyn Rowe and Kenny Saief...
The Cleveland Cavaliers forward is a four-time All-Star but cannot escape his biggest crime: not being LeBron James or Kyrie IrvingThe NBA offseason is in full swing, which means it’s peak season for dumping on Kevin Love. The NBA finals lead to the NBA draft, which leads to the start of free agency, which leads to the opening of the NBA summer league in Las Vegas. And in between all of it is discussion and rumors about what the Cavaliers might be able to get, if anything, for Love. It’s the modern NBA offseason life cycle. The latest rumor was Love being dealt away from the Cavaliers in a three-team deal that would have sent him to Denver, enabling Paul...