Baseball Begins!

Today marked the true beginning of a new era for my favorite baseball team, the Minnesota Twins, with the official opening of their new outdoor stadium, Target Field. This will be the first season since 1981 that the team will play its home games outdoors, since their home has been the Metrodome for the past 28 years. Gone are the cramped locker rooms, no longer do the players and fans have to share an arena with the local NFL football team – this is a place they can truly call home, with all the modern amenities of any state-of-the-art ballpark.

I have been waiting for this my entire life. The Twins won two World Series’ in my first four years of existence, and have been relatively miserable until very recently. But I believe that they run their organization the right way, and like no other team in the big leagues. They preach fundamentally sound defense and value “small ball.” They relentlessly scout and home-grow their talented players within their own farm system, making shrewd trades and draft picks in order to survive in a league that mostly values money and the long ball. No team has done more with less over the past decade, and now they are finally reaping the fruits of their labors.

There definitely has not been a more exciting time for Twins fans – the team could not look much better on paper, and they have won 5 of their first 7 games on the road against the formidable Los Angeles Angels and their division archrival, the Chicago White Sox. The recent blockbuster deal for hometown hero Joe Mauer could not have come at a better time. The organization clearly realizes that they play a special brand of baseball and have some of the most devoted fans in the Majors, and they have responded in kind by locking up some of the fan favorites like Mauer and power-hitting first baseman Justin Morneau for long-term contracts.

They have the talent, they’ve begun paying their players the big bucks, they now have a place to truly call their own – all my beloved Minnesota Twins need now is a World Series victory. They definitely took the first step this afternoon – they won the first game in their new home – a 5-3 thriller against the Boston Red Sox – and moved into sole possession of first place in the American League Central Division. Only 154 games to go…GO TWINS!!

- Michael Flattery, ND 2010
Social Foundations of Coaching

Is LeBron’s Free Agency Hoopla Bad for the NBA?

LeBron James will be facing his first free agency opportunity this upcoming offseason, as I’m sure you have heard at least once by now, if not for the 792803024 time. Mr. James has embraced the opportunity by making a circus-like atmosphere around each game, media appearance, even celebrity parties with guests the likes of Drake, Beyonce, and none other than Shawn Carter, aka Jay-Z. This season, more than others, LeBron seems as focused on winning an NBA championship with his current team, the Cleveland Cavaliers in case you’ve forgotten, as would a blue-collar worker who was a few months away from signing the most financially lucrative contract of his life. The problem is that LeBron is acting like he has never been able to drop millions on whatever he fancies. Let us not forget the $100 million contract he has with Nike, and the $83 million contract he is currently still under. While he has never before been a free agent, he certainly is behaving like he has never been there before. Instead of averaging the triple-double he is well capable of, it seems as though he is toying with the opposition on the court, and enjoys preoccupations such as dancing on the sidelines, changing jersey numbers, paying homage to Michael Jordan, eating fans’ popcorn in-game, entertaining with rap stars, and most of all, cultivating the fan-fair surrounding his impending free agency.
Although each of these non-basketball related issues affects only LeBron and his teammates, the structure of the NBA may be taking a hit due to LeBron’s eagerness to indulge in the rumors that he is bound for New York. Let’s make a few things clear; LeBron is just as entitled to his free agency as any other player, he is entitled to earn as much as the market will pay for him, and he is entitled to play where he chooses if they will have him. However, there is something wrong when he seems to be hinting at a future in the Big Apple while he is still in the championship-chase with Cleveland. It is one thing to be BFFs with Jay-Z, self-proclaimed king of New York and part-owner of the New Jersey Nets soon to be relocated to Brooklyn, but it is another when you spend your free time at shows and parties in New York sporting Yankee ball-caps, and even taking it as far as wearing custom-made signature shoes with NY etched on the base of the shoes while playing for the Cavs! Just because the Cavs new retro uniforms happen to share the same colorway as the Knicks jerseys does not give one right to put an opposing city’s name on your shoe. Now keep in mind, LeBron is not from New York, he has never even lived there; rather he is playing for his hometown team; he is Cleveland born-and-raised.
Not only are these actions a slap in the face of his current teammates and fans, but teams’ reactions to LeBron’s hints that he wants the bright lights of Broadway have been nothing short of sabotage. Fans in New York, New Jersey, Los Angeles (Clippers), and Chicago are all waiting on pins and needles to see if the King James will grace their throne; however they may all be disappointed for more than just one reason. If LeBron fails to join any of the aforementioned squads, they will have failed at the two, even three-year plans that they have been attempting to execute. Dumping salary, not signing players who could improve their teams immediately, and darn near losing games on purpose to secure better draft picks have been employed by each of these teams just to have a shot a LBJ, but what cost does this have on the league? At the current moment all of these teams are outside the playoffs looking in, with only Chicago having a remote chance to break in as the eighth seed in the eastern conference. These cities’ fans have reason to be upset if they don’t land LeBron because of the years of suffering would be all for naught. Lets face it, Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh aren’t consolations to sneeze at, but they would definitely not be reason enough to lose for a few years just to have a shot at. Any time one player needs to be praised in a bigger city with brighter lights, more storied arenas, more famous crowds, all with no promise of a better team, fans should take a step back and contemplate what is really happening. The competition in the NBA, especially the eastern conference, is at an all time low, and the magnetism of one player is polarizing the field even more. If LeBron and the others coveted in the summer end up remaining with their respective teams, this theory will become clearer, especially when teams question their future and have to answer to 20,000 livid fans every night while LeBron continues to put on a show in Cleveland.
Ryan Woods
Social Foundations of Coaching

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Last week, the Minnesota Twins took the field for the first time at Target Field, a $425 million brand new outdoor baseball park in Minneapolis. Despite an afternoon of rain, thousands of fans flocked to the new park in the evening to watch their beloved Twins take on the Cardinals. Naturally, the event was a major feature on every form of media in the state, and news stories debating the pros and cons of the new facility have been running since the plan for the project was announced years ago. Although there have been countless arguments made and statistics gathered about the value of the ballpark, what impressed me most about the inaugural day at Target Field was the photo on the front page of the Saint Paul newspaper the day after the event. This photo featured Anneka, a 3-year-old girl, giggling in pure delight as her father holds her high in the air between innings at the game.
To me, these are the standards by which the success of Target Field should be measured. Especially for young children, attending sporting events should be fun, playful, exciting and memorable times. By cheering with other fans, watching the players in action, spending quality time with family and friends, and learning the workings of the game, children learn a love of sports by watching. These are the same children who grow into future athletes, or at the very least, lifelong fans. If Target Field, or any athletic venue, can bring families together, give children lasting memories, and provide a great experience for all attendees, it is a successful facility.

Emily Stewart
Social Foundations of Coaching
University of Notre Dame 2010

The NBA season

http://technorati.com/sports/article/are-the-denver-nuggets-championship-contenders/

In listening to basketball gossip surrounding this year's NBA season it appears as though the season was decided and done with before it even began. From the get go all that has been discussed and covered by the media is how great this year's finals will be between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now it is a well known fact that both of these teams are very good, and each have their own respective super star, but why is every other team in the league already being ruled out as a contender? With such emphasis being put on these two teams as the sole contenders, is league management trying to micro manage how the season plays out, to ensure that what fans "want to see" is delivered? The article above briefly discusses the Denver Nuggets as being contenders for this years title, but due to their rough edged personality, they have in a sense been given the back seat by the media. Can it then be said that the league is trying to promote what is sees as best for its image, or will what happens the court be the only contributor to who is really the best team?
Andrew Scheid
Social Foundations of Coaching
ND 2010

NCAA Tournament- too much?

There is talk of the field of 64 (now 65 officially) expanding to 128 teams for the Men’s NCAA Basketball tournament. There is also something along the lines of 90 hours straight of Bracketology and analysis and the like leading up to the first game of the Men’s Tournament. At what point does this become too much? How many games or replays or plays or analysis or predictions do we need to go through until we have reached a breaking point? I think that point is just about here and is dangerously close to turning some fans away.

A 96- or 128-team bracket is too much for “The Dance”. March Madness is crazy enough to begin with. We do not need to add to the insane happenings that go on throughout the month. Now, many of the teams who make it to their conference finals would have a shot at making the tournament because of the expanded field. This takes away from the excitement of the conference finals and puts the focus on the semifinals. There also becomes a great deal of uncertainty and debate over who should get those newly-added bids. The current format works- it fits easily into a 3 week tournament with plenty of excitement to go around. There are the shots that sends teams into the championship game with a shot at making the dance, and then that back-and-forth finals game that comes down to free throws to determine who gets the automatic bid. As a sports fan, there are few, if any, more thrilling times during the year. I think an expansion of the field would take a little bit away from this. Leave the field at 65 teams.

Led by sports giant ESPN, there is now more analysis of the games and teams and scenarios than you ever hope to keep track of. ESPN is touting its marathon of NCAA basketball coverage leading up to the first round games. It has nearly 90 straight hours planned of continuous college basketball games, information, and analysis. I am sure that the national champion and Final Four teams will be predicted a few dozen times. There will be talk of who just missed the tournament, which region has a favorable draw for the top seeds, who needs to watch out for first-round upsets, who could be a dark horse and make a run, and many more topics. I enjoy watching general highlights of that and seeing a few predictions, but this had gotten out of hand. Digger Phelps will exhaust the small numbers he pulled away from team stats and will be using as an indicator or how a particular team will do. Again, this is interesting to watch in limited exposure. However, this had gone too far. Give us quality, not quantity. I want to see a few good things to look for or potential dangers teams could face, not a laundry list. Keep the excitement level high with and do not ruin it with all of these expert opinions- too much of any thing can be bad, and we are reaching that level now with the coverage and analysis.

March Madness. This is the most exciting time of the year. There is constant jubilation and triumph juxtaposed to heartbreak. The thrill of watching kids who love to play the game makes for a very distracting 3 weeks, a distraction I am more than happy to have. Do not ruin it with expansion or over-analysis. Let the kids do all the talking on the court; they have been doing a pretty good so far.

Sean Stefancin ND ‘12
Social Foundations of Coaching Course
University of Notre Dame

Olympic Mania

Watching the Olympics can be an eye-opening experience for the viewer; everything from the opening ceremonies (I hope everyone caught the simulation of whales swimming in the floor), to watching the bobsleds speed down the course in excess of 90 mph, to watching the figure skaters spin in circles so quickly that their faces become mere blurs (without the end result being them skating off like a contestant in a bat spin race). We are introduced to the best athletes in the world and get to see them perform at levels that quite frankly I will never be able to achieve in anything.
Not only do we get to see the incredible results of their dedication to their sports, but often times NBC provides us with segments that allow us a glimpse at what their training regiment is like, and interestingly for me, how they interact with their coaches, both in training and during the competition.
Given my love of snowboarding, it is no surprise that I was thrilled at the amount of coverage given to the U.S. snowboarding team, especially my personal favorite Shaun White. In fact, the coverage was so extensive that NBC was intent on catching his every move during the final event, leading to the now infamous exchange between Shaun White and his coach right before his final halfpipe run.
White had already clinched the gold medal with his first run, however he wanted to soak up the experience by using his second run to perform for the crowd. NBC captured White and his coach deciding what tricks he should perform, however instead of telling him what to do, his coach asked him instead “What do you want to do?” (to which White jokingly replied he wanted to ride down the middle). This simple question has the potential to be overlooked because of the coach’s use of a few swear words in the surrounding conversation, however I think it is important to remember because of what it implies about the relationship with White and his coach, as well as the coach’s coaching technique.
The coach allowed White complete ownership over his routine in the most important competition of his life. This shows that even in the highest level of competition that a person could ever be in, allowing the player Ownership is still essential. It seemed to be very much a relationship of equals at least, and at best (and probably more likely) a relationship of friends. I think this is important to see that even Olympians need the kind of coach that will work with them, as a team, and allow them to set their own goals.
If it’s any indicator of what giving an athlete a share in Ownership can do, White proceeded to land a trick never before attempted in Olympic competition, the infamous Double McTwist. Oh yeah, and he scored a 48.4 out of 50, too.
Allie Castro, ND 2010
Social Foundations of Coaching

Is humility a virtue in athletics?

The Winter Olympics in Vancouver have brought us many thrilling events, but none more exciting than the accomplishments of Apolo Anton Ohno. Ohno has become the most decorated US Winter Olympian in history. In order to win the bronze medal Saturday night in the short track 1,000-meter final, Ohno had to come from last place on the final lap of the race. He knew the gold and silver were out of the question based on his positioning. Ohno said, “I really had to fight. I can’t wait to watch the tape and see how I came back from last place to win bronze.”

However successful Ohno may be he wasn’t quick to brand himself as the most decorated American in Winter Games history. “In my mind, that’s a hard question. How do you answer that? I don’t put labels on myself,” he said. “I consider myself an athlete on my third Olympic Games, working my heart out. My goal was to come out and put my heart and soul into the Olympic Games and I’ve done that.” More impressive than the accomplishments of the athlete is his modesty towards those accomplishments. Many athletes train in order to win the gold, but Ohno races for the love of the sport and because of that love he has been able to become the most decorated US Winter Olympian in history.

Phillip Tuttle
Social Foundations of Coaching
ND 2010

Olympic Hockey: A Dangerous Diversion?

Now, I do not claim to be anyone remotely resembling an expert in the field of hockey, the NHL, or the Olympics, but I really wanted to bring something up for discussion. Perhaps, it may be that I am biased towards my team (the Chicago Blackhawks) because they are leading their division, are second in their conference, and are third in the league (and I hope that I do not jinx them for bragging like this); and that I miss watching Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews play side-by-side instead of head-to-head, but I believe that having Men’s Hockey as an Olympic event is unhealthy for team dynamics in the NHL.
Many players jump at the chance to play in the Olympics to honor their country and at the chance to play with enemies and against teammates. Yes, the Olympics are fun and exciting to watch. They certainly give people like me the chance to shamelessly cheer for players that I despise (but respect) during the regular NHL season, like Joe Pavelski of the San Jose Sharks, because they are now playing for a team that I can get behind, Team USA. At the same time, however, there are players from my Blackhawks that are not playing for USA. How can I cheer for Jonathan Toews, who is by far my favorite Hawk and a member of Team Canada, during the USA-Canada game? It is really not as difficult as I may make it seem. I am cheering for Team USA regardless, but feel like I am being disloyal to the other Hawks players who are a part of other countries’ Olympic teams. As a fan, the Olympics are nothing short of frustrating.
All self-pity and tangents aside, I disapprove of Olympic Men’s Hockey mainly because of its timing. At this time of year, NHL teams have more or less played in over three-quarters of their regular season games, having had 4.5 months to create a solid team. With a month and a half left in the regular season after the Olympics are over, will this two week vacation have an effect on team unity? Certainly each NHL team has its own dynamic and unique relationships between players and coaches, as does each Olympic team. In order for a team to do well in the Olympics, players have to adapt and to basically let go of any quirk or loyalty that was present within their NHL team. What worries me, and many other critics of having Men’s Hockey as an Olympic sport, is the amount of time that it will take for NHL teams to return to normal and to restore the relationships and habits that had made their team strong before. Will teams that were “hot” going into the Olympic break still have that fire come March when the NHL season starts up again? Though problems may only be temporary and a team might be able to bounce back within a week or so, having the Olympics so late in the season makes the pressure to return to normalcy that much greater. Slip-ups near the end of the season can have huge implications in regards to play-off bids and final standings, so why place oneself and ones team in such a situation by competing in the Olympics?
Besides having a potential to harm team dynamics, the fact that international hockey and NHL rules are different can have impacts on players’ styles and performance during the shifts. Probably having the most risk is the difference between what is being called for obstruction in NHL and international games. International games have been more lenient regarding what is being called for penalties than NHL games, especially since the NHL cracked down on the rules after its one year hiatus a couple years back. After two weeks of being able to play harder, and maybe more recklessly, considering retaliation is more difficult since a fight in an international game will get a player kicked out, I can imagine that it may be difficult to get back into the swing of things upon return to the NHL. Perhaps, I am being a bit melodramatic on this point, but it is really hard for me to discount the power that one game can have on a player and even on a team. Stupid penalties can make or break a game and a single game can be all that it takes to keep a team from advancing.
So although I will support Team USA in the Olympics and did cheer for them during their 5-3 victory Sunday over Canada, I truly hope that there will be no Team USA, or Canada, or Slovakia taking the ice in Sochi in 2014, for my sanity, as well as for the well-being and cohesiveness of all NHL teams, so that they may have their best shot at the Cup.
Kelly Marszalek
ND 2010
Social Foundations of Coaching

The Olympics: The Most Wonderful Time - Every Couple of Years

Da! Da! Da-dum-dum-dum-dum, da da da da da da da da dum dum da da dum!
For those who want the better version of one of the greatest songs in the world, you can follow this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diXUz0DrGG0

The best sports event in the world is upon us. Anyone that knows me or is simply around me every two years knows that there are few things in life I love more than the Olympics. Some have heard the phrase, "God, Family, Notre Dame." My life has tended to hold to "God, Family, Olympics." I honestly don't have any true connection to the Olympics besides simply the love of the event and the games. Although some would disagree for some outlandish reason such as revenue, the Olympic games are the greatest of all sporting events. Period. And if there is anyone who doesn't agree with me, I will argue with them until they do. Believe me, it's happened. In what other sport are you able to bring together thousands of athletes from around the entire globe to compete not only for circular pieces of metal but more importantly self and national pride and the feeling of truly being one of the best at your sport IN THE WORLD.

The Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics are upon us. My remote is primed and ready to flip between every channel owned by NBC at all hours of the day, and my laptop is ready to be logged on to various websites constantly, just trying to catch a glimpse of these athletes performing feats I can only imagine. Friday night, we will watch the opening ceremonies, and from that moment onward for the next 2 and a half weeks, televisions will be on at all hours of the day, people will rediscover their love of curling and men's eyes will be glued to hockey while the women find themselves unable to tear themselves away from figure skating.

It isn't the medals and the competition that has me coming back every couple years though. It isn't the wild hope that the US Hockey team will have another "miracle" and win. It is the stories that bring us all back each and every two years for the winter or summer Olympics. Everyone knows the story of the "Miracle on Ice." It even got a movie. In the midst of a time full of uncertainty and turmoil, a little bit of hope was shown for America when the USA hockey team came back from a 3-2 deficit to upset Russia in the 1980 Olympics. The story that still defines the Olympics, particularly the Winter Games in my eyes, however, is the story of Dan Jansen. It is a story that never fails to bring tears to my eyes and truly exemplifies not only the American and Olympic spirit but also the human spirit in a way few other stories do. VISA recently used it in an advertisement, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWYRH5jnQBo To be honest, I could write an entire second article just on Dan's story, but in the interest of brevity, I will simply include a link to a great article written on it by Mike Morrison: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/winter-olympics-jansen.html

In the world we live in today, it's great to see even just a small ray of hope that maybe, just maybe everyone can come together in peace. That is what's great about the Olympics. Even if it is for only a small amount of time, we all see that at least for two and a half weeks, we can all really live in harmony and join together not as hundreds of separate countries all with their own plans, but as hundreds of separate countries coming together to show the human form in its ultimate perfection. It isn't about one country, it's about the world. As Morgan Freeman so wonderfully says in the VISA commercials, "Go World." Let the games begin!

Sean McCullough
Social Foundations of Coaching
ND 2011

A Gymnast's Story

As embarrassing as this may be to admit, I am a 19-year-old college student who watches ABC Family every Monday night at 9pm to see “Make it or Break it.” That being said, I know that many of my gymnast friends who are adequately beyond the typical ABC Family viewer age love to watch it as well. And for me, this past week was no exception. In fact, it tied in perfectly with our past social foundations of coaching class: sports as play.
For those of you who aren’t avid watchers, here is a brief summary: 4 high school-aged female elite gymnasts from one gym went to nationals at the end of last season with hopes of making the national team prior to the 2012 Olympics. Although all 4 are strong athletes, it was clear that Payson was the most devoted to the sport, Kaley was the daddy’s girl/princess who was loved and envied, Lauren liked to stir up drama, and Emily was the new girl from a less privileged background. As Payson was staged to win nationals, during her turn on bars she fell on her head and broke her back. After being told she would never compete again, this season’s story continues on from there.
At this given gym, it is traditional for the team to participate in an open house competition to attract new gymnasts. However, following Payson’s career-ending fall, her mother made a comment to the coach saying, “sometimes they get so medal-driven they forget why they started gymnastics in the first place.”
With many sports, athletes get so motivated by winning that they lose sight of why they loved sports initially. With the “need to win” mentality, athletes begin to think of sports as work: they need to practice longer and harder to do better at the next competition, only to repeat the cycle in subsequent weeks. In my opinion, there is no sport that highlights this to the degree gymnastics does: where else do “careers” last a matter of years, being entirely wrapped up by the age of 20, if not earlier? Where else do you have to explain to a girl that she was simply born in the wrong year for Olympic ambitions—too young at 15, but pushing “retirement age” at 19? Many gymnasts feel compelled to practice all the hours of their childhood and adolescence in pursuit of their dreams, simply because one does not see gymnasts beyond those ages.
I feel it is entirely up to a coach to figure out how to deal with this problem. While some do not succeed and cause burnout to occur, others are able to deal with it in constructive manners. For example, in “Make it or Break it,” though the girls are still training heavily for their international competitions, the coach decided to make their open house into a performance instead. With the help of an “applause-o-meter” they would still be able to compete, but for the love of the crowd as opposed to a score. All the girls composed routines, expressing themselves in whichever form struck them most. Little did the girls know that their coach had a trick up his sleeve: the meter, in fact, was not working.
Though I was never to that level in gymnastics, I remember some nights I would come home and beat myself up over a bad practice. How was I ever going to advance levels? Win state competitions? I had to be reminded: was that really what I was working for? If that was the only thing, why was I still there? Where did the fun go? My coach was definitely instrumental in causing many girls in my gym to have a healthy relationship with the sport: being competitive when necessary, but balancing that with fun. I believe it is due to his work that I continue to love the sport today. Why else would I spend my Tuesday & Thursday evenings during college going to the gym? As I am a member of a club team, I am able to witness that my teammates were shaped in similar ways by their coaches: none of us are near the level of varsity, division 1 athletes. Yet, we choose to attend practice nonetheless because the sport is still fun for us.
Although many athletes feel the weight of the pressure to succeed, many need to be reminded of why they started sports in the first case. It wasn’t for the glory or success. It was for the fun of it.

Olivia Schreader
Notre Dame ‘12
Social Foundations of Coaching Course

Tim Donaghy: Rogue NBA Referee? 60 Minutes Interview Tells the Tale

PLC is developing an Officials Workshop for our partners to use in the 2010-2011 school year that will be unveiled at the 2010 Sports Leadership Conference. This is why I found Tim Donaghy’s interview so interesting last night. If you missed the 60 Minutes interview with Tim Donaghy, then check it out at www.cbsnew.com or view below. Donaghy is the infamous NBA referee who bet on professional basketball games, many of which he was officiating. The story portrayed a remorseful man who suffered from a severe gambling addiction that eventually got him into trouble with the mob, put him in jail, and tore apart his family.

A central theme of the interview focused on the integrity of NBA referees and officials in general. Both the FBI and the NBA did not find that his bets influenced the way he called his games. On the other hand, Donaghy claimed that he was able to win 80% of his bets exactly because of the inside information he was given by his fellow officials. He claimed in the interview that he knew of personal likes and dislikes of each official that would ultimately influence the outcome of the game. In other words, he made fair calls while benefitting from the unfair calls of his fellow officials.

Are officials influenced by personal opinions of teams, players, and coaches?
Two primary goals of the official are to protect the integrity of the game and ensure the safety of the players. Favoring (or disfavoring) a team because of personal opinions insults the integrity of the game. Just as coaches and players complete for the love of the game, so should officials officiate for the love of the game. There is no place for officials to make calls based on their personal opinions of the players or team.

At the same time, officials are human. As a former official, I seldom had players or coaches that I disliked a lot. Sure there were many who disliked me and never showed any sense of courtesy, but all that comes with the job. I can, however, remember a number of times when I would officiate a game with friends or even fellow officials who were participants. Sometimes they became the biggest critics! Occasionally I would make a call (the right call), knowing well that people would be upset by it. I may have felt guilty afterwards, not because of the call but because of the repercussions. I cannot imagine making a call (or not making a call) to teach a player or a coach a lesson.

Is Donaghy a “rogue official” as the NBA claims?
I hope so. In the interview, Donaghy made a number of accusations against the NBA. I hope that money does not play into the NBA’s influence on officials. At the same time, there were a lot of game 7’s last year. I also hope that the games I watch on TV are fair. I have had my fair share of yelling at the refs through the television – I just hope that it is caused by human error or my own ignorance and not personal vendettas.

What are your thoughts? Do you think he was impartial when he officiated games on which he placed some money? Can any referee truly call a game without any influence by personal likes and dislikes of teams, players and coaches?



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Watch CBS News Videos Online

Little League World Series on ESPN

ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 are currently airing the Little League World Series. Broadcasts began in 1963 with the final championship game, but this year 32 games will be aired showcasing teams from Staten Island, NY, Mercer Island, WA, Latin America, Mexico Asia-Pacific, Germany, and Japan just to name a few.

• Is this good or bad news for youth sports?


• What do children think about seeing their peers (11 to 13 years old) on television?


• If you have been watching, do the children look like they are having fun or feeling the pressure?


• How are the coaches behaving?


• Do they look like they are coaching kids or major leaguers?

Play Like A Champion Today wants to know what you think! Post your comments below and we will offer our own thoughts in response.