il papa's pontifications

This week's rant from the Vatican:

• NBA Lottery - Yes, the Pope is a Grizzlies fan. But still, the team with the worst record in the league has only one the 1st pick 2 times in the last 15 years. Thats a bit insane. This year, the team with the 9th worst record (and a 1.5% chance) won the top overall pick. I think the system should revert to how it was, just like baseball and football, where the worst record in the league gets the top pick. Or how about a modified lottery, where instead of all of the non-playoff teams being eligible, just the bottom 4 or bottom 6 are eligible? Preventing losses late in the year is overrated, as fans arent coming out to see a losing team anyway.




• Soccer Game Penalty Kicks - Can you imagine settling the Super Bowl with an extra point kick-off between the kickers? Or a basketball game decided on a free throw competition? Or maybe a baseball game being settled via a home run derby? Now imagine that game was not a normal game, but in fact the Super Bowl/NBA Finals/World Series. Thats what happens too often in Soccer, as the 2006 World Cup Final, as well as yesterday's UEFA Champion's League Final between Manchester United and Chelsea (both from the English Premier League), where both decided on penalty kicks. The Pope loves the beautiful game - but it just needs a bit of American ingenuity to it. For instance, in Hockey, regular season games first go to one overtime period, and then the game is settled via penalty shots. But for playoff games in the NHL, the game keeps going in overtime until a goal is scored. Yes, that could mean soccer forever, but its better to decide such a huge championship on the field of play as opposed to an individual skills competition.




• San Antonio Spurs - I hate them, but man they are good. Yes, they lost game 1 last night in LA, after controlling 75% of it. But we all know they are going to do well at home, and possibly even steal one in LA. This series goes 7 games. For the NBA's sake, including the TV ratings, the fans, and everything else, lets hope the Lakers win. Fans outside of San Antonio just dont like to watch the Spurs. I dont like them, I hope they lose. That doesn't mean I dont respect what they've done though. Lets just watch Kobe in his prime instead in the NBA Finals. Lakers vs Celtics anyone?




• Lack of Video Replay in Baseball - In the past 4 days, there have been two legitimate home runs that were called incorrectly on the field of play. Both were admitted to be poor calls by the umpires after the games. See video and read about them here and here. Neither affected the outcome of the game, but one of these days one will. Why not use the technology to review easily correctable situations like fair or foul on home runs? No strikes/balls being reviewed, just major plays like, at the minimum, home runs. It could be tested in spring training, and implemented once the kinks have been worked out. Yes Bud Selig, it would slow the game down a little. Rules could be made to make the replays quick, and most importantly, calls would be correct and umpires wont look like idiots. Put down the Miller Lite Bud, and just think about it.