More sports stuff?

• When I reviewed the Great American Novel the other day I meant to offer a better baseball novel. The Natural by Bernard Malamud is that book. It details the life of a diamond in the rough baseball player, Roy Hobbs. One who comes out of nowhere to be the best pitcher in the league. His baseball career is violently sidetracked but later in life he comes back to be a top hitter. He's offered a wrenching choice and, well, you should read it yourself. Very good book (and a fine movie adaptation.)
• The American league is just killing the National league this year. How bad has it been? The two leagues have been playing each other for the past nine games. The only NL team with a winning record over their last ten is Florida at 7-3. The only AL team with a losing record is Cleveland at 3-7. Also amazing, the Tigers, Twins and White Sox are all 9-1 in their last ten (written before Sunday night's game.
• World Cup? (Sorry Hans.) I love to see people get crazy with national costumes and flags. I love situations where teams play objective games (ones without judges) and follow some sort of standings. I love how crazy much of the world is over their teams. I love that there is a live sporting event that I can watch at 9am.
• What don't I love about the World Cup? Let's start with the lecture we Americans get every four years on how we really should care more about soccer. I get that people find it 'beautiful'. We find it dull. I understand that it's the most popular game in the world. What that has to do with whether we should like it or not I don't know. Football (NFL) is the most popular sport in the US. Are the people who don't like it wrong? (Well, maybe and let's just forget that I asked.)
• Both the NHL and the NBA wrapped up their playoffs last week. The new seasons for each start next month.