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You may or may not be aware that I am a massive baseball fan. I love it. You, however, may not be and you are probably expecting a column on soccer in this spot of the site. Dont worry, it is coming. Stay with me. The 2014 Major League Baseball season is not yet three weeks old and it is in a bit of a mess. I often use that great sport as a companion in my down time, away from the beautiful game I am blessed enough to cover. During this time I will watch many games, very often not complete ones, around the continent by using my remote control to allow me to jump into numerous different ballparks. I will read plenty and listen to many smart baseball media personalities talk about the game. Except, this season has been very different. Those pages I turn, the sites I visit and the podcasts and stations I listen to have been flooded by debates about replay, challenges and rule changes. When is a runner out at first base? Where does the ball need to land in the glove? When is a lane not being opened for a runner heading from third for a play at the plate? When is the catcher breaking the rules by blocking the plate when in possession of the ball? Why is a Yankee being called safe, even after a replay call, when the world can see on their own monitors live that he was tagged by a Red Sox player while his foot was off the bag? Why, while dealing with replay issues, is the sport taking a moronic approach to another fight about the transfer of the ball to the glove after a catch? Blah blah blah. My ears hurt. Back to soccer. For a minute. One of the true charms of the sport, for me, has always been the amount of discussions that surround what actually happens to the players between the white lines. Yes, the sport has a gambling and a fantasy component but most discussions about the sport are about the sport. In fact now, more than ever, thanks to the fine work being done by tactical writers like Michael Cox and analytical, statistical authors like Simon Gleave and many others, more than ever we are surrounded by insightful analysis around incidents and conclusions that have been determined on the pitch. Pundits like Gary Neville on Sky Sports has also taken his industry to a different level and I like to think the fine team here at TSN that I am a part of helps to deliver a similar message. Entertain and inform the audience about what is happening on the field. Compare this to the NFL, which in the United States is as enormous as the Premier League is in England. Except, the analysis around it is much different. The majority of their fans desire discussions on betting lines and fantasy previews. While this is being delivered to them, what actually is happening is the audience is getting less educated about what kind of players play the game. They see their wide receiver, for example, on their fantasy team and look for his stats but they dont know what kind of routes he runs to confuse defensive backs. Theyll hope their fantasy quarterback will deliver the goods on Sunday but if he doesnt most arent told why not and by Tuesday they dont care as the planning goes into the following fantasy week matchup. Over the last decade, Formula One racing has mastered a way to feed hungry fans with a lot of stories away from their races, because, quite frankly, many on-track narratives in the last few years havent been interesting enough. Baseball, for me, was always different. I love hearing why players are struggling or improving and so many other nuances on the diamond that make it so great. Except now the sport is searching for perfection in an imperfect world. One respected writer said this week the replay system is not a mess, sure its got problems but they are still now getting more calls correct than they used to. Yes, but at what cost? The sport is all over the media and for the wrong reasons. Or, perhaps, the right reasons and not just the reason I want. Despite record revenues and attendances, baseball does worry about his lack of coverage compared to other big sports like football and basketball. Maybe this is a way of combating that. Maybe. Soccer certainly does not need such attention. As the world evolves in front of our very eyes, attention spans are getting smaller and smaller yet more people than ever are watching the game globally. And in a World Cup year that number will grow again. Eyes in every nation across the world will focus on what is happening between the white lines. For a sport that plays shorter games than most and nowhere near as often as most, that is a significant achievement for both those who cover it and those who watch it. Combined in 2014 they have managed to accomplish what the purpose of sport is in the first place. Anything with large sums of money involved will always have complications and politics, but throughout that it is important for us all to never be distracted from the magnificent accomplishments athletes reach on a daily basis. They are the reasons people flock to watch professional sports and they are deserving of the coverage. They bring great joy and pleasure to lives that can be full of difficulties. When the public actually gets time to read, watch or listen to their sport they deserve to be told more about the people who attracted them to the sport in the first place. And this brings me back to my original point. Technology does not have every answer to questions thrown up by the game. Goal-line technology is now here to stay and does not disrupt the game or dominate news cycles for weeks on end but that is where is must stop. There are many ways for the sport to progress and help referees but further technology is not one of them. Yes, mistakes will continue and during the World Cup this summer one will likely happen where more people will call for technology to change the game. Except, it doesnt just change the game, it changes the focus. Sure, if you have time this summer read up all on the politics of Brazil 2014, the bidding process around the next two World Cups, the issues with stadiums and potential crime but if you are a true fan of the sport nothing should be more exciting for you than Brazil vs Croatia on the opening day. Eight weeks today it kicks off. I can hardly wait. Lee Roy Selmon Buccaneers Jersey . "That was a great lift for the staff," Padres manager Bud Black said. Yonder Alonso and Yasmani Grandal homered, and Chase Headley drove in three runs, as the Padres beat the Chicago Cubs 11-1 on Friday night. Ronde Barber Jersey .Voegele will next play Anna Schmiedlova of Slovakia, who saved 10 of 16 break points to defeat Annika Beck of Germany 7-6 (6), 6-4.Also, Marina Erakovic of New Zealand defeated eighth-seeded Caroline Garcia of France 6-2, 4-6, 6-4. http://www.authenticbuccaneerspro.com/Mi...caneers-jersey/. In the late match, Shinji Okazaki scored two goals to pace Mainz to a 3-2 victory at Werder Bremen. Goals from Milan Badelj, Maximilian Beister and Hakan Calhanoglu ended Hamburgs two-match losing run and kept Hannover winless in seven games. Jameis Winston Youth Jersey . Nwaneri, who was born in Dallas and attended Naaman Forest High School in nearby Garland, Texas, tweeted, "Its official! Im coming home, Im coming home. Warren Sapp Buccaneers Jersey . The 23-year-old Poland international is back as first choice at Arsenal after losing his regular spot in the team on occasions over the last three seasons.In a stunning turn of events, the best basketball player on the planet has changed teams through free agency. Numbers Game breaks down the biggest move of the NBA summer, one of the most remarkable free agent moves in NBA history. The Cavaliers Get: SF LeBron James. James, 29, has been the best player in basketball over the past decade. In 11 NBA seasons, hes averaging 27.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game. In the history of the NBA, there are three other players that have averaged at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists per game and the list is spectacular: Michael Jordan, Jerry West and Oscar Robertson. If LeBron is not at the peak of his powers, hes awfully close. Hes shot 56.6% from the field over the past two seasons and last seasons True Shooting Percentage (combining twos, threes and free throws) of 64.9% was the best of his career. As James has improved his jump shot, hes become ever more dangerous offensively because, in the open floor, hes still a finisher without peer, moving a 6-foot-8, 260-pound frame with unmatched athleticism and control. Part of the reason that James has been the best in the league is that he has a toolbox that others cant compete with. No one else that size can move like LeBron. Thats not to diminish his game, because its more than merely bulling his way to the basket. Hes as unselfish with the ball as any NBA superstar, can play effectively anywhere on the floor when needed and has expanded his offensive repertoire, adding more post-ups in recent years. Undoubtedly, LeBron is great. An all-timer. But there have been signs of age catching up to him, if ever-so-slightly. Hes been extremely durable throughout his career, never missing more than seven games in a season, but his back acted up at times last season and thats worth keeping an eye on, lest we be fooled into believing that hes superhuman. Returning to Cleveland, James is going to invigorate a franchise that has been a rudderless mess since he left in 2010. As the roster is currently constructed, PG Kyrie Irving, SG Dion Waiters, PF Tristan Thompson and C Anderson Varejao could easily surround James in the starting lineup. But, the Cavs may try to move Waiters, hoping to keep first overall pick Andrew Wiggins, in an attempt to land PF Kevin Love from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Even if Wiggins has to be moved to get that deal done, the Cavs would have an excellent starting five. One of the facets that James brings to a team is that he makes any team instantly desirable as a destination. Players that want to win recognize the opportunity to do that with LeBron, who won two titles and lost two NBA Finals in four seasons wwith the Miami Heat.dddddddddddd Adding someone like Love to a team that has James and an up-and-coming point guard like Irving is enough to be the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. For a team that won 33 games last season, its a dramatic upturn in their fortunes. But, worry about Love when Love joins the Cavs. James arrival makes the Cavaliers a playoff team and they have the young assets, gained through top draft picks, to either surround James with a capable supporting cast or to move some of those pieces in order to accelerate the plans. Its a difficult weight to bear, as the player deemed to be the best on the planet. LeBron enjoyed his time and success in Miami, but there may have been something pushing him in that direction, away from Cleveland in the first place, to chase championship rings because, like every other challenger to the throne, he sees Michael Jordans six championship rings and knows thats the benchmark in the modern era. Maybe LeBron will get to six championship rings someday. Depending on how the Cavaliers roster shakes out, its certainly feasible that they will be contenders every year that James is there. But, when it comes to an enduring legacy, maybe it means more to an Akron, Ohio kid to win one for Cleveland, where there hasnt been a championship in forever (the Browns last won the NFL title in 1964) and maybe LeBron, having been there and done that, feels like he can lead a Cleveland team to a title. Whatever the reason, and LeBron was much more eloquent and self-aware in expressing this decision, the balance of power has changed in the NBA. For the first time since 2009-2010, the Cavs will be good again and, depending on who joins LeBron, they could be great, just like that. Conversely, the Miami Heat are going to be starting over. With LeBron leaving, Chris Bosh is reportedly on his way to Houston, leaving a 32-year-old Dwyane Wade to pick up the pieces. Wade opted out of his contract, too, so he could always move on, but the opportunity to get paid is going to rest with the Heat, who currently have two players under contract for next season. Lots of work to do and it wont be easy. South Beach might be a great lure, but pulling together a roster, virtually from scratch, will be a challenge. When the best player in the sport willingly makes a move to another team, it can send shockwaves through the sports world. This one will have ripple effects, to be felt throughout the summer, as the new NBA landscape is dictated by LeBrons decision to go home. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. ' ' '