First things first. Sepp Blatter has officially entered my list of sports people that are absolutely horrendous for their particular sport. He’s right there with Bud Selig, Donald Fehr, and Don King. Anyone who remembers anything about the ’02 Cup remembers the bull that Italy suffered at the hands of the "ref" (A.K.A Fifa) against South Korea. Guess what? Italy got the nod against Australia this year against an obvious dive in which the the official was in perfect position to see. Mr. Blatter has been blustering about the officiating, suspending a few here and there. But that call was NOT about the officiating, that was about keeping a more globally attractive team alive in a highly televised tournament. It was about deciding the outcome of a game off the field instead of on it. I’m not saying the game was fixed. I think that sort of masterminding is beyond the capabilities of Fifa. But I’m 99.5 percent sure that the officiating crew was told to give the Italian team the nod if it was close.

I have been -blasted- for this opinion. But the only argument I’ve received is "Then why isn’t the US  getting the ‘nod?’ " A stupid argument, when you think about it. The US is still an untapped market. A successful US run isn’t going to get 200,000,000 uninterested people tuning into soccer. People would like to think it would, but no. They need to build up the passion for the game here.

The best way to do that is to get names over here in the MLS. If you don’t believe that name recognition would generate interest in soccer, then you weren’t at the Real Madrid/LA Galaxy friendly like I was, You didn’t go to a Giants game when Barry was fully chemically enhanced. Names put rear ends into chairs. Names sells jerseys. If that means turning the MLS into the equivalent of the Senior PGA tour, then lets do it. Names generate interest, interest generates ticket sales and TV packages, ticket sales and TV packages generate cash, cash generates higher salaries, higher salaries draw in better talent. End’o'story. That’s enough on soccer.

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I’m officially done with Jeff Weaver. D-O-N-E. The Angels need to just dump him -fast-. We need to cut our losses and move on with Jered, no trade, no bullpen, just flat out eat the rest of that ridiculous contract and move on, Arte can take it out of Stoneman’s pay. With that being said, the Angels need offensive help like yesterday. Outside of Napoli and Cabrera. Nothing his happening offensively. Vladdy finally showed signs of life yesterday, so hopefully he’ll step it up again.

We’re still one RBI bat short, however. We need someone to pencil into the 4 spot to provide protection to Vlad Guerrero, and to possibly be on base for Mike Napoli. First Base and and Left/Center field are the places they need to look. I’m not a fan of the Tejada deal. Its not that I don’t like his bat. I just think that you’d displace Orlando Cabrera, who, as the coaching staff will find out hopefully by the All-Star break, is the closest thing to a lead-off hitter on the roster He’s number 3 of the big three the Angels are after. I’m not big on the Soriano deal either. He wants to play second base? Do we really need to downgrade an already shoddy defense? He’s number 2.

The obvious choice, at least to me, is Carlos Lee. He fills in an outfield void at left field, because I think Garret is no longer fit to play in the field. Unfortunately he’s probably going to be the hardest to get, mainly because the Angels tradeable prospects are playing positions in which the Brewers already have young talent. Plus, you’ve gotta add in the fact that the Brewers are actually still contending in a suddenly struggling NL Central. Its hard to gage what the Milwaukee front office might do. They probably have no chance of re-signing him come winter time and may want to get something for him while they can.

As a whole, I think the trade deadline is going to be very intriguing across baseball. It’ll be interesting to see what pans out over the next 30 days.

Ok. I’m ready for my full Steroid/HGH/Grimsley rant It’s mainly directed a certain commissioner in our sport. It hurts me to do this, it really does, because I bleed Packer’s green and gold as much as I do Angel Red, and Mr. Selig is a former Packers committee member. So here goes.

First off, I’d like to commend Selig on suspending Jason Grimsley for 50 games. Who are you going to suspend next? Sammy Sosa? Mark McGuire? Why don’t we suspend Ken Caminiti while we’re at it. What Selig has done is effectively suspended a guy that, admittingly, is never coming back to the game. He’s already not getting paid. So this suspension, when all is said and done, this punishment has absolutely zero impact on the person it was levied upon. You want to know the sad thing about this? This is probably Selig’s strongest show of power in his entire tenure as the commish.

Staying on the subject of ol’ Buddy. Alot of the burden of this so-called ‘steroid era’ falls on him. It -has- to. He allowed the union to walk all over him, giving concession after concession to Donald Fehr. For what? The privacy of the players? That’s a bunch of bull. Selig allowed himself to be told by the union to turn a blind eye to all the HGH, steroids, and amphetamines. Its a gross failure on Selig’s part.

I’m also tired of the people who say "If they want to screw with their bodies, let them. It doesn’t matter." Ok, let me tell you this. These same ‘bat and glove’ salesmen that venture into professional clubhouses venture into the high school locker rooms your kids are in. And let me tell you, they’re selling the same stuff to high schoolers as they do to the pros. You know how they lock in the high school kids? By saying the pro’s do it, by saying its the only way to get a leg up because everyone else at the next level is doing it. If you doubt that happens, then your just too naive to be a parent, plain and simple. Its more rampant in football and the high school level, but it happens in baseball locker rooms too. You clean up the game, you clean up the high school locker rooms.

But the simple fact of the matter is that a majority of the fans believe it to be a serious problem and want the game cleaned up. That means Donald Fehr needs to shut his pie-hole about players rights. This so-called ‘champion for the players’. needs to realize that players do not supercede the purity of the game. Players who tarnish that purity need to be dealt with swiftly and harshly. ****, the whole union needs to realize that playing baseball is a -privelege-, just like having a drivers license. You are -priveleged- to play this game, and you abide by the rules governing this game, which are installed to protect its purity. Because, face it, the game is really the only thing to sport has going for it anymore. And its being threatened by these peformance enhancing drugs.

Also, Bud Selig needs to step up to the plate and make some drastic and sweeping changes. His tenure is already bound to be remember as a failure. Lack of action here only solidifies is legacy as the most cowardly sports leader in history. If he does something here, it will salvage a little bit of dignity. And don’t give me any of this "His hands are tied" or "What can he do?" bullcrap. David Stern basically has beee-otch slapped the union, and every single one of his critics when he wanted something down. You want a commish that knows how to control his sport? They’re you go. Stern noticed that his sport had an image problem and was lagging behind the two other major sports, so what did he do? He instituted and dress code, and changed the rules around to allow for more marketability. Paul Tagliabue has rocketed his sport to a level of popularity and marketability that rivals, and probably even surpasses, that of soccer in Europe. Yet Bud Selig still allows scandal, after scandal, after scandal to tear at his sport. Just when the sport starts to recover, something else embroils it. Why does this happen? A complete lack of control, that’s why.

Yes, some of this has to fall on the players themselves as well. It, after all, is their jealousy, over-zealousness, and greed that has turned America’s pasttime into a sport of cheaters. For what? An extra half million on a contract? A few more highlights on Sportscenter? Yes, they’re to blame for this too and they need to be punished. But seriously, if we were to suspend/ban every single player on some sort of peformance enhancer, we’d probably reduce every single roster down to 5-6 players at the most, taking down some of the games most popular and beloved players in the process. So how do we do it? How to we start to clean up the game?

Amnesty. . .That’s how.

If you come forward by the end of the year, whether it be public or private, admitting your use of performance enhancing drugs at present or in the past, you’re free to go. You sign a contract admitting that you used some sort of peformance enhancer, as well as agreeing that if you ever test positive for performance enhancers again, you are effectively banned from the game. Those people who do not come foward, and are caught using the drugs, or sufficient evidence emerges that they did use the drugs at one time, are to be banned for life on the spot . No ifs, ands, or buts.

Its plain and simple, cut and dry. It allows for a confession to be done on the spot, it doesn’t have to be public, it could be completely and totally private. I don’t like the idea of allowing people off, but its probably the only way. What’s in the past is in the past, lets concentrate on saving the future of the game. Let it be known that behavior like this will not be tolerated again. A stiff penalty such as a ban, would get that message across. But allowing players to admit usage, saving time and money on investigation, is in the best interests of everyone.

Of course, its not going to happen that way. Mr. Selig is going to find a way to just sit on his hands, allowing the Feds to clean up his mess yet again. Its really a sad state of affairs. I mean, really, it ***** when we have a commissioner that makes me embarrassed to be baseball fan.

Being a former soccer player, and a good one at that, yes, I am caught up in World Cup Fever. There is really only one bad thing about the world cup this year. Working 6AM-2:30PM in the Pacific Timezone, -every- game during the week happens during my shift. We have a TV set in the break room, but with no cable and a worthless antenna, we get very sketchy Univision coverage. Its all good though, because the games are on the radio as well. Out here the local coverage is solely on 97.5. . ."Cumbia y mas."

Now, being half Mexican, I learned enough Spanish to interact on a basic level. You’ve just gotta talk real slow and keep your sentences short. That is something that Spanish commentators do -not- do. So, during these first two games, I’ve resorted to keying on on the obvious name differences, and certain words and terms I know from watching soccer such as "tiro de esquina", "Penal", and of course "Gooooooooooooooool!!!"

Its going to be interesting, I plan on TiVo-ing all of the US and Mexico games during the week, as well as listening to them during the day. So will see how that turns out.

Without further ado, here are my bold World Cup predictions (in order of predicted finish in the group stage).

Group A: Germany and Poland advance.

The Germans are one of the favorites to win it and will sweep the group sessions. The Poles will probably not make it through now, unless they pull off a dramatic upset of the Germans. I’d change it to Ecuador, but hey, I made the predictions yesterday, and I’m man enough to admit when I’m wrong.

Group B: England and Paraguay advance

England let out a collective sigh of relief when Wayne Rooney was eligible, it remains to be seen how effecive he’ll be. Paraguay is a solid squad, helped by the fact that other two teams stand not a chance.

Group C: Argentina and The Netherlands advance

For the so-called "Group of Death" I found this one probably the easiest one to choose. Serbia/Montenegro and the Ivory Coast have nothing on the Argentines and the Dutch.

Group D: Mexico and Iran advance

Watch out for the Mexicans, they are poised to make a run this year. Portugal will falter, as usual, allowing a very respectable Iranian squad to advance.

Group E: USA and the Czech Republic advance

The Stars and Bars tie Czechs and roll ahead of them on goal differential. Ghana is way out of its league and the Italians are going to be too distracted by the whole Scandal in their country.

 Group F: Brazil and Australia advance

You’re **** right I say the Socceroo’s advance.

Group G: France and Togo advance

Only because the head witch-doctor of Togo said so.

Group H: Spain and Ukraine advance

Ukraine is really ranked under -both- Tunisia and Saudi Arabia? Why? They’ve got Andriy Shevchenko!

The 16 . . . . .

Germany beats Paraguay 3-0 – Yes I’m predicting scores too.

England over Poland 2-1 – Insert Ecuador here.

Argentina over Iran 4-1 – No chance for the Iranians, most lopsided game in the 2nd round.

Mexico over Netherlands 2-1 – This really is only an upset because they’re on European soil.

USA over Australia 3-1 – It was a good run for the Socceroo’s though

Brazil over Czech Republic 4-3 – Best game of the tournament, right here.

France over Ukraine 1-0 – The French are just the better team

Spain over Togo 3-1 – I don’t care what the head witch-doctor says about this one. . . . Wait, what’s that pain in my neck?

Quarters

Germany over Argentina 3-2 – Another great match, won on home field advantage. Unless the hand of God appears

USA over France 1-1 (5-3) – Uncle Sam is due to take over the world’s game.

Mexico over England 2-1 – The CONCACAF rules

Brazil over Spain 3-1 – So does Brazil, apparently. Does anyone notice how Brazil is like Duke on your NCAA March Madness bracket? Before you know it, you’ve got them penciled into the final four and you say to yourself "Again?"  And then you look at the bracket and you realize that there’s really no team you can pick with any confidence to beat them.

Semis

US over Germany 3-2 – You’re reading that correctly, yes.

Brazil over Mexico 4-1 – Too Bad, a US/Mexico final would have been like a Dodger/Angel World Series out here, only I’d be afraid to go outside.

Third Place

Germany over Mexico 3-2 – The sad thing is, this is dissappointing for Germany in their eyes.

Finals

Brazil over US 4-2 – I’m not -that- crazy. Only seven teams have ever won the world cup (Brazil, Germany, Uruguay, Italy, Argentina, England, France). Its not going to change this year.

A lot to get to, and so little time to write it.

First off. . . .Enough about the Melky Cabrera catch already! Great catches happen, this one is just being glorified beyond belief. Greater catches have happened. More meaningful great catches have occurred. This doesn’t change the course of the season. When Jason Grimsley implicates half the Yankees team for use of HGH, its all gonna be for naught, so don’t worry.

A Yankees fan I work with tried to rub in my face how the Yankees have half the starting spots on the All Star Roster. At this point, I’ve given up on the All-Star game. Its nothing but a ratings ploy, get butts in the seats and make money, that’s all. Yankee and Red Sox fans are voting, no one else really is. So, Yankee and Red Sox fans will get their way. Simple as that.  I’ll tell you one thing, its gonna give Ozzie Guillen fits when he tries to make his roster. Speaking of which, who’s gonna make the team from the Royals? The only person with half-way decent numbers is Mark Grudzielanek. I that’s my bet.

Are the Reds challenging for first? Really? Wow.

On the home front, the Angels are starting to actually play some baseball. The bats are coming around, power is starting to show, pitching is slowly returning to the level it was last year. The only problem is, the rest of the AL West is playing against the same muck we’ve been playing against, and peforming just as well. Here’s my bold predicition The Angels will win 40 games before they lose 40, and win 60 before they lose 50. Its plausible, their schedule doesn’t really toughen up until late July.

I’d write something on the whole Jason Grimsley deal, but its too early to make full assumptions on that. I’ll wait for that to develop a little more. All I’ll say is this: I think its big, I don’t know how big. But big. And I also find it funny  that it was the federal government, and not Bud Selig’s team of heroes that uncovered this. And if it turns out to be as big as I think it can, Super Bud better just step down, and let someone -qualified- clean up the mess he helped cover up. There’s never been more of a worthless piece of trash in the sport and an absolute hinderance to its progess than Bud Selig, and I’ll stand by that until I die.