04-10-2019, 01:04 AM
This could have been a column on why Cristiano Ronaldo should win the Ballon DOr. Mark Stone Jersey . But it isnt. That has been done, many times, including by myself in January. For similar reasons I had a year ago, I believe Ronaldo should win it this year, but a year is a long time in sport and, although my opinion on who should win it hasnt changed, my opinion on the award certainly has. I no longer care one bit. I should point out that I have never been a big fan of individual awards in team sports. For me, important accolades, awards and trophies are won within the sporting arena and anything else is precisely what most sports are not - arbitrary; placed in the hands of a democracy who may or may not be informed enough to reach the correct decision. On the face of it, the task of finding the best player of the year should be a relatively simple one. In fact, it is so simple some inside the sport of baseball are wondering if they should have such an award, instead of their Most Valuable Player honour. In that sport, the best player in the game, Mike Trout, an outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, has finished runner-up in the American League the last two years in the MVP race, simply because his team didnt make the playoffs and were not as good as the Detroit Tigers, the team, Miguel Cabrera, the winner, played for. If a Ballon DOr existed in baseball, Trout, who has an astounding 20.4 WAR the past two seasons, would already be a two-time winner. So is it time to change their sports main individual award? ESPNs Buster Olney and Tim Kurkjian, two of the baseballs finest journalists, debated this very topic on a podcast recently: Olney said: "A really smart executive in baseball said to me, you know it would be a real shame if the best player in baseball for the first five years of his career didnt win (the MVP) because he had bad teammates and I hope, although I dont think it will happen, that the (voters) baseball writers would define MVP and just pick the best player." Kurkjian disagreed: "I like it the way it is because it creates the debates. The word valuable is a very subjective term and its up to the voters to determine who the best player is based on the word valuable." Make no mistake, Cabrera is a marvellous hitter, but Trout, a superior overall player, has been even better the past two years but lost out on the award simply because of the word "valuable," with many voters believing Cabrera played in more valuable games than Trout because the Detroit Tigers were in a playoff position in September. As a lover of baseball, I have sat back the past two Septembers and watched/listened ad nauseam to networks debate who is more deserving, rather than talk about the actual baseball games taking place at an incredibly exciting time of their season. The debates might be good for media shows and the sport which wants as many people talking about it as possible, but the truth is when the decision is finally made, it doesnt make knowledgeable baseball fans think any differently about Cabrera, with two MVPs, or Trout, with none. And that is exactly the same with the Ballon DOr. From 1956 to 2009, it was an award with history that meant (a small) something, but it still had major flaws. It was only given to European players until 1995, meaning all-time greats like Pele and Diego Maradona didnt win a Ballon DOr. Zinedine Zidane did win one, as well as three FIFA World Player of the Year awards, but is that what you think of when you think of Zidane? Of course, not. Ninety-nine per cent of the games biggest fans couldnt tell you exactly how many awards he won, but they could tell you about his brilliant performance in the 1998 World Cup final and the breathtaking goal he scored in the 2002 Champions League final. And that is how it should be. As we view sporting events that take place in our time, we are trusted, as the guardians of that current footage, to ensure that history will tell the story it should. After Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi retire and your kids or grandchildren ask you about them, you should not tell them how many Ballon DOrs they won. However, with column inches to fill and shows to accommodate, the worlds media have spent the best part of this international window talking about this award, rather than the games being played. Even when Ronaldo produced one of the finest individual performances, guiding Portugal to the World Cup, much of the talk was still on whether or not he should win the Ballon DOr. His performances on the field, which ultimately define him as a player, is what people need to focus on and not because it should decide whether or not he wins an award at a glamorous FIFA ceremony in January. Since 2010, when FIFA got their grubby hands on the award and merged it with the World Player of the Year honour, the award has lost its lustre while gaining more and more media attention. Previously open to the worlds finest media members to vote, FIFA extended the Ballon DOr voting process to captains and coaches of the national teams around the world. Each voter is asked to come up with a top three from a 23-man shortlist. With 2010 a World Cup year, many eyes were on the tournament in South Africa, leaving the likes of Wesley Sneijder, Andres Iniesta and Xavi as real threats to Ronaldo and Messi at the top of the game. The last three years, however, there has been no reason for anybody to believe a player has been better than Ronaldo, let alone, Messi. And that includes Franck Ribery. Ribery was thought to be among one of the favourites to win the award in January because he was the best player on the best team, Bayern Munich, this year. This, however, is just another example of people over thinking the award. Ballon DOr does not go to the games best player, it goes to the games best player of that year, but even that should rule out Ribery. Yet, just this very week, a very respected Spanish writer suggested Ribery would be a worthy winner because Messi hadnt won anything in 2013. This is a man who covers the game extremely well and is paid to watch two of the greatest players the game has ever seen, each week, yet he would have no problem with Ribery winning the award? A man who plays in the German Bundesliga for a team the writer has probably watched fewer than a dozen times in 2013? That writer, like you and me, will not have seen enough of Ribery to know if he is on Messi and Ronaldos leve,l but if he believes the Frenchman could be, what chance does that leave footballers who see far fewer matches than media members? The result? Just a bunch of voters guessing or picking their own personal favourites or friends. Now, you have likely never heard of Jaffar Khan. He is the captain of the Pakistan national team. In 2011, Khan voted for Thomas Muller to win the Ballon DOr with Andres Iniesta second and Bastian Schweinsteiger third. No Messi or Ronaldo. In 2012, Khan voted for Iker Casillas to win the Ballon DOr with Andres Iniesta second and Xavi third. No Messi or Ronaldo. Khan is a goalkeeper. He is also a man who should never be allowed to vote ever again. This is not about personal opinion, folks. It is not like looking for a political party that matches your values. For the past three years, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been hands down better than any footballer on the planet. Yet, Khan wasnt alone in leaving them off his ballot in 2012. Many other examples were revealing, including Austrias Christian Fuchs naming Mario Balotelli (who would finish 23rd of 23 nominees) third and ahead of Ronaldo and Messi and Tomas Danilevicius of Lithuania selecting Wayne Rooney ahead of the duo. If you are looking for names more recognizable in the game when searching for questionable votes, they are scattered all over the revealed ballots. Dutch skipper Sneijders choice? Dutchman Robin van Persie. Spanish skipper Casillas? He chose Real Madrid and Spanish teammate Sergio Ramos, placing club teammate Ronaldo second and Messi outside of the top three. Chinese coach Jose Camacho, who managed his native Spain in the 2002 World Cup, picked three of his countrymen on his ballot - Iniesta, Xavi and Casillas. German boss Joachim Low? Germans Mesut Ozil first and Manuel Neuer second. Spanish boss Vicente Del Bosque? All three players from Spain. It is not fair to hammer the likes of Del Bosque and Low, after all they know the mental state of their players and if they think it can give them an edge by picking them on their ballot, then they are just doing their job. The point is the voting process is a farce and this week it become even more farcical. On Tuesday, FIFA decided to re-open this years voting process for Ballon DOr nominees following rightful criticism it received in originally enforcing a deadline of November 15th on its voters before key World Cup qualifiers had been played. This means Ronaldo will likely win in January, as he should. However, the timing of the announcement - just hours after Portugals win over Sweden - brought the attention once again back on FIFA and their award. In an era where peoples attention spans are lesser than ever, the great thing about this game is just how much you need to watch it to make judgments. There isnt a baseball box score or a fantasy football ticker available to show you who had a good game. It is down to your eyes and your insight and it is on those that you will rely when you look back at the great careers Messi and Ronaldo have. Dont let FIFA and their annual Mickey Mouse parade every January alter that. Ottawa Senators Jerseys . Bryant underwent an operation in December to correct an irregular heartbeat. His season ended with four games left because of a rapid heartbeat, a condition he has known about for several years and had been treated for in the past. Matt Duchene Jersey .com) - The Hatch Attack is back in the Southern Conference. http://www.senatorssale.com/customized/ . The move is retroactive to Aug. 1. Hosmer was originally hit on the hand in the first inning of a July 20 loss to Boston. He has played most of the time since, but missed a few contests due to the injury, then departed Thursdays win over the Twins and had tests that revealed the fracture. LAKE LOUISE, Alta. -- Whether the track is bumpy, smooth, icy, or fluffy, Dominique Maltais is a contender on all snowboard courses. The consistency that has produced three consecutive overall World Cup titles in snowboard cross continued Saturday in Lake Louise, Alta. Maltais was second in the big final to Lindsey Jacobellis of the U.S. at the Sportcheck World Cup. Her second podium in as many World Cup races vaulted Maltais into a familiar position at the top of the overall World Cup standings. "Im looking to be fast on every kind of course," Maltais said. "Technical stuff was one of my weaknesses in the past and now its one of my strengths. I think right now, every kind of course Im doing well. "One of strengths is to be consistent and I showed it again today." Maltais was second in the season-opening World Cup in Montafon, Austria, earlier this month. The 33-year-old from Petite-Riviere-St Francois, Que., won bronze in the 2006 Winter Olympics and is a medal contender again in Sochi, Russia, in February. Maltais dominated her quarter-final and semifinal. She lost ground to Jacobellis on the first turn and couldnt run the American down before the finish line. "Even if its a second place Im really satisfied," Maltais said. "I want to step it up for the next couple of races and keep improving myself and be at my top level in Sochi." In snowboard cross, also called boardercross, athletes race a course of bumps, rolls and turns in heats of four with the top two advancing to the next round. Similar to short-track speed skating, crashes are common and boarders can come from behind to win if the leaders go down. Helene Olafsen of Norway took bronze and reigning Olympic champion Maelle Ricker of Squamish, B.C., was fourth in the womens final. In the mens final, Jarryd Hughes of Australia, Konstantin Schad of Germany and Alex Deibold of the U.S. won gold, silver, and bronze, respectively. Calgarys Chris Robanske and Rob Fagan of Squamish were eliminated in the quarter-finals, while Kevin Hill of Trail, B.C., went out in the round of 16. Ricker battled from behind to finish second in her semifinal and join Maltais in the championship round. But the 34-year-old crashed early in the final to fall out of medal contention. "I definitely wish I could re-wind and re-do that big final," Ricker said. "I was on a Sunday drive,, but its Saturday afternoon. Daniel Alfredsson Jersey. . "I was so slow out of the gate. I bumped with Helene, but it was really minor and I went down. I must have not had my weight on my board properly, knocked me the wrong way and I was on my bum." Lake Louise was Rickers first World Cup of this season. A mild concussion suffered during training for Montafon sent her home before the race. So Ricker admitted to feeling nervous for her first final of the season. She was in trouble early in the semifinal, but generated speed off a banked turn to rocket from fourth to second and advance. "That was a tough race and Im happy I was able to step up and push myself because I needed that," Ricker said. "I needed to be aggressive and go for it." Jacobellis qualified for the U.S. Olympic team with her victory. A broken thumb on her right hand was encased in a purple cast. "Im having a hard time getting good pulls out of the gate because I broke my thumb last race," Jacobellis said. "I really was dependent on working the features to try and get back out ahead. "We were definitely bumping and grinding in the first two turns. I was just trying to stay tough and hold my line, but I could hear everyone behind me. You knew you had to ride with no mistakes." Hughes won the gold in the first mens final of his career. "I just had as much fun as I could and it came together," the elated Australian said. "I just hope I can keep the momentum going through to Sochi." Ricker, Maltais and Robanske have qualified for Canadas Olympic team. Ricker won the womens world title earlier this year. Robanskes victory on Blue Mountain near Collingwood, B.C., last season was the first by a Canadian male since 2007. In 70 career World Cup races, Maltais has stood on the podium 33 times and won 11 of those races. She has said the Sochi Games will probably be her final Olympics. "Shes been training, working so hard in the gym, so hard on snow," Ricker observed. "Shes an amazing athlete and its all paying off for her. Its a great testament to how shes preparing for each race. Its definitely something to look up to, respect and learn from." The snowboard cross team races World Cups in Vallnord, Andorra, and Veysonnaz, Switzerland, in January. The X Games in Aspen, Colo., is their final event prior to the Winter Games. ' ' '