Why don't the All-Stars play for Team USA ?

The fact that most top players don’t turn up to play for Team USA at the major competitions on a global level somewhat pains me a lot and I fail to see a legitimate reason for the same.

I think citing stupid personal reasons and similar excuses like spend time with family, aggravation of a feigned injury and too many games etc. are totally unacceptable.

I mean come on you’re playing for your country carrying forward the hopes of millions – which infact is probably the biggest honor by itself and should come first above all.

Do you ever see cricketers not playing tests coz’ hey play county matches or do soccer stars don’t play the world cup coz’ of club-games? I men we are talking about guys who watch the armed guards display their colors and sing the star-spangled banner with their hands on their hearts before they play each game – I’m trying to make sense of the whole thing.

Some soft-minded individuals who are big time advocates of the current practice tell me that it is good for it’s not easy to have so many stars together on one team as it’ll just fuel ego clashes – let me just reply in one-word, “Bullshit!”

Come on, these are matured individuals most of them from a pretty modest background who have rose to their current star-status by virtue of their natural talent and ability – I bet these guys bleed red, white and blue and for all you know even display the flag on their porch. Is it so difficult for these men to bury personal ego when playing for their beloved nation?

After seeing FC Real Madrid, I’d say yes at the club level the above answers are kind of acceptable, but not at the highest level. Teams look to draft and keep players who are humble and unselfish, I’m so sure there are abundant tools and resources to groom these guys to play under one coach and wearing one jersey!

The World Baseball Classic is a classic example for the baseball gods were eliminated in the most humiliating fashion – the team was struggling to go even thus far and had to call up Roger Clemens to avoid elimination.

Come August, Japan will be basketball nation and I’m hoping to see the best/strongest team take the floor. Well, if this team gets beaten it is a different story – you’ve atleast given your 100% and be at mental peace. As some experts call for the best team I’d love to see Wade & Kobe; Shaq/Duncan; LeBron and Brandt take the floor to play for their nation and millions of fans who worship them.

As a journalist, I’ve frequently taken on big institutions, now I’m not afraid to question the American values and patriotism of certain individuals.

It’s clichéd – “God Save the Queen” and “God Bless America” – I’d say “God Save America and Bless it, too.”

Stop Blaming the Officiating, please...

Being a referee is probably the toughest job and you're being watched by millions of individuals across the globe and every call you make - believe it or not shapes the destiny or an individual, a team, a city or even a nation.

Cricket - let me say, cricket is kind of not in-scope for my comment here as every Tom, Dick and Harry keeps talking about it perennially and it is quite mundane by my standards.

Let's talk American professional sports here-

Well, on numerous occasions people come to believe the fate of a series or the handing of the ring has been greatly influenced by the standard and nature of officiating - leagues mostly choose to turn a deaf ear to all this gibberish by the media and public. Sometimes it seems like there always has to be some controversy about the calls made during big deciders and either team has to complain.

It is probably common sense in America by now that, you're bound to get some rough calls during the course of play. There is no way a team is going to be all satisfied with the decisions they've got. You have to just simply resign and accept the fact that star players definitely do get key calls in the favor; referees tend to favor the home-team and they are humans too and thereby, will make mistakes with or without the aid of technology.

Now as a player you should have all this within your mindset and approach the game with that outlook. So, in order for you to win against all these odds you simply have to play better than what you normally do or come-up with certain extraordinary plays to drive home the fact that you're the better team and ensure that irrespective of any stray negative calls you will receive, the ring is still yours. As a coach, you have to keep talking to your team about this and prepare them for the worst calls and inspire them to come up with better performances for you have to win no matter what the umpire signals!

I wish to talk about the most recent instances to show the above attitude for the simple reason that they'll be fresh in your memory:

Super Bowl -
I still hear people from Seattle shouting that they had to play 12 men on the field; they were stripped of a touchdown etc. I'm going to speak as a Steelers fan here, but I will make sense and show our team did just what I told you.

On the day, undoubtedly, we played a better game and were the more deserving team. To win games you need to make big plays and the Steelers came up with atleast three landmark, a super bowl-defining type plays and I challenge you to tell me how many did Seattle have - do you remember one of their plays today, I'm sure you do still remember 75-yard record run by Willie Parker; the trick pass from Antwan to Ward that sent the Seahawk defense flying and Ben's big one on 3 & 28.

Pittsburgh showed superior skill - good call or bad call, they won!

NBA Finals-
We've just witnessed perhaps one of the most dramatic finals in the history - controversies galore - owner, coach and players crying foul.

Game 5 was the biggest of them all, when the referee kept sending D-Wade to the line again and again and again at all wrong times. You will not forget for years, the sight of Mark Cuban jumping into the court from the huddle and saying "stuff." I've heard people also say the referee did not send Terry to the line in Game 6 while Gary Peyton pulled his shirt - mind you, you had to expect calls will go against you.

Let's see strategy-wise what was maverick about Dallas' game - Zilch! All I remember them doing this series was to diligently foul Shaq and see him miss - but this act is not an exhibition of talent and skill. Miami on the other hand played defense like never-before. They double-teamed Dirk and prevented him from making shots; every guy on the team Haslem, Walker, Williams scored when they were given the ball to play a perfect support cast. Why didn't the Mavs drive if they wanted to draw a foul instead kept taking jumpers? Similarly, I can shows you instances as to Miami won by virtue of their game and not just courtesy of the official.

Stanley Cup-
Lol... I'm checking with my friend in Edmonton!

All said and done - when you go out to play a sport, you will have calls against
you. Play a near-perfect game that even a 100 bad calls won't stop you from
winning!