Beer and Baseball

According to this article on Sports-City, Anheuser-Busch filed suit against Major League Baseball. The brewing company claims MLB is breaking an agreement to make Budweiser the official brand of the league.

The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court, doesn't bring money into the equation, even though the MLB is asking for more the brewer to pay a "higher rights fee."Anheuser-Busch suggested that the league asked for a renegotiation of their April agreement when the brewing company became official beer sponsor to the NFL in May.

What is it with companies deciding to breach agreements? I'm not a beer fan by any means, but this is ridiculous. I understand making all the money possible on a deal, but I think messing with your sponsors like this is stupid. This partnership works to benefit both of them and the MLB has money coming from Anheuser in other ways. Why push for more money in this aspect?

Defiling ESPN

According to this article, the ESPN 3D experiment might not last past a second year. The service is offered through "DirecTV, Comcast and AT&T U-verse." Even though this channel is billed as 3D, all the programs shown are not in 3D.

The main issue with continuing to provide this channel is viewer-ship. Most TV viewers are skeptical about 3D television. Also, a specific TV is needed as well as a pair of 3D glasses that run the buyer about $150.

Personally, I'm okay with this trial-run failing. 3D is something that should be kept as a special effect for movies. Making it into a part of everyday life is ridiculous. I see 3D losing its novelty and freshness if channels like ESPN 3D continue to appear.

What appeal is there in watching sports in 3D? The glasses hurt the wearer's eyes. So is "the man upstairs" willing to trade good eyesight for eyeballs glued to the screen?

Say whaaaa???

Switch up from my usual hockey talk. I did say other sports would end up here.

This kind of amazes me. According to this article via the GrindTV blog, the Internation

al Olympic Committee (IOC) doesn't want to include the slopestyle Sochi 2014.

..... WHAT?!

This is utterly astounding. Apparently the executive board

feels the level of riding in the event is not up to the "required standards."

Whatever that means.

Slopestyle is just as important as the superpipe because it gives riders a chance to

show different skills.

I do like that the article points out that including the X Games as World Championship level events is a smart move. Anyone who has watched either the summer or winter Games would agree (at least I hope you would).

All in all, I'm kind of offend that part of snowboarding would get shirked (regardless the reason). The IOC is trying by expanding the term of what a "World Championship" event entails.

Can we make a push to get the slopestyle event on the schedule?

The Winter Classic!

So.... HBO Sports is going to have some crazy coverage of the Winter Classic this year!

This program is going to air exclusively on HBO. To bad I don't get that channel. I'm not at that much of a loss because I don't like the Pens or the Caps. Though, Kris Letang from the Pens has become somewhat of a guilty pleasure.

All access coverage of two teams I don't like? Eh. I'm sure some of you people out there in hockey land are loving this. Possibly even ordering HBO (or probably already having it?) just to be able to see your favorite teams and their grossly exaggerated star players in new and exciting ways?

Exciting? Not really. It's only a 12-minute segment that will be shown on repeat.