People don’t really watch the WC for the quality in my experience

It’s the biggest sport tournament in the world, football is truly a global sport

It can also give your country a real buzz about it knowing they have qualified for the tournament

adding more games without fixing overtime issues? those players are gonna be dead before they reach the final

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>But Monday's ninth inning ultimately sold him. Hebbert, who also gave up a double to the hot-hitting Machado in his lone inning of work, used mostly low 90s sinkers, mid-80s changeups and low-90s sliders to strike out three of the best hitters in the world.

👀

They did say the same about the 24 and 32 team expansions, but other nations stepped up. Sure it's always the same few at the very end (or nearly so), but until that point there's a lot of drama

Not necessarily. Every year there’s multiple decent teams that get left out our the WC. In 2022 you have Italy, Sweden, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Norway, and Nigeria, for example.

Yeah there will be some lesser teams that make it in, but every WC we see shocking results that change group dynamics, even if a team doesn’t make it through the group they still have a chance to cause chaos by pulling a draw or upset win.

Not to mention WC appearances will likely help the development of the nations that otherwise wouldn’t make it in, and many dual citizens may be more inclined to play for the lesser team in favor of playing time

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Great? I thought he was a massive Flop....

RIP

Don’t bother locking them down - just create a shameless clone.

Less work that way

I usually watch every game but I feel like this is too much? It's only going to wear out the players and decrease the playing quality like someone mentioned before.

Ultimately can they not revoke passports, then the IOC could do nothing.

Maybe not but if you can’t see the problem with allowing Russia to participate - it’s time the rest of the worlds allows Russia, Belarus, China and India to be the only entrants.

Fuck those four - let’s simply setup a different set of games with VERY similar rules and entry qualifications and send out invites.

IOC - you aren’t irreplaceable

Yeah, but can he bat nearly .300 like Shohei? Now I want all my pitchers to hit.

The 1968 Olympics might be the most interesting in history.

Unathletic Dick Fosbury invests a new way of doing high jump, wins easily, sets the world record, and never competes again. RIP Dick, one of the greatest athletic innovators ever.

Tommie Smith and John Carlos raise black gloved fists in a black power salute and were kicked out of the Olympic Village, and eventually the entire Olympic games as a result. IOC president Avery Brundage didn't seem to have a problem with Nazis competing and banning Jews from their events in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, but protesting for civil rights, now that's just a step too far. (Fuck that guy)

The second place finisher in the 200m race Aussie Peter Norman wore an "Olympic Project for Human Rights" badge in solidarity with the duo, and was the one who suggested they each wear one glove cuz they only had one pair. He was shunned in Australia for decades and was "mysteriously" not sent to compete in the 1972 Olympics by his country, despite qualifying easily. He's only recently been honored by Australia for his achievements within the last 20 years. He remained friends with Smith and Carlos until he passed away in 2006. They were pallbearers at his funeral.

Probably the most unbelievable achievement was by Bob Beamon in the long jump. He set the record of 29ft 2 1/2 in, which absolutely SHATTERED the previous record of 27ft 4 1/2in by almost 2 FEET. It's still the Olympic record today.

Same reason I just described. Although both need to agree, their interests are not aligned.

Yep, have you signed up for the fifa email list?

Wow! That's amazingly wonderful!

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Not sure where you're getting that from except maybe you just don't like him which is understandable. Percentage wise, he struck out more last year than he ever did, and it barely cracked 20% (source: baseball reference). Other than last year, his SO% has been in the teens.

Yeah, I struck him out twice last week. You’re ludicrous lol.

The what?

why

Machado is one of the easiest players in the MLB to strike out.

This is a weird thing to get upset about

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