Why The WBC Isn't Perfect...Yet

(Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

My dad and I talk sports almost every night.  We discuss all the topics of the day.  Who signed where, what was said, who won the big games, etc..  He even sends me text messages during the day so he can be the first to break sports news to me.  I do the same in return, sending him Chiefs scores when he's away from a TV or computer.  

So we were talking last night about the WBC and I was asking him if he would be watching the US National Team play the Netherlands.  He answered with a lack-luster "probably not" and proceeded to rip the tournament up one side and down the other.  It took me by surprise, as I'd had no idea he disliked the competition so much.  I'd enjoyed it three years ago and I was enjoying it again this year.  However, he corrected me, saying that he doesn't dislike the WBC. He just finds it to be meaningless and boring.  

He has three main issues with the WBC.  

Number one: None of the US players are prepared to play. Most of the other teams are coming off of their regular seasons. They have played 80 games leading up to the WBC. It is an unfair advantage because the MLB players that participate are not ready for competition. They're still getting their swing back. So why would you want to watch your heroes get mowed down by guys you've never heard of before.  Not to mention, does the average fan believe that if we were to play this competition when our players were ready to play, that we wouldn't dominate every year?  

Number two: Winning the WBC doesn't really mean anything... yet.  Let's put it this way.  If your team wins the world series this year, will you even remember if the US won or lost the WBC this season?  You don't care about this. Think about soccer. Club championships are a big deal, but the World Cup?  That's the bragging rights for the next four years as the best soccer country in the world.  The WBC hasn't established anything like that.  It's young and we have to give it time to see if it can attain that.  But it's a long way off.

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