Homeruns are the biz... or Its all in the heart.

I watched the homerun contest on ESPN. I have several thoughts that you won't read on the typical news page. The first relates to how horrible Chris Berman is as an annoucer for baseball. Every time he is in charge of the game the coversation somehow gets lost way beyond what's happening on the field. The sad part is the conversation never returns to what's going on on the field. I know Chris "Boomer" Berman is loved by the whole sports media type, but he sucks. He's horrible in baseball, terrible in football, and if I ever watched pro basketball and he announced it I'm sure he'd be bad at that.

I believe too much emphasis is placed on homeruns in Major League Baseball. It is my belief that baseball is about the way the game is played, and not the number of balls knocked out of the park. Beyond seeing Erin Andrews a few extra times in a week, the Home Run competition means little else.

My third thought is about how the "nation has just learned" about Josh Hamilton's struggles. I have known about his problems since they first happened. Granted, I also know nearly everyone involved in his recovery. However, it's almost as if ESPN wants to cash in on his problems. I suffer from at least one of the same problems as Josh. Everyone suffers from some problem that Josh has had. I know it's nothing you want pointed out as you try to remake a name for yourself. I also know the people behind him won't back out on him. Sometimes I wish I had the same support. But Josh Hamilton is not just there to cram home runs down the media's throat. How many times can you count that he witnessed to the crowd at Yankee's stadium? And how many cheers did he get? It's powerul stuff that Josh deals. As someone who knows a little of his trials, and can't fathom the level he is on, I definitely respect him. I also despise ESPN for playing it up for the wrong reasons.