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By now we have heard all the propaganda by every media outlet pushing the change for instant replay to be implemented in Major league Baseball. However, with every decision there are pros and cons that must come with this decision. Some will argue for the implementation of instant replay saying that Major League Baseball is the only major league sport without instant replay besides soccer. The NHL, NBA and the NFL all have instant replay.  Being a baseball purest. I just don't agree that baseball should adopt this idea as well.

Despite the feelings I share with many other baseball fans,  last night ushered in a new era of instant replay in Major League Baseball.

In an interview back in May on ESPN Radio New York, Bud Selig stated that instant replay was an issue he was strongly thinking about and a decision would be made for the 2009 season. So why the end of the 2008 season?

Does the decision to implement instant replay so late in the season make sense? Or better yet fair? What about blown calls that happened back in July? Those same game changing moments may likely have a different outcome now that umpires have the opportunity to review those types of situations. Nonetheless, instant replay is here and most likely here to stay.

So now the question is how should it be used, not should instant replay be used?

There are several arguments that have been made.Traditionalist want America's pastime to remain the same and others can argue that baseball is already long enough. The way replay in baseball need to work, is that there has to be a system. In my opinion it should be like the NFL. Coaches have 2 challenges per game and the same should be done for baseball. You can not challenge balls and strikes, but you can challenge fair or foul balls, home runs or not. There should be a 2 minute time limit for a review.

What up about the "human element" that is involved in the game. The umpires are the first and only word when it comes to making calls out on the field. A bad call on a bang-bang play or different strike zones among umpires could definitely change the course of a ballgame but that is the way the game has been played for a century and a half. Traditionalists would argue that baseball is as old fashioned a sport as you can get and the game should continue to be played in the same fashion. I believe that Once instant replay is used by Major League Baseball or one set of calls then when will it end? Will replay be used only on close plays at the plate or determining if a ball was actually fair or foul? What if, in the bottom of the ninth of a close game, a pitch is called a ball that appeared to be a strike? Will that be reviewed?

Even I agree that obviously there are times when instant replay would be beneficial to the game.  However, I still stand behind the umpires and that the ruling on the field stands.Except for those rare instances, the field is the place to make decisions, and the umpires are the people to make them.

The game has lost its fire and intensity.

What next? Why don't we speed up the game while we're at it, maybe put a clock on the pitcher. Kind of like a shot clock in basketball that gives the pitcher a 15-20 second time limit.

 In 1987,  I think New York Times columnist  Dave Anderson said it best when addressing the issue of  instant replay in Major League Baseball: “Baseball has accepted two high-tech horrors that detract from the game already, artificial surfaces and domed stadiums. Why not instant replay?"

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If you mention the Dallas Cowboys in almost any circle, you are sure to get a heated discussion. They are probably one of the most loved or hated teams in the NFL. While the Cowboys have had their share of glory days, they have also had more than their share of criminal behavior and thuggery, especially in the mid 90's. Those days the Dallas Cowboys rivaled the soap opera Dallas for more drama in Texas than "Who shot JR Ewing?". Drug accusations, murder, murder for hire, and scandalous sex stories plagued Americas Team.

All this followed after the firing of  one of footballs most admired figures, Head Coach Tom Laundry, by Owner Jerry Jones. Jones didn't even have the decency to face Laundry, as he found out from a radio broadcast that he had been replaced by Jimmy "Helmet Head" Johnson.

Then in the late 90's, after five Cowboys players were suspended by the NFL for a total of seven times for alcohol or substance abuse. Some changes were in order. A reshaping of the organization was on the radar.

The Cowboys cleaned house. Or did they?

An organization that once passed up drafting Randy "the Juiceman" Moss because of off field incidents. Turns around and acquires Terrell Owens, which despite attempts to disguise his attempt to commit suicide by overdosing on on hydro-cortisone pills, manged to verbally attack more of his own teammates than Democratic presidential nominee on Super Tuesday.

Can this team stay focused amid all these distractions? There are typically more eyeballs on "America's Team" than probably any other squad in the NFL, but this year the attention figures to reach new heights. The club is considered a favorite to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl and the acquisitions of Adam Jones and veteran LB Zach Thomas have put an even brighter spotlight on the Cowboys. Add to that mix the presence of HBO's Hard Knocks which will document Dallas' camp for the second time, and QB Tony Romo's involvement with pop star Carrie Underwood, and there will be no shortage of distractions. Whether the players can zero in on preparing for the season despite the incessant media coverage remains to be seen.

The popularity of the Cowboys as America's Team has been supported by such NFL records as the Team with Most Consecutive Sold Out Games...a streak of 160 home and away games , 8 Superbowl appearances, 5 Championships and 17 Hall of Fame inductees.

Will the 2008-2009 season once again bring glory to the Dallas Cowboys and once again allow them to claim the rights to the title of Americas Team?  

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I am a long time Oakland Raiders fan. Yes it is true. Through the good years and through the not so good years, I keep coming back for more. I suppose in the hopes that one day Al Davis' "Commitment to Excellence" will once again bring glory to the Raider Nation. A time when the silver and black reign supreme atop the AFC West and again take their place amongst the coveted teams of the Monday Night Football ranks.

 Yes the good times. A time when the Raiders had an incredible 14-game winning streak on Monday Night Football. Only to be snapped by division rivals located somewhere along the Mexican border town of San Diego, but to come back a year later to reclaim another Monday night victory over that same Chargers team. A time when winning three championship titles was more than just a new Nike contract. A day when the coaches whistle is not mistaken for a ring-tone, and the weekly team scrimmage doesn’t look like Monday Night Smack Down. Now a day the Raiders players need a more of a babysitter than a head coach.

The Raiders, since their Super Bowl XXXVII defeat to the Bucs, are 19-61 over the past five seasons, have the NFL’s worst record during that span.

So you ask me, “Why are you a Raiders Fan”? I will tell you.  “I'm a Raiders fan because I love football. I love passion. I love the fans. I love the colors. I love the team”.  I love the Raiders so much that I was giving a presentation for work on day. I started the presentation "Let's go raiders!". Which had nothing to do with the presentation. At the end of the presentation, someone asked me "Why did you say Let's go Raiders?" I simply replied, "Who wouldn't?"

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The state of minor league baseball in Bakersfield is what its always been in the past few years after the departing of the Bakersfield Dodgers. Bleak at best. I really think that Bakersfield as whole  won't even notice when and if the Blaze are moved to the Carolina League. Sad? Yes, but true.

Without a new ballpark, and an affiliation with a worthwhile major league baseball franchise. People in Bakersfield just don't care about the Blaze. Lets face it, trucking up to the "Dale" just to sit out in over 100 degree weather pretty much kills the buzz right there. Not to mention the fact that you may not want to spend $600 for new windshield if you happened to find yourself arriving at the game late but thinking how lucky you were to get parking spot right up front.  I once personally witnessed a fan standing in the beer line get clocked in the dome by an arid foul ball.Face it.

Sam Lynn Ballpark is outdated, old and frankly one the worst ballparks in "pro" baseball. Despite the Blaze ownerships efforts to make some minor improvements. The ballpark is still in an overall state of distress.The County has absolutely no interest in putting money into the ballpark or any new ballpark for that matter. The County has also destroyed any attempts in the past by private capital investors to build a new ballpark and baseball complex.

Maybe to protect their own interest as proud slumlords of a worn out ballpark.

As a die hard baseball fan I am sickened by the fact that the County and Blaze ownership cannot figure out a way to  bring the City of Bakersfield a quality ballpark and keep the Blaze in Bako.What happened to the window of opportunity to partner with the CSUB Baseball program and their new facility?

Once again corporate greed or county incompetence?In a town with already very little entertainment, the traditions and the passing of an era are slowly fading as the sun disappears behind the Sam Lynn outfield wall.