In San Jose, Mark Purdy wrote MLS' credibility could "take a big leap forward" during the '14 FIFA World Cup. But if the U.S. men's national team's World Cup roster consists of more MLS players than those from foreign-based leagues, that could "work out badly if the USA team goes to Brazil and lays a total stinky rotten egg." The MLS players "must make the team and help contribute to victories." MLS is "maybe the 10th-best league in the world, at best," and many "soccer snobs believe it's not worthy of their patronage" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 5/21).
ENGINE TROUBLE: SPORTS ON EARTH's Mike Tanier wrote the Verizon IndyCar Series is "a drab nonentity on the American sports scene, a struggling race circuit waiting for its annual resuscitation jolt from Sunday's Indianapolis 500." The IndyCar brand has "alienated fans for nearly two decades; in a nation where NASCAR [is] so popular that its minor-league circuit draws competitive television ratings, IndyCar clings to life mostly on NBC Sports Network, wedged between the bicycle races and Champions Tour golf" (SPORTSONEARTH.com, 5/21).
ELECTORAL COLLUSION? An ESPN.com roundtable discussed whether NASCAR driver Josh Wise winning the Sprint Fan Vote for last Saturday's All-Star Race will "bring an end to the fan vote." Wise is ranked 36th in the Sprint Cup standings and has no top 10 finishes this season, but benefited from heavy voting by users of digital currency Dogecoin and Reddit.com, both of which sponsor his No. 98 Chevrolet. Ed Hinton said, "You can't have fans voting a gazillion times each." Brant James said, "Voting Wise into the All-Star Race was akin to conduct detrimental to stock car racing, at least its marketing wing." John Oreovicz said, "I definitely see NASCAR making an adjustment to the rules governing the fan vote" (ESPN.com, 5/20).
