In September, news surfaced that North Dakota State College of Science freshman linebacker Jamie Kuntz had been dismissed from the team. Why? Kuntz, who is gay, had been seen kissing his boyfriend in the press box. While initial reports suggested that Kuntz had been kicked off the team simply for being gay, an OTL investigation uncovered additional accusations against Kuntz by teammates and school administrators. Tom Farrey talks with Kuntz and examines the details behind the conflicting accounts. Bob Ley hosts.

“He’s just fun to be around. I mean, everybody has fun grandparents.” – Jamie Kuntz, North Dakota State College freshman, on his 65-year old boyfriend

“One of our linebackers told me to look up in the press box. When I looked up there I just saw Jamie — he was kissing the guy on his neck and then they just started making out. The fact that it was a male, it just threw everybody off.”  – Davon Stackhouse, RB, North Dakota State College

“Don’t use the platform of your first contest to be your coming-out party. Be accountable, be responsible, and know that you are going to be judged on characteristics other than your orientation.” – Stu Engen, Athletic Director, North Dakota State College, on what Jamie Kuntz could learn from his situation

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Newark, U.S.A. — The Street League Skateboarding DC Pro Tour Fueled by Monster Energy (SLS) will cap off an amazing 2012 season with its winner-takes-all Championship. The historical event features the top eight Street League pros battling for $200,000 – the largest first place prize purse in skateboarding history, an all new 2012 Chevy Sonic, plus the highly coveted Nixon Championship watch and ring set. The Street League pros qualified into the Championship are as follows:

• Nyjah Huston
• Chaz Ortiz
• Paul Rodriguez
• Luan Oliveira
• Sean Malto
• Bastien Salabanzi
• Chris Cole
• Ryan Sheckler

2011 Street League Champion Sean Malto is back to defend his title against an all-star lineup including Paul Rodriguez, Nyjah Huston, Ryan Sheckler, Chaz Ortiz and Chris Cole. The eighteen-year-old Ortiz and the thirty-year-old Cole have multiple second place finishes between them, but each has yet to win a Street League contest. With an impressive second place finish earlier this season, European Selection winner Bastien Salabanzi is the lone Street League rookie to earn a spot in the final eight.

Ryan Shecklerand Paul Rodriguez are veteran contest skaters and fan favorites, both coming off of incredible recent performances including P-Rod’s first league win at Stop Three in Arizona last month. Come August 26th, it could be anyone’s day to take the most elite title in professional street skateboarding.

Last year’s final event left fans on the edge of their seats as Nyjah Huston was ultimately denied a season sweep by Sean Malto who put a stop to Huston’s historical win streak. The seventeen-year-old Huston has yet to win a Street League championship since the league added the winner-take-all finale as the Championship instead of a season-long point system that was in place in its inaugural year.

“We’ve had an amazing year so far and there is no better way to end it than our winner-take-all Championship” says Street League creator Rob Dyrdek. “We know each one of these 8 pros has what it takes to win. On August 26th we’ll see who can rise to the occasion when the stakes are highest to become Street League Champion.

The stage is set for our best Street League ever.” “Most of the guys that are usually in the top spots—Chris Cole, Malto, P Rod—will make it an incredible Championship,” said winner of this season’s first two stops Nyjah Huston. “P Rod has been killing it lately. Got to look out for him. All those guys…This is pretty much the top of all the dudes in skateboarding and Street League, so it’s going to be interesting.”

The 2012 season has been one for the history books, with record-breaking crowds for skateboarding, and undeniable excitement with each event ending with the top three skaters within one or two points of each other in the final attempt. Nyjah Huston and Paul Rodriguez are the only skaters to win Street League events this season, but the victories have not come easily.

Bastien Salabanzi was a single trick away from winning in Kansas City, as was Chaz Ortiz in Ontario, and Chris Cole in Arizona who suffered the same fate after missing their final attempts.Street League’s $1.6 million purse is the largest in skateboarding history and almost double the combined winnings for all other skate contests. The SLS tour culminates in a winner-takes-all Championship inNewark, NJ at the Prudential Center on August 26.

The SLS Championship will feature the Golden Ticket winners of the first three stops of the 2012 tour along with the remaining top six qualifiers who will compete for $200,000 as well as the title of Street League Champion. The Championship will air LIVE on ESPN2 on August 26 at 5pm ET. Check www.streetleague.com for the complete pre-show and Chevrolet Overdrive webcast schedule.

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Hod Hasharon, Israel — Allot Communications, a leading provider of service optimization and revenue generation solutions for fixed and mobile data networks worldwide, have announced a new Allot Olympics Report tracking broadband traffic volumes and usage patterns during the 2012 Olympics in London.

Traffic statistics were collected from mobile and fixed networks around the globe, starting with the opening ceremony on Friday evening, July 27th, and continue throughout the games. Allot began monitoring global traffic weeks before the event to establish a usage baseline.

Results and analysis of broadband usage are posted in an Olympic Online Edition of Allot MobileTrends Report at http://www.allotmobiletrends.com. To mark the event, Allot released a special edition of protocol signatures with unique support for identifying traffic directly related to popular sources of online sports coverage such as ESPN, CNTV (China) and BBC Sports.

Key findings in the Online Report include:

• Instant Messaging increased 182% on average during the opening ceremony; WhatsApp was out front with a massive 430% increase
• Online video increased and peaked at 217% during the first official day of competition, with dedicated sites such as ESPN, BBC Sports and CNTV leading the pack
• Facebook traffic posted an 87% increase during the first two days of the games
• YouTube traffic hit 40% during the first official day of competition

This is the first time the Olympics are being streamed live over the Internet. As a result, people can watch and discuss the games anywhere, anytime via mobile access devices.

“Mobile access to the Internet has become part of the online lifestyle for billions of people, and they are taking full advantage of the online content available,” said Jonathon Gordon, Director of Marketing, Allot Communications. “Allot enables fixed and mobile broadband service providers to gain a competitive edge by monitoring and managing the real-time impact of the Olympic Games on their networks.”

Visit http://www.allotmobiletrends.com to view more statistics and sign up for updates sent directly via email

Image Courtesy of  RachelC

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Los Angeles, U.S.A. — The biggest names in high school and professional sports convened in Los Angeles as Gatorade honored the top prep male and female athletes with the tenth annual Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year awards. Gatorade National Football Player of the Year Johnathan Gray (Aledo High School/Aledo, Texas) was named the 2012 Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year and Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year Breanna Stewart (Cicero-North Syracuse High School/Cicero, N.Y.) received 2012 Gatorade Female High School Athlete of the Year honors.

Gray and Stewart received their awards at a dinner emceed by ESPN’s Stuart Scott and attended byRobert Griffin III (2006-07 Gatorade Texas Track & Field Athlete of the Year), Alonzo Mourning (1987-88 Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year), Landon Donovan (four-time U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year and three-time MLS Cup Champion) Lisa Leslie (1989-90 Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year), Brandi Chastain (two-time gold medalist and two-time World Cup Champion) andOgonna Nnamani (2000 Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year).

Established in 1985, the Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport.

In addition to athletic excellence, the award recognizes academic achievement and exemplary character on and off the field. In 2003, the Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year awards were established to identify and honor the nation’s top overall male and female high school athletes from among the 12 Gatorade National Players of the Year honored during the high school athletic season.

All Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year nominees will walk the ESPY red carpet and be featured as special guests during The ESPY Awards Show. The show will take place Wednesday evening and air live on ESPN at 9:00 p.m. ET.

“The Gatorade Athlete of the Year awards stand apart in that they honor those who are not only the best on the field of play, but are also proven performers academically, and actively give back to their communities,” said Gatorade President North America and Global Chief Marketing Officer Sarah Robb O’Hagan. “Johnathan and Breanna are outstanding examples of what a leader and a student-athlete should exemplify.”

Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year Award Winners

Johnathan Gray: Gray led the Bearcats to a 14-2 record and a third consecutive 4A Division II state title. He rushed for 3,886 yards and a state-record 65 touchdowns on 347 carries.

• Two-time Gatorade Texas Football Player of the Year
• National record-holder, career touchdowns (205)
• No. 2 in national prep history, 1,232 career points
• Averaged 11.2 yards per carry (21.7 carries per game) and 4.4 TDs per game
• Caught 26 passes for 517 yards (19.9 yards per catch) and 5 TDs
• Ranks second in state prep history for career rushing yards (10,889)
• Owns state records in career carries (1,218), touchdowns, points, 100-yard games (51) and single-season rushing touchdowns (65).
• Ranks fifth in national prep history, single-season yards (3,886)*
• One of five high school backs in history to rush for 10,000-plus yards*
• Signed National Letter of Intent with University of Texas
• No. 2 ranked recruit in Class of 2012 as rated by ESPNU
• 2012 Under Armour All-America Game selection
• 2011 Sports Illustrated All-American
• 2010 and 2011 ESPNHS Mr. Football USA National Player of the Year
• Three-time Class 4A Player of the Year as named by the Texas Sports Writers Association
• 2009 and 2010 Class 4A, Division II state championship game Most Valuable Player
• Three-time Class 4A, Division II state champion
• 2010 and 2011 Tom Landry Award Winner
• 2011 Parade All-American
• 2011 USA Today All-USA First Team All-American
• 2011 US Air Force National Player of the Year
• All-Time scoring record in TX (2nd Nationally)
• 2009 Maxpreps National Sophomore of the Year
• B-plus average
• Youth Group mentor, Willow Park Baptist Church
• Aledo Independent School District Heath Committee, Aledo HS student representative, 2009-11 (promotes healthy lifestyles among peers)
• Aledo HS student council, 2009-11
• Aledo Youth Football mentor
• Helping Hands Foundation, Baylor All Saints Hospital (patient support)
• Alcohol and drug awareness, Shattered Dreams youth-led community collaborative
• AISD special education pupils’ mentor, 2008-11

Breanna Stewart: Stewart led the Northstars to a 23-3 record and a second straight New York State Public School AA Championship as well as New York’s Class AA Federation Tournament of Champions title. She averaged 26.4 points per game, 14.2 rebounds per game, 3.2 assists, 4.2 blocks and 3.1 steals per game this season.

• Two-time Gatorade New York Girls Basketball Player of the Year
• Recorded a 56.7 field goal percentage, 22 double-doubles and 81.2% free throw percentage
• 2012 McDonald’s All-American
• 2012 WBCA All-American
• 2012 Naismith High School Girls Player of the Year
• 2012 Morgan Wooten Player of the Year
• Miss New York Basketball
• 2011-12 Nike Tournament of Champions All-Tournament Team
• Signed a National Letter of Intent to attend the University of Connecticut
• Finished her high school career with 2,367 total career points
• Starter for the U-16, U-17 and U-19 Women’s National Teams
• Named to All-Tournament Team at the 2011 World Championships and won the Gold Medal
• Started for the 2011 Pan-American USA Team
• Won the 2011 Class AA state championship
• 2011 Top-ranked player, ESPNHS and Blue Star Report
• Two-time First Team All-State (2011 & 2012)
• Central New York Counties League Player of the Year (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)
• A-minus average
• Youth Basketball Instructor at the YMCA
• Organizer at the Star Leadership seminar Cicero-North Syracuse High
• Instructor at North Syracuse Optimist Girls Basketball Program
• Volunteer for Youth Literacy-Outreach
• Volunteer at the March of Dimes
• Volunteer at the Salvation Army
• Volunteer at the Special Olympics
• Volunteer at Ronald McDonald House charities

Image Courtesy of  Jamie Roach / Shutterstock.com

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Iona College’s stellar point guard, Scott Machado, is anxiously waiting for his name to be called Thursday at the 2012 NBA Draft. Machado is currently ranked as the 35th best player in the draft and the 5th best point guard of the draft, according to Chad Ford’s ESPN Player Evaluation

Machado received plenty of national recognition in his final season with the Gaels. He was one of the 16 finalists for the John R. Wooden Collegiate Player of the Year Award, and was one of the 11 finalists for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award. In addition, his incredible court vision led him to finish the season as the nation’s assists leader, averaging 9.9 assists per game.

Machado’s 13.6 points per game, 5.0 rebounds per game, and 9.9 assists per game rightfully earned him the Pepsi Max Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Year award, as well as membership of the All-MAAC First Team.

In his final season with the Gaels, he helped Iona become regular season MAAC champions, and also earned it an at large NCAA Tournament Bid. Iona’s regular season MAAC championship was the first since 2001, and this was the Gaels’ first NCAA tournament appearance since 2006.

It is clearly evident that Machado has been spending countless hours in the gym since joining the Iona Gaels, improving his shooting, passing, rebounding, and assisting throughout the years, posting career bests in each category as a senior.

He had some wonderful words of advice left behind to his teammates at Iona, “Work hard and seize opportunities given to them; to get better at every aspect of the game in any way possible and to sharpen up their everything.”

As for the tons of other mid-major players living the dream like Machado is, he stated, “At a mid major school, you have to be able to do a certain something very great and special because they think we can’t play. They feel as if our level of play isn’t very good because of the leagues we are in. You have to stand out and show that you are capable of playing at the next level in some sort of way.”

Once being drafted, it doesn’t end there for Machado. “After being drafted I want to become a somebody in the NBA, not just another player.” The Gaels, as well as the NCAA, are losing a talented player. However, the NBA is gaining an ambitious future star.

Image Courtesy of  Scott Machado

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Brothers are always willing to fight for each other. ESPN broadcaster and former New York Knicks and Houston Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy demonstrated on Friday that that sense of loyalty certainly does not have an age limit, as he publicly criticized Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins for the manner in which he handled his brother’s firing.

Van Gundy’s brother, Stan, was dismissed as the team’s coach on Monday following five seasons with the organization, despite leading them to the postseason in each of those years. Following an obvious and much-prolonged rift between his all-star center Dwight Howard and him, management apparently felt pressure to choose between the two. Van Gundy stated earlier in the season that front office personnel had informed him of a request by Howard to have him fired. Howard vehemently denied that report and echoed that same sentiment following Van Gundy’s termination.

After Martins officially fired Van Gundy and complimented him on his brilliance and knowledge of the game, Jeff Van Gundy expressed fury to 98.7 ESPN Radio’s Stephen A. Smith about Martins’ dishonesty in the role Dwight Howard played in the decision.

“To hide behind the fact or to try to make everyone believe that Dwight Howard didn’t have a part in this is absurd,” said Van Gundy. “’Say, listen, we fired this guy because we know this is our best chance to keep Dwight Howard. Dwight Howard and I decided to fire him.’ To do anything else is playing a game of semantics. And this is the biggest one to me –  he said that my brother is the finest ‘x and o’ coach he has been around in his 25 years in the business.”

It didn’t end there. He had a powerful message to send to Martins about his overall basketball I.Q., as well.

“Okay, listen, all you (CEO Alex Martins) have done in your 25 years in the business is release press releases and run the business side,” continued Van Gundy. “You don’t know if a ball is blown up or stuffed. You don’t know if the pick and roll coverage on the side is right or wrong. Just say that I have no knowledge about basketball. He doesn’t know one thing about basketball, so please hold off your comments on my brother’s expertise since you know nothing about basketball.”

Van Gundy also called Martins “unprofessional” for breaking the news to his brother by phone shortly after he left the Magic’s facilities on Monday instead of telling him face-to-face.

In 2009, Stan Van Gundy’s Magic made it all the way to the NBA Finals, where they would put up a great fight against the Los Angeles Lakers, but only to fall short in five games. His final record with Orlando was 259-135.

Image Courtesy of   Keith Allison

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To the delight of all Milwaukee Brewers fans, yet simultaneously to the dismay of baseball purists, Friday brought news that Brewers left fielder and reigning National League MVP Ryan Braun had won his appeal against the 50 game suspension that Major League Baseball was poised to hand him following his failing of a performance enhancing drug test in October of 2011.

“Today is for everybody who has ever been wrongly accused,” said Braun at a news conference held at the Brewers training facility shortly after. “The simple truth is that I’m innocent. The truth is always relevant, and the truth prevailed.”

Braun, whose test results uncovered elevated levels of testosterone in his system that were made public in a December episode of ESPN’s “Outside the Lines,” became the first player in baseball history to successfully appeal a drug-related sentencing. Braun vehemently denied ever taking any sort of performance enhancer from the beginning of this entire process and continued to echo that same sentiment on Friday.

“If I had done this intentionally or unintentionally, I’d be the first one to step up and say I did it,” Braun said. “I would bet my life this substance never entered my body.”

MLB officials were livid with the arbitrator’s ruling, considering that Braun’s winning case argued against the fashion in which the procedure was handled, as opposed to claiming wrongful tampering took place or that the test was simply incorrect. Two unnamed sources vouched for Braun, stating that the urine sample that he provided on October 1was not delivered by the collector to FedEx until two days later.

MLB’s drug testing policy requires that all samples make their way to FedEx the very same day. The sources identified the collector as Dino Laurenzi, Jr. and testified that he left Miller Park with the sample at 5 P.M. on Saturday, October 1. It was said to be in a triple-seal container.

Laurenzi, Jr. then allegedly decided to take the sample home and not deliver it to Fed Ex until 1:30 P.M. on October 3, feeling that it would not be sent out to the lab in Montreal until Monday anyway. He supposedly placed it in a cool, dry area during that time period, and the lab chief told ESPN’s Lester Munson that the sample had not been tainted in any way and that the positive test result was indeed valid.

However, Braun still focused on the delay of the process, referring to it as “fatally flawed,” and questioned what could have happened to the sample during the 44-hour window between pickup and delivery.

“Our program is not fatally flawed,” said MLB Executive Vice President Rob Manfred in a statement. “Changes will be made promptly to clarify the instructions provided to collectors regarding when samples should be delivered to FedEx based on the arbitrator’s decision.

Neither Mr. Braun nor the MLBPA contended in the grievance that his sample had been tampered with or produced any evidence of tampering.” Because MLB did not follow protocol the way that they should have, there was not enough sufficient evidence to rule Braun guilty.

“I’ve lived this nightmare every day for the last four months,” Braun said. “At the end of the day, the truth prevailed. I’m the victim of a process that completely broke down.”

Sources are now saying that MLB may look to appeal the ruling in federal court.

Image Courtesy of    http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevethephotographer/

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Ultra Premium Vodka and Sean “Diddy” Combs AKA PDiddy roll big and hit the jackpot with a fresh new ad campaign that takes audiences on a first-person journey into a special night out in Sin City to the tune of Frank Sinatra’s iconic “Luck Be a Lady”.

The new ad campaign – also titled “Luck Be a Lady” – is directed by world-renowned commercial visionary, Anthony Mandler, and debuted on December 14^th. The spot features Sean “Diddy” Combs AKA PDiddy and a cast of up-and-coming artists representing the future of Hollywood.  Together, they will bring to life the art of celebration — the dapper lifestyle of the Rat Pack – that CIROC embodies in a contemporary-yet-classic way. The commercial will run on stations such as ESPN, E!, Bravo, TBS, VH1, and Comedy Central.

“Frank Sinatra made some of the most iconic records of our time; it is truly an honor to use his music again for this campaign,” said Combs. “The Rat Pack defined the art of celebrating in style. I cannot imagine a Spirit more suitable for commemorating life with family and friends than CIROC; a brand that has become synonymous with celebratory occasions.”

Shot in Las Vegas in late October, the ad also stars Chad Michael Murray of One Tree Hill, Michael K. Williams of Boardwalk Empire, Jesse Williams of Grey’s Anatomy, Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul, Vegas headliner Matt Goss, super model Lisa Seiffert , and other notable stars. Beginning this week, fans are invited to view an extended version of the commercial, youtube.com/ciroc, and experience celebrating in style with Diddy’s modern day Rat Pack.

During the holiday season, a new 30 second version of the campaign will be released which focuses on one of the most important components of celebration – safety.  In addition, CIROC will partner with a handful of reality television’s favorite housewives, further igniting the brand’s social responsibility platform with the execution of the fourth annual CIROC Safe Rides Program. Pre-paid debit and metro cards will be distributed to consumers across the country on New Year’s Eve, ensuring consumers enjoy a safe ending to their holiday celebrations. 

Image Courtesy of  cinemafestival / Shutterstock.com

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It has been a few days, but fans, players, and executives alike still cannot believe what took place Thursday night. Chris Paul was finally dealt by New Orleans, and the Commissioner simply blocked the trade for what he referred to as “basketball reasons.” Let’s be honest – this move was absolutely mind-blowing and completely unfair to all three teams involved.

The majority of the outrage comes from Laker fans who thought for just a few hours that they were receiving possibly the best point guard the league has to offer. Along with the aid of the Rockets, Los Angeles gave up the necessary quality pieces in order to obtain a superstar like Paul.

Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol are two of the most versatile big men in the game today. At seven feet, Gasol is extremely athletic in the low post with the ability to shoot from the outside. Meanwhile, Odom is capable of much of the same at six foot ten, but can also take opponents off the dribble from anywhere on the floor and consistently knocks down three pointers.

The Rockets threw in some nice talent as well. Kevin Martin, Luis Scola, and Goran Dragic are viewed as players with good experience who still have room to grow into even better players. Houston was also prepared to give New Orleans a first-round pick in this trade, which is something that every team would love to have. Yet somehow David Stern did not believe this deal benefited the Hornets enough.

That notion is beyond comprehension. The teams have now modified the deal and resubmitted it for approval, according to ESPN. If this is successful, it will not be due to the fact that it is now substantial to the Hornets’ needs, however. On the contrary, it will have resulted from Stern’s inability to handle even more pressure and heat that most of the observing parties will put upon him.

The small market owners who originally complained to him after this deal was initially reported will still be upset regardless. That has to be what all of this really boils down to in the end. The idea of all-stars joining forces to create ‘super teams’ is exciting for fans in those cities, but saddening for the rest of the league when the competition realistically includes just a handful of franchises.

Stern understands that, but it should not give him the right to cancel a trade that general managers worked vigorously to complete in a just manner, even if the league does own the team like they do the Hornets. There is a certain amount of control that the league has over players, but when negotiations are executed in a proper fashion they should not prohibit them from walking. Paul has done nothing wrong and does not deserve to be punished by being forced to stay with a team that he clearly wants to leave.

What Stern does not realize is that Paul is actually making the morally correct decision in this situation. He has openly admitted that he will opt out of his contract this summer and sign elsewhere. The popular belief is that, if this were to happen, he would then sign with the Knicks. By doing this, he at least gives the Hornets the opportunity to trade him in his contract year and get something for him.

The biggest risk that Stern takes in blocking this trade is held in the hands of the Lakers and Knicks. These are the only two teams that Paul states he would sign extensions with if traded. What happens if the Lakers suddenly get a better deal with the Magic in exchange for Dwight Howard and decide that Paul is not worth it or realize they do not have enough for him?

The Knicks do not have the necessary assets, unlike the Lakers, and this could lead to a nightmare scenario where Paul does not get traded at all this year. That would then allow him the option to sign with either team over the off-season, leaving the Hornets with nothing in return.

Unfortunately, Stern made the assumption that something like this could never occur. However, one of the only things we know in life is that we can never be too sure. To put it bluntly, he made an atrociously risky decision with false reasoning as support. This is inexcusable, even if the new deal is approved.

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Who can forget the goal heard around the world that introduced us to the most famous sports bra ever? Brandi Chastain became an instant celebrity and so did her bra when she ripped off her jersey in dramatic fashion after clinching the World cup title in 1999. Chastain’s stripping goal act did not only win the United States the World Cup, but she brought attention to Women’s sports; an improbable task. 40 million Americans tuned in to watch Chastain and the US girls step into world soccer immortality that day; more viewers than the NBA finals. That was twelve years and three world cups ago. Today, the United States is the world’s number one team and has a good shot at winning this year’s World Cup; who knew?

The sixth ever, Women’s World Cup kicked off last week in Germany on June 26^th. An astronomical 18 million viewers in Germany tuned in to watch their beloved German women take on Canada in the Cups opening game. With all the success in host country Germany; maybe there would be improved interest in the United States right? Wrong. The US viewership of the opening game came in at just under one million viewers; pathetic. Women’s soccer has been unable to catch the eyes of American viewers since 1999. Clearly, we need more sports bra cameos.

Where is the allure of the Women’s World Cup? Where’s the American pride? It doesn’t make sense that that 15^th and average at best, men’s squad receives nationwide support. Yet, the US women, the world’s number one team, are treated as if they’re irrelevant. Something’s not right here.

Maybe it’s the slower speed of play from the Men’s game. Or maybe it’s the myth that women soccer players are less aggressive and intense. Either way, the last two World Cups (2003 and 2007) have been rating nightmares causing ESPN to swallow some pride. In search of a change (miracle), ESPN hired popular former US stars, Brandi Chastain, Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy and Brianna Scurry to commentate the cup. Every cup game will be aired on ESPN and broadcasted live on ESPN3.com. 2011 is supposed to be the year US women’s soccer relives its glory days of 1999; we’ll see about that.

Why you should watch:

• America.
  • It’s a world-wide phenomenon displaying if our country is better than theirs. If you’re a true American you’ll throw on the red, white and blue, eat some wings, and watch some soccer babes win one for the US of A. Go America

• The United States is the world’s number one team.
  • Listen, we actually have a shot at winning this thing. We’re number one because we’re really good and we have come in at least third the last three world cups. We can do this.

• The girls
  • Guys, in what men’s sport can you commentate on who has the nicer butt? Well in the World Cup you can do that in every single game. Did I mention US goalie, Hope Solo, is single?

• Women’s soccer is on the rise
  • This world cup is going to be extremely competitive. Hosting the tournament is reining back to back World Cup champions, Germany. The US is looking promising to win it all, while England has its deepest squad ever. Don’t look past Brazil, who has the world’s best player in Marta.

• What else is on TV?
  • Nothing interest is going on in sports right now besides the World Cup. The NFL and NBA are in a lockout, baseball is in its boring mid-season stage, and tennis, well who really watches tennis?

Cyril Hou / Shutterstock.com

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