Why People Should Watch the FIBA World Cup

For those of you who may not know, the FIBA World Cup is in the middle of their 2014 competition, taking place in Spain. Team USA has concluded pool play undefeated, as most expected, but not without a scare from Omer Asik and Turkey who were up five at halftime. The round of 16 commences Saturday the 6th and continues Sunday the 7th, with the championship game taking place a week later on the 14th at 3pm EST. While I don't expect hordes of people packed in to humid summer parks, making it seem as if no one in the city of Chicago has a job, in the same manner that Americans did for the World Cup of Soccer. This tournament is still worth your attention and here some reasons why.

1. Team USA is one of the favorites to win the whole thing. Other than the host nation of Spain, no other country is expected to give the Red, White and Blue a serious run for their money. This being said, America has already found itself trailing at halftime to Turkey and late in to the second quarter vs. the Ukraine (seriously that actually happened) so a trip to the finals is far from guaranteed. This still greatly trumps the chances of the US had at winning the FIFA World Cup. It might just be me, but I find it hard to ascertain the notion that winning 1 out of 4 games in a tournament means success like it did in Brazil. Kyrie, The Beard and co. will certainly give the States a much better opportunity to hoist the trophy at the conclusion of the event.

2. It gives everyone an excuse to wear their obnoxious America apparel they otherwise would only breakout maybe once or twice a year. Don't lie to yourself, we all have bought, or know someone whose bought a pair of tremendously overpriced American flag pants. Well it's time to bust those bad boys out in as close to a socially acceptable manner as you'll find outside the 4th.

3. The return of Derrick Rose. Oh he's too injury prone, he can't shoot, he's going to be soft now...just stop it. D-Rose is the only player not named LeBron or Kevin to win the MVP award since Obama has been in the Oval Office. For those who forgot, this is what he does. Although he may not be as much of a figurehead on this team, it's still the best opportunity to view a healthy D-Rose since the 2011-2012 season.

4. Teams other than America are actually worth watching. Spain obviously has the second best allotment of talent on their roster with the Gasol brothers, Serge Ibaka, Jose Calderon and others, but other teams with talent also deserve your attention. For instance, on Sunday the 7th Argentina faces off against Brazil in the round of 16, and while this isn't the same matchup it would have been on the soccer field, both teams have NBA talent. France, who also has a few NBA players (not Tony Parker unfortunately) will likely play Spain in the quarter-finals, another non-American match worth watching.

5. Even during the 20,30,40,50 and even 60 pops team U.S.A. delivers some rather amazing highlights. From lobs to The Brow, to the Splash Brothers dropping bombs, to Uncle Drew getting absurd buckets, the highlights are often worth watching for sheer entertainment value. Here are some of the best from Team U.S.A's run so far: 1, 2, 3, 4

6. This, the tournament's international flavor certainly adds a few things Americans aren't used to seeing in a typical basketball game.

So get rowdy, watch some games and hope America can take home the 'ship next Sunday. Don't worry you can check your fantasy football scores during timeouts.

Blogger Roundtable: Brazil 2014 or Rio 2016?

Which sporting event in Brazil would you rather attend: The 2014 FIFA World Cup or The 2016 Summer Olympics? Please give your opinion by answering the poll at the top of the page and share your thoughts in the comments section.

All eyes will be on Brazil in two of the next three summers as the country is set to host what are arguably the two biggest international sporting competitions in the world. Many people dream about getting the chance to go to either event, but if you could only go to one, which one would you select?

Here's what our bloggers had to say:


Adam Malz - Olympics

I would much rather attend the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil. The Olympics offer a variety of sports and the same level of pride in your country that the World Cup offers.

Matthew Hakimian - World Cup

Despite the aura the Summer Olympics carries, there is no single sporting event that can match the excitement of the World Cup. It is the pinnacle of the most popular sport outside the U.S. as the world's best soccer players vie to obtain national glory. In addition, from start to finish the World Cup is twice as long as the Summer Olympics (32 to 16 days). As a huge soccer fan though, my answer is likely biased due to the fact that the quality of Olympic soccer doesn't even compare to the level of competitiveness featured in the World Cup.

Thomas Kroner - Olympics

I would rather go to the Summer Olympics in Brazil simply because America is considerably better at nearly every other sport in the world than we are at soccer. If I’m spending the money to travel and stay in another continent then I want to see America succeed. The last thing I want is some little Portuguese person coming up to me talking trash about the result of a game.

Max Fogle - Olympics

After seeing the World Cup draw for the USMNT, I'm tempted to say the Olympics. While I would like to see the German national team and the Ronaldo national team, I wouldn't be able to take another defeat to Ghana. I would rather get better use on all of my star spangled paraphernalia and watch a bunch of Americans win at sports that I usually do not watch. It would be Rio 2016 for me.