If you answered with anything but the word, Never, then you are WRONG, just like the moronic hockey fans in Montreal and Philadelphia.  I don’t care where it started [Montreal] or where it finished [Philadelphia], you just don’t do that. 

Here’s what you need to do during the singing of the National Anthem, no matter what country’s national anthem is playing:

• Take off your hat. 
• Put your right hand over your heart or stand at attention
• Stand silently or sing if you care to and know the words.
• Show respect. 

Here’s what you don’t do:

• Talk.  And no stupid shouting to signify your team — that means you, Baltimore Orioles fans and Atlanta Braves fans.
• Walk, run or otherwise transport yourself [unless it's an emergency]
• Drink, eat, smoke or engage in any other carnal activity [I think you know what I'm talking about].
• Boo.

The National Anthem stands for something more important than national rivalries.  Show your true colors by standing up to those idiots who have no pride or respect.  Say something to the knuckleheads.  But do it AFTER the whole anthem is played.

The Sioux Falls Canaries of the independent American Association introduce a unique snack at the concession stand this season:  breaded and fried turkey testicles.

Branded as “Fowl Balls,” the protein-laden appetizers will be offered with “your favorite dipping sauce as an alternative to onion rings or cheese sticks.”

According to Canaries Director of Food & Beverage Bill Sedelmeier:  “The Fowl Balls will make a perfect compliment to a cold beer at the Birdcage.”

I’m thinking many cold beers.

Baseball and beer go great together – or so I’m told. And perhaps baseball might go even better with Czech beer, the best beer in the world – or so I have also been told.

The 4th annual World University Championship is to be played this summer (July 17-27) in the Czech towns of Brno, Olomouc, Blansko and Choceň.

Teams from 14 countries, including China, Croatia, Cuba and the USA, will be participating.

While baseball does not seem likely to usurp soccer as the dominant sport around the world, it has grown a steady and very loyal following in numerous countries in Europe, like the Czech Republic.

Click here for more information.

I had a business meeting with a couple of Canadian friends the other day and they were bemoaning the fact that back in the days of the six team NHL, kids would pick their favorite team and then be able to cheer on their favorite player for years and years.  It’s definitely not like that anymore in hockey, to say the least.

And it’s not like that anymore with baseball.  But back in the day it was the same as hockey.  I’ve been a Cardinal fan my whole life and I can tell you the starting lineup for the 1967-8 Cardinals teams that were NL Champs 2 years in a row, winning the world series in 1967 and losing the seventh game to the Detroit Tigers a year later.

I thought to myself with the era of free agency dawning shortly after my hero, Bob Gibson, retired, WWBGD if he in fact became eligible for free agency.

It’s a difficult quandary.

Because of his fierce competitive nature and because he would always want to play for the championship, one could assume that he would rather sign with a perennial contender than stay with one team out of loyalty if that team had fallen on bad competitive times.  And I would imagine because of his close friendship with Curt Flood [another hero of baseball and should be in the HOF, IMHO], he would have wanted to seize control of his own destiny.  He could go to wherever it was best for him, his career, his family and his team.

So, I could see him signing on with the great Oakland A’s teams of the early 1970’s or with the pitching and defense laden Baltimore Orioles or anchor the lackluster starting pitching staff of the famed Big Red Machine.

However, I would dare say that he would be loyal to the city, his team and teammates and would choose to make the best deal he could with his current team.  He’d be a Tony Gwynn or a Cal Ripken.  People who stayed with the home team because they wanted to spend their career in one place. He would dance with the date that brung him to the dance.  I believe he would be pissed off when one of his teammates left just for the money.  He would throw at them the first chance he got.

Just ask his best friend, Bill White.

Miss Babe Ruth, a mascot for the South Atlantic League Greensboro Grasshoppers, makes her second season debut in the team’s home opener Monday versus the Hickory Crawdads.

The black Labrador Retriever returns as a crowd favorite at NewBridge Bank Park.  Among her many duties, “The Great Bambina” greets fans, delivers balls to the umpire, and acts as bat girl.  

Miss Babe Ruth’s first season game-worn collar recently fetched $290.00 in an eBay auction.  Proceeds were donated to the Animal Rescue and Foster Program of Greensboro.

The Class A affiliate of the Florida Marlins, Greensboro hopes to extend its record streak of three consecutive years of 400,000+ fans.