I am writing in response to Monday's baseball-bashing column by Jonathan Malavolti ("Soccer is my favorite sport, baseball can't compare to it," SN 2/10). Do you know where you live? This is America, the Siberia of the soccer world. There's no denying that soccer is the most popular sport worldwide, but in this country, it's at the bottom of the ladder. Our best soccer players leave for other countries, and the worst and oldest from other countries come here to waste away. Soccer in this country has a long way to go to reach the standard of baseball.

Rioting is not passion. If soccer fans' madness is considered "passion," then put it right alongside the "passion" of terrorism.

As for ballplayers being athletes or not, let me just say that until you can go out and hit 51 home runs in a season, lay off Cecil Fielder. I consider myself an athlete and there's no way I could even hit one of those pitches, let alone send it 350 feet through the air.

Anybody who says that baseball is boring is merely proclaiming their ignorance of the game. I have watched and adored baseball ever since I could walk. Every pitch, every swing, every step on the field is spellbinding to me. To truly appreciate anything, you must first understand it. Every time I go to the ballpark I'm hoping for a seven-hour, 18-inning classic.

This country still belongs to baseball. Perhaps in another 100 years, soccer will be on top. If you can't deal with that then move. In the meantime, don't bash other sports just because they are more popular here.

Mike Nelson
kinesiology junior