Fourth of July Celebrations Scaled Back Due to Weather, Economy

For the second consecutive year, the Kansas City area was forced to scale back fireworks displays due to recession. The Prairie Village and Bonner Springs shows were cancelled, while other large-scale events such as the Shawnee Mission Park show were scaled back due to budget reasons.

The cut in celebrations did not happen in Kansas City alone. Several other cities across the US were forced to do the same, leading to fewer fireworks and events throughout the country.

The celebrations that did happen in the Kansas City area were hit hard by rain and inclement weather. Some shows went on as scheduled while other events were canceled due to the weather. Despite cancelled shows and poor weather, several celebrations were still able to give Kansas City residents a proper Fourth of July celebration.

Most Controversial Call From World Cup Stems From Correct Ruling

In a world cup filled with missed calls that have decided the outcome of games, a correct call may generate the most controversy and attention from fans and FIFA. Uruguay forward Luis Suarez’s blatant handball to stop a late ball was correctly seen and called by the officials, yet it helped Uruguay advance to the semifinals over Africa’s last hope, Ghana.

Late in the second half with the game tied at one, Ghana mounted one last strike to take the lead. After the ball bounced around deep in the box, a Ghana player finally got a shot towards goal – which was batted out of the air by Suarez. The striker was correctly given a red card and Ghana was awarded a penalty kick, and the game should have been over. Only Ghana missed the penalty kick, and Uruguay went on to win the game in the shootout, 4-2.

After the game, talking heads and fans alike have debated the final sequence of the game. If a ball is going into the goal and a player illegally touches it, should the goal be awarded anyways? Many analysts feel that forcing the team to take a nerve-wrenching penalty shot is too tough a situation for what should have been a goal. Defenders of the rule argue that being handed a red card for the foul – and missing the next game – is severe enough a penalty and part of the risk involved for batting the ball out illegally.

While there are legitimate arguments from both sides in regards to the rule, the likelihood of FIFA changing the rule is slim. This is the same organization that refuses to implement video replays into its games despite obvious blown calls from the referees throughout the tournament. Interestingly, the controversy this time isn’t from a missed call but from a correct decision from the referee. For once, FIFA and the rest of the world need to examine not the man making the ruling but the rule itsef.

Wimbledon Offers Top Competition Without the Officiating Controversy

With the United States eliminated from the World Cup and baseball’s postseason months away, sports enthusiasts can turn to Wimbledon to help fill the void between the end of basketball season and the start of football. The tournament is historically filled with drama and high-profile matchups, and this year’s edition is no different.

Rafael Nadal once again upended Andy Murray, who has been on a quest to be the first British Champion at Wimbledon in 74 years. Similar to their meeting two years ago, Nadal dismantled the young Scot in strait sets to earn a place in the final. After their soccer team’s quick exit in the round of 16, the entire United Kingdom, including the queen, has waited to see if Murray can break through.

Nadal’s opponent in the final will be 12^th seeded Tomas Berdych, who will be a large underdog against the world number one. Berdych reached the finals by upsetting Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, and the Czech player will have to muster out one final upset to win his first grand slam title.

With the frustration over officiating and blown calls in the world cup, Wimbledon offers top international competition without the human error and controversy. Hopefully the world cup will embrace goal-line technology, similar to what Tennis does with line calls, to avoid further blown calls.

Kansas Smoking Ban Goes Into Effect, Met with Opposition

Effective this morning, the Kansas smoking ban has officially gone into effect. The state now prohibits smoking in bars, restaurants and workplaces, joining 30 other states that enforce a similar policy.

When news of the ban originally broke, several businesses decided to take the ruling to court. A Shawnee County District Court ruled yesterday that the ban would be enforced, however over 30 private clubs may permit smoking. This replaces the old policy that had a ban in place in Kansas, however bars and restaurants could opt out by paying an annual $250 fee.

There appear to be more legal challenges on the horizon from a variety of bars, restaurants and casinos that feel the law will greatly restrict business and could be unconstitutional. It will be interesting to see how many of these businesses win a permit to allow smoking such as the private clubs that benefited from the Shawnee County Court’s ruling.

Future Wizards vs. Manchester United Friendly Showcases Soccer's Growth in Kansas City

While large crowds for World Cup matches in Kansas City signaled an increased interest in soccer across the United States and in Kansas City, the upcoming Wizards vs. Manchester United game may be a sign that interest in the world’s most popular sport is more than a passing fad.

The Wizards’ organization is reporting that over 40,000 tickets have been sold for the July 25^th friendly between Kansas City’s MLS team and one of the most popular and successful teams from the English Premiership. Despite drawing Manchester United, 40,000 tickets is an extremely high number of tickets sold for a friendly game not involving the US National Team.

The previous attendance record is 37,319, which occurred in 2001 when the National team played a World Cup qualifying match against fellow CONCAF team Costa Rica. After Kansas City’s Power and Light District announced crowds of over 10,000 to watch the US vs. Ghana Round of 16 game in the World Cup, it appears that soccer has caught significant momentum, at least in the Kansas City area.

Tickets for the game are still available through Ticketmaster and the Kansas City Wizards’ Ticket Office.