Considering the enormous popularity of world-wide sports, bringing in billions in annual revenue and with major events reaching more eye-balls than anything else televised, it's hard to believe some of the ridiculous rules that still exist across various sports. This list is a breakdown of the ten most illogical rules that are contained within the actual games (so no complaining about overtime formats, the BCS system, why a baseball closer can blow a save and get the win, or why the foul pole isn't called the fair pole). Also, because golf has more ridiculous rules than all of the other major sports combined, I've decided to leave it out altogether and will dedicate some time to unfair golf rules later.

10. Only One Foot Down for a Complete Pass (NCAA Football) - With the complete integration between college football and the NFL, why not have college receivers abide by the same reception rules so they can start working on getting both feet down years earlier? Catches where both feet land in-bounds are much more dramatic anyway (like Santonio Holmes' game winning TD in the Super Bowl).

9. Maintain Possession Through the Catch, Even Out of Bounds (NFL) - A receiver cuts towards the sideline, catches the ball while dragging both toes, then when he falls and hits the ground out-of-bounds the ball pops loose. No catch. Why not? He had possession when he was still in-bounds and what happens after that shouldn't matter, the same way there's an invisible plane at the end zone and whether the player loses possession or not after the nose of the ball crosses that plane doesn't matter because it's already a touchdown. Too many deserving catches have been negated.

8. Offensive Interference vs. Defensive Interference (NFL) - So a quarterback can chuck the ball 50 yards down field and if a defender holds the receiver they get the ball at the spot of the foul, yet if a receiver holds the defender to prevent an interception it's only a 15-yard penalty? This seems unbalanced, although the recent change to interference only being called if the ball was already in the air (otherwise it's just defensive holding) is a step in the right direction.

7. Trapezoid Behind the Net Rule (NHL) - This is where the goaltender can only play the puck within a specific area behind the net or in front of the goal line. But why? If the goaltender is leaving the net unguarded and has good puck handling skills, why not let him go where he wants? I say let him take the risk.

6. Ineligible Receivers (NFL) - Why can't the quarterback throw the ball to anyone on his team? I have yet to hear a scenario that justifies this rule in which my response is not, "well then the defense will have to prepare for that just like with any trick play."

5. The Tuck Rule (NFL) - While it makes sense that if the quarterback is attempting to make a pass and his arm is moving forward he can't fumble the ball, if he's trying to hold onto it and gets hit why should this be considered an incomplete pass? This rule was obviously made famous during the 2001 AFC Championship game when the Raiders knocked the ball lose from Tom Brady, but the truth is it's a horrible example of the tuck rule being enforced because the fumble should have been a moot point considering Brady was illegally hit in the head during the play anyway (sorry Raiders fans, it's true, just watch the replay a few times). Why no one ever seems to remember this detail is beyond me. Even so, the tuck rule remains convoluted and needs to be eliminated.

Generally speaking, I try not to laugh when little kids get hurt, but sometimes they make it difficult. Take this video from a San Jose Giants promotional game where two kids race around the base paths in opposite directions. It's safe to say these two are exactly the same speed, and the P.A. announcer caps off the home plate collision with a funny concluding line. Don't worry, both kids were just fine despite being a little dizzy.

During a stoppage in play due to an injury, MLB Network's Matt Vasgersian developed a serious case of foot-in-mouth syndrome. Not sure if he was just trying to be funny or if he was serious (or both), but for a white guy to say some random black dude looks like a famous black athlete (say Donovan McNabb) probably isn't a good idea.

Vasgersian responded via Kissing Suzy Kolber and at least owned up to his actions while defending himself against any racial allegations:

“I am an idiot .. Save the racial stuff which is just flat out wrong, almost all of what has been posted on my regrettably horrific timing is spot on .. It was a bad decision made on live tv and i can absolutely understand how that make an announcer sound insensitive. Bad on the spot judgment. Nobody feels worse about it than I do guys.”

Let's hope this is the end of it, as it's perfectly understandable for someone who speaks constantly on live television to make the occasional inappropriate slip-of-the-tongue. I'm sure this incident will spur at least one reporter to call up Donovan McNabb and ask him what Terrell Owens thinks about Vasgersian's comments.

I just wrote the other day how San Francisco Giants games have become hard to watch, so it's not a huge surprise to see that the fans have taken to entertaining themselves. The above video was filmed on Friday evening during a Giants vs. Dodgers game and presumably these guys are not all backing the same team. Props to the security at AT&T Park for getting on top of this ruckus after... umm... 5 minutes? Also, I'm pretty sure that wasting an $8 cup of beer in a fight is poor management of one's personal finances.

If you're a Giants fan like me, the past several years have been fairly depressing. It's not just that the team has had a losing record for five straight seasons, it's how they lose that makes them so hard to watch. I can appreciate good pitching as much as any baseball fan, but seeing your team lose 2-1 while leaving 10-plus runners stranded on base gets tiresome rather quickly.

Of course, the one shining ray of hope for this franchise and the only player outside of Bonds who has made at least some of San Francisco's games watchable during this stretch is Tim Lincecum. The 2008 season was as dull as it gets, but when Lincecum was on the mound I'd always make sure to tune in. So when the reigning NL Cy Young winner started the 2009 season with the worst two starts of his major league career, needless to say it was more than a little deflating.

Fortunately, reports surfaced late last week that Linecum was suffering from some stomach ailments and would head into his third start feeling much better. Even though he had to settle for a no decision against Arizona as SF ultimately lost 2-0, Lincecum posted 8 shutout innings, allowing only 5 hits while striking out 13. I think it's safe to say he's back on track, so at least Giants fans still having something to feel good about.