And once again imperialist Israel gets special treatment...

[Cheung Mo]

http://aol.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2012-05-21/world-baseball-classic-ryan-braun-ian-kinsler-kevin-youkilis

The 2013 World Baseball Classic has a special rule tailor-made to stack the deck in Israel's favour. Anyone with at least one Jewish grand parent is allowed to play for Team Israel thanks to a rule that allows national teams to take any player who would be eligible for citizenship even they do not have or intend to acquire citizenship.

Obviously, this rule disproportionately benefits Israel because anyone who's 25% Jewish can play for Team Israel.

While not problematic for baseball powerhouses like Japan, Cuba, and USA, this rule gives imperialist Israel a huge leg up over middle-tier teams like Korea, Taiwan, Canada, and Venezuela.

And since Israel-whore Stephen Harper is PM of my country, Canadians will not be penalized for stabbing their country in the back.

I think it would be of interest to investigate the religious and ethnic heritage of the assholes running this farce of a world championship.

[Prometeo liberado]

In order to better showcase this most elegent of sports The Classic should be moved to Saudi Arabia or Jordan. Let the Zionist pigs play ball there.

[Anarcho-Brocialist]

Well, Yao Ming was allowed to play for DPRC in basketball. Vlad Divac too with Serbia. Should we too slam China and Serbia? Additionally, Israel has a pretty crappy athletics program (they've only won 18 medals in the their 21 Olympic turnouts).

[Igor]

I really don't see a problem with this. Israel is not getting "special treatment", not a single rule was changed for this. Israeli citizenship laws allowing them an advantage over middle-tier baseball teams is not a case of Israeli imperialism, and claiming so is rather insulting to actual cases of Israeli imperialism. Dead Arabs and such.

Also "stabbing your country in their back"? What the fuck? That's some pretty messed up nationalist rhetoric dude.

[Igor]

I think it would be of interest to investigate the religious and ethnic heritage of the assholes running this farce of a world championship.

Oh, damn, didn't see this one before. Your post has now officially leaped into antisemitist territory, and reading more and more out like "JEWS!!" than actual criticism of Israel. Congratulations.

[ВАЛТЕР]

Athletes are seen as commodities which can be bought and sold by the sports team. This has always been the case for every nation, sports club etc.

What should be bothering us is the Israeli citizenship laws. They are obviously prejudice against non-Jews. Sports has nothing to do with Israeli aggression and imperialism, it is just sports.

[seventeethdecember2016]

Another classical example of Israeli Imperialism. Jewish baseball players, from around the worlds, are now allowed to play on team Israel.
Oh gosh! Next they'll invade Northern Cyprus, forming a puppet state, and lobby for North Cyprus' right to be an individual team.

Oh the agony those countries losing these star players will suffer!

[ComradeOm]

You mean this isn't already a rule? Come on baseball, get with the programme. Rugby and soccer have had the 'granny rule' in place for years now