What's in a name?

When it comes to hype, few enterprises are more guilty than the sports industry.

Major League Baseball recently invented something called the World Baseball Classic, which is baseball's lame attempt to copy soccer's World Cup. The problem, of course, is that the very definition of the word 'classic' implies some sort of long tradition. The first edition of something can not be called a classic, especially before it's even occurred.

Major League Soccer was guilty of this last season as well. The very first match in history (and all subsequent matches) between Los Angeles Galaxy and their city rivals Chivas USA were instantly dubbed Super Classicos.'

Actually, they were dubbed 'Honda Super Classicos.'

As if the deceptive use of the word 'classic' wasn't bad enough, throwing in a corporate sponsor to something that's supposed to add mystique seems to defeat the whole point.

Worst of all were matches between the league's two newest teams, Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake. Some genius decided to call these contests 'Expansion classicos.'

Anyone with an ounce of common sense should understand that the phrase 'Expansion classico' is a contradiction in terms.

Matches between Los Angeles and the former San Jose Earthquakes became known as California Classicos. This occurred not because some suit decreed it so and decides to slap a corporate sponsor in front of it, but because the two teams played some incredible matches in front of great crowds and developed the most intense rivalry in MLS.

And this doesn't even take into consideration something called the World Series, which involves baseball clubs from two of the world's approximately two hundred countries.

Of course, American sports aren't the only ones guilty of this excessive hype. Tokyo hosts an annual match called the Toyota Cup, which most of the soccer press refers to as the World Club Cup, and the winner as the World Club Champion. This is simply not true, as the match involves only the champions of South America and Europe.

In 1998, US and North American champions DC United defeated South American champions Vasco da Gama in the Interamerican Cup. Yet, it was Vasco da Gama who ended up playing Real Madrid in the 'World Club Cup.' Go figure.