Bob Bradley was fired as U.S. Men's National Team Manager on Tuesday.

The U.S. Soccer Federation announced Tuesday that Bob Bradley has been “relieved of his duties as the head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team.”

U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati made the announcement after meeting with Bradley and U.S. Soccer CEO Dan Flynn at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

Gulati was quoted as saying, “We want to thank Bob Bradley for his service and dedication to U.S. Soccer during the past five years. During his time as the head coach of our Men’s National Team he led the team to a number of accomplishments, but we felt now was the right time for us to make a change. It is always hard to make these decisions, especially when it involves someone we respect as much as Bob. We wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

Wow. While not exactly a surprising move given the team’s performance in this summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup, there was virtually no rumor or speculation of this type. In today’s age of instant media (Twitter), one would think someone could have spilled the beans about an announcement of this magnitude.

Bradley leaves the post of manager with a 43-25-12 record after five years at the helm. His accomplishments include winning the 2007 Gold Cup and finishing second in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.

Bradley guided the national team to the second round of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The U.S. defeated Algeria in an injury-time classic to advance to the second round of the World Cup.

Although the national team produced some breath-taking moments with Bradley as manager, the bottom line is that more was expected of him and the team.

Disappointing losses to Ghana in the World Cup and Mexico in this summer’s Gold Cup led some to believe that Bradley wasn’t able to instill the type of mental toughness in his team necessary to take the proverbial “next step.”

In his defense, Bradley wasn’t helped by the injury to forward Charlie Davies in a tragic car crash the summer before the World Cup. With Davies out of the fold, the U.S. team searched fruitlessly to find a forward with Davies’ speed and ability to stretch the back line of the opposing defense.

However, in international play, only results matter. And Bradley didn’t produce.

Jeff Francoeur starting the scoring in Game 1 against David Price with a double to center field that scored Ian Kinsler.

Who should Ron Washington start in Game 5 for the Texas Rangers in Tampa Bay? Listed below is who I think should take the field against David Price and the Rays.

Lineup:

1.       Elvis Andrus, SS

2.       Michael Young, 3B

3.       Josh Hamilton, CF

4.       Vlad Guerrero, DH

5.       Nelson Cruz, LF

6.       Ian Kinsler, 2B

7.       Jeff Francoeur, RF

8.       Mitch Moreland, 1B

9.       Bengie Molina, C

The first thing that will most likely jump out at you is Nelson Cruz playing left field. He had a terrible Game 4 on Sunday in the field but his bat is simply too explosive to put on the bench.

Jeff Francoeur makes the starting lineup based on his postseason experience and ability to jump on a fastball, which is David Price’s dominant pitch. Francoeur got the Rangers’ offense rolling in Game 1 and he could be a spark in Game 5.

Mitch Moreland starts over Jorge Cantu because, well, Jorge Cantu is just plain bad. His timing is off and he looks completely out of whack at the plate. Moreland was one of the few bright spots in Game 4 with a double and an RBI. Although Moreland against Price is a tough lefty-lefty matchup, the fact is Moreland is capable of better at-bats at this point.

Bengie Molina starts at catcher, of course. He was HUGE in Game 1 against Price, going 3 for 4 at the plate with a homerun and two RBI.

Second baseman Ian Kinsler could be key to the Texas Rangers' second-half run.

The Texas Rangers have come back to Earth.

In June, the Rangers won 21 out of 27 games. On July 6, they have lost 4 out of 5 to start this month.

Not only have they lost 4 out of 5, but they lost one game to the Chicago White Sox and two to the Cleveland Indians. The Chi-Sox and Indians have a combined record of 76-87. That was roughly the same record the Rangers finished with two years ago.

What’s wrong? Is it just a minor letdown after that torrid run in June? Is it a sign of things to come? Or is the team’s ownership mess finally starting to affect the product on the field?

The Rangers’ body of work this season is impressive. After posting an 11-12 record in April, they have gone 37-22. They have a 3-2 record against the arch-rival division opponent, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Although the head-to-head record isn’t overpowering, it’s still a winning record.

The Rangers play six games, all at home, before the All-Star Break. Two more against Cleveland and four games against Baltimore are all that stand between the Texas Rangers and an excellent first half.

As impressive as the first half has been, if the Rangers struggle into the All-Star Break, they will look more vulnerable than most have believed possible this season.

Dwyane Wade and LeBron James are the top two players in this summer's free agent class.

LeBron James, basketball royalty, has sat down with another King – Larry – to discuss his basketball future and impending free agency.

Fans across the league blindly believe James will pick their city to ply his trade next season.

The widely reported but minimally effective advantage Cleveland has over the rest of the pack has cooled some expectations from competing franchises, but hope remains. After all, that’s what the offseason is for, right?

The North Texas area has put together a respectable effort to recruit James. One only needs to look at www.lebrontothemavs.com to see what the local contingent will do to bring in a player that many believe is the best in the league.

Although Dallas is a city fit for a king, it’s not fit for LeBron. James should either stay in Cleveland, where his legend will be cemented if he wins a championship, or head east, to New York City.

Yes, Cleveland has done a horrible job of surrounding LeBron with championship-caliber talent. And yes, the Knicks’ best player is Danilo Gallinari – enough said.

But James does not belong in Dallas. His heart wants him to stay in Ohio and his ego wants him to go to NYC. If LeBron leaves Cleveland, his next stop should be New York.

LeBron is a star in every sense of the word and he wants everyone to witness it, including the biggest stars in other sports and professions.

Who wouldn’t want to have Spike Lee, Eli Manning, and the entire Yankees lineup watch them do their thing on basketball’s biggest stage in Madison Square Garden?

And guess what? That’s fine. James is the biggest attraction the NBA has to offer and belongs in the biggest market to grow its brand.

So, if James doesn’t travel below the Mason-Dixon Line to play basketball, who should be Dallas’ target?

The answer is Dwyane Wade.

Yes, THAT Dwyane Wade. The man who — with the help of a few officials — single-handedly defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the 2006 NBA Finals would fit perfectly with Dirk Nowitzki.

Wade’s presence in Dallas would instantly make the Mavs a title favorite.

His arrival would be met with some initial doubt, but what better place to win a championship than the same city from which he stole a title?

If Dallas were to win a title with Nowitzki and Wade, the same fans who have despised Wade since the Finals would undoubtedly revere the man. After jilting Mavs fans in 2006, Wade has a chance to win over the Dallas/Fort Worth community by teaming with the man he battled for six games.

Wade and Nowitzki seems like a match made in heaven, and it is. The Dallas Mavericks have struggled to find the correct supporting cast for Nowitzki since trading Robert “Tractor” Traylor for the Big German.

Nowitzki, an out-and-out jump shooter, has played as well as he can while being surrounded by other jump shooters. When the Mavs went to the Finals in 2006, Nowitzki had two young, attacking players in Josh Howard and Devin Harris.

Howard has since regressed and been traded. Harris was shipped out of town for an aging Jason Kidd, who doesn’t possess the same skill set as Harris. Kidd is a Hall of Fame point guard but his strongest assets, passing and 3-point shooting, are not what the Mavs need out of this free agent class.

The Mavs need a powerful, tenacious attacker that can get to the rim and subsequently, the free throw line. If you watched the 2006 Finals, you saw that is exactly what Wade is.

So, D-Wade, it’s your turn. You have the chance to redeem yourself in the city you have tormented since 2006. Happy choosing.