On Friday, renown dog fighter/tax evader (and part-time NFL quarterback) Michael Vick celebrated his 30th birthday party at a Virginia Beach night club. The end of the night was unfortunately marred by gunfire. Vick initially told authorities that he and his entourage were long gone before the shooting took place. But spokesman for the Guadalajara restaurant Allen Fabijan provided footage of Vick and his entourage leaving the night club exactly three minutes before the shooting.
So that's shady, right? But perhaps Vick meant he was gone and had no idea that a shooting took place. That's not lying, really. Sure, Vick has lied to the police, the owner of the Atlanta Falcons, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in the past, but this is the rehabilitated Michael Vick. That was probably just a semantics discrepancy. I mean, Falcons WR Roddy White backed up Vick's story. So there's some additional credibility.
So who got shot at this shindig? Some random who shelled out the $50 for the privilege of attending the birthday of a convicted felon? No, it was apparently his good pal Quanis Phillips, who testified against Vick in the trial for his infamous dog fighting ring. Phillips also apparently was involved in slapping Vick's fiancee's hand as she fed him birthday cake, which made her smear some cake on Vick's face. So, a guy who testified against you and then got your wife to smush cake into your face got shot three minutes after you left that night?
Oh, boy.
This looks really bad, even by Michael Vick's standards. Looks like he might not get to throw mediocre passes for the Philadelphia Eagles this year, and though nothing official has happened yet, Philadelphia trading Donovan McNabb away to the Redskins suddenly looks a lot stupider.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Another Case of Bad Parenting
In Toronto, the parents of two 15 year old boys are suing the team for damages after both sons were cut from a youth team. 70 boys between the ages of 13 and 16 tried out for the team. The team had expected to carry a 17 man roster. That means that going in, everyone knew that 53 of the 70 boys were going to get cut. I have a few years of youth coaching under my belt, and I've dealt with some bad parents, but this is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.
The lawsuit is asking for $25,000 from each of the four coaches and another $25,000 from the league for a total of $125,000. Seriously? If your sons were "irreparably damaged" by getting cut from a youth hockey tryout, you are shitty parents. There is no way around that. The frivolity of this lawsuit is an affront to honest parents and coaches of youth athletes everywhere. I sincerely hope that the judge laughs at the allegations and demands the plaintiffs pay legal costs for both sides if this nonsense ever goes to trial.
The lawsuit is asking for $25,000 from each of the four coaches and another $25,000 from the league for a total of $125,000. Seriously? If your sons were "irreparably damaged" by getting cut from a youth hockey tryout, you are shitty parents. There is no way around that. The frivolity of this lawsuit is an affront to honest parents and coaches of youth athletes everywhere. I sincerely hope that the judge laughs at the allegations and demands the plaintiffs pay legal costs for both sides if this nonsense ever goes to trial.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
LeBron, Bosh to Bulls?
This would be a coup for Chicago, if it pans out:
The NYT has the original story on Chris Bosh moving from the Toronto Raptors, and free-agent-extraordinaire LeBron James from the Cavs, moving in tandem to the storied Chicago Bulls.
ESPN has the follow up, along with the above video.
The NYT has the original story on Chris Bosh moving from the Toronto Raptors, and free-agent-extraordinaire LeBron James from the Cavs, moving in tandem to the storied Chicago Bulls.
ESPN has the follow up, along with the above video.
Local hockey fan continues to watch boring television
Yes, my off-season sports chats sound like headlines from The Onion. I got called out after my last rant about the NHL Network by a facebook friend-of-a-friend. (Sad, I know. It wasn’t even a friend of my own. I have a very Charlie Brown-like existence.) But, my new FFOF pointed out that there is plenty going on in the hockey world right now to keep a fan (okay, fanatic) engaged. There have been shocking trades, the new schedules have been released, the recent NHL awards and NHL draft, and July 1 will open up free agency. She’s right. There's still plenty of action around the NHL, and the awards and draft have been broadcast on Versus. It’s not exactly the body-crushing action of watching a game every night, but it keeps things interesting. And for some reason, watching teams I mostly don’t care about draft young players I’ve never heard of is way more interesting than whatever else is on TV these days. I don’t know if that speaks to how much I love hockey, or how bad television programming is these days. Probably a little of both.
The first round of the NHL draft was Friday night and the only players I knew by name were the number one and number two draft picks: Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin. I’ve heard plenty of speculation about which one would be chosen first, but I still have no idea which one is which. I think that Taylor is the one that turns into a werewolf and Tyler is the vampire that sparkles. Or is it the other way around? Whoever they are, you never hear about one without a mention of the other. It’s a good thing NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman was behind the podium, because the pre-packaged marketing opportunity of this rivalry must be giving him a raging hard-on. Next season the NHL can branch off from the constant comparisons between Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. Except this Taylor/Tyler thing may be even easier for the league to exploit. I bet no one has ever had a problem telling Crosby and Ovechkin apart.
So, the 2010 NHL draft is over. The Oilers have Taylor Hall, the Bruins have Tyler Seguin, and the Maple Leafs have to live with the fact that they gave up two draft picks this year, including their shot to acquire a promising young player with a built-in marketing ploy (along with a 2011 first round pick!) to the Bruins for Phil Kessel. For last year's draft, Toronto’s GM Brian Burke tried to trade up for a shot at John Tavares (spoiler alert! His attempts were ill-fated. Tavares just finished his first season with the Islanders and did very well for them.) This year they essentially gave up one of the –ylors. Better luck next year, Toronto. Oh no, wait – you traded away your first round 2011 draft pick too. Well, better luck in 2012 then.
Now that the NHL Awards show and the draft are over, I know I can count on the NHL Network to replay them for the remainder of the summer alongside old playoff games. I wonder how many more times I'll see Kevin Connolly. I was totally not expecting to see E from Entourage announce the Islanders pick.
The first round of the NHL draft was Friday night and the only players I knew by name were the number one and number two draft picks: Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin. I’ve heard plenty of speculation about which one would be chosen first, but I still have no idea which one is which. I think that Taylor is the one that turns into a werewolf and Tyler is the vampire that sparkles. Or is it the other way around? Whoever they are, you never hear about one without a mention of the other. It’s a good thing NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman was behind the podium, because the pre-packaged marketing opportunity of this rivalry must be giving him a raging hard-on. Next season the NHL can branch off from the constant comparisons between Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. Except this Taylor/Tyler thing may be even easier for the league to exploit. I bet no one has ever had a problem telling Crosby and Ovechkin apart.
So, the 2010 NHL draft is over. The Oilers have Taylor Hall, the Bruins have Tyler Seguin, and the Maple Leafs have to live with the fact that they gave up two draft picks this year, including their shot to acquire a promising young player with a built-in marketing ploy (along with a 2011 first round pick!) to the Bruins for Phil Kessel. For last year's draft, Toronto’s GM Brian Burke tried to trade up for a shot at John Tavares (spoiler alert! His attempts were ill-fated. Tavares just finished his first season with the Islanders and did very well for them.) This year they essentially gave up one of the –ylors. Better luck next year, Toronto. Oh no, wait – you traded away your first round 2011 draft pick too. Well, better luck in 2012 then.
Now that the NHL Awards show and the draft are over, I know I can count on the NHL Network to replay them for the remainder of the summer alongside old playoff games. I wonder how many more times I'll see Kevin Connolly. I was totally not expecting to see E from Entourage announce the Islanders pick.
Friday, June 25, 2010
And The Stage is Set: Round of 16 Preview
The final games of group play have finished, and the elimination rounds of the 2010 World Cup are now set! Spain fought back from their surprise loss to Switzerland with a big 2-1 win over Chile, propelling themselves to the top of Group H and avoiding a Round of 16 matchup against Brazil, who faces Chile instead. Interesting fact, Chile gave up 7 goals to Brazil in their two matches during World Cup qualifying; not exactly the best record you want when facing the #1 team in the world.
How did the various continents do? Well, Europe did worse than last time around, and the rest of the world did better:
Europe - 6 (down from 10 in 2006)
South America - 5
CONCACAF (N. & C. Am., Caribbean) - 2
Asia - 2
Africa - 1
Oceania - 0
And who has the easiest path to the semi-finals, and who has the hardest? Let's look at the brackets (using pre-World Cup FIFA Rankings):
Weakest: #14 USA v. #32 Ghana, #16 Uruguay v. #47 S. Korea
#2 Spain v. #3 Portugal, #31 Paraguay v. #45 Japan
#1 Brazil v. #18 Chile, #4 Netherlands v. #34 Slovakia
Strongest: #6 Germany v. #8 England, #7 Argentina v. #17 Mexico
Things look good for Team USA; they are in the weakest bracket by far, and while Ghana is the strongest team in Africa and Uruguay is the original power team, the Yanks are fully capable of winning their bracket up to the semi-finals if they play the way they did back in the Confederations Cup, where they beat Spain in the semi-finals and went up 2-0 over Brazil in halftime of the finals, only to give up 3 goals in the second half. We may see a rematch of that Confederations Cup finals (held in South Africa last year), as Brazil and the USA are on the same side of the brackets, able to meet up in the semi-final match. But it won't be a cakewalk for Brazil, either; though they are heavily favored to trounce Chile yet again, they haven't looked in top form yet this World Cup (though all signs suggest they're just waiting for the elimination rounds to play their real game, which should blow us all away), and may face European powerhouse Netherlands in the quarterfinals.
On the other side, the toughest trek by far will be where perennial European powerhouses Germany and England face off. Both are playing some of the ugliest football we've ever seen them play, with England finishing second in Group C after being unable to beat Algeria and drawing with the Americans (sort of like the War of 1812). Not only should that first match be a knock-down, drag-out street fight, but the winner of the derby faces red-hot Argentina, who is one of the few teams who look like they're ready to win the whole thing, maybe even more so than Brazil. And don't count out Mexico, which has been playing like a top 10 team and may be the Cinderella story of this World Cup. Whoever comes out of this strongest group will probably face the winner of Iberian neighbors Spain and Portugal. Spain has definitely not looked like the European champions so far, with star Liverpool striker Fernando "El Nino" Torres still scoreless and an apparent inability to convert on strong chances. UEFA Euro 2008 hero David Villa (Valencia) has stepped up, though, and it will be interesting to see whether he continues to be the big finisher for La Roja (who confused me by wearing blue today in their final group match).
Portugal, too, has been lackluster, with the biggest disappointment being the lack of goals from international superstar Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) (especially after the epic Nike ad campaign). In 270 minutes, Ronaldo has hit the back of the net just once, of seven Portuguese goals. If Spain is in top form, we'll see Barca-inspired dominance of possession, meaning fewer chances for Portugal. Ronaldo will have to execute on the opportunities he does have if he hopes to make the Nike ads into a reality.
But here back home, all eyes are just focused right now on USA v. Ghana. By all measures, the USA is favored, but that's not how the World Cup works. Emotions will be running high; Ghana and the US were both in the same group in 2006, and the African Cup Champions nabbed the second slot out of group play behind Italy (remember when Italy used to make it out of group play), with Ghana beating the US 2-1 in the final group play match, sending the Yanks home and dooming Americans to another four years of pretending that the world cares about MLB's World Series. As always, Team USA has a lot to prove to proto-fans at home, and there is never a venue better than the World Cup to teach Americans to love soccer. But the Black Stars will be under a lot of pressure as well; not only are they looking to make another run in the World Cup, they're now the only remaining African team in the first African World Cup in history. It's a lot of pressure from an entire continent, and while the players and coaches claim to welcome it, how they handle it come tomorrow is yet to be seen.
Saturday
Uruguay v. South Korea, 10am EDT, 7am PDT, ESPN
USA v. Ghana, 2:30pm EDT, 11:30am PDT, ABC
Sunday
Germany v. England, 10am EDT, 7am PDT, ESPN
Argentina v. Mexico, 2:30pm EDT, 11:30am PDT, ABC
Monday
Netherlands v. Slovakia, 10am EDT, 7am PDT, ESPN
Brazil v. Chile, 2:30pm EDT, 11:30am PDT, ESPN
Tuesday
Paraguay v. Japan, 10am EDT, 7am PDT, ESPN
Spain v. Portugal, 2:30pm EDT, 11:30am PDT, ESPN
How did the various continents do? Well, Europe did worse than last time around, and the rest of the world did better:
Europe - 6 (down from 10 in 2006)
South America - 5
CONCACAF (N. & C. Am., Caribbean) - 2
Asia - 2
Africa - 1
Oceania - 0
And who has the easiest path to the semi-finals, and who has the hardest? Let's look at the brackets (using pre-World Cup FIFA Rankings):
Weakest: #14 USA v. #32 Ghana, #16 Uruguay v. #47 S. Korea
#2 Spain v. #3 Portugal, #31 Paraguay v. #45 Japan
#1 Brazil v. #18 Chile, #4 Netherlands v. #34 Slovakia
Strongest: #6 Germany v. #8 England, #7 Argentina v. #17 Mexico
Things look good for Team USA; they are in the weakest bracket by far, and while Ghana is the strongest team in Africa and Uruguay is the original power team, the Yanks are fully capable of winning their bracket up to the semi-finals if they play the way they did back in the Confederations Cup, where they beat Spain in the semi-finals and went up 2-0 over Brazil in halftime of the finals, only to give up 3 goals in the second half. We may see a rematch of that Confederations Cup finals (held in South Africa last year), as Brazil and the USA are on the same side of the brackets, able to meet up in the semi-final match. But it won't be a cakewalk for Brazil, either; though they are heavily favored to trounce Chile yet again, they haven't looked in top form yet this World Cup (though all signs suggest they're just waiting for the elimination rounds to play their real game, which should blow us all away), and may face European powerhouse Netherlands in the quarterfinals.
On the other side, the toughest trek by far will be where perennial European powerhouses Germany and England face off. Both are playing some of the ugliest football we've ever seen them play, with England finishing second in Group C after being unable to beat Algeria and drawing with the Americans (sort of like the War of 1812). Not only should that first match be a knock-down, drag-out street fight, but the winner of the derby faces red-hot Argentina, who is one of the few teams who look like they're ready to win the whole thing, maybe even more so than Brazil. And don't count out Mexico, which has been playing like a top 10 team and may be the Cinderella story of this World Cup. Whoever comes out of this strongest group will probably face the winner of Iberian neighbors Spain and Portugal. Spain has definitely not looked like the European champions so far, with star Liverpool striker Fernando "El Nino" Torres still scoreless and an apparent inability to convert on strong chances. UEFA Euro 2008 hero David Villa (Valencia) has stepped up, though, and it will be interesting to see whether he continues to be the big finisher for La Roja (who confused me by wearing blue today in their final group match).
Portugal, too, has been lackluster, with the biggest disappointment being the lack of goals from international superstar Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) (especially after the epic Nike ad campaign). In 270 minutes, Ronaldo has hit the back of the net just once, of seven Portuguese goals. If Spain is in top form, we'll see Barca-inspired dominance of possession, meaning fewer chances for Portugal. Ronaldo will have to execute on the opportunities he does have if he hopes to make the Nike ads into a reality.
But here back home, all eyes are just focused right now on USA v. Ghana. By all measures, the USA is favored, but that's not how the World Cup works. Emotions will be running high; Ghana and the US were both in the same group in 2006, and the African Cup Champions nabbed the second slot out of group play behind Italy (remember when Italy used to make it out of group play), with Ghana beating the US 2-1 in the final group play match, sending the Yanks home and dooming Americans to another four years of pretending that the world cares about MLB's World Series. As always, Team USA has a lot to prove to proto-fans at home, and there is never a venue better than the World Cup to teach Americans to love soccer. But the Black Stars will be under a lot of pressure as well; not only are they looking to make another run in the World Cup, they're now the only remaining African team in the first African World Cup in history. It's a lot of pressure from an entire continent, and while the players and coaches claim to welcome it, how they handle it come tomorrow is yet to be seen.
Saturday
Uruguay v. South Korea, 10am EDT, 7am PDT, ESPN
USA v. Ghana, 2:30pm EDT, 11:30am PDT, ABC
Sunday
Germany v. England, 10am EDT, 7am PDT, ESPN
Argentina v. Mexico, 2:30pm EDT, 11:30am PDT, ABC
Monday
Netherlands v. Slovakia, 10am EDT, 7am PDT, ESPN
Brazil v. Chile, 2:30pm EDT, 11:30am PDT, ESPN
Tuesday
Paraguay v. Japan, 10am EDT, 7am PDT, ESPN
Spain v. Portugal, 2:30pm EDT, 11:30am PDT, ESPN
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
USA Advances!!
The party is still raging here in Pretoria as the US won a stunner in stoppage time to advance to the knockout stages and play Ghana.
The match was intense. The US played well but was consistently unable to finish. And I can't explain why the first goal was called back. But now, I don't really care. Maybe the US has used up its share of bad calls and we'll get some good ones moving forward.
Right before Donovan scored, the US was attacking pretty fiercely. The stadium would get up and down with the ebb and flow of the attack. Some of the strikes were pretty solid and the Algerian keeper was played extremely well today.
But the eruption after the goal was insane!! People dancing in their seats, chucking beers all over the place, hugging any American sitting next to them, the Algerians strangely silent and pissed at the same time. It was a great experience being there and sharing in 92 minutes of pain and then the on-going celebration.
Random fact: The USA finishes on the top of their group even though they held the lead in their three matches for a total of one minute.
See you in Rustenburg boys on Saturday!
The match was intense. The US played well but was consistently unable to finish. And I can't explain why the first goal was called back. But now, I don't really care. Maybe the US has used up its share of bad calls and we'll get some good ones moving forward.
Right before Donovan scored, the US was attacking pretty fiercely. The stadium would get up and down with the ebb and flow of the attack. Some of the strikes were pretty solid and the Algerian keeper was played extremely well today.
But the eruption after the goal was insane!! People dancing in their seats, chucking beers all over the place, hugging any American sitting next to them, the Algerians strangely silent and pissed at the same time. It was a great experience being there and sharing in 92 minutes of pain and then the on-going celebration.
Random fact: The USA finishes on the top of their group even though they held the lead in their three matches for a total of one minute.
See you in Rustenburg boys on Saturday!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Jeremy Roenick is not my ex-boyfriend
While some J.B. Sports Chat bloggers were watching international sporting events, others were back home in the U.S. of A. coping with life in the off-season. I don't know what other hockey fans, NBA fans, or NFL fans watch on television, but I always catch myself flipping to the NHL Network like it's an ex-boyfriend's facebook page. I know it's over, but sometimes it's nice to check in and see if there's anything going on.
Much like my exes, the NHL Network programming has gone downhill since it ended. The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup on June 9th and effectively played the last NHL game until the pre-season starts up in September. In between seasons, the network often replays recent playoff games, or shows classic finals games from any time during the last 40 years or so. These are hard to watch when you already know the outcome. Over the weekend, I watched something I hadn't seen before. They aired several episodes of the Pokerstars.net NHL Charity Poker Tournament. This is exactly what it sounds like - NHL stars playing poker for charity. Surprisingly, it wasn't that boring. I saw Jeremy Roenick, Mats Sundin, Eddie Olczyk, Alex Ovechkin, and many other NHL stars alongside some professional poker players. And Kevin Connelly (E from Entourage.) ?? It was like watching a competitive poker tournament, but with celebrities you recognize.
I watched the poker games pretty passively as I was multitasking at home, but I knew they were not recent because at one point Scott Hartnell (Flyers) was playing against Kris Versteeg (Blackhawks) and there was no mention of the series they just finished weeks ago. I went online to find out just how long ago the games were played, and it turns out I had been watching poker games from one year ago.
My question is this: Which is sadder, watching NHL players (and E from Entourage!) playing a year old game of poker, or stalking an ex's facebook page? Because right now, they are both feeling equally pathetic. It's time to move on, but baseball just doesn't satisfy me the way that hockey does.
Man, this relates on so many levels. I'm just going to go on with my life and thank ESPN for making poker an official sport. Maybe later this summer I can watch Chris Pronger and Chris Chelios compete in a spelling bee from 2008. Thank God for sports television networks.
Much like my exes, the NHL Network programming has gone downhill since it ended. The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup on June 9th and effectively played the last NHL game until the pre-season starts up in September. In between seasons, the network often replays recent playoff games, or shows classic finals games from any time during the last 40 years or so. These are hard to watch when you already know the outcome. Over the weekend, I watched something I hadn't seen before. They aired several episodes of the Pokerstars.net NHL Charity Poker Tournament. This is exactly what it sounds like - NHL stars playing poker for charity. Surprisingly, it wasn't that boring. I saw Jeremy Roenick, Mats Sundin, Eddie Olczyk, Alex Ovechkin, and many other NHL stars alongside some professional poker players. And Kevin Connelly (E from Entourage.) ?? It was like watching a competitive poker tournament, but with celebrities you recognize.
I watched the poker games pretty passively as I was multitasking at home, but I knew they were not recent because at one point Scott Hartnell (Flyers) was playing against Kris Versteeg (Blackhawks) and there was no mention of the series they just finished weeks ago. I went online to find out just how long ago the games were played, and it turns out I had been watching poker games from one year ago.
My question is this: Which is sadder, watching NHL players (and E from Entourage!) playing a year old game of poker, or stalking an ex's facebook page? Because right now, they are both feeling equally pathetic. It's time to move on, but baseball just doesn't satisfy me the way that hockey does.
Man, this relates on so many levels. I'm just going to go on with my life and thank ESPN for making poker an official sport. Maybe later this summer I can watch Chris Pronger and Chris Chelios compete in a spelling bee from 2008. Thank God for sports television networks.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Bookend Tackles?
In 2005, the New Orleans Saints used their 13th overall pick on a left tackle who would go on to make the Pro Bowl in his second and fourth years. But during their 2009 Super Bowl run, Jammal Brown was sidelined with a hip injury and a sports hernia. The Saints prevailed without him, which is why they were willing to give him up to the Redskins for a conditional 2011 draft pick.
The Redskins offensive line couldn't stop anything last year. They were BP bad. For many fans, this was priority number one. So how does the line stack up now? With rookie Trent Williams on the left and Jammal Brown on the right, not too bad. (*note: Williams was a right tackle in college, Brown played left for the Saints. Currently the Redskins have them slotted oppositely, but this could change as the preseason progresses).
What can bookend tackles mean? A lot. It's the key to the outside run. You might recall very successful campaigns for Stephen Davis and Clinton Portis when Chris Samuels and Jon Jansen were healthy. In the middle, Big Mike Williams and newcomer Artis Hicks duke it out to start opposite incumbent right guard Derrick Dockery. And then there's old reliable Casey Rabach at center. Don't get me wrong, it's not the Hogs, but if they stay healthy, I like our odds.
The Redskins offensive line couldn't stop anything last year. They were BP bad. For many fans, this was priority number one. So how does the line stack up now? With rookie Trent Williams on the left and Jammal Brown on the right, not too bad. (*note: Williams was a right tackle in college, Brown played left for the Saints. Currently the Redskins have them slotted oppositely, but this could change as the preseason progresses).
What can bookend tackles mean? A lot. It's the key to the outside run. You might recall very successful campaigns for Stephen Davis and Clinton Portis when Chris Samuels and Jon Jansen were healthy. In the middle, Big Mike Williams and newcomer Artis Hicks duke it out to start opposite incumbent right guard Derrick Dockery. And then there's old reliable Casey Rabach at center. Don't get me wrong, it's not the Hogs, but if they stay healthy, I like our odds.
Recovering from emotional rollercoaster of USA Slovenia
It's taken two days to calm down after the Slovenia match to be able to write this. The game was the most emotional sporting event I've ever attended, by far. I got to the match and was immediately impressed by the density of American supporters. In a stadium that holds 60,000 people, there must have been at least 80% USA fans! In comparison, the England game was probably 35% American supporters in a stadium that seated 40,000.
All the supporters had come out in brilliant costumes. My favorite was a trio in NASA space suits holding signs that read "South Africa! We have landed!". I'll get up pictures as soon as I get them off my camera. The place was rocking by the time the teams came out onto the fields for their national anthems.
So we are all yelling and screaming and blowing a few vuvuzelas and then Slovenia slips through for their first goal. The oft-cited criticism is that the US leaks bad goals. My opinion after watching two games is that the critics are right. The USA leaked two bad early goals and immediately put ourselves in a hole. Timmy Howard is an amazing keeper and has definitely kept the team in the game any number of times, but if his defense won't mark up and close out and run players off the ball in the box then we are going to give up bad goals.
The stadium was very quiet after the first goal but we got back on the horse and continued urging the team on. And we had a really good attack going for a while, highlighted by Donovan's near goal that was kicked away at the last possible moment by a Slovenian defender. But then the heartbreaker - after a good ten to fifteen minutes of American domination, the Slovenians slipped in on the counter-attack. It was a beautifully played throughball, assisted by more sloppy American defending, that was slotted into the back of the net.
So there we are, thoroughly disheartened, going into the half down two-zero. Thankfully Bradley made two important changes at the half. Anyone with half an eye could have told you Findley was ineffective in the first 135 minutes of play and he was removed. Torres played a mostly uninspired defensive midfield, with the exception of one nice set piece, and was also removed. Donovan was moved up to a forward position and immediately rewarded the decision with a cracker of a goal two yards in front of the net. From there on out, it was USA almost the whole half. This is the type of soccer I came to South Africa to see! The US imposed their will on Slovenia, making nice runs, putting together crisp passes, and taking well-aimed shots.
And we were rewarded in the 80th minute with a beautifully set up play, a drop-down header from Altidore, who was playing like a rock in the front, and a slammed home volley from Bradley junior. We were back in the game!!! The crowd erupted in a roar I've never heard before. We were feeling really good and continued to press the attack. It seemed as if Slovenia was content to merely try and hang on for the draw at this point. But they could not deny the US attack and the Americans scored a beautiful goal of a Donovan set piece.
Even though the Slovenians appeared helpless before the American assault, the referee was not and blew the now-infamous phantom penalty against our side. The goal was mysteriously called back. By now there has been enough venting and complaining and I'm willing to accept the absurdity of it all. A beautiful goal nullified and no explanation given. At the match I was beyond upset. But the English draw against Algeria has put the ball firmly into the American court. It we win, we advance. That's all a team can really ask for anyway. And somehow, a win with a Slovenian loss or draw puts us through in first place, avoiding Germany in the round of 16. And thanks to a weak group A, we would most likely play Mexico or Uruguay in the quarters. It is hard to imagine a better road to the semis than that. Not an easy one, but infinitely better than facing Argentina or Brazil early on.
All in all, I'll take where we are at. I hoped for better, prayed for no worse, and now the USA is in control of its destiny. Oleeeee, ole ole, oleeee. Ole----- USA!
All the supporters had come out in brilliant costumes. My favorite was a trio in NASA space suits holding signs that read "South Africa! We have landed!". I'll get up pictures as soon as I get them off my camera. The place was rocking by the time the teams came out onto the fields for their national anthems.
So we are all yelling and screaming and blowing a few vuvuzelas and then Slovenia slips through for their first goal. The oft-cited criticism is that the US leaks bad goals. My opinion after watching two games is that the critics are right. The USA leaked two bad early goals and immediately put ourselves in a hole. Timmy Howard is an amazing keeper and has definitely kept the team in the game any number of times, but if his defense won't mark up and close out and run players off the ball in the box then we are going to give up bad goals.
The stadium was very quiet after the first goal but we got back on the horse and continued urging the team on. And we had a really good attack going for a while, highlighted by Donovan's near goal that was kicked away at the last possible moment by a Slovenian defender. But then the heartbreaker - after a good ten to fifteen minutes of American domination, the Slovenians slipped in on the counter-attack. It was a beautifully played throughball, assisted by more sloppy American defending, that was slotted into the back of the net.
So there we are, thoroughly disheartened, going into the half down two-zero. Thankfully Bradley made two important changes at the half. Anyone with half an eye could have told you Findley was ineffective in the first 135 minutes of play and he was removed. Torres played a mostly uninspired defensive midfield, with the exception of one nice set piece, and was also removed. Donovan was moved up to a forward position and immediately rewarded the decision with a cracker of a goal two yards in front of the net. From there on out, it was USA almost the whole half. This is the type of soccer I came to South Africa to see! The US imposed their will on Slovenia, making nice runs, putting together crisp passes, and taking well-aimed shots.
And we were rewarded in the 80th minute with a beautifully set up play, a drop-down header from Altidore, who was playing like a rock in the front, and a slammed home volley from Bradley junior. We were back in the game!!! The crowd erupted in a roar I've never heard before. We were feeling really good and continued to press the attack. It seemed as if Slovenia was content to merely try and hang on for the draw at this point. But they could not deny the US attack and the Americans scored a beautiful goal of a Donovan set piece.
Even though the Slovenians appeared helpless before the American assault, the referee was not and blew the now-infamous phantom penalty against our side. The goal was mysteriously called back. By now there has been enough venting and complaining and I'm willing to accept the absurdity of it all. A beautiful goal nullified and no explanation given. At the match I was beyond upset. But the English draw against Algeria has put the ball firmly into the American court. It we win, we advance. That's all a team can really ask for anyway. And somehow, a win with a Slovenian loss or draw puts us through in first place, avoiding Germany in the round of 16. And thanks to a weak group A, we would most likely play Mexico or Uruguay in the quarters. It is hard to imagine a better road to the semis than that. Not an easy one, but infinitely better than facing Argentina or Brazil early on.
All in all, I'll take where we are at. I hoped for better, prayed for no worse, and now the USA is in control of its destiny. Oleeeee, ole ole, oleeee. Ole----- USA!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Notes from the Cup
Here's another post from our friend Eric in South Africa - apologies for the tardiness. I blame the time difference.
I went to the USA v. England match last week. It was a nice healthy drive from Joburg to Rustenburg on a small highway that clearly wasn't intended to transport that many rabid fans to a stadium in the middle of nowhere. My friend and I parked the car a few miles from the stadium and hopped on the bus with masses of singing English fans. Cruised into the stadium without problems, found our seats, and the game began.
The Brits are far in front of us with their cheers, and songs, and hand claps and general insults to hurl at the other team. A lot of us American fans resorted to a scattering of old college cheers. We need to get a consensus on this guys! Any songwriters out there want to get us some good music to taunt our foes across the pitch?
The first goal against was brutal. The USA came out looking sloppy and unprepared for the quickness of the English attack. Within minutes we were down 1-nil and the USA fans looked despondent. When a goal is scored so quickly there is a lot of time to get back in the mix though, and after the first ten minutes the US started to play a lot better. Our goal was a miracle of course - no competent keeper should have let that one through.
In the second half the game opened up a lot more. Timmy Howard was my MVP of the game, with brilliant save after save. Jozy's sweet run that ended in a shot off the crossbar almost had the USA fans in fits. What a sweet victory that would've been. I'm getting ready for the Slovenia game now and I think it will go well for our boys. We should have some confidence after drawing England and come out a little more comfortable and ready to play. I think Donovan and Jozy could be a little more assertive, and I'm still not sure who the other striker paired with Jozy was, but please, bench him. He showed nothing the entire match except drawing one penalty at the 40 yard line.
Good luck boys!
For a look at what happened on Friday and what it means, check out Kevin's post.
I went to the USA v. England match last week. It was a nice healthy drive from Joburg to Rustenburg on a small highway that clearly wasn't intended to transport that many rabid fans to a stadium in the middle of nowhere. My friend and I parked the car a few miles from the stadium and hopped on the bus with masses of singing English fans. Cruised into the stadium without problems, found our seats, and the game began.
The Brits are far in front of us with their cheers, and songs, and hand claps and general insults to hurl at the other team. A lot of us American fans resorted to a scattering of old college cheers. We need to get a consensus on this guys! Any songwriters out there want to get us some good music to taunt our foes across the pitch?
The first goal against was brutal. The USA came out looking sloppy and unprepared for the quickness of the English attack. Within minutes we were down 1-nil and the USA fans looked despondent. When a goal is scored so quickly there is a lot of time to get back in the mix though, and after the first ten minutes the US started to play a lot better. Our goal was a miracle of course - no competent keeper should have let that one through.
In the second half the game opened up a lot more. Timmy Howard was my MVP of the game, with brilliant save after save. Jozy's sweet run that ended in a shot off the crossbar almost had the USA fans in fits. What a sweet victory that would've been. I'm getting ready for the Slovenia game now and I think it will go well for our boys. We should have some confidence after drawing England and come out a little more comfortable and ready to play. I think Donovan and Jozy could be a little more assertive, and I'm still not sure who the other striker paired with Jozy was, but please, bench him. He showed nothing the entire match except drawing one penalty at the 40 yard line.
Good luck boys!
For a look at what happened on Friday and what it means, check out Kevin's post.
Friday, June 18, 2010
What Today's U.S., England Draws Mean?
In case you weren't actually at the match (Eric), playing hookey from work at 10am Eastern (Beau), or half asleep on your parents' couch at 7am Pacific (me), you may have missed an edge-of-your-seat 90 minutes of USA soccer today, with our Yanks fighting back from a nil-two deficit going into the half to almost pull off a Laker-esque come-from-behind victory. In fact, but for the worst reffing ever, Team USA would now be sitting happy atop the Group C standings. Unfortunately, they suffered from a non-foul called a foul, plus failure to call a penalty kick, resulting in a 2-2 draw, and Slovenia kings of Group C.
Oh yeah, and then England drew 0-0 with Algeria, proving definitively that England (ranked #8 in the world by FIFA) was overrated coming into this World Cup, and that Rooney's Premier League top-striker title fails to translate without a star international supporting cast.
So what does this all mean? Slovenia has 4 points, the U.S. and England each 2, and Algeria 1. The U.S. has its own destiny in its hands; a win means it moves forward with five points, regardless of how England vs. Slovenia plays out. The U.S. also moves forward with a tie if Slovenia and England draw at 0-0 or 1-1 (for any draw higher, the U.S. would have to draw at a goal higher as well to progress; i.e., a 2-2 Eng/Slo draw would require a 1-1 U.S./Alg draw).
This is all because the first World Cup tiebreaker in group play is Goal Differential (goals scored minus goals allowed), and the second tiebreaker is total Goals For. Right now, Slovenia is sitting on a +1 GD, the U.S. and England are at 0, and Algeria is at -1. For Goals For, Slovenia and the U.S. both have 3, the English just one, and Algeria none.
If both the U.S. and England win, they'll both move forward. Who finishes first in the group (thus getting a hypothetically easier draw in the Round of 16) depends on who wins bigger next Wednesday (remember, GD is the first tiebreaker and the U.S. and England are currently even on that front).
Whether it'll be a blessing or a curse to come out of group first is yet to be seen; the winner of Group C plays the Group D runner up, and Germany fell 0-1 to Serbia today, with best-in-Africa Ghana yet to come.
Oh yeah, and then England drew 0-0 with Algeria, proving definitively that England (ranked #8 in the world by FIFA) was overrated coming into this World Cup, and that Rooney's Premier League top-striker title fails to translate without a star international supporting cast.
So what does this all mean? Slovenia has 4 points, the U.S. and England each 2, and Algeria 1. The U.S. has its own destiny in its hands; a win means it moves forward with five points, regardless of how England vs. Slovenia plays out. The U.S. also moves forward with a tie if Slovenia and England draw at 0-0 or 1-1 (for any draw higher, the U.S. would have to draw at a goal higher as well to progress; i.e., a 2-2 Eng/Slo draw would require a 1-1 U.S./Alg draw).
This is all because the first World Cup tiebreaker in group play is Goal Differential (goals scored minus goals allowed), and the second tiebreaker is total Goals For. Right now, Slovenia is sitting on a +1 GD, the U.S. and England are at 0, and Algeria is at -1. For Goals For, Slovenia and the U.S. both have 3, the English just one, and Algeria none.
If both the U.S. and England win, they'll both move forward. Who finishes first in the group (thus getting a hypothetically easier draw in the Round of 16) depends on who wins bigger next Wednesday (remember, GD is the first tiebreaker and the U.S. and England are currently even on that front).
Whether it'll be a blessing or a curse to come out of group first is yet to be seen; the winner of Group C plays the Group D runner up, and Germany fell 0-1 to Serbia today, with best-in-Africa Ghana yet to come.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Talking Points Memo
I just posted a piece on what to look for in tonight's historic match up over at Beatbots.
Here are some talking points that might not be absolutely beaten like a dead horse by announcers tonight:
What the absence of Kendrick Perkins does for the Lakers
Can Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom take advantage of Rasheed Wallace's limited movement? My guess is yes, yes, yes, and very much so. If the Lakers go inside consistently, this game could be over before the half.
Lamar Odom or Bizarre Odom
Dwyer says it better and with more words, but Lamar Odom simply has to show up tonight at his all-star level best.
Rondo's Availability on Offense
Rondo failed the Celtics in Game 6 partially because the Lakers know he doesn't have a perimeter game. If Rondo gets involved in pick and rolls and pick and pops or even hangs out on the low post after his initial pass, the Lakers simply have to pay attention to him, which makes life much easier for Ray Allen and Paul Pierce (and keeps Kevin Garnett where he should be - near the basket). Watch for Rondo's movement and involvement in screens. If you see it, that's great for the Celtics.
Lakers Clog the Lane
In Game 6, the Lakers absolutely destroyed the Celtics with their defense. Anyone in green who entered the lane found hands reaching in and grabbing the ball. Fisher from Garnett. Everyone from Tony Allen. This worked in part because the Lakers could slough off on Rajon Rondo and/or Tony Allen. If Rondo gets involved, it's tougher.
Benches need improvement
The benches have to play like it's the last game of the season. Why? Because it is. Big Baby needs a double-double for the Celtics. Tony Allen needs to suffocate Kobe. Farmar needs a repeat of Game 6. Shannon Brown can dunk all he wants, but tonight, he's going to have to use his gray matter.
Ray Allen needs to show up
He's done it before, even in this series, but the Celtics struggle mightily when this member of the Big Three doesn't play well. In the conflated id-ego-superego, mind-body-soul mixed triumverate spread across the Big Four, Allen shares the duties of the mind with Rondo but also holds the role of superego. He is the savvy veteran with control and he absolutely cannot disappear tonight. Keep an eye out for a few offensive rebounds from Ray. If he has a couple, this will be a real game rather than another rout by the Lakers.
Here are some talking points that might not be absolutely beaten like a dead horse by announcers tonight:
What the absence of Kendrick Perkins does for the Lakers
Can Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom take advantage of Rasheed Wallace's limited movement? My guess is yes, yes, yes, and very much so. If the Lakers go inside consistently, this game could be over before the half.
Lamar Odom or Bizarre Odom
Dwyer says it better and with more words, but Lamar Odom simply has to show up tonight at his all-star level best.
Rondo's Availability on Offense
Rondo failed the Celtics in Game 6 partially because the Lakers know he doesn't have a perimeter game. If Rondo gets involved in pick and rolls and pick and pops or even hangs out on the low post after his initial pass, the Lakers simply have to pay attention to him, which makes life much easier for Ray Allen and Paul Pierce (and keeps Kevin Garnett where he should be - near the basket). Watch for Rondo's movement and involvement in screens. If you see it, that's great for the Celtics.
Lakers Clog the Lane
In Game 6, the Lakers absolutely destroyed the Celtics with their defense. Anyone in green who entered the lane found hands reaching in and grabbing the ball. Fisher from Garnett. Everyone from Tony Allen. This worked in part because the Lakers could slough off on Rajon Rondo and/or Tony Allen. If Rondo gets involved, it's tougher.
Benches need improvement
The benches have to play like it's the last game of the season. Why? Because it is. Big Baby needs a double-double for the Celtics. Tony Allen needs to suffocate Kobe. Farmar needs a repeat of Game 6. Shannon Brown can dunk all he wants, but tonight, he's going to have to use his gray matter.
Ray Allen needs to show up
He's done it before, even in this series, but the Celtics struggle mightily when this member of the Big Three doesn't play well. In the conflated id-ego-superego, mind-body-soul mixed triumverate spread across the Big Four, Allen shares the duties of the mind with Rondo but also holds the role of superego. He is the savvy veteran with control and he absolutely cannot disappear tonight. Keep an eye out for a few offensive rebounds from Ray. If he has a couple, this will be a real game rather than another rout by the Lakers.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Where Amazing Happens in Crocodile and Chinchilla
From astute reader Kevin, we're proud to present the coolest jacket of all time for the discerning NBA fan (Clippers, Nets & Knicks fans need not apply). As Kevin said, "Happy Birthday. Merry Christmas. Chinchilla, bro. Chinchilla."
Voila.
You can pick it up on eBay right now for $6,999. Doing so would allow you to:
- Revel in its combination of chinchilla and crocodile.
- Flaunt its sheer gaudiness with pride.
- Rejoice in helping the economy.
- Use it as a blanket on a cold night (it's size XXL).
- Fend off other awkward animal combinations through pure awesome.
The jacket is being sold by Jackets For You, a company which gives a 20% discount to Arizona residents for "Their Enforcement Of Federal Immigration Laws." Jackets For You also penalizes those it doesn't like: "San Francisco & West Hollywood Clients & Liberal Democratic Politicians Get A 20% Surcharge For Being Anti American, & To Cover Our Arizona Discounts." I'd bet the newest proposed Arizona law's unconstitutionality doesn't bother Jackets For You one damn bit.
Voila.
Authentic Jeff Hamilton CHINCHILLA Jacket With NBA Logos Done In CROCODILE. Absolutely Amazing. Lined In Heavy Bridal Satin With Silver Plated Snaps. Retail $14,000.00
You can pick it up on eBay right now for $6,999. Doing so would allow you to:
- Revel in its combination of chinchilla and crocodile.
- Flaunt its sheer gaudiness with pride.
- Rejoice in helping the economy.
- Use it as a blanket on a cold night (it's size XXL).
- Fend off other awkward animal combinations through pure awesome.
The jacket is being sold by Jackets For You, a company which gives a 20% discount to Arizona residents for "Their Enforcement Of Federal Immigration Laws." Jackets For You also penalizes those it doesn't like: "San Francisco & West Hollywood Clients & Liberal Democratic Politicians Get A 20% Surcharge For Being Anti American, & To Cover Our Arizona Discounts." I'd bet the newest proposed Arizona law's unconstitutionality doesn't bother Jackets For You one damn bit.
Haynesworth: Fat and Unhappy (and Filthy Stinking Rich)
Free agency has come and gone. The NFL draft has passed by as well. But Albert Haynesworth has decided that now, in June where nobody will trade a Canadian nickel for him, that he no longer wants to be a Redskin. Haynesworth alleges that promises about where he would play and what type of scheme he would play in have been broken. I'm sorry, but for $100 million, you can break just about any promise you can make to me.
Haynesworth is unhappy about the direction the team is moving in. One year removed from his record-setting contract. Not to beat a dead horse, but for $100 million, you can move me in any direction you want. New defensive coordinator Jim Haslett is transitioning the Redskins defense from a 4-3 to a 3-4, which means Haynesworth would have to become a nose tackle. Okay, that's something to be annoyed about. But said his agent: "The Redskins are trying to establish a new regime with new schemes at Redskins Park, and it is not an organization that Albert would have ever been attracted to just a short year ago - regardless of the money." Regardless of the money? What else would have brought him here in the first place? The wimpy unenergetic coach? The two decades worth of mediocrity? Ben's Chili Bowl?
Dan Steinberg breaks down Fat Albert's earnings with the Redskins. Per snap, he made over $55,000. Per snap. I'm sure many of us don't make that much in a good year. Redskins fans don't know whether to kick him to the curb for the cheap late round draft picks we're likely to get for him, or to eat the salary cap and have him sit on the bench festering so that no one will ever want him again.
Congrats, Fat Albert. You have officially joined the overpaid under performing ranks of Heath Shuler, Sean Gilbert, Dana Stubblefield, Jeff George, and Adam Archuleta. Thanks for the 12 dissapointing games.
Haynesworth is unhappy about the direction the team is moving in. One year removed from his record-setting contract. Not to beat a dead horse, but for $100 million, you can move me in any direction you want. New defensive coordinator Jim Haslett is transitioning the Redskins defense from a 4-3 to a 3-4, which means Haynesworth would have to become a nose tackle. Okay, that's something to be annoyed about. But said his agent: "The Redskins are trying to establish a new regime with new schemes at Redskins Park, and it is not an organization that Albert would have ever been attracted to just a short year ago - regardless of the money." Regardless of the money? What else would have brought him here in the first place? The wimpy unenergetic coach? The two decades worth of mediocrity? Ben's Chili Bowl?
Dan Steinberg breaks down Fat Albert's earnings with the Redskins. Per snap, he made over $55,000. Per snap. I'm sure many of us don't make that much in a good year. Redskins fans don't know whether to kick him to the curb for the cheap late round draft picks we're likely to get for him, or to eat the salary cap and have him sit on the bench festering so that no one will ever want him again.
Congrats, Fat Albert. You have officially joined the overpaid under performing ranks of Heath Shuler, Sean Gilbert, Dana Stubblefield, Jeff George, and Adam Archuleta. Thanks for the 12 dissapointing games.
Things I would rather watch than NBA basketball
The NBA has bastardized its sport more than any professional sports league in the world. I tried watching ten grown men from LA and Boston duke it out on the court for the title, but the ball-hogging and cry-babying made me want to take my own life. Here is a list of things I'd rather watch than NBA basketball:
-A swim meet between Mali and Uzbekistan
-The National Spelling Bee
-Several college football conferences bucking tradition and dissolving into an unrecognizable mess
-A hockey game between teams from Phoenix and Tampa
-The Detroit Lions and the Pittsburgh Pirates playing cricket against each other
-The Baltimore Orioles' games-out-of-first total skyrocketing
-Two Oakland Raiders fans making love (or whatever they call it in Oakland)
-Congressmen playing jai alai
-Major League 2
-Joe Buck kissing Troy Aikman's ass for three hours on a Sunday
-Curling
-Denmark scoring a goal against themselves
-Amputees playing lacrosse
-Actors playing poker
-NASCAR with electric cars
-Preseason rugby
-Israel vs. Palestine in water polo
-Chess
This is of course not a comprehensive list. The spirit of any sport is damaged whenever whiny millionaires are responsible for the quality of the game, but for some reason the NBA is much worse than other leagues. Players' sense of entitlement is topped only by their lack of defense. Call me when NCAA ball starts up again.
-A swim meet between Mali and Uzbekistan
-The National Spelling Bee
-Several college football conferences bucking tradition and dissolving into an unrecognizable mess
-A hockey game between teams from Phoenix and Tampa
-The Detroit Lions and the Pittsburgh Pirates playing cricket against each other
-The Baltimore Orioles' games-out-of-first total skyrocketing
-Two Oakland Raiders fans making love (or whatever they call it in Oakland)
-Congressmen playing jai alai
-Major League 2
-Joe Buck kissing Troy Aikman's ass for three hours on a Sunday
-Curling
-Denmark scoring a goal against themselves
-Amputees playing lacrosse
-Actors playing poker
-NASCAR with electric cars
-Preseason rugby
-Israel vs. Palestine in water polo
-Chess
This is of course not a comprehensive list. The spirit of any sport is damaged whenever whiny millionaires are responsible for the quality of the game, but for some reason the NBA is much worse than other leagues. Players' sense of entitlement is topped only by their lack of defense. Call me when NCAA ball starts up again.
Monday, June 14, 2010
US v. England
Much has been made of the tie between the United States and England on Saturday. Some people snarkily called the tie the greatest victory for US soccer. Others predicted it. No one expected that hilarious lack of skill exhibited by the English goalie, Green.
The Guardian has a pretty good recap of the goals here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/video/2010/jun/14/world-cup-2010-england-usa-brick.
Yes, it's a Lego version of both goals. And yes, it's awesome.
The Guardian has a pretty good recap of the goals here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/video/2010/jun/14/world-cup-2010-england-usa-brick.
Yes, it's a Lego version of both goals. And yes, it's awesome.
World Cup Update for the Jealous... including all of us
Yes, boobies are a fantastic opener to a blog post. However, this post comes from our wonderful in-country correspondent Eric. As an editor, I apologize for posting this so late. The truth is I had a hot date that may or may not have involved someone you know. Such is the adventurous life of a sports blogger. Editorialisms aside, here is Eric's take from South Africa:
I've never seen a stadium get down like I did in Pretoria this afternoon. South Africa scored a beautiful goal at the start of the second half to open scoring for the World Cup and a 1-0 lead over Mexico. I was at a Fan Fest with 30,000 other people who all went completely bonkers. The vuvuzelas were screeching, people were screaming, everyone was hugging and it was sweet pandemonium. I have video which I will upload as soon as I find a speedy enough internet connection. Celebrating with an entire country is a unique and wondrous thing.
As loud as a goal for RSA was, the silence was absolute when Mexico broke through and equalized. After the keeper had made a stunning save in the first half to keep the score nil-nil, it was quite sad seeing the Mexican goal come on a blown offsides trap. In America, it's a golden rule, pummeled into you from youth soccer, to get out of the box after a corner. So while 9 out of 10 South African players moved beyond the 18, one remained and three Mexicans moved in behind him. When the cross was delivered, it was an easy blow into the back of the net. And into the bellies of 40 million South Africans.
In the end, a 1-1 draw wasn't the worst way to start. And with France and Uruguay tying as well, the group is wide open. And after seeing all four teams playing I'm not convinced any of them are worthy of going through.
All in all though, a great first day to World Cup action. And now to dream of the US beating England tomorrow!! This game I will be there live.
Friday, June 11, 2010
World Cup - Who You Got?
So one of our readers has an interesting discussion going on her Facebook page. She is from Poland (who did not qualify) and now is facing the dilemma of which team to support. Her issue is that as a long suffering Polish fan, she doesn't want to back a bad team and go through all the heartache for an adopted Country. At the same time, she is worried that she will lose some of her fan purity if she picks an amazing team like Brazil or Spain.
I would say back a team like the Netherlands. They are real good and fun to watch, but if they were to make the semifinals (or even the quarters) it would be a little bit of a surprise. Hey, if the US don't do well, I might just have to jump on the orange train myself (I mean check out that guy below)!
What do you guys think? Please help our friend and fellow reader decide who to support this world cup!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
The Demise of the Regional Conference
If you've turned on ESPN in the last 24 hours, you've heard the big news: Colorado will be leaving the Big 12 to join the Pac-10, and Nebraska is headed off to the Big 10. Rumors suggest that Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State may also be on the way out, possibly all also over to the Pac-10 (soon to be known the "Pac-16"!?!). Making a play on Notre Dame (in addition to picking up Nebraska), the Big 10 may also soon compete as a "super-conference," the kind that used to be unheard of except for, you know, the Big 12.
While it's true that Arizona and Arizona State are located in a state that does not sit on the Pacific Coast, there was still undoubtedly a regional coherence to the Pac-10. Same can be said for the Big 10 and Big 12, the Big East and SEC. But with the departure of Colorado signed in ink, Nebraska not far behind, and the Texas schools smelling blood (a.k.a. big media market money) in the water, the Big 12 seems on its last legs. The Big 10 may still make some claims to being a regional conference, but a Pac-16 including Texas and Oklahoma can make no such assertion. Throw in there the potential that Notre Dame basketball may go along with the ride for Notre Dame football to join the Big 10, and you see the death of the Big East as well.
At the end of the day, will the only regional conference left be the SEC? Is it time to abandon this conference nonsense altogether and just create four regional super-conferences once and for all: Pac-16, Big 16, ACC, and SEC (and possibly abandon the NCAA in the process)? And even though Football is King, what does this mean for basketball powerhouses outside of the new super-conferences (especially those in the dying Big 12 and Big East, like Kansas, KState, and Gtown)?
Lots of questions, but no clear answers yet for how this will all settle at the end of the day.
While it's true that Arizona and Arizona State are located in a state that does not sit on the Pacific Coast, there was still undoubtedly a regional coherence to the Pac-10. Same can be said for the Big 10 and Big 12, the Big East and SEC. But with the departure of Colorado signed in ink, Nebraska not far behind, and the Texas schools smelling blood (a.k.a. big media market money) in the water, the Big 12 seems on its last legs. The Big 10 may still make some claims to being a regional conference, but a Pac-16 including Texas and Oklahoma can make no such assertion. Throw in there the potential that Notre Dame basketball may go along with the ride for Notre Dame football to join the Big 10, and you see the death of the Big East as well.
At the end of the day, will the only regional conference left be the SEC? Is it time to abandon this conference nonsense altogether and just create four regional super-conferences once and for all: Pac-16, Big 16, ACC, and SEC (and possibly abandon the NCAA in the process)? And even though Football is King, what does this mean for basketball powerhouses outside of the new super-conferences (especially those in the dying Big 12 and Big East, like Kansas, KState, and Gtown)?
Lots of questions, but no clear answers yet for how this will all settle at the end of the day.
Picking up World Cup Tickets
This is via email from our newest contributor, Eric, who is in South Africa for the World Cup.
When I entered the World Cup lottery for Team USA tickets 16 months ago, I didn’t realize that winning the lottery meant you immediately purchased the tickets you selected. I was under the impression that I was bidding on the right to buy tickets and a winning lottery number meant I could then purchase a ticket at my discretion. And really, a lottery makes it sound like you win something instead of the reality of forking over some cash to FIFA.
Being the proud owner of twelve tickets to the World Cup meant I had to get over to Africa. Which is where I am now, hanging out in my posh hostel in Cape Town. The official World Cup Ticketing Centres (thank you England) officially opened this week and I went over to pick up my tickets.
The good news: My tickets to see the USA take on England, Algeria and Slovenia!
The better news: Two of my three tickets were upgraded to CAT-1. For free.
Or through a blunder in the otherwise flawless execution of these games. See pictures of unfinished stadiums and highways as well as reports of crime in South Africa and other ineptitudes from FIFA, all to be found on Google. I don’t have the heart to take pictures of it myself. They really are working hard here to get everything ready.
CAT-1 tickets mean I’m sitting center pitch for the matches, rather than tucked into the corners.
The bad news: All of my tickets are, by random, in the upper levels. There is only one price for a ticket in CAT-1, regardless if you are in the mid-field 2 rows back or sort of on the side close to the goal in the upper level. Same goes for all the other categories. Price is determined by where you are on the circle around the pitch, not how far back you are from the pitch.
The worse news: Knockout stage game tickets are only issued after the results are known for the prior games. Therefore, I didn’t get my knockout stage tickets. Which means I have to go back to an official Ticketing Centre three more times. And since I’m leaving the country before the quarter- and semi-finals, it’s a mystery how those tickets will be purchased and given away as gifts to some dear friends I haven’t met yet.
Obviously I have no real reason for complaining though. I’m here in beautiful South Africa, getting to know the country and her people, and mentally preparing for an epic US-England matchup.
When I entered the World Cup lottery for Team USA tickets 16 months ago, I didn’t realize that winning the lottery meant you immediately purchased the tickets you selected. I was under the impression that I was bidding on the right to buy tickets and a winning lottery number meant I could then purchase a ticket at my discretion. And really, a lottery makes it sound like you win something instead of the reality of forking over some cash to FIFA.
Being the proud owner of twelve tickets to the World Cup meant I had to get over to Africa. Which is where I am now, hanging out in my posh hostel in Cape Town. The official World Cup Ticketing Centres (thank you England) officially opened this week and I went over to pick up my tickets.
The good news: My tickets to see the USA take on England, Algeria and Slovenia!
The better news: Two of my three tickets were upgraded to CAT-1. For free.
Or through a blunder in the otherwise flawless execution of these games. See pictures of unfinished stadiums and highways as well as reports of crime in South Africa and other ineptitudes from FIFA, all to be found on Google. I don’t have the heart to take pictures of it myself. They really are working hard here to get everything ready.
CAT-1 tickets mean I’m sitting center pitch for the matches, rather than tucked into the corners.
The bad news: All of my tickets are, by random, in the upper levels. There is only one price for a ticket in CAT-1, regardless if you are in the mid-field 2 rows back or sort of on the side close to the goal in the upper level. Same goes for all the other categories. Price is determined by where you are on the circle around the pitch, not how far back you are from the pitch.
The worse news: Knockout stage game tickets are only issued after the results are known for the prior games. Therefore, I didn’t get my knockout stage tickets. Which means I have to go back to an official Ticketing Centre three more times. And since I’m leaving the country before the quarter- and semi-finals, it’s a mystery how those tickets will be purchased and given away as gifts to some dear friends I haven’t met yet.
Obviously I have no real reason for complaining though. I’m here in beautiful South Africa, getting to know the country and her people, and mentally preparing for an epic US-England matchup.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Hey SportsCenter, meet my friend Title IX
After watching the highlight shows earlier this week, I could tell you about Urban Meyer's esophageal pain, exactly how much fluid Andrew Bynum had drained from his knee (2 1/2 ounces), the make of Tyreke Evans's car (Benz s550), and that Ben Roethlisberger wore a yellow T-shirt at his first practice back with the Steelers. Here are some of the things I couldn't tell you: who won in the WNBA, and which women are still alive in the French Open. I can, however, tell you all about Venus Williams's controversial undergarments.This is from a column in last week's Washington Post by Sally Jenkins. I understand and empathize with her observations. She's right. I showed that paragraph to a guy friend and he responded with intrigued enthusiasm, "Ooh... Venus Williams has controversial undergarments?!?" It is unfortunate because female athletes should get the credit they deserve, but the limited coverage they do receive often revolves around clothing or undergarments. Brandi Chastain's sports bra is a good example. I have a theory as to why there is so little coverage: Women's sports are boring to watch.
I'm sorry Ms. Jenkins, and I'm sorry to all my sisters out there who are athletes (and could probably kick my ass.) Women's sports are not as fast, not as gritty and not nearly as fun to watch as men's. I am a huge hockey fan, I'll watch any game that's on - at any level. But I would tune into women's hockey only if it was the only game on. What can I say? The no-checking rule really dulls things down.
Jenkins' column goes on to ask:
Ever had this experience: You want the score of a women's game, and can't get it? You wait through a half hour of the evening news or ESPN's "SportsCenter," hoping to be rewarded with a fleeting mention of the Mystics, or the NCAA softball championship. You stare at the crawl line, trying to read the tiny print, only to hear about an NFL player's Achilles' in June.As a matter of fact, NO. I have not had that experience. I have however had this experience: Living in DC and transferring every day at the Metro station within a few feet from the Verizon Center, yet on game nights, I see no indication that there is a Mystics game at all. No one in Mystics jerseys, no WNBA caps, nothing. I board the same Metro that is often crowded with Capitals fans or Nationals fans on their game nights, but I'm oblivious to the WNBA because I see no fans, no hint of a sporting event in the neighborhood. Do the scalpers even sell tickets on the street? I have no idea. Despite the Mystics banners inside the Verizon Center from their record-breaking attendance, I see little exposure of the team anywhere.
But then, that is really the whole point of this column. The author acknowledges that female athletes and fans are used to being marginalized in the sports news. And it's easy to understand why they would be marginalized, given the lack of interest, and the lack of money in women's sports when compared to men's. There's big money in men's sports at every level. Women's sports simply don't have the audience or the money. But that seems to be the author's beef. The highlights shows are not acknowledging women's sports because there's no interest, but her argument is that there's no interest because the highlights shows don't cover them. These shows set the agenda. She points out:
...it's difficult for any sport to develop connections with viewers when no one sees their replays, hears their echoes, or gets to know the players.
Again, I can't argue with her, she's right. I am a sports fan and SportsCenter often plays on a continuous loop on my television. There's not really much that I'd rather watch. I can relate. There are some sports that I will always go out of my way to watch, but everything else in the sports world I rely on SportCenter or other highlight shows to tell me what is important. If something were to change and suddenly these shows consistently covered women's sports, would it create more interest and awareness by sports fans? Possibly. Would it make women's sports less boring? Probably not.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
John Wooden
The most celebrated college coach of all time has gone to the great game in the sky. John Wooden has passed on. If you know and love basketball, you know his name, if only as myth. He was the equivalent of Red Auerbach, yet on the West Coast and coaching the college game. He coached Red's favorite team's most certain and tall opponent in Kareem. Wooden also coached one of the best passing centers of all time in Bill Walton, who managed to find a late resurgence on a Celtics team in the 80s. He did things as a coach that are simple pipe dreams these days.
In case you're confused: John Wooden = dynasty. 10 championships in 12 years.
His players woke up early. They started in the morning. They worked harder and more often. It was expected. If you've read the best basketball book of all time, "The Breaks of the Game," you know that in the 60s and 70s, ballplayers thought there should be two championships: one for UCLA and one for the rest of the country. Wooden was just that good - as a coach, as a recruiter, as a persuader. If you've read that Halberstam book, you know very well that Wooden was as flawed as the rest of us. The thing is, John Wooden and Red Auerbach and Bill Russell and Michael Jordan are all made of the same mettle. There are a small number of others made of that special stuff - Morgan Wootten, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade - and we are entirely lucky to see them exact their joy/competition/hate through basketball. Wooden brought his irreplaceable fire to college basketball and a level of joy and hope it might never reach again.
There's the story of when Wooden's scrubs (including Bill Walton) beat his starters in a pre-season scrimmage. His starters won the National Championship that year. His scrubs won it later as starters. He coached a young guy named Lew Alcindor, who was on the losing side of that scrub team. Wooden always got the best players. He also got the best out of them. He is the one coach any other coach in the history of the game would love to play against and be okay losing; after an 88 game win streak, it was expected. Wooden brought the NCAA to the nation with his unstoppable march toward victory.
Goodnight, John Wooden. 99 years is a great run. It's even better when you're one of the best of all time. Thank you.
In case you're confused: John Wooden = dynasty. 10 championships in 12 years.
His players woke up early. They started in the morning. They worked harder and more often. It was expected. If you've read the best basketball book of all time, "The Breaks of the Game," you know that in the 60s and 70s, ballplayers thought there should be two championships: one for UCLA and one for the rest of the country. Wooden was just that good - as a coach, as a recruiter, as a persuader. If you've read that Halberstam book, you know very well that Wooden was as flawed as the rest of us. The thing is, John Wooden and Red Auerbach and Bill Russell and Michael Jordan are all made of the same mettle. There are a small number of others made of that special stuff - Morgan Wootten, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade - and we are entirely lucky to see them exact their joy/competition/hate through basketball. Wooden brought his irreplaceable fire to college basketball and a level of joy and hope it might never reach again.
There's the story of when Wooden's scrubs (including Bill Walton) beat his starters in a pre-season scrimmage. His starters won the National Championship that year. His scrubs won it later as starters. He coached a young guy named Lew Alcindor, who was on the losing side of that scrub team. Wooden always got the best players. He also got the best out of them. He is the one coach any other coach in the history of the game would love to play against and be okay losing; after an 88 game win streak, it was expected. Wooden brought the NCAA to the nation with his unstoppable march toward victory.
Goodnight, John Wooden. 99 years is a great run. It's even better when you're one of the best of all time. Thank you.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
What's your favorite Ball?
The New York Times Italy, 1934? Mexico, 1986? South Africa, 2010? Find your favorite World Cup ball.
Special thanks to AWP for pointing out this link!
Goodbye Ken Griffey, Jr.
Ken Griffey, Jr. has retired after what had become an unfortunate end to an otherwise illustrious career. 10 Gold Gloves and a MVP. 13 time All Star.
Tim Brown at Yahoo! Sports thinks Griffey may have been the best clean player in the steroid era.
Was he? What about Ripken? Did Ripken's career not overlap enough with the steroid era? Pujols?
Tim Brown at Yahoo! Sports thinks Griffey may have been the best clean player in the steroid era.
He was “The Natural” long before it meant anything more than a man whose skills seemed derived from the heavens. From the day of his first MVP vote in 1990 to the day of his last in 2005, 16 of 32 MVP recipients eventually were linked to performance-enhancing drugs, Barry Bonds accounting for seven alone. Enough others – Alex Rodriguez, Miguel Tejada, Jason Giambi, Sammy Sosa, Ken Caminiti, Mo Vaughn and Juan Gonzalez – were rumored to have used, accused of using, or admitted to using, to have fouled those 16 seasons.
Was he? What about Ripken? Did Ripken's career not overlap enough with the steroid era? Pujols?
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
World Cup Correspondent
We're hoping to unveil a World Cup correspondent shortly. While he doesn't have the renown of Steve Nash, who will be reporting for www.cbssports.com, he does have a law degree, which must count for something. Right?
For now, though, you all can bask in the mystery of who this guy could possibly be.
For now, though, you all can bask in the mystery of who this guy could possibly be.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
We Meet Again
For the 12th time in NBA history, the Lakers and Celtics will meet in the Finals. The Celtics have 17 titles in 21 trips to the Finals. The Lakers have 15 titles in 31 trips. The Celtics are 9-2 against the Lakers in the NBA Finals. The Celtics embarrassed the Lakers in the most recent matchup in 2008, wrapping up the title with a Game 6 blowout. Will 2010 be any different? To answer that, we need to weigh the differences between these teams and this matchup in 2010 with the 2008 versions.
The biggest personnel differences are Glen Davis, Rasheed Wallace, Nate Robinson, Ron Artest and a healthy(ish) Andrew Bynum. For Boston, the personnel changes are basically a wash, as they provide the same skill set as the players they replaced (with the notable exception of 'Sheed's 3-point shooting). For Los Angeles, Ron Artest should help shut down Paul Pierce, and Andrew Bynum's presence will mean a lot, even if he is slowed by his knee injury.
The series itself is different this time around, too, as the Lakers have home court advantage. In the Finals, this is much more important than in all previous rounds because of the 2-3-2 format. It's extremely difficult to win 3 games in a row in the NBA Playoffs. This puts the underdog at a severe disadvantage - instead of winning one game on the road, the Celtics will probably have to win two games on the road as it's very likely they will drop at least one game at home.
The themes of this series will be: Kobe vs. the Celtics' team defense; Rondo vs. the individual defender tasked to guard him (probably Kobe); Ron Artest's defense on Paul Pierce; the battle of the big men and whether Ray Allen can catch fire.
There are a ton of other things to discuss when looking at this matchup, and I'm not going to get into any of them. My status as a Laker fan precludes me from performing a rational, streamlined analysis. I am excited and nervous. This is going to be a great series.
I'm taking Lakers in 6.
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