#MayThe4thBeWithYou pic.twitter.com/c3LXKHXjud
— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) May 4, 2015
Now this is how you celebrate Star Wars Day if you’re a championship sports team!
Showing posts with label soccer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label soccer. Show all posts
Monday, May 04, 2015
Found On Twitter: May The Fourth Be With You!
Sunday, July 21, 2013
No Choke Job Last Night
It might seem like a shock to some of you, but ever since Robbie Rogers was traded to the L.A. Galaxy I’ve become a fan of the team. Sometimes they break my heart by dominating their opposition only to give up the game winning goal after the 90th minute. Other times they manage to find a way to win.
Last night against the Vancouver Whitecaps was no different. The team was already down three of their top players in Robbie Keane (hip pointer), Landon Donovan (US National Team) and Robbie Rogers (hamstring), but held their own in the opening minutes. In the 19th minute, brutal defensive coverage allowed Camilo to score on a breakaway and the Galaxy found themselves down 1-0. At that point I openly questioned whether or not some members of the Toronto Maple Leafs defense moonlighted as MLS players since this breakdown looked eerily like Dion Phaneuf and Carl Gunnarson getting caught out of position.
The Galaxy came back in the 29th minute on a disputed goal by Jose Villareal, who buried home Omar Gonzalez’s header. Initially the refs did not call it a goal, but then reversed course to make it a tie game. Not everyone agreed with the referee’s decision, including a possibly inebriated bachelor attending the game with Lakers guard Steve Nash as you can see here from this live television clip from Time Warner Sports.
The game remained tied until Gyasi Zardes broke the tie with a SportsCenter worthy goal in the 57th minute, but I don’t think I took a single breath as the teams played four minutes of injury time after 90 minutes. It was only after the final whistle blew when I relaxed, knowing that the Galaxy won the game and moved up to third in the Western Conference.
Friday, July 27, 2012
5 Things That I Am Watching This Week
1. The Penn State Fallout. Things are going to get worse before they get better at this institution of higher learning. The Board of Trustees, Nittany Lion Football players, students, and the surrounding community are all upset at the NCAA and Interim President are upset about the penalties. There are threats about going into the judicial system and about how the NCAA wasn't fair to Penn State about didn't follow their own investigating guidelines about this.
Part of me wants the furor to continue and actually have the judicial system overturn the NCAA penalties due to lack of investigation. And when the NCAA does do their investigation and comes up with even more infractions by the Penn State footbal program, instead of throwing the book at the Nittany Lions, just bury them. Enact that 4 year death penalty. Fine the institution $200 Million. Have an 8 year probation period. Eliminate all but 10 scholarships a year for a while. And have the citizens of "Happy Valley" endure losses of Hundreds of Millions of dollars due to the loss of Penn State football for 4 years. Then see how "unfair" the penalties of the NCAA were when putting sanctions on that quick.
2. The Olympics. I won't be watching hardly at all. I will be on vacation for part of that time. The other part, I will be ignoring most of it. However, the best team in the world for men's soccer, Spain, has lost their opening game. The U.S. Women's team rallied to beat France. I want to see the medal accumulation by Michael Phelps. I want to see if anybody can knock off the U.S. Men's Basketball team. There are other events that I will follow, so not all the Olymics will I be trying to avoid.
3. The MLB Trade deadline. Already there have been a couple of eye openers, with Ichiro going to the Yankees being the biggest one in my eyes. For myself, my team has traded all of the players it can. The Astros have traded all their proven players. Of course, losing 22 out of the last 25 games does mean that the playoffs might be out of reach this season. We should reach out to the Red Sox and try and steal Carl Crawford in a trade. Why not? The Red Sox have said that they are willing to trade Crawford.
4. The start and continuation of NFL training camps. Already, you have Adrian Peterson upset at the Vikings. You have the circus at Jets camp. The Dolphins need to get Ryan Tannihill into camp to get him up to speed and the QB battle they have there. The QB battle in Seattle, Arizona, Kansas City, and other places. The turnover of the bottom of the depth charts in cities. I am started to get excited for Pro Football.
5. The Continued Escalation of the Flyers-Penguins Feud. Claude Giroux had surgery on both of his wrists and claimed the reason he needed the surgery is that Sidney Crosby on face-offs would not go for the puck but slash his wrists in the playoffs. These 2 teams don't like each other and they are still barking at each other during the offseason. For some reason, I can picture a scene like out of Rollerball when there were no rules at least once during a game in the coming year featuring these two teams.
Part of me wants the furor to continue and actually have the judicial system overturn the NCAA penalties due to lack of investigation. And when the NCAA does do their investigation and comes up with even more infractions by the Penn State footbal program, instead of throwing the book at the Nittany Lions, just bury them. Enact that 4 year death penalty. Fine the institution $200 Million. Have an 8 year probation period. Eliminate all but 10 scholarships a year for a while. And have the citizens of "Happy Valley" endure losses of Hundreds of Millions of dollars due to the loss of Penn State football for 4 years. Then see how "unfair" the penalties of the NCAA were when putting sanctions on that quick.
2. The Olympics. I won't be watching hardly at all. I will be on vacation for part of that time. The other part, I will be ignoring most of it. However, the best team in the world for men's soccer, Spain, has lost their opening game. The U.S. Women's team rallied to beat France. I want to see the medal accumulation by Michael Phelps. I want to see if anybody can knock off the U.S. Men's Basketball team. There are other events that I will follow, so not all the Olymics will I be trying to avoid.
3. The MLB Trade deadline. Already there have been a couple of eye openers, with Ichiro going to the Yankees being the biggest one in my eyes. For myself, my team has traded all of the players it can. The Astros have traded all their proven players. Of course, losing 22 out of the last 25 games does mean that the playoffs might be out of reach this season. We should reach out to the Red Sox and try and steal Carl Crawford in a trade. Why not? The Red Sox have said that they are willing to trade Crawford.
4. The start and continuation of NFL training camps. Already, you have Adrian Peterson upset at the Vikings. You have the circus at Jets camp. The Dolphins need to get Ryan Tannihill into camp to get him up to speed and the QB battle they have there. The QB battle in Seattle, Arizona, Kansas City, and other places. The turnover of the bottom of the depth charts in cities. I am started to get excited for Pro Football.
5. The Continued Escalation of the Flyers-Penguins Feud. Claude Giroux had surgery on both of his wrists and claimed the reason he needed the surgery is that Sidney Crosby on face-offs would not go for the puck but slash his wrists in the playoffs. These 2 teams don't like each other and they are still barking at each other during the offseason. For some reason, I can picture a scene like out of Rollerball when there were no rules at least once during a game in the coming year featuring these two teams.
Friday, June 29, 2012
5 Things That I Am Following This Week
1. Wimbledon. Although I am not an avid Tennis fan, during the majors I do peek in and see what is going on. Roger Federer had to come back from two sets down to continue in the tournament. Rafael Nadal went out in the 2nd Round. Some are saying that is the biggest upset in the history of tennis. They might be right. We have players saying that the officials are favoring the British players. (No proof of that yet). All in all, it is starting to become more unpredictable than in years past.
2. Free Agency in the NHL. Martin Brodeur could possibly move from New Jersey. Alexander Semin will be moving from Washington. Look for some signings that seem counter intuitive. (The Maple Leafs are sure to do one of those deals). And watch for some trades to happen because of the free agents selecting a team and not another. There aren't the big fish free agents out there for the most part, but it is those players on the 3rd and 4th lines that cause teams to win championships. And there are lots of those players out there.
3. NFL Relocation - Roger Goodell sent out a mome to all 32 NFL teams reminding them that the League office, not the individual teams have the right to move teams to Los Angeles, London or any other location and that to move teams to L.A. in 2013, that relocation drafts and plans need to be submitted to the league office between Jan 1 and March 15, 2013. Hello to the Los Angeles Rams again? Maybe the Los Angeles Raiders? How about the Los Angeles Chargers? Maybe to the Los Angeles Jaguars? Personally, I would like to see the Los Angeles Bengals.
4. EURO 2012 - The finals of this tournament is Sunday. The defending Champions from Spain against the Giant Killers from Italy. The Spanish team are the favorites in this match, but the Italian side look to have sky-high confidence. The nice thing is that we won't have hooligans from England, Poland, Germany, or Russia doing their thing there. The Spanish team has been fined during this tournament because of their fans, so I expect them to behave half way decent. The Italian fans are just happy that their team didn't withdraw from the tourney. Spain wins 3-1.
5. The Playoff In NCAA Football - everybody in college football is hailing this as a great thing and what the public wants. I am on the other side of the fence. I don't want this bastardized version of the BCS. I will have a separate post about this later on in the week, but needless to say that the more that is known about how this is going to come about, the less and less I like it.
2. Free Agency in the NHL. Martin Brodeur could possibly move from New Jersey. Alexander Semin will be moving from Washington. Look for some signings that seem counter intuitive. (The Maple Leafs are sure to do one of those deals). And watch for some trades to happen because of the free agents selecting a team and not another. There aren't the big fish free agents out there for the most part, but it is those players on the 3rd and 4th lines that cause teams to win championships. And there are lots of those players out there.
3. NFL Relocation - Roger Goodell sent out a mome to all 32 NFL teams reminding them that the League office, not the individual teams have the right to move teams to Los Angeles, London or any other location and that to move teams to L.A. in 2013, that relocation drafts and plans need to be submitted to the league office between Jan 1 and March 15, 2013. Hello to the Los Angeles Rams again? Maybe the Los Angeles Raiders? How about the Los Angeles Chargers? Maybe to the Los Angeles Jaguars? Personally, I would like to see the Los Angeles Bengals.
4. EURO 2012 - The finals of this tournament is Sunday. The defending Champions from Spain against the Giant Killers from Italy. The Spanish team are the favorites in this match, but the Italian side look to have sky-high confidence. The nice thing is that we won't have hooligans from England, Poland, Germany, or Russia doing their thing there. The Spanish team has been fined during this tournament because of their fans, so I expect them to behave half way decent. The Italian fans are just happy that their team didn't withdraw from the tourney. Spain wins 3-1.
5. The Playoff In NCAA Football - everybody in college football is hailing this as a great thing and what the public wants. I am on the other side of the fence. I don't want this bastardized version of the BCS. I will have a separate post about this later on in the week, but needless to say that the more that is known about how this is going to come about, the less and less I like it.
Friday, June 22, 2012
5 Things That I Am following This Week
1. The NHL Draft - I love the NHL Draft. The Maple Leafs fans that are always grumbling about their team's draft choices amongst themselves but loudly proclaim that this is the draft that will bring the rebirth of a Maple Leaf dynasty. The rivals that poke and prod each other during the draft like the Canadiens and Bruins, Rangers and Devils, Blackhawks and Red Wings. The trades that come during draft day. The expectation of Free Agency in about a week and how your team drafting players plays into that. The way that Gary Bettman gets booed. The NBC Sports channel is carrying the draft live both Friday and Saturday. And since it is true that Jordan Staal has said that he would like to team up with his brother Eric in Carolina, there might be another reason to watch the draft and see if the Hurricanes can pull off that trade with the Penguins. The 10-year contract that the Penguins were willing to give to Jordan was rejected and this coming year is the last he is under contract. Hopefully, this is the last year we see the Oilers having the #1 pick for a great while.
2. The Saga Of Mike Miller. This is the only positive that I see from Miami winning the title. Miller grew up in Mitchell, SD. 50 Miles South of where I am from. I am happy for him that he is now a World Champion. And if this was his last hurrah because of all the injuries, then I stand up and applaud him. He has done the state of South Dakota proud and is a great human being to boot.
3. EURO 2012. Rinaldo is showing why he is one of the top 5 players in the world. He is willing Portugal into the Semifinals of the tournament. Germany is looking like the top seed with Spain and Italy close behind. Greece looks like they won't be able to stand up to the Germans, while Spain is favored vs. France and England is playing Italy in the Quarterfinals. There have been 3 fines for teams. England was fined over $6,000 for their fans trying to invade the pitch against Sweden. The Croatian team was fined 65,000 Lira for their fans racially heckling a black player, and a Denmark Striker was fined 80,000 Lira for his underwear advertising. You have had deaths of fans by drowning and stabbing, fans of teams rioting against each other and players becoming belligerent to each other during and after games. And that has nothing to do with the English hooligans roaming around the countryside. If there were more events like this throughout the soccer world, I would follow it much closer.
4. F1 - Whether it is the mad scramble for the drivers championship or the revelation that Bernie Ecclestone bribed a German banker to sell part of a F1 team in 2005 for far below market value, it is just another week for the Big Boys of Open Wheel racing. This weekend's European Grand Prix could be the race that we see a repeat winner for the 1st time in F1 this year. Louis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and Sebastian Vettel are all within 3 points of the lead in the Season standings and there are rumors that Ferrari is looking at obtaining Vettel at year's end to team with Alonso in the Ferrari camp for at least 2013. Parity has hit the F1 circuit and has produced one of the best years for it's racing in recent memory.
5. Percy Harvin and whatever is wrong - In May, we had a happy Percy Harvin at Minnesota Vikings OTA's, saying that he was proud of his teammates in showing up to the voluntary workouts. This week, we have him missing practice and demanding a trade. And now he is blaming the media for all the speculation about what his future holds. If you are not happy, then come out and say why and what you have told the team. Otherwise, he needs to stop playing the childish games with the media and keep quiet about your displeasure.
2. The Saga Of Mike Miller. This is the only positive that I see from Miami winning the title. Miller grew up in Mitchell, SD. 50 Miles South of where I am from. I am happy for him that he is now a World Champion. And if this was his last hurrah because of all the injuries, then I stand up and applaud him. He has done the state of South Dakota proud and is a great human being to boot.
3. EURO 2012. Rinaldo is showing why he is one of the top 5 players in the world. He is willing Portugal into the Semifinals of the tournament. Germany is looking like the top seed with Spain and Italy close behind. Greece looks like they won't be able to stand up to the Germans, while Spain is favored vs. France and England is playing Italy in the Quarterfinals. There have been 3 fines for teams. England was fined over $6,000 for their fans trying to invade the pitch against Sweden. The Croatian team was fined 65,000 Lira for their fans racially heckling a black player, and a Denmark Striker was fined 80,000 Lira for his underwear advertising. You have had deaths of fans by drowning and stabbing, fans of teams rioting against each other and players becoming belligerent to each other during and after games. And that has nothing to do with the English hooligans roaming around the countryside. If there were more events like this throughout the soccer world, I would follow it much closer.
4. F1 - Whether it is the mad scramble for the drivers championship or the revelation that Bernie Ecclestone bribed a German banker to sell part of a F1 team in 2005 for far below market value, it is just another week for the Big Boys of Open Wheel racing. This weekend's European Grand Prix could be the race that we see a repeat winner for the 1st time in F1 this year. Louis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and Sebastian Vettel are all within 3 points of the lead in the Season standings and there are rumors that Ferrari is looking at obtaining Vettel at year's end to team with Alonso in the Ferrari camp for at least 2013. Parity has hit the F1 circuit and has produced one of the best years for it's racing in recent memory.
5. Percy Harvin and whatever is wrong - In May, we had a happy Percy Harvin at Minnesota Vikings OTA's, saying that he was proud of his teammates in showing up to the voluntary workouts. This week, we have him missing practice and demanding a trade. And now he is blaming the media for all the speculation about what his future holds. If you are not happy, then come out and say why and what you have told the team. Otherwise, he needs to stop playing the childish games with the media and keep quiet about your displeasure.
Friday, June 15, 2012
5 Things That I Am Following This Week
1. The NBA Finals - The only reason that I am following this is that I hope that the Heat fail again to win the championship. Game 2 ended with a foul that wasn't called on LeBron James. But as with all the series this year, the officiating has been at best questionable. The flopping in the NBA is worse than in European Pro Soccer. The incident between David Stern and Jim Rome did nothing but put a microscope on the officiating and it appears that the patient has some disease that is terminal. Hopefully there is some consistency in the way the officials call the rest of this series, but my money is against it.
2. U.S. Open - Tiger is in the hunt after Round 1, so the golfing fans will be watching again during the weekend. For myself, I am hoping for a final flurry during the last 9 holes of Tiger and at least one other golfer tied and going for the title. That is the best that we can hope for. Hopefully, the fans will start to warm to other golfers besides Tiger in the next year.
3. UEFA 2012 - I am calling shenanigans. Advertizing on underwear shown after you score a goal? Brilliant! Brawling between Russian and Polish soccer fans? Not So Brilliant! The non-riot when England and France played was good. Maybe some blockheads over there are growing up. Right, just wait until the Semi-finals get played, you will have the hooligans liquered up and ready to brawl. So far, only the Netherlands and Ireland have been eliminated from advancing. And Italy could be prevented from advancing. We have drama and flair with this tournament, hopefully it will continue.
4. MLB No-No's. - This is getting ridiculous. 2 perfect games in the same season? 5 No Hitters? Where are the consummate hitters? Those people like Wade Boggs or Tony Gwynn that weren't worried about power stats, but more concerned about getting hits and helping their teams. The minor leagues need to teach players the basics. Ask Ben Revere of the Twins about bunting. He rarely can put down a good bunt and that is the only thing that is preventing him from being a real good big league outfielder. Things like that should be worked on in the minors, but due to cost cutting by owners and the win now mentality that most people have, the basics are glossed over.
5. NHL Labor Talk Positioning - The owners have said that they are ready to negotiate at any time the PA is. Donald Fehr has said that the NHL is unique because they have a sport that is world wide. And with the way he wielded the strike power with MLB, I believe that we are in for a major work stoppage yet again. And that could be a severe blow to the NHL. Imagine what the union is going to do when the NHL asks for the players to take 50% of revenues instead of the 57% that they currently get.
2. U.S. Open - Tiger is in the hunt after Round 1, so the golfing fans will be watching again during the weekend. For myself, I am hoping for a final flurry during the last 9 holes of Tiger and at least one other golfer tied and going for the title. That is the best that we can hope for. Hopefully, the fans will start to warm to other golfers besides Tiger in the next year.
3. UEFA 2012 - I am calling shenanigans. Advertizing on underwear shown after you score a goal? Brilliant! Brawling between Russian and Polish soccer fans? Not So Brilliant! The non-riot when England and France played was good. Maybe some blockheads over there are growing up. Right, just wait until the Semi-finals get played, you will have the hooligans liquered up and ready to brawl. So far, only the Netherlands and Ireland have been eliminated from advancing. And Italy could be prevented from advancing. We have drama and flair with this tournament, hopefully it will continue.
4. MLB No-No's. - This is getting ridiculous. 2 perfect games in the same season? 5 No Hitters? Where are the consummate hitters? Those people like Wade Boggs or Tony Gwynn that weren't worried about power stats, but more concerned about getting hits and helping their teams. The minor leagues need to teach players the basics. Ask Ben Revere of the Twins about bunting. He rarely can put down a good bunt and that is the only thing that is preventing him from being a real good big league outfielder. Things like that should be worked on in the minors, but due to cost cutting by owners and the win now mentality that most people have, the basics are glossed over.
5. NHL Labor Talk Positioning - The owners have said that they are ready to negotiate at any time the PA is. Donald Fehr has said that the NHL is unique because they have a sport that is world wide. And with the way he wielded the strike power with MLB, I believe that we are in for a major work stoppage yet again. And that could be a severe blow to the NHL. Imagine what the union is going to do when the NHL asks for the players to take 50% of revenues instead of the 57% that they currently get.
Saturday, June 09, 2012
5 Things That I Am Watching This Week
Abbreviated Edition. Did Relay For Life yesterday/last night/this morning and have work in about an hour. So no long explanations unless I come back and edit the piece.
1. The media after Game 7 of the Heat/Celtics. The media goes back and forth during this series burying both teams. But whichever team comes out with a win will still be buried because the Big Bag Thunder are waiting on the other side. For the losing team, infamy about losing what should have been their series to win.
2. The Belmont. I'll Have Another has been scratched, which turns this from a spectacle to a betting event. The rating that this pulls in on TV will be historically low, I predict. And horse racing still cannot get a Triple Crown winner in over 30 years.
3. Stanley Cup Finals. Well, at least the Devils didn't get swept. But I don't see where three more straight wins are coming from for the Jersey side. Maybe the parade through L.A. will bring more Kings fans out that are porn stars. (See Tabitha Stevens, game 4 behind Jersey bench). And the Zach Parise countdown is officially on. There are 10 teams that have been quoted that they would look at him as a Free Agent, bringing him in and signing him to a long-term lucrative contract. But for some reason, I just can't see him in San Jose Teal.
4. Euro 2012. Upsets are happening and the rough play is starting to seem to be ramping up early. Let's see if the fans decide to follow the player's lead.
5. NASCAR reporters. I am tired of NASCAR allowing media members to goad their drivers into blowups. I can wait for 10 to 15 minutes before I have to hear from a driver who has been taken out, or from a driver that is getting banged around like Kurt Busch was because he was on probation. In fact, for NASCAR, here is a question: Why aren't you protecting the drivers on probation that cannot retaliate when other drivers race them dirty? You want the people on probation to straighten out their act, then why do you allow others to beat and bang them without provocation and do nothing? I am so sick of NASCAR. I am trying to not to watch any piece of a race this year from this point on because NASCAR has become unwatchable. I would rather watch a race from the 80's or 90's than today. Because back then, you had drivers, not corporate shills.
1. The media after Game 7 of the Heat/Celtics. The media goes back and forth during this series burying both teams. But whichever team comes out with a win will still be buried because the Big Bag Thunder are waiting on the other side. For the losing team, infamy about losing what should have been their series to win.
2. The Belmont. I'll Have Another has been scratched, which turns this from a spectacle to a betting event. The rating that this pulls in on TV will be historically low, I predict. And horse racing still cannot get a Triple Crown winner in over 30 years.
3. Stanley Cup Finals. Well, at least the Devils didn't get swept. But I don't see where three more straight wins are coming from for the Jersey side. Maybe the parade through L.A. will bring more Kings fans out that are porn stars. (See Tabitha Stevens, game 4 behind Jersey bench). And the Zach Parise countdown is officially on. There are 10 teams that have been quoted that they would look at him as a Free Agent, bringing him in and signing him to a long-term lucrative contract. But for some reason, I just can't see him in San Jose Teal.
4. Euro 2012. Upsets are happening and the rough play is starting to seem to be ramping up early. Let's see if the fans decide to follow the player's lead.
5. NASCAR reporters. I am tired of NASCAR allowing media members to goad their drivers into blowups. I can wait for 10 to 15 minutes before I have to hear from a driver who has been taken out, or from a driver that is getting banged around like Kurt Busch was because he was on probation. In fact, for NASCAR, here is a question: Why aren't you protecting the drivers on probation that cannot retaliate when other drivers race them dirty? You want the people on probation to straighten out their act, then why do you allow others to beat and bang them without provocation and do nothing? I am so sick of NASCAR. I am trying to not to watch any piece of a race this year from this point on because NASCAR has become unwatchable. I would rather watch a race from the 80's or 90's than today. Because back then, you had drivers, not corporate shills.
Friday, June 01, 2012
5 Things That I Am Watching This Week
1. The Saints Bounty Case. A journal has been found that reportedly recorded the payouts of the bounty system. And if this journal is correct, it appears that the cash just wasn't limited to defensive players. It shows that during a game between the Saints and Bills, that 3 $1,000 hits were administered for "cart-offs". 4 Bills players were hurt during that game. 1 from the offense and 3 from the defense. So while everybody has been looking at the Saints defense, and rightfully so, it appears that the entire team would know about the bounty system if the offensive players are also involved in receiving cash. If so, then Drew Brees has about as much credibility as Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, and Rafael Palmeiro. Just for the record, the documentarian that released the Gregg Williams tape has said that Drew Brees and Scott Fujita both talked to him about the tape before it was released publicly. In the real world, that could be construed as Obstruction. I have a feeling that more of this story is about ready to be released and it won't look good for the Saints.
2. The NBA Conference Finals. The Western battle between the Spurs and Thunder have been the home team throttling the opponent to gain victories. I expect this to go 7. And a shout out to the Thunder organization for telling Lil Wayne that he needs to purchase a ticket and will not be shown court side seats just because he is a celebrity. There are season-ticket holders of those seats that deserve to sit in them a lot more than celebrities that feel privileged. While in the East, it looks like the refs have had South Beach fever. Damn, in Game 2, the zebras were the deciding factor in giving Queen James, Jester Wade and the homies of Miami the win. Rajon Rondo is giving his all to beat the Heat. It appears that the Big 3 after getting blown out in game 1, (oh yeah, how do you call 5 technical fouls on the Celtics and not give at least 1 to Jester for arguing calls as well?) showed up in games 2 and 3.
3. The Kings Coronation in the NHL. I cannot see the Devils winning this Stanley Cup. The Kings have a more talented team. Darryl Sutter is the better coach. (You rarely see that in print, even on the internet.) And Jonathan Quick is the equal to Martin Brodeur at his advanced age. It appears that Flyers West will hoist Lord Stanley's Cup and then let the Zach Parise sweepstakes begin.
4. The chase for the worst record in Baseball. Here I was interested in a duel between the Cubs and Twins for the worst record. So what do the Padres have to do? Go on a 6 game losing streak and become the worst team in baseball by at least 2 games. The A's, Rockies, and Astros also have a shot at joining this race to the bottom.
5. UEFA Euro 2012. Oh there are storyline coming into this tourney. The 1st one is the possible consideration of Italy not participating because of match-fixing scandals that are hitting Italy hard. The 2nd is the alleged racism that permiates throughout Poland and Ukraine. The 3rd are nations forbidding their players from using social networking throughout the tournament. Spain has already announced that their players are forbidden to use Twitter during their participation. The hooligans are already being arrested, 6 days before the tournament starts. The Polish have evacuated entire prisons to deal with the crime, fighting, and overall lawlessness that will be a part of this tournament. And finally, out of the 5 nations that are the favorites to win, who does? And if Italy does decide to withdraw, that leaves us with 4. Germany, Spain, Denmark, and France.
6. R.I.P. to Orlando Woolridge. He was one of my favorite Lakers. In fact, probably the only Laker player that I have liked. He died of chronic heart problems. Woolridge loved the game of basketball so much, that he went and coached the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA. You will be missed.
2. The NBA Conference Finals. The Western battle between the Spurs and Thunder have been the home team throttling the opponent to gain victories. I expect this to go 7. And a shout out to the Thunder organization for telling Lil Wayne that he needs to purchase a ticket and will not be shown court side seats just because he is a celebrity. There are season-ticket holders of those seats that deserve to sit in them a lot more than celebrities that feel privileged. While in the East, it looks like the refs have had South Beach fever. Damn, in Game 2, the zebras were the deciding factor in giving Queen James, Jester Wade and the homies of Miami the win. Rajon Rondo is giving his all to beat the Heat. It appears that the Big 3 after getting blown out in game 1, (oh yeah, how do you call 5 technical fouls on the Celtics and not give at least 1 to Jester for arguing calls as well?) showed up in games 2 and 3.
3. The Kings Coronation in the NHL. I cannot see the Devils winning this Stanley Cup. The Kings have a more talented team. Darryl Sutter is the better coach. (You rarely see that in print, even on the internet.) And Jonathan Quick is the equal to Martin Brodeur at his advanced age. It appears that Flyers West will hoist Lord Stanley's Cup and then let the Zach Parise sweepstakes begin.
4. The chase for the worst record in Baseball. Here I was interested in a duel between the Cubs and Twins for the worst record. So what do the Padres have to do? Go on a 6 game losing streak and become the worst team in baseball by at least 2 games. The A's, Rockies, and Astros also have a shot at joining this race to the bottom.
5. UEFA Euro 2012. Oh there are storyline coming into this tourney. The 1st one is the possible consideration of Italy not participating because of match-fixing scandals that are hitting Italy hard. The 2nd is the alleged racism that permiates throughout Poland and Ukraine. The 3rd are nations forbidding their players from using social networking throughout the tournament. Spain has already announced that their players are forbidden to use Twitter during their participation. The hooligans are already being arrested, 6 days before the tournament starts. The Polish have evacuated entire prisons to deal with the crime, fighting, and overall lawlessness that will be a part of this tournament. And finally, out of the 5 nations that are the favorites to win, who does? And if Italy does decide to withdraw, that leaves us with 4. Germany, Spain, Denmark, and France.
6. R.I.P. to Orlando Woolridge. He was one of my favorite Lakers. In fact, probably the only Laker player that I have liked. He died of chronic heart problems. Woolridge loved the game of basketball so much, that he went and coached the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA. You will be missed.
Friday, May 25, 2012
5 Things That I Am Watching This Week
I decided to change from the weekend to the week because most of the things that I list here are done during the week. That being said, everything on this list happens this weekend.
1) The Indy 500. Another chance to miss Dan Wheldon. Another chance to mourn the decline of open wheel racing in the United States. I could care less if Danica races in it or not. The sad thing is that I don't know who is on the pole, who is leading in the Indy Car standings, or even who are the Top 5 favorites to win this thing. It speaks to the decline of this series because I actually find it more exciting than NASCAR.
2) Formula 1 in Monaco. Just continuing the open wheel racing vibe. I absolutely love Formula 1. In my opinion, it is the best form of auto racing there is. The speeds, the pageantry, the technical skill shown by all the teams, the rivalries, the history. It's all there along with a sense of danger. Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso are tied for the lead and looks like they will be battling for the Points Championship all season long. We will see if the fire in the Williams garage the last race will cause difficulties for them. And I am hoping that Filipe Massa can figure out what is wrong this year with him and his Ferrari
3) English League 1 Soccer: Huddersfield vs. Sheffield United. While I will never ever be considered a soccer snob by anybody, I am learning to like the European leagues. I am a fan of the Houston Dynamo in MLS and I am looking to see which team I will support across the pond. The best thing about the soccer leagues over in Europe is the Relegation and Ascention rules for the worst and best teams in most of the leagues. I wish they had something like that over here for sports leagues. These two teams are chasing Charlton Athletic and Sheffield Wednesday for 1st and 2nd place in league.
4) 76ers v Celtics - Game 7. In watching this series, I am reminded of a heavyweight fight in boxing by 2 fighters that are sloppy in the ring and don't have knockout power. The Celtics have the pedigree and the talent to have won this thing in 5. However, they appear like they have run out of gas and can't get interested in this series. Give credit to Doug Collins for teaching and instructing his young 76ers team on how to win in the playoffs. I want the 76ers to win, but also would love to see the Celtics win and beat the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. I know that the 76ers cannot do that.
5) NY Rangers v NJ Devils. The Devils lead 3 games to 2 in this Eastern Conference Final. I do not like either team but are rooting for the Devils just because of John Tortorella and his mouth behind the Rangers bench. Martin Broduer is looking like he is 30, not 40 and the Devils talent level is high. However, it doesn't matter which of these teams win this series because the Big, Bad Kings are waiting to demolish either squad and take the Stanley Cup back to California.
1) The Indy 500. Another chance to miss Dan Wheldon. Another chance to mourn the decline of open wheel racing in the United States. I could care less if Danica races in it or not. The sad thing is that I don't know who is on the pole, who is leading in the Indy Car standings, or even who are the Top 5 favorites to win this thing. It speaks to the decline of this series because I actually find it more exciting than NASCAR.
2) Formula 1 in Monaco. Just continuing the open wheel racing vibe. I absolutely love Formula 1. In my opinion, it is the best form of auto racing there is. The speeds, the pageantry, the technical skill shown by all the teams, the rivalries, the history. It's all there along with a sense of danger. Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso are tied for the lead and looks like they will be battling for the Points Championship all season long. We will see if the fire in the Williams garage the last race will cause difficulties for them. And I am hoping that Filipe Massa can figure out what is wrong this year with him and his Ferrari
3) English League 1 Soccer: Huddersfield vs. Sheffield United. While I will never ever be considered a soccer snob by anybody, I am learning to like the European leagues. I am a fan of the Houston Dynamo in MLS and I am looking to see which team I will support across the pond. The best thing about the soccer leagues over in Europe is the Relegation and Ascention rules for the worst and best teams in most of the leagues. I wish they had something like that over here for sports leagues. These two teams are chasing Charlton Athletic and Sheffield Wednesday for 1st and 2nd place in league.
4) 76ers v Celtics - Game 7. In watching this series, I am reminded of a heavyweight fight in boxing by 2 fighters that are sloppy in the ring and don't have knockout power. The Celtics have the pedigree and the talent to have won this thing in 5. However, they appear like they have run out of gas and can't get interested in this series. Give credit to Doug Collins for teaching and instructing his young 76ers team on how to win in the playoffs. I want the 76ers to win, but also would love to see the Celtics win and beat the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. I know that the 76ers cannot do that.
5) NY Rangers v NJ Devils. The Devils lead 3 games to 2 in this Eastern Conference Final. I do not like either team but are rooting for the Devils just because of John Tortorella and his mouth behind the Rangers bench. Martin Broduer is looking like he is 30, not 40 and the Devils talent level is high. However, it doesn't matter which of these teams win this series because the Big, Bad Kings are waiting to demolish either squad and take the Stanley Cup back to California.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Carling Cup #8
Well, it wasn't pretty (from what I can see watching highlights and reading wrap-ups since I was unable to watch the match) but Liverpool managed to beat Cardiff City 3-2 in penalty kicks to take home the Carling Cup for the eighth time. Liverpool has had a habit this season of playing down to the level of competition at times and, regardless the importance of this match and how well Cardiff played, this was another example of Liverpool not putting away lesser teams. So many times this season they've had ties and even losses to lower division teams, which is why they likely won't make the Champions League again. But another trophy is another trophy, and maybe another comes later this season as Liverpool is still very much alive in the FA Cup. It's been 16 years since Liverpool has played at Wembley (the first in the new venue), hard to believe it used to be referred to as Liverpool South given all the numerous times Liverpool had hoisted trophies in England's national stadium.
Cardiff put up a valiant effort and you'd have rooted for that underdog to win if you weren't a Reds fan...a heartbreaking way to lose in the end.
Cardiff put up a valiant effort and you'd have rooted for that underdog to win if you weren't a Reds fan...a heartbreaking way to lose in the end.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
How did you spend your Sunday?
Watching sports, of course, especially since this is my last Sunday off for awhile. Oh, and the day was finished off by an awesome pork roast.
First, I "watched" Liverpool beat Brighton 6-3 to advance to the quarterfinals of the FA Cup. I wasn't able to actually watch it because the match wasn't on TV here but I kept an eye on the live updates online. The big story here is that Brighton had THREE own goals, two of them by the same poor chap. Liverpool will face Stoke City in the next round in March.
Next, I watched pole qualifying for next weekend's Daytona 500. Carl Edwards won the pole, and the two Petty cars are starting in the top 15. Kasey Kahne will start around 25th. You can find where your favorite drivers will start on your own.
While I'm watching Daytona 500 qualifying, I'm also starting to watch the Bruins against the Wild (let me say how much I like the Wild's green home sweater. It's one of my favorites) and the final round of the PGA tournament from Riviera Country Club, where Lefty would be teeing off last with a share of the lead. I didn't watch a lot of the Bruins game because I could tell early on it was going to be another of those where they'd outplay and outshoot the other team but continue to be stonewalled by great goaltending. In this case I was right, as Niklas Backstrom stopped 48 Bruin shots on the way to a 2-0 shutout.
So I focused on the golf tournament to see whether Phil could win two in a row. Bill Haas holds the clubhouse lead at 7 under with Phil and Keegan Bradley one behind as they play the par 5 17th hole. So both Phil and Keegan need to birdie the 17th to tie, since there had only been 28 birdies on the 18th hole all week. Well, they both struggle on the 17th and par it, needing to birdie the 18th to tie and go to a playoff with Haas. Phil gets on in two at the back of the green and miraculously birdies his 26 footer from the fringe -- miraculous since he hadn't sunk a put all day. The crowd erupts, of course. You gotta love Phil's flare for the dramatic. Next comes Keegan, who calmly sinks a 15 footer. Unbelievable, they both get the necessary birdies and so we have a three-way sudden death playoff.
Back to 18 again, where all three players par the hole. Then it's on to the drivable par 4 10th hole -- where Phil ends up in the ruff on one side, Keegan in the bunker on the same side and Haas in the ruff on the other side...none of them have a chance at a birdie. Haas goes first and decides to shoot "sideways" to a wider part of the green, leaving about a 50 footer. Phil hits a very good flop shot that still wouldn't hold on and trickles into the bunker on the other side. Keegan's bunker shot holds on to the back fringe about 15 feet from the hole. So it looks like the outcome will be three pars and on to the next hole, EXCEPT that Haas sinks his 50 footer for a birdie and the win. Great golf tournament.
What I didn't have time for was watching the Celtics game tonight, though I did see an update that said KJ didn't start and Rondo was thrown out of the game against the Pistons, and the Celts were trailing.. Oh, and apparently Linsanity struck again today as well, as the Knicks snapped the Mavs winning streak.
The best part of the day though was spending it with someone I care for a lot and eating her wonderful pork roast.
First, I "watched" Liverpool beat Brighton 6-3 to advance to the quarterfinals of the FA Cup. I wasn't able to actually watch it because the match wasn't on TV here but I kept an eye on the live updates online. The big story here is that Brighton had THREE own goals, two of them by the same poor chap. Liverpool will face Stoke City in the next round in March.
Next, I watched pole qualifying for next weekend's Daytona 500. Carl Edwards won the pole, and the two Petty cars are starting in the top 15. Kasey Kahne will start around 25th. You can find where your favorite drivers will start on your own.
While I'm watching Daytona 500 qualifying, I'm also starting to watch the Bruins against the Wild (let me say how much I like the Wild's green home sweater. It's one of my favorites) and the final round of the PGA tournament from Riviera Country Club, where Lefty would be teeing off last with a share of the lead. I didn't watch a lot of the Bruins game because I could tell early on it was going to be another of those where they'd outplay and outshoot the other team but continue to be stonewalled by great goaltending. In this case I was right, as Niklas Backstrom stopped 48 Bruin shots on the way to a 2-0 shutout.
So I focused on the golf tournament to see whether Phil could win two in a row. Bill Haas holds the clubhouse lead at 7 under with Phil and Keegan Bradley one behind as they play the par 5 17th hole. So both Phil and Keegan need to birdie the 17th to tie, since there had only been 28 birdies on the 18th hole all week. Well, they both struggle on the 17th and par it, needing to birdie the 18th to tie and go to a playoff with Haas. Phil gets on in two at the back of the green and miraculously birdies his 26 footer from the fringe -- miraculous since he hadn't sunk a put all day. The crowd erupts, of course. You gotta love Phil's flare for the dramatic. Next comes Keegan, who calmly sinks a 15 footer. Unbelievable, they both get the necessary birdies and so we have a three-way sudden death playoff.
Back to 18 again, where all three players par the hole. Then it's on to the drivable par 4 10th hole -- where Phil ends up in the ruff on one side, Keegan in the bunker on the same side and Haas in the ruff on the other side...none of them have a chance at a birdie. Haas goes first and decides to shoot "sideways" to a wider part of the green, leaving about a 50 footer. Phil hits a very good flop shot that still wouldn't hold on and trickles into the bunker on the other side. Keegan's bunker shot holds on to the back fringe about 15 feet from the hole. So it looks like the outcome will be three pars and on to the next hole, EXCEPT that Haas sinks his 50 footer for a birdie and the win. Great golf tournament.
What I didn't have time for was watching the Celtics game tonight, though I did see an update that said KJ didn't start and Rondo was thrown out of the game against the Pistons, and the Celts were trailing.. Oh, and apparently Linsanity struck again today as well, as the Knicks snapped the Mavs winning streak.
The best part of the day though was spending it with someone I care for a lot and eating her wonderful pork roast.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
The North West Darby
Obviously I was pressing my luck challenging Rick in this latest edition of the North West Darby, Liverpool versus Manchester United in the English Premier League, given that it was being played at Old Trafford and Liverpool had had decent success against ManU so far this year in Premier League and FA Cup matches. So ManU was certainly due and the odds-on favorite.I didn't realize when I challenged Rick that every meeting between these two teams is referred to as the North West Darby. I presumed one matchup a year was set aside and given that title for bragging rights. Obviously Rick is a ManU fan and I a newly-minted Liverpool fan, thus the potential for a blog challenge; but this matchup is always a big deal given that it's a matchup between the two most storied and successful teams in the history of English pro football -- a matchup akin to the Red Sox versus the Yankees in a sport that's far, far more popular worldwide. It is also a big deal for this match because ManU is two points out of the league lead and Liverpool four points out of fourth place, which at season's end would mean a berth for them in next year's Champions League.
The drama started even before the game, given that this was the first meeting of the two sides since Luis Suarez' return from an eight-game suspension for racial abuse against ManU's Patrice Evra, and then Suarez' apparent refusal to shake Evra's hand pre-game.
I won't speak too much of the actual game play -- it's not my forte even in sports I'm literate in -- but I will say from the outset that ManU looked the better team with their precise passing, even on deep balls; whereas, Liverpool, especially when they had a break in the offensive end, lacked the communication for that last critical pass. But Glen Johnson of Liverpool missed the best opportunity of the first half, which ended scoreless. I went and took a shower, started a load of laundry and came back later than I would have thought -- 15 minutes into the second half and saw ManU was up 2-0. What did I miss? Apparently two Wayne Rooney goals. Liverpool did put on a lot of pressure late, resulting in a consolation goal for Luis Suarez at the 80 minute mark, and a couple of other great missed opportunities for the Reds, resulting in a 2-1 win for Manchester United.
Well, on to the next match for Liverpool, with particular focus on the upcoming Carling Cup final and 5th round matchup in the FA Cup. So if Liverpool does fall short of the top 4, winning those cups will make the season. They have only themselves to blame, given how many ties Liverpool has had this season against the bottom third of the Premier League.
(Note: I know how to spell derby but for effect I'm spelling it the way it's pronounced over there)
Monday, January 30, 2012
On to Wembley
I thought this article about Craig Bellamy getting a goal against his former club, Manchester City, to propel his current club and the one he dreamed of playing for as a boy, Liverpool, into the Carling Cup final at Wembley Stadium against his hometown team, Cardiff City, was a nice segue for this neophyte English Premier League fan to talk for just a moment about soccer -- gulp!
I've never been much of a soccer fan (I find the game dull and can't stand the flopping and diving) but have to admit that watching the high level of play of the EPL has changed that a little. When the same ownership group that owns the Boston Red Sox bought Liverpool, I became curious as to what all the fuss was about. When I read about the fact that the team they bought was the most storied, and infamous (read about Hillsborough and Heysel), in English pro soccer history, I became interested to learn what the league was all about.
So I've adopted Liverpool as my favorite team, even though I watch very few games (I'm not that big a fan) but what fascinates me much more than the game play is the history and, for lack of a better word, format of European soccer. I'm going to attempt to explain, with a small base of knowledge, how this works and why I find it fascinating. Hopefully the other EPL fans here will bail me out. Every European league has a tiered system where the best teams play in the top tier, the next best in the second tier and so on. In the English League that amounts to four tiers with around 20 teams per tier. Every year, amidst the regular EPL season, there is an elimination tournament played amongst all the teams of the four tiers, 92 teams, that is the Carling Cup or League Cup. The championship game will be played at Wembley Stadium between Liverpool and Cardiff City, a "second tier" team that came all the way through. Liverpool has won this tournament a record seven times.
Liverpool defeated Manchester United (har har, Rick!) this weekend to advance to the quarter finals of an even bigger English soccer tournament, the FA Cup, where they'll take on Brighton. Aside from winning the League Cup, which is won solely by accumulating the most points during the season, the FA Cup or Football Association Challenge Cup is the most prestigious in the EPL. From The Wiki:
But wait, there's more -- one more that I'll describe but there's even more than that. What's notable is the UEFA Champions League, which is another tournament that runs during the regular seasons of all of the major European soccer leagues that pits the top teams (1 to 5 teams depending upon the strength of the league) from each league in a battle to determine the champion of all champions. There's nothing else like this in any other sport. The championship game of this tournament is the largest viewed annual sporting event in the world, even bigger than the Super Bowl. It would be like a dozen countries each having a Super Bowl and then a tournament ensued after that pitting all the Super Bowl champions. It's like the World Cup, except it's played every year and pits professional teams against each other rather than country all star teams. Real Madrid has won this tournament the most times, 9, with Liverpool having won it 5, the most of any EPL team.
Liverpool is obviously favored to win its 8th Carling Cup and is in good position in the FA Cup tourney, although there are still many good teams remaining at this point. Since Liverpool did not finish high enough in the EPL last year to qualify to play in the UEFA Champions League this year and are not going to win the EPL league title this year, winning the Carling and possibly the FA would be a very big deal for this storied club.
I'm also writing this post as my punishment for not having the guts to blog challenge Rick regarding this weekend's match between Liverpool and Manchester United...missed opportunity. I won't hesitate if that opportunity presents itself deeper in the tourney, RJ.
I've never been much of a soccer fan (I find the game dull and can't stand the flopping and diving) but have to admit that watching the high level of play of the EPL has changed that a little. When the same ownership group that owns the Boston Red Sox bought Liverpool, I became curious as to what all the fuss was about. When I read about the fact that the team they bought was the most storied, and infamous (read about Hillsborough and Heysel), in English pro soccer history, I became interested to learn what the league was all about.
So I've adopted Liverpool as my favorite team, even though I watch very few games (I'm not that big a fan) but what fascinates me much more than the game play is the history and, for lack of a better word, format of European soccer. I'm going to attempt to explain, with a small base of knowledge, how this works and why I find it fascinating. Hopefully the other EPL fans here will bail me out. Every European league has a tiered system where the best teams play in the top tier, the next best in the second tier and so on. In the English League that amounts to four tiers with around 20 teams per tier. Every year, amidst the regular EPL season, there is an elimination tournament played amongst all the teams of the four tiers, 92 teams, that is the Carling Cup or League Cup. The championship game will be played at Wembley Stadium between Liverpool and Cardiff City, a "second tier" team that came all the way through. Liverpool has won this tournament a record seven times.
Liverpool defeated Manchester United (har har, Rick!) this weekend to advance to the quarter finals of an even bigger English soccer tournament, the FA Cup, where they'll take on Brighton. Aside from winning the League Cup, which is won solely by accumulating the most points during the season, the FA Cup or Football Association Challenge Cup is the most prestigious in the EPL. From The Wiki:
The FA Cup was first held in 1871–72. Entry is open to all teams who compete in the Premier League, the Football League and in steps one to five of the FA National League System, as well as selected teams in step 6.[3] This means that clubs of all standards compete, from the largest clubs in England and Wales down to amateur village teams. The tournament has become known for the possibility for "minnows" from the lower divisions to become "giant-killers" by eliminating top clubs from the tournament and even theoretically win the Cup, although lower division teams rarely progress beyond the early stages. The qualification rounds and a system of byes mean that the very smallest and very biggest teams almost never meet.Obviously what makes it fun as a fan is that your lower tier teams get to take a shot at the big boys and sometimes even knock them off. Imagine a semi-pro baseball team that has played in your neck of the woods for a hundred years getting to play in a big tournament every year with the likes of the Yankees. As a sports history buff, it is this kind of thing that makes European soccer interesting to me. Manchester United has won the most of these cups.
But wait, there's more -- one more that I'll describe but there's even more than that. What's notable is the UEFA Champions League, which is another tournament that runs during the regular seasons of all of the major European soccer leagues that pits the top teams (1 to 5 teams depending upon the strength of the league) from each league in a battle to determine the champion of all champions. There's nothing else like this in any other sport. The championship game of this tournament is the largest viewed annual sporting event in the world, even bigger than the Super Bowl. It would be like a dozen countries each having a Super Bowl and then a tournament ensued after that pitting all the Super Bowl champions. It's like the World Cup, except it's played every year and pits professional teams against each other rather than country all star teams. Real Madrid has won this tournament the most times, 9, with Liverpool having won it 5, the most of any EPL team.
Liverpool is obviously favored to win its 8th Carling Cup and is in good position in the FA Cup tourney, although there are still many good teams remaining at this point. Since Liverpool did not finish high enough in the EPL last year to qualify to play in the UEFA Champions League this year and are not going to win the EPL league title this year, winning the Carling and possibly the FA would be a very big deal for this storied club.
I'm also writing this post as my punishment for not having the guts to blog challenge Rick regarding this weekend's match between Liverpool and Manchester United...missed opportunity. I won't hesitate if that opportunity presents itself deeper in the tourney, RJ.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
A New, Disturbing Trend In Sports Blogging
Forgive me for venting but I’m seeing a disturbing trend in sports blogging.
Earlier this week the Washington Redskins, with nothing better to do than sue reporters that dare tell the truth about owner Daniel Snyder, made The Washington Post remove the name Redskins from their “Redskins Insider” blog that follows the team. The blog is now called “Football Insider”. The Montreal Canadiens, who are equal with the Redskins when it comes to churlish behavior, made The Montreal Gazette change the name of its “Habs Inside/Out” blog to “Hockey Inside/Out” on Friday.
Are you kidding me?
It’s too bad I don’t write for either of those newspapers or else I’d change the name of the Football Insider blog to something like Snyder’s Next Tantrum, or better yet Racial Slurs Insider so anyone reading it would know which team they were following.
For the Habs, it could be much worse. How about blog names like A Pain in Pacioretty’s Neck? Or because of the shape of the Habs logo, Who Left The Toilet Seat Up?
Heaven forbid the Boston Red Sox ever demand the owner of this blog to change the name due to copyright infringement. First, I’m sure the owner of this blog would do it to comply with their wishes if it ever happened but unlike newspaper-run blogs I won’t stop at calling the blog “Baseball Tavern” to appease them.
I’d likely suggest a catchy blog name like Up Robbie Fowler’s Nose to take a jab at Liverpool.
Or better yet, if the Red Sox stumble out of the gate and the San Diego Padres pick up where they left off last season I’ll make jokes about the Red Sox unofficial AAA team outplaying them.
Hopefully it will never come to that.
Sunday, March 06, 2011
Liverpool v Manchester United
The combination of John Henry and Tom Werner (Boston Red Sox) buying the Liverpool Football Club, an increasing interest in soccer cultivated over the last few World Cups and the fact that my buddy Rick is a big fan of Manchester United, I've found myself wanting to know more about the English Premier League and watching some of Liverpool's matches, to the point where I've decided to be a fan of Liverpool. Since Manchester United was coming to Anfield today to play Liverpool, I decided to boldly challenge Rick to a blog challenge; but I did it backwards. I figured since ManU is the better team and Rick knows much more about this stuff than I do, I should make the challenge such that he would have to write the blog post; ie, winner boasts about their team winning, as opposed to the usual loser posting about the winner.
Well, that backfired on me as Liverpool dominated play and easily beat ManU today 3-1, the lone Manchester goal coming in extended time long after the match was decided. So here I sit trying to write something intelligent about a sport I know very little about.
I'm also at a disadvantage because no embed videos are yet available from this match, so that you'd be able to see the great dribbling play by Luis Suarez (Fernando Torres who?) around three defenders in tight to the goal to set up the first goal of the game and the first goal of Dirk Kuyt's hat trick, instead of me trying to describe it to you. If I saw play like this every time I watched a match, I would quickly become a fan of the game.
I will say this: I enjoyed the game very much, doing in large part obviously to the fact that my team dominated from the outset; if you get a chance to see highlights of this match, I urge you to do so; and hey Rick, you didn't see that coming, did ya? I expect to see a crow-eating comment to this post.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
In defense...
Of LeBron James: Who owns him? No one. Did he play out his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers? Yes, he did. Did he sign a second contract with the Cavs to try to win a title there? Yes, he did. Did he leave for more money? No, he didn't. Did he promise he'd stay in Cleveland? No, he didn't. Did he try to persuade other key free agents to come to Cleveland? Based on reports I've heard confirmed on ESPN, he tried to get Bosh to come to Cleveland. It was only when those attempts failed did he ultimately make a decision based on where he felt his best chance to win a championship lied. Did his hypocritical owner try to get other players to do what he's criticizing James for doing? Oh yes, he did. Did he bring seven great years to a franchise that, with the exception of a few-year blip in the '90s, was dead and no one cared about? Absolutely. So in all fairness, aside from that ridiculous dog and pony show announcement, what did he do wrong?
Of the soccer World Cup: Just as with the Summer and Winter Olympic games, it is the biggest and most popular sporting event in the world; and just as with the above, the size of the stage and what's on the line create interest in this sports fan's mind for events and sports that aren't there all the time. I still have my criticisms: Mostly the flopping. But I have come to appreciate aspects of the sport that I heretofore found boring. Likely the largest reason for that new found appreciation, aside from the stage and stakes, is the quality of the play in this tournament as most of the best players in the world are present. I will be watching the final tomorrow and will be very much entertained, even though I don't have a dog in the hunt any longer.
Of the MLB All Star Game: No, it's not what it used to be, at least for me that's because the players don't take it as seriously as they used to. Don't get me wrong, they each want to win and it's important to them; but I don't feel the hatred and inter-league rivalry that this game used to have. Is interleague play the culprit? Perhaps. That or the freeness of the modern free agency system that's created in the players' minds no loyalty at all to team and league. Nor should they but it does feel different.
Despite that, I've always looked forward to this game. Go American League! I look forward to the player announcements. I look forward to a game where most of the best players are playing. I look forward to the rivalry and beating the National League once again. I look forward to seeing star players from other teams that I don't routinely see. I watch with anticipation as the Red Sox present take their turn at bat or on the mound in key moments, and still feel pride in being a Sox fan when those players come through. And I still enjoy the Home Run Hitting Contest. I still feel like a kid when I watch the best big leaguers hit it a mile. It's not great every year but I watch every year, lest I miss a performance ala Josh Hamilton's.
In defense of NASCAR: Because I'll always love speed, cars and racing, to say nothing about the sounds and smells (I fart exhaust fumes when I watch at home). Other than baseball, no sport makes me feel more like a kid when I watch it than racing...pure escapism to my youth.
Of the soccer World Cup: Just as with the Summer and Winter Olympic games, it is the biggest and most popular sporting event in the world; and just as with the above, the size of the stage and what's on the line create interest in this sports fan's mind for events and sports that aren't there all the time. I still have my criticisms: Mostly the flopping. But I have come to appreciate aspects of the sport that I heretofore found boring. Likely the largest reason for that new found appreciation, aside from the stage and stakes, is the quality of the play in this tournament as most of the best players in the world are present. I will be watching the final tomorrow and will be very much entertained, even though I don't have a dog in the hunt any longer.
Of the MLB All Star Game: No, it's not what it used to be, at least for me that's because the players don't take it as seriously as they used to. Don't get me wrong, they each want to win and it's important to them; but I don't feel the hatred and inter-league rivalry that this game used to have. Is interleague play the culprit? Perhaps. That or the freeness of the modern free agency system that's created in the players' minds no loyalty at all to team and league. Nor should they but it does feel different.
Despite that, I've always looked forward to this game. Go American League! I look forward to the player announcements. I look forward to a game where most of the best players are playing. I look forward to the rivalry and beating the National League once again. I look forward to seeing star players from other teams that I don't routinely see. I watch with anticipation as the Red Sox present take their turn at bat or on the mound in key moments, and still feel pride in being a Sox fan when those players come through. And I still enjoy the Home Run Hitting Contest. I still feel like a kid when I watch the best big leaguers hit it a mile. It's not great every year but I watch every year, lest I miss a performance ala Josh Hamilton's.
In defense of NASCAR: Because I'll always love speed, cars and racing, to say nothing about the sounds and smells (I fart exhaust fumes when I watch at home). Other than baseball, no sport makes me feel more like a kid when I watch it than racing...pure escapism to my youth.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
World Cup justice
To have two goals not count that should've counted and have that be what kept the U.S. out of the round of 16 would've been a travesty. So it was only fair that a rebound goal in the 91st minute against Algeria by Landon Donovan moves the U.S. forward.
I wasn't able to watch the game but did listen to it on ESPN via my XM (indispensable), which in at least one way was better; that being listening to Tommy Smyth call the match with that lovely Irish brogue of his. It just adds so much to the experience.
Post note: I was able to share a video of the goal to Facebook but that video is no longer available to embed. Hopefully once ESPN is finished showing the replay, an embed file will be available to add here.
I wasn't able to watch the game but did listen to it on ESPN via my XM (indispensable), which in at least one way was better; that being listening to Tommy Smyth call the match with that lovely Irish brogue of his. It just adds so much to the experience.
Post note: I was able to share a video of the goal to Facebook but that video is no longer available to embed. Hopefully once ESPN is finished showing the replay, an embed file will be available to add here.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Four years ago
Watching some U.S. Open golf and World Cup soccer the last couple of days had a sense of deja vu to it; and that coupled with blogging on BoSox Tavern about these events, had me looking for old blogs on similar topics. Well, if you read through these couple of blog posts from four years ago, you'll see there's even more than superficial similarities. It's four years ago exactly...Father's Day weekend, a U.S. Open with Phil Mickelson in contention, the only other time Tiger Woods was going through troubles, and a World Cup with the U.S. team underachieving early in games and coming back to save themselves.
One difference is that Nascar is at Sonoma instead of Michigan, as it was four years ago. Similarities are still there though -- Kasey Kahne won at Michigan four years ago and he finished 2nd last weekend at Michigan. He's starting from the pole tomorrow at Sonoma where he won last year.
So take a walk down memory lane with this post from Saturday four years ago and this second one is the weekend wrap-up once the results were in. Here's hoping that the similarities between Phil's first two rounds this year at Pebble Beach and four years ago at Winged Foot (you remember Winged Foot, don't you) end there.
Have a great Father's Day weekend.
(Cross posted at Inside Zebster)
One difference is that Nascar is at Sonoma instead of Michigan, as it was four years ago. Similarities are still there though -- Kasey Kahne won at Michigan four years ago and he finished 2nd last weekend at Michigan. He's starting from the pole tomorrow at Sonoma where he won last year.
So take a walk down memory lane with this post from Saturday four years ago and this second one is the weekend wrap-up once the results were in. Here's hoping that the similarities between Phil's first two rounds this year at Pebble Beach and four years ago at Winged Foot (you remember Winged Foot, don't you) end there.
Have a great Father's Day weekend.
(Cross posted at Inside Zebster)
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Big sports day
You know that I'm a big sports fan and like nothing more than a regular season Red Sox game or a Sunday Nascar race for comfort food, but it's not often you get to watch three rare, important and special events all in one day. Not only has the U.S. Open golf tournament started today but it's the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, where if I were given the opportunity to play just one course anywhere, it would be there...what beauty and what history. I followed Phil's round online today and he didn't have it but you can't count him out. He's won three times at this course, has five career runner-ups in the U.S. Open and is currently just five shots out. Tiger's about to tee off. It will be interesting to see what he has.
Then there's the previously mentioned World Cup, the biggest sporting event in the world arguably, which only happens every four years. Tonight it's the USA vs. Slovenia. I'll have to peek in on that. Tonight's match for the U.S. is much different than it was against England. It was a steal to get a tie and a point in that game. Tonight anything less than a win and two points is a loss.
Then there's a game 7 in the NBA Finals, something that doesn't happen very often. In fact, it's been several years since the Finals went to a game 7. It just so happens that the two greatest franchises in league history are playing in this game, one of them being my favorite team. I'm sure I won't be able to watch it...you know what I mean. The Celtics got beat by 20 in game 6 after having won the previous two games. Which team shows up tonight?
Then there's the previously mentioned World Cup, the biggest sporting event in the world arguably, which only happens every four years. Tonight it's the USA vs. Slovenia. I'll have to peek in on that. Tonight's match for the U.S. is much different than it was against England. It was a steal to get a tie and a point in that game. Tonight anything less than a win and two points is a loss.
Then there's a game 7 in the NBA Finals, something that doesn't happen very often. In fact, it's been several years since the Finals went to a game 7. It just so happens that the two greatest franchises in league history are playing in this game, one of them being my favorite team. I'm sure I won't be able to watch it...you know what I mean. The Celtics got beat by 20 in game 6 after having won the previous two games. Which team shows up tonight?
Monday, June 14, 2010
Sports Wrap
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| World Cup 2010: Into Africa - Two Teams, One Cup | ||||
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Did you know the Celtics are one win away from their 18th championship? They'll need to take one of the next two games from the Lakers in LA to secure it. They were down in this series 0-1 and 1-2 but have rallied to take control. I don't know how many more chances this current line-up will get to win another championship. So I'm hoping the older legs will hang in there and get it done in game 6. Will we see an encore of the Shrek and Donkey show? Don't care about that either?
Anyone going to watch any of the U.S. Open golf tournament next week? Can Phil Mickelson go 2 for 2 in majors so far this year? Will Tiger get back to his pre-drama form? No takers? I plan on watching. I enjoy very much watching the majors. Go Lefty!
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