I like to make fun of the Mariners. It's one of few teams a Mets' fan can look down their nose at.
But for once I actually feel bad for them. On Wednesday night, they lost a game in a way that only the Mets have been accustomed to.
You can check out the video here. If you're at a place of employment that frowns on such things, here's a recap. M's up 5-2 in the 8th. Danny Cortes and Jamie Wright combine to load the bases. Cortes walks Andres Blanco. M's up 5-3. Then he gives up a single to Julio Borbon to cut the lead to 5-4. The tieing run then comes in on wild pitch. In the blink of an eye, a 3-run lead is gone.
Go to bottom of 9th. Runner on first, two outs. Cortes strikes out Nelson Cruz. The pitch gets by the catcher. By the rules, Cruz has the opportunity to get to first. All M's catcher Guillermo Quiroz has to do is thrown him at first. Somehow Quiroz hits Cruz. The ball goes into the outfield and the runner is able to score from first. Texas wins on a swinging strike. Now that is painful.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
A Quick Transition
Michael Fucito sure has gotten the attention of Sounders Nations with his performance in the past two Champions League game. Some bloggers are calling for Fucito to get more playing time. Others are suggesting that he should be starting. While I firmly fall in the more playing time camp, this entry actually isn't meant to debate how many minutes he should be getting, though. Rather, it is to discuss the long term future of the franchise.
Coming into the 2010 season, the Sounders were one of the favorites to win MLS Cup. The experts reasoned that there mix of talented youth and grizzled veterans was enough to separate them from the rest. They also felt that this was the year they had to get it done because the window was quickly closing. Afterall, Montero and Hurtado were likely to leave for Europe. Keller, Marshall and Vagenas had a combined age of 200 years. Levesque, Graham, Scott and Wahl were simply not good enough to play significant minutes.
The Sounders had to win in 2010 or risk having to rebuild without a title to their name. The season started out good as they left the gate with a 2-1-2 record before hitting the skids and going 2-7-1 in their next 10 games. Since then they have been in amazing form, as they have run off a 7-1-3 record. Seeing there recent form, the middle part of the season seems like such an anomaly. In looking back, it wasn't that they were necessarily bad, it was that they had started transitioning to the next phase of their existence. Most thought it would come in the offseason. No one thought it would happen midseason.
Permanently gone from the lineup were Marshall, Vagenas, and Ljungberg replaced by Ianni, Sturgis and Nyassi. Parke replaced an injured Hurtado. Jaqua and Nkufo replaced the revolving door of second forwards. Seamon, Montano, Fucito and Estrada starting getting more minutes. Suddenly the Sounders were a young, inexperienced team. The young guys were hungry to make a statement. They didn't play scared.
Now we are at a point where we have a lot of depth. We have had the good fortune to get younger and yet stay competitive. We have a bright future. Maybe Fucito is part of it. Maybe he's not. Luckily for us, Sigi is getting the opportunity to see who is part of that future. We're in a good spot Sounders Nation.
Coming into the 2010 season, the Sounders were one of the favorites to win MLS Cup. The experts reasoned that there mix of talented youth and grizzled veterans was enough to separate them from the rest. They also felt that this was the year they had to get it done because the window was quickly closing. Afterall, Montero and Hurtado were likely to leave for Europe. Keller, Marshall and Vagenas had a combined age of 200 years. Levesque, Graham, Scott and Wahl were simply not good enough to play significant minutes.
The Sounders had to win in 2010 or risk having to rebuild without a title to their name. The season started out good as they left the gate with a 2-1-2 record before hitting the skids and going 2-7-1 in their next 10 games. Since then they have been in amazing form, as they have run off a 7-1-3 record. Seeing there recent form, the middle part of the season seems like such an anomaly. In looking back, it wasn't that they were necessarily bad, it was that they had started transitioning to the next phase of their existence. Most thought it would come in the offseason. No one thought it would happen midseason.
Permanently gone from the lineup were Marshall, Vagenas, and Ljungberg replaced by Ianni, Sturgis and Nyassi. Parke replaced an injured Hurtado. Jaqua and Nkufo replaced the revolving door of second forwards. Seamon, Montano, Fucito and Estrada starting getting more minutes. Suddenly the Sounders were a young, inexperienced team. The young guys were hungry to make a statement. They didn't play scared.
Now we are at a point where we have a lot of depth. We have had the good fortune to get younger and yet stay competitive. We have a bright future. Maybe Fucito is part of it. Maybe he's not. Luckily for us, Sigi is getting the opportunity to see who is part of that future. We're in a good spot Sounders Nation.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
CCL "Run" Officially Done
When the Sounders lost 2-0 at home to Monterrey on August 25, we all figured they were done in the Champions League. At 0-2 there was no way they could advance to the Knockout Round.
When the Sounders lost 2-0 on the road to Saprissa on September 14, we once again figured they were done in the Champions League. At 0-3 there was no way they could advance to the Knockout Round.
When the Sounders lost 3-2 on the road to Monterrey on September 22, we knew they were done in the Champions League. At 0-4 there was NO way we could advance.
The funny thing about each of these statements is that somehow we kept the faith. The other group results continued to go our way. We were never officially eliminated, even after losing the second time to Monterrey.
The math was simple -if we won our last two games and Monterrey won their last two games, the Sounders, Saprissa and Marathon would all finish tied for second with identical 2-4 records. We would just need to win big to help our goal differential.
I know I bought into it. I mean, all we had to do was hope that a Monterrey side who already clinched first place in the group would beat two hungry teams battling for 2nd place and that a team with 0 wins out of 4 games would miraculously win their final two games. Every time I tried to walk away I got sucked back in.
Then finally last night, Saprissa tied Monterrey. The Sounders are 100% officially eliminated. There is NO way they advance. Now I know I value Champions League more than the average fan, but even I realize this is a blessing in disguise. We can now play our young guys against Marathon, Saprissa and Chivas Guadalajara and have our normal starters finish up MLS play. I know the front office wants to win every tournament we are in. I love it, but being eliminated in Champions League increases our chances of winning the MLS Cup and/or US Open Cup. It also helps us evaluate where we are at for the future as our young back-ups can get quality minutes against opponents who are not wearing the rave green. This represents another great opportunity for the likes of Michael Fucito, Miguel Montano and Michael Seamon, not to mention Brad Evans who may be able to get some time against Saprissa next month.
Getting pummeled in Champions League is not what the team had envisioned. But with championship aspirations in league play, it might not have been the worst thing.
When the Sounders lost 2-0 on the road to Saprissa on September 14, we once again figured they were done in the Champions League. At 0-3 there was no way they could advance to the Knockout Round.
When the Sounders lost 3-2 on the road to Monterrey on September 22, we knew they were done in the Champions League. At 0-4 there was NO way we could advance.
The funny thing about each of these statements is that somehow we kept the faith. The other group results continued to go our way. We were never officially eliminated, even after losing the second time to Monterrey.
The math was simple -if we won our last two games and Monterrey won their last two games, the Sounders, Saprissa and Marathon would all finish tied for second with identical 2-4 records. We would just need to win big to help our goal differential.
I know I bought into it. I mean, all we had to do was hope that a Monterrey side who already clinched first place in the group would beat two hungry teams battling for 2nd place and that a team with 0 wins out of 4 games would miraculously win their final two games. Every time I tried to walk away I got sucked back in.
Then finally last night, Saprissa tied Monterrey. The Sounders are 100% officially eliminated. There is NO way they advance. Now I know I value Champions League more than the average fan, but even I realize this is a blessing in disguise. We can now play our young guys against Marathon, Saprissa and Chivas Guadalajara and have our normal starters finish up MLS play. I know the front office wants to win every tournament we are in. I love it, but being eliminated in Champions League increases our chances of winning the MLS Cup and/or US Open Cup. It also helps us evaluate where we are at for the future as our young back-ups can get quality minutes against opponents who are not wearing the rave green. This represents another great opportunity for the likes of Michael Fucito, Miguel Montano and Michael Seamon, not to mention Brad Evans who may be able to get some time against Saprissa next month.
Getting pummeled in Champions League is not what the team had envisioned. But with championship aspirations in league play, it might not have been the worst thing.
No Super Line
It was a big summer for the Devils. They signed Henrik Tallinder, Anton Volchenkov, Jason Arnott and John Hedberg. Oh, and course, Ilya Kovalchuk. You may or may not be aware of the to-do concerning the Kovalchuk signing, but the bottom line is this: One of the premier goal scorers in the NHL re-signed with the Devils after a mid-season trade for 15 years, $100 million. In doing so, the team is currently over the salary cap by approximately $2-3 million and needs to get under by the beginning of the season. Someone is going to lose their spot on the team. Rumors continue to fly as to who that player will be, but as of today, September 28, the team has made no moves to get under the salary cap. As such, I have tried to stay away from talking about the Devils as I don't have complete information about what this team is going to look like come opening day.
This being said, I do want to address one thing. I don't think the idea of having a Super Line of Zach Parise, Travis Zajac and Kovalchuk is a good idea. I know, I know, it sounds amazing. I mean, Parise and Kovalchuk on one line? That is an amazing idea. But here's the thing - on a team that lacks offense, do we really want one super line or do we want a little more balance?
The obvious choice to me is balance. If new Coach John MacLean keeps the ZZ Pops line of Parise, Zajac and Jamie Langenbrunner together than they can have a second line of Patrick Elias, Arnott and Kovalchuk. To me, that is a huge upgrade over Elias-Arnott-Langenbrunner. Don't get me wrong - those three are quality players, but each is only good for 20-25 goals. With Kovalchuk on the line it is probable that they could see an increase of 5-10 goals each. Then if you Parise and Kovalchuk each with 40 goals and Langenbrunner/Elias/Arnott with 25-30 each we are on to something.
It's no secret - we need goals. Especially come playoff time. In the last two playoffs we have averaged 1.8 and 2.1 goals a game, well down from the regular season average of 2.6 and 2.9 respectively. In neither year did we have more than one strong line. So when they didn't perform, we didn't score any goals. And guess what happened? We lost.
Playing Kovalchuk on the same line as Parise and Zajac in the preseason is a good experiment. I'm sure they will see time together on the Power Play and late in games if they are down a goal. But to keep them together for the entire season is not a good idea. We need some scoring depth if we want to make it past the first round for the first time since 2006-07.
This being said, I do want to address one thing. I don't think the idea of having a Super Line of Zach Parise, Travis Zajac and Kovalchuk is a good idea. I know, I know, it sounds amazing. I mean, Parise and Kovalchuk on one line? That is an amazing idea. But here's the thing - on a team that lacks offense, do we really want one super line or do we want a little more balance?
The obvious choice to me is balance. If new Coach John MacLean keeps the ZZ Pops line of Parise, Zajac and Jamie Langenbrunner together than they can have a second line of Patrick Elias, Arnott and Kovalchuk. To me, that is a huge upgrade over Elias-Arnott-Langenbrunner. Don't get me wrong - those three are quality players, but each is only good for 20-25 goals. With Kovalchuk on the line it is probable that they could see an increase of 5-10 goals each. Then if you Parise and Kovalchuk each with 40 goals and Langenbrunner/Elias/Arnott with 25-30 each we are on to something.
It's no secret - we need goals. Especially come playoff time. In the last two playoffs we have averaged 1.8 and 2.1 goals a game, well down from the regular season average of 2.6 and 2.9 respectively. In neither year did we have more than one strong line. So when they didn't perform, we didn't score any goals. And guess what happened? We lost.
Playing Kovalchuk on the same line as Parise and Zajac in the preseason is a good experiment. I'm sure they will see time together on the Power Play and late in games if they are down a goal. But to keep them together for the entire season is not a good idea. We need some scoring depth if we want to make it past the first round for the first time since 2006-07.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Week 3 NFL Review
Thanks to NFL Red Zone, I can't claim to have watched a full non-Monday night regular season NFL game in over a year. That won't stop me from making a few observations on the season after 3 weeks of action.
- With AJ Hawk, Clay Matthews and Charles Woodson leading the way, I think Green Bay may have the best defense in the league. They were a trendy Super Bowl pick at the beginning of the year and I can certainly see why. Unlike other great defenses (or at least what I consider to be great defenses) in Baltimore, NY and Chicago, the Packers actually had an offense to match. However, the loss of Ryan Grant was HUGE as there run game is plain brutal right now. No way they go deep into the playoffs with Brandon Jackson as their lead back. They need to get Marshawn Lynch out of Buffalo.
- I don't know what to think of the Jets. I think they are a good team, but there is so much off the field stuff with them that it's hard to focus on the on-field product. I'm not sure how long LT can be the go-to back and you never know what you will get out of The Sanchise. They need to be a little more consistent on offense before I name them the AFC favorites
- The Panthers suck. They are just bad. Now I have stuck with them through their 1-15 season with Chris Weinke at the helm, but having Jimmy Claussen as the starter is demoralizing. I just really cannot stand that guy.
- Hindsight is 20-20, but I think we should have all expected the Cowboys to beat Houston. I'm not suggesting that Houston isn't good, because I think they actually have all the pieces to win the conference. No, what I am a suggesting is that Dallas was desparate. Even though it was only week 3, they needed the win more than the Texans did. In a league where most teams all have the same talent level, urgency often is the difference between winning and losing.
- There has been a lot written about the NFC West recently. I am not going to pile on and suggest that the NFL payoff rules be changed because someone will probably make the playoffs at 7-9. Yes, all four teams are terrible. Yes, it may not be fair that the have easier schedules than teams in the NFC East, but the bottom line is this: good teams win games. If you want to make the playoffs, you need to win your games. If a 10-6 misses out on the playoffs because a 7-9 happens to win a weak division, then suck it up and win 11 games next year? The point of the playoffs is to determine a champion. If you are not good enough to make it to the playoffs, how can you be good enough to win the Super Bowl. Just take care of your business and move on.
- Most pleasant surprise this season? Has to be the Kansas City Chiefs. They have a two headed monster at RB (potentially as good if not better than what Carolina had last year), a developing QB and a rapidly improving defense. Oh, and it doesn't hurt that SD and Denver are down this year meaning it is their division to lose.
- I wrote off the Eagles after week 1, saying that the Vick-Kolb controversy would kill the team. Right now there is no controversy -Vick is clearly the best guy for the job. However, I still stick by my statement as I think it is only time before Vick slips up -whether on the field or off - prompting Philly fans to call for his head. I still think it is inevitable.
- Is there a person in the NFL less exciting than Tom Coughlin?
- After 3 weeks, I think we might be looking at a Steelers-Saints Super Bowl. I know most people think the Saints are ripe for the picking, but I think they are just in a little funk right now. Hartley will straighten out his woes and Payton will find the right combination of RB to stay dangerous and balanced on offense. They are battled tested and won't go down that easily. As for the Steelers, if there is one team that can handle a mid-season QB change it is them. While most would agree that Big Ben needs to clean his act up off the field, he is one of the three best leaders in the NFL. The team should have no problem with the transition. Most thought a 2-2 record without Ben would be wonderful - I'm not sure anyone could have predicted 3-0 especially with Charlie Batch as the starter.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Tough Times in Athens
The University of Georgia Athletic Director is going to have a BIG decision to make as the Dawgs sit at 1-3 (0-3 SEC). Considering they still have Tennessee, Florida, Auburn and Ga Tech on their schedule, a 5-7 season is staring them in face. Hell, considering they can't even beat Miss St, games against Vanderbilt and Kentucky aren't even guarantees.
So here's the decision he has to make. Overlook Coach Mark Richt's record of 90-27 (50-22 SEC), his 7-2 record in bowl games and his 2 SEC championships? Remember he has never won a national title and since his first season, LSU(2), Florida(2) and Alabama have all won a national title. Richt on the other hand? He only has won 77% of his games.
This season is already over - even if they were to run the table they still couldn't win the SEC. Who cares if they were without the services of All American WR AJ Green for the first four games? In a world of what have you done for me lately, it is time to get rid of Richt. He certainly has not earned the right to have 1 bad season.
So here's the decision he has to make. Overlook Coach Mark Richt's record of 90-27 (50-22 SEC), his 7-2 record in bowl games and his 2 SEC championships? Remember he has never won a national title and since his first season, LSU(2), Florida(2) and Alabama have all won a national title. Richt on the other hand? He only has won 77% of his games.
This season is already over - even if they were to run the table they still couldn't win the SEC. Who cares if they were without the services of All American WR AJ Green for the first four games? In a world of what have you done for me lately, it is time to get rid of Richt. He certainly has not earned the right to have 1 bad season.
I Hate Fantasy Football
I know you don't want to read about my fantasy football. Just like I don't want to read about yours - it's the one fantasy sports secret that no one is willing to talk about. Tons of men play fantasy football but no one wants to discuss it. It's boring. And no one thinks there friend's team is better than theres.
Unfortunately for you, my readers, I decided to take it easy on my wife this season and not subject her to any of my fantasy football woes. She cares even less than my friends. So I have to take to this blog to voice my frustration.
I am on the verge of being 0-3 in both of my leagues this year. In my keeper league, which start two QB's,I had Kevin Kolb in week 1 and got demolished (although not entirely his fault). Then in week 2 I picked up Vince Young (Seriously, what was I thinking???). He got benched and ended the game with -2.4 points. I lost by 1.2. Now this week I have Vick to go alongside Aaron Rodgers. I had a really great Sunday:
Unfortunately for you, my readers, I decided to take it easy on my wife this season and not subject her to any of my fantasy football woes. She cares even less than my friends. So I have to take to this blog to voice my frustration.
I am on the verge of being 0-3 in both of my leagues this year. In my keeper league, which start two QB's,I had Kevin Kolb in week 1 and got demolished (although not entirely his fault). Then in week 2 I picked up Vince Young (Seriously, what was I thinking???). He got benched and ended the game with -2.4 points. I lost by 1.2. Now this week I have Vick to go alongside Aaron Rodgers. I had a really great Sunday:
- Michael Vick 291 yards, 3 TDs PLUS 30 yards rushing, 1 TD
- Roddy White 69 yards, 1 TD
- Steven Jackson 58 yards, 1 TD
- Darren McFadden 107 yards, 1 TD
- Antonio Gates 109 yards, 1 TD
- Mario Manningham 78 yards
- Jamaal Charles 97 yards rushing, 57 yards receiving
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Instant (Over)Reaction: Chicago
What a HUGE win this was tonight. I know I have labeled other recent wins as being HUGE, but this one takes the cake (I think that's a saying, right)?
With Chicago chasing us for the final spot, this win was basically a 6-pointer and effectively eliminated Chicago from the playoff hunt. Two more huge games, against the other two teams chasing us, are next on horizon. First it's Toronto at home next week followed by an away match against Kansas City. If we can get results from both games we are in. If not then it won't be time to panic as we will have two matches against the West's worst to close the season. I think we are sitting pretty, but without tonight's win things would be getting pretty stuffy around here.
So how did we do it? Well, I think the boys in rave just played with a lot of will and determination. The first half was nothing special - a few missed chances here and there but nothing to nerve racking. In the second half, Chicago began to play with some desparation and were really pushing it for the final 30 minutes. We were trying to counterattack but a lot of the passes were sloppy. We were in bunker mode because we simply couldn't get out of our half. I thought we missed out on our only opportunity when Nyassi raced up the left side (after a beautiful outlet from Blaise) and essentially gave it to the keeper. But then it came. Another Blaise Nkufo goal.
The build-up was super. Zakuani attacked the center of the Chicago defense on a counter attack. He saw Blaise make a run down the left side and put it a bit on front of him. Blaise retrieved the ball, faked a cross, faked a shot and put it past the Chicago keeper from 6 yards out. Along the way, he got CJ Brown to jump in the air to block the cross. Then he got Brown to slide to block the shot. Then he banked it off of Brown. It was beautiful. Four weeks after Brown was a jerk all game, Blaise took him behind the woodshed. The deflection was lucky, but hey, sometimes you create your own luck.
Just a great win. And as Arlo said, I think we are seeing a team mature before our eyes.
With Chicago chasing us for the final spot, this win was basically a 6-pointer and effectively eliminated Chicago from the playoff hunt. Two more huge games, against the other two teams chasing us, are next on horizon. First it's Toronto at home next week followed by an away match against Kansas City. If we can get results from both games we are in. If not then it won't be time to panic as we will have two matches against the West's worst to close the season. I think we are sitting pretty, but without tonight's win things would be getting pretty stuffy around here.
So how did we do it? Well, I think the boys in rave just played with a lot of will and determination. The first half was nothing special - a few missed chances here and there but nothing to nerve racking. In the second half, Chicago began to play with some desparation and were really pushing it for the final 30 minutes. We were trying to counterattack but a lot of the passes were sloppy. We were in bunker mode because we simply couldn't get out of our half. I thought we missed out on our only opportunity when Nyassi raced up the left side (after a beautiful outlet from Blaise) and essentially gave it to the keeper. But then it came. Another Blaise Nkufo goal.
The build-up was super. Zakuani attacked the center of the Chicago defense on a counter attack. He saw Blaise make a run down the left side and put it a bit on front of him. Blaise retrieved the ball, faked a cross, faked a shot and put it past the Chicago keeper from 6 yards out. Along the way, he got CJ Brown to jump in the air to block the cross. Then he got Brown to slide to block the shot. Then he banked it off of Brown. It was beautiful. Four weeks after Brown was a jerk all game, Blaise took him behind the woodshed. The deflection was lucky, but hey, sometimes you create your own luck.
Just a great win. And as Arlo said, I think we are seeing a team mature before our eyes.
Friday, September 24, 2010
No Melo Talk
Just wanted to let you all know that I will not be addressing any of the Carmelo to the Nets rumors until something (if anything) happens. I am going about my business as if our opening night roster consists of Lopez-Murphy-Outlaw-Morrow-Harris with T-Will, Farmer, Humphries, James and Ross coming off the bench.
I love the Hot Stove more than most. But that's baseball and I'm used to the Mets letting me down even after spending money. LeBron not coming to the Nets hurt for a little bit. I really thought we had a chance. So I refuse to get sucked into thinking Melo might actually come to Jersey. Talk to me if something happens.
I love the Hot Stove more than most. But that's baseball and I'm used to the Mets letting me down even after spending money. LeBron not coming to the Nets hurt for a little bit. I really thought we had a chance. So I refuse to get sucked into thinking Melo might actually come to Jersey. Talk to me if something happens.
Community Letdown
The Wife and I really like Community and we think Betty White is hilarious. So naturally, the prospect of having her guest star on Community excited us. Unfortunately for us, it was a huge letdown.
I don't want to give the plot away for those of you who haven't watched yet. So let me say three things. First, they have done that episode several times already. It's only the start of season two - it's getting boring already. Second, they killed several major plot lines. They could have certainly milked Jeff-Annie and Jeff-Britta for a few more weeks and I would have enjoyed it more. Finally, knowing that Betty White was only around for one episode, you knew she was going to do something to get her suspended. This is not like other shows where guest stars can make a cameo appearance in one episode. This show is about community college, which means professors play a major role. They need to be on more than one episode unless there is some major reason.
Luckily The Office made up for my disappointment. Maybe its just me, but I felt that the show got back to it's roots. Jim was pranking Dwight. The staff was complaining to Michael. Michael was being an idiot in the conference room. Now this is a show where they can have episodes with similar story lines as in the past. They work because it's all about the characters. They have been around long enough that it still feels fresh.
Finally, I am really really upset with Outsourced. I did not watch. Now will I ever watch. I would like to know who at NBC thought this was a good idea. I mean if you can look beyond the terrible setting and premise, you realize that every joke is racist. We're not talking fart jokes that are tacky to some in the population. We're talking about racist name and culture jokes. Way to alienate an entire part of the population. I can't believe that this is on tv, let alone in the 9:30 timeslot on Thursday. What a terrible decision.
I don't want to give the plot away for those of you who haven't watched yet. So let me say three things. First, they have done that episode several times already. It's only the start of season two - it's getting boring already. Second, they killed several major plot lines. They could have certainly milked Jeff-Annie and Jeff-Britta for a few more weeks and I would have enjoyed it more. Finally, knowing that Betty White was only around for one episode, you knew she was going to do something to get her suspended. This is not like other shows where guest stars can make a cameo appearance in one episode. This show is about community college, which means professors play a major role. They need to be on more than one episode unless there is some major reason.
Luckily The Office made up for my disappointment. Maybe its just me, but I felt that the show got back to it's roots. Jim was pranking Dwight. The staff was complaining to Michael. Michael was being an idiot in the conference room. Now this is a show where they can have episodes with similar story lines as in the past. They work because it's all about the characters. They have been around long enough that it still feels fresh.
Finally, I am really really upset with Outsourced. I did not watch. Now will I ever watch. I would like to know who at NBC thought this was a good idea. I mean if you can look beyond the terrible setting and premise, you realize that every joke is racist. We're not talking fart jokes that are tacky to some in the population. We're talking about racist name and culture jokes. Way to alienate an entire part of the population. I can't believe that this is on tv, let alone in the 9:30 timeslot on Thursday. What a terrible decision.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
The Soccer Gods At It Again
I am a believer in the Soccer Gods. I know they exist. I mean, how else can you explain 2 critical games in which two-goal leads were lost. First there was the Sounders 3-2 loss to Monterrey in which the hosts scored three goals in 5 minutes after the Sounders led 2-0 at halftime? Then there was the 3-1 deficit that Kansas City rallied to overcome thanks to a 97th minute Josh Wolff goal (seriously...97th minute). The first result ended the Sounders chances in Champions League. The second moved KC within 3 points of us for the final playoff spot. Both were HUGE games. Both were going our way until late.
So how do I explain it? Simple...I got a historic win from Northampton over Liverpool in the Carling Cup. I blogged about it. I didn't mention the Sounders. The Soccer Gods reminded me my #1 priority are the boys in Rave and Blue. Their loss hurts more than the Cobblers' win. I was taught a lesson - one that I hope to learn from.
********
So as not to anger the Soccer Gods again, let me quickly mention the importance of this weekend. Their are some HUGE MLS games. First is our game against Chicago. Win and we won't have to worry about them again this year. They will be done. Then there is a crucial game in Texas as KC travels to FC Dallas. Dallas is unbeaten in like 82 games while KC is making a late surge. It would be great to get some help from the Hoops. Finally, there is a big game in San Jose as Toronto FC comes into town. Toronto trails us by 5 points while SJ is tied with us (but with two games in hand). A tie would be amazing. A SJ win would be ok. A Toronto win would make things interesting. So let's hope for first a Sounders win and then some help.
Come on Sounders score a goooallll, score a goooalll, score a goooaaallllooooaallloooalll
So how do I explain it? Simple...I got a historic win from Northampton over Liverpool in the Carling Cup. I blogged about it. I didn't mention the Sounders. The Soccer Gods reminded me my #1 priority are the boys in Rave and Blue. Their loss hurts more than the Cobblers' win. I was taught a lesson - one that I hope to learn from.
********
So as not to anger the Soccer Gods again, let me quickly mention the importance of this weekend. Their are some HUGE MLS games. First is our game against Chicago. Win and we won't have to worry about them again this year. They will be done. Then there is a crucial game in Texas as KC travels to FC Dallas. Dallas is unbeaten in like 82 games while KC is making a late surge. It would be great to get some help from the Hoops. Finally, there is a big game in San Jose as Toronto FC comes into town. Toronto trails us by 5 points while SJ is tied with us (but with two games in hand). A tie would be amazing. A SJ win would be ok. A Toronto win would make things interesting. So let's hope for first a Sounders win and then some help.
Come on Sounders score a goooallll, score a goooalll, score a goooaaallllooooaallloooalll
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Cobblers Shock Liverpool
WOW. That is all I can say right now. Tiny Northampton Town FC has pulled a shocker, defeating Liverpool on PK's at Anfield today. Even though today's Liverpool lineup had a combined total of 8 EPL starts this season (ie - big time scrub team), it is still an amazing result for the League 2 team. I mean, surely, a second rate Liverpool squad is still 5 times better than a League 2 team. Especially at home.
Somehow, the Cobblers got it done. Liverpool jumped on the board in the9th minute and I was sure that was the beginnings of a long day. Yet for the next 46 minutes, Northampton kept it a one goal game before Billy McKay equalized in the 56th minute. Regular time ended in a draw. I thought they would then go to a replay next week, but apparently the Carling Cup has OT and penalty kicks to name a winner. Northampton got on the scoreboard first in OT as 18-year old Michael Jacobs scored from 6 yards out only to see the Reds equalize three minutes before full-time. Surely, Northampton couldn't beat mighty Liverpool in PK's. Surely the last minute goal they conceded would be a blow to their confidence. Surely their nerves would not hold up. After all, no one had ever been a game this big before.
Unlike fellow League 2 squad Scunthorpe United who lost 5-2 to Man Utd, Northampton got lucky and prevailed in PK's. The Cobbler's can thanks David Ngog for missing wide and Nathan Ecclestan for rattling the crossbar. They helped cement this most unlikely of results. Not to speak in hyperbole but this might be the biggest win in Cobblers history.
Now I ask traditional sports fans if a result like this is possible in any American sports. Once in a while you'll see Bucknell defeat Kansas in the NCAA Tournament. The difference is that every year only 8-12 teams have little or no shot of winning in the first round. In the Carling Cup, every team in the 4 divisions gain entry meaning that every single team in the lowest division get a shot of knocking off the big boys. In the FA Cup, over 700 professional and amateur teams get the opportunity to face the big boys. Imagine your Sunday men's team entering the FA Cup and starting a magical run that somehow lands you against Chelsea in the later round. It's highly highly improbable, but the stuff dreams are made of.
Somehow, the Cobblers got it done. Liverpool jumped on the board in the9th minute and I was sure that was the beginnings of a long day. Yet for the next 46 minutes, Northampton kept it a one goal game before Billy McKay equalized in the 56th minute. Regular time ended in a draw. I thought they would then go to a replay next week, but apparently the Carling Cup has OT and penalty kicks to name a winner. Northampton got on the scoreboard first in OT as 18-year old Michael Jacobs scored from 6 yards out only to see the Reds equalize three minutes before full-time. Surely, Northampton couldn't beat mighty Liverpool in PK's. Surely the last minute goal they conceded would be a blow to their confidence. Surely their nerves would not hold up. After all, no one had ever been a game this big before.
Unlike fellow League 2 squad Scunthorpe United who lost 5-2 to Man Utd, Northampton got lucky and prevailed in PK's. The Cobbler's can thanks David Ngog for missing wide and Nathan Ecclestan for rattling the crossbar. They helped cement this most unlikely of results. Not to speak in hyperbole but this might be the biggest win in Cobblers history.
Now I ask traditional sports fans if a result like this is possible in any American sports. Once in a while you'll see Bucknell defeat Kansas in the NCAA Tournament. The difference is that every year only 8-12 teams have little or no shot of winning in the first round. In the Carling Cup, every team in the 4 divisions gain entry meaning that every single team in the lowest division get a shot of knocking off the big boys. In the FA Cup, over 700 professional and amateur teams get the opportunity to face the big boys. Imagine your Sunday men's team entering the FA Cup and starting a magical run that somehow lands you against Chelsea in the later round. It's highly highly improbable, but the stuff dreams are made of.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Big Day for the Cobblers
I recently found out that my family history dated back to 1615 to a town in Northamptonshire County , UK called Sulgrave. I was really excited to learn of my history and even more excited when I realized that this gave me the perfect opportunity to really have a football club to support. I looked at the map and found the closest professional club was Northampton Town FC, a mere 20 miles away. Never heard of them? Of course not - they're not in the English Premier League. Not the League Championship. Not even Football league 1. Nope, they are in the UK's 4th highest league, Football League 2. I was very happy. After all, it's one thing to support a big club. It's another thing to support a little guy. Now I know I will never be even half the fan that the Cobblers' hometown fans are, but I am doing my best to support them from afar with no video access.
Anyways, the point of this entry is that Wednesday is a big day for Northampton Town FC. They travel to Anfield to get a shot at one of the world's most popular and successful teams, Liverpool. Now this isn't any sort of friendly - this is a real game in a real competition, the Carling Cup. The Carling Cup is a single elimination competition, like the more known FA Cup, of the top 92 teams in the top 4 divisions in England. It represents one of the special aspects of European soccer, one that American fans don't understand. You may ask, why compete in a competition mid-season that could lead to injuries? It would never happen in baseball or basketball. Certainly not in American football. And that is a shame, because tournaments like these allow for the David vs Goliath matchups like Liverpool v Northampton Town FC. If they were to play 1000 times Northampton Town might be able to win twice. But guess what, one of those two times could be tomorrow. It's a big day.
Anyways, the point of this entry is that Wednesday is a big day for Northampton Town FC. They travel to Anfield to get a shot at one of the world's most popular and successful teams, Liverpool. Now this isn't any sort of friendly - this is a real game in a real competition, the Carling Cup. The Carling Cup is a single elimination competition, like the more known FA Cup, of the top 92 teams in the top 4 divisions in England. It represents one of the special aspects of European soccer, one that American fans don't understand. You may ask, why compete in a competition mid-season that could lead to injuries? It would never happen in baseball or basketball. Certainly not in American football. And that is a shame, because tournaments like these allow for the David vs Goliath matchups like Liverpool v Northampton Town FC. If they were to play 1000 times Northampton Town might be able to win twice. But guess what, one of those two times could be tomorrow. It's a big day.
Situational Dancing
Loyal readers of JerseySounder know of my love for Jersey Shore (both the beach and the show), so it should come as no surprise that I watched The Situation on Dancing with the Stars last night. It was everything that makes my boy D-Lib cringe, so needless to say, I loved it.
The Sitch only had 5 days to practice compared to every other competitor who was working on 3 weeks of practice. Not surprisingly he scored on the low side with a 15/30, but I have to be honest - ABC is making a HUGE mistake if they let him get voted off after only one show. This season's cast of stars is the worst I have seen. They are terrible. The Sitch may not be the biggest star, but I know he will get people talking. The Wife and I put the over/under on two weeks before the news of him sleeping with partner Karina Smirnoff come out. In two unannounced lines, I put the odds at 10:1 that he sleeps with Carrie Ann and 25:1 that the Palin clan comes after him for his indiscretions.
It was strange seeing him out of his element - he clearly enjoys the spotlight but isn't entirely comfortable in it. If he is given 3 more weeks on the show, I expect his confidence to be back at an all-time high. If that happens, only good things will follow.
The Sitch only had 5 days to practice compared to every other competitor who was working on 3 weeks of practice. Not surprisingly he scored on the low side with a 15/30, but I have to be honest - ABC is making a HUGE mistake if they let him get voted off after only one show. This season's cast of stars is the worst I have seen. They are terrible. The Sitch may not be the biggest star, but I know he will get people talking. The Wife and I put the over/under on two weeks before the news of him sleeping with partner Karina Smirnoff come out. In two unannounced lines, I put the odds at 10:1 that he sleeps with Carrie Ann and 25:1 that the Palin clan comes after him for his indiscretions.
It was strange seeing him out of his element - he clearly enjoys the spotlight but isn't entirely comfortable in it. If he is given 3 more weeks on the show, I expect his confidence to be back at an all-time high. If that happens, only good things will follow.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Monday Morning 5-Pack
Here is a spanking new 5-pack for your Monday morning consumption:
- I am officially done with baseball for the year. I'd like to think I might watch the Rays and Twins, but I just am not into them. I thought last year was bad with the Yanks and Phils in the Series. Now we add the Braves to the playoffs and it's just cliff jumping time for Mets' fans. I wrote the other day that the only thing I was looking forward too was seeing the young Mets get a chance. I have been impressed with Dillon Gee, Luis Hernandez and obviously Josh Thole, but the last 12 games are really all about Wright getting to .300 and 100 RBI on the year. The batting average won't be easy, but the RBI is definitely attainable.
- I officially hate the Panthers. I can accept the loss on the road last week. But now they're losing to Tampa Bay at home. And Jimmy Claussen was getting some playing time? Ugggh. I hate that kid.
- Pretty terrible weekend for most of my teams. This goes especially for Georgia and UW, both who had terrible losses. Georgia's was a punch in the gut. Down 24-10 heading into the 4th, they tie it up with under 4 to go. Then they give up a long TD with 50 seconds left to lose. UW, on the other hand, just got plowed. The defense showed no discipline at all and Jake looked terrible. Everyone in the stadium knows it, but I know we are all willing to give him another chance. He gets it next week against USC. I want to ask the faithful what happens if he has another crappy week? Then what?
- It was a delight to see Notre Dame lose in heartbreaking fashion. For those of you who missed it, down 3 in OT, Michigan St converted a fake FD to win by 3. Most people will be calling the coach gutsy. Most will say what a great call it was. I can't agree. Yes, maybe he knew that every single coach, players, student, professor and alum at Notre Dame was clueless as to what was about to happen. But they don't converted, the entire nation would be KILLING the coach for his decision. He gambled and luckily hit the jackpot. However those are not odds I would ever be willing to take.
- I'm not a big Vince Young fan, but I think Jeff Fisher is doing a terrible job with the kid. I think Fisher is one of the best coaches in the league, but I'm not sure why he thinks benching Young all the time is a good thing. Here's the thing - Kerry Collins is a fine back-up. He has had some moments and led the team to a 13-3 season two years ago, but he is old. He is not the future of the team. If he continues to bench Young then he basically will be setting the organization back a few years because they will need to search for a new signal caller to hand the ball off to Chris Johnson for the next 5 years. I think most of us would agree that Young might not be mentally tough and that he still needs to grow up, but benching him is not going to help. If you really don't see him as the franchise, then stop playuing the charade. Put Collins and and draft someone knew this year. But stop playing with him like he is a Yo-Yo.
Instant (Over)Reaction: Columbus
Saturday's 4-0 win over Columbus was an amazing performance by the boys. Unfortunately I can't give it a proper review as I only saw the last half hour. You see, The Wife and I actually had a date during the first half and were shocked when we got the texts from J-Will telling of Nkufo's feats. We quickly left and were able to catch the second half at Belltown Billiards before going to the M's game.
I have since seen the highlights and have only one comment:
I have since seen the highlights and have only one comment:
- To all you Nkufo haters, please sit down and shut up for awhile. I know he played bad at the beginning of his tenure here. I know three goals in one game may not make up for his past performance, but please, stop with the "Nkufo, you suck" cries. The guy obviously doesn't suck - I ask you how many other players in the league could have scored goals 2 and 3? Maybe 3 others? Obviously he needs to carry over his form to the next games. That is a fact. But for now, please sit down and stop calling for Nate Jaqua (and I'm not knocking Nate. I happen to like him...but he doesn't have the pedigree of Mr Nkufo)
Friday, September 17, 2010
Mr Perfect Cheats! (Or Does He?)
I always have to thank baseball for giving me things to talk about. Earlier in the year it was Philly using binoculars to steal signs from the bullpen. Then it was Armando Galarraga losing his perfect game. A few weeks ago it was Nyjer Morgan and his recklessness. Today, I get to talk about Mr Perfect, Derek Jeter.
If you are reading this blog you probably know about the situation already. If not, here's the skinny: the Rays pitcher hit Jeter on the hand and Jeter was awarded first base. Joe Maddon game out to argue saying that the ball hit the bat and not Jeter. Sure enough, on replay you can clearly see that the ball did not hit Jeter and that Jeter was acting like he got hit. After the game when asked about it, Jeter said something along the lines of "what was I supposed to do? Not go to first when the umpire told me to?"
Obviously this has set off a lot of debate as people are wondering if, of all people, Mr Perfect cheated.
I have given much thought and the words of one Mr Tony Kornheiser still ring true. On his daily radio show, Kornheiser noted that the only reason referees and umpires exist is because every single player would cheat if given the opportunity. He feels that it is up to referees to say what is against the rules and to police the game. I can only speak for myself, but I can tell you that even in my Sunday morning men's league, if I can get away with a bad tackle or handling the ball without the referee calling it, I will. If I can keep the ball in bounds when it is clearly out, I will. This is a Sunday men's league where I get paid nothing and where the result does not matter. In professional sports, results matter. It is a billion dollar business - you can damn well be certain all players would cheat (golf not withstanding).
Ok, so we all would cheat, but that doesn't answer the question about whether Jeter technically cheated. I'm not sure I have an answer. Of all the major sports, baseball has the most gray areas. I have talked about unwritten rules in the past. For instance, if my teammate on second base is able to steal signs and relay them to me, then that is allowed. I however am not allowed to look at the catcher and steal signs directly. That is a break of etiquette and will get me thrown at. Neither rule is written in the official rule book, but players and coaches are allowed to decide whether it goes against the spirit of the rules.
This situation isn't the same as corking a bat or scuffing a ball. It's all about not telling the truth about a judgement call made by the umpires. Baseball is full of judgement calls. How many times do we see an umpire get a call wrong at first base? Or how many times does a second baseman not touch second base when in the middle of a double play? In both situations the players won't admit to the right call because that's what we have umpires for. The only difference with this play is that Jeter went outside of the norm by actually play acting and furthering the deception. Now it starts to get into the realm of the hidden ball trick in which the team specifically tries to trick the other team. You all know what I'm talking about. With a runner on first, the pitcher calls a meeting on the mound. He slyly grabs the rahsen bag (sp???) and gives the ball to the first baseman. They go back to their positions and the first baseman tags out the runner when he steps off the bag. It's classic playground stuff and totally legal, but probably not appreciated.
Does deception have a place in sports? Probably not, but with so much money riding on results, I can't blame the players for doing whatever they have to to win. People want sports to be centers of morality. They want athletes to be role models and to be loyal. Unfortunately neither are true at the professional sports level.
As for those who are putting Jeter on a pedestal and disappointed that he, of all people, would bend the rules, I remind you that he is a baseball player. Not a religious official. Not a judge. Not a doctor. Not educators. He is a baseball player.
If you are reading this blog you probably know about the situation already. If not, here's the skinny: the Rays pitcher hit Jeter on the hand and Jeter was awarded first base. Joe Maddon game out to argue saying that the ball hit the bat and not Jeter. Sure enough, on replay you can clearly see that the ball did not hit Jeter and that Jeter was acting like he got hit. After the game when asked about it, Jeter said something along the lines of "what was I supposed to do? Not go to first when the umpire told me to?"
Obviously this has set off a lot of debate as people are wondering if, of all people, Mr Perfect cheated.
I have given much thought and the words of one Mr Tony Kornheiser still ring true. On his daily radio show, Kornheiser noted that the only reason referees and umpires exist is because every single player would cheat if given the opportunity. He feels that it is up to referees to say what is against the rules and to police the game. I can only speak for myself, but I can tell you that even in my Sunday morning men's league, if I can get away with a bad tackle or handling the ball without the referee calling it, I will. If I can keep the ball in bounds when it is clearly out, I will. This is a Sunday men's league where I get paid nothing and where the result does not matter. In professional sports, results matter. It is a billion dollar business - you can damn well be certain all players would cheat (golf not withstanding).
Ok, so we all would cheat, but that doesn't answer the question about whether Jeter technically cheated. I'm not sure I have an answer. Of all the major sports, baseball has the most gray areas. I have talked about unwritten rules in the past. For instance, if my teammate on second base is able to steal signs and relay them to me, then that is allowed. I however am not allowed to look at the catcher and steal signs directly. That is a break of etiquette and will get me thrown at. Neither rule is written in the official rule book, but players and coaches are allowed to decide whether it goes against the spirit of the rules.
This situation isn't the same as corking a bat or scuffing a ball. It's all about not telling the truth about a judgement call made by the umpires. Baseball is full of judgement calls. How many times do we see an umpire get a call wrong at first base? Or how many times does a second baseman not touch second base when in the middle of a double play? In both situations the players won't admit to the right call because that's what we have umpires for. The only difference with this play is that Jeter went outside of the norm by actually play acting and furthering the deception. Now it starts to get into the realm of the hidden ball trick in which the team specifically tries to trick the other team. You all know what I'm talking about. With a runner on first, the pitcher calls a meeting on the mound. He slyly grabs the rahsen bag (sp???) and gives the ball to the first baseman. They go back to their positions and the first baseman tags out the runner when he steps off the bag. It's classic playground stuff and totally legal, but probably not appreciated.
Does deception have a place in sports? Probably not, but with so much money riding on results, I can't blame the players for doing whatever they have to to win. People want sports to be centers of morality. They want athletes to be role models and to be loyal. Unfortunately neither are true at the professional sports level.
As for those who are putting Jeter on a pedestal and disappointed that he, of all people, would bend the rules, I remind you that he is a baseball player. Not a religious official. Not a judge. Not a doctor. Not educators. He is a baseball player.
Storming to a Title
When I moved to Seattle in 2004, The GF took me to a lot of Storm games. Like all men I was not a fan of the WNBA so I was more than skeptical. But hey, tickets were cheap and I was able to watch sports with her so I figured I would give it a try. After a few games I came away really liking the WNBA because it was everything that NBA wasn't - no isolations, no dunking, no show-boating. The skill level with shooting may not have been there, but the offensive sets that they ran made me feel like I was in a time warp. I loved it so much, I even wrote an article for the old website, Page 86, on my experience.
That year we were in attendance as the Storm won the title. Sue Bird was 23. Lauren Jackson was 22. On the way home, we talked about how they could become a dynasty as they were so young and so talented. Needless to say, we never thought it would take them 6 years to win another one. I loved watching the game on tv last night, but can't help wonder what went wrong. I can't help feel like the team wasted the last 5 years. The league is ten times better than it was in 2004. Winning next year is going to be hard. This should have been their third or fourth title, not just their second.
So what happened? Having both LJ and Bird in their early years should have been good enough, but we found out quickly that for how good they were they needed help. In hindsight, the 2004 team was more than just LJ and Bird - it was the deepest of their teams prior to this year. Having to make some decisions on who to leave unprotected in the expansion draft, the team would go on to overvalue Betty Lennox and instead lost Kamila Vodichkova, Sheri Sam and Tully Bevilaka that offseason. Lennox and new starter Janell Burse both had huge upside but they couldn't replace the leadership lost. And in moving them to starters, they never were able to regain their bench strength until this year.
In the past 5 years my interest in the WNBA has gone down. I quickly found out that really it was only the Storm that I liked. I would not be interested in watching a random Tuesday match-up between San Antonio and Connecticut like I would in the NBA. Sure, I love to watch Candace Parker post people up, block shots and then play point guard for LA. And watching Phoenix is like watching Loyola Maramount in their heyday. The Storm continued to make the playoffs but the first round losses made me lose interest. (for once I was actually acting like a Seattle sports fan!)
This year got me back into it. I probably didn't watch more than 10 games, but every time I was really impressed with this team. The biggest difference with teams of the past was their depth. Finally they had someone (Abrosimova, Wright) who can handle to ball and give Sue a break. Finally they had another scoring option (cash) who would remain healthy all year. Finally they had some frontcourt court depth (Little, Willingham) who could actually score and rebound. And the biggest reason - they FINALLY had a healthy LJ.
The past three years as LJ has been hurt, Sue has tried to do more things. She can score 20 points on any given night, but asking her to do it every night was a losing battle. She is a hundred times better as the floor leader, the distributor. She can hit key shots when needed, not on every possession. The pressure to win and do everything seemed to be getting to her. The Wife and I started wondering if she was somehow overrated. That of course is blasphemous, especially coming from me, but her stats were going down and the team wasn't getting past the first round. Luckily she proved us wrong. She still is the best point guard in the league. Not Lindsey Whalen. Not Becky Hammon. Not Tisha Penichiero. Sue Bird.
At the end of the game, Sue said that she was sick of hearing about the 5 first round losses. She said she could remember every play of every loss because of how much she heard about it. It obviously fueled her and the team - they went 28-6 in the regular season inclusing a 17-0 mark at home. Then in the postseason they went 7-0 to win the title. Teams can't do much better than that. I can only hope that even with this championship she can find something new to light a fire under her ass because it won't be any easier next year.
That year we were in attendance as the Storm won the title. Sue Bird was 23. Lauren Jackson was 22. On the way home, we talked about how they could become a dynasty as they were so young and so talented. Needless to say, we never thought it would take them 6 years to win another one. I loved watching the game on tv last night, but can't help wonder what went wrong. I can't help feel like the team wasted the last 5 years. The league is ten times better than it was in 2004. Winning next year is going to be hard. This should have been their third or fourth title, not just their second.
So what happened? Having both LJ and Bird in their early years should have been good enough, but we found out quickly that for how good they were they needed help. In hindsight, the 2004 team was more than just LJ and Bird - it was the deepest of their teams prior to this year. Having to make some decisions on who to leave unprotected in the expansion draft, the team would go on to overvalue Betty Lennox and instead lost Kamila Vodichkova, Sheri Sam and Tully Bevilaka that offseason. Lennox and new starter Janell Burse both had huge upside but they couldn't replace the leadership lost. And in moving them to starters, they never were able to regain their bench strength until this year.
In the past 5 years my interest in the WNBA has gone down. I quickly found out that really it was only the Storm that I liked. I would not be interested in watching a random Tuesday match-up between San Antonio and Connecticut like I would in the NBA. Sure, I love to watch Candace Parker post people up, block shots and then play point guard for LA. And watching Phoenix is like watching Loyola Maramount in their heyday. The Storm continued to make the playoffs but the first round losses made me lose interest. (for once I was actually acting like a Seattle sports fan!)
This year got me back into it. I probably didn't watch more than 10 games, but every time I was really impressed with this team. The biggest difference with teams of the past was their depth. Finally they had someone (Abrosimova, Wright) who can handle to ball and give Sue a break. Finally they had another scoring option (cash) who would remain healthy all year. Finally they had some frontcourt court depth (Little, Willingham) who could actually score and rebound. And the biggest reason - they FINALLY had a healthy LJ.
The past three years as LJ has been hurt, Sue has tried to do more things. She can score 20 points on any given night, but asking her to do it every night was a losing battle. She is a hundred times better as the floor leader, the distributor. She can hit key shots when needed, not on every possession. The pressure to win and do everything seemed to be getting to her. The Wife and I started wondering if she was somehow overrated. That of course is blasphemous, especially coming from me, but her stats were going down and the team wasn't getting past the first round. Luckily she proved us wrong. She still is the best point guard in the league. Not Lindsey Whalen. Not Becky Hammon. Not Tisha Penichiero. Sue Bird.
At the end of the game, Sue said that she was sick of hearing about the 5 first round losses. She said she could remember every play of every loss because of how much she heard about it. It obviously fueled her and the team - they went 28-6 in the regular season inclusing a 17-0 mark at home. Then in the postseason they went 7-0 to win the title. Teams can't do much better than that. I can only hope that even with this championship she can find something new to light a fire under her ass because it won't be any easier next year.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Bush League
In news that isn't a shock to many in the college football universe, Reggie Bush is 'surrendering' his 2005 Heisman Trophy because he received cash and gifts while on the USC football team. I use the word surrender because he had to give it up. I am not naive enough to believe that he is giving back his Heisman because it's the right thing to do. No, the Heisman committee told him they were going to take it from him and essentially strong armed him into voluntarily relinquishing the trophy. I don't need any news outlet to break the story - I know that's how it went down.
I have been thinking about this story a lot lately and I just can't seem to get past my initial reaction that it is all a bunch of BS. I understand that I am probably in the minority here, but Bush losing his Heisman because he was deemed ineligible is a joke. I'm sorry, but to me, Bush being ineligible has nothing to do with whether he was the best player in the country. Some will say he cheated and that it is unfair to the rest of the student athletes who played by the rules. But I ask, how was it really unfair? I have a hard time believing that having his mom live in an apartment paid for by some agents made Reggie a better player. It didn't give him freakish speed. It didn't give him explosiveness. It didn't help him jump over people. We're not talking steroids here - his performance on the football field was 100% Reggie Bush, 100% natural.
Given the current climate of college football, the NCAA needs to make an example of athletes who take money from agents. I get it. But to go back and take the award away form Bush is just poor form. Get over it - everything that happened in 2005 happened. Their is no erasing it. Look no further than in baseball, where the all-time home run list is scattered with players who used performance enhancers to hit the ball further. Baseball would love to erase those records, but the fact is that they happened. I was watching in 1998 when McGwire and Sosa borke Maris' record. I saw them do it with my own two eyes. The fact that they were on steroids can't change the fact. Put an asterick next to it if you have to, but you can't take away the fact that Big Mac hit 70 home runs that year. I'm sorry, but you just can't.
Same goes for college football. Some people want vince Young to get the Heisman from 2005, but what does that do? I'm sure it would make texas fans happy. Hell, it might even make Vince YOung happy. But it will never mean that Vince Young was a better football player in 2005 than Bush. The Heisman voters gave Bush the second highest amount of votes ever. We're not talking about a close race - it was a runaway vote.
Look, I don't claim to have a solution to the whole player-agent mess. I think it sucks that the misdeeds of one player can haunt a program. It sucks that the coach can skip town and nothing happens to him even when the program he just guided is put on probation. It all sucks, but making an example of Reggie Bush by taking his Heisman is just a bad idea. Remember, OJ Simpson still has his Heisman. Let me repeat that sentence - OJ Simpson still has HIS Heisman. I know that he got in trouble many years after his time at USC, but people still are able to remember OJ, the football player. They know how good he was. They may not embrace him in the Downtown Athletic Club, but they didn't take his trophy away because the trophy represents the best football player in the nation, which is exactly what Reggie Bush called himself in 2005.
I have been thinking about this story a lot lately and I just can't seem to get past my initial reaction that it is all a bunch of BS. I understand that I am probably in the minority here, but Bush losing his Heisman because he was deemed ineligible is a joke. I'm sorry, but to me, Bush being ineligible has nothing to do with whether he was the best player in the country. Some will say he cheated and that it is unfair to the rest of the student athletes who played by the rules. But I ask, how was it really unfair? I have a hard time believing that having his mom live in an apartment paid for by some agents made Reggie a better player. It didn't give him freakish speed. It didn't give him explosiveness. It didn't help him jump over people. We're not talking steroids here - his performance on the football field was 100% Reggie Bush, 100% natural.
Given the current climate of college football, the NCAA needs to make an example of athletes who take money from agents. I get it. But to go back and take the award away form Bush is just poor form. Get over it - everything that happened in 2005 happened. Their is no erasing it. Look no further than in baseball, where the all-time home run list is scattered with players who used performance enhancers to hit the ball further. Baseball would love to erase those records, but the fact is that they happened. I was watching in 1998 when McGwire and Sosa borke Maris' record. I saw them do it with my own two eyes. The fact that they were on steroids can't change the fact. Put an asterick next to it if you have to, but you can't take away the fact that Big Mac hit 70 home runs that year. I'm sorry, but you just can't.
Same goes for college football. Some people want vince Young to get the Heisman from 2005, but what does that do? I'm sure it would make texas fans happy. Hell, it might even make Vince YOung happy. But it will never mean that Vince Young was a better football player in 2005 than Bush. The Heisman voters gave Bush the second highest amount of votes ever. We're not talking about a close race - it was a runaway vote.
Look, I don't claim to have a solution to the whole player-agent mess. I think it sucks that the misdeeds of one player can haunt a program. It sucks that the coach can skip town and nothing happens to him even when the program he just guided is put on probation. It all sucks, but making an example of Reggie Bush by taking his Heisman is just a bad idea. Remember, OJ Simpson still has his Heisman. Let me repeat that sentence - OJ Simpson still has HIS Heisman. I know that he got in trouble many years after his time at USC, but people still are able to remember OJ, the football player. They know how good he was. They may not embrace him in the Downtown Athletic Club, but they didn't take his trophy away because the trophy represents the best football player in the nation, which is exactly what Reggie Bush called himself in 2005.
Instant (Over)Reaction: Saprissa
This morning, for really the first time, Sounders fans are eating some humble pie. Look, we have been pretty blessed over the past year with our results. We have won a cup, made the playoffs and qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League. When you think about it, this is our first really big setback. Sure it sucks, but I think in the long run that it's probably a good thing for both Seattle and MLS.
I am not going to make any excuses - we went down to Central America and did just enough to lose the game. Missed chances, poor tackles and an overall sense of timidness ultimately doomed us. I think the sad part is that even though we are 0-3, I don't think we are that bad of a team. The front office has said from day 1 that they want to win every competition they are and Sigi has definitely approached every game that way. This team wanted to win the Champions League. Some may say that we fielded our B-team last night, but the fact remains that we still had over half of our normal starters in the game. They were playing to win. Ultimately they fell short.
So what does this mean? Well, on the Sounders front, it has to signal the end to our initial CCL run. I'm sure it sucks to admit to the fan base that the two remaining home games against Saprissa and Marathon don't mean a thing, but I think real fans will understand the situation. The team is stretched thin right now. Focusing on a competition that we cannot win should not be a priority when we still have the US Open Cup Final and MLS Playoff chase staring us in the face. If anything, starting some reserves (ie-Fucito, Montano, Seamon, Boss) will be a good thing as it never hurts to get young players quality minutes in competitive games.
As for the MLS, I know that the Sounders bowing out of the competition shouldn't solely be the reason for change (I'm not that egotistic), but I think it just adds to the growing list of evidence of what needs to be changed. For me, there are three biggies:
First, MLS needs to expand the roster size to allow teams to navigate the overloaded schedule a little easier. With our current team, we have enough guys to cover for defense and outside midfielders, but we have no one to play central midfield and with Jaqua and Nkufo being banged up, no one to play forward. Even if Sigi wanted to sit some guys, he had no choice but to play the starters. Allowing each team in the CCL to have 2-3 additional players who only count for CCL games would give them the opportunity to keep their other guys fresh for league games while not giving them an unfair advantage. When J-Will proposed this idea, my first reaction was to ask who would be willing to be on a team but only be eligible for 2-3 games max? I think it's a fair question, but I'll tell ya what, I bet there are actually a lot of guys playing the USL who would love to be given that opportunity. I want hungry guys competing for my team and they don't get any hungrier than young guys trying to make a name for themselves. And if MLS and USL could make an agreement so that they could be full-time USL players who get called up for CCL games, then it could benefit both leagues.
Second, MLS needs to change their rules in regards to what they deem special perks. Did you know that MLS teams can not fly privately more than twice a year? Apparently MLS thinks that only teams with a lot of money would be more willing to fly their personnel on private charters and that somehow this creates a competitive balance. Maybe it does, I don't know. But what I do know is that it is crazy to ask the teams to fly to and from Central America with the rest of us schmucks and expect them to be successful. Speaking again in terms of the Sounders, we have a road trip over a two week stretch that goes Costa Rica--Columbus--Monterrey, Mexico--Chicago--Seattle. I know this is not unique to the Sounders. I know the other CCL teams have to face similar situations. Let the guys have some perks and they will respond better.
Finally, something needs to change with the schedule. I don't know if I have a solution, but Ijust read how the Russian Premier League is changing their schedule to go Fall-Winter-Spring. The long standing arguement against MLS adopting this calendar is that it would be impossible to play soccer in Toronto, NY, NE, Columbus and Colorado during the winter months. I'm not saying that we need to follow Russia, but I think MLS needs to start thinking creatively as to how to solve the problem of match congestion. Next year the MLS schedule is jumping to 34 games. Add in the potential for 4 games in the US Open Cup, a minimum of 8 in Champions League, meaningless friendlies, the MLS All-Star Game and 5 games in the MLS playoffs and some teams will be approaching 50 games over the course of 7 months. This isn't baseball - there is more running involved. Guys can't go every day.
Again, I would like to say that the above are not intended to be excuses as to why we lost. We lost because the other teams took advantage of our mistakes and really showed us what it is like to compete internationally. All teams need to go through this. For the first time, we should all feel humbled because we were outclassed.
I am not going to make any excuses - we went down to Central America and did just enough to lose the game. Missed chances, poor tackles and an overall sense of timidness ultimately doomed us. I think the sad part is that even though we are 0-3, I don't think we are that bad of a team. The front office has said from day 1 that they want to win every competition they are and Sigi has definitely approached every game that way. This team wanted to win the Champions League. Some may say that we fielded our B-team last night, but the fact remains that we still had over half of our normal starters in the game. They were playing to win. Ultimately they fell short.
So what does this mean? Well, on the Sounders front, it has to signal the end to our initial CCL run. I'm sure it sucks to admit to the fan base that the two remaining home games against Saprissa and Marathon don't mean a thing, but I think real fans will understand the situation. The team is stretched thin right now. Focusing on a competition that we cannot win should not be a priority when we still have the US Open Cup Final and MLS Playoff chase staring us in the face. If anything, starting some reserves (ie-Fucito, Montano, Seamon, Boss) will be a good thing as it never hurts to get young players quality minutes in competitive games.
As for the MLS, I know that the Sounders bowing out of the competition shouldn't solely be the reason for change (I'm not that egotistic), but I think it just adds to the growing list of evidence of what needs to be changed. For me, there are three biggies:
First, MLS needs to expand the roster size to allow teams to navigate the overloaded schedule a little easier. With our current team, we have enough guys to cover for defense and outside midfielders, but we have no one to play central midfield and with Jaqua and Nkufo being banged up, no one to play forward. Even if Sigi wanted to sit some guys, he had no choice but to play the starters. Allowing each team in the CCL to have 2-3 additional players who only count for CCL games would give them the opportunity to keep their other guys fresh for league games while not giving them an unfair advantage. When J-Will proposed this idea, my first reaction was to ask who would be willing to be on a team but only be eligible for 2-3 games max? I think it's a fair question, but I'll tell ya what, I bet there are actually a lot of guys playing the USL who would love to be given that opportunity. I want hungry guys competing for my team and they don't get any hungrier than young guys trying to make a name for themselves. And if MLS and USL could make an agreement so that they could be full-time USL players who get called up for CCL games, then it could benefit both leagues.
Second, MLS needs to change their rules in regards to what they deem special perks. Did you know that MLS teams can not fly privately more than twice a year? Apparently MLS thinks that only teams with a lot of money would be more willing to fly their personnel on private charters and that somehow this creates a competitive balance. Maybe it does, I don't know. But what I do know is that it is crazy to ask the teams to fly to and from Central America with the rest of us schmucks and expect them to be successful. Speaking again in terms of the Sounders, we have a road trip over a two week stretch that goes Costa Rica--Columbus--Monterrey, Mexico--Chicago--Seattle. I know this is not unique to the Sounders. I know the other CCL teams have to face similar situations. Let the guys have some perks and they will respond better.
Finally, something needs to change with the schedule. I don't know if I have a solution, but Ijust read how the Russian Premier League is changing their schedule to go Fall-Winter-Spring. The long standing arguement against MLS adopting this calendar is that it would be impossible to play soccer in Toronto, NY, NE, Columbus and Colorado during the winter months. I'm not saying that we need to follow Russia, but I think MLS needs to start thinking creatively as to how to solve the problem of match congestion. Next year the MLS schedule is jumping to 34 games. Add in the potential for 4 games in the US Open Cup, a minimum of 8 in Champions League, meaningless friendlies, the MLS All-Star Game and 5 games in the MLS playoffs and some teams will be approaching 50 games over the course of 7 months. This isn't baseball - there is more running involved. Guys can't go every day.
Again, I would like to say that the above are not intended to be excuses as to why we lost. We lost because the other teams took advantage of our mistakes and really showed us what it is like to compete internationally. All teams need to go through this. For the first time, we should all feel humbled because we were outclassed.
Monday, September 13, 2010
We Have a Chance
The Sounders have 13 games in the next 45 days. Tomorrow nights game might be the most important game in terms of the big picture as we should know whether or not we have a chance of advancing out of the group stage in the Champions League. We have played two games and have two losses. With six total games in the group, 10 points is normally good enough to advance safely. That means 10 points in the next four games. Sounds like a tall task, right? Well, not really. You see, just like in MLS action, we have been getting some help and now find ourselves in a pretty good position.
Monterrey is clearly the class of the group and is 2-0 heading into their match with Marathon, who many thought were the weakest side in the group. Marathon beat us but then lost to Saprissa, who lost to Monterrey. That leaves Saprissa and Marathon tied in 2nd with identical 1-1 records. IF we can go to Saprissa and get a win on Tuesday (which would be a huge deal because Saprissa Stadium is scarrry) then we could find ourselves tied for 2nd at 1-2 (assuming Monterrey beats Marathon) with two of the final 3 games at home. It is entirely possible that we could be back in the thick of things.
However, and this is a big however, if we lose or tie tomorrow, then I ask Sigi to turn his attention to MLS play and the US Open Cup Final. I LOVE that we want to win everything...it shows great respect to the fans and the organization, but sometimes you just need to come to grips with reality. At 0-3 or 0-2-1 there is no point in putting our best teams on the field for CL games with our schedule as tightly congested as it is.
So tomorrow is big. Win and be back in it. Lose and move on to MLS and US Open Cup.
Come on Sounders score a goal (or two), score a goal, score a gooooaaaaooooaaalll.
Monterrey is clearly the class of the group and is 2-0 heading into their match with Marathon, who many thought were the weakest side in the group. Marathon beat us but then lost to Saprissa, who lost to Monterrey. That leaves Saprissa and Marathon tied in 2nd with identical 1-1 records. IF we can go to Saprissa and get a win on Tuesday (which would be a huge deal because Saprissa Stadium is scarrry) then we could find ourselves tied for 2nd at 1-2 (assuming Monterrey beats Marathon) with two of the final 3 games at home. It is entirely possible that we could be back in the thick of things.
However, and this is a big however, if we lose or tie tomorrow, then I ask Sigi to turn his attention to MLS play and the US Open Cup Final. I LOVE that we want to win everything...it shows great respect to the fans and the organization, but sometimes you just need to come to grips with reality. At 0-3 or 0-2-1 there is no point in putting our best teams on the field for CL games with our schedule as tightly congested as it is.
So tomorrow is big. Win and be back in it. Lose and move on to MLS and US Open Cup.
Come on Sounders score a goal (or two), score a goal, score a gooooaaaaooooaaalll.
NFL Week 1 Review
In case you hadn't heard, the 2010 NFL Season kicked off yesterday. Ok, who am I kidding - if you are reading this blog you know about it. No need to be cute.
Anyways, week 1 always serves as a tease to many fans who see their team either under or over-perform. I am here to help fans back away from the ledge. I am also here to protect them from getting their hearts broken in the future. Here we go:
Anyways, week 1 always serves as a tease to many fans who see their team either under or over-perform. I am here to help fans back away from the ledge. I am also here to protect them from getting their hearts broken in the future. Here we go:
- Let's start in my hometown of Seattle. Of all Seattle sports fans (sans Sounders) I have to give the most credit to Seahawks fans because their support is never ending. After yesterday's 31-6 win over division favorite SF, I think everyone is ready to buy into this team as a playoff contender. I'm sorry, but I just don't see it. I don't think SF is that bad of a team - yesterday they made a few mistakes that came back to haunt them. They play defense and run the ball - not a style suitable for turnovers. Seattle took advantage of the mistakes and let their fans carry them to a victory. I think their defense is much improved, but the jury is still out on Justin Forsett and the receiving corps.
- Houston pulled off a huge win against division favorite Indianapolis, leading most analysts to say they are now the team to beat in the division. I can't agree with this. Yes they have some great talent (the reason for them having been the 'IT' team for several years), but I am worried about their ground game. That is crazy to say considering Arian Fosters 231 yards, 3 TD performance yesterday but let's not forget that Indy was24th against the run last year. I'm sorry, maybe it's me, but I would like to see him be consistently good for a few weeks before I start to believe.
- One team I am not worried about is New Orleans. Sure, they had a terrible opening game at home against a 40-year old QB, but that's no cause for concern. The Saints have a lot more emotions to deal with than normal teams so it's only natural that they came out a little flat to start the season. They will be fine - both on offense and in the kicking game. Expect 12 wins.
- Bill Simmons has been pondering whether Oakland might be a sleeper team this year. This is one team where you can take Week 1's performance an extrapolate - they are going to be terrible, again.
- Week 1 wasn't so kind to the Panthers, who ran for only 89 yards. As mentioned in my season preview, they need to play great defense and run the ball with maximum effectiveness if they want to win this year. They got half of the job done in creating 4 turnovers, but the Giants rush defense looked great. I'm not ready to count them out yet, because I think Williams and Stewart are too good to be held down, but if Matt Moore doesn't improve next week they are in trouble.
- I think Detroit is in a world of trouble without Matthew Stafford. It's a shame because I think the Lions have actually made some progress and could have won 6-7 games this year. Without Stafford for 4-6 weeks any chance of a being competitive has flown out the window.
- There were some straight up terrible games yesterday and I think they are a true indication of the teams that participated in them. I'm talking Arizona-St Louis, Chicago-Detroit, Cleveland-TB, Denver-Jacksonville. Four of those teams walked away as winners, but fan their fan bases shouldn't get too excited. All eight of these teams will be under 6-7 wins.
- Finally, their is Philly. This is a team who I actually think might self-implode. Coming into the season many people (myself included) were buying into the Kevin Kolb hype. In hindsight, I think we all needed to take a step back. Sure, he was entering a situation similar to what Aaron Rodgers had in GB, but Rodgers was successful because he is a better QB than Kolb. Kolb played poorly yesterday and then got knocked out of the game with a concussion. Enter Michael Vick who threw for 175, ran for 103 and 2 td's. If their is one town in America where you don't want to have a QB controversy, it's Philly. They might be good next year, but I am officially writing an obituary on their 2010 season after1 week.
Friday, September 10, 2010
NCAA Hypocrisy
We could talk all day and all night and another day and another night on just how stupid and corrupt the NCAA is. For this post, I will try to focus on only one aspect: the recent 4-game suspension of Georgia star receiver AJ Green. Green, who is on a full athletic scholarship and a projected top 5 pick in the upcoming draft recently sold his game used jersey for $500. The problem with the situation is two-fold. First, collegiate athletes are not allowed to sell memorabilia. Green should have known this. After all, the NCAA rule is a result of some former Bulldogs who decided to sell their Sugar Bowl rings in an attempt to get extra cash. Second, Green sold his jersey to an agent, which is akin to taking money from an agent. That is an even bigger no-no. With all the recent ado about players meeting and taking money from agents, Green should have been careful, especially since he is currently being investigated for an alleged meeting with an agent at the now famous Miami houseparty that includes players from UNC, USC and Florida.
Green broke the rules and should be punished. He is a star football player and is currently a junior, meaning he has been on campus for three years now. He should know better. And he should be sorry because Georgia now has to play the next three games without him. They can get by Colorado and Miss St without him, but I question whether they can beat South Carolina, a constant foe, without him.
My issue with the NCAA is not unique to many respected sportswriters around the country. My issue is the hypocrisy that continues to be shown by the NCAA. I am not going to take the time to list specific examples, but we all know that players get away with much worse - domestic violence, assault, theft to name a few - and get less punishment from the NCAA and their schools. The US legal system operates on the basis that you are innocent until proven guilty. For many players accused of crimes, they are allowed to stay in school while either a legal or a school investigation is ongoing. In many cases, they are still allowed to stay on the team even after being found guilty. Coaches will break out the old "He is a good kid but made a stupid mistake. I believe in him and think he deserves a second chance" chorus. This is because the American public believes in second chances(even if we all know it's only because that player can help win games). But if you break a NCAA rule that is in no way a legal rule, you get suspended by the NCAA for a period of their choosing. It just doesn't seem to jive with me.
The second issue I have is a much broader one and gets into the question of whether student athletes on full athletic scholarships should be allowed to have a job. This is definitely a polarizing issue as some people feel a full ride is more than enough while others (myself included) feel that yes, it is necessary to allow some athletes to go to school, but what about the extra money for pizza and beer? (btw - I am not naive enough to believe that players start to except money from agents, boosters and coaches only for beer and pizza - it's all about the cars.) Whatever side of the fence you fall on, I think we can all agree that NCAA athletics, football especially, are now a business. Colleges rake in shit-tons of money by promoting their teams and players, yet the players themselves are not allowed to see any of that money. Athletes on full rides get a lot from the college (ie - a free education), but when your athletic department has a budget of $96 million thanks to your football program (UF), it seems ridiculous that the players don't see any of that money. Need I remind everyone that without players there are no games, which mean no fans and of course no revenue.
Georgia is allowed to sell AJ Green's jersey (and as Andy Staples at SI.com notes, they do so in 22 different versions) but Green can't see any money from it. How is that right? Answer: it's not. In return for a free education, student athletes are required to go to class, stay eligible and help their program win games. If along the way, they help make the program popular, then great. But no where in their contract should they be required to sign over their identity and their ability to market themselves. I'm not suggesting that they should be able to hire agents and PR staff, but at the very least they should see some small cut of the money made off of their jerseys or their 'likeness' in video games. It's only fair.
Now, getting off my soapbox for a minute, I would like to say how excited I am for this weekend's games. It's tough to overlook everything that is wrong with the sport,but if you can, then weekends like this are for you. We got a full slate with 4 match-ups of Top 25 teams: #22UGA at #24USC, #17FSU at #10Okl, #12Miami at #2OSU and #18PSU at #1Alabama. It is an exciting slate and one that I hope to watch from start to finish.
Green broke the rules and should be punished. He is a star football player and is currently a junior, meaning he has been on campus for three years now. He should know better. And he should be sorry because Georgia now has to play the next three games without him. They can get by Colorado and Miss St without him, but I question whether they can beat South Carolina, a constant foe, without him.
My issue with the NCAA is not unique to many respected sportswriters around the country. My issue is the hypocrisy that continues to be shown by the NCAA. I am not going to take the time to list specific examples, but we all know that players get away with much worse - domestic violence, assault, theft to name a few - and get less punishment from the NCAA and their schools. The US legal system operates on the basis that you are innocent until proven guilty. For many players accused of crimes, they are allowed to stay in school while either a legal or a school investigation is ongoing. In many cases, they are still allowed to stay on the team even after being found guilty. Coaches will break out the old "He is a good kid but made a stupid mistake. I believe in him and think he deserves a second chance" chorus. This is because the American public believes in second chances(even if we all know it's only because that player can help win games). But if you break a NCAA rule that is in no way a legal rule, you get suspended by the NCAA for a period of their choosing. It just doesn't seem to jive with me.
The second issue I have is a much broader one and gets into the question of whether student athletes on full athletic scholarships should be allowed to have a job. This is definitely a polarizing issue as some people feel a full ride is more than enough while others (myself included) feel that yes, it is necessary to allow some athletes to go to school, but what about the extra money for pizza and beer? (btw - I am not naive enough to believe that players start to except money from agents, boosters and coaches only for beer and pizza - it's all about the cars.) Whatever side of the fence you fall on, I think we can all agree that NCAA athletics, football especially, are now a business. Colleges rake in shit-tons of money by promoting their teams and players, yet the players themselves are not allowed to see any of that money. Athletes on full rides get a lot from the college (ie - a free education), but when your athletic department has a budget of $96 million thanks to your football program (UF), it seems ridiculous that the players don't see any of that money. Need I remind everyone that without players there are no games, which mean no fans and of course no revenue.
Georgia is allowed to sell AJ Green's jersey (and as Andy Staples at SI.com notes, they do so in 22 different versions) but Green can't see any money from it. How is that right? Answer: it's not. In return for a free education, student athletes are required to go to class, stay eligible and help their program win games. If along the way, they help make the program popular, then great. But no where in their contract should they be required to sign over their identity and their ability to market themselves. I'm not suggesting that they should be able to hire agents and PR staff, but at the very least they should see some small cut of the money made off of their jerseys or their 'likeness' in video games. It's only fair.
Now, getting off my soapbox for a minute, I would like to say how excited I am for this weekend's games. It's tough to overlook everything that is wrong with the sport,but if you can, then weekends like this are for you. We got a full slate with 4 match-ups of Top 25 teams: #22UGA at #24USC, #17FSU at #10Okl, #12Miami at #2OSU and #18PSU at #1Alabama. It is an exciting slate and one that I hope to watch from start to finish.
Instant (Over)Reaction: Salt Lake
On the way back to the car last night The Wife, J-Will and I hardly discussed the game we had just watched. It wasn't that we were angry with what we had just seen. It was that the game was so uninspiring that we had nothing to say. It wasnt hard to see that the entire stadium felt that way during the match, too. Besides the Findley PK, QWest was quiet. I mean quiet, which is very unnatural considering the defending champs were in town and we were on national tv.
I tried to think of something to say about the game and really only have a few comments this week:
I tried to think of something to say about the game and really only have a few comments this week:
- In the sea of uninspiring play came the one shining moment - a PK save by Kasey Keller. For how quiet Qwest was during the other 85 minutes, it was rocking after he made the save. It's easy to forget the past, but I'm not sure I have ever heard the place any louder than after Keller made the save. Seattle loves Kasey. What a game changer.
- I thought the defense looked great all night. Sure, Zach Scott isn't the best distributor of the ball once he wins it, but there was no way Salt Lake were winning any balls in the air with Ianni, Parke and Scott out there.
- I think Scott looks like a male cheerleader with his wrist taped
- The book is out on Zakuani and Montero as both got doubleteamed and pushed around last night. They still had their chances, but they were few and far between.
- At the end of the game we had out Oompa-Loompa lineup on the field. Seamon and Zakuani were the only nondefenders over 6' in a lineup that included Nyassi (5'8), Fucito (listed 5'9 but probably 5'7), Montero (5'8), Alonso (5'11). Fucito was so outmatched at forward that he didn't even attempt to get off the ground for any headers that came his way
Monday, September 6, 2010
Saturday Crapfest
Saturday had all the makings of being a great sports day in Seattle. The Sounders were playing a struggling Revolution squad. Jake Locker and the Huskies were looking for redemption in Provo, UT against BYU. The Mariners, well...nevermind. The Mariners had a game. No one expected them to win. But the Sounders and Huskies were expected to win.
And then they didn't.
I'm not overly concerned with the boys in rave green. All streaks are made to come to an end. All teams can fall flat. No one expected Seattle to lose at NE, but in hindsight we should have all been scared. It had trap written all over it: 7 game unbeaten streak. Emotional game three days ago. Cross country trip. Playing a desperate team. Looking ahead to RSL on Thursday. Everything was lined up.
When Zakuani scored in the 59th minute, it looked like we might get out of Foxboro with a big win. A mere 23 minutes later and we were down 3-1, having given up three goals in a span of 11 minutes. Arlo White did his best to convince us that it was the refs fault for not ejecting Shalrie Joseph after his blatant slap of Patrick Ianni. I tend to not focus on the refs. They are going to make calls. Some may be right, some may be wrong. Whatever happens though, it is the responsibility of the team to respond. Simply put, the Sounders lost their composure. They gave up three goals. It's not something I like to see, but it's not something I am going to worry about. After all, we didn't get outplayed, we just imploded (now there is a homer explanation if I have ever heard one).
All the loss means is that Thursdays home game against RSL is suddenly looking to be much more important than originally thought.
As for the Huskies, I left the game like most fans, feeling like we let one slip away. Down six in the fourth quarter, we got the ball back on the 25 yard line with a little under 6 minutes left. It had all the makings of something legendary. From 0-12 in 2008 to 5-7 in 2009, Jake Locker was ready to take U-Dub to the Rose Bowl in 2010. Before they could get there, he had to lead them down the field to beat the Mormon's from Provo. It was that simple - think about. Lead them down the field in the first game and everything else would fall into place.
Unfortunately, most things never seem to work out the way they are planned. Locker tried valiantly, but ultimately he ended up throwing an incomplete pass on BYU's 22 with under two left. It was a punch in the gut; a reminder that we are talking about the same program that won 9 games in the last three years. In no way am I giving up on the season. It just would have been nice to get a win. I know all of Seattle would agree with me.
And then they didn't.
I'm not overly concerned with the boys in rave green. All streaks are made to come to an end. All teams can fall flat. No one expected Seattle to lose at NE, but in hindsight we should have all been scared. It had trap written all over it: 7 game unbeaten streak. Emotional game three days ago. Cross country trip. Playing a desperate team. Looking ahead to RSL on Thursday. Everything was lined up.
When Zakuani scored in the 59th minute, it looked like we might get out of Foxboro with a big win. A mere 23 minutes later and we were down 3-1, having given up three goals in a span of 11 minutes. Arlo White did his best to convince us that it was the refs fault for not ejecting Shalrie Joseph after his blatant slap of Patrick Ianni. I tend to not focus on the refs. They are going to make calls. Some may be right, some may be wrong. Whatever happens though, it is the responsibility of the team to respond. Simply put, the Sounders lost their composure. They gave up three goals. It's not something I like to see, but it's not something I am going to worry about. After all, we didn't get outplayed, we just imploded (now there is a homer explanation if I have ever heard one).
All the loss means is that Thursdays home game against RSL is suddenly looking to be much more important than originally thought.
As for the Huskies, I left the game like most fans, feeling like we let one slip away. Down six in the fourth quarter, we got the ball back on the 25 yard line with a little under 6 minutes left. It had all the makings of something legendary. From 0-12 in 2008 to 5-7 in 2009, Jake Locker was ready to take U-Dub to the Rose Bowl in 2010. Before they could get there, he had to lead them down the field to beat the Mormon's from Provo. It was that simple - think about. Lead them down the field in the first game and everything else would fall into place.
Unfortunately, most things never seem to work out the way they are planned. Locker tried valiantly, but ultimately he ended up throwing an incomplete pass on BYU's 22 with under two left. It was a punch in the gut; a reminder that we are talking about the same program that won 9 games in the last three years. In no way am I giving up on the season. It just would have been nice to get a win. I know all of Seattle would agree with me.
Time for the Kids
We are officially to the point in the season when we as Mets fan need to look to the future. We need to find out what we have to look forward; whether our farm system can give us any hope.
We still have some good pieces in place. I've said the names before: Wright, Reyes, Davis, Thole, Tejada, Santana, Pelfrey, Niese, Mejia, Parnell. I still believe that they can help turn things around, but they can't do it themselves. They will need a little help. The problem remains that they have roughly $120 million tied up in 15 players so the team won't be able to sign any new players. The solution is to promote our guys within and get back to being a homegrown team. Then at the end of the day, even if they do suck, at least they will be a team we can get behind.
Anyways, they have actually started making some personnel changes in the recent months to begin the process. First there was OF Fernando Martinez and 1b Mike Hessman. Then they promoted Pat Misch to take Hisanori Takahashi's spot in the rotation and Luis Hernandez to provide relief to the infield when Reyes got banged up. When the calendar turned to September and they were allowed to expand their roster they then called up 5 new faces: C Mike Nickeas, OF Lucas Duda, SS Joaquin Arias, SP Jennry Mejia and SP Dillon Gee, who is expected to start on Monday. All these moves of course are in addition to the youth movement brought about by Davis, Thole, Parnell and Niese.
One month of action is not going to decide who deserves a roster spot next year. At 67-70, all remaining Mets game are meaningless so it's tough to put any weight into player performances. That being said, each player is getting the opportunity to show that they are not intimidated and that they have the potential to be an important part of the team moving forward.
The Mets have a lot of work to do in the off season. There is no better time to get started than right now.
We still have some good pieces in place. I've said the names before: Wright, Reyes, Davis, Thole, Tejada, Santana, Pelfrey, Niese, Mejia, Parnell. I still believe that they can help turn things around, but they can't do it themselves. They will need a little help. The problem remains that they have roughly $120 million tied up in 15 players so the team won't be able to sign any new players. The solution is to promote our guys within and get back to being a homegrown team. Then at the end of the day, even if they do suck, at least they will be a team we can get behind.
Anyways, they have actually started making some personnel changes in the recent months to begin the process. First there was OF Fernando Martinez and 1b Mike Hessman. Then they promoted Pat Misch to take Hisanori Takahashi's spot in the rotation and Luis Hernandez to provide relief to the infield when Reyes got banged up. When the calendar turned to September and they were allowed to expand their roster they then called up 5 new faces: C Mike Nickeas, OF Lucas Duda, SS Joaquin Arias, SP Jennry Mejia and SP Dillon Gee, who is expected to start on Monday. All these moves of course are in addition to the youth movement brought about by Davis, Thole, Parnell and Niese.
One month of action is not going to decide who deserves a roster spot next year. At 67-70, all remaining Mets game are meaningless so it's tough to put any weight into player performances. That being said, each player is getting the opportunity to show that they are not intimidated and that they have the potential to be an important part of the team moving forward.
The Mets have a lot of work to do in the off season. There is no better time to get started than right now.
Friday, September 3, 2010
I Love NYC
For all my West Coast friends, this is what the East Coast is all about. Looks to me that the two are fighting over seats. The only way I could get someone to fight me at Safeco is by saying the following:
- Edgar Martinez was a terrible player. Oh, and he did steroids.
- Jamie Moyer is of questionable ethics. And his car wash sucks.
- Junior is old and can't cut it any more. He should have retired 5 years ago
- I don't care for Dave Niehaus and his announcing
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Instant (Over)Reaction: Chivas LA
Wednesday night was a beautiful night in Tukwila (when has that ever been said?). The weather was beautiful, our seats were great and the Sounders gave us another win. As always, I have some random thoughts about the game:
- I haven't been to a sold out Starfire. Let me tell you - it is a lot different than it was in 2007 when there were merely 750 fans. The announced crowd was 4500, obviously a fraction of what they get at Qwest, but it felt just as loud. There is seating for roughly 2000and that meant a lot of standing room only tickets. But unlike Qwest, standing room only tickets get you no more than 10 feet away from the pitch. At times we were unable to see down the lines, but having Ozzie 5 feet from me more than made up for it.
- After every game, The Wife and I wonder aloud why Zakuani is unable to go the full 90. He seems so effortless when he runs that there is no way he can get tired, right? I'll tell ya what - after being close enough to tackle him myself (ok, close enough to look silly) I have a new found respect for him. The guy is fast, no doubt. But the speed doesn't come without effort. The guys is sprinting. He had at least three full-on 60-yard sprints. At times it seemed like he was a puppy running after a ball. The Sounders would turn and kick it long for Steve to run onto. It was impressive.
- I continue to be so happy for the USL Sounders when they get an opportunity to play. Zach Scott may not have seen any action last night, but Taylor Graham had a monster night. All of the publicity will go to Zakuani and Jaqua, but Taylor was a beast. It was great to see.
- I try to stay off of the message boards, but couldn't help but read a post directed at Nkufo. It went something like this: "why is Nkufo still on the field? Jaqua had two goals last night. he should be starting. I hate to say it but our DP is a bust." The first response went something like this: "Jaqua got service, Nkufo didn't. Jaqua scored two goals, Nkufo didn't". Again, Nkufo isn't playing as we all thought he would. we all know that. But you know what helps when you are looking to score? Great service from your midfielders. Nate got that from Zakuani and Levesque all night. he took advantage. Nkufo doesn't and therefore can't take advantage.
- Speaking of Nate, wasn't he the whipping boy last year? Oh it's fun to be a fan.
- I never like to see opposing fans in our stadium. But I will give props to the Chivas fans who supported their team all night even when down 2. There were two drunk Sounders fans who were being stupid with them and they held back. There was some verbal jousting, but nothing physical. Good for them.
- Sigi continues to push the buttons, but I wonder how many more games Alonso can play in before he breaks? I love Ozzie, but he isn't Superman (or is he?)
- Two months ago, Flacco was playing in South Africa. Last night he played in front of 4500 fans at Starfire. He could feel privileged because of his status, but instead he trakcs down balls and slides to block clearing attempts. I really appreciate his work rate.
- Finally, much love to Starfire security. They did not check a single bag ("wish we had known that because I would have brought alcohol" says the wife), which allowed the ECS to bring flares and smoke bombs to the game. Without a doubt they can be dangerous but when handled properly they can be really cool. I can't compare it to Europe, but seeing the red flares made me feel like I was in Italy.
Unwritten Rules At It Again
Baseball is at it again. Another brawl broke out because some unwritten rules were broken. Let's go through the situation.
Down 14-3 in the 4th inning, Nationals OF Nyjer Morgan gets hit with a pitch and then decides to steal 2nd and 3rd base. A sacrifice fly brings him in and the Nats are now down only 10. In the 6th, Morgan gets thrown behind, charges the mound and gets absolutely clobbered by Marlins 1B Gabby Sanchez. After the game, Wes Helms indicated that the Marlins were mad that Morgan was stealing bases in a 11-run blowout, saying "There's nothing good I can say about someone who doesn't play the game the right way and doesn't respect the integrity of the game. We had to show we weren't going to put up with how he was treating us."
So let me get this straight...if my team is losing by 10 runs in the 4TH (!!) I am to expect them to give up and not score any runs? Is that what you are telling me? It's absolutely ridiculous. Helms wants to talk about respecting the game? How about respecting the fans that pay money to come watch you play? You think they want to watch a game with 4 competitive innings?
It's that simple, right?
Well, unfortunately there is more to the story. Last week Morgan didn't even attempt to avoid Cardinals catcher Bryan Anderson is a collision. The Nats manager sat him for the next two days for being unprofessional and said that he would definitely slide next time. Fast forward to Tuesday. Morgan again collided with a catcher and ended Brett Hayes' season. Had Morgan not done this a week ago, his actions Tuesday night could have been misinterpreted. But seeing that this had happened before, the Marlins got rightfully pissed and decided to throw at him Wednesday night.
That's fine and dandy. I'm ok with it. But when Morgan then stole second and third, the Marlins didn't see it as an attempt to score some runs - they saw Morgan as someone who didn't care; someone who was out of control.
Having read more of the story I think I actually might be siding with Florida after all. It's one thing to disrespect the game by breaking an unwritten rule. It's an entirely different thing to disrespect another team. Morgan appears to have lost it. Their is a pattern. He needed to be clobbered. [note: take a look at the video of the Stan Hansen-like Lariat]
Down 14-3 in the 4th inning, Nationals OF Nyjer Morgan gets hit with a pitch and then decides to steal 2nd and 3rd base. A sacrifice fly brings him in and the Nats are now down only 10. In the 6th, Morgan gets thrown behind, charges the mound and gets absolutely clobbered by Marlins 1B Gabby Sanchez. After the game, Wes Helms indicated that the Marlins were mad that Morgan was stealing bases in a 11-run blowout, saying "There's nothing good I can say about someone who doesn't play the game the right way and doesn't respect the integrity of the game. We had to show we weren't going to put up with how he was treating us."
So let me get this straight...if my team is losing by 10 runs in the 4TH (!!) I am to expect them to give up and not score any runs? Is that what you are telling me? It's absolutely ridiculous. Helms wants to talk about respecting the game? How about respecting the fans that pay money to come watch you play? You think they want to watch a game with 4 competitive innings?
It's that simple, right?
Well, unfortunately there is more to the story. Last week Morgan didn't even attempt to avoid Cardinals catcher Bryan Anderson is a collision. The Nats manager sat him for the next two days for being unprofessional and said that he would definitely slide next time. Fast forward to Tuesday. Morgan again collided with a catcher and ended Brett Hayes' season. Had Morgan not done this a week ago, his actions Tuesday night could have been misinterpreted. But seeing that this had happened before, the Marlins got rightfully pissed and decided to throw at him Wednesday night.
That's fine and dandy. I'm ok with it. But when Morgan then stole second and third, the Marlins didn't see it as an attempt to score some runs - they saw Morgan as someone who didn't care; someone who was out of control.
Having read more of the story I think I actually might be siding with Florida after all. It's one thing to disrespect the game by breaking an unwritten rule. It's an entirely different thing to disrespect another team. Morgan appears to have lost it. Their is a pattern. He needed to be clobbered. [note: take a look at the video of the Stan Hansen-like Lariat]
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