Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Who to Support When Your Team Loses

A common sports dilemma is who to root for once your team has been eliminated in the playoffs. Some fans believe you should root for the team that eliminated your team...the thinking that if you are going to lose, it is best to lose to the best team. Other fans are so vindictive that they won't ever root for the team that ended their team's season. I've always struggled with the correct response, but after what has happened to my Bucknell Bison over the past two months, I think I have a better opinion on it.

As many of you may know, my Bison were blown out by the eventual champs, UConn in the first round of the NCAA basketball Tournament. Prior to the game, I talked myself into thinking that they could win, so much so that I had a list of 5 legitimate reasons (or so I thought) why they could pull the upset. In the end, they got dismantled and I was left to think what could have been. Of course, though, when you get blown out, it's hard to think that anything really could have been. I don't like UConn in the slightest, so I wasn't happy to see them win, but I can tell you that it had nothing to do with the fact that they beat us.

Fast forward about two months to the NCAA Lacrosse Championship where the University of Virginia beat Maryland for the title. As I sat there and watched the clock go to zero, I couldn't help but be bitter about the result. I mean, this was the same UVA team that BU had a 10-6 fourth quarter lead on...the same team that was so close to losing if not for a HUGE Bucknell fold. We lost to UVA 12-11 in OT in the first round. We could have and should have beaten them. Then we could have and should have beaten Cornell in the second round. And in the Final Four, we should have had as good a chance as anyone else. Bottom line is that in blowing a lead and losing a tight game to the eventual champs does not make me feel any better. I am not happy that we could have won because we didn't win. There is no such as a moral victory when you should have won.

Each situation was entirely different and I think might help inform a common fan how to feel in the future. If your team is swept then it is probably ok to root for the team that beat you, long as they are not your team' most bitter rivals. However, if you lose in 7 games, then you might just want to break out the voodoo dolls and wish harm on your opponent. The wounds are probably still deep and I'm not sure anything but time will heel them.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Delayed (Over)Reaction: Salt Lake

Soccer is a funny game. Sometimes you thoroughly dominate a game and can't find a way to score. Other times you get outplayed and are somehow able to find the back of the net. For the Sounders, last Wednesdays game represented the former and this past Saturday's game the latter.

I wrote after our loss to Dallas that we were not a good team. I thought it was a fair assessment. However, I wasn't ready to jump off a bridge quite yet. If we could somehow sneak a point from Salt Lake we would have to feel pretty good given the next four opponents...of course that was a big IF considering RSL had not lost at home in MLS action since 2009 - a span of 29 games.

I wasn't able to watch the game live and the Mariners game kept me from watching it that night. I could only go so long without finding the score, so by the time the Sunday afternoon replay came around, I was fully aware of the result. It made watching the game a little easier as I could evaluate it without any emotion involved. Here are my thoughts:
  • Mike Fucito got the start up front and again gave the team a much needed spark. His early interactions (I mean fouls against) Jamison Olave provided a nice foreshadowing of what was going to happen in the 58th minute. He has been a little unlucky in the past two not to find the back of the net, but that does not mean Sigi should bury him on the bench.
  • Overall I thought RSL had the better of the chances and possessoin until the Olave red card, but they are not the same team that we saw in the Champions League early this year. I know losing Javier Morales was a big blow, but right now it appears to be larger than what we lost with Zakuani.
  • We are paying for the beautiful gameday weather of the past two years. Man, has it been sunny once all season?
  • Lamar Neagle looked pretty good for the first half of the game - I thought he was active and played very composed. However, in the second half, he disappeared before his super strike. He still has room for improvement, but is showing that he does deserve a place on this team.
  • While we're talking about Neagle - is it just me or does he look like he is sitting down when he runs? Totally inefficient
  • I am still not sure where Arlo White was, but I loved having Rob Stone calling the game. Nothing against Arlo who I really like, but I have always loved Stoner.
  • Keller had another great night, but did get some help from the woodwork in the 50th minute.
  • Ozzie continues to play every minute of every game. That has to earn him mad respect...he has to be captain next year, right?
  • You know, Tyson Wahl is growing on me. I don't remember him having any nightmares back there and I love his corners and free kicks.
  • The Olave foul looked pretty harmless at first, but the replay showed that it was a fair call.
  • The Ianni goal was definitely an ugly one, but one that we need to score more of. We can't rely on pretty goals all the time.
  • You could hear the "Hey, Hey, Hey Goodbye" chant by the Sounders fans. Poor job by the RSL supporters. How can they let that happen in their stadium where they had not lost since 2009?
  • Keller was not happy after giving up the goal late in the game. You know he was fully aware of how they let the game slip away last year.
  • I did want to mention the Portland game too. They are scary good off of free kicks - I swear everyone is dangerous. I thought the refs did a poor job when they called whistled DC 'keeper Bill Hamid for coming off of his line early on the PK...shouldn't they have also disallowed Cooper from doing his stutter step? I thought it was not allowed anymore...still, it was crazy that it was called twice. Obviously the correct reaction is to fliup out at the ref, but how badass would it have been for Hamid to have not reacted and instead stood in the goal staring down Cooper? I would have loved to have seen that cockiness out of the young guy.
Two final thoughts: First, the Sounders next two opponents just fired their coaches over the past 24 hours. Second, two of the Sounders Academy players - Sean Okoli and Aaron Kovar got some playing time in the Sounders reserve game against Portland. I think that's great, but would have liked to see them go a full 90 rather than having Montero and Gonzalez take the field.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Delayed (Over)Reaction: FC Dallas

Jeff Parke's injury time goal against KC last Saturday was certainly a special moment. It sent the crowd home happy and gave us three points in the table. I think most of our fans were feeling pretty good about the game, when in fact they should have felt uneasy. The simple truth was that we played poorly against a bottom dwelling team. His goal simply masekd all that is wrong with the team.

Fast forward four days to a mid-week home match-up against FC Dallas a team that had not only played on Sunday, but they had their game delayed for weather and had to travel from Salt Lake City while the Sounders got to sleep in their own beds. I felt uneasy entering the match simply because of how good Dallas is. I know they lost their playmaker David Ferreira, but they should be visiting every MLS city this year as the defending champs. This was not a one horse show (some might even suggest that their 18-year old Colombian signing Fabien Castillo can step right into Ferreira's void) -they are a damn good team.

I won't go any further into specifics, but will simply point you to a rant on gosounders.com. I think he sums up my feelings pretty well. At the current time, there is something fundamentally wrong with this team. I am not saying we won't make the playoffs, but right now we're not good. We have some major fixes to make.

Now I will say that I continue to try to remind myself of last years stretch where we went 10-1-2 after starting the year in last place with a 4-8-4 record. I continue to try to remind myself how a team with a 12-8-10 record won the 2010 MLS Cup and a team with a 11-12-7 record won the 2009 MLS Cup. All we have to do is steady the ship over the next few weeks and we can still win the league. With that being said, it is going to be a tough sell if we can't get a full 3 points from three of our next four games (@RSL, @Chi, Van, @Tor)...
UPDATE: Just realized we will also have NY at home on the 23rd...if the US, Mexico and Canada make the Gold Cup Semi-Finals they would then be without Marquez, Ream, Agudelo and DeRo, definitely making them a weaker side

Come on you Sounders

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Beadle a Hater

I recently got rid of the My Girls list from the side of the webpage. The simple fact was that every week only two women - Erin Andrews and Michelle Beadle - were worthy enough for the top spot (we're talking sports here, not overall Girls). In terms of the sports world they are my two favorite women. Shocked was I to find out that actually they hate each other. Ok, there is no evidence of Erin hating Beadle, but Beadle certainly doesn't like Erin. In a new 750-page book about ESPN, authors Jim Miller and Tom Shales give an oral history of the company and more importantly, delves into numerous rivalries and fights over the years. From what I hear, there's the normal stuff like fights between alpha-males (Berman vs Kornheiser) and I imagine lots of other details surrounding run-ins with the law. To me, though, the most interesting stuff is what Beadle had to say about Erin and her peeping Tom ordeal. She noted, "I felt bad for her. She looked fabulous but it was such a violation. I mean, I've had moments in my apartment in New York when the blinds were up for one brief second and you think, "Ugh!" but that's nothing compared to what happened to her. Nothing." She then added that "I think things might have been handled differently, but she seems to be moving on. Sometimes these things turn out better for people." Finally, she noted that she is not a fan of Andrews and that "Everyone who knows me knows that." Obviously I have not read the book yet and are simply getting these quotes from book reviews, but wow, if they read the same in context, then that totally skews my view of Beadle.

Look, I think we can all agree that not only has Erin survived the situation but she has actually seen an uptick in her career. It's kind of a fact. Before the incident she was popular sideline reporter whose only hosting gig was for the College World Series. Since then she has been a guest on Oprah, was on Dancing with the Stars, got a co-hosting gig on College Football Gameday and has even been seen on Access Hollywood as a red carpet interviewer. Certainly her professional life is different now than it was before.

The thing I don't like is the tone in which Beadle talks about the whole situation. First, bringing up how good Erin looked in the video does not give off the impression that you take what happened seriously. It's just disrespectful. I mean, this was a serious crime against Erin and I can't believe that a fellow female would brush it off so casually like it's not a big deal. I know she said it was 'such a violation', but you can't it seriously. Second, implying that things could have been handled differently certainly suggests resentment. I'm sure that ESPN handled the situation with kid gloves and I'm sure that they messed up along the way, but honestly, how do you handle a situation like that? As it is, female sideline reporters get little to no respect. Andrews was no better than some of the other reporters and yet was most popular for reasons apparent to every heterosexual male. She is attractive and talked sports, but still couldn't gain the same respect as a dude who talks sports. When she is violated in such a way, how do you handle it? How does she not lose all credibility when she is simply the girl who got secretly taped? Finally, suggesting that she has benefited is one thing. However, when you lead into that with your other quotes, you again sound resentful. Just overall a terrible job by her.

Beadle is obviously resentful that Erin used her ordeal to further her career to which I ask, "What was she supposed to do?" Some people in her situation might have been afraid to come back into public. Some might have been afraid to continue working. She decided not only to acknowledge what happened, but she took it a step further and sat down with Oprah. I can understand why some people may feel uncomfortable with this decision, but as for the other opportunities, I don't see how you can say no. What was Erin supposed to do? Say no when Gameday asked her to host the first hour of the show? Was she was supposed to go to her boss and say, "You know sir, I think I might only be getting this job because of what happened to me in my private life. I should hope you gave equal weight to equally qualified people like Michelle Beadle..."? Come on, that's crazy. It's not like ESPN was committing a crime. They are in the entertainment business and drive towards higher ratings. It's not like they are compromising their values by putting Erin on tv. She has never been convicted of any sort of crime, been in porn, gotten hooked on drugs or done anything wrong besides be attractive and get spied on. There is not a single legitimate reason why she shouldn't be a host. She didn't ask to be spied on. She didn't ask for it to come out in public. She didn't want or expect it to happen, but that doesn't mean she can't turn it into a positive.

So if I'm Michelle Beadle, I try to keep my mouth shut regarding this topic. To me, this is a big hit to her credibility. If she wants to move up in ESPN, all she has to do is continue what she is doing. I love her on SportsNation and I know the rest of America does too. She is the 'kind of chick' you want to have a beer with and talk sports. That is something that possibly only Linda Cohn and Suzy Kolber can say - and she does it better than the both of them. Just do what you do. Don't be hateful. (oh, and don't be a home wrecker...look it up if you want more info)

Beckham is So Damn Selfish

David Beckham finally did it. After 4 years of selfish play, I am finally going to call him out for being a self-serving fraud who doesn't give a damn about his Galaxy teammates or MLS, the league he came to help grow the sport in America.

To say that Beckham's 4+ years in MLS a disappointment is an obvious understatement. Let's go through his brief MLS history:
  • It started on day 1 when ESPN threw all sorts of resources into his MLS debut (against Chelsea in a friendly) and he was barely able to get 10 minutes in due to an injury.
  • The following year, Beckham requested to be loaned to a European based team during the Galaxy's off-season in order to stay fit and keep himself in the eye of England's skipper Fabio Capello. He was loaned to AC Milan until the end of March so that he could be back in LA for training camp, but in the end, he stayed in Milan until July.
  • Around this time, the Beckham Experiment was published and it was clear that he did not have very many friends in the Galaxy locker room.
  • Following the 2009 season he went to Milan again and tore his Achilles tendon, effectively ending his World Cup aspirations and keeping him out of the Galaxy line-up until September 2010.
  • Finally in 2011, his last season in MLS, he finally started to be the player we had hoped for in 2007.
I truly believe that Beckham had good, if not self-centered, intentions when he signed with the Galaxy. I do believe that he cares about promoting the sport throughout the world. I believe that he saw an opportunity not only to grow the sport in America, but to also get rich as a result. I believe that Posh wanted to come to LA so she could break into the entertainment industry. I believe that at one time he felt his career was coming to an end and this was a new challenge for him. Then something happened...somewhere along the way, he became interested in becoming the 3rd English player (I think that's right-I didn't look it up) to have 100 caps for the national team. Once that happened, he then became obsessed with making the 2010 World Cup squad. Maybe it was to make up for past failures. Maybe it was because he knew he could actually contribute to the soon to be underachieving team. Maybe he is just an egomaniac. I don't know what it is, but playing for England became the #1 goal in his life and instead of standing up to Beckham, MLS caved. It set the precedent that when it came to David, they would not interfere.

A week ago I thought I saw something with the Galaxy that has been missing for quite some time: team unity. When Juan Pablo Angel scored his first goal of the season, the entire team was stoked. They celebrated with each other like they actually liked each other - I was duped into thinking that it was because they actually did like each other.

When news came that Beckham would fly back to England to attend the Royal Wedding on a Friday before a Sunday game against Dallas, I was unfazed. Honestly, all it meant was that he would miss a practice (Landon Donovan once did that to attend the ESPY's) and really, it's not like he was traveling coach or anything. He could make it to and from England with little ease. Then last week, the big news dropped. Beckham would be missing a MLS regular season GAME to attend best friend Gary Neville's testimonial game with Man Utd. For those not aware, another peculiar (at least to America standards) aspect of world soccer is the testimonial game, which is a game put on by a club to honor a member of their team (in this case, Neville, who has been at United since 1992). It is meant to be a friendly and in the case of Neville's game, a fund raiser.

So Beckham, who is getting paid handsomely by the LA Galaxy decided to skip his team's midweek game to play in a charity game? Are you effing kidding me? That is ridiculous. Even more ridiculous is the notion that LA Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena was behind the idea, saying
"that decision has been made. It’s my responsibility so if you want to throw darts, the darts should be thrown at me. I’m the person that has to accept the responsibility with that decision and I think it’s the right one to make." He then indicated that Beckham was going to sit Beckham for the game regardless of his plans to fly to England in order to rest his thigh injury.

So let me get this straight...I am to believe that Beckham was going to sit on Wednesday to rest an injury? Fine, no problem, it happens all the time. But wait, he was supposed to fly to England during the week to be with a best friend. Ok, I can accept that. Wait, what's that? You say he ended up not only playing, but playing the full 90? What??? I thought he was injured. Just ridiculous.

It's just another instance of Beckham putting himself over the team. I don't care how the English press would have reacted had he not shown up. That is not mine nor MLS' problem. He is getting paid by this team and now not only is missing practices, but is missing games for a freaking charity event in England? Going on loan and missing have the season because you are playing for another team is one thing - it happens all the time in international soccer - but missing because of a charity game is unacceptable. Oh, and don't think David is a dummy...he knows that Fabio Capello is not watching him in MLS. He knows that playing in England, even in a testimonial, will give him the exposure he wants. Don't think for a second that that had not crossed his mind - he is still not giving up on the English National Team. He would leave in a split second if he got the call.

If he does get a call sometime from Capello, you better believe he is going to drop everything and fly wherever he is needed. MLS has made it painfully obvious that he can do whatever he wants and it just makes the league look worse every time it happens. I understand that Bruce Arena was trying to douse the situation. I think he knows that he has a great opportunity in front of him. This LA team is stacked and finally playing with some purpose and passion. The last thing he needs is some sort of distraction. So naturally, he shoulders the blame and makes it look like he has no problem with it - that Beckham wasn't going to play anyways. That's all fine. He can do what he wants, but the fact that Beckham played a full 90 is a TOTAL slap in Arena's face. Arena is smart enough to know that Beckham can single-handedly ruin the season for them. He tried to protect himself and his team and Beckham turns around and pulls this stunt? I would love to rip on Sir Alex for leaving him in, but at the end of the day, he shouldn't really be concerned with what Beckham's club coach thinks. He has his own problems like the Ryan Giggs scandal that he needs to worry about before this Saturday's Champions League final...if anything, Beckham and the Galaxy should have worked out an agreement for him to play a half. Instead of getting a quick run in, he played the whole game on an 'injury thigh" and now not only has put his health at risk, but is potentially alienating himself from his teammates again.

The whole things just stinks. He is completely self-centered and I can't wait for him to leave at the end of the year. We don't need players like him. Instead, we need to be signing young players with high ceilings who want to be here. We don't need egotistical maniacs like David Beckham.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Wilpon [Finally] Lashes Out

I have been waiting for days to write about David Beckham and his latest act of selfishness, but something keeps on coming up. Today's story: Mets Owner Fred Wilpon blasting the team's core in a recent interview with the New Yorker. I know you are interested in my take on it, so I thought about it long and hard while mowing my lawn tonight.

I think the first thing we all need to realize is that as owner of the team, Wilpon is allowed to say whatever he wants to. He's paying the bills - he can say (and do) what he wants. I get the sense that we all agree to that...but I think what has a lot of Mets fans (and media) riled up is whether he should be saying it.

For those who have not read his comments yet, I direct you to the article, which is basically a rag to riches tale meant to paint Wilpon as a hard-working guy who was unknowingly ripped up by best friend Bernie Madoff. However when talking about the current team, Wilpon had the following to say...

-about David Wright: "Really good kid. A very good player. Not a superstar"

-about Jose Reyes: "He thinks he's going to get Carl Crawford money. He's had everything wrong with him. He won't get it."

-about Carlos Beltran: "We had some schmuck in New York who paid him based on that one series. He's 65 to 70 percent of what he was."

It's definitely some powerful stuff and I think if we all take a step back, the exact thing the entire fan base is thinking. We all know that Carlos Beltran has been underwhelming. even in his first three years when he was healthy and productive, he never lived up to his contract. We all know that Jose Reyes has been injury prone. Sure there were a couple of amazing years, but there has also been a lot of time lost due to injuries. Add in his career .336 on base percentage and maybe, just maybe he doesn't deserve a Carl Crawford type deal. As for Wright, he had the chance to be a superstar, but something happened to him after 2006. He stopped hitting the ball to the opposite field. He started to shoulder more of the burden and is swinging for the fences every time. On defense he has continued to let bad throws get in the way of becoming an elite fielder. This team's core is flawed.

So let's get to the question of whether Wilpon was right in calling out the stars a quarter of the way into the season. I'm not a fan of Mike Francesa, but I think his take on it is right on. "It’s funny, you’ll hear people annoyed, but this is the kind of stuff that people have demanded of Fred for a long time. They say, ‘Why doesn’t he make the Mets accountable, like George Steinbrenner,’ who has called players a toad, said they ‘spit the bit,’ he called Dave Winfield ‘Mr. May.’ Steinbrenner had many, many players in his sights through the years and every one loved it, but that was George. It’s not Fred. Fred has this nice, patriarch, grandfatherly, nice-guy image. Two things you’ve heard from Mets fans that really are the knock on Fred are 1) that he doesn’t care about winning – and here you saw a little different side of that ...”

So yeah, maybe he is finally tired of losing. Maybe in his old age he is finally going to make people accountable. I think this is a good start. I mean, personally, I'm tired of losing. I'm tired of blaming Minaya. I'm tired of blaming the coach. I want the players to shoulder some of the blame. I want to have players that can handle the spotlight. If Reyes and Beltran are offended, then so be it. They are gone after the year. The only thing that could go wrong is if they get into a funk and see their trade value go down. As for Wright, I don't see this being a problem. I don't know if he is part of the future or not (I really do hope so though) but I don't think this is going to affect him. His dad was a cop...he's fine with a little tough love.

What about the other players? How do they proceed after Wilpon said that they were a "shitty team?" Well, I'm not a master motivator, but Terry Collins is. How can he not use this as motivation to get the most out of his players? It's so easy, it writes itself: "The owner is against you. The fans are turning on you. The media thinks you stink. It doesn't matter. The only thing that matters are the 25 men in the locker room. Believe in each other. Play for each other. Win for each other."

Now I don't have a segue for discussing the long term effects of Wilpon's rant, but honestly, who cares if free agents will be turned off by signing with us? Steinbrenner could get away with calling people out because the Yankees won. The Mets don't have that luxury, so it is entirely possible that combined with a decreased payroll that no one will want to come to Queens. Let me ask you...does it really matter? I mean, what have Beltran, K-Rod, Bay, Delgado, Santana and Glavine gotten us over the past 8 years? Answer: 1 NL East championship, No World Series appearances and certainly NO World Series titles. Maybe we need to detox and let the youngsters play. I know they're hungry. I know they want to play for the Mets. Why not turn the team over to Ike, Thole, Turner, Tejada, F-Mart, Wilmer Flores, Niese, Gee, Matt Harvey, Mejia and whatever they get in the Reyes and Beltran trades? what do we have to lose? I mean, maybe they stink, but maybe, just maybe they get a good thing going and make us feel good about the blue and orange again?

So yeah, I have no problem with Wilpon's comments. At this point, what do we have to lose? Of course though, I could be out to lunch, so I would love to get others opinions on it.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Relegation Sunday

I got the rare treat of no kid or wife this morning and I made the most of it. I have never really had the opportunity to watch the final day of the EPL season and I have to say it was riveting stuff. The United-Blackpool match, on ESPN2 with Ian Darke and Steve McManaman, was a really fun watch. Blackpool entered the day on 39 points, tied for 19th in the league. Many fans with non-rooting interests for surely pulling for them because of the style of soccer they played. Even when the odds were against them, they never sat back and hoped for a cheap victory via a counterattack or set piece. Instead, they thought they would be successful by scoring goals - a crazy idea indeed. On the year they had indeed found the back of the net often, scoring a respectable 53 goals. Unfortunately they only had one clean sheet and had given up 74 goals.

This morning, with their EPL lives on the line, they again played their style. Instead of being intimidated by the giants, they pushed the envelope and actaully were up 2-1 with 33 minutes left. Then in the story of their season, their defense let them down including a horrid own goal to make it 3-2 down. You gotta feel sorry for Ian Evatt - instead of being a hero that keeps the team up, he is going to be hailed as the ultimate goat for his untimely mishap. Just emotional stuff.

The best part of the telecast though was the constant updates by Darke. It seemed like every 5 minutes the story changed... First, Wolves were down. Then Birmingham. Then Wigan. Then Wolves. Then Blackpool. It was quite a roller coaster ride for a guy sitting in his tv room in Washington. I can't imagine what being a Wolves or Blackpool fan in the stadium on the final weekend of the season is like. It has to be brutal for Blackpool and Birmingham City fans.

The funniest moment of the day for me was when Darke said that the United players understood the enormity of the situation and weren't gloating after the win. Wait, really? I'm sorry, I know that I as an American don't fully understand what relegation means as much as all English fans do, but there is NO WAY the United payers know what it means. I mean, they are fighting for titles every year...disappointment for them is finishing second in the table. I understand he was trying to sell the point, but it was a little overdone.


Finally, on a totally unrelated note, I actually think Eric Wynalda is doing an excellent job as a studio host for FSC. Who knew that the guy who got kicked off ESPN broadcasts and then lost his job on Fox Football Fone-In would not only be given another shot, but would also thrive in it.

Instant (Over)Reaction: KC

It's funny what a single goal can do. I was all ready to denounce this current Sounders team as not any good. I was ready to discuss why this wasn't going to be our year. Sure we are going to win some games. We might make the playoffs, but we are not going to go far. All of these thoughts were staring me in the face as we sat 0-0 at home against the worst team in the league. Then out of no where, Jeff Parke put a Tyson Wahl corner past "The White Puma" Jimmy Nielsen in injury time for a 1-0 win. For the second straight year we scored late against KC - definitely a heartbreaking way to lose.

There were definitely some groans circulating around Qwest as we consistently turned the ball over. We all wanted a reason to be happy, but it was hard to remain excited when the team was playing uninspired and at times, overmatched. And then it happened. I remember shouting for Parke or Hurtado to get to the corner, but no way in my wildest dreams did I really expect it to happen. I mean, besides two garbage goals (one by Marshall, one by Nkufo) we have never had a legitimate goal off a corner in MLS play. It was a shocking development that sent the faithful home happy.

In doing so, I briefly started to talk myself into this being a really good team. There was nothing specific to it - it was just one of those feel good moments when all felt right.

One I got in the car I was able to evaluate the result more rationally. Here are the facts: we started Roger Levesque and Servando Carrasco. We played pretty crappy. We got the full three points. At the end of the day, getting the three points is most important. I constantly rail on Sigi for not being able to change the strategy when things are not going well. Sometimes I feel that he would rather have us play pretty soccer than winning soccer. In the long run that might be the case, but sometimes you just need to play some ugly soccer and get the win. That's exactly what happened tonight. Come October when teams are battling for the final playoff sports, this could be hugely important.

But here's the rub: sure, getting this win was important, but it doesn't exactly make you feel good. To me, there is a difference in gutting out a win with White, Friberg and Evans on the field. You assume there will be better days. But with a young Carrasco, Levesque, Jaqua and Fucito on the field, this is what you have to expect. I mean, the ceiling is not much higher than gutting out 1-0 wins.

I'm not trying to downplay the result - getting the win was hugely important (especially with both Dallas and RSL later this week). Most of you know I love the above quartet, but the fact remains that they need to be getting substitute minutes - we need Evans, Friberg, White and Rosales on the field if we are going to reach our full potential. Anyone who feels differently is simply not thinking rationally.

Some other notes:
  • El Flaco definitely fell back down to earth after a spectacular game last week.
  • I am still not the biggest fan of Tyson Wahl, but he really does serve a beautiful ball. At this rate, Leo Gonzalez will have a big hill to climb to get his starting spot back
  • Montero is still unable to find the back of the net and while most fans re getting frustrated at him for not shooting more, I actually am feeling good about how he is playing. If you watch some of the replays I think you see that he has been making good decisions - it's just that as a team we are not finding ourselves with many open looks. Credit to Montero for increasing his work rate. He is more involved and actually seems to be assuming a larger role with the team.
  • The rain held out for an entire half! Amazing.
  • I keep on hearing media types talk up Kei Kamara, but I have NEVER been impressed. I'm not sure what makes him a 'star'...
  • A week after my first jump hug, I had my first group hug with The Wife, ZaZa and a reluctant J-Will.

Finally, even with the goal, it was a sad night as my J-Will leaves Monday morning for the Big Apple. The Wife and I have had seats next to him since Day 1 and it is going to be sad not to have him there anymore. No offense to his brother C-Will and my boys D-Lib and Irish Mike, but it is not going to be the same. Will miss ya kid.


UPDATE:
I just watched the highlights and Arlo White had another amazing call on the last second goal. I love listening to this guy. Also, all of the interviews are suggesting that Sigi called out Parke and a few other players for not having scored recently - I'm sure Parke took it as motivation, but what a better F-You moment than that? I told The Wife on the way home that I would be interested to see the teams reaction to the goal and as I expected, you can really tell that this is a close team. They clearly have each others back, even with all of the competition.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Two Things I'm Scared Of

Here are two things that scare me:
  1. The 2011 Subway Series officially beings Friday night at the new Yankee Stadium. As I mentioned in a previous post, I hate these sort of rivalry games. In my current stage of life, the pain of losing is more than the joy of winning. I have been beaten down so many years that I just want it to go away. I mean, playing the Yankees 6 times every year sucks. Not just because I hate losing to the bastards, but also because it sucks that we get them and while the Nationals get the Orioles 6 times.

    Anyways, the Yanks are 45-33 against the Mets in Interleague play since 1997 (not to mention 4-1 in the World Series). This year they come into the game with a 23-19 record (only 2.5 games better than the Mets amazingly), but they are second in the AL in runs per game (5.0). On the mound for the Mets will be the 2011 version of RA Dickey...you know, the version that is 1-5 with a 5.08 ERA and 1.60 WHIP compared to the 2010 version which was 11-9 with a 2.84 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. Then we have Mike Pelfrey, who even with a 2.11 ERA in May is 3-3 on the year with a 5.11 ERA. In the middle we have Chris Capuano who I actually have some confidence in. I am totally scared at the crooked numbers the Yanks could put on the board all three nights. With our starting pitching (outside of Young, Gee and Niese) we could lose all three games. The only ray of hope is that we will be seeing Freddy Garcia, Ivan Nova and AJ Burnett take the mound against us. Having them as you 3-5 starters cannot make anyone feel confident in Yankee land.
  2. I am scared of Sporting KC, the Sounders opponent on Saturday night. To me, this has all the makings of a trap game. I know that we are 3-1 lifetime against the former Wizards. I know that they have the fewest points in the league after starting 1-5-1. I know that they are going to play their 8th straight game away from home. I know we are a better team. I know all of this...and it makes my gut feeling even stronger. I think we might have a bit of a hangover from last week and I think we could easily look past them. What's that old saying? Something about a tiger being most dangerous when it is wounded? We saw it in DC (a game we should have cruised in). It could happen again. KC is definitely wounded right now. Four straight losses including a 4-1 loss this past weekend to LA. We should definitely win, but I have to caution us not to take this team lightly. They are more than capable of coming in here and winning (just like 2009 when Davy Arnaud scored the game winning goal after Kasey Keller got sent off with a red card).
*****

On the other side, one thing that makes me happy is the news that the Atlanta Thrashers are being sold and moved to Winnipeg. This is awesome. The NHL does not belong in Miami, Atlanta, Carolina, Nashville or Phoenix. It belongs in Winnipeg, Quebec, Hamilton and while I have never been there and know nothing about it, probably Saskatoon too. This is a good thing. I am excited about my unplanned trip to Calgary-Edmonton-Winnipeg in the next decade.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

John Spencer Blasts Sigi

Rather than moving on to their next game against Columbus, Portland Timbers Coach John Spencer took a few moments to blast Sigi Schmid on Tuesday. They were the kind of comments that makes Soudners fans hate him more; the type that makes ACES fans love the Timbers more; and the type that make him a deity in Portland. Personally, while the guy annoys me, I can't say I was all that pissed off by them. Let's go through some of them (all credit to Aaron Fentress of the Oregonian):

Sigi said: “I think the weather suited them a little bit more in the sense that they go direct and try to knock it up to their big men and they were a bit better at that than we were."

Spencer responded: “But then that’s their prerogative. I think if it is too wet up there for them to play soccer then they may want to move that franchise because it pisses down rain nearly every time I’ve been in Seattle. Obviously to say that the conditions suit us more than they suit them just blows me away. It seems to me they had 50 excuses before the game written down as to why they never beat us 3 or 4 nil at home.”

My take: Look, I understand what Sigi was trying to say. Different teams play different styles of soccer and sometimes the field and elements will give an advantage to one of them. I get it, but I also get the fact that in these situations he is either unwilling or unable to change his game plan. I was worried that Portland would come in and steal a point precisely because they were willing to do whatever necessary to get the point. Not many people will want to admit it, but I do think Sigi often has a bag full of excuses. We just need to get it done. However, I will note that Spencer was incorrect in his assessment of the rain. In two years with the Houston Dynamo, Spencer visited Seattle 4 times plus now an additional 2 times with Portland. Prior to that, when playing with the Colorado Rapids, he never played in Seattle. Out of those 6 times, it has rained once - I looked it up. So either he vacations up here, scouts up here or was over-exaggerating a bit.

***
Spencer said: “The next time we go up there we’ll take plenty of towels for them so we can dry off the field before the game. Maybe take plenty of tissue paper so they can dry their eyes after the game.

My take: I don't appreciate being called a whiner, but I can't fault him for it. Portland has a complex when it comes to Seattle. They don't like us yet they want to be like us. Right now the Timbers are in a position of power because they came to Seattle and drew the mighty Sounders on the road. He is taking advantage of the situation and saying what all Timbers fans want to hear. It is music to Timbers' fans every where. He is no dummy.

***
Sigi said in response to the free kick goal: “That’s what their danger is. That’s what they live for. The referee gave them quite a few. It seemed like our fouls happened for us on our end of the field and theirs happened on their end of the field.

Spencer responded: "I think there was 11 goals this weekend scored from set pieces in Major League Soccer. I think we're going to call the league as soon as the training's over and ask them to deduct David Beckham's goal and Landon Donovan's penalty kick and the other set pieces that were scored, because it seems Seattle are not happy that teams like us can score goals from set pieces."

My take: To me, it sounds like Sigi was trying to say that they are dangerous off of set pieces...but his displeasure with the officiating made it seem like he was dissing how the Timbers scored their goal. The fact is, complaining about a team being good a set pieces is like complaining that a baseball team won because they only hit home runs or that a basketball team won because they only hit three pointers or foul shots. Set pieces are part of the game and one that the Sounders are TERRIBLE at. Portland happens to be good. As a team, we need someone to mark Futty Danso (terrible job by you, Nate). Simple as that.

***
Sigi said: "Losing a player like Evans changes it. Losing (Erik) Friberg as we prepare for the game certainly changes things as well for us. When you add it up and you have Friberg, you have (Brad) Evans, you have O'Brian White, you have (Mauro) Rosales, you have (Steve) Zakuani, that's a lot of pieces to be missing. They're not really missing any pieces."

Spencer said: “We’ve always said from day 1 that they arrived in Portland, ‘don’t make excuses'. If you’re out there and you’re on the field and wearing a Portland Timbers jersey we expect you to play well and win the game. Different teams maybe have different philosophies, I don’t know.

My take: This is fine, he just better make sure when injuries start mounting for Portland that he doesn't ever mention it in a press conference. Injuries are a part of the sport. Coming into the year, we didn't know who would be starting for us, but we knew there would be tons of competition and that we would be better suited for Champions League play than we last year. However, within a three week period all of our depth was gone because of injuries. You can complain about it or you can move on and hope that the guys you are paying $40k a year can step up and take advantage of the opportunity. At the end of the day, if we don't win MLS Cup because of injuries, it won't be any different than not winning MLS Cup because we weren't talented enough. Neither means a damn thing without that trophy.

***
So yeah, overall, I don't take too much issue with what he said. I'm sure part of him feels that way, but really I look at this as a publicity stunt. He is saying what Portland fans want to hear. He is drawing a line in the sand and daring the Sounders to respond verbally. He is placing an even bigger chip on his players shoulders. He is pushing the right buttons. I don't enjoy agreeing with him, but the fact remains that we should have won. We didn't and now we need to improve so it doesn't happen again. Excuses don't help -certainly not for the Sounders, MLS' most hated team. Come on you Sounders!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Tuesday Morning Five-Pack

A lot of stuff is going, but nothing significant enough for me to write a whole entry about...instead, here is a 5-pack of goodies to get your Tuesday morning off to the right start.
  • David Wright will be out for at least the next 10 days with a lower back stress fracture. The injury supposedly occurred during an April 19 game against Houston. Thinking that it was just a muscular season, Wright says he has been on medication and anti-inflammatory meds since that date. I appreciate my boy trying to fight through injuries, I really do, but at some point, doesn't the organization have to step in? It's only 10 days, but had he kept playing, it could have been a lot longer. I know this team isn't great, but having Wright, even with his .226 average, out of the lineup is a big blow to any hope at .500. It's been a month - someone had to notice something.
  • Bucknell lacrosse blew an amazing opportunity, losing 13-12 to 7th seed Virginia in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Bison were up 10-6 with a little under 3 minutes left in the game and couldn't close it out. They would have gone on to face 2nd seed Cornell in the Quarterfinals. It definitely is a disappointing result as this was the best Bison team ever, finishing 14-3 and going undefeated in the Patriot League. Making it to the Quarterfinals of a legitimate NCAA Division 1 sport would have been huge. (interestingly enough, a lacrosse player in The Wife's class actually knew of Bucknell because of the team...not bad for a little school in PA).
  • I am not a Yankees fan. Everyone knows that. But I can't help but feel a little compassionate for what Jorge Posada is going through. As you may have heard, he was dropped to 9th in the lineup over the weekend and asked to be taken out of the game. He said he needed some time to clear his head, but it was obvious that he was rebelling against the embarrassment of hitting that low (not that it's a huge deal in the AL where the lineups are stacked). Here's the thing about athletes - they all get old. No one is mortal. How they, their managers, the organization and the fans handle getting old is always the tricky part. Posada is one of the last 3 Yankees from the dynasty years and will always be considered a legend, but he needs to come to grips that he is hitting .165. He needs to know that his time is almost up...he can pout about it or he can adjust. (and pouting is never a good choice in NYC)
  • So Nate Robinson is in the center of a Seattle controversy for his recent tweets that the Oklahoma City fans "are the best on the planet." It's a no brainer - I mean, he is toeing the party line. He is saying what any other player would say in the same position. The problem obviously is that Nate is a homegrown Seattlite - hearing those comments pours salt into the still open wounds of what happened to the Sonics. To me, a non-native Seattlite, it should be a non-issue. I mean, the dude doves more for Seattle sports and talks more about Seattle sports that any other athlete. Sometimes your job requires you to say things you and others might not like (analysts speak ill of their former teams ALL the time, but it is part of being objective), but you do it. Get over it Seattle.
  • In the world of MLS, the LA Galaxy continue to roll along as they trounced Sporting KC 4-1 on goals by Donovan, Beckham and Angel. The star power to this team is obviously there, but it is not entirely what makes me scared...I mean, we have seen numerous great teams falter come playoff time. No, what makes me scared is what I saw after Angel scored his first goal of the season. A lot of people were asking what was wrong with Angel after going his first 10 games without a goal. Was he done? He and the team insisted that wasn't the case, and after he scored you could see how happy everyone was for him. Donovan and Beckham had authentic smiles on their faces which makes me feel like this is a team that actually likes each other. Add in that Beckham actually seems interested in going out a winner and I think this is a team to look out for. They have had the talent for a few years - now they might have the chemistry as well. Watch out.
OK, so that's the end of the 5 pack, but I do have two minor things: 1). shame on the critics for doubting Kevin Durant after his terrible Game 6 - dude is allowed to have a bad game and 2). my Jersey boy Vin Mazzaro accomplished something no other pitcher has ever done-he gave up 14 ER in 2 1/3 relief innings last night -never had anyone given up that many without going 3 innings. Ouch.

Monday, May 16, 2011

A Deflating Result


Even though I was feeling really nervous in the days leading up to the Sounders-Timbers match, I was actually pretty calm on the drive down Saturday Night. For whatever reason, I just wasn't thinking about the end result, but rather was excited for the atmosphere. I had heard that we should get there early because the team had something planned that we would be talking about for months afterwards. I expected their to be a buzz in the stadium and some electricity in the streets.

We got downtown and of course it started to rain, at times hard. I could hear the ESPN announcers saying how fitting it was that the two Pacific NW rivals were playing in rain...I tried to fight off my anger with the late start time since it was so beautiful during the day. We got to our seats and suddenly the rain didn't bother me. I was too busy soaking it all in.
The first thing I noticed was actually how loud the Timbers Army was. Look, I hate giving the scum any sort of credit, but it has to be said. They were loud. They were active. They looked really good. Now it should also be said that my seats are much closer to the away section than to ECS so of course it sounds louder. Sometimes I wish we were closer to ECS so we could join in all their chants, but after the teams walked out the tunnel and the anthem was sung, I realized another reason why our seats are great - we get an amazing view of the Tifo displays.

After a minute I realized what the team had been talking about when they said to come early. if you were not in your seats, you missed an amazing display: a 9 part Tifo display. First, honoring the MLS Sounders, a Fredy Montero banner. Then representing the USL Sounders, Marcus Hahnemann and Presto Burpo banners. Finally (or at least we figured), representing the NASL Sounders, Jimmy Gabriel and current assistant coach Brian Schmetzer. If that wasn't enough, from the top of the stadium a banner of with a fist crushing the Timbers and two banners that read 'Decade of Dominance. Finally, a banner of Timbers' killed Roger Levesque, was lifted using the field goal nets. It was an AMAZING site and one that made me feel like we had one-upped the Timbers Army. "How you like that?" I quietly smirked. I had goose-bumps.

And then the game finally started. It was sloppy to begin. The Timbers had the better of the possession and were dangerous on the flanks where Kalif Alhassan and Darlington Nagbe were running our our backs with ease. Keller made key saves on shots that easily could have found their way past him given the slick conditions.

In the 38th minute, Brad Evans went down with a groin injury. He came back on for a few minutes but re-tweaked it and had to be subbed out. We figured Friberg would take his place, but then saw The 'Stache warming up. I know Roger is a Timbers' killer, but there is no way Sigi thought going to Roger with a full half left was a better option than Friberg (it wasn't until after the game I realized Friberg and Rosales were both out). I love Roger but didn't feel good about him being in the game so early.

In the 52nd minute, Alvaro Fernandez found himself with only the keeper to beat after a fairly lucky deflection off a header...others may have panicked, but El flaco played in a World cup Quarterfinal. I know he was in the doghouse earlier in the year, but there was no way he wasn't putting it away. When I think about it, I would have wanted no other Sounder in that position. He calmly beat Perkins near post with a volley and the stadium went nuts. I participated in my first jump hug (luckily with The Wife and not J-Will). Things were good.

Ten minutes later, something happened. Portland got a free kick close to where they scored from last week. I'm not sure anyone else felt it, but I was nervous every time they took a free kick - we had cleared all of them previously, but it never felt like we were totally in control. Jack Jewsbury hit it into the box, Futty Danso got up, put a head on it and beat Kasey Keller who had come off his line. The stadium suddenly went into shock. The Timbers Army was freaking loud - it was a decibel level I had never heard before. Obviously they weren't as loud as ECS or the rest of the Qwest faithful, but considering how many fans they had there, it was really loud. I have to give them props.

After that, both teams traded opportunities but neither could score. We walked out of the stadium frustrated. I mean, we had just blown a 1-0 lead to the Timbers. Maybe we didn't deserve to win after the first half, but surely we played better in the second half and should have closed the deal. In the end Portland converted on their one excellent chance and head home to Portland feeling really good about themselves.

It wasn't a loss, but it sure felt like one. The best way to describe it - it was deflating.

So now the game is over and we need to move on. It won't get an easier as we will have 3 games in 7 days beginning this Saturday. With Zakuani out for the season and Friberg, Rosales and now evans nursing some injuries, our midfield depth is completely gone. El Flaco, Carrasco and Alonso are still available, but the right side will be a problem if we need to start Roger there for any extended period of time.

A few final random notes:
  • Poor Lamar Neagle looked LOST out there. I hate to say it, but he was terrible.
  • I am surprised that Sigi didn't throw Fucito out there for 5 minutes at the end of the game.
  • El Flaco was amazing. It's easy for me to say that considering he scored, but he was amazing way before that. He was crushing Jeremy Hall all night and reminded us all of the player he could and should be.
  • I hate Jack Jewsbury.
  • I don't remember Jhon Kennedy Hurtado being so awkward with the ball at his feet...luckily his marking is solid and his reading of plays was top notch on Saturday.
  • Kenny Cooper was looking to draw fouls but really should have just used his size more. He should have been a handful all night but didn't seem into the game much.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Feeling a little concerned...

It is finally here: Portland at Seattle. The day that both fan bases have been waiting for. With all due respect to Rapids fans who consider their rivalry with RSL to be the best and to the DC United-Red Bulls rivalry, this is instantly going to be the best rivalry in MLS. I don't need to talk about the history - you can find tons of pieces by simply using Google. What I do want to talk about is my state of mind with the match less than 24 hours away.

In a nutshell, let's just say that I'm worried. The problem with rivalry games is that most of the time, someone is going to lose (normally someone always loses but you can obviously tie in soccer...). I love rivalries as much as the next guy, but I also know how it feels to be a fan of a team that constantly loses its rivalry games. Seeing the Yankees always beat the Mets sucks (worst ever was the 2000 World Series). Seeing the Flyers or Rangers beat the Devils sucks. And of course, having Wazzoo beat the Huskies sucks. Losing sucks. And you know what? Winning the rivalry games is often more of a relief to me than it is pure joy. I'm at the point in life where I just don't want to hear Yankees fans on their high horses. I don't necessarily want to gloat, I just don't want to hear them.

And that is what I am facing going into Saturday's game. I have watched the Timbers this year. I have read their quotes. I have heard what the fans think of us. I know that they all are waiting to take the drive up north and beat us. I know that there insufferable fans want to shut up our insufferable fans. I know they want to talk about how great a home field advantage they have compared to Qwest. I just know they want to talk. And that is what sucks. If they beat us at home, we will NEVER hear the end of it. I won't be able to read any soccer sites for weeks.

Some of you might be yelling at me right now for talking this way. How can a so-called hardcore fan actually be thinking about what happens if his team loses? I mean, losing should never be considered prior to a match. You need to have faith. Well...you know what...you're right, I just have been burned so many times that I can't help it. You try being a Mets, Devils and Nets fan. You can't compete with the Yanks, Rangers and Knicks.

Taking a step back and forgetting about my insecurities as fan, I do think there is reason to be worried. I think it all starts with the Timbers fans and gradually works itself up to the coach. We will obviously have an amazing home field advantage even if 1000 Timers supporters show up. We need not worry about the Timbers Army affecting the outcome of the game in the stands. However, we do need to realize exactly what has been happening leading up to this season and this game. Anyone and everyone who is wearing the Alaskan Airlines jerseys has without a doubt heard about how much the fans hate the Sounders. At every fan event, after every game, on every blog, the fans just waiting to get their hands on us. Without a doubt this has infiltrated the team - regardless of where they are originally from, the players know how important it is to the city. They are going to have a chip on their shoulders. Then add in the affect of Coach john Spencer on the team. Watch any game and you see just how passionate he is about every little thing that goes on. On TV he looks super annoying, but he obviously has the respect and adulation of the entire team - when Kenny Cooper scored his first goal he ran not to his teammates but to John Spencer and when players are subbed off they come and get a big hug from Spencer. If I was a Timbers fan I would love him...unfortunately I am not so I do not.

I think he will have them ready to play. They will be ravenous and chomping at the bit to get us. Meanwhile, I question whether Sigi will have our boys prepared. I know that there have been a lot of pieces featuring Roger Levesque and Brian Schmetzer. They know how important it is...so do Zach Scott, Taylor Graham and Kasey Keller. But what about Jeff Parke, El Presidente, Brad Evans, El Flaco, Fredy Montero? Do they know how important it is? Or are they going to be told to just go out and play our game. Is Sigi going to stress that we play attractive soccer? Is he going to adjust his style if we give up an early goal? He sure didn't when the Sounders got embaressed by Portland and Vancouver in the pre-season. Will he do it now? We have the better team. We have the better players. We are just going to need to be better coached and better motivated to get the job done. I just don't know if that is going to be the case.

With that being said, I will be there Saturday night with The Wife and J-Will. We will boo (or at least I will) every single Timbers player including the strength coach and the trainer. I will wear my rave green and hold my scarf with pride. I will care like this is the most important game ever. I will be one of the 36k who watches our boys have there way with the Timbers. Then I will listen to every spoken word about the game. I will read every written word. (I may even have a few myself). I will remember this day as the day we welcomed the Timbers to MLS. I will remember this day as the day we showed them why we are the Kings of Cascadia.

Talking Mets Trades

This entry is in response to my boy Jason's comments from two days ago...

Let me start this entry by saying that every Mets fan wants to see the team succeed with David Wright, Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran each on the team. We want this team to win. We want them to win with them. That is the bottom line.

However, one thing has become apparent over the past few years - we are not going to win with the three of them. There is a stink around this team and it starts with the core. I am in no way suggesting that they are not quality players. I am in on way suggesting that they can't lead a team to the playoffs. I am in no way suggesting that I want them to go. I just think this is the time. A change of scenery is needed for them and we need to move on.

Ok, so now that that is out of the way, let me say one more thing. I cannot think rationally about David Wright. When I say that the foundation needs to be torn down, I am speaking about Reyes and Beltran, not Wright. I know it is not healthy. I know it is the same thing I make fun of Mariners' fans for, but I love David too mugh to want to see him go. In my opinion, he needs to stay and form a new foundation with Ike Davis.

With that being said, let's take a second to visit the possibilities. Mark Polishuk
at MLB Trade Rumors has presented 6 teams that would be interested if Wright was to go on the market. Given his affordable contract and his age, I think Sandy Alderson would have to be blown out of the water with an offer before sending him elsewhere. To me, we would need to at least get a young pitcher already in the majors, a top hitting prospect and a top pitching prospect plus some picks. Simply put, he is the only one of the three without any question marks (well, that is of course if you don't count his streakiness).

Carlos Beltran, on the other hand is full of question marks. We all know the story. After playing an average of 149 games in his first 4 seasons in Flushing, he has played a total of 145 games over the past two years. In 2009 he sat out 70 straight games after June 22 with a knee injury. The 'rushed' him back even though they were well out of the race. He played in September but then in the offseason had knee surgery without telling the team. He then was out until July of 2010, came back and injured his knee again in the last week of the season.

We knew that this would be Beltran's last season in NY. We also knew we wouldn't be in contention, so the ideal situation coming into the season would have been for him to stay healthy until July and show that he can still swing the bat. I read somewhere that the reason Beltran was so agreeable to move to RF was that he is fully aware of his mortality as a baseball player. Somewhere over the past two years he was able to swallow his pride and realize that he is not a centerfielder. He was able to realize that his next contract was as a DH in the American League.

In Spring Training, he was barely able to play more than 2 games a week. Things looked to be coming to a sad end for the man who we signed to a 7 year deal before the 2005 season. And then something happened - he got healthy and started to have a great first quarter of the year. The Mets have now played 37 games...Beltran has started 31 of them. Thanks to his 3 HR, 6 RBI effort last night, he is currently sitting at .295 with 8 HR and 24 RBI. Most importantly, his knee looks healthy. So far, so good. If the trading deadline was today, I think he might actually be able to bring a good prospect or two.

Here's the problem - he has a full no-trade contract so the situation is going to have to be perfect in order for him to move. Alderson is going to want to get something for him before he leaved in free agency, but the bargaining power certainly won't be in his hands. The best case scenario would be if Boston or the Yanks are struggling at the plate and in danger of not making the playoffs. I think they would overpay, but that's about it. Sandy certainly does not have the power with this one.

So that brings us to Jose Reyes. When healthy he is one of the premier leadoff men in the game. He is one of the best all-around players. AND he is the heart and soul of this team. the problem over the past few years though is that he has been injury prone and not himself. I think every Mets fan would pay him his 7 year $120 million contract (that some are suggesting he will be looking for) if we could guarantee that he would be healthy for 5 full seasons. We just know that won't be the case and I don't think we can take that risk.

However, there are many teams out there that would be willing to take the risk. I think the key is who Reyes gets traded to. If he goes somewhere as simply a rental player, then we obviously will get less in return. If he goes somewhere and signs a contract extension, then we all of a sudden would have more bargaining power. The two teams I keep on hearing in discussions are the San Franciso Giants and the Cincinnati Reds. Both teams need a leadoff man and both teams need a shortstop. I think both would be great locations for Reyes as the media and fan scrutiny would be gentler.

But what about the Mets? Would a trade with either team help us? Simple answer: I think so. Cincinnati has a deep, deep farm system. Former Reds GM Jim Bowden suggested a package of SP Homer Bailey, minor league SS Zack Cozart AND one of their top catching prospects. That is a pretty sweet deal. San Francisco, on the other hand, has a poor farm system outside of Brandon Belt and Zach Wheeler, but they do have a lot of young major league pitching talent. They probably wouldn't trade Bumgarner, but 28-year old Jonathan Sanchez could be enough to get it done if combined with Wheeler. Either way, I think these are two good destinations that could net the Mets 85 cents on the dollar - if of course, he is willing to sign a long term deal. I have my doubts as to whether SF would put that kind of money down, but Cincy most likely would.

Still, Reyes is on pace for 223 hits, 53 doubles, 26 triples and 53 stolen bases. He is bound to come back to Earth a little, but barring any sort of major slump or injury, his value will only continue to be increase. Who knows...there might even be a team (not names the Yankees or Phillies) lying in the weed waiting to give us a Godfather offer for him. I would hate to see him go because he has been a part of this team for close to a decade...but the long term success may actually depend on him.

So there you have it. I think trading both Reyes and Beltran can get us some value assets back. The problem is that prospects often don't work out...and they always work out less with the Mets. Anyone who is traded for Reyes is going to replace one of the favorite Mets of all time...he is going to have to be a stud in order for the fan base to forget there one-time son.

It is going to be hard to get rid of 2 (or even all three of them), but I think it needs to be done.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Quarter Season Mets Review

Even though we are not officially done with the first quarter of games, I decided to give my take on the Mets this morning (partially since the next four days will be spent thinking about Sounders-Timbers). As of this morning, the Mets are 16-20 and in last place in the NL East, 7.5 games behind the Phillies. They are 8-9 on the road and a sad 8-11 at home. Their team ERA is 4.03 (11th in NL) and they have scored 148 runs (8th in the NL). Overall, I don't think this team is as terrible as we all thought it could be. Unfortunately it is not as good as we had all hoped. As a baseball team we are struggling to be mediocre.

The problem is that with all the off-the-field problems and the impending implosion of the team, things feel a lot worse than they are. So I would like to point out some reasons for optimism.

1. The pitching staff is not as terrible as we all may think. If you were to take a look at the rotation in it's current state (minus Young, plus Gee) you would try to hide your eyes. Pelfrey is 3-3 with a 5.74 ERA. Dickey is 1-4 with a 4.50 ERA. Niese is 1-4 with a 4.71 ERA. Capuano is 2-4 with a 4.97 ERA. Gee is 3-0 with a 3.80 ERA. It is pretty terrible. However, if you examine the data a little more, you conclude that small sample size has something to do with the gaudy numbers. Simply put, four of the guys have started 6+ games...even one bad game is enough to kill your numbers. So, let's take a look at ERAs if we excluded their worst game of the season. Pelfrey -4.66; Niese - 3.32; Dickey 3.92; Capuano - 3.69. Those are definitely more respectable. Look, they don't need to be sub-3.00. A combined 3.50 ERA would be plenty fine

2. The bullpen had some rough moments early on, but lately has been on fire. Pedro Beato, although currently injured, has thrown 17 innings without giving up an earned run. Taylor Bucholz has been equally impressive, striking out 21 with a 1.45 ERA in just under 19 innings. K-Rod, although still giving many fans heart attacks has struck out 20 in a little under 17 innings and has only blown 1 save in 11 chances. Finally, my boy Jason Isringhausen, who I was praying wouldn't just be a side show, has been amazing. He has pitched in 12 games, has 6 holds and has provided some maturity to this young bullpen.

3. The guys seem to really respond well to Collins (who by the way has not been perfect with his decisions this year) and I don't think they are going to roll over like in previous years. Sure, things may not be going well, but I don't see them getting down on themselves. They will continue to fight.

4. Jose Reyes has flat out been AMAZING. I don't know if anyone else in baseball realizes it, but he is on pace for 220+ hits, 54 doubles, 54 stolen bases, 27 triples and a .318 average. My boy BUStoller told me they were unrealistic (thanks for that one) and obviously they are - if he was to have 51 doubles and 27 triples in a season it would simply be the best non-home run related season ever. Anyways, his amazing play has really confused our idea of what should happen with him. I think Sandy Alderson is in a position where he can cut ties with Reyes, but it is much more difficult for the fan base. When he is on, he is one of the best players in the game. While he has been amazing this year, all he needs is one injury to remind us just how fragile he is. IF he is moving on (which I think he is), this is the best scenario - help us stay relatively relevant for the first half of the season and then bring back a lot of good talent at the deadline.

5. Ike Davis is the real deal. He is still only 24 years old. He is only in his 2nd year. He is still hitting 5th/6th in our lineup, but Ike Davis is quietly becoming the best hitter we have. I think he learned a lot last season about how to take care of his body, so I am hoping he won't has a late season swoon this year as he did last year. Currently he is tied for 5th in the NL with 25 RBI, a pace that could seehim nab 113 on the year.

6.David Wright has been terrible, which only means things can get better. I know I cannot think rationally when it comes to David (I think he finally has reached and surpassed HoJo as my favorite player ever), but he has to be better in the last 120 games. I mean, he is hitting .234 on the year and is on pace for only 72 RBI and a whopping 180 strikeouts. I realize he had 72 RBI and 140strikoeuts in 2009, but that was on a team with Jeff Franceour and Fernando Tatis protecting him for most of the year. This team is light years ahead of that team, so the thought is that he will rebound. He has to. 20 homers and 100 RBI are his staple.

7. I think Carlos Beltran is having a solid, if not spectacular season that will allow us to get something good in return come the summer. I have never been a believer (I'm sorry, I know I need to get over it, but not taking the bat off your shoulder in 2006 will always get at me) so it will be nice if he can somehow help this team move on (after all, his contract has been an albatross for approaching 3 years now)

8. A minority share in the team will be sold hopefully in the next month - Jon Heiman of SI.com is reporting that the bids have been pretty strong so far, which by all means is a good sign that people believe in the potential of the team, ballpark and city.

9. It could be worse - we could be the Dodgers.

10. Finally, the best reason for optimism? Blind faith. I have nothing else going on with my sports life than the Sounders. As a Mets fan, I have to have faith. It's just in my blood.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

We're Talking Money

MLS released its 2011 player salaries yesterday. Before looking at them, I thought I would try to make my list of who should be the highest paid on the team (of course this comes with some knowledge of the 2010 salaries). I think any discussion regarding salaries starts with the value of the player. Kasey Keller is obviously the most valuable - not just on the field, but in the locker room and in the community. He is be the alpha-male of the team. Next come Ozzie Alonso, Steve Zakuani and Fredy Montero. We all know my love of Ozzie, but I think as a result of his position, Fredy will get paid more money - the fact is, forwards are sexier than defensive midfielders. To me, those are the four alpha males of the team - the three guys, who as Mike Lombardi would say, you would give the car keys to if you were all driving somewhere together.

After that, I think there are some tiers. Jeff Parke, Pat Ianni, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Brad Evans and, on potential alone, Alvaro Fernandez makes up the second tier. How they are paid doesn't really matter to me as long as their are comparable. In the next tier are the guys who are replaceable - James Riley, Leo Gonzalez, O'Brian White and Nate Jaqua. In the final tier are rookies and bench players...these salaries should obviously be dependent on length of service. For instance, Roger Levesque, Zach Scott and Taylor Graham should be getting paid more than Servando Carrasco, Michael Seamon and Mike Fucito.

There are obviously other reasons why some guys get bumped up and some get bumped down...some have to do with potential. Some have to do with length of service in MLS (notice I didn't mention Erik Friberg or Mauro Rosales as I really have know idea where they should be considering their resume in other leagues). Others get raises for reason that are simply unknown to me.

Whatever the reason behind the individual salaries, I know one thing: managing a team's salary ca is difficult because payer salaries are a big deal. Look no further than the Beckham Experience for insight into how MLS veterans felt when a highly paid player came stateside. Ultimately it was all about respect - most Galaxy players respected Beckham at first, but when they found out that he wasn't invested in the league (ie - was being lazy on the pitch) and that he couldn't connect with the average player, they started to resent him. In Seattle, Freddie Ljungberg brought us instant credibility, but it was obvious to most of the fan base that he was not the alpha-male and was being grossly overpaid. It wasn't until he left that you really got the sense that the team liked each other.

The simple rule is this: pay your best player the most money. If you bring in another star player, don't play himmore unless he is better than everyone you already have. This was a problem in Toronto when the Reds brought home Canadian National Team star Julian DeGuzman from Europe and paid him more than Dwayne DeRosario, 2-time MLS MVP and 4-time MLS champion. The thought of bringing someone of DeGuzman's pedigree back home was one Toronto could not pass up. The problem was that they didn't consider how it would effect DeRo - a decision they paid for.

So with that being said, let's get to looking at the salaries. I will link to Josh Meyers Times' blog which compares the 2010 to 2011 salaries. So let's get to it.

Tier 1 - Over $200k
1. Fredy Montero leads the way with an annual salary (I'm talking guaranteed annual compensation) of $636k, up from $180k last year. While he is not the most valuable player to the team, I think it is fair given that Keller won't be here next year and clearly gave up money to stay. Montero's potential is far too great to let him leave. Overall, I think it is fair.
2. Alvaro Fernandez is second on the team with an annual salary of $366k which I'm pretty sure is due solely to his transfer fee. He might live up to this billing in the future, but as of right now, he is certainly not worth the second highest team contract.
3. Kasey Keller took a pay cut of $50k in order to stay in Seattle for one last year. Ever since he joined Sounders FC in 2009 he was underpaid which really should make fans respect him even more. He has said that he wanted to get paid like a professional, but knew he wanted to be here and help the team win. He has done that not just in the goal, but off the field as well.
4. Nate Jaqua is clearly the most overpaid player on the team at $211k. Look, I love Jaqua as much as any other fan, but the fact is that he doesn't deserve to be paid over $200k a year. When he signed with Seattle, he had just come back from Europe and then contributed 9 goals in 2009. He was compensated well, but has never reached that level again.

Tier 2 - $125k to $200k
5. Steve Zakuani has a base salary of only $90 but is guaranteed $188k (which includes signing bonus and marketing bucks), not a bad salary for a third year pro.
6. O'Brian White is a guy who is benefiting from when he was born. Had he been born 5 years earlier he would not be getting $147k a year, but luckily for him, he came along during a time of league-wide salary growth. For the first few games he was showing that he deserved it, but now with his injury it makes us all reconsider.
7. Brad Evans and Ozzie Alonso are both getting paid $140k which I personally think is more than appropriate. When you get down to it, I think Ozzie deserves more than Evans, but considering he just got a $73k raise, I think you won't hear any complaints from the Cuban Bulldog.
8. Jeff Parke and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado are both getting paid $136 which again I personally think is more than appropriate. This time last year I would have disagreed, considering that El Presidente was getting looks from Europe and Parke was just coming off a season in the USL, but right now they are equals.

Tier 3 - $75k to $125k
9. Leo Gonzalez and Erik Friberg both earn $110k a year. In relation to others I have no problem as they are in the correct slot in the pecking order.
10. James Riley earned himself a nice little $27k raise, bringing his salary up to a manageable $97k a year. Even though my boy Irish Mike LOVES to kill his boy Riley, I think his durability earns him this salary. If anything I think he deserves more than Leo, but is hampered by the fact that he is American.
11. Pat Noonan, by way of his long MLS resume is getting $96k, a gross over payment for a man who can barely play in reserve games.
12. Pat Ianni is the last of the potential starters on the list, earning $85k a year, which I think is a little lower than he deserves.
13. Michael Tetteh is earning $77k a year due to his Generation Adidas signing. He has yet to play in a league game, but I am not ready call him a bust yet. In fact, I think Sigi might just be keeping him down to make sure he doesn't graduate from being a GA so that he remains off our salary cap for another year.

Tier 4- Rookies and Back-ups
Taylor Graham is the alpha-male of back-ups (according to salary alone) with $60k. Considering all he does is provide Spanish translation and show up at charity events, I don't think he can be complaining. All the remaining guys earn in the $30k-$40k range which is really low for a professional athlete. Still, you have to give the likes of Roger Levesque, Zach Scott, Lamar Neagle and Mike Fucito credit though - they could totally earn more money in a 9-5er, but they love playing the game and realize how lucky they are to do it for a living. The one surprise is Mauro Rosales though, who is also earning $42k. This is by far the steal of the year although I'm not sure whether he has any sort of incentive clauses.


Conclusion
Overall, I think this team is constructed well. The only glaring problem I see are Jaqua and White being 4th and 6th highest paid. El Flaco had just come off starting a game in the World Cup, a feet no other Sounders player (besides Nkufo) could point to on his resume...so I'm not sure you can argue it. We also know that pat Noonan is getting grossly overpaid, but he is luckily canceled out by Rosales who is getting underpaid. So overall, pretty good if you ask me.

***

Some other salaries from around the league:
-Former Sounders Tyrone Marshall took a HUGE paycut is now earning $83k, down from $169k last year. I'm sure he had to eat some humble pie seeing that he is a 10+ year veteran in the league, but at least he still has a job.
-Other former Sounders Seba LeToux, Nathan Sturgis and Sanna Nyassi are earning $179k, $89k and $42k respectively.
-The 7 members of the millionaires club are David Beckham ($6.5m), Thierry Henry ($5.6m), Rafa Marquez ($4.6m), Landon Donovan ($2.3m), Nery Castillo ($2.0m), Julian deGuzman ($1.9m) and Juan Pablo Angel ($1.3m).
-Finally, the highest paid players on each team are: Castillo (CHI), Heath Pearce (CHV), Andres Mendoza (CLB), Conor Casey (COL), David Ferreira (FCD), Branko Boskovic (DCU), Brian Ching (HOU), Davy Arnaud (SKC), Beckham (LA), Shalrie Joseph (NE), Henry (NY), Faryd Mondragon (PHI), Troy Perkins (PTL), Javier Morales (RSL), Bobby Convey (SJ), DeGuzman (TFC), Eric Hassli (VAN). You can figure out for yourself whether they deserve their statues.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Two additional things

I forgot to discuss in my last post the terrible news that RSL's Javier Morales had his ankle broken after a terrible tackle from behind. This now means that in less than a month, the league has lost Steve Zakuani, David Ferreira and Morales. It is an epidemic that is hard to explain. MLS has always been a physical league (American physical, not European physical) but this string of injuries seems to be a little out of place. I can understand one, but not all three within one month.

MLS is going to have to be consistent with the suspension handed out to Chivas USA's Marcos Mondaini. If Brian Mullan deserved 10 games, then by my estimation, Mondaini deserves equal if not more. Mullan's tackle remains horrifying every time I see it. There was no way to defend it...but at least it wasn't from behind. Tackles form behind are cowardly and have no place in the game. A message needs to be sent.

Obviously additional games were given to Mullan because of Zakuani's stature in the league. And some of Mondaini's punishment will come as a result of Morales' stature in the league. It may not be fair, but MLS is trying to send a message that creative play must be protected. IF we ever want to increase our reputation across the glove, we need to move away from brutish play. We need exciting, creative players to want to come to MLS. it might not be fair to someone like Mullan, but it's the way of the land.

***********

In something non-soccer related, I just wanted to rip on the Lakers for a second. I know most of America is happy that they got swept. I am shocked and appalled. Don't get me wrong, I am not a Lakers apologist...I am always rooting against them. I am just shocked at how they rolled over.

I mean, they were the two-time defending champs. They were playing a team with a history of choking in the playoffs. I don't care how many games they have played in the past 3years. I don't care how tired everyone was. I don't even care that no one could guard JJ Barea. All I know is that the Lakers should have won this series and if not, they should have put up a fight.

Losing by 36 (!) to the Mavs in what will be Phil Jackson's last game as coach is pathetic. The entire team should be ashamed of themselves. They blew their last good opportunity. I mean, the other teams in the West are starting to come into their prime. OKC is going to be a top team. Denver might be. Memphis might be. Hell, even Dallas is younger than the Lakers.

Even if they make it back to the Finals next year, we know that Miami and Chicago are better than them. They blew it. They choked. Period. End of paragraph.

Trio of MLS Games this Weekend

Somehow amidst the Mother's Day celebrations, working in the yard and playing with the kid I was able to find time to watch not one, not two but 3 MLS games over the weekend. Normally that is cause for concern as no one would want to be subjected to that. However the trio of games I got to see were not like the rest.

First, on Friday night I watched the inaugural installment of Soccer Night in America on FSC. The Philadelphia Union traveled across country to take on the Portland Timbers. From my point of view, this was akin to Rangers-Flyers. Simply put, I hate both teams. Yet somehow once the game started, I actually found myself rooting for Philly. Those are words that have never come out of my mouth before. I feel kind of dirty, like I should take another shower this morning. Anyways, the game was an interesting one in that the two teamshad totally contrasting styles. In front of their home crowd, Portland essentially runs around on offense like a chicken with their heads cut off (thanks Martino for that one). It is nonstop. Philly on the other hand has such little interest in offense that I have to wonder if the mob has some sort of dirty photos of them all if they score.

A few additional notes about the game:
  • Sebastian LeToux looks like the 2009 version rather than the 2010 version. It makes me wonder if he simply can't play with a partner up top. The obvious response would be to blame Carlos Ruiz, but I think it goes deeper than that. I think Seba needs to feel like he has full reign up top. Now with more options around him he is actually worse.
  • For all the hoopla about the Timbers Army, I saw a lot of empty seats on Friday night. The actual fan club is without a doubt hardcore, but one has to wonder if the rest of the stadium is in to it.
  • Portland is now 4-0 at home. I have watched three of the games and can't say I have been overly impressed with them. They feed off the energy of the crowd and have scroed some goals in transition and off of set pieces. While the Sounders should have the advantage heading into this weekends game, I am totally scared. Simply put, Portland so far has done everything needed to get results - something the Sounders often can't do. Add in that John Spencer will have the boys fired up and it is going to be scary
Next, on to Columbus where the Sounders played the Crew Saturdy afternoon. I don't really have much of a review of this game as it always seems that I pay less attention when watching on tv. If you read the Sounders blogs most people feel like we fortunate to get a point...that Columbus was the better team on the day. I somewhat agree but ultimately feel letdown any time we blow an early 1-0 lead. Call me crazy, but even with 3 games in 9 days, I feel like this team has the defensive depth not to give up that lead. I know that guys like Montero, Jaqua and Alvaro can't go a full 90 (especially with how thin we are at midfield all of a sudden), but there should be no excuse for the backline. Following the blowout against Toronto, I thought we were in a great position to collect points against what I consider to be two of the weaker teams in the league, yet we only come home with 1 point from 2 games. If we somehow don't get points this weekend I will inch ever closer to the panic button.

A few other notes from the game:
  • I thought the shale jerseys were kind of cool looking. The Wife loved the green adidas stripes. I liked how XBOX looked on them (for some reason it just looks strange on the green ones). We both still hate the sports bra look.
  • Ozzie Alonso continues to be my boy. I mean, if the man crush wasn't there before, it is even more now. He is the only player besides Keller to play all 270 minutes this past week. He was certainly less effective down the stretch, but remains the heart and soul of this team
  • Kasey Keller came up with some HUGE saves in not the best climate. His save of a free kick in the 92nd minute will get the most pub, but to me, his best two saves were against a low hard shot but Eddie Gaven in the 10th minute and a breakaway save against Robbie Rogers in the 32nd minutes. After a few hiccups last year, he seems to be back.
Finally, the weekend ended with the marquee event - New York at Los Angeles. It was billed as a battle of stars - Henry, Marquez, DeRosario vs Donovan, Beckham, Angel and for once it did not disappoint. I know I am borrowing this from Ives, but the first 45 minutes were easily the best soccer this league has seen. Beckham looked to have gotten in a time machine as he was in my opinion the best player on the field. Henry scored early and played with a chip on his shoulder the whole game. It wasn't the Lothar Matteus "I am better than this league" chip but rather the "How dare you all question me" chip. No offense meant to Donovan or Marquez, but just having Henry and Beckham fulyl engaged was enough to lift the quality of the match.

A few additional thoughts:
  • My favorite part of the game was easily when Donovan and Henry started trash talking after Donovan's goal. It started off as an embrace between the two and then quickly turned sour after Donovan took offense to something Henry said. A few minutes later, Henry took down Donovan and then failed in helping him off the ground. The Wife asked why they were in the same part of the field...simple answer - Henry was interested and tracked back on defense. A few minutes later he took down Beckham. Their was clearly some heat between the two teams. It was stuff that even the biggest soccer bashers would have enjoyed.
  • Chad Barrett was the only player on the field that would not start for any other MLS team. Simply put, both teams are stacked. Only down side was that Teemo Tainio was injured and missed the game. I have been hearing a lot of positive things about his presence on the field.
  • Donovan was a little too cool with his finish after beating Condoul late in the first. Credit Tim Ream for never giving up and clearing the ball off the line at the last possible second.
  • I want to give credit to the other big names involved in this game not mentioned above: Ream, Omar Gonzalez and Juan Agudelo, all future USMNT starters; Juninho; Donovan Ricketts; Luke Rodgers. Just crazy talent all over the field

I think the opportunity to watch three games in one weekend will present itself again, but next time I fully expect it to be along the lines of Sounders, DC-NE and Tor-Columbus, or in other words nothing to write home about. Oh well, such is life in MLS (where only 6-8 teams are watchable)

Friday, May 6, 2011

Obscure Sports Friday, Vol 2

Two things before I get into this. 1) I have seen the future. He wears #1 for the Bulls. 2) I hate the Timbers so much that I actually (gulp) was rooting for Philly tonight. Those words have ner come out of my mouth before.

Ok, so I have no idea if anyone enjoyed this column a few weeks ago, but I really enjoyed putting it together. So that means you all get a second one to read. As always, please email me if there are any obscure sports you would like to see me cover in addition to the following.

-Thanks to Sports Illustrated I now know that Marta, the best female soccer player in the world, is currently playing in Buffalo for the Western NY Flash of the Women's Professional Soccer league. Apparently she has been a franchise killer as her past two teams went under. So now she is in Buffalo with some other big names like Christine Sinclair and #1 pick Alex Morgan (that's what happens when your league has 6 teams - you have stacked teams). In addition, my fav Abby Wambach is now playing for the South Florida magicJack after the team moved from DC. SkyBlue FC are still proudly representing New Jersey (but sit in last at 0-3-1).

-I have talked about USL PDL before, but I failed to mention the new Division 2 soccer league, the North American Soccer League. The NASL currently has 8 teams, 4 of which used to compete against the Sounders before they moved up - Montreal, Puerto Rico, Carolina, Atlanta. I can't claim to know anything more than what the SBI crew have told me, but from the sound of it, Edmonton and Atlanta are the worst teams in the league while Monterla, PR and Carolina are the tops. FC Tampa Bay, Ft Lauderdale Strikers, NSC Minnesota Stars make up the remaining teams.

-Speaking of the PDL, the North Sound Seawolves host their first ever home game this Saturday against Washington Crossfire. I doubt I will be able to make it out this weekend, but with Everett being only 20 minutes away, I hope to catch a few games this year. Again, I claim to know nothing about this more about this team than what their website provides. However, I do know they will have at least one familiar face- Craig Tomlinson of the former A-league Sounders. We also have 2 Garfield HS Alumni, 2 Seattle Univ guys, a Seattle Pacific graduate and two players from local community colleges.

-Let's move on to the Arena Football League, where the Jacksonville Sharks have won 6 games in a row after an opening night loss to the Arizona Rattlers. They sit tied with Arizona with the best record in the AFL at 6-1. J'ville is led by 59 year old QB Aaron Garcia who I am still surprised never really got a shot at the NFL. In his 17th AFL season, he is the all-time leader in passing yards and recently became the first football player to ever throw for 1000 td's. Yes, 100 td's. It's amazing to think that I saw him as a 3rd year player for the Red Dogs in 1997 and that I wanted to run him out of town in favor of Ricky Foggie (this one's for you, Jay). The guy has thrown for over 90 td's in 5 different seasons including 104 against 16 int's in 2001. When I look back, I am a bit sad that I never got into the New York Dragons as they were in the league for a good decade - I just was never able to get over my Red Dogs moving to Vegas.

-The Washington Stealth won their Western Division semi-final game against the Minnesota Swarm and now get a shot at the Division Champs, Calgary Roughnecks on Saturday night. The Stealth had an underachieving year but boast the league's top offense and are only one game from going back to the MLL Final where they look to repeat as champs. Gametime is 6:30...no tv because of the NHL Playoffs on Versus.

-The defending WNBA Champs, the Seattle Storm, traded for 37 year old SG Katie Smith last week in an attempt to win another title this year. Smith's acquisition makes the Storm's starting line-up the best in the league, but I question what this does for us in the long haul. It might be that the front office fully knows the team's window is about to close (with LJ sitting out much of next year because of the Olympics and Sue/Swin not getting any younger). If so, then I applaud them for their urgency but hope that the bottom doesn't fall out 2-3 years from now. I mean, it's not like we are going to get the next Maya Moore or Britney Griner by drafting at the end of the draft.

-It wasn't pretty, but Northampton FC has officially saved off relegation thanks to a 2-0 win over 9-man Stevanage last weekend. The win was huge for the Cobblers, who now sit 4 points out of relegation with 1 game left. The loss was equally big for Stevange who could have moved to within 1 point of 5th place. A year after being relegated to League 2, the Cobblers narrowly avoided spiraling out of professional soccer. I hope next year they can come back and fight for promotion. Final game of the season is tomorrow against Morecambe who sit 2 points ahead. With a win and some help they can finish 16th in the league.

-The United Football League had their 2011 draft on Monday. The first selection for the Hartford Colonials was Texas A&M QB Jerrod Johnson. Other selections included former Bears RB Adrian Peterson (the one from Georgia Southern), former Rutgers and Seahawks QB Mike Teel, former Oregon and Ole Miss QB, the disgraced Jeremiah Masoli and cancer survivor LB Mark Herzlich of Boston College. The draft was moved up to try to get the players signed before the NFL lockout was lifted, as players signed with UFL cannot be signed by any NFL teams during the season. It will be really interesting to see what happens in year 3 of the UFL. Up to now the league has been made up of players looking for a second shot (Maurice Clarett, Dante Culpepper) as well as those who aren't good enough to deserve a shot at the NFL (a whole list of players who I won't bore you with). If the NFL lockout continues on into training camp and some players are scared that they won't get paid, the UFl might become an option. I doubt we will see any of the big names jumping ship because they can afford to sit out a season, but players who might be in their last year of a contract, or those who are making the league minimum certainly might be tempted to go to Omaha or Vegas or Hartford.

Finally, let's talk some European Hoops. With their semi-finals wins over Real Madrid and Montepaschi, Maccabi Israel and Panathinaikos earned a spot in the Euroleague Finals on Sunday. I don't know much about Euro hoops except that each team is only allowed a few Americans and normally they are the stars of the team. Currently Bucknell has several alumni overseas - Chris McNaughton, Boakai Lalugba and of course, one of the best ballers in Europe, JR Holden. Anyways, Panathinaikos is led by the "Greek Shaq" Sofoklis Schortsanitis. If you watched Greece beat the US in 2006 you will remember him. Leading the way for Maccabi Tel Aviv is former Gonzaga Bulldog Jeremy Pargo (Maccabi). I'm not sure, but I have a feeling you can probably catch the game live on NBA TV.