- I can't believe that the Yankees sat back at the trading deadline and didn't upgrade their pitching. Now I know that Bartolo Colon is a surprising 8-6, Freddy Garcia is a surprising 10-7 and Ivan Nova is a surprising 9-4, but I don't think any other GM would feel comfortable knowing that two of them will have to pitch games 3-4, following a would-be Game 2 start by AJ Burnett.
- I think I like Nicki Minaj
- Sounders had a stinker at Houston on Saturday. I am going to chalk it up as 'one of those games' even though they have now lost 3 in row in all competitions. If they fail to advance in CONCACAF Champions League after playing San Francisco of Panama on Wednesday then I might be more worried. But for now, it is only one MLS loss in the last 10. Oh, wait, I just saw that they have to travel to KC over the weekend. They are 2-0 on the road against KC in their history, but KC is undefeated in their new palace. Should be a test of our resolve.
- My men's soccer team played one of the four Emerald City Supporters' teams on Sunday. We walked away with a 1-0 win even though we played the last 15 minutes with only 9 men. After the match, I talked to not only the current president of the ECS, but also the founder. They were really nice dudes and it mae me happy when I learned that I had been a Sounders supporter for longer than the president. Anyways, the guy offers me a cigarette no more than 10 minutes after the game. How did he not die?
- Somebody tell him who the eff I is
- Does anyone care about the X Games still? Is it me or is ESPN putting a lot less into coverage. BTW- this is the 17th edition. Man I am getting old.
- Gotta give ESPN some credit for the amount of soccer they are showing on Sportscenter. I'm still not sold that all the anchors are taking it seriously, but in the last two week I have seen Copa America highlights, Man United-Barca highlights and something like a 5-minute piece on Bob Bradley's firing. We're getting there people.
- Sounders might have lost, but wow did it feel good watching Portland throw away a 2-0 home lead against the worst team in the league. Goals in the 71st and 81st minutes gave Toronto FD a wonder-tie.
- I know the Mets finished their 7 game road trip with a 5-2 record [UPDATE - I was wrong, it was actually 6-4], but I can't help but feel like we missed a golden opportunity in 3-0 and 3-2 losses to Washington. I don't expect them to score 8 runs every night, but those were both winnable games if the offense had shown up.
- The Devils agreed to a 1-year, $6 million contract with Zach Parise on Friday. It is good news for the coming year, but I can't help but wonder what is holding up the long-term contract. I mean, with the gift the Islanders gave us in taking Rolston and his $4 million contract off our hands, they probably have somewhere around $7.5-$8 million in cap space. I have a feeling Lou is trying to lowball him because of his injury last year and the deal was made so Zach can show the team what he has. If that is the case and Parise returns to his normal form, Lou HAS to pay up. The precedent is there in what he did for Kovy and the fact is that Parise is more valuable to this franchise.
- Thanks to my boys Irish Mike and D-Lib (not to mention an empty house for 5 days), I have been playing a lot more of FIFA soccer over the past few days. I have now taken my Northhampton Town FC team from Division 3 to Division in two season and now have my eye on the EPL.
- I learned a great trick for getting oil based paint off your hands - olive oil and salt. Worked like a charm.
- Good drama in the Detroit-Anaheim game. Carlos Guillen hit a home run off of Jered Weaver, admired his shot and threw the bat. Weaver didn't like it, threw (at the head nonetheless) at the next batter and got tossed. In the 8th inning, with the score 3-0, Eric Aybar laid down a bunt in the midst of a Justin Verlander no-hit bid. He got on by error and two batters later, Macier Izturis broke up the no-no. After the game, Verlander was asked if he was surprised or upset by the bunt. He said that there were arguments both ways, but from a pitchers standpoint, it's called bush league. Now I have opined on this in the past so my feelings are well know, but let me say them again: in the words of Herm Edwards, "You Play to Win the Game!" The score was 3-0 at the time, not 8-0. If Anaheim could get two runners on, then they could tie with a home run. They are fighting with Texas for the AL West crown and all games, including those in late July count towards the final standing. Aybar doesn't owe Verland anything - he is there to play the game. In my mind, bunting is absolutely legit in a 3-0 game.
- So Plaxico Burress, after not having played in a competitive NFL game since 2008 is going to get $3 million to play for the Jets? Am I missing something? I mean, do they really think he is the same player after having been in jail? Add in a short pre-season and there is no way he gets more than 600 yards this season.
- The Red Bulls went over to England to compete in the Emirates Cup this weekend. They beat PSG and then tied Arsenal. It was a nice accomplishment, but I can't help think that they continue to have their priorities all mixed up. I mean, here is a team that in 16 years has never won a trophy. I get that with Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez they want to become a global brand, but wouldn't it be better done if they were to win the CONCACAF Champions League and play competitively against the like of Barcelona and Santos? Winning the US Open Cup would not only get them into the competition next year, but it would give the beleaguered fan base a trophy to carry around. Yet instead, they fielded a C-team in the Open Cup and flew overseas in the middle of the MLS season to play in a pre-season friendly against Arsenal. I get the Henry connection, but it seems sill to me.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Random Thoughts..
The Wife and Kid were out of town this weekend, so I spent most of my time doing things that can't get done when they are around...you know, cleaning the grill, painting a room, cleaning the garage, and of course playing video games. It was a great weekend - one with a lot of sports news. I don't have a long post in me, but rather a lot of random thoughts. As always, let's get to it:
Friday, July 29, 2011
NFL Free Agency Frenzy
As expected it has been a crazy few days in the NFL. I don't claim to be an expert on pro football anymore, but I do have some thoughts on the mayhem. Let's get to it:
Eagles: They traded Kolb to Arizona for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and then added the prize of the free agent class, Nmandi Asomugha...to suggest their defense is a lot more scary is an understatement. To me, though, the most interesting move was signing Vince Young to be Michael Vick's back-up. I'm not sure if this is going to work. I mean, Young is a headcase and I'm still not convinced that Vick is the changed man everyone thinks he is. If he truly has changed, then this might be an amazing situation for Vince, but then again, this is Philly, where fans boo their own mothers.
Panthers: I am just so stoked to have renounced my rooting interests...I can't handle supporting a team with Cam Newton and Jimmy Claussen as it's QB's. On the free agent front, they probably overpaid DE Charles Johnson, but it's a decision I could live with. What is baffling, though, is throwing a ton of money at DeAngelo Williams, Thomas Davis and Olindo Mare (3year, $12 million??). I know two of the guys I noted are from Georgia, but this was a silly signing spree.
Tennessee: Going all Seattle with the signing of Matt Hasselbeck to tutor Jake Locker. Locker needs to sit to start the year...Mattie Ice should be the perfect guy to learn from.
Miami: My one Dolphins' friend is not pleased with the Matt Moore signing and really he shouldn't be. I was in his corner at the beginning of the 2010 season, but he is no upgrade over Chad Henne. They are losing both Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown and replacing them with Reggie Bush? I am a huge Bush fan, but does anyone still think he can be an every down back? This is not going to end well.
New England: Jason Whitlock is calling Bill Belichek arrogant in thinking that he can turn around Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth, but I think both are worthwhile gambles. I love Ochocinco and just like Randy Moss before him, I think he will fall in line with the Patriots way. I know the previous regime didn't end well, but let's not forget how the first few years went. As for Haynesworth? Who knows if he can fit into the 3-4 in NE..if yes, they will have a nasty combo with Wilfork..if no, they can just cut him.
New Orleans: Loved what they did in signing Darren Sproles to go along with Mark Ingram. He is a big upgrade and can do more than Bush.
Arizona: In 2011 I am not sold on Kevin Kolb, which is funny because I was totally sold on him in 2010. Now, I realize that anyone is better than Derek Anderson, but they spent a lot of money on a guy who has started only 7 games. If they messed up in giving him the reigns to the franchise, they will be right back in the cellar. A key decision in the Ken Whisenhunt era.
Seahawks: In the course of three days, Seattle spent big money on QB Tarvaris Jackson, WR Sidney Rice and G Robert Gallery. I decided that I would let Seahawks fans get the first say on this one and here is what they think:
Eagles: They traded Kolb to Arizona for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and then added the prize of the free agent class, Nmandi Asomugha...to suggest their defense is a lot more scary is an understatement. To me, though, the most interesting move was signing Vince Young to be Michael Vick's back-up. I'm not sure if this is going to work. I mean, Young is a headcase and I'm still not convinced that Vick is the changed man everyone thinks he is. If he truly has changed, then this might be an amazing situation for Vince, but then again, this is Philly, where fans boo their own mothers.
Panthers: I am just so stoked to have renounced my rooting interests...I can't handle supporting a team with Cam Newton and Jimmy Claussen as it's QB's. On the free agent front, they probably overpaid DE Charles Johnson, but it's a decision I could live with. What is baffling, though, is throwing a ton of money at DeAngelo Williams, Thomas Davis and Olindo Mare (3year, $12 million??). I know two of the guys I noted are from Georgia, but this was a silly signing spree.
Tennessee: Going all Seattle with the signing of Matt Hasselbeck to tutor Jake Locker. Locker needs to sit to start the year...Mattie Ice should be the perfect guy to learn from.
Miami: My one Dolphins' friend is not pleased with the Matt Moore signing and really he shouldn't be. I was in his corner at the beginning of the 2010 season, but he is no upgrade over Chad Henne. They are losing both Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown and replacing them with Reggie Bush? I am a huge Bush fan, but does anyone still think he can be an every down back? This is not going to end well.
New England: Jason Whitlock is calling Bill Belichek arrogant in thinking that he can turn around Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth, but I think both are worthwhile gambles. I love Ochocinco and just like Randy Moss before him, I think he will fall in line with the Patriots way. I know the previous regime didn't end well, but let's not forget how the first few years went. As for Haynesworth? Who knows if he can fit into the 3-4 in NE..if yes, they will have a nasty combo with Wilfork..if no, they can just cut him.
New Orleans: Loved what they did in signing Darren Sproles to go along with Mark Ingram. He is a big upgrade and can do more than Bush.
Arizona: In 2011 I am not sold on Kevin Kolb, which is funny because I was totally sold on him in 2010. Now, I realize that anyone is better than Derek Anderson, but they spent a lot of money on a guy who has started only 7 games. If they messed up in giving him the reigns to the franchise, they will be right back in the cellar. A key decision in the Ken Whisenhunt era.
Seahawks: In the course of three days, Seattle spent big money on QB Tarvaris Jackson, WR Sidney Rice and G Robert Gallery. I decided that I would let Seahawks fans get the first say on this one and here is what they think:
- Irish Mike: I'm not happy about the Jackson signing. Tavaris Jackson is a bust, he had probably THE best offensive line in football, some of the best wide receivers in football and one of the top two running backs in the game and he still underwhelmed. Any other QB would have looked like a stud, and yet he went 10-10 with the Vikings. Sounds like the new offensive coordinator Bevell has the serious hots for this washout.
- J-Will: I will say that I think Pete gets a lot more out of players (Mike Williams for example) then other coaches. I am not a huge expert on the Vikings, but Childress does
not appear to me to be an inspiring coach and Minnesota can not be considered a stable place to develop a QB. So of all the places for Tavaris to excel, I think under Pete is as good as any. So there are my positives. Negatives: as Mike pointed out he had a great line
(anchored by a former Seahawk, but let's not get into that), and a couple of good RBs and WRs. So if surrounding a QB with good players could have lead to success, i think we would have seen it by now. Seeing that Bevell was at Minnesota makes me think he has to have some insight and influence into this deal.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Re-Evaluating Carlos Beltran
I have always been the first person to get on Carlos Beltran's case. No matter how well he played, in my mind he never earned the 7 year, $119 million contract that he signed in 2005. And yet today, with the news that Beltran was officially traded to San Francisco for RHP prospect Zach Wheeler, I can't help but feel a little sad. (btw - check out my previous entry to see how even a bling squirrel sometimes finds a nut)
It's not entirely surprising. I mean, we always value those in our lives more once they are gone. I always took Beltran for granted and now that he is gone, I am re-thinking my stance on him.
The bottom line is this - Beltran ranks as probably one of the top 3 position players in Mets history. He ranks 17th in number of games played, yet is 6th in home runs, doubles, rbi, on-base percentage and slugging. In terms of Wins Above Replacement, he is 2nd, ahead of Wright, Piazza, Reyes and trailing only Strawberry. While his first season was below standards (.266, 16 hr, 78 rbi) over the course of the first four seasons he averaged 29 hr, 104 rbi, 21 sb, hit .275 and won 3 Gold Gloves. His best season was 2006 when he had 41 hr, 116 rbi, 38 doubles and .594 slugging.
Unfortunately, the 2006 was not only his best season in Queens, but also the season when he didn't swing. All Mets fans know what I'm talking about - down 3-1 with runners on 2nd and 3rd in the bottom of the 9th of Game 7 of NLCS, Beltran struck out looking. Looking back, it is unfair to blame the loss on him (after all, they could only muster 2 freaking hits off of Jeff Suppan through 7 innings), but at the time it stung. Hell, it still stings. I mean, the 97-win Mets choked against a team that barely had a winning record during the regular season. The Mets took over NYC during the regular season and had the chance to turn the tides on the Yankees and they choked. The image of Beltran looking remains in my memory to date.
In all, it is just a microcosm of Beltran's time in Queens. No matter what he did, I always wanted more. In addition to stellar play on the field, he never got in trouble off of it and he never lashed out at the press. in reality, he did everything we could have asked for him. yet at the end of the day, I always felt like he wasn't trying, that he didn't care and that he never wanted to be the face of the franchise. When things were going good, he was there. When things turned south, only Wright was willing to step up.
On top of his effort, his personality just never did it for me. We always talk about certain players not being able to handle NYC. When Beltran signed, some suggested he wouldn't be able to last because all he knew up to that point was Kansas City and Houston. Yet others predicted success because of his faith and solid family life. It turned out that he was totally able to handle the city. He was quiet, respectful and never got flustered. And yet, he never had the personality of a Hernandez, Dykstra, Backman or any other member of the eclectic 1986 Mets.
Of course you knew I was going to mention the 86 Mets. It will always be the measuring stick for all Mets teams, yet it is so unfair because there will never be another team like this. Never will that blend of personalities be able to succeed. Never will a team be able to abuse drugs, alcohol and women in another way. Never. And yet, we want all our teams to be like them. The 2000 Mets came the closest and yet they couldn't get by the Yanks. The 2006 Mets had the chance but they blew it. And Beltran got blamed.
So what is the final word on Beltran's tenure in NYC? In one word: incomplete. Beltran helped lead the team to the NL East crown. You can count the number of division crowns on one hand, so in a way, his signing was well worth it. Yet, with all the talent and hope, he never led the team past the NLCS. Hell, he never led them to the playoffs again and then had season altering injuries in 2009 and 2010.
Coming into the season, the best case scenario was for Beltran to remain healthy, play well and get traded at the deadline. He not only did both, but he also agreed to move to RF to avoid a controversy. He did everything that was asked of him and in return, he is going to get another decent contract and the Mets were able to get a highly touted pitching prospect. Again, he did all that was asked of him, the only difference now is that I am content with it.
Best of luck in San Fran, Carlos. Thanks for your 7 years in blue and orange.
It's not entirely surprising. I mean, we always value those in our lives more once they are gone. I always took Beltran for granted and now that he is gone, I am re-thinking my stance on him.
The bottom line is this - Beltran ranks as probably one of the top 3 position players in Mets history. He ranks 17th in number of games played, yet is 6th in home runs, doubles, rbi, on-base percentage and slugging. In terms of Wins Above Replacement, he is 2nd, ahead of Wright, Piazza, Reyes and trailing only Strawberry. While his first season was below standards (.266, 16 hr, 78 rbi) over the course of the first four seasons he averaged 29 hr, 104 rbi, 21 sb, hit .275 and won 3 Gold Gloves. His best season was 2006 when he had 41 hr, 116 rbi, 38 doubles and .594 slugging.
Unfortunately, the 2006 was not only his best season in Queens, but also the season when he didn't swing. All Mets fans know what I'm talking about - down 3-1 with runners on 2nd and 3rd in the bottom of the 9th of Game 7 of NLCS, Beltran struck out looking. Looking back, it is unfair to blame the loss on him (after all, they could only muster 2 freaking hits off of Jeff Suppan through 7 innings), but at the time it stung. Hell, it still stings. I mean, the 97-win Mets choked against a team that barely had a winning record during the regular season. The Mets took over NYC during the regular season and had the chance to turn the tides on the Yankees and they choked. The image of Beltran looking remains in my memory to date.
In all, it is just a microcosm of Beltran's time in Queens. No matter what he did, I always wanted more. In addition to stellar play on the field, he never got in trouble off of it and he never lashed out at the press. in reality, he did everything we could have asked for him. yet at the end of the day, I always felt like he wasn't trying, that he didn't care and that he never wanted to be the face of the franchise. When things were going good, he was there. When things turned south, only Wright was willing to step up.
On top of his effort, his personality just never did it for me. We always talk about certain players not being able to handle NYC. When Beltran signed, some suggested he wouldn't be able to last because all he knew up to that point was Kansas City and Houston. Yet others predicted success because of his faith and solid family life. It turned out that he was totally able to handle the city. He was quiet, respectful and never got flustered. And yet, he never had the personality of a Hernandez, Dykstra, Backman or any other member of the eclectic 1986 Mets.
Of course you knew I was going to mention the 86 Mets. It will always be the measuring stick for all Mets teams, yet it is so unfair because there will never be another team like this. Never will that blend of personalities be able to succeed. Never will a team be able to abuse drugs, alcohol and women in another way. Never. And yet, we want all our teams to be like them. The 2000 Mets came the closest and yet they couldn't get by the Yanks. The 2006 Mets had the chance but they blew it. And Beltran got blamed.
So what is the final word on Beltran's tenure in NYC? In one word: incomplete. Beltran helped lead the team to the NL East crown. You can count the number of division crowns on one hand, so in a way, his signing was well worth it. Yet, with all the talent and hope, he never led the team past the NLCS. Hell, he never led them to the playoffs again and then had season altering injuries in 2009 and 2010.
Coming into the season, the best case scenario was for Beltran to remain healthy, play well and get traded at the deadline. He not only did both, but he also agreed to move to RF to avoid a controversy. He did everything that was asked of him and in return, he is going to get another decent contract and the Mets were able to get a highly touted pitching prospect. Again, he did all that was asked of him, the only difference now is that I am content with it.
Best of luck in San Fran, Carlos. Thanks for your 7 years in blue and orange.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Best Case Beltran Trade Scenario's
My boy JWM asked me to write on what my preferred Carlos Beltran trades would be - specifically, he asked that I "be specific; no maybe they'll get some draft picks or prospects. Tell me which prospects you would look at and what type of pick. Or give the top deals you want made as a fan (more on the unrealistic side) and the top deals you think could actually happen (realistic)."
So here's the thing - nothing annoys me more than reading posts about trading Daniel Murphy, Scott Hairston and Fernando Martinez to St Louis for Albert Pujols. Unrealistic trades rumors do nothing for me. So I will only attempt to rank my top realistic trades...
The problem with that is that unfortunately I know little to nothing about prospects from other organizations, so I will only go with some rumors that I have heard.
A few notes before we begin. First, pitching is more important to me than hitting. I read one writer suggest that since pitching will be abundant in the next few years that they should focus on hitting instead. I couldn't disagree more - they need pitching because they don't have any in the organization outside of Matt Harvey and Jennry Mejia who is out for the entire year. Second, trading him out of the division would be preferable. I mean, even if he goes to Philly it will only be a rental, but still...he'll be in Philly. Third, even though Adam Rubin is reporting that none of the interested teams will be giving up their top prospect, I am going under the impression that someone will panic and pull the trigger.
Without further ado, here is my list:
So where does he end up going? No one knows right now, but the theory I like the most is that Philly buckles and gives up their best prospect not named Dom Brown. They are probably feeling pretty good about where they sit right now, but I don't think they can sit back at the deadline and not add a bat. I am not sold on Hunter Pence or BJ Upton being the guy, so Beltran is the obvious fit. It would be the last move in a season where all their chips are all in. The team is built to win in the short term and this would push them over the top. A World Series title is definitely worth it.
So here's the thing - nothing annoys me more than reading posts about trading Daniel Murphy, Scott Hairston and Fernando Martinez to St Louis for Albert Pujols. Unrealistic trades rumors do nothing for me. So I will only attempt to rank my top realistic trades...
The problem with that is that unfortunately I know little to nothing about prospects from other organizations, so I will only go with some rumors that I have heard.
A few notes before we begin. First, pitching is more important to me than hitting. I read one writer suggest that since pitching will be abundant in the next few years that they should focus on hitting instead. I couldn't disagree more - they need pitching because they don't have any in the organization outside of Matt Harvey and Jennry Mejia who is out for the entire year. Second, trading him out of the division would be preferable. I mean, even if he goes to Philly it will only be a rental, but still...he'll be in Philly. Third, even though Adam Rubin is reporting that none of the interested teams will be giving up their top prospect, I am going under the impression that someone will panic and pull the trigger.
Without further ado, here is my list:
- San Francisco for top pitching prospect Zack Wheeler (#57 in 2011 Baseball America pre-season prospects). In order to do this trade as with many others, they will have to eat all of Beltran's salary. He fits all my criteria - 20 year old pitcher, outside of the division.
- Atlanta for top pitching prospect Mike Minor (#37). Beltran might be staying within the division, but Minor is a lefty who is already in the big leagues and could help instantly.
- Atlanta for top pitching prospect Julio Teheran (#5). Again, Beltran stays in the division, but I don't think Alderson would blink an eye. Teheran is a 19 year old right handed pitcher ranked as the #5 prospect. The only reason Minor ranks above him is the immediate impact he would make as compared to Teheran who is likely to come up late 2012.
- Philadelphia for top outfield prospect Domonic Brown (#4). This doesn't exactly fit any of the critiera - Beltran stays in the division and they don't get an arm, but with Beltran gone, Pagan soon gone and Bay simply lost, they need someone to challenge Fernando Martinez, Lucas Duda and Jason Pridie.
- Texas for top pitching prospect Martin Perez (#24). Perez is 19 years old and a lefty. Texas is in the AL. It would be a perfect trade for the Mets, but probably the most unrealistic of the bunch. While Texas is all of a sudden crazy deep with pitching, they are not going to mortgage the future. AND Texas is in the AL, so Beltran likely won't waive his no-trade clause.
So where does he end up going? No one knows right now, but the theory I like the most is that Philly buckles and gives up their best prospect not named Dom Brown. They are probably feeling pretty good about where they sit right now, but I don't think they can sit back at the deadline and not add a bat. I am not sold on Hunter Pence or BJ Upton being the guy, so Beltran is the obvious fit. It would be the last move in a season where all their chips are all in. The team is built to win in the short term and this would push them over the top. A World Series title is definitely worth it.
My Thoughts on the Weather
While the rest of the country continues to swelter with 100 degree weather, we continue to have normal March weather...in July. Seattlites have every right to complain about it - I mean, it's bad enough that we don't see the sun from October to March...but in July too? Come on, seems a bit unfair.
And yet, I don't find myself pissed off about it. I know that I just got home from Hawaii a week ago and have had my fill of sunshine, so maybe I'm not the best person to talk about it, but in general I am perfectly fine with our weather. I mean, it could be worse. We could be experiencing 100 degree weather right now (and with no AC mind you). We could be in the middle of hurricane season. We could be having tornadoes or earthquakes. Come January we could be buried in 5 feet of snow. Yes the weather should be nicer, but I can't help but think it could be a lot worse.
If anything, crappy weather makes days of beautiful weather even more special. Think about how you feel when the sun is shining - if you're like me, you can't even focus on work. I loved being on vacation but by the end of the trip I actually began taking the weather for granted. Then I came back to Seattle and realized what I was missing.
It is 4:33 PM in Seattle right now and the sun is shining into my office. I am excited to go outside and play some soccer in the sun for the next 30 minutes. I will enjoy every moment because I might not see it again until Friday...but no complaints cause it could be worse.
And yet, I don't find myself pissed off about it. I know that I just got home from Hawaii a week ago and have had my fill of sunshine, so maybe I'm not the best person to talk about it, but in general I am perfectly fine with our weather. I mean, it could be worse. We could be experiencing 100 degree weather right now (and with no AC mind you). We could be in the middle of hurricane season. We could be having tornadoes or earthquakes. Come January we could be buried in 5 feet of snow. Yes the weather should be nicer, but I can't help but think it could be a lot worse.
If anything, crappy weather makes days of beautiful weather even more special. Think about how you feel when the sun is shining - if you're like me, you can't even focus on work. I loved being on vacation but by the end of the trip I actually began taking the weather for granted. Then I came back to Seattle and realized what I was missing.
It is 4:33 PM in Seattle right now and the sun is shining into my office. I am excited to go outside and play some soccer in the sun for the next 30 minutes. I will enjoy every moment because I might not see it again until Friday...but no complaints cause it could be worse.
Monday, July 25, 2011
All is Wright Now That He is Back
I am loving that David Wright is back. By all shadow of a doubt, he is my favorite current Mets player and has probably surpassed both HoJo and Mike Piazza in terms of all-time favoritism. When Wright was out for 57 games, it just didn't feel right. Sure, the team was overachieving - winning with not just Reyes and Beltran but with Justin Turner, Dillon Gee, Daniel Murphy, Josh Thole and Ruben Tejada - but without Wright, I felt a little dirty rooting for them. I mean, if they were winning without him, then there are some obvious conclusions that can be drawn. What if Wright was indeed the problem and instead of moving Reyes they would be better off moving him?
Simply mentioning that sentence makes me sick. I have said it before and I'll say it again - I know I can't think rationally when it comes to Wright. I'd like to still think that Wright can be part of the solution - that he is not only the top third baseman in the league, but a player that can bring a championship to Queens. I honestly believe this and am happy to have him back in the lineup.
Now I know he will go through his tough spells - he is no longer than same player from 4 years ago that would take what the pitcher gave him and go to the opposite field. He is pulling the ball more, striking out more and solely trying to drive in runs. Yet, at the end of the day, I don't think there is any other third baseman I would want on my team. Not Longoria. Not Zimmerman. Not Beltre. Not A-Rod. AND there is no other player I want leading my team. I love that he grew up a Mets fan. I love that he takes losing personally. I simply love him.
Now I know it is only early, but the returns have been good. In 4 games since his return, Wright is 8-19 with 3 doubles, 1 home run and 6 rbi. He is on fire, but unfortunately the Mets are only 2-2.
If both he and Reyes can stay healthy for the rest of the year AND if both Justin Turner and Daniel Murphy continue hitting well then this will continue to be a fun team to support (even after they trade Beltran later this week - something I will write about at another time). I am loving what Murphy is doing - hitting .308 with 26 doubles and 44 rbi while playing 40 games at 1b, 23 games at 2b, 26 games at 3b and 1 game in Left Field. I had high hopes for him, but not even I could have dreamed of this. With the unfortunate season-ending injury that Ike Davis suffered, it is a blessing to have Murphy and his ever-improving glove in the line-up for us. As for Turner - he was behind both Brad Emaus and Murphy entering the year but is now firmly entrenched in the 2-hole and hitting .277 on the year. I can't even say how pleasant a surprise he has been because I hadn't even heard of him coming into the year.
So yeah, this team is only 51-51, but with Wright back and Reyes continuing to kill the ball, the remainder of the season is bound to be good.
Simply mentioning that sentence makes me sick. I have said it before and I'll say it again - I know I can't think rationally when it comes to Wright. I'd like to still think that Wright can be part of the solution - that he is not only the top third baseman in the league, but a player that can bring a championship to Queens. I honestly believe this and am happy to have him back in the lineup.
Now I know he will go through his tough spells - he is no longer than same player from 4 years ago that would take what the pitcher gave him and go to the opposite field. He is pulling the ball more, striking out more and solely trying to drive in runs. Yet, at the end of the day, I don't think there is any other third baseman I would want on my team. Not Longoria. Not Zimmerman. Not Beltre. Not A-Rod. AND there is no other player I want leading my team. I love that he grew up a Mets fan. I love that he takes losing personally. I simply love him.
Now I know it is only early, but the returns have been good. In 4 games since his return, Wright is 8-19 with 3 doubles, 1 home run and 6 rbi. He is on fire, but unfortunately the Mets are only 2-2.
If both he and Reyes can stay healthy for the rest of the year AND if both Justin Turner and Daniel Murphy continue hitting well then this will continue to be a fun team to support (even after they trade Beltran later this week - something I will write about at another time). I am loving what Murphy is doing - hitting .308 with 26 doubles and 44 rbi while playing 40 games at 1b, 23 games at 2b, 26 games at 3b and 1 game in Left Field. I had high hopes for him, but not even I could have dreamed of this. With the unfortunate season-ending injury that Ike Davis suffered, it is a blessing to have Murphy and his ever-improving glove in the line-up for us. As for Turner - he was behind both Brad Emaus and Murphy entering the year but is now firmly entrenched in the 2-hole and hitting .277 on the year. I can't even say how pleasant a surprise he has been because I hadn't even heard of him coming into the year.
So yeah, this team is only 51-51, but with Wright back and Reyes continuing to kill the ball, the remainder of the season is bound to be good.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
15 and Counting...
When I left work on Friday, the Mariners had lost 12 games in a row. Since I didn't have any time to blog about it over that night I secretly hoped that they would get swept by the Red Sox at Fenway so that I could talk about the absurdity of a 15 game losing streak come Sunday night. Well, wouldn't you know it - they allowed this blog post to be timely and lost #15 in a row.
There are so many things one could say about the streak, but the one that sticks out to me is the pitching that this team has. If your team is lucky enough to have a bonafied ace in your rotation, then you know every fifth day your team has a wonderful shot at winning. It doesn't matter if the team loses 3 or 4 in a row - aces stop losing streaks. The Mariners not only have the 2010 AL Cy Young Award Winner King Felix, but Michael Pineda looks like a future ace as well.
Bottom line - over the 15 game losing streak, these guys both pitched 3 times which means Seattle should have won at least 3-4 of those games. It is absolutely shocking that neither pitcher has stepped up during the streak and willed the team to a win.
Prior to the streak, King Felix was 8-7 with a 3.22 ERA while Pineda was 8-5 with a 2.58 ERA. During the streak, King Felix is 0-2 with a 5.14 ERA while Pineda is 0-2 with a 11.00 ERA. To me that is the most shocking thing.
With that being said, let's take a closer at the ineptness during the streak. We all know about their offensive woes - ranked 30th in MLB in runs, batting average, slugging and on-base percentage. During the streak the team is hitting .226 with 31 extra-base hits and Ichiro is hitting .225. The have scored a total of 40 runs. It's simply dreadful. However, as you could probably guess, their pitching hasn't been much better, giving up 87 runs. Their starters have an ERA of 6.00 while their bullpen has an ERA of 5.65.
It has been a perfect storm of terribly consistent hitting and horrid pitching that has taken the team from 2.5 games out of 1st (43-43) to 14.5 games out of first (43-58). I don't call myself a Mariners fan, but I thought at the very least this team could be exciting to watch with Pineda, Dustin Ackley, Justin Smoak and of course King Felix. Right now, they are nothing more than a pathetic joke. And to those who want to get rid of another manager, I want to tell you to stop. Eric Wedge is a fine manager who is doing the best with what he was given by Jack Z...this team has some bright spots, but overall it is wretched.
There are so many things one could say about the streak, but the one that sticks out to me is the pitching that this team has. If your team is lucky enough to have a bonafied ace in your rotation, then you know every fifth day your team has a wonderful shot at winning. It doesn't matter if the team loses 3 or 4 in a row - aces stop losing streaks. The Mariners not only have the 2010 AL Cy Young Award Winner King Felix, but Michael Pineda looks like a future ace as well.
Bottom line - over the 15 game losing streak, these guys both pitched 3 times which means Seattle should have won at least 3-4 of those games. It is absolutely shocking that neither pitcher has stepped up during the streak and willed the team to a win.
Prior to the streak, King Felix was 8-7 with a 3.22 ERA while Pineda was 8-5 with a 2.58 ERA. During the streak, King Felix is 0-2 with a 5.14 ERA while Pineda is 0-2 with a 11.00 ERA. To me that is the most shocking thing.
With that being said, let's take a closer at the ineptness during the streak. We all know about their offensive woes - ranked 30th in MLB in runs, batting average, slugging and on-base percentage. During the streak the team is hitting .226 with 31 extra-base hits and Ichiro is hitting .225. The have scored a total of 40 runs. It's simply dreadful. However, as you could probably guess, their pitching hasn't been much better, giving up 87 runs. Their starters have an ERA of 6.00 while their bullpen has an ERA of 5.65.
It has been a perfect storm of terribly consistent hitting and horrid pitching that has taken the team from 2.5 games out of 1st (43-43) to 14.5 games out of first (43-58). I don't call myself a Mariners fan, but I thought at the very least this team could be exciting to watch with Pineda, Dustin Ackley, Justin Smoak and of course King Felix. Right now, they are nothing more than a pathetic joke. And to those who want to get rid of another manager, I want to tell you to stop. Eric Wedge is a fine manager who is doing the best with what he was given by Jack Z...this team has some bright spots, but overall it is wretched.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
More Wrestling Talk
It's no secret to anyone over the age of 20 and still watching wrestling that the storylines have been stale as of late. Ever since WWE decided to move away from their Attitude Era and go PG so that Linda McMahon could run for office, the product has been stagnant and drove a lot of hardcore fans away. Finally, it looks like it is moving in the right direction again...and we have a guy named CM Punk to thank for it.
For a review of the recent weeks happenings, check out this Grantland piece by The Masked Man. Basically, WWE has allowed Punk to blur the lines between reality and fiction. It is not an entirely new idea, but it looks like they are actually going to use social media to their advantage. In today's world of Twitter and Facebook, we get to see the real thoughts of wrestlers like Chris Jericho and The Miz. Their words are not a work, which creates an uncomfortable mixture of real life and fiction for WWE fans. Anyone with half a brain can realize that who they are on screen is different than who they are on a computer. Everyone knows wrestling is fake, but you don't need to blatantly advertise it.
Enter CM Punk...his leaving of the WWE is obviously a work. I mean, there is no way that the company lets him walk off their pay-per-view with the championship and then trash it on another station. He obviously re-signed with the company. However, he is using social media to further the storyline and give the appearance that he is not coming back and is keeping the belt. After winning the title, he tweeted a picture of the belt in his refrigerator. Then on Monday he was at a Cubs game with the belt instead of at Raw. Finally yesterday he crashed a talk by WWE's 'new executive' HHH at Comic-Con in San Diego.
I am just so excited by this angle because it is being perfectly scripted. Nothing in this world is private anymore and WWE knows it. If Punk was to have done this 10 years ago, only the people in the room would have known it. In 2011 it is all over the internet...and Punk suddenly seems like the coolest guy in the business. By covering all basis and making it seem like he really is an anti-establishment guy even in the real world, he is gaining tons of heat. I love where this is going and can't wait to watch more.
No one who reads this blog will care, but I just needed to express my giddiness.
For a review of the recent weeks happenings, check out this Grantland piece by The Masked Man. Basically, WWE has allowed Punk to blur the lines between reality and fiction. It is not an entirely new idea, but it looks like they are actually going to use social media to their advantage. In today's world of Twitter and Facebook, we get to see the real thoughts of wrestlers like Chris Jericho and The Miz. Their words are not a work, which creates an uncomfortable mixture of real life and fiction for WWE fans. Anyone with half a brain can realize that who they are on screen is different than who they are on a computer. Everyone knows wrestling is fake, but you don't need to blatantly advertise it.
Enter CM Punk...his leaving of the WWE is obviously a work. I mean, there is no way that the company lets him walk off their pay-per-view with the championship and then trash it on another station. He obviously re-signed with the company. However, he is using social media to further the storyline and give the appearance that he is not coming back and is keeping the belt. After winning the title, he tweeted a picture of the belt in his refrigerator. Then on Monday he was at a Cubs game with the belt instead of at Raw. Finally yesterday he crashed a talk by WWE's 'new executive' HHH at Comic-Con in San Diego.
I am just so excited by this angle because it is being perfectly scripted. Nothing in this world is private anymore and WWE knows it. If Punk was to have done this 10 years ago, only the people in the room would have known it. In 2011 it is all over the internet...and Punk suddenly seems like the coolest guy in the business. By covering all basis and making it seem like he really is an anti-establishment guy even in the real world, he is gaining tons of heat. I love where this is going and can't wait to watch more.
No one who reads this blog will care, but I just needed to express my giddiness.
Let's Talk Sounders
Fiiiiiinallyyyyy I have come back to JerseySounder...Ok, I'm sure most of you probably didn't even notice I was gone, but I was indeed on vacation for 10 days. I went with the entire family to Oahu and while I was able to post once about the Women's World Cup, I have been mostly out of the loop when it comes to sports and blogging. What a better way to get reacquainted than to talk about my beloved Sounders...so let's get started
- Are you serious? I am gone for 10 days and I miss 10 goals? Seriously, what happened to this team that couldn't score goals. First a 3-2 win at Portland, then a 3-1 US Open Cup win against LA and topped off with a 4-2 win against Colorado. When will we ever see 10 goals in 3 games again from this team? Of course, if you look at the scores just a little closer, you see that they also gave up 5 goals in the two MLS games. Now I know - Colorado put a 4-spot on NY last night and Portland scores goals at home (ok, they actually didn't score as both were own goals), but one can't feel real comfortable about what is going on in the defensive end right now. I asked my boy Irish Mike if I should be worried moving forward and he said mostly it was just bad clearances and unlucky bounces. I get the sense that I shouldn't be worried, but I will keep my eye on it.
- The streak is now up to 6-0-3 in the past 9 games. After 22 games, the team is now at 38 points, which is only 6 less than they had in 2010-clearly this team is going to make the playoffs. Their recent form has everyone starting to think about Supporter Shield, but let me be the voice of reason. The Sounders will have to deal with schedule congestion if they are able to make it past San Francisco in the opening round of CONCACAF Champions League. They are going to have their depth tested and certainly won't be keeping this streak up. LA (+4 in points) or RSL (-8 points, 5 games in hand) are the clear favorites.
- Let's look back at some previous comments of mine:
--On May 27 I said, "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." I know I was right at the time, but I also knew we would sort things out. Still, let's not get caught up to much in our current form - we had a wonderful surge at the end of last year only to flop in the playoffs.
--On June 20 after his goal against Toronto, I said about Montero, "This is exactly what makes Fredy Montero so frustrating. He can mope around the field, be out of rhythm and go 6 games without scoring a goal...and then on the turn of a dime he can be totally brilliant...One goal isn't enough to erase his play in many other games, but for one week it gives us hope and a chance to remember what exactly Montero can be. He can be inconsistent and he can be brilliant. For all we know this will lead to him a 10 game stretch like he had in 2010 where he put in 7 goals...or if could have been a singular blip in an otherwise lackluster performance." Since that game he has 3 MLS goals (including single handedly winning the Portland game) and 1 Open goal in 5 total games. His mid-summer streak might be on again. - My sources say that we will be making a signing during the current transfer window. I have no other information, but unless the team makes some moves to dump salary, any signing will be a minor one. Simply put - we have salary cap issues. The consensus remains that we need a striker who can score goals in the league, and in order to get that we are going to have to give up something. Here are some of the rumors I have read recently:
--Nate Jaqua to Portland for Kenny Cooper. This would definitely test our hatred for the Timbers. Most fans are on the Hate-Nate bandwagon and would gladly get rid of him...but doing business with our rival? It might not sit well. As for this guy, I think I would be ok with it. Cooper is a bit of a looper (thanks Mike), but he makes less than Jaqua and is a much better player.
--The poo-poo platter of Fucito and Estrada/Montano to Toronto for Nathan Sturgis. You can never have too much midfield depth, but why would we trade away a forward for a back-up midfielder when we already have Evans, Carrasco and Neagle providing us some depth?
--Fucito to anyone- apparently he is in Sigi's doghouse and probably done with the team. Sad. I like him, but he can really only play one role.
--Australian international Lucas Neill to sign with Sounders, prompting the trade of one of our central defenseman like Patrick Ianni. Personally, I would like to stay away from this. We don't need a high priced DP in defense. You can get by in MLS with solid, veteran defenders from the US. Where we need creativity and flare is on offense. - Sanna Nyassi with a hat trick last night for Colorado. A week after my cousin Jason was bitching about him running and not passing, he shows us why he is spectacularly frustrating.
- What can you say about the United game? Sigi decided to play all of his players and we paid for it. The bottom line is that United's second team would be the best team in MLS so putting 6 on the board against our second and third units isn't surprising (although to be fair, they also had Rooney, Park, Anderson and Ferdinand out there in the second half as well..). For me, it was a disappointing decision because I honestly thought our first team could hang in there with United. They showed that by creating several scoring chances and being only down 1-0 at halftime. With no game until Champions League on Tuesday I would have liked to see them go 90. With that being said, Sigi decided it was a friendly and that his young guys would benefit from the experience. Who knows if they did get anything...and for those who want to kill Boss today - STOP. Watch the 6 goals again and tell me what he could have done better. Our defense - Scott, Graham and Tetteh got massacred.
- Fredy, here is my plea. Please cut off that rat tail. I don't care if you are scoring goals - you are embarrassing our team.
- The Tanzanian trialist came uber close to scoring the lone goal late in the game. There is not much to say as he only had about 15 minutes in a 6-0 game, but I couldn't help think what was going through his head when he entered the game. I assume playing in the US is better than in Tanzania, but man, that score line hurt. The other interesting thing about his appearance was the simultaneous Tanzania tourism billboards around the stadium and the halftime address given to the crowd by the Tanzania president. It was just sort of surreal.
- Finally, in an attempt to puff our chests (and try to forget the actual score), here is what United had to say about the city and our crowd after the game..
--Sir Alex Ferguson: (On the atmosphere of the game...) "It was brilliant. The pleasing thing for me was the number of fans all mixed together. That was like the old days of England and Scotland, when fans could mix together and no trouble. I don't know if we could ever get back to that, but it was a pleasure to watch that tonight. The atmosphere was always good. The Sounders' support is fantastic. It's a plus-point that, it's a big plus-point, to see fans mingling together and enjoying it."
--Rio Ferdinand: (General thoughts on the team's time in Seattle...) "Very good. Great support. Good people. They looked after us and we had a great time. And they're genuine football fans. (On differences between this trip and the 2003 trip...) "They're just genuine football fans that come here to support football and their team. The Sounders have great support."
--Ryan Giggs: (On general impressions of his time in Seattle...) "I've enjoyed it. Their fanatical fans really. I think we witnessed that tonight and we've witnessed it all week. You got told that the Seattle fans are the best in the MLS and I think we witnessed that tonight."
--Anders Lindegarrd: (On the crowd at Century Link Field...) "It was very noisy. It was difficult to communicate. It seemed to be a great crowd. It must be fantastic for the team here to get that kind of support...that is very impressive."
Monday, July 11, 2011
USA Women Overcome a Screw Job
I'm suppose dot be on vacation, but I had to stay up late after all have gone to bed in order to write about this past morning's Women's Worlc Cup game between Brazil and the USA. It was quite simply an unbelievable game and one in which the good guy (or more specifically, good girl) won.
I want to start my comments by saying that I am not one to blame the refs for my team losing the game. In general, if we lose because the ref makes a bad call, I blame us for not doing more - not scoring more goals, not playing better defense, not playing better. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but I just can't bring myself to blame refs. With that being said, I can't help but be incensed by the absolutely terrible job done by the Australian ref, Jacqui Melksham. With the US up 1-0 after a second minute own goal, she called a PK after sweeper Rachel Buehler brought down Marta in the penalty box. the call itself was legit - I have no gripes. But what ensued was a travesty - Hope Solo brilliantly saved the PK only to have it called back fro leaving her line. I have seen handful of goalies move forward before a PK is taken - sometimes it's called, sometimes it's not. But all were more egregious than the called against Solo. It wasn't that she jumped forward it was just that she was an athletic freak on the play and made it look too simple. It was bad enough that the US had to play a person down for the rest of the game, but the ref gifted Brazil a goal after making them retake it.
The US continued to battled, knowing that the only way to win was to get it to PK's. Surely they wouldn't be able to handle the speed, flair and creativity of the Samba Queens. Surely this was going to be Brazil's day...and then something strange began to unfold. Brazil got complacent. They looked tired. They somehow decided not to make their final two subs even though they had us on the ropes. They appeared more content to draw fouls than they were to step on us when we were down.
We kept on battling and then in the 92nd minute, Marta scored again. It was a moment of brilliance but after taking a second look, one of the Brazilians was clearly offsides - another blown call. The first one was terrible. The second one just defeating. No way this team would overcome the odds. They would have the distinction of becoming the first team not to make the semi-finals at the World Cup. With USA greats Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy and Brandy Chastain in the house, they were going to be huge letdowns.
Still, the team battled. When Brazilian defender Erika went down with an apparent injury, only to jump off the stretcher and run to the midfield line, the crowd started to turn. I have not seen neutral fans cheer for the US in a long while - somehow everyone in the buidling new that screw job they were seeing. They suddenly saw that this great Brazil team that everyone wanted to see pay beautiful soccer was nothing more than a con. They didn't want to play pretty soccer - they wanted to grind out a win any way they could. Ian Darke said it perfectly when he noted that suddenly the cynicism of the men's game was entering the women's game. The crowd could see this - they knew the US deserved better and they directed their venom at Marta, who ironically was the only Brazilian not to stop to such low levels.
The ref added on 3 minutes of stoppage time to account for the faked injury...and then it happened...Meghan Rapinoe whipped in a cross from 40 yards out. The keeper came out, but somehow missed it and Abby Wambach who couldn't buy a goal earlier in the tournament (and somehow was getting the ire of most fans) was their to score the biggest goal of her life. I jumped up and down for the first time (not counting Sounders' games) since Landon Donovan scored against Algeria last summer. Not only did I jump but I was feeling a little choked up. Kudos for Julie Foudy for keeping it together in the booth - I'm not sure how she was able to keep it together.
From there, the outcome was already written. There was no way that Hope Solo wasn't going to win the game for them. She not only is a better keeper than her counterpart but she is more athletic and most important, had a huge chip on her shoulder. After Christiane and Marta scored, the visibly nervous Daiane stepped up to take the kick. Solo had her read the whole time and pushed her shot wide. Our girls then converted the next two kicks and we won 5-3.
I haven't felt this way in a long, long time. We were getting screwed. We were being held down. We deserved better. And as with all US soccer teams, we never quit, we never backed down and we came back to win. With Germany and Brazil out, we are now not only the favorites, but we are a team of destiny.
I want to start my comments by saying that I am not one to blame the refs for my team losing the game. In general, if we lose because the ref makes a bad call, I blame us for not doing more - not scoring more goals, not playing better defense, not playing better. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but I just can't bring myself to blame refs. With that being said, I can't help but be incensed by the absolutely terrible job done by the Australian ref, Jacqui Melksham. With the US up 1-0 after a second minute own goal, she called a PK after sweeper Rachel Buehler brought down Marta in the penalty box. the call itself was legit - I have no gripes. But what ensued was a travesty - Hope Solo brilliantly saved the PK only to have it called back fro leaving her line. I have seen handful of goalies move forward before a PK is taken - sometimes it's called, sometimes it's not. But all were more egregious than the called against Solo. It wasn't that she jumped forward it was just that she was an athletic freak on the play and made it look too simple. It was bad enough that the US had to play a person down for the rest of the game, but the ref gifted Brazil a goal after making them retake it.
The US continued to battled, knowing that the only way to win was to get it to PK's. Surely they wouldn't be able to handle the speed, flair and creativity of the Samba Queens. Surely this was going to be Brazil's day...and then something strange began to unfold. Brazil got complacent. They looked tired. They somehow decided not to make their final two subs even though they had us on the ropes. They appeared more content to draw fouls than they were to step on us when we were down.
We kept on battling and then in the 92nd minute, Marta scored again. It was a moment of brilliance but after taking a second look, one of the Brazilians was clearly offsides - another blown call. The first one was terrible. The second one just defeating. No way this team would overcome the odds. They would have the distinction of becoming the first team not to make the semi-finals at the World Cup. With USA greats Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy and Brandy Chastain in the house, they were going to be huge letdowns.
Still, the team battled. When Brazilian defender Erika went down with an apparent injury, only to jump off the stretcher and run to the midfield line, the crowd started to turn. I have not seen neutral fans cheer for the US in a long while - somehow everyone in the buidling new that screw job they were seeing. They suddenly saw that this great Brazil team that everyone wanted to see pay beautiful soccer was nothing more than a con. They didn't want to play pretty soccer - they wanted to grind out a win any way they could. Ian Darke said it perfectly when he noted that suddenly the cynicism of the men's game was entering the women's game. The crowd could see this - they knew the US deserved better and they directed their venom at Marta, who ironically was the only Brazilian not to stop to such low levels.
The ref added on 3 minutes of stoppage time to account for the faked injury...and then it happened...Meghan Rapinoe whipped in a cross from 40 yards out. The keeper came out, but somehow missed it and Abby Wambach who couldn't buy a goal earlier in the tournament (and somehow was getting the ire of most fans) was their to score the biggest goal of her life. I jumped up and down for the first time (not counting Sounders' games) since Landon Donovan scored against Algeria last summer. Not only did I jump but I was feeling a little choked up. Kudos for Julie Foudy for keeping it together in the booth - I'm not sure how she was able to keep it together.
From there, the outcome was already written. There was no way that Hope Solo wasn't going to win the game for them. She not only is a better keeper than her counterpart but she is more athletic and most important, had a huge chip on her shoulder. After Christiane and Marta scored, the visibly nervous Daiane stepped up to take the kick. Solo had her read the whole time and pushed her shot wide. Our girls then converted the next two kicks and we won 5-3.
I haven't felt this way in a long, long time. We were getting screwed. We were being held down. We deserved better. And as with all US soccer teams, we never quit, we never backed down and we came back to win. With Germany and Brazil out, we are now not only the favorites, but we are a team of destiny.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Hawaii Baby
We have been here for less than 12 hours but it is glorious. I was unsure what my internet availability would be like, but while in Waikiki it looks pretty good - kid in bed at 6pm means I get some serious daddy internet and tv time.
Here are the obvious sports things on my mind heading into the weekend...
Here are the obvious sports things on my mind heading into the weekend...
- Can the Sounders go down to Portland and get a win? I was feeling a little afraid after their last meeting, but since John Spencer started to run his mouth at every opportunity, the Timbers have really sucked. We are in great form, but you can never count on anything in rivalry games. One thing I do know - we will either be in shale or electricity as the Timbers will be in green. Here's hoping for a Roger Levesque goal.
- Can the Mets keep it up? After taking 3 of 4 from LA, they won the opener against SF guaranteeing a winning record in their mini 7-game West Coast swing. I might be watching Sunday nights game with my maybe sometime future brother-in-law (a Giants fan) so it would be nice to get a win going into the All-Star break.
- How long will Reyes be out and can Pagan really fill in for him like I suggested?
- How long will this Jeter thing go for? Look, I don't like the guy, but I definitely respect him. He is a damn good player and I'm sad he wasn't in Queens all these years. That being said, I hate having to watch the countdown every day.
- Any chance the US women can beat Marta? Man, I don't know - they seem like a team in transition right now. Even if they go down, they better put Alex Morgan on the field...Hope Solo is going to need to be on her best to stop Marta.
- Deron Williams going to Turkey. Part of me thinks this is a good idea as it shows that he might be recovered from his wrist injury. Part of me thinks it shows how much he loves the game. But then the other part of me questions if it is a good idea considering his wrist injury and part of me wonders if it is solely about money...I don't know, I just pray whatever happens over there that he stays with the Nets
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Wednesday Morning Mets Ramblings
The last time I wrote a column discussing how fun this current Mets team is, they team then proceeded to go on a losing streak. So if history is an indication, this column could be a bad idea. I am unfazed though for one simple reason -no matter what warts this team has, they continue to fight and they continue to exceed expectations. I have to hand it to Sandy Alderson - he made a good hire in Terry Collins. I don't know if Collins should be the man moving forward, but he has been a nice change of pace from the previous two regimes. This team is playing with pride and a never say die attitude. When you think about it, it's a perfect Mets team. We have consistently choked over the past 20 years when we were the favorites, loaded with talent. Even when we were successful it never felt as good as supporting a team overlooked by the media that proved everyone wrong. Yankees fans might be good rooting for the favorites, but as Mets fans we need to support the underdog...we need to believe.
With that being said, I am halfway believing that we can make some noise in the Wild Card chase. I'm not sure we can win it, but I think we can be playing some meaningful games in September. It's not that I don't think this team can continue winning, it's just that it's a team in transition. Normally if we were sitting at 42-40, fans would be calling for management to trade our prospects to get a big bat or arm so that we could win this year. This year is a little different - some are calling for trades, but for once they are not irrational requests. Instead, most fans want the team to trade Beltran and K-Rod...some (like myself) are even asking for management to trade Jose Reyes. I am far enough removed from NY that I don't listen the FAN and I don't read the local newspapers, but I can't imagine Mets fans are getting too caught up in the 2011 team. I hope that they all know that we are playing with house money this year and that 2012 should really be our focus.
I'm not saying we should entirely give up on this season, but I don't think we need to add big name players to continue to be successful. It would be one thing if we had our full lineup and were two games over .500. Maybe I would feel differently about our prospects, but the fact is that while we are maximizing our talent with the current team, we have guys within our organization that can step in and continue winning games. I'm talking Jason Bay, David Wright, Ike Davis and Johan Santana (remember those guys??).
Right now the Mets are winning with good pitching, Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes and a different guy every night - Justin Turner, Daniel Murphy, Ruben Tejada or Angel Pagan. Reyes has been out of this world, but I don't need to tell you that. The April-June 2011 version of Reyes is even more than we all could have hoped for. The problem is that he is a free agent at the end of the year and injury prone. There is no one in the game that compares to Reyes - he is a talent like none other. Conventional wisdom says you don't let a guy like this go, but to me, his injury problems can't be ignored. I have written about this in the past - I just feel like we're damned with whatever we choose to do. If we let him walk he'll become a star someplace else. If we re-sign him he will probably get hurt. In the end, I think we need a change and with Reyes playing at an MVP level, he might be able to bring us some good parts in return. The question we need to ask ourselves though is do we have a suitable replacement? I think the answer is yes - while Ruben Tejada will never be the second coming of Jose Reyes, I think he can be above average replacement who can play good defense and hit 7th in the lineup and maybe someday even 2nd. As for replacing Reyes in the leadoff spot, Angel Pagan has shown that he can do a fine job in the past. Again, it's not Reyes, but it's not terrible.
I have been the first to harp on Beltran in the past, but I will be the first to admit that he has been amazing this year. Did you know that he currently leads the team in games played this year? That's right...Carlos Beltran. Simply amazing. With 13 HR, 24 doubles, 57 RBI and a .283 average, he definitely deserves to be an All-Star. The problem with Beltran of course is the same with Reyes - he is a free agent at the end of the year and an injury risk. The difference is that he is 5 years older. He certainly won't be back with the team next year (although I would take him back for a reasonable salary of say $4million) so the obvious move is to trade him. Some think we won't be able to get much for him considering his huge salary and history of bad knees, but I think some team will panic come August and send us some good prospects (of course, if not, he can stay with the team and we can get two draft picks once he signs elsewhere). As for replacing Beltran in the lineup, we have a guy named Jason Bay who is more than capable than pulling his weight. It might be wishful thinking considering how terrible he has been in his two seasons with the Mets, but he is starting to warm up -since June 15 he is hitting .347 with 4 HR and 17 RBI. IF, and I know it's a big IF, Bay can come around, then we have a nice replacement for Beltran.
When we start thinking about Wright and Davis coming back, we need to think about how it is going to effect the team. If both are healthy, Collins would be nuts to start unsung heroes Justin Turner, Daniel Murphy and Lucas Duda over them, but I wonder what effect it will have. Part of me thinks that you don't mess with something good, but it's not like Wright and Daivs are divas. They are hard workers who want to win above all else, so I think their re-introduction would be a positive thing (of course we might not see Davis again this year so who knows). The only thing Collins will need to do is figure out how to get Murphy and Turner some at-bats. They will probably platoon at second base and provide the occasional bat off the bench but their real worth will be at first (if possible). Duda has shown some promising moments, but overall he is still not where he needs to be. Murphy and Turner could continue to see time there.
So there you have it - I just talked myself into trading both Reyes and Beltran all while continuing to flourish on offense. I mean, compare our line-up now: Reyes-Turner-Beltran-Murphy-Bay-Pagan-Thole-Tejada to what it could be after the deadline: Pagan-Murphy-Wright-Davis-Bay-Tejada-Thole-Martinez. It's not the worst thing...
As for pitching, who knows what we'll get out of Johan (or if we should even bring him back this season), but you have to think his introduction into the rotation would be a good thing. I don't want to take anything away from the current guys, but Santana is not someone you throw in the bullpen so that Chris Capuano can continue to get in games. While Pelfrey would be the guy to move based on performance, I don't think they would do it because of what a headcase he is. So I think its Capuano who gets moved to the 'pen, which would then allow us to move Izzy or Tim Byrdak as reports are suggesting. I don't know if we can get anything for either of them, but they are not longterm guys, so why not kick the tires a little? As for K-Rod, we don't have a closer in waiting (some suggest Parnell might be that guy but I don't know), but he needs to go. Trading him might hurt the team on the field, but it is a necessary move to help cleanse the clubhouse and organization of the stank that has been over them for a few years. They got rid of Perez and Castillo in the offseason - now it's K-Rod's turn.
I'm not sure if I was coherent in any way, but those are my rambling thoughts on the Mets before I go on vacation. I am enjoying supporting them this year even if they lost 4 of 6 do the effing Yankees, but I do realize that this isn't their team moving forward. We need to make some moves with 2012 in mind...amazingly though I think we have the within house to remain competitive for the rest of this season. All I know is that it is going to be an interesting few months.
With that being said, I am halfway believing that we can make some noise in the Wild Card chase. I'm not sure we can win it, but I think we can be playing some meaningful games in September. It's not that I don't think this team can continue winning, it's just that it's a team in transition. Normally if we were sitting at 42-40, fans would be calling for management to trade our prospects to get a big bat or arm so that we could win this year. This year is a little different - some are calling for trades, but for once they are not irrational requests. Instead, most fans want the team to trade Beltran and K-Rod...some (like myself) are even asking for management to trade Jose Reyes. I am far enough removed from NY that I don't listen the FAN and I don't read the local newspapers, but I can't imagine Mets fans are getting too caught up in the 2011 team. I hope that they all know that we are playing with house money this year and that 2012 should really be our focus.
I'm not saying we should entirely give up on this season, but I don't think we need to add big name players to continue to be successful. It would be one thing if we had our full lineup and were two games over .500. Maybe I would feel differently about our prospects, but the fact is that while we are maximizing our talent with the current team, we have guys within our organization that can step in and continue winning games. I'm talking Jason Bay, David Wright, Ike Davis and Johan Santana (remember those guys??).
Right now the Mets are winning with good pitching, Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes and a different guy every night - Justin Turner, Daniel Murphy, Ruben Tejada or Angel Pagan. Reyes has been out of this world, but I don't need to tell you that. The April-June 2011 version of Reyes is even more than we all could have hoped for. The problem is that he is a free agent at the end of the year and injury prone. There is no one in the game that compares to Reyes - he is a talent like none other. Conventional wisdom says you don't let a guy like this go, but to me, his injury problems can't be ignored. I have written about this in the past - I just feel like we're damned with whatever we choose to do. If we let him walk he'll become a star someplace else. If we re-sign him he will probably get hurt. In the end, I think we need a change and with Reyes playing at an MVP level, he might be able to bring us some good parts in return. The question we need to ask ourselves though is do we have a suitable replacement? I think the answer is yes - while Ruben Tejada will never be the second coming of Jose Reyes, I think he can be above average replacement who can play good defense and hit 7th in the lineup and maybe someday even 2nd. As for replacing Reyes in the leadoff spot, Angel Pagan has shown that he can do a fine job in the past. Again, it's not Reyes, but it's not terrible.
I have been the first to harp on Beltran in the past, but I will be the first to admit that he has been amazing this year. Did you know that he currently leads the team in games played this year? That's right...Carlos Beltran. Simply amazing. With 13 HR, 24 doubles, 57 RBI and a .283 average, he definitely deserves to be an All-Star. The problem with Beltran of course is the same with Reyes - he is a free agent at the end of the year and an injury risk. The difference is that he is 5 years older. He certainly won't be back with the team next year (although I would take him back for a reasonable salary of say $4million) so the obvious move is to trade him. Some think we won't be able to get much for him considering his huge salary and history of bad knees, but I think some team will panic come August and send us some good prospects (of course, if not, he can stay with the team and we can get two draft picks once he signs elsewhere). As for replacing Beltran in the lineup, we have a guy named Jason Bay who is more than capable than pulling his weight. It might be wishful thinking considering how terrible he has been in his two seasons with the Mets, but he is starting to warm up -since June 15 he is hitting .347 with 4 HR and 17 RBI. IF, and I know it's a big IF, Bay can come around, then we have a nice replacement for Beltran.
When we start thinking about Wright and Davis coming back, we need to think about how it is going to effect the team. If both are healthy, Collins would be nuts to start unsung heroes Justin Turner, Daniel Murphy and Lucas Duda over them, but I wonder what effect it will have. Part of me thinks that you don't mess with something good, but it's not like Wright and Daivs are divas. They are hard workers who want to win above all else, so I think their re-introduction would be a positive thing (of course we might not see Davis again this year so who knows). The only thing Collins will need to do is figure out how to get Murphy and Turner some at-bats. They will probably platoon at second base and provide the occasional bat off the bench but their real worth will be at first (if possible). Duda has shown some promising moments, but overall he is still not where he needs to be. Murphy and Turner could continue to see time there.
So there you have it - I just talked myself into trading both Reyes and Beltran all while continuing to flourish on offense. I mean, compare our line-up now: Reyes-Turner-Beltran-Murphy-Bay-Pagan-Thole-Tejada to what it could be after the deadline: Pagan-Murphy-Wright-Davis-Bay-Tejada-Thole-Martinez. It's not the worst thing...
As for pitching, who knows what we'll get out of Johan (or if we should even bring him back this season), but you have to think his introduction into the rotation would be a good thing. I don't want to take anything away from the current guys, but Santana is not someone you throw in the bullpen so that Chris Capuano can continue to get in games. While Pelfrey would be the guy to move based on performance, I don't think they would do it because of what a headcase he is. So I think its Capuano who gets moved to the 'pen, which would then allow us to move Izzy or Tim Byrdak as reports are suggesting. I don't know if we can get anything for either of them, but they are not longterm guys, so why not kick the tires a little? As for K-Rod, we don't have a closer in waiting (some suggest Parnell might be that guy but I don't know), but he needs to go. Trading him might hurt the team on the field, but it is a necessary move to help cleanse the clubhouse and organization of the stank that has been over them for a few years. They got rid of Perez and Castillo in the offseason - now it's K-Rod's turn.
I'm not sure if I was coherent in any way, but those are my rambling thoughts on the Mets before I go on vacation. I am enjoying supporting them this year even if they lost 4 of 6 do the effing Yankees, but I do realize that this isn't their team moving forward. We need to make some moves with 2012 in mind...amazingly though I think we have the within house to remain competitive for the rest of this season. All I know is that it is going to be an interesting few months.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Instant (Over)Reaction: Galaxy
Good morning to all - it has been a few days since I have had anything new to say, so let me start off by getting a few personal things out of the way. First, having a two-year old in the summer time is an amazingly fun thing. You have an excuse to sit outside all day, play on some jungle gyms, draw on the sidewalk and look for bugs. It's great. Second, thanks to the Seattle weather for giving us 2 beautiful days over the holiday weekend. Third, I can't say I enjoy the 4th of July anymore. Maybe it will mean something to me again in the future, but all I could do last night was cringe with anxiety every time a firework went offnear our house with The Incident sleeping in her room. Fourth, I'm going on vacation at the end of the week, so JS content will be down for a little bit. I hope to be able to get a few things in before then.
Ok, so let's get to the game last night. The Sounders went into LA with a 8-4-7 record, unbeaten in the last 6. If there was a game where we could break the Galxay demons this was surely going to be it. We are not only hot, but they were going to be without David Beckham (who reports were saying would miss the game because Posh had scheduled the birth of their 18th kid with a US city name on July 4th) and were down to their 3rd sting goalie. The planets were aligned.
After 90 minutes, the two teams were exactly where they started - tied 0-0 in a game that I actually found to be quite enjoyable considering the lack of scoring. Here are my thoughts:
Ok, so let's get to the game last night. The Sounders went into LA with a 8-4-7 record, unbeaten in the last 6. If there was a game where we could break the Galxay demons this was surely going to be it. We are not only hot, but they were going to be without David Beckham (who reports were saying would miss the game because Posh had scheduled the birth of their 18th kid with a US city name on July 4th) and were down to their 3rd sting goalie. The planets were aligned.
After 90 minutes, the two teams were exactly where they started - tied 0-0 in a game that I actually found to be quite enjoyable considering the lack of scoring. Here are my thoughts:
- I really liked the idea of wearing the electricity kits. I know some still don't like them (they have grown on me, especially given the currently hideous version of our raves), but it was a nice change up and something that you often see in college football. At the end of the day, players have to make plays - what they are wearing doesn't matter a damn bit...but going with the unexpected can often give you a short term bump early in the game.
- A tie on the road against the best team in the league is a good result, but we all know it could have been better. Shame on the Sounders for not testing rookie goalie Brian Perk more. I know the LA defense should get some of the credit for keeping the shot count down, but once again, we seem to have no one besides Ozzie Alonso and Mike Fucito who are willing to shoot the damn ball.
- Terrible PK attempt by Fredy Montero. I fully expected him to miss so it wasn't a huge letdown. However, I thought it was a good call by the ref even if John Harkes didn't like it.
- Once again, the defense did a good job on Donovan. Kudos to both Riley and Wahl (although Wahl did get bailed out once when Donovan hit a header straight to Keller after forgetting he was behind him)
- I have really enjoyed how Levesque has played in the last few weeks. It's easy to say that when he scores goals, but even last night, when the team had nothing to show for it, I thought he was active and didn't turn the ball over much
- A bounce back game from Alonso - back to his ball winning ways.
- I really enjoy watching the Rosales-Friberg-El Flaco-Alonso midfield. For the first time in our brief history I thought we had guys out there who could connect 10 straight passes without turning it over or playing a long ball.
- Speaking of Rosales he is definitely my favorite player (not named Alonso) right now. His energy and technical skill makes him a threat every time he has the ball. I know he has only played like 15 games for the Sounders, but I would go as far as to say he is the 4th best/most important signing during our three year history. (For me, its Keller-Alonso-Montero in some order, with Zakuani not counting since he was giftedn to us for being an expansion team)
- Another nice seque, speaking of Zakuani, we really missed him last night. For how well the midfield played (even though final stats were 55-45 possession for LA), they were missing that one guy who could stretch the defense the way Stevie does. Everytime Mauro got a step on a guy you knew he was going to cross it whereas Zakuani beats the guy on the end line and causes total havoc.
- Chad Barrett will always suck.
- Juan Pablo Angel missed two shots by mere inches - there was a time around the 70th minute right after Beckham came in where I felt the momentum shift. I was scared that a small mental lapse was going to cost us, but we held on with a little luck. Angel from 2 years ago finished those opportunities
Friday, July 1, 2011
Thoughts on the Mexican Home Game in LA
It's news that you probably have heard of by now - on Saturday the US blew a 2-0 lead and lost to Mexico 4-2 at the Rose Bowl. From the US point of view, the game was a total disaster after the 20th minute. Our defense was wretched. Our midfield and forwards were nothing to write home about (except for one Mr. Fredy Adu who played damn well!). Our goalie had one of his worst matches ever. All around it was not good. Yet still, the only thing I have been able to think about for the past 5 days is what happened off the field. After the game Tim Howard blasted CONCACAF officials after the game for having the entire championship ceremony in Spanish. Said Howard, "CONCACAF should be ashamed of themselves. I think it was a [expletive] disgrace that the entire postmatch ceremony was in Spanish. You can bet your ass that if we were in Mexico City, it wouldn't be all in English." It was obviously a comment said hot on the heels of a stunning loss. He then amended his remarks a few days later, apologizing for swearing, but he did not back down from the point of his comments. The game was in the US between the US, a primarily English-speaking country, and Mexico, a Spanish -speaking country. Just like the World Cup and other international events, the ceremonies should have been done in both languages.
Even though it might be seen by some as being close-minded or ignorant, I tend to agree with Howard’s sentiments. The problem is that he picked a terrible time to say it. The US had just lost - check that, they just folded to a better team. Anytime a team loses they have one of two ways to react: they can either vow to get better and win next time they play or they can sulk and complain. Clint Dempsey was visibly frustrated. He knew they wasted a golden opportunity. You know he is going to go back to England, improve his game and try to make sure it doesn't happen again. That is a positive reaction. Howard's reaction was the opposite - he is seen as bitter; he seen as a complainer; most importantly he is seen as ignorant?. It is a minor black eye for the federation, but one that will not be discussed stateside (credit to Scoop Jackson for actually discussing it even though I don't agree with his point) because this country would clearly rather talk about the NFL lockout.
Moving past the Howard incident, the second and most powerful controversy remains the scene of Mexican colors and show of support that we saw in the stands. This game was played in the Rose Bowl, a stadium that –geographically - should be considered a home game for the US, yet conservative estimates put the Mexican/US fan split at 80/20. It's not really anything new - for as long as I have been watching soccer, the US has never had a real home field advantage against Mexico or any of its Central American opponents - but it still eats at me a bit. Speaking from an emotional standpoint only, I feel like US fans are letting its team down.
For a brief month -long period in July 2010, the American audience seemed to actually like watching the US team. I thought maybe we were starting to turn the corner; that maybe we were growing to a bigger audience. Apparently that is not true - Americans again are not out supporting the US team. In fact, most Americans supported the opposition this past Saturday.
Emotionally, I wanted to come out and rail on the Mexican -born Americans who chose to wear the Mexican colors, but before I did so, I wanted to really make sure I had some solid points to back up my argument. I spent the past few days thinking about this because I didn't want to mess this up. It is an emotional and political issue that can turn sour quickly.
I started with the point that immigrants from Mexico who now live in the US should somehow be loyal to their new country. Many have come to the US to pursue a better life or chase the “American Dream.” I thought, “Now that they have that, shouldn't they be thankful?” I realized that this thinking was an easy opinion to provide, and a bit short-sided. Immigrants to this country can and do show how thankful they are by doing the same thing American born citizens can - they can work hard, live productive lives, and raise their children to be contributing members of society. They don't necessarily need to wear the red, white, and blue to watch a soccer game. It's a soccer game, not war. The fact is that culture doesn't change just because you change your geographical location. Mexican -born Americans can always retain their Mexican culture. It’s not revoked the minute you cross a political border. It's like if I were going to move to Canada: I would be happy to be there, but I would still identify myself as an American.
So what is it then? Why does seeing all the green in the stands eat at me? Am I really biased against Mexicans? What if this weren’t Mexico, but Canada? Would I feel the same way if I saw 75000 Canadians wearing red and waving the maple leaf in Seattle? Would it irk me? Annoy me? Enrage me? It might have an impact...but I'm not sure. The idea of it seems so foreign because it has never and (likely) will never happen. Canadians hockey, not soccer, and they are not willing to travel to watch their soccer team play. If, all of a sudden, Canadians were overrunning US home games at US stadiums, I might be annoyed, but until it happens on a consistent basis, I wouldn’t even begin to get angry.
So really, the fact that this team was Mexican and that the majority of the fans were rooting for Mexico is entirely beside the point. However, with the continued political debate over whether the US should close its borders to Mexico, it is hard not to eliminate it from this discussion. If you are able to exclude political, economic, and cultural factors, I think you can see that the real reason to be pissed is simply that the US team doesn't have a home field advantage. I can honestly say that it is the ONLY athletic team in the world that I can think of without a home field advantage. Sure, Marlins fans are outnumbered by Mets fans when they play in Miami and Red Sox are starting to invade other parks at an alarming rate, but those are once-a-season occurrences. I feel like unless the US is playing a tiny nation like Grenada in a cold weather location like Columbus we might never have a home field advantage.
No matter your country or sport, the key to winning competitions is the same - you must win at home. If you can't win at home, then you might as well kiss winning on the road goodbye. Good teams hold the fort and have crowds there to provide support. For the US Men's National team, winning games is never going to be easy regardless of where the game is being played. We are not a soccer nation and never will be. Our best athletes aren’t playing the game and those that do simply don’t have the advantage that soccer-specific countries do. Winning will always be an uphill battle. Taking away any semblance of home field advantage is just devastating. Simply devastating.
Now I know that part of the reason the crowd was so overwhelmingly Mexican on Saturday was because the game was played in LA. I couldn't find the exact stats on the census website, but in California, Latinos represent 32% of the population (12% overall in the US) and 26% of its citizens were born outside of the US (11% overall in the US). Tijuana is a 15 minute plane ride or 2 hour car ride from LA. So CONCACAF scheduled the game to be played not only in an area with a high Latino population, but one that was 15 minutes away from the opposing country. I'm in no way crying about it, I'm just pointing out that as long as a US-Mexico match is played in LA (the Rose Bowl seats 93k which is perfect for the money making machine), we should never expect the crowd to support the US team. If the US soccer federation wants to combat this, then they will need to put all future games such as World Cup qualifiers against Mexico in areas of the country like Seattle, Portland, Columbus, Milwaukee or Boston (hell, even Omaha or Bismark) - cities that are far away from Mexico geographically and whose Mexican population is small (or of course, US supporting Americans need to show up more, but we know how likely that is). Of course, the problem with this is that games would only be played in stereotypically white areas, which is just so anti-American. Part of what makes this country great is the racial and cultural diversity that we have cultivated. In a way, having a game on US soil that is supported by fans of another country is a testament to the free speech that we are all afforded. As long as we live in such a society, and as long as fans of the US National Team are few, scattered, and unwilling to travel to see their team, we are going to have to live with being outdrawn at soccer home games. It may not feel right, but it is the reality we are facing.
Even though it might be seen by some as being close-minded or ignorant, I tend to agree with Howard’s sentiments. The problem is that he picked a terrible time to say it. The US had just lost - check that, they just folded to a better team. Anytime a team loses they have one of two ways to react: they can either vow to get better and win next time they play or they can sulk and complain. Clint Dempsey was visibly frustrated. He knew they wasted a golden opportunity. You know he is going to go back to England, improve his game and try to make sure it doesn't happen again. That is a positive reaction. Howard's reaction was the opposite - he is seen as bitter; he seen as a complainer; most importantly he is seen as ignorant?. It is a minor black eye for the federation, but one that will not be discussed stateside (credit to Scoop Jackson for actually discussing it even though I don't agree with his point) because this country would clearly rather talk about the NFL lockout.
Moving past the Howard incident, the second and most powerful controversy remains the scene of Mexican colors and show of support that we saw in the stands. This game was played in the Rose Bowl, a stadium that –geographically - should be considered a home game for the US, yet conservative estimates put the Mexican/US fan split at 80/20. It's not really anything new - for as long as I have been watching soccer, the US has never had a real home field advantage against Mexico or any of its Central American opponents - but it still eats at me a bit. Speaking from an emotional standpoint only, I feel like US fans are letting its team down.
For a brief month -long period in July 2010, the American audience seemed to actually like watching the US team. I thought maybe we were starting to turn the corner; that maybe we were growing to a bigger audience. Apparently that is not true - Americans again are not out supporting the US team. In fact, most Americans supported the opposition this past Saturday.
Emotionally, I wanted to come out and rail on the Mexican -born Americans who chose to wear the Mexican colors, but before I did so, I wanted to really make sure I had some solid points to back up my argument. I spent the past few days thinking about this because I didn't want to mess this up. It is an emotional and political issue that can turn sour quickly.
I started with the point that immigrants from Mexico who now live in the US should somehow be loyal to their new country. Many have come to the US to pursue a better life or chase the “American Dream.” I thought, “Now that they have that, shouldn't they be thankful?” I realized that this thinking was an easy opinion to provide, and a bit short-sided. Immigrants to this country can and do show how thankful they are by doing the same thing American born citizens can - they can work hard, live productive lives, and raise their children to be contributing members of society. They don't necessarily need to wear the red, white, and blue to watch a soccer game. It's a soccer game, not war. The fact is that culture doesn't change just because you change your geographical location. Mexican -born Americans can always retain their Mexican culture. It’s not revoked the minute you cross a political border. It's like if I were going to move to Canada: I would be happy to be there, but I would still identify myself as an American.
So what is it then? Why does seeing all the green in the stands eat at me? Am I really biased against Mexicans? What if this weren’t Mexico, but Canada? Would I feel the same way if I saw 75000 Canadians wearing red and waving the maple leaf in Seattle? Would it irk me? Annoy me? Enrage me? It might have an impact...but I'm not sure. The idea of it seems so foreign because it has never and (likely) will never happen. Canadians hockey, not soccer, and they are not willing to travel to watch their soccer team play. If, all of a sudden, Canadians were overrunning US home games at US stadiums, I might be annoyed, but until it happens on a consistent basis, I wouldn’t even begin to get angry.
So really, the fact that this team was Mexican and that the majority of the fans were rooting for Mexico is entirely beside the point. However, with the continued political debate over whether the US should close its borders to Mexico, it is hard not to eliminate it from this discussion. If you are able to exclude political, economic, and cultural factors, I think you can see that the real reason to be pissed is simply that the US team doesn't have a home field advantage. I can honestly say that it is the ONLY athletic team in the world that I can think of without a home field advantage. Sure, Marlins fans are outnumbered by Mets fans when they play in Miami and Red Sox are starting to invade other parks at an alarming rate, but those are once-a-season occurrences. I feel like unless the US is playing a tiny nation like Grenada in a cold weather location like Columbus we might never have a home field advantage.
No matter your country or sport, the key to winning competitions is the same - you must win at home. If you can't win at home, then you might as well kiss winning on the road goodbye. Good teams hold the fort and have crowds there to provide support. For the US Men's National team, winning games is never going to be easy regardless of where the game is being played. We are not a soccer nation and never will be. Our best athletes aren’t playing the game and those that do simply don’t have the advantage that soccer-specific countries do. Winning will always be an uphill battle. Taking away any semblance of home field advantage is just devastating. Simply devastating.
Now I know that part of the reason the crowd was so overwhelmingly Mexican on Saturday was because the game was played in LA. I couldn't find the exact stats on the census website, but in California, Latinos represent 32% of the population (12% overall in the US) and 26% of its citizens were born outside of the US (11% overall in the US). Tijuana is a 15 minute plane ride or 2 hour car ride from LA. So CONCACAF scheduled the game to be played not only in an area with a high Latino population, but one that was 15 minutes away from the opposing country. I'm in no way crying about it, I'm just pointing out that as long as a US-Mexico match is played in LA (the Rose Bowl seats 93k which is perfect for the money making machine), we should never expect the crowd to support the US team. If the US soccer federation wants to combat this, then they will need to put all future games such as World Cup qualifiers against Mexico in areas of the country like Seattle, Portland, Columbus, Milwaukee or Boston (hell, even Omaha or Bismark) - cities that are far away from Mexico geographically and whose Mexican population is small (or of course, US supporting Americans need to show up more, but we know how likely that is). Of course, the problem with this is that games would only be played in stereotypically white areas, which is just so anti-American. Part of what makes this country great is the racial and cultural diversity that we have cultivated. In a way, having a game on US soil that is supported by fans of another country is a testament to the free speech that we are all afforded. As long as we live in such a society, and as long as fans of the US National Team are few, scattered, and unwilling to travel to see their team, we are going to have to live with being outdrawn at soccer home games. It may not feel right, but it is the reality we are facing.
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