Two things before I get into this. 1) I have seen the future. He wears #1 for the Bulls. 2) I hate the Timbers so much that I actually (gulp) was rooting for Philly tonight. Those words have ner come out of my mouth before.
Ok, so I have no idea if anyone enjoyed this column a few weeks ago, but I really enjoyed putting it together. So that means you all get a second one to read. As always, please email me if there are any obscure sports you would like to see me cover in addition to the following.
-Thanks to Sports Illustrated I now know that Marta, the best female soccer player in the world, is currently playing in Buffalo for the Western NY Flash of the Women's Professional Soccer league. Apparently she has been a franchise killer as her past two teams went under. So now she is in Buffalo with some other big names like Christine Sinclair and #1 pick Alex Morgan (that's what happens when your league has 6 teams - you have stacked teams). In addition, my fav Abby Wambach is now playing for the South Florida magicJack after the team moved from DC. SkyBlue FC are still proudly representing New Jersey (but sit in last at 0-3-1).
-I have talked about USL PDL before, but I failed to mention the new Division 2 soccer league, the North American Soccer League. The NASL currently has 8 teams, 4 of which used to compete against the Sounders before they moved up - Montreal, Puerto Rico, Carolina, Atlanta. I can't claim to know anything more than what the SBI crew have told me, but from the sound of it, Edmonton and Atlanta are the worst teams in the league while Monterla, PR and Carolina are the tops. FC Tampa Bay, Ft Lauderdale Strikers, NSC Minnesota Stars make up the remaining teams.
-Speaking of the PDL, the North Sound Seawolves host their first ever home game this Saturday against Washington Crossfire. I doubt I will be able to make it out this weekend, but with Everett being only 20 minutes away, I hope to catch a few games this year. Again, I claim to know nothing about this more about this team than what their website provides. However, I do know they will have at least one familiar face- Craig Tomlinson of the former A-league Sounders. We also have 2 Garfield HS Alumni, 2 Seattle Univ guys, a Seattle Pacific graduate and two players from local community colleges.
-Let's move on to the Arena Football League, where the Jacksonville Sharks have won 6 games in a row after an opening night loss to the Arizona Rattlers. They sit tied with Arizona with the best record in the AFL at 6-1. J'ville is led by 59 year old QB Aaron Garcia who I am still surprised never really got a shot at the NFL. In his 17th AFL season, he is the all-time leader in passing yards and recently became the first football player to ever throw for 1000 td's. Yes, 100 td's. It's amazing to think that I saw him as a 3rd year player for the Red Dogs in 1997 and that I wanted to run him out of town in favor of Ricky Foggie (this one's for you, Jay). The guy has thrown for over 90 td's in 5 different seasons including 104 against 16 int's in 2001. When I look back, I am a bit sad that I never got into the New York Dragons as they were in the league for a good decade - I just was never able to get over my Red Dogs moving to Vegas.
-The Washington Stealth won their Western Division semi-final game against the Minnesota Swarm and now get a shot at the Division Champs, Calgary Roughnecks on Saturday night. The Stealth had an underachieving year but boast the league's top offense and are only one game from going back to the MLL Final where they look to repeat as champs. Gametime is 6:30...no tv because of the NHL Playoffs on Versus.
-The defending WNBA Champs, the Seattle Storm, traded for 37 year old SG Katie Smith last week in an attempt to win another title this year. Smith's acquisition makes the Storm's starting line-up the best in the league, but I question what this does for us in the long haul. It might be that the front office fully knows the team's window is about to close (with LJ sitting out much of next year because of the Olympics and Sue/Swin not getting any younger). If so, then I applaud them for their urgency but hope that the bottom doesn't fall out 2-3 years from now. I mean, it's not like we are going to get the next Maya Moore or Britney Griner by drafting at the end of the draft.
-It wasn't pretty, but Northampton FC has officially saved off relegation thanks to a 2-0 win over 9-man Stevanage last weekend. The win was huge for the Cobblers, who now sit 4 points out of relegation with 1 game left. The loss was equally big for Stevange who could have moved to within 1 point of 5th place. A year after being relegated to League 2, the Cobblers narrowly avoided spiraling out of professional soccer. I hope next year they can come back and fight for promotion. Final game of the season is tomorrow against Morecambe who sit 2 points ahead. With a win and some help they can finish 16th in the league.
-The United Football League had their 2011 draft on Monday. The first selection for the Hartford Colonials was Texas A&M QB Jerrod Johnson. Other selections included former Bears RB Adrian Peterson (the one from Georgia Southern), former Rutgers and Seahawks QB Mike Teel, former Oregon and Ole Miss QB, the disgraced Jeremiah Masoli and cancer survivor LB Mark Herzlich of Boston College. The draft was moved up to try to get the players signed before the NFL lockout was lifted, as players signed with UFL cannot be signed by any NFL teams during the season. It will be really interesting to see what happens in year 3 of the UFL. Up to now the league has been made up of players looking for a second shot (Maurice Clarett, Dante Culpepper) as well as those who aren't good enough to deserve a shot at the NFL (a whole list of players who I won't bore you with). If the NFL lockout continues on into training camp and some players are scared that they won't get paid, the UFl might become an option. I doubt we will see any of the big names jumping ship because they can afford to sit out a season, but players who might be in their last year of a contract, or those who are making the league minimum certainly might be tempted to go to Omaha or Vegas or Hartford.
Finally, let's talk some European Hoops. With their semi-finals wins over Real Madrid and Montepaschi, Maccabi Israel and Panathinaikos earned a spot in the Euroleague Finals on Sunday. I don't know much about Euro hoops except that each team is only allowed a few Americans and normally they are the stars of the team. Currently Bucknell has several alumni overseas - Chris McNaughton, Boakai Lalugba and of course, one of the best ballers in Europe, JR Holden. Anyways, Panathinaikos is led by the "Greek Shaq" Sofoklis Schortsanitis. If you watched Greece beat the US in 2006 you will remember him. Leading the way for Maccabi Tel Aviv is former Gonzaga Bulldog Jeremy Pargo (Maccabi). I'm not sure, but I have a feeling you can probably catch the game live on NBA TV.
Showing posts with label obscure. Show all posts
Showing posts with label obscure. Show all posts
Friday, May 6, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
Obscure Sports Friday, Vol 1
Tomorrow morning I head for San Fran for a few days so I'm not sure if I will be able to post anything until I return. To keep you interested while I'm gone, I decided to start a new segment that pays homage to my roots, called Obscure Sports Friday. Every so often I plan on taking the opportunity to fill you in on some of the sports you might not be following. So without further adieu, let's get to it.
-The Arena Football League is five weeks into their 2011 season. Since coming back last year after a years hiatus, the AFL is as strong as ever. This year they have added one new team - the Pittsburgh Power and have brought back four former franchises - the Philly Soul, New Orleans VooDoo, San Jose Sabercats and Kansas City Brigade. Last year I started the process of picking an AFL team to support, but I never finished that search. It is something I hope to finally do this year. As for an update, the Cleveland Gladiators (led by QB Aaron Garcia and the bastard stepchild of the New Jersey Red Dogs) and the Arizona Rattlers are the only two undefeated teams. The reigning champion Spokane Shock are in last place at 1-3.
-The Bucknell men's lacrosse team is ranked 12th in the nation and undefeated in the Patriot League. After rallying past Lehigh tonight (down 7-1, won 12-11), they have set up the match of the year against 16th ranked Colgate, who are also undefeated in the league. If we can get past the Red Raiders, I think an at-large big to the NCAA Championship has to be a given, even if they don't win the league tournament. I mean, I don't know much, but at 13-3, how can they stay home?
-Adding to the list of sucky Seattle sports teams, the Seattle Thunderbirds finished in last place in the Western division of the Western Hockey League. The rival Everett Silvertips finished in 8th place and promptly got swept by the Portland Winterhawks in the first round of the playoffs. The state of Washington will be represented in the Western Conference, however, as the Spokane Chiefs and Tri-City Americans face off in the semi-finals.
-Northampton Town FC have now gone 15 league games without a win. The Cobblers sit only two points out of the relegation zone in League Two, a league they have never been lower than. All is not lost though as they do have a fixture against the last place team before the end of the season. With only 5 games left though they need some results to stay safe.
-The WNBA Draft occurred this week. Courtney Vandersloot of Kentwood High School and Gonzaga University was selected third overall to the Chicago Sky. She is said to be the best point guard to enter the league since Sue Bird. Liz Cambage, the 18 year old Aussie sensation went one spot ahead of her at #2. Cambage and newly signed 40-year old Sheryl Swoops certainly make an interesting pair.
-Did you know that the National Lacrosse League has a tv deal with versus? Did you also know that the Washington Stealth are the defending champs? Finally, did you know that they are the most exciting team in the league? They have scored the most goals in the league and have the two two leading scorers. They have also given up the second most goals in the league, meaning that there games are going to be high-scoring affairs. The Stealth roster is made up of mostly Canadians, but they do have a 24 year old from Kinnalon, NJ, a town 5 minutes from my grandparents.
-The North Sound SeaWolves are entering their first season in the USL Premier Development League. They are playing their home games in Everett and recently released their jerseys. Last year I was into the Kitsap Pumas because I didn't like the Seattle Wolves or Tacoma Tide (and I thought taking a ferry to Bremerton to watch a game was cool), but I'm glad to have a team in my immediate backyard. They won't have an easy go at it however, as they in the same division as the defending champs Portland Timbers U-23 and the Pumas (who won the division in 2009). You can get season tickets (8 games) for $50.
-The Tacoma Rainiers opened up newly renovated Cheney Stadium tonight. The original stadium was built in 1950. That's all I got.
-Finally, the United Football League is currently conducting off-season training camps. The league currently has 5 teams and is quietly hoping that an NFL lockout will have a positive effect on their league. Let's quickly review the teams. The Hartford Colonials are coached by former Falcons coach Jerry Glanville and have Josh McCown at QB. The Sacramento Mountain Lions are coached by Dennis Green and led by Daunte Culpeper under center. The Las Vegas Locomotives and Virginia Destroyers don't have many players of note, but are coached by Jim Fassel and Marty Schottenheimer. And finally, the Omaha Nighthawks have Maurice Clarett and former Georgia QB DJ Shockley on their roster. In the most intriguing development, former Heisman Winner Eric Crouch was seen at try-outs. The season starts in September.
If you have any sports you would like me to follow, please let me know about it. I am happy to feature it on Obscure Sports Friday.
-The Arena Football League is five weeks into their 2011 season. Since coming back last year after a years hiatus, the AFL is as strong as ever. This year they have added one new team - the Pittsburgh Power and have brought back four former franchises - the Philly Soul, New Orleans VooDoo, San Jose Sabercats and Kansas City Brigade. Last year I started the process of picking an AFL team to support, but I never finished that search. It is something I hope to finally do this year. As for an update, the Cleveland Gladiators (led by QB Aaron Garcia and the bastard stepchild of the New Jersey Red Dogs) and the Arizona Rattlers are the only two undefeated teams. The reigning champion Spokane Shock are in last place at 1-3.
-The Bucknell men's lacrosse team is ranked 12th in the nation and undefeated in the Patriot League. After rallying past Lehigh tonight (down 7-1, won 12-11), they have set up the match of the year against 16th ranked Colgate, who are also undefeated in the league. If we can get past the Red Raiders, I think an at-large big to the NCAA Championship has to be a given, even if they don't win the league tournament. I mean, I don't know much, but at 13-3, how can they stay home?
-Adding to the list of sucky Seattle sports teams, the Seattle Thunderbirds finished in last place in the Western division of the Western Hockey League. The rival Everett Silvertips finished in 8th place and promptly got swept by the Portland Winterhawks in the first round of the playoffs. The state of Washington will be represented in the Western Conference, however, as the Spokane Chiefs and Tri-City Americans face off in the semi-finals.
-Northampton Town FC have now gone 15 league games without a win. The Cobblers sit only two points out of the relegation zone in League Two, a league they have never been lower than. All is not lost though as they do have a fixture against the last place team before the end of the season. With only 5 games left though they need some results to stay safe.
-The WNBA Draft occurred this week. Courtney Vandersloot of Kentwood High School and Gonzaga University was selected third overall to the Chicago Sky. She is said to be the best point guard to enter the league since Sue Bird. Liz Cambage, the 18 year old Aussie sensation went one spot ahead of her at #2. Cambage and newly signed 40-year old Sheryl Swoops certainly make an interesting pair.
-Did you know that the National Lacrosse League has a tv deal with versus? Did you also know that the Washington Stealth are the defending champs? Finally, did you know that they are the most exciting team in the league? They have scored the most goals in the league and have the two two leading scorers. They have also given up the second most goals in the league, meaning that there games are going to be high-scoring affairs. The Stealth roster is made up of mostly Canadians, but they do have a 24 year old from Kinnalon, NJ, a town 5 minutes from my grandparents.
-The North Sound SeaWolves are entering their first season in the USL Premier Development League. They are playing their home games in Everett and recently released their jerseys. Last year I was into the Kitsap Pumas because I didn't like the Seattle Wolves or Tacoma Tide (and I thought taking a ferry to Bremerton to watch a game was cool), but I'm glad to have a team in my immediate backyard. They won't have an easy go at it however, as they in the same division as the defending champs Portland Timbers U-23 and the Pumas (who won the division in 2009). You can get season tickets (8 games) for $50.
-The Tacoma Rainiers opened up newly renovated Cheney Stadium tonight. The original stadium was built in 1950. That's all I got.
-Finally, the United Football League is currently conducting off-season training camps. The league currently has 5 teams and is quietly hoping that an NFL lockout will have a positive effect on their league. Let's quickly review the teams. The Hartford Colonials are coached by former Falcons coach Jerry Glanville and have Josh McCown at QB. The Sacramento Mountain Lions are coached by Dennis Green and led by Daunte Culpeper under center. The Las Vegas Locomotives and Virginia Destroyers don't have many players of note, but are coached by Jim Fassel and Marty Schottenheimer. And finally, the Omaha Nighthawks have Maurice Clarett and former Georgia QB DJ Shockley on their roster. In the most intriguing development, former Heisman Winner Eric Crouch was seen at try-outs. The season starts in September.
If you have any sports you would like me to follow, please let me know about it. I am happy to feature it on Obscure Sports Friday.
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