The Fan's Attic

On the Record...

2008-10-28T15:13:00.002-07:00

I want to go on the record with my Blazer thoughts prior to tonight's tipoff. First, I am extremely excited about the potential of this team. Portland has serious talent at all positions, but it's unproven and young talent. So, the results will likely be mixed. Once they jell a bit, then we should be in for some real thrills.

Second, I firmly believe this team has the ability to beat any team in the league and not in a fluky off-night for the opposing club sort of way, but that will only occur if Coach McMillan can can mold these players, assuage their egos and coax the best performances out of them as possible and the young guys come to play consistently. I am confident the character of Coach and the players will make both of these things a reality.

Third, while I hope for a 5 or 6 seed in the playoffs, realistically a 7 or 8 is what we should get. Next year will be a completely different story though.

That said, Go Blazers...Beat LA!!!

Did the ESPN Editors Miss Something?

2008-10-08T13:02:00.005-07:00

LA Clippers GM Elgin Baylor resigned yesterday or was fired. Who knows. Long has he been a punchline to NBA jokes, especially for Bill Simmons. Well, Bill Simmons is a gracious man who wrote a great column today about Elgin. Touching on his importance in the civil rights movement, the development of the NBA, and the development of players' rights.

Simmons recounted one conversation between he and Elgin regarding the lap of luxury today's NBA players live in, including chartered flights. To which Elgin responded:

"Sheeeeeeeeeet," he said. "When I played, we flew coach and carried our own bags! We landed two, three, four times! You ever hear about the time we crashed in a cornfield?"

(emphasis mine). It's not like the Disney conglomerate to allow those sorts of words, even alternative spellings, onto their website.

I have a screen grab below for verification purposes in case the editors end up changing it.

Rudy Will Put Points On Your Face

2008-09-29T19:23:00.005-07:00

The NBA season can't get here soon enough, but we'll have to make do with Trailblazer training camp opening on Tuesday. This is a much anticipated season in Rip City with newcomers Jerryd Bayless, Rudy Bayless and Greg Oden finally taking the court for the Blazers. Last season's surprising 41-41 record has expectations and excitement high. To whet fan appetites, Monday was a media day for Portland and Rudy Fernandez has laid down the gauntlet for his fellow countryman, Pau Gasol.

On who he's looking forward to playing against the most: "Pau. I've never played against him, only on the same team. I want to put points on your face."

Well, Rudy has already put points on Dwight Howard's face. Why not on Pau?

I nominate "I want to put points on your face" as the statement of the year.

In case anybody cares, you can find most of my work nowadays over at Unprofessional Foul. It's only my soccer related content, but with the NBA season starting back up I'll have more material here.

Just Do It: Steal and Stab

2008-07-17T20:25:00.009-07:00

In a sign of the times, I'm not sure what the sign is other than people are opportunistic bastards, onlookers swiped Nike shoes strewn across the road after a fatal accident. Kerry Ray Boatman of Michigan was riding in the sleeper cab of the truck ~~after~~ when the driver swerved to miss a car. The maneuver caused the trailer to split open and threw Boatman from the cab, killing him.

Thankfully, there was some good to come from this tragedy. Free shoes for some lucky travelers.

Several people attempted to steal some of the load of Nike athletic shoes being carried by one of the trucks.

Oregon State Police troopers at the crash along Interstate 84 in the Columbia River Gorge did not arrest anyone trying to take the boxes of shoes. But Lt. Gregg Hastings of OSP said several people, apparently also stalled because of the fire, were trying to do so.

~~There's a picture of the accident, but lack of computer geek skills prevents me from enlarging this tiny little picture.~~ UPDATE: I was able to locate a bigger picture of the wreck on KATU.com as you can see above and another picture to the right.

In other Nike news, the shoe company is pulling its Nike Air Stab shoes from the market in Britain. This comes after a spate of stabbings in England, including some Nike employees themselves.

All of this while Nike celebrates the 20th anniversary of its iconic "Just Do It" slogan.

[Photos: KATU]

Cocked and Ready To Fire

2008-06-05T17:21:00.003-07:00

In a baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay ~~Devil~~ Rays today, tempers flared. In the second inning Tampa pitcher James Shields hit Red Sox outfielder Coco Crisp with a pitch. After which, Crisp charged the mound. Shields threw a wild haymaker (right) that if it had connected could have made him into the next Kermit Washington. Well, maybe not that infamous because at Crisp saw it coming.

[Photo: AP Photo/Michael Dwyer]

Triple Crown Fashion

2008-06-03T20:20:00.004-07:00

The final leg of horse racing's Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, will be run this weekend. Big Brown won the first two legs and will try to become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978. I hope he wins, so "analysts" will quit trotting out (HA!) that stat.

The only people who know anything about horse racing are degenerate gamblers who drink and smoke too much. Everybody else attending these events is just there to be seen. Like at the Derby. The women are really into the hats.

It's the shoes, however, that are most important at all of these events. The horses have their own shoes, of course. But, I have been provided a photo of the latest shoe fashion that all the well-heeled will be wearing at Belmont this weekend.

The rumor is that Sarah Jessica Parker will be around this weekend to announce her endorsement. Maybe if she turns her ankle, somebody will put her down.

John Canzano On Thongs

2008-05-07T14:35:00.004-07:00

Local sports columnist John Canzano has a blog where he plugs his paper pieces and doles out info that he doesn't put in the paper. He also will from time to time opine on other subjects. This time...thongs....for what reason I do not know.

On the thong-appropriate age issue... just to be clear, it's NEVER appropriate for a male to wear a thong. A friend of mine maintains that the cutoff for females is 52 years old. He has his reasons. But I'm not into placing restrictions on women's undergarments, especially ones I'm not seeing.
***
If someone feels like they have the caboose to pull off a thong at 60, and she feels loose and free enough to do, and has the confidence, even under their tearaway warmups, I'm not going to stop her.

Gah...I need a mind scrubber. And, while Canzano may be correct, I will never take fashion advice from a sports columnist (see Whitlock, Jason above).

Robert Weintraub, This Is For You.

2008-04-30T12:55:00.006-07:00

I don't how many of you are familiar with Robert Weintraub's writings on Deadspin, but if you are, I pity you. He may be a great writer but whatever he is trying to do on Deadspin just isn't funny and above all Deadspin is about bringing the funny.

The Ultimate In Sportsmanship

2008-04-30T07:29:00.006-07:00

Sport is a competition, a battle if you will (but no disrespect to our soldiers intended), between opposing sides attempting to prevail. Not much different than many things in life...relationships, marriage, politics, war...but there is an ethos of respect generally involved for those participating and watching sport. For as much bravado, machismo and chest thumping athletes do on the field, the general course of conduct is that when a play is over, a game is over, or you are no longer involved in the play that your personal battle is over until the next. Football players help each other up after a tackle, hockey players shake hands after a game and so on. It is one of the most admirable aspects of the sport.

Well, I may have just seen the greatest display of sports(wo)manship ever on the news this morning. In a softball game between Western Oregon University and Central Washington University, Sarah Tucholsky of Western Oregon hit what would eventually be a game-winning three run home run in the top of the second inning. As Tucholsky rounded first she missed the bag and when she returned to touch it her knee gave way.

Unable to circle the bases, the rules stated she could not be helped around the bases by any of her teammates. So Central Washington Mallory Holtman and Liz Wallace carried Tucholsky around the bases, letting one foot touch each of the bags until she made it home.

This is an amazing act of selflessness on the Central Washington players' part because not only would this actually affect the score of the game but it was still during the play of the game. Amazing. Acts like these reinvigorate the belief that we are still a respectful society. A big round of applause is necessary for the Central Washington team who managed to show us all what sports(wo)manship is truly about.

Ed. Note: For those of you wondering why I have been posting far less in the recent months on this blog, I just wanted to let you know that I am also now contributing at Unprofessional Foul. All of my soccer posting is done over there now and that is a big portion of what I post about. I am still posting here, but I just need to get things smoothed out so I can do both. So, check me out at Unprofessional Foul and all of the other great contributors over there.

[Photo Credit: New York Times]

French Fail To Foil Flame

2008-04-07T08:24:00.005-07:00

Although valiant in their efforts, the French have failed to extinguish the Olympic flame on its journey around the globe towards the 2008 Beijing Olympics. While gallivanting through Paris, the Olympic torch faced never before seen French obstacles to an advancing juggernaut. Usually, they lay down and take it. Not this time.

Protesting China's human rights record and recent treatment of Tibet, the French managed to slow the long, slow march to Beijing of the flame. Protesters impeded the flame and even managed to get close enough to douse the flame in water. In typical French fashion they failed to extinguish it. But, what the French failed to do, the organizers did--four times--to avoid the protesters.

Thankfully, there is a backup flame so that the even when the torch is extinguished the Olympic flame lives on...in an enclosed lantern. In classic political speak, the Chinese government played down the French (and British) antics.

Wang Hui, the media head for the Beijing Olympics organising committee, today condemned what she called a "few separatists" involved in the protests, insisting the relay would continue as planned.
"The smooth progress of the torch relay cannot be stopped and will definitely be a big success," she added.

Yes, this has been smooth progress. Just a few bumps in the road for the Chinese tank...I mean flame. Protests are expected elsewhere along the relay in San Francisco.

UPDATE: Kiss My Ass

2008-04-07T07:49:00.003-07:00

Prior to the 2007-08 NBA season, Portland Trailblazer center, Joel Pryzbilla, wagered with the team trainer, Jay Jensen, that he would play in all 82 games this season and if he did Jensen would kiss his lily white ass (or maybe it would still be clothed, I don't know) at half-time of the 82nd game at center court. Pryz has had a tough time with injuries during his career and was determined to play the whole season. Unfortunately, Pryzbilla broke a bone in his hand last night and won't get to cash in on the bet because he will miss the remainder of the season....five whole games.

Tough break for the man. Now he won't get to know the thrill of having another man's lips planted on his ass in front of 20,000 people.

OSU Baseball Team Making Like The Football Squad

2008-03-20T14:11:00.003-07:00

Two current and one former OSU baseball players have been arrested for firing bullets that struck a house and car. Jorge Reyes, last year's College World Series MVP, and John Wallace both are current members of the team and Anton Maxwell is a former pitcher for the Beavs.

Corvallis Police spokesman Dave Henslee said the men were seen using a rifle to shoot at soda cans in the backyard of Maxwell's house early Tuesday, and some of the bullets went through a fence.
Brian Bodtker, one of seven students who lives in the house on the other side of the fence, said two of the bullets lodged in an outside wall but one went through his bedroom window. Three more bullets hit a car parked in front of the same window.
So, maybe it's not the University of Miami, but it certainly is stupid.

Kiss My Ass

2008-03-02T11:22:00.004-08:00

Professional athletes are well known to be the gambling types. Charles Barkley admitted that he has probably lost $10 million gambling, Michael Jordan is a well-known gambler and some conspiracists believe that Jordan's first retirement was actually a suspension for gambling, and some have even gone so far as to create gambling enterprises (Ric Tocchet). So, it should come as no surprise that NBA ballers bet on all sorts of things. Joel Pryzbilla, for example, bet the team trainer, Jay Jensen, that he would play in all 82 games this season after missing significant amounts of games each season during his career.

So when Blazers athletic trainer Jay Jensen - who tends to the aches and pains of Przybilla - heard Przybilla's goal of playing in 82 games, he snickered.
"He kind of laughed at me,'' Przybilla said of Jensen. "So I said, 'Do you want to make a bet?' ''
At that moment The Bet was established:
If Przybilla doesn't play in all 82 games, he has to buy Jensen dinner. But if he does play in every game, Jensen has to kiss Przybilla's behind at half court after the Blazers' final game.

Pryzbilla has another 24 games to go to win the bet, so it could still be lost. But, if I were Jensen I would start stocking up on pink eye medicine.

New Orleans Gets By Without Tracy McGrady

2008-02-18T19:24:00.003-08:00

The 2008 NBA All-Star Weekend in New Orleans is finished and New Orleans is still standing, despite prognostications last year after the Las Vegas debacle. The 2007 All-Star Weekend went down as a thug Club Med. The "thugs" scared the suits and it was capped off with NFL cornerback Pac Man Jones's involvement in strip club shooting that left a bouncer paralyzed and introduced "making it rain" to the vernacular.

Even some of the NBA ballers were worried about New Orleans hosting the All-Star Game. Houston's Tracy McGrady and Rafer Alston both verbalized their qualms.

"If I don't feel like it's going to be safe, if I'm on that team, I will think about not going," said McGrady as the Houston Rockets were preparing for tonight's match-up with the visiting Toronto Raptors.

***

Alston said if he did make his first all-star team next season he would likely go, but likely would go alone.

First off, karma's a bitch isn't it McGrady? He didn't make this year's squad. I know he qualified his statement, but really he probably shouldn't have tempted fate. And, Alston, he has a better chance of being the U.S. President than he does making an NBA All-Star team.

By all accounts, though, the New Orleans All-Star game went down better in Chocolate City than Sin City. There weren't the claimed multitude of criminal elements or criminal acts and people seemed to enjoy themselves without fear.

Dana Jacobson Update

2008-01-24T20:10:00.000-08:00

Many of you have probably heard of ESPN's Dana Jacobson's drunken antics at the Mike & Mike roast in Atlantic City recently. Deadspin.com later reported from a tipster that Jacobson stated the following: "f*** Notre Dame", "f*** Touchdown Jesus", and "f*** Jesus." This has all started a maelstrom with Bill Donohue of the Catholic League getting upset about the Jacobson comments and people calling for her head. Video then surfaced of the event but not of Jacobson's tirade. Jacobson was suspended for her ramblings and issued an apology.

Obviously the political pressure has increased significantly on ESPN regarding this matter. Enough so that ESPN has now doubled back on its "policy" of not commenting on personnel matters. I wonder if Jacobson's gender has anything to do with this given ESPN's less than stellar history with gender relations.

Regardless, I have learned that Bill Donohue considers the matter over.

On January 22, I said in a news release that ‘there is no evidence that ESPN is taking this matter seriously.’ I am happy to say that after speaking to two ESPN officials today, and having learned more about exactly what happened, that the are in fact taking this matter seriously. Indeed, I am convinced that what occurred at the roast will not happen again.
To be sure, Jacobson’s remarks were patently offensive; no one involved in this incident, including her, is maintaining otherwise. But it is also true that there is no evidence that what we are dealing with is a bigot—lots of people who have made bigoted comments are not inveterate bigots. No, what we are dealing with is a person who went off the rails while drunk at a raucous event. “The ESPN officials whom I spoke to answered the questions I had to my satisfaction. Therefore, as far as the Catholic League is concerned, this matter is over.

ESPN has mollified the Catholic attack dog. And, I have also learned that ESPN will be meeting with the Christian Defense Coalition on Friday after the group protested ESPN corporate HQ in Bristol, Connecticut. This information comes from an email from ESPN Ombudsman Le Anne Schreiber sent to me by a reader.

So, what have we learned today? ESPN will cave to political pressure and violate its own policies on personnel matters. Any way Jesse Jackson can get righteous and indignant about Harold Reynolds's situation so we can get more information?

Timber Jim Retires

2008-01-24T18:27:00.000-08:00

Long-time Portland Timbers mascot "Timber Jim", Jim Serrill, is retiring. Timber Jim has been a fixture in the Portland soccer scene since 1978 when the Portland Timbers were a team in the defunct North American Soccer League (NASL).

Anytime a mascot that has incited a riot retires it is a big loss for all of us.

There's a story about an episode in Vancouver [B.C.] in the old days. We were in a playoff game and it was packed-33,000 people in Empire Stadium. We won and I was doing my thing. I was in their face, and the Canadians didn't like that. I got attacked. I incited a riot; and a bunch of Canadians came out of the stands. One guy hit me with a big bag of ice and cold-cocked me. The next thing I know, I'm being escorted out of the country by the Canadian police.

Excellent!

Timber Jim's act is well-known and widely regarded as one of the best mascots. He wields a chainsaw cutting a log round after every Timbers goal, coming down from the rafters with his chainsaw or drum and doing handsprings even into his 50's. Jim has retired or come close to retiring on several occasions for various reasons including the tragic death of his daughter in 2004. Jim has persevered and now it seems is finally calling it quits, which isn't surprising considering the physical demands of his routine.

Irony This Is Your Picture

2008-01-23T19:54:00.000-08:00

I made my first visit to modern day Sodom this past weekend. New York City. I had a great time despite all of the smug, self-involved hipsters who seem deadset on reviving all the worst fashions of the 80s.

Sport was not the reason for my visit, but I couldn't leave it behind. Actually, it kind of hit me in the face in the form of an 80-foot tall billboard on the side of building on 8th and 42nd in Midtown. (I know the quality sucks but try to take a good picture with a cell-phone from a moving vehicle.)

This is without a doubt intended to be an un-ironic statement from ESPN's marketing gurus. But, it is the epitome of irony. Every time I have listened to any of the "talent" on the billboard I have been dumber for it.

Just for shits and giggles, I found further evidence that NYC is full of heathens. This sign was on 5th Avenue somewhere in Midtown. I am quite sure you would probably break your neck if you ever attempted what this sign implores you to do--"toss your own salad."

Heh.

Another Athlete's House Burglarized

2007-12-12T08:40:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Liverpool traveled to France and beat Marseille in the final game of group play to advance to the knockout stages of the Champions League tournament. In an all too familiar manner, Liverpool's captain, Steven Gerrard, suffered a burglary at his home while away. According to the story, Gerrard is the sixth Liverpool player to suffer this indignity during an away match recently.

All of this must be disconcerting to Liverpool players, but there is an added element that has to this incident that has to be especially disconcerting to fellow Liverpool players, English soccer players, and athletes in general. Gerrard's wife and a friend were present when the burglar's arrived. Given what recentl tragedy with the late Sean Taylor of the Washington Redskins this is extremely worrisome that thieves would be this brazen. Although, I suppose the strict English regulations of firearms makes them a bit more confident of not facing an armed homeowner.

Brutal Tackle

2007-11-07T12:00:00.000-08:00

I just saw the Soccernet story about Augustin Binya's sickening tackle on Celtic's Scott Brown yesterday in Champions League Group play. An absolutely terrifying tackle. It looks like Binya attempted to break Brown's leg. Luckily, Brown didn't suffer any serious damage. The video is below, but don't watch if you don't like those sort of things.

Binya Horror Tackle
Uploaded by FACup

Update: Augustin Binya has been suspended for six European matches for the above tackle. He does have the right to appeal.

Dirty Horse Names

2007-11-01T19:54:00.000-07:00

I came across this interesting article about the names of racehorses on Slate.com. Whenever I watch horseraces, which isn't very often, I always see these unusual names. Apparently, there are rules about the how many characters (18) that a name can have and bunch of regulations, including no offensive, obscene, or vulgar names nor names in poor taste. Problem is, these standards have changed over time. What used to be fine is no longer ok. See: Tar Baby, Uncle Remus, Darkie, Uncle Tom, Jungle Bunny.

Then there are the obscene names that have slipped past the screeners. See: Cunning Stunt, Golden Shower, Cherry Pop, Cum Rocket, Wrecked Em, and Bodacious Tatas.

I found Fubar, Twig 'n Berries, and a bunch of Redskin references (but that is still allowed in the NFL). I also found the classic Amanda Hug 'n Kiss. Try it out for yourself...it's fun to see what you can find.

John Arne Riise's Paystub

2007-11-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I received in my inbox a couple of photos of John Arne Riise's paystub, a professional soccer player for Liverpool FC in the English Premier Leauge. Mr. Riise is a Norway international and has been with LFC since 2001. He is a general fixture in Liverpool lineups at either outside back or midfield. While a very talented player, he certainly isn't a superstar.

It was unusual to see that a millionaire gets a regular paycheck just like every other schmoe. Currently, there is a probe being conducted in England as to how somebody got their grubby little hands onto the stubs. Judging by the dirty fingernails, I would wager to say this person probably did not get the paper through savory means. I have edited out any personal identification other than the name of the player in the photos below. I find it incredibly interesting and difficult to grasp what these depict.

The photos, below, show that Mr. Riise took home a base salary for the pay period ending in early September 2006 (I'm not sure if it is a monthly or weekly paystub) of £120,000. That's roughly $250,000.00 U.S. Some serious cheddar. Mr. Riise also received bonuses for appearances, points, appearances and the Champions League raising his gross pay to roughly £140,000 ($290,000). Out of his gross pay, £55,000 ($114,000) has been deducted for taxes and the such for a take home of £82,000 ($170,000). If Riise's paystub is for a month's pay that puts him at a yearly salary of £1.2 million ($2.5 million) or £6.2 million ($12.8 million) if it is a weekly salary. When I do the math it seems obvious that the paycheck is for one month.

These numbers are astounding to me. I've always known that professional athletes at the highest levels make gobs of money, but generally the terms of those salaries are given in yearly numbers. Not broken down into monthly or weekly salaries. When I see a paycheck like this, I think this is unbelievable. He has a six figure salary (US$) taken out of his check every month. Mr. Riise, maybe you can donate one month of taxes to my personal bank account. You won't miss it and I can certainly use it.

Although, I did some digging and it appears maybe Mr. Riise can't afford it. He has been declared bankrupt in England due to some controversy with his agent.

Think about Alex Rodriguez who is angling for a $30 million yearly salary right now. That would give him a weekly salary of $575,000.00 US. Amazing! Then, you have to think, sports fans are the people paying these salaries ultimately. I don't begrudge anybody making this money, but when you see it these terms it is almost unfathomable how much they make. After I get past this point, I just like to daydream about what I would do with that money. Cars, houses, vacations, toys, gadgets, and whatever else I could probably ever desire. It's not Bill Gates money, but it certainly isn't chump change.

Le Anne Schreiber Taking Easterbrook to the Woodshed

2007-10-09T20:53:00.000-07:00

Le Anne Schreiber is perhaps the single greatest addition to ESPN in a long time. She replaced the first ombudsman, George Solomon, and has proved to be a true watchdog of ESPN. Her latest smackdown is on the neverending piles of opinion pieces the .com puts out. She posits that there is frequently much ado about nothing and if there is something there, the reporters need to do more research and investigation before spewing another opinion piece.

I will be the first to admit that bloggers can frequently be guilty of just adding fuel to the rumor fires, since bloggers don't do much reporting themselves. Generally, we are just reactionary to news that is put out there, spew our own asinine opinions, or make stupid, crude and lewd jokes. But, I generally assume that rely on the reporting of the professionals for most of our material. There are exceptions but I think that is the general rule. However, there are lessons that bloggers can learn from Ms. Schreiber's column.

This, however, is not the point of this post...the point is that tWWL allowed Ms. Schreiber to take some serious shots at some ESPN's writers, in particular Gregg Easterbrook. Here are some choice excerpts of Schreiber on Easterbrook's little opinion piece on the Patriot's SpyGate imbroglio:

The amount of opinion was so vast, its range so wide and contradictory, that it was beyond hard for readers and viewers to get their bearings within it.

and, [Note: As pointed out by a reader, MC Bias, the above quote only refers to ESPN's work in general and not to Easterbrook's column specifically. I regret the error.]

And feel free to custom design the opinion of your choice out of rumor, speculation and twisted logic, as Tuesday Morning Quarterback Easterbrook did, not once, but twice, in manufacturing extended false analogies between Richard Nixon's Watergate and Bill Belichick's tapegate, as if stonewalling to the press is the same as stonewalling to congressional investigators, as if violating a league rule is the same as violating federal law, as if he didn't promptly hand over to the commissioner all the material that was asked of him and accept his punishment.

She really shouldn't hold back like that it will keep her blocked up.

The prior incarnation of the ombudsman, Mr. Solomon, offered some criticism and helpful suggestions but I cannot recall him ever being so blunt and critical of ESPN's work. That is the job of an ombudsman but I always thought the position had been a bit neutered under Solomon's tenure. Not so under Schreiber, she has repeatedly excoriated ESPN flaws and pointed out many of the conflicts of interest that seem to really affect the quality of their product.

However, I cannot recall either of the ombudspersons ever really calling out individual writers in such a straightforward manner. Hell, Jason Whitlock was fired for bagging on a fellow writer. Bill Simmons has commented before that his editors won't let him, although some don't believe that is true.

All I have to say is, keep it coming Ombudswoman, keep it coming. This is great stuff.

The Hypocrisy of The Sports Kitty

2007-09-17T20:33:00.000-07:00

Hating on ESPN.com columnist Bill Simmons, aka The Sports Guy, is the required merit badge of sports blogs and I've earned my merit badge in the past. I don't try to do it very often, but sometimes his opinions deserve the treatment (just don't get me started on his righteous soothsayer, "I was right" act on Greg Oden). Today, I came across one such opinion.

Simmons, an abashed Boston homer, has been feeling the pain recently due to the Patriots' little kerfluffle regarding the filming of the NY Jets' defensive signals. Backed into a corner by the ceaseless taunting, friends/enemies cracking wise and his beloved Patriots' considerable legacy at least somewhat tarnished, The Sports Kitty came out hissing and swatting with claws out at the detractors of New England.

There is no shame in defending your team. I don't blame him for that, but I don't condone his hypocrisy in argument.

In defending his team, The Sports Kitty brings up the argument that it was cheating, but that it doesn't really matter because it is just sports. Specifically, he says:

See, that's the thing. It's sports. People cheat. People do bad things. People make mistakes. It's just like real life, only it doesn't matter nearly as much.

I can get behind this sentiment. Sports is entertainment and escape from reality. Yes, it may reflect our society at times and become inescapably intertwined with issues (see: Jackie Robinson), but for the most part sports is separate from life. So, for the most part, sports issues (I'm talking about truly sports issues like this and not issues like Michael Vick's dog-fighting) are largely immaterial to the rest of society and don't deserve sports fans getting up in arms about them.

The next paragraph Kitty-cat details many of the more important travails currently in the world: the war in Iraq; global warming; pervasiveness of internet porn; the use of internet to aid pedophiles; and...wait for it...steroids in baseball affecting the homerun records.

We live in a world in which every home run record from the past 10 years has to be taken not just with a grain of salt, but an entire salt shaker.

Wait. What? The questionability of MLB's homerun records is a more important issue than the Patriots' cheating? I thought sports was like real life, only it doesn't matter as much. What happened? Did he take a catnap and forget his statement only one paragraph above?

The audacity of such a position is incredible. Lets see all the adjectives/phrases I can use to describe it: hypocritical; having your cake and eating it too; having it both ways; disingenuous; stupid; hairbrained...the rest will just be more catty so I'll stop.

One is cheating in sports and the other is...cheating in sports. Big difference there right? In fact, the New England cheating was banned by the NFL rules and save for the last few years, steroids were not banned by MLB rules. You can make the argument that steroids were still illegal and New England's cheating was not, but either way it amounts to cheating in sports. And, the steroids uproar definitely seems to be about its affect on baseball and not the illegality of it.

The point is, The Sports Kitty cannot argue that the New England cheating isn't a big deal because it is just sports and then turn around and say steroids is a big deal. Both are forms of cheating and if you condemn one then you must condemn the other. Or, you can take the opposite position of indifference because it is just entertainment in the form of sports and the issues really aren't that big a deal.

Materazzi Likes Whores

2007-08-18T11:23:00.000-07:00

One year later, Marco Materazzi has finally revealed what he said to Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 World Cup Final that caused the French midfielder to headbutt the Italian.

I prefer the whore that is your sister.

I have to admit that was a nice little dig. Not as bad as your sister is a terrorist or whatever it was alleged he said. Well played.

The EPL is here, The EPL is here!

2007-08-10T12:40:00.000-07:00

Errr....I guess it is now the Barclay's Premier League or something like that. Either way, I am incredibly excited. This season promises to full of fun and hopefully Liverpool can get the monkey off its back and win the title for the first time since 89-90, before the inception of the "Premiership."

Last year I attempted to follow a club in each of the main European leagues (EPL--Liverpool, La Liga--Valencia, Serie A--AS Roma and Bundesliga--Hertha Berlin). It wasn't very successful after the first two or three months. It took an enormous amount of effort to follow those teams and then I had a new job which really ate into my time. Liverpool finished 3rd in its league and runner-up in the Champions League to AC Milan. Valencia ended up fourth in La Liga and crashed out of CL play in the quarters to Chelsea. Roma ended up second in the table and fell to ManU in the CL quarterfinals as well. Hertha faired the worse of those clubs. 10th in the league after starting the season in the top 4. Oh well.

This year my focus will be on Liverpool. I will still follow those other teams but not very closely. It is much easier to follow the league that's based in an English speaking country.

I am very hopeful for Liverpool this year. The new owners have opened up the wallet for Rafa Benitez. Rafa signed Fernando Torres for $40M to give the squad some much needed scoring ability. Let's just hope he's worth the outlay. LFC also locked up many of its players (Gerrard, Reina) to long term contracts. LFC also pulled in a young winger from Feyenoord, Ryan Babel, who hopefully can provide some pace and accurate crosses.

Standing in the way of the Scousers are Chelsea and ManU, last year's title winners. ManU has spend significant sums to beef up its already impressive offense with signings of Carlos Tevez, Nani, Anderson and Owen Hargreaves. They will be a tough team to knock off, but the defense is thin. Injuries could really hurt them in the back.

Speaking of injuries, Chelsea had a lot of them last year and looks to be starting off that way again. Terry, Drogba, Ballack, Sheva, Kalou and Johnson are all suspect to miss the first week. An inauspicious start to the season, especially considering injuries derailed last year's campaign.

After those 3, Arsenal is the most likely to grab the fourth spot since Thierry Henry has left the building. But, I like their chances to even compete for the third spot. The Gunners have a lot of young talent and with Henry out of the way, they can all step into the sunlight. Plus, Van Persie has looked good in the pre-season.

Arsenal will have to look out for Tottenham who has loaded up on the already potent offense. There is bound to be a couple other teams battling for the final CL spot and the two UEFA slots. Likely it will be Everton and maybe Newcastle. Enough of my prognostication. I just want the Scousers to win. After that it doesn't really matter.

Now begins 9 months of weekly joy.

The Battle for MLS Legitimacy: It Will Take More Than Beckham

2007-07-19T20:09:00.000-07:00

David Beckham has arrived in LA-LA land, his wife already had a show on TV and Becks is scheduled to make his LA Galaxy and MLS debut this Saturday in an exhibition match against English Premier League giant Chelsea. This is a big deal, no matter what anybody says. People are talking about it, sportswriters are writing about it (good or bad) and it has increased, at least momentarily, interest in the MLS. This was the intended result of Beckham’s signing. Another reason, and in my mind perhaps the most important one, for his signing was to legitimize the league in the eyes and minds of Americans, Europeans and players around the world. I have always been skeptical about the attainability of this goal and believe David Beckham and league are in a no-win situation regardless of Beckham and the Galaxy’s performance.

At the time of the signing, most people saw it as the typical former superstar player going out to pasture in America, which is indicative of attitudes towards the American soccer league. Beckham had been relegated to the Real Madrid’s bench, which was having a poor season like Becks. On top of it all, Beckham lost his position as England’s captain was dropped from the squad. No big European clubs were interested in signing him and it looked like the pundits were right. Insert LA Galaxy.

This is when LA and MLS got very lucky. Beckham and Real Madrid both had resurgence in form. Beckham started playing well for Real Madrid, scoring goals and making a difference in games; he was recalled to the national team; and, Madrid ended up winning its first La Liga title since his arrival four seasons ago. Everything was turning up roses and Real Madrid even wanted to keep Beckham after saying good riddance only a few months earlier. Beckham, however, was determined to honor his contract and attempt to do something no other soccer player had done—popularize the sport in the U.S. beyond the youth level.

So this is good news right? Well, it doesn’t really matter in the terms of legitimizing the league. Beckham and the MLS can’t win this battle alone. If Beckham and the Galaxy do well, the skeptics, which I think most people are, will say it’s because the competition was inferior. If they do poorly, the skeptics will say Beckham’s resurgence was just a brief irregularity on the downhill side of his career. The MLS can’t win here. The people that have already made up their minds about the MLS won’t be convinced by bringing in Beckham. It will take much more than Beckham.

New Addition To The Blogroll

2007-07-14T10:01:00.000-07:00

I've just added a new blog to the blogroll over yonder on the right. His name....The Blowtorch. Go check him out and the caricatures he's drawing of the first round NBA draft picks. Excellent work. My favorite is Spoonie Love...I mean Al Horford.

Awesome Oden Video!

2007-07-12T21:49:00.000-07:00

Here's a great video interview of Greg Oden by Miss Gossip of AOLFanhouse. Oden talks about the infamous picture of Oden and a young lady bumpin' and grindin' at a house party on what some people affectionately call the hoochie dais. There is also talk about Oden's nickname. He doesn't really have one yet, but I'm lobbying for "The Super" or "Super," as in, "I called the Super to fix my leaky faucet." Chris Paul even makes a guest appearance.

Also, Miss Gossip is awesome.

It's unbelievable how cool and down to earth Oden seems.

Hat tip to The Big Lead for the video.

Lebron James, Straight Ballin' ... With High Schoolers

2007-07-12T21:31:00.000-07:00

A neat little story in the local paper about a Portland high school basketball player at Lebron James' basketball camp. Brad Tinsley was a late invitee to the Lebron James Skills Academy but ended up with a great story and a recruiting boost.

Tinsley's team was sleepwalking through its final game of the day at the LeBron James Skills Academy in Akron, Ohio, last weekend. Sluggish and uninspired, the team trailed 20-8 when the coach called a timeout. The team desperately needed a spark.

Enter LeBron James. That's right, LeBron James.

"LeBron was on the sidelines lacing up his shoes, and he ran across the gym, took off his shirt and threw on a practice jersey, and said, 'Hey, I'm in,' " Tinsley said.

Not surprisingly, Lebron's team ended up winning the game and James threw down some wicked dunks and NBA level passing.

Tinsley increased his profile on the recruiting scene with a solid performance at the camp as well. Not a bad week, if you ask me.

Who Was Offered For The Blazers #1 Pick?

2007-07-02T20:31:00.000-07:00

In Sunday's Oregonian, Blazer beat writer had an interesting story about Portland's #1 draft pick and how Greg Oden wasn't the slam dunk number one option. It's not surprising there was some debate between Oden and Kevin Durant. Quick, however, does throw some intriguing rumors out there about what other teams offered Portland for the pick and a little tidbit about the Zach Randolph trade. Unfortunately for me, I had a busy day and wasn't able to write this post until tonight, so the story has been thoroughly picked over, but not all in one place.

Rumor #1

As [Pritchard] drove to Eugene to watch a play with his daughter on May 23, less than 24 hours after winning the lottery, Pritchard took a call from an Eastern Conference general manager, with whom he had past dealings.
The executive made an offer that was moderate in shock value: A five-time All-Star and this year's lottery pick in exchange for the No. 1 pick and the Blazers' 2008 first-round pick.

After some quick research, it is obvious, if the rumor is to be believed, that this offer had to be Paul Pierce plus the number 5 pick in the lottery. Boston is the only Eastern Conference lottery team with a 5-time all-star. Moreover, Pritchard traded with Boston last season to acquire future Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy. I think Kevin Pritchard had to laugh when Danny Ainge proposed that one. What was Ainge thinking, since we didn't get one of the top two picks we'll see if Portland is stupid enough to give it away for very little. The deal roughly turns into Paul Pierce for Greg Oden, since Portland would have given up next year's pick and gotten Boston's pick this year. Preposterous if you ask me. The commenters on The Big Lead were all over this one.

Rumor #2

A team within the Blazers division proposed a trade involving a future Hall of Famer and a standout rookie for the Blazers' No. 1 pick.

Later in the article it says that this future HOFer was a first-ballot one. The only surefire first ballot HOFers in the Northwest division are Allen Iverson and Kevin Garnett, in my opinion. I don't think Ray Allen has earned that honor (and he should be considered since he was in the division at the time of the offer). The Nuggets didn't have any standout rookies. The T-wolves had Randy Foye (First Team All-Rookie) and Craig Smith.

An intriguing offer, but I'm not sure Garnett would have wanted to come to Portland. He wants to win now. Plus, would you rather have the potential of a Greg Oden for 10-15 years or what would probably amount to 4 years of Garnett on the downside of his career. Sure KG is still playing well now, but in 4 years he'll have been in the league for 15 or so years. That's a lot of wear and tear.

Rumor #3

Sitting high in the stands at the Milk House arena where the marginal prospects scrimmaged -- far from the courtside seats Pritchard so preferred -- Pritchard that morning was approached by a general manager of a Western Conference power.
With bright lights illuminating the court below, Pritchard sat in a darkened corner with the general manager. The general manager wanted the Blazers' No. 1 pick. And he was willing to offer a player that will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

This one is easy to narrow down. First-ballot HOFers in the West? Let's see: KG, Duncan, Kobe and AI for sure. Other possibilities, although I'm not positive they're really first-ballot inductees: Nash, McGrady, Carmelo, Nowitzki. Of those 8 possibilities only Duncan, Nowitzki, Nash and Kobe are on Western powerhouse teams (Lakers in a traditional powerhouse sense, thanks TrueHoop commenters for that view). Henry Abbott over at TrueHoop was all over this and I generally agree with his reasoning.

I don't think its Kobe because LA isn't a power right now. Although, LA may have made teh swap to get Durant, who might sell tickets like Kobe. Nash would never get traded because as Nash goes so go the Suns. I discount Nowitzki because I'm not sure he's first ballot. That leaves Duncan, which is a bit stunning, but I don't think beyond the realm of possibility with R.C. Buford.

Oden is in the mold of Duncan and Robinson...the stoic leader type. Solid defensively. And, San Antonio has had incredible success with big men. Duncan only has a few years of top-notch play left, while Oden would have a lot of time left, and Tony Parker still has 5-8 years of solid play left in him. That would make for quite the pair and I can see San Antonio trying to make this play if they thought Oden was the next coming of Duncan or Robinson.

The big thing to figure out is if these were ever really offered or if Pritchard just put it out there to push up the price on the pick. These NBA GMs are tricky like that. I have to imagine there is some grain of truth to the rumors.

Randolph Tidbit

Pritchard had known he eventually would trade Randolph since a prominent player on the team requested at the end of the season that the high-scoring but troubled forward be dealt.

Again, not a tough one. The Blazers don't have many prominent players outside of Randolph. I can only think of one and another potential one...Roy and Lamarcus Aldridge. The latter being not that prominent.

As one commenter on The Big Lead noted, I wonder how Roy feels about being sold out by Pritchard. I guess with the Hoop Family out of Portland, Roy wouldn't have to worry about any repercussions from Randolph's cronies.

Post-Draft Thoughts on the Trail Blazers

2007-06-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

Now that the 2007 NBA Draft has finished, it's time to take stock of the draft. Portland couldn't really have a bad draft with the first pick and being able to pick up a talent like Greg Oden. Who looks like he will be wearing number 52, the number of former Blazer great Buck Williams. But, that wasn't the only move of the night for Portland.

The other big news of the night was that Portland traded oft-troubled Zach Randolph plus Fred Jones and Dan Dickau to the Knicks. In return, Portland gets Channing Frye and malcontent Steve Francis. The rumors suggest Portland may try to buy Francis out to get cap room and go after a free-agent small forward (Rashard Lewis?), and will keep Frye. I'm not sure why the team would want this trade unless it was all to get rid of Randolph. Frye seems to play the same position as Aldridge and has a similar game. Francis is a lockerroom cancer and hasn't produced like Randolph has in the past few years. If Randolph can stay out of trouble in NY (a big IF), Isiah Thomas and the Knicks really got the better of this deal.

I'll reserve judgment but I am leaning towards maybe this not being the best deal for Portland. I think a better move would have been to hold on to Randolph and then try to get more for him at the February trade deadline.

Seattle, who had the number two pick, drafted a tall, skinny forward from Texas, Kevin Durant. Then Seattle traded Ray Allen to Boston for the 5th pick (Jeff Green), Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak. It looks like Seattle may have fleeced Boston. The second year in a row a Northwest team has done that to Boston.

I really liked what Seattle did in the draft, and it looks awfully similar to Portland's 2006 draft. Portland got a tall, skinny forward from Texas (Aldridge) and a well regarded and well rounded upper-classman (Brandon Roy). The Pacific Northwest appears poised to have some really successful teams for the next decade. That is, if Seattle doesn't relocate.

Portland also managed to buy Phoenix's first round pick (no. 24) again this year. Last year Portland drafted Spanish point guard Sergio Rodriguez and this year the team selected a Spanish shooting guard, Rudy Fernandez. I don't know anything about the pick so I can't judge.

The Blazers also picked up Petteri Koponen (30) and Josh McRoberts (37). Koponen is a Finnish guy that I also know nothing about but did give Portland 3 first round picks. But, McRoberts has the potential to be a quality role player passing from the high pivot. He won't be a star but Portland doesn't need that.

At the end of the 2nd round, Portland also picked up shooting guard Demetris Nichols from Syracuse and Taurean Green, the point guard from two-time NCAA champs Florida. If Nichols makes the squad he could provide the outside shooting necessary to creat space down low. And, Green is a wonderful defender a the PG spot. However, the puts quite the logjam at the position. Jack, Rodriguez, Green and Steve Blake if he signs with Portland as many expect him to do all will be vying for time. Not too mention Steve Francis plays some point, as does Roy. However, the also means Portland may be trying to move Jack as has been rumored.

Overall, a good draft for Portland on the basis of Oden alone. Portland did get rid of Randolph but that may not be the best move, in my opinion. The other five picks? The potential is there with McRoberts, Green, and Nichols but playing time let alone a roster spot will be tough to come by. My money would be on McRoberts and Green. The other two, who knows? They will likely stay overseas for at least one season. But, this draft was all about Oden for Portland. Hopefully, it plays out well. I also smell more trades coming out of Portland.

Other news:

Looks like Golden State is trading Jason Richardson to Charlotte for Brandan Wright (the 8th pick).

Atlanta looks like it got quite the haul with Al Horford at number 3 and Acie Law IV at 11. Atlanta filled its point guard need and Horford is a beast that will give Atlanta some much needed bulk up front. I really think Law is going to end up being a very good PG in the league. Maybe not the level of Chris Paul or Deron Williams but very good.

Update: It looks like Demetris Nichols was part of the Randolph trade and will be going to the Knicks. That link also has some foreshadowing of other trades coming down the pike.

2007 NBA Pre-Draft Thoughts

2007-06-27T21:39:00.000-07:00

The 2007 NBA Draft is today and the Portland Trailblazers have the first pick. Portland will pick either Greg Oden or Kevin Durant. Prognosticators and blowhards think Portland will take Greg Oden out of Ohio State. I agree and think Oden should be the first pick, but that doesn't matter.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to look back at the 2006 NBA Draft. It is this draft that will mark the real turning point for the Trailblazer organization. It resulted in the 2006-07 Rookie of the Year, first team all-rookie LaMarcus Aldridge and spanish point guard Sergio Rodriguez. All had good first seasons and have helped the Blazers turn the corner to what looks like a promising future especially with the first pick in the 2007 Draft.

I'd also like to point out to Stephen A. Smith that he was absolutely incorrect about the 2006 Blazer Draft. Smith, during the ESPN broadcast, absolutely tore into Portland for all its moves and thought the Blazers had no idea what they were doing. Well, Stephen A., what do you think now? I know he said this stuff, in part, because being bombastic and making strong statements is what helps the ratings. (I would have to disagree, since I generally choose to not listen to Stephen A.) But, he was about as wrong as person could be and I hope this year he makes an apology. I know he won't, but it would be nice.

Quite The Week For A-Rod

2007-06-04T08:17:00.000-07:00

It has been an interesting to say the least for Alex Rodriguez. He has been accused of cheating on his wife with a blonde stripper and is said to like the "she-male" type of women. A-Rod also created a controversy in Toronto when he yelled something at a Blue Jay player that caused the player to drop the ball. That move has been roundly criticized as unsportsmanlike. Then, last night he hits a walk-off homer (update: not a walk-off, just a game winning homerun) against the Boston Red Sox.

On top of all that, the Yankees absolutely suck this year. Boston leads New York by 12.5 games and last night's win kept New York out of cellar in its division. Needless to say, it has not been a good year so far. It may not get better as Steinbrenner has fallen ill again, and probably isn't strong enough any longer to light the fire under his team. It's obvious Brian Cashman can't do it.

I just have to say, although A-Rod's yelling at the Blue Jays player that caused him to drop the ball may not have been the most sporting thing to do, it did show to me that A-Rod, more than anything, wants to win. It was the act of a desperate man who just wants to win and will try just about anything. It shows more desire than most of the Yankees' line-up. (I must point out that my sentiment about "doing anything to win" does not extend to steroids.) A-Rod appears to be showing more grit and determination than Yankee poster-boy and captain Derek Jeter and I would like to think New Yorkers could appreciate this rather than mercilessly savage the $250 million man. He's trying harder than anybody else on the god-forsaken team.

Sports Illustrated Late On The Uptake And Featuring A Dude's Junk

2007-05-25T07:58:00.000-07:00

I received this week's Sports Illustrated in the mail yesterday and it had MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) on the cover.

Sports Illustrated is a bit behind the curve on this one since MMA has been tearing it up and earning very strong ratings for a year now. I am not a big fan of MMA but I know plenty of people who are and this stuff has been blowing up, especially with the Ultimate Fighter reality show on SpikeTV, fights on SpikeTV and the enormous PPV bouts MMA has staged.

SI queries whether MMA is "Too Brutal Or The Future"? Sounds like some crusty old editor doesn't like that things are changing in his sports world. The fact is MMA has already addressed much of its alleged brutality by adding weight classes and sterilizing for cable TV. It has also gone through battles getting sanctioned in states where legislatures didn't want to give it a chance because it was too brutal. All the hurdles have been cleared.

It's clear MMA is one of the sports of the future because boxing can't do anything but trip over itself; hockey probably won't recover from its crippling strike; and, baseball just doesn't hold the interest with today's youth as it did with previous generations. MMA is here to stay. Heck, the Ultimate Fighting Championship series has been around for nearly fifteen years. But, I guess SI being slow on the uptake is just indicative of it perhaps being on its own path similar to boxing...a slow march to irrelevance.

By the way, has a dude's junk ever been so prominently featured on a SI cover?

Wow!

2007-05-25T07:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I did a little post about Greg Oden and his jorts. Little did I know it would bring me this much traffic. I think that post has accounted for 10% of my overall traffic in the past year. Thanks for stopping by everybody, including those dropping the hate, I appreciate it.

All you dropped the knowledge as well. I didn't realize jorts were a little more acceptable for African-Americans. I still think that jorts are god-awful creations but everybody is entitled to their own "style" and if Greg Oden wants to model jorts here in Portland, I am more than willing to let it slide because as one commenter said, "Oden's the man." He'll just have to get somebody in his ear to up his style quotient once he starts rolling in the money. Although, it will be tough here in Portland because people think flannels, tevas and hiking boots are all stylish.

Greg Oden: A Jorts Man

2007-05-24T08:37:00.001-07:00

Two days after the Portland Trailblazers won the NBA draft lottery, one of the potential top two picks, Greg Oden, arrived in town. It was a coincidence that Oden was meeting with Nike executives but it gave Portlanders an opportunity to see the presumptive number one pick. Although, Portland GM Kevin Pritchard will look carefully at drafting Kevin Durant as well.

The Oregonian covered his arrival and offered up this description:

Oden, wearing long denim shorts, a striped shirt and a Nike knapsack, said the coincidence of his Portland visit the day after the Blazers won the lottery hadn't struck him yet, even as people at the airport snapped photos of him with their cell phones.

Really, jorts? As much as I hope the Blazers draft Oden, he's going to need some help on the style front. It's almost like he grew up in the early nineties and never left the fashion behind.

There's a photo below of Oden arriving but you can't really see the jorts, which is probably a good thing.

Blazers Win The Lottery

2007-05-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

The Blazers won the NBA Draft Lottery and with that victory the team has the option of selecting Greg Oden or Kevin Durant. I can’t explain how excited I am as a Blazers fan. I am not a hyper-emotional person, particularly when it comes to events that aren’t even during the season. But, as I sat in the car listening to the Blazers beat the long odds and come out with the top spot, I actually started yelling, screaming and pumping my fists. I looked like a bigger tool than usual, yet as I write this, more than 3 hours after the announcement, I am still excited at the possibilities that are afforded my team.

Either Oden or Durant will help the Blazers finally climb out of the abyss it has been in since the 2000 Game 7 Western Conference Finals collapse. The Blazers were a flawed but winning team at the time with serious character issues. After that loss the team spiraled down with more character problems coupled with losing. During this period Paul Allen continued to make awful business blunders like the throwing the arena into bankruptcy and ultimately buying it back from his creditors. Things were rough and Portland fans had been spoiled with 20-plus years of playoff appearances, so the fans started to leave in droves. I stayed but cringed every time I watched a game full of bad seeds play poorly.

Last year, GM Kevin Pritchard, then an assistant GM, wheeled and dealed in the draft ending up with Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and Sergio Rodriguez. All of these players performed well this past season. Moreover, these guys and others the management brought in had good character and the organization finally looked to be heading in the right direction, although the wins weren’t there yet. Now, with the power and possibility of the number one pick, it finally feels like the Blazers are really turning the corner.

The question now becomes who the Blazers draft—Oden or Durant. My money, and I think most others as well, is on Oden. I believe Oden and Durant are both real deals. Oden is a defensive stopper whose offensive game will develop in the next few years. Durant is the dynamic scorer on the wing that will have the ability to lift his teams on the offensive end. The two are a yin and yang of sorts and either will probably end up being long-term contributors in the NBA and likely have many All-Star appearances between the two of them. But, Oden is the better fit and gives the Blazers more options.

Coach McMillan is a defensive minded coach and will know how to integrate Oden into his game plan. Oden will be the defensive presence Portland lacks and will improve everybody around him because he will allow his teammates to be more aggressive knowing Oden can help clean up any mistakes. Offensively, Oden is not as progressed as Durant but he can improve his offense and he has lots of time to do that since he is only 19. It’s easier to improve offense than defense which gives Oden an edge.

A team also can’t pass up a potentially dominant center. There are many more gifted wing players in the league than there are talented big men. You just can’t. Look at what Tim Duncan did for the Spurs, although he was more polished coming out. Oden has the potential to make the Blazers a contender for a decade coupled with Aldridge and Roy.

Drafting Oden also gives the Blazers a good opportunity to trade Zach Randolph for an athletic wing with better character. Luol Deng probably isn’t available any more but somebody like him that will unclog the middle for Aldridge and Oden. I can’t think of anybody right because I am just so excited about the future. The only thing that could make this better is if Liverpool beats AC Milan in the Champions League Final on Wednesday.

Phoenix - San Antonio: My Two Cents

2007-05-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

Everybody seems to have an opinion on the suspensions handed down by the NBA against Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw in the Suns-Spurs playoff series. So, I might as well give mine.

First, it’s amazing to me to see the bland, regimented and disciplined San Antonio Spurs turn into the Bad Boys of NBA overnight. Numerous opinions, comments, columns and the like that have vilified the staid Spurs. All the Spurs team has done is have an aggressive defender in Bruce Bowen and committed one hard foul, which led to Diaw and Stoudemire making stupid decisions that forced the League’s hand.

Has the image of a team ever changed so dramatically in the course of one foul or one game? I might throw the 2004-05 Indiana Pacers out there, but I think Artest and Stephen Jackson were already known headcases. One little hard foul and it seems there image has swung 180 degrees from methodical, boring and emotionless to thuggish brutes. I can only imagine that some of this comes from the juxtaposition of soft and finesse of the Phoenix Suns, but I wonder if this branding will stick for longer than this series.

Second, I might be the only one, but that wasn’t a terrible foul by Horry. All he did was shoulder check Nash as he tried to go upcourt. It happened to be on the sideline where Nash went into the announcers’ table and there is a large size differential, which both made it look worse than it actually was. There are harder collisions in many attempted charges during games and if this had occurred in the middle of the court there wouldn’t have been such a furor.

Finally, can we all just get over the rule that led to the suspensions? It was and is being applied consistently and that’s all a fan could ask for given the NBA’s seeming predilection to favor “stars.” These players knew the rule and knew how it was applied, yet were unable to alter their actions accordingly. The reason the rule is black and white is because the league would be in a compromising situation if it had the leeway to affect the outcome of a game based on the suspensions, which obviously lead to calls of favoritism that could ruin the integrity of the game.

Look at how people are acting now with all the clamoring about fairness and ruining a series. The NBA would prefer to have its stars in the game, but if it had the leeway to make decisions on that rationale there would be no saving the league.

Whether this is a good rule or not is something that may need to be addressed in the offseason, but at this moment the emotions are obviously keyed into any discussion. Frankly, it makes sense to me to keep bench players from coming on to the court during an altercation regardless of their intention, because fewer players are easier to control for the officials and intention is so difficult to judge.

Even This Might Not Ruin Pepe Reina's Day

2007-05-02T07:42:00.000-07:00

Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina had a big hand in sending his squad through to the Champions League Final yesterday in 'Pool's shootout victory over Chelsea. Reina had numerous stops during the game and saved two of Chelsea's PKs during the shootout. It was truly a great performance. Unfortunately for him, his whereabouts at the time of the match were known by every criminal in England and one of them decided to burgle his home in Liverpool. (As an aside, the word burgle is simultaneously awesomely funny and a bit revolting, if you ask me. Burgle sounds like the proper name of a burp with substance.)

After what was probably a right and proper celebration after the Reds victory, Reina discovered his home had been violated.

He returned from the celebrations at 12.45am to find that his home in Woolton, Liverpool, had been ransacked.
Jewellery, a Bang and Olufsen entertainment system, personal documents and a grey Porsche Cayenne with Spanish number plates were taken.
The Porsche was found burnt out in the West Derby area of Liverpool at 6.30am, according to Merseyside Police.

Luckily, nobody was home, although Reina may have lost some personal documents, and his insurance should cover his losses. In the past couple of years, this sort of activity has been common in England, especially for Liverpool players. Former starting keeper Jerzy Dudek, Peter Crouch and yesterday's goal scorer Daniel Agger have all had their homes burglarized. Even Manchester United's Wayne Rooney has fallen victim to the Scouser criminals as his parent's Liverpool home was broken into while he was still living there.

I've wondered why this hasn't happened in the US more often. Well-paid athletes' schedules are well known and easily obtained, which would make them easy targets. Maybe American criminals have a bit of respect for the athletes, or maybe they are just too stupid to grasp this concept. My money is on the latter.

Champions League Liveblog: Chelsea - Liverpool

2007-05-01T07:48:00.000-07:00

I won't be doing a liveblog of the return leg of the Champions League matchup of Chelsea and Liverpool, but the fine folks over at The Offside will. Please join them for the festivities.

Even For Blogs This Was Shortlived

2007-04-30T21:53:00.000-07:00

With much fanfare, well, a little fanfare, the Portland Trailblazers launched the Trail Blazers Rookie Blog back in March. Brandon Roy posted first and revealed that his girlfriend was due to have his first baby very soon. Not bad. I nice little piece of information. Then, LaMarcus Aldridge posted talking about his broken nose and hosting Kevin Durant on his visit to Texas.

Then, nothing for a month and a half. I guess now that the season's over the two aren't rookies any more and the blog is out-of-date now. Most blogs don't last longer than a few months but I would expect more from an organization that has its own PR people.

The Real Reason Andrei Kirilenko Cried

2007-04-23T19:28:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday the Utah Jazz lost to the Houston Rockets 84-75 in the first game of its first round playoff matchup. During the game, Utah's 2004 all-star, Andrei Kirilenko, played only 16 minutes and was upset about his lack of playing time, which, reportedly, brought him to tears.

In reality, I think AK-47 was crying because his wife has revoked the deal the couple once had. Mrs. Kirilenko, Masha Lopatova, used to allow him to bed one groupie per year. A "get one groupie" pass, if you will. While most of us will never know Andrei's pain, I believe we can all empathize. That is quite the loss he has suffered.

The real shame here is that Mrs. Kirilenko has got this all screwed up. If anything, she needs to give him an extra free pass this year to break out of his current funk. Kirilenko needs a slumpbuster and his wife needs to understand this.

Photo from here.

ESPN's Double Standard

2007-04-17T12:19:00.000-07:00

The Big Lead is reporting that in yesterday's chat with Paul Shirley, that the basketball vagabond Shirley called Kobe Bryant a douche. A reader wrote to TBL and said it went up and then ESPN censored the comment. ESPN can censor if it wants, but the question remains whether "douche" is really a bad word. And, after some quick research it seems that the WWL hasn't thought so in the past.

I found this Bill Simmons Mailbag where the word douche was used in a reader email. However, in ESPN's defense Simmons, in a basketball blog entry only uses "d-bag", which is obviously the polite form of douchebag.

I know I've heard the word used on broadcast television during primetime, and, I must admit, this has always struck me as odd. It is a fairly descriptive word and seems somewhat vulgar, although not one of the big seven. I just know, it is not a word my parents would have let me use when I was a teenager. However, I might liken it to the use of bitch, jerk, ass or some other word that describes an unpleasant person that is frequently heard on the airwaves.

7-1!!!!

2007-04-10T21:54:00.000-07:00

Manchester United put on an incredible display in the second leg of its Champions League quarterfinal matchup with AS Roma today. ManU managed to score 7 goals against the Italian squad. Cristiano Ronaldo and Michael Carrick both scored twice and Wayne Rooney, Patrice Evra and Alan Smith each scored once.

I didn't get to watch the match but hanging seven on an elite club like Roma in the Champions League is incredible. It makes you wonder what happened down in the Italian capital last week when ManU lost 2-1. By all accounts the English squad's performance was nearly flawless. This performance bodes well for the semifinal matchup between either Bayern Munich or AC Milan.

In the other matchup, Chelsea managed a Michael Essien injury time goal to win 2-1 away to Valencia. The victory put them into the semifinals 3-2 on aggregate. Chelsea will face either Liverpool or PSV Eindhoven. It's likely that Liverpool will advance since it leads 3-0 on aggregate at this point. That will make it 3 Premiership squads in the semifinals. Quite impressive if you ask me.

What Does The New Ombuds(wo)man Have To Say About Bloggers

2007-04-05T21:22:00.000-07:00

ESPN has a new ombudsman, Le Anne Schreiber, a former NY Times Sports Editor. Ms. Schreiber replaces George Solomon, who first held the position. I liked George Solomon...most of the time. I did write one thing that was anti-Solomon, but he was generally fair and tried to hold ESPN accountable. However, I think he was a bit of a company man and could be cowed by the World Wide Leader.

After reading Ms. Schreiber's introductory column, I don't think she will have Mr. Solomon's weaknesses. I could, though, just be fooled by her persuasive writing. I'll just have to wait and see. Schreiber seems to be quite tough and claims to have no qualms in holding ESPN's feet to the fire. Good for her. And, hopefully, good for us...the consumers.

ESPN has become quite unwieldy and has no serious competitor with the same resources. In fact, ESPN is the creator of the modern sports media industry. Its sheer girth allows it to be unresponsive to consumer complaints. So, it's refreshing to see the company actually try address consumer issues. Let's hope they actually pay attention to the ombudsman because it seemed Solomon wasn't seen but not heard.

There was one passage in Schreiber's column I found quite interesting yet don't know what to make of it just yet. Time will only tell. Schreiber was discussing her thoughts before accepting the position and wrote this:

Before the week was out, I realized my liabilities for this position were also my assets. The almost mutant scale of ESPN's growth in recent years makes it seem the likely ultimate employer of every sports anchor, announcer, analyst, writer, talker, producer, editor, technician and, last but not least, blogger in the land.

I am curious why she would mention bloggers so pointedly. What does it mean? Is she going to be reading the blogs to find ESPN's faults? Last but not least? She's actually giving us credit. The Underground that ESPN has so strenuously fought against. Help me out...what is she getting at?

It's also obvious she doesn't understand that bloggers are by definition unemployed and write from their parents' basement in nothing but a pair of tighty-whities. I kid, I kid. Only because I actually have a job. But, there are far more sports bloggers out there than ESPN will ever care to employ.

We Have A Raef Lafrentz Sighting

2007-04-05T07:31:00.000-07:00

I went to my sixth and final Blazer game of the year last night and boy was I surprised when I saw Raef Lafrentz in the starting lineup. Coach Nate McMillan, who sets the lineup, was surprised as well:

It was a startling performance from a group that even had McMillan chuckling to himself before the game, saying he could never imagine at the beginning of the season sending a starting unit out on the floor that included Raef LaFrentz at power forward and Jamaal Magloire at center.

Odd that the coach is laughing at his own moves.

It turned out well though, because Portland beat the Northwest Division Champions 94-89 without its leading scorer Zach Randolph and rookie standout Lamarcus Aldridge. Stellar games from Travis Outlaw (his 25 points kept the team in it for 3 quarters) and Brandon Roy (29 points overall and 25 in the second half) led the team to victory. It was the best game I've attended all season, even if the dizzy bat bastard didn't win free McDonald's Value meals for a year for my section.

Let's get back to Raef Lafrentz though. Some have called him one of the most overpaid athletes in the NBA and they probably are correct. The guy makes $11 million per year and barely plays. In the five games I've attended he's only seen mop-up duty in maybe two games. In fact, he's only played in 19 games this season, averaging 9 minutes a game. Part of that is injury issues from the beginning of the season and the other part is getting experience for Lamarcus Aldridge or showcasing tradebait Jamaal Magloire (who the team never traded...BOO!).

Anyway, in the little bit of game time I've seen of him, Lafrentz has looked solid...not $11 million solid...but solid. He hustles and plays defense and even has a decent outside shot. And by all accounts, it appears he's been a good teammate and role model for the younger Blazers. So, maybe Lafrentz should stick around. Next season Magloire will be gone, leaving Joel Pryzbilla and Aldridge as the remaining big men. Lafrentz should get more PT then and earn more of his salary.

Champions League Matches Tuesday

2007-04-02T21:49:00.000-07:00

Two Champions League quarterfinal matches tomorrow! Liverpool goes to Holland to meet an injury depleted PSV Eindhoven in the first leg and Bayern Munich travels to AC Milan without its starting keeper, Oliver Kahn.

Since I am now gainfully employed, I won't be able to liveblog the matches but I welcome any suggestions as to a web location where we might convene to comment. I can do an open thread if anybody wants to, lemme know at thefansattic [at] gmail.com.

Oliver Kahn: Making It Rain

2007-03-24T19:22:00.000-07:00

UEFA suspended Bayern Munich goalie Oliver Kahn for the first leg of the squad's Champions League quarterfinal match with AC Milan. The suspension is a result of Kahn throwing the cup for collecting urine during a doping test after his team's second leg Champions League victory over Real Madrid on March 7.

The goalkeeper was tested after Bayern's 2-1 win against Real Madrid on March 7 in the Champions League.
The doctor conducting the test -- Franz Kroesslhuber of Austria -- said Kahn got angry when asked for a second sample, according to Bild. The doctor didn't see Kahn provide the first sample and asked for it be done again to conform to the rules. Kahn had tried for 1 1/2 hours to comply, then threw the cup, Bild said.

What? "Kahn had tried for 1 1/2 hours to comply..." That must have been some scene. Doctor and Kahn sitting in a room waiting for Kahn to pee, Kahn gets up to do the deed, doc follows to observe according to the rules, Kahn whips it out and discovers he can't, "scheisse, nichts," repeat, repeat, then Kahn throws the cup. And, really, he couldn't get a few drops out in over an hour?

Oliver Kahn, giving "Making it Rain" an added dimension.

photo courtesy here.

A Little Negligent

2007-03-21T20:50:00.000-07:00

The next week or so is going to be a bit sparse around here because I have a new job. I am trying to get settled into a routine right now and will be able to post more next week. For now enjoy this video of some great goals from the 2005-06 (I think) English Premier League season.

Melee at the Mestalla Update

2007-03-14T15:28:00.000-07:00

Last week I posted the video of the fight that erupted after Valencia eliminated Inter Milan in the Champions League round of 16. Visually it was quite comical seeing David Navarro run around like the Road Runner escaping the clutches of Wile E. Coyote, but it did result in Inter's Nicolas Burdisso suffering a broken nose. Now UEFA has brought the hammer down on those involved.

Valencia's David Navarro received a 7-month ban, while the man on the receiving end of his punch got a 6 match ban. UEFA is asking that FIFA extend Navarro's ban to international competitions as well. Inter's Maicon (6 matches), Ivan Cordoba (3 matches) , Julio Cruz (2 matches) also earned bans and Valencia's Carlos Marchena has a 4 match ban. Both clubs were fined 250,000 Swiss Francs (about $200,000). No stadium ban was issued for Valencia in the Quarterfinal matchup with Chelsea.

I can't get over the 7-month ban. It just seems very long, but maybe he's getting punished for a hit-and-run as well.

Blazers Rookie Blog

2007-03-09T20:26:00.000-08:00

Just got an email announcing the Blazers Rookie Blog. It looks as though the blog is only for Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge. Sergio Rodriguez gets no love. I'm sure the Blazers organization could find write some posts for him as well. As it stands now, only Brandon Roy has posted something. Roy writes that his girlfriend is due any day now with his first child and he thinks Oregon could be dangerous in the tourney this year.

Champions League LiveBlog: Arsenal v. PSV 2nd Half

2007-03-07T12:45:00.000-08:00

Well, I missed the last ten minutes to the first half but it is still scoreless so, I guess I didn't miss much. I'm still working on getting my feed back up. Please bear with me.

Despite my best efforts I cannot get the Arsenal game on a feed. I can get every other CL match in multiple languages but I can't get this one. I will continue trying but no promises. My apologies.

Hooray! I finally found one that works. It's in Russian or some slavic language and there is no clock but I see that Henry has been subbed in to the game.

And now they show Henry grimacing in pain. For Henry, and not for Arsenal, the best thing that could happen, I think, is that the Gunners don't advance in CL and shut Henry down for the season. He needs time to recover from his injuries, which he hasn't had because of last year's World Cup and his long run in the CL last season.

Update: Henrik Larrson just scored a header for ManU from a beautiful cross from Ronaldo. 1-0 ManU.

PSV gives up a dangerous free kick from the right side of the box. Diaby on for Ljungberg. Arsneal get its chance but can't capitalize on it or the ensuing corner.

Another free kick, straight on from about 30 yards out for Arsenal. Henry put it on goal but Gomes made a good diving save to his right.

Fabregas booked for a hard tackle.

Hleb whistled for slamming Sun Xiang to the ground. He can't believe it.

GOAL! 1-1. And on the ensuing free kick PSV finds Alex skying about the Arsenal defense for a header that beats Lehmann. A very nice goal indeed. That may seal Arsenal's fate now.

I guess the goal crashed my computer because immediately after it everything went to hell in a handbasket. This sucked.

Arsenal is now out of if for any silverware this season. Now the squad is only playing for a spot in next year's champions league and battling Liverpool for 3rd in the Premiership.

Elsewhere, ManU went through with a 1-0 victory over Lille; Bayern overcame a 3-2 home loss in the first leg to win the second leg 2-1 and advance on away goals; and, the Celtic - AC Milan match is in overtime and Milan has a 1-0 lead that will put them through if it holds.

Champions League LiveBlog: Arsenal v. PSV 1st Half

2007-03-07T11:11:00.000-08:00

Champions League LiveBlog: Arsenal – PSV 1st Half

The Arsenal – PSV liveblog was chosen by the commenters on this blog. Hopefully, this turns out to be the best match of the day.

The return leg of this matchup is at Arsenal’s new Emirates Stadium and it finds Arsenal in hole after its 1-0 loss to PSV two weeks ago. It also finds Arsenal out of form having just come out of a three-game losing streak with an unimpressive 2-1 win against Reading on Saturday. Although, it must be noted that Arsenal has had a run of bad luck with injuries including captain Thierry Henry, who has been determined fit for this match but won't start.

PSV, for its part, is having a good season. It is 8 points clear of second place in the Dutch Eredivisie, although the squad just crashed out of its Cup competition. PSV, if it wins or draws today will also advance to the Champions League quarterfinals. Not a bad season. Arsenal on the other hand has only the Champions League left to obtain hardware for the season. It is out of the Premiership title chase and is out of the Carling and FA Cup competitions.

As always, feel free to leave comments or email me at thefansattic [at] gmail [dot] com.

Lineups:

PSV: Gomes, Alex, Feher, Salcido, Sun Xiang, Cocu, Culina, Mendez, Simons, Farfan, Kone

Arsenal: Lehmann, Clichy, Gallas, Toure, Silva, Baptista, Denilson, Fabregas, Hleb, Ljungberg, Adebayor

Predictions anyone? I think we see Arsenal go out of the competition on away goals after a 2-1 victory. Away goals seem to be the way to go this round.

I’ll be attempting to liveblog the match via an internet feed so let’s all hope that my internet connection holds up and my computer doesn’t crash. It’s a bit of a dinosaur so things can go wrong with several applications running.

Commenter Cedrick doesn’t like my prediction saying his Gunners will prevail. Well, in my defense I did say Arsenal would win today’s matchup just that it wouldn't advance.

Kickoff – There was no pregame on my internet feed although I got to watch some South African club action (I think it was S. African). Sundowns beat Leopards 4-0. I was worried I got the wrong channel especially with the ManU - Lille match already starting on ESPN2.

3:00 – Early corner for PSV but no danger resulted from it. Anybody care to keep us updated on the Celtic – AC Milan and Bayern – Real Madrid matches?

6:00 – Another corner for PSV but headed away by Fabregas. Hleb gave the ball away carelessly on his end but Toure saved his bacon. PSV has looked crisp thus far and Arsenal has been haphazard with its passing. Although, Adebayor had a nifty run on the right side that he shot into the side netting.

9:00 - Arsenal is picking up the pace and the passes are strung together better as well.

11:00 - Gallas loses a contact lens and play is held up a bit.

12:00 - Gallas back on and the announcers are having a bit of fun saying Gallas can't see the pitch. PSV's Farfan tried a shot from a very difficult angle on the right side but Lehmann had the post covered easily.

15:00 - Ljungberg called for a foul for climbing on the back of a PSV defender to go for a header. He complains to the ref that you can't call a foul on an underwear model.

16:00 - Fabregas makes a wonderful pass to Adebayor in the box but his touch is a bit off and Gomes smothers it for PSV. Very good chance for Arsenal who seem to be picking it up a bit.

18:00 - Again Adebayor muffs his touch inside the box. Kone gets the ball on the counter but Arsenal slows him. I have been very impressed with Kone in the two matches so far. He has good touch and excellent pace.

22:00 - Toure knocks an excellent shot on goal from just inside the box on the right side. Gomes can only deflect it and the rebound gives Arsenal another good chance but can't capitalize. Adebayor has been seeing the ball a lot just hasn't been able to connect with anything or have a good touch.

26:00 - According to the announcers, PSV Brazilian defender Alex is nicknamed the Beast. Oddly enough, Arsenal's Brazilian midfielder Baptista is also nicknamed the Beast. Can there be two players from the same country on the same field with the same nickname? Baptista by the way just had an excellent side volley just go over the bar.

29:00 - I can't help but wonder what would it be like if there was a healthy Henry on the receiving end of all the excellent feeds Adebayor has received. Alex had denied Adebayor several times now and Adebayor has just failed to make good passes or touches.

33:00 - Arsenal was lucky that Philip Coco couldn't get a solid head on the cross from Mendez. Cocu was unmarked on his run through the box. Arsenal's defense is just not looking good. They will have to play like Barcelona last night to protect the suspect defense right now.

36:00 - Wow! That was a nice attempt at a bicycl by Baptista. He controlled the ball with chest and popped it up to set up his bike which went over the bar. Uh-oh. My feed is having problems. Hopefully I can get it back up quickly.

45:00 - Stupid feed is taking forever to "buffer." What have I missed?

Inter Milan v. Valencia Fight: Carmelo Anthony's Long Lost Cousin?

2007-03-06T17:45:00.000-08:00

I hadn't heard anything about this until I read The Offside this afternoon but there was a big fracas after Valencia - Inter Milan Champions League match on Tuesday. Valencia advanced on away goals after the 0-0 draw today. I'm sorry for more video posts but this had to go up.

A Valencia sub, David Navarro, came on the pitch after there was a scrum between Inter and Valencia players and decked Nicolas Burdisso of Inter possibly breaking his nose. After the punch, Inter players chased Navarro all over the field trying to trip him. They didn't succeed. Navarro even gets a nice jump punch in there at one point.

At least Navarro has elusiveness going for him since he already suffers from Carmelo Anthony disease.

After the match it looks like some Inter players tried to get into the Valencia lockerroom. I'll try to get more information up later but for now enjoy the video.

Big thanks to The Offside for the tip.

Update: Burdisso did break his nose. It was Inter keeper Francesco Toldo who entered the Valencia dressing room. Figo and Inter's Esteban Cambiasso also tussled while trying to get into the lockerroom after Toldo.

Valencia & Inter Fights
Uploaded by Cozzy1990

A Moment of Brilliance

2007-03-06T16:23:00.000-08:00

Roma triumphed over Lyon 2-0 on Tuesday in the Champions League Round of 16 matchup. I didn't see the match but I have seen the highlights and the goal below is the highlight of the match. A simply sublime showing of footwork by Roma's Brazilian midfielder Alessandro Mancini. Enjoy.

Update: I forgot to thank Deadspin commenter Chilltown for providing the link. Thanks buddy, excellent find.

Mancini Stepovers and Goal vs Lyon
Uploaded by Cozzy1990

Wednesday Champions League LiveBlog: Arsenal v. PSV

2007-03-06T15:49:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow I'll be liveblogging the return leg of the Arsenal - PSV matchup. The match isn't on ESPN2 tomorrow so I'll go at it with an internet feed. I'll start around 11:15-11:20 with kickoff around 11:45. Hope to see you then.

LiveBlog: Liverpool v. Barcelona 2nd Half

2007-03-06T12:32:00.001-08:00

It will be interesting to see what Frank Rijkard does during halftime for Barcelona. It is quite obvious that this lineup he has now isn't producing. It has had chances but nothing is built up. The midfield certainly isn't controlling the ball and has given it up easily on a number of occasions. The defense is just hanging on right now, which would be fine if the team wasn't down 2-1 on aggregate. The Spanish side needs to shore up its defense and provide better fluidity between defense and offense. It's a lot to ask in only a halftime but I would still be worried if I were Liverpool. The talent is there on the Barca squad. It only takes a few chances.

Before today's match, Rijkard called Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez a "know-it-all" for his proclamation that Eto'o, Messi, and Ronaldinho would be starting up top for Barca. Well, it turns out Rafa was right. Does this mean Rafa is really a "know-it-all" or was he just lucky?

Roma's up 2-0 on Lyon now, which should send the Italian squad through. Porto still leads 1-0 on Chelsea. This will send Porto through if it stands. Valencia and Inter Milan are tied 0-0 which will send Valencia through based on the away goal rule if the score stands.

The ESPN.com stats show Barca with a 72-28 advantage in time of possession. That doesn't seem right to me.

46:00 - Bellamy just wasted an excellent opportunity from a Gerrard cross. That had goal written all over it.

48:00 - Derek Rae just called Barca "temorous" (sp?)...I've never heard the word...anybody out there help a blogger out?

timorous - of a timid disposition. As I suspected. Thanks M-W.com whomever you are.

52:00 - Pepe Reina read Ronaldinho's free kick beautifully. Liverpool just isn't able to capitalize on its opportunities this game. It is similar to Saturday's ManU match. Just as I type that, Ronaldinho beat everybody and hits the right post. Incredibly unfortunate for him that it didn't go in.

53:00 - Thuram just elbowed Bellamy in the face but didn't get his second yellow. Just a talking to. It's an odd decision based on the ref's cards in the first half.

ESPN2's broadcast isn't telling us the Chelsea-Porto score because it is showing the game later. Well, I can't find that score anywhere else. I guess I'm screwed.

61:00 - This game is definitely heating up. The Barca lineup is starting to create chances and the tackles are getting harder. Liverpool looks a bit unsettled right now. Eto'o comes off and Giuly is on. Eto'o was starting to look good but his fitness just isn't where it needs to be right now.

62:00 - Liverpool's counter attacks keep providing many chances. Kuyt just sent a long shot wide right but it was still dangerous.

Robben scored for Chelsea to level the match and aggregate in the 48th minute. Thanks anonymous for the update.

67:00 - Pennant on for Bellamy just like in the ManU game.

69:00 - The announcers have mentioned several times that the new American owners of Liverpool are in attendance for their first match. I wonder what they think of their new asset.

70:00 - Arbeloa concedes a corner to Barca and the defense has trouble clearing the ball. It bounces around several times and Barca just can't turn it into anything.

71:00 - Gudjohnsen on for Thuram. More offense and less defense for Barcelona.

73:00 - Reina doing some time killing. The ball advances quickly and Gerrard gets a strong shot on Valdes who deflects it. Then just as quick Barca counters and gets an opportunity but one player is just offside. This match is getting faster and faster. I'm not sure who that favors. Barca has the offensive talent but Liverpool's counters have been great.

75:00 - Except Gudjohnsen just scored for Barca. Game on. 1-0 Barcelona.

76:00 - I guess the fast pace helps Barca because Ronaldinho just had an excellent shot that Reina smothered. This game is really good.

77:00 - Aurelio on for Riise. Not much of a change on Rafa's part.

80:00 - Pennant booked for coming in high and cleating Messi in the thigh.

81:00 - Reina cautioned for time wasting.

82:00 - Kuyt just played great defense winning the ball away from Barca's defense which lead to a dangerous free kick direct on the goal at about 22 yards. The kick yields a corner and again Gerrard ends up with the ball and kicks the ball right at Valdes. Gerrard can't catch a break right now.

87:00 - Eleven behind the ball and Finnan makes a great stop when Gudjohnsen got in behind him with a ball dropping in. Finnan concedes a corner. Still on 'Pool's end. Now a goal kick.

88:00 - Deep throw in after Arbeloa heads it out.

89:00 -Another corner but Barca can't capitalize. Crouch and his two black eyes on for Bellamy.

90:00 - I've got to hand it to Crouch. He is supposed to have surgery on his broken nose but he postponed it for this match. 3 minutes stoppage time.

90:00 +1 - Ball played into space for Pennant who puts a great ball on to a streaking Crouch who sends it over the bar. I never thought streaking and Crouch would go together because he looks so slow but he really went after that ball.

90:00 +3 - What a thrilling match. Final whistle. Barcelona 1- Liverpool 0 but Liverpool advances on the away goal rule.

Join me tomorrow for another Champions League LiveBlog. It looks like it will be the Arsenal - PSV matchup based on the comments. I'll start tomorrow between 11:15 and 11:20. Thanks for joining me today.

Update: Roma advances 2-0 on aggregate over Lyon. Valencia advances over Inter with the away goal rule on a 2-2 aggregate. Chelsea also will advance after winning 2-1 over Porto on goals by Arjen Robben and Michael Ballack with a 3-2 aggregate.

LiveBlog: Liverpool v. Barcelona 1st Half

2007-03-06T09:29:00.000-08:00

In the first leg of this matchup, Liverpool prevailed 2-1 on the strength of Craig Bellamy's iron game in the Nou Camp. The second leg finds the defending champions, Barcelona, on the ropes having suffered a weekend loss to Seville relinquishing first place in La Liga and all sort of internal intrigue. Ronaldinho and Eto'o are not on good terms; players are upset with manager Frank Rijkard; and the team is not living up to the gold standard set by last year's squad. If Barca can corral all of this and focus it on Liverpool there should be a classic matchup.

Liverpool, for its part, have been in good form but Saturday's last minute loss to hated rivals Manchester United may affect the team psyche as well as its fitness. The English side put forth a full strength squad for Saturday's match and many of those participants will have to go again rather soon. Luckily, no injuries resulted from Saturday's game. The team will have to guard against overconfidence in the 2-1 aggregate lead it has and the letdown of the ManU game. The team knows this is its last chance for glory this campaign and should come out in full force.

If you have questions, comments, criticisms, or dirty jokes, you can leave them in the comments, email me at thefansattic [at] gmail [dot] com, or IM today on AIM (screenname TheFansAtticBlog).

Line-ups:

Barcelona: Valdes, Marquez, Oleguer, Puyol, Thuram, Deco, Iniesta, Xavi, Ronaldinho, Eto'o, Messi

Liverpool: Reina, Agger, Arbeloa, Carragher, Finnan, Riise, Alonso, Gerrard, Sissoko, Bellamy, Kuyt

Predictions anyone?

I flipped over to ESPN2 about 3 minutes too early and got an eyeful of something hideous--a world's strongest man competitor in a banana hammock. I think there should be warnings about this sort of stuff.

They showed Riise's legs before kickoff and it looks like they are recovered from the karaoke incident.

Kickoff

3:00 - not much action yet but Liverpool must be hoping that the Sissoko of the first leg shows up and not the Sissoko of the ManU match.

4:00 - as soon as I post that Gerrard sends a long pass on to Kuyt but it's just a touch too long as Valdes comes out just in time to pick up the ball.

6:00 - The three back lineup is looking shaky at this point for Barca as Liverpool has had a couple of dispossessions in midfield that make the blaugrana scramble back on defense.

9:00 - Tommy Smythe encourages Bellamy to hit Riise with golf clubs before every match because they played well after the last incident. Nice. Just then Riise sends one just wide right of the goal as Barca's defense still looks out of sorts.

10:00 - The thing is, as long as Barca doesn't concede a goal the defense is fine because the offense is so potent it can score quickly and against the run of play.

14:00 - Riise is having a great game so far with two shots, one that hit the crossbar, a corner won and some good feeds.

18:00 - Arbeloa goes into the book with a hard tackle on Messi. On the freekick Reina punches the ball out but Eto'o whiffs on his shot attempt but Barca still had an opportunity until Reina left the goal mouth to track down a loose ball.

20:00 - Sissoko into the book. He'll miss the next CL match if there is one. Did you see his hair? It looked like Shane Battier's wrinkly head but with the lines shaved in rather than natural. The free kick made it through the Liverpool defence and Marquez flicked it wide left. He was offside too.

23:00 - Barbaro, I mean Ronaldinho, pleads for a call when it looks like he was at fault.

26:00 - I don't know how Liverpool isn't up 1-0 after 4 consecutive shots on goal in a 4 second time frame. Valdes made a good save on Bellamy's first attempt from the right flank. The rebound went to Kuyt who was saved by Valdes and then Riise had another crack deflected. Finally Valdes grabbed the ball.

28:00 - Thuram into the book.

33:00 - Valdes makes a horrific blunder giving up the ball in his own half and is lucky Sissoko had his 35 yard shot bounce off the crossbar. Valdes is either going to be the hero or the goat in this one.

Porto is up 1-0 on Chelsea with a 15' goal from Quaresma. Roma is up 1-0 on Lyon on a Totti goal at 22'.

35:00 - Ronaldinho left unmarked on a corner but sends his volley way over the net from outside the 18.

37:00 - Kuyt down on the ground after a head-to-head contact with Marquez. He'll be ok. Marquez on the other hand, never will be.

39:00 - Eto'o called offside after he got behind the 'Pool defense, but Barca had a nice build up. The layoff is hurting Eto'o's timing right now.

43:00 - Ronaldinho had a nice run up the middle of the pitch and dumped it off to Eto'o but again he messes it up as Carragher took the ball away easily.

45:00 - Dangerous corner for Barcelona but Liverpool manages to come away unscathed.

Liverpool dominated the first half and is set to advance if it remains nil-nil. Join me in the 2nd Half post.

Champions League LiveBlogs

2007-03-05T11:40:00.000-08:00

Tuesday and Wednesday mark the return legs for the Round of 16 Champions League matches. I'll be liveblogging Tuesday's Liverpool-Barcelona match which is set for 11:30 PST on ESPN2. I will try to kick off the liveblog around 11:15.

As for Wednesday's liveblog, there are several options. The ESPN2 game is scheduled to be ManU-Lille. I can find feeds for the other 3 (Bayern Munich-Real Madrid; Celtic-AC Milan; Arsenal-PSV) and will liveblog whichever match gets the most votes in the comments.

Hope to see everyone here this week.

The First Birthday

2007-03-01T13:48:00.000-08:00

Today marks one year that The Fan's Attic has been in existence. The time has really flown by and I have found the blogging experience to be very rewarding and, at times, frustrating. I suppose that goes with just about anything. As of today, there have been over 37,000 visitors to The Fan's Attic of which approximately 30,000 can be attributed to me checking in everyday to see if I have been linked or if someone has left a comment. By the way, the comments I have received are probably the most rewarding aspect of this endeavor. I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who have visited, linked to, and/or commented. I appreciate it very much.

For the next year, I would like to increase the number of visitors to 75,000 for the year and to improve the content. Lately, I have been lazy and only posted a videos. I hope to provide more editorial content and, hopefully, some original information. If any of the 5 readers out there have suggestions, tips or criticisms on how to improve this blog please let me know either in the comments or at thefansattic [at] gmail [dot] com.

Again, thanks for visiting.

Look At What Yao Ming Has Wrought

2007-02-28T21:02:00.000-08:00

Yao Ming's presence in the NBA has brought legions of fans from China to the Association. Yao has a tremendous impact on his teammates. Tracy McGrady has the most popular jersey in China and shortly after being traded to the Houston Rockets, Shane Battier signed a contract with a chinese shoe company. The billions of Chinese have managed to stuff the All-Star ballot boxes to earn Yao 5 consecutive starts in the game. And, Yao's fans have also provided the world with this masterpiece of boyband idolatry. Not good.

Update: It appears this video has made the rounds and I am just slow on the uptake for it. Oh well, still funny and thanks to all of those who linked here.

Devastating Injury To John Terry

2007-02-25T21:49:00.000-08:00

Chelsea grabbed its first hardware this season by beating Arsenal 2-1 in the Carling Cup final. But in the process team and English captain, John Terry, suffered yet another injury. Terry made a quick recovery to from his injury in the first leg of the Champions League match up with FC Porto to play in Sunday's final. About 10 minutes into the second half, Terry dove for a header in the Arsenal box and was kicked in the face by Abou Diaby on the attempted clearance.

Terry was immediately knocked out by the kick and flopped to the ground. Players from both teams quickly called for medical help as Terry lay on the ground almost motionless. Terry was eventually stretchered off the field after seven minutes or so. It was a scary sight--you can see video below--but it seems that Terry will be ok. He rejoined his teammates after going to the hospital to celebrate the victory.

The game itself was actually quite well played but was marred by the Terry injury and a little conflict in closing minutes that resulted in three red cards. Arsenal took the early lead on Theo Walcott's goal in the 12th minute. But, Chelsea drew level on a 20th minute strike from Didier Drogba who also provided the game winner in the 84th minute.

Late in the match Mikel Jon Obi fouled Arsenal defender Kolo Toure who responded physically. It turned into a shoving match and a number of other players got involved. Obi, Toure and Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor all received red cards. Video here.

Tennis-Soccer Video

2007-02-24T13:52:00.000-08:00

Back in high school, my teammates and I would often go to the local YMCA and play tennis-soccer on the tennis courts until somebody kicked us out. It was a lot of fun and improved our touch. I mention this because Soccernista.com found this great video of Argentine stars, past and present, playing a miniature game of tennis-soccer. There's Maradona, Tevez, Messi and some guy I don't know. Maradona looks like he has lost weight and his touch looks as good as ever.

Dailymotion blogged video
MeSsI mArAdOnA VS TeVeZ DaVy
Video sent by anjinho75

Champions League LiveBlog Liverpool - Barcelona 2nd Half

2007-02-21T12:35:00.000-08:00

2nd Half

I would like to point out that I found it incredibly amusing that Bellamy celebrated with a golf swing. I'm not sure if it should taken as an FU to everybody or a good natured acceptance of his travails. Ah, who am I kidding, given Bellamy's past it is certainly an FU. And, as Cedrick pointed out in the comments, Riise and his bruised legs probably isn't too pleased with Bellamy's actions.

I'd like to see Britney do something like that. Maybe she could start carrying a pair of clippers around with her to the various rehabs she will be attending over the next 3 years.

At half Inter is up 1-0 on Valencia, Roma and Lyon knotted at 0, Porto and Chelsea tied at 1. Sheva scored a nice goal for Chelsea. It was his 45th CL goal! That's amazing! He's right up there with some big names. This will definitely help his confidence, maybe even make him a threat in the EPL.

45:00 - It looks like Bellamy will be getting credit for the goal.

47:00 - Gerrard with a free kick on goal. That was a great opportunity for the scousers. You want to see something better though from the captain.

52:00 - So is Barcelona going to pull an Arsenal today and play with little life and creativity? THe squaad seems to be just going through the paces right now.

55:00 - Barca subs Motta on for Iniesta.

57:00 - As mentioned in the comments earlier, Carragher is an absolute beast for Liverpool. He just broke up an excellent through ball. He's been in all the right places today.

62:00 - Yellow for Sissoko. Not very surprising but he gives up a dangerous free kick. But, Barbaro skies it over without any danger.

64:00 - Messi has been proclaimed as the next Mardona but I have a feeling he might become the next Kerry Wood given his proclivity to injury.

68:00 - That was a stupid mistake by Valdez picking up the back pass. That's elementary school stuff. He lucks by making a good save on Gerrard and then Kuyt screwing up the header.

72:00 - Wow! Liverpool was lucky that Messi didn't bury the shot after Reina failed to corral the first shot from Saviola.

75:00 - Goal!!! Wow...Barca can't defend worth shite. Kuyt blew his opportunity but the rebound went to Bellamy who found Riise open on the other side of the 18. Riise buried the shot. Karaoke anyone?

77:00 - Bellamy booked. The trifecta: goal, assist, and booking.

80:00 - Oh great...one hothead for another. Pennant on for Bellamy.

82:00 - Saviola off, Gudjohnsen on. This will be an all-out assault on Liverpool's defense.

86:00 - Dangerous series of free kick and corner but Liverpool comes out unscathed.

87:00 - Deco nearly levels it with a free kick off the far post. That would been a bit disheartening for 'Pool.

90:00 - Holding on is Liverpool. 4 minutes of injury time.

90:00 +2 - Barca isn't really pushing the tempo right now. They look beaten. As they should, since the scoreboard says so.

90:00 +4 - Final Whistle but not before Peter Crouch gets on the field for 1 minute. What a good game for Liverpool. Barca will really need to change things around if they want to advance.

Thanks for joining me. Enjoy the day and we'll do this again next CL match week.

Champions League LiveBlog Liverpool - Barcelona 1st Half

2007-02-20T23:33:00.000-08:00

Alright, we're going to have a go at with the internet feed of the Barcelona-Liverpool match. Hopefully my computer doesn't start smoking at some point today.

In the week's premier CL match, the reigning champions, Barcelona, face off against the 2005 champions, Liverpool at the Noucamp (Barca's home). Both squads come into this match with internal turmoil. Barcelona has seen one of its stars, Samuel Eto'o, refuse to come into a match and Ronaldinho publicly upbraiding him for it. For the Scousers, it may be even worse because badboy Craig Bellamy is alleged to have attacked teammate John Arne Riise with a golf club after a karaoke incident.

Liverpool has also found, after spending millions last summer on new acquisitions, itself wanting in the Premiership trailing Man U by 16 points. The squad has been eliminated from the FA and Carling Cups as well. This is the team's only real chance for hardware this year. Barcelona, on the other hand, is tied for first in La Liga with Sevilla and has looked to be in better form than Liverpool overall.

This should be an excellent matchup with Liverpool's physicality and Barcelona's skill.

Lineups:

Liverpool-Reina; Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Arbeloa, Riise; Sissoko, Alonso, Gerrard; Kuyt, Bellamy

Barcelona- Valdes; Zambrotta, Puyol, Belletti, Marquez; Xavi, Deco, Motta; Messi, Ronaldinho, Saviola

Refresh frequently to get timely updates.

As it was yesterday, feel free to email me with comments, criticisms, dirty jokes or whatever at thefansattic [at] gmail.com or leave them in the comments section. Let me know what you are hoping for in this match. Personally, I am holding out hope of seeing The Robot from Peter Crouch although he's not in the starting lineup.

Ok, just had my first casualty as my internet connection went down. A quick restart of the modem and router cured it. Let's hope that's the worst thing that happens. So, my internet feed just changed to an Asian language. I need to locate an English feed because I can't understand it.

And another modem crash...this can't be good. Now I can't get the feed. I saw 30 seconds of match and thank god Liverpool doesn't have its yellow jerseys. Porto just went up 1-0 on Chelsea and Terry is injured again.

14:00 - Goal!!! Right when I get back on Deco heads one home for Barca. And Sheva just leveled it for Chelsea.

22:00 - Feed back up and I get to see Horseface with his mouth gaping open looking for its feedbag. And, Agger gets a ticky-tack yellow. THis is going swimmingly for the Reds and myself as well.

25:00 - Shot of Eto'o banished to the stands...What the hell is he wearing? I can only describe it as some sort of outfit you would see Victoria Beckham (nee Posh Spice) wear. All white suit with buttons and stuff.

27:00 - It's really frustrating to not have seen the first 20 or so because I have no idea how the flow of this game is going. Liverpool seems to be alright. And, the Italian Oscar goes to...Zambrotta. Ah, who are we kidding, all the soccer players from that country deserve one. A sort of lifetime achievement award.

34:00 - Is it too much to ask to get a shot or Riise's legs? I want a look at the evidence.

35:00 - That was a brutal choice by Kuyt on the tackle. What was he thinking? The ref had no choice to book him. Liverpool is having incredibly difficulty getting that last pass through to setup good things.

38:00 - Belletti with a brutal tackle for Barca this time. Another yellow. This match could get ugly, but the physicality might benefit Liverpool if they can keep composure. Good effort by the Golfer (Bellamy) on the set piece header.

41:00 - GOAL!!!! The golfer gets it on this one. That was pretty lax defense on Barca's part.

45:00 - That goal may go to Kuyt or Bellamy...we'll see...they should give it to the Karaoke Kid because of his week. And we're tied at half, 1-1. Oh, and just for the sake of it, I'm glad Marquez was partially at fault for Liverpool's goal. I'll start up a second post for the 2nd half. Hopefully, we will all have less technical difficulties.

Champions League LiveBlog Wednesday at 11:30 PST

2007-02-20T22:26:00.000-08:00

The plan is to LiveBlog one of the Champions League game on Wednesday. Unfortunately, ESPN2 is scheduled to show the Chelski - FC Porto match that pits Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho against the squad he took to the 2004 Champions League title. The WWL is putting the Liverpool - Barcelona match on ESPN Deportes but I'm going to see if I can get an internet feed of the 'Pool match that won't kill my computer in slow and agonizing manner. If not, I'll just LiveBlog the Chelsea match. See you there.

Champions League LiveBlog: Arsenal v. PSV Eindhoven 2nd Half

2007-02-20T12:43:00.000-08:00

2nd Half

Well, I must say I have been surprised at how well PSV has played given Arsenal's form as of late. I don't foresee any changes to the lineups for the second half. It has been good yet unexciting match so far. Let's hope for, as Cedrick does, for something to liven it up.

51:00 - Six minutes in and still no excitement. If I were Arsenal I might be a little concerned with all the mistouches and poor play in the back. Several times the defense has looked suspect. Oh, and damn my stupid computer.

54:00 - Very nice cross to Kone, who looked offside, who attempted a full volley but didn't get his foot on it solidly. This is how PSV will score if they do at all. Springing Kone with a nice pass/cross on a counter.

57:00 - PSV is playing with fire because it can't get the ball out of its end and is concedeing corners.

60:00 - There's the Henry we've come to love, whining about a small touch from PSV.

61:00 GOAL!!! Well, I was wrong about Kone scoring but Mendes knocks one in from 28 yards out after Kone fed him nicely. It was definitely against the run of play and perhaps the first mistake Lehmann has made all night.

63:00 - Senderos is booked after slipping and then deliberately handling the ball. That's the problem with Senderos, he makes youthful mistakes and gets too many cards.

65:00 - We're witnessing history as Sun Xiang comes on for PSV's da Costa. Sun Xiang is the first Chinese player to get field time in a CL match.

69:00 - Rosicky set up Fabregas for a hard shot from the top of the 18 but Gomes made a tremendous save.

72:00 - Sun Xiang gets his first CL foul. That, my friends, is history as well.

76:00 - The Beast, Julio Baptista, on for Hleb. Tardelli out for PSV.

77:00 - PSV had another great opportunity but Senderos blocked the Mendez shot.

81:00 - The Beast put a dangerous free-kick on goal that Gomes bobbled. Apparently, Smyth thinks there is a third Arsenal side. The one that doesn't play inspired or with much creativity. That's 3 sides. Can he go for a fourth?

87:00 - Only a few minutes left. WE'll see an all out attacking effort from the Gunners but will they be able to break out of the poor form they have shown. Gomes with another quality save coming out of the goal to snatch the ball out of the air.

90:00 +1 - Game over. PSV 1 - Arsenal 0. An upset I would say. Arsenal surely didn't come out with much life. Rather flat if you ask me. PSV played a masterful match and obviously had the better tactics and execution. Arsenal will have to play much better in the 2nd leg to advance. Man of the Match goes to Gomes for PSV who was mistake free all night and made several outstanding saves.

Thanks for being with me on my first LiveBlog efforts. I'll be here tomorrow for the Liverpool - Barcelona match. Hope to see you again.

Bayern Munich pulled one back with van Bommel's second half goal but still lost 3-2. Ryan Giggs put Man U up one with only a few minutes left to lead them to a 1-0 victory. Celtic and AC Milan fought to a scoreless draw.

Champions League LiveBlog: Arsenal v. PSV Eindhoven 1st Half

2007-02-20T11:15:00.000-08:00

Today's match is at Philips Stadion in Eindhoven. The four times these two squads have met in European competition Arsenal is unbeaten with 2 wins and 2 draws.

Last year's Champions League (CL) runner-up, Arsenal, finds itself back in the hunt for the European Cup and in 4th place in the Premiership with a long shot of challenging for the league title. PSV the defending Dutch Eredivisie champion leads Ajax by five points this season. Arsenal advanced from group G in first place over FC Porto. PSV advanced behind Liverpool out of group C.

If you so desire, you can send me comments via email at thefansattic [at] gmail.com or just put them in the comments field. Refresh often to get updates. I will also attempt to keep you updated on the other CL matches today.

Lineups:
Arsenal will be led by its graceful French striker Thierry Henry, who sat out the recent Cup match against Blackburn. The Gunners will be boosted by the return of William Gallas after a long stay on the injured list but are still without Dutch striker Robin Van Persie, who has a broken foot. Arsenal is running out a 4-4-2 (defenders, mids, strikers).

Arsenal- Lehmann, Gallas, Toure, Senderos, Clichy, Hleb, Silva, Fabregas, Rosicky, Henry, Adebayor
Subs- Almunia, Ljungberg, Julio Baptista, Denilson, Flamini, Djourou, Aliadiere

PSV is led by its captain Phillip Cocu. But, the Dutch side is facing a serious injury problem with Patrick Kluivert, Michael Reiziger and John DeJong all out with injuries and Jefferson Farfan doubtful for the match. PSV comes out with a 4-4-2 as well.

PSV Eindhoven- Gomes, Kromkamp, Alex, Da Costa, Salcido, Culina, Simons, Cocu, Mendez, Kone, Tardelli
Subs- Moens, Vayrynen, Addo, Feher, Sun

For some reason a few of the Dutch fans are dressed as M&Ms. I wonder if those little kids the players walk out with ever have sticky hands? Like they've been eating PB&J right beforehand. I wouldn't like that.

Well, it looks like I might have been wrong about PSV. It looks like they may have a 4-3-3 lineup with the same players. Oh well.

Kickoff

3:00 - Early on PSV controls the ball and Kone gets a shot off from the 18 after Arsenal failed to clear a set piece. There is no clock on the broadcast so I'm just guessing on the time.

Still no clock and PSV is showing some spirit and have controlled the play so far. Arsenal seems relaxed and just biding its time until the moment strikes.

(9:00 mark???) Kone just blew by Gallas but let the ball go out. I could seen Kone causing some problems with his speed.

11:00 - Tardelli just blew a gilt-edged opportunity after Fabregas misplayed a ball in the 18. Tardelli had a hard touch and the ball went right to Lehmann.

14:00?? - PSV and Gomes just got lucky when Rosicky's shot was barely deflected by the keeper and Salcido cleared it off the line as it trickled toward the goal. It wasn't a great shot but it wasn't a great save either.

17:00 - Arsenal is finally gaining its form with good possession and dangerous opportunities. Senderos headed a Fabregas corner wide left. (Technical difficulties are slowing me down. Read: my crappy computer.)

22:00 - PSV mounts its first attack on Arsenal in some minutes with a Mendez shot on goal from 22 yards. Arsenal is still unable to link up the midfield and strikers successfully so far.

25:00 - So far Rosicky seems to be the biggest threat for Arsenal but Adebayor looks like he could cause some trouble today. The reason Arsenal may be having trouble linking up is that PSV seems to 9 or 10 men behind the ball all the time with Kone up top on his own.

27:00 - Henry tried to squeeze one in over the keeper but sent the ball over the crossbar by a lot.

31:00 - Cocu has a strong shot easily stopped by Lehmann who was in perfect position. After a two good stops by both teams defenders, Arsenal found the possession and Henry found Rosicky who got off a good shot. Rosicky will be scoring or assisting in this game. Mark my words. He looks really good today.

32:00 - Smyth, the announcer, "we've seen both sides of Arsenal this year. The side that plays brilliantly and scores. And, the side that plays brilliantly and doesn't score." ????

37:00 - Pleasantly surprised that there has not been much diving and theatrics so far in the match.

40:00 - Culina just hit another of PSV's shots that went straight to Lehmann. Let me just say it is a real pleasure to see Henry on the ball. Right before Culina's shot he was on the ball for 10-15 seconds and nobody could take it from him and he got off a decent shot from the 18.

42:00 - Adebayor is called for the first offside of the match. That goes to show how tentatively this match is being played thus far. Right as I say that, Rosicky fed Henry the ball in traffic, the ball pops up in the air off a defender's foot and Henry volleys the ball at Gomes. Beautiful little play.

45:00 - Right before the end of the half Henry finds Adebayor on a through ball. PSV slows him up and Adebayor knocks it back to Henry who quickly turns and attempts to curl a shot into the right upper corner of the goal from the left side but it goes high as several of his attempts so far.

Halftime - 0 - 0.

Elsewhere, ManU and Lille are knotted at zero as are Celtic an AC Milan. However, Real Madrid is throttling Bayern Munich 3-1 with two goals by Gonzalez Blanco and one by Van Nistelrooy. I'll be putting up a new post for the 2nd half. Thanks for joining me.

Champions League LiveBlog Tomorrow

2007-02-19T18:56:00.000-08:00

The Champions League Round of 16 begins tomorrow. There is a slate of 4 games on Tuesday and Wednesday. According to soccertv.com, the first leg of the Arsenal - PSV Eindhoven match will be on ESPN2 at 11:30 a.m. (PST). I'll be liveblogging the match. Come join me if you can't watch the match and have some fun.

Why Would Foxsports.com Censor This?

2007-02-18T22:39:00.000-08:00

Kevin Harvick won the 2007 Daytona 500 by inches over Mark Martin. I know this because I watched it on TV. I also saw a postrace interview of Harvick so I know what he said and I know he didn't say what Foxsports.com quoted him as saying:

"I had Jeff Burton behind Matt Kenseth, and Kenseth just pushed the heck out of me," said Harvick, who was deep in the pack with 10 laps to go.

The only difference between what was actually said and what Foxsports.com quoted him as saying was the replacement of "hell" with "heck." See here, here and here. I know in other interviews Harvick said 'heck' but never in the same wording as above.

But, seriously, why would they just change the word? It's not even really a swear word and on top of that there is no indication from the author that the quote has been changed. I don't know much about journalistic ethics but this doesn't strike me as within the bounds.

Time To Trade Zach Randolph

2007-02-15T15:25:00.000-08:00

With the NBA trading deadline fast approaching, trade rumors swirl about players switching teams and one player that definitely needs to go is Zach Randolph. The Portland Trailblazers need to pass Randolph on like a hot potato and the team needs to do it now while his stock is high. Why is his stock high and why would the Blazers want to trade him? Let me explain.

Randolph in his sixth season is having his best statistical year ever. He leads the Blazers in points at 24.0 per contest and rebounds and 10.2. The numbers Randolph is putting up are All-Star caliber even if he didn’t get named to the squad. He has the great misfortune to play in the Western Conference with other stellar power forwards like Nowitzki, Garnett, Boozer, Brand, Duncan and Stoudemire, all of whom save Brand are all-stars this year. Of those western conference power forwards only Nowitzki is scoring at a better clip. Duncan, Boozer and Garnett outrebound him but not by much.

Moreover, Randolph has age on his side. He is only 25, whereas Duncan and Garnett are 5 years his senior, Nowitzki is 3 years older and Brand two. There is more time left in Randolph’s legs than some of these other guys, yet he already is putting up big numbers.

He also has shown that he is fully recovered from the tricky microfracture surgery he had two years ago. And, his body is going to hold up over the long haul because of this style of game. Randolph doesn’t play above the rim. He plays the angles and has a soft touch. His athleticism will never make you say wow, but that means he has a game built to last and will continue to put up solid numbers.

A team with a need for proven low-post scorer would be well served to acquire Randolph. But, why would the Blazers look to trade such a player?

The answer to that question can be found in the direction the franchise is trying to move. Portland wants to separate itself from its “Jailblazer” past and put a team on the floor the fans can respect. The franchise wants people with the ability to make good decisions on and off the floor. Unfortunately, Randolph has proven he is incapable of that and he must go.

Randolph has never been good at making the right choices. Let us just take a look at his Wikipedia entry:

[H]e sucker-punched teammate Ruben Patterson in the face during a practice scuffle in 2003, an act which earned him a two-game suspension. He also has been cited for underage drinking and driving under the influence of marijuana, and was present when his brother Roger Randolph was involved in a shooting in an Indiana nightclub. After an initial interrogation by police, he was threatened with arrest based on his statement; Randolph gave a second statement and was not charged in the incident. His brother was ultimately convicted in the matter and sentenced to prison.
…
On June 8th, 2006, Randolph ran into further legal trouble when two vehicles, both registered in his name, were pulled over by the Portland Police for racing in a 20 mph speed zone. Randolph's car contained two loaded weapons under the seat of the vehicle; Randolph had legal permits for both guns. The officers claimed they detected marijuana odor coming from Randolph's car. In August 2006, a sexual assault complaint was filed with Portland police over an incident with a stripper in a Portland hotel room; after a month-long investigation, the Multnomah County district attorney declined to prosecute Randolph, citing insufficient evidence. Additionally, Randolph is facing a civil suit related to that case, and another alleging that Randolph and friends tried to intimidate witnesses in former teammate Qyntel Woods's dog fighting case.

Let’s just say he doesn’t always make the smartest life decisions. The Blazers don’t want this guy to be the face of the franchise when he has a history like that. I've heard others argue that Zach hasn't been to jail yet and this is evidence that he won't ever go over the edge. But, you don't have to be an expert in criminal recidivism rates to know his track record suggests he will do something stupid again and maybe he won't be as fortunate with the legal system as he has been. All you have to know is that a leopard can't change its spots.

In addition, he just isn’t one to lead by example on the court. Head Coach Nate McMillan has tried to instill a work ethic into the squad but Randolph just doesn’t seem to want to listen.
In a recent practice, Randolph was benched by Coach McMillan because he wasn’t exerting as much effort as Coach would have liked. Randolph just doesn’t take instruction well. This is not a good example to be setting for the team since he is the defacto leader due to his veteran status and his numbers.

Zach Randolph will be a good player in this league for many years to come but he just shouldn't be the leader of the Blazers. Portland would much rather see Brandon Roy emerge as the team leader and trading Randolph would speed this process along. Now it is only a matter of getting a fair value for Randolph and not selling him just to get rid of him. Hopefully the Blazers realize this and manage to get a good deal for him.

Should Frank Deford Have An Issue With The Sports Guy?

2007-02-09T00:02:00.000-08:00

This is a delicate situation because I don’t want to throw out allegations willy-nilly, so, I am asking for my few readers’ opinions. We'll let the people decide!

First, I will give you the facts. Bill Simmons, The Sports Guy, from ESPN.com is one of the best known sports columnists on the Web. His columns are read by hundreds of thousands and he creates a lot of page views of the WWL website. I confess, I generally like his work, although, he has been substandard for a while now. Anyway, it looks like TSG is reviving his blog and is talkin’ hoops on it. Here is a paragraph from his February 8th, 2007 entry:

Meanwhile, the NBA's main objective for the age limit has been realized -- namely, that we're getting to know future superstars before they actually enter the league. We're forming opinions on them. We're learning about them. In some cases (like myself with Durant), we're becoming fans of them. And that's a HUGE deal. The age limit wasn't about protecting these kids as much as cultivating them as properties over the long haul. For example, what would have been better for the league -- Durant getting drafted by the Raptors and playing 25 up-and-down minutes a game (like Bargnani right now), or Durant kicking butt in college and turning himself into a national phenomenon, someone who has every diehard basketball fan checking schedules to see when Texas is playing next? It's a no-brainer. Can you imagine a better scenario for the NBA than people spending the next five months arguing about Durant vs. Oden?

Immediately after reading that paragraph, I swore it sounded familiar and began scrambling for where I had heard it before and then I found it. I was perusing TrueHoop.com earlier and happened upon a link to an NPR piece by Frank Deford, the esteemed Sports Illustrated writing guru.

There is a brief synopsis of the spot here, and there is a link to the audio as well on that page. This is from the synopsis:

But what the professional league really hopes is that young players will build a reputation in college so that when they come to the NBA they'll be more recognizable — and more marketable.

In brief, Deford argues in the radio spot that the NBA is getting free marketing with the new 19 year-old age-limit for American high schoolers to enter the NBA because the future superstars have to spend a year “incarcerated” in college before entering the pro ranks. The league is getting all of this free build-up of the players in college that will entice people to follow them as rookies. His prime examples are Kevin Durant and Greg Oden of Texas and Ohio State, respectively, the two big freshmen in NCAA hoops this year. Listen to the clip, there is a full three and an half minutes on this subject. The dateline for the story is the morning of February 7th, 2007.

Listen to the audio and then compare it Simmons’ blog entry and tell me what you think. I am a bit perplexed. On the one hand, the idea isn’t necessarily novel because others have argued in the past that the age-limit gives the NBA free development of players, which would include the hype as well as the refined skills. On the other hand, both writers cite the same examples—Durant and Oden—and the dates of publication are so close to each other.

What do you think? Should Deford have a beef with Simmons now?

About That U.S.A. - Mexico Match

2007-02-08T22:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I wrote about the U.S. Men's Soccer Team 2-0 victory over Mexico and threw in at the end of the post a little quote about Mexico's lack of sportsmanship. I neglected to mention Mexican keeper Oswaldo "Dirty" Sanchez's attempted tackle on Eddie Johnson after Landon Donovan's second goal. Upon further review, I should have written about it because I saw it last night and thought it was dirty and the more I think about it, the more I am pissed about it. The Big Lead has rightfully called this to my and others attention.

There are only two excuses I have for not detailing this: 1) I couldn't find video or a picture to capture what had happened; and, 2) I was guilty of a desensitized view of Mexico, as in "same ol' shit, different day." Neither is acceptable and now I am going to rant.

First, though, let's put this in context. In the 90th minute, Donovan scored on a breakaway that was the fruit of a Mexican pass that deflected off the referee right onto an American's boot. Donovan completely deked the keeper out of his shorts and put the nail in Mexico's coffin. So what does "Dirty" Sanchez do? He sees Eddie Johnson cross in front of him as Sanchez goes to retrieve the ball from the back of the next and tries a studs-up slide tackle Johnson somewhat from behind. Mind you, the damn play had been done for a few seconds already. You can see "Dirty" Sanchez sliding in the background of the picture up top.

It was a completely classless, petulant and dangerous act on the part of the Mexican keeper. The play didn't seem to phase me, which really worries me. Is it because Mexico always plays extra-dirty against the U.S.? I can't say this with any definitiveness because I don't watch El Tri other than when it plays the Red, White and Blue. But, I do know that I have seen a lot of dirty play from Mexico. Headbutts, elbows and all other sorts of "gamesmanship" of the dirty variety. Granted, I am somewhat biased, but the scales of dirty play certainly are not balanced at this point. Lady DirtyPlay certainly leans to the South of the Border and "same ol' shit, different day" is no reason to let this continue.

Let's just put the act in perspective. This was very similar to the Albert Haynesworth/Marcus Vick stomps because all three occurred in deadball situations. Also, if "Dirty" Sanchez had connected with the tackle, he very well could have injured Johnson rather severely (a la Haynesworth) since he wasn't even the mindset of full-speed game action. For god's sake, he was celebrating a score. Granted, "Dirty" Sanchez was performing something more akin an actual "soccer act" whereas Haynesworth/Vick were both doing something that is completely outside of the rulebook.

Nevertheless, it was sick, attempted cheap shot and we should be outraged much as Bruce Arena and Eric Wynalda were on the broadcast. Sanchez should be punished severely for lack of sportsmanship. Fines and multi-game suspensions from Club/National team play are warranted to let it be known these actions are not tolerated by FIFA.

Here is the video of the event:

El Tri Left With Cero, Again

2007-02-07T21:59:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday night, opposite the Duke-UNC mens basketball game, the U.S. Mens National Team renewed its heated rivalry the Mexican National Team, El Tri. At the University of Phoenix Stadium (nee Pink Taco Stadium) in front of a decidedly pro-Mexico crowd, the USMNT delivered yet another shutout on American soil with a 2-0 victory. It wasn't the prettiest victory and had Mexcio finished better and had luck on its side it easily could have been a victory for El Tri. Thankfully, it wasn't to be.

For this "friendly," Mexico recalled most of its players from overseas and had a very experienced squad on the pitch, while the U.S. recalled four from across the pond and mixed many fresh faces. The match started off slowly with neither team able to maintain much possession and no real opportunities. Not until late in the half did the Americans find their rhythm in the game.

The play opened up in the second half with both sides stringing together passes and creating some chances. In the 63rd minute the U.S. won a corner and Landon Donovan served a great ball that managed to reach Jimmy Conrad and he buried the ball in the left corner with a strong header beating the outstretched arms of Mexican keeper Oswaldo Sanchez.

After the goal, Mexico started push forward heavily and had a number of opportunities. U.S. keeper Tim Howard, recalled from his duties for Everton in the EPL, made several quality saves as Mexico devoured the outside defenders repeatedly. Howard made a good case to be the U.S. keeper of the present taking everything Mexico kicked at him. Although, the situation may have been worse had Mexico managed to put a quality touch on any number of balls (that didn't sound good, how about opportunities) that were right in front of the goal.

In the 90th minute, a bit of good fortune struck for the Americans when a Mexico back pass deflected off the referee. Ricardo Clark calmly collected the ricochet and fed it to Donovan who raced from just inside of midfield past a grasping defender and then juked the keeper for an easy tally.

At the end of the match, Mexico walked off without the customary handshakes and jersey exchanges which was emblematic of the sportsmanship of the Mexican side during the match and in the past. Although, I will say that the Americans have been guilty of bad sportsmanship, too.

A quick rehash of the good and the bad of USMNT. Good: Tim Howard--stopped everything; Jimmy Conrad--great defense, good offense and the winning goal; Landon Donovan--finally looked like a playmaker again with a goal and an assist; 2nd half Josh Bornstein--showed speed and determination. Bad: Chris Albright--couldn't stop an 8-year-old in the game; Chris Rolfe--did nothing, created nothing. Everybody else: mediocre or not enough time to judge.

Some good quotes from the ESPN match report:

"The sportsmanship -- it would be nice if you guys [reporters] and the Mexican press talked about it, because it's really poor," Donovan said. "When we lose to
them there, we shake their hands and say, 'Good job.' There's none of that
reciprocally, and it's kind of disappointing."

- Landon Donovan

"They were a little opportunistic and stayed in their own end for the majority
of the match, but they did beat us," Marquez said. "Considering the tactics that
they utilized, I think that is the credit I would give them considering the fact
that on the field, they were not superior to us."

-Rafael Marquez, Mexico captain

Update: I Dislike Your Favorite Team, one of my favorite sites I might mention, has a lovely round-up of this game.

Another American Invasion

2007-02-06T10:40:00.000-08:00

Last weekend there was an American invasion during the Fulham-Newcastle match. Four American field players saw time in the match. Today, there was another American invasion in the boardroom of EPL giant Liverpool. Americans George Gillett and Tom Hicks purchased the Reds after a Dubai group backed out. This is the third EPL team to have American owners after Malcolm Glazer and Al Lerner purchased Manchester United and Aston Villa, respectively. Gillett and Hicks both own NHL teams and Hicks also owns the Texas Rangers baseball team.

The Americans say that profit is not their primary motive for purchasing the team. That, I find, is very hard to believe. Who would pay somewhere in the neighborhood of $800 million for a team and not look for a return on the investment.

Gillett and Hicks are looking to compete with Chelsea and Man United to be the biggest and best club in the world. Whether this means they will turn into the American version of Roman Abramovich remains to be seen, but I wonder how the American takeover will be received. When Glazer purchase ManU the supporters went berserk, partially because he plunged the team into debt. Yet, Aston Villa fans welcomed Lerner as a new owner. For their parts, Hicks and Gillett have said there will be no debt foisted upon Liverpool in this purchase. All of this could make for an interesting arms race during the summer transfer period.

Notes From The Underground

2007-01-30T18:06:00.000-08:00

On Monday I was driving home from my decidedly un-Underground occupation listening to a local radio station. Lo and behold, the local afternoon drive guy was promoting his “interview” with “Will from Deadspin.com” on tomorrow’s (Tuesday’s) show. I was stunned. Nay, shocked that the Leader of the Underground, Will Leitch, had risen from his spider-hole to see the light of day. I e-mailed the dear leader and he confirmed that he was, indeed, scheduled to make an appearance on “The Marconi Show” on KUFO 101.1. So, I decided to suffer through the banal dronings of said Marconi to hear the voice of Mr. Leitch. I just hoped he wasn’t as bad in stereo as Bill Simmons has proven to be.

After relentless promotion of the interview (truly, I couldn’t believe how much it was promoted), the station finally released the Underground’s message about sports. Here are the highlights (all times P.M. Pacific and brackets are my editorial asides):

4:47 – Intro…In response to a question about how he is, Will says he is magical. [I didn't know Will was the little Lucky Charms Leprachaun. Will sounds a bit distracted, maybe he's at a strip club.]
4:48 – Marconi asks Will what he thinks of the Kobe Bryant suspension. Will denies that he's a Kobe apologist and then a horn blares in the background. [WTF! Where is the leader? Obviously above ground. Maybe in a cab?]
4:49—At this point Will begins to lament the passing of the Deadspin SHOTY Barbaro and says the sportsworld is a bit depressed these days. First real joke of the day, "The horse is no better at reading letters today than he was yesterday."
4:50 – Continuing with the equine theme, Will wishes horses were roaming the streets and he could buy beer from horses.
4:52 – In response to a discussion about the prep wrestling team breaking out with herpes, the DJ asks “What is ‘prep’ wrestling?” [WTF…what a total moron.]
4:54—Deadspin correspondent AJ Daulerio is currently on assignment at the Super Bowl in Miami and has been updating loyal readers about his adventures. Will seems to think that AJ needs to step up his game and stop complaining about the hotel. In fact, AJ should be sleeping on the street and not in the hotel because he is, afterall, in Miami.
4:55 – End of interview. Marconi thanks Will for his 'magical' site.

What can we glean from the Underground Leader's message? I think he might have an unhealthy obsession with the equine family. Also, he expects more debauchery from AJ. I think we can all agree that would be a good thing. Finally, Will sounds much better than Bill Simmons' nasally whining.

Bloggie Jamboree

2007-01-18T21:06:00.000-08:00

Just a few links to stories on other blogs that I found funny or interesting.

Tom Brady's Poodle Is A Rapist (The Mighty MJD)

Projectile Soccer (With Leather)

Who Knew Bengals Fans Were So "Cool" (Deadspin)

Marcus Vick-like Stomp (The Big Lead)

Michael Vick Pulls A Stoudamire (I Dislike Your Favorite Team)

Re-Evaluating the 2006 NFL Draft (Complete Sports)

Quasi-Sports Related Stuff On The Wide, Wide World of Web

2007-01-18T20:25:00.000-08:00

Here's my cheap post of the week YouTube videos and some news stories.

Here in Oregon there was a snowstorm the state was totally unprepared for. The "blizzard" wreaked havoc on the little pissants in Oregon that can't handle three inches of snow. Some great video was born from "Winter Storm 2007" and some disturbing stories resulted as well.

The only way I can relate the video to sports is that it looks like a pinball game and some people (not-me) consider video-gaming a sport.

Then there was a couple of disturbing stories. First, a 36-year-old male stabbed a 17-year-old boy after the boy and some of his friends hit the older male's car with a snowball. Talk about your road-rage. (This is sports related because I can totally see being a great ESPN2 show to go with paintballing.) Second, a 9-year-old girl died of sledding related injuries. Her dad was pulling her on an inner-tube in the snow behind a truck and she went flying into a brick wall. Sad stuff. (Sports related because this is a sport you create as a kid--I know because I did it.)

Finally, skate-boarding dog!!!

A Soccer Fan's Perspective On The Beckham Deal

2007-01-17T21:05:00.000-08:00

You probably already know, unless you have been living in a spider-hole waiting for the U.S. military to find you, that David Beckham will be joining the LA Galaxy of Major League Soccer this summer. Gallons of ink and lots of bandwith have been used to analyze, pontificate, degrade and praise the signing. What I haven't seen is an American soccer fan's perspective on the transaction. Lucky for you I happen to be American and a soccer fan. So, you get to read my thoughts. Stop here if you don't want to read it.

The David Beckham to MLS rumor has been around for a year or two now and, to be honest, every time I heard it I just didn't care for one main reason--MLS is not world class soccer. It doesn't hold my attention due to the lesser quality play. I always figured that one big name signing, such as the Beckham deal, by the MLS wouldn't change my opinion. I worried that such actions would lead the league down the path of the NASL and Pele, yada, yada, yada. I still worry about that.

But, after the announcement last week, I found that my interest had been piqued contrary to my prior beliefs. I still have many of the same worries others have like Beckham's declining skill, the price tag, and general circus feel of the whole thing, but I am actually hopeful now. There is a world class player in the MLS fold now and he has the marketing power to attract new interest to the game in the U.S.

This is all positive for the MLS. It will put asses in the seats, sell jerseys and hopefully legitimize the league for future signings of bigger name players to increase the talent level and, ultimately, increase the popularity. The Beckham deal will definitely have me paying closer attention to MLS and hopefully many others will as well because I want soccer to succeed in the U.S. I know I'm not the only soccer fan in the U.S. who had this change of heart. I just hope it works.

Starting the 2012 Campaign Early

2007-01-17T20:56:00.000-08:00

Barry Bonds was quoted as saying:

"I congratulate Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn for their induction to the Hall of Fame because they were great ballplayers," Bonds said Wednesday in the Dominican Republic. "But I also think McGwire and Pete Rose should be in Cooperstown."

And, the 2012 Barry Bonds HOF campaign begins in earnest. I, frankly, agree with Bonds and believe that Barry belongs in the hall as well. However, Barry will need to have some other people make this argument on his behalf because it is obvious his statement is made out of self-interest.

Probably An Eagles Fan

2007-01-14T22:36:00.000-08:00

Some dude killed another dude at an NFL Playoff party.

Detective Jim Strovink said deputies found beer bottles on the lawn and a broken window when they arrived at the Canby home Saturday. Roughly 10 people were there to watch a game, and Strovink said Stutzman had been drinking: "He became very belligerent, very obnoxious and tried to entice people into fights."

Strovink said Stutzman focused on Lucas, who had a heart condition and tried to avoid fighting. Several other people, including the victim's brother, Troy Lucas, tried to intervene.

"Unfortunately, the victim did receive some significant blows," Strovink said.

That last statement might be the understatement of this young year.

And, yes, I do realize that this happened in Oregon and the odds would favor that he is a Seachickens fan. But, a Seattle fan would just whine until the other guy died, whereas an Eagles fan is more likely to bludgeon another human to death and try to entice others to fight.

Did Alando Tucker's Professor Break The Law?

2007-01-10T20:20:00.000-08:00

I was just perusing last week's Sports Illustrated Issue and happened to read the article about University of Wisconsin basketball player Alando Tucker. It is a good story and I recommend it if you have the time. However, that is not why I am wasting your time. It was this revelation by one of Alando's professors regarding a paper Tucker wrote:

I was impressed with the amount of thought he had given to this for someone his age, and I don't mind telling you I gave him an A for the paper.

Most of you may not care but it immediately struck me that there are federal privacy laws regarding a person's academic records and this may have violated those laws. According to this site, schools generally cannot release any information from a student's record without written permission. I don't know if this applies to a professor or just the institution. I assume it is both. Any education lawyers out there care to enlighten us?

Ultimately, it probably doesn't matter because Alando probably doesn't care and getting an A isn't something to be ashamed of.

Wow! That Was a Ryan v. Ventura Beatdown

2007-01-08T21:16:00.000-08:00

The BCS "National Championship" game is over and Florida delivered a 1st half TKO to the Ohio State University. After Ted Ginn, Jr. took the opening kickoff back for a TD it was all Florida. The Buckeye defense couldn't stop Urban Meyer's spread attack and the vaunted Buckeye offense led by Heisman-winning QB Troy Smith couldn't mount an attack whatsoever. Anyway, we have national champs from Florida in basketball and football now with a possible basketball repeat.

I haven't posted in a while because of work commitments/holiday schtuff but I plan on getting back on the horse soon. I had a good Christmas break and have some new ideas to put out there along with my same old crap. I hope all two of my readers had a happy holiday and I hope to see you around here more often.

2006: The Year of the Head

2006-12-21T20:40:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year when everybody does retrospectives of the year and lists of the year's best/worsts. Well, I am about to go a little further and declare that this was the year of the head in the sports world.

The head affected championships, champions and made some spectacular highlights. No other body part had more of an impact on the sports world...not the hands...not the feet...nothing else. So, without further ado, the top three heads affecting the sports world this year.

3. Aaron Rowand, Philadelphia Phillies: This incredible catch and collision by Rowand may not have had as much effect on the team's season, but it was amazing and showed the bravery of Rowand.

2. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers: There isn't actually a picture of Roethlisberger's head after it met the car above this summer. However, his head has greatly affected the NFL champion's season. Big Ben ended up having an emergency appendectomy at the outset of the season and played rather poorly throughout the first half of the season. The Steelers have started to recover but the champions may still miss the playoffs. For that, Big Ben's head gets the number two slot.

1. Zinedine Zidane, France Men's National Soccer Team: Zizou's headbutt of Marco Materazzi in the World Cup Final this year affected his sport more than any other head involved incident this year. Zidane was ejected from the game and ultimately his team lost. There was worldwide outrage and curiousity about his actions. He gave interviews and was called upon to apologize. By the way, he only apologized to the children and not to Materazzi. Zidane's actions even led to numerous parodies of the headbutt. Ultimately, Zidane's head most affected the sports world in the year of the head. Congratulations, Zizou!

Bagwell Retires. That's nice. What Took So Long?

2006-12-19T21:40:00.000-08:00

I'm a little late on this story but, I guess, so is Jeff Bagwell. Last week, Houston Astros great, Jeff Bagwell, announced his retirement after 15 years in the big leagues. I can't say I've ever been a fan of Bagwell but I'm no hater. He had a great career. Maybe even Hall of Fame worthy. However, I wonder why it took so long for him to announce it.

Bagwell has barely played in the last two years and he didn't even play this year. So, why the wait? Well, it appears the Astros have reached a settlement with its insurance company on a breach of contract claim. The Astros had a policy that would pay Bagwell's 2006 salary--$17 million--if he could not play that season. The settlement terms aren't public but I'm sure Houston got a good chunk of change and now Bagwell is retiring. Coincidence? I think not. But according to Astros officials it was just dumb luck.

It was a total coincidence that this occurred about the same time that Jeff's announcement of his retirement (did)," Fisher said. "We ... got together and resolved it. It's over and done with.

I imagine if Bagwell retired he wouldn't get that $7 million buyout from Houston and the 'Stros probably couldn't get any money from the insurance company. In the end, it always comes down to money, doesn't it?

Reviewing Jemele Hill's Work on ESPN.com

2006-12-18T21:08:00.000-08:00

Back in November ESPN.com hired a new writer, Jemele Hill, ostensibly to replace the departed Jason Whitlock, who went out guns blazing and taking aim at the ‘bojanglers’. TheBigLead.com first reported her hiring and $200K/year salary about two weeks after TheBigLead.com had interviewed her. The first offering of Ms. Hill came out in mid-November and it was not very well received by many (here, here and here), myself included.

Being the impulsive sort, I fired off an email to Ms. Hill criticizing here. Here’s the text:

"Give me two things you believe that logical people think are utterly ridiculous.
1. Oliver Stone's movies are based on the truth, the whole truth and nothing but.
2. "Old School" wasn't that funny. "Anchorman" crushed it."

So, was the above statement meant to say that you are an illogical person? It sure sounds like it, which means everything you said prior to that statement and everything after should be considered illogical. Oh well, at least it's not me writing.
The Fan's Attic

Lo and behold, a few weeks later Ms. Hill, to my great surprise, responded:

The Fan’s Attic

Sorry it took so long for me to respond. Thanks for writing.

Just speaking from the heart.

Jemele

I very much appreciate that she took the time to write back, although she didn’t say much. Since she took the time to write back, I thought it would be good to take the time to go back and review her columns and see how she’s doing. Let’s go into the wayback machine and look at her work. Below are her columns on ESPN.com so far.

Just an ol’ Jock Fight - This is her most recent work and it’s about the Knicks-Nuggets fight. She says it was a just a fight between jocks and not a big deal. Ms. Hill also obliquely refers to what may be subconscious racism caused by the use of the word ‘thug.’ I tend to agree with her on these two points and that may color my view of this article, but I think she makes some very good points.

These Guys Are Teflon - This article is about people/athletes she perceives to never have bad stories stick to them. Chief among them for her is David Stern, who she thinks isn’t getting flak for the whole NBA ball fiasco. She calls this skill having “the hook up.” She has a point about Stern but her argument seems to overlook a significant point, namely, that all the other people she names are athletes and their personal travails are not the most important thing to the public—their ability to play a sport is the most important. Second, the people she lists, save Ray Lewis, haven’t done anything too horrific and the public want to like the athletes so they give one or two free passes to them. Given time and enough screw-ups all of these people will use up their political capital, so to speak.

Look at Rosie O’donnell and her bad Chinese joke, she was in hot water because her role is as a talk show host who gives opinions and pontificates on subjects. Shaq, Clemens and others’ who have made borderline racist comments about Asians only have to play a sport. What they say is ancillary to what they do on the field/court/diamond. Interesting concept but a flawed argument.

NFL Selling Smith Short - This story is about how the NFL is under-appreciating Ohio State QB Troy Smith because he has great stats and just wins games. Well, she has a point but Smith did have a lot of other world-class weapons on his team. Put some of these other quarterbacks in the same situation and I wonder how they would do. Also, it’s a bit early to say he is undervalued since I saw one draftboard that had Smith listed as the #2 QB available. Average marks for this one.

Hnida finds peace in telling story – This article is about the first woman to score in Division I-A football, who was at the center of the Colorado recruiting scandal a few years back because she was raped. This was an attempt at providing an update and a new angle on an old story. It was a good effort and poignant because of the tragedy suffered by Hnida. However, and I don’t want to be harsh here, but Ms. Hill injected her own tragic experience into the story, which really has nothing to do with the Hnida story. Yes, it shows she can relate but doesn’t add anything to the story and seems to be emotional pandering.

Not as simple as black or white - Ms. Hill calls out Larry Johnson for his comment that he plays better for a black coach, Herm Edwards, than a white coach, Dick Vermeil, because they have a common experience of being black. I have to say, this was a very good article and it is nice when athletes get called on their BS and hypocrisy.

Groupie Life An Open Book - Ms. Hill argues that pro-athlete groupies are not living up to their end of the bargain when they publish books about the trysts they have with athletes. I am not sure whether this was tongue-in-cheek or serious but my inability to discover the truth makes this an absolutely awful column. I don’t know how a woman can argue that these men should be allowed to use and abuse groupies and at least tacitly support these women essentially prostituting themselves. Utter trash.

A Whistle is a Whistle – Ms. Hill believes that Tom Izzo taking the reins of the Michigan State football program isn’t such a bad idea because great coaches are great leaders, like Izzo, and that will translate to any sport. Interesting argument but I don’t buy since all great coaches have some intuitive knowledge of X’s and O’s for their respective sports as well as being good leaders/managers. She gets good marks for originality even though I disagree.

I’m hearing voices - Ms. Hill’s first article. Lame gimmick introducing herself but I’ll give her a break for her first column even if her jokes fell flat.

Overall, she has improved with her posts and ideas but, I still find her writing lacking in something and I can’t quite put my finger on it. I think it lacks personality and heart despite her attempts to write in an informal, almost conversational, manner (which, by the way, I can’t stand). Her reasoning often has flaws, in my opinion, but she does make good points. I’m willing to give her some more time to develop her voice but not enough to write another post about it.

What do you think?

Euro Club Roundup #10

2006-12-12T21:26:00.000-08:00

Wow. It's been a while since I've done this update. Just to recap: I have selected one soccer team from each of the "major" leagues in Europe to follow and support this season in the hope to better know each of the leagues and the teams. My teams are: Liverpool in the EPL, Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga, AS Roma in Serie A and Valencia in La Liga. Here's a quick status check for each of the teams:

Liverpool: After a horrendous start to the campaign, the Reds have moved into 4th on goal differential in the EPL. However, it is unlikely the squad will be able to catch ManU who leads Liverpool by 16 points. The team has also advanced to the Round of 16 in the Champions League after winning its group.

Roma: The Italian side sits in second in Serie A, seven points adrift of Inter Milan. Roma also managed to advance to the Round of 16 in the Champions League after place second in its group to Valencia...

Valencia: After a torrid beginning to the season, the Ches sit in ninth in La Liga. The squad has been decimated by injuries and hopefully it can recover.

Hertha: The German squad is in fifth in the Bundesliga and has crashed out of the UEFA Cup already. So, here's hoping the team can make a run and qualify for next year's Champions League.

Not Dead!

2006-12-06T13:01:00.000-08:00

I'm not dead, yet. I've just been really busy with work and moving into a new house. The home internet isn't set up yet. Hopefully soon and back to my blogging ways.

This NFL Season Isn't As Bad As I Thought It Was

2006-11-27T21:27:00.000-08:00

I was all set to write a post about how disappointing the current NFL season has been about two weeks ago, but upon further reflection I realized that there are a few great storylines and just the general disappointment about the lack of consistent and quality team performances. Let’s start with the poor consistency afflicting the NFL.

As I see it, there are only two teams that really have it together—the Chargers and Colts—and all the rest are either hot and cold or just plain bad. Even these two have their faults. The Colts have a sieve for a defense and the Chargers defense has been poor of late and the team only seems to play well after falling in a hole. Every other team has even worse problems.

The Bears and Rex Grossman, after a great start, have shown themselves to be quite inconsistent on offense. New England is winning but it hasn’t been pretty. Same with Baltimore. Last year’s Super Bowl participants have been anything but championship worthy. Seattle is barely leading a division with San Francisco, Arizona and St. Louis in it and Pittsburgh is 4-7. Although the injury bug as hurt both teams, especially Ben Roethlisberger whose run-in with a car windshield and appendectomy seem to have sapped him of his winning ways. Not to mention the maddeningly inconsistent Panthers, Bengals, Cowboys, Jaguars and woeful Giants. And don’t forget the now forgettable Eagles.

After this superficial examination, I found that there are several great stories this season. At the head of the class is Chargers running back LaDanian Tomlinson. This season the new LT is a man among boys collecting TDs like they were Beanie Babies in the late 90s. He has 25 touchdowns with five games to go; he is the third leading rusher in the NFL; and, he has thrown for a couple scores as well. Bar none, LT is the best player in the NFL right now and by the end of his career will be one of the all-time greatests. Unfortunately, LT’s season is overshadowing a pretty good season for Larry Johnson, the leading NFL rusher, who has led a resurgent Chiefs team to playoff contention.

A former Charger is having a great season as well. Drew Brees signed with the Saints after suffering an injury in his final game of last season and San Diego decided to go with Philip Rivers as the QB of the future. Brees is leading the league in passing yards and is leading the Saints towards the playoffs. Moreover, Brees is throwing to 7th Round Rookie-wonder Marques Colston who is having a ROY-type season. This is certainly proof that Brees wasn’t a fluke for San Diego the past two seasons and is great for the New Orleans franchise which hasn’t had much good luck recently. (And don’t look now but Joey Harrington is starting to redeem himself in Miami right now.)

Finally, after several seasons of two, three and four wins, the San Francisco 49ers appear to be turning the corner. The Niners are only 5-6 but this is far greater than anybody expected and the team is theoretically in contention for a wild card spot. This rebirth has been fueled by RB Frank Gore, who had two knee major injuries at Miami and ended up behind Willis McGahee on the depth chart. Gore is the second leading rusher in the league and hopefully, for this Niner fan, will help turn the team into a playoff team.

It just goes to show how great the NFL is that even with a down season overall in quality, the league can still deliver compelling stories.

Joey Harrington Is A Genius

2006-11-16T20:37:00.000-08:00

There hasn’t been too many times that you could say the above about Joey Harrington since he entered the NFL as the third pick of the Detroit Lions in the 2002 NFL Draft. He has been a resounding disappointment for his entire career. But, his decision to sign with Miami makes him look at least somewhat savvy since he is the current starter over Miami’s other off-season quarterback acquisition, Daunte Culpepper. This brilliant decision making has gone unnoticed for far too long and I am here to bring attention to it. Although, it’s not like he is really tearing it up as a starter in Miami.

While in Detroit, Harrington had a career record as a starter of 18-37, more interceptions than touchdowns and a fairly low passer rating. Because of this ineptitude Detroit traded him to the Miami Dolphins during the 2006 off-season. These certainly aren’t numbers that could win him a starting job in the NFL and he knew it. There were a number of teams (Cincinnati, Denver and Miami) he could have signed with but he would have been a backup at each team. However, he determined that his best chance to win back a starting role (presuming that is what he wanted) would be in Miami behind Culpepper. So, for once in his career Harrington has made the correct read, although he "won" the starting job after Culpepper was benched with an injury, and let's praise him for it.

By the way, what the hell is up with the new hair-do for Harrington? He kinda has a Keanu Reeves look going on.

Neil Everett The Poet

2006-11-08T21:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, incredibly tragic news came out of Coral Gables, Miami. Senior Miami defensive end Brian Pata was shot and killed in a presumed homicide. Awful, just awful news. So, I watched the 11 p.m. Pacific SportsCenter and Neil Everett leads off with this.

Brian Pata was shot in the head.
And, now he's dead.

You stay classy, Neil Everett. Seriously, couldn't he come up with something that didn't rhyme and was maybe a bit more, uh, respectful?

Vegas, Baby! Vegas!

2006-11-05T20:41:00.000-08:00

SI.com writer Ian Thomsen wrote an interesting article full of all sorts of NBA goodies, particularly the following little story about Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman lobbying the NBA for a Vegas franchise:

The Las Legas mayor, a former mob lawyer, is intent on recruiting a pro sports
franchise. Goodman recently returned from a tour of the NBA's preseason training
camps in Europe -- accompanied by a pair of Vegas showgirls named Pam and
Porsche -- where he lobbied Stern and NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver,
informing them that he has commissioned an arena study that is expected to recommend by year's end a site (probably in downtown Las Vegas) for a new building. (emphasis added)

So that's how they do it? At least the Mayor is upfront about what he is willing to do for the Commissioner to get a team. There is no beating around the bush, so-to-speak.

Coach Fight!

2006-11-05T20:16:00.000-08:00

In Sunday's Arsenal - West Ham United match, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and West Ham manager Alan Pardew had a little dust-up after West Ham went up 1-0 in the 89th minute. I could understand Wenger being upset because of losing to lowly West Ham, but a physical altercation? That's awesome! Predictably, the two didn't shake hands after the match. But, Pardew has extended an apology to Wenger. (The fight is at about the 1:00 minute mark.)

This Is One Euro Fad I Hope Doesn't Catch On

2006-11-01T20:53:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League Liverpool defeated Bordeaux 3-0. It was a great match for Liverpool but it was marred with an ugly incident. Bordeaux's Brazilian midfielder Fernando Menegazzo headbutted Liverpool's Norwegian international John Arne Riise. This was worse than the Zidane headbutt in the World Cup final because Menegazzo went head-to-head with Riise and drew blood. If this is the latest craze in European sports, then I hope it doesn't come to the U.S.

Highlights from the match are below and the headbutt is at the 1:15 mark.

NBA Season Already?

2006-11-01T16:42:00.000-08:00

The Blazers season opener against Seattle is tonight and it is the first time in several years that I am looking forward to the season, although it will probably end up as a losing season. The reason for this optimism? Well, it boils down to what I perceive as a change in direction of the franchise. It was hoped that this change had started several seasons ago but the front office seemed to bungle all the chances it had with poor draft choices and foolishly overpaying players like Darius Miles and Zach Randolph.

Although Miles and Randolph are still on the team, the rest of squad appears to be made of good character and a willingness to put the team before itself. Rookie Brandon Roy is also a light of hope because he appears to be a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate, a team player and a high character guy. LaMarcus Aldridge, another rookie, seems to be in the same mold. Second year players Jarrett Jack and Martell Webster also give me hope for a brighter future because they have improved their game in the offseason.

Finally, although I am loathe to admit it, Zach Randolph may actually be a bright spot for the team. Maybe with Miles out indefinitely with a knee injury and ZBo being the only real scoring threat Randolph can show that he can be a good character and that he is fully recovered from his microfracture surgery. His teammates seem to believe in him this year and have voted him co-captain with Pryzbilla.

So, here's to the future and hopefully an entertaining season by Portland.

Tom Jackson: "Look, I can use big words, too!"

2006-10-27T12:32:00.000-07:00

This Tiki Barber retirement story just keeps getting better and better. First, it is reported, kind of out of the blue, that Tiki will retire after the season. Then, Tom Jackson and Michael Irvin both say that this will be a distraction/won't help the Giants. Then, Tiki gets on his high horse and calls these two idiots and uses a big word that most NFL players would never use.

That includes Tom Jackson on ESPN. That includes the ultimate character guy, facetiously speaking of course, Michael Irvin (ESPN). Please get a clue on how to be a journalist.

Fantastic! I'm sure neither one of these guys likes to get called out like that, although Irvin might not know what facetiously means since he did attend Tha U (Univ. of Miami that is, lately better known for stomping on people than anything else). Tom Jackson decided that he had to
respond and try to look intelligent by using more big words.

"I was asked an opinion about a subject, just the way he is often asked an
opinion about a myriad of topics, a plethora of things," Jackson told The Post.

Way to go Tom! You know how to use a dictionary and look like an asshat too! You know, back in school, people who used big words just to show off their impressive vocabulary were still tools.

In Today's Least Surprising News...

2006-10-26T21:56:00.000-07:00

FIFA revealed that, shockingly, soccer players were taking dives in the World Cup and feigning injuries.

'Fifty-eight per cent of the players who were treated on the pitch during the 2006 World Cup eventually turned out not to be injured,' confirmed FIFA in a statement.

Wow. I'm glad it only took them 4 months to do the research and compile a report saying this. I could have told you this after watching this Cristiano Ronaldo video below. This is an even better video but Youtube won't let me post it.

Hi. My name is The Fan’s Attic and I’m a Terrell Owens fan.

2006-10-25T21:50:00.000-07:00

I’ve been sitting on this post for a while now but I recently had a little online discussion with Mr. Irrelevant regarding the best WRs of this generation and I thought I should post it after that. First, though, here is a little recap of what brought this about.

Mr. Irrelevant argued that Marvin Harrison and Torry Holt are the best and he excluded Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, Chad Johnson, and Steve Smith because they are either inconsistent or have had brief careers. I disagreed and said that Owens (and probably Moss) should be included in any discussion about the best WRs of this generation based on their stats and he responded. See here. Mister Irrelevant gave additional reasons for their exclusion: being bad teammates, missing games and having “clunker” seasons in their careers.

My brief (and probably inadequate) response to his rebuttal: Owens has produced 5 Pro Bowl seasons since 2000 (the year he really stopped being second fiddle to Jerry Rice) and if the Philadelphia situation had played out differently he would have had another one in 2005. Holt, Harrison, and Moss have 4, 7 and 7 respectively. So, there isn’t really a statistical clunker for Owens save last season’s debacle since early in his career. Over the course of his career Owens has missed 18 games, 9 of which came from the suspension last year, compared to 6, 2 and 3 for Harrison, Holt and Moss. By far the most but he is by far the most physical of these receivers and that has to play into the injury situation. And, as far as bad teammates go, I can’t really argue that because he obviously isn’t one of the best but at least he has a passion for the game.

So, that leads me to my explanation of why I am a Terrell Owens fan.

Quite simply, I love the way Owens plays football. I’ll admit his off-field antics are distracting but I don’t care about that. I like players who play with passion, make big plays, and will do the dirty work. Owens does this; he catches the ball, he is a deep threat, scores touchdowns, goes across the middle and is a good blocker for a wide receiver. Quite simply, he is the most complete receiver in the game and is the prototype for many of the receivers these days: big, fast and athletic.

Moreover, he has an extreme passion to win and you can see this in his sideline antics. He just wants to win. He is a big-play receiver and getting the ball to him will most likely only help you win. I admire this trait in him because I think at this point in many of the NFL players’ careers they don’t have the same desire as Owens.

Finally, the guy is tough as nails. Remember his recovery from a broken ankle to play in the Super Bowl? How about the fact that he is playing with a plate in his hand right now? He didn’t miss a game with a broken finger (thanks to the bye week). He just wants to be on the field and make plays. I can hang with that.

Now, I have admitted that I like Terrell Owens and there aren’t many of us in existence but I am ok with it.

He's The Eldest And Younger Brother At The Same Time?

2006-10-17T22:18:00.000-07:00

The Winslow family suffered a great loss recently with HOF Tight End Kellen Winslow, Sr. lost his son Justin K.B. Winslow suddenly. The death is under investigation and I wish the Winslow family all the best in this hard time for them and I don't mean to make light of the situation but the SI.com article was a bit confusing.

Cleveland Browns tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. attended a funeral on Tuesday for his younger brother, Justin K.B. Winslow, who died suddenly last week in Kansas City, Mo. He was 23. The eldest son of Hall of Fame tight end Kellen Winslow Sr. was found unconscious on Oct. 12 by his mother, Dawnn Wimes O'Bannon.

So, Justin was Kellen Winslow, Jr.'s "younger brother" and the "eldest son" of Kellen Winslow, Sr.? How does that work? Methinks the editor messed up.

'Boom Goes The Dynamite' Goes Mainstream

2006-10-17T21:58:00.000-07:00

In this little insular world of sports blogging there are many inside jokes that take a long time to explain to others and are usually not as funny to those receiving the explanation. Consequently, it is probably better not to explain and not include them on the joke. But, every once in a while, if we are lucky, the inside joke escapes the blogging bubble and hits the so-called 'mainstream' and may require some explanation. Recently, one of these moments occurred on the teen show "Veronica Mars" on the CW and I had to give an explanation as to why I was keeled over with laughter.

Before you watch the clip, I suggest checking out the classically bad amateur sports broadcaster who originated the "boom goes the dynamite" phrase, here, especially if you're not familiar with the reference.

Now, see it, in the mainstream below. Big thanks to Deadspin commenter Scotty_Cooper for pointing me to this clip.