Archive for June, 2009
The US Lost to Brazil 3-2 But Did Impress: The United States faced the most prestigious national team on the planet, on the grandest stage men’s soccer in this country has seen. They competed and were, for 45 minutes, dominant. They acquitted themselves as equals. Though the result disappointed, their effort resounded through the soccer [ READ MORE ]
Jay Mariotti asks “who does Ricky Rubio think he is?” I ask “who does Jay Mariotti think he is?” because competent, dutiful writer does not seem an adequate description. Mariotti rails against heathens who compare NBA prospect Ricky Rubio to Pete Maravich. “They” make him cringe. Mariotti uses the impersonal third person plural pronoun, because he [ READ MORE ]
Why Does the Media’s Steroid Reluctance Extend to A-Rod? Through 43 games, Alex Rodriguez’ 2009 season has been underwhelming. He’s hitting .223 and slugging .466, far lower than his career .304 and .576 numbers respectively. He has hit 10 home runs in 148 AB, though eight (in 73 AB) have come in the homer haven [ READ MORE ]
Can the U.S. Beat Brazil? Within one week, the U.S. Men’s National Team disposed of the reigning African and European champions, Egypt and Spain, by a combined 5-0 score. These efforts propelled the team from a neglected embarrassment to a crew of miraculous heroes. However, for the most part psychologically, the final against Brazil will [ READ MORE ]
Soccer is not exclusive in the United States. It is esoteric. It is not football, basketball or baseball. Despite a recent promotional campaign by ESPN, information about soccer is actively sought, not passively assimilated. The myth of exclusivity comes not from alleged soccer snobs lording their elitism over the masses, but from said masses readily [ READ MORE ]
I will be vacationing in Italy the next two weeks. I will resume my standard duties for TBL, EPLTalk and possibly another site when I return. [ READ MORE ]
ESPN pulled amiable scamp Tommy Smyth from inside a bottle of Jameson’s to give his top five soccer players in the world last night (Messi, Ronaldo, Kaka, Iniesta, Rooney). We figured we would take a crack at the question ourselves, though our criteria was what player we would start a team with, rather than who [ READ MORE ]
ESPN the Magazine trails a struggling SI by more than a million in circulation. Most subscribers seem to be unwilling accomplices, tolerating the mailbox onslaught for a taste of the sweet insider content. The Mag has flailed for attention in the past, using genius stunts such as guest-editing celebrity athletes. Now, the situation has passed [ READ MORE ]
The blog Midwest Sports Fans received criticism for a post about Raul Ibanez. The post addresses Ibanez’ uncharacteristically hot season. It uses an array of sophisticated statistical analyses to disprove steroids were the cause. It concludes, soberly, that any such statistical leap by a player past his physical prime would be under suspicion. He makes [ READ MORE ]
At 6:00 PM yesterday evening, Bud Selig read a prepared statement so vapid not a single word committed to memory. This stirring start set the tone for the scintillating multi-hour television spectacular that was the MLB Draft…(continued) [ READ MORE ]
