The Weekend Wrap 6/16-6/19 (Extended Edition)
Things we learned:
The Miami Heat have a little more resolve than most people where giving them credit for about a week ago. After the first two games in Dallas most people had given the Heat up for dead, except one group of people; the guys in the Heat locker room. Everyone started talking about sweep, or if the Heat could at least steal one game in their own building, so they were not totally embarrassed. Well it looks as if the tables have turned, it is the Mavericks who are reeling, complaining about officiating, and look lost on the court during crunch time. Dwayne Wade is a one man show, and his supporting cast, including Shaq, are doing exactly what they need to do. Can the close this thing out tonight, or will we have a Game 7. Like I always say, a series doesn’t start until the home team loses.
Major League baseball inter-league play may have finally run its course. Could this provide any less pop for baseball right now? Now I guess than can keep playing these meaning less series, watching the Royals square off with the Astros is no different than watching them square off with the Mariners I guess. But in the past inter-league play has been there as a spark plug in the month of June, something to get people re-energized about the game, at a time when it is about to hit its stride with the All-Star game coming up and the month of July where it is the only game in town. However, this year, it gave me nothing. I barely recognized that baseball was one; with World Cup fever, the NBA and NHL Finals being compelling and the US Open happening who had time for Indians v. Brewers. I hate to be all New York about it, but at this point Yankees/Mets is about the only thing that still provides some ratings. I guess Cubs/White Sox and even A’s/Giants and Dodgers/Angels is okay, but stop try to contrive these false regional rivalries like Tigers/Brewers. Neither of those teams could give a shit about the other.
Things I liked:
The US Open was very good this weekend. And yes I watched almost every second of coverage, that is of course when I myself was not hitting them around like I did every day this weekend. Both of the major story lines of the open I liked, the Mickelson collapse (so Normanesque) and Geoff Ogilvy winning. If Mickelson would have went ahead and won the tournament it would have been kind of boring, watching him fire away pars and take home the title like he did at Augusta, though impressive, not real exciting. Instead you saw a little bit of old Phil, the guy we fell in love with, creep out and try to dominate the tournament instead of just merely winning it. At this point he is the best golfer in the world; he won the last two majors finished second here and has two other tour wins this year. He knows he is the best (for him something like money is no option, he will make the Ryder Cup team) so why not go out and try to dominate. His career is already validated with three majors, he may not win a whole bunch more but one time he wanted to try and win by a wide margin so people could look back and say “wow, remember that time Phil won by 4 strokes on that impossible Sunday at Winged Foot?” I respect a guy for trying to do that, fuck being conservative, all of you assholes would have hauled at driver too and tried to strike fear in Ogilvy as he sat in the bunker hoping to get up and down. And secondly, I liked the fact that Geoff Ogilvy stepped forward and played a great tournament to win. For the past 4 or so years we have been waiting for some of these young golfers to break through and being a consistent challenger on the Major stage. Well Ogilvy now has the Match play championship and a Major title under his belt, so he may now have the confidence to be a serious contender for years to come at Majors. We have been waiting for Sergio, Adam Scott, Charles Howell III and others to step forward, and it was Ogilvy who did. In fact on Friday mornings coverage Johnny Miller (who may be the most annoying golf announcer ever, I was wishing I could hear David Ferherty) reported that many veterans thought Ogilvy was a serious contender to win the title.
Things I disliked:
Oh crap here we are going to talk World Cup soccer, so if that makes you queasy, I
would skip this paragraph. Now Martin (and other soccer geeks lurking) I am not going to give my normal rant I why I hate soccer and how I could care less that poor people all over the world like it. No, I have given this World Cup a chance just like I do every World Cup, especially since I was duped into thinking the USA was any good at this shit. Herein lies the problem with this sport and that is all the melodramatic injury bullshit which intern leads to the awful officiating. Yes there is a direct cause and effect here. And yes the officiating is atrocious. Now some FIFA dude will give you the rhetoric that there are no more cards being handed out this year than in the previous few cups but that is not the point, it is when and to whom the cards are given. If they have a direct effect on the outcome of almost every game then there is a problem. Referees are not the show, in any sport, most especially soccer where the wield and unbelievable amount of power, by being able to eliminate players from a game as easily as they can. In most sports player conduct for being ejected is specifically outlined (i.e. throwing of equipment in baseball is an automatic ejection). In World Cup soccer it is totally subjective and follows no path of logic. One of the things that helps lead to this poor officiating is the over reaction of ever piece of Euro-trash who plays the game. It is clear that this is more a European trait rather than a sport specific one; just look at all the great floppers in the NBA, guys like Vlade Divac, Peja Stoikavic, and Manu Ginobili (yes Ginobili is an Argentinean citizen, however he was born in Italy of Italian descent and played most of his professional career there). But what happens in soccer is an outrage. Six times during the USA/Italy match a greasy bastard from Italy was carried off on a stretcher, in three instances the guy being carried off was already unstrapping himself before he made it to the sidelines. In every case the player was miraculously healed (I can only assume they had some bath water from Lourdes) within moments, and ready to check back into the game. How many Americans were carried off on stretchers, zero. In fact the one American (one player for that matter) who was truly injured walked off under his own power clutching his bloody face, had it stitched up like a hokey player and returned to play the rest of the game. But what officials see is all these Italian players getting “injured” and thinking that the Americans must be doing something dirty, when in fact on one Yellow Card the American player never made contact with the Italian player. But the reaction of these players leads to the officials having to make calls, and now I understand there is a certain amount of “gamesmanship” that goes into all. Not unlike acting like you fouled a ball off your foot or moaning as you get a slight bump in a basketball game to help draw a foul. But the way it is gone about in soccer is stupid. They need to institute a stretcher rule. If you can taken off on a stretcher you have to spend 5 minutes out of the game, obviously with no replacement. Let’s see how many guys would call for the stretcher then.
Yes I am one who tells everyone to watch the new NBA and appreciate the stars we now have, and stop complaining about how things aren’t like the good ole days. And while most of the time I believe that, this years finals provided one instance where I have to agree with all the old timers. What happened to some hard nosed physical play? Jerry Stackhouse got suspended for an entire game for a flagrant foul on Shaq, what load of bullshit. Hey baby, its playoff time, somebody is going to get knocked on their ass. But David Stern has pussified the NBA so the hard foul is now taken out of the game. Should Stack have been assessed a flagrant foul and thrown out of that game, sure he should have, but to suspend him for Game 5 is ridiculous.
Oh know, here we go again, the fucking Oakland A’s have won 10 games in a row (that streak was snapped last night). Now all summer we have to hear about how great money ball is, and how Billy Bean is the smartest man alive. Baseball analysts are going to break down how the A’s are the hottest team ever, and how great their pitching is. Here is the factoid of the day, the last time the Oakland A’s won a playoff series America had no yet invaded Iraq, the first time, Barry Lamar Bonds only had 117 career homeruns, and Derek Jeter was a Junior in high school.
The Miami Heat have a little more resolve than most people where giving them credit for about a week ago. After the first two games in Dallas most people had given the Heat up for dead, except one group of people; the guys in the Heat locker room. Everyone started talking about sweep, or if the Heat could at least steal one game in their own building, so they were not totally embarrassed. Well it looks as if the tables have turned, it is the Mavericks who are reeling, complaining about officiating, and look lost on the court during crunch time. Dwayne Wade is a one man show, and his supporting cast, including Shaq, are doing exactly what they need to do. Can the close this thing out tonight, or will we have a Game 7. Like I always say, a series doesn’t start until the home team loses.
Major League baseball inter-league play may have finally run its course. Could this provide any less pop for baseball right now? Now I guess than can keep playing these meaning less series, watching the Royals square off with the Astros is no different than watching them square off with the Mariners I guess. But in the past inter-league play has been there as a spark plug in the month of June, something to get people re-energized about the game, at a time when it is about to hit its stride with the All-Star game coming up and the month of July where it is the only game in town. However, this year, it gave me nothing. I barely recognized that baseball was one; with World Cup fever, the NBA and NHL Finals being compelling and the US Open happening who had time for Indians v. Brewers. I hate to be all New York about it, but at this point Yankees/Mets is about the only thing that still provides some ratings. I guess Cubs/White Sox and even A’s/Giants and Dodgers/Angels is okay, but stop try to contrive these false regional rivalries like Tigers/Brewers. Neither of those teams could give a shit about the other.
Things I liked:
The US Open was very good this weekend. And yes I watched almost every second of coverage, that is of course when I myself was not hitting them around like I did every day this weekend. Both of the major story lines of the open I liked, the Mickelson collapse (so Normanesque) and Geoff Ogilvy winning. If Mickelson would have went ahead and won the tournament it would have been kind of boring, watching him fire away pars and take home the title like he did at Augusta, though impressive, not real exciting. Instead you saw a little bit of old Phil, the guy we fell in love with, creep out and try to dominate the tournament instead of just merely winning it. At this point he is the best golfer in the world; he won the last two majors finished second here and has two other tour wins this year. He knows he is the best (for him something like money is no option, he will make the Ryder Cup team) so why not go out and try to dominate. His career is already validated with three majors, he may not win a whole bunch more but one time he wanted to try and win by a wide margin so people could look back and say “wow, remember that time Phil won by 4 strokes on that impossible Sunday at Winged Foot?” I respect a guy for trying to do that, fuck being conservative, all of you assholes would have hauled at driver too and tried to strike fear in Ogilvy as he sat in the bunker hoping to get up and down. And secondly, I liked the fact that Geoff Ogilvy stepped forward and played a great tournament to win. For the past 4 or so years we have been waiting for some of these young golfers to break through and being a consistent challenger on the Major stage. Well Ogilvy now has the Match play championship and a Major title under his belt, so he may now have the confidence to be a serious contender for years to come at Majors. We have been waiting for Sergio, Adam Scott, Charles Howell III and others to step forward, and it was Ogilvy who did. In fact on Friday mornings coverage Johnny Miller (who may be the most annoying golf announcer ever, I was wishing I could hear David Ferherty) reported that many veterans thought Ogilvy was a serious contender to win the title.
Things I disliked:
Oh crap here we are going to talk World Cup soccer, so if that makes you queasy, I
would skip this paragraph. Now Martin (and other soccer geeks lurking) I am not going to give my normal rant I why I hate soccer and how I could care less that poor people all over the world like it. No, I have given this World Cup a chance just like I do every World Cup, especially since I was duped into thinking the USA was any good at this shit. Herein lies the problem with this sport and that is all the melodramatic injury bullshit which intern leads to the awful officiating. Yes there is a direct cause and effect here. And yes the officiating is atrocious. Now some FIFA dude will give you the rhetoric that there are no more cards being handed out this year than in the previous few cups but that is not the point, it is when and to whom the cards are given. If they have a direct effect on the outcome of almost every game then there is a problem. Referees are not the show, in any sport, most especially soccer where the wield and unbelievable amount of power, by being able to eliminate players from a game as easily as they can. In most sports player conduct for being ejected is specifically outlined (i.e. throwing of equipment in baseball is an automatic ejection). In World Cup soccer it is totally subjective and follows no path of logic. One of the things that helps lead to this poor officiating is the over reaction of ever piece of Euro-trash who plays the game. It is clear that this is more a European trait rather than a sport specific one; just look at all the great floppers in the NBA, guys like Vlade Divac, Peja Stoikavic, and Manu Ginobili (yes Ginobili is an Argentinean citizen, however he was born in Italy of Italian descent and played most of his professional career there). But what happens in soccer is an outrage. Six times during the USA/Italy match a greasy bastard from Italy was carried off on a stretcher, in three instances the guy being carried off was already unstrapping himself before he made it to the sidelines. In every case the player was miraculously healed (I can only assume they had some bath water from Lourdes) within moments, and ready to check back into the game. How many Americans were carried off on stretchers, zero. In fact the one American (one player for that matter) who was truly injured walked off under his own power clutching his bloody face, had it stitched up like a hokey player and returned to play the rest of the game. But what officials see is all these Italian players getting “injured” and thinking that the Americans must be doing something dirty, when in fact on one Yellow Card the American player never made contact with the Italian player. But the reaction of these players leads to the officials having to make calls, and now I understand there is a certain amount of “gamesmanship” that goes into all. Not unlike acting like you fouled a ball off your foot or moaning as you get a slight bump in a basketball game to help draw a foul. But the way it is gone about in soccer is stupid. They need to institute a stretcher rule. If you can taken off on a stretcher you have to spend 5 minutes out of the game, obviously with no replacement. Let’s see how many guys would call for the stretcher then.
Yes I am one who tells everyone to watch the new NBA and appreciate the stars we now have, and stop complaining about how things aren’t like the good ole days. And while most of the time I believe that, this years finals provided one instance where I have to agree with all the old timers. What happened to some hard nosed physical play? Jerry Stackhouse got suspended for an entire game for a flagrant foul on Shaq, what load of bullshit. Hey baby, its playoff time, somebody is going to get knocked on their ass. But David Stern has pussified the NBA so the hard foul is now taken out of the game. Should Stack have been assessed a flagrant foul and thrown out of that game, sure he should have, but to suspend him for Game 5 is ridiculous.
Oh know, here we go again, the fucking Oakland A’s have won 10 games in a row (that streak was snapped last night). Now all summer we have to hear about how great money ball is, and how Billy Bean is the smartest man alive. Baseball analysts are going to break down how the A’s are the hottest team ever, and how great their pitching is. Here is the factoid of the day, the last time the Oakland A’s won a playoff series America had no yet invaded Iraq, the first time, Barry Lamar Bonds only had 117 career homeruns, and Derek Jeter was a Junior in high school.
1 Comments:
Only because you called me out do I respond in kind...
In kindly turning the other cheek to the reality of the situation - Soccer players flop.
This isn't a European thing, it's a worldwide sport thing. Everyone flops, the Italians just do it better than most.
It would cause you unimaginable pain, so I ask that you please find Fox Sports World or Fox Soccer and watch an English Premiership game. Those guys hit the pitch (i.e. turf) all the time. The major difference is the head ref runs past them and play continues for the most part.
When it comes the World Cup, you get the same players (Remember the English league takes players from all over the world) but the refs are different.
In the Italy-US game, the guy who threw an elbow in McBride's face deserved a red card, but they had already called yellows early. That means the Americans should have adjusted, similar to a pitcher changing to the home plate ump's strike zone or NBA players to the way the refs are calling the game that night.
They didn't and the defender got a red card before the end of the first half.
When the second half started, I totally expected to see Eddie Pope on the bench, especially since he got a yellow in teh first half. He wasn't, so it's Bruce Arena's fault he was sent off with a second yellow...
Think about this - The rest of the world flops and falls because while this is as important as the Super Bowl and World Series combined, they still have to go home and sleep with their sexually curious wifes, daughters and sons. They would cringe to think about one of their athletes telling the trainer to tape up a broken finger, arm, neck because I need to get back out there and win, win, win.
Just call it the reason why we've been on top of the world for so long and they take six weeks of vacation and afternoons off to sleep or drink wine.
Drunk in Madrid OUT.
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