World Cup 2014 Thoughts

• That Belgium match was one of the most entertaining of the tournament, right up there with Costa Rica-Uruguay, US-Portugal, Ghana-Germany, and most Colombia matches.
• The future looks kind of bright? I would think that the best indication of that would be the performance of the U-23 (aka Olympic) team in the next cycle - those guys have not been great recently - and of the U-20 team, which has had some mixed success in recent years. If those teams aren't getting into at least the quarterfinals of their tournaments, I'm not sure it's realistic to expect that the Senior MNT will do better in Russia. The potential young stars - Yedlin, Green, Brooks - are already here, but those junior teams will provide the depth that we simply don't have right now.
• I could have added Altidore to the list above - he can get better, and even though he's seemingly been around forever, he'll turn 25 in November. I didn't add Johannsson because he showed very little in Brazil. And I think Diskerud is still on the team, but can't be too sure.
• I would agree with Klinsmann, college soccer may be retarding development here in the States; I wonder if the NCAA's upcoming legal losses will change this. If they have to end up paying athletes, are these 'new' employees going to be allowed to "major" in their sports, such that the practice restrictions are done away with - or at the very least, loosened up quite a bit - and college programs become more like lower-level clubs or academies? One would think that this model could then filter down to the high school level (eventually).
• I'm pulling for Costa Rica (I've been there, it's beautiful and friendly, they're on the same continent, et cetera) and Germany (my mom's family heritage, plus they're very tall and fast) from here on out.
• I know it's a dry heat in Qatar, and they're planning on adding A/C to their stadiums; let's hope it works. I can't imagine that extra time will look pretty in 120F heat, if the A/C goes down. Then again, maybe it won't be an issue because the 2022 competition will be closer to home.

What the Birds really need to do to get back to October

I agree with pretty much everything in this Tom Verducci piece. But I was struck, while watching last night's game, by some numbers thrown out there by Gary Thorne: Baltimore is 20-7 in games that Chris Tillman starts. They're currently 71-61  on the season. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that they need better starters to complement Tillman. Or Buck and Dan need to figure out how to clone him and run four more copies of him out there. They'd be 98-34 right now if they had a whole year of an all-Tillman staff! That's how stats work, right?

Not So Super

After that awful end to an otherwise very entertaining Ravens game yesterday, I'm thinking that this may be the first year since 2007 that I don't tune in for the Super Bowl (2007: we were in Zanzibar, and the game was actually on TV there - it IS a global phenomenon! - but kickoff was around 2 a.m., so I still haven't seen Peyton win a SB).

The Giants? Growing up a Washington fan and rooting for another NFC East team, especially a NY team? I don't think so. New England? Not because they beat Baltimore, but root for Belichick and Brady? No thank you. Best case? Maybe a sudden meteor shower in the Indy area. Or a Lucas Oil Stadium roof collapse. Well before the game, of course! I strongly dislike both teams, but not enough to wish death-from-above on them or their fans. In most cases.

When does spring training start? Oh wait, I'm an Orioles fan. Shit.

This Year's Terps - A Cavalcade of Point Guards

I know it's only November, but after watching two out of Maryland's three wins so far, this looks like it could be a fun team this year. They've got inside scoring and rebounding from Jordan Williams, who looks to be in much better shape than he was last year, and could also be a year ahead of where Lonny Baxter was as a sophomore in terms of offensive skills. Cliff Tucker is probably their best defender not named Sean Mosley, and might also be the best outside shooter on the team. And then their are the point guards. Senior Adrian Bowie starts and has been solid thus far, but the freshmen behind him on the bench, Pe'Shon Howard (yes, that's actually his first name) and Terrell Stoglin, might both be better players. In fact, I'm betting that Howard starts over Bowie at some point this season. No matter who starts, ball handling shouldn't be the problem that it's been at times over the last few seasons.

Add what could be a deep but young (three more freshmen, one sophomore, one transfer) bench, and, well, we'll see what happens. Something else that's new for a Gary Williams team is its international flavor; one of the freshmen is from Iceland, and the transfer is a skinny Dutch guy. We'll know a lot more about this team once they face a top-five Pittsburgh team on Thursday night at MSG.

The End of the NFL?

No, it's not very likely, at least in my lifetime, but who knows? I happened to catch some CNN on an airport TV while waiting for a delayed flight yesterday, and saw some coverage of (congressional?) hearings on concussions in football. CNN is a bit behind, as usual, because it ran this as 'breaking news' when these studies have been ongoing for a while, and Mr. Tipping Point wrote a very interesting article about it in the New Yorker recently.

Is watching tackle football really akin to dogfighting though? Not so sure about that conclusion. But I do know that while most societies consider themselves to be civilized, eventually some future culture looks back at certain aspects of said society and thinks, "those barbarians! how could they live in a world where _____ passed as entertainment! I'm glad we're more enlightened than they were back then." Is tackle football going to fill in that blank one day?

Beaten to the Punch

I was all set to comment about the latest comments from Jacques Rogge (head of the IOC) about phenom sprinter Usain Bolt, which further cemented Mr. Rogge's reputation as a paragon of hypocrisy. This bourgeois Belgian's buffoonery cannot be bested!

But Sally Jenkins wrote it better than I could in her latest column (albeit absent the alarming attack of alliteration).

The Obnoxious Factor

Dan Connolly is completely correct in his latest blog entry (and so far, his readers agree); for the past four years, the Red Sox have not only had more on-field success than the NYY, but their fans that infest Camden Yards nine times per season have definitely surpassed New York fans in obnoxious behavior. It's almost pleasant to go to an O's-Yanks game these days, if only because it ensures than no critical mass of Boston fans will be at the ballpark. How times have changed...

The Ghost of Steve Blake

Another season, another NIT appearance for the mighty Terrapins of Maryland. Any residual goodwill from the 2002 title has dissipated, so what now? There are all sorts of prescriptions being tossed around online and in the papers: Fire Gary. Gary needs to recruit better. Vasquez shouldn't be playing the point. What's wrong with Gist? The freshmen should have played more, because now next year's frontcourt will be awful.

A bit of truth to all of those. But I think [disclaimer: I have never played organzied basketball, coached organzied basketball, or been to a single Final Four as a player, coach, or spectator] that it begins and ends with the PG position. Since Steve Blake went on to the NBA, Maryland's point guard play has been erratic at best, and often just plain awful. John Gilchrist would rather score - or pout - than pass the ball. D.J. Strawberry was never a point guard but was forced into the position due to some questionable recruiting and didn't do so well (although he tried!). And Mr. Vasquez perfers to turn the ball over by either attempting impossible passes or by dribbling around in the lane until the ball is stolen.

Is there talent on this team? Absolutely. Although it's always interesting to hear Gary's teams described as so athletic when their talent is discussed. When's the last time that Gary's teams were described as smart? Maybe...the early years of the 21st century? Was that because Lonny "Six-Gun" Baxter was any brighter than James "1st Half" Gist? Certainly not. But he seemed to be, out on the court, because Blake wouldn't pass him the ball if he was at a spot on the court where he couldn't make a good play. That's a quality PG. Everyone else on the court looks smarter. Sure, it helps to have a backcourt partner like Juan Dixon. But this team proved down in Chapel Hill months ago that the ability is there, and that it just needs to be tapped consistently.

I know the origin of the word "fan", so I understand why people are calling for Gary's head. But logically, what are the odds that Debbie Yow is going to strike gold and find a coach that will do what Gary has already done? Statistically speaking, it's unlikely. There aren't too many coaches out there that been to even a single Final Four. That being said, I don't think he has a free pass for much longer. For instance, I can't see him holding onto his job if this year's NIT appearance is followed by two more years of the same. Hell, he might only have one more year - the big-money boosters at an ACC school aren't much for patience.

So what will Gary do? Move Vasquez to the shooting guard position, for starters. This puts him back in his natural position (he is a decent scorer), takes the ball out of his slippery hands, and moves Hayes to the bench (Eric doesn't look like an ACC starter to me, not after this season). Then, find a real pass-first PG. Maybe it's Adrian Bowie. Maybe it's the 2008 JuCo PG transfer with the awesome name, Bobby Maze. There's talent on this team; all it needs is someone with the ball in his hands who can help it to reach its potential.

Disaster In Garyland

Tough to win a game in which you're up by 20 points in the second half, but this team finds a way! I've always defended Gary, because more often than not he finds a way to turn it around. But there is a lot of talent on this team, and I just don't see how a good coach allows the debacle of last night's loss. Not to mention the fact that so often since 2002, his teams have needed to turn it around almost every year, just to have a shot at the NCAA tournament. Why is that the case?

That being said, it's hard to imagine a scenario under which Gary is involuntarily removed from his position in College Park. So something's gotta give.

Points of Emphasis

In advance of the Terps' meeting with the Team from Durham on Wednesday, I thought that it would be appropriate to go to the rule book (courtesy of Grant Wahl's online column for Sports Illustrated):

"Acting As If Charged: The unethical practice of a defensive player or a screener acting as though he has been charged by an opponent, when in fact he has not been, is having an extremely undesirable effect upon the game. Without a doubt the practice is detrimental to the best interests of basketball. Those who 'put on these acts' must be penalized. The 'actor' wants to create the false impression that he has been fouled in the charging-guarding situation or while he is screening when in either case incidental contact has ensued. The acting guard or screener falls to the floor as though he were knocked there by the force of a charge. By his actions he indicates his opponent should be charged with a foul. He appeals to the official, either vocally or with a gesture. He attempts to get the sympathy of the spectators. Such conduct unfairly burdens the official. It incites the spectators. These acts tend to make a farce of the game and often are unsportsmanlike."

"Coaches must not allow players to make believe they have been fouled. The fact that contact occurred does not necessarily mean there has been a foul. When contact occurs, the official must decide whether it has been incidental or whether a foul has been committed. In making his decision he certainly cannot permit his judgment to be affected by an 'act.' In fact the official must completely ignore the acting unless it becomes unsportsmanlike or it tends to make a farce of the game. If the guard or screener persists in putting on the act, and if in the opinion of the official it is making a travesty of the game, the player should be charged with a technical foul for unsportsmanlike conduct."

This is an actual "point of emphasis" for officials, from the college basketball rulebook. The rulebook for the 1968-1969 season. I suppose it really is true that the more things change, the more they stay the same!

O's Pull Off a Decent Trade

In trading Erik Bedard, Baltimore actually gets real value back in return, and according to the "experts" pulled off a great trade. Bedard wasn't going to sign a new contract with the Orioles, and they get a nice young outfielder in Adam Jones, a serviceable lefty reliever in George Sherrill, a pitching prospect who's on the cusp of top-100 prospect lists (Chris Tillman), and a couple more big young pitchers with some upside (lefty Tony Butler is 6'7", Kameron Mickolio is 6'9"). Now all they need to do is trade Brian Roberts to the Cubs for a few more pitchers, and resist the urge to start adding free agents in '09 (bad Peter! No!). This team won't be ready to compete for anything until 2010 at the earliest, but after ten straight losing seasons, what's two or three more?

All you need to know about the Mitchell Report

You know you've fucked up ("you" being the commish, players, GMs, etc.) when Pete Rose accuses you of making a mockery of the sport.

[full disclosure: I'm a Pete Rose fan, even though he's a liar, jerk, and probably an all-around not-so-great human, who still belongs in the HOF]

Questions for the Terrapins

In light of last night's home loss to BC:

1. Is Greivis Vasquez one crazy-ass Venezuelan, or what? I'm not talking Hugo Chavez, "I hate you, but I'll sell you oil anyway, you capitalist pigs" crazy-bad, but crazy-good, for the most part. But the dude (Vasquez) needs to chill out, although if he did that he'd probably be diminished as a basketball player.
2. Is the backcourt incapable of playing well in the first half of a game?
3. Why do the Terps only seem to hit three-pointers with any regularity during the last two or three minutes of a game? [0-6 in the first half, 5-7 in the last 2 minutes of the game, 6-19 overall]
   
4. Gary, please explain, why is Dupree starting and Osby coming off the bench?
   

A few positives that I saw - no it wasn't all bad -

• Landon Milbourne's all-around play, especially that incredible dunk midway through the second half
• MD forwards actually setting screens for shooters; where's that been for the past few seasons?
• Cliff Tucker, who looked pretty damn good in the second half after Vasquez fouled out.
  
• In an attempt to make the officiating look marginally balanced, the officials actually called 13 fouls on BC! (versus the Terps' 25) Way to go, guys!
  

Ravens Get Close...

...but their sad season continues. Ah well, at least there's Washington to root for! [that was a joke, kinda like Joe Gibbs' second stint as head coach].

As I was watching last night's game, I was thinking that it was just a matter of time before Kyle Boller gave it away. Now his interception wasn't the sole reason they lost (the ill-timed timeout when the defense had stopped the Ravens on 4th-and-1 and the galacticly stupid final possession and clock mismanagement were also culprits), but the offense and the play calling have to be more demoralizing to that defense than Tom Brady or Randy Moss.

After all these years of the defense carrying the team, who does Ray Lewis have to stab in a dark alley to get a decent QB and offense in Baltimore?

Terps v. UCLA: 30s Review

Terps lost to #1-ranked UCLA last night. First half was terrible - UCLA is a great defensive team, but the Terps were awful. Too many turnovers. Vasquez needs to calm the hell down. Hayes needs to shoot more, a lot more, or else Gist and Osby will face double and triple-teams all year. One of the freshmen and/or Landon Milbourne - who looked good in brief stretches - need to step up to provide additional offense.

United, They Fall

I cheered on the home side, D.C. United, at what turned out to be their final game of the season, a 2-2 draw with Chicago in round one of the MLS playoffs. Since they lost the first game of the home-and-home series 0-1, they lost on aggregate and the Fire advance. It was a game that United deserved to lose after what can only be described as lackluster play over the first sixty-plus minutes. The last twenty-five minutes were another story entirely, with United seemingly finding themselves, and playing at a much faster pace and with great urgency. The crowd was delirious when Christian Gomez put one in during added time to make it 3-2, comeback complete! But the goal was waved off because of a marginal handball by Gomez that was pretty clear on replays. D.C. just didn't get it going in time, period. Still, a thrilling and entertaining end to the season for United, even if they didn't get the desired result.

Black Hole of Sports

Unless you're a basketball fan, the Baltimore-Washington area has been tough going for area sports fans over the past five years. In football land, the Redskins still have an offensive name, a greedy and inept owner, and just got demolished yesterday. Up I-95, the Ravens offense just had their most productive week; they had a bye. On the college level, Maryland's injuries to its linemen indicate that its players may be taking health-maintenance advice from their coach. Navy just lost to a I-AA school (albeit one of the better I-AA football schools). Baseball is no prettier - the Nationals will get their new stadium next year but are still quite a way from contending. The AngelO's may be even farther away; I love the Oriole Bird, but a more appropriate (if not quite family-oriented) team mascot would be a guy in a business suit with his head planted permanently in his own ass. The only bright spots are in roundball, and that's due mainly to major and minor resurgences by the Hoyas and Terps, respectively, and the exploits of the oddest guy in the NBA, #0 for the Wizards (strange time when the Wizards are the area's best pro team, yes?). Oh yeah, I almost forgot D.C. United, but they've been pretty damn good for years and the vast majority of the sporting public hasn't noticed yet.

Contrast that with New England, where a new Evil Empire is rising. Epstein, Belichick, and Ainge are sending their well-compensated minions swarming into stadiums and arenas throughout the land, destroying, or planning to destroy (see: Celtics trades) everything in their path. Belichick even deployed his own personal Eye of Sauron in service of his dastardly plans, keeping an ever-watchful eye on enemy sidelines until the commissioner mercifully vanquished that threat. And then there are the fans - Red Sox caps are the new sporting gear du jour for fans in this area, replacing NYY caps: "So you're from Boston/New England?" "Nah, I grew up in Maryland, I couldn't even find Boston on a map! I just like the team". Fantastic! It's also difficult to account for all the local Pats fans that are now sporting their teams' gear, which had been mysteriously absent from public spaces for most of the 90's.

Half-Assed MLB Playoff Predictions

In 2007 I've seen less baseball than in any year since I started seriously following the sport (in high school), so take these "predicitons" as seriously as that warrants:

Indians v. NYY: I can't claim impartiality on this one, the Yanks remain public enemy #2 in my baseball universe (after Angelos). Cleveland in four.

Red Sox v. Angels: This one's a toss-up in my book. While I certainly have no love for the Sox either (public enemy #3, mainly due to their obnoxious fans at Camden Yards the past few years - hey we won one title in the last 80 years, we must be the greatest franchise ever!!!), I think they have the slight edge due to home field and pitching, but it would hardly be surprising to see the Angels advance. Sox in five.

Diamondbacks v. Cubs: Wow, could there be a trendier pick than the Cubs? Maybe I'm just being contrary, but they're still the Cubs, and even though they're clearly the better team on paper...Arizona in five.

Rockies v. Phillies: Two hottest teams, blah blah blah. Two killer offenses, but the Phils have better pitching (I think). Phillies in four.

ALCS: Cleveland over Red Sox. Don't ask me why, it's probably not the smartest pick. Too bad!

NLCS: Phillies over Arizona. Because Arizona's pitching isn't good enough to hold down that lineup.

WS: Indians over Phillies. Because Cleveland has two very good SP, and since there are seemingly four days between each World Series game, this allows them to go with a two-man rotation.

Maybe He IS Worth All That Money....

In a SuperLiga match against United out in L.A., David Beckham played for over an hour, scored a goal on a free kick, and also assisted on a Landon Donovan goal. So he does actually play the sport - and plays it well - and doesn't just pose for magazine covers!

Becks in DC

Yesterday evening we were at RFK to see David Beckham's MLS debut against D.C. United. And despite his tender ankle, he did debut, much to the delight of the crowd - especially the ladies! [Yes, it was his MLS debut, because his first game was merely an exhibition, against a non-league team] . Here's the Post photo gallery, and here's a great photo of the Man of the Hour that Jenny took from the "cheap" seats, one row from the very top of the upper deck, where we were sitting.

I was a bit surprised that Beckham actually played because earlier in the second half, before he subbed in, it was raining, making the field a bit more treacherous (not torrential rain, as mentioned in the Post article - is everything associated with this guy hyperbole?) . But RFK has a natural grass field, and there are apparently a handful of MLS fields (4 out of 13) that use artificial turf. I'm convinced that the problems I have with my knees are from playing and refereeing soccer on a turf field at U of MD, so I completely understand Beckham's dislike of artificial turf. I don't think it matters how much padding is underneath the playing surface, that padding does break down over time and eventually it's like running on concrete. The previous link's turf-defenders point to lower injury rates on turf when compared with grass fields, but that doesn't take into account the chronic effects on the body, the wear-and-tear.

Back to the match! D.C. had the edge in possession and played a much better all-around game than the Galaxy, although they missed several good opportunities late in the first half and early in the second with some horrendous passing. Their passing looked sublime, however, compared to that of Los Angeles, which as a team looked much slower and was unable to spread the field much at all. Beckham's 21 minutes of play were uneventful, but he did have a few nice passes downfield, and a beautiful free kick that was on-target for the forwards to get a head on.

Who knows, maybe years from now we'll be able to tell our kids that we were at Becks' MLS debut, and they'll be awestruck that were were witnesses to the event that launched MLS into a elite global league. Of course, it's probably just as likely that they'll say "David who?" or "what's MLS?" or "soccer? Don't they still play that in Europe?"