The finger is pointing at you now, Mr. Meyer

Clearly this is a question that cannot be answered with a simple column about college football, but there must be something in the water down there.  Where is the outrage over Brandon Spikes’ attempted blinding of Georgia’s defenseless running back Washaun Ealey? (see the gouge).  Normally I would make the argument that the issue is being swept under the rug by Florida and the SEC because they don’t want to jeopardize Florida’s run towards yet another National Championship.  That was before I saw this article .

Does Ealey genuinely feel that Spikes deserves no punishment? Was he told to say this by his coaches, the SEC, or Urban Meyer? Or is the South just tougher than the rest of the country and believes they can play by their own rules?   And why hasn’t the SEC said anything? Why are they letting Meyer turn this into a “teaching moment” without teaching anyone a real lesson? (See Pat Forde’s article here)

Is this not an issue because it happened on a busy Saturday instead of the opening night of the season on National TV (see Oregon’s Blount vs Boise State’s Hout)?  Oregon coach Chip Kelly didn’t wait for the Pac-10 to discipline his players, and he certainly didn’t try to make it a “teaching moment” without first teaching Blount the consequences of his actions. Granted, the heat was on Kelly to make a quick, firm decision following the debacle that became his first game as head coach. Still, the same should be expected of Urban Meyer.  I don’t care how many National Championships, bowl games, or undefeated seasons you have, the responsibility of a head coach in college is to turn these boys into men.  Benching Spikes for half a game, against the worst team in the SEC (Vandy) is appalling.  What is he supposed to learn from this? “If you’re going to take a cheap shot, do it during the game while in a pile so we can justify it as an accident and keep you on the field”.

I wrote the preceding on Tuesday night, and on Wednesday, the story got better.  Spikes has decided, of his own accord, that he will suspend himself for the entire game on Saturday vs. Vanderbilt.  (Spikes on Spikes).  This was not Meyer’s decision, or the result of pressure from the SEC, it was this young man deciding that he didn’t want to “distract” his team with his presence on the field.  Not only that, but the SEC had already “accepted” Meyer’s original half-game suspension.  While I admire this kid for stepping up and punishing himself in a situation in which the so-called “adults” are supposed to, I have a lot of trouble understanding the logic employed.  No one would be “distracted” if the kid were suspended for a game, or two games, or the rest of the season.  Look at Oregon, Blount messed up, received his punishment, and the team moved on and hasn’t lost since.  Not only that, they now look like one of the best teams in the country and no one is talking about the Boise game anymore.  Meyer and the Florida staff made this a distraction by trying to keep their best linebacker on the field. Furthermore, Meyer seems to be more concerned with the officiating in the Georgia game, and keeping Tim Tebow off the ground, than the conduct of the rest of his players (Meyer’s priorities following Georgia game). If a 22 year old kid realizes he shouldn’t be playing but his coaching staff and Conference officials don’t seem to mind that he attempted to blind someone the week before, I think its time for Myles Brand and the NCAA to address whats going on in the SEC.

It’s times like these that we need to appreciate living in Los Angeles. As decent and loyal fans I completely encapsulate what it means to be a “die-hard”. I’m right there, in the passion pit, side by side, next to all of you. We follow our team, night in and night out, for a 162-game epic of a season. We watch every sacrifice-bunt, every wild pitch; every Manny Ramirez poorly impersonated Truffle Shuffle, as he would go after doubles down the left-field line. We’ve seen the failure in a relief pitcher’s eyes as he gazes out into the pavilion seats that are about to become the home of at previously uncorked fastball. We’ve seen the celebratory helmet launch, as “The Jonas’ Brother’s Favorite Dodger” would unleash just before launching himself into the arms of his teammates.

And now we’ve tasted the rancor of our own organic imaginations.

The beauty of our plan was in its simplicity. After having upset the heavily favored St. Louis Cardinals, the Dodgers would simply take the series from the Phillies and beat it out of em’. (If you haven’t caught on to the reference yet there’s still one more chance). There was nothing to be afraid of. Unfortunately for the Dodgers, the plan turned out to be far more complex than originally anticipated. And worse still for Donny (Joe Torre) and the Dodgers, the men they were attempting to rob, were neither nihilists nor cowards. They were the Phillies. The same team who broke our hearts in five games last season. The same team who seems to continuously, for one reason or another, have our collective number.

No, Brett Myers did not infiltrate the box score with RBI’s fit for a Pujols, but it didn’t matter. Jayson Werth and Co. were simply too much for a pitching staff that could boast neither an Ace nor a King, and had to settle on a group of scattered misfits. A bunch of 2-7’s. A hand that would force a bracelet-wearing poker player to fold like fresh laundry.

The point is that we, as fans, made a conscious decision to believe in this team, for no logical reason other than blind loyalty. We knew what we had in April. Granted, there were plenty of pleasant surprises along the way, most of whom spend the majority of their time in the ‘pen.  There were also, however, some major setbacks to some major players on the Los Angeles side of the chessboard. Setbacks that ultimately rendered them pawns. Setbacks like presumptive ace Chad Billingsley failing to position his 4.03 ERA below the Astacio-line (that I just made up). Or setbacks like a full season of Manny Ramirez, interrupted first by an agent who would sooner scavenge the depths of Hell before giving in to human emotion, then by suspension. And oh wait, I forgot: A juggernaut, T-1000-esque ultimate villain of an American media that would sooner scavenge the depths of Hell before giving in to human emotion. The media, to me, is the main culprit in regards to the demise of Manny Ramirez. I think they finally got to him. He could handle the quips about his laziness, the barrage of jokes regarding his defensive grace and even the attempted slander on his character. I truly believe none of that bothered him.

It never bothered him because he crushed the ball. And when he did so, he smiled. Say what you will about Manny, but don’t say he didn’t have fun playing the game. And don’t say other players didn’t have fun playing with him.

Notice the past tense. Notice the past statistics. Know that it’s now just that, in the past.

I truly believe that the steroid banter finally exposed a chink in his armor. A chink that left him vulnerable versus more than just pitchers. Manny understands what he did. For the first time in his professional life he had done something unquestionably, irrevocably wrong. And for the first time, he couldn’t play baseball the way he was capable. He couldn’t back it up. He couldn’t definitively say Eff You to the jabs about his post-steroid statistical dip.

Manny’s lack of authority in the Dodger lineup does not account for everything though. But combined with the lack of consistent starting pitching and untimely slumps from Rafael Furcal, Casey Blake, Joe Torre and Matt Kemp were too much to overcome.

I’m not going to get into Torre’s mismanagement of the rotation or his WTF Ronnie Belliard loyalty because it’s old news. Torre has been in the postseason for a long time and has earned the right to be Joe Torre. He is just that. A caricature of a manager. A manager who has gone 38-41 in the playoffs since his last World Series victory in 2000. A phenomenal leader in times of despair, especially for a still-young Dodger roster, has seemed to fall in love with his own quirkiness. The following, however, were the only major qualms I had with his arrogance:

• Orlando Hudson, our all-star 2nd baseman, didn’t start a game in the postseason. In case you missed it the first time, Orlando Hudson was out of favor between two players. And the other player was Ronnie Belliard. What did O-Dogg do to you, Joe?
• 8 postseason games. 3 stolen bases. It has always bothered me that the Angels, a team I despise with the fire of 10,000 suns, plays National League baseball far better than their faux city counterpart. The Dodgers are not a power hitting team. They need to put pressure on defenses and utilize their speed. JP had 0 stolen base attempts. You’re telling me they couldn’t pinch run Juan Pierre in every playoff game and make sure he gets a shot at swiping at least one?

The last thing I will speak on is the biggest reason (literally) I feel Dodger fans talked themselves into the team rather than deciphering through the figurative tear gas. That thing is Big Jon. Or as I have temporarily deemed him, Mr. April.

We knew he didn’t have it. Admit it. I saw all your bitter Facebook status’. You knew it. I knew it. He definitely knew it and may know it for a while.

Jonathan Broxton is NOT a big game closer. Anyone ever recall Mariano Rivera walking and plunking back to back hitters in the ninth inning of a one run game? I certainly don’t. What I do remember is Matt Stairs cremating the remains of a Broxton moneyball and depositing them into the all-you-can-eat seats. I remember a 3-run save being blown late in the season when the Dodgers had a chance to clinch the division. This isn’t exactly a novel approach from Jon. Ain’t nuthin’ new from where I’m sitting.

This may be a bigger deal than we think. Soft-minded closers don’t exactly have the best track record after blowing nationally televised playoff games. Think Brad Lidge after Pujols changed his slider from solid to liquid.

So in summation, we were in ownership of 0 of the following things:

• Up-The-Middle strength. Furcal and Martin were bad all year and never really showed us anything to believe that they aren’t both through. I’ll give Martin the benefit of the doubt if we find out later that he’s been playing with a titanium plate in his wrist, or something of that nature. Combine this with Ronnie Belliard starting over Hudson and Matt Kemp’s 206 post-season strikeouts and you have a major, major weakness.

• Number 1 and 2 starters. This was supposed to be Billingsley and Kershaw but it’s clear that Kershaw is still at least a year away from being the shut-down guy we all believe he will be. And Billingsley made a midseason decision to try and prove that there just isn’t that big of a difference between 89 and 94 mph. I know I’m a believer.

• A give-em-the-ball-and-tell-him-to-win-this-shit closer.

• A Manny Ramirez

Not exactly the recipe for October champagne.

This all brings me back to my topic sentence. My mission statement. We talked ourselves into believing in this team. We knew they didn’t have it and it killed us when they proved it. I know how it felt, how you wanted to Chan Ho Park scissor kick Chan Ho Park and/or the nearest Philly fan. It felt like someone took my noodles when Rollins line drive found grass in right-center. But it just wasn’t to be. The dream matchup; Yankees/Dodgers for coastal supremacy, Torre/Yankees for pride, A-Rod/Ethier for Kate Hudson. The list goes on. Countless celebrities will have to wait one more year for a chance to outshine each other beneath October’s spotlight.

My main point and reason for starting this piece the way I did is that I feel we should appreciate our beautiful surroundings now more than ever. If not for my reason, then for many others I’m sure.

Would you rather be in Minnesota through March having just lost playoff series? Thank you, Los Angeles. The Dude abides.

Oh yeah, one more thing.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

It’s basketball season. Whoops.

By Justin Gordon-Cooper

Lets talk about it. We all watched it last night. It was amazing. It was amazing…man I got stuck after that. After that line words stopped being created in my mind. It was just too amazing, so amazing that it stopped my brain. Two outs…shoulda been three. And all I keep hearing is that stupid saying “you can’t give a major league ballclub four outs…they’ll make you pay” and it never ceases to amaze me how correct that statement is.

First lets attack Matt Holliday, which I really don’t want to do because he’s a stand up guy, never complained about his shit years in Colorado before the ship, never complained after he was traded a year removed from the ship to another shitty team. But look nice guys apparently can’t catch routine fly balls! And yes, that was a hard yet, routine flyball, don’t fool yourself he should have caught it. A routine flyball, and you made it look like a god damn circus out there. I thank you immensely for that. Never have I seen a more awkward attempt to catch a fly ball other than my own home video footage that my father wont let me destroy for some torturous reason.

My first thought after Holliday “misplayed” the ball was, holy fuck I hope that man is wearing a cup. My second thought was, holy shit is James Loney turning this into a two bagger? My third thought was wow…he really didn’t get thrown out going to second? Then I saw Juan Pierre come out for the pinch run, which reminded me that he was on our team. Have you ever seen a more seldomly used 200+ hits 60+ stolen base player in the game? Don’t get me wrong I’m not faulting Joe on this one, he has too much talent in the outfield to deal with, someone had to be left out. I will blame the wonder child Paul Depodesta, even though I’m pretty sure he was gone at that point. He earns blame.

Anyway so Juan’s on second with two outs and Casey Blake up, oh the grizzlied vet…who quickly falls behind in the count 1-2…. This is when I thought to myself…would Obama’s healthcare plan turn it’s back on the grizzlied vet? If he misses the next pitch I wouldn’t be too upset.  I spent the next 20 seconds stuck in my head trying to figure out if I even knew one thing that has to do with Obama’s healthcare plan…I don’t.  Anyway I came out of that awkward day dream where I realized I was stupid to see Casey work his way to a 3-2 count…Casey at the bat baby…10 pitches after it began Casey earned himself a badass walk. I’ve never seen a walk look so sweet before, but that’s what the lumberjack beard does, it just makes things look cooler.

This next part is my favorite part. After a three hundred and forty five pitch at bat to Casey Blake there’s only one way to follow up. The Mexican Santa Claus himself Ronnie Belliard swinging out of his shoes at the first pitch he sees. I usually disagree with the first pitch swingers, but after an at bat like that before him, the last thing Franklin was geared for was a one pitch at bat. When that ball went up the middle I yelled something I never though I’d hear myself yell “Run JUAN! RUN! RUN!” Now I know what your thinking, there’s really nothing poetic, funny, or sarcastic in that quote, how did you think you would never yell that? Simple, I forgot Juan Pierre was on our team remember? Ok that was cheap I admit it, but I have a word count to fill here.

Anyway the game was tied, because we did indeed have Juan Pierre on our team.. and Matt Holliday. So now we’re sitting with Casey on second, and the Mexican Santa Claus on first. Russell Martin, who has had an amazingly tough season was at the plate. I’m not gonna lie I was geared for extra innings. I’ve just seen it happen to many times to these young catchers that are small in size. Doesn’t matter how good their hand eye is, or how atheletic they are, they just get torn apart by all the extra baggage of an MLB season.  America you didn’t wanna hear that, I know it, chances are Russell will fizzle out in a few years, and it brings a tear to my eye. That kid works too damn hard to be tossed aside, I hope he rebounds. Anyway he walked to load the bases and well I guess today’s theme is remembering people, because I forgot Mark Loretta was on our team as well. I’ll admit the Juan Pierre thing was kind of a joke, but I truthfully completely forgot about Mark Loretta. So Mark Loretta steps to the plate with two outs, the bases loaded, and I’m still gearing up for extra innings. I mean smart move Torre, lets bring in someone who is 0-14 lifetime against Ryan Franklin….I’m serious we all know what happened, smart move Joe…had your back all along…

Ok so I’ve done what I can to recap the most amazing dodger playoff comeback I’ve ever seen, now lets talk about how it feels…I felt like a boy again. All that mattered in the heat of the moment was that game. Hell I had a test the next morning I didn’t even study for (I got a B mom). For that 25 minutes span of time, baseball was all that was relevant again. Bill Simmons once said that you will never love sports more than when you were 16 years old. I full heartedly agree with him. I’ll never love baseball like I did when I was 16, but I can sure as hell be reminded how much I loved it back then, and it took a game like this to do it. I was 2000 miles away in a horrible state, and I was still talking to Casey during his at bat “you got this Case (I call him Case for short, he’s ok with that)…get big Ronnie, run Juan, you name him, I spoke to him that inning. Every little call that went our way, no matter how mundane it was, excited me beyond measurable comparison. I was a kid again, and it felt great.  I guess what I’m trying to say is I’m so happy we won, but I’m even happier I remembered what it was like to love the game more than you ever will. Thanks Dodgers, you brought me back to a level of love that I haven’t been at for a very long time.

-Glick

Celebrating a preseason touchdown

Out of the gate the Raiders were impressive on both offense and defense.  The running game was going, Jamarcus had plenty of time to move the ball, and the defense put pressure on both Philip Rivers and the Chargers’ wide receivers.  Especially impressive was RB Michael Bush who continually put his head down and pounded the ball up the middle.   Not so impressive was Jamarcus Russell, who made his first completion to a wide receiver with 2:03 left in the first half.  That pass went to Louis Murphy, who was part of three glaring observations during game 1 of the Raiders long season: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The Good – Rookie Louis Murphy

Although he was robbed of his first NFL touchdown late in the first half (see the Ugly), Louis Murphy made his impression on the game (and on Raiders fans throughout Oakland) with his touchdown catch late in the 4^th quarter.  Running right by his corner and leaving safety Antonio Cromartie in no-mans-land, Murphy ran in stride catching a rare dime thrown by Russell.  This time, the officials couldn’t take away his first NFL touchdown.

With all the hype regarding Darrius Heyward-Bey this preseason, fans had little expectations of Murphy, if any at all.  Murphy far surpassed these expectations and dazzled the Coliseum with his timely catches, including 2 first downs.  Finishing the game with 4 catches, 87 yards, and a touchdown, Murphy was responsible for almost a quarter of the Raiders’ offense.  If Heyward-Bey is as good as advertised and Murphy continues performing the way he did tonight, the Raiders could have the high-powered offense they anticipated with their first and fourth overall picks in 2007 and 2008.  That is, if something changes with the bad…

The Bad – Quarterback Jamarcus Russell

These were Russell’s numbers from his first start in 2009: 12/30, 208 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INT, 47.6 QB Rating.  Russell’s game started poorly from the beginning.  On the first drive he missed Heyward-Bey badly, then missed Murphy badly, and then after finding TE Zach Miller for a key first down, threw a pick (intended for Louis Murphy) right into the hands of Quentin Jammer on the SD 8 yard line.  With great blocking up front, Russell had all the time in the world, moved to his right “keyed on a receiver” (as Steve Young so aptly put it) and made an ill-advised throw.  Later in the game, Young said Russell isn’t the type of young quarterback who makes bad decisions.  He said, “he won’t lose the game.”  I disagree.

This is exactly the kind of decision-making that loses games for teams.  He may not attempt a pass into traffic on the sideline or throw a duck while being sacked, but a pass like that is just as inexcusable.  On first down, deep in San Diego territory on the first drive of the game, Russell has to avoid throwing an interception at all costs.  By throwing that pick, he gave up the chance for points and considering the way the Raiders were running the ball, probably a touchdown.  If the Raiders want to put up points consistently, they cannot turnover the ball in the red zone and Jamarcus has to cut his losses on first and goal with a covered receiver.  Unfortunately, it could’ve been worse…

The Ugly – Almost Jamarcus, but definitely Referee Carl Cheffers

On two of three red zone appearances in the first half Jamarcus threw picks.  Luckily, he got bailed out on the second one.  Late in the first half the Raiders were gifted a second try at a touchdown when linebacker Steven Cooper dropped an interception that hit him straight in the numbers. Although Jamarcus was pretty ugly on that throw, that wasn’t the repulsive moment of the game.  That moment came on the next play when Jamarcus redeemed himself, throwing a laser right into the hands of rookie Louis Murphy for his first NFL touchdown on only the third completion Russell completed to a wide-out.  Murphy, showing childish exuberance, leapt into the Black Hole while teammates secured the first ball for his empty trophy case.

However, his celebration was cut short; just moments before kicking their fourteenth point of the game, the Raiders were stunned by the decision to review the touchdown pass.  While referee Carl Cheffers was under the hood, Steve, Mike and Mike agreed it was obviously a touchdown.  Meanwhile, football fans across the country agreed that, “there is absolutely no way they overturn this touchdown.”  Then, in the most dreadful call made against the Raiders since the “tuck rule” decision, Cheffers announced that due to some technicality with Murphy being in the air, the call was overturned.  Steve Young showed his disapproval by saying, “the ball moved, but he still had control…”

The way I saw it, he grabbed the ball with two hands, brought the ball to his chest with one arm, fell to the ground with two feet, and then hit the ground with his right elbow.  The ball definitely moved, but it moved when it hit the ground, after Murphy had already secured the ball.  I just can’t fathom any other explanation.  Regardless, Janikowski kicked the field goal and the Raiders took a 10-7 lead with forty seconds on the clock.

Game 1 of the Raiders season ended with heartbreak in Oakland.  However, with the improved offensive line and emergence of Murphy as a reliable young receiver, the fans in Oakland (and LA) have a lot to be excited about this season.  The defense was swarming and they held a great Chargers offense to 3 TDs, one on a Darren McFadden fumble.  If Murphy keeps improving and Russell can improve his accuracy, offensive balance can be achieved with the running threats of Bush and McFadden.  At the very least, I’m excited to see these very young playmakers come together throughout the season.

Tevez & Santa Cruz: 2 of many reasons why City has had a better, smarter summer transfer window than Madrid

Much attention has been paid to the massive signings made by Real Madrid during this summer’s transfer window.  Few can deny that the lineup now assembled in Madrid will go down in history as one of the most intimidating in history, on paper.  Here is one of many possible starting XI’s.  A backline of  Heinze, Pepe, Metzelder and Sergio Ramos.  Midfield of Robben, Snejider, Kaka and Ronaldo behind Benzema and Van Niestelroy.  If we’re playing FIFA, this team never loses.  For those confused of you completely confused by all those names I’ll make it simpler.  Imagine taking the best players from the National Teams of Spain, Brazil, Germany, Portugal, France and Holland and putting them on one field wearing the same kit.

As with Los Galacticós of the last Fiorentino Perez era in Madrid, I will reserve judgment until I see results on the field.  The last squad of superstars (including Zidane, Figo, and Beckham) achieved league success but failed to live up to expectations in the Champions League.  Given Barcelona’s treble last season, the bar is set astronomically high for the current squad in Madrid.

And let’s not forget that Barça isn’t resting on their laurels.  Adding Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a somewhat risky move chemistry wise, considering that Eto’o flowed so well with Messi and Henry and the rest of the Barça boys.  The main question plaguing me about Barça this season is how willing Zlatan will be to share the ball.  Barça’s style is dependent on the quick, short passing game, which Zlatan is certainly capable of.  My concern, however, is that there will come a point in attack when Zlatan will try to be Zlatan and attack the defense alone, rather than giving up the ball to get it back in a better position.  The key to this question will be Pep Guardiola, only he will be able to bring these personalities together.  As with Madrid, only time will tell which squad’s chemistry will gel.  The other confounding factor is that Madrid’s current line-up also comes with a hefty price tag (€218 million just in incoming transfers alone) that adds considerably to their already large debt of €500 million.  Side Note: Interesting article about how Madrid manages to spend with reckless abandon despite their debts, while other clubs like Man U, Liverpool and Valencia are struggling. (http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/06/11/how_the_recession_helps_real_madrid).

But I digress.  Before Barcelona won Champions League this year, many were discussing how best to level the playing field across Europe and end the perceived dominance by English clubs in European Competition.  ”English Dominance” is a euphemism for the Big 4 of the Premier League (Chelsea, Man U, Liverpool and Arsenal).  Not only do these teams consistently maintain the top 4 places in the EPL every season (the qualifying spots for Champions League), but for the past 3 seasons, the Semi-finalists in Champions League have been 3/4 English.  While no moves have been made by UEFA (the governing body of European soccer) to this point, other clubs, such as Madrid, are attempting to “level the playing field” with the only other weapon at their disposal: money.

One such club is Manchester City.  Two years ago the club was taken over by the Abu Dhabi group, and the influx of foreign capital has changed the look of the club entirely.  The additions of Shaun Wright-Philips and Robinho caused a stir in 2008-09, but the team finished 10th in the Premier league and lost in the quarterfinals of the UEFA cup (now the UEFA Europa League, the second tier European Tournament below the Champions League).  The changes promised by the influx of money brought with the new owners seem to have finally arrived in 2009.  With over €100 million in new signings, this team looks capable of challenging the Big 4 in the Premier League, a sentiment shared by Aston Villa’s manager Martin O’Neill (See: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=663799&sec=england&cc=5901).  While no European Competition awaits this team in 2009, the team assembled by manager Mark Hughes looks solid at every position.  The biggest problem last year was defense, conceding 50 goals in 38 games.  They scored a respectable 58, a number that figures to increase given the additions of Adebayor, Santa Cruz, Tevez and Craig Bellamy.  Their only real chance at cracking the Top 4, however, depends on improved defending.  The additions of Wayne Bridge from Chelsea and Kolo Toure from Arsenal will help in this respect and more help may be on the way if they continue to spend before the season commences on August 15.  Similar questions come to mind as to how these new players will work together, but Tevez and Adebayor come from systems that develop team players rather than individuals and I have been waiting to see what Roque Santa Cruz is capable of when surrounded by talent on par with his own.

As stated previously, only time will tell which team’s offseason spending will transfer into on-field success, but my prediction for 2009-10 is that Man City’s offseason spending will prove to be more prudent than any other team in all of Europe.

Clint Dempsey seals the biggest victory in US soccer history

Am I dreaming? Was that the same US team on the field that got manhandled by Italy and Brazil?  Ever since the Egypt game, when the stars aligned and rewarded Sam’s Army with a matchup against the world’s best, and most dominant, team of late, I have felt as though my life had become one long, wonderful dream.  The unlikelihoods of the situation are mind-boggling.  Start with the fact that the US had to score 3 goals against the team that was coming off beating Italy, and holding them scoreless.  Add to that the fact that US seemed to have forgotten that they goals can come from the run of play instead of depending on Donovan’s penalty kicks or Onyewu’s long throws.  Then consider that the US also needed Italy to beat Brazil 3-0. While everyone knows Brazil is capable of that score line, few expected the Italians to allow it, considering they are a notoriously defensive minded squad.  The rest is history as Charlie Davies, Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey and the rest of the squad came out and brought the game to the Pharoahs, finally looking like a team that knew how to possess and attack.  I would have been happy with the result even if Brazil had not done us the favor of knocking out the Italians.

So we made it.  We reached the semifinals of a tournament I didn’t think we could. Congratulations Bob Bradley, you’ve silenced your critics for now.  Great job boys, go out there and give it your all against the Spaniards, no one will fault you for falling to a clearly superior team that hasn’t lost since 2006.  Not only that, but their recent form has been intimidating, having gone unbeaten in 35 consecutive matches.  Up until today, they had conceded only 1 goal in 2009, and only 3 since winning Euro in June 2008.  They were, and arguably still are, the best team in the world.  Their starting roster against the US was comprised of 10 guys that played in the Champions League this season, the lone outlier being David Villa, perhaps their best player and a target of big money clubs from Madrid to London.  The US starting 11 had only 1 player from a team that played in Champions League, Jozy Altidore, but he never saw the field in European competition.  This was truly David vs. Goliath, except in this case David had lost his sling.

The way the US started the game set the tone, they came out with energy, passion, and, could it be, attacking flair?  Davies almost set the game on fire with his bicycle kick, Dempsey had a great shot that went wide, and the Spaniards were reeling.  I was impressed by the way the US broke up the Spanish possession.  They allowed them to play out wide, preferring to stay compact and not allow interior passing.  They showed that they learned something from the way Brazil broke them apart, and the fixed it.  I like what Bradley did with this lineup, leaving Davies in (a well-earned start for the youngster), and pushing Bocanegra to Left Back.  That defensive line of Spector, Onyewu, Demerit and Boca looks good on paper, and performed well as a unit.  It gives me hope that by mixing in Hejduk (who is the heart of the team when he plays), Bornstein, and Cherundolo the team will be solid and deep on the back line by 2010.  Its unfortunate that Bradley won’t be in for the final, he will be hard to replace.  And his sending off raises another concern; in 4 games at this Confederations Cup, the US has had 3 players sent off.  That is the kind of disadvantage that we cannot afford to put ourselves at.  Clark’s tackle against Italy was sloppy and unnecessary, and Kljestan’s was worse.  Sasha proved to me in that moment that he does not deserve minutes, let alone starts.  The conventional wisdom that the players getting time with their clubs and considered “in form” needs to disappear.  Its summer, no one has played a game for the club for at least a month, and Kljestan plays in MLS. No offense to the league, it has made great strides since it was born, but someone training with a major European club (Adu) or playing in Mexico (Torres) is seeing far superior competition than anyone in MLS.  I hope Bradley (Papa) takes his son’s absence in the final as a chance to see what Torres can do as an attacking central midfielder.  I would like to see an identical lineup, with Torres replace the suspended Bradley.  Let Dempsey and Donovan use the speed on the sides, and put Torres in the middle to distribute out to them and up to Altidore and Davies.

As you may have noticed from my last US article, I’m not a huge Clint Dempsey fan, but I’ve got to admit that his goals in the last two games have really impressed me.  He literally had to fight off his Egyptian defender just to get a touch on his first goal, and against Spain he looked dangerous from the start.  My only criticism, and it typically applies to Donovan as well, is that the team needs the same effort from these two on defense as they got on offense against Spain.  Today, I was impressed by Donovan on both sides of the field; he showed energy and tenacity and “showed up” in the big game.  He pressured the ball when Spain’s defenders were possessing, and managed the attack from his wing spot.  For me, Dempsey still needs to show that kind of effort on defense.  Once he scored, I saw him jogging back, on the wrong side of the ball, giving Spain tons of time on the wing.  His contribution of offense is undeniable, but we cannot afford to give a team like Spain time and space to attack, especially late in games when we’re defending a lead.

These are minor things, however, and I don’t want to detract from the greatest victory in US soccer history.  Before today, the US was 1-7-1 against FIFA #1’s.  The lone victory came against Brazil in 1998, and the draw came against Argentina last summer in New Jersey.  Despite being outshot 28-9, the US got a huge lift from Tim Howard and took advantage of their opportunities: they recorded only 2 shots on goal, scoring both.  In terms of USA athletics victories, this one must go down in the record books.  Perhaps not on the level of the Miracle on Ice because it isn’t the Olympics or a World Cup, the achievements of this team over the past few week are astonishing.  While a rematch with Brazil looms, assuming the Samba Kings continue their hot form against host South Africa, the US will enter the rematch brimming with confidence and optimism, qualities that seemed lost and gone forever less than a week ago.  Perhaps the unlikelihoods will continue and I can continue to live in my current dream state, but no matter what happens I have renewed faith in the US and coach Bob. GO USA!!

Kobe & Kwame: the two sides of the prep-to-NBA debate

In 1971 the US Supreme Court ruled that the NBA could not legally require players to complete 4 years of college before entering the league.  Thus, we have Spencer Haywood to thank for the early arrivals of Kobe, KG, Lebron and the rest of the high-school-straight-to-the-league crew.  No one can deny the effect that such players have had on the league and few would dare to claim that Lebron, for example, was unable to compete in the league as a rookie.

Why, then, did the NBA institute this “go to college for a year so it looks like we’re forcing you to get an education” rule? Not only does this rule hurt the young men who are trying to get paid to play the game they love, but it hurts Universities and other players who could have a shot to play for a big time D1 school, like USC or Memphis.  Its also hard to believe that these kids are actually picking anything up in the classes they are required to attend, wasting time they could spend playing and training.  On top of that, the schools are still required to follow all NCAA rules, and you’re ignorant to think that recruiting violations don’t occur on a regular basis.  For one, the recruiting rules are about 1000 pages long and nearly impossible to follow even for those trying to. But in this case, Memphis and USC got caught because they had high profile guys come through.  In the end, however, the game is about money, even in college.  I know the purists out there will cry foul at this, clinging to some idealistic vision of college basketball as the sport being played in its purest form, but the influence of money on today’s game is undeniable.  Look at the development of AAU leagues and teams such as Las Vegas’ Findlay College Prep, which isn’t even a real school by the way (see http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/search/?text=findlay+college+prep&x=0&y=0 for more on Findlay).  These AAU and private school programs are well-funded, sponsored by Nike and Adidas, and are breeding grounds for the next generation of college and pro stars.  It seems strange, then, for a kid to go from being pampered and handed everything in the prep ranks to being forced to pretend he’s a college student and turn down those same people that were helping him along.  Expecting such is ludicrous, and forcing kids to do so is unfair.  That’s the culture the NBA has created, and everyone is suffering for it.  Players miss out on salaries and the chance to prove themselves against the best, schools get caught up in recruiting “scandals” (a scandal to me suggests that it comes a surprise, which none of these problems do) and fans are forced to sit back and watch as Kevin Durant embarrasses everyone on the way to the Naismith award.

I’ll admit, at first I thought this rule was a good idea, because the number of players skipping college swelled while the quality of those players dropped severely (I’m looking at you Kwame Brown).  Clearly, however, there are cases that deserve exception to this rule (Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin).  As a result, I agree with Pat Forde’s recent article suggesting improving the development league and allowing these youngsters to do just that, develop (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=4277155).  That way, they can be making money doing the thing their best at and not risking the future of whatever school is lucky enough (and by lucky I mean wealthy) to land one of these big name guys for a year.  In fact, schools are starting to get wise to the negative effects these stars can have on their programs and are shying away from offering them scholarships (See Forde’s article RE: Lance Stephenson).  Why not allow them to declare for the draft, and then let the coaching staff decide whether the kid has the stuff to play in the league? If they decide he’s not quite ripe enough yet, send him to the revamped NBDL for a year or two.  Soccer clubs around the world buy the rights to kids that show potential, no matter their age, then bring them to their facilities and train (I should say, raise) them until they are ready for first team appearances.  Leo Messi, the best player in the world, moved with his entire family to Barcelona at age 11 because the club offered to pay for his medical bills.

What I ask from the NBA is nowhere near on the same level as the commitment FC Barcelona made to a young Argentinean kid who needed surgery. And look at the return FCB earned on its investment; this year Barca earned the treble of Spanish La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League titles with Messi as their centerpiece.  Just think what the NBA could look like in a few years if young talents like Kwame Brown, Eddy Curry, Darius Miles, and Sebastian Telfair (all of whom were top 15 draft picks) were given a couple of years to develop, instead of being dropped straight into an NBA in which they weren’t truly ready to compete, despite the hype coming out of high school.  Project this out a few years, and every team in the league could have some young, exciting player to build around.  Some of those would come from college, some may jump straight from high school, but a lot of them would have gone through a year or two in the NBDL.  The NFL’s draft rules are meant to protect kids from a reality they aren’t prepared for; the NBA’s are a misguided attempt to do the same.  I think the old adage put it best: if the kid can fight for his country, let him play ball.

So we are a little less than a month out till the 80^th Midsummer’s Classic—who’s excited?  Baseball season as a whole pretty much gets me off, but there is nothing like seeing the best players from every team in respective leagues coming together on one field, in a game that now actually means something.

But here is the question, what really makes a MLB All-Star?  Are fans simply voting like they would for High School superlatives? How else are you supposed to argue the reason that Jimmy Rollins is first in NL SS voting with an astounding .221 batting average, with 5 HRs and 25 RBIs. NEWSFLASH baseball fans: Just because J-R was the MVP two years ago and World Series Champion last year does not give him bragging rights to be this year’s starting shortstop.

This is not just me trashing a guy who beat my Dodgers last year in the NLCS.  This is me ragging on fans who vote based on players who have grown into walking brands at their position.  A-Rod, your not an All-Star this year. Give it up bro.  Manny, you’re my boy and I rep your jersey (more like shirt) to Chavez Ravine and shit (even when you are sitting out 30% of the season), but frankly, you are not an All-Star…at least not this year. Sure it’d be sick to see you go yard and win the Derby (which I will probably vote for you in), but to be one of my starting outfielders…well I just can’t do it.  Why? Well, Manuel, you don’t deserve it this year, even if you did leave us on May 7^th batting .348, with 6 jacks and 20 runs batted in, not to mention 22 runs scored—HAAP.  So let me attempt to make a point and try to stick by it.

Argument: MLB All-Star voting and subsequently the game itself have turned into fans voting for the most popular players and not the best at their position during the season.  So the question remains: What the hell makes an All-Star? Is it only the league leaders? Any why on earth do I have to vote for all outfielders as a whole and not each position in the outfield on its own?

I know this is sports entertainment and people are entitled to vote however they damn-well please, be it for their HOME team or for all-time greats, like Chipper Jones and Ken Griffey.  But, just because players like these are future Hall of Famers, it does not validate or justify that they are All-Stars every season.  And I know that the game “means something” now, with the outcome of the game determining home field advantage in the World Series, so fans feel they need to vote for guys who are not just the best for one season but have consistently proved to be the best. But shouldn’t it mean that the voting be about a fan’s own self-interest in their own club, whereby I vote for the best players TODAY, this season, so that my team (in this case the Dodgers) should be all set in October.  Red Sox Fans: stop voting for Pedroia—he is not playing All-Star caliber baseball. Guys like Aaron Hill and Ian Kinsler will give the American League the best shot at winning and therefore, come Fall Classic, if Red Sox can get far, they will be thanking the likes of those second basemen and not their balding 25-year old.

I’d love to vote for Manny this year, especially with the Dodgers off to their best start since 1974. But, steroid allegations absolutely aside, he hasn’t played!  He could have been out 50 games with a some injury and I still would not vote for him.  Me not voting for these guys first is not a slap in the face—it’s me being real with how it actually is.

For years there has been back and forth between players, coaches and managers getting the ultimate vote and the fans. Quick history lesson brought to you by baseball historians Ken Burns and Bill James:

In 1957, fans of the Cincinnati Reds stuffed the ballot box and elected 7 Reds players to start in the All-Star Game. They were:

Johnny Temple, 2B

Roy McMillan, SS

Don Hoak, 3B

Ed Bailey, C

Frank Robinson, LF

Gus Bell, CF

Wally Post, RF

The only non-Red elected to start for the National League was St. Louis Cardinals’ first baseman Stan Musial. While the Reds were known to be a great offensive team with many outstanding position players, most baseball observers agreed that they did not deserve seven starters in the All-Star Game. An investigation showed that over half of the ballots cast came from Cincinnati. The Cincinnati Enquirer had printed up pre-marked ballots and distributed them with the Sunday newspaper to make it easy for Reds fans to vote often. There were even stories of bars in Cincinnati not serving alcohol to customers until they filled out a ballot. Commissioner Ford Frick decided to appoint Willie Mays of the New York Giants and Hank Aaron of the Milwaukee Braves to substitute for Reds players Gus Bell and Wally Post (Oh no, not Mays and Aaron). In addition, Frick decided to strip the fans of their voting rights. Managers, players, and coaches picked the entire team until 1969, when the vote again returned to the fans.

To guard against further ballot stuffing, since 1969, each team has been given the same number of ballots to hand out. In 1998, that number was roughly 400,000 ballots. Obviously now, online voting has again raised that past fear of ballot stuffing.

Bottom line:  Let’s not be silly when we vote.  Try to not to just vote for the “well-known” guys.  For example, I think David Wright is a great third baseman and is having a pretty good year batting .351, with about 40 runs batted in and 4 jacks.  But why is Casey Blake not even in the top 5 for 3B in the NL? Can someone tell me why his .305, 10 and 41 is not considered “all-star” distinction? Or why even dare I say…Pablo Sandoval is not considered with a .330 average? He also has more home runs and almost the same amount of RBI’s as Wright—so why is there not even the, at least consideration and talk of him being an all-star?  Well it goes back to the fact that we are afraid of who and what we do not know. Who is Adrian Gonzalez? Will Miguel Tejada even make the All-Star team in the best season he’s had since his MVP days for A’s?  And Victor Martinez—the guy is listed as a catcher, but plays first base—sure he may make the AS team as the lone representative from the Indians, but which more or less the best average in the AL. Baseball is an evolutionary game—we can’t be hoping and wishing Ken Griffey Jr. is a going to be an All-Star because frankly Ken-those days are long gone.  The game develops incrementally and we have new players every few years.   We have to know how to recognize guys under the radar who put up great numbers and are important to their team’s success. And fine is it always is A-Rod and Jeter and every other Yankee and Red Sox—so be it.  But don’t simply settle for perennial guys, when there is great talent not right in front of you. Sorry but Josh Hamilton is not an All-Star.  Maybe in the HR Derby.

With that said, I am going to be bold and daring and show you the “2009 Should-Be Midsummer Classic.” (Starters first; reserves second)

National League:

C: Brian McCann and Bengie Molina

1B: Albert Pujols and Adrian Gonzalez

2B: Chase Utley and Orlando Hudson

SS: Miguel Tejada and Hanley Ramirez

3B: Ryan Zimmerman and David Wright

OF: Ryan Braun, Carlos Beltran and Raul Ibanez; Brad Hawpe and Justin Upton

American League:

C: Joe Mauer and Jorge Posada

1B: Justin Morneau and Victor Martinez

2B: Aaron Hill and Ian Kinsler

SS: Jason Bartlett and Derek Jeter

3B: Evan Longoria and Mark DeRosa

OF: Ichiro Suzuki, Torii Hunter and Adam Jones; Carl Crawford and Ben Zobrist

Matt Cain versus Roy Halladay in the pitching matchup. Even though it could be Lincecum or Billingsley versus Greinke. Wow.

Take it or leave it. Call me crazy. That’s how I see it.

The one question I pose to all of you LA folk is this: If Manny Ramirez does make the All-Star game, then Juan Pierre should be his honorary guest.  Pierre has saved the Dodgers. Fine-he has no homeruns and only 22 RBIs, but that guy has been an all-around flare and burst the Dodgers needed when their world collapsed on May 7^th. 

See you all July 14.

“I’m not going anywhere. I know I ain’t going nowhere, so it’s just a waste of our breaths just talking about it.”-Kobe Bryant

What more can we say? Keep the good news coming. Sign Trev. Lock up LO. Cure Phil. Too soon for banner 16?