Shockingly, we’re late as usual. Been a busy day, we had the Europa Cup finale (Atletico Madrid 2-1 Fulham – sorry ABolte) and Cardiff won on penalties (please never ever refer to them as “pee kays” around me – I’ll smite thee into the stone age) to go to Wembley against Blackpool for a spot in the Premier League next season.
Fallout is still continuing from the Bob’s decision to not include Charlie Davies in the American squad, and I think this piece by Jason over at Match Fit USA sums up my feelings on it exactly. I’m also getting ready to go on a huge rant on the current state of sports media, but I have to channel my anger into focus because right now, I could choke someone.
So let’s talk about LeBron’s horrible disappointment, since that’s all the media could do today, or the hockey playoffs, or the local nine in action on the ballfield tonight. The floor is yours, folks. Have at it.
Oooooh, please tell me you’re writing a rant for the Pub. Those are awesome in their venom…
That’s the plan.
Apparently the singer at the Habs-Pens has never heard a metronome.
So let’s talk about LeBron’s horrible disappointment…
Please, do we have to? Between Liverpool, the Browns, and now this, it’s been a long enough year.
No, we don’t have to. But bitching is what we do best…
Wh00000000000000tttttt!
not related to the recent play: I’m totally up for a threesome with Cammalleri and Halak.
/no homo.
Time to find out if I can ban people, as soon as I get done punching Fleury in the goddamn face.
there’s a lot of time left. I’m still terrified of Crosby.
Despite his lack of even strength goals, he has been so very good. Unlike what I’ve heard about BronBron, he still contributes even when he’s not on the scoreboard.
ugh. I’m really torn up about LaPierre. He has scored a few goals, but he’s one of those players who is so easy to hate.
Wh00000000000000ttt!!!
(I’ll stop if you want).
No, keep going. It’s kinda funny.
I just hope that these don’t turn to wails of despair.
It figures. On a night that I actually HAVE to get something done on the computer, a hockey game breaks out.
this game will be phenomenal once Pittsburgh scores their first and turns up the pressure.
So, due to extreme angst and bitterness, I quit my job today without any savings or a solid plan. Add to that I went for my first run of the year last night and I did 3 miles. At 1AM. In the river valley/through Chinatown. In sandals. I’m convinced my brain no longer works rationally.
But do you feel better? Rationality is overrated, you know.
I feel like a 50 lb weight has been lifted off my shoulders. If I resolve this situation with the girlfriend and find a “real” job, no matter how lame, I’ll be a new man all full of piss and vinegar.
And no, I don’t have to push her down a stairwell or bend a coathanger to resolve the gf situation.
You know us too well by mentioning that last part.
You must be different than me, because I’m terrified about becoming a real person and working.
I do know y’all. A 9-5 would give me time to blog, make money, finish classes at night and have a schedule that resembles a normal life. The service industry is for chumps, unless you’re at the top.
Maybe take a day or two to think and throw together a plan. That does seem like a good plan.
It indeed does
Agreed. I did my time in the service industry. Now I’m back in it, but under MY terms. Because let’s face it, being an artist is still a retail job, at the base of it.
Good luck pal!
Sometimes a break is needed.
Yay?
Jesus, with the way the Pens gave up you think they were about to join the Knicks.
What? Is LeBron on skates?
/sorry, couldn’t resist.
Or is he on thin ice in Cleveland?
A defending champion would never bail like that.
So, I just ate pizza with a knife and fork. Is that part of growing up or is it time to send me to the old folks home.
no man, it’s the way to do it.
It also allows you to load up on toppings.
Ah well, all is right with the world now. Especially with that 3 goal lead.
/fuck you Crosby
It’s like Roy’s last game for Colorado!
Woootttt!!!!
I’m such a nervous nellie, but I believe that Pittsburgh can score 4 in a period and a half. It’s not likely, but a couple Malkin shots and powerplays (especially if there’s a stupid high stick with blood)…. COCK!
We do that most of the time – with 5 toppings on a pie, if you pick it up “normally”, all the good stuff schlorps off and hits your lap. Not. Fun.
Blender broken, gramps?
What’s this blender you be talking about. In my day we ate poisoned concrete and we were thankful for it. Then we worked 32 hour shifts 9 days a week at the mill and the mill was a 90 mile walk uphill both ways through 12 foot deep swampy muskeg. Kids these days.
CCCCCCCCAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEERRIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!
Wow. My goodness.
Nice reference by the commentator about Gonchar (after he didn’t even try to block D. Moore’s shorthanded goal) – what is he, a matador? Olé.
Thanks for showing up, Pittsburgh.
<rant>
Turned on my local sports talk radio station coming home from work today. Coming back from commercial, they were talking about Freddy Adu for some reason. I’ll never know that reason, because my eardrums were assaulted by the following observations:
"Wasn’t he supposed to be the LeBron of soccer or whatever the hell he plays?"
"So, apparently there’s something called the World Cup coming up…"
Radio off. I don’t expect SportzTalk Radio Host to have any useful knowledge about soccer, but I was hoping for fewer strained metaphors and what I can only hope was ironic detachment from the world’s largest sporting event. Apparently I expect too much. Asshats.
</rant>
Soc-cer?
Really though. Cripes, don’t most of us in the USA play when we’re kids (at least?)?
Turned on my local sports talk radio station
You lost right there, mate.
Yeah, I’m a masochist, a glutton for punishment.
The afternoon drive-time sports show here is worse than most though. It was either that or listen to people complain about Obama’s SSN not matching up to his place of birth or some other nonsense.
Needless to say, I drove most of the way home tonight in silence. Not too bad.
Nothing on til ten when Ultimate Fighter comes on. Stuck watching the Yankees/Tigers game now. At least the Phillies are 0-1 on the day…so far.
Do we disagree on everything sporting wise?
I like Penn State football, Green Bay, soccer, Blue Jays (although I prefer no-DH, it’s just not on TV that often unless it’s the Braves or Cubs), hockey, hate basketball, and am indifferent to MMA.
I still haven’t decided on my NL team and the Pirates are in the running (main criteria is how cool the stadium is and whether I could afford/would want to travel there)
See if I can put everything into one quick entry.
Baseball-Braves/Pirates when they aren’t playing the Braves
Football-Mannings (Colts/Giants)–I have no problem with the Steelers.
Basketball-6ers/Blair and Durant in most situations
Hockey-fuck it, it’s boring as hell
College Basketball/Football/Baseball-Pitt and North Carolina as long as their not playing Pitt.
Love MMA especially in the last year since I really got into it. Hate GSP-what a jackass.
why the Mannings? Did you just enjoy watching them in college?
(My brother cheers for Ol’ Miss and Purdue since when he started watching college football, Manning and Brees were so much fun to watch).
I’ve always liked them dating back to their college days. I didn’t have a college team since I hate Penn State and there are no other college teams in the Philadelphia area, so i rooted for the Mannings.
What about Temple?
This is bad.
So apparently Pittsburgh doesn’t want to go gentle in that good night.
Is it wrong that I decided not to turn on the TV tonight (and replace it with “guilty pleasure” music) so that I might concentrate all of my evil powers on the new Thursday Challenge?
Which I just finished.
Looking forward to it…and no, it’s never wrong to sub out television for music. I should do it more often.
Might be a Miles Davis evening…
I’m pretty sure the only person who has a prayer of solving it is Two Yellows and that’s only if he knows his history and then makes a leap of faith.
If it’s not easily found on Wikipedia, I don’t have a prayer. I do have one other resource that I’ve found over the course of several challenges, but it’s near impossible to search with that, as far as I know.
you should turn it on for the 3rd. A hockey game has broken out.
I guess that depends on what you’re calling “guilty pleasure” – Justin Bieber? Debbie Gibson? Lady Gaga?
/ducks thrown assortment of shoes, boots, and books
As far as Davies goes, this is my comment from Matchfit:
Here’s my problem with listening to Sochaux: it would never happen with another country.
What if Manchester United told England, “Hey, you know, Rooney keeps tweaking that groin of his and we’d really just prefer he take the summer off.” Or Liverpool with Torres, who’s seemingly only fit for international duty anymore: “Unless Spain’s going to pay his salary, we’d rather you leave him home.”
The club/country debate comes up all the time, but country always wins. Especially with the World Cup, especially with a guy like Davies who’s a crucial part of the team, and even more especially (yeah, that’s right, I went there) with a guy who’s actually in training. Spain took, what, four guys that aren’t healthy to minicamps? It’s an acceptable risk to bring Davies, see how he progresses, and go from there.
If Davies isn’t fit, then weed him out of the process in Princeton. Find out there. Personally, I like the U.S. chances a hell of a lot more with a 75% Davies than I do with a 100% Findley and/or Johnson…and the upside to bringing Davies (who could theoretically contribute) is a lot greater than the upside to bringing those two (who will only watch the World Cup from the bench if they find out they’ve got a distant Kiwi relative).
I was very excited when I heard that Eddie scored twice against Olympiakos. Then I found the video of both goals. Products of a poacher. Damn.
Maybe I’m the only fan of EJ on the planet right now, but even I realize that he’s streaky as hell, and being streaky as hell will not carry you through anything with the words “World Cup” in the title. Not even that new EA game.
You just described ALL of our strikers, though. Really, between Altidore, Ching, Findley, and Johnson, there isn’t a single consistent, developed striker in the bunch…and using Dempsey as a forward means that Robbie Rogers will probably make the final cut so you can have a little bit of depth on the wings.
As far as Herculez Gomez goes, it stinks of deperation; “Landon wants him, might as well bring him”. Honestly, if Gomez were any good, we’d have seen him before now; he wasn’t able to cut it in MLS, and I have a feeling he’s not going to cut it at the World Cup.
Plus, IF we’re adding new guys we’ve never seen before, why not throw Jermaine Jones into the mix? The dude renounced his German eligibility for the U.S. and he’s been repaid by…no callups. I know he was injured, but he was better for the Dutch friendly. Why not use him then and see what you have?
I agree with your take on Davies 110%.
I’m more hopeful than you are for Gomez though. He may not have found success in MLS, but 10 goals in Mexico is nothing to sneeze at.
Are you sure about Jones? I got the sense that we were waiting for him to have any semblance of fitness and then he would get an immediate call, but last I heard he wasn’t even training?
After actually researching it, you’re right; he wasn’t quite fit for the Dutch friendly. Tim Howard said he was at training for that, though, to meet the team, and generally they thought he might make it. I can see him still being out, though.
I’m not UN-hopeful for Gomez; I just think that expectations need to be realistic for him. This is a guy who’s never had a season where he got into double figures in a top flight before now; he’s having a hell of a year, and things might be “clicking” for him now, but he’s playing with people he’s never played with before at a level that’s higher than where he is. I want him to be great, and I think he’s worth a shot…but I don’t think he’s going to answer the plethora of questions our attack has surrounding it.
Stephen Strausburg was taken out after 6 no-hit innings tonight…he’s going to be real good. I think this was his 4th start of 1 or 0 hits this season.
That rookie on Cincy is doing well too, isn’t he? There seems to be a bunch of pitchers worth following nowadays.
Chapman will be really good too. They could both be better than Tommy was last year for the Braves. I plan on seeing Chapman, Strausburg and Heyward this year. That will be the top 3 in the ROY race with Heyward winning. Great time for baseball.
Oh oh…
whoot! too many men penalty. That kills 2 minutes!
phew!
I realize that the Revolution are missing a TON of players through injury, suspension, substance abuse treatment, etc., but for Stevie Nicol (whom I worship!) to only bring 14 players to this US Open Cup match in NY and to start third string keeper Bobby Shuttleworth is kind of sketchy.
He has a history doing that doesn’t he? I think last year the Revs ended a USOC match with 8 players.
I understand his predicament, and it is more important to get players healthy for the league matches, but if you’re essentially going to “throw” the match, you might as well bring a bench-full of players from the academy and let them get some experience.
New England has an academy?
I have to wonder if there isn’t a rule in place requiring MLS teams to use players on their standard roster in Open Cup matches…even so, disgraceful that teams don’t even put forth the illusion that they care about that bit of silverware.
I’m honestly a little surprised teams don’t give it more attention, especially with a CONCACAF Champions League place for the winner. It would seem easier to win a cup competition to get into the CCL than to have to navigate the MLS regular season and then the playoff crapshoot.
Maybe it’s a sign that MLS teams see the CCL has more of a burden than a benefit?
I wish it were not the case, but I think the CCL is almost as “meaningless” to MLS clubs as the Cup is. I can speak for the CCL, but I’d suspect that even the Open Cup winner probably loses money on the endeavor.
This isn’t particularly logical- or is it?- but I think when (please!) MLS goes to a single table, both of these tournaments will become more important for the simple fact that they will give clubs that are not going to win the league something to play for. “Hey fans, we can’t win the league, but we’re still in contention for a spot in the USOC/CCL.”
Promotion and relegation from this single table will only magnify the importance of the cups as well, especially the USOC.
http://www.revolutionsoccer.net/news/index.cfm?ac=latestnewsdetail&pid=42899&pcid=115
And Shuttleworth just showed why he’s the third string keeper.
And again.
0-3
*facepalm*
Are the Revs on TV?
No, it was a live feed (pretty decent quality) through the Red Bulls website.
Missed it. Ludlow Saturday? I’m homefully bringing a small army.
OK folks. Now I can get all worked up for Montreal’s biggest rival (Boston – Toronto hasn’t played them in the playoffs for 40 years, so I don’t think they count as #1 now) or at polarizing team, the Flyers.
Yo, I’m here showing my face… and ass. What’s up?
which one’s which?
Wait for it. Yeah, the Soviet judge says that was a burn.
ooooooooo, zoom zoom zoom
Old time hockey coach? Old time hockey.
These series have been fun.
Gordie!
Hey gang, make sure to tune into the Pub tomorrow morning, Semper’s got his first post going up!
W00t!!!!!!!!
Also, I can’t shit-talk the Penguins as much as I want to. Caps fans have no standing. Bollocks. (still glad they lost)
Sure you can. I have confidence in you.