He Shoulda Charged The Mound

Well, We Still Have Team Handball....

I'm very disappointed in the United States' showing in the World Cup. For the last four years, all you could hear about when international soccer was brought up was the increasing development of U.S. players, the professional leagues, players playing overseas, etc. You'd believe it, saying such ridiculous things as "yeah, the MLS is pretty legit--Carlos Valdaramma used to play here" and "boy, Cobi Jones really put this league on the map". The closer the Cup got, the louder the trumpets were: "This is the best squad the U.S. has ever put together", "coming off of an impressive and improbable run four years ago, the team is now loaded with experience and will be ready for international play". Well, I think it's safe to say that they were in over their heads.

All the ballyhooing lead to an opening-match tea-bagging at the hands of the Czechs (3-0), who are out of the tournament. This lead to Coach Bruce Arena openly ripping the only names that people in this country recognize on the team (Donovan and Beasley). Media was terrified (and secretly loving it, so soccer could once again be publicly ripped)--after not showing up to face the Czechs, world-renowned Italy was looming on the horizon. They played, they tied, they were respectable (playing 9 men for the better part of the second half). The inevitable ref-ripping began (typical American sports--it wasn't your ability that lead to what happened, it was the officiating--and I'm just as guilty as the next guy), McBride's face was everywhere, and suddenly we were thrown into a Must Win Situation.

Which leads us to today. Do or Die, Leave It All On The Field, 110%, Our Backs Are Against The Wall, Everyone Doubts Us. Big game today vs. Ghana, and as you may have heard, Ghana 2, U.S. 1. Out of the tournament. Over.

We learn that the state of American soccer, at least on the mens/boys side, is where it was in 1998. Still an International Doormat, still junior varsity. The MLS is not a top-tier league, the feeder programs (like the Minnesota Thunder and its league, the USL) aren't sufficient like those overseas, and youth programs still get thoroughly dominated by the Swedes, the Brazillians, and whoever else comes into Blaine for the USA Cup. 2002 was more of an aberration than a sign of things to come. And this sucks because, again, American soccer will not be taken seriously.

Coach, you didn't need Freddy Adu? The Face of the MLS? The most recognizable player after Landon Donovan in the country? You can't tell me subbing him in the second half against Ghana, his birthplace, wouldn't have sparked a little fire for the squad. He's the most talented player in the U.S., at age 16 or 17, but I guess we did fine without him. Why I pose that question to Bruce Arena, I have no idea, because that was almost certainly his last game coached for Team America (World Police).

And yet, all this complaining I'm doing and as worried I am about the State of Homeland Soccer, at least we made the tournament. Ireland, my usual no. 2 team, didn't make it. Imagine how well that's going over right now.

Foul! Foul!

I've not been watching the NBA Finals this year very intently, but I have been paying attention. I understand when Mark Cuban says that the NBA does not rig games, couldn't if they wanted to, etc. But the fragility with which Dwayne Wade, I player I really like, is being treated is getting to the point of embarrassment. Didn't he push off on Terry? Nobody touched him on the wild path to the basket he took, yet he ended up at the line. Credit to him for hitting those free throws, I would've two-hopped them both to the baseline. Bill Simmons writes an interesting article about the state of the NBA Finals and all this ridiculousness that is the officiating.

And if you've never checked out Mark Cuban's Blog, I highly recommend that you do so. Very funny stuff.

AAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

*Friday, June 2, 2006, Sweeney's Saloon, 5:34p.m.*
Me: "Hey Lisa, if I park my car in your lot on Sunday, you're not going to tow my Jeep, are you?"
Lisa: "No way. In fact, I'd rather employees park there than all the drunks you'll have in the bar."
Me: "So that's cool then? You won't tow my Jeep?"
Lisa: "Nope, you're fine."

*Monday, June 5, 2006, Roering AutoBody, 11:02a.m.*
Me: "Alright Lisa, where do you tow cars too?"
Lisa: "Oh, was that your Jeep? I'm really sorry."
Me: "You told me I could park there. We just talked about it on Friday."
Lisa: "But I didn't know that was your truck!"
Me: "Yes you did. We talked about it at the bar on Friday, and you said you wouldn't tow my Jeep. You knew it was a Jeep and it was the only one back there."
Lisa: "I'm really sorry. You never told me which Jeep was yours."
Me: "$285, Lisa. That's what it's going to cost me to get it out of fucking hock. Your mistake just blew my entire Sunday's worth of work. This is your mistake."
Lisa: "Well, I'm really sorry."
Me: "Enough to pay for my car's release, since it was your mistake?"
Lisa: "We don't pay for towing."
Me: "Yeah, I'll bet you're real sorry."

So, $285 later, after telling me it was okay to park there, she completely went back on her word and towed my damn Jeep. Short of taking her to small claims court, there's nothing I can do to get my money back. It's just not enough money to take to court. So I guess I will never park my car in the Roering AutoBody lot, and I will never have any work done to my car from there. Whether anyone else follows suit or not I don't care. But someone else will have to wait on her when she comes in to Sweeney's, because I will not talk to her anymore. I'd just end up losing my shit on her and getting fired. Someone else who doesn't despise her right now can do it instead.

"You Wanna Live Like Common People?"

Sadly, I saw this today for the first time in my life. I can't believe it took this long.

I had always assumed that the Family Guy bit was copied from Shatner, I'd just never seen it until today. I feel like I'm caught up with pop culture (for the time being).