The 4-1-1 On Sports

The Strange Business of Hype

2011-01-04T21:28:00.000-08:00

Charles Klein

The word hype to me is quite a strange concept. I have a difficult time quantifying exactly what is hype and what is reality. And I think that there are many within the footballing community that have a much harder time than I do with the concept.

One of the more overlooked examples of this is how every time I watch Tottenham Hotspur, whichever commentator is doing the match will inevitably froth at the mouth each time Gareth Bale surges up the left side of the pitch. Now I do rate Gareth Bale and do think that he has loads of potential to be one of the best players in the English Premier League, but I have to say that one player has burst onto the scene of the Premier League (as quietly as one can burst) with much more impact. His name? Javier Hernandez.

Now I must admit, I am a Manchester United supporter, so such a comment will not come as much of a surprise. But when one examines his performances this season, his first in a league which many say is the most difficult to which one may attempt to adapt, one ought to come to same conclusion as myself.

ESPN Soccernet's description illustrates the ignorance that the media has with regards to Mexican footballers. "Even though he is not a short player, he lacks the physical strength required in the Premier League. He could compensate for that with skill and speed while he develops into a more imposing frame."

Pundits prefer to laud Bale because he is a UK based player and Wales has not produced a player of his supposed caliber since Ryan Giggs. And it is only natural for the British media to hype one of its own. Bale has scored two more goals than Hernandez in the league this season and three more goals in the Champions League than Chicharito. But I think it is also fair to say that if Hernandez started every match for United that his goal tallies would be higher.

And how many times has Chicharito saved Manchester United already this season? He scored two crucial goals in United's away tie with Stoke, scored the winner against Albion on New Year's Day, won a key group stage Champions league match in the 80th minute versus Valencia and covered for the absence of Wayne Rooney as United barely missed a beat with Hernandez in the starting eleven.

It will be interesting to follow the career paths of both Bale and Hernandez. The Mexican striker is about seven months older than Bale, but both are at similar stages of their careers. Chicharito is already at one of the biggest clubs any player could hope to play for, while Bale is part of the Spurs revolution, who's destiny appears uncertain. Could both end up playing together in a few year's time?

Hype is a funny business. Teams, players and managers are continually gassed up in the media and then forgotten in the blink of an eye. It was not long ago that Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti had "conquered" the English game and had put together an indefatigable squad that would batter any squad. Only time will tell how far Bale and Hernandez will go, but right now it certainly looks like, hype aside, both have bright futures ahead of them.

From South Beach to Catalonia

2010-12-20T14:13:00.000-08:00

Charles Klein

One of the more interesting parts of being a fan of more than one sports is the ability to observe parallels and general trends that transcend each sport. We as fans like to believe that every player on our teams is as dedicated to the cause as we are and yet in most cases this is the exception and not the rule. Athletes, just like us regular human beings who don't make at least a hundred quid a week, want to live as easy as can be. And when that means changing teams to be more comfortable and be in a better position to win (read: make more money), players are more than willing to do this.

I had a conversation about this with one of my good friends Puneet Singh, who is also as big of a football fanatic as I, and we came to the conclusion that LeBron James, of the Miami Heat, and Francesc Fabregas, of Arsenal, are functional equivalents within their individual sports.

Last summer James made a rather ignominious move to leave Cleveland, the team that drafted him number one overall out of high school and helped make him the superstar player he is today and to sign with the Miami Heat to join forces with Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade. James decided to take his talents to South Beach for the same reasons that Fabregas will be taking his talents to Camp Nou this summer: to play with a better more polished class of players and to have a chance to win a trophy.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, in their Lebron James pomp, were quite similar to the Arsenal team from the years 2003-2010. They were perennial underachievers of whom so much came to be expected every season. Within a year both competed for the highest honours any team could win. The Cavaliers played in the 2007 NBA Finals versus the San Antonio Spurs and Arsenal played Barcelona in the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final in Paris.

Additionally, both Arsenal and the Cavaliers failed to add a big piece to help out their superstar player. I know some of you reading this may be saying "Well what about Andrey Arshavin?" I would argue that Arshavin is the NBA equivalent of Mo Williams. Yes, 19 goals in 59 appearances is nothing to sneeze at, but neither is Williams's 16.8 points per game during James' time with the Cavaliers.

To put it simply, neither Arsene Wenger nor Danny Ferry have done or did do enough to keep their star player satisfied and surrounded by winning talent. Wenger's transfer policy tacitly accepts that Arsenal are bound to lose players like Fabregas to teams like Barcelona and Wenger looks to replace players who have not even left yet instead of replacing players who are already gone.

The most obvious similarity between the two teams is that neither has won a title recently (the Cavaliers have never won an NBA Finals). Fabregas has almost every right to be frustrated with Arsenal's barren run (the football equivalent of Steve Carrell's character in 40 Year-Old Virgin) in the league and on the continent. Arsenal continue to be swept aside by the bigger clubs like Manchester United and Barcelona when it comes to the top honors. Fabregas was convinced to stay for at least one more season as Arsenal's captain in the hopes that maybe this year would be different.

But ultimately it is almost a footballing inevitability that Fabregas will sign with Barcelona. A product of Barca's legendary academy, Fabregas joined Arsenal at 17 and has become one of the English Premier League's standout performers. And while he watches his Spanish international teammates Xavi and Andres Iniesta win game after game and award after award in La Liga, Fabregas remains frustrated with the lack of progress Arsenal have made during his time with the club.

The possibility of playing with two masterclass midfielders like Xavi and Iniesta must be quite appealing to the Catalonian. Could Barcelona assemble their very own big three and challenge for world domination? With their new shirt sponsorship deal paying them approximately 30 million euro per season, it is entirely possible. And like the Cleveland Cavaliers, Arsenal will have nothing but a scrapbook of memories and an inferior pay packet to entice Fabregas to come back for one more season. Expect Fabregas to be a Barcelona man by this time next season.

2010 MLB Playoffs: ALCS Preview

2010-10-13T20:07:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

Immediately following the conclusion of Cliff Lee's latest act of wizardry, I am willing to bet many citizens of that concrete jungle dreams are made of thanked the same god who's blessed Andy Pettite with an indefatigable arm that they don't have to face Lee in Game 1.

Even though the Yankees swept the Twins aside the way Ludacris does the general populous of Atlanta in his "Get Back" video, I am not yet sold on the Yankees viability as a World Champion. I expect that the Rangers will put up more of a fight than the Twins, who, for whatever reason are incapable of beating the Yankees in October.

That is not to say that I do not expect the Yankees to win this series, because I do, but to merely argue that they have not been as dominating as their 3-0 record in the postseason may indicate. Sabathia, Pettite and Hughes pitched very well but I doubt their domination will carry over to the ALCS. Joe Mauer is a good hitter, but aside from him the Twins had little in terms of bona fide power hitting. The Rangers boast Nelson Cruz, Josh Hamilton, Vladimir Guerrero, Ian Kinsler, Michael Young, etc. A much more troublesome lineup for Girardi's rotation to get through.

The Yankees did luck out in that they do not have to possibly face Cliff Lee three times in the ALCS in three potentially pivotal games (1, 4 and 7). They were also able to set up their rotation and will be fresh while the Rangers are coming off a roller coaster of a five game series with the Tampa Bay Rays.

This series pits the team with all the momentum (Texas) against the most rest (New York) and it will be interesting to see which holds serve in this series. The games will assuredly be lengthy as both teams can hit pretty well. Ultimately I lean towards the Bronx Bombers because they have the experience and nous to get to the promised land for the 28th time. They just have that winning gene. Considering Texas just won the franchise's first playoff series, they ought to be happy to just be in the ALCS this year.

Klein-strodamus predicts Yankees in six games.

STAT-CITY?

2010-10-12T19:08:00.000-07:00

Jossif Ezekilov

It’s almost preseason time, and for the first time in quite a while, The New York Knicks are optimistic.

They’ve gutted most of their team (8 new players), and have added some great new pieces. Previous

years may have been laden with managerial miscalculations and overspending on overrated players

(ahem, Isiah Thomas), but this looks the year the Knicks will finally put that behind them (though not

completely, as Eddy Curry is still on contract) and move out of the NBA’s cellar.

The Knicks landed one of the biggest free agency prizes in Amar’e Stoudemire, signing him to a five

year, $100 million dollar contract. He gives the Knicks an actual franchise player they can build around,

something they have been direly lacking for so long. Some have pulled the “injury prone” card in

criticisms of the deal, but considering the guy is coming off a full season averaging 23 and 8 for Phoneix,

this shouldn’t be a worry for the Knicks until possibly the last year or two of the deal. Stoudemire will

be the go-to guy in New York, and is expected to continue producing at the high rate that he does.

Equally critical was the signing of Raymond Felton. Felton gives the Knicks a sound point guard after

several painful years of trying to make Chris Duhon into a legitimate starter. Felton fits into Coach

Mike D’Antoni’s system very well, especially with his improved shooting from last season. His defense

should also help the Knicks a ton; their perimeter defense (and general defense) was pretty terrible

last season. The only concern for Felton would be to get too out of control now that he’s away from

Charlotte’s rigid half-court sets. However, Felton is now a veteran, so this shouldn’t be a problem.

Felton and Stoudamire will be joined by Wilson Chandler and Danilo Galinari in the starting five.

Both are looking to improve on last season and will be integral in New York’s success. Chandler is

a great athlete, sound defender, and he can play two or three different positions, which gives New

York a lot of rotation flexibility. He will most likely benefit most from the arrival of Felton, who will

able to feed him the ball much more effectively (expect a lot of lobs thrown Chandler’s way). Galinari

has proven he’s legit, and this season will determine if he’s an all-around threat at SF or just a good

shooter. If he can work on his defense and rebounding, he’ll go along way to proving the former.

I thought for sure that D’Antoni will stick Roger Mason at SG (with Galinari at SF, Chandler at PF, and

Amar’e at C) until Kelenna Azubuike returns from injury. However, there’s some speculation that

newly acquired center Timofey Mozgov may get the starting spot down low. This would be strange

considering Amar’e played center under Coach D’Antoni in Phoenix. Mozgov was impressive in the FIBA

world championships, and I think he will flourish in the NBA. He’s huge (7’1, 270 lbs.), athletic, he’s got

good hands and agility as well. I don’t think he’ll be able to get to NBA starter level this year though.

Azubuike (once he returns) fits much better with the up-tempo style. He has the skills to be a highly

effective on both ends and will have much the same role that Raja Bell did under D’Antoni in Phoenix.

To complement this young and athletic starting lineup are a rack of great role players acquired over

the summer. Mason will be given the green light to stroke away from downtown. If healthy, Anthony

Randolph will receive a chunk of time at all frontcourt positions and will create mismatches; if he can

add a consistent shooting touch with his athleticism, Randolph will be dangerous off the bench. Ronny

Turiaf, coming off the trade with David Lee along with Randolph and Azubuike, will add interior defense,

something the Knicks were direly lacking. Of the few role players coming back, I expect Toney Douglas

and Bill Walker to improve from last season and round out the squad nicely.

The Knicks have finally had a successful and smart offseason, addressing their specific needs and

spending on the right players, and it has completely turned this team around. While not yet title

contenders, this will be one of the most fun teams to watch during the season, and one that may finally

play some games in May, if all goes well.

Team Snapshot

Arrivals: F/C Amar'e Stoudemire, G Roger Mason, G Raymond Felton, F Anthony Randolph, G/F Kelenna

Azubuike, F/C Ronny Turiaf, C Timofey Mozgov, F Patrick Ewing Jr, F Shawne Williams

Rookies: G Andy Rautins, F Landry Fields

Departures: F Al Harrington, F/C David Lee, G Chris Duhon, G Sergio Rodriguez, G J.R. Giddens, C Earl

Barron, F Jonathan Bender, G Tracy McGrady.

Probable Starting Lineup

PG: Raymond Felton

SG: Kelenna Azubuike

SF: Danilo Galinari

PF: Wilson Chandler

C: Amar’e Stoudamire

Predicted record in 2010-2011: 42-40, 7th in Eastern Conference

NBA 2010/2011: The Boston Three-Party

2010-10-12T19:02:00.000-07:00

Jossif Ezekilov

Last year, Boston overcame a slow start to finish the regular season with 50 wins. They then had an
amazing playoff run, one that was unexpected and yet, given the talent and fortitude of this team, really
shouldn’t have been. They put away Lebron James and Cleveland Cavaliers, the best team in the league
in the Conference semis. After dealing away with Orlando, they went onto to the NBA Finals and lost in
Game 7 to the Lakers.

This year, the Big Three of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett come back another year older (the
Big 3’s average age is now just under 34 years old) and are looking at a new challenger in Miami and
its new Big Three for the Eastern Conference championship. Over the summer, they stocked up and
prepared for the challenge of trying to get back to the Finals for the second straight year and perhaps
win it this time.

The Celtics may not have acquired the most prized free agent possession, but they did acquire one of
the biggest, certainly in terms of size and personality. Yes folks, Shaquille O'Neal is moving to Beantown.
He, along with other free agent big man acquisition Jermaine O’Neal, will bolster the Boston frontcourt,
which will be without starting center Kendrick Perkins until at least January. By all accounts, Shaq will
be coming off the bench, and Jermaine (it’s kind of ironic that two guys named O’Neal are playing in
Boston; and neither of them are Irish) will be starting at the 5. This seems like the best way for a player
of Shaq’s caliber to end his career: coming off the bench for one of the greatest basketball teams
in history and trying to make them a championship contender. Danny Ainge compared it to when
Bill Walton did the same thing in 1985 (which resulted in a Celtics championship; yea, Danny seems
hyped up for the season). If Shaq is indeed cool with this role (and doesn’t whine midway through
the season like he sometimes does), the Celtics will benefit greatly from him clogging the lanes and
freeing up shooters, and as another target for a Rajon Rondo assist. The half-court offense of the
Celtics should provide a much better pace for the Big Fella as well. I liked what Jermaine did through
the regular season in Miami, but his playoff performance (9% FG, that’s unheard of) was abysmal.
Luckily the Celtics also have Glen Davis who will continue to be the Glen Davis we all know and love.

Along with the O’Neals, Boston now has a slew of guards to bolster their backcourt. They resigned Nate
Robinson, who was great in the playoffs and proved that he can keep his head straight and play on a
good team. If he remains consistent he should see plenty of playing time.

The Celtics also added guards Delonte West and Von Wafer. You may know West as the former shooting
guard of the Cleveland Cavaliers who was often criticized for shooting them out of playoff games.
You also may know him as the guy battling bipolar disorder who is going to be suspended for the
first 10 games after being charged with gun possession. So why would the Celtics sign a guy like that?
Off court issues aside, West can be a truly effective role player for the team that drafted him, as he
can play both guard positions and make key plays on both sides of the ball. Under the heavy veteran
presence on this team, I think West will finally be able to get through his issues and come into his own.

Wafer has spent the last couple of seasons playing in Greece. Before that, he had a pretty successful
year with the Houston Rockets. He is an athletic shooting guard who will be able to come in and put up

points in a hurry.

All the new additions will allow Pierce, Allen, and Garnett to spend more time on the bench and will
hopefully keep them injury free (especially KG) and fit to make a deep playoff run again this season.
Rondo will again be the heartbeat of the offense and anchor the perimeter defense. Considering he has
improved in every season he has played, and at just 24, he may be in for his best season yet. Barring
injuries, a 15-16 point, 10-11 assist season is highly probable.

Another year, and it’s the same story for the Celtics. They add more pieces, and yet another team,
this time Miami, is overshadowing them as the favorite in the East. It certainly sounds like a familiar
scenario, and the Celtics will do everything in their power to make fate repeat itself and get back into
the Finals.

Team Snapshot

Arrivals: Shaquille O’Neal, Jermaine O’Neal, Delonte West, Von Wafer, Semih Erden

Departures: Tony Allen, Shelden Williams, Brian Scalabrine, Rasheed Wallace

Rookies: Avery Bradley, Luke Harangody

Probable Starting Lineup:

PG: Rajon Rondo
SG: Ray Allen
SF: Paul Pierce
PF: Kevin Garnett
C: Jermaine O’Neal

Record in 2010-11: 54-28, 3rd in the Eastern Conference

After Four Weeks, What Have We Learned?

2010-10-04T14:41:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

So the NFL wraps up its fourth week of the 2010 tonight in Miami where the 2-1 New England Patriots visit the 2-1 Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football (where we get to hear Jon Gruden filibuster for two hours while Mike Tirico refers to each player as 'this guy'). One quarter of the season is nearly over and, as the midterms continue to pile up, it's time to focus on what we've learned so far this year.

1) My two Super Bowl picks appear to be doing just fine, thank you very much. At the beginning of the season I picked the Green Bay Packers to defeat the Baltimore Ravens. Both teams find themselves atop their divisions and coming off important wins versus divisional opponents. Flacco had his professional barmitzvah yesterday in Pittsburgh and acquitted himself well. His touchdown pass in the dying seconds of the fourth quarter to T.J. Houshmandzadeh was absolutely perfect. The Packers, minus their disappointing display against the Bears last week, have looked the genuine article throughout. Let's face it ladies and gentlemen, Aaron Rodgers has already achieved boss status. Clay Matthews leads the NFL with seven sacks and while the defense has not been horribly convincing at preventing other teams from scoring, it has done an excellent job at creating turnovers.

2) The 49ers are not a very good team. If teams were given moral victories in addition to their real ones, the Niners record would be the same as every other team in the dreadful NFC West, 2-2. They morally defeated the Saints at home and morally defeated the Falcons on the road. The pure talent on this roster is better than their 0-4 record, but their level of concentration and professionalism has been inferior to all of their opponents this season. Nate Clements fumbling what looked like a game winning interception tells you everything you need to know about the 49ers this season. Coach Mike Singletary appears to have lost his team. I can't remember seeing a much more defeated looking coach or manager in a long time, and I watched Don Wakamatsu manage the Mariners this season...

3) Having a good quarterback matters. I want to take some time to thank the Baltimore Ravens for proving that the Steelers could beat any team no matter who they had at quarterback. They won that game because they had Joe Flacco and the Steelers had Charlie Batch (whom I love, but hey, he's in his 100th season in the league). And his team needed him to make a big time throw, Flacco did it with ease. Watching the Eagles flop around like a dying fish against the Redskins yesterday showed how badly they actually do need Mike Vick. I don't even think it's that Kevin Kolb is a bad quarterback, but the unique match up problems that Vick provides a defense compensated for a lot of the Eagles' deficiencies.

4) Some teams still get really lucky. Or I guess I really should just say there's always that one team who's meaninglessly undefeated. That may sound like an oxymoron, but with the Kansas City Chiefs it makes sense. Now I do love the Chiefs (my father worked for that organization in the '90s and going to Arrowhead was an early childhood tradition) but I think their success is as unsustainable as U.S. Federal Government deficit spending. The teams they have beaten this year are a combined 3-9 and two of their three wins came at home. Yes, their coaching staff is probably one of the best in the league on experience alone and I have been impressed with their drafting over the past two years, but I do not see them winning the AFC West. After the Chargers wiped the floor with the Cardinals last week, I have every reason to think the West is the Chargers division to lose.

5) The NFC West is even more dreadful than we thought. I thought the Seahawks were ready to take the division by the scruff of its neck, only to see them get destroyed by the St. Louis Rams. The combined records of all four teams is 6-10 and none of the teams have looked particularly impressive. Arizona got absolutely annihilated by an overwhelming offensive performance by Rivers & Co. and the 49ers lost another tight game in Atlanta. This division is so bad it shouldn't even have a playoff spot.

6) The New York Jets look good. I do not know why all of my friends seem to think I have some sort of vendetta against the Jets. People's memories are not as good as they used to be I suppose, as I picked the Jets to go to the Super Bowl on this blog last season. Just because I try to diffuse a little of that New York hype on my twitter account (@charlieklein if you were curious) does not mean that I am ignorant of the talent this team has. LaDanian Tomlinson looks like a man on a mission and while his numbers came against one of the worst teams in the NFL (sorry Buffalo, but you're just awful), he has shown that burst he had a few years ago in the powder blue of San Diego. Not only that, the Jets defense appears to be doing almost as well without Revis. I hate when analysts say that teams can be better without their best players, so I am not going to say that the Jets are better off without Revis because that is just illogical. But they have been doing more than just treading water without him. Granted, the Patriots and Dolphins were able to throw the ball against the Jets, the defense still came up with the key stops to get the team the win. Also, Dustin Keller gets the ball so much it makes one wonder if there is something going on between him and Mark Sanchez that we don't know about (just kidding). Sometimes I really wish I had the sense to draft him in fantasy football... Maybe next year.

And my fantasy team, the Pete Carroll Fist Pumps, appear to be going the same way the 49ers are, 0-4. Perhaps it's because I have Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree...

And the Winner is Felix

2010-09-21T20:22:00.000-07:00

Charlie Klein

One thing that has really been grinding my gears lately is all of the talk about how C.C. Sabathia is a lock to win this year's AL Cy Young Award for the league's best pitcher. I have never doubted Sabathia's talents, which are immense, nor have I ever denied that he has been having a great year. But when it is so painfully obvious that there is a better pitcher out there, it just seems like an act of ignorance to give him the award.

So who is this better pitcher? Quite simply, it is Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners. You might cry foul, saying how could you pick him! He plays for your favourite team! While that may be true (I do own a Felix t-shirt and wear it regularly), numbers do not lie ladies and gentlemen.

Felix Hernandez: (12-11), 2.35 ERA, 220 K's, 233.2 IP, 5 CG, 1.07 WHIP.

C.C. Sabathia: (20-6), 3.05 ERA, 183 K's, 224 IP, 2 CG, 1.18 WHIP.

While Sabathia has a definite edge in terms of wins, it is pretty obvious that in every other relevant pitching category that Hernandez has been the better pitcher this season. Especially when one takes into account that one player (Hernandez) plays for one of the worst teams in baseball this season while the other (Sabathia) plays for a division leader which has five players with over 20 homeruns this season.

Wins are fast becoming an irrelevant statistic in the evaluation of a pitcher's talent, and rightfully so. Let's say for the sake of argument that I did not post each player's record or name and left the rest of the statistics up for you to read. Which pitcher would you argue is better? It would have to be Hernandez.

Certain writers and fans alike prefer to look at wins because that's the way pitchers have always been evaluated. They do not trust new age statistics like WHIP (walks hits per innings pitched) which actually do a much better job of measuring a pitcher's dominance than his win-loss record. Whether a team wins or loses a game has more to do with the team's overall performance than that of a pitcher. If Hernandez played for a team with the offensive output of the Yankees, he would easily have at least twice as many wins this season. The relationship between wins and a pitcher's talent appears to be merely correlative and not causational.

Buster Olney, whose opinions on baseball I usually respect, declared that Sabathia is his choice for A.L. Cy Young. For the first time, I found myself in disagreement with Olney. Even some of the most die-hard Yankees fans I know agree with me that Hernandez is more deserving of the award. If it goes to Sabathia this season, the Cy Young is on the verge of becoming the Gold Glove Award, one which becomes a popularity contest and whose evaluation does not go beyond fielding percentage.

While I understand the hesitation inherent to giving a pitcher the Cy Young when he has only won 12 games, there really should not be any if he leads the league in strikeouts and ERA. All hail King Felix.

How Berba Got His Groove Back

2010-09-21T19:52:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

If you watched Manchester United for the first time last Sunday when they played Liverpool, you would wonder who this guy Berbatov was and why you had not heard his name before. United's number nine notched a treble of goals including the early favourite for Premier League goal of the season to secure all of the points for the Reds of Manchester.

If you have been following Manchester United for a long time, you might wonder why it took so long for the enigmatic Bulgarian to put it all together. As a supporter myself, I have defended Berbatov continually throughout his first two seasons with the club (aside from a few weeks at the end of last season), claiming that while he may not score 20 goals a year for United he was still a very valuable asset.

The silky Bulgarian certainly did underwhelm the United faithful in his first season with the team, only scoring seven goals during a season in which the team still experienced great success (a Club World Cup, a Carling Cup and winning the league for the 18th time). Fans were not pleased with their 30.75 million pound man and were perhaps quite right to feel that way. Most blamed Berbatov and his hefty fee for the departure of Carlos Tevez the following summer.

And last year Berbatov continued to frustrate the Stretford End only scoring 12 goals and notching five assists. Wayne Rooney led the team in goals and appeared to play better on his own than with Berbatov. Many believed that the Bulgarian had played his last match in a United shirt against Stoke City, but the manager and his teammates still believed in him.

Flash forward to last Sunday and one can see a remarkable difference in Berbatov's play and output. He has six goals already this season and appears to be a different player. Or does he? One thing I have noticed this season is that he seems to be a more willing runner for the ball than in the past two seasons. Additionally, Berbatov looks like he is trying harder to get the ball back once he loses it. As Rasheed Wallace once said "Ball don't lie" and Berbatov is proving it this season.

For once he looks like a more natural fit in the United setup than Rooney does. And that my friends really says something. He and Nani appear to be on the same wavelength, setting each other up nicely for scoring opportunities. In the same way that Nani experienced a revitalisation in the last few months of the previous season, Berbatov appears to be on a similar road to redemption. And while Rooney appears to be off the pace United will need their 30.75 million pound man to continue to play like one.

I Just Hope That You Miss Me A Little When I'm Gone...

2010-08-29T07:14:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

Hello blogosphere. I have not been around for a while. As the title suggests, I do hope you missed my presense for the past few weeks. I just returned to Washington, D.C. for my fourth and final year of higher education at The George Washington University. I am thankfully done with my over 40 hour a week summer job and now have more time on my hands, which I shall use to update this site much more.

Roger Clemens testifies before Congress concerning his alleged steroid use

Over the past few weeks more than a few things have caught my attention. I will just start with Roger Clemens so that I can get it out of the way and I will never have to write or think about him again. About a week ago Clemens was charged with, among other things, lying to a federal grand jury about his supposed usage of performance enhancing drugs. I do not think there is much debate on whether or not Clemens is guilty of such drug use, thusly I find it awfully curious as to why Clemens continues to claim he was clean.

Clearly his attorney has been confunded into believing the same ego-induced lies of his client. The attorney's argument to reporters about how Clemens' continued efforts to persuade the public of his innocence is an indication that Clemens is not guilty remains quite asinine and silly. After making such a contention he commented that he and his client would make their arguments in court and not to the public. If that is the case, then why did he just moments before that make an argument to the public? Maybe Clemens needs to seek alternate representation.

One thought that did occurr to me as I meditated on this subject is just how easily we were all sucked into believing that Clemens was legitimately one of the best pitchers of all-time. When he came back to baseball around the age of 40 to pitch for his hometown Houston Astros and not only performed adequately, but exceptionally, we all ascribed it to the fact that he was Roger Clemens. Even though many of us are not as over the top in our infatuation with him as New York Yankees radio announcer Suzyn Waldman, we gave Clemens the benefit of the doubt. The same is true of the other great atheletes who have also used PEDs. When Alex Rodriguez juiced during his first few years with the Texas Rangers and was mashing the ball out of Arlington no one raised an eyebrow because he was Alex Rodriguez a.k.a. God's gift to baseball (and blond haired celebrities). We get lulled into the cult of these players and become willing to believe them of anything. They were able to get away with cheating through their stature in the game.

One of summer's greatest dramas has been Albert Haynesworth versus the Washington Redskins. One thing I have never fully understood in football is when teams spend exorbitant amounts of money on one player. I know that teams usually do this because they think player x is the missing piece to the winning a championship puzzle. But oftentimes signing that missing piece comes at too great a cost. The Redskins signing Haynesworth to a seven year, $100 million contract last offseason is the perfect example of such a phenomena.

I thought that it was a daft signing at the time because the most successful defenses often do well by having depth at the defensive line. A solid rotation of guys is preferred to having three or four that play most of the downs. The number one defense last season (measured by total defense) was the New York Jets, who did not have a 'sack artist' who racked up double digit quaterback take-downs.

Let's remember, most of these lineman are in excess of 270 pounds. Persons weighing that much would be considered obese in any other profession. Asking them to go full tilt over the course of a 60 minute game seems illogical. So when the Redskins signed Haynesworth to that contract, it prevented them from addressing the real issue, which was that they lacked proper depth on the defensive line. They could have signed three decent defensive linemen with the money they gave to Haynesworth.

What's more, the Redskins ought to have seen this coming. While Haynesworth did have a few good years in Tennessee, he has always had issues with staying in shape and being motivated to play football. The Redskins divined that such red flags were instead red herrings and signed (Fat) Albert. I'm not sure if I really believe that Hayneworth has some disease that prevents him from practicing with the team now (maybe that's the same one that He Who Must Not Be Named had before he returned to Minnesota), but if it is true Haynesworth and the Redskins ought to sit down and establish some kind of solution that works for both sides.

And there you have it, my two readers. To borrow from Jim Rome, that's what I am burning on today. I have an NFL preview in the works, in which I will pick two teams to go to the Super Bowl that will be henceforth subject to the 4-1-1 On Sports Curse (last year I picked the Giants and the Steelers and neither made the playoffs). The races in MLB are heating up and the NHL and NBA seasons are a mere month away from starting. The dog days of August are about over my friends, and thank God for that.

The MLB Trade Deadline: Ruben Amaro Jr., Super Dummy

2010-07-31T21:33:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

Perhaps what I like to do the most on this blog is to clear up misconceptions in the manner in which sports is understood and analyzed by the pundits. The Major League Baseball trade deadline provides plenty of fodder for such articles, which I only take so much joy in writing.

The biggest myth I would like to bust is the idea that Ruben Amaro Jr. is a good general manager. People were over the moon about the Phillies head man last year when he opted to trade for Cliff Lee and did not have to give up any of the Phillies top prospects in the process. I gave the move my approval at this time last year. Damn good deal.

However he gave away all of the positive momentum he gained in the Lee deal last December when he dealt Lee to the Seattle Mariners for three decent but not overwhelmingly good prospects after completing a deal with the Blue Jays for Roy Halladay. The debate over who is the best pitcher in baseball (it's really just between Lee, Johnson and Halladay) will be saved for another article. But one is not taking a definitive step up with replacing Lee with Halladay.

To Amaro's surprise, he found that by midseason the Phillies were in desperate need of a number two starter to slot in behind Halladay in their rotation. Cole Hamels was supposed to be that guy. He has been decent but nowhere near as dominant has he was the season in which the Phillies won the World Series. J.A. Happ was supposed to take the next step this season but was under utilized and ultimately traded to the Houston Astros as a part of the Roy Oswalt trade.

Speaking of that Oswalt bloke, Amaro has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he in actuality has very little clue of what he's doing. The success of the Phillies has more to do with Pat Gillick than anything Amaro has had a role in doing. If he had any skill as a general manager he would have realized that keeping Lee would have been the better option for two reasons:

Cliff Lee is a better pitcher than Roy Oswalt. Lee ought to win the Cy Young Award in the American League. He leads the AL in ERA and has thrown almost as many innings as Halladay this season. His strikeout-to-walk ratio alone ought to win him the award.
Cliff Lee costs less than Roy Oswalt. Lee is in the final year of the contract he signed with the Indians in which he is due a meager nine million dollars. Chump change when one is talking about a Cy Young caliber pitcher. Having him at that price is like getting away with murder. Oswalt is due $16 million next season as part of a player option given to him by the Astros. Even if Oswalt pitches well he still leaves the team on the hook for an exorbitant sum that ought only be paid to much younger players. The Astros will be paying for part of it, but even then Lee remains the cheaper option.

The Seattle Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik showed up Amaro by trading Lee for a much better set of prospects to the Texas Rangers. One would assume that Amaro ought to have done better considering the Mariners had the opportunity to have Lee for a whole year and the Rangers would only have him for around four months. But that was not the case. The Mariners got a great set of prospects in the deal, including Justin Smoak, who has been projected to be a Mark Teixeira type first baseman. I can safely guarantee you that he will be a better professional than any of the prospects the Mariners sent to Philadelphia last December.

And I know there will be those who will read this and say "Well the Phillies would not have been able to re-sign him at the end of the season so Amaro did well to get something for him." To that I would offer keeping Cliff Lee and the prospects dealt to the Astros for Oswalt presents a much healthier long term outlook for an organization. Let's be real, the Phillies took one step forward and two steps back with the two deals they made involving ace pitchers. It may help them catch the Braves and give them a shot at getting to the World Series for the third consecutive season (surely the city of Philadelphia will explode if it experiences even more success in the sporting world), but in five years the Phillies may end up regretting ever saying goodbye to Cliff Lee.

Who knows, maybe the Phillies will pay the Mariners seven million dollars and trade them Roy Oswalt in return for some more average prospects in December. I do not think Zduriencik would mind that one jot.

Two-A-Days: Rookie Hazing In The NFL

2010-07-26T14:14:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

For once, I found myself agreeing with egomaniac wide receiver. And I thought that merited it's own article in and of itself. Dez Bryant, the Dallas Cowboys first round pick from last April's draft, angrily reacted to teammate Roy Williams' demand to carry his pads, stating "I'm not doing it. I feel like I was drafted to play football, not carry another player's pads."

Usually hazing is generally funny or light-hearted, resulting in rookies paying for dinners or buying donuts for the team. And to me that is okay, especially if one is that rookie who gets the JaMarcus Russell type contract without playing a down.

But the whole carrying pads thing or taping the player up to the goal post for general embarrassment purposes is ridiculous. When ESPN analyst Mark Schlereth defended the practices this morning his sole defense was just to say that's how it's always been done. If tradition was society's sole paradigm for acceptable social practices, well, progress would be as undefinable a word as love.

So bravo Dez Bryant, thank you for taking a stand on an important issue. Hazing in the NFL is just silly.

Two-A-Days: Still T.O.

2010-07-26T11:46:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

Today's article marks the first of many you will find on this blog in the build-up to the 2010 NFL season, where I will post two NFL-related articles everyday to help you get your fix on the most popular league in America. My inaugural post is on Terrell Owens, and as usual, calling the media out on their usual schmaltz.

There's perhaps nothing more hip these days than for NFL pundits to argue that Terrell Owens has something to offer an NFL team. I was watching Sportscenter this morning over breakfast and I almost choked on my orange juice when Mike Schlereth said that Owens provides a good deep threat for any team. That's only if the team's entire receiving corps is comprised of tight ends.

Yes, Owens did have a 98 yard touchdown catch last season, but he had a very down year by his own standards. There is no doubt that Owens has been one of the league's best receivers for nearly a decade, but there is something to be said for the fact that pretty much every team in the league does not want to have him on their team.

Owens only had five catches of 20 yards or more last season. The years before that 22 (2007) and 15 (2008) present a worrying trend for what one may expect from Owens this season. I'm not just saying this because I generally dislike Owens, it's just the truth.

Now on to that media 'shmaltz' of which I spoke at the top. It used to be okay to argue that a team should want Owens because he was worth all of the trouble he caused. Now the pundits say that he is just such a great worker...

COME ON MAN! The amount of work that Owens put in before never endeared him to his teammates when he was also scoring touchdowns and not dropping them, what makes anyone think that when he is not producing and still demanding the ball that anyone will want to be his teammate?

If Owens signs in St. Louis this year, the team will have someone else to blame for the fact that they will not win more than four games this season. And for that alone, it may be worth their while to bring in Owens. But to me, he's still T.O.

Why Chris Paul's Trade Demands Are Out Of Line

2010-07-24T12:06:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

Allow me to just state this openly before I get into anything else: I am a big fan of Chris Paul. I think he is the best point guard in the league and one of the top five players in the NBA today. But I am not a fan of his more recent comments in which it seems that he is demanding a trade from the New Orleans Hornets because he believes that the team is not doing enough to try and win in 2010-2011.

The era of entitlement in the NBA has been one that has driven a fair few casual fans away from the sport. Star players like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade etc. have done little to dispel that theory during any points of their careers. James felt like the Cavaliers were not doing enough for him and he left to sign with the Miami Heat. Bryant at one point during his career with the Lakers seemed like he was on his way out of Los Angeles after suffering through a few title-less seasons without having a second star to help him. And we all have witnessed the tractor beam of 'awesome' that is Dwayne Wade pulling in stars like James and Chris Bosh to South Beach.

The supporting cast has become the excuse for any NBA star player to decide to leave a team. Now that the phrase 'supporting cast' has become so ingrained in NBA culture and punditry, so much so that it deserves a place in a Websters dictionary, it is never the star players fault that his team has not won. Which is ironic because much of the blame for a team's failure or praise for its successes is usually for its one big name player. Perhaps basketball is becoming more of a team sport? But as my fellow scribe Phil Fortuna pointed out in his letter to the editor, that does not seem to be the case.

First, let us examine Paul's supporting cast in New Orleans and see how it stacks up against the teams that he said he'd like to join (for those keeping score at home, they are the New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers, Dallas Mavericks and the Orlando Magic). And I think using the Miami Heat template for the SuperFriends playing basketball together is a good way to evaluate it.

Paul's implications about the state of the Hornets seem to be off for a few reasons. The first of which is that he actually does have some talented players around him. How all of a sudden David West became a second rate player is beyond me. West averaged 19.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3 assists per game last season. Those numbers are on par with those of Amar'e Stoudemire (23, 8.9 and 1) and Chris Bosh (24, 10.8, and 2), the top two free agents in this year's free agent class.

Not only is David West a pretty good player, but the Hornets also had a rookie of the year candidate in Marcus Thornton last season. Thornton, a small forward, averaged 14.5 points, 2.9 boards and 1.6 assists in 73 games last season. Hornets center Emeka Okafor was no slouch either last season with 10.4 points per game and almost two blocks per game. The Hornets lack of success last season was down to poor coaching and Paul's injury. Luckily they had Darren Collison, who had a breakout year in the absence of Chris Paul.

Looking at the rosters of the supposed approved teams, Paul's supporting cast does not look to improve all that drastically. The only way I see him having a greatly improved SC is if he is traded to Orlando. Just imagining how many alley-oops Paul would be able to create for Dwight Howard is mind-boggling. If Paul really does want to leave, if I was Orlando I'd do anything to get him on that roster. Jameer Nelson is a good point guard, but let's be real, he's no Chris Paul.

I also think that the Trail Blazers would be a good fit for Paul. Brandon Roy is often overlooked because of where he plays but he is one of the top 10 or 15 best players in the Association. LeMarcus Aldridge is a rising star and if Paul were to join the Blazers he would be able to elevate them into a top three or four team in that conference. But I don't know if the Blazers would be willing to meet the Hornets demands, which ought to be very high.

And on to that. The Hornets ought to demand basically the world for Chris Paul. And I'm not just saying that because he is one of my favorite players. He actually is that good. From what I've been reading and hearing about this whole situation, Paul does not seem to be dead set on leaving New Orleans. What he really needs is some good convincing. And with a new coach and GM (and possibly a lame duck president), I highly doubt any of them want to be responsible for trading one of the franchise's best all-time players. Paul has two years left on his deal. If they cannot build a winner by that time, then he will have every right as a free agent to leave the Hornets. Whether or not the players around him continue to develop (Thornton and Collison) will have a major impact on that.

I personally do not think that the Knicks will be able to put together a good enough package to get Paul. The Hornets point guard does not have a no-trade clause in his contract so he has minimal say in which teams he could be dealt to. And the Hornets have little incentive to care about where they deal him so long as they get a top notch package in return. I think Orlando has the best shot to do that considering how much depth they have on their roster. If I was the Orlando Magic GM, I would just say to the Hornets "You can have nayone you want that is not Dwight Howard."

But for anyone thinking that Paul will be dealt before the season opens, I ask you to actually evaluate the situation before coming to such a conclusion. He has two years left on his current deal and I don't think the Hornets will want to give up two years of having him in exchange for whatever package they can get from another team (unless a truly extraordinary offer comes in).

Clearly the impact of this offseason is already being felt around the league. The alliance of the SuperFriends in Miami has given rise to a terrible potential phenomena in the Association. David Stern incentive-ized players to remain with the teams that drafted them by allowing those teams to pay their player a ton more money than he could make by signing with a new one (vis a vis Joe Johnson). It's truly disturbing to see players decide they want out of their current teams so that they can join forces Captain Planet style with another superstar player. I'm just hoping that does not happen, otherwise the NBA will become even less competitive and more banal. And that does not bode well for the Association.

The Hypocrisy In College Football

2010-07-24T11:17:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

This week has been a bad week for any preeminent college football power. But it's been an even worse week for Reggie Bush. I cannot even imagine what it must feel like to be disowned by one's own university after having given so much life to its athletics. Granted, taking about a hundred grand from an agent is not exactly the sort of pay day that a college athlete should get nor is it the right thing to do. But how Bush must feel when what he did is nowhere near as bad as what some of the other athletes of his caliber have done must be pretty awful.

When USC alumnae O.J. Simpson was convicted of robbery and sentenced to 33 years in a Nevada prison, the university did not remove images of Simpson from around its campus nor did it return its copy of Simpson's Heisman Trophy. And yet Reggie Bush's Heisman and images of his achievements at USC have been removed.

I understand that Bush's actions are inexcusable for a college athlete and that his and O.J. Mayo's examples serve as cautionary tales to would-be offenders currently enrolled at USC. But at the same time one would hope for a bit more consistency in college athletics.

Memo To MLS: Let Landon Go

2010-07-20T17:29:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

That headline may come as somewhat of a shock for you. After all Landon Donovan was a star in the United States team which shocked the world by winning their group for the first time since the great depression. And he is probably the most marketable U.S. based soccer player around right now. But, plain and simple MLS need to get out of the denial stage and skip a few down to acceptance of this one fact: Landon Donovan does not want to play in your league.

I understand that the league wants to keep Landon Donovan in Los Angeles so that it may build on the momentum gained from the 2010 World Cup and translate into higher attendance and more money for the Major League Soccer. It makes good sense for the Galaxy to want to hold on to Donovan (especially if the Ronaldinho rumors have any truth to them) and many would see a Donovan departure as an indictment on the league; which it would be.

Anyone who argues what I've just said needs to understand something else. Nearly every other player on the United States national team plays overseas. And MLS did very little to stop it. USA's top talents, namely Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Tim Howard (Everton), Jozy Altidore (Villareal), Charlie Davies (Sochaux), Oguchi Oneyewu (AC Milan), Carlos Bocanegra (St. Etienne) and Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach) all play somewhere outside the United States. The league needs to stop trying to keep players in the United States when its best have been thriving abroad.

I know that Donovan is still under contract with the Galaxy. I understand that the team has a right to hold him to the terms of their agreement. But at the same time if the team decides that it is in their best interests to sell Donovan the league should not stand in the way of them. Players leaving teams before the end of their contracts is a very common thing in world football and yet Americans have a very hard time understanding how it works. Imagine if the New York Yankees could simply go to the St. Louis Cardinals and say, "We want Albert Pujols, we'll give you $100 million for his rights." That's basically how it works in soccer. Ultimately the team has to decide which option is best for them (unless the player wants to leave, in which case they have very little wiggle room in which to operate). It's a rarity for a league to get in the way of a player transferring to another team.

MLS needs to do what is right and that is to allow Donovan the freedom he deserves. Considering everything he has given U.S. soccer he definitely deserves it.

A Letter To the Editor: RE Michael's Right... Sort Of

2010-07-20T10:16:00.000-07:00

Before I post Mr. Fortuna's letter, I just wanted to say that should you as a reader ever vehemently disagree with anything I write about, do not hesitate to e-mail me a response (or comment on the article) and I will re-post it. I'm always open to criticism and debate. It makes this blog even better.

Dear 4-1-1 On Sports,

The Editor-in-Chief of the 4-1-1 on Sports Charles Klein recently posted an article expressing his opinion on Michael Jordan’s comments regarding LeBron James and his “Decision” to take his talents to South Beach. What some people are getting confused about is if Jordan was comparing Wade and Bosh to Magic and Larry. The answer is no because Wade and Bosh are completely different from Magic and Larry. The only comparisons you can make with Wade is that he’s the lead dog, has won as the lead dog and is a top 3 player in his prime. On the other hand Chris Bosh is not even close to being a legend so his name should not be coming up like that. What Jordan means was that when he played against Magic and Larry Bird is that if he had the chance to he would not team with any one of those two because he wanted to beat them and he wanted no confusion on which the real alpha dog was. In Miami right now it seems to be Wade’s team and LeBron hasn’t said anything to indicate he wants to be the alpha dog there. In short, Jordan was saying if you wanted to ever be considered one of the all time greats that it won’t ever happen now because LeBron turned in his alpha dog license. In response to Jordan’s comments this is what Charles Klein had to say.
“What Michael appears to be heavily implying through his comments is that he did it all by himself in Chicago when in fact that is a bit too much revisionist history. Jordan did not win anything with the Bulls until they brought in Scottie Pippen, voted by NBA players as one of the 50 best basketball players of all-time. Not only that, Jordan had the best rebounder in the game with Dennis Rodman, one of the best foreign players in Tony Kukoc, etc. etc. The point is, as much as other analysts may try to claim otherwise, basketball is a team game."

What I plan on doing is breaking down this quote by Charles Klein piece by piece. First Jordan wasn’t implying that he won six titles by himself; instead he was implying that he won six titles as the lead dog, as a guy who didn’t leave when he could have and as a guy who knew how to lead. Nobody ever mistook Pippen as the top guy because Jordan wouldn’t allow it and he let his actions on the court defend him. There were a couple times when he was faced with free agency in the 80’s and 90’s but he did not bolt. This was before and after Jordan had a championship caliber team. A lot of people forget that the Knicks were targeting and trying to persuade Jordan to play in NY back in ’95.

Charles then states that Jordan didn’t win a championship until they got Scottie Pippen who was voted in as a top 50 player all-time. I agree with that statement to a certain extent, I agree with it to the extent that you need a good running mate to win especially when trying to build a dynasty. This is where I disagree; Jordan didn’t win his first championship until the ’90-’91 season when the Bulls beat the Lakers in the finals. Was Scottie Pippen drafted in 1990? No, he was not; actually he was drafted in 1987 with the 5th overall pick by Seattle. The Sonics then traded the rights to Scottie Pippen to the Bulls for Olden Polynice. When the Bulls traded for Pippen, they had no clue they would be getting a future Hall of Famer. Pippen was a star at Central Arkansas but that wasn’t even a Division 1 school, they were a NAIA school. Chicago was assuming that the type of player that Pippen would turn into would be one of a decent role player. How did he do his rookie year? Forget stats for a minute, he didn’t start a single game! He didn’t become a full fledge starter until his third season. After his third season he was considered to be an upcoming player in the league. The next season is when he and Jordan captured their first of six titles. Now this is where everyone says Jordan had Pippen, well he had him there but according to the NBA he wasn’t even a star yet. His numbers for the ’90-’91 season were as followed: 82 games played and started, 17.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 6.2 apg, 2.4 spg and 1.1 bpg. Those are some pretty impressive all-round numbers. So with those numbers how he was not even considered a star yet? There are three all NBA teams and since Scottie Pippen was a forward there were six forward spots to fill. The guys who claimed the six spots were Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Chris Mullin, Dominique Wilkins, James Worthy and Bernard King. Yes, I’m well aware Pippen broke out in the playoffs for 21 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists per game but that was a “playoffs breakout”. The fact is to state “Jordan had Pippen” is absurd due to the fact that the statement makes Pippen look like a 10 player when he wasn’t even a top 6 forward. The next season in ’91-‘92 he made the NBA all second team with Barkley as the other forward. Karl Malone and Chris Mullin had the first team while on the third team was Dennis Rodman and Kevin Willis. Rodman and Willis were both good but not star Power Forwards which showed the lack of depth at the Small Forward position due to Dominique Wilkins missing half the season. The following season in ’92-‘93 Pippen makes third team with Derrick Coleman? Ahead of Pippen were Wilkins, Malone, Barkley and Larry Johnson who just got done with second year in the NBA. That’s their first 3-peat right there while Jordan was always on the first team. Right before the ’93-’94 season, Jordan left and Pippen led them to the Eastern semi-finals and lost in 7 games to the Knicks. The season after in ’94-’95 the Bulls were in danger of missing the playoffs until Jordan returned and led them to the playoffs in the final 17 games. Charles Klein and everyone makes the “Jordan had Pippen” claim look like the “Kobe had Shaq” claim for Kobe’s first three rings. You can’t compare, Jordan was the lead while Kobe was the second in command. You could use the “Jordan had Pippen” claim for their second 3-peat as Pippen truly became a star once Jordan left for a bit to play baseball but then you don’t have a defense for the first 3-peat.

When Charles then proceeds to say Jordan had the best rebounder in the game in Dennis Rodman, he is kind of right but not really. Jordan’s first 3-peat he did not have Rodman or one of the top rebounders. The second 3-peat, Rodman was on the Bulls but technically Rodman was only the best rebounder during the ’97-’98 season. The previous two years belonged to Dikembe Mutombo and David Robinson. A more accurate statement would be Jordan had one of the best rebounders in the league. My response is that I agree with the more accurate statement but in the ’97 and ’98 finals Karl Malone outplayed and out rebounded Dennis Rodman but yet the Jordan-led Bulls won both of those finals.
With stating Toni Kukoc was one of the best international players and maybe the best at the time wasn’t stating very much. He was definitely a great 6th man with averages of 13 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists for the second 3-peat. However, back then there were no star international players except Olajuwon but he played college ball in America so you can’t fully consider him “international”.

The last part I will argue is that basketball is a team game. Now, I’m not going to say flat out that it’s not because team chemistry and players being accepting of their roles are very important. My argument is this, when the game is on the line with 5 minutes to go, you can’t really consider it much of a team game anymore. What you want is for your star player to take over, if he takes over and how he finishes not only determines one game but it can also determine the ability to compete for a title. Jordan loved to take over, that’s what he loved best. LeBron James on the other hand fears it, that’s why there have been plenty of times where LeBron folds and loses. It’s the reason why he decided to play the mega Pippen to Wade’s Jordan. In conclusion, Jordan didn’t have Pippen, instead Pippen had Jordan.

Sincerely Yours,

Phil Fortuna

Northport, New York

The Price Is Wrong, Weeknights at Six with Roberto Mancini

2010-07-19T17:04:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

One of the more disconcerting themes of this transfer window in European football is the amount of money players are changing sides to earn, and the money those teams are spending to do it. It has become so bad that any player claiming that he always dreamed of playing for that club has be understood as utter trash.

And again, it's the usual suspects. Your Real Madrids, your Barcelonas and your Manchester Citys are out buying up the world's talent, one exorbitant fee at a time. Today I read a rumour that City are in for a 20 million pound bid for Didier Drogba. This is all according to the player's agent.

I am not really sure what adding Didier Drogba does to an already attack-heavy roster. City currently have nine forwards on their roster already, three of which cost City over 60 million pounds in transfer fees alone from last summer. City have already spent 77 million this summer on David Silva, Yaya Toure and Aleksandar Kolarov. Carlos Tevez, a new arrival at City, scored 23 goals last season and now will more than likely face competition for the starting job. It seems like he is destined to leave City for the same reasons he left United the summer before.

People usually levy plenty of criticism at me saying that United spends just as much or are just as guilty as the other teams you mentioned of inflating transfer fees. But I always tell them to take a good hard look at the math. What Manchester City have been doing for the past few years blows any money United have spent out of the water.

What City need to focus on is rebuilding their defense rather than sign another striker. I do not rate Joleon Lescott at all (waste of 17 million pounds) and Kolo Toure should not be your best central defender if you want to make a serious run in the Champions League (which is why I tip my cap to Wenger for selling him and signing Vermaelen). Kolarov is a decent signing but City need to sign another center back to truly compete. And that does not appear likely.

If I am Didier Drogba, I stay at Chelsea. Unless City agree to donate 500 billion pounds to the Ivory coast every year that he plays for them, he is better positioned to stay where he is at if he harbors any ambitions of winning trophies.

This year I say it becomes 35 years for the second rate club in Manchester.

New Jersey Devils Sign Ilya Kovalchuk For A Sporting Eternity

2010-07-19T14:49:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

Ridiculously long contracts. It's what the kids are into these days. The Islanders, Flyers, Capitals, Penguins and Blackhawks did it. Now the New Jersey Devils are doing it. The Devils have reportedly signed star winger Ilya Kovalchuk to a 17 year deal. I'm just going to ask you to think about that for a second.

That's only four years fewer than the years I've been alive. Most NHLers are lucky if their careers last that long. While the details of the contract remain shrouded in mystery, the lengths that Kovalchuk and the Devils went to get this deal done are shocking. 17 years is a bloody long time.

I do think that this contract will be like the 12 year deals signed by Duncan Keith and Marina Hossa of the Chicago Blackhawks, where the contracts were heavily front-loaded so that neither player would be a major drain on the franchise's cap space as the contracts wind down. The same is likely true of the Devils' deal with Kovalchuk.

This deal indicates one of two things for Kovalchuk. He either really wants to win a Stanley Cup and thinks the Devils give him the best chance to do that, OR the Devils put in an out clause wherein after a certain number of years he has the option to opt-out and return home to mother Russia. While such a contract is unprecedented, it wouldn't surprise me if that was the case.

The Devils may have been more willing to put the opt-out clause in Kovalchuk's deal and that, for me anyway, is why he chose New Jersey over Los Angeles. Were I in Kovy's position, I probably would have chosen Los Angeles for a few reasons: 1) Their corps of young talent is unmatched 2) They were pretty close to advancing in the playoffs 3) and playing at the Staples Center in Los Angeles trumps playing in Newark, NJ.

But having already rejected a pretty nice offer from the Atlanta Thrashers, 12 years $101 million, I suspect that Kovalchuk wanted to have the best of both worlds: to compete at the highest level and if that didn't happen soon, to be able to go home to Russia and get paid. I doubt the Thrashers would have offered Kovalchuk anything like that.

Michael's Right... Well Sort Of

2010-07-19T14:25:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

When I first heard the audio yesterday I found myself in whole-hearted agreement with Michael Jordan, until I had the time to actually think about what he actually said.

"There's no way, with hindsight, I would've ever called up Larry (Bird), called up Magic (Johnson) and said, 'Hey, look, let's get together and play on one team.'

I disagree with this on a few different grounds. Let me just get this out of the way, once and for all, so we never have to talk about it again. CHRIS BOSH IS NOT ON THE SAME LEVEL AS LEBRON JAMES, DWAYNE WADE, MAGIC JOHNSON OR LARRY BIRD. Players like Bosh come around fairly often and I would not put him in the same strata as any of those players.

What Michael appears to be heavily implying through his comments is that he did it all by himself in Chicago when in fact that is a bit too much revisionist history. Jordan did not win anything with the Bulls until they brought in Scottie Pippen, voted by NBA players as one of the 50 best basketball players of all-time. Not only that, Jordan had the best rebounder in the game with Dennis Rodman, one of the best foreign players in Tony Kukoc, etc. etc. The point is, as much as other analysts may try to claim otherwise, basketball is a team game.

I guess I was so eager for someone else to further lambaste the so-called 'King' that at first brush I was more than happy to hear that Jordan had bashed James' move to Miami. It further underscores how far James has to go if he wants entrance into basketball's Mount Olympus. While the analogy does not work so well with Bosh, it does with Dwayne Wade.

Speaking of the original gangsta on South Beach, Wade made some pretty controversial statements yesterday, for which he later apologized. Wade said that if the Heat lose more than three games consecutively that the media will make it "seem like the world has crashed down. You all are going to make it seem like the World Trade has just went down again."

Someone please dial 9-1-1, we need someone to please help extract Dwayne Wade's foot from his mouth.

Wade apologized today for his comments, stating "I was simply trying to say that losing a few basketball games should not be compared to a real catastrophe. He then sincerely apologized, "to anyone who found my references to the World Trade Center to be insensitive or offensive.''

So far in barely over a week the big three in Miami have made Boston's big three look like Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa by comparison.

One thing has already proven to be true about the NBA's newest 'Big Three' and that is, if nothing else, made Miami Heat basketball a whole lot more interesting.

2010 FIFA World Cup: Top Moments & Recap

2010-07-16T14:46:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

Now that we are almost a week removed from probably one of the worst finals in World Cup, we can best assess what we witnessed over a month's worth of top shelf international football. Having had a bit of cool-off time as a strong supporter of the Netherlands (and my pre-tournament pick to win it) I can evaluate everything a bit more objectively (although objectivity is never anything I've ever guaranteed here).

Let's start with the final. I had to miss the live telecast because I had to work a Mariners game and so the fact that the tension seemed to be out of it for me probably diminished the excitement of the event. As a footballing contest it was incredibly spare. Most of that is down to the tactics that Bert Van Marwijk decided to utilise for the Netherlands. Instead of trying to play their usual brand of football the Oranje elected to foul the living daylights out of the Spanish midfield, which aside from stacking up an inordinate amount of yellow cards stymied the Spanish pass masters for 116 minutes.

Over the course of regular time, more than a few players were fortunate to play a further part in the final's latter stages. The two guiltiest miscreants were unsuprisingly Nigel De Jong of the Netherlands and surprisingly Andres Iniesta of Spain.

As the video shows below, De Jong was more than fortunate to only receive a yellow card for this challenge:

Not long after this play Iniesta, frustrated by what he believed was persistent fouling by Mark Van Bommel, took the Oranje agitator to ground unseen by Howard Webb. This was a cynical take down with no attempt to play the ball (which was not even close to where Iniesta's foul was committed) and Iniesta was incredibly fortunate not to be booked at all for his challenge.

Aside from foul controversies, there was very little in terms of gilt-edged chances for either side to grab a hold of the proceedings. It was one of those matches where the commentators continually say things like "All this match needs is a goal" etc. Arjen Robben had the two best Dutch chances of the match, each time failing to put the ball into Iker Casillas' net.

The first and best chance Robben had came in the 62' when he was one on one with Casillas. Instead of either chipping Casillas or firing a more powerful shot, Robben's substandard effort careened off the outstretched leg of St. Iker and harmlessly out of bounds for a corner. Robben came close again not long after that, but was foiled by Carles Puyol, who by the FIFA rule book was guilty of at least one foul on Robben in the build-up.

The match continued on into extra time, where Dutch centre back Johnny Heitinga received his second yellow card on a questionable decision by referee Webb. Heitinga appeared to put his hands on Iniesta, who upon contact immediately went to ground. For me if it is not an obvious foul it is best not to call it, especially in that situation. Webb elected to send Heitinga packing and from that moment on it appeared almost inevitable that Spain would find some way of scoring. And in the 116' on a goal from Andres Iniesta Spain won its first World Cup.

Overall this World Cup will be remembered for its singular moments of ecstasy and disappointment that few sports are better at providing than soccer.

Best Goal of the Tournament: Giovanni van Bronckhorst vs. Uruguay

For me this was a difficult decision, but ultimately after much review and debate I decided to go with this goal over Siphiwe Tshbalala's firecracker which opened the tournament and Landon Donovan's winning goal versus Algeria. Van Bronkhorst has not scored a ton of goals for the Netherlands in his international career, but none proved more important than the one which opened the scoring of their semifinal with Uruguay.

After all, goals must be evaluated on style first and in the event of a tie, things like import come into play.

Speaking of Landon Donovan, his goal against Algeria was one of the biggest moments of the 2010 World Cup. If anyone needed proof that soccer (at least every four years anyway) could become popular in the United States, they would need only watch this video:

Please try and tell me those people don't look excited! Team USA's run in this World Cup, however brief (only four games), provided some of the best matches of the tournament. Whether it was Robert Green's Hand of Clod or the inexplicable foul committed in the box in the late stages of their thrilling comeback against the Green Dragons of Slovenia, the Americans never failed to entertain. It was truly disappointing to watch them lose to Ghana in the round of 16, especially after coming back once again to tie it at 1-1. Few moments like the one in which I heard commentator Ian Darke temporarily lose his cool yelling "GO GO USA" after Donovan's winner will ever eclipse that goal. I was sent sliding on the carpet of my bonus room floor, pumping my fist and yelling to the dismay of my sisters who didn't understand how important a moment it truly was.

Probably one of the funnier moments of the World Cup, especially if you are not a fan of Les Bleus. Their training ground protest was ever so French. I mean really, what typifies that country's history more than its protests and rebellions? It was only fitting that the most unpopular Frenchman since Louis XVI be sent off in a similar fashion. I'm not sure why Raymond Domenech was allowed to manage this team in the World Cup when his ouster was already signed up for Euro 2012 (Laurent Blanc), but it became abundantly clear that this team would not play for Domenech.

The greatest act of infamy at this world cup was not a head butt but rather a volleyball spike off the line. In the Ghana vs. Uruguay quarterfinal match, Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez used his hands to deny a certain winner by Ghana in the dying embers of extra time. He was properly punished with a red card for his actions and in his slow trot off the pitch witnessed Ghanaian striker Asamoah Gyan send his penalty kick smack into the crossbar. Suarez's professional foul allowed his team to have another bite at the apple, one they took with relish, advancing to the semifinals to lose to the Netherlands.

The quality of the video is a bit lacking, but it's all I could find.

Suarez was unjustly villainized for his actions. He was booed continually in the third place match versus Germany by the South African fans in attendance. I understand that people were pretty angry about Ghana going out in such fashion, but it was a case of passions overruling rational behavior. Any player in world football would have made the same play that Suarez made to give his team a chance to win such an important match. Furthermore, it was not as if Suarez went unpunished for his foul. He received a straight red card and a one game suspension, par for the course as far as precedence goes for that type of foul.

And now it is time for me to give out my World Cup Awards.

Golden Boot: Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands)

Silver Boot: Diego Forlan (Uruguay)

Bronze Boot: David Villa (Espana)

2010 World Cup XI

GK: Iker Casillas (ESP)

DEF: Carles Puyol (ESP), Sergio Ramos (ESP), Philipp Lahm (GER), Maicon (BRA)

MF: Wesley Sneijder (NED), Xavi (ESP), Bastian Schweinsteiger (GER), Thomas Muller (GER)

ST: Diego Forlan (URU), David Villa (ESP)

Overall this World Cup was definitely one to remember. Whether you supported Team USA, who reached the knockout stages of this tournament for the second time in three attempts, Espana, who won its first ever World Cup or if you just watched this World Cup to see what all the fuss was about, its almost absolutely certain that there was a little something for everyone.

While soccer may not have quite taken off in the United States (not that it has to for the survival of the sport in a big picture sense), it certainly had plenty of Americans watching and paying attention to every kick of the ball. Most will be pleased to never have to hear another vuvuzela again (I know I am), even though I, like everyone else, just got used to the annoying noise meaning that a game was on. Getting up at absurd times, drinking alcohol at abnormal hours of the day and being brought together as a nation for a few weeks in support of a national team are things I will never forget about the 2010 World Cup. I can't believe we have to wait four more years for something like these feelings to come back, but it will assuredly be worth the wait.

And I almost forgot to mention Paul the prognosticating Octopus who picked every single match of the 2010 World Cup in which Germany participated (and the final) correctly. The German Octopus now has his own iPhone application dedicated to him. In a World Cup, anything is possible, even for cephalopods.

No Guts, No Glory: The LeBron James Story

2010-07-09T10:42:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

So we have it. LeBron James is going to play with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami next season. The decision that is supposed to alter the course of NBA history for the next decade was made and pretty much no one was happy about it; except for Miami Heat fans anyway.

The terms of both James and Bosh's contracts have yet to be hammered out, as Miami hopes to complete a sign and trade deal with the Toronto Raptors. James cited the opportunity to play with guys like Wade and Bosh as the main reason for leaving his hometown team. All three are going to end up taking pay cuts in order to try and win a title together.

According to James "All three of us are ultimately going to take less money because we wanted to all play alongside each other, and we feel like we can be great together. And hopefully [Heat president] Pat [Riley] and the rest of those guys, [Heat owner] Micky [Arison], can bring some guys in to help us out, which we believe."

Only a week ago the idea of the three of them all signing for the Heat seemed impossible. Chris Bosh even referred to it as "pie in the sky" (that man definitely has a way with words...). I believed most of the media criticism of the deal that James would not want to go play for Dwayne Wade's team, that his huge ego couldn't take it. I really thought he would stay in Cleveland and if he left it would be to play for the Knicks.

Instead he goes to Miami where he will provide the final piece to the biggest three in recent memory. Who else the Heat could possibly get to play with them remains a mystery.

Now that we know the final results of the "LeBron Sweepstakes" we also know the real winners and losers of NBA free agency. The biggest loser in all of this has to be the Cleveland Cavaliers. And to Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, the phrase graceful loser remains a novel concept.

"I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER 'KING' WINS ONE." This statement alone sounds like some high school-aged teenager's facebook status, not something written by an owner of a professional sports team.

I just wonder where all of this newfound determination that Gilbert speaks of in his letter was when they still had James. Why didn't they do enough to keep James happy? Seven years is longer than most of those sorts of relationships last. Eventually one party realizes how much better they are than the other and moves on. And that's exactly what happened yesterday.

How can the rest of the NBA look at the Cavaliers and call them a classy organization. Open letters are things best left to impassioned fans and bloggers, not to owners. Dan Gilbert, here's my open letter to you. And I promise I'll keep it short.

Dear Dan Gilbert,

I am sure it hurts to lose a player of LeBron James' caliber. He's probably already done enough for your franchise to merit retiring his number at the Q. Next time you get a player like that do try to surround him with better talent than you did this time around.

Yours,

Charles H. Klein

p.s. It's really that simple.

p.p.s. Maybe you ought to blame Delonte West instead...

The other big loser is the New York Knicks. They believed their own hype and it led to their deserved misery. I was listening to Colin Cowherd the other day talk about how New York was going to miss out on James for one obvious reason: New York teams have a much harder time luring players to the city when there is a salary cap involved. The Yankees and Mets succeed primarily because they make so much more money than most teams based on their market size and therefore are better positioned to convince marquee names to sign with them. While the Knicks could have given James as much money as the NBA would allow, he was in a position to make even more if he had signed with Cleveland. Combine that fact with one more: the Knicks don't have anyone else on the roster.

Signing Amar'e Stoudemire did nothing to persuade James that the Knicks were serious about being a good team in 2010. And the Knicks severely overpaid for Amar'e. But that's an article for another time. James clearly did not want another Cleveland where he would have to do literally everything to win a championship. I'm sorry Knicks fans, but even with Amar'e James' supporting cast in New York would have been worse than the one he had in Cleveland, and he would not have been making as much guaranteed money. I know that James could have made a bundle of cash playing in New York, but whose to say that that money won't be available when he is done playing?

Will James win a championship in Miami any time soon? With Orlando and Boston retaining their teams from their trips to the NBA Finals, it does not appear to be an easy road even with Bosh and Wade to help carry it. Both Boston and Orlando have greater depth than the Heat and have more winning experience than the Heat.

One thing is certain: this year will be an exciting one for the NBA.

Cue that Will Smith song...

Why the World Cup trumps all

2010-07-07T07:28:00.000-07:00

Justin Thrift

In the entire world of professional sports, across hundreds of pro leagues and into the depths of our many athletic past times, there is no single event greater (or more important) than the FIFA World Cup.

Here’s why:

Yesterday we watched the Netherlands reach the Cup finals in an enthralling match that sent an entire nation into a state of unstable euphoria. It also left another nation in a steep state of frustration, disappointment and despair. If you watched this game, you saw shots of downtown Amsterdam aglow with orange haze, crowds as big as President Obama’s inauguration, and a party more intense than New York’s New Year countdown and Los Angeles’s Laker parade, combined.

Have you ever played the ’90s computer game Roller Coaster Tycoon? The people of Uruguay likely looked like those park guests when you make confusing paths for them to walk on or place them in impossible situations: lifeless, dejected, and tired.

These emotions are some of the more potent that humans can experience over athletics. Sports give us the chance to experience them together, bonded with pride for our teams, players and cities or countries. They join us in moments of passion for our rooting interests and they take over our lives at times. Right now, I can’t imagine anything being more talked about, thought about, or important in the Dutch nation than the World Cup final.

The World Cup embodies all the reasons why we love watching sports in the first place, and it does so in ways that no other professional sports league can.

Here at home, the Dutch victory over Uruguay was not the only big story on yesterday’s SportCenter. As a matter of fact, it wasn’t even the biggest. Lebron James once again took that honor, increasing his streak of complete ESPN domination to over a month—an amount of time that has eclipsed the NBA finals themselves. We’re obsessed with the culmination of Lebron’s decision; half the Nation is drooling in hopes of him rescuing their team from droughts of failure and losing seasons. Everybody seems to have a theory on how Lebron will screw Cleveland over, and who he will do it for. But the reasons are simple: money and championships.

ESPN announced yesterday that not only will James be announcing his decision live on Thursday, but it will be showcased inside a lucrative primetime special. As if the process hasn’t been painful enough for Cavalier fans, this ought to be the icing on the cake. King James, as legions of faithful Ohioans have dubbed their poster child over the past seven years, is not only a native of the land he has played for since his days in youth basketball, he IS Cleveland.

At the World Cup, this kind of betrayal (or “business,” if you like), could rarely occur. It means more than an NBA title or MVP trophy: you’re playing strictly for your nation and the people who live there. You’re playing to make those crowds climax together. You’re playing for the coaches who taught you how to trick a defender. Wherever King James decides to play next year, there’s no place on earth where winning will feel as good for him as Cleveland. No fan base will show him off as proudly as his native Ohioans, the people who he grew up with and dedicated his career to thus far. Over the past few years, Lebron has become synonymous with Cleveland, like Messi to Argentina or Drogba to the Ivory Coast.

On Thursday, there’s a chance he could severe that bond and add to the reasons why the NBA, like many other professional sports leagues, is nothing more than a scam where those involved benefit more than we could ever imagine.

How would the people of England react if Wayne Rooney announced he needed time to assess his future with England before he could commit to the team? They’d say good riddance, and tell him to bugger off. If your significant other requested some time to think about your relationship, you’d probably pack his/her bags for them. If he/she said they would announce their decision to you and all their potential suitors at the same time, you’d likely feel ill.

This past month, numerous soccer players from around the world went to South Africa with one goal in mind: representing. Many players even turned down the prospect of playing for a top contending country in order to play for their original birth country: when dual citizenship provides a way to get ahead, it’s still pride that brings players back to the country closest to their hearts.

That said, it’s no wonder that 2010s USA World Cup team had people running up 6^th avenue in Manhattan chanting our Nation’s name and flying the flag high at 10 am. As sports fans, we’re thirsty for this kind of unity and passion, and the World Cup brings out the passion in players. It has the almighty ability to make greedy backstabbing players such as David Beckham into loyal servants, even if only for a month.

That’s why the World Cup rules all.

My sympathies go out to you, Cleveland.

2010 FIFA World Cup: The Good, The Bad, and the God Awful

2010-06-30T16:54:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

I know I have not written very much, if anything on this year's World Cup. But that does not mean that nothing's been happening. I've just been very busy.

The Good:

Team USA. It's pretty much impossible to say how much fun it was to watch our boys play. They were frustrating, brilliant and probably brought on heart-attack like symptoms for everyone watching. Clint Dempsey's shot that caromed beautifully out of the bumbling hands of Robert Green and into the net was a thing of beauty. Imagining the stunned faces of Britons everywhere, we all laughed as Robert 'Catastrophe' Green held his head in his hands. The two goal comeback versus Slovenia showed the perseverance of a nation and the frustration at the unbelievably bad call at the end of that match was inspiring. For a few weeks anyway, America gave a good impression of a nation that actually gave two shits about soccer. And that is encouraging.

Durban Stadium. It is so beautiful and well crafted I could not forget to mention it in this article. I really want to go there.

The Underdog. Group play was actually interesting this time around. What fun it was to watch New Zealand shock Slovakia and Italy and gain their first points at a world cup? How cool was it to watch Siphiwe Tshabala celebrate with his buddies after they scored the first goal of the world cup? And how great was it to see Ghana carry the banner of Africa into the quarterfinals? The surprises may have hurt a few people and fan bases, but they have also contributed to a more open World Cup where more often than not the established powers prevail.

David Villa. Isn't this guy fun to watch? He has one of the best shots at this World Cup. He is my favorite for the Golden Boot. Not to mention the fact that Villa is one of the most respectable footballers in the world. This World Cup is a great way to show just how much better Barcelona will be next year.

Javier Hernandez: The boy they call Chicharito in Mexico made a name for himself at this tournament. Luckily for Manchester United, they decided to buy him before the tournament.

Mesut Ozil: The Werder Bremen star has yet again proven that Germany's best players don't come from Germany (Ozil is Turkish). Rumours abound that Barcelona are ready to floor his German club with a 40 million euro offer. After watching him at this World Cup, I can understand why.

Special One TV: If you have not watched this yet and consider yourself a fan of the beautiful game, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. Here's the latest clip:

The Bad

The team that was so fortunate to even be at this World Cup did absolutely nothing to take the chance luck had offered them. France were abysmal in all three matches they played. While Argentine manager Diego Maradona received far too much criticism pre-tournament, no one spared much time or thought to how Raymond Domenech was going to handle this 23-man group from France. Already a lame duck coach, Domenech did very little to help himself in his future endeavors by his failings with the French squad. Leaving out Karim Benzema and handing Thierry Henry, only to leave Henry on the bench in all three matches, a spot in the squad made little to no sense. Domenech did a terrible job in his team selection and built no chemistry within the side. Poor Patrice Evra had no chance to lead that bunch to any sort of success.

Italy were another disappointment. As much as fans of the Azzurri prefer to think otherwise, this Italian team has been getting by on barely enough type of performances for the past four or five years. It's been rare to watch an inspired looking Italian XI. They were lackluster at Euro 2008 (even though they did advance out of the group because of France's failings), not much better at the Confederations Cup and stunk it up in the group stages of this tournament. Italy need to develop their youth or their fans will need to alter their expectations. Four World Cups and they didn't even make it to the next round. History isn't everything my friends.

Another misconception at this World Cup is that literally everything that Spain and Brazil do is the most amazing thing you'll ever see on a football pitch. If Xavi Hernandez were to take a piss on the field, it would be the most beautiful public urination in the history of the world. The commentators are so in bed with the Spanish and Brazilians that we do not even get to hear why that other team on the field might be fun to watch. And if we are trying to be real about what we've seen so far from both teams, neither has dazzled or done anything extraordinary. I almost fell asleep watching the Portugal Spain match. That may be due to the fact that Portugal were playing stifling defensive tactics, but all of the 'beautiful' passing of Spain did little to make me want to continue to watch. Kaka has not been the player he was in 2007 when he played at AC Milan and their has not been much brilliance with Spain aside from David Villa.

The God Awful

One of the more frustrating elements of the World Cup for anyone who has followed soccer for a while (longer than a month ago) is how much the coverage and criticism of the games, players and officials is catered toward the new fan and not to the fan who already understands the fundamentals of the game. The punditry this year has been absolutely awful, leaving me wondering what Tommy Smyth ever said to piss an ESPN producer off so much that they had to put guys like John Harkes and Alexi Lalas in commentary positions. Steve McManaman has been bad as well. And I do not really understand Roberto Martinez or Ruud Gullit. Whatever happened to sensible casting for these shows? Or good punditry. I even miss Andy Gray. It's been that bad.

Speaking of bad, the officiating at this World Cup has been unequivocally asinine. Too many referees are giving away yellow cards the way hockey teams give their fans rally towels during the playoffs. The Paraguay Japan round of 16 match encapsulated this phenomena to a ridiculous extent. We should have expected officiating to be a major issue considering what an important role it played in certain teams qualifying. FIFA has a lot of explaining to do with their selection of World Cup match officials, specifically regarding hiring the official who allowed Thierry Henry's Hand of Gaul goal which put France into the tournament and left the Irish at home.

There's been a lot to love, hate and contemplate at this year's world cup. Certain things just never change, like how England is the best train wreck of a soap opera every four years or how much the commentators love Brazil. What remains to be seen is whether or not another team is capable of winning it this year that is not named Brazil or Spain. Here's to hoping there are a few more surprises before this tournament is permanently in our collective rear view.

The Devaluation Of The No Hitter

2010-06-26T09:36:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

What a year it has been for pitchers in Major League Baseball. Last night Edwin Jackson threw the fourth no-hitter of the first half, throwing an incredible 149 pitches to accomplish the feat. And yet the achievement is diminished by the fact that Jackson walked eight batters and was generally erratic.

Are we really impressed or shocked now when we hear yet another pitcher has not given up a hit anymore? When I read the news I was: A) shocked because Jackson was pitching below his talent level up to this point B) It's Edwin Jackson C) The Tampa Bay Rays should get all the credit for being no-hit.

The Rays were no-hit for the third time since last July. Two of those no-no's were perfectos, thrown by Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle on July 23, 2009 and by Oakland Athletics' hurler Dallas Braden on May 9th of this year. I am sure the other teams in the AL East are frothing at the mouth hoping that they can use the unbalanced schedule to their advantage and get a no-no or a perfecto of their own.

As the title of the article suggests, it seems that the no hitter is losing its value in the game. Guys hitting for the cycle has become a greater rarity than a pitcher throwing a no-hitter. I am not impressed with Jackson's no-hitter because he walked eight batters. That's a lot of walks. For me that performance is like if a hitter went 3-8 with three home runs and five strikeouts.

Sure it is an achievement for Jackson, but one that is not impressive to me as a baseball fan. Jackson had two more walks than strikeouts. That's not a quality start in my book. Usually we correlate a no-hitter with an overall fantastic performance by the pitcher who threw it. And yet perhaps after Armando Galarraga's imperfect game we then received the imperfect no-hitter. Call me desensitized or irreverent, but I am not that impressed by what Edwin Jackson did last night.

American Dreamin'

2010-06-23T10:12:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

Like MC Hammer and a good song, you just couldn't write it. Landon Donovan scored a goal in the 91' that could write the future of United States Soccer for the next decade. Team USA emerge from group play with five points and as the top team in Group C.

Watching Team USA has felt like Groundhog Day for many fans in America. Each time the USA goes down early, only to have to battle back and score a late goal or two in order to emerge victorious. And it nearly went that way.

Algeria came within mere inches of taking an early 1-0 lead when Rafik Djebbour volleyed onto the crossbar of Tim Howard's net. From my vantage point on my couch it appeared that Djebbour was a step or two offside, but it mattered not.

After allowing Algeria to dictate much of the early possession, the USA began to take control of the match with both hands. Maurice Edu and Michael Bradley dovetailed beautifully in the center of the pitch, combining steel and creativity to give the USA a clear advantage. Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan did not do enough to stretch out the Algerian defense, but did experience whatever joy they could on their forays into the center.

Dempsey nearly got the USA off to a great start in the 21' when he put a Herculez Gomez rebound into the back of the net. I stood up yelling in celebration only to have to cover my mouth in shock as I watched the official rule that Dempsey was offside. And after further review, it appeared that the referee was conned by the Algerian defense, who all raised their arms in unison when Dempsey scored. Truly unbelievable.

The next 69 minutes felt all too familiar for Sam's Army. Yet again we had to listen to Ian Darke and John Harkes go on about another unfortunate decision by an official that could have prematurely ended the USA's involvement in this tournament. While they were certainly right, it became nauseating fare for everyone watching. Why did we need to be reminded of that awful call in the Slovenia match?

Thankfully Landon Donovan took care of that. After Algeria threatened for what must have been the third time in the whole match, Tim Howard collected the ball and threw a pass Peyton Manning would be proud of to Landon Donovan on the right of midfield. Donovan charged up the right flank, taking on an Algerian defender and slotting a brilliant through ball to striker Jozy Altidore. Instead of going it alone, the young striker elected to center onto the foot of Clint Dempsey, whose shot careened off the chest of the Algerian keeper and right into the path of Donovan, who from that distance simply could not miss.

Donovan after the match was understandably elated.

"I've been through a lot in the last four years," Donovan said half an hour after the end, crying and his voice cracked. "I'm so glad it culminated this way. When you try to do things the right way, it's good to get rewarded."

Not only was it an important match for Team USA in this tournament, it was an absolutely pivotal game for USA soccer. Imagine if Donovan does not score on that rebound, that Team USA once again failed to advance from the group stage. What then would the headlines read? The cynics would once again say that soccer could never thrive in the United States, that American players simply could not hang with those from "soccer" nations and that soccer was just that sport that America was never meant to play.

Instead, the dream lives on because all eleven players wearing white on that beautiful green lawn in Pretoria, South Africa dared to believe in themselves when nearly everyone else didn't. As the Nike ad for this world cup says, the USA can 'write the future.' I thought it was funny that in that advertisement Nike didn't focus on one player, but rather chose to focus on team USA as simply that, a team. The team concept has carried them this far and just how much further has yet to be decided. What is undeniable is that by advancing as group winners for the first time since 1930 is that the USA have made progress and have come closer than ever to be a respected world, dare I say it, power (?).

It's all a bit premature, but perhaps the United States may look back 50 years from now at this match as the moment when soccer started to be taken seriously in this country. For now anyway, Team USA have accomplished their goal, which was to advance from the group stage. Whatever happens next, June 23, 2010 will remain a memorable day for all parties involved.

As the song goes, there's ya famous, there's ya famous, there's ya famous U-S-A.

The final stretch: Groups A-D

2010-06-21T18:12:00.000-07:00

Nuwan Peiris

10 days in, and we're down to the final stretch for half of the teams at this World Cup. So who's sitting pretty? Who's making tentative vacation plans for next week?
Let's take it from the top

Group A: The hosts and la catastrophe...
France and South Africa go into their final group game knowing that a win might see them through, but both know it's unlikely. Both are 4 and 5 goals worse off than 2nd placed Mexico. It's not impossible, but France for example are looking at a 2 goal loss for Mexico, and a 2 goal win against South Africa.
Being knocked out at this stage for both teams is a disappointment for very different reasons. The French hardly looked themselves for a while now, but are still a team that has high expectations placed upon them. They have had the most farcical of implosions that a major team has faced in recent times, and many will be glad to see the back of Domenech, even if France somehow progress from the group. Come Tuesday evening, South Africa will likely have the dubious honour of being the only host nation to get knocked out of a World Cup in the group stages. Hopefully the stadiums will still fill up despite the disappointment of the home fans.
Uruguay haven't conceded a goal in their 2 games so far, and will back themselves to finish top of this group. A draw will do for them, and a loss may still see them through, albeit in the unenviable position of facing South American rivals Argentina in the next round. The Argentines twice defeated Uruguay in qualifying, 2-1 and 1-0.

Group B: Argentina and ?
Argentina aren't guaranteed a 1st place finish in this group just yet, but they can book a place in the next round with a draw or win against Greece. If Argentina beats Greece, 2nd spot is up for grabs in the other game. South Korea hold the advantage over Nigeria, with a draw seeing them through (if Argentina win). Nigeria can feel good about their chances despite some poor showings, they're still very much in the hunt. A win against South Korea and a loss for Greece will see the Super Eagles leap frog into 2nd place, where they could face Uruguay or Mexico.

Group C: The wide open group...
With the way that these teams have been playing, Group C is wide open. It's gone from a group where many predicted an easy path for England and the USA, to all 4 sides holding their destiny in their hands. Algeria did hold England to a draw, however I still can't see them beating the USA. England may be the biggest disappointment of the tournament so far. They were in the top 3 or 4 pre-tournament favourites, but a few injuries and a goalkeeping howler have left them needing to get a result against Slovenia. A draw could see them knocked out if the USA defeats Algeria, so Cappello's men will definitely be looking for a win. If they don't get it, it's likely they won't be Cappello's men any longer.

Group D: ...just group D...
Germany began with a 4-0 drubbing of 10 man Australia, but fell to Serbia in the following game. This blew the group wide open. Australia's terrible goal difference leaves them extremely unlikely to qualify, but they could play spoiler for Serbia. If they can keep all 11 men on the field on Tuesday, I think they can pull off a draw against the Serbs. This
would mean that Ghana just has to draw with Germany, and they'll not only progress from the group, but will do so in 1st place, with a likely match against...oh that's right, it's a toss up where anyone is going to finish in group C. A draw is of course going to be tough for Ghana to pull off against Germany, even with striker Miroslav Klose being suspended for the game, after a questionable sending off. That makes 2 questionable, and vital suspensions, in this group. Ghana can lose (by 1 goal) and still progress, if Serbia and Australia draw.

So that's my waffling and rambling for Tuesday and Wednesday's matches.

My predictions for next round's match ups for these groups are...

Uruguay (1st) - South Korea (2nd)
Argentina (1st) - Mexico (2nd)
England (1st) - Ghana (2nd)
Germany (1st) - USA (2nd)

2010 FIFA World Cup: Group G Preview

2010-06-15T14:20:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

The 'G' in this group most definitely stands for gangsta. And for at least thee of the teams in it, there are plenty of O.G.'s to go around. Perhaps the most star-studded group of them all, Group G boasts international superstars galore including two of the last three FIFA World Players of the Year. Kaka of Brazil and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal respectively. Another star in the Group G constellation is Chelsea star-man Didier Drogba of Ivory Coast.

This group is this year's group of death. And in a group as deep and difficult as this, anything can and probaly will happen. Brazil, the number one team in the world according to the FIFA rankings, is the easy pick to win this group. Any team that has that amount of attacking talent and defensive strength on its roster is a favorite to win it all. Brazil is no exception

The 2010 edition of the Selecao is perhaps the most balanced of any we have seen recently. Without big stars like Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, this new edition led by manager Dunga is comprised of a strong mix of youth and experience with plenty of winning experience. Team captain Lucio is a rock in the defense and provides the veteran leadership to make sure that a team with such potential has the chance to realize it. Luis Fabiano has emerged as the almost perfect replacement for Ronaldo. While not quite as talented or well known, Fabiano has proven time and again that there are few in the world who finish as well as he does inside the final third. Put him in front of masterful midfield maestro Kaka and next to the slippery Robinho and one has one of the best attacking tridents in world football. Brazil ought to win this group and it will take a major choke job by the Selecao to not advance to the second round.

Portugal enter this tournament in surprisingly poor form following an underwhelming qualifying campaign, including a defeat in Lisbon against Denmark. Yet they find themselves ranked third in the world according to FIFA. And I am sure a lot of that ranking has to do with one particular player: Cristiano Ronaldo. The young Portuguese winger/forward has dazzle football fans the world over with his brilliant free kicks, stepovers and long range shooting. To be Ronaldo is to be the first, second and third best player in the world. And while his diving and random acts of immaturity only give more momentum to critics who rush to Lionel Messi in spite of Ronaldo's superior talent, he is undoubtedly Portugal's man for all seasons.

But who, outside of Cristiano Ronaldo, will provide any scoring or spark for the Seleccao Das Quinas? Certainly Luis Nani will be a big miss for Portugal as his pace and shooting ability provide the width for players like Liedson and Ronaldo. The capable Simao Sabrosa and inexperienced, but talented Danny will attempt to deputise in the absence of Nani. Doubts remain about whether or not Deco has one more good World Cup performance in him and whether Portugal is strong enough defensively to handle teams with superior attack forces. But I like them to advance from this group right behind Brazil.

And then there is the Ivory Coast, everyone's favorite amongst the African nations to advance furthest in this tournament. Perhaps those hopes suffered a major blow when the groups were announced by FIFA and the nation discovered that their path to the second round would be incredibly difficult. Considering that in addition to the fact that Didier Drogba injured his right elbow in a warm-up friendly versus Japan, the Ivory Coast will need a little African magic to advance beyond the group stage.

After watching their match versus Portugal this morning, there are some encouraging signs for the Elephants. The physical strength they displayed will be an important facet of their game against Brazil on June 20 and their attack showed some promise. Gervinho was excellent on the left side of the Ivorian attack, showing much more intent than his strike partners Salomon Kalou and Aruna Dindane. The Toure brothers were rocks down the center and they will need to continue that versus Brazil. Ultimately I do not see the Elephants advancing to the next round, simply because I do not think that Drogba will get enough minutes to make the impact they need him to make in order to succeed. The tall Ivorian will certainly be given a rough treatment by the physical center halves of Brazil (Lucio and Juan) and just how much manager Sven Goran-Eriksson decides to risk Drogba's long term health will be a major talking point in the weeks to come.

No one really knew much about North Korea until about twenty minutes ago. And my word class was certainly in session. The International Men of Mystery, referred to as the Chollima domestically, defended brilliantly against one of the strongest attacking sides in the world for 55 minutes until Maicon finally fired the first Brazilian goal past Ri Myong-Guk. Not only did they defend well, but they also expressed a bit of assured attacking whenever they were able to wrest possession away from Brazil. Wing back Ji Yun-Nam excellently dispatched his opportunity in the 89th minute beating Julio Cesar, sounding the alarm in the Brazilian camp. North Korea proved that on their day they are no pushover and will be a difficult team to break down for both Portugal and the Ivory Coast.

Predicted XI's

Brazil

GK: Julio Cesar

DEF: Douglas Maicon, Lucio (C), Juan, Michel Bastos

MF: Gilberto Silva, Kaka, Felipe Melo

ST: Elano, Luis Fabiano, Robinho

Portugal

GK: Eduardo

DEF: Paulo Ferreira, Bruno Alves, Ricardo Carvalho, Fabio Coentrao

MF: Danny, Deco, Raul Meireles, Simao

ST: Cristiano Ronaldo (C), Liedson

Ivory Coast

GK: Boubacar Barry

DEF: Emmanuel Eboue, Kolo Toure (C), Didier Zokora, Guy Demel

MF: Gervinho, Yaya Toure, Ismael Tiote

ST: Salomon Kalou, Didier Drogba, Aruna Dindane

North Korea

GK: Ri Myong-Guk

DEF: Ji Yun-Nam, Ri Kwang-Chon, Ri Jun-Il, Pak Chol-Jin, Cha Jong-Hyok

MF: Mun In-Guk, An Yong-Hak, Pak Nam-Chol

ST: Jong Tae-Se, Hon Yong-Jo

Players To Watch: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Simao (Portugal), Deco (Portugal), Luis Fabiano (Brazil), Kaka (Brazil), Robinho (Brazil), Maicon (Brazil), Michel Bastos (Brazil), Julio Cesar (Brazil), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Salomon Kalou (Ivory Coast), Gervinho (Ivory Coast), Kolo and Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast).

Predicted Group Standings

1. Brazil
2. Portugal
3. Ivory Coast
4. People's Republic of Korea

2010 FIFA World Cup: Group F Preview

2010-06-14T11:22:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

Even after a rather unconvincing performance from the Azzurri this afternoon, Group F is still their's to win (or lose). Football is a bloody unpredictable sport and teams like Paraguay on their day can be equals with a defending world champion. This is another group that is quite off-kilter. Only one team here is really even worth the time writing about (Italy) and the other three are also-rans or lucky-to-be-here types.

More questions will certainly be asked of the Azzurri in the aftermath of their draw with Paraguay. Does manager Marcello Lippi have the right group of players to defend their title? Are the Italians too old in key areas to challenge the best sides in the competition?

Today's match was one that ought to give even greater momentum to the theory that Italy are just too old to seriously challenge this year. Although Lippi's starting XI today only featured three players who were a part of the 2006 world championship, the new blood brought in to freshen up a side that looked well beyond their best days in Euro 2008 did very little to change the perception of this team. Italy are, however, a great tournament team, they always have been and probably always will be. Their style of play is not as easy on the eyes as some of the other teams in this tournament, but it has served them very well in the past.

I still expect them to top this group because of the right combination of experience and superior skill. Daniele De Rossi is an outstanding central midfield player and Gianluigi Buffon remains one of the best keepers in world football. However, the loss of Andrea Pirlo at least for the immediate future appears to be a blow to Italian hopes. There is no other player like him on the 23 man roster. Italy need his creativity and attacking nous in the middle of the park if they are to play well against the Brazil's, Spains and Germanys of this competition. Still, even though Buffon's hamstring injury is a worry, Lippi is talented enough as a manager to find a way to win. It's just what the Italians do.

In spite of the match already played today, I still stand by my pick of Slovakia to advance to the next round behind Italy. An underrated bunch from a country better known for its hockey than its football, Slovakia might sneak up on a few people this year. They do have a few star players including Napoli's Marek Hamsik and Liverpool's Martin Skrtel. Slovakia are certainly an unpopular pick (with many going with Paraguay to advance) but one I feel comfortable with. Regardless of who advances second out of this group, they will almost certainly not advance beyond the second round.

Paraguay were rather unlucky to concede against Italy today. Having gone ahead six minutes before the end of the first half, they were really one better decision by a goalkeeper away from taking all three points from an underwhelming Azzuri. The big question marks remain for Paraguay, the biggest one, not only in terms of import but also in size is the fitness of Roque Santa Cruz. La Albirroja need him to be fit for them to advance out of this group. On the evidence so far, there is not much cause for encouragement.

Finally there is New Zealand. And they, perhaps almost more than any other team in the cup, should be the happiest to have qualified for South Africa. Like the geek invited to the frat party, New Zealand will have no idea what to do when they actually play their first match. Beneficiaries of Australia's move to Asia for world cup qualifying, the All Whites had a very easy time of it indeed. Their inclusion in this tournament ought to be a cause for wonder when other sides like Croatia, Turkey, Ireland and Russia all remain out. That being said, it will be a great three days for New Zealand because unlike the other happy-to-be-there side in this tournament (North Korea) they do not have to play Brazil, Ivory Coast and Portugal.

Predicted XI's

Italia

GK: Gianluigi Buffon

DEF: Gianluca Zambrotta, Fabio Cannavaro (C), Giorgio Chiellni, Fabio Grosso

MF: Mauro Camoranesi, Daniele De Rossi, Claudio Marchisio, Andrea Pirlo (when healthy)

ST: Antonio Di Natale (when healthy), Alberto Gilardino

Slovakia

GK: Jan Mucha

DEF: Peter Pekarik, Martin Skrtel, Jan Durica, Radoslav Zabavnik

MF: Vladimir Weiss, Miroslav Karhan, Marek Hamsik, Miroslav Stoch

ST: Robert Vittek, Stanislav Sestak

Paraguay

GK: Justo Villar

DEF: Dario Veron, Julio Cesar Caceres, Paulo Da Silva, Aureliano Torres (C)

MF: Jonathan Santana, Edgar Barreto, Christian Rivieros,

ST: Roque Santa Cruz (when healthy), Nelson Haedo

New Zealand

GK: Mark Paston

DEF: Ben Sigmund, Ivan Vicelich, Ryan Nelson (C), Tony Lochhead

MF: Tim Brown, Simon Elliott, Leo Bertos, Shane Smeltz

ST: Chris Killen, Rory Fallon

Players To Watch: Daniele De Rossi (Italia), Andrea Pirlo (Italia), Gianluigi Buffon (Italia), Fabio Cannavaro (Italia), Marek Hamsik (Slovakia), Stanislav Sestak (Slovakia), Roque Santa Cruz (Paraguay), Julio Cesar Caceres (Paraguay), Chris Killen (New Zealand), Shane Smeltz (New Zealand).

1. Italy
2. Slovakia
3. Paraguay
4. New Zealand

2010 FIFA World Cup: Group E Preview

2010-06-13T22:42:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

The nations in Group E get to finally play their first game in South Africa tomorrow, with the Netherlands and Denmark set to kickoff at 7 A.M eastern time. This group is comprised of the really good (Netherlands) the average (Denmark), the inconsistent (Cameroon) and the damned lucky (Japan). The Dutch ought to be the clear winners of this group, but like many of the others in this tournament, the real battle will be for second place.

The Netherlands enter this World Cup on the back of a brilliant qualifying campaign, one in which they registered a 100% record and surrendered the fewest goals (surprise, surprise). As usual, the Oranje are loaded with attacking options that any nation in the world wished suited up for them. The attacking quartet of Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder, Rafael Van Der Vaart and Robin Van Persie are talented enough to give any defense nightmares. Even the vaunted Catenaccio style of Italy was no match for the Total Football of the Netherlands in Euro 2008.

But there are more than a few questions for the fourth best team in the world (according to the FIFA rankings). Who will step up on the left side of the Oranje attack in the absence of Robben? Will Robben play any part in this world cup? Can the Dutch keep the other team from scoring?

The one place the Dutch could afford to lose a key man is in the final third. The Dutch are blessed with an absolute dearth of attacking talent that goes beyond the big four. HSV's Eljero Elia's pace has inspired its own NASA investigation. By the end of this tournament, more than just the football nuts will know that name. Aside from Elia, Dutch manager Bert Van Marwijk, has other options, which include Liverpool's Dirk Kuyt and PSV's Ibrahim Afellay. And from all of the reports I have been reading, it appears as though Robben will be able to recover from his hamstring injury in time for the last group match, if not sooner.

After the Netherlands, there is a major drop off in terms of talent and skill. It has been nearly two decades since Denmark were relevant on the world stage. The Danes are strong down the middle, with steady goalkeeper Thomas Sorenson (Stoke City), defenders Simon Kjaer (Palermo) and Daniel Agger (Liverpool), midfielder Christian Poulsen (Juventus) and striker Niklas Bendtner (Arsenal). Their wingers are both on the wrong side of 30 and width will be a real problem for the Scadinavians. But they could pose a few problems for the rest of the teams in their group with their stout defense and height in the final third.

Cameroon are a decent side as well, if they could maintain a run of consistent good form they could be the African team that progresses furthest in this competition. Samuel Eto'o will have to play the games of his life if Cameroon are to advance as far as they did on that magical run in Italy in 1990 (quaterfinals). The Indomitable Lions will need their midfield to match their name and sirs Alex Song (Arsenal) and Jean Makoun (Olympique Lyonnaise) will need to provide the steel in the middle of the park. Cameroon's defense has been shaky, especially during qualification, and goalkeeper Idriss Kameni will need to step up for the Lions to progress.

Japan, quite frankly, should be happy to just be in the field of 32. They had a relatively easy path to qualification (due to the lack of class in Asia) but lack the talent necessary to make any kind of waves in this group. Japan does have some skilled players in Shunsuke Nakamura (Espanyol) and Yasuhito Endo. Takeshi Okada also has Keisuke Honda, a talented young midfielder with plenty of potential. The biggest problem for Japan is too few of their players have proven themselves in foreign leagues of any consequence. Big numbers in the J-League prove little on the international level and Japan will have to attempt to punch well above their weight in this group. And I expect them to get knocked out cold.

Predicted Starting XI's

Netherlands

GK: Maarten Stekelenburg

DEF: Gregory Van Der Wiel, John Heintinga, Joris Mathijsen, Gio Van Bronckhorst (C)

MF: Rafael Van Der Vaart (LAM) Nigel De Jong (LDM), Wesley Sneijder (CAM), Mark Van Bommel (RDM), Dirk Kuyt (RAM)

ST: Robin Van Persie

Cameroon

GK: Idriss Kameni

DEF: Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Sebastien Bassong, Rigobert Song, Geremi

MF: Eyong Enoh, Alex Song, Jean Makoun, Aurelien Chedjou

ST: Samuel Eto'o, Pierre Webo

Denmark

GK: Thomas Sorenson

DEF: Per Kroldrup, Daniel Agger, Simon Kjaer, Lars Jacobsen

MF: Dennis Rommedahl, Christian Poulsen, Jakob Poulsen, Martin Jorgensen, Jesper Gronkjaer

ST: Nicklas Bendtner

Japan

GK: Eiji Kawashima

DEF: Yuji Nakazawa, Marcus Tulio Tanaka, Yasuyuki Konno, Yuto Nagatomo

MF: Yasuhito Endo, Yuki Abe, Makoto Hasebe, Keisuke Honda

ST: Yoshito Okubo, Shinji Okazaki

Players To Watch: Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands), Rafael Van Der Vaart (Netherlands), Arjen Robben (Netherlands), Robin Van Persie (Netherlands), Eljero Elia (Netherlands), Nicklas Bendtner (Denmark), Simon Kjaer (Denmark), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Alex Song (Cameroon), Idriss Kameni (Cameroon), Keisuke Honda (Japan).

Predicted Group Standings

1. Netherlands
2. Cameroon
3. Denmark
4. Japan

2010 FIFA World Cup: Group D Preview

2010-06-10T20:16:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

I have to say, the D in the headline has to be short for death. All four of these teams are in the top 25 in the FIFA rankings and each team has a host of players on big club teams in Europe. Germany becomes the group winner almost by default, considering their history of success in this competition. In spite of the fact that there remains a bit of uncertainty between the sticks and who will step up in the absence of captain Michael Ballack, they are still Germany the most well-oiled winning machine in world football. Questions remain about who will lead the line, but I expect manager Joachim Low to find the right combination by the time the knockout stages roll around. Will this be the year that Mario Gomez finally finds his international scoring boots? And can Miroslav Klose keep up his scoring rate for the national team?

Even in the absence of Ballack, the German midfield maintains its strength and skill. When this tournament is all over, everyone the world over will know who Mesut Ozil is, and every club will want the lad's signature. He really is that good. The Werder Bremen attacking midfield player has tremendous skill and at 21, has bags of potential. Bastian Schweinsteiger comes into this competition off of his best season with Bayern Munich and has the experience necessary to run the German midfield.

The most difficult to divine is which team finishes behind them.

I think that Serbia are that team. As a Manchester United supporter, I have come to admire the passion and play of Nemanja Vidic. His physical abilities in the air will be important for Serbia in the defensive and offensive thirds of the pitch. His likely partner in central defense, Branislav Ivanovic of Chelsea is no slouch either. Serbia are incredibly strong in the middle of their defense. The biggest key for them will be the effectiveness of their wingers, Milos Krasic and Milan Jovanovic respectively. Both have shown an eye for goal, with Jovanovich leading Serbia in goals scored in the qualifying round. The two center forwards will be expected to hold up play more than score goals, but I am sure Serbia would not mind if they put in a few as well.

For me Ghana and Australia are pretty similar. I do not expect much out of either, but it would not surprise me if either one goes on a run and advances in this tournament. The Ghanaian cause suffered a major setback when their talismanic all-everything midfielder Michael Essien was ruled out of the tournament with an injury. And their play versus Holland in a friendly did not exactly build confidence in the side's defensive capabilities. Ghana is still a talented squad and could be boosted by playing on their home continent, but I do not think they will shock as many in this year's World Cup as they did in 2006.

Australia has made it into the tournament without any significant injuries. I still doubt the talent on their roster. Mark Schwarzer had an excellent season with Fulham and I have been continually impressed by the play of midfielder Tim Cahill, but the rest of the roster leaves a bit to be desired.

Predicted XI's

Germany

GK: Manuel Neuer

DEF: Phillip Lahm, Per Mertesacker, Serdar Tasci, Jerome Boateng

MF: Bastian Schweinsteiger (C), Lukas Podolski, Mesut Ozil, Thomas Muller

ST: Miroslav Klose, Mario Gomez

Serbia

GK: Vladimir Stojkovic

DEF: Aleksandar Lukovic, Nemanja Vidic, Branislav Ivanovic, Ivan Obradovic

MF: Milan Jovanovich, Nenad Milijas, Dejan Stankovic (C), Milos Krasic

ST: Marko Pantelic, Nikola Zigic

Ghana

GK: Richard Kingson

DEF: Samuel Inkoom, John Pantsil, Isaac Vorsah, Lee Addy

MF: Anthony Annan, Sulley Muntari, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Stephen Appiah

ST: Kwado Asamoah, Asamoah Gyan

Australia

GK: Mark Schwarzer

DEF: Luke Wilkshire, Lucas Neill (C), Craig Moore, Scott Chipperfield

MF: Tim Cahill, Brett Emerton, Jason Culina, Vince Grella, Mark Bresciano

ST: Harry Kewell

Players To Watch: Nemanja Vidic (Serbia), Milos Krasic (Serbia), Milan Jovanovich (Serbia) Mesut Ozil (Germany), Lukas Podolski (Germany), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany), Tim Cahill (Australia).

Predicted Group Standings

1. Germany
2. Serbia
3. Ghana
4. Australia

Africa's cup?

2010-06-09T18:55:00.000-07:00

Nuwan Peiris

If you say it enough, does it make it true? African football fans will certainly hope so, as Shakira's World Cup anthem "Waka Waka (this time for Africa)" rings around South Africa's stadiums before the matches. South Africa's winning bid to host the World Cup is already a massive victory, not just for the Rainbow Nation, but for the African continent as a whole. This is Africa's biggest sporting showpiece to date, at least to my knowledge, and hopefully the first of many.

However is this really Africa's time? With a record six nations representing CAF this tournament, fans would certainly hope so.

So let's look at the chances of the African nations.

South Africa

What better place to start than with this year's hosts? All the pressure is certainly on Bafana Bafana. No host nation has ever failed to move on from the group stages. 19 hosts in the group stages (18 World Cups, 19 hosts. 1000 points if you figure that one out without Google), 19 hosts who progressed to the knockout stages. This year's hosts certainly don't want the dubious honour of the nation that breaks that trend, but they are widely considered as the weakest of the nations representing Africa, largely owing to the fact that they didn't have to earn their spot through qualifying.
South Africa however have shown some excellent form coming into the tournament, going unbeaten for their last 12 matches, stretching back to October of last year when they lost by a single goal away to Iceland.
Furthermore they face a group of good, but not great teams, in the shape of France (probable group winners), Uruguay and Mexico. This is by no means easy passage for the hosts, but it is also no group of death and they can be hopeful of progressing.
This combined with the boisterous, Vuvuzela-toting crowds, could see the hosts through allowing them to avoid an embarrassing place in football's history books.

Likely 2nd round match up: Argentina

Verdict: It will definitely go down to the wire in this evenly matched group, and I think the potential for embarrassment and the home town support will go a long way in helping the hosts progress behind France. They won't go any further than the 2nd round.

Nigeria

The Super Eagles are in a group with potential cup winners Argentina, so they'll be vying for 2nd place against South Korea and the defensive minded Greeks. Unless Nigeria bring back their heroics of the 1996 Olympic games when they beat Argentina to win the gold medal, they'll have to rely on results against the other group foes to progress. The loss of John Obi Mikel certainly hurts their chances, but don't be surprised to see Nigeria progress from this group.

Likely 2nd round match up: France

Verdict: As long as the Super Eagles progress from their group, which I think they will, they won't be too disappointed with playing France in the 2nd round. Don't get me wrong, the French are a good side, but it's hardly the worst match up the Nigerians could get. I'm still leaning towards Nigeria being knocked out at this stage.

Algeria

Les Fennecs give South Africa a challenge for worst African nation in the tournament and will struggle to make it out of their group. The North Africans did well to keep African champions Egypt out of the tournament, but they wouldn't have been thrilled to have drawn contenders England in their group, nor the United States. Slovenia complete the group of opponents for the Algerians, and may provide the likeliest source of points. I wouldn't totally rule them out, playmaker Ziani could cause problems for other teams, as long as the other ten men on the pitch can get him the ball.

Likely 2nd round match up: Germany

Verdict: Algeria won't be good enough to get out of this group, they'll do well to get a point.

Ghana

While the Black Stars gave Africa their best showing in the last World Cup, it will be tough to pull together a similar string of inspired performances again. Their chances took a big blow with the loss of their masterful midfielder, Michael Essien. As far as opponents go, Ghana face a fairly formidable trio. Germany are perennial over-achievers in the World Cup, and this year should be no different. Serbia provide as solid a defense as any in the tournament, Ghana will be looking to catch them off guard in the first group game. They then go on to play the Socceroos, who will be their best chance at gaining points. Hopefully for their sake they would have racked up enough points by June 23rd, or they'll have to pull off a surprise against the Germans.

Likely 2nd round match up: England

Verdict: Close call between Ghana and Serbia to clinch 2nd place, and I don't think the Ghanaians will make it.

Cameroon

Africa's most experienced team (in terms of appearances in the World Cup) had to wait till the final day of qualification to book their spot in the tournament. They recovered from a poor start in qualification, to make it through, and will look to continue their good form in the group stages. They're up against the Oranje (Holland), Denmark and Japan. None of these will be easy games for the Indomitable Lions, but they'll look to striker Samuel Eto'o to take a leaf out of Cameroonian legend Roger Milla's book, and lead them deep into the tournament.
The Dutch obviously pose the toughest challenge in this group, and if Cameroon can sneak a point against them it will go a long way to helping them progress. Like Ghana, they'll look to get two good results against weaker foes (Denmark and Japan) before they face the Dutch in their final group game. Cameroonian fans will fancy their chances to follow the Dutch through to the 2nd round.

Likely 2nd round match up: Italy

Verdict: Cameroon will make it out of their group, and I don't think the defending champions are as powerful as they were when they lifted the trophy four years ago. I am incredibly biased, as to me they were undeserving winners anyway, but that's another blog entry. Cameroon and Senegal are the only African teams to have progressed as far as the quarter finals in the World Cup, and if I'm seeing a shock in the 2nd round for any African teams, it's with Cameroon toppling Italy to repeat their glory of 1990.

Cote d'Ivoire

Didier Drogba, the man on whom this nation's hopes hung, will be lucky to see a game in this tournament. They still have a few very capable players, and can't totally be ruled out in Drogba's absence. Still, a few weeks ago they would have been my top pick for African success in this tournament, and have fallen far since Drogba's injury. The prolific striker would have caused serious trouble for group opponents North Korea, Portugal and perhaps even Brazil. The Ivorians face the two tougher opponents first, and if they can steal a win against Portugal, they can certainly feel good going into their final game against North Korea. I really think the race for 2nd place in this group hinges on that first game between Portugal and Cote d'Ivoire.

Likely 2nd round match up: Spain

Verdict: Injured superstar + first round group opponents Brazil and Portugal + a likely match up against Spain if they progress = a tough outlook for the West Africans. I think they will make it out of their group, but not past Spain.

So that's my predictions for African hopefuls over the next month. Algeria to fall early along with Ghana. South Africa, Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire and Cameroon will all make it through to the 2nd round, but will all face tough opponents there. Cameroon will have the best chance of getting any further.

Hardly looking like Africa's time, which is a shame given high hopes after qualification. Having said that, hopefully there will be a great amount of solidarity among traveling African fans, hopefully enough to inspire a big upset or two. That would make this tournament a memorable one for the host continent.

A Special Favor

2010-06-09T13:57:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

Just a quick request ladies and gentlemen. If you enjoy the content on this blog, please click on my ads. I have already done this, but there is only so much one man can do. By clicking on my ads, you will be making a small contribution to a blog that hopefully entertains and informs you. And since I am currently unemployed, it would help me a bit to get some extra cash. Also, if your business would like to advertise on this blog, please send an e-mail to charles.h.klein@gmail.com.

Stephen Strasburg's Debut: As Good As It Gets?

2010-06-09T13:52:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

Last night with my buddy, we were sitting on his basement couch looking at each other in amazement. I said to him "FOURTEEN STRIKE OUTS! FOURTEEN STRIKE OUTS!?!? But, HOW!?!" Neither of us had any idea. That refrain repeated in my head all night, I simply could not process it. It certainly helped me forget the o-fer by Ray Allen.

Stephen Strasburg's line from last night: 7 innings-pitched, 4 hits, 14 strikeouts, 2 earned runs, zero walks.

In his first game!?! Really!?!?!

Honestly I cannot even contain my surprise at just how well he pitched. I was able to catch the first few innings and was blown away. Strasburg pitches as quickly as Cliff Lee, throws as hard as Randy Johnson and locates his breaking ball like Maddux. Certainly his debut looks better because he faced the worst hitting team in the Majors, the team Colin Cowherd refers to as a Triple-A team. And yes, the Pirates really are a dreadful team, but I don't care who you face, 14 strikeouts is impressive.

Just watching the movement of his pitches last night had me all dither. Seriously, the way his fastball rises, the drop on the breaking ball and the effectiveness of his changeup was a delight to watch. I don't think I've seen a pitcher like him in my life.

Now this is only one start, and at 21 years-old, Strasburg has much more to do to truly cement his status as the best pitcher in the game. And at that age, he will, at some point, pitch like a 21 year-old. Last night he looked nothing like a guy who was making his debut in front of a sold out crowd who was only there to see him pitch.

I understand all of the comparisons to Mark Prior and Kerry Wood, but I do not think that the same fate awaits Strasburg. The Nationals are going to baby Strasburg and prevent him from throwing too many innings, something which the Cubs failed to do with both Wood and Prior. Additionally, Strasburg has already reached deity status in Washington and the media there will never get on him in the manner in which the Chicago media roasted Prior and Wood. And both Wood and Prior came up with the Cubs when the team was expected to contend and was in the World Series winner discussion. While the future of the Nationals rests on Strasburg's shoulders, no one expects the team to go to the World Series any time soon (aside from maybe Rob Dibble).

And for anyone who missed the highlights click here.

Washington D.C. already has Alexander Ovechkin, appears to be getting John Wall and now has Stephen Strasburg. The city may become more than just the nation's capital, it could also become the home of the best players in the nation.

The Golden Generation?

2010-06-08T11:12:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

Over the past few seasons, baseball fans have witnessed seismic changes to the game they grew up watching. Whether those changes are more stringent drug testing, instant replay for homeruns, or a more pitching-friendly game than has been seen for quite some time, the game has aged well and remained relevant.

As the saying goes, out with the old, in with the new. Having successfully discarded many of the steroid-taking stars from the game, a bit of a void has been created, waiting for a new crop of superstar players to take the game to heights heretofore unseen. And, you may ask, who are these players?

The Washington Nationals' Stephen Strasburg, the Florida Marlins' Michael Stanton, the San Francisco Giant' Buster Posey and the Atlanta Braves' Jason Heyward. And those are just the guys coming up this year. This quartet of young prospects appear on the cusp of taking over the game much in the same way that LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh have in the NBA.

While Strasburg, Stanton, Posey and Heyward were not all drafted in the same year, they have or will all make their MLB debuts in the same season. Stephen Strasburg, without queston, has become MLB's version of LeBron James. It is rare that a baseball prospect gets this much buzz and hype before he has thrown a single big league pitch. Strasburg is the first prospect to be brought up in the age of the 24-hour news cycle with Twitter and blogs covering his every move. LeBron James received just as much hype during his last year of high school, with ESPN broadcasting the games on national television.

Jason Heyward is the Dwyane Wade of this group. During Wade's rookie season he average 16.2 points per game with 4.5 assists per game. Overshadowed by LeBron, Wade still had a fantastic season. Similarly while we have all watched Heyward sparkle for the Atlanta Braves, the collective focus of baseball has been trained on Strasburg. Heyward, appears to be a lock for NL Rookie of the Year, hitting .266 with ten home runs and 39 RBIs.

Buster Posey is the Carmelo Anthony of this cadre of young talent. Like Carmelo, he will never get enough credit for what he does and due to his home city will not get as much attention as players on the east coast for his talents. Posey was called up last week from the minor leagues after the Giants concluded that there was no excuse anymore for keeping him down. Both Posey and Anthony play for franchises whose glories were long ago and who appear to be a few pieces away from challenging for a championship. In Posey's nine big league games, he is hitting at a .454 clip with four RBIs. While his average will not be near that by season's end, Posey appears destined for greatness based on everything that I have heard from people who know a thing or two about the game.

And finally Michael Stanton is Chris Bosh. While the Raptors and Marlins are pretty dissimilar as franchises (with one having won two titles and the other having won zero), Stanton and Bosh are pretty comparable. Bosh was not an instant producer during his rookie season, only averaging around 11 points per game. But he certainly grew into the league, developing into a five-time All-Star. Stanton appears more than ready for the Major Leagues, having already hit 20 home runs and driven in 52 runs this year in the minor leagues. But like Bosh, he has not gotten nearly the hype of Strasburg or Heyward. I expect Stanton to combine the sublime with the frustrating this season, as there will be more than a few games in which he goes 1-4 with a home run and three strike outs. Young power hitters like him usually take a bit of time before they adjust to the professional game, much in the same way that big men take longer to develop in the NBA.

Major League Baseball certainly has its fair share of young stars already in the game before this crop of rookies make their mark this season. Felix Hernandez, Justin Upton, David Price, and Matt Kemp all come to mind. But baseball has yet to see a class of rookies with this much talent all in the same season in quite some time. And this quartet could be the torch-bearers for the new MLB, a league cleansed of the stain of steroids and one that is ready to charge into the next decade as one of the best leagues in sports.

2010 FIFA World Cup: Group C Preview

2010-06-07T15:53:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

This is one of the simplest groups to predict in the World Cup (outside of Group H). We have one global footballing superpower in England and a team on the rise in the United States. The bottom two teams in this group both pulled off shock upsets in order to qualify for this year's tournament, with Algeria beating African Cup Of Nations winner Egypt and Slovenia knocking out Russia.

What could make this group more interesting is England's capacity to stutter out of the gates. As usual, there is a colossus of pressure on this year's England squad to bring home the trophy for the first time since 1966. And there is perhaps no more voracious media than the English when it comes to football. England have lost their captain Rio Ferdinand to a knee injury their star man picked up in training. While Ledley King may be able to deputize to extraordinary effect, Ferdinand's absence adds just one more question to whether or not this generation of English footballers are good enough to bring home the trophy.

All of that being said, England ought to have a pretty easy time of it in Group C. Their only potential trip up being the United States, who they play first on June 12th. England still have Wayne Rooney, quite possibly the best center forward in world football for the past year. Rooney has been in spectacular form with his club side Manchester United and England are counting on him to duplicate it in South Africa. Rooney is the odds-on favorite for me anyway to take home the Golden Boot (the award the highest goal scorer in the competition). Whether he brings home another trophy is entirely dependent upon how well England mesh together in the midfield and if the center of defense can remain stout in the absence of Ferdinand. I fully expect them to at least provide the answers to those questions in the first round.

The United States enters this tournament with a bit of guarded optimism. Certainly the run they made in the Confederations Cup last summer in South Africa has done nothing but boost expectations in the States of what this team is capable of doing. That being said, the United States has more than just a few unanswered questions. Will Oguchi Onyewu be fit enough to play the important role he has to play for this team in order for them to advance beyond the group? Can Jozy Altidore take the big step towards international stardom? Who will partner Altidore in the absence of Charlie Davies? And does the United States have enough talent to beat the top teams in this year's tournament?

Given that this group is a bit of a "softie" as compared to the others in this tournament, I do not expect those questions to really be asked very much during the first three games of Team USA's involvement in this tournament. Their opener agaisnt England will likely determine who wins this group and is therefore the most crucial match of the campaign. And yet I expect manager Bob Bradley wishes that the England match came at the end of the group stage when perhaps his team may be more prepared.

Both Algeria and Slovenia have some decent players on their squads, but I do not know all that much about them and I do not expect them to really do anything in this tournament. I could be completely wrong though. Both have players who play for well-known clubs (Rangers, Portsmouth, Wolfsburg, Siena, Chievo, Udinese), but judging by the number of Portsmouth players that play for Algeria, they could be in for some problems in this World Cup.

Predicted XI's

England

4-2-3-1

GK: Robert Green

DEF: John Terry, Ledley King, Glen Johnson, Ashley Cole

MF: Gareth Barry (CDM), Michael Carrick (CDM), Frank Lampard (RAM), Aaron Lennon (LAM), Steven Gerrard (CAM) (C)

ST: Wayne Rooney

United States

4-4-2

GK: Tim Howard

DEF: Oguchi Onyewu (CB), Carlos Bocanegra (CB) (C), Jonathan Spector (RB), Jonathan Bornstein (LB)

MF: Clint Dempsey (RM) Michael Bradley (RCM) Ricardo Clark (LCM) Landon Donovan (LM)

ST: Jozy Altidore and Edson Buddle

Algeria

4-5-1

GK: Lounes Gaouaoui

DEF: Rafik Halliche, Madjid Bougherra (C), Antar Yahia, Nadir Belhadj

MF: Djamel Abdoun, Yazid Mansouri, Hassan Yebda, Karim Matmour, Karim Ziani

ST: Abdelkader Ghezzal

Slovenia

4-3-3

GK: Samir Handanovic

DEF: Miso Brecko, Marco Suler, Bostjan Cesar, Bojan Jokic

MF: Aleksandar Radosavljevic, Robert Koren (C), Andraz Kirm

ST: Zlatko Dedic, Valter Birsa, Milivoje Novakovic

Players To Watch: Wayne Rooney (England), Frank Lampard (England, Steven Gerrard (England), Landon Donovan (USA), Clint Dempsey (USA), Tim Howard (USA), Abdelkader Ghezzal (Algeria), Karim Ziani (Algeria), Robert Koren (Slovenia) and Milijove Novakovic (Slovenia).

Predicted Group Standings

1. England
2. United States
3. Algeria
4. Slovenia

The Damned United

2010-06-05T22:21:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

While at my local library, I browsed the shelves for some movies to watch in my fit of summertime boredom. I had heard about this movie before, and really liked Michael Sheen in The Queen and during his four episode arc on NBC's 30 Rock (there's only one Wesley Snipes!). So I decided to check it out, and loved it.

The Damned United is the story of Brian Clough's 44 days in charge of English football club Leeds United. It chronicles his time managing Derby County out of Britain's Second Division and to the First Division title the year following through flashback sequences. The film also stars Timothy Spall (Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban) and Stephen Graham (This Is England, Snatch).

For all fans of football (or soccer) this film is a must-watch. Sheen's depiction of Clough is spellbinding and everything in the film is absolutely authentic and faithful to English football of that era. It gives the viewer a brilliant window into what the second division grounds looked like and the atmospheres that set them apart.

As a person who is absolutely obsessed with football, I could not help but get swept up in the energy this film effervesces with ease. If I already was dying to go to England and experience football the way it is meant to be experienced, this film made me want to go even more.

But don't take my word for it, see it for yourself!

2010 FIFA World Cup: Group B Preview

2010-06-05T18:13:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

This group for me is an underrated group of death. While Argentina are the headliners and ought to progress to the next round, potential slip-ups for Maradona's team abound. Only six spots separate Argentina from Greece in the FIFA rankings and Nigeria does not fall too far behind them (at 21st in the world). South Korea made it all the way to the semifinals in 2002 when it hosted the competition and has plenty of skilled players who could cause an upset.

Ultimately though I have to go chalk in this one. I did give the Africa bump to South Africa but I do not feel the same way about Nigeria going into the competition. Nigeria may be without key man John Obi Mikel and I think they will falter against Greece's tight defensive play. I am a fan of Obafemi Martins and Danny Shittu has one of the best names in modern football, but for me they are to finish third.

I do not expect Maradona to be so incompetent as to manage his team out of the competition at the group stage. Lionel Messi is just too good to allow that to happen. Factor in the amount of incredible attacking talent this 23-man roster boasts and one has enough to put a few goals in even against Greece's park the bus style of play. Maradona is spoiled for choice here, as he has Aguero, Tevez, Milito and Higuain from which to choose. Argentina also has the strength of Javier Mascherano, Esteban Cambiasso and Juan Sebastian Veron in midfield, as well as the pacy and much sought-after Angel Di Maria. Argentina are just too good, and will win this group.

Greece shocked (and bored) Europe and the rest of the world when they won the European Championship in 2004. Their style of play may be referred to as the exact opposite of how the Netherlands will play in this tournament. Greece tries to allow one fewer goal than the other team, and they are damn good at it too. They literally park the bus in front of goal and dare the other team to attempt to score on them. Greece attempt to bore the other team to pieces and then score when we all least expect it. I fully expect to find myself dozing off to sleep during at least one of their matches (probably the 4:30AM cracker with South Korea).

And last, and probably least, is South Korea. I am a huge fan of playmaker/gut-buster Park Ji-Sung (who plays for Manchester United) but I do not see enough attacking nous on this roster to break through the Greek defense or to outscore a team like Argentina. Unfortunately for South Korea, it appears that they will finish in the same spot of their group's table as their neighbors to the north.

Probable Starting XI's

Argentina

(4-4-2)

GK: Sergio Romero

DEF: Nicolas Otamendi, Martin Demichelis, Walter Samuel, Gabriel Heinze

MF: Jonas Guiterrez, Juan Sebastian Veron, Javier Mascherano, Angel Di Maria

ST: Lionel Messi, Diego Milito

Players To Watch: Lionel Messi, Angel Di Maria, Diego Milito

Greece

4-4-2

GK: Alexandros Tzorvas

DEF: Nikos Spiropoulos, Sotrios Kyrgiakos, Loukas Vyntra, Vasilis Torosidis

MF: Konstantinos Katsouranis, Giorgos Karagounis, Alexander Tziolis, Georgios Samaras

ST: Theofanis Gekas, Dimitrios Salpingidis

Players To Watch: Georgios Samaras, Sotrios Kyrgiakos

Nigeria

4-3-3

GK: Vincent Enyeama

DEF: Chidi Odiah, Joseph Yobo, Rabiu Afolabi, Taye Taiwo

MF: Sani Kaita, John Obi Mikel, Kalu Uche

ST: Peter Odemwingie, Obafemi Martins, Ayegbeni Yakubu

Players To Watch: John Obi Mikel, Obafemi Martins

South Korea

4-4-2

GK: Jung Sung-Ryong

DEF: Lee Young-Pyo, Kang Min-Soo, Lee-Jung-Soo, Cha Doo-Ri

MF: Park Ji-Sung, Ki-Sung Yong, Kim Jung-Woo, Lee Chung-Yong

ST: Lee Dong-Gook, Park Chu-Young

Player To Watch: Park Ji-Sung

Final Standings

1. Argentina
2. Greece
3. Nigeria
4. South Korea

broken bones and broken World Cup dreams

2010-06-05T15:59:00.000-07:00

Nuwan Peiris

Sometime between June 11th and July 11th, 736 players are going to leave South Africa empty handed. Some may exceed expectations, but only 23 will leave with the ultimate prize, the World Cup Trophy.

However some players are making the trophiless trip home prematurely, with a spate of injuries hitting potential World Cup suitors. The list of players in serious doubt to even make an appearance at this summer's tournament (winter for the hosts) isn't a list of lesser known players who we feel sorry for, for missing this opportunity of opportunities. Rather it's dominated by big names. A captain, a premier striker, a flying winger, a midfield rock, and a superstar of last World Cup. These are just the highlights, or rather lowlights, of a growing injury list leading to the June 11th kick-off of the World Cup.

Rio Ferdinand (England), Didier Drogba (Cote d'Ivoire), Arjen Robben (Holland), Michael Essien (Ghana), Andrea Pirlo (Italy). These are players either totally ruled out, if not highly unlikely to turn out at all for the tournament. Furthermore injuries for Brazil's goalkeeper Julio Cesar and Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel, have them as doubts for the opening fixtures. Throw in a couple more defenders and a striker, and you have a high profile starting XI of injured players who could miss the World Cup.

It once again throws into question the amount of football that is played today. Take Bayern Munich, who won a close race to the Bundesliga title, leaving them little room to rest key players (Robben) late in the season. In addition they went the distance in the DFB Pokal (German knockout cup) and went to the Champions League final too. That's over 50 games this season. Ironically Robben avoided burnout from Bayern's extended season because he was in the stands injured for much of it, missing nearly half of Munich's games.

Some even question the need for some of these superstars to play significant time in friendlies and warm up games for the World Cup. Obviously getting accustomed to the climate in South Africa, as well as to playing with international teammates again is important, but teams like Cote d'Ivoire in particular will rue the loss of their injured stars.

One can't help but feel for the aforementioned players. It's one thing to not qualify for the tournament or to be "Thierry Henry'd" out of the tournament, but to fall at the last hurdle, being injured in training not a week from the tournament kick-off is well and truly gutting.

The various injuries certainly impact each team to different degrees.

Drogba is one of the best strikers in the World and while Cote d'Ivoire still have talent in Kolo Toure, Yaya Toure and Aruna Dindane to name a few, their World Cup hopes very much rested on the shoulders (and intact arm) of Drogba.
The same can be said for Ghana, who are now missing half of the midfield duo that gives the Black Stars their drive. Michael Essien is a quality player on both sides of the ball (...sorry, I need to pause, it pained me to say that), and one that a team short on quality, like Ghana, could ill-afford to lose.

Where these African teams see their chances of World Cup success fade away, other teams can still rely on their quality-ridden squads to pull them through.

Italy may miss one of their stars of the last World Cup. Andrea Pirlo was man of the match 3 times in the 2006 tournament, including the semi final and final. His magic in midfield contributed to crucial goals (of which Italy didn't score many at all), including Marco Materazzi's header in the final. However Italy's squad is once again stacked with experienced players, and Pirlo's loss, while important, will not be a deathblow to the Azzurri.

Robben is in top form at the moment and football fans worldwide will sadly miss his blistering pace and play down the wing. However his loss to a star-studded Dutch team is far less than some of the other names on that list. If anything coach Bert van Marwijk's job has been made a little easier. Prior to Robben's injury there was a lot of demand for "the fab four" (Robin van Persie, Rafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben) to all feature in the starting XI. This fearsome orange foursome would certainly terrorise their opponents, but the obvious risk was being caught short handed defensively. However with Robben out, van Persie, van der Vaart and Sneijder can all start, with the more than capable Dirk Kuyt taking a starting place on the field.

Rio Ferdinand's loss to England is somewhere inbetween the case of Robben and the case of Drogba / Essien, in significance to the team.
England's squad is up there with the best of them, and are probably top five favourites to win the Cup. However there may be one place where England cannot afford to lose a starter, and the central defense is it. Ferdinand has missed much of this year with Manchester United with back troubles, and has hardly lived up to his stalwart defense of the previous season. However with Ferdinand out now, England's formidable central partnership has more questions asked about it. Ferdinand gave the central pairing some height, and ability to defend set pieces. John Terry has shown himself to be a little more susceptible to aerial attacks recently. Not only that, but Ferdinand's back-up, Ledley King is as unable to retain his fitness as West Bromwich Albion are a spot in the Premier League. King would be an ideal replacement, a strong and powerful defender, but will most certainly only be able to play significant minutes in every other game. This is as a result of the same knee injuries that have prevented him from reaching his full potential.

England should be just fine without Ferdinand in the end, they have too strong a squad. Ferdinand doesn't quite compare to Beckham and Rooney in their primes, but he joins them on an ever growing list of England stars that fall prey to injury come tournament time.

Sadly the World Cup has lost some of its biggest stars before the tournament has even begun, and expect to see at least one or two more fall as the games progress. Although let's look at a positive from this unfortunate situation. Teams such as Portugal, North Korea (ok, this one is a stretch), Australia and Serbia see their chances of progressing from the group stage increase at the expense of Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana (although I still have both African sides progressing from their groups). Not only that, but a player who was cut from the initial 30 man squad of these teams, now has a chance to make an impact on football's biggest stage. Injuries to stars on some of the bigger teams may even make for a more interesting tournament, with more upsets.

All we can hope for now is a quiet, uneventful and injury-free next 5 days and 17 hours!

Memo To The Tennessee Titans: Pay Up!

2010-06-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

The Tennessee Titans and Chris Johnson find themselves in a bit of a pickle. Johnson wants more money and the Titans do not want to give it to him. When I first heard this story, I was heavily biased in favor of Johnson, considering all he did last season was lead the NFL with 2,509 yards from scrimmage on only 408 touches.

But there is simply more to it than that. Since the 2010 season is uncapped, and restructured deals cannot increase a base salary by more than 30 percent. The only way that the Titans could adequately compensate Johnson is through a signing bonus.

The contracts of Steven Jackson ($44.8 million, six years) and Maurice Jones-Drew ($30.95 million over five years) have set the market for running backs over the past few years. Johnson is better than both of them, and yet if the Titans wanted to sign him to a deal of that nature they would have to pay $30-40 million dollars up front, which is not possible. The deal that Johnson deserves, somewhere around three years, $27 million is simply too pricey for the Titans.

So what is the realistic alternative for both parties? I would argue that a two-year, $10 million is the right middle ground. It allows Johnson to make more than his backup Alvin Pearman ($630,000) and will also make him a free agent at 26. This deal is good for the Titans because it gets Johnson back for training camp and the start of the season, something that right now anyway appears to be unlikely. If the Titans decide that Johnson is worth further investment, I am sure that they will have the opportunity to negotiate the contract that Johnson wants to get right now.

The Imperfect Game

2010-06-04T11:52:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

For guys like Armando Galarraga, moments like what almost happened on Wednesday night never happen. Galarraga, an average pitcher at best, was one correct call away from a perfect game. But first base umpire Jim Joyce made a mistake and called Indians shortstop Jason Donald safe when replays clearly showed that Donald was out.

Not too long ago Armando Galarraga was pitching in the minor leagues. Although he had won 13 games last season, Galarraga is not a highly touted prospect of which much is expected by the Tigers organization. But at least for a moment on Wednesday night, Galarraga thought he was in the company of greats like Don Larsen and Roy Halladay.

The manner in which Major League Baseball handled the whole ordeal tells you everything you would ever want to know about the integrity of the game. Jim Joyce gave an emotional interview after the game where he remarked that he kicked the sh*t out of the call and wished that he could do something for Galarraga. After the game, Galarraga, when asked about the call said "nobody's perfect."

And then yesterday Jim Joyce was able to give the lineup card to Galarraga, who also was presented with a brand new Corvette by Chevy. It was an emotional moment for all parties involved.

For everyone lambasting Bud Selig because he did not reverse the original call on the field, there is more to it than just that call in that game. If Selig reverses that call, is he then obligated to re-award the 1985 World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals? Until a real system is divised that can work instant replay into the game, Selig cannot and should not go around and play revisionist historian.

Baseball is not an instant replay sport. More than almost any other game, baseball just is not conducive to replay. The effectiveness of instant replay in the NFL has convinced many that such technology needs to be employed in every sport in every game.

And I could not disagree more. Sure it would be nice if Galarraga could still get his perfect game after an instant replay challenge, but incidences like what happened Wednesday night in Detroit are the exception and not a general trend. Officiating in baseball is not so poor that I constantly wonder to myself how different the game would be if instant replay was used.

Baseball is a game about human error. In no other sport does error play such a central role in how it is observed. In baseball there is a statistical category that measures it. As baseball fans we have come to accept errors as part of the game. Blown calls like the one that Jim Joyce made Wednesday night happen regularly with regard to balls and strikes. The strike zone, so intrinsic to how baseball functions, varies from umpire to umpire. Sometimes they call a pitch a strike that is a ball, and vice versa. But I've never felt that it was necessary to have instant replay to correct these calls, I just accept them, bicker about them, and let the game move on.

Ladies and gentleman, baseball is an imperfect sport. Failing, erring, seven out of ten times is considered success. We accept the games imperfections because its flaws also give birth to its biggest strengths. The emotion that resulted from Joyce's blown call brought baseball people together in a totally different way. To install instant replay simply because we have the ability to do so would do too much to change the game we have all come to love. If these errors are too much for you to take, I suggest you take the summer off and watch the NFL when it returns in the fall.

Hate it or love it, baseball is the imperfect game.

An Open Letter To Ken Griffey Junior

2010-06-03T00:11:00.000-07:00

Dear Mr. Kenneth Griffey Junior,

Before I get into all of your illustrious contributions to the game and to my life as a fan of yours, I would just like to thank you for saving baseball in Seattle. Thank you for being our guy when so many others have left us. You were the one that got away, and then you were the one that came back.

Allow me to tell you a story or two.

Today is a very sad day for me and for many of my fellow Seattle Mariners fans. For most of my generation, we all grew up with you. Our lives developed along the same timeline as your career. You made your Major League debut in the same year in which I was born.

My father at that time worked in the Seattle Mariners organization as the Vice President of Ballpark Operations. He used to walk me through the clubhouse as an infant past the lockers of Alvin Davis and your father. Mr. Mariner (Alvin Davis) would always check in to see how I was doing and my father also developed a minor personal relationship with you when you were first called up all those years ago.

Alas, my family moved to Kansas City right at the time when your career began to take off in earnest. My earliest memories as a kid playing and watching baseball are all of you Junior. I remember playing baseball out in the cul de sac, pretending to be you at the plate with my hat backwards, waiting for a fastball to smack into the neighbor's yard as I trotted around our makeshift bases, imagining that I was you. I would even volutneer to play center field, because that's where you played Ken for so many years.

As I pretended to be you on those dry, hot Kansas summer afternoons, you became the best player of a generation. Whether it was hitting home runs in eight consecutive games or robbing player after player of home runs by extending that arm of yours over the teal coloured walls of the Kingdome, your star shone brightest of all.

And then when I moved away from Maryland in 2000, you moved too. You left my beloved Mariners in order to go home to Cincinnati. I left my friends in Maryland to go to the place I had called home for the longest time in my life, Kansas. As fans of yours, we all understood on some level why you wished to return home. We mourned your departure, but prospered in your absence, making it all the way to the American League Championship Series and falling short of our World Series dream to the New York Yankees. Boy we could have used your bat then Junior.

And then next season in 2001 we tied the Major League record for wins in a season while your career began to decline due to injuries. I moved back to Seattle that year and man Griffey, I wish you would have been there to greet me at Safeco Field with that big smile of yours. The reckless abandon with which you patrolled center field at the Kingdome started to catch up with you. And as your career waned, so did our beloved Mariners.

As you struggled with injuries, we Mariners fans struggled to watch year after year of broken promises and bad contracts. When you returned on June 22, 2007 to Safeco Field for the first time, I was there too. You may have missed me in that sellout crowd on a beautiful summer night in the Pacific Northwest. 47,116 fans stood and applauded you as you came out to speak to us. And you told us everything we wanted to hear. There was not a dry eye in the house.

When you hit two homeruns on June 24, your last day in town, I was there too. I remember reflecting to my father that having watched you play and duplicate past glories by not only showing off the sweetest swing ever witnessed on a baseball diamond, but also with a diving catch, that I had seen everything I could have ever wanted. Little did I know you would come back just to dazzle me one more time.

Junior, during the summer of 2008 I worked at Nationals Park selling team merchandise. I remember as the trade deadline neared hoping that you would remain a Cincinnati Red so that I would have the opportunity to watch you play at least one more time. I even got the day off from work. But then Ken Williams traded for you and you went off to Chicago. I thought to myself, maybe I just missed out on my last opportunity to watch my favorite player of all-time in person. But thankfully it was not.

I remember in the cold winter of 2008/2009 anxiously awaiting your decision on which team would be your last. Never did the thought cross my mind of you in an Atlanta Braves uniform Griffey. It's like imagining you in Yankee pinstripes, you always knew better. You always knew where your true home really was. When you announced that you were returning to Seattle to finish your career where it all started, I remember myself being on the verge of tears Griff. As soon as I had the money, I bought your jersey online. The day it came was such a beautiful day.

When I returned home from school, my first priority was to get out to 1st Avenue and Edgar Martinez Drive to watch you play the game you always played with such ease and enjoyment. I sat behind home plate with my high school friend and fellow baseball aficionado Connor Folse. As we watched the game unfold, I couldn't help but wonder when you would make your mark on it. Sure enough you did. You hit a game-tying two-run home run over the right centerfield wall.

Barely a week later Junior, on my 20th birthday, you hit another home run. I remember saying to my family that if you hit a home run it would be the best birthday present of all. And you did Griffey, you did.

And then that tub of lard Carlos Silva carried you around Safeco Field at the end of 2009 as we all watched you with a mix of horror and fascination take what appeared to be your final lap around the beautiful stadium you did so much to help build. I thought to myself, so ends the career of the greatest baseball player and one of the greatest men to every play the game I had come to love.

But that simply was not you. Like the 1995 Refuse To Lose Mariners, you simply refused to believe that your career had ended. You were rejuvenated by the trades for Cliff Lee and Milton Bradley and the free agent signing of Chone Figgins. You thought maybe this would be the year you could win that World Championship you always wanted to cap off a brilliant career. But then you took a nap in the clubhouse Junior. Why did you have to do that? It allowed lesser men to make a mockery of you.

And on May 20 of this year, you finally committed your last act of late-inning magic. And I remember, because I was there. Sitting out in the left field corner on a cold Seattle afternoon, you made me believe that there may have been some magic left in that old bat of yours. With two on in the bottom of the ninth, you served a base hit into right field that plated the winning run. The few that were there to witness it had no idea this would the last time they would witness that beautiful swing deliver something great for the city of Seattle.

Your greatness was always a given Junior. The spot you received on the All-Century Team was more than deserved. It was made for you the moment you stepped on that ghastly astroturf they had at the Kingdome. As you once predicted, there would come a day when we would look for your big smile in that dugout and you would just be gone. You will always be our favorite son Griffey. And you have been an inspiration to us all.

Sincerely Yours,

Charles Klein and the City of Seattle.

2010 FIFA World Cup: Group A Preview

2010-06-02T14:55:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

With the 2010 FIFA World Cup a mere eight days away, it is time to start previewing what we may expect to see in the best event in sports. Group A is an interesting group for more than a few reasons. The first - and most obvious - is that the host nation might, I repeat might have a chance to qualify for the knockout stages of this tournament.

The other members of this group are notorious chokers who usually fail to live up to expectations. Most will recall that in 2002 France failed to qualify out of their group, including an historic loss to Senegal. Mexico do not really have the players to mount a serious challenge in this tournament and Uruguay, while it has an impressive attacking duo of Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez, their defense begs more than a few questions.

Enter South Africa. The host nation usually plays better than expected in these types of tournaments the emotional energy that will surround this team through its first three matches of this tournament will be incredible. While they certainly lack the star power of a team like Spain or England, South Africa does have a few star players of its own. Steven Pienaar, Teko Modise and Bernard Parker are all good players in their own right. Kagisho Dikagcoi plies his trade at Craven Cottage for Fulham and will be the steel in midfield for South Africa.

If this tournament were played anywhere else, I would not have any reason at all to pick South Africa to advance, but given the location and what this competition means to the host nation, the pressure will either galvanise this team to heights heretofore unknown or crush them. Here's to hoping it's the former and not the latter.

Predicted XI's

France

GK: Hugo Lloris

DEF: William Gallas (CB), Eric Abidal (CB), Bacary Sagna (RB), Patrice Evra (LB) (C)

MF: Flourent Malouda (RW), Franck Ribery (LW) , Jeremy Toulalan (CDM) , Abou Diaby (CDM) Yoann Gourcuff (CAM)

ST: Andre-Pierre Gignac (CF)

South Africa

GK: Shu-Aib Walters

DEF: Matthew Booth (CB), Aaron Mokoena (CB), Siboniso Gaxa (RB), Tsepo Masilela (LB)

MF: Kagisho Digkacoi (CDM), Teko Modise (C) (CAM), Steven Pienaar (LW), MacBeth Sibaya (RW)

ST: Bernard Parker (RF), Katlego Mphela (LF)

Mexico

GK: Guillermo Ochoa

DEF: Rafael Marquez (CB), Oscar Osorio (CB), Carlos Salcido (LB), Efrain Juarez (RB)

MF: Israel Castro (CM), Gerardo Torrado (CM), Giovani (RW), Jose Andres Guardado (LW)

ST: Guillermo Franco (RF), Carlos Vela (LF)

Uruguay

GK: Juan Castillo

DEF: Diego Lugano (CB), Diego Godin (CB), Jorge Fucile (LB), Bruno Silva (RB)

MF: Cebolla (LDM), Walter Gargano (CDM), Sebastian Eguren (RDM), Ignacio Gonzalez (CAM)

ST: Diego Forlan (ST) Luis Suarez (ST)

Players to Watch: Diego Forlan (Uruguay), Luis Suarez (Uruguay), Franck Ribery (France), Yoann Gourcuff (France), Steven Pienaar (South Africa) and Bernard Parker (South Africa).

Predicted Group Standings

1. France
2. South Africa
3. Mexico
4. Uruguay

Justin Morneau: AL MVP?

2010-06-02T14:13:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

As I was watching my beloved, but struggling Seattle Mariners take on the Minnesota Twins last night, a thought occurred to me that I wanted to share with you. Justin Morneau is really, really good. And for $15 million a year, a downright bargain. The home run he hit last night was an absolute laser.

Everyone loves to gush about Albert Pujols ($14.59 million), Mark Teixeira ($20.62 million) and the Youka ($9.375 million), but aside from Pujols, who is just other worldly, Morneau, for my money, is the second best first baseman in the Major Leagues. Morneau is on pace to hit 38 homeruns and drive in 117 runs at a .373 average. While I expect his average to drop a bit, Morneau hitting at that high a clip does not surprise me in the least.

Morneau is also a tremendous fielding first baseman. I know that you Yankees fans are probably fuming about how Teixeira is much better than Morneau, when for me anyway, the only reason anyone would think that is if they believed hype over reality.

Their career numbers are not THAT different and considering Teixeira has one extra year on Morneau they can mostly be thrown out. The main difference here is one plays in New York City and the other plays in Minneapolis.

Morneau is even overshadowed on his own team by Joe Mauer. And yet I would argue that Morneau is the better all-around player. Mauer's value is higher just because of the position he plays. Either way, the Minnesota Twins are very lucky to have both of them locked up long term.

2010 NBA Finals Preview

2010-05-31T12:45:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

So it is Boston and Los Angeles playing each other for the twelth time in NBA history and for once, anyway, we didn't really see this coming. The Celtics were too old and battered and could not seem to hold a lead during the regular season. Kevin Garnett was a shadow of the player he used to be and Rasheed Wallace had failed miserably as a free agent signing.

We all expected the Lakers to get to the finals. They were clearly the best team in the Western Conference for most of the season. And Kobe Bryant appeared to be in Jordan-esque form all season, hitting buzzer beater after buzzer beater, including one against Boston earlier in the year. The Lakers added Ron Artest and re-signed the Candyman Lamar Odom last offseason, putting together the most balanced team in the NBA. Couple that with the talenst of one Phil Jackson and presto! You have a winner.

As it turns out, the playoff Celtics are much better than the regular season Celtics. Point guard Rajon Rondo has taken the final step towards super stardom with his play in the playoffs. breaking ankles left and right. Kendrick Perkins has shown everyone that he has some serious skills on the defensive end, even if he lacks the height of players like Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum.

And the Boston Three-Party have all reawakened from the dead to push this Celtics team just four wins away from another NBA Championship. Paul Pierce was other-worldly in Game 6 versus the Magic and Ray Allen stepped up big at a crucial part of the game to hit a few big threes to end any Magic momentum. Kevin Garnett was even sinking his classic 15-19 footers, extending the defense and providing great spacing for Rondo to drive to the basket.

I am picking the Celtics to win this series based on a few key matchups. The most obvious one is Rajon Rondo versus Derek Fisher. Now while most Lakers fans and pundits stick by the aging Fisher, it has been proven during these playoffs that when matched up with a younger and speedier point guard Fisher has a very hard time dealing. As Russell Westbrook showed in the opening round, a young dynamic point guard can be the key that unlocks the Lakers defense.

The next one is in the front court. I am not convinced at all that Pau Gasol has managed to toughen up during the two seasons in between the last time these two teams met in the Finals. Gasol has yet to be matched up with a center with the physicality of Perkins during the playoffs and I do not think he will be ready to handle Perkins down low. Glen 'Uno-Uno' Davis has improved tremendously since 2008 and can provide adequate cover on Lamar Odom as well as Ron Artest. It will be intriguing to see how the two notorious bigs (Rasheed Wallace and Ron Artest) battle it out to see who can get further under the other's skin.

And finally, the Celtics bench is just better. As Nate Robinson proved the other night, he is capable of coming off the bench and winning a game. The Lakers just do not have that type of gamebreaker on their bench. Robinson could prove to be a major player in these finals, especially if he is matched up against Jordan Farmar. While Odom might be one of the best sixth men in the business, the Lakers depth does not extend far from him. Robinson, Wallace, Davis and even Daniels are better than Vujacic, Walton, Farmar, Powell and Brown.

While Kobe Bryant's play during the playoffs has been nothing short of spectacular, I do not think that him by himself will be enough to win the series. The Celtics have proven to be kryptonite for more than a few teams, and the way they are currently constructed lends one to believe that they will be more than a match for the Lake Show. The Celtics have proven during the playoffs that they are more than capable of winning on the road. None of the teams the Lakers have faced up until this point have showed that they are able to duplicate their home form at Staples Center.

Celtics in seven. I know it is unpopular, but I expect the Celtics to be celebrating another NBA Championship, right in the heart of Los Angeles.

Five Reasons To Be Excited About Team USA

2010-05-29T14:22:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

The 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa is only twelve days away, which means it is just about time for America to pretend it cares about soccer for a month. And yet this year the build-up to the World Cup feels a bit different here in the states. I think that finally there is a good bit of deserved optimism around the national team and the evolution of soccer in the United States since 2006 has definitely piqued the interest of even the casual sports fan.

With that, the 4-1-1 On Sports gives you five (count 'em) reasons to be excited about the U.S. Men's National Team.

1. The United States finally has an easy group. In pretty much every World Cup in which Sam's Army has played they have been placed in a group of death. In 2006 the U.S. played in a group with Italy (the eventual winners), the Czech Republic and Ghana. All three teams are in the top 30 FIFA rankings. In 2002 the USMNT was in a group with tournament hosts South Korea, Portugal and Poland. At that time they were the beneficiaries of an under performing world power and reached the knockout stages.

This year the boys in red, white and blue lucked out by being placed in a group with Algeria and Slovenia. Obviously England is the favorite to win Group C, but the Americans ought to be favored against both of the other members of their group. Neither Algeria nor Slovenia have many players who play in the top leagues and I doubt either will carry on their run of play into the competition. While both knocked out major powers from their respective continents (Egypt and Russia, respectively), Team USA ought to have enough firepower to deal with both of them.

2. Team USA have Clint Dempsey. For whatever reason this season at Fulham, Dempsey seemed to score almost every crucial goal for the Cottagers. Goals like the one he scored against Juventus (see below) can make anyone forget about the failed promise of Freddy Adu. Whether he is stationed on the left side of midfield or up front, Dempsey is the goal threat the USA need to produce in order to advance in this tournament.

3. The Maturation of Jozy Altidore. Say whatever you like about his play at Hull City last season, but this boy scores goals galore for the national team. Perhaps the American version of Lukas Podolski, Altidore seems to always shine in the colours of Team USA. Altidore's play at the Confederations Cup (particularly against Spain) showed that he has all the necessary tools to be a successful center forward. Altidore will likely play in tandem with either Edson Buddle, Herculez Gomez or Landon Donovan up top for the USA and expect him to put a few in the ol' onion bag before this competition is over.

4. Tim Howard. Quite simply, the one thing that the United States seems to continue to supply to our brothers across the pond is quality goalkeepers. All three of Team USA's goalkeepers ply their trade in England (Marcus Hahneman at Wolverhampton, Brad Guzan at Aston Villa and Tim Howard at Everton) and each have become better for it. And perhaps no one has improved more for Team USA than Howard since he departed MLS for Manchester United back in 2003. While Howard was not able to stick at United, he has shined at Everton. And if Team USA expect to go far in this tournament, they will need Tim Howard at his best, which I fully expect him to be.

5. THEY BEAT SPAIN! As much as Team USA's detractors like to write off the side's success in South Africa last summer, the way this team came together after a disappointing start cannot be ignored. Michael Wilbon (a.k.a. the dumbest analyst currently employed by ESPN not named Joe Morgan) said that Team USA mostly succeeded because it was facing every other nation's JV team, when that was simply not the case. Spain had all of their best players on their Confederation's Cup roster (names like Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, David Villa, Fernando Torres, Iker Casillas and Cesc Fabregas all come to mind) and were unable to deny a determined Team USA. The United States was up 3-0 against Brazil in the final, only for Brazil's best center forward since Ronaldo's pomp (a.k.a Luis Fabiano) did them in.

Brothers, countrymen, lend me your ears. Our team actually has a shot to do well at this year's World Cup. Certainly Team USA lacks the star power of sides like England, Brazil, Argentina, Spain etc. but what it lacks in individual parts is made up by the team concept instilled by manager Bob Bradley. While they are not the favorites to win it all, it is definitely reasonable to believe that this team can make it to the knockout rounds of the World Cup. Most importantly, this team has demonstrated that when it plays together it can beat anyone in the world.

Douglas Fister: The Untold Story

2010-05-25T23:36:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

Much of the talk around baseball has been about the rise of Ubaldo Jimenez and the continued dominance of Tim Lincecum. And the only young pitcher on anyone's mind these days is David Price. But one pitcher continues to evade the limelight. His name is Doug Fister.

Sure, he probably is not the most sought after pitcher in your fantasy baseball league. And he certainly does not dazzle you with his strikeout numbers or his stuff. His last name even probably throws you off a little. But it suits him just fine.

Believe it or not, on May 25 Fister is third in Major League Baseball in ERA. His 2.03 earned run average is the best in the American League. And it is not due to a low number of innings-pitched. Fister is 24th in the Majors in IP, having tossed 62 innings thus far.

Doug Fister has proven this year that it is more than just whether or not a pitcher strikes out a ton of batters that determines his effectiveness. His game has been more about pounding the strike zone and forcing hitters to put the ball in play. Fister has only allowed ten walks in 62 innings-pitched and ranks second in major league baseball behind Ubaldo Jimenez in WHIP (walks hits per innings-pitched).

And if Fister pitched for a team with a better offense he could be leading the league in wins. Unfortunately for him, the Mariners have been more than aenemic offensively. He has only won three games on the year, but all of his other statistics present a strong argument in his favor that he has been one of the best pitchers in the league so far this season.

While I do not think that Fister is a legitimate Cy Young candidate at this point, he might just become one by the end of the year. What he lacks in style he certainly makes up for in substance. And the Mariners have assuredly enjoyed that.

So while everyone else focuses on David Price and Jaime Garcia, we Pacific Northwesterners will enjoy watching Doug Fister continue this amazing run of form.

Erik who?

Super Bowl 48 In New Jersey: It Makes Too Much Cents

2010-05-25T23:11:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

The National Football League announced that Super Bowl 48 will be held at Meadowlands, becoming the first cold weather outdoor stadium to host the biggest event in American sports. Meadowlands Stadium defeated Tampa, Florida on a simple majority after four rounds of voting at the NFL Owner's Meeting in Irving, Texas.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell called the vote "a historic event for the league."

Organizers of the 2014 bid expect the Super Bowl to generate $550 million for the local economy. While neither the Giants nor the Jets will directly benefit from hosting the event at their grand-spanking new $1.6 billion spaceship, they will be given 109 of the 219 suites to distribute to season ticket holders.

Hosting the Super Bowl will also make selling the naming rights to the stadium much easier. Analysts expect the naming rights to go for around $500 million.

Meadowlands Stadium holds 82,500 seats at capacity and the Giants and Jets will split 6.2% of the ticket allotment given by the league. Typically host cities receive 5% and in the case of Super Bowl 48, Giants and Jets fans will each receive 3.1% of the tickets, which is about 2,557.5 tickets per team.

The organizers also noted that they intend upon integrating the Super Bowl with other yearly events hosted in New York City, such as the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and Fashion Week.

Perhaps the New York/New Jersey bid was made easier by the presence Tampa native Dick Vitale, who in his city's video presentation implored voters to "Vote for Tampa, bay-bee!"

Of course all of this will just add to the city's flawed perception of being the birthplace of all things wonderful in America. The self-styled exceptionalism professed by New Yorkers will only become more nauseating as 2014 grows ever closer. And naturally, we will all have to listen to them claim that both of their teams will play in that game. I don't think either will, but that's for another post at another time.

The game being held in an "inclement" climate will open the door for the game to be held in other stadiums that are as deserving as Meadowlands Stadium to what is certainly the highest grossing event in American sports. Cities like Seattle, Boston, Kansas City, Washington, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh will now all be able to have a shot at repeating a similar feat to the one accomplised by the organizers from New York.

After electing a crackpot governor and losing out on the John Wall sweepstakes, the state of New Jersey really needed a pick-me-up. And this Super Bowl will go down like a gin & tonic.

I wanna be a part of it, New York, New Jersey...

The Washington Wizards Hit The NBA Jackpot

2010-05-23T10:58:00.000-07:00

Jossif Ezekilov

The Wizards got the No.1 pick…now what?

Tuesday night proved to be a historical one for the Washington Wizards, as they took the No.1 pick in this year’s draft with the fifth best lottery chance at 10.3%. The consensus even before the draft lottery was that Kentucky’s John Wall is a lock for the top pick in the draft. However, there is one problem with the Wizards drafting arguably the most hyped prospect since Lebron James. The problem stands at 6 foot 3 inches tall, and just recently was released out of a halfway house following a gun possession conviction.
Yes the problem is Gilbert Arenas. You know, the guy who has had three knee surgeries in two and a half years. The guy whose gun toting antics became the tip of the horrendous iceberg that was the 2009-2010 season for the Wizards, a season that was initially touted as the one which the Wizards, and Arenas, would come back to the NBA forefront. The guy who is still owed a whopping $80 million dollars. And, worst of all for the Wizards, Arenas is the guy who is currently slotted at the same position as John Wall.

The Wizards are clearly in rebuilding mode. They traded away three of their best players (Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood) for young prospects and cap space, and are also looking to be at least secondary players (they have the cap space for at least one major contract) in what will be the biggest free agency in NBA history. The No.1 pick is the best tool a rebuilding team can have in its arsenal, and Wall looks to be the type of player a team drafts to be the new face of their franchise, much like Derrick Rose for the Bulls, Tyreke Evans for the Kings, or Brandon Jennings for the Bucks, but with the potential to be greater than all of them. Unfortunately, the guy who the Wizards formerly designated to be their franchise star is perched at the starting PG spot, the spot Wall is also vying for.

There are several scenarios that could play out here. The Wizards could just look in another direction, going with either Ohio State’s Evan Turner or Wall’s teammate Demarcus Cousins. The New Jersey Nets mentioned that they would also scout these and other players if they were to get the first pick. Turner or Cousins would fit well in the Wizards rotation, but they are not what anybody in Washington really wants right now. The Wizards want someone to fill the seats of the Verizon Center back up, someone to draw national attention, and the attention of another big time player they could sign. Furthermore, Wizards fans want the best player right now, someone who will provide immediate results. The 2001 drafting of Kwame Brown, arguably the worst pick in NBA history, is still a fresh memory in DC. Given this, the Wizards front office basically has their necks on the line with this pick. If they draft someone else, and they don’t pan out (especially if Wall shines on another team), heads will roll, and the attendance at Wizards games could drop to New Jersey Nets-like levels. Nothing against any other player in the draft, and there are some great prospects out there, but John Wall is clearly the safest pick for the Wizards right now.

Another scenario would be to start both Wall and Arenas in the backcourt. This seems like the win-win type of situation. Arenas is a shoot first guard and his game has always been closer to a shooting guard than a point guard’s. Wall could still be the point guard, run the offense, and have the same effect for the franchise discussed above. However, Arenas is again the problem here. He has not only always been a shoot first, but a “me first” type of player. From the outset of his stint in Washington, he has always been self-centered and egotistical. The Wizards organization compounded this by giving him the green light to be the franchise star and, despite rebukes from former coaches and teammates, Gilbert Arenas was allowed to do whatever Gilbert Arenas wanted to do. Will this attitude somehow magically change once the Wizards draft Wall and he has to share the spotlight in Washington? Is Arenas himself a changed man after spending a month in a halfway house? Somehow, I think not. Arenas still counts on being the go-to man for the Wizards. He has always thrived in that role, his narcissism always the driving force behind “Agent Zero”. He has never played second fiddle, and probably doesn’t understand the concept.

A switch to the two guard spot also means a total reworking of his game: playing more without the ball, shooting more effectively, being a bigger presence on defense etc. This has never been something that Arenas has cared to do. Sure, one can point to Steven Jackson and how he remade his game to better compliment his teammates in Charlotte once he was traded there. But that doesn’t apply to the case of Arenas. Arenas would be staying in his own comfort zone in DC, with little incentive to improve, other than through his own volition. Certainly, a soft-spoken coach like Flip Saunders will not be able to prod Arenas into cooperation, unlike Larry Brown, whose hard-ass tactics got Jackson to accept Charlotte’s program.
However, even if Gilbert Arenas did all of it, let go of egoism, accepted the changes, remade his game, allowed John Wall to the shining face of the franchise, while he played the role of supporting veteran, his effectiveness is still called into question because of the multiple knee surgeries. Even when Arenas played last season, he was clearly not up to the level that he was a few years ago. His shooting percentages were down, he missed layups, he was slow to get back on defense etc. It looked as if the surgeries had taken their toll on Arenas, and that is something the Wizards have to start thinking about.

The best solution for the Wizards and for Arenas is to trade him. A change of scene would be best for both parties involved. The Wizards would be free to make Wall their franchise player with no reservations, while Arenas could go to a team contending for the playoffs and make them better. The problem here is in Arenas’ massive $80 million dollar contract. Not many teams that have the cap space for that type of contract want to spend it on a player who has had off court troubles and multiple surgeries, particularly when there are so many big names on the free agent market. However, if Ernie Grunfeld is really the great GM he thinks he is, he would do everything in his power to make it happen, despite his initial statements Arenas will be a Wizard next year. Arenas, on his part, should welcome such a trade because, despite everything that has happened, Arenas loves the game and he wants to win. He has the potential to be for another team what Steven Jackson was for the Bobcats last season, the player that takes a team from mediocre to pretty good, or even better. If Arenas is the changed man that he says he is, this is what he would want.

The No.1 pick is a great turn of events for the beleaguered Wizards franchise. It gives them the chance to turn things around, and to select a new franchise player. But first, they need to figure out what to do with their old franchise player.

And they need to do it soon; June 24^th is not a long ways away.

The Beantown Beatdown

2010-05-23T10:52:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

The Boston Celtics continue to write their own version of the Superman comic book series, one in which they, as Lex Luther, emerge victorious over an uninspiring and nonplussed red caped crusader. The Beantown Beatdown, as it has been referred to in the press this morning, showed that it matters not the number of a team's seed, but it's strength of will and character that sets it apart from the rest.

Doc Rivers' Celtics were utterly and absolutely dominant in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals out-hustling and out-scoring the Orlando Magic 94-71. Glen 'Big Baby/Uno Uno' Davis led all Celtics with 17 points and six rebounds as the Big Three of Garnett, Pierce and Allen did not have to do a whole lot to carry the C's to a 3-0 series lead.

And when Rajon Rondo is making plays like this, the Celtics are incredibly hard to stop.

And this Ray Allen dunk encapsulates this game perfectly.

The Orland Magic simply handed the win to the Boston Celtics on a silver platter. Magic coach Stan Van Gundy must have felt like the wolf in the story of the three little pigs, huffing and puffing trying to blow down a brick house as his team tuned him out and showed absolutely no desire to win.

Jalen Rose decided to refer to Dwight Howard as Clark Kent for the rest of this series. And for the first time, I find myself in agreement with the man from Michigan. Howard has done absolutely nothing in this series to deserve his nickname (aside from his 30 point performance in Game 2). He is Superman in the dunk contests but has been Clark Kent when it matters. And I highly doubt that he will do anything to change that in Game 4.

The Celtics deserve all the credit for the way they have played against the top two teams in the Eastern Conference. Rajon (Ray-jon or Rah-jon) Rondo has been absolutely dynamite at the point the past few months, showing everyone that while he may still lack an outside jumper he can get through any defense.

Rasheed Wallace has proven that he is not the total waste of life that Bill Simmons wrote about on April 7th.

He has gotten under the skin of the Orlando Magic players and has managed to shoot well from beyond the arc, hitting two of three in last night's victory. Kendrick Perkins has played so well defensively that he looks more like the defensive player of the year than the guy he's been tasked with guarding.

Daily Fail: Americans Covering European Football

2010-05-23T09:57:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

As I am sure you are now well aware of, the UEFA Champions League Final was held yesterday, with Inter Milan defeating Bayern Munich 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu in Spain. And you can read all about it here. What I found frustrating yesterday whilst watching the match was not necessarily the pace at which the game was played, but more of how it was covered.

While as an American fan of European football it was brilliant to be able to watch the match on network television in the United States (for the first time in the U.S.) and not on my computer, it was absolutely miserable to watch Curt Menefee attempt to host a pre-game, half-time and post-game show.

Like the guy involved in a conversation in which he understands very little of what is being discussed, he always sought to bring the discussion back to something he understood in a very Uncle Vernon type way. Meanwhile Bruce Arena and Eric Wynalda offered very little in the way of "expert" commentary for those who were not watching the Champions League for the first time.

Back to Menefee for a quick second. When one is determining the ideal qualities of a host, pronouncing the names of the players correctly ranks as one of the essential things he must do well. It is not like Menefee was tasked with hosting a match between two teams with names which were difficult to pronounce. More to the point, if they are difficult, he ought to have prepared better and learned how to say names like Eto'o and Demichelis. And in the opening segment of FOX's coverage he continually raised his hand and gesticulated with his thumb exactly where one might find two teams playing soccer. Perhaps Mr. Menefee ought to take up the profession of guest services.

One of the more irritating things about watching an American crew covering a match is their assumption that everyone watching has never seen or heard of soccer. Menfee & Co. continually referred to the final as the "Super Bowl of Soccer" when in actuality, it is not. There is no Super Bowl in Europe. While the site may change every year like it does for the Super Bowl, that is where the similarities begin and end.

And they kept calling it "the beautiful game" as if by mere repetition they might have been able to convince those non-believers that soccer really is a great spectator sport.

I do not think all Americans are simpletons when it comes to an understanding of soccer. There is a large contingent within the United States who understands most of the in's and out's of the game and knows who most of the great players are. Until FOX/ESPN learns that they ought to cater more to the knowledgeable fan than the clueless one, they will never get it right.

All of this rambling about how poor the coverage of the game was without even talking about a certain Andy Gray. I will leave him and Mr. Tyler for another post.

Inter Milan Are European Champions

2010-05-22T18:04:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

In a game that could not be described as anything other than a perfect lullaby for all neutral fans, Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan defeated Bayern Munich 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu last night. I felt well ready for a solid nap when it was all over.

A double for Diego Milito insured a treble for Inter Milan. Both of Milito's goals provided a stern examination of Bayern's soft core of Daniel Van Buyten and Martin Demichelis. Neither Bayern centerback was capable of winning the ball off of Inter's attacking quadruple of Wesley Sneijder, Samuel Eto'o, Goran Pandev and Milito.

Milito's first goal was straight out of the training ground. Inter keeper Julio Cesar hoofed a goal kick about 75 yards up the gleaming Santiago Bernabeu pitch, which was taken down perfectly by Milito, who played his header straight into the feet of Sneijder. The Dutchmen placed an inch-perfect through ball for Milito, who displayed both patience and class by feinting and then firing past a helpless Hans-Jorg Butt to send Inter into the ascendency.

And his second goal was rather reminiscent of the first. Milito again, plowing a lone furrow up front for Inter, expertly fielded a clearance out of Inter's defensive third and delicately held up play and allowed his teammates to get forward to assist in the counter-attack. Milito then received the ball on the edge of Bayern's 18 yard box, delightfully wrong-footing Van Buyten and shooting yet another delicious finish past Butt and sealing the win for Inter.

Inter's defense maintained a vice-like grip on the proceedings, as Bayern found it impossible to play a cutting pass or fire a long distance shot against Cesar. With the exception of Arjen Robben, the Bayern attack lacked any real spark or threat on goal. Thomas Muller had a chance to even the score within the first minute of the second half, finding Cesar's legs instead of the back of the Inter net. From then on, minus one creative attempt made by Robben to bend one past Cesar, Bayern were absolutely toothless in front of goal.

Credit Jose Mourinho for having his side prepared for the Bayern onslaught, which had felled defensive sides the likes of Manchester United, Juventus, Olympique Lyonnais and Fiorentina on their way to the final. Franck Ribery was a big miss for Louis Van Gaal's side as Hamit Altintop looked thoroughly out of place on the left side of midfield.

Ribery, out due to a red card in the previous stage of the competition, could only watch and wonder what difference he could have made versus a side who looked thoroughly determined to prevent Bayern from doing absolutely anything inside their 18-yard box.

Every time either Robben or Phillip Lahm attempted to penetrate on the left-hand side they found their way blocked by Christian Chivu, Esteban Cambiasso and Lucio. On the rare occasions that either of them got free, both scuffed their crosses or found no one in the box, as I think everyone in the red and white stripes of Bayern were rooted to the spot with shock that a ball could even enter the Inter box.

Inter Milan were deserved Champions on a beautiful Spanish evening in Madrid. While their display may have lacked the constant flair of Barcelona or the buccaneering spirit of Manchester United, their defensive play and fantastic counter-attacks were more than enough to give them that for which they came.

And now it appears that Inter manager Jose Mourinho will be leaving the club to take over at Real Madrid. While Mourinho has yet to sign a contract at the Bernabeu, it is common knowledge that Madrid supremo Florentino Perez is keen on installing the 'Special One' as the manager to take down Barcelona in La Liga and reestablish Real's former dominance of Europe.

Whatever happens in the future, the blue and black section of Milan have every right to celebrate the end to a fantastic season in which they won every competition in which they competed. Champions of Italy, winners of the Copa Italia and now the Kings of Europe. What a season.

Daily Fail: Diego Maradona Goes Randy Moss On A Cameraman

2010-05-21T11:48:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

When I read this, I had to read it again to make sure Goal.com was not pulling my leg. Having been duped by that site before, I was awfully suspicious of the following headline: "Diego Maradona Runs Over Cameraman And Then Curses The Man For Being In His Way." I mean really, just too ridiculous to be true? But then I watched this:

If anyone wanted to believe that God was a spiteful and angry man intent upon punishing those who got in His way, your God would be Diego Maradona. I just wonder if by mid-July Lio Messi will curse Maradona for getting in his way (yet again) of winning a World Cup. But that's a post for another time.

What's painfully (no pun intended) clear here is that Argentina has plenty to worry about ahead of the World Cup. Should Maradona commit more acts of recklessness, it will be his team and his country that will suffer. Say what you want about Dunga, but he has at least won Brazil a major trophy and has managed not to run over cameramen.

Ubaldo Jimenez Is A Legitmate Ace

2010-05-21T11:31:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

Today is "Respect Day" here on the blog. As you will notice in later posts, today is the day I have set aside to write a few articles about players or teams that I have simply not given the credit they deserve. Ubaldo Jimenez is one such player.

When he tossed the first no-hitter of the year, I discounted the accomplishment by noting that he gave up four or five walks and that pretty much anyone can throw a no-hitter these days. Which is, to some extent, true. But as Jay-Z rapped, men lie, women lie, numbers don't.

Jimenez is 8-1 this season, the Major's first eight game winner, with an ERA of 0.99 in 63.1 innings-pitched. Opponents are hitting at a .171 clip off the Rockies 26 year-old right hander. Pretty fantastic if you asked me. Especially considering that his home stadium is Coors Field.

So Rockies fans, I would like to apologize for writing off your boy. Ubaldo Jimenez, if the balloting took place today, would win the NL Cy Young Award in a landslide.

2010 NBA Playoffs: Boston Celtics = Kryptonite

2010-05-17T13:08:00.000-07:00

Charles Klein

After celebrating The Fall of LeBron James with the populaces of Boston, Chicago and New York I watched the Boston Celtics take apart another young superstar: Dwight Howard. The game was not close until the Celtics almost blew it in the fourth quarter, but the final score of 92-88 should not lead one into believing that these two teams were on the same court Sunday afternoon.

My two favorite Boston Celtics, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, scored over 20 points and in conjunction with Kevin Garnett proved that Boston's 'Big Three' were better than Orlando's. Pierce and Allen combined for 47 of Boston's 92 points and were 4-7 from beyond the arc.

What's more, Kendrick Perkins, Rasheed Wallace and Glen 'Big Baby/Uno-Uno' Davis managed to frustrate the living crap out of Dwight Howard, forcing him into foul trouble and seven turnovers. 'Superman' combined poor discipline with a poor night by his standards, scoring 13 points and grabbing 12 boards. If he wants to be thought of as one of the best players in the league, Howard needs to stop being an immature seven foot tall baby and just play the physical game we all know he can.

When Vince Carter, the man Howard has referred to as 'Half man, half retired' easily outscores the Magic center, the team has problems. Carter scored 23, Jameer Nelson had 20, but Rashard Lewis only scored six points and generally appeared lost on the floor.

While the Magic were lauded for their depth during the season, their bench play was not enough to overtake the 'old, past their prime' Celtics. Rajon Rondo, MVP of the first two rounds of the playoffs for the Celtics, had an off game and yet the Magic could not take advantage.

As much as Bill Simmons slagged off Rasheed Wallace during the season, 'Sheed has been really cutting the check lately in Boston. The former Jail Blazer and Piston scored 13 points yesterday and was 2-5 from three. And it is his in-your-face demeanor that has usually dogged Wallace throughout his NBA career that has proven to be a major weapon in the Celtics arsenal against Howard.

The Celtics do not really have a player to match up with Howard. And I thought that would be a major advantage for the Magic in this series (as most people thought before Game 1). But until Dwight Howard 'gets it' the Celtics will be more than happy to advance to another NBA Finals.

At least yesterday, as Lazlo Bane sings, Dwight Howard aka 'foul on me' aka 'Superman', was nothing resembling that red caped crusader.

Caps Splash The Cash On Niklas Backstrom

2010-05-17T12:47:00.000-07:00

Charlie Klein

The Washington Capitals announced today that they have signed star center Niklas Backstrom to a ten-year, $67 million dollar contract extension. Backstrom, 22, will remain with the team as they attempt to build for another Stanely Cup push in the 2010/2011 season.

According to the Washington Post's Tarik El-Bashir Backstrom's money per season increases over time, from six million in the first four seasons to eight million in the final year of the contract, at which point Backstrom will be 32.

Backstrom's contract extension is part of the larger committment by the franchise to keep their young talent at Verizon Center. Alexander Ovechkin, the left wing on Backstrom's line, still has 11 years remaining on his 13-year, $124 million deal.

It is a dramatic pay rise for Backstrom, but it is a deserved one. The Swedish playmaker notched 101 points playing with Ovechkin and Mike Knuble, who compared Backstrom to Peter Forsberg during the season. Knuble had a fantastic season playing with Backstrom and Ovechkin, scoring 29 goals in his first season with the Capitals.

How this contract impacts the Capitals' attempt to re-sign Alexander Semin remains to be seen. Given that the NHL is a salary cap league, it will be difficult for the Capitals to justify having three players paid around seven million dollars a season for the next five seasons at least.

Ultimately I expect the Caps to hang onto Semin through the last year of his deal and hope that they can entice him to stay for less money. I don't think Semin will be able to resist an opportunity to shine independent of the other Russian (Ovechkin) on his own with a bigger pay check. Unless the Capitals get a ridiculous trade offer from a desperate team, Semin will finish 2010/2011 as a Cap.

Whatever happens with the Semin situation, the Capitals have set themselves up to have one of the best lines in the NHL for the next ten years by locking up Niklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin.

Boston Three-party? Better make room for one more.

2010-05-13T15:53:00.000-07:00

Charlie Klein

Who has been the best player in the NBA Playoffs this season? I'll give you a hint, it rhymes with LeBron. It is none other than Rajon Rondo. The 'forgotten man' of Boston's Three-party of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, Rondo has made his presence felt to both the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Plays like this one in Game 4 are the reason why the 2010 NBA Playoffs have become Rajon Rondo's coming out party.

While I am aware that Rondo is not everyone's favorite point guard in the NBA (Deron Williams), he is fast becoming the best. It is truly rare to see a point guard put up the overall numbers that Rondo has averaged in the playoffs thus far. He has averaged 17.7 points per game, 6.6 rebounds per game and 11 assists, demanding the attention of everyone around the league.

Kendrick Perkins, another standout player for the Celtics in the playoffs, had this to say of his teammate:

"I think right now, he’s the best player on our team,” Perkins said. “Without Rondo, nothing goes. Pretty much we’ve got to play him the whole game because he just runs the whole team. Without him, we’d be dead."

If Boston Police find the slain carcass of the Cavaliers 2009/2010 season somewhere outside TD Banknorth Garden, they will only have one suspect. And his name? Rajon Rondo.

Remember Kids, It's All About LeBron...

2010-05-13T15:35:00.000-07:00

Charlie Klein

Perhaps one of the more nauseating aspects of my day (aside from watching Brandon League give up a grand slam to Luke Scott in the 8th inning of the Mariners game today) was watching the amount of coverage LeBron James was getting on his own. Now I am aware that he is the best player in basketball and his team is in the playoffs (yadda yadda yadda), but come on already, enough is enough!

One of my favourite aspects of the coverage is the angle taken by some which pities the plight Cleveland currently finds itself in: their hometown superstar is on the verge of leaving for brighter lights and bigger checks. This storyline is constantly played up in the media, as it is a very familiar story not unique to LeBron and Cleveland. Most people bemoan the fact that small market teams have to give up their best players within three or four years of having them. And yet Cleveland has had LeBron for seven seasons now. That's a pretty long time for a relationship to exist with a player of LeBron's caliber and a city like Cleveland.

So I do not exactly feel sorry for the city of Cleveland. You've had your chance with LeBron for seven seasons now and have not been able to get the job done. It's like a guy who is a 5 dating a girl who is a 10. If he has not managed to seal the deal in seven years, it is time for the 10 to move on to someone more on her level. And it is the same with Cleveland and LeBron.

The fact that people in Cleveland are giving a strong amount of credence to the idea that LeBron has quit on his teammates to make his departure easier shows the defeatist mentality of the city itself. Over the course of their seven year relationship, Cleveland and the Cavaliers organization has given LeBron very little with which to work. Mo Williams, Antwoine Jamison, Zyndrunas Ilgauskas, Delonte West, the list goes on. The only reason anyone knows who most of these guys are is because they happen to play with LeBron.

It's just like HBO's series Entourage, "Lebrontourage" as one Cleveland sports site refers to it. You have Eric Murphy, Vince's hard-working friend-turned-manager whose main source of success and fame is Vince (Cavaliers coach Mike Brown), Vince's childhood buddy Turtle (Mo Williams) and Johnny Drama, the past-his-prime actor (Shaquille O'Neal). And for everyone outside of Cleveland, watching the Cavaliers fail once again in the playoffs is almost just as funny as Entourage.

Cleveland fans, it won't be long before photoshop isn't the only thing that produces images like this...

If Cleveland fans want to keep LeBron in their city, perhaps they ought to take the Say Anything approach.

And their season is not even over (yet). Imagine how much fun this summer is going to be!

Change Kansas City Can Believe In?

2010-05-13T15:12:00.000-07:00

Charlie Klein

The Kansas City Royals fired manager Trey Hillman today following the team's dismal start to the 2010 season. Hillman was 152-207 as the Royals manager in two plus seasons in charge of the ball club. The Royals have hired former Milwaukee Brewers manager Ned Yost to replace Hillman.

The Royals are not exactly off to a roaring start. The team is 12-23 and last in the AL Central. What's more, their 2009 Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke is 1-4 in seven starts this season with a 2.73 ERA. And Greinke's one win came today versus their fellow bottom feeders the Cleveland Indians.

Personally, I think that Hillman ought to feel a little hard-done-by. Considering the fact that the Royals have not experienced any sort of success in the franchise's despairing history, the Kansas City Royals Wikipedia page breaks it down as 1995-2001 "The Decline" and 2002-20006 as "Rock Bottom." Considering that the Royals successes are a nice April in 2003 and believe it or not, a World Championship in 1985, it seems slightly ridiculous to expect any tangible change to the end product simply by swapping out a manager.

The Royals are 25th in the Majors in runs scored, 17th in home runs, sixth in team batting average, 28th in team ERA and 25th in team strikeouts. So it's not all doom and gloom. The team has managed to hit at a decent clip and some of their younger players are showing some promise. What remains indisputably awful about this team is their awe inspiring ability to blow leads or give up runs late in games. And for me, Trey Hillman is not necessarily at fault for the fact that Robinson Tejeda's 5.57 ERA in 21 innings pitched or for the fact that Rick Ankiel, their 2.75 million dollar a year free agent signing, is again on the disabled list.

This team's inability to win games on any sort of consistent basis runs deeper than a manager. It stems from the mentality of management and of the Royals ownership. The Royals have been on the receiving end of MLB's revenue sharing deal and yet have refused to invest it in the ball club. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Royals were one of three teams to receive a $30 million payout from the league for their troubles.

Royals Owner David Glass, the former President and Chief Executive of Wal-Mart, has been running this team in similar fashion. In the same way that Wal-Mart underpays its employees and cuts its prices to create bigger profit margins, the Royals have consistently failed to put their money where their young talent is (Johnny Damon, Carlos Beltran among others). And unlike Wal-Mart, there are not many smiley faces in Kaufmann Stadium these days.

If the Royals want to return to winning baseball, they need to experience change from the top. The culture of that organization prevents anyone in Kansas City from expecting their team to win baseball games. By signing the 35-going on-50 Jason Kendall to be their everyday catcher in the offseason the management group indicated to its fans that they harbored zero intentions of competing this season.

The team needs an ownership group which understands that there is a difference between making smart investments and being just plain thrifty. While the renovations done to Kaufmann and the Greinke contract extension are positive signs for Royals fans, those actions remain the exception and not the rule in Kansas City.

Their fans deserve so much more than to continue to watch team after team just stink it up. And firing Trey Hillman, the Royals' seventh manager in 13 seasons will do little to change anything. Good luck Ned Yoast, you are going to need it (and much much more) to succeed in one of baseball's stinkiest stink holes.

I've Got New York In My Mind...

2010-05-12T11:59:00.000-07:00

Charlie Klein

Last night, LeBron James looked like a player who had already cleared out his locker for the season. While the rest of his team were running pick and roll after pick and roll, he was standing on the other side of the court bent over clutching the bottoms of his shorts. While Anderson Varejao, Antwoine Jamison, Mo Williams, Shaq and Delonte West were attempting to win a basketball game, James was a complete afterthought.

James has cited a bum elbow as his reason for the decrease in his numbers from the regular season. Which would be all well and good were it not for the performance he turned in Game 3. James lit up the Cavaliers, playing 39 minutes scoring 38 points with 2 blocks, 8 rebounds and 7 assists. So we all know he has it in him to produce. And then in the most important game of the season (up to that point) LeBron went 3-14 from the field, only scoring 15 points with 6 rebounds and 7 assists. Good numbers for your third best player, but certainly not for your best.

One of the funniest things to observe in the sports media today is the total hypocrisy that surrounds their assessments of the Cleveland Cavaliers. We heard all season the the Cavs were the best team in basketball and that LeBron and his supporting cast were finally poised to hand Cleveland its first title in four decades. And now that they are down 3-2 to a veteran savvy Boston Celtics we hear a completely different story, that goes something a little like this:

LeBron's supporting cast is trash. There is no one on that team that is even within the same universe as this guy. Now that is generally true of the league and so such an assessment may seem a bit harsh. But let's put it this way: there is no one else on that Cavaliers team who is capable of carrying them when LeBron is not playing well. Jamison is not going to give you a triple-double or anything close to it, William's shooting has been to erratic and he himself has proven that he does not have the heart necessary to succeed in the playoffs. Varejao is an overpaid Sideshow Bob and Delonte West cannot string together nights of consistent shooting.

This Cavs team would be in the lottery were it not for LeBron. Speaking of lotteries, it appears that the New York Knicks are about to hit the jackpot this summer. These improvised lyrics came to mind watching the play of Prince James last night:

"In my mind I'm goin' to New York
Can't you see the all the money
Can't you just feel the lights shine
Maybe just like a friend of mine
It hit me from behind
Yes I'm goin' to New York in my mind"

For me it is obvious that he has mentally checked out of Cleveland. All of the be a God to your hometown by staying is a load of tosh in my mind. Being the Jesus of Cleveland sports just has not panned out. People may have knocked Joakim Noah when he came out and spoke poorly of Cleveland, but his comments are not too far off the mark.

"I don't know about Cleveland, man, there is nothing going on. It's bad, man."

Buzz Bissinger, a sportswriter who knows a thing or two about LeBron, had this to say about James' future.

"I am not privy to any special information, but my gut tells me he will leave the Cavaliers whether they win the NBA championship or not. He has aspirations beyond basketball. He wants to be a billion dollar athlete. He likes challenges and bright lights. There is nothing like New York and the goal of making the Knicks champions again is an incredible one. So I say he goes to the Knicks, IF THEY GET THE RIGHT SUPPORTING CAST. And as you know that's a big "if" when it comes to the Knicks. LeBron would own New York in a way that no athlete has ever owned it, except maybe for Reggie Jackson after game six of the 1977 World Series when he hit three home runs, and as we know the love affair did not last forever. It would be exciting as hell to watch and I think LeBron would luxuriate in it. But as you say he also loves Ohio, so it is going to be a very difficult decision and I don't think he has come close to making it yet. And remember, the most important value in LeBron's life is loyalty. Still, I say he goes."

And I could not agree more. Colin Cowherd on his radio show this morning said that from what he hears from his sources, LeBron would net an additional $20 million from being a New York Knick, just in terms of sponsorships and endorsements alone. He also argued (and I agree especially in the context of the NBA) that unless you live in one of the "it" cities in America, you can forget about your team winning titles on a consistent basis.

For a star player like LeBron James, Cleveland simply is not big enough for what he wants to be and do. Bringing a championship to Cleveland will be a "heart-warming" story, but bringing the Knicks back to prominence would be ones that sports writers will write about for generations. As much as it sickens me to think of New York adding one more star player to its list of residents, nothing has really ever made more sense than for LeBron James to play there. And if the Knicks get Chris Bosh to play with him, look out.

I would just caution Knicks fans that it may not happen and if it does, it is not a lock that you will win a title with LeBron. In his seven seasons in the NBA, James has proven that he alone is not enough to win a title. And you cannot just blame his lack of a ring on his supporting cast (who were good enough to earn home court throughout the playoffs the past two seasons). A team that wins 60+ games does not immediately start playing like one that won 20. I still have serious questions of whether or not LeBron has what it takes to win a title. Does he have that Kobe-like passion to win? After watching Game 5 it certainly does not look like it.

What does it say about the Jesus Christ of basketball if it is his supporting cast that truly decides whether or not he can win a title? I think people just prefer to lay the blame on everyone else but LeBron. If Knicks fans think they can just ignore this aspect of Lebron's game (or lackthereof), they are horribly mistaken.

For now Knicks fans can only dream about what LeBron would look like wearing the No. 6 in Knickerbockers white, blue and orange. But those dreams just might become reality in a few months time.

Men Of A Certain Age

2010-05-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

Charlie Klein

This spring in Seattle, Washington an experiment began. The scientists hypothesized that if they were to construct a team built around defense and pitching, that the wins would simply roll in the way snow slides down a mountain in an avalanche. They also hypothesized that their new emphasis on speed and getting on base would make up for the team's lack of power.

A month and a half into this procedure, a few things have become fairly obvious. One, the team cannot score runs. The Mariners are second to last in runs scored, last in homeruns and third to last in batting average. And that is with Ichiro Suzuki hitting .330. Chone Figgins' batting average does little to suggest why the Mariners thought it wise to pay him nine million a season. Milton Bradley, when in the lineup, has offered very little and Jose Lopez's continued inability to be selective at the plate has continued to cost the team runs.

Two, the principle designated hitters on this roster do not hit. One cannot afford to be punting offense from a position in which one cannot get anything else from. Mike Sweeney and Ken Griffey Jr. are too old and far past their primes. Like Ray Romano on his new show on TNT, Men Of A Certain Age, Griffey and Sweeney are better served remeniscing over beers at F.X. Mcrory's watching the Mariners on television than in the M's lineup.

I think by now everyone is familiar with 'The Nap Heard 'Round The World.' Whether or not it is actually true is one thing, but what it says about a team currently in a state of flux is that they are not together as a unit. More importantly, that grandfatherly presence of Griffey for the younger players on the roster appears to be nonexistent. If you love your grandfather, you don't go run and tell grandma that he's asleep in the recliner (which by the way Griffey has at his locker, I've seen it, and it's something he's had for most of his career).

As one of his staunchest supporters around, it must come as a shock to read me blasting him, but it is time for him to hang it up. I love the guy to death, but it is time for him to stop damaging his reputation in the one part of the baseball world where many thought that feat unimaginable.

Griffey, let us Seattle fans remember you for your courage and unbelievable talent and not for the 40+ man napping in a lazy boy. For most Mariners fans my age, watching Griffey now feels the same as how Mr. Fredrickson feels when he realizes his boyhood hero Herman Muntz is really a poaching douche bag.

I feel similarly about Mike Sweeney. There are few men in baseball who are as good a guy as Sweeney is. He wrote and signed letters for my graduating class at elementary school in Kansas. My father and I met his dad at Camden Yards for Orioles Opening Day in 1999. But it is time to face facts. The man cannot hit anymore. He cannot field anymore. So why is he on this team? It would be different if the roster had 40 spots and not 25. Then the Mariners could mask the aging legs of Sweeney and Griffey. But in a group of 25, they stick out like a boiler on a pre-pubescent nerd's face.

When Ryan Langerhans has outproduced both of your team's DH's in a few games, it is time for change. Michael Saunders has in his brief call-up demonstrated that he has the ability to play the field well and can hit Major League pitching. Langerhans has been hitting well and provides the manager a lot more options than Sweeney and Griffey do. When Milton Bradley returns to the roster M's management will be forced to make a difficult decision. The right one would be to designate Mike Sweeney for assignment, and quitely ask Griffey to think about a phased withdrawal. Like how the United States handled the War In Iraq, the Mariners must be careful in keeping Griffey and the fan base happy. Nothing will make Mariners fans feel better than to watch their team win and Griffey go out in style. If he's still on this roster by the end of June, it will be time for a new exit strategy.

I fully expect GM Jack Zduriencik to make a few moves to improve this team. While their record does not show it, the pitching the Mariners have recieved from all five of their starters has been outstanding. With Erik Bedard set to throw a simulated game today or tomorrow (weather permitting), things will only improve in that department. One has to expect Figgins and Lopez to hit better based on prior statistics, and maybe, just maybe, Milton Bradley returns and offers this team something as a DH. Most of the pieces for an AL West division winner are there, it is just going to take a few tough and smart people making the decisions necessary to unlock that potential.

OH and Russell Branyan hit two homeruns last night.

Manchester United Tour 2010: The Boys Are Coming Back To Town

2010-05-08T17:01:00.000-07:00

Charlie Klein

Manchester United Football Club announced that it will be spending part of its summer holiday in North America culminating in a match versus the MLS All-Stars in Houston on July 28. United will open their preseason play against Celtic in Toronto, Ontario. They will also play the Philadelphia Union and the Kansas City Wizards.

As part of United's deal with Chivas Guadalajara to sign Javier Hernandez, the Red Devils will play a match in Mexico to conclude their stay in North America.

This will be United's first trip to the United States since 2004, three English Premier League titles, two Champions League final appearances, two league cups and a Club World Cup championship later. One of the most successful teams in Europe for the past five years, Manchester United will certainly draw large crowds and make the MLS teams a large amount of money.

I myself will be traveling to see them play either in Philadelphia or in Kansas City. I became a United fan when they came to Seattle in 2003. And after the exposure that the game will get during the World Cup in South Africa, it will be fantastic for America to witness some of the best players in the world in person.

Liverpool & The End of the 'Top Four'

2010-05-04T13:47:00.000-07:00

Charlie Klein

Almost a year ago exactly fellow scribe Justin Thrift and I debated the merits of the English Premier League. He argued that the fact that the top four positions in the league had been held by the same four teams since 2005 made the league predictable. And he was quite right predictable. That is, until this season.

The championship will be won with the least number of points since the 2002/2003 season in which Manchester United won it with 83 points. And for the first time since 2005 the Premier League will have a new edition to its top four. Tottenham Hotspur or Manchester City will play Champions League football next season. We have witnessed a renaissance within the Premier League. And it has been beautiful to watch.

Speaking of beautiful, last week's Chelsea versus Liverpool match at Anfield was one of the more disappointing matches I've seen for some time. As a foreigner, I've been led to believe by the English press that Anfield is supposed to have one of the best atmospheres in European football. Last weekend one could hear a pin drop even in the Kop End as Chelsea's supporters provided all of the noise. On that day at least, the eleven Liverpool players walked alone at Anfield.

Liverpool fans ought to be embarrassed with themselves. I have heard many LFC supporters claim that they have the best support of any team in England. That clearly is not the case. Just like their team, they have absolutely no class or pride. Having finally lost their shot at fourth this season, both fans and team alike gave up on the remainder of the 2009/2010 season.

I do not think I saw a single Liverpool player run hard for that entire match. They were perfectly happy to sit in their own end and hope by some sort of luck (the likes of which they had not enjoyed at all this season) that Chelsea might fail to score. And this did not happen. Steven Gerrard gave Didier Drogba the pass of the season, and the big Ivorian could do nothing but put Chelsea up for good.

Liverpool have a lot of work to do if they have any ambitions of playing Champions League football in the next few years. Everyone (myself included) believed that it would be Arsenal that would suffer the greatest from Manchester City's new ownership, but it has been Rafa Benitez and not Arsene Wenger who has suffered a tumble out of the Champions League. While his French giggle annoys me to no end, Wenger deserves a bit of credit for leading a group of young players to third place in the league.

One of the funniest events of last summer's transfer window was the utter jubilation on the part of Liverpool fans after their club handed Rafa Benitez an undeserved three year extension. I was not the only one to find Liverpool's second place finish and 86 points last season a bit over embellished. They had been out of the title race last season for some time and gained ground on United once United had established a firm grip on the trophy.

With the renewed faith in Liverpool's chances of winning their first ever Premier League trophy, Benitez did very little to improve the squad. Alberto Aquilani, his 20 million euro signing, has played a minimal role in this year's campaign. For Liverpool to have any chance at Champions League qualification next season, Benitez or whoever is in charge has to invest heavily in the club.

Last season was an aberration. This team has gone on with only two world class players (Torres and Gerrard), who both could depart this summer or next if the situation at the club does not improve. The amount of money that Benitez has squandered on players who were not worth it is starting to come back to haunt the club. Benitez spent 34 million pounds on two players who have combined for 42 appearances in all competitions. Some return on an investment if you asked me.

With the richest family in the world backing Manchester City and the newfound success of Tottenham Hotspur, I would not bet on Liverpool making it back into the top four for the next few seasons. But hey, at least they'll never walk alone right?

Liverpool's loss will be Tottenham or City's benefit. And that will make for one hell of a match tomorrow. If pressed to pick one team over the other, I would have to go with Manchester City. As much as it pains me to say it, I think they have enough attacking talent to cover for the loss of Shay Given in net. If the Aston Villa game is anything to go off of, City have more than the required talent to beat Tottenham tomorrow. I will, however, be sitting at my computer tomorrow hoping that Spurs manager Harry Redknapp has one more rabbit to pull out of that magic hat of his. If that man could lead Portsmouth to an FA Cup trophy, he can do anything.

2010 NBA Playoffs: First Cut Is The Deepest

2010-05-02T20:24:00.000-07:00

Jossif Ezekilov

One of the more exciting series of an NBA first round that has been fun to watch has been between the Lakers and the Thunder. That series ended last night with a tip-in by Lakers center Pau Gasol with half a second left in the game. It was a heartbreaking loss for a team that played the defending champions so well. The Lakers move to the second round to face the Utah Jazz, and some questions linger about their ability to get back to the Finals this year.

Going into the playoffs, I don’t think many of the playoffs anyone believed the Thunder would pull a Warriors a-la 2007 but I don’t think the Thunder were underestimated either. After all, they won 50 games as a Western Conference team, they were the most improved team this year, and they boasted the Coach of the Year and the league’s highest scorer. I thought the Thunder could very well take it to a Game 7, but alas Pau Gasol had other plans.

The Thunder put in a strong performance for a team that boasted only one player (Nenad Krstic) in their main rotation with any significant playoff experience. Russell Westbrook played quite well. Kevin Durantlooked nervous and erratic at times, but no one can debate that he put in his all at both ends. Ron Artest just did the job he was hired to do, and KD just couldn’t spread the ball when he got trapped, one of the only knocks on his game.

The Thunder put in a good effort, and the Lakers showed they were the better team, but they also showed that they are not a sure-fire bet to waltz into the Finals. This is a team that looks bruised up and already looking weary. They are going into a series against the Utah Jazz, who know how to bruise and tire down a team in the playoffs. I don’t know if LA fans are worried, but they should be.
It starts and ends with Kobe Bryant for the Lakers and the guy is injured. Currently playing with a bruised knee elbow, a finger that never healed, and a full regular season of fatigue, Kobe’s game has been off this series, as he is shooting just above 40% FG. He is the go-to guy for Los Angeles and he needs to produce more for them. He got away with some sub-par performances because the Lakers front court was just too much for OKC to handle. That’s not going to be the case in Utah because the Jazz, despite their own injuries, have more experienced and better scoring big men in Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap. Kobe will need to be Kobe from here on out for the Lakers to advance, and that’s will be very tough down the stretch with all his injuries.

There are several other players that look like they’re playing hurt.

The Race For The Triple Crown: Homeboykris

2010-05-01T12:06:00.000-07:00

Charlie Klein

I am not a big horse racing type of chap. I find myself more interested in the names of the horses than what they actually do on the track. It is not because I am a big animal rights person, I just do not really care. But since I now have a blog and people sometimes read it, I feel obligated to nominate a horse that this blog will root for, pray for and follow until the Belmont Stakes are done.

The 4-1-1 On Sports will hitch its collective wagon to the one, the only, Homeboykris. Currently at 50 to 1, Homeboykris is the underdog horse we can all get behind, mainly because his name is just that cool. Homeboykris goes hard for all of the people out there in the struggle. We all have homeboys, we are all someone else's homeboy, so we may as well cheer on our fellow home slice in the Run for the Roses.

Homeboykris, our nation turns its lonely eyes to you (woo woo woo).

The Death Of The Washington Capitals

2010-05-01T08:03:00.000-07:00

Charlie Klein

As a resident of Washington, DC for the past year, I hopped on the Capitals bandwagon. Truth be told, they were the first professional hockey team I ever rooted for when I moved to Annapolis in 1997. And the Capitals were good then. They had Peter Bondra, an electric scorer, Adam Oates, a plucky scoring captain, a rushing defenseman, Sergei Gonchar, and Joe Juneau. Not to mention Olaf Kolzig, who became a cult figure in Washington for his fantastic saves. And in spite of having set up a strong roster which made numerous playoff appearances, the Caps could never win a Stanley Cup.

Let's fastforward to today. Capitals General Manager George McPhee has established a similar group of players. Alexander Ovechkin is in the Peter Bondra mold (except much more talented), Niklas Backstrom fits the Adam Oates type (except again, more talented) Mike Green is the new Gonchar, Alex Semin is the new Juneau, and Semyon Varlamov is the new Kolzig. And again, the Stanley Cup seems to just elude them.

The Capitals have followed the exact same model to rebuild this team and find themselves in the same position they were in the late '90s: in need of a clutch goaltender and a big defenseman. The series against Montreal proved that the Capitals need a full-time dependable goaltender with playoff experience. Varlamov is too young to be expected to dazzle on a continued basis in the playoffs. Jose Theodore is way too inconsistent and lacks the grace under pressure necessary to succeed in winning time.

Looking at the free agent goaltenders there do not appear to be many great options available to McPhee. Theodore is a unrestricted free agent and he ought not return to the Verizon Center if there is any shred of intelligence in the Capitals organization. Yes, he won a lot of games during the season, when the free-scoring Capitals led the league in goals per game, but when it mattered most in Game 2 he allowed two goals on two shots.

The Capitals first round opponent, the Montreal Canadiens, have two decent options in net that are both free agents in one form or another this offseason. Carey Price is an unrestericted free agent and Jaroslav Halak (who has been garnering some Conn Smythe talk with his performances) is a restricted free agent. The biggest mistake the Canadiens have made in the past decade has been not pairing Price with a veteran goaltender to show him the ropes and help him mature. Price still plays like a rookie and is prone to fits of immaturity (the slash on Backstrom at the end of Game 4) but if paired with the right backup he could flourish. The Capitals should make a strong push for Halak, but ultimately I think that the Canadiens will do their best to match any offer.

The two free agent goaltenders worthy of a starting spot in the NHL are Evgeni Nabokov and Dan Ellis. Nabokov minds the net of the number one seed in the Western Conference and, like Theodore, benefited from a strong offense. He is, unlike Theodore, capable of more consistently strong play. The main question with Nabokov is whether or not he has the necessary bottle to succeed in the NHL Playoffs. If the Sharks get past the Red Wings and into the Conference Finals, he may have done enough to cement himself as one of the top free agents this offseason. The Sharks are quite high on their young backup Thomas Greiss, 24, and might opt to use the six million currently invested in Nabokov in another area.

Nabokov is a good fit for the Capitals. There are quite a few Russian players already on the roster (Ovechkin, Semin etc.) and he could mentor the next possibly great Russian goaltender (Semyon Varlamov). Whats more, he is already in his prime and has the necessary playoff experience for the Capitals to go far in the Playoffs.

Dan Ellis should be the Caps plan b if they lose out on Nabokov. Currently the Nashville Predators backup, Ellis has been a spectator for much of the season as Pekka Rinne shined in net for the Preds. And after the Predators signed Rinne to a two year, $6.8 million extension, I fully expect Ellis to resign somewhere else. In the 2007/2008 season, Ellis had a GAA of 2.34 in 44 games played. He has never had the opportunity to be the number one guy, as the Predators went with a two-goalie system for most of the past few seasons. He has the necessary talent to be a number one goaltender, he just needs his opportunity.

The market for NHL defensemen this offseason is much better than the one for goaltenders. Marquee names like Niklas Lidstrom, Scott Niedermayer, Sergei Gonchar and Anton Volchenkov are all out of deals at the end of this season. I fully expect Lidstrom to re-sign with the Red Wings, the idea of him playing in any other uniform just does not seem right. And Niedermayer will probably stay in Anaheim unless some team blows him out of the water. I do not think that Niedermayer is a great fit for the Capitals at what I would expect him to cost. They already have enough rushing defensemen (particularly Mike Green and John Carlson) that Niedermayer's presence would perhaps become too much of a good thing. If he came in and was just a cheap mentor for the young defensemen currently with the Capitals it would be one thing, but if he costs anywhere near what he is making this year ($6 million) it will not happen.

The idea of Sergei Gonchar possibly returning to Washington almost sounds comical. He is constantly roasted by the Verizon Center crowd who still have not forgiven him for leaving the Capitals. What's more, he is not the big physical presence needed on the blue line. I expect the Capitals to make a strong push for the Ottawa Senators D-man Anton Volchenkov. Looking at Volchenkov's stats will not send you into fits of ecstasy, but his defensive play and work ethic ought to make him pretty popular amongst teams looking to strengthen their defensive corps. Volchenkov is gritty, blocks shots, and kills penalties. And that is exactly the kind of defensman the Capitals need. Volchenkov would be the peanut butter to Mike Green's jelly.

The Capitals could also add in conjunction with Volchenkov a player like Daniel Hamhuis of Nashville, Henrik Tallinder of the Buffalo Sabres or Jordan Leopold of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Either way, defense is an absolute necessity for them this offseason.

George McPhee & Co. need to get down to business this offseason. Moreover, as much as dazzling offense may fill the seats and help raise ticket prices at Verizon, it will not be enough to etch Alexander Ovechkin's name onto the Stanley Cup. This is a young team so the ticking time bomb of old age is not exactly about to explode, but the Capitals window of opportunity gets narrower and narrower every year they neglect their need to add more defense to the roster. Until they do, it will be more first and second round exits.

Bobby Lou With The Save of the Playoffs

2010-04-26T09:13:00.000-07:00

Charlie Klein

If you have not seen this play, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. Move over Tukka Rask.

For the Vancouver Canucks last night, it was the usual recipe for success. Extra on the Sedin, with a pinch of Luongo does the trick one more time. The Sedin twins were responsible for two of the three Vancouver goals including the winner. The win also marked the 13th time this season that the Canucks have trailed going into the third period and have comeback to win the game.

After the series was finally settled and most of the fans had left the rink, a relieved Roberto Luongo told CBC jokingly that he only plays when it matters. The same could be said of his team last night. The Canucks showed up when it was most important and now await (in all likelihood) the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round. Whatever happens next, I do not think many Canucks fans will forget the save Luongo made on Ryan Smith, which for all intents and purposes kept the Canucks alive in the game and perhaps in the series.

2010 NFL Draft: These Streets Will Make You Feel Brand New...

2010-04-26T08:59:00.000-07:00

Charlie Klein

As we were constantly reminded by Alicia Keys in "Empire State of Mind" (the song of choice for the weekend bumpers), New York City has the ability to make a person feel brand new and that its big lights carry just as much power to inspire as Barack Obama. At first I came to interpret this song as only applying to the players being drafted, but then I realized that it also had a lot to do with the teams involved. And for one team in particular, the chorus holds to be particularly true.

Going into the 2010 NFL Draft, as a Seahawks fan I felt like had very little to look forward to in the 2010 season. Having just axed a head coach, team president and general manager, I accepted that there would not be much cause for optimism going into 2010. I was excited about the Pete Carroll hire and I had not heard much of new GM John Schneider (formerly of the Green Bay Packers) but thought he was a better option that Ruskell.

I mean it is difficult to be optimistic about a new season when your team goes 5-11. That being said, I can state without equivocation that the Seattle Seahawks were the clear winners in the 2010 NFL Draft held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City last weekend. Bam.

Going into the draft they had quite a few needs and most of them were addressed. The Seahawks desperately need help on the offensive line and the selection of Russell Okung at sixth overall goes a long way towards solidifying a position of weakness. I was convinced that the Redskins would take Okung at number four, given that he is the "safer" bet of this year's class of tackles. They instead went with the high risk tackle Trent Williams out of Oklahoma. When Okung "fell" to number six, it was a no-brainer. Okung will slide right into left tackle.

Not only did the Seahawks address their offensive line deficiencies, they also took a major step towards improving their secondary by selecting cornerback/safety Earl Thomas out of Texas. Thomas is another player that the Hawks have admitted that they did not think they would be able to take at 14. He was projected as a close second to Tennessee safety Eric Berry in terms of safeties at this year's draft. To get him and Okung in the first round was a massive success for Pete Carroll and John Schneider.

Bereft of an early second round pick, the Hawks missed out on Jimmy Clausen, a player who Mel Kiper believed that if Thomas had not slipped to 14, the Seahawks would have taken. I find that a bit hard to believe considering how many teams passed on Clausen who needed a quarterback (Minnesota, Cleveland, Oakland, etc) but I will save that for another post. In the second round the Seahawks selected the 2009 Biletnikoff Award Winner (for best wide receiver in college football) Golden Tate out of Notre Dame. Tate's incredible ability to get yards after the catch and his nature as a big play threat presents the perfect foil for T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the Seahawks offense. He also provides another weapon for quaterback Matt Hasselbeck.

Not only did the Seahawks draft some quality young players, they were also able to acquire two experienced and talented running backs. Carroll decided to trade a fourth and sixth round pick to the Tennessee Titans to acquire LenDale White and defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson. With the success of Chris Johnson last season, White was no longer needed in Tennessee and Carroll snatched at the chance to get one of his former players. I think this move has great potential to pay off for the Seahawks. No one has ever questioned White's talent. The main source of concern with him is keeping him motivated. Playing for Carroll could reignite his passion for the game and could pay dividends for the Hawks.

Not only did the Seahawks add LenDale White, they also were able to acquire Leon Washington from the New York Jets. I used to hear a lot about Washington from my friends who are Jets fans. To a man they all loved his work ethic and lightning quick feet. I don't want to be too ridiculous, but Carroll may have reassembled the White-Bush combination he had at USC. While Washington may not be the direct equivalent of Bush, he plays the same style of game with almost as much aplomb.

The 2010 NFL Draft for the Seattle Seahawks has me feeling like I just took a trip to New York City. As a fan I feel brand new and inspired by what could be in my team's future. In Carroll We Trust, for now.

Wesley & Arjen: A Pair Of Real Talismans

2010-04-24T09:01:00.000-07:00

Charlie Klein

In last year's transfer windows, two world class players left Real Madrid. Not because they particularly wanted out of the Spanish capital, but because Real wanted them gone. At the time it made a little sense. When one goes out and spends upwards of 200 million euro on transfer fees, it is important to be bringing in some cash as well.

No one questioned Florentino Perez when he decided to sell Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder. Where were they going to play considering the additions of Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema? And Real already had Rafael Van Der Vaart, who they had judged to be a more worthwhile Dutchman to keep. Boy how wrong have they been?

When I saw the reported fees paid for both Robben and Sneijder I cried robbery! Inter Milan only had to give up 15 million euro for Sneijder, in the same summer in which Manchester City and Real themselves were inflating the market. When Joleon Lescott goes for 17 million pounds (roughly), Wesley Sneijder ought to go for at least that much if not more.

Bayern Munich paid 25 million euro for Arjen Robben, without having to give up Ribery in the deal Considering the going rate for world class wingers (with Ribery apparently valued at 70 million euro), this was a coup for Beckenbauer & Co. over at the Allianz. This deal in particular seemed to give rise to the idea that perhaps Robben was sold to Bayern to ease the "inevitable" parting between the German club and Franck Ribery. After all, Perez is known for such skullduggery. And Robben has outplayed Ribery this season.

Both Sneijder and Robben have been absolutely essential to both of their team's successes this season. Both Dutchmen find themselves on the right side of their Champions League Semifinal ties and can give themselves all the credit for their team's advantage. Sneijder has been excellent as Mourinho's midfield muse this season at the San Siro, and his attacking nous was on display for all to see versus Barcelona last week.

Arjen Robben has been the tie-winnner in the last three of Bayern Munich's Champions League matches. His goal against Fiorentina advanced them into the Quaterfinals versus Manchester United. And his wonder goal against United in the second leg of that tie proved crucial as well. His goals have not only been vital, but also spectacular. While Ribery (the supposedly better winger) got a red card for a terrible tackle, Robben led a ten-man Bayern side to victory.

Meanwhile back in Madrid, the Merengues find themselves in a very familiar position. With all of the pomp of their summer, Madrid again appear to be poised to watch Barcelona win La Liga again. When they needed a goal, where were Ronaldo, Kaka, and Benzema? They needed a bit of Dutch magic. A little bit of wizardry from Robben or an inch-perfect pass from Sneijder could have made all the difference at the Santiago Bernabeu a few weeks ago.

The Dutch maestros are the two that got away. Certainly Madrid did not need the money from their transfers. The word budget simply is not in their vocaubulary. It is not their style. If either Robben or Sneijder win a Champions League with their new team, I have a feeling that Madristas will come to rue the day they sold their best Dutchmen (of which they have a cadre) to two other titans of European football.

Portsmouth's loss is Liverpool's gain

2010-04-22T13:14:00.000-07:00

Nuwan Peiris

Here's an easy one for college students to relate to. Think about those two different kinds of professors regarding deadlines; The first who set deadlines but really don't mind if you miss them, usually because they can't be bothered to stick to their own deadlines. Then there's that other professor who doesn't care if your laptop got a virus, or if you had some make-believe emergency. A deadline is a deadline.

Well to Portsmouth F.C., the Football Association is the latter. The FA refused Portsmouth's appeal to allow them to submit their application for a UEFA club licence, which they need to play in next year's Europa League.

Pause here...I'll let you confirm we're talking about the same Portsmouth. Already relegated, bottom-of-the-league-rooted, in administration Portsmouth? Yes, one and the same!

How did they achieve being painfully close to a lucrative place in next year's Europa League? Check who's playing in the FA Cup final on May 15th. That's right, Chelsea (potential league winners) and Portsmouth (guaranteed league losers).

As Portsmouth were in administration, they weren't in a position to apply for the licence. By virtue of Chelsea (their FA Cup final opponents) already being guaranteed Champions League play next year, their Europa League berth falls to Portsmouth. Well it should have fallen to Portsmouth.

However now that Portsmouth aren't getting that spot, this fantastic game of pass-the-parcel ends with the 7th place Premier League team. Currently that lies with Liverpool who are 5 points clear of Merseyside rivals Everton, and with 3 games to play should manage to retain this place.

Liverpool could finish 8th in the league and still make the Europa League next year, if they win this year's competition. They are currently at the semi-final stage.

Back to Portsmouth though, how fair is this on them? The obvious argument is that Portsmouth's fiscal irresponsibility is totally their fault and they are suffering the consequences now.

Personally I feel like the FA should take this opportunity to throw them a life-line. Give them the licence, allow them to play in Europe next year and allow them to benefit from it financially. Will it totally save the club? Probably not, but every little bit helps.

At the end of the day, the FA aren't going to reverse their decision.
Let Portsmouth's woes be a warning to other clubs, being irresponsible financially can cost you a lot more than Peter Crouch!

Dump & Chase: Who'd Be A Goaltender?

2010-04-22T12:07:00.000-07:00

Charlie Klein

I tweeted earlier that for my money, the NHL Playoffs have been EXCEEDINGLY better than the NBA's so far. In terms of women it's Hilary Rhoda (NHL) to Kirstie Allie (NBA). Its that big of a gap. It is too bad that we have to watch Kirstie Allie on ESPN when we could be watching Hilary Rhoda, but that is a story for another time.

That's Hilary Rhoda, by the way.

What has surprised and engrossed me throughout these past few weeks is a lower seed's capacity to play leaps and bounds better than the "better team." The seventh seeded Philadelphia Flyers could eliminate the New Jersey Devils tonight. The seventh seeded Nashville Predators could go up 3-1 in their series with the Chicago Blackawks. If both seven seeds were to advance from their respective series, it would truly open up the competition for Lord Stanley's.

Pekka Rinne has been outstanding for the Predators, who have matched the physical strength of the bigger Blackhawks throughout this series. And yet Preds coach Barry Trotz said that he has seen his goaltender play better. "I've seen Pekks play better. I've seen him go for long stretches where he's absolutely dominant."

It must be nice for Trotz considering how many starting goaltenders have been given the sack by their teams. Montreal started Carey Price last night versus the Washington Capitals. Price fared no better than his teammate Jaroslav Halak, giving up four goals last night.

The Senators are going with Pascal LeClaire after Brian Elliott has failed to allow fewer than two goals (which is not bad, but when one considers his other performances the change seems more than necessary).

Antti Niemi of the Blackhawks could be on his way out of net if his team goes down 3-1 in their series.

The Washington Capitals made the change from Jose Theodore to Semyon Varlamov after Theo lost game one and allowed two goals on two shots at the start of game two. So far the switch has paid off for the Caps as they have been 3-0 with Varly between the pipes in this year's playoffs.

One of the more surprising things is that Brian Boucher has been as good as he has been for the Flyers, who have had almost as many goaltenders this season as Larry King's had wives. Boucher has a 1.98 goals against average in four games and does not appear to be on the verge of choking it all away.

Speaking of choking, the San Jose Sharks do not appear to be quite done yet. I am surprised that this series is due to go at least six games. I really thought the Sharks were that much better than the Avalanche. How wrong was I? Not as far off as my buddy Phil Fortuna picking the Thunder to knock out the Lakers... thankfully, but clearly I missed something. Whatever happens next in this series, I know that I will be glued to my computer screen watching it.

Daily Fail: Talkin' 'Bout Practice in the Playoffs!?!

2010-04-22T11:25:00.000-07:00

Charlie Klein

We sittin' here, in the the NBA Playoffs, and we're in here talkin' 'bout practice. Or at least Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown is anyway. The Orlando Magic decided not to practice on Monday and man did Brown take notice.

According to the Charlotte Observer Brown told his team "Yesterday Orlando took the day off, that's how [expletive] seriously they're taking us." After game two, one would wonder just how serious the Magic ought to be taking this Bobcats team.

I seriously tried watching that game last night. At one point I fell asleep. I wanted to make a good faith effort to get into this series. After all Gerald Wallace is one of my favorite players and Dwight Howard is fun to watch. But in a game in which there was not very much scoring nor even exciting defense, it was all too easy to fall asleep even on my uncomfortable dorm couch.

Brown's comments about practice really only serve to drive up the number of views on this YouTube clip.

And I guess for that, we cannot be too mad. The Orlando Magic ought to sweep the Bobcats in this series. Raymond Felton looked completely out of sorts in the last game, and his team showed no inclination to attack the Magic at rim, even when Dwight Howard had four fouls. Stephen Jackson was completely MIA and Wallace played like the only one who cared.

The Bobcats are making Skip Bayless look stupid right now. He was saying all season that they would be the team that would knock out the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round. Against a lower seed they have failed miserably.

Maybe Larry ought to worry about his own team's practices before he worries about Orlando's. Are we really talkin' 'bout practice!?!

Ben Roethlisberger: Why Georgia, Why?

2010-04-21T21:01:00.000-07:00

Charlie Klein

John Mayer has a song off of his first record titled "Why Georgia." In it, Mayer asks himself if he is living it right. One might think that by now, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger might be asking himself the same question. That fateful night in Georgia in which Big Ben had ________ relations with that girl at the club could have a major effect on the direction of the rest of his life.

This is not the first time that Roethlisberger has acted recklessly. On June 12, 2006, the Steelers quarterback was involved in a motorcycle accident in which he was not wearing a helmet. Now I understand his desire to let those golden locks of his flow in the wind, but there is a time and a place. And that certainly is not near downtown Pittsburgh. Reports made after the accident noted that the injuries Roethlisberger suffered in the accident made him almost entirely unrecognizable to witnesses at the scene. He was able to recover from the injury and played in the following season.

While Roethlisberger certainly cannot be blamed entirely for the accident occurring, his lack of judgment in not wearing a helmet is indicative of how he must have felt invincible. That nothing could touch him. Preceding the accident, Roethlisberger had led the Steelers to their first Super Bowl championship since 1979. Certainly he must have felt a sense of entitlement after that.

On July 17, 2009, a civil suit was filed against Roethlisberger by Andrea McNulty in Washoe County, Nevada. McNulty accused the Steelers quarterback of having sexually assaulted her in 2008 in his hotel room while he was in Lake Tahoe for a celebrity golf tournament. She claimed that she and Roethlisberger had had a friendly conversation earlier in the day, and that he called her up to his hotel room to fix a malfunctioning television sound system. After diagnosing that everything was working, she claimed that Roethlisberger blocked her from leaving the room and started kissing her. Roethlisberger's name was cleared following a statement made by McNulty's coworker in which it became known that McNulty had bragged about having consensual sex with Roethlisberger.

And then there is the incident at a Georgia night club in which Roethlisberger may or may not have actually sexually assaulted another woman. The local district attorney came to the conclusion that the evidence collected did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Roethlisberger was at fault.

Two reports surfaced today about Big Ben's future. The first of which made by ESPN's Adam Schefter, in which he suggested that Roethlisberger has been put on the block for a top ten draft pick. The second report was from the Commissioner's Office as Roger Goodell suspended Roethlisberger for the first six games of the 2010 season for conduct detrimental to the shield. I had originally thought that the suspension would be four games, and if Roethlisberger is a good boy for the rest of the build up to the regular season, his suspension could be reduced.

I do not think that the Steelers will end up trading Roethlisberger, mainly because I cannot see a team giving up a top ten for a player with Roethlisberger's track record. Considering how a player's character has affected the compensation received for him this offseason, it would be a steal for the Steelers to get a top ten pick out of all of this.

Most importantly, Ben Roethlisberger needs to stop saying your body is a wonderland to all of these girls he meets and instead needs to realize there's no such thing as invincibility. If his most recent transgressions prove to be the end of his career in Pittsburgh. All of the Steeler faithful are surely asking themselves, why georgia, why?

Barca are beatable!

2010-04-21T00:59:00.000-07:00

Sorry if the title mislead you, this isn't the first in a series of "myths and legends".

For the first time in 66 days, Barcelona lost a game. Yes, the last time they lost was Valentines Day, 2-1 away at Athletico Madrid. That's 38 goals (I thought about checking how many of those were scored by Messi) and 15 games ago for the Catalan giants if you're interested. But I digress.

The side that seemed so unbeatable at times was found out by a pacy and obviously very well coached Inter side. 3-1 it finished, and while Barca were unlucky to be denied a penalty towards the tail end of the game, Inter could have racked up a few more goals themselves.

So let's see, what does it take to beat them?
At least from my very humble point of view, here's a few things:

1) Cause a volcanic eruption that disrupts flights throughout Europe, and force them to go on a 14 hour bus ride to get to the game.

Ok, that's a ridiculous one. Perhaps in the interests of fair play, Inter shouldn't be allowed to fly to the game at the Nou Camp either? But in all seriousness, let's try that again...

1) Rely on some sloppy defending. For Sneijder's goal (Inter's 1st) the Barca defense simply got sucked across. Count them, about six Barca players on one side of the box, Sneijder was just allowed to ghost in from the left for the easiest of goals. 3rd goal: I usually love the way Barca's defense likes to pass the ball out of danger. It totally suits their style of play: possession and passing. On this occasion, maybe a little too cavalier. Motta put in a great tackle, and four touches later the ball was in the back of the net. Which leads me to my next point...

2) Iffy officiating? Make your own mind up, the 3rd goal was offside for me. Far from blatant, but still offside.

3) Inter's 4-3-3 formation worked a charm, especially with Maicon playing his game, his pace certainly caused problems.

4) Top coach. Ok, not everyone can have a manager as colourful, arrogant and extremely football-savvy as Mourinho. Obviously the players executed the game plan and deserve the lion's share of the credit, but Mourinho is at the helm of this team and his role in this victory can't be denied. Before the game he said he wasn't going to man mark Messi, and too right, what player could possibly mark Messi on his own? Inter did a fantastic job of not giving him the time or space he needed (which isn't very much in the first place). Mourinho's tactics pressured Messi into relative obscurity, one of his lost possessions even leading to a goal. Xavi was forced into making an errant pass or too, shocker of the game! Chalk one up for The Special One.

5) Pace, especially on the counter attack. Inter made Barca pay on the few occasions that they didn't take care of the ball. The 2nd goal was a well taken opportunity, stealing the ball off Messi deep in their own half, they drove right down the middle and caught the Barca defense struggling back. I feel like Barca's back line is spoiled in the first place with the amount of possession their midfield usually garners, but today they were put to task by Inter.

Right, future opposition, take notes, it's as simple as 1, 2, 3...4, 5.

In reality it's obviously quite a task to beat Barca. Inter did it...once.

I have a sneaky feeling that Barca is still going to take the tie. A big absence in this game, was Lionel Messi. He was on the pitch, but he really wasn't the Messi everyone knows (and bows to). Now wind your clocks back a couple of weeks. Barcelona - Arsenal, first leg, Messi was (relatively) absent in that game. He then more than made up for it with a master class in the second leg.

I for one am certain that he'll make an impact of note in the return leg at the Nou Camp. It's definitely going to be a great game, with Barca at their attacking best.

The question is, did they dig themselves too big of a hole to climb out of in 90 minutes?