The round of 16 features at least nine surprises. Who has outperformed expectations? Who swallowed their tongues? The group stage of World Cup 2014 is done and we have our entrants in the round of 16, which commences tomorrow. As always there have been surprises, so let’s have a look at the teams who have performed contrary to our expectations.
Read moreBaker was the man who set me on the path to progressivism. Former Tennessee Senator and Reagan White House Chief of Staff is dead at 88. Baker was, in many ways, one of the last of his kind: to wit, a coherent Republican. I have noted before that in my youth I was a conservative – by the standards of
Read moreIt wasn’t pretty, but the Yanks advance. What next? Also, the ghost of Landon Donovan. The US Men’s team lost to Germany today, but thanks to Portugal’s win over Ghana the Americans advance anyway. 10 stray thoughts, in no particular order. 1: The pervasive emotion is relief, not elation. Thanks to its last-minute collapse against the Portuguese this was tense until the final whistle for
Read moreThe public interest is what the public is interested in, bitches. Thanks to Facebook, we all see new memes every day. Some of them are funny, some insightful, and a lot are of the preaching to the choir variety, which even though they’re right as rain, they occasionally get tiresome. Like a lot of us, frustrated as hell with the
Read moreIt was a collapse for the ages. Now it’s white-knuckle time. Gutted. Absolutely gutted. All we had to do was kill off 30 more seconds. [sigh] Well, for you glass-half-full types, at least now the Germany game means something. 1: Michael Bradley. Had you told me before the tournament started that at this stage Bradley would be one of our weaker
Read moreNike: Communist fashion bastards Which would you expect to look more like a Russian hockey sweater? a) an American soccer jersey b) a Russian soccer jersey Let’s find out.
Read moreDr. Sammy, fashionista. Know what I want? One of these. Know what I’d do with it? This.
Read moreEdin Dzeko’s disallowed goal was clearly onsides, but a close review of the replay suggests that it was a simple missed call. Yesterday’s pivotal Nigeria/Bosnia-Herzegovina match featured a blown offsides call that deprived BIH of the only goal it scored. Moments later Nigeria scored courtesy of a controversial no-call on the play that produced the goal by (of all people) Peter Odemwingie. The
Read more22 is my lucky number. 22 years ago I wrote this poem, one of my best ever (or at least the one that a lot of people seemed to like). It’s a Solstice poem, and today is Solstice. So here you go. Happy Solstice.
Read moreTrevor and Joshua Booth’s music has always been political. On their most recent CD they make clear that progressive values begin at home. We have a long, proud tradition of politically active, strongly progressive musicians in the US. Woody Guthrie, Peter, Paul and Mary. Dylan. The Beatles. Punk in general. Green Day’s American Idiot was an iconic classic straight
Read moreRemembering one of the most bizarre moments in American popular culture history. JFK’s shooting. The Challenger explosion. 9/11. Where were you? Our history occasionally presents us with events so iconic, tragic, traumatic, or perhaps flat-out weird that we can always tell you where we were when they happened (or when we found out). June 17, 1994 was one such moment for many
Read moreSo far so good, but it’s not going to be easy the rest of the way. 1: CLINT DEMPSEY! CLINT DEMPSEY!
Read moreFor years now, Pep Guardiola has been getting credit that belongs to Xavi and Iniesta. Yesterday’s result is more evidence that proves it. The first matches were played in Group B yesterday, and the marquee event was Spain/Holland, a rematch of the dour 2010 final won in extra time by Spain. That meeting was a contrast in styles, with the elegant
Read moreSoccer gets almost as much attention in America for its flopping as it does for its beautiful play. Sadly, World Cup 2014 probably won’t be any different. Here are some players to keep your eye on. The 2014 World Cup is upon us, and casual American fans are eagerly awaiting their chance to bitch about all the diving in soccer. Before
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lullaby pit 