It 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 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 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
Read moreIt’s Hold Your Breath Season. At least three World Cup dreams ended today and the USMNT plays tomorrow. For the 32 national football sides heading to Brazil for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, pre-tournament friendlies are a necessary evil. Necessary because competitive tune-ups are essential if they hope to be in top form for their opening matches. Evil because players
Read moreThe yips plague athletes in many sports, and even musicians. Hopefully sports psychologists can find a cure. Golfers know all about “the yips.” If they’ve never experienced it themselves, they’ve probably played with someone who has. And they certainly know the stories of famous golfers whose careers were challenged, if not devastated by the phenomenon. This list includes Tommy Armour, who
Read moreBlack Stars vs. Die Mannschaft was my prediction for Brazil after Copa 2010 in South Africa, but a lot has changed. Four years ago, in the aftermath of Spain’s World Cup win, I ventured a bold prediction for the 2014 Copa final: Germany vs. Ghana. Making these kinds of picks that far out is always a shot in the dark –
Read moreLandon Donovan was left off the World Cup team and American soccer fans are up in arms. Everyone needs to calm the heck down and think about the big picture for a minute. Yesterday US Men’s National Team manager Jurgen Klinsmann announced the 23-man roster that will represent America in this summer’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil. That roster didn’t include
Read moreDid a woman really whiff two of the greatest sluggers of all time … back to back? We’ll never know, but it’s plausible. My buddy Guy Saperstein sent this around last night. The Woman Who (Maybe) Struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig One spring day my son came home from school and asked, “Do you know about the girl
Read moreFOX News contributor and former GOP Congressman rides to racist Clipper’s owner’s defense, ignorance in hand. If you’ve been paying attention for the past few years, the idea that Allen West is wrong about something is hardly news. His latest public opinion, though, is more than a little baffling because in this case he seems not to understand how conservativism
Read moreClippers owner tells girlfriend not to bring black people to his games, officially replaces Cliven Bundy as America’s racist icon of the moment. Holy fuck. Are you kidding me? Donald Sterling, the owner of the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers, told his girlfriend not to post pictures on Instagram of herself with black people and not to bring black people to
Read moreAcademic performance by K12 Inc. somehow fails to measure up to rigorous big-money sports cartel standards. The NCAA has announced it will no longer accept coursework from two dozen online charter high schools around the country. These schools employ a curriculum from a for-profit company called K12 Inc. The move is understandable, I suppose. K12 has been heavily criticized for
Read moreThe ABA was an innovator that changed the face of modern basketball. Some of the league’s new ideas survived and made their way into the game we see played today. Here are our six favorite ABA things, in no particular order. 1: The three-point shot. The ABA didn’t invent it – the idea had been around for some time, and
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lullaby pit 