I was shocked to find out yesterday morning that Jose Lima had died of a heart attack at age 37. Considering I started following baseball in 1998 and he was just reaching his statistical peak right around that time, he was one of the first pitchers I vividly remember through ESPN clips and what-not.
Lima went 27-18 in his first two years of being a starting pitcher (he was predominantly a bullpen guy at first). In 1999, he won 21 games. Unfortunately, he fell out of the form for the rest of his career, with a 21-8 combined record in 2003 and 2004 being somewhat of an aberration.
His MLB Showdown 2000 card was awesome and absurdly good, if you ever played the game as a kid. If there was an award for “Athlete Who Looks Most Like a Colombian Druglord”, he would have won it unanimously. (Currently, the ballot for the award is a tie between Dani Alves of Barcelona and Albert Pujols.) He was an arrogant man, and when he was on, he dropped diddicks on all hitters. I'll never forget him throwing a complete game shutout against the Cardinals in the 2004 playoffs. We thought he would continue his strong form again. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be.
Rest in peace, Jose. Heaven just went into Lima Time.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Why Xavi Hernandez May Just Be the Most Valuable Footballer in the World
Are Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi better? Well, probably. But Barcelona, arguably the best team in the world (Inter, Bayern Munich, and Chelsea are all in that conversation), may not have the same level of success they’ve had the last few years without Xavier Hernandez Creus (he goes by Xavi Hernandez, or just Xavi) running the show. In a one-sentence summary, he has the best vision and passing in the world along with controlling the pace and style of every game he plays for his world-caliber club. But you don’t want to read one sentence… Besides, I have a point to prove. Ronaldo and Messi may be more sensational players with their fancy dribbling and penchants for goals, but do they really have that much value towards their star-laden clubs? There are tons of guys who can just score goals, but a true footballer understands the importance of the assist and the ability to control the game. Simply put, this is the essence of Xavi.
The way Barcelona plays football when they have possession is essentially engineered by Xavi Hernandez. Think of an NBA team that was led by an amazing point guard. Those teams have generally been successful. The Utah Jazz had John Stockton, Jason Kidd has been everywhere, and Magic Johnson was simply the best until his johnson wasn’t so magic anymore. (Too soon?) Xavi runs the Barcelona attack like those men, commandeering the middle of the field with the ball at his feet, waiting to unleash the perfect through ball to a forward. In Barca’s most recent triumph over Real Madrid, a 2-0 domination (the Catalans had the ball over 55% of the time), Xavi had incredible assists on both goals to Messi and Pedro Rodriguez. The guy can score too, with an incredible free kick against at the beginning of this month against Villarreal one of his many offensive highlights.
Want a resume of the man’s accomplishments? Finalist for World Player of the Year last season. 4 La Liga trophies. Two Champions League titles. This season, he has completed in excess of 400 passes more than any other player in La Liga. In EURO 2008, Xavi had 100 passes against Russia in the semifinal (literally more than one per minute) and scored the first goal in a 3-0 win. In the final against Germany, he supplied the assist for the only goal of the game (by eight year-old lookalike Fernando Torres). In Barca’s Champions League final match last season against Manchester United, Hernandez was named the UEFA Man of the Match. Clearly, the man elevates his game in important matches. In the second leg of this year’s Champions League quarter-final against Arsenal, he had a mind-boggling 105 passes, 41 passes than the next guy in the entire game (Rafael Marquez aka Captain Mexico).
You know what else distinguishes Hernandez, other than his incredible machine-like passing and class-act demeanor? His success on the international level has also contributed to his reputation as arguably the best midfielder in the world. Named the Player of the Tournament for EURO 2008, Xavi led Spain as they dominated in the European Championship. La Furia Roja played the most beautiful and efficient football in the tourney, and Hernandez was truly an integral part. He and Barca teammate/midfield dynamo Andres Iniesta collectively defecated on defenses and picked apart the rest of Europe with their passing. A younger Xavi also helped Spain win the silver medal in the 2000 Olympics as well with two goals, including one in the championship game against Cameroon.
So how exactly does this make him valuable? I think of the economic principle supply and demand as they relate to price (or value/worth). In layman’s terms, there are very few midfielders who can hold the ball and pass as efficiently as Xavi. Some people may title the position as a “deep-lying midfielder”, such as old-school Andrea Pirlo, or just a basic central midfielder. (Steven Gerrard and his approximate 638 dives per game can also be included here.) Meanwhile, other positions such a striker or winger are bountiful. If Antonio Di Natale and Nicolas Anelka can score boatloads of goals and not necessarily be considered elite, world-class players… then how much value can you really give to a middle-of-the-table forward? In contrast, only a few players possess the skills Hernandez does; I like to equate the passing midfielder with a franchise quarterback, catcher, or obviously, point guard.
Xavi may not be the flashiest player, and he definitely won’t grab the most headlines. But what he brings to the table for Barcelona is something equaled by absolutely no one; his talents are once-in-a-generation. Watch him during the World Cup this summer and tell me there’s another player like him. You can’t. Metro Ronaldo and Messi may be better players, but remove them from their respective Spanish club teams, and their teams are still 100% world-caliber. But a Barca squad without #6 in the middle? Very similar to a day without sunshine.
The way Barcelona plays football when they have possession is essentially engineered by Xavi Hernandez. Think of an NBA team that was led by an amazing point guard. Those teams have generally been successful. The Utah Jazz had John Stockton, Jason Kidd has been everywhere, and Magic Johnson was simply the best until his johnson wasn’t so magic anymore. (Too soon?) Xavi runs the Barcelona attack like those men, commandeering the middle of the field with the ball at his feet, waiting to unleash the perfect through ball to a forward. In Barca’s most recent triumph over Real Madrid, a 2-0 domination (the Catalans had the ball over 55% of the time), Xavi had incredible assists on both goals to Messi and Pedro Rodriguez. The guy can score too, with an incredible free kick against at the beginning of this month against Villarreal one of his many offensive highlights.
Want a resume of the man’s accomplishments? Finalist for World Player of the Year last season. 4 La Liga trophies. Two Champions League titles. This season, he has completed in excess of 400 passes more than any other player in La Liga. In EURO 2008, Xavi had 100 passes against Russia in the semifinal (literally more than one per minute) and scored the first goal in a 3-0 win. In the final against Germany, he supplied the assist for the only goal of the game (by eight year-old lookalike Fernando Torres). In Barca’s Champions League final match last season against Manchester United, Hernandez was named the UEFA Man of the Match. Clearly, the man elevates his game in important matches. In the second leg of this year’s Champions League quarter-final against Arsenal, he had a mind-boggling 105 passes, 41 passes than the next guy in the entire game (Rafael Marquez aka Captain Mexico).
You know what else distinguishes Hernandez, other than his incredible machine-like passing and class-act demeanor? His success on the international level has also contributed to his reputation as arguably the best midfielder in the world. Named the Player of the Tournament for EURO 2008, Xavi led Spain as they dominated in the European Championship. La Furia Roja played the most beautiful and efficient football in the tourney, and Hernandez was truly an integral part. He and Barca teammate/midfield dynamo Andres Iniesta collectively defecated on defenses and picked apart the rest of Europe with their passing. A younger Xavi also helped Spain win the silver medal in the 2000 Olympics as well with two goals, including one in the championship game against Cameroon.
So how exactly does this make him valuable? I think of the economic principle supply and demand as they relate to price (or value/worth). In layman’s terms, there are very few midfielders who can hold the ball and pass as efficiently as Xavi. Some people may title the position as a “deep-lying midfielder”, such as old-school Andrea Pirlo, or just a basic central midfielder. (Steven Gerrard and his approximate 638 dives per game can also be included here.) Meanwhile, other positions such a striker or winger are bountiful. If Antonio Di Natale and Nicolas Anelka can score boatloads of goals and not necessarily be considered elite, world-class players… then how much value can you really give to a middle-of-the-table forward? In contrast, only a few players possess the skills Hernandez does; I like to equate the passing midfielder with a franchise quarterback, catcher, or obviously, point guard.
Xavi may not be the flashiest player, and he definitely won’t grab the most headlines. But what he brings to the table for Barcelona is something equaled by absolutely no one; his talents are once-in-a-generation. Watch him during the World Cup this summer and tell me there’s another player like him. You can’t. Metro Ronaldo and Messi may be better players, but remove them from their respective Spanish club teams, and their teams are still 100% world-caliber. But a Barca squad without #6 in the middle? Very similar to a day without sunshine.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
5 Stacked World Cup Rosters (on paper)
Yes, on paper. I’m not necessarily saying these are going to be the best five teams on the pitch this summer, but wow, their rosters are STACKED. Of course, this isn’t in order of quality; rather, I’ll just put it alphabetically.
Argentina:
Goalies: Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar), Mariano Andujar (Catania), Diego Pozo (Colon)
Defenders: Nicolas Burdisso (Inter Milan), Martin Demichelis (Bayern Munich), Walter Samuel (Inter Milan), Gabriel Heinze (Olympique Marseille), Nicolas Otamendi (Velez Sarsfield), Fabricio Coloccini (Newcastle), Juan Manuel Insaurralde (Newell’s Old Boys), Clemente Rodriguez (Estudiantes), Ariel Garce (Colon)
Midfielders: Javier Mascherano (Liverpool), Sebastian Blanco (Lanus), Juan Sebastian Veron (Estudiantes), Jesus Datolo (Olympiacos), Jose Sosa (Estudiantes), Maximiliano Rodriguez (Liverpool), Mario Bolatti (Fiorentina), Juan Mercier (Argentinos Juniors), Angel Di María (Benfica), Jonas Gutiérrez (Newcastle), Javier Pastore (Palermo)
Forwards: Sergio Agüero (Atletico Madrid), Diego Milito (Inter Milan), Martin Palermo (Boca Juniors), Carlos Tevez (Manchester City), Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli)
Argentina is coached by Argentine legend Diego Maradona, who enjoys a line of cocaine every morning. There’s no doubting the talent on this team, with Messi (the best player in the world), Aguero, Milito, and Tevez spearing the attack. Christ, that’s scary. A saving grace for opponents is that Maradona is an awful coach who barely got this elite team into the World Cup, coaching them to infamous defeats such as a 6-0 cockslapping at the hands of Bolivia. Yes, Bolivia.
Brazil:
Goalies: Julio Cesar, Gomes, Doni
Defense: Maicon, Dani Alves, Lucio, Juan, Luisao, Thiago Silva, Michel Bastos, Gilberto
Midfield: Kaka, Gilberto Silva, Felipe Melo, Elano, Ramires, Kleberson, Julio Baptista, Josue
Forward: Luis Fabiano, Robinho, Nilmar, Grafite
Reserves: Diego Tardelli, Ganso, Carlos Eduardo, Marcelo, Alex, Ronaldinho, Sandro.
Ah, the Samba Boys and their beautiful football. Although coach Dunga has been heavily criticized for not having a fluid, “Joga Bonito” style of attack, his track record is not to be messed with. The captain of the 1994 World Cup champions, he knows nothing but success, winning the Confederations Cup last year. This team is retardedly stacked, having world-class players at every position, especially right-back, with Maicon (favorite player on this team) and Dani Alves fighting for minutes. And yeah, you see the names up there. How can Brazil not make it to the semifinals?
England:
Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, David James, Robert Green
Defenders: Leighton Baines, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Michael Dawson, Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Ledley King, John Terry, Matthew Upson, Stephen Warnock
Midfielders: Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Tom Huddlestone, Adam Johnson, Frank Lampard, Aaron Lennon, James Milner, Scott Parker, Theo Walcott, Shaun Wright-Phillips
Forwards: Darren Bent, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney
Fabio Capello’s boys try to win a World Cup for the first time in 4 decades. Joe Hart is quietly emerging into one of the best keepers in the world. Rio “Big Bird” Ferdinand and ultimate ladies’ man John Terry anchor the defense, with Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard controlling the middle of the field. Wayne Rooney, arguably the best striker in the world, will most likely splash a jimbo this summer racking up goals for the Three Lions. Keep an eye on Jermain Defoe, Rooney’s most likely striking partner; he’s having a career year and will be a great second option.
Ivory Coast*:
Goalkeepers: Vincent Angban (ASEC Abidjan, Ivory Coast), Boubacar Barry (Lokeren, Belgium), Aristides Zogbo (Maccabi Netanya, Israel), Daniel Yeboah (SEC Abidjan, Ivory Coast).
Defenders: Souleymane Bamba (Hibernian, Scotland), Arthur Boka (VB Stuttgart, Germany), Benjamin Brou Angoua (Valenciennes, France), Guy Demel (Hamburg SV, Germany), Emmanuel Eboue (Arsenal, England), Abdoulaye Meite (West Bromwich Albion, England), Steve Gohouri (Wigan Athletic, England), Siaka Tiene (Valenciennes, France), Kolo Toure (Manchester City, England).
Midfielders: Emerse Fae (Nantes, France), Jean-Jacques Gosso Gosso(Monaco, France), Abdelkader Keita (Galatasaray, Turkey), Emmanuel Kone(International Curtea Arges, Romania), Gervais Yao Kouassi (Lille, France), Christian Koffi Ndri (Sevilla, Spain), Cheik Ismael Tiote (Twente Enschede, Holland), Yaya Toure (Barcelona, Spain), Gilles Yapi Yapo (Young Boys Berne, Switzerland), Didier Zokora (Sevilla, Spain).
Forwards: Kanga Akale (Racing Lens, France), Aruna Dindane (Racing Lens, France), Seydou Doumbia (Young Boys Berne, Switzerland), Didier Drogba (Chelsea, England), Salomon Kalou (Chelsea, England), Bakary Kone (Olympique Marseille, France).
Yeah, you probably weren’t expecting an African team. But the World Cup is in Africa for the first time, and the Ivory Coast has the best African team (on paper, of course). They will have the weight of their continent on their shoulders as they try to make a deep run into the tournament. But seriously, all they need is Didier Drogba. He’s unstoppable when he wants to be; size, strength, speed, and an incredible ability to put the ball in the net make this guy absolutely filthy. However, the rest of the team has great players plying their trade in Europe (most notably the Toure brothers, Eboue, and Kalou). This team is arguably will be one of the most interesting to watch.
Portugal*:
Goalkeepers: Beto (Porto), Daniel Fernandes (Iraklis), Eduardo (Braga)
Defenders: Fabio Coentrao (Benfica), Paulo Ferreira (Chelsea), Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea), Ze Castro (Deportivo La Coruna), Bruno Alves (Porto), Rolando (Porto), Ricardo Costa (Lille), Duda (Malaga), Pepe (Real Madrid), Miguel (Valencia)
Midfielders: Tiago (Atletico Madrid), Deco (Chelsea), Raul Meireles (Porto), Nani (Manchester United), Miguel Veloso (Sporting Lisbon), Pedro Mendes (Sporting Lisbon)
Forwards: Simao Sabrosa (Atletico Madrid), Hugo Almeida (Werder Bremen), Liedson (Sporting Lisbon), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Danny (Zenit St Petersburg).
Okay, I starred both the Ivory Coast and Portugal as part of a tie; they don’t match up with the other four but are still quite nasty. But Portugal has one metro-ass superstar (Ronaldo, of course) and a lot of depth in midfield. The only question mark here is at goalkeeper, where none of these guys have a lot of elite international competition under their belts. As a side note, Simao Sabrosa has the best name in this article, without a doubt. I’m debating whether it sounds more like a name of a porn star or a villain from a James Bond movie. Moving on.
Spain:
Goalkeepers:
Iker Casillas (Real Madrid)
Pepe Reina (Liverpool FC)
Diego López (Villarreal FC)
Víctor Valdés (FC Barcelona)
David De Gea (Atlético de Madrid)
Defenders:
Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)
Raúl Albiol (Real Madrid)
Álvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid)
Gerard Piqué (FC Barcelona)
Carles Puyol (FC Barcelona)
Carlos Marchena (Valencia CF)
Joan Capdevila (Villarreal CF)
César Azpilicueta (Osasuna)
Midfielders:
Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid)
Sergi Busquets (FC Barcelona)
Xavi Hernández (FC Barcelona)
Andrés Iniesta (FC Barcelona)
David Silva (Valencia CF)
Juan Mata (Valencia CF)
Marcos Senna (Villarreal CF)
Cesc Fábregas (Arsenal)
Javi Martínez (Athletic de Bilbao)
Jesús Navas (Sevilla FC)
Santi Cazorla (Villarreal CF)
Strikers:
David Villa (Valencia CF)
Álvaro Negredo (Sevilla FC)
Fernando Torres (Liverpool)
Dani Güiza (Fenerbahce)
Fernando Llorente (Athletic de Bilbao)
Pedro Rodríguez (FC Barcelona)
I could write an entire article on why this team will win it all, but that may come later. Notice that only 3 players on this team play outside of Spain (Fabregas, Torres, Guiza); that says a lot about country loyalty. Stacked from top to bottom, Espana is also the defending European champions, winning Euro 2008 in an absolutely dominating performance. Casillas in goal, Puyol and Ramos leading defense, Xavi and Iniesta dropping diddicks in midfield, and Torres and Villa scoring goals… I would place Spain as the favorites to win it all this summer.
Argentina:
Goalies: Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar), Mariano Andujar (Catania), Diego Pozo (Colon)
Defenders: Nicolas Burdisso (Inter Milan), Martin Demichelis (Bayern Munich), Walter Samuel (Inter Milan), Gabriel Heinze (Olympique Marseille), Nicolas Otamendi (Velez Sarsfield), Fabricio Coloccini (Newcastle), Juan Manuel Insaurralde (Newell’s Old Boys), Clemente Rodriguez (Estudiantes), Ariel Garce (Colon)
Midfielders: Javier Mascherano (Liverpool), Sebastian Blanco (Lanus), Juan Sebastian Veron (Estudiantes), Jesus Datolo (Olympiacos), Jose Sosa (Estudiantes), Maximiliano Rodriguez (Liverpool), Mario Bolatti (Fiorentina), Juan Mercier (Argentinos Juniors), Angel Di María (Benfica), Jonas Gutiérrez (Newcastle), Javier Pastore (Palermo)
Forwards: Sergio Agüero (Atletico Madrid), Diego Milito (Inter Milan), Martin Palermo (Boca Juniors), Carlos Tevez (Manchester City), Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli)
Argentina is coached by Argentine legend Diego Maradona, who enjoys a line of cocaine every morning. There’s no doubting the talent on this team, with Messi (the best player in the world), Aguero, Milito, and Tevez spearing the attack. Christ, that’s scary. A saving grace for opponents is that Maradona is an awful coach who barely got this elite team into the World Cup, coaching them to infamous defeats such as a 6-0 cockslapping at the hands of Bolivia. Yes, Bolivia.
Brazil:
Goalies: Julio Cesar, Gomes, Doni
Defense: Maicon, Dani Alves, Lucio, Juan, Luisao, Thiago Silva, Michel Bastos, Gilberto
Midfield: Kaka, Gilberto Silva, Felipe Melo, Elano, Ramires, Kleberson, Julio Baptista, Josue
Forward: Luis Fabiano, Robinho, Nilmar, Grafite
Reserves: Diego Tardelli, Ganso, Carlos Eduardo, Marcelo, Alex, Ronaldinho, Sandro.
Ah, the Samba Boys and their beautiful football. Although coach Dunga has been heavily criticized for not having a fluid, “Joga Bonito” style of attack, his track record is not to be messed with. The captain of the 1994 World Cup champions, he knows nothing but success, winning the Confederations Cup last year. This team is retardedly stacked, having world-class players at every position, especially right-back, with Maicon (favorite player on this team) and Dani Alves fighting for minutes. And yeah, you see the names up there. How can Brazil not make it to the semifinals?
England:
Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, David James, Robert Green
Defenders: Leighton Baines, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Michael Dawson, Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Ledley King, John Terry, Matthew Upson, Stephen Warnock
Midfielders: Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Tom Huddlestone, Adam Johnson, Frank Lampard, Aaron Lennon, James Milner, Scott Parker, Theo Walcott, Shaun Wright-Phillips
Forwards: Darren Bent, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney
Fabio Capello’s boys try to win a World Cup for the first time in 4 decades. Joe Hart is quietly emerging into one of the best keepers in the world. Rio “Big Bird” Ferdinand and ultimate ladies’ man John Terry anchor the defense, with Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard controlling the middle of the field. Wayne Rooney, arguably the best striker in the world, will most likely splash a jimbo this summer racking up goals for the Three Lions. Keep an eye on Jermain Defoe, Rooney’s most likely striking partner; he’s having a career year and will be a great second option.
Ivory Coast*:
Goalkeepers: Vincent Angban (ASEC Abidjan, Ivory Coast), Boubacar Barry (Lokeren, Belgium), Aristides Zogbo (Maccabi Netanya, Israel), Daniel Yeboah (SEC Abidjan, Ivory Coast).
Defenders: Souleymane Bamba (Hibernian, Scotland), Arthur Boka (VB Stuttgart, Germany), Benjamin Brou Angoua (Valenciennes, France), Guy Demel (Hamburg SV, Germany), Emmanuel Eboue (Arsenal, England), Abdoulaye Meite (West Bromwich Albion, England), Steve Gohouri (Wigan Athletic, England), Siaka Tiene (Valenciennes, France), Kolo Toure (Manchester City, England).
Midfielders: Emerse Fae (Nantes, France), Jean-Jacques Gosso Gosso(Monaco, France), Abdelkader Keita (Galatasaray, Turkey), Emmanuel Kone(International Curtea Arges, Romania), Gervais Yao Kouassi (Lille, France), Christian Koffi Ndri (Sevilla, Spain), Cheik Ismael Tiote (Twente Enschede, Holland), Yaya Toure (Barcelona, Spain), Gilles Yapi Yapo (Young Boys Berne, Switzerland), Didier Zokora (Sevilla, Spain).
Forwards: Kanga Akale (Racing Lens, France), Aruna Dindane (Racing Lens, France), Seydou Doumbia (Young Boys Berne, Switzerland), Didier Drogba (Chelsea, England), Salomon Kalou (Chelsea, England), Bakary Kone (Olympique Marseille, France).
Yeah, you probably weren’t expecting an African team. But the World Cup is in Africa for the first time, and the Ivory Coast has the best African team (on paper, of course). They will have the weight of their continent on their shoulders as they try to make a deep run into the tournament. But seriously, all they need is Didier Drogba. He’s unstoppable when he wants to be; size, strength, speed, and an incredible ability to put the ball in the net make this guy absolutely filthy. However, the rest of the team has great players plying their trade in Europe (most notably the Toure brothers, Eboue, and Kalou). This team is arguably will be one of the most interesting to watch.
Portugal*:
Goalkeepers: Beto (Porto), Daniel Fernandes (Iraklis), Eduardo (Braga)
Defenders: Fabio Coentrao (Benfica), Paulo Ferreira (Chelsea), Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea), Ze Castro (Deportivo La Coruna), Bruno Alves (Porto), Rolando (Porto), Ricardo Costa (Lille), Duda (Malaga), Pepe (Real Madrid), Miguel (Valencia)
Midfielders: Tiago (Atletico Madrid), Deco (Chelsea), Raul Meireles (Porto), Nani (Manchester United), Miguel Veloso (Sporting Lisbon), Pedro Mendes (Sporting Lisbon)
Forwards: Simao Sabrosa (Atletico Madrid), Hugo Almeida (Werder Bremen), Liedson (Sporting Lisbon), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Danny (Zenit St Petersburg).
Okay, I starred both the Ivory Coast and Portugal as part of a tie; they don’t match up with the other four but are still quite nasty. But Portugal has one metro-ass superstar (Ronaldo, of course) and a lot of depth in midfield. The only question mark here is at goalkeeper, where none of these guys have a lot of elite international competition under their belts. As a side note, Simao Sabrosa has the best name in this article, without a doubt. I’m debating whether it sounds more like a name of a porn star or a villain from a James Bond movie. Moving on.
Spain:
Goalkeepers:
Iker Casillas (Real Madrid)
Pepe Reina (Liverpool FC)
Diego López (Villarreal FC)
Víctor Valdés (FC Barcelona)
David De Gea (Atlético de Madrid)
Defenders:
Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)
Raúl Albiol (Real Madrid)
Álvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid)
Gerard Piqué (FC Barcelona)
Carles Puyol (FC Barcelona)
Carlos Marchena (Valencia CF)
Joan Capdevila (Villarreal CF)
César Azpilicueta (Osasuna)
Midfielders:
Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid)
Sergi Busquets (FC Barcelona)
Xavi Hernández (FC Barcelona)
Andrés Iniesta (FC Barcelona)
David Silva (Valencia CF)
Juan Mata (Valencia CF)
Marcos Senna (Villarreal CF)
Cesc Fábregas (Arsenal)
Javi Martínez (Athletic de Bilbao)
Jesús Navas (Sevilla FC)
Santi Cazorla (Villarreal CF)
Strikers:
David Villa (Valencia CF)
Álvaro Negredo (Sevilla FC)
Fernando Torres (Liverpool)
Dani Güiza (Fenerbahce)
Fernando Llorente (Athletic de Bilbao)
Pedro Rodríguez (FC Barcelona)
I could write an entire article on why this team will win it all, but that may come later. Notice that only 3 players on this team play outside of Spain (Fabregas, Torres, Guiza); that says a lot about country loyalty. Stacked from top to bottom, Espana is also the defending European champions, winning Euro 2008 in an absolutely dominating performance. Casillas in goal, Puyol and Ramos leading defense, Xavi and Iniesta dropping diddicks in midfield, and Torres and Villa scoring goals… I would place Spain as the favorites to win it all this summer.
Why Tim Welsh’s Resignation is Yet Another Blow for College Coaches
Some of you reading this may not even know who Tim Welsh really is. Personally, I really didn’t hear about him until about a month ago when he accepted the coaching position for Hofstra’s basketball program. Evidently, he had been the coach at Providence (one of the Big East’s whipping bitches in conjunction with DePaul, Rutgers, and occasionally St. John’s) for about a decade until getting fired two years ago. Since then, he had worked as a college basketball analyst for SNY and ESPN before getting his big job at Hofstra on March 31.
On the night of Friday, April 30, Welsh was found in his parked Lexus… at a green light in the middle of an intersection in Levittown, Nassau County. He was promptly slapped with a DWI charge and indefinitely suspended by Hofstra once the administration board found out about the arrest. Three days later, Welsh resigned in shame. Hofstra released a brief statement saying, “The university accepted the resignation in the best interests of the university and of the men's basketball program.”
This is truly the latest example of a very disturbing trend in collegiate sports: misbehavior of the coaches. Not just the players, the 20-year guys from the ghettos across America with full scholarships, God-given athletic abilities, and propensities to go out and bone groupies; but the coaches, the grown men paid to straighten out these young men and win games. In the past year, several coaches from the college football and basketball words have all been fired or had no choice but to resign due to conduct an urban youth would describe as “OD”. In layman’s terms, a lot of coaches have done stupid shit.
Mark Mangino resigned from his spot as head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks football team for several reports of him abusing players physically and verbally. Bobby Gonzalez of Seton Hall’s basketball program was fired for not only being an asshole of a coach, but recruiting several players who couldn’t obey the law. Texas Tech football Mike Leach was fired for his mistreatment of wide receiver Adam James, who was forced to stand in a dark shed with concussion symptoms (a much more messed-up story when you learn about the whole situation.) Most disturbingly, Jim Leavitt of South Florida was fired as football coach after choking out a player, and secretly threatening his other players to change their accounts of the attack and deny it ever happened.
I can’t explain it. How can these adults do such reckless things when they represent not just their school, but a leadership figure for the athletes they coach? It boggles my mind how these guys, some of whom are among the highest-paid people at their universities, choose to dick around and set an awful example for everyone involved. I think of these situations and compare the debacle going on in the NFL; players are continually running afoul of the law and so much stress is placed on establishing a personal conduct policy. These coaches need some sort of straightening out as well.
Welsh should be ashamed. He didn’t even coach a single game. His most impressive statistic is .019, his blood-alcohol level the night he got arrested. He must have balled out like crazy at the bar…
On the night of Friday, April 30, Welsh was found in his parked Lexus… at a green light in the middle of an intersection in Levittown, Nassau County. He was promptly slapped with a DWI charge and indefinitely suspended by Hofstra once the administration board found out about the arrest. Three days later, Welsh resigned in shame. Hofstra released a brief statement saying, “The university accepted the resignation in the best interests of the university and of the men's basketball program.”
This is truly the latest example of a very disturbing trend in collegiate sports: misbehavior of the coaches. Not just the players, the 20-year guys from the ghettos across America with full scholarships, God-given athletic abilities, and propensities to go out and bone groupies; but the coaches, the grown men paid to straighten out these young men and win games. In the past year, several coaches from the college football and basketball words have all been fired or had no choice but to resign due to conduct an urban youth would describe as “OD”. In layman’s terms, a lot of coaches have done stupid shit.
Mark Mangino resigned from his spot as head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks football team for several reports of him abusing players physically and verbally. Bobby Gonzalez of Seton Hall’s basketball program was fired for not only being an asshole of a coach, but recruiting several players who couldn’t obey the law. Texas Tech football Mike Leach was fired for his mistreatment of wide receiver Adam James, who was forced to stand in a dark shed with concussion symptoms (a much more messed-up story when you learn about the whole situation.) Most disturbingly, Jim Leavitt of South Florida was fired as football coach after choking out a player, and secretly threatening his other players to change their accounts of the attack and deny it ever happened.
I can’t explain it. How can these adults do such reckless things when they represent not just their school, but a leadership figure for the athletes they coach? It boggles my mind how these guys, some of whom are among the highest-paid people at their universities, choose to dick around and set an awful example for everyone involved. I think of these situations and compare the debacle going on in the NFL; players are continually running afoul of the law and so much stress is placed on establishing a personal conduct policy. These coaches need some sort of straightening out as well.
Welsh should be ashamed. He didn’t even coach a single game. His most impressive statistic is .019, his blood-alcohol level the night he got arrested. He must have balled out like crazy at the bar…
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Why the Dez Bryant Fiasco is Overblown
Every main sports website I read (ESPN, SI, Fanhouse, etc.) has a ton of writers voicing their opinions on what happened inside that NFL Combine interview room between Miami Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland and Dez Bryant, the most talented wide receiver prospect in the 2010 draft. Before I actually go into any personal analysis, let’s look at actual FACTS about this “case study":
1. Bryant’s mother was very young when she gave birth to him. Reports have her conceiving Bryant when she was about 14 years old. There have been no reports of her being raped, so she willingly became pregnant at age 14.
2. Bryant’s mother served jail time (18 months in the slammer) for selling crack cocaine. So her character has two questionable marks already.
3. Dez Bryant has character issues of his own; Oklahoma State coaches chastised him for his excessive lateness and anger problems. (I list this because given the first two facts, how could NFL teams not try to correlate this?)
Which leads us to the exchange between Bryant and Ireland. Ireland had asked Bryant what his father did for a living; Bryant responded by saying his father was a pimp and did not play a big role in his life. Enter the alleged dialogue:
Bryant: “My father was a pimp.”
Ireland: “What did your mom do [for a living]?”
Bryant: “She worked for my dad.”
WOW. Let’s put two and two together. Apply the aforementioned circumstances with Mrs. Bryant and combine that with the fact she worked for (not with, FOR) Dez’s pimp father. I wonder what was going through Ireland’s mind when he heard that. So needless to say, it concludes with this interaction:
Ireland: “Your mom was a prostitute?”
Bryant: “No, she wasn’t a prostitute.”
Major props to Bryant for not putting his fist through Ireland’s mouth. But really, is that really an irrational question to ask? NFL executives are dying to know every detail of their future players. Florida State safety and Rhodes scholar Myron Rolle was asked how it felt to “desert” his football team for an education at Oxford. One can conclude that sometimes, the questions can be a bit unusual, but that’s only front office figureheads trying to throw the prospects off a bit and adjust to the questions.
Ireland didn’t insult Bryant’s mother. He didn’t call her a whore, a ho, a trick, a tramp, or any derogatory word for a female you may hear in a rap song. He literally asked Bryant, straight up, if his mother was a prostitute. It doesn’t matter what the answer is. Dez Bryant was the best receiver in college football regardless if his mother slept with people for compensation. It's not like the general manager "ran out" of questions to ask him and randomly asked that question.
Now granted, it may be considered a bit inappropriate or off-color, but the media ruckus that has ensued is nowhere near what the situation really deserved. Of course, when I ran this issue past my parents, they seemed to have differing opinions. My mother felt that Ireland’s question was perfectly acceptable; after all, the NFL is a multimillion dollar industry where its performers are constantly under media scrutiny, and the players reflect their organizations and may have a negative influence if they have troubled backgrounds. My father tended to disagree with this notion, saying it’s nowhere near appropriate to ask such a question on a job interview. He’s right; but this is a professional sports league, where everyone gets away with their freedom of speech. Millions of fans make judgments on players every day based on off-field criteria, which is a bit unfair although expected in this media-heavy sports society.
Just let it go. That's my take on it.
1. Bryant’s mother was very young when she gave birth to him. Reports have her conceiving Bryant when she was about 14 years old. There have been no reports of her being raped, so she willingly became pregnant at age 14.
2. Bryant’s mother served jail time (18 months in the slammer) for selling crack cocaine. So her character has two questionable marks already.
3. Dez Bryant has character issues of his own; Oklahoma State coaches chastised him for his excessive lateness and anger problems. (I list this because given the first two facts, how could NFL teams not try to correlate this?)
Which leads us to the exchange between Bryant and Ireland. Ireland had asked Bryant what his father did for a living; Bryant responded by saying his father was a pimp and did not play a big role in his life. Enter the alleged dialogue:
Bryant: “My father was a pimp.”
Ireland: “What did your mom do [for a living]?”
Bryant: “She worked for my dad.”
WOW. Let’s put two and two together. Apply the aforementioned circumstances with Mrs. Bryant and combine that with the fact she worked for (not with, FOR) Dez’s pimp father. I wonder what was going through Ireland’s mind when he heard that. So needless to say, it concludes with this interaction:
Ireland: “Your mom was a prostitute?”
Bryant: “No, she wasn’t a prostitute.”
Major props to Bryant for not putting his fist through Ireland’s mouth. But really, is that really an irrational question to ask? NFL executives are dying to know every detail of their future players. Florida State safety and Rhodes scholar Myron Rolle was asked how it felt to “desert” his football team for an education at Oxford. One can conclude that sometimes, the questions can be a bit unusual, but that’s only front office figureheads trying to throw the prospects off a bit and adjust to the questions.
Ireland didn’t insult Bryant’s mother. He didn’t call her a whore, a ho, a trick, a tramp, or any derogatory word for a female you may hear in a rap song. He literally asked Bryant, straight up, if his mother was a prostitute. It doesn’t matter what the answer is. Dez Bryant was the best receiver in college football regardless if his mother slept with people for compensation. It's not like the general manager "ran out" of questions to ask him and randomly asked that question.
Now granted, it may be considered a bit inappropriate or off-color, but the media ruckus that has ensued is nowhere near what the situation really deserved. Of course, when I ran this issue past my parents, they seemed to have differing opinions. My mother felt that Ireland’s question was perfectly acceptable; after all, the NFL is a multimillion dollar industry where its performers are constantly under media scrutiny, and the players reflect their organizations and may have a negative influence if they have troubled backgrounds. My father tended to disagree with this notion, saying it’s nowhere near appropriate to ask such a question on a job interview. He’s right; but this is a professional sports league, where everyone gets away with their freedom of speech. Millions of fans make judgments on players every day based on off-field criteria, which is a bit unfair although expected in this media-heavy sports society.
Just let it go. That's my take on it.
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