US Beats Spain....World Cup Next???

Now lets not get too excited about this but the US Soccer team showed up yesterday and beat the #1 ranked team in the world, Spain. The Spaniards had not lost since 2006...15 straight victories (a world record)....35 game unbeaten streak (tied world record)....overall 32-0-3 in their last 35 games. And they hadn't allowed a goal in their first 3 games in the Confederation Cup.

And in walks a team that looked terrible against Italy and Brazil losing a combined 6-1. Hell they only got into the second round based on a tiebreaker and most would say they didn't deserve it.

But they showed the world that they were not going to be pushed around by Spain...that they weren't afraid of them.

I am a big soccer fan....enjoy the MLS....LOVE the World Cup....and when I can watch I enjoy anything in the UEFA category...whether its the Champions League, La Liga, or EPL it is all enjoyable.

BUT let's not get too excited about this win. I mean really if these teams play 10 games the Americans are winning 1. Fortunately for them that was yesterday.

It was the classic trap game for Spain. They came out of a relatively easy group and were looking ahead to Brazil on Sunday...they didn't see this coming.

It reminds me of Appy State over Michigan a few years ago. Very similar in my opinion and YES I do think that is an accurate comparison. Maybe you say something like Colorado over Oklahoma or Vanderbilt over Florida but either way it is an average team beating a great team.

Does this give the Americans hope for next summer's World Cup? I think it gives them hope that they can compete with anyone.

BUT if anyone thinks they can win the World Cup.....you need to be admitted and placed in a small padded room.

Point Guard's Not Worth High Pick in Draft?

Here is a story from Scott Howard-Cooper on SI.com that says it doesn't make sense to draft point guards too high in the draft because they are not the deciding factors in the Finals.

If you haven't read it yet it basically says that the point guards on all the Championship teams since 1994 were only minor parts of the team.

Here is that list:

2009 -- Derek Fisher - Lakers
2008 -- Rajon Rondo - Celtics
2007 -- Tony Parker - Spurs
2006 -- Jason Williams - Heat
2005 -- Tony Parker - Spurs
2004 -- Chauncey Billups - Pistons
2003 -- Tony Parker - Spurs
2002 -- Derek Fisher and Lindsey Hunter - Lakers
2001 -- Derek Fisher - Lakers
2000 -- Ron Harper - Lakers
1999 -- Avery Johnson - Spurs
1998 -- Ron Harper - Bulls
1997 -- Ron Harper - Bulls
1996 -- Ron Harper - Bulls
1995 -- Kenny Smith - Rockets
1994 -- Kenny Smith with Sam Cassell - Rockets


No remember that I am not an NBA expert but personally I think you have to keep a couple things in mind when looking at the teams that DID win those years.

All those teams had another star or two that helped win the title. The Rockets had Drexler and Olajuwon....Bulls had Michael and Scottie....Spurs had Robinson, Duncan, and others...Lakers had Shaq, Kobe, and Pau.....the Heat had Dwayne and Shaq....and the Celtics had Pierce, KG, and Allen.

So really the point guard didn't matter on any of those teams. But I would say this....without Billups the Pistons don't win and without Parker I think the Spurs struggle mightily a few years.

I think the point of his article is that a point guard doesn't guarantee anything....well no shit! But who else do you take??

Basically it ends like this....you need either 2 stars (Shaq/Kobe) or 1 start and 2 very good players (Duncan/Parker/Ginobili or Kobe/Pau/Lamar) to win a title in the NBA.

But the point guard CAN BE one of the players. If you put another really good player with Chris Paul and David West and you have a LEGITIMATE title contender.

So I would absolutely take one of the point guards that are highly regarded in this years draft if that was the best player available. A really great point guard (Chauncey Billups) will make any team better.


Proof...how did Detroit do after Billups left and how did the Nuggets do before he got there??

NHL Screwing Up AGAIN!!

The NHL has hit the jackpot the past couple seasons with the Winter Classic on New Year's Day. Then they hit the lottery again with a great 7 game series in the Stanley Cup Finals plus great games prior to the finals featuring Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin.

And yet word is coming in that the NHL is looking to hold a double header on New Years Day featuring 2 outdoor games. One in Calgary and one in Boston.

Exciting right?

I am not convinced. Personally I think they should do this no more than 1 time per year. Hell I think it would be okay to play the outdoor game only once every other year.

You give me people too much and force it on them it can backfire. Plus is NBC really going to show both games on New Years?? The ratings weren't that good to justify giving them 6 straight hours on a big TV day.

I think the Winter Classic is a good idea and is a good marketing tool for the league. But keep it to only one game a year. And don't be afraid to skip a year if the ratings are low or the fans don't get as excited.

It's Been a While

Wow has it really been over 3 weeks since something was posted here??

Well I am back...I might be flying solo now as I am not sure Verb is coming back but I am going to try and post something at least a couple times a week.


Today's topic:

The NBA Finals



If you have ever read this blog before you know that I don't think very highly of the NBA. I don't watch any regular season games and I very rarely watch any games at all...even the finals.

But this year I find myself intrigued by the Finals matchup. Dwight Howard has become a fan favorite due to his performances in the Dunk Contest and the Lakers are well...they are the Lakers.

Personally though I am interested to see if Jameer Nelson can play. I remember his senior year at St. Joe's when he took them deep into the NCAA Tourney. Being that I live less then 2 hours from Philly it was good to see them get that far. And then Nelson got destroyed by the "experts" about his NBA abilities....well....now how do you feel about his skills?

I am probably like most of the people in this country in my rooting interests...

GO MAGIC!