My First US Soccer Match

After becoming a fan of the US Soccer Men National Team for over 8 years, I finally made it to my first match this past Tuesday in the World Cup Kick-0ff Series against Czech Republic in East Hartford, CT. Even for something as meaningless as an international friendly in which close to none of the regular starters played a minute, the atmosphere was by far the most electrifying as I've ever experienced in person for a sporting event. Never have my life been part of something so uniformly patriotic even in a 4-2 loss. The crowd eruption when the US team scored on a header from a corner kick was completely deafening and something I can't wait to experience again. Oh, I'm starting to regret not going to this year's World Cup already.

My Night at the US Open

Granted, the matches themselves were a bit of a bore, but when Novak Djokovic summoned John McEnroe to the court and the two played two points, it was a uproarious. Along with buddies Mark and Cheryl, we enjoyed the cool breeze of the unofficial end of summer.

The gang had more fun eating waffle fries than watching the second match.

A new exhibit letting attendees tryout their tennis skills.

8 dollar cheeseburgers and the before mentioned waffle fries.

Oh... I served a disappointing 77 mph.

My Rafael Nadal Defeat

You didn't think I was not going to mention Nadal's first loss on Roland Garros clay, did you? With Nadal out, Djokovic out and Roddick out, Roger Federer and his fans has got to be breathing a little bit easier going into the second week of the French Open. Can Fed finally capture that 14th Grand Slam title and tie Pete Sampras? Or will Juan Del Potro and the surging Andy Murray (ugh) get their first? Either way, I'm just glad Nadal's reign on French clay is over. 

My US Soccer Fans

FIFA released a report saying outside of the host nation of South Africa, the United States has purchased the most individual match tickets to next year's World Cup Tournament- overbuying countries like Spain, Brazil, Holland and Germany. I know we were a rare breed in this country and while there is no doubt there are more soccer fans for other nations here in American soil, this latest report is encouraging and explains the lobsided sales. Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for my application for tickets to be processed to see whether or not I'll be going to South Africa next year and be part of Sam's Army. 

My Yankee Creampies

The Yankees seem to be having fun these days- something new for a club whose mentally of 'business first' has carried them into playoff contention for over a decade. With the last three victories coming from walk-off at bats, and four(!) players receiving the whipping cream pies to the face, something I've never witness for the Yankee clubhouse, there's this looser sense and atmosphere even a fan watching can pick up on. Winning also helps.

Yes, the hiring of Joe Girardi is still in question, but one thing is for sure- he's slowly shredding the "seriousness" in the clubhouse to somewhat positive effect. Adding youngbloods such as Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and a growing favorite of mine- Brett Gardner, into the mix helped just like the addition of younger players usually do. 

I hope this "funner" atmosphere translates tonight when I go to my first game at the new Yankee Stadium tonight. I would LOVE to see a fourth consecutive walk-off another creampie from resident joker AJ Burnett. 

My 2009 Baseball Predictions

With another baseball season starting this weekend, I figured it's time to throw in my two cents as usual with some predictions. Last year, I was a little off. Although I did have both the Red Sox and Phillies in the League Championship Series. So many questions are going to answered. Will the Mets have another colossal collapse for the third straight season? Can the Rays take their best season and run with it? Can the Yanks overcome last year's woes and this year's off-field distractions? Which team will come out of the dreadful NL Central and West alive? I guess we'll all just have to wait and see. Anyway, here are my quick picks:

American League:

1. Boston Red Sox (AL East Champions)

2. Los Angeles Angels (AL West Champions)

3. Minnesota Twins (AL Central Champions)

4. New York Yankees (AL Wild Card)

ALDS: Boston over Minnesota, Los Angeles over New York

ALCS: Los Angeles over Boston

I don't see the Rays getting back to the playoffs (ESPN Mag has them winning it all!) and the Yanks will do well under Girardi's second season but not well enough. The Angels are as dominant as they can be in another weak division.

National League:

1. Philadelphia Phillies (NL East Champions)

2. Chicago Cubs (NL Central Champions)

3. Los Angeles Dodgers (NL West Champions)

4. New York Mets (NL Wild Card)

ALDS: Philadelphia over Los Angeles, New York over Chicago

ALCS: Philadelphia over New York

I don't see how the Mets' offseason moves for their bullpen will result in another collapse- I was wrong last year as well. The only that'd give the Dodgers problems should be the Diamondbacks- other than that, Philadelphia should roll on.

World Series: Philadelphia over Los Angeles

Going out on a limb and calling for the first repeat World Series Champions since the '98-'00 Yanks.

My March Madness Predictions ('09 Edition)

For the first time since I've acknowledged college basketball, both Florida State and Syracuse made it to the big dance with amazing conference runs that stopped in the finals. No fear though, I'm sure their heroic wins (Syracuse's 7 OTs in 2 nights, FSU's debunking of then #1 UNC) are confidence boosters going into this weekend. Here's my quick take of this year's NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

East Region: I'm pretty sure FSU will make it to the Sweet 16, but seeing how Pittsburgh is going to meet them there, their run will most likely end there. This marks the second sport FSU and Wisconsin will meet in postseason, with our football teams butting heads in December at a bowl game. Poor Binghamton, my friends are all excited their school made it to their first dance only to face Duke in the first round. Anyway, my pick is for the much hated Greg Paulus and the rest of his Dukie Posse.

South Region: Syracuse to the Elite Eight to lose to North Carolina- only if Ty Lawson returns. If not, I have Devendorf (watch for his name in the NBA) and gang marching to Detroit. Upset special? Western Kentucky to the Sweet Sixteen.

Midwest Region: I still think Louisville is overrated. They got really lucky in the Big East Tournament. I have the very consistent Kansas Jayhawks moving on even though I'm rooting for the Mountaineers of West Virginia. 

West Region: It's all going to come down to Memphis trying to prove everyone wrong for placing them as a #2 seed and Connecticut trying to prove to everyone why they're #1 instead. In the end, the inevitable meeting with probably end with the Memphis Tigers as survivors. My only reasoning, UConn's half of the draw is much tougher and by the time the two teams meet, they'll probably be too tired to play Memphis' aggressive game. 

In the end, I'm going to go with North Carolina winning it all. Now, watch me be all wrong and not making it past this weekend....

My Peterio Awards (Part Fourteen: Best Sports Team)

A little biased, but a team with three playoff wins on the road preceding perhaps what may be the greatest upset in Superbowl history kind of cements Best Sports Team status in my book. The New York Giants went against the critics' odds and prediction to win at Tampa Bay, win at Dallas(!), win at Green Bay(!!) and then the ultimate football figurative giants, the New England Patriots (!!!). To follow then miraculous playoff season by defying more critics and clinching the NFC's number one just solidify their place amongst the greatest calendar year in the NFL.

Other Notable Nominees: Boston Celtics (basketball), Detroit Red Wings (hockey), Fresno State Bulldogs (college baseball), US Men's Basketball Team (Olympic basketball) & US Men's 4x100 freestyle relay (Olympic swimming)

My Peterio Awards (Part Thirteen: Best Individual Sports Game)

The Men's Wimbledon Finals had it all- rollercoaster momentum, history on the line, a long heated rivalry and of course, plays after plays of awes and wonderment. As a long time Roger Federer fan, seeing his inevitable defeat to Rafael Nadal was extra excruciating because there were many moments during the marathon match you thought the 5-time defending champion was going to muster just enough to limp his way through it. However, it was not meant to be as the tennis world witness an unofficial changing of the guard... until Federer won the US Open later and all is right with the world once more.

Other Notable Nominees: ALCS Game 7 (baseball), Men's 4x100m freestyle (Olympic swimming), Men's 100m Butterfly (Olympic swimming) & Superbowl XLII (football)

My Peterio Awards (Part Twelve: Best Individual Sports Play)

Too many to choose from, the runner-ups in this category has nothing to be ashamed about. But it came down to it, Eli Manning's escaped sack to throw a ball David Tyree glued to his helmet topped the chart for me. At stake was the last shot to upset the then-undefeated New England Patriots for the Superbowl and perhaps the greatest upset in the title game's history and with all that on the line, the poise to naturally choreograph such a play by both Manning and Tyree had the Giants fanatic in my cheer and gasp even louder and longer. 

Other Notable Nominees: Usain Bolt's record blazing 100m race (running), Rick Nash navigating through 5 players to score a goal (hockey), Michael Phelps's final leap during the Men's 100 butterfly (swimming) & Ty Roger's last second three pointer to upset Drake (college basketball).

My Peterio Awards (Part Eleven: Best Olympic Moment)

While any of Michael Phelp's narrow victories would do, it was the spectacular Opening Ceremony directed by Zhang Yimou that was overwhelmingly breathtaking to take the prize. From those drummers, to the human operated blocks, from the IMAX-size paint canvas to the final torch relay around the outer rim of the Bird's Nest, China wanted to the rest of the world to be wowed and I think it is safe to say we were more than impressed. Watch those blocks.. just watch those blocks...

Other Notable Nominees: Swimming Men's 4x100 Freestyle Relay (swimming), Men's 100 Butterfly (swimming), Men's 100 race (running) & Rohullah Nikpai wins Afghanistan's first Olympic medal (taekwondo)

My Peterio Awards (Part Ten: Best Individual Athlete)

Was there even a doubt Michael Phelps would headline many sports outlets' year-end lists? Not only did the Olympic hero manage to capture the most gold medals (8, for those who lost count) in a single Olympic, he also got the entire nation to cheer for the theatrical ways he finished some of those races making the Beijing Summer Games one of those most Olympics in recent history. Sure, we might hear of Phelps for another four years until London, but the roar and impact he made in those two weeks in August would sustain his legacy more than enough to last us until then. It was impossible to find Olympic footage due to copyright infringement, so I got this 2007 Olympics Trial instead, the magic is still there. 

Other Notable Nominees: Usain Bolt (runner), Kobe Bryant (basketball), LeBron James (basketball) & Tim Tebow (college football)

My 1958 Buffalo Bulls

Yes, I said the Bulls. 

ESPN's Outside The Lines usually showcases uplifting stories from sports history as a retrospective for the current generation of sports fanatics. While I use to think their niche is tiresome, I'll admit I've come around to adoring the '60 Minutes' of sports programming. In their latest installment, they tell the story of the 1958 Bulls from the University of Buffalo. 

I'll leave the elegant storytelling up to the experts, but the school declined their only invitation to a bowl game in 102 years because at the time the Orlando High School Athletic Association prohibited black players to be on the same field as white players. Since then, the University of Buffalo has not been invited to any bowl game because they haven't been eligible to play in one to the lack of wins needed to qualify.

Check out the rest of the top notch reporting over here. 

My Underwear Embarrassment

I don't think Mike Singletary is going to last as a NFL head coach that much longer. He has already been a punchline for sports radio hosts across this nation this week for benching one of his players midgame and now, it's been confirmed during his halftime pep-talk, Singletary dropped his pants to show how embarrassed his team should be at the score. If anything, Singletary got a few laughs because the 49ers still lost. (ESPN)

My Red Sox Delight

Welcome to my world, Red Sox fans, welcome to my world. 

My Encouragement From Ryler DeHeart

In the current state of sports where greed, money and business seem to be more prominent than ever, it was more than a breath of fresh air to see Ryler DeHeart enter Arthur Ashe Stadium Thursday night for his match against the world’s number #1 player and the hottest player currently on tour. DeHeart, 24, who is ranked 261st in the world is currently at the highest of his career ranking. To see his wide-eyed joy when he entered the court of over 23,000 was more than enough to me rallying behind him. He didn’t win, he wasn’t even close, in fact, he was obliterated. Not that it mattered, watching DeHeart gather his composure from his shaky start to recovering from a 0-40 game, then to break Nadal in the following game to gain what was then a 2-0 lead was more than enough to have my eyes water. I can’t imagine what his family and in particularly his fiancee must have felt during what could be DeHeart’s career highlight.

Let’s face it. I’ve became a fan. Whenever his next tournament is within a driving distance from the tristate area, I’ll try my best to attend and hopefully let him know his dedication is more than sports news to me. It’s awe inspiring. If for the slim chance he or anyone who knows him reads this, he deserves this praise.

What gets more even more is how much he loves the game of tennis. Being 24, considered by many as the age when someone’s tennis career begins to tip over, DeHeart has never played a single tour tournament up until the US Open. To my understanding from commentators, DeHeart has been playing in the Futures tour with the goal of being ranked in the 200s for an invitation to play for the Challengers tournament. For someone whose annual earning is less than mine, his determination got him his biggest payday yet- and it couldn’t happen to a better person.

My Titletown

Another year, another pointless ESPN segment special. Two years ago, when the "50 States in 50 Days" project fell flat after week 2 (They showcased street basketball for the entire state of New York...), I wonder how long it would take before the creatives over at the uber-sports network decide to bring in another breezy summer special. And oh boy, if I thought the results for the "50 Days" were bad, their search for "Titletown, USA" ended even worse. Of all the cities and towns across this country, they've announced Valdosta, GA as their choice for the crown. Second place is not better with Parkersburg, WV. You'd have to scroll to #5 before seeing a city with more than one professional sports team.

Valdosta, GA!?! Really!?! I've been there.... nothing about that place screamed sports, and definitely not this so-called "titletown". Many said choices like Los Angeles, Boston and New York were too obvious... because obvious is apparently bad. ESPN dropped another ball here, I wonder what special they'll come up with next for small towns to feel better about themselves. (ESPN)

My Number One Bracket

So I got two of the four finalists right for this year's NCAA Basketball Tournament. Even though I got Kansas in there, I was hoping that Davidson would pull off the upset this afternoon. History was also made in the process by having all four #1 seeds entering the Final Four weekend in San Antonio. Hmm... if I have take a stab it, I'm going with North Carolina winning it all. I think it's because I like me some Psycho-T. (ESPN)

My Duke Lost

Despite having them much deeper in the tournament, I am ecstatic that Duke and perhaps the most hated college basketball player, Greg Paulus, lost in the second round this afternoon. Now Paulus can take the off season to practice his acting skills to perfect that "flop". (ESPN)

My 2008 Baseball Predictions

I bleed baseball... along with films, boardgames, tennis, awards... and so on. So as the new baseball season is upon us, I'm obligated once again to give my 2 cents. And once again, many stories emerged before the season even begins. Can the Red Sox repeat as champions despite their early injuries? Can the Mets come back from last year's disastrous late season collapse? Can the Yankee play a graceful final season at Yankee Stadium despite all the steroids controversies? We'll find out, but until then... here is my outlook. 

American League:

1. Boston Red Sox (AL East Champions)

2. Detroit Tigers (AL Central Champions)

3. Los Angeles Angels (AL West Champions)

4. New York Yankees (AL Wild Card)

ALDS: Boston over Los Angeles, New York over Detroit

ALCS: Boston over New York

- Joe Girardi will give a new jolt to the Red Sox/Yankees rivalry, but I think Boston will ultimately power over the Yanks.

National League:

1. New York Mets (NL East Champions)

2. St. Louis Cardinals (NL Central Champions)

3. Arizona Diamondbacks (NL West Champions)

4. Philadelphia Phillies (NL Wild Card)

NLDS: New York over Arizona, Philadelphia over St. Louis

NLCS: New York over Philadelphia

- The Mets made the best off-season moves. They should handle it easy, if they don't collapse again.

World Series: New York Mets over Boston Red Sox