Having just recently returned from the first "real" vacation that I've taken in far too long, I've been playing a bit of catch-up. Something that I finally got to read was this interview with Brian Dunseth. I thought that it was a good exchange and Dunseth did a pretty good job of walking the tight rope of answering questions truthfully without shoving someone down the stairs. MLS is a relatively small world and it probably does him no good to set fire to some bridges.
As many of you might know, Dunseth is a true Sirk Notebook Hall of Famer. Sirk always told me that Dunseth was a good guy, a straight shooter, and just a fun guy with whom to talk and joke. I got my opportunity to hang out with Dunseth in 2004 at MLS Cup when Sirk, Fiddy Cent, and I went to Los Angeles to watch "the Eastern Conference Champions take on the Western Conference Champions." We met up with Dunseth before the game and then grabbed some dinner with Dunseth and others at the beach after the game.
Unlike a lot of Crew supporters, it seems, I don't really talk to many Crew players. I doubt that I've talked to more than five of them ever; it's just not my thing. I don't go to the stadium club after the game, I don't go to a lot of functions, so I don't have many opportunities to talk to these players. Hanging out with Dunseth after MLS Cup 2004 represented my first opportunity, really, to talk at length with an MLS player. It was fun, entertaining, and, frankly, rather enlightening for me. It really put into focus for me the fact that these guys are people, too.
Dunseth noted how a lot of people - players, their families, their friends - read message boards and the like, seeing both the good and the bad that people write about them. I made a couple of cracks about some players, players that Dunseth knew, and while he would chuckle he'd also point out some things about them - how nice they might be, how they could be counted on to always help out, how they might have stuck together when playing in a foreign country. He also would point out that it was disappointing at times, seemingly moreso for the players' families, to see guys absolutely "housed" on message boards, shredded beyond belief.
I don't think that I ever really completely shredded anybody, though I can be a dick so I'm sure that I made my fair share of posts that probably went beyond the player's on-field performance (or lack thereof...). And while I have no problem with those who might be a bit more aggressive in their posts and comments (especially those who while aggressive are knowledgable), I decided after talking to Dunseth that I would really try to focus my opinions on a player's performance and try to temper my comments, remembering that I don't know these guys personally so there's no point in attacking them on that level. I know that's not for everyone, but after hanging out with Dunseth I realized that it was for me.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
The chicken or the egg?
Hopefully I'll write a bit more tomorrow, but after the last two games I have to ask the following: Is Eddie Gaven disappearing for long stretches because the Crew have played so one-sided or have the Crew played so one-sided because Eddie Gaven is disappearing for long stretches?
Too early for a statement?
We're only three games into the Crew's 2008 season, but I think tonight's game away to DC United is the perfect opportunity for the Crew to make a statement. A loss won't guarantee a fourth consecutive year of getting a head-start on fall chores just as a win won't guarantee a trip to MLS's rather inclusive post season. However, I believe a Crew victory would do a lot for the team, both in the standings and in its collective head.
The Crew's 2-0 start at Crew Stadium is the first time since hanging their shingle at the I-71 bend that the team has won its first two home games of the season. Sandwiched between the Crew's two victories is a 2-0 loss away to New York which, despite being disappointing, isn't panic-inducing when one considers that home teams are 13-4-4 so far in 2008. However, such a strong composite home record shouldn't give false hope. If the Crew are to make the playoffs, points on the road are key.
Organizations and franchises seem to fall into routines, both winning and losing. Losers continually find ways to lose. Sure, they might sneak up and win a title of some sort - like a division - or earn a postseason slot but given an opportunity they're likely to fall back into losing ways. The Cincinnati Bengals are a perfect example. Despite a rather bright future, the team appears to have slippled back into the Bungles mode. It's a difficult cycle and habit to break.
The Crew have an opportunity to make a statement tonight. Sure, it's only one game, the season's fourth at that. Yes, a loss won't automatically doom the Crew to an entire season of looking up from the bottom of the table. But now is the time. An away victory, in a stadium that's been far from a generous host to Columbus, on national television would do wonders for this team. It would help vault them in the standings, it would deprive DC of home points, and it might show the rest of the league that things could be changing in Columbus. Perhaps more important, however, is that it would show the TEAM that things are changing. And in the end, we could look back at this game as a turning point of sorts, a point where everything clicked and the 2008 Crew helped beat back the ghosts of 2005, 2006, and 2007, all without Jennifer Love Hewitt's help.
The Crew's 2-0 start at Crew Stadium is the first time since hanging their shingle at the I-71 bend that the team has won its first two home games of the season. Sandwiched between the Crew's two victories is a 2-0 loss away to New York which, despite being disappointing, isn't panic-inducing when one considers that home teams are 13-4-4 so far in 2008. However, such a strong composite home record shouldn't give false hope. If the Crew are to make the playoffs, points on the road are key.
Organizations and franchises seem to fall into routines, both winning and losing. Losers continually find ways to lose. Sure, they might sneak up and win a title of some sort - like a division - or earn a postseason slot but given an opportunity they're likely to fall back into losing ways. The Cincinnati Bengals are a perfect example. Despite a rather bright future, the team appears to have slippled back into the Bungles mode. It's a difficult cycle and habit to break.
The Crew have an opportunity to make a statement tonight. Sure, it's only one game, the season's fourth at that. Yes, a loss won't automatically doom the Crew to an entire season of looking up from the bottom of the table. But now is the time. An away victory, in a stadium that's been far from a generous host to Columbus, on national television would do wonders for this team. It would help vault them in the standings, it would deprive DC of home points, and it might show the rest of the league that things could be changing in Columbus. Perhaps more important, however, is that it would show the TEAM that things are changing. And in the end, we could look back at this game as a turning point of sorts, a point where everything clicked and the 2008 Crew helped beat back the ghosts of 2005, 2006, and 2007, all without Jennifer Love Hewitt's help.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Danny O'Rourke is selfish
Lost in all of last night's seven goals is the fact that Danny O'Rourke is one selfish individual. In each of the Crew's first two games, O'Rourke was called for fouls inside the Crew penalty area that, because of Will Hesmer's heroics, didn't penalize the Crew on the big tote board. However, last night O'Rourke failed to take anyone down inside his own penalty area, thus depriving Hesmer of an opportunity to make it 3-3 in penalty saves.
Until this team gets its act together in the chemistry department, and stops playing selfishly, they are not going anywhere. Mark it down.
Until this team gets its act together in the chemistry department, and stops playing selfishly, they are not going anywhere. Mark it down.
Sometimes chores aren't too bad
I have to admit, I was almost looking for legitimate reasons to not attend last night's Crew-Chivas game. It was already a long day with a personal commitment in the morning and a game that I reffed at 1:00. Looking at the forecast, I wasn't exactly filled with joy. And with how poorly the Crew have played over the last three seasons, attending the game was looking more like a chore than something fun.
In the end, I guess everything worked out about as well as could be hoped. The 4-3 win was, as best I can remember, about the most exciting game that I've seen at Crew Stadium in years. The rain never really opened up, thank goodness, because coupled with the cold that would have sucked, and not in the good way.
The lesson that everyone needs to take from this game is that yes, I am an idiot. I have a decent track record of successfully predicting positive outcomes for my teams. For example, last summer I was at a Reds-Pirates game in Pittsburgh. Sirk was there, too, but we weren't sitting together. As the game entered extra innings I called Sirk to tell him that they were plenty of open seats around us, so he should come down right after Adam Dunn goes yard. A few pitches later, Dunn hits an HR and Sirk wanders down a couple of minutes later.
Last night, though, my game was off. Perhaps it's because of the Crew's struggles over the years, but for whatever reason I was terrible last night. It started with the Crew's second goal. As Guillermo Barros Schelotto "raced" toward goal, and the Chivas defenders closed in, I said aloud that there's no way we were scoring in this situation. I hadn't anticipated Schelotto finding a "streaking" Alejandro Moreno; I just assumed Schelotto would get dispossessed.
On the fourth goal, I thought the Crew played the more difficult ball by switching completely across the field to Robbie Rogers (from Danny O'Rourke, I think). It looked to me that playing the ball on the floor to Gino Padula, while still switching the field, was the smarter play because it wasn't as ambitious and would maintain possession. Little did I know that O'Rourke's ball would somehow get over the defender's head, allowing Rogers to eventually make Brad Guzan look terrible.
So there you go: 0-2, and I look like an idiot. Not as idiotic as Prince Fielder with his ridiculous clown pants, but still pretty bad. However, walking out of Crew Stadium reveling in what was instead of lamenting what should have been, an all-too-common experience lately, makes up for everything.
In the end, I guess everything worked out about as well as could be hoped. The 4-3 win was, as best I can remember, about the most exciting game that I've seen at Crew Stadium in years. The rain never really opened up, thank goodness, because coupled with the cold that would have sucked, and not in the good way.
The lesson that everyone needs to take from this game is that yes, I am an idiot. I have a decent track record of successfully predicting positive outcomes for my teams. For example, last summer I was at a Reds-Pirates game in Pittsburgh. Sirk was there, too, but we weren't sitting together. As the game entered extra innings I called Sirk to tell him that they were plenty of open seats around us, so he should come down right after Adam Dunn goes yard. A few pitches later, Dunn hits an HR and Sirk wanders down a couple of minutes later.
Last night, though, my game was off. Perhaps it's because of the Crew's struggles over the years, but for whatever reason I was terrible last night. It started with the Crew's second goal. As Guillermo Barros Schelotto "raced" toward goal, and the Chivas defenders closed in, I said aloud that there's no way we were scoring in this situation. I hadn't anticipated Schelotto finding a "streaking" Alejandro Moreno; I just assumed Schelotto would get dispossessed.
On the fourth goal, I thought the Crew played the more difficult ball by switching completely across the field to Robbie Rogers (from Danny O'Rourke, I think). It looked to me that playing the ball on the floor to Gino Padula, while still switching the field, was the smarter play because it wasn't as ambitious and would maintain possession. Little did I know that O'Rourke's ball would somehow get over the defender's head, allowing Rogers to eventually make Brad Guzan look terrible.
So there you go: 0-2, and I look like an idiot. Not as idiotic as Prince Fielder with his ridiculous clown pants, but still pretty bad. However, walking out of Crew Stadium reveling in what was instead of lamenting what should have been, an all-too-common experience lately, makes up for everything.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Max Bretos is an NBC employee
I'm not sure why I never realized it before, but within one minute of hearing Max Bretos on tonight's Fox Soccer Channel broadcast my wife finally called it: Max Bretos is one of the characters from this Saturday Night Live skit starring Jimmy Smits. I'm not sure where that puts Christian Miles, though.
Sadly enough, I think this revelation pipped Will Hemser's second penalty save in as many matches as my Crew highlight of the evening.
Sadly enough, I think this revelation pipped Will Hemser's second penalty save in as many matches as my Crew highlight of the evening.
The Los Angeles Galaxy confuse me
I have to admit that Los Angeles confuses me. On one hand it entertains me to watch them struggle not only on the field, as they struggled in their opener against Colorado, but just in their attempt to put together something that resembles a professional roster. With so much salary cap space committed to David Beckham, Fivehead Donovan, and Carlos Ruiz it seems as if Los Angeles is forced to fill the remainder of the roster with players who need to hone their baked goods skills in order to complement their MLS development salary. It feels as if I truly need a scorecard to watch Los Angeles play because without one, the other eight players on the field might end up being just some guys running around with numbers on their backs without one.
And who can forget Alexi Lalas, the odds-on favorite for becoming MLS's first general manager ace, responsible for five confirmed club kills. He's Forrest Gump's box of chocolates as you never know what to expect from Lalas. At one point Keith Olbermann was smashing his guitar in ESPN commercials, but now Lalas is responsible for MLS's most-recognized team and its most recognized player.
However, while it's fun to laugh at Los Angeles [Crew fans have to find joy somewhere...], I can't help but root for them, it seems. Except for when they play Columbus, I find myself pulling for Los Angeles each time I see them on TV. He might be a total clown, but Beckham seems like a nice enough guy and I feel as if a lot of MLS's future rests with him. His first MLS goal was a topic on two ESPN shows on Friday, Pardon the Interruption and Around the Horn. Beckham's presence appears to have brought MLS into sharper focus both domestically and abroad, and while in sharper view I'd rather not see people watching highlights of a team that looks like it arrived at the game in one small, backfiring car.
Dang it, Los Angeles. I like my sports world black-and-white!
And who can forget Alexi Lalas, the odds-on favorite for becoming MLS's first general manager ace, responsible for five confirmed club kills. He's Forrest Gump's box of chocolates as you never know what to expect from Lalas. At one point Keith Olbermann was smashing his guitar in ESPN commercials, but now Lalas is responsible for MLS's most-recognized team and its most recognized player.
However, while it's fun to laugh at Los Angeles [Crew fans have to find joy somewhere...], I can't help but root for them, it seems. Except for when they play Columbus, I find myself pulling for Los Angeles each time I see them on TV. He might be a total clown, but Beckham seems like a nice enough guy and I feel as if a lot of MLS's future rests with him. His first MLS goal was a topic on two ESPN shows on Friday, Pardon the Interruption and Around the Horn. Beckham's presence appears to have brought MLS into sharper focus both domestically and abroad, and while in sharper view I'd rather not see people watching highlights of a team that looks like it arrived at the game in one small, backfiring car.
Dang it, Los Angeles. I like my sports world black-and-white!
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