With all these questions....

Is all the playoff hype warranted?

[John McClain, Chron.com]

If you're like me, you've got a lot of questions about the team going into Gary Kubiak's fourth season as its coach. For instance, will they have their first winning record? Will it be good enough to make the playoffs for the first time? Will they play better on the road? Will they play better in the AFC South? Will they improve their red-zone problems on both sides of the ball?



Now, let's break down the team and start with the rookies: Will first-round pick Brian Cushing sign on time, and what kind of impact will he make on the front seven? Will second-round pick Connor Barwin contribute off the bench to the pass rush despite playing defensive end only one year in college?

Will third-round pick Antoine Caldwell make enough progress to compete for a starting job at some point this season at center or guard?

How fast will fourth-round pick Glover Quin and sixth-round pick Brice McCain develop in the absence of the team's best cornerback, Dunta Robinson? How much of a contribution will fourth-round pick Anthony Hill and fifth-round pick James Casey make as a blocker and receiver? Will Casey develop fast enough to earn playing time?

Local experts and pundits are already beating the playoff drum for this team and while there's plenty of evidence that makes this a possibility (the projected decline of the Colts and the Titans, the teams good play in the second half of last season) there's also plenty of reasons to question whether or not they can get over the hump. (Schaub's fragile frame, scoring in the red zone, can the defensive backfield shut anyone down)

I'm looking forward to this NFL season for two reasons:

1. The Chron's coverage of the Texans is full of hilarious bi-polar writing. Both Justice and McClain are rapturous after wins and despondent (or, in the case of Justice, angry to a point that he loses his professionalism) after losses. I haven't gone through the Texans' schedule with a fine-toothed comb yet, but I'm guessing there will be opportunities for both. It makes for entertaining reading (and blogging)

2. The 49'ers have Mike Singletary back as Head Coach, this time for a full season. Now...if they can just find and offense to go with their improving, young defense they have a good chance at making a playoff run in the weak NFC West.

Until then, here's a great commercial from Versus hyping (in part) their upcoming College Football coverage that's sure to get you in the mood for sports in some manner. My house goes silent every time this comes on.

I'm sorry Erin.

You see, it's not all guys who are jerks, just some of them. Unfortunately the "sportz FAN" male is held up as the stereotype for all of us, and that's not fair. Not that this is any comfort to you I understand. Because some idiots decided they had a Divine rights to view the naked body of any woman they choose you're now subjected to a life of looking over your shoulder at every turn and stuffing wash-cloths in the key-holes and in the crack of the door. In short, your life has been ruined, all because you decided to become a reporter for a "man's" game.

In England they have a saying: "Football is a gentleman's game played by hooligans, and Rugby is a hooligan's game played by Gentlemen." That's a pretty good description of the two sports over there, but in America we might say it differently.

"Football is a man's game watched, in large part, by mental infants."

It's those infants, the type of men who think the pinnacle of culture is belching out the Battle Hymn of the Republic after chugging 3 beers, that sort of ruin the sport for the rest of us. They're the reason we have to put up with the "all men cheat" rantings from raving feminists who's idea of utopia is the corralling of all heterosexual males into sperm farms where they can be cattle-prodded into submission every day. It's an ancient idea of masculinaty that's as out of place in today's culture as a dinner jacket would be in pre-historic times. Back when Uga the Mok was challenging you for breeding rights, conking a she-ra on the head, taking her back to the cave and giving her the business may have seemed like a good idea. In today's society unfortunately, that'd still earn you the admiration of the 80's Fraternity set.

I'm not sure who's argument to be more amazed with, 1560 the Game's Shawn and John who said on-air that Erin should "embrace" having her privacy violated and being stalked, or the argument of Bob Norman* from the Broward Sun subtly hinting that Erin's looks sort-of justify it in an odd sort of way. How dare you be attractive and NOT show us your breasts Erin?

What's lost in all of this is that Ms. Andrews is a damn good sideline reporter. She's savvy enough about Football that she understands the game and is capable of asking coaches questions that run deeper than the old Susie Kolber stand-by: "How do you feel?" Losing Andrews on the side-line because of this would set in-game reporting BACK a long way.

Unfortunately, because of this, Erin is going to have to develop a thick outer skin in order to keep her career on track. She's going to be cat-called by drunk boys who downloaded her video before it was removed, she's going to wonder what's behind the lecherous stares that she's getting at every game. Every time she interviews a player "Has he seen the video?" will be in the back of her head. I hope they catch the guys that did this and let her kick them in the balls repeatedly. It's probably a small target but I'm guessing she'll manage.

Sorry Erin, some guys just have a long way to go. Don't hold it against all of us please?

Tour de France 2009

OK, after Stage 15, and heading into the 2nd rest day...


Can we finally admit that Armstrong isn't going to do it this year?

Kthxbai

Le Tour

In case you missed it over the weekend (and, this being America, you probably did) Saturday marked the beginning of the 2009 Tour de France the most spectacular, ridiculous bicycle race in the World.

And I use ridiculous in a good way. Because the Tour itself is a insane test of physical and mental stamina. For the uninitiated, the start of the Tour is typcially contested over a series of flat stages. To man these are rather pedestrian, but they often lead up to one of the more exciting moments in International sport, the sprint finish. Typically this is a time when the Americans take a back seat, and watch men like Thor Hushovd, Tom Boonen go at it for the win. Recently however that has changed, with riders such as Mark Cavendish of the Isle of Man riding for American team Columbia-HTC and young American sprinter Tyler Farrar riding for Team Garmin-Slipstream. Cavendish is possibly the best sprinter on the road today.

In the General Classification things have been made even more interesting by the return from retirement of one Lance Armstrong, currently placed 10th in the General Classification. (what we would call the overall standings) While my pick to win the Overall is Armstrong's Astana teammate Alberto Contador, their are four GC contenders from that team alone. (American Levi Leipheimer and German Andres Kloden being the other two Astana riders currently in the top ten of the GC)

Soon the mountains come, first the Pyranees followed by the French Alps. Then the ride into Paris.


I can't wait.

Boy did I get that one wrong.

First off, congratulations to the US Soccer team for their improbable run in the FIFA Confederations Cup. Not only did the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team trounce out-manned Egypt 3-0, but they also took advantage of the Brazilians' 3-0 statement defeat of the Arruzzi to vault themselves into the Semi-finals of the Tournament.

It was there, despite the on-going run of luck, that I assumed the ride was over. The opponent was #1 ranked Spain* who was unbeaten since 2006 against Non-European competition, who was the winner of Euro 2008 and who was enjoying a renaissance of late as a World Top Team.

Wrong. The U.S. Men dominated Spain 2-0 for a half, and then rode the stand-on-your-head brilliance of Tim Howard to preserve the shut-out and the win.

The Finals presented a familiar challenge. Brazil, the team that beat the U.S. 3-0 and led to my posting that the US team was done, thanks for playing, take your parting gifts and South African Sun-tans head back to your minor league soccer franchises and prepare for our quadrennial drubbing in 2010.

But the US team surprised me, playing spirited offensive football and, for a half, beating the Brazilians at their own game. Yes, in the second half the sheer talent and offensive brilliance of Samba Soccer proved too much to overcome. Eventually even the best of goalies wither under an onslaught of shots. That being said, the US has a lot to be proud of today, our National soccer team stood up to the World's elite, and they held their own.**


Congratulations to them.



*Proving, once and for all, that FIFA world rankings are bunk.

**There should be some debate, going forward, as to the reasoning behind the US' recent ascension. I'll weigh in on that soon. (Hint: It isn't Minor League Soccer) Ironically the very same establishment that's stifling creativity could be in-part responsible for helping the US to improve.

The Report you're not seeing in Houston (Updated)

Yao could be out for season, if not even longer.

[Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! sports]

As the NBA draft approached, the grim truth about Yao Ming’s(notes) broken left foot hung like an anvil over the Houston Rockets. The fear isn’t that he’s just lost for next season, but longer.

The Rockets and Yao’s reps are frightened over his future, and the concern is the most base of all: Does Yao Ming ever play again?

“The realization has hit them that this is grave,” one NBA general manager said.


For now, the Rockets have privately told league peers it could be a full season before Yao might be able to return to basketball. Multiple league executives, officials close to Yao and two doctors with knowledge of the diagnoses are describing a troubling, re-fracture of his navicular bone. Three pins were inserted a year ago, but the foot cracked in the playoffs and isn’t healing.


“It sounds like he’s missing most of next season, if not the entire 82 games,” one league executive who has had recent discussions with the Houston front office told Yahoo! Sports. “That’s all that [the Rockets] will concede quietly, but they know it’s probably much worse.”

Houston general manager Daryl Morey refused comment on Monday and a team spokesman said the Rockets will not have further comment until Yao undergoes additional medical tests.

Contrast that to the Chron's coverage by Jonathan "tortured prose" Feigan:

Nearly seven weeks after the Rockets were shocked by the injury that ended Yao Ming’s season, they were as stunned Wednesday to find it has not healed.

A bone scan late Wednesday evening showed that the immobilization of Yao’s left foot has not healed the hairline fracture he suffered May 8 during the Rockets’ second-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers.

A statement released by the team said Yao and his doctors will consider other treatment options. Those could include anything from wearing a cast, rather than the walking boot used since the injury, to surgery.

“Yao is not experiencing any pain in his left foot. However, the results from the CT and bone scans we performed over the past two days indicate that the hairline fracture has not responded to the degree that we expected,” Rockets team physician Tom Clanton said in a statement. “We will review a variety of treatment options before proceeding.”

(snip)

Despite the injuries, Yao has remained central to the Rockets’ long-term plans and is considered untouchable when it comes to trades heading into tonight’s NBA draft.

“He is the cornerstone of the team,” Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said. “We’re trying to win here. We have an All-Star. We’re hoping Tracy (McGrady) can come back and play at an All-Star level like we know he is capable, but we’re dealing with uncertainty there. We’d like to get more All-Stars, not trade one away.”

Richard Justice danced around the issue but failed to mention what the Rockets are privately saying.

Namely, Yao Ming is out.....for a long time.




Instead of the company line from this town's sports scribes, or wink and nudge 'negative' columns designed to rile up the fan base while staying so outlandish so as not to offend the targets, it'd be nice to get a little bit of actual sports analysis and reporting on the big issues....

Say, like the severity of Yao Ming's foot injury. That'd be some reporting I'd like to see from the Chron. Because I love my family and would like to spend more time with them I'm not holding my breath.


UPDATE: Feigan files a report: Admits to being scooped by Yahoo! Sports.

Sad.

Brazil 3 US 0 (UPDATED)

It wasn't even that close.

There's no reason beating a dead horse, the US Men's Soccer team is a deeply flawed unit with a sub-par midfield and poor offensive play.

The end result is a 3-0 scuttling by Brazil that could have been a lot worse. There was once a faint hope that the establishment of a professional minor league would stimulate the "growth" of the game. What it's done is reveal to the rest of the world just how sub-par soccer in CONCACAF has become in relation to the rest of the World.

Pre-MLS most American National team players went across the pond and frittered about the Minors, where at least they were exposed to modern defensive schemes and midfield organization strategies. During the MLS era the US Midfield organization has gotten markedly worse, as has the defense, and we're still hopeless as a Country on offense.

Plus, now, when faced with an International, major-league, pace, the US can't keep up.

Brazil 3 US 0


Can't wait for the World Cup.


UPDATE: The Chron's story is here (linke from the AP).

Predictably, the commenters feel that firing the coach (Bradley) is the answer. I say predictably because the typical American soccer fan thinks much more highly of the US position in the world soccer firmament than reality would dictate. Anyone remember WC 2006? Because one commenter obviously doesn't. The US was terrible then and is just as bad now. The problem isn't coaching, it's talent and a system that's miles behind the rest of the world in both approach and theory.