Pound for Pound or Flavor of the Month?

We're in a time right now that has seen more dominance by champions than I can remember in the five or six years I've been following mixed martial arts. This is coming at a time that the sport is being put onto a bigger, more widespread, stage. It's gaining popularity at an alarming rate and snowballing into mainstream status, if it hasn't already reached that point.(That's a discussion for another time.) 

When discussions are brought up about the GOAT(Greatest of All Time) or even the best at the moment in any popular, mainstream sport, there are always a few names that top the list. It's maybe comparing apples to oranges, or even kiwis, but there's still a comparison to be made. Ask an avid NBA fan who the greatest of all time is and you'll likely hear two or three responses depending on what generation they're from: Michael, Magic, Bird, Wilt or Russell. Ask an NFL enthusiast and they'll likely come up with a short list of players: Rice, Unitas, Marino, Elway. 

Mixed martial arts is a bit different when it comes to similar discussions. It has to be taken into account that it is an individual sport, and that these top level martial artists only compete on an average of three times per year. Their performances seem to hold a lot more water than other team sports. Peyton Manning goes through a three game stretch where he throws 11 interceptions; everyone goes crazy saying he's washed up. Next week he comes back and throws two touchdown passes and over 300 yards, and everything is right with the world. It's not so easy for a mixed martial artist to regain his footing with fans and critics alike.

The main example of this might be in the WEC(now UFC), where saw Urijah Faber and Miguel Torres rose to prominence in their respective weight classes. Both climbed the pound for pound charts/discussions after they asserted their dominance fight after fight. Then all of the sudden Urijah Faber gets caught and he's suddenly fallen out of favor with fans. Miguel Torres gets caught and again discussions about him being exposed start to mount. Torres was widely considered the king of the Bantamweight division and rightly so, but after suffering only his second blemish in over 30 fights, he's somehow fallen out of favor amongst fans and critics alike. Suddenly his wild and aggressive style that was so beloved by fans is now the reason critics are dogging him. 

Fans and critics can be very fickle in sports, but seem to be even more so in the realm of combat sports; namely mixed martial arts. These fighters who fall out of the discussion, really have to work their way back up the list. 

It will be interesting to see what the discussions sound like in the next few years. Right now it seems like Jose Aldo, Georges St. Pierre, and Anderson Silva are unstoppable at the moment. If any of the three lose, will they drop off the lists in their respective weight classes? 


--Tim Herb

New Episode of Black and Blue!

Joseph and Tim talk the last week of NCAA Football and English Premier League. They also preview this upcoming weekend.

Goal of the Day! Courtesy of Hunter Wolfe

Another great find by my buddy Hunter Wolfe. Great split and finish, enjoy!

Ultimate Fight Night 22: Main Card

Tonight is going to be quite a time for UFC fans, because it's that time that comes usually about twice a year, when the organization puts on a free fight night card to precede the premier of an Ultimate Fighter season. Fight Night cards don't normally deliver a card of this magnitude, but tonight will break away from that norm with fireworks expecting to fly from bell to bell

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Cole Miller vs. Ross Pearson

The televised card gets started off with a bang as Ultimate Fighter winner Ross Pearson looks to build on the impressive start to his UFC career as he takes on fellow alum Cole Miller. This scrap has fight of the night written all over it.

Ross Pearson definitely has the weapons to deliver real knockout blow, pun intended, to Cole Miller, but will he be able to finish him? Miller, in his two UFC losses, has shown that he doesn't necessarily have the best "chin," getting knocked out by both Jeremy Stephens and Efrain Escudero. His saving grace with those two losses is the fact that both of those guys pack an extremely heavy punch, something that Pearson hasn't shown.

Ross is a very technical and crisp striker, which could also give Miller problems. For Pearson to win, he will need to keep it standing and maybe clinch with Miller and use his Muay Thai. He will need to be weary of Miller's range as well as his ground game. If Miller can get it to the ground, he could very easily submit the Brit. Fireworks...

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Jim Miller vs. Gleison Tibau

This next fight is going to be an absolute war of attrition. Both fighters possess nearly the same strengths in their ground attack, but possess dissimilar builds. Tibau, one of the bigger lightweights, is known for his ability to bully his opponents with his size. He will look to do this from the sound of the bell and take Jim Miller down. He possesses decent enough stand-up to stand with the New Jersey native, but will need to get it to the mat if he wants to finish this fight.

Think of Miller as a smaller Tibau, substituting some of the jiu-jitsu for wrestling. Miller has shown, like his brother, to be a very scrappy fighter that is game wherever the fight ends up. He has also shown quite a few holes in his stand-up when he fought Gray Maynard. Luckily for him this time around, he won't have near as bad of a time with Gleison's boxing. The key for him is to keep the fight on the feet, and try to keep Tibau at bay with his jab. If he does end up on the ground, he needs to use his wrestling to try to get up.

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Efrain Escudero vs. Charles Oliveira

This fight is going to be another size battle, as the much bigger, more powerful Escudero will look to impose his will using his brute strength and wrestling. He will need to be extremely cautious if he does decide to take the fight to the ground, because he is dealing with an absolute submission ace in Oliveira. Efrain has shown that he has good submission ability, but also showed a weakness in his defense during his fight and eventual submission loss to Evan Dunham. In his fight with Dunham, he was dealing with a much better and stronger wrestler than he will be against Charles Oliveira. He will need to just pick his shots and throw power punches while shrugging off takedown attempts.

If Oliveira can get this fight to the ground, he should be able to submit Efrain. It looks like his main means to get him down will be by pulling guard. He's a very lanky fighter, and that definitely plays into his advantage when trying to pull guard. Charles needs to stay weary of Efrain's power and avoid any looping punches, and maybe try to clinch with him against the cage. Submission seems to be the only way he beats Efrain, but his chances are pretty good.

Note: This fight will be at a catchweight of 159 pounds after Efrain failed to make weight.

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Nate Marquardt vs. Rousimar Palhares

Now for the main event. This is the kind of fight mentioned above, that just breaks the norm of what a Fight Night card usually produces. Both men are probably only two wins a piece away from a title shot. Marquardt is coming off a disappointing loss to Chael Sonnen where he seemed to have his eyes opened. Nate has gone back to the basics, saying he's training more with his ground game than he did prior to the Sonnen fight. He will need to be very weary of takedowns against Palhares, who is known for powerful slams. Nate looks to be the more well rounded fighter, and has a lot more weapons at his disposal than Palhares.

Rousimar's cardio has also been called into question on occasion. He will need all of that he can get against a machine like Marquardt. He has also shown that he doesn't have much in the way of stand-up. He's looked shaky on his feet against Jeremy Horn and Dan Henderson. His one way of winning this fight will be to wrap up one of Marquardt's legs and do what he's known best for. Otherwise, he will likely be battered by Nate.

Look for this one to go really only one way. Marquardt will use his wrestling and strength to ward off almost all, if not all of Palhares' takedown attempts and beat him up on the feet. He could also reverse the roles and take Rousimar down and work some ground and pound, which has been known to be effective when Palhares fought Dan Henderson. A nice win for Marquardt to cap off an exciting night of fights and to give way to a new crop of prospects to show their stuff on the Ultimate Fighter.

What to Take From Yesterday: Champion's League

After an explosive kick-off to the group stages of this year's Champion's League tournament, there are a few things that we can all take from what we saw yesterday. First and foremost, it's going to be a thrilling affair, with a lot of goals scored and possibly a lot of upsets.

The new Barcelona duo, pictured above, got off to a rocky start yesterday versus Panithinaikos when Sidney Govou sent them one goal down in the first half. But Barcelona, not to be outdone, put five on to board to route the Greek side. Villa had a goal, while Messi put in two, missed a penalty and assisted the last two from Pedro and Dani Alves. They looked a much better side than the one seen against newly promoted Hercules. They have a relatively easy group ahead of them, and should dominate it with ease, while the second spot still seems open despite FC Copenhagen's win over Russian champions Rubin Kazan.

Manchester United have yet to hit their stride, and it showed with yesterday's frustrating draw with Scottish foes Rangers. Their neighbors to the north held the Red Devils scoreless, while the Brits saw Antonio Valencia rushed to the hospital. The Ecuadorian's season is in question at the moment, which would be a huge blow to Manchester United. Sticking with this group, the favorites look to be Spanish side Valencia, after their crushing 4-0 victory over Turkish champions Bursaspor. The Spaniards lost arguably their two best players to the transfer market, but have yet to lose this season and will look to continue their form when they play Rangers and Manchester United.

Maybe the most interesting group right now is group a, which saw eight goals amassed by its four teams, all evenly distributed with two goals per side. Tottenham kicked things off against their German foes with an own goal by Petri Pasanen, soon followed up by a goal by target man Peter Crouch. Werder Bremen were not to be outdone as Hugo Almeida sent his team into the locker room only one goal down. The Germans stormed out of the locker room with a goal in the first two minutes of the second half scored by the little spark-plug Marko Marin.

The other game in group a saw Dutch champions FC Twente go down a goal quick to last season's treble winning Inter Milan side, after Duth international Wesley Sneijder put one in for the Italians in the 13th minute. The Dutch boys struck back and quick scoring a free kick in the nineteenth minute and causing an Inter Milan own goal by Diego Milito in the 30th. Samuel Eto'o capped off the thrilling first half with a goal in the 41st minute that saw the champions gain a much needed point and two crucial away goals.

Probably the least talked about group of yesterday's affairs was group c, that looks to be headed by the Portuguese Benfica and France's Lyon. Schalke's 2010 woes have continued after they suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Lyon. What was first ruled an own goal by Howedes was later awarded to the Brazilian full-back Michel Bastos. The aforementioned Howedes was later sent off after a "professional tackle" on Lyon's Jimmy Briand. It remains to be seen whether Schalke's offseason spending spree will pay off or not, and yesterday's result is not a good indication for the boys from Gelsenkirchen after Lyon controlled them. Portuguese champions Benfica also took control of the group after two well placed goals by Luisao and Paraguayan Oscar Cardozo.

An interesting set of results indeed, and they make way for another exciting day of soccer today as the other four groups start their Champion's League campaigns.

Kick-Off

Kick-off has started for half of the UEFA Champion's League field just seconds ago. I'm a little late to the punch, but here are a few big games today:

Schalke vs. Lyon - Schalke will try to put their Bundesliga woes behind them as they take on the perennial French powerhouse.

Tottenham vs. Werder Bremen - This game has second place written all over it.

Manchester United vs. Rangers - Will Rooney be able to silence critics?

Today will sure be interesting and will be certain to set the tone for this year's tournament.

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Goal of the Day! More Euro Qualfying

Starting the day off nicely with a beautifully taken chip by Fernando Torres during last week's game with Liechtenstein.

Goal of the Day! - Euro 2012 Qualifier Turkey vs. Kazakhstan

An absolutely amazing strike from Hamit Altintop of Turkey in their first Euro 2012 qualifier against Kazakhstan. Bravo!

Welcome Aboard Joseph Champey!

Joseph Champey, also of Six Days a Week has joined the Black and Blue team as a contributing writer. He'll be adding his two cents, as it were, to the sports news. He's a long time friend, and also my co-host for the Black and Blue Podcast. He will be writing mainly editorials about recent events.

Joe has contributed with his thoughts on Boise State!

Check it out here! Link

When Does Forgiveness Become Cliche?

A second chance. It's something that a lot of troubled athletes have muttered into a journalist's microphone over the years, though it seems more prevalent as of late. Whether it's nature, nurture, the pressure of the limelight, or just plain stupidity, professional athletes seem to break down sooner or later, and due to their public exposure, it's made out to be a lot worse than it sometimes is. This isn't true, of course, in serious legal cases involving murder, drugs, etc., a subject touched on in one of the first Black and Blue entries.

So when does forgiveness become cliche? Commissioners, presidents, and general managers of organizations seem to have temperamental memories. Some hold grudges, or so it seems, and some are very lenient in following their initial rulings of ineligibility and fines. For instance, David Stern, stuck to his namesake after the "Malice at the Palace," when he banned Ron Artest an entire season for his actions in the brawl. He's normally one of the more strict bosses in professional sports, along with Roger Goodell. Goodell though, has been known to have a soft spot, reinstating Michael Vick after his initial ban from the NFL after "good behavior," but suspending players like Adam Jones, despite no charges sticking.

So enough rambling, the subject was brought out by a recent reinstatement of former, and now re-signed UFC welterweight Karo Parisyan. The 28 year old Armenian Judoka was released from the UFC and damned by the hands of Dana White via Twitter, after pulling out of his second fight in a year within two days of the fight. Last week, news came through multiple MMA news outfits, that Dana White and Karo had made amends, and following his July victory over Ben Mortimer at Impact FC 1, signed a new three-fight deal with the UFC. So after White's tweet:

"Karo Parisyan has (expletive) over the UFC, the fans and his opponent again!!! He will not be fighting saturday or ever again in the UFC!!"

He has allowed the talented, yet troubled fighter back into the UFC to face Dennis Hallman at UFC 123 in Detroit.

It's not as if the UFC welterweight division was in shambles, nor does a fighter of Parisyan's caliber really spice up the pot. So a president who wears his heart on his sleeve, with his emotions sewn into said sleeve has gone back on his normally "iron-clad" word. In previous instances he has held complete grudges over fighters like Matt Lindland over much less, like sponsorship disputes. What happened to his ban? Did he swallow his pride? Did he see something that the MMA viewership didn't? Is Karo dedicated and off of pain killers?

So it just begs the question, at what point are powerful figures in sports finally driven to go back on their decisions? Will the public accept their new stance? There doesn't seem to be a general consensus amongst MMA fans with White's decision to allow Parisyan back into the UFC. A lot of fans are skeptical of his dedication to the sport and professionalism, while others are excited to see him compete again at the highest level.

A new poll has been posted on the side bar asking about your thoughts. Vote!

Upon Request

Last Night the Broncos of Boise State traveled to a "neutral sight" to play the Hokies from Virginia Tech at FedEx Stadium which is in Maryland, which neighbors Virginia... Boise State got off to an early lead of 17-0 when VA Tech bounced back and made a game of it. Boise State ended the match in victory for what will likely be one of the best games of the football season. It had a little bit of everything in and was entertaining all the way around. Post-game, a number of my friends made various comments about hating Boise State and how they didn't respect them because they play in an easy conference.

The question that arises with me is what constitutes a "good conference." Putting bias aside I am an SEC fan. I believe as a whole the top of the SEC is stronger than the top of any other conference. Likewise the bottom is a bit stronger than most other groups' low points. But nevertheless, not all talent, or worthy competition stems from this conference. The Big 12, Pac 10, Big 10, ACC are all very competitive divisions. The Big East may be one of the most competitive conferences in the NCAA, but the teams at the top aren't as prolific as Alabama, which pains me to say is leaps and bounds better than the rest of the field. Of course that's speculation and I have nothing to defend that with.

But apparently, because the WAC is so terrible, Boise State is undeserving of a National Championship bid according to an innumerable amount of my friends. If that's the case, why are teams in the Big East in a "BCS Conference"? The Big East had a handful of good years, usually with West Virginia at the helm, but haven't produced much in the most recent of years.

Boise State is an underdog. They beat a highly esteemed team who usually comes into a season highly overrated, and usually loses 3 games or more on blunders and having a Vick at the helm. But nevertheless looks more like a legit team than I would've picked at this point in the season.

I always thought the "Cinderella Story" was something great in this country. We all wanted to see the 14th seed George Mason make it to the championship of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship in 2006. In the same context, George Mason shouldn't get a bid to the big dance simply because they play in a weak conference.

After about 4 years of the Cinderella Story, I guess it wears off. But it still doesn't make sense for everyone to hate the underdog so much. They have flash and bang and pop all a bit of snide undertone from their blue field, their swagger, and their unwillingness to part with their blue jerseys at home. It's a bit arrogant. Or a bit strategic, you can pick.

But based on argument's sake, no team outside the major conferences should be allowed to be rank, nor play of bowl games, nor in basketball be allowed to participate in the Madness of March.

That seems a little more unfair than letting a computer decide the fate of a consistent powerhouse.

LSU has close games against mediocre opponents, this past weekend Utah State (WAC) was 7 points from beating Oklahoma. That's apparently not the same caliber as BSU beating VT on a "neutral site" that was anything but neutral.

I suppose this is a matter of opinion, but I really have a sour taste for the hatred of the Cinderella Story who continues to win and does not have blunders against mediocre teams. Boise State will likely coast through their conference into a 2 or 3 seeding and lose the opportunity because a computer picks their final destination. Most SEC teams struggle against mediocre opponents, most other schools do too. It's hard to not slip up here and there, but Boise State doesn't. They have 3 undefeated seasons in their last 5. Consistency deserves reward. Maybe they do have a soft scedule, but beating the lesser opponents by a comfortable margin.

Respect is apparently more earned from playing in a "good conference" than it is from beating the teams that win those conferences.

Giving You Guys What You Want

Looks like, after looking through the pageviews, that the most viewed articles are the UFC fight breakdowns. With next Wednesday's Ultimate Fight Night, be sure to check out the breakdowns throughout the next week!

New Episode of Black and Blue! NCAA Recap and NFL Preview

Joseph and Tim recap this weekend's college football action with the top 25, and delve into the opening week of NFL. They also make a few enemies along the way, listen and find out how!

Black and Blue: EPL Recap and NCAA Talk

Joseph and Tim talk about the last week of premier league action, and give their thoughts on each team, as well as the transfer deadline deals. They also talk about the NCAA opening week.

Goal of the Day! New Addition Aliaskandr Hleb

For those Birmingham fans out there, you guys really got a steal today when you got Aliaksandr Hleb on loan from Barcelona. Many have called him a bust, but he hasn't been given ample opportunity at Camp Nou. Enjoy!

A Hint of Disappointment for USA Soccer Fans

A lot of US soccer fans were champing at the bit when they were hearing the rumblings of Jurgen Klinsmann's possible takeover of the National Team squad. Those fans are bound to be disappointed by today's news that Bob Bradley has signed a four-year contract extension with the US National Team amidst talks that he was raring to takeover the Aston Villa post.

Bradley took over after the disappointing 2006 campaign under Bruce Arena. Bradley quickly impressed as the interim coach before being given the reins. This summer, he took the US to the knockout stages for the first time since 2002, with yet another exit at the hands of the West African Ghanaian Black Stars.

His campaign at the 2010 World Cup resulted in mixed reviews amongst fans. Fans were ecstatic to see the team make it past the group stages after the embarrassment that was 2006, but some couldn't help but feel disappointed at the prospects that were laid in front of them. They got the best draw possible when they dodged Joachim Lowe's Germany team in the second round, and faced a team that didn't look all to impressive in their group stage efforts.

He struggled to find the right line-up throughout their stint in South Africa, constantly changing one of the forwards and one of the midfielders. The team hit a great rhythm though when he did find the right team, usually with Benny Feilhaber and Maurice Edu in the squad, but it was too little too late in most games.

So Bradley impressed and disappointed, a bittersweet result to some, but was a four year extension warranted? Will he be on a short leash? It doesn't seem as if he will be, with such a lengthy extension. There is a lot of good youth in the United States that Bradley MUST tap in the next four years to give them a shot in Brazil. If he continues to stick with his veteran players, some of whom continue to disappoint, he won't be so lucky as to keep his spot.

Link to the ESPN Story

Not So Feel Good Comeback Story

Years after his brushes with the law, Maurice Clarett seems poised to make his professional football comeback. He's signed a one year deal with the UFL's Omaha Nighthawks. He said he's "humbled" by the opportunity and has dedicated himself to the game again.

This all comes after Clarett was one of the most promising running back prospects the NCAA has produced in some time, so much so that he fought the NFL's strict age/education limits to enter the draft. So a failed case, a failed stint with the Denver Broncos, and three and a half years in jail have brought him to the UFL.

If he has even 50% of the talent he displayed while at Ohio State, he would be an asset to any team, whether it's a primary back role in the UFL or a third-down back for a lower-tier NFL team. This however, remains to be seen, and will continue to be so until he really has laid his demons to rest and actually dedicates himself to the game. He's going to have a lot of people keeping an eagle's eye on him and critiquing his every move. Just think the Ricky Williams saga, but maybe even more intense.(especially if he makes it back into the NFL)

Link to the ESPN Story

Manny Being...Who Else, but Manny?

He's arguably the greatest pure hitter of our generation, and one of the greatest of all time. He's far from his prime now, but he's still rather effective regardless of how old or slow he's gotten. It looks as if he's finally accepted a waiver move to the Chicago White Sox, who give him a legitimate shot at making the playoffs; something he wasn't getting when he was in Los Angeles.

Manny also seems to be a player that thrives when he changes scenery. He was perennially a 30+ home run 120+ rbi player during his years in Cleveland and Boston. Even when he switched over to Los Angeles, he seemed unstoppable in getting the Dodgers to the playoffs. He could flourish in a designated hitter position with the White Sox, not having to play defense. He should add some protection to Paul Konerko and Carlos Quentin in the line-up.

He's always been sort of a joke on defense, but as mentioned before his hitting really needs no introduction. He's a first ballot hall of famer, and deserves all the credit in the world, despite the controversy with the testosterone renewing drugs he tested positive for. He will add a spark to the Chicago White Sox and could propel them into a wild card spot, though unlikely, with the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees almost assured the East/Wild Card spots. It will be interesting to see how he fits in when he gets to Chicago though.

Link to ESPN Story

Goal of the Day!

Goal of the day, brought to you courtesy of Liverpool's newest addition, Raul Meireles. And you might say, Tim, does this have anything to do with you being a Liverpool fan, and I would say, absolutely 100%. :D

Black and Blue: NCAA Football Preview and Champion's League Draw Recap

Joseph and Tim discuss the NCAA football season and preview the top ten teams in the nation. The season kicks on next Thursday! They also discuss today's Champion's League draw and go through each group and give their predictions on who gets to the knockout rounds.

Preseason Too Hard-Hitting?

To touch more on the injuries going on in the preseason, it brings up an issue of longevity. It seems like for the past five or ten years, the preseason, as mentioned below, has produced some really unfortunate injuries for players of all levels. It's not often that you go through a week leading up to the NFL season that you don't hear about someone having their season ended, or someone ending up on the PUP(Physically Unable to Perform) list.

It always seems sad to see first day draft picks getting injured, and sometimes having their seasons ended. This year has been no exception. Take a look at Montario Hardesty, Derrick Morgan, as mentioned earlier, Sidney Rice and Ben Tate, and even Broncos rookie sensation Tim Tebow.

Another question that is raised, thanks in part to Chad Ochocinco's in-game tweet from a few nights ago, is "should players be hitting so hard in a preseason game?" In a collision sport like Football, it seems almost logical in an exhibition game to coast at least a little bit. There have even been reports from Falcons camp that the scrimmages they held against the Patriots and Jaguars were getting chippy due to hard hits, scrimmages...not even preseason games. NFL players coast like crazy when they're playing in the Pro-Bowl because they don't want to get hurt, so why would they want to get hurt in games that mean even less?

For consideration there's a new poll on the side of the blog, vote on it please, and comment!

Preseason Injury Woes

It seems like every year, there's one or two high profile players that go down in the preseason and really shake things up for the teams involve. This year so far it's been Sidney Rice, who had been suffering from a hip injury for months now, had surgery this week to repair it. He will miss up to half the season recovering, but good news for Vikings fans is that he's already rehabbing, having rode the exercise bike with help shortly after his surgery.

This will be a big blow for the team, as they will have to rely heavily on unproven talent to help fill the void of Rice as well as possibly Harvin as he tries to recover from the slew of migraine headaches he's been suffering from. But they have brought in Javon Walker to perhaps carry some of the load.

Second round Texans draft pick Ben Tate, suffered a tibia injury and is likely to be shut down for the season. This will be a blow to Steve Slaton, who may struggle without some help to spell him on third downs this season. Matt Schaub may be forced to throw the ball more than originally planned.

For more on Sidney Rice's Injury check out ESPN.com

Black and Blue: EPL Week 2 Wrap-Up Show

Joseph and Tim discuss the recent results from the second week of the English Premier League season. They talk about who's hot, who's not, who they think is on the road to relegation and who is poised to hoist silverware in 2011.

Injury Blow for Arsenal

It seems as if more injury woes have befallen the Gunners, as their young roster continues to be depleted with the month long loss of Samir Nasri. He will have his knee operated on and will miss several games on his road to recovery.

This injury leaves Arsenal without another one of their young stars to play. During their Premier League opener, they were already without the likes of Fabregas, Bendtner, Song, Djourou, and Denilson.

It seems as if the Premier League title hopefuls won't be without most of these players for too long. Fabregas should be back soon, with Bendtner and Nasri having the longest layoffs, peaking at about a month.

If the North London side can stave off the pressure from opposing sides in the next few weeks, they should get healthy just in time to really make their push for the Barclays trophy.

Linkage

Favre Saga

It's about that time of year again. Summer is winding down, baseball is heating up, soccer season has begun and we are all forced to wonder where Brett Favre is going to end up. We already caught wind of some rumors a few weeks prior, but they were just that. Teammates, namely, Visanthe Schianco, claimed to have gotten texts from Favre saying he was retiring, but Ed Werder, as he normally does, got the real story...well if you insist on calling it that.

It's become a mainstay of our summers dating back several years now, and it's fueled by the media machine. It seems sometimes that the news anchors are getting tired of the stories, even running the risk of mocking their producers. Which begs the question, why do they keep running the story so much if even anchors are tired of it?

Today was kind of ridiculous. ESPN, amidst reports that Favre had landed in Minnesota to head to the team facility, decided to follow his car from the sky, in footage that was eerily similar to the OJ Simpson chase. It's hard not to show some sympathy for the man, because he has gotten his life documented step by step over the past few years. He has though played a somewhat inherent role in the chase however, with his "man that cried retirement" routine.

Signs all point to him announcing his decision one way or the other tomorrow. Early indications are, according to long time friend and Vikings Kicker Ryan Longwell, that he will he returning. We shall find out sooner rather than later, whether we care or not.

Goal of the Day!

Fantastic finish from a hard angle by Roman Pavlyuchenko. Helped close the aggregate gap going into the second leg next week vs Young Boys.

Goal of the Day!

New Episode of Black and Blue!

Anticipation

It's five till 3, and in a few hours the English Premier League season kicks off with a banger of a game as there are already Champion's League implications. At 7:45am est, newly overhauled Manchester City take on Harry Redknapp's Tottenham Hotspur in a game that is sure to produce some fireworks.

It's been a while since I've really written, but with the soccer season kicking off, college football and pro football right around the corner, my interests are really rekindled.

I've been doubting, hating, respecting, or whatever your feared term is, on Manchester City, and even mores their moneygrunbbing tactics. They're stocking talent and overhauling a team that started showing shades of continuity toward the end last season. I'm very much interested in seeing what their guys, and mores their recent acquisitions will perform in the morning.

Tottenham will look to build on a great campaign last year and use their balanced attack to down City. Their midfield is ridiculous, and their forwards can score with the best.

So with the game mere hours away, I say unto you, with a body on the verge of a nighttime sinus medicine coma, enjoy the new season! It's maybe the most wide open title race we've seen in years.

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UFC on Versus 2: Jon Jones vs. Vladimir Matyushenko

	VERSUS
Jon Jones		Vladimir Matyushenko

Here it is folks, the main event of the evening. This card, like the first Versus UFC card, features Jon "Bones" Jones in the main event, but this time he'll be taking on thirteen year mixed martial-arts veteran Vladimir Matyushenko. Jon Jones, since his debut fight against Andre Gusmao, has been the talk of the proverbial town. He's widely considered the best young fighter in the UFC, if not the world, and will look to impress further. He's coming off a very impressive fight with Brandon Vera, where he unleashed his vicious elbows, and subsequently fractured Vera's orbital bone. Matyushenko is in his second stint with the UFC, and has been nothing but successful thus far, with wins against Igor Pokrajac and Eliot Marshall. He has also won 11 out of his last 12 fights, a streak spanning three years. This fight is a changing of the guard, passing of the torch, etc.

As mentioned, Jon Jones is one of the most highly thought of young fighters in the world, reeling off four wins in his UFC career, with his sole loss coming from a disqualification against Matt Hamill. The fight with Matt Hamill, despite the "illegal blows," was dominated by Jones in every facet. Jones presents a very big challenge for the whole of the Light Heavyweight division, due to his length, strength, and unorthodox nature. He's an outstanding Greco-Roman wrestler, who brutalizes his opponents in the clinch. He's also is very dangerous on the feet using muay thai strikes, coming from very awkward and unorthodox deliveries. As was seen in his past few fights, his ability to take fighters down is excellent. In his fight with Brandon Vera, he immediately tied him up, and tripped him, and began to rain down elbows before the referee intervened.

Jones is the new type of fighter that has emerged, where they come into the game really young, being well-rounded rather than having a strong base in one aspect of the game. While the greats like Matt Hughes, Royce Gracie, and Tito Ortiz, all came into the fight game with a set base and strength, the young guys like Jon Jones and Evan Dunham are so well-versed in both stand-up and grappling, to the point where they're comfortable wherever the fight goes. Jon Jones' key to winning this fight lies in his ability to keep Matyushenko at a distance and picking him apart. If it does hit the ground, expect it to be Jones on top after tripping Matyushenko.

"The Janitor" Vladimir Matyushenko has cleaned up in his two return fights to the UFC. He's ground out decision wins against Igor Pokrajac and youngster Eliot Marshall. He's an ace on the ground and has great takedowns. He will need to quickly close the distance against the youngster, and try to tie him up and take him down whilst avoiding the throw from Jones. He has a very tough road ahead of him, and as was mentioned before, will likely be passing the torch onto the 23 year old Rochester native. If he can keep Jones on his back, he could pull of the win, but don't bet the house on it.

Jones will prove to be way too much in any facet of the game for Matyushenko. He'll likely frustrate the Belarusian no matter where the fight goes. If Matyushenko tries to shoot, look for the knee, or a clinch that results in Jones throwing or tripping his opponent. This is the old fighter giving way to the new true mixed martial artist, and pushing Jones that much further up the ladder in his quest for Mauricio "Shogun" Rua's 205lb crown. Expect Jones to use the aforementioned trip to end the fight like he did against Brandon Vera, using his elbows and ground and pound.

Prediction - Jon Jones by 2nd round (t)ko

UFC on Versus 2: Yushin Okami vs. Mark Munoz

	VERSUS
Yushin Okami		Mark Munoz

Much like the previous fight, this one will be a clash of brute strength. Yushin Okami is one of the most underrated fighters the UFC possesses. He's much like Jon Fitch was before his emergence and eventual title shot. Mark Munoz has been one of the hottest prospects since joining the fight game back in 2007. He has an incredible wrestling background and possesses some hammers for fists. This fight is going to be a test of each fighter's will and heart. Whoever breaks first mentally will end up losing the fight.

He's 8-2 since joining the Nevada-based promotion, and holds notable wins over Mike Swick, Alan Belcher, Dean Lister, and the late Evan Tanner. He has tremendous strength, and possesses some pretty solid stand-up. He enjoys clinching, and won't hesitate to take the fight to the ground. Okami hasn't had the greatest reception among fans, due to his lack of finishes. Despite his lack of urgency, he still seems to dominate the fights he wins. He has been on the cusp of a title shot for sometime now, and will look to batter the less experienced Mark Munoz en-route to a fight with Anderson Silva or a rematch with Chael Sonnen. For him to win, he'll need to exploit Mark Munoz stand-up defense and pick him apart.

"The Philippine Wrecking Machine" Mark Munoz is coming off three successful fights at Middleweight following his weight drop in 2009. As mentioned, he has one of the most highly touted wrestling pedigrees among UFC fighters, having won the 2001 NCAA Wrestling National Championship at Oklahoma State. He has shown progression through his career, having somewhat shored his defense on the feet, as well as a purple belt in jiu-jitsu under the Nogueira brothers. He also trains with an amazing camp at Black House, training with the likes of Lyoto Machida, Anderson Silva, the Nogueira twins, Jose Aldo, and Junior Dos Santos. What he'll need to do, which is what he tries to do every fight, is take Okami down and wear him out while working his outstanding ground and pound.

The telling factor in this fight is going to be Mark Munoz' inability to defend against Okami on the feet. If he can get Okami down, it'll be a long night for the Japanese fighter. Okami did show that he can be taken down against Chael Sonnen, but it's yet to be seen whether or not Mark Munoz' wrestling is as effective in MMA as Sonnen's has proven to be. Look for Okami to choose his shots wisely on the feet, and eventually drop Munoz late in the fight.

Prediction - Yushin Okami by 3rd round (t)ko.

UFC on Versus 2: John Howard vs. Jake Ellenberger

	VERSUS
John Howard		Jake Ellenberger

Arguably two of the most powerful welterweights, Ellenberger and Howard will be looking to knock each others head off their respective shoulders. Both guys come in off a win, with Howard riding a seven fight win streak, four being in the UFC. Both guys are well rounded, but prefer to use strikes to finish fights. This fight should produce one, if not both fighters, with a bonus check afterward.

John Howard is coming off two spectacular come from behind knockouts over veteran Dennis Hallman and newcomer Daniel Roberts. Both fights were back and forth affairs, that saw Howard knock his opponent out. With the Hallman fight, he did so with only five seconds remaining in the fight, while in the fight with Roberts he battled back after being taken down and almost submitted. Howard, as mentioned, has tremendous power, but his ground game can't be overlooked either. His takedown defense is somewhat lacking, as was seen against Roberts, but he is competent off his back, even having produced three submission wins earlier in his career while defending. He'll need to keep Ellenberger standing, and try to pick him off on the feet.

When Jake Ellenberger is discussed, one fight sticks out, and it was his controversial loss to Carlos Condit back in 2009. Since then, he has one fight, knocking out veteran Mike Pyle. Ellenberger, much like Howard, is well rounded, but possesses much better wrestling. As was seen in his fight with Condit, his power enable him to get the fight to the ground and work his ground and pound very well. One question mark, that was seen in the Condit fight, was his gas tank. Due to his sometimes over-zealous nature, he tends to burn out later on in fights. He'll need to grind Howard out and stay out of his reach on the feet.

Look for Ellenberger to exploit Howard's lacking sprawl, as he continuously takes Doomsday down to win a unanimous decision.

Prediction - Jake Ellenberger by Unanimous Decision

UFC on Versus 2: Tyson Griffin vs. Takanori Gomi

	VERSUS
Tyson Griffin		Takanori Gomi

The event kicks off at 9pm EST on Versus. The first fight of the televised portion is between Lightweight barn-burner Tyson Griffin and an all-time Lightweight great, Takanori Gomi. Both fighters are coming off tough losses in their last bouts. Gomi made his UFC debut back in March against perennial Lightweight crown challenger Kenny Florian, and left much to be desired. Tyson Griffin broke his two fight win streak with a loss to outstanding Lightweight up and comer Evan Dunham back in June.

Griffin seemed to be heading toward a rematch with Frank Edgar, but for a title this time around. His efforts were then thwarted by Evan Dunham in a split decision loss. It seemed as though Griffin took that fight lightly and didn't realize how much of a stud Evan Dunham really is. Griffin has outstanding stand up, with a good wrestling base and is very strong. He'll want to try to take Gomi down and work ground and pound on him all fight. If his head's on straight this fight, he should be heading his way back up the ladder, but it remains to be seen.

Several years ago, Takanori Gomi was considered the best lightweight in the world, but in recent efforts has proven to be a shell of that fighter. He's 2-3 in his last fight fights, with losses against Golyaev, Kitaoka, and Florian, though a loss to Kenflo is nothing to be discouraged about. He's always shown a good wrestling base with very solid stand up, that includes one-punch knockout power. The main predicament he's going to find himself in tomorrow night is how to close the distance and avoid Griffin's outstanding kicks, while loading up that right hand.

The story of this fight would be completely different if it took place four years ago, but given his recent shortcomings, Gomi will likely be heading out of the UFC shortly after or be sentenced to fight newcomers in the organization. Look for Griffin to batter Gomi's legs and take him down all night to earn a unanimous decision.

Prediction - Tyson Griffin by Unanimous Decision

UFC on Versus 2: Paul Kelly vs. Jacob Volkmann

	VERSUS
Paul Kelly		Jacob Volkmann

The final fight of the preliminary portion is between lightweights Paul Kelly and Jacob Volkmann. Both fighters are coming off a win, and hold an identical 10-2 record. Volkmann has yet to dominate a fight since joining the UFC, with losses to Martin Kampmann and Paulo Thiago. Credit has to be given to "Christmas" Volkmann, because Lord knows, those are two very tough introductory fights into the UFC. Paul Kelly on the other hand joined the UFC as one of the biggest Welterweight prospects back 2008, and came in guns a'blazin with a decision win over fellow Brit Paul Taylor. He's always been one to produce a fight of the night, and this will be his fourth fight since moving down to Lightweight, and Volkmann's second.

Paul Kelly is pure energy when he steps into the Octagon. His chin, partnered with his furious pace make him a handful for almost any lightweight. He's coming off a victory where he choked out Matt Hughes protege Matt Veach, and is showing an ever evolving game. He'll probably look to keep the fight standing and keep away from Volkmann's likely superior grappling. If he keeps it on the feet, he should be able to cruise against Christmas.

Volkmann has shown that he is a very tough fighter, especially in his loss to Paulo Thiago. He took punishment, but kept fighting back, looking for submission attempts left and right. If it hadn't been for the fact he was fighting one of the better jiu-jitsu practitioners in the welterweight division, he may have been able to put him away. He realized he wasn't cut out for the 170lb weight class, and dropped successfully with a win over the once highly touted prospect Ronnys Torres. If he can get top control or even pull guard against Kelly he could pull off a submission.

Look for Kelly to be the bigger fighter come fight night, and be able to dictate where this fight goes. He'll likely keep it standing and pick his shots for fifteen minutes.

Prediction - Paul Kelly by Unanimous Decision

UFC on Versus 2: Matthew Riddle vs. DaMarques Johnson

	VERSUS
DaMaques Johnson		Matthew Riddle

This fight pits two Ultimate Fighter alum against one another. Both fighters have only accumulated one loss in their UFC careers, and are coming off a win. This fight is going to end up in one place and one place only, with Matthew Riddle on top of Johnson, and Damarques trying for submission attempts. Both guys know their strengths and are comfortable in certain aspects of their game.

Riddle may be known in some circles as the guy who knocked that guy out so bad on the show that he had to go to the hospital, but he has one main strength, his ground game. Though he seems one dimensional, his ground game is evolving as well. His bread and butter is his wrestling, and he knows that, but he has been evolving quite a bit in his jiu-jitsu. He will need this while in top control against Johnson.

If you followed the Ultimate Fighter USA vs. England season, you'll know that DaMarques Johnson is no stranger to being on his back. He's very comfortable in the position and three of his eleven wins have come from triangle choke. He's very dangerous off of his back, and very active. He'll try to keep the young Riddle guessing and off balance.

The key to this fight will be whether or not Riddle can ward off enough submission attempts to pull off a decision. And if Johnson can keep it standing, all the better for him as well.

Prediction - DaMarques Johnson by 2nd round submission

UFC on Versus 2: James Irvin vs. Igor Pokrajac

	VERSUS
James Irvin		Igor Pokrajac

Both fighters are coming off a real low-note with their last fights. James Irvin, as mentioned before, attempted a drop to 185 pounds and it wasn't all too successful. To quote Joe Rogan "James Irvin looked like an alien at the weigh-ins," referring to his drop to Middleweight. He's always been a talented fighter, but his potential has always seemed unfulfilled. Meanwhile, Pokrajac is trying not to get strike three and an out from the UFC. He's coming off two disappointing losses to Vladimir Matyushenko and James Te Huna. He's been impressive and dominant outside of the UFC, but has yet to impress.

The scenarios seem pretty straight forward in this Light Heavyweight bout. Irvin needs to keep it on the feet and work his muay thai, while Pokrajac needs to find a way to clinch and get Irvin to the mat in hopes of a submission. Irvin should look far better at 205 than he did in his last fight at 185, and his cardio should be a lot more stable. Pokrajac is going to have his hands full.

Best guess would be Irvin stalking Pokrajac and eventually hitting him with a one two or a knee and dropping him for the night. MMA isn't played, well fought, on paper, so you can't sleep on Igor in this fight either.

Prediction - James Irvin 1st round (t)ko

UFC on Versus 2: Brian Stann vs. Mike Massenzio

	VERSUS
Brian Stann		Mike Massenzio

Brian Stann is making his debut at 185lbs, and steps into the Octagon against a very game opponent in Mike Massenzio. Both fighters have a distinct advantage over the other, with Brian Stann having better boxing and Massenzio the better wrestling pedigree. Massenzio has most of his wins by submission and the Marine, Stann, with most wins coming by (t)ko. Either fighter is going to come in looking to implement a gameplan that would be kryptonite to the other.

As mentioned, this is Brian Stann's first fight since dropping from Light Heavyweight to Middleweight. The issue, as it always is with fighters dropping weight, is how he is going to handle the weight cut leading up to the fight. Stann always seemed to have a decent size for a Light Heavyweight, so it will be interesting to see if he comes in looking drained like James Irvin did at the first UFC on Versus event. If he does indeed come in drained, then Massenzio will chomping at the bit to wear him down until he can coerce a submission.

Look for a feeling out process in the first two or three minutes, before Massenzio shoots and takes Stann down. If he can keep him down, he should be able to submit him fairly easily due to Stann's lack of submission defense. If Massenzio can't keep it on the mat, and Stann has gas in the tank, it'll be a long night for the grappling ace. Exciting fight regardless

Prediction - Massenzio by 2nd round submission.

Goal of the Day! - Rosicky at Full Health!

Was talking with my co-host Joe earlier, who is a huge Arsenal fan, and got on the subject of Tomas Rosicky. Enjoy this screamer, and cheers to his health this season! He's such a joy to watch.

UFC on Versus 2: Darren Elkins vs. Charles Oliveira

	VERSUS
Darren Elkins		Charles Oliveira

Two up and comers will be front and center in the second fight of the evening. Both have something to prove, that being they belong in the octagon with the rest of the lightweight division. Both fighters will be taking part in their thirteenth career professional fight. Elkins is coming off a technical win, after Duane Ludwig suffered one of the most gruesome injuries the UFC has ever seen. He holds one blemish on his record, coming last year to Ted Worthington, where he was stopped just thirteen seconds into the fight. Oliveira meanwhile is making his UFC debut, and is undefeated prior. He's only gone to decision one time, with six wins coming by tko and five by submission.

All indications point to this fight also going to the ground at one point or another. Oliveira, whose jiu-jitsu pedigree seems very good, will look to catch Elkins in a submission, or even use some strikes on the ground. Elkins will need to fend off the submission attempts and try to keep this fight standing. He seems to have a better chance on the feet, but Oliveira could pose some problems for him there as well.

Oliveira is coming in as one of Sherdog's third best Brazilian to watch in 2010. He's a highly touted prospect, and will look to impress the UFC brass in his attempts to dispatch Elkins, while Darren will try to prove to people his win against Duane Ludwig wasn't just because of the ankle injury. This is going to be another fast paced fight, and will get the crowd ready for what the event has in store.

Prediction - Charles Oliveira by 1st round submission

UFC on Versus 2: Rob Kimmons vs. Steve Steinbeiss

	VERSUS
Rob Kimmons		Steve Steinbeiss

The night starts off, well at least for the audience members, with Rob Kimmons taking on Steve Steinbeiss. This is likely a loser leaves town match. Rob Kimmons is at .500 since joining the UFC with two losses coming to Jorge Rivera and Dan Miller, and wins against two UFC cast-offs Joe Vedepo and Rob Yundt. His competitor, Steinbeiss, lost his only UFC fight against Ryan Jensen.

This fight will likely end up hitting the mat pretty quick. Rob Kimmons has good wrestling and a solid submission game. Steve Steinbeiss struggled on the ground against Ryan Jensen in his last fight, and this will likely be the story yet again. Look for Rob Kimmons to take Steinbeiss down and work for a choke. This will likely be Steinbeiss' last fight in the UFC unless he can somehow keep it standing and put Kimmons away, which isn't likely.

Like with most preliminary bouts, this fight will really set a nice pace for the rest of the event.

Prediction - Kimmons by 2nd round submission.

Goal of the Day! - Spain's U19s do it again!

I love seeing all the creativity that these young kids are showing. It really shows their passion of the game over the senior squad members.

Black and Blue Podcast! July 27, 2010

Goals of the Day! - Real Madrid Legends!

Raul

Guti

Real Madrid legends Raul and Guti saw their respective Bernabeu careers come to a close today, so I figured I'd pay homage.

Return of the Fight Breakdown!

When I started this blog, one of the main interests I had in mind was bringing you MMA articles with my style of journalism. If you go back into the archives, not that I'm telling you to, you'll see a whole UFC card broken down, fight by fight. It was something I really wanted to do, but for whatever reason at the time,

I got somewhat disenchanted. It's a subject that I love, and I realize that it's something that needs to return!

Over the next few days I will break down the UFC on Versus 2 card, fight by fight, and do my best to deliver the most articulate and complete fight analysis/preview. The card features the following fights:

Main Card
•LHW - Jon Jones vs. Vladimir Matyushenko

•MW - Mark Munoz vs. Yushin Okami
•WW - John Howard vs. Jake Ellenberger
•LW - Tyson Griffin vs. Takanori Gomi

Preliminary Card
•LW - Paul Kelly vs. Jacob Volkmann
•WW - Demarques Johnson vs. Matthew Riddle
•LHW - James Irvin vs. Igor Pokrajac
•MW - Brian Stann vs. Mike Massenzio
•LW - Darren Elkins vs. Charles Oliveira
•MW - Rob Kimmons vs. Steve Steinbeiss

Dead Ball Era Part 2

Matt Garza put an exclamation point tonight on pitching's absolute dominance in the 2010 season. He threw the fifth no hitter of the season against the Detroit Tigers. I can't think of a time in my life that pitchers have been this dominant. It's been a joy to see, and for me it's a breath of fresh air to see this.

Also along with this brings a great balance within the divisions. Every division is up for grabs, between at least two teams, and that's maybe the most refreshing part of the 2010 season.

Not only are pitchers getting more groundball outs, strikeouts, and subsequently, wins. The league's hitters also seem to be taking notice, and are switching their emphasis.

It's easy to see that the Mitchell Report has done some cleaning up in baseball, and most of the PED(performance enhancing drug) use has declined. It seems like it's exposed a black eye, but for me it's shown that hitters can evolve. While I can't think of a time in my life that pitchers have been this dominant, I also haven't seen so many great hitters starting to hit more for average than power.

While pitchers are starting to dominate, hitters are taking notice and realize they can't just crank them out of the park like before. It is also nice to see that there is a legitimate race for the triple crown title between Miguel Cabrera and Josh Hamilton.

New Episode of Black and Blue Podcast!

Joseph and I discuss the upcoming English Premier League season. They give their predictions of the top 8 and bottom 3, and goof off a little bit in between.

Goal of the Day!

Dani Pacheco scores for the Spain U-19 team against Portugal.

Black and Blue Podcast!

Winners Thus Far

I've been talking a lot with Joseph, my podcast partner, about the transfer market. For those who aren't familiar and/or are new to European soccer, the transfer market is a window for a couple months between seasons where teams can sell and buy players. There is also another transfer window, but it's shorter and happens in the middle of the season. So Joseph and I did a podcast episode about the recent goings on about the current transfer window. It's been pretty active so far, especially with the World Cup being over. As you see in baseball in the states, there are teams that just have boat-loads of money and can buy whoever they want; i.e. Manchester City, Chelsea FC, Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Inter Milan.

Team	New Player(s)
Manchester City	LM/Winger - David Silva CDM/CB - Yaya Toure CB/LB - Jerome Boateng
Barcelona	FWD - David Villa M - Cesc Fabregas(expected)
Manchester United	FWD - Javier Hernandez D - Chris Smalling
Liverpool	LM/Winger - Joe Cole Winger - Milan Jovanovic

Listen to our Discussion about the transfer window!

What it Means in the Long Run

Three superstars are going to try setting aside their egos to win each other a much desired championship. Former Finals MVP, Dwyane Wade, lured his friends and new teammates to South Beach with the prospects of not just a championship team, but an eventual dynasty. I'm not sure I see it that way.

Look at the players in their first six years in the NBA...they were all the go-to guy on their team. They haven't had to share the ball, let alone the limelight for a season. They all played together in the Olympics, but they weren't being paid for that. The big question to me is going to be how they'll coexist. They all took a pay cut to play together, which is a good sign for Heat fans.



Another pressing concern is how they're going to surround themselves with NBA level talent. It seems as if Mike Miller has already agreed to terms and will be a good option off the bench. They've also got a solid big man in Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who should play alongside Chris Bosh pretty well.



Now every veteran who doesn't have a ring is coming out of the woodwork it seems to want to sign with the Heat. Penny Hardaway and the more current version of Penny Hardaway, Tracy McGrady, are wanting to sign with Miami and feel like they can contribute to a championship team.

Been a While

I feel like I write this same opening every few months when I have a lay off...so I'll spare you guys. If you read Black and Blue, then you've noticed I've been gone.

A lot has gone on in the past few weeks since I've been away. My second home nation(I have papers), Spain, won their first World Cup! Lebron James pulled the hood over Dan Gilbert's eyes, and joined Bosh and Wade in Miami. George Steinbrenner passed away just days after his 80th birthday. The NL won the All-Star game for the first time in over a decade.

There's a lot to cover, and if you're not tired of hearing about it already, then tune in, because it's coming!

Goal of the Day: July 6, 2010

Wonderful control by Gourcuff. Results in a pretty nice goal.

Goal of the Day July 2, 2010

Nice goal by Fabio Aurelio.

Black and Blue Podcast Episode 6

A Growing Support

It's great to see the American support starting to grow. I've heard rumblings from "foreign friends," and I use the word foreign in quotations because these particular friends reside in the United States and have for years now. They were complaining about fans jumping on the "bandwagon" of American soccer. They're claiming that these people(United States fans) don't know soccer, so they have no right to cheer for the American team. And that they're going to be completely disenchanted with the tournament as soon as the American team was dispatched.

One such friend resides in the United States, has for four or five years, but is originally from Jamaica, and yet cheers for Argentina. A little national pride, despite the naivety of their fanhood, is still national pride nonetheless and should be treated as patriotism and attributed to the growth of a sport that has a limited fan-base domestically. That begs the question from me, "Is it more appropriate for a fan to cheer for his home country knowing nothing about a sport, or for a 'true soccer fan' to support a country he has no affiliation with?" For me the answer is simple, but maybe it's not as cut and dry as I think it to be.

Regardless of this, and the US disappointment during the cup, the sport does look like it is gaining popularity little by little. With the MLS season still going on, they are likely to have more viewers now that the country's interest in the sport have been raised with these disappointing, albeit resilient efforts from the United States team in South Africa.

With more international stars perceived to be making their way to the States to end their careers in MLS, the interests of the nation will increase. With the likes of Henry and Raul being rumored to come stateside, the nation has a lot to look forward to domestically in club soccer. The "Beckham Effect" is looked at a lot as a failure, but it still peaks the interests for whatever reason. And with the league likely gaining two more expansion teams next season, there is likely nowhere to go but up for the interest of American soccer fans.

Once Again Not Enough

It's been four years since the heartbreaking elimination in the group stages of World Cup 2006 in Germany, and yet again the USA are sent home packing. Every four years, you hear American announcers and analysts talking about how "this is the team, this is the year." Well yet again they've come up short. It's yet another early exit and another disappointment at the hands of Ghana. Though their poor play was more to blame for their elimination in 2006 than Ghana, this year, they were taken down in a straight elimination game.

"They put up a valiant effort," "Bob Bradley rallied his guys, made the right subs," are just a few of the statements that keep coming from the mouths of announcers, but there has to be nothing but disappointment in the US camp right now. What do you take away from this? You take away that your coach didn't one time put the correct starting eleven on the field throughout their tournament, their center defense was shaky for the most part, and they have proven strikeforce.

Is this too harsh? Not in my estimation, just due to the fact that time and time again Bradley changed his midfield and his striking duo, and never aloud any sort of continuity to take hold on his team. Despite Clark's absolute disaster against England in the first game, Bradley insisted on starting him over Maurice Edu, who had proven to be a good holding partner alongside Michael Bradley. What happened? Ghana came out early, Clark had a poor deflection/clearance and the German, Kevin-Prince Boateng, took advantage and slotted one home.

What happened as soon as Bradley took Clark out for Edu? The shaky nature of the midfield play dissolved, and the team started to have more of a flow to their play, especially when Robbie Findley was pulled off in favor of Brazilian born Benny Feilhaber. That was the starting eleven that should have taken the field to begin with. The American Football Federation needs to look at Bob Bradley's decision making, both pregame and postgame.

If I am coming off harsh, it's not intended. I'm not saying at all that I'm not proud of the way the United States fought, but I'm just disappointed at the results yet again.

With all of that said, the Ghanaian team showed a lot of flair, and a lot of it for the dramatic, especially toward the end. As an American fan I was livid at the time when they were wasting time, but it is completely understandable within the context of the game. We would probably do the same thing given a role reversal. Kudos to Ghana, especially for Asamoah Gyan's beautiful volley that came from nothing. They will be squaring off with one of the most impressive teams in the tournament thus far, La Celeste--Uruguay.