In today's news, Rafael Nadal won his fifth French Open by defeating Robin Soderling of Sweden. Soderling beat Nadal at last year's French Open, so this is actually bigger news that most would think (in other words, Nadal was not the hands down favorite in this year's match). It is clear that Nadal is healthy now, which raises the question "can he challenge Federer at Wimbledon?" The answer to that question will come in a few weeks, when that tournament begins. As for the Memorial Tournament, the fan favorite and always colorfully dressed Rickie Fowler couldn't quite pull off the win. It was a valiant effort however, and he made sure that people will know his name from here on out with his great play this weekend, as well as his unique wardrobes throughout the tournament.
Now, onto my World Cup Groups E and F preview.
Group E
Teams: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
Match to Watch
Netherlands vs. Cameroon (Thursday, June 24th)
With Dutch star Arjen Robben's health now in question, this game could be huge. The Netherlands are favored to win this group, but without a healthy Robben, it gets a lot more interesting, with both Cameroon and Denmark capable of pulling off an upset against the Dutch. Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o makes everything exciting, and without Robben, the Dutch give away an offensive advantage that would make them the overwhelming favorite in this game.
Player to Watch
Samuel Eto'o, Cameroon
Eto'o is good, and he knows he's good. He will demand the ball in lots of key situations, and for good reason. He is the top goal scorer on the team, and is one of the best strikers in the world. If his team can get him the ball with room to work, then he will definitely produce some goals worthy of ESPN's highlight reel. Cameroon needs Eto'o to do well if they want to advance to the knockout round.
Final Standings
1. Netherlands- Whether or not Robben will be one hundred percent healthy is pure speculation at this point. With that being said, the Dutch are still the favorites to be atop the standings at the end of group play.
2. Cameroon- Cameroon has the potential to do very well in this year's World Cup, but they also could perform very poorly. Playing on their home continent will be a boost, but they will need Samuel Eto'o to score goals and hope that the defense doesn't give up too much.
3. Denmark- The Danes play a great team game. If their solid defense is too much for Eto'o and Cameroon to handle, then they have the possibility of moving on in this group instead of the Indomitable Lions.
4. Japan- Japan will need to hope that someone steps up as a scorer, because as of now, they don't have a go-to guy. With scoring happy Cameroon and the Netherlands in their group, it may be hard for Japan to keep up.
Group F
Teams: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
Match to Watch
Italy vs. Slovakia (Thursday, June 24th)
It's the old vs. the new. Italy is likely the strongest team in this group, but is an older team. Slovakia is composed of young, quick players who will be energized in every match they play. This is the third game for both teams, so it's possible that Italy may want to rest its veteran players, giving Slovakia a chance to make this one interesting.
Player to Watch
Daniele De Rossi, Italy
There are no real "global stars" in this group, so taking one of the best players on arguably the best team in the group will usually give you a decent player to watch. De Rossi will create the chances that Italy's forwards get, and considering the opposition he will face, he may look better than he really is by the time the Round of 16 is set.
Final Standings
1. Italy- The Azzurri aren't the team they were in 2006, but they are still good enough to make it out of this relatively weak group. They will likely play around with their line-up a bit, because they still need to find answers to a few questions if they plan on making a deep run again.
2. Paraguay- Slovakia could be tough, but Paraguay should be able to move on. They are a tough, physical team, and will look to intimidate the young Slovakian team into making mistakes.
3. Slovakia- In four years, this team could be serious contenders at the World Cup. However, for now, their players lack the experience to move on to the next round. They will be an exciting team to watch, though.
4. New Zealand- They should just be happy to be in the World Cup. If they get more than one point in this World Cup, they should be commended for an outstanding effort.
- K. Becks
Showing posts with label french open. Show all posts
Showing posts with label french open. Show all posts
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Cleveland Is Excited Now
For the first time in a very long time, the city of Cleveland may finally have some luck and good fortune on their side. This is because their Favorite Son, Lebron James, actually has an allegiance to his hometown and said in an interview that will air Friday on "Larry King Live" that Cleveland "absoultely" has an edge over other cities looking to uproot James out of Ohio. I don't know why anyone would be surprised, as I've said before that Cleveland is still the best place for him to play if he wants to win a championship and create a legacy, but some people need to hear it before they believe it. James has said he hasn't made a decision yet, but I think that he's just biding his time. The chances of another team being able to afford James and either Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, or Joe Johnson are extremely low, and that is the only reason why I can see James possibly leaving his hometown. If any city were to have their heart ripped out by a player bolting for another team, then Cleveland would be it. However, I just don't see that happening.
I just got done watching the Rafael Nadal vs. Nicolas Almagro quarterfinal match at the French Open, which brings the count to: Number of French Open matches watched: 2, Number of NBA Playoff games watched: 1. Due to the number of upsets on both the men's and women's sides so far, this has been a pretty interesting Major to follow. Both Roger Federer and Serena Williams went down in the quarterfinals, and although that means the casual fan is less inclined to watch the finals, it just shows that the gap between the "best" and "the rest" isn't as far as many people would think. In fact, this is the first time since 2004 that Federer has not reached the semi-finals of a Grand Slam tournament. This means that Nadal is the favorite to win, but in the words of Lee Corso, "not so fast my friend!" The man who upset Federer, Roger Soderling, is an extremely talented player on clay, and played exceptionally well in last year's French Open Final against none other than Federer. If Soderling meets Nadal in this year's Final, then it is definitely a match worth watching.
Since I tried to get a press pass to this event (although for whatever reason I found it impossible to attain one), I'll comment on the news at the Memorial Tournament. I've seen a lot on SportsCenter about Tiger Woods' neck, and how it might affect him during the tournament. Um, correct me if I'm wrong, but is it really that big of a deal? It's not the U.S. Open; it's the Memorial Tournament. I'm sure I'm going to get a lot of angry comments from my readers that live near the Muirfield Golf Village, but it's the truth. I understand that he's trying to defend his title, but does that automatically make it a bigger deal? Those are just my thoughts, so if you disagree, let me know in the comments section.
Yesterday I said that I would give my thoughts concerning the last two polls that I have put up for my readers to vote on. The first poll was "do you think that MMA style fighting should be a club/sport in high school". I was very pleased with this poll, as it was the most voted on poll the blog has ever had. The results were close, as "No" edged out "Yes" by just one vote. I'm going to have to agree with those who said no. One of the arguments for having MMA style fighting in high school is that it has proven to be safer than both football and boxing, with fewer injuries sustained during MMA style fighting than in the aforementioned sports. However, one of the reasons this may be so is that the number of individuals that participate in MMA style fighting is small compared to the number of football players in high school and college. Also, high school athletes normally do not have the body control that professional MMA fighters have, which means that the number of injuries would likely skyrocket if the sport were offered to high school students. A club that teaches high school athletes the basics of MMA style fighting would not be a bad idea, but having sanctioned tournaments for high school students would be.
As for the "who is currently the worst franchise in pro sports" poll, the results show a tie between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Detroit Lions. It's tough to choose between which franchise has been better at being bad, but I think that the Pirates have a slight edge over the Lions in that department. Although the Lions defined futility two years ago with their 0-16 season, they have at least shown a desire to get better and improve their franchise. I honestly don't think that the Pirates have. Outfielder Andrew McCutchen is one of the few bright spots on the team, but chances are he will be traded for a slew of young players that won't demand as much money. It's the nature of the beast for a small market team, but it's still frustrating to see. Of course, it has to be ten times as frustrating for fans of the team. Then again, how many Pirates fans are there?
Check out the newest poll I have up for you guys, and if you know someone who still hasn't seen the blog, let them know about it. I plan to continue posting more frequently, so let them know they'll actually have something current to read if they decide to check out the blog. Thanks guys.
- K. Becks
I just got done watching the Rafael Nadal vs. Nicolas Almagro quarterfinal match at the French Open, which brings the count to: Number of French Open matches watched: 2, Number of NBA Playoff games watched: 1. Due to the number of upsets on both the men's and women's sides so far, this has been a pretty interesting Major to follow. Both Roger Federer and Serena Williams went down in the quarterfinals, and although that means the casual fan is less inclined to watch the finals, it just shows that the gap between the "best" and "the rest" isn't as far as many people would think. In fact, this is the first time since 2004 that Federer has not reached the semi-finals of a Grand Slam tournament. This means that Nadal is the favorite to win, but in the words of Lee Corso, "not so fast my friend!" The man who upset Federer, Roger Soderling, is an extremely talented player on clay, and played exceptionally well in last year's French Open Final against none other than Federer. If Soderling meets Nadal in this year's Final, then it is definitely a match worth watching.
Since I tried to get a press pass to this event (although for whatever reason I found it impossible to attain one), I'll comment on the news at the Memorial Tournament. I've seen a lot on SportsCenter about Tiger Woods' neck, and how it might affect him during the tournament. Um, correct me if I'm wrong, but is it really that big of a deal? It's not the U.S. Open; it's the Memorial Tournament. I'm sure I'm going to get a lot of angry comments from my readers that live near the Muirfield Golf Village, but it's the truth. I understand that he's trying to defend his title, but does that automatically make it a bigger deal? Those are just my thoughts, so if you disagree, let me know in the comments section.
Yesterday I said that I would give my thoughts concerning the last two polls that I have put up for my readers to vote on. The first poll was "do you think that MMA style fighting should be a club/sport in high school". I was very pleased with this poll, as it was the most voted on poll the blog has ever had. The results were close, as "No" edged out "Yes" by just one vote. I'm going to have to agree with those who said no. One of the arguments for having MMA style fighting in high school is that it has proven to be safer than both football and boxing, with fewer injuries sustained during MMA style fighting than in the aforementioned sports. However, one of the reasons this may be so is that the number of individuals that participate in MMA style fighting is small compared to the number of football players in high school and college. Also, high school athletes normally do not have the body control that professional MMA fighters have, which means that the number of injuries would likely skyrocket if the sport were offered to high school students. A club that teaches high school athletes the basics of MMA style fighting would not be a bad idea, but having sanctioned tournaments for high school students would be.
As for the "who is currently the worst franchise in pro sports" poll, the results show a tie between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Detroit Lions. It's tough to choose between which franchise has been better at being bad, but I think that the Pirates have a slight edge over the Lions in that department. Although the Lions defined futility two years ago with their 0-16 season, they have at least shown a desire to get better and improve their franchise. I honestly don't think that the Pirates have. Outfielder Andrew McCutchen is one of the few bright spots on the team, but chances are he will be traded for a slew of young players that won't demand as much money. It's the nature of the beast for a small market team, but it's still frustrating to see. Of course, it has to be ten times as frustrating for fans of the team. Then again, how many Pirates fans are there?
Check out the newest poll I have up for you guys, and if you know someone who still hasn't seen the blog, let them know about it. I plan to continue posting more frequently, so let them know they'll actually have something current to read if they decide to check out the blog. Thanks guys.
- K. Becks
Friday, May 28, 2010
Another?
This is the first time since March Madness that I have posted two new entries in consecutive days. There are two reasons why I am doing this: one reason is now that I don't have school to worry about, I can devote more time to the blog (granted, near the end of the school year the blog took precedence over my school work anyways, but that's not the point). The other reason is that I was talking to one of my buddies last night, and he told me that another fellow blogger (http://whetstonestudios.blogspot.com/) was apparently griping that I only post about once a week. Needless to say, I feel that it is time that I step up my game a little. Hopefully posting more frequently will also prompt someone I have been badgering for the last three months to finally give me a shout-out on their YouTube channel. With all that being said, I hope that any of my readers that have not already subscribed to my blog will do so, as to give me some motivation to continue to post more frequently. Not only do I appreciate it, but I appreciate it as well.
I think it's time that I begin writing about sports. Currently the Celtics vs. Magic game is on my TV, which means that the tally is now: Number of French Open matches watched: 1; Number of NBA Playoff games watched: 1. The Celtics are killing them, so I'm not exactly sure why I haven't changed the channel yet (standup on Comedy Central is pretty tempting right now), but I guess I want to see how they react when the game is over. This is a team who has definitely been through some adversity, but they have proved that good defense and experience will prevail more often that not. Unfortunately, Boston clinching the series means that I won't be able to write about the epic collapse of two Boston teams in one season, which would have been interesting, but I believe that another Lakers vs. Celtics NBA Finals will be pretty interesting in its own right. Yes, I have already put Los Angeles in as well, because I think last night's game took a lot out of Phoenix.
The biggest story today in sports is that the University of Connecticut's men's basketball team has been found guilty of 8 recruiting violations, stemming from an investigation that began in 2009. The charges include UConn coaches exceeding the number of phone calls that can be made to recruits, as well as giving meals, transportation, and lodging to a former recruit. With John Calipari, Kelvin Sampson, and Tim Floyd before him, I'm not all that surprised that Jim Calhoun has fallen victim to one of these cases. It seems that in order to be successful in college basketball, you have to cheat. It's sad really, when you think about it, because all that happens to these coaches is that they flee their school and are hired before the summer is over at another school. Look at Sampson; he's been accused of violations at the last two schools he's been at, and now he's the newest name to be thrown in as a possible candidate for the Cleveland Cavaliers head coaching job. Of course, Calhoun won't be leaving UConn, but if the NCAA really wants to put an end to these kinds of things, they should impose sanctions on the Calhoun, not the team, that won't be lifted until Calhoun retires. If the NCAA banned any team that Calhoun (or any other coach who commits recruiting violations) coaches from participating in postseason play for three years, then it would set a precedent for future violators. No team would want to hire a coach who is ineligible to take his team to postseason play, which would likely curb the number of coaches trying to cheat. The University of Connecticut isn't the violator; Calhoun and his staff are. Punish those who commit the crime, and you'll put an end to the act.
An article was put out today with a list of the 12 most-losing franchises in all of pro sports. The list was made by taking teams' winning percentages in the regular season since they became a franchise. Let me clarify this, since this is often a misconception; most-losing franchises is not synonymous with worst franchises. For example, the Tampa Bay Rays are far from being one of the worst franchises in sports. They were in the World Series two years ago, and are in first place in their division this year. Considering that they have only been a franchise for twelve years, that's not too bad a resume. That brings up another flaw in this list: many of the teams (Columbus Blue Jackets, Charlotte Bobcats, Houston Texans, Tampa Bay Rays) were the last franchises to form in their respective leagues. Of course those teams are going to have some of the lower winning percentages. I'll admit, this list isn't all that important, but if we're going to invoke a discussion about the worst teams in pro sports, the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Pirates cannot go unmentioned. Now that they're mentioned, I'll put this subject to rest.
I'm not going to give my opinion on what I think about MMA-style fighting in high school because the survey is still being conducted. However, I will put up a new poll for you guys. Check it out in the left corner, and if you haven't subscribed yet, I think it's about time! On the left hand side, press "Follow", and it will come up with some options on how you would like to follow the blog. Thanks everyone.
- K. Becks
I think it's time that I begin writing about sports. Currently the Celtics vs. Magic game is on my TV, which means that the tally is now: Number of French Open matches watched: 1; Number of NBA Playoff games watched: 1. The Celtics are killing them, so I'm not exactly sure why I haven't changed the channel yet (standup on Comedy Central is pretty tempting right now), but I guess I want to see how they react when the game is over. This is a team who has definitely been through some adversity, but they have proved that good defense and experience will prevail more often that not. Unfortunately, Boston clinching the series means that I won't be able to write about the epic collapse of two Boston teams in one season, which would have been interesting, but I believe that another Lakers vs. Celtics NBA Finals will be pretty interesting in its own right. Yes, I have already put Los Angeles in as well, because I think last night's game took a lot out of Phoenix.
The biggest story today in sports is that the University of Connecticut's men's basketball team has been found guilty of 8 recruiting violations, stemming from an investigation that began in 2009. The charges include UConn coaches exceeding the number of phone calls that can be made to recruits, as well as giving meals, transportation, and lodging to a former recruit. With John Calipari, Kelvin Sampson, and Tim Floyd before him, I'm not all that surprised that Jim Calhoun has fallen victim to one of these cases. It seems that in order to be successful in college basketball, you have to cheat. It's sad really, when you think about it, because all that happens to these coaches is that they flee their school and are hired before the summer is over at another school. Look at Sampson; he's been accused of violations at the last two schools he's been at, and now he's the newest name to be thrown in as a possible candidate for the Cleveland Cavaliers head coaching job. Of course, Calhoun won't be leaving UConn, but if the NCAA really wants to put an end to these kinds of things, they should impose sanctions on the Calhoun, not the team, that won't be lifted until Calhoun retires. If the NCAA banned any team that Calhoun (or any other coach who commits recruiting violations) coaches from participating in postseason play for three years, then it would set a precedent for future violators. No team would want to hire a coach who is ineligible to take his team to postseason play, which would likely curb the number of coaches trying to cheat. The University of Connecticut isn't the violator; Calhoun and his staff are. Punish those who commit the crime, and you'll put an end to the act.
An article was put out today with a list of the 12 most-losing franchises in all of pro sports. The list was made by taking teams' winning percentages in the regular season since they became a franchise. Let me clarify this, since this is often a misconception; most-losing franchises is not synonymous with worst franchises. For example, the Tampa Bay Rays are far from being one of the worst franchises in sports. They were in the World Series two years ago, and are in first place in their division this year. Considering that they have only been a franchise for twelve years, that's not too bad a resume. That brings up another flaw in this list: many of the teams (Columbus Blue Jackets, Charlotte Bobcats, Houston Texans, Tampa Bay Rays) were the last franchises to form in their respective leagues. Of course those teams are going to have some of the lower winning percentages. I'll admit, this list isn't all that important, but if we're going to invoke a discussion about the worst teams in pro sports, the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Pirates cannot go unmentioned. Now that they're mentioned, I'll put this subject to rest.
I'm not going to give my opinion on what I think about MMA-style fighting in high school because the survey is still being conducted. However, I will put up a new poll for you guys. Check it out in the left corner, and if you haven't subscribed yet, I think it's about time! On the left hand side, press "Follow", and it will come up with some options on how you would like to follow the blog. Thanks everyone.
- K. Becks
Thursday, May 27, 2010
I Can See The Light!
So can the rest of the fans at Roland Garros, where the match between thirteenth seeded Frenchman Gael Monfils and Italy's Fabio Fognini was just completed. This match was actually scheduled yesterday, however, due to darkness, the game had to be postponed until today. It was so bad that the Shot Spot technology wasn't working correctly (it uses shadows to determine where the ball landed, and since there were no shadows...). I just finished watching the match, in which Fognini upset the Frenchman. After watching this match, the score stands: Number of French Open matches watched: 1, Number of NBA Playoff games watched: 0. I can only assume that the gap will widen as the French Open continues, unless by some miracle the Celtics recruit Maria Sharapova to play for them.
Speaking of the NBA playoffs, it seems that we actually have something to pay attention to now. After the Suns figured out that the Lakers don't want to move on offense and are content with just throwing up three pointers all day, they have used a zone defense to crawl back into the series. As for the series in the East, it seems like the Magic do want to play basketball after all. Although I don't see either the Suns or the Magic making it to the Finals, it's nice to see that they are at least putting on somewhat of a show for the viewers. I don't happen to be one of those viewers, but I'm sure that whoever is watching...wait, what? No one outside of Boston, Orlando, Los Angeles, and Phoenix cares? No, that can't be right, can it?
I'm not sure how many of you watched the United States' international friendly against the Czech Republic on Tuesday night, but just in case you did and were concerned with the outcome of the game (the Czech Republic won 4-2), I have good news: this means very little. Very few of the players that you'll see on the pitch for the U.S. in the upcoming World Cup actually played in this game. Rather, it was really a way for the coaches to get a last look at some of the guys before they made final cuts for the World Cup roster. I don't want to give away too much (since I'll be breaking down all the Groups for the World Cup soon), but I still like the U.S.'s chances to move on. While we're on the subject of the World Cup, check out this commercial by Nike. If this doesn't get you pumped for the World Cup, then I don't know what will.
It seems like the majority of my readers agreed with me about Floyd Landis, as most people voted "no, I do not believe what Floyd Landis says about Lance Armstrong" in the last poll. The latest poll really has nothing to do with anything that I talked about in this post; rather, it is a discussion that I heard on the radio a few days ago. My local sports radio station was discussing whether or not MMA style fighting would be a good idea to offer as a sport or club in high school. I want to hear your opinions on this, so vote on the poll, and if you'd like to comment on the issue, leave one in the comment section or email me at aroundthecornsportsblog@gmail.com. Thanks guys.
- K. Becks
Speaking of the NBA playoffs, it seems that we actually have something to pay attention to now. After the Suns figured out that the Lakers don't want to move on offense and are content with just throwing up three pointers all day, they have used a zone defense to crawl back into the series. As for the series in the East, it seems like the Magic do want to play basketball after all. Although I don't see either the Suns or the Magic making it to the Finals, it's nice to see that they are at least putting on somewhat of a show for the viewers. I don't happen to be one of those viewers, but I'm sure that whoever is watching...wait, what? No one outside of Boston, Orlando, Los Angeles, and Phoenix cares? No, that can't be right, can it?
I'm not sure how many of you watched the United States' international friendly against the Czech Republic on Tuesday night, but just in case you did and were concerned with the outcome of the game (the Czech Republic won 4-2), I have good news: this means very little. Very few of the players that you'll see on the pitch for the U.S. in the upcoming World Cup actually played in this game. Rather, it was really a way for the coaches to get a last look at some of the guys before they made final cuts for the World Cup roster. I don't want to give away too much (since I'll be breaking down all the Groups for the World Cup soon), but I still like the U.S.'s chances to move on. While we're on the subject of the World Cup, check out this commercial by Nike. If this doesn't get you pumped for the World Cup, then I don't know what will.
It seems like the majority of my readers agreed with me about Floyd Landis, as most people voted "no, I do not believe what Floyd Landis says about Lance Armstrong" in the last poll. The latest poll really has nothing to do with anything that I talked about in this post; rather, it is a discussion that I heard on the radio a few days ago. My local sports radio station was discussing whether or not MMA style fighting would be a good idea to offer as a sport or club in high school. I want to hear your opinions on this, so vote on the poll, and if you'd like to comment on the issue, leave one in the comment section or email me at aroundthecornsportsblog@gmail.com. Thanks guys.
- K. Becks
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