World Cup is Over... Time to Focus on Baseball

Once again the US falls to Ghana in the second round of the World Cup...

The United States will always have one major flaw when it comes to Soccer and the World Cup... we just aren't that good. The United States doesn't have its best athletes playing Soccer. The best American athletes are playing the major market sports, Basketball, Baseball, Football, and Hockey. If these players were playing Soccer the United States would destroy the other countries in the World Cup. Image the greatest athletes from our other sports playing Soccer...

If we look at the NBA Finals this year, you have a few guys that would make interesting Soccer players. I first picture a player like Rajon Rondo playing defense, and being a dominant force when it comes to heading the ball in off corner kicks. The US missed so many headers because they just couldn't jump as high as their competition. Rondo also has the speed to move up and down the pitch, and with years of training he would have the foot work need to be a great player. Remember Rondo was a three sport star (baseball, football, and basketball). I then think about a guy like Kobe Bryant, lets throw him in goal. The guy has the quickness and reach to go after any ball that came at him. He can also jump as high as you would need him to. Tim Howard is a great goalie, but Kobe is 3 inches taller then Howard, giving him a few more inches in his wingspan as well. If we move away from the Finals and think about LeBron playing Soccer, the options get even more amazing. He could cover either of the possitions that I already mentioned.

But what about speed? We will definitely need to put the fastest people on the planet out there. So lets take Percey Harvin, Steve Smith, DeSean Jackson, Devin Hester, and Chris Johnson and throw them onto the pitch to fly by every other country. These guys are some of the fastest athletes that America has. I don't care who the fastest guy on the US soccer team is, cause i bet all of these guys would blow by that guy and not take lame ass dives every time someone touched them. If the money, fame, and glory that came from some of the other American sports were associated with Soccer than maybe these athletes would play Soccer instead but for now we are stuck with what we have.

US vs. Ghana, Red White Party and Blue

The United States plays Ghana in their second round match at 2pm.

Today is the day the US gets to show what they are truly made of. This team has the talent to be one of the best US teams ever assembled. If the US is able to get by Ghana they will play the winner of the Uruguay vs. South Korea game, which at this point Uruguay is winning by one goal.

The US is very capable of beating this Ghana team that defeated the US in 2006 2-1. Ghana is the lone country from Africa to make it to this stage in the World Cup, so they will have the support of the whole continent behind them. In my opinion this is the US's game to lose. They truly have the better team and the better goalie. If the US can finish the chances they create for themselves they will easily handle Ghana.

I will be heading the St. Marks Ale House for today's contest. The crew from the US vs. England game is getting back together for another wild afternoon. After the game I will be attending my brothers second annual White Party. The White Party is like your birthday and 4th of July all on one day. I will be providing pictures from both the Ale House and the White Party tomorrow morning.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Saturday and gets out to their local watering hole for this historic sporting event. So get your chores done, and get out there. If your in the neighborhood and want to stop by the Ale House I look forward to seeing you.


USA! USA! USA!

USA Ties, Red Sox Win, Football is on its way...

The United States ties Slovenia, and is robbed in the process...

I may not know much about Soccer, but I do know when a bad call is made. On Friday the US played Slovenia in the second game of group play. Slovenia got off to a hot start by scoring two goal before half, and putting the US team on their heels. The US didn't look bad in that opening half, they were just being held back by poor officiating.

Most fan must have been extremely concerned when the second half began, but everyone calmed when Landon Donovan fired a shot right over the Slovenian goalies head. It was the shot of adrenaline in the US teams arm that they needed to start playing like the team we expect them to be. As the second half continued the US was able to tie the game up off the foot of the 22 year old son of the coach Michael Bradley. So at this point we know that we will at least walk away from this game with 1 point and a tie. No one was expecting what was to happen next. What was next was probably one of the worst calls I have ever seen in all of professional sports. The US scored the game winning 3rd goal off a free kick from Donovan to Maurice Edu. As soon as the ball went into the net the play was whistled dead and a penalty was called on the US by Referee Koman Coulibaly of Mali. No one was ever told who the penalty was on, or what the penalty was. After the match Donovan was asked if he every got clarification from Coulibaly on the call and he simply said, "I don't think the man spoke English". In my opinion this Referee should be demoted to covering little league soccer games.

The US plays their last group match on Wednesday, June 23rd at 10am against Algeria. If the US wins this match it will give them 5 points for group play and move them on to the second round. As of now the US is in second place in Group C, and they are only ahead of England due to scoring more goals. So the US is in a very favorable position, they control their own destiny. Keep your heads held high, and give the team good vibes on Wednesday.

USA! USA! USA!

Lakers Win Game 7, and Their 16th Title

All the stars game to play last night, but it just wasn't enough...

As the game began I felt good about what was about to begin. I was at Riviera Cafe for last nights game, with my brother and friends. The crowd at Riviera was full of Boston fans who were full of emotion and energy. This was my first time at Riviera, but definitley not my last. As a Boston fan living in New York to hold every Boston bar you find close to your heart.

As the game began Celtics looked good. Paul Pierce was hitting his shots and playing great defense. Pierce ended the night with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Kevin Garnett also came to play last night with 17 points and 4 blocks. At the end of the first quarter the Celtics had a 23 to 17 lead, and looked like they were going to continue to pour it on in the second. But as the second quarter ended the Lakers had cut the lead to only 6 points.

The feeling of the Boston fans was still positive. Chants of "Beat LA!" and "Lakers Suck!" filled the basement of Riviera. Every time Glen Davis was on the screen I did everything I could to make sure people new to start calling him "Big Bag of Dog Food". As the second half started you could see the tenor of the game and the bar change.

The third quarter was a back and forth battle. For every bucket the Celts put up the Lakers answered. When the final seconds of the 3rd quarter ticked down the Lakers had cut the Celts lead to only 4 points. The fourth quarter was when the Celtics let the game get away from them. As the Lakers got baskets from Kobe, Gasol, and even Artest the Celtics were only putting up free throws. Finally at the last few minutes of the game the Celtics started hitting shots, but they just couldn't stop the Lakers and get that pivotal bucket to take the lead back. Its heart breaking to think that free throws from Sasha Vujacic is what sealed the game for the Lakers.

I am proud of the performance of the Celtics this year. The battled extremely hard against the best teams in the league, and went neck and neck with the eventual champs. We beat the Magic, and Cavs to get to the finals, and those two teams had the best records in the East this season. This years finals could have gone either way, the Lakers just got that final break at the end of the game. Now the biggest concern is who will be back, and how do we get better. Do we need a better big man who can shoot? Do we need to get younger at one of the "Big Three" spots? As a Celtics fan I am concerned that this may have been the last chance these guys had to win another one, but I have been proved wrong before.

Thanks for the great season Celtics, and enjoy your time off... you need it!

Next Post: Reactions from the US/Slovenia World Cup match

Celtic Fall Apart in Game 6

No one showed up last night for the Celtics... simple as that.

The fear of every Boston fan was realized last night with the complete and udder destruction of the Celtics. The Celts looked liked a local area Freshman Basketball team playing again the Varsity. The blame can be placed on every player involved in last nights game. Defense was terrible, shooting was terrible, and they showed no back bone. To add insult to injury Kendrick Perkins went down with an injury and will be out for Thursday night. This means we will be seeing alot more of the horrendous play of Sheldon Williams. I would do anything to see Sheldon's wife Candace Parker suit up for the Celtics instead of him. She can shoot and when she is on the court she actually looks like she knows what Basketball is. Sheldon Williams is a Frankenstein out on the court and i am extremely concerned about having him on the court.

I can only hope that the Celtics will come out tomorrow night with the same fire they did in Game 2. We all have to remember that they got beat hard in Game 1 and found a way to get a win in Game 2. Let us all keep the faith and hope that they can do the same in Game 7. This is all i will say about last nights game. I think everyone knows how horrible the performance was.

BEAT LA!... BEAT LA!... BEAT LA!....

Celtic Win Game 5, Stars Shine Bright!

The Stars were out tonight! Pierce 27, Garnett 18, Rondo 18, Allen 12.

This was the exact performance the Celtics needed tonight, and for the rest of this series. We have been waiting for the big name players on this team to step up, and carry the load. Paul Pierce brought his "A" game hitting 12 of 21 and scoring 27 points. He also made extremely important plays down the stretch to secure the win (inbound pass from Garnett, passing to Rondo).

The Celtic were able to distribute the ball to all of its play makers, and didn't need to rely on just the hot hand of Ray Allen or the explosion of its bench to pull out a win. This is the best case scenario going into LA. Our All Stars are in their groove, and our bench in confident and capable. We are seeing the best basketball has to offer, and getting a great game every time. Having the two most storied franchises in the sports history going at it again for the second time in 3 years is a blessing that I hope all sports fans can be thankful for.

Game six is back in LA on Tuesday 6/15 at 9pm est. I hope that the Celtics will look better in this game then they did in game 1. I understand that traveling across the country can be stressful on the old bones of our "Big Three" but if we need to ride this momentum to a solid start, if not a win. We can't let LA beat the crap out of us and steal all the momentum at home. The Cleltics have been a fantastic road team this year, and I have faith that they will be able to close out the series and get the franchise its 18th Championship!

I have done the same thing for all three of the Celtics victories in this years finals, stayed at home and ordered dinner. I will continue this trend for game 6, just like i have continued to call Glen Davis "Big Bag of Dog Food". If it ain't broke don't fix it! I will be watching the game from home again on Tuesday night and hopefully posting about the Celtics 18th Finals Championship.

Lets Go Celtics!... Lets Go Celtics!.... Lets Go Celtics!....

USA Ties England, Wins the Battle

With a freak goal the US is able to come away with the tie, and stay even at one point a piece with rival England.

Sign me up, I am now a believer and a fan! Yesterday's World Cup experience at Croxley's Ale House was one of the greatest bar experiences I have ever been a part of. The emotion inside that bar was palpable. Chants of "U.S.A, U.S.A..." reverberated off every wall, and were shared by everyone in attendance (minus the few Brits there).

I have never been a big soccer fan, and never watch outside of the World Cup but I loved this experience. I was able to get to the bar early and secure a seat for myself with friends at a handful of tables. This was critical because every square inch of standing room was occupied before the pre-game coverage even started. Everyone was in Red, White, and Blue, waving American Flags, and doing their best to drink American Beer. Unfortunately at this bar they don't have the American staples (Bud, Coors, etc.) they only have unique American beers, and International beers. So as you can see from the picture in the post (Thanks Matt Olivar) Fosters was the drink of choice for the game. It was the best deal in the house as the beers are 24oz and only costed 6 bucks.

The next game the US plays is on Friday, June 18th at 10am. I will definitely be watching this game as a win is pivotal for the US to eventually advance. So I think it is fair to say that I will be taking an early lunch this upcoming Friday.

Its now time to refocus our energy to a sport, and team that is closer to our hearts. The Celtics will be playing the Lakers tonight at 8pm. This will be the last home game for the Celts and is a must win. I believe the Celtics can win a game in LA, but trying to win two in a row is a little more difficult to swallow. If the Celts can get some of their big names involved in the scoring they can easily defeat the Lakers, we have seen them do it before. With a bench that is giving the team great minutes and solid production we have a great chance to go back to LA up one game, and sit on the doorstep of another championship.

Lets Go Celtics!... Lets Go Celtics!... Lets Go Celtics!...

Red Sox Roll over Phils at Home

Its always nice to see a game like this every once in a while.

The Red Sox started there nine game home stand on the right foot by handing Jamie Moyer one of his worst loses in his 24 year career defeating the Phillies 12-2. The Sox bats exploded right from the get go with all 12 of their runs coming in the first three innings.

David Ortiz had a huge night with 3 hits and 4 RBIs. I think its fair to say that his bat is back, and he is getting back into his groove. He must have perfected his recipe for mango salsa, (watch video by clicking on his name). This commercial was the muse behind the famous Papi Dog, mango salsa on a Fenway Frank.

I watched last nights game at St. Mark Ale House with some friends. When I arrived at the bar I asked the bartender if he could change the channel to the game. At this point i heard something that I have never heard before, "we only put the Red Sox on the tvs in the back of the bar"... As a Boston fan living in New York I have heard a lot of crap from the locals, but this one really made me laugh. Fan Segregation is a new one. Good Fah Yooh St. Marks Ale House, you know how to make a guy feel welcome.

In an hour the US will match up against the Brits in their first round World Cup match. I will be heading to Croxley Ales for the festivities. I will be back later today with the wrap up of that experience, which will be my first Soccer experience in NY. Hope everyone enjoys the game!

USA, USA, USA!!!

Celtics Win Pivotal Game 4 at Home

Good Fah Yooh Glen Davis!
I would like to take a moment to congratulate Glen Davis on a phenomenal game, and an amazing display of grit and pride. (Game Stats)

My roommate and I have been call Glen Davis "Big Bag of Dog Food" as a joke recently due to the common cadence in which both "Big Baby Davis" and "Big Bag a Dog Food" are both said. This new name came in handy tonight as I found myself repeatably saying to the television, "Lets go Big Bag a Dog Food!". I will continue to use this new moniker going forward until I find that its effecting his play in a negative way.

The Celtics got amazing minutes from the rest of the bench as well. Nate Robinson had almost 17 minutes and 12 points in relief for Rajon Rondo who had 10 points and just over 31 minutes. Rasheed Wallace had 21 solid minutes off the bench committing fouls when they needed to be be committed, and playing fundamental defense throughout the game.

The big story for the Celtics though is the resurgent play of Paul Pierce (19 Pts, 6 Reb, 5 Ast), and the dominant bench play of an energized Glen Davis (18 Pts, 5 Rebs, 2 Stl). As I have said before Paul Pierce needs to start playing basketball like the player we all know he is, and that's exactly what we got tonight. We can all only hope that this was only the first act of a 3 part series from Pierce, and we will see the say out put in game 5 and 6 (or game 7 if necessary). The outstanding play from Davis is a perfect example of an athlete seeing an opportunity to step up and seizing it. When I see him on the court I feel confident that he will produce.

The Lakers stayed neck and neck with the Celtics throughout the whole game. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol both combined for 54 points, but got very little production from anyone else. This is exactly the type of game the Celtics want. They want to take the rest of the team out of the game and force a few player to have to take the weight of the team on their back. I have confidence that the Celtics will find it in them to pull a win out of Game 5, and fly back to LA up one game.

As I mentioned in my last post I would be starting my night at the Meatball Shop down in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. This place has become a favorite of mine, and I have never had a bad meal or experience here. I got the chance to talk to the owner (Daniel Holzman) tonight about the possibility of them getting outdoor seating, and they are still in the process of getting approval from the city. Once they get the ability to have outdoor seating I will most likely be visiting once a week. I would reccomend this place to anyone, and remind folks that the bar is first come forst served. So put your name in for a table, but if your cool with the bar grab a drink and wait for a vacancy.

The Red Sox are the only Boston team playing tomorrow, but the World Cup will be starting. I will definitley have something to say tomorrow, but Saturday night after the US vs. England soccer match will be a doozy!

Lets Go Boston! Lets Go USA!

Good Fah Yooh... Chicago Blackhawks

Congratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks for winning the Stanley Cup for the the first time since 1961! As a fan of an Original Six team I find pride in the fact that you have found your way back to the top of the Hockey Pile.

In winning the Stanley Cup you have won the greatest trophy in all of sports. If you don't believe this statement, please refer to Burt Fahy's 2001 Needham High School Senior Project. Off the bat this trophy is named after a Lord... no seriously, a Lord. Imagine if Vince Lombardi was a Lord, "Congratulation Tom Brady your just won the Lord Lombardi Trophy..."

Tomorrow night is huge for all Boston Sports fans around the world. We will find out if our team will once again be NBA Champs. As I have said before, if the Celtics don't win the next two game I have zero faith that they will win the series. So tomorrow is the first step back to a championship.

I will be starting my evening at The Meatball Shop, and then will be enjoying the game at one of the fine local watering holes in Manhattan. My thoughts will be will all of BosNation, and I hope that tomorrows BosYork post will be filled with positive thoughts after a big Celts win.

Go Boston! Go Boston! Go Boston!!!

BoYo

Really?...

Well.... At least Papa Garnett came to play.

After a night in which Ray Allen breaks the record for 3 pointers in a game, he misses all five of the 3s he attempted tonight. By not coming alive like he did in Game 2, Ray made it much easier for the Lakers to walk away with this game. Paul Pierce helped no one by going 1 for 8 and getting 3 fouls.

Missing half of their free throws (6 of 12) may have also been a reason for the tonight loss, and now fall in the series to 2 - 1 Lakers. But thankfully we have two more games at home to watch our boys try and even, and take a lead in this best of 7. If we can come out of Beantown with the lead I feel confident that we will be able to get a win in game 7.

I had it easy tonight due to dinner at Dos Caminos in SoHo. There were no LA fans in sight, and neither was there a television. I had a Mahi Mahi Taco and a Lobstah Taco, and washed it down with a Margarita. Definitely a good meal, but couldn't get into it due to the circumstance. I missed the whole first half of the game and was reduced to constantly monitoring my BlackBerry. Not ideal by any means....

What I was able to see was my team show their grit, and fight back at a team that was up by 12 at the half. I am proud of the effort by disappointed with the execution. If these two aspects of the game don't come together for the Celtics moving forward they will find the road ahead to be bumpy and full of "what ifs"...

Keep your heads high BosFans... Its a 7 game series for a reason.

Tonight is the Night....

Tonights is game 3 of the NBA Finals, and every Boston fan needs to be ready. Tonight is the night that we take a lead in the series, and don't turn back.

After game two's performance by Ray Allen, the Lakers will be more inclined to keep Kobe on him all game. With this being the case Rondo must step up his performance and become the feeder and pilot of this offense ( Rondo: The Art of the Steal ). With Rondo controlling the flow this will open up Ray, Paul, and Grand Pa Garnett to become more viable offensive options.

I hope everyone is wearing their green today and is looking forward to a big Celtics win cause I know I am... BEAT LA, BEAT LA, BEAT LA!

As I do this...

Please feel free to give me any suggestions...

What This is...

Hello Everyone,

This blog is going to be my attempt to discuss what is going on, where I am doing it, and everything else that's involved with that. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I will living it.

-Z