Monday Morning Striker – 2008 Match Day 14

Northwest Suburban Soccer League
1st Division

Sting SC vs. Arrigo United FC
Unofficial Match Report
Sunday, July 27, 2008
9:45 AM
Vernon Hills, Illinois
Weather: 84 degrees, light wind (NW) and humid

Starting Lineup:
F Brandon Caputo
F Jamelle McCreary
M Eric Manos
M John O’Connell
M Kenny McCormick
M Mike Burg
D Keith O’Connell
D Ben Bartholomay
D Kevin Sorbe
D Phil McMaster
GK Kevin McCormick ©

Reserves:
N/A

Recap:
After a two game slide to the teams at the top of the table we needed a big win in the Vernon Hills Derby against Arrigo United FC. However, I was enjoying a bachelor party in Coldwater, Michigan and would need to leave at 5:15 am Central Time in order to make it back for our 9:45 am kickoff. Normally I would have taken the week off, as I need to do in two weeks for the wedding, but we were short on players and we barely got our eleventh man there in time for the start. We were also missing our top two scoring threats going into the match, so someone was going to need to step up big time in order to right the ship.

We got there in plenty of time for a proper warm up, but the weekend of drinking and the long drive contributed to me tweaking my left knee just minutes before kickoff. After downing a bunch of ibuprofen, we got rolling and decided to keep the pace slow in the early going. We had no subs, the weather was hot and sticky, and a few of us were tired, injured and hung over. We let Arrigo keep the possession early and picked our spots to counter attack.

Just five minutes we got that chance as a perfect through ball by Jamelle McCreary found me in stride at the top of the penalty area. Unfortunately, the drugs hadn’t quite kicked in and as I planted on my left foot the pain was too much and I ended up shanking the shot. It was my last shank on the day.

Ten minutes later, Jamelle swung the ball out wide to Mike Burg who dropped a cross from the right wing perfectly to my waiting right foot. I took a touch to bring it down near the penalty spot and burried my shot quickly under the goalkeeper for the 1-0 lead. The remainder of the first half was a relatively slow pace of back and forth possession. Arrigo had the majority of the chances, but Kevin McCormick (who is NOT a goalie – at all) bailed us out with several brilliant saves. We went into the half with the lead still at 1-0.

The hope coming out of the half was to score in the first ten minutes. We knew we would run out of gas in this one and felt the need to build on our lead before Arrigo gained any momentum. The opportunity came even quicker than that as John O’Connell received a great ball out of the midfield from Kenny McCormick. His shot was from a tough angle and the keeper made the save. But he was only able to knock it down and it came free at the back post where I was able to flick home the rebound.

Minutes later, a solid cross out of the midfield by Phil McMaster dropped in at the penalty spot to John O’Connell. The defense thought he was offside, but no such luck. We hit a rocket into the roof of the net for a 3-0 lead. Without five more minutes passing, we counter-attacked again as Mike Burg tore down the right sideline. John O’Connell and Jamelle McCreary made runs into the six-yard box while I delayed my run and allowed the defenders to stick with the closer in targets. The cross was perfectly executed to my waiting right foot at the penalty spot again and I burried it into the back post for a 4-0 lead.

The shutout was lost several minutes after that off a botched corner kick and Arrigo picked up even further momentum when they dropped a second goal home with fifteen minutes to play to cut the lead in half. We needed another goal in a hurry to stop the momentum and we got our chance when the Arrigo goalie made a huge mistake.

After picking up a ball that was played back to him by one of his teammates we were given an indirect free kick just outside their six-yard box. I immediately tried to get the ball from him for a quick restart and he wouldn’t give it up so the referee had to stop the play and caution him for delaying a restart. Once things were settled and the defensive wall was set, I decided that we were too tight for any time of two-man play to restart it. Instead, I used my place-kicking instincts and tried to hammer a shot off of anyone that I could find just like I would with an onside kick in football. As luck should have it, I hit a low line drive that deflected in off the goalkeeper for my fourth goal of the match.

The final was 5-2 and with that we regained our tie with Chicago Tanks FC for second place in the standings. On to a revenge match with Real FC. They were winless when they beat us at our place a few weeks back, but since then they’ve built up four wins to get back into the race. Now we’re at their home field in Wheeling and we need to get back-to-back wins for the first time since June.

Man of the Match: Kevin McCormick

Match Day 14 Goals:
Brandon Caputo (Mike Burg)
Brandon Caputo (Unassisted)
John O’Connell (Phil McMaster)
Brandon Caputo (Mike Burg)
Brandon Caputo (Unassisted)

Record: 5-4-2
17 pts. – Tied for 2nd Place
GF: 40
GA: 32

2008 Season Totals
Goals:
11 – Matt Greenhalgh
8 – Brandon Caputo
6 – Danny Carver
4 – Jamelle McCreary
3 – John O'Connell
1 – Ben Bartholomay
1 – Mike Burg
1 – Jimmy Rosenfeld
1 – Kevin Stock
1 – Phil McMaster
1 – Brian Black
1 – Kenny McCormick
1 – Rudy Schaser

Assists:
4 – Dan Carver
4 – Rudy Schaser
3 – Brandon Caputo
3 – Phil McMaster
3 – Mike Burg
2 – Kevin McCormick
2 – Jimmy Rosenfeld
1 – Corey Mase
1 – Ben Bartholomay
1 – Matt Greenhalgh
1 – John O’Connell
1 – Eric Manos

Monday Morning Striker – 2008 Match Day 13

Northwest Suburban Soccer League
1st Division

Sting SC @ Chicago Tanks FC
Unofficial Match Report
Sunday, July 20, 2008
9:45 AM
Elk Grove, Illinois

Starting Lineup:
F Brandon Caputo
M Eric Manos
M Jamelle McCreary
M Dan Carver
M Kenny McCormick
D Keith O’Connell
D Mike Soroosh
D Kevin McCormick
D Brian Black
GK Jimmy Rosenfeld

Reserves:
M John O'Connell
D/GK Ben Bartholomay

Recap:
Yes, you read that correctly. We had to start this game with just ten men. We managed to weather the storm and control the majority of the possession in the first half, but failed miserably at keeping that possession in the offensive half. Once our two other players showed up, we had a substitute, but without our starting goalkeeper we kept two of our better defenders off the field for a half each.

Down just 1-0 at the half, things began to look up as a throw-in by Jimmy Rosenfeld deflected off the shoulder of Jamelle McCreary and into the net. But then, the wheels came off and we finished with a 5-1 defeat to the team we were previously tied for second in the standings with. Now we sit on the outside looking in to the promotion race and Tanks even have one game in hand. The second half of the season has not started well.

Man of the Match: Jimmy Rosenfeld

Match Day 13 Goals:
Jamelle McCreary (Jimmy Rosenfeld)

Record: 4-4-2
14 pts. – Tied for 2nd Place
GF: 35
GA: 30

2008 Season Totals
Goals:
11 – Matt Greenhalgh
6 – Danny Carver
4 – Brandon Caputo
4 – Jamelle McCreary
2 – John O'Connell
1 – Ben Bartholomay
1 – Mike Burg
1 – Jimmy Rosenfeld
1 – Kevin Stock
1 – Phil McMaster
1 – Brian Black
1 – Kenny McCormick
1 – Rudy Schaser

Assists:
4 – Dan Carver
4 – Rudy Schaser
3 – Brandon Caputo
2 – Phil McMaster
2 – Kevin McCormick
2 – Jimmy Rosenfeld
1 – Mike Burg
1 – Corey Mase
1 – Ben Bartholomay
1 – Matt Greenhalgh
1 – John O’Connell
1 – Eric Manos

Don't Give Up. Don't Ever Give Up.

Jim Valvano was diagnosed with metastatic bone cancer in June of 1992, almost ten years after his 1983 North Carolina State University Wolfpack basketball team shocked the sports world in overcoming incredible odds to win the NCAA tournament.

Less than a year later at the inaugural ESPY awards, Valvano was on stage receiving the Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award when he announced the creation of the "V Foundation", an organization dedicated to finding a cure for cancer. It was one of the most heartfelt and inspirational speeches I've ever heard. I still get chills when I hear Jimmy V utter the words, "Don't give up. Don't ever give up."

Today is the day ESPN is doing their annual Jimmy V Foundation auction to raise money for cancer research. In honor of that, here is the clip of Jim Valvano's famous speech in 1993.

If you feel moved and want to donate, you can call 1-800-4-JIMMY-V.

If you don't, just be sure to take some time out of your day to laugh, think and cry. And don't ever give up.

You Stay Classy, New York City

The fans of the New York Yankees have probably never been mistaken for sportsmanlike, at least not in the last 15-20 years or so. It’s not just the Yankees - Mrs. Sizemore can tell you how much I despise the Boston Red Sox. In fact, as far as baseball goes, these are the two teams that I love to hate the most. Ahead of Marlins and Braves teams that beat the Indians in the World Series. Ahead of a White Sox team that has become a natural enemy ever since the divisions were realigned in the 1990s. I can say with absolute certainty that if you include all sports, I only hate three teams more: the Baltimore Ravens, Michigan Wolverines and Pittsburgh Steelers.

That being said, the New York media and Yankees fans have stooped to a new low. I’ll be the first to admit that at sporting events, I’ve been known to have a couple of adult beverages and heckle the opposing players. But I am one who believes that there is an art to it. I don’t cuss at them. I don’t talk about their families. I don’t talk to their families. I just like to rub it in when they’re having a bad day. If I’m close enough to the playing surface that they can hear me, I try to get in their kitchen a little bit. But I always try to stay respectful. These fans? Not so much.

Keep in mind that this was the All-Star Game. It is a time for celebration. A time for honoring the greatest players of the past and the greatest players in the game today. A time for those great players to celebrate with their families and enjoy one last All-Star game in Yankee Stadium. And yes, I know that in 1998, the American League chose not to play Albert Belle in the All-Star Game at all because the Cleveland Indians fans had showered him with monopoly money, beer and even batteries during his first trip back to “The Jake” after bolting for the $55 million the White Sox offered him in free agency. There was no excuse for that either, but at least that was directed at little Joey and not his family.

All of that leads me to the classless lowlifes that seem to make up the fan base of the Bronx Bombers and the New York media. While being interviewed on Monday, Boston Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon made a comment about how if he were managing the All-Star team, he would name himself the closer. Tuesday morning, there was an article on the front page of the New York Daily News that read “Papelbum!” The article inside blasted the Sawx reliever for having the audacity to believe he should be placed in that role ahead of Yankees closer, and future Hall of Famer, Mariano Rivera. After all, this is the final season at Yankee Stadium and the game was played there. This is a day for only the Yankees, I guess.

Here’s the problem: What the article didn’t do was reference any of the rest of the interview. The part where Papelbon said that as a competitor, any closer would want to be in that position. Where he said that given the history of the Yankees and the situation, that he understood why Rivera was the man for the American League on Tuesday night. The part where he referred to Mariano as “the Godfather of closing.”

In response to the article, Yankees fans showed up for the All-Star parade on Tuesday and booed Papelbon. They yelled obscenities at him. They shouted death threats at his pregnant wife. She even commented afterwards that it was the first time in her life that she didn’t feel safe.

During the game, Papelbon was greeted with a chorus of boos during introductions as well as when he entered the game in the 8th inning with the score tied 2-2. Understandable. Then when leadoff man Miguel Tejada singled, the boos got louder, but they were also mixed with a few cheers. Tejada stole second and went to third on a throwing error by the AL catcher Dioner Navarro. Then a sacrifice fly by Adrian Gonzalez scored the go-ahead run and the boos were back, this time mixed in with even more cheers.

I sat and thought for a second, “Are the Yankees fans really dumb enough to root for the National League to score a run just because Papelbon is in the game? How ridiculous is that?” The last time I checked, for one night, we’re all on the same team. They cheered Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew when he hit a two-run homer in the 7th inning to tie the game. They loved Josh Hamilton of the Rangers on Monday night during the Home Run Derby. Hell, I even let out a “Come on Jeets!” when Derek Jeter came up with an RBI opportunity in the 5th. And if you know me at all you know how much I hate Jeter.

What little respect I had for the New Yankees and their fans is gone after the events of the All-Star Game and parade in New York City. It was a time to celebrate the game of baseball. It was a time to honor the greatest players in the game. It was a time to celebrate the history and the mystique of Yankee Stadium; instead, these fans disrespected baseball in their own house.

Damned Yankees.

Monday Morning Striker – 2008 Match Day 12

Northwest Suburban Soccer League
1st Division

Sting SC @ Highlanders FC
Unofficial Match Report
Sunday, July 13, 2008
9:45 AM
Elgin, Illinois

Starting Lineup:

F Matt Greenhalgh

F Brandon Caputo
M Eric Manos

M Rudy Schaser

M Dan Carver

M Kenny McCormick

D Keith O’Connell

D Mike Soroosh

D Ben Bartholomay

D Brian Black

GK Brian Stock

Reserves:
M Kevin McCormick ©
M Mike Burg
M Corey Mase
D/M Phil McMaster

Recap:
Thanks to an untimely bye week and a cancelled game over the holiday weekend, we had exactly 20 off days in between matches. That’s less than a third of the 63-day layoff Ohio State had before the Florida Gators pounded the Buckeyes in the BCS National Championship Game a couple of years ago. Let’s just say that I am beginning to understand what they went through.

We came out sluggish from the start and quickly fell down 2-0 to the first place team before a poor clearance led to a blast from Rudy Schaser that beat the goalkeeper from about 30 yards out. That would be one of few bright spots on the afternoon for Sting SC as the game quickly spiraled out of control and the score was 5-1 by halftime.

In the second half we would stand tall and get more than our share of opportunities, but nobody could find the back of the net and Highlanders FC added on a late goal for a 6-1 final. Coupled with the loss was the fact that the third place Chicago Tanks pulled out a tie and that left us in a virtual tie for second place. However, with goal differential the Tanks one less game played, they moved ahead in the standings, taking over the second promotion spot as well.

Man of the Match: Mike Soroosh

Match Day 12 Goals:
Rudy Schaser (unassisted)

Record: 4-3-2
14 pts. – Tied for 2nd Place

GF: 34

GA: 25

2008 Season Totals
Goals:
11 – Matt Greenhalgh
6 – Danny Carver
4 – Brandon Caputo
3 – Jamelle McCreary
2 – John O'Connell

1 – Ben Bartholomay

1 – Mike Burg

1 – Jimmy Rosenfeld
1 – Kevin Stock
1 – Phil McMaster
1 – Brian Black
1 – Kenny McCormick
1 – Rudy Schaser

Assists:
4 – Dan Carver
4 – Rudy Schaser
3 – Brandon Caputo
2 – Phil McMaster
2 – Kevin McCormick
1 – Mike Burg
1 – Jimmy Rosenfeld
1 – Corey Mase
1 – Ben Bartholomay
1 – Matt Greenhalgh
1 – John O’Connell
1 – Eric Manos

Hope is a Dangerous Thing

Let me tell you something my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane.

Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding
“The Shawshank Redemption”

C.C. Sabathia is no longer a Cleveland Indian. It was a sad day in the city by the lake called Erie on Sunday, when Sabathia was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for four minor league prospects. This was like the Bartolo Colón trade to the Montreal Expos in exactly two ways. One, the Tribe moved their number one starter. And two, both players are of the heavyset, power pitcher variety. Comparisons end there.

When Colón was dealt back in 2002, it was the start of the rebuilding era in Cleveland. After six consecutive division titles and two trips to the World Series, we saw star after star move on when free agency hit them. Albert Belle, Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome. Bartolo was next and we knew it. Thankfully, Montreal was beginning a fire sale of their top prospects in hopes to win some games as one last-ditch effort to save the team from moving to Washington, D.C.

In return, the Indians received Cliff Lee, Brandon Phillips, and Grady Sizemore. Pretty solid move when you consider Colón would eventually eat his way out of his role as a number one starter, and Lee and Sizemore would turn out to be All-Stars (also, Sizemore is hot -- Mrs. Sizemore's editorial comment). Even Phillips, who never found a role in Cleveland, was shipped down I-71 to the Reds and became a solid player.

This time around, we weren’t so lucky in our potential suitors. The teams that would have normally been considered buyers, the Red Sox and Yankees, appeared to be waiting for the off-season to make a move on Sabathia, as he has already stated that he won’t sign a long term deal during the 2008 season. That left teams that were only looking to rent Captain Cheeseburger for the stretch run.

A likely home would have been Chicago, to the Cubbies, where they could use the second ace along with Zambrano to push the perennial losers over the top as the favorite to win a title for the first time in 100 years. They also have the resources to attempt to re-sign Sabathia. Not only that, but it’s the National League. C.C. could hit (he’s a career .300 hitter in interleague play and playoffs) and the Tribe wouldn’t have to face him on a regular basis. Unfortunately for both teams, the Cubs had no prospects to give us, so that was likely dead before it started.

As it turns out, it was the small market Brewers that pulled the trigger. They offered up two class A prospects (that likely won’t see the show for a long time, if ever), one player to be named, and the centerpiece of the deal, Matt LaPorta. Now, this cat is a moderately sought-after prize, as he’s just one season removed from the draft and is tooling his craft as a corner outfielder in AA. He’ll also be involved in the futures game during the All-Star break. All things considered, this could be a decent move, because it was likely Sabathia would go elsewhere as a free agent and the scouts are saying that LaPorta could be ready as soon as next season. He’s only hitting .288 in AA though, so we’ll see.

The Brew Crew already made it clear they don’t have any intention on ponying up the dough to keep Sabathia. Hell, their GM hasn't even bothered to learn how to pronounce his name. He must have called him Sa-BAY-thia a dozen times.

Then, on Tuesday morning, I was listening to Mike & Mike on ESPN Radio as they interviewed Mark Shapiro. The General Manager in Cleveland talked about how their number one priority is to get Travis Hafner, Victor Martinez, Fausto Carmona, and Jake Westbrook healthy. Second to that? You guessed it. Well, you probably didn't actually. Either way, Shapiro claimed he wants to re-sign C.C. Sabathia this off-season.

I was stunned. I figured if you pulled a move like this, you were cashing in your chips and starting a new era. Maybe not.

Sure, it’s very unlikely that Cleveland will have the resources to make the move. Not unless they get deposits for enough season tickets to guarantee sell-outs like we did back in the 1990s. In all honestly, it’s going to take a deal in the six-year, $120 million range to get him to come back. He already turned down a four-year, $72 million offer last off-season. So where are the Indians going to come up with the extra $2 million per season and the extra two years? Who knows?

My guess is that Shapiro was just posturing for the fans in an attempt to save his neck after he moved the face of the organization. But wouldn’t that be nice? Four prospects and we get the Captain of Cheeseburgers and Baconpants back? This type of move is not unprecedented; my St. Louis Blues have made deals at the end of two recent seasons where they sent Keith Tkachuk away and ended up re-signing him the following off-season.

I find I'm so distraught I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the pain only a sports fan can feel, a sports fan in the middle of a long season whose conclusion is already certain. I hope a Cleveland team can win a title some day. I hope to see our ace back in an Indians uniform, and cheer for him when he’s in Chicago playing against the White Sox. I hope the Tribe is as good in 2009 as they were in my dreams. I hope.

Monday Morning Striker – 2008 Match Day 11

Northwest Suburban Soccer League
1st Division

Sting SC vs. Real FC
Unofficial Match Report
Sunday, July 6, 2008
9:45 AM
Vernon Hills, Illinois

Recap:
GAME CANCELLED

Record: 4-2-2
14 pts. – 2nd Place
GF: 33
GA: 19

2008 Season Totals
Goals:
11 – Matt Greenhalgh
6 – Danny Carver
4 – Brandon Caputo
3 – Jamelle McCreary
2 – John O'Connell
1 – Ben Bartholomay
1 – Mike Burg
1 – Jimmy Rosenfeld
1 – Kevin Stock
1 – Phil McMaster
1 – Brian Black
1 – Kenny McCormick

Assists:
4 – Dan Carver
4 – Rudy Schaser
3 – Brandon Caputo
2 – Phil McMaster
2 – Kevin McCormick
1 – Mike Burg
1 – Jimmy Rosenfeld
1 – Corey Mase
1 – Ben Bartholomay
1 – Matt Greenhalgh
1 – John O’Connell
1 – Eric Manos

Monday Morning Striker – 2008 Match Day 10

Northwest Suburban Soccer League
1st Division

Sting SC Bye Week
Unofficial Match Report
Sunday, June 29, 2008

Record: 4-2-2
14 pts. – 2nd Place

GF: 33

GA: 19

2008 Season Totals
Goals:
11 – Matt Greenhalgh
6 – Danny Carver
4 – Brandon Caputo
3 – Jamelle McCreary
2 – John O'Connell

1 – Ben Bartholomay

1 – Mike Burg

1 – Jimmy Rosenfeld
1 – Kevin Stock
1 – Phil McMaster
1 – Brian Black
1 – Kenny McCormick

Assists:
4 – Dan Carver
4 – Rudy Schaser
3 – Brandon Caputo
2 – Phil McMaster
2 – Kevin McCormick
1 – Mike Burg
1 – Jimmy Rosenfeld
1 – Corey Mase
1 – Ben Bartholomay
1 – Matt Greenhalgh
1 – John O’Connell
1 – Eric Manos

Top Five Fridays: Shocking Sports News

This is my regular feature called Top Five Fridays. Here I'll list some of my favorite things like, Top 5 Ways to Annoy a Michigan Fan or Top 5 Most Overrated Athletes (cough cough, Brett Favre, cough cough)..... Have no fear, we'll get to both those topics in good time. At the end there will also be a section for those that just missed the cut.

I read an article two nights ago about Len Bias that led off with a sentence about how he has now been dead longer than he lived. I honestly didn't realize that it had been 22 years since his death, though I do remember vividly the day I first heard the story. It was shocking in an awful and saddening way that is rarely equaled in the sports world, but it got me to thinking. What are some other stories that truly shocked the sports world (not necessarily in a bad way) in my lifetime?

Now, keep in mind that certain stories were left off this list on purpose because they weren't exactly shocking in the way that I mean. This post's intention is to talk about the things that were really unexpected in every way possible. Some examples of things that don't really count as shocking:

2003 Chicago Cubs collapse – come on, it's the Cubbies. 100 years of futility and you're surprised that they fell apart?
2007 Patriots Spygate – Belichick was one of the worst coaches in the NFL when he was with Cleveland and all of a sudden the man is a genius? Not likely.
Michael Vick's dog fighting scandal – The guy and his brother were both in trouble with the law before, so the only shocking thing was that he didn't use his money to hide it better.
Rampant steroid use in baseball – Sure, we didn't know the extent of the problem, but steroids had been the elephant in the room for well over a decade.

Do you see what I'm getting at? Without further Freddy Adu, here are the...

Top 5 Most Shocking Sports Moments in Sports in My Lifetime

1. The United States Plays Hockey?

It seems that the USA Men's Olympic Hockey team from the 1980 Winter Games should be at the top of many lists, but this is the first time I've managed to squeeze them in. Greatest upset. Greatest moment. Greatest broadcast call. Greatest everything.

Just days before the Olympics started, the young group of American college and amateur hockey players lost to the Soviet Union 10-3 in Madison Square Garden. The same Soviet team beat the NHL All-Stars 6-0 a year earlier. The Soviets outscored their five group play opponents by a combined score of 51-11 despite tough two-goal wins over Finland and Canada. They had won the gold medal in 1956, 1964, 1968, 1972, and 1976. They would go on to win gold again in 1984 and 1988.

Not only was it next to impossible to beat the USSR at hockey, it was also the height of the Cold War, and the United States as a whole was in a funk. A couple of months earlier, the USSR invaded Afghanistan, and the United States would boycott the Moscow games later that summer as a result. It was believed that the Soviets might not show in Lake Placid, but they did, and that's when the Miracle on Ice was born.

The Americans trailed 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 in the game. They would tie the score for the third time 8:39 into the final period and Mike Eruzione would score the game-winner with exactly ten minutes to go. That the Americans were even in the game was a shock to everyone except the American players and head coach Herb Brooks. That win was a truly shocking miracle that will never be forgotten.

2. Mellow Johnny
Lance Armstrong was a World Champion cyclist in 1993, three years before being diagnosed with testicular cancer, so we knew the dude could ride. But when he found out about the cancer, the initial thought that went through Lance's head was that he'd never ride again. When it was discovered that the cancer had metastasized to his lungs and brain, it no longer became a matter of winning anything except his life.

Lance's weakness, pre-cancer, was that he was arrogant and didn't take well to the strategy of cycling. After becoming a star triathlete at an early age, he developed a cockiness that had never really been seen before in the endurance sport world. He was too impulsive, and because he was a swimmer, he was also too big to be a stage race cyclist. When he made the switch to professional cycling full-time, he was considered an excellent single-day rider because he was so powerful. Yet nobody believed he would win a stage race like the Tour de France, because his upper body size would be too much to pull through the mountain stages.

The cancer did two things to Lance that actually helped his cycling career. The first was to strip him down of his body mass and turn his frame into a sleek, lean, mountain climber and time trialist. The second was to strip him of his pride…a little bit. He's still cocky as hell, but it's a different kind. Before he was brash and created enemies in the peloton, now he is considered confident and strong-willed.

Living through cancer was a miracle. Getting back on the bike was nothing short of courageous. Winning the Tour de France was unbelievable. Breaking Miguel Indurain's record of five victories by rolling to seven straight is one of the most shocking things in the history of sport, let alone the last thirty years.

3. I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson
The baddest man on the planet in the 1980s was - without question - "Iron" Mike Tyson, and not just because he was arrested 38 times by the age of 13. As a professional boxer, Tyson won 26 of his first 28 fights by knockout including his first 19 straight. Not only that, but 16 of those 26 knockouts came in the first round. He unified the belts and became the undisputed heavyweight champion when he knocked out Michael Spinks in 91 seconds in 1988. His hand speed, coordination, and power intimidated opponents, and along with his defensive abilities led many to suggest that he was the greatest boxer of all time. He became the youngest heavyweight champ ever, and when he later became the youngest ever to lose the belt, it was one of the most shocking things in modern sports.

James "Buster" Douglas was listed as a 42-1 underdog when he fought Mike Tyson on February 11, 1990 in Tokyo and only one Vegas casino was even taking bets because the outcome seemed to be a foregone conclusion. However, the Columbus, Ohio native had a 12-inch reach advantage, and he used that to perfection by enlisting a series of right-handed jabs that kept the champ at bay and caused his eye to swell shut in the 5th round. Instead of his usual strategy of slipping punches and countering, Tyson was looking for the one big knockout swing. He thought he got in the 8th round when he knocked Douglas down with his trademark uppercut. Video shows that Buster was down for 14 seconds, but the referee started his count late, and he was able to get to his feet.

Angry, Tyson came out in the 9th looking for the quick knockout with a massive strike, but was unable to land it as Douglas went back to the jab to keep his distance from the powerful slugger. In the 10th, Douglas dominated early and landed an uppercut of his own, followed by a rapid combination to knock Iron Mike down for the first time in his career. Tyson struggled to his knees and attempted to put his mouthpiece (which had ended up on the canvas) back in, but failed to get up in time. Douglas was the new heavyweight champ.

To emphasize how shocking this knockout really was, don't forget that in his very next fight, Douglas was knocked out in the 3rd round. His opponent on that night in October of 1990 was Evander Holyfield, and afterwards Douglas would immediately retire and balloon up to nearly 400 pounds.

4. Which leads me to my next point kids, don't smoke crack.
At the age of 22, Len Bias was on top of the world. He was the second pick of the 1986 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics after becoming an All-American in college. He grew up in the backyard of the University of Maryland, where he was a star on the court, and was considered the most complete forward to ever come out of college by most experts.

However, on June 19th - less than 48 hours after being selected and signed by the Celtics - Bias suffered a fatal cardiac arrhythmia that resulted from a cocaine overdose. He was partying at an off-campus apartment with some friends and teammates in celebration of his new professional basketball career. At the time of his death, many people claimed it was the only time he'd ever done drugs and the incident sparked a series of anti-drug commercials intended to scare American kids straight. In fact, one common misconception at the time was that crack and cocaine were the same drug. Evidence later pointed out that it was likely not his first experience with drugs, but many still believe it was his only time.

At the memorial service, more than 11,000 people packed the Cole Field House where Bias played for the Terrapins. He was loved and admired, and was a strong and gifted athlete in the prime of his life. Len's death was shocking in a way that would be remembered by people in the same way as tragedies such as JFK and the Challenger shuttle disaster. He's the one that people remember, but only eight days later, the NFL's defensive rookie of the year, Don Rogers of the Cleveland Browns, also died of a cocaine overdose.

5. Great Oden's Raven!
Speaking of the Brownies, it's been ten years now since the reincarnation of what was once considered the New York Yankees of professional football. The Cleveland Browns dominated all four years of the existence of the All-American Football Conference and went on to win three NFL championships in their first six seasons. In the other three seasons, they lost in the title game to the Los Angeles Rams and the Detroit Lions twice. After a few more competitive seasons, including another loss to Detroit in the 1957 NFL Championship, the team was sold to Art Modell in 1961.

After a couple seasons with a better than .500 record, Modell fired Paul Brown, and the Browns went on to win their eighth championship (fourth in the NFL), with a monumental upset victory over the Baltimore Colts in 1964 by the score of 27-0. It would be the last championship for the Browns, the last in Cleveland by any sports team, and ironically, Modell would eventually move the franchise to the city of Baltimore.

After years of saying that he would never move the team out of Cleveland, Modell's patience with the city finally grew thin. The completion of the Gateway Project meant that Municipal Stadium lost one of their primary tenants, the Cleveland Indians. It was Modell who claims to have rescued the city, as they were losing gobs of money with "the mistake on the lake," when he leased the stadium from the city for $1 per year and agreed to absorb all of the costs associated with the aging building. He lost a number of suite holders that left for Jacobs Field when he refused to lower the price on sky boxes at Municipal, despite 81 less home dates per year. The Stadium Corps. and the Browns organization were in heavy debt and Modell officially moved the team after the 1995 season.

Even Pittsburgh owner Wayne Rooney and many Steelers fans protested the move, as they understood the importance of the rivalry and were sad to see the Browns stolen from their city. Baltimore fans weren't ecstatic about the new team either - mostly because of the way it happened. Twelve years earlier, the Colts had literally packed up and moved to Indianapolis in the middle of the night, and their fans felt that Modell was doing the same thing to Clevelanders that Robert Irsay had done to them.


"Juuuuust a bit outside. He tried the corner and missed."

2006 Zinedine Zidane – Zizou was always stoic, a picture of poise and calm on the soccer field - until the World Cup Final against Italy. He was also considered one of the top players in the world. With the match tied at one and nearing the end of a second overtime, Zidane wheeled and snapped a vicious headbutt into defender Marco Materazzi's chest. Materazzi dropped quickly and Zizou was sent off with a red card, a lasting scar on a brilliant career. Italy would win in penalty kicks 5-3.
1985 March Madness – In the first year that the tournament was expanded to 64 teams, eight-seed Villanova shocked the hoops world by knocking off two two-seeds and two one-seeds, including the champion game victory over a dominating Georgetown squad.
1993 AFC Wild Card – The Buffalo Bills trailed 35-3 at halftime to the Houston Oilers and completed the greatest comeback in NFL history with a 41-38 victory on their way to a third consecutive Super Bowl loss. Not only that, but they did it without Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly. Frank Reich, the man who also completed the biggest comeback in college football history as a backup, would be the architect.
2001 Daytona 500 – Nearing the end of the race, Dale Earnhardt was involved in what appeared at the time to be a minor crash by NASCAR standards. Ken Schrader, who collided with Earnhardt, peered into the car after getting out of his own and immediately jumped back and signaled for EMTs. Later that day, the sport of racing lost a legend.
2003 Kobe's Rape Trial – These types of things aren't shocking in sports, especially the NBA, but Bryant was built up as a clean-cut American star by the league and endorsement deals.

Monday Morning Striker – 2008 Match Day 9

Northwest Suburban Soccer League
1st Division

Sting SC vs. Chicagoense
Unofficial Match Report
Sunday, June 22, 2008
9:45 AM
Vernon Hills, Illinois
Weather: 75, Partly Cloudy, light wind (N-S)

Starting Lineup:

F Matt Greenhalgh

F Jamelle McCreary

M Eric Manos

M Rudy Schaser

M Kevin McCormick ©

M Kenny McCormick

D Keith O’Connell

D Mike Soroosh

D Kevin Sorbe

D Brian Black

GK Brian Stock

Reserves:
M/F Brandon Caputo
M John O’Connell
D/M Phil McMaster

Recap:
Another game day and once again we had early morning thunderstorms on the way to the game. We were running a little late due to some late night partying for a friend’s birthday party, so for the second time this season I started on the bench. I barely had my gear on by the time we kicked off and my old, out of shape, hung over self needed another fifteen minutes to warm up properly.

Matt Greenhalgh got things going about fifteen minutes in with two goals in rapid succession, keeping alive his torrid goal scoring pace. Back on Match Day 2 against the same Chicagoense team, Greenhalgh netted all four Sting SC goals en route to a 4-4 draw. He would end up with three for the day and a total of seven against this opponent on the season. Just before kickoff central midfielder Rudy Schaser told everyone on our bench that he would play a ball over the top for Greenhalgh to hit a blast from distance for a goal today. The first score of the day happened exactly as planned as Rudy’s ball from midfield was perfectly lofted over Greenhalgh’s, and the defender’s, head and into space. Matt ran on and hit a one-time volley from the corner of the penalty area that rocketed into the upper ninety on the far post. I’m quite certain that there isn’t a goalkeeper anywhere that would have gotten to that ball.

Minutes later a collision just inside the Chicagoense half of the field allowed the ball to pop free with Phil McMaster getting the last touch on the ball before Matt Greenhalgh collected it again. The goalkeeper stood still as Greenhalgh calmly placed the ball inside the far post for a 2-0 lead. The goalkeeper then proceeded to argue with the referee that his player was hurt and play should have been stopped. Unfortunately, his player was perfectly fine and just slow to get up. Either way, play wouldn’t have been stopped for a play like that and he should have not been such an idiot. We’ll hear more about him later.

Our third goal of the half came after an attractive combination out of the midfield from Rudy Schaser, Kenny McCormick and myself that led to Rudy getting free on the left wing. He then played a brilliant cross over the top that Eric Manos collected and dropped back to Jamelle McCreary who was entering the penalty area a few yards to the right of the penalty spot. McCreary drove a low, hard blast from about 14 yards out that the keeper was able to get his hands on, but the ball squirted underneath him and into the net. Chicagoense was able to answer with a goal just before the half and almost started off the second half the same way, but we were able to weather the rough stretch and right the ship.

With the score 3-1, we began to control the majority of possession and create several scoring opportunities. Once such chance was created when Chicagoense’s left midfielder failed to track back and Eric Manos played a dangerous cross into the mixer that the goalkeeper had to punch over the bar for a corner kick. At this point, the goalkeeper began to scream at his teammate for his laziness throughout the entire match. The midfielder, #20, proceeded to keep up with foreign relations. You know, flip him the bird, which led to this brilliant line in an Eastern European accent (possibly Serbian) from the goalkeeper.

“F*ck you, Mother F*cker! You f*cking run! You don’t stick your middle finger out at me, you f*cking run, Mother F*cker!”

After that, the goalkeeper and Matt Greenhalgh spent the next several minutes jawing at each other and Greenhalgh got the best of him again to complete his second straight game with a hat trick. It came on the ensuing corner kick when the ball came free to Kevin McCormick near the back post. He ripped a shot from just outside the six-yard box that hit Greenhalgh on the backside and deflected in. Our final goal of the day happened about ten minutes from time when the goalkeeper came way off his line to break up another breakaway from Matt Greenhalgh. The ball came loose to Kenny McCormick right at the midfield stripe and he launched a shot on net. It was almost Beckham-esque as the youngster scored his first goal of the year on the vacated goal. Chicagoense was able to get one more back near the end of the match and the final score was 5-2.

But the story isn’t over yet. As we sat on the sideline and removed our equipment, a fight broke out. The Chicagoense goalkeeper and #20 went at each other and had to be restrained by their teammates as we broke out in laughter from our bench. It was this same team that a year earlier was forced to play two men shot against us after two of it’s players were ejected from a game for fighting each other on the field during the game. It was over something as simply as a poorly struck pass that led to a throw in for us in our defensive half. The referee just watched on in amazement as the two players ended up on the ground and went at it as though they were in the octagon doing mixed martial arts. When their teammates finally separated them and got them to their feet, the referee looked confused as he had no choice to red card them both. No red cards today, but certainly some disbelief and laughter.

At the end of the day, the second straight victory was much needed as we head into a bye week before the July 4th weekend contest against Real FC. We need revenge against them for that 2-1 defeat a few weeks back when they were in last place.

Also, from now on, I’ll also be awarding a Man of the Match award. I’m going to attempt to go back and update the other match reports with MOTM as well, but this week’s goes to our top goal scorer. If not for the eye-popping first strike and his hat trick, it would have likely gone to Phil McMaster for his tremendous job filling in with the back line in the absence of Jimmy Rosenfeld and Ben Bartholomay.

Man of the Match: Matt Greenhalgh

Match Day 9 Goals:
Matt Greenhalgh (Rudy Schaser)
Matt Greenhalgh (Phil McMaster)
Jamelle McCreary (Eric Manos)
Matt Greenhalgh (Kevin McCormick)
Kenny McCormick (Unassisted)

Record: 4-2-2
14 pts. – 2nd Place
GF: 33
GA: 19

2008 Season Totals
Goals:
11 – Matt Greenhalgh
6 – Danny Carver
4 – Brandon Caputo
3 – Jamelle McCreary
2 – John O'Connell
1 – Ben Bartholomay
1 – Mike Burg
1 – Jimmy Rosenfeld
1 – Kevin Stock
1 – Phil McMaster
1 – Brian Black
1 – Kenny McCormick

Assists:
4 – Dan Carver
4 – Rudy Schaser
3 – Brandon Caputo
2 – Phil McMaster
2 – Kevin McCormick
1 – Mike Burg
1 – Jimmy Rosenfeld
1 – Corey Mase
1 – Ben Bartholomay
1 – Matt Greenhalgh
1 – John O’Connell
1 – Eric Manos

(Cap and Jamelle set to kick-off with a 5-2 lead and the game entering stoppage time.)

Top Five Fridays: Another Hiatus

Hello loyal reader(s,)

I wanted to write a Top 5 this week, I really did. However, I was sans computer all week as it was being backed up and my system wiped with a clean install. I had some kind of corrupted Windows for four months and I finally got sick of it taking fifteen minutes to boot. As a result, I didn't have time to research things on the interwebs and write it. Next week I promise we'll be back.

In the interim, did anyone watch the U.S. Open this past weekend. Apparently Tiger was playing the entire tournament, 72 holes plus 19 playoff holes, with a torn ACL and two stress fractures. Yikes. He walked that entire way, unbelievable. After seeing the doctor three weeks ago he was told that there was no way he could/should play the Open. His response?

"I'm going to play the U.S. Open, and I'm going to win."

And he did just that. With every swing he looked like he was in serious pain, obviously he was, and occasionally he doubled over and I thought he might go down and not get up. Unreal.

I'll leave you with this question: Is Tiger Woods human? I think God may have just made him with different material than the rest of us mere mortals.

With that, I'm off. But first, here is a picture of Tiger from Monday and a gratuitous shot of his bikini model wife, Elin Nordegren.

Have a great weekend and I'll see you all on Monday!

Monday Morning Striker - 2008 Match Day 8

Northwest Suburban Soccer League
1st Division

Sting SC @ CF Jaguares
Unofficial Match Report
Sunday, June 15, 2008
9:45 AM
Elk Grove, Illinois
Weather: 70, Mostly Cloudy, light wind (S-N)

Starting Lineup:
F Matt Greenhalgh
F Brandon Caputo
M Eric Manos
M Danny Carver
M Kevin McCormick ©
M Kenny McCormick
D Keith O’Connell
D Corey Mase
D Ben Bartholomay
D Brian Black
GK Brian Stock

Reserves:
M/F John O’Connell
M Mike Burg
D Troy

Recap:
Early morning thunderstorms across the Northern half of Illinois threatened the start of the match, but by kickoff the rain clouds had already moved on. The Jaguares only had nine players show up, but that didn’t stop them from getting on the board first and dictating the pace throughout much of the first half. We simply had a hard time stringing passes together and spent the majority of the half giving the ball away instead of making the simple pass. We finally got on the board near the end of the half when a cross came in that was too far for Danny Carver glanced off his head and straight to Brain Black near the back post. Coming out of the back isn’t a very common occurrence for Black, but he managed to fire a low, hard, driven ball back through the six-yard box and inside the back post.

With the score tied at one at the break, we came out in the second half with a greater sense of purpose. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t get involved right away as on the second half kickoff my knee made an awful pop that was not unlike a knuckle cracking, except it hurt. After an attempt to walk it off, I spent the next 20 minutes parked on the bench while Matt Greenhalgh got us going with a goal on a loose ball inside the penalty area. He got his second of the day on a brilliant cross out of the midfield from defender Ben Bartholomay.

I reentered the game at that point and after collecting a loose ball on the end line, my crossing attempt to Greenhalgh hit a defender in the arm and the referee made a terrible decision to award a penalty kick. Not one to turn down the gift, Matt collected his second hat trick of the season by finishing from the penalty spot. Minutes later he sent me free on a give and go and I was in alone on the goalkeeper. My scoring slump seemed as though it would continue as the goalkeeper made the initial save. However, I regained possession and was able to knock the ball in off a defender from an odd angle. A garbage goal, but I’ll take it.

A few minutes later Kevin played a ball in my direction near the top of the penalty area. After beating my man I was all alone with the goalkeeper and slotted the ball into the back post for my second of the game and a 6-1 lead. It looked as though John O’Connell would get in on the act as well, but as a defender closed down his space on a breakaway with just a few minutes left to play he made the decision to send the ball back out near the top of the box. I was left unmarked and ripped a one-timer that looked as though it might head into the far post. Instead, it hit a defender in the back near the penalty spot and ricocheted into the front post with the goalie out of position.

Although it wasn’t the most impressive performance, we walked away with a 7-1 victory and held onto sole possession of second place. It was a much needed road win after dropping one at home the week before that we should have won.

Man of the Match: Matt Greenhalgh

Match Day 8 Goals:
Brian Black (Danny Carver)
Matt Greenhalgh (Danny Carver)
Matt Greenhalgh (Ben Bartholomay
Matt Greenhalgh (PK)
Brandon Caputo (Matt Greenhalgh)
Brandon Caputo (Kevin McCormick)
Brandon Caputo (John O’Connell)

Record: 3-2-2
11 pts. – 2nd Place
GF: 28
GA: 17

2008 Season Totals
Goals:
8 – Matt Greenhalgh
6 – Danny Carver
4 – Brandon Caputo
2 – Jamelle McCreary
2 – John O'Connell
1 – Ben Bartholomay
1 – Mike Burg
1 – Jimmy Rosenfeld
1 – Kevin Stock
1 – Phil McMaster
1 – Brian Black

Assists:
4 – Dan Carver
3 – Brandon Caputo
3 – Rudy Schaser
1 – Mike Burg
1 – Phil McMaster
1 – Jimmy Rosenfeld
1 – Corey Mase
1 – Ben Bartholomay
1 – Matt Greenhalgh
1 – Kevin McCormick
1 – John O’Connell

Top Five Fridays: Hockey Goalies

This is my regular feature called Top Five Fridays. Here I'll list some of my favorite things like, Top 5 Ways to Annoy a Michigan Fan or Top 5 Most Overrated Athletes (cough cough, Brett Favre, cough cough)..... Have no fear, we'll get to both those topics in good time. At the end there will also be a section for those that just missed the cut.

The Stanley Cup Finals ended last week, not that many of you noticed. The Detroit Red Wings closed out the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games after failing to finish them in the fifth game, which happened to be on home ice. For those that missed that gem, and I missed the majority of regulation, this is the reason that hockey is so great. Anyone who caught the final five minutes of regulation and the three overtimes couldn’t have possibly walked away not wanting to watch game six. The Penguins led early 2-0, lost the lead, and then scored with 34 seconds left to tie the game at three and send it into overtime. Two and a half exhilarating periods later, the Pens finally put the puck in the net to force a game six back at the Igloo. Unfortunately, they couldn’t keep it alive again despite a heart stopping final few seconds that almost saw them push that game in overtime as well.

Now I’ll get off my hockey high horse and onto the topic of this post. This week saw several retirements in the sports world; Michael Strahan (NFL - New York Giants,) Marcus Robinson (NFL - Chicago Bears,) Jonathan Ogden (NFL - Baltimore Ravens,) Trevor Linden (NHL - Vancouver Canucks,) Bret Boone (MLB - Washington Nationals,) as well as announcement of Sammy Sosa's retirement after the World Baseball Classic in 2009 and the speculation of former Atlanta Braves aces Tom Gavine, Greg Maddux, and John Smoltz all retiring together at season's end so they could enter the Hall of Fame on the same ticket. None of these were extremely shocking news, and none of them affected any of my teams.

Another one that didn’t effect my teams, but had significance to me personally was that of Detroit’s goalie (who didn’t play a minute in the finals mind you) Dominik Hašek. The Dominator is by far my favorite non-St. Louis Blues player. In fact, during my childhood I was more of a Buffalo Sabres fan than a Blues fan and Dom was it for me. Then he got traded to Detroit and I had to root against him at all costs. My loyalty to the great state of Ohio and my anti-communist political beliefs come first.

I think he will be remembered best for the breath-taking saves he made during his tenure with Buffalo. Although he never won a Stanley Cup there, but took hom two in Detroit, he did single handedly take the seventh seeded Sabres to a Finals appearance in 1999. In overtime of the sixth and deciding game the referees and replay officials robbed Buffalo of their chance at glory when the Dallas Stars’ Brett Hull scored the winning goal with his skate in the crease. Along with the Bills losing four consecutive Super Bowls, this game helped push Buffalo to second on the list of most heartbroken sports cities in America behind Cleveland. In honor of The Dominator’s retirement, I now present you with the…

Top 5 Hockey Goaltenders of My Lifetime

1. Dominik Hašek

I’m very likely to take some flack for my selection here, but I’m extremely biased and this is my list. Sue me. He finished his career with two Stanley Cup titles, six Vezina Trophies (Top NHL Goaltender,) two Hart Trophies (NHL MVP,) and one Olympic Gold medal. All of those awards, in my mind, add up to a dead heat with the number two goalie on my list. Aside from pure bias, there was one other thing that separated him in my opinion. When the Dominator was at the peak of his career he was playing for the small-market Buffalo Sabres. They never had the star quality players surrounding him that the other goalies on this list had and yet, he was still able to get his team in the playoffs almost every season and within an eyelash of tasting Lord Stanley’s coffee. MasterCard also featured him in one of my favorite sports related commercials highlighting his unorthodox style and slinky-like spine. He is considered a flopper by most hockey experts as he has a tendency to drop to his knees and use his flexibility to cover the entire net using every body part he can to stop the puck. For me, he was worth the price of admission.

2. Patrick Roy
Aside from my love for pissing Gene Honda off by pronouncing his name like a dumb American instead of the correction way (W-AH,) I also appreciate Roy for being the greatest butterfly style goalie of all time. He only won three Vezina Trophies and never won the Hart, but he did become the youngest player to ever win the Conn Smythe (Playoff MVP) when he won his first Stanley Cup title with the Montreal Canadians in 1986. He went on to win another title with Montreal and two more with the Colorado Avalanche. Among others, he also holds NHL records for most games played by a goaltender (509,) most NHL Regular season wins (551,) most playoff wins by a goaltender (151) and most Conn Smythe wins (3.)

3. Vladislav Tretiak
It was a tough choice to place Tretiak on this list considering he never played in the NHL and he retired in 1984 when I was five years old, but it wouldn’t be a complete list without him either. He won three goal medals with the Soviet Union and would have won a fourth had it not been for the “Miracle on Ice” in 1980 when he took home silver. After surrendering two first period goals he was benched and the rest, as they say, is history. Despite being drafted to play in the NHL by Montreal, he was not allowed to leave the country while under Soviet rule and instead retired early at the age of 32. He is one of very few members of the Hall of Fame that never played in a North American league. However, in fourteen seasons in the Soviet league he won thirteen titles. Since the Soviet block fell, he has served as a goal tending coach and consultant right here in Chicago with the Blackhawks. During his time with the Hawks he has coached Ed Belfour, Dominik Hašek, Jocelyn Thibault, and Martin Brodeur. While portraying USA head coach Herb Brooks in the movie “Miracle,” Kurt Russell is quoted as saying, “If you score on Tretiak, keep the puck. It doesn’t happen often.”

4. Martin Brodeur
This guy has had a phenomenal career and if you talked to anyone from New Jersey, they would have you believe that Marty belongs at the top of the list. However, as was the case with the Colorado Avalanche at the peak of Patrick Roy’s career, Brodeur always had the benefit of tremendous blue-liners in front of him. His New Jersey Devils were so good at their style of neutral-zone trapping that they single handedly caused the NHL to change several rules to create more scoring. Nobody benefited more from the old rules than Brodeur, who is second on the all time list for wins and shutouts. He has spent his entire 15-year career with the Devils, only missing the playoffs once. After sitting on the bench during the 1998 Olympics and watching Patrick Roy lead Canada to Bronze, he was the starter in Salt Lake City (2002) and led them to Gold. It was just announced today that Marty won his fourth Vezina Trophy and he also has several NHL records to his credit. Among his other achievements, he is also the only goalie in NHL history to score a game-winning goal.

5. Tony Esposito
Like Tretiak, it was a tough call placing Esposito on this list considering he retired in 1985 and I was only born in 1979. Also like Tretiak, it wouldn’t be a complete list without him. He didn’t play much with the Montreal Canadians, but won a Stanley Cup there in 1969 before being left unprotected and taken by the Chicago Blackhawks off waivers. It was with the Hawks that he won the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year in 1970 and eventually three Vezina Trophies. He is also considered one of the pioneers of the butterfly style, the most common goal tending style in the NHL today. He is one of just eight goaltenders to ever with the Vezina Trophy catching right handed and is credited with the first ever victory against the Soviet Union while playing for Team Canada in 1972.


“Juuuuust a bit outside. He tried the corner and missed.”

Grant Fuhr – Five Stanley Cup titles with the Edmonton Oilers and one Vezina Trophy, Wayne Gretzky has often been quoted as saying that Fuhr was the single greatest goalie of all time. Born of biracial parents, he became the first black Hall of Famer although the focus on his race took away some of the luster from his induction ceremony.
Ed Belfour – Won the Vezina twice with the Chicago Blackhawks and took them to the Stanley Cup finals only to lose to Mario Lemieux’s Penguins in 1992. He finally won the Stanley Cup when the Dallas Stars and referees cheated in 1999 and also took home gold with Canada in 2002.
Mike Richter – He played fourteen seasons with the New York Rangers and is considered one of the best American-born goaltenders in NHL history. Won a Stanley Cup in 1994 and a silver medal while backstopping the United States in the 2002 Olympics.
Curtis Joseph – A solid goalie for the better part of eighteen NHL seasons, Cujo also won gold with Team Canada in 2002. He gets mentioned mostly for his six fantastic seasons in St. Louis, but also because it was at this point in his career where Mrs. Miami and friends used to stalk him while they were still in high school.

The Sixth Cents XVII: Big Brown Dump Edition

This is my somewhat regular posting called “The Sixth Cents.” It’s a little play on words with the "my two cents" concept mixed with me having a "sixth sense" about sports. The second part is obviously ridiculous, just like anyone who tells you that they knew the whole time that Bruce Willis was already dead. In this feature, I will attempt to give my take on some of the stories in the sports world and a few personal annecdots on top of it.

It’s been awhile since I gave ya’ll a post other than my soccer team updates, and I also failed at getting a Top 5 out last week. There really hasn’t been anything new and crazy going in the sports world so I’ve had a tough time getting a Sixth Cents together, but I figured I owed you kids after the poor couple of weeks. Enjoy!

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1. Going Postal
Be sure to dump your stock in UPS and start using the U.S. Postal Service again. Big Brown was the victim of probably the most shocking loss of Triple Crown hopefuls the Belmont has ever seen. It was the first time a horse with a shot at the Triple Crown ever finished in last place. Now it has been 30 long years since our last trifecta.

Big Brown has been injured for the past couple weeks, so it wasn’t exactly the biggest shock the world of horse racing has ever seen. More than anything else, it was the way he lost. Running in third place and looking good over the first half of the race, everyone assumed that Big Brown would coast around the final turn and explode down the final stretch like he had in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. Instead, he started jerking his head to the side in obvious discomfort and his jockey eased him up and out of the pack as they trotted to the finish line.

Although we are hearing reports that there is nothing physically wrong with the UPS sponsored colt, jockey Kent Desormeaux’s wise decision to pull up lame may have saved Big Brown and the sport of horse racing from another public execution on the track. Mrs. Sizemore, who comes from a family that knows quite a bit about the sport of horse racing, was gleeful that the Triple Crown was not won. Personally, I’m for witnessing history and was sad that the horse that brought me $50 of glory in a random draw bet with Mrs. Miami’s family a few weeks ago couldn’t finish what he started.

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2. The Heart of Rock and Roll is in Cleveland
Several weeks back, Mrs. Sizemore lost a bet. We were sitting around with some friend’s at their lake house in Beverley Shores, Indiana playing cards when the song “The Heart of Rock and Roll” by Huey Lewis and the News came on the old iPod. I was singing along with the song and came in one verse too early with the lyrics, “…in Cleveland,” that appear in the final refrain. Mrs. Sizemore had more than her share of adult cocktails and was adamant that these were not, in fact, the words in the song. So sure of herself, that she said, “I promise I will be an Indians fan if they say ‘Cleveland’ anywhere in this song.”

So one verse later we had one more member of the Tribe and one less member of Red Sox Nation, at which point she proceeded to cry herself to sleep. Since then, the Indians have sucked miserably, so I let her off the hook on Sunday. I’ve never been one to believe that things such as these have any effect on the game, but we’re 2-0 since. Either way, if we don’t turn this thing around soon, it will be a long three months until football season begins.

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3. I Think I’m Gonna Bomb a Town
Speaking of football, we are nearing completion of the first of two Beirut tables and I must say, it’s looking good. All of the up to date pictures are currently available on Mrs. Sizemore’s facebook profile since my date to my cousin’s wedding from LAST June still has my digital camera. For those that aren’t on the ole facebook yet, get with the program. I know parents and companies that have profiles and it’s features make it an all encompassing website that has the potential to make other Internet websites like evite, snapfish, and birthday alarm (among others) obsolete in the near future. For those that don’t want to jump on the bandwagon, wait about another week and I’ll post them on here for the entire world to see. In the mean time, here is a shot of the OSU logo in the middle of the board before we touch it up and a shot of the circles where the cups go to wet your appetite.












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4. Put a Fork in the NBA
After 23 years on this earth, the first live NBA game I ever took in was my first on the job for the Chicago Bulls in the fall of 2002. For over two seasons I lived for the Bulls despite he team being compared too high school teams as far as their level of play. When I left the team, they suddenly got good again and made a couple of playoff runs only to fall apart amidst elevated expectations this past year.

As for the rest of the league, well, amongst the best players in the league you have a rapist (Kobe Bryant,) a whiney baby (Tim Duncan,) a me-first thug who doesn’t like to practice (Allen Iverson,) a vanilla-bland foreigner (Dirk Nowitzki,) and a lousy tipper (LeBron James.) And then you have a referee, Tim Donaghy, who quits and is convicted of fixing games against the spread. Now he says that he isn’t the only one and that the league was fixing games to create lengthen some of the playoff series, something that has been suspected by conspiracy theorists for a long time. Well, I’ve had enough. It was already my least favorite of the five, yes five, major team sports. I don’t know what to do with it anymore except ignore it.

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5. Believe me. I tied my own shoes once. It is an overrated experience.
I’m sure this may be hard to believe, but one month shy of my 29th birthday, I ventured into a gentleman’s club for the first time in my life. A friend’s bachelor party featuring the shenanigans of a trolley ride around Chicago led us to VIP’s before finishing at our local stomping grounds, Tai’s. Being that it was my first time and I had heard previously that this particular establishment wasn’t exactly the best, I won’t judge all strip clubs based on my Friday night. That being said, I was extremely unimpressed. The clear majority of the girls were quite busted looking and had bad boob jobs. They were also mostly tall and on the heavier side than I imagined. The few that were actually pretty and petite (like I like my women,) were not much better than raisins on an ironing board.

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6. Wonderboy! What is the secret of your power?

Roy Hobbs: I coulda been better. I coulda broke every record in the book.

Iris Gaines: And then?

Roy Hobbs: And then? And then when I walked down the street people would've looked and they would've said there goes Roy Hobbs, the best there ever was in this game.

Great movie if you’ve never seen it. Robert Redford is stupendous despite being his usual monotone and bland self. If ever there were a real life version of Roy Hobbs, it would be Ken Griffey, Jr. From the time he was 19 years old he had the most beautiful and perfect looking swing. He burst on the scene quickly and in his first eleven seasons he already totaled 398 home runs. It was at that point that Griffey was traded to his hometown Cincinnati Reds and his career has been marred by injuries ever since.

On Monday he became the sixth player in MLB history to reach the historic total of 600 homers. That gives him just 202 in the past eight seasons since the trade. It was Griffey, not Barry Bonds, who was believed to be the chosen one to break Hank Aaron’s career home run record. While he will remain in the discussion as one of the top ballplayers of all time, it truly is a sad ending to such a promising career. All of that aside, congratulations are still in order to Junior Griffey for #600. We’ll see you in the Hall of Fame.

Monday Morning Striker – 2008 Match Day 7

Northwest Suburban Soccer League
1st Division

Sting SC vs. Real FC
Unofficial Match Report
Sunday, June 8, 2008
9:45 AM
Vernon Hills, Illinois
Weather:

Starting Lineup:
F Matt Greenhalgh
F Brandon Caputo
M Eric Manos
M Danny Carver
M Rudy Schaser
M Mike Burg
D Keith O'Connell
D Mike Soroosh
D Ben Bartholomay
D Brian Black
GK Kevin McCormick

Reserves:
F Jamelle McCreary
M/D Phil McMaster
M/D Corey Mase
D Jimmy Rosenfeld

Recap:
We had a real opportunity to separate ourselves from the pack and get an early lock on the second place spot with a home game against last place, and winless, Real FC. However, the game started terribly. Not only were we missing Jimmy Rosenfeld for the first half, but our goalkeeper was also absent. With the threat of thunderstorms brewing, the wind picked up and wreaked havoc on our midfield and defense in the first five minutes. Twice we allowed a midfielder to get open on the wing and send a cross into the goal area. Twice the wind blew the ball into the back of the net over the head of our very inexperienced goalkeeper.

We settled in a little bit and Matt Greenhalgh and myself found each other on a couple of occasions early on to no avail. One such occasion left me all alone at the top of the penalty area and I buried the opportunity into the upper corner of the net. Unbelievably, the goal was called back for offside, which I disputed hastily despite the referee being a colleague that I had worked many games with in the past. Several minutes later Jamelle McCreary was pulled down from behind just as he beat the last defender and entered the penalty area. Even the defender got up knowing he had just surrendered a penalty kick, but none was called. Late in the second half we finally got one back as Corey Mase sent a tremendous cross to the back post that an unmarked Phil McMaster headed home.

With the wind at our back in the second half and Jimmy in the net, things looked brighter in the second half. We gave up fewer opportunities in the back and created several chances of our own. Danny Carver continually swung beautiful in-swinging corner kicks into the mixer, but we couldn’t get on the end of any of them. With less than twenty minutes to play, we were the victims of two more horrific missed calls. The first was a clear handball in the box that the referee claimed was unintentional. The defenders arm was outstretched as he dove in an attempt to knock the cross down before it got through to Matt Greenhalgh standing alone at the back post. On the ensuing corner kick, one of our biggest and most physical defenders, Ben Bartholomay was clobbered just as he began to make his run. He’s a man who doesn’t go down easily, and the referee was starring right at it.

I’m not usually one to play a game on poor officiating, and I can’t honestly say that I’m doing that here. We had plenty of chances that we couldn’t finish on our own and the two goals Real FC scored were a result of poor man marking and poor positioning by an inexperienced goalkeeper. However, any one of those three missed penalty kick calls could have drastically swung momentum. We saw this happen on Match Day One when we surrendered a two goal lead and barely managed a tie after a penalty kick was awarded to our opponents.

The bottom line is that the 2-1 loss dropped our record to 2-2-2. It stings a little bit more considering Real FC was in last place entering the match and our two ties could have easily gone the other way as well. A 5-1 record through the first six games was a real possibility, and would have put us in a tie for first, but we squandered it. We’re still in second place, but two teams are sitting behind us with 7 points each and those teams have both played less games. Now the fight begins to get back in the mix and earn that promotion.

Man of the Match: Phil McMaster

Match Day 7 Goals:
Phil McMaster (Corey Mase)

Record: 2-2-2
8 pts. – 2nd Place
GF: 21
GA: 16

2008 Season Totals
Goals:
6 – Danny Carver
5 – Matt Greenhalgh
2 – Jamelle McCreary
2 – John O'Connell
1 – Ben Bartholomay
1 – Brandon Caputo
1 – Mike Burg
1 – Jimmy Rosenfeld
1 – Kevin Stock
1 – Phil McMaster

Assists:
3 – Brandon Caputo
3 – Rudy Schaser
2 – Dan Carver
1 – Mike Burg
1 – Phil McMaster
1 – Jimmy Rosenfeld
1 – Corey Mase