Here are some predictions in World Cup soccer as the round of 16 has begun.
On Sunday, Mexico which had as many points as favorite Brazil in the “group” round, will upset Netherlands, a team that got the maximum 9 points in the group round.
Also on Sunday, upstart Costa Rica will continue to win, this time as a favorite, vs Greece.
Argentina and Germany each will score impressive victories in this round.
Germany faces Algeria on Monday while Argentina takes on Switzerland on Tuesday.
My first comment regarding LeBron James and player movement, is to consider Michael Jordan and others, who did not get to choose where to play and with whom to play.
James has already moved once and is threatening to do it again. It is his right but it is not right.
Obviously in basketball, more than in any other major team sport, one player can make a huge difference. A player changing teams without compensation affects the balance of the sport.
With his choosing Miami and colluding with others to help build a team, James and company did very well but were very lucky.
Is there a need to rehash that San Antonio’s win vs Miami was decisive while the Heat’s vs the Spurs the year before was anything but that?
Bottom line, James, who wants to be considered among the all time greats, is not even close at this point. He should stop being “the kid in the schoolyard who has to be on the best team,” and stay put in Miami, in the far weaker Eastern Conference, and play basketball.
The hype led by ESPN is unbearable.
Rico Carty was one of the best hitters I ever saw. What a pleasure it was to see him hit.
In 1969 he played in the outfield for the NL West Division champion Atlanta Braves even though he hurt his shoulder and that hampered his throwing ability.
He was in there for his bat. I recall the great Mets’ broadcaster Lindsey Nelson’s play by play on a hit to the outfield by one of the eventual world champion New York Mets’ players during the NLCS vs the Braves. “Carty can’t throw” as the run scored.
Another legendary New York broadcaster, Phil Rizzuto, after a Carty home run cut the Yankees’ lead to one run in the bottom of the 9th in Cleveland intoned, “that Carty, oh can he hit.”
High praise indeed from a man who watched fellow Yankees Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio plus rival Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox.
It seems biting in sports is a June thing.
Luis Suarez, a player for Uruguay in World Cup soccer bit his opponent (Giorgio Chiellini) just before the match between Uruguay and Italy.
Uruguay won and can “bite on” while Italy was eliminated as though bitten by Dracula.
The most famous biting sports incident took place on June 28th, 1997 in a boxing ring. Mike Tyson bit the ear of Evander Holyfield, leading to Holyfield being declared the winner and Tyson losing his boxing license, though it was later reinstated.
There have been some good stories thus far in World Cup soccer.
Argentina got a late goal from Lionel Messi, their great player, to break the hearts of the team from Iran. Likely Argentina would have qualified for the round of 16 without that win.
Mexico, with two wins and a draw, has qualified for the round of 16.
The United States, not expected to go far, have one win and one draw, putting them in a very good position to qualify for the round of 16.
Upstart Costa Rica has also qualified for the round of 16.
Two match ups in that round have been set.
In one, the host country Brazil, will meet Chile. In the other, The Netherlands face Mexico.
Argentina
I know there are big changes in the baseball standings and the perception of teams each week.
Talk shows, the bane of my existence, react exponentially to each game. It is beyond ridiculous.
However, even I, who usually have this stuff in perspective both in importance and in sports proportion, have trouble with the Detroit Tigers and their penchant for “measuring the field.”
They had been struggling and who knows may struggle again. Yet their four straight wins and four straight Kansas City Royals losses gives them a mathematical edge.
Add the fact they are way better than any other team in the AL Central and it should be Detroit’s 4th straight divisional crown.
Yet I say it will be some time and some struggle for the Tigers before they make it four straight divisional titles.
Watching the 1966 movie “Harper,” on Turner Classic Movies was an enjoyable experience.
Paul Newman gave a fine performance, albeit not as great as in many of his films including “The Sting” and “Cool Hand Luke.”
Harold Gould (“Kid Twist” in “The Sting”) and Strother Martin (who tells Paul’s “Luke” “we have a failure to communicate” in “Cool Hand Luke”) were both in “Harper.”
A character with few redeeming features in “Harper” is “Ralph Sampson” the same name as the basketball player, who was good in the pros but never near the great player he was supposed to become.
That note makes me appreciate the often great and never less than fine work of actor Paul Newman.
As usual, the Detroit Tigers are struggling to pull away in the American League’s Central Division.
However, none of the other teams are taking advantage of the Tigers’ mediocre play.
This year without the unproductive post season performer Prince Fielder and manager Jim Leyland, (he of the no need for a lefty pitcher vs David Ortiz in last year’s ALCS), Detroit might just win it in the playoffs.
First they must get there, which due to the division’s mediocrity, they likely will.
The Los Angeles Kings’ march to their second Stanley Cup victory in three seasons was incredible.
They faced elimination seven times and of course won all seven of those games.
Alec Martinez scored the semi-final series winning goal in overtime of game seven. He followed that by scoring the Stanley Cup winning goal in game five of the final.
Marian Gaborik scored the tying goal in the third period of both of those victories.
Additionally, he tied and won game 1 of the quarterfinals and tied game two of the finals. The tying goals were in the third period and the winning goal was in overtime.
What an incredible run this is for the now NBA champion, San Antonio Spurs!
There has been sustained excellence for almost the entire 15 year/16 season span beginning with their first NBA championship in 1999. They have made 25 consecutive playoff appearances winning it all five times in that span.
In fact, this franchise, which was an original ABA member known as the Dallas Chapparals, has made the playoffs in its league 42 of 47 seasons. That includes 8 of 9 seasons in the ABA and 34 of 38 in the NBA.
They bounced back from the heartbreaking loss in last year’s NBA finals vs the Miami Heat. “Taking no chances” this year, San Antonio’s four wins vs the Heat in this year’s finals were by 15 points or more.
Andy B Sports 