Mike Mouths Off

Great Wolf Fun

2011-02-19T13:43:00.000-08:00

Jessica, Satchel and I were in serious need of a vacation, so we took a short trip to Great Wolf Lodge on Thursday and Friday. For those who don't know what Great Wolf Lodge is, it's this huge resort built around a giant water park. The one here is in Grand Mound, which is about 20 miles south of Olympia right next to Centralia (there's a bunch of Great Wolf Lodges around the U.S.). It's expensive, but well worth it. We had a great time. We arrived Thursday afternoon, spent the night and left Friday evening. One of the good things about Great Wolf is, even though you can't check in until 4, you can start using the park at 1, and then even though you check out at 11, you can use the park until 9. Pretty good deal.
There's a lot more than just the water park, with a spa, an arcade, some kind of weird Dungeons and Dragons magic game, a lot of restaurants and an animatronic show throughout the day. So here's some thoughts/experiences from our trip:

We left the house around 12:30, a little later than I wanted to but not bad. We made a stop for coffee and bagels, and a stop for gas, but otherwise were on our way. We'd been looking forward to this day for awhile so were excited.
We shockingly didn't listen to any Beatles on the ride, nor did Satchel request any, which was just as shocking. Jessica told a great story about a lost little boy and a magic mouse that she made up. I really encourage her to write it, I think it's great.
We arrived at about 2:30 to a packed parking lot, which gave Jessica some major hesitation (she's not the most patient person). I was surprised it was so busy on a Thursday in February. We went inside, and it's surprisingly dark, I guess to maintain a "lodge" feel. There's a lot of wood and animal statues around, pretty nice, but what you notice most are the kids. They are everywhere. The line was quite long to check in but moved pretty quick. Jess waited in line while Satchel and I walked around.
We came upon this giant tree/clock tower thing in the middle of the lobby where they have the animatronic show and story time. At first Satch was afraid of the tree, which is kind of creepy (it has arms and eyes and all that) but he was OK after a minute. This is also where I get my first glimpse of Simon, this creepy animatronic kid with blonde hair hiding out in a fake tree trunk. He's one of the stars of the show and looks bizarre.
We wander more and Satchel notices that a lot of the kids are running around with magic wands. They have this game where you can get these wands for $30 (and of course accesorize them with more crap for more money) and you can wander the resort (and I mean it's spread out everywhere, you could waste all day wandering around playing this game) like unlocking treasure chests, activating talking pictures, etc., etc. in search of some kind of quest to slay a dragon or something. It was nuts, so many kids (and some adults) were doing this thing. Satchel mentions several times that he wants a wand. I answer several times, "We'll see." After briefly discussing it, Jess and I decide to pass on the wand. Satch handles it well, surprisingly. It would be cool if it wasn't $30.
We wander down a hall and see there's a Nestle convention going on. I briefly consider putting on one of the unclaimed nametags and trying to get some free stuff. But I couldn't figure out a good way to explain having Satchel with me, or that none of them knew who I was.
Jess checks in finally and rejoins us. The animatronic show starts so we watch. The story is that Simon is lost and scared in the woods and the animals, including a moose, a racoon, an owl and a couple of squirrels, along with our Native American hero Yellow Feather, tell him "There's nothing to be scared of." In fact, they sing "There's nothing to be scared of" over and over, and it's clearly a ripoff of the Lion King's "Circle of Life." So now I've got "There's nothing to be scared of!" going through my head constantly. Besides watching Simon be creepy, the best part of the show is that one of the two squirrels, who are in a little hole in a tree (one in each tree) is broken, so all you can see is the top of his head and it looks like he's struggling so hard to get up and sing, but he can't quite make it.
We had up to our room to see if we can get in (we can!). They give you these bracelets to wear and they do everything. They get you into the water park. You can charge anything to your account just by tapping the bar code. And they're your room key. It's pretty cool, though Satchel hates wearing them. We're on the fifth floor and it's a nice room. Nothing fancy, just two beds, a couch, refrigerator, which was nice, microwave, bathroom. They have much more elaborate rooms for a lot more money (this one was expensive enough) with like caves for kids to sleep in, bunk beds, etc. But the way I see it, I'm on vacation to do things, not spend time in my room, so as long as it has a bed and bathroom, I'm happy. I'm not spending more to feel like I'm sleeping in a cave.
Each floor has a theme. Ours was the Twisted Woods. That pretty much just means there's weird looking trees painted on the walls.
Satchel is most excited over the TV in the room "just like the one we have at home!" Jess is most excited by this safe in the room to store our valuables "I want one of these!" I'm most excited that there's two beds.
I went down to the car to haul all of our stuff up. Amazing, especially when you have a kid, how much crap you take with you even when you're only going for a night. When I get back to the room, Satchel is under the covers watching the Cat in the Hat. I know we're not spending our time here watching TV.
We get dressed in our swimming gear and head to the water park. You enter on the second floor, where the spa, the ice cream store, the arcade and a few other things are. As soon as you walk through the doors of the water park, you get punched in the head by humidity. It's like 85 degrees, but it's not uncomfortable after the initial shock.
You walk up to a lifeguard, who measures kids to see what rides they can go on, and gives them a color-coded bracelet so that it's easy to see what they can go on. Satchel did not like having to wear a second bracelet. The lifeguard mentions that the Activity Pool is closed because of an "accident." Jess asks "What kind of accident?" The lifeguard searches for the right words. Jess helps her by saying, "Poop?" The lifeguard hesitantly answers yes. Nice.
The water park has a number of different areas. There's a wave pool with like 3-foot high waves that goes out to about 5 1/2 feet (starts at zero height entry). It was my favorite part. There's the ill-fated Activity Pool, which has like floating beavers and basketball hoops and a lilly pad thing to climb across. It's probably around 5 1/2 feet too. There's a kids pool area with a bunch of little toys to climb on and spray, a couple of smaller water slides, that's shallow, only up to Sachel's waist or so. There's a big fort-type deal for bigger kids and adults (though Satch could have gone on it if he wanted, but he didn't). It's highlighted by this enormous bucket on the roof that drops about 10,000 gallons of water every five minutes, causing screams and squeals every time. We got nailed by it once. There's also a big water slide on the fort that Satch couldn't have gone on. There's a small hot tub that you have to be at least 8 to use. And there's a big inner tube slide (actually two slides) that starts very high up (they have a cool machine that moves inner tubes back up to the top). Satchel couldn't do that one, and we never did it, though it looked pretty fun.
Our first stop was the wave pool. It's only been in the last four months or so that Satch has really gotten comfortable in the water and is OK with getting splashed in the face. That's good, because you're constantly getting splashed. The waves really move you around. They go for about 5 minutes, then stop for a few minutes, and then there's like a howl warning sound and they start again. It was a really fun pool, my favorite part. We went deep first and then hung out shallow where Satchel could stand and jump the waves and get nailed by them.
A word about the lifeguards. There's about a million of them, and they are on top of it. I'm used to taking Satch to the Mountlake Terrace pool where the lifeguards look miserable. But at Great Wolf, they do not stop, they are on constant lookout, it's pretty impressive. We learned later that they are kept on their toes by having a doll periodically thrown into the water and then supervisors see how long it takes for it to get noticed. The one time we saw it happen, the lifeguard was all over it. You can tell that they are under constant supervision because they do not fool around, which is good.
We walked toward the fort, and that's when we got nailed by the big water drop. It was pretty hard, but didn't hurt or anything, was just a big dump on your head (which sounds kinda gross). The rest of the fort just has spraying things, etc. (at least, around the perimeter. We didn't go into the fort).
We went to the kiddie pool. Satchel went down one of the slides by himself, his first water slide, but he got a bunch of water in his mouth at the bottom because he forgets to close his mouth. When we asked how it went, he said, "Not so very good." He went down the other slides with us and it went better. There's a bunch of little boats with water cannons which is pretty fun. It was nice for Satchel because he could walk around, not worry much about getting run over by bigger kids and could climb up on things by himself.
We walked over to the Activity Pool. It was both sad and disturbing seeing it empty and knowing why.
We went back to the wave pool and were in it for a long time, mostly in the shallow end. It was a lot tougher being in the shallow end for me, having to sit and being constantly pushed around by the waves. Tough on my back, but worth it watching Satchel, who did great. They also have a big water fall umbrella thing that we went under.
We notice there's a shadowy figure up in the window overlooking the water park. I think it's either the spirit of the Great Wolf, or Ned Johansson, assistant pool manager. One minute he's there, the next he's vanished. Jess also notices a man who she points out has enormous breasts. He never turned around for me to take a look.
We head back up to our room to change our clothes (there are changing rooms at the water park too, along with several food stands and an apparel store). We then drive to Centralia for dinner at a Mexican place called Casa Ramos, which is clearly a former Azteca. How clearly? They use Azteca menus, napkins, etc. I mean, it says Azteca on them. Whatever, the food was good.
Driving back to the resort, we see the moon and it is huge and full (that's what she said) and really amazing.
Satchel puts on his Buzz Lightyear pajamens in anticipation of story time and we head out to check out the arcade. It's a cool arcade, nothing amazing. It's like Chuck E Cheese in that it gives out tickets for winning games. The coolest thing is Satchel's pajamas glow in the light. We play some Ski Ball, some other games. Satchel rides this little ice cream truck and is immediately surrounded by a bunch of middle eastern kids, just like you see on TV. It was like they came out of nowhere.
We got to the ice cream shop, which smells delicious, and Satchel gets a chocolate ice cream cone. They're a little more expensive than a Baskin Robbins but not outrageous. They have a lot of different kinds of desserts, all of which looked good, none of which I got.
We go down to the clock tower thing where the story time is and it's already filling up with kids in PJs. We get a good spot on the floor in front but pretty soon are totall surrounded by people. We sit through the same "There's nothing to be scared of" show. Then comes story time, where two people dressed as wolf cubs, Willy and Violet, are accompanied by a Pack Member (that's what the call the employees). Satchel wants nothing to do with Willy and Violet, so story time ends for us before it even starts.
We got back up to our room and play hide and seek, which you can only play so much of in a hotel room. We also play Jenga and Ants in Your Pants. Good fun. We go to sleep about 9:45, earlier than I've been to sleep in a long, long time.
I sleep terribly. The bed is just too soft and uncomfortable. I wake up at 6 with a sore back. I lie there until it's light enough to read. Jess and Satch wake up about 9:30 and both slept great.
You do not go to Great Wolf Lodge to relax. There are just too many kids. It was before 8 that I heard them running up and down the hallway, yelling, etc. Didn't bother me, because I knew where I was staying, but if you're hoping to sleep in too late, it's going to be tough.
After packing up, I took our stuff down to the car and meet Satchel and Jessica at the buffet, the only time we eat at the hotel. It was fairly mediocre, especially for vegetarians. But mediocre or not, I ate a lot. Waffels, a bunch of different kind of potatoes, bread, fruit. And kids are free if younger than 4, which Satch is for another few months, so that was good.
The waitress tells us that the busiest times are Thanksgiving, New Year's and Spring Break. The slowest time is May.
After eating, we go to the gift shop because we've told Satchel he can pick something out. Of course, he wants the first thing he sees. But eventually, we walk away with a wolf on a stick that bites when you pull a lever, and a Great Wolf Lodge toy semi truck. But he's in there forever.
We then go back to the water park. We spend more time in the wave pool and the kiddie area. The activity pool is open, so we go in there and it's OK, Satch has fun sliding off of the floating toys and shooting some baskets. After a couple hours, we're sitting near the kiddie pool when they have to clear it out for another "accident." I feel bad for the lifeguard wearing rubber gloves and patrolling the water with a net. Around that time, Satch decides he's had enough of the water park. I would have liked to stay longer but he's the boss.
Oh, I forgot. First we went back to the arcade to use up our remaining tokens. We win enough that Satch can get a couple of other toy cars.
He also wants to use the photo booth, but wants the picture to be of just himself so we wait outside while he poses behind the curtain. They come out well. It costs $3.
After the pool, we head back over to the dessert shop for another chocoate ice cream. Satchel is very disappointed he hasn't found a girlfriend, but the ice cream makes him forget it. Two women excitedly see the Scoop Spa, geared toward little girls (and only little girls, which is total BS). It's the kind of place that makes me a little nauseous, in a Toddlers and Tiaras kind of way, and I'm so thankful that I married a woman who also thinks it's ridiculous. They also have a Teen room with video games, music, TV, etc. I tell you one thing, if I'm paying for my kid to come to Great Wolf Lodge, he ain't spending his time in a dark room playing video games that he can do just as well at home. Absurdly, two of the channels were tuned to MSNBC and Fox News.
Our trip is coming to an end, but not before I notice two things: One, a man dressed like Robin Hood, who I think is an employee but I'm not totally sure; and a couple, both large, the man kind of scary looking, walking around with magic wands and a guide book trying to slay the dragon, and being very serious about it. These aren't the only adults I see taking this game very seriously. Jess warns me not to take a picture of them for fear of me being beat up, but I can't help myself.
Satch spends more time in the gift shop before we somehow coax him out of there. We exit Great Wolf Lodge, take a few last pictures outside and are on our way. But not before stopping in the nutrituous Taco Bell drive-thru for dinner.

So, if you've read this far, hopefully I conveyed that it's a busy, fun place to visit. Our only regret was that we didn't spend more time there. Next time we'll go for at least two nights. It's costly but worth it and should be even more fun as Satchel gets older. Let me know if you have any thoughts, opinions if you've visited, or questions.

A Few Thoughts

2010-10-01T09:17:00.001-07:00

It's been quite awhile since I posted last. I intended to post regularly, but that's proven harder than I expected. Who knew a 3-year-old would consume so much of my time?
But, I'll try again to post more regularly. We'll see how that goes.
For now, just a few thoughts on this beautiful early Fall morning:

The fact that the Mariners have decided to not pitch Felix Hernandez in the season-finale Sunday is the perfect stupid ending to a perfectly stupid season. What, now you're going to protect him from injury? Now? The point of sitting a guy down is to protect him from injury so you can use him in games that are meaningful. Well, the Mariners haven't had a meaningful game in, what, a month? Two months? Why didn't they sit him down then? But now, they're going to rescue him from another seven innings? Give me a break. It's almost enough to turn me off of the Mariners. But I'll be back in April, believing 2011 is the year they win it all. And you watch, Felix will blow out his arm in Spring Training and they'll go on and win the World Series with Doug Fister and Luke French leading the way. That'll make this decision look even more stupid. Stupid Mariners.
Typically, I dislike women's basketball. It has nothing to do with being sexist, I have no issue at all with women playing sports. I don't like hockey or golf or auto racing either. I just have, in the past, found the product not entertaining at all. I do think that there are very good women basketball players. I used to really like watching the University of Washington women's games, back when Chris Gobrecht coached them and they were actually more successful than the UW men. Here's what I think my issue is: You can have a couple of bad men's teams playing and it can still be reasonably entertaining. You'll usually see a dunk or two, some generally entertaining moments. With a women's game, for me, you need two good teams for it to equal an entertaining game. One bad team can completely ruin the product because it will be so laughably one-sided and ugly that it makes you cringe. So, what's my point? I recently covered the Seattle Storm for the Tacoma News Tribune. Prior to that, I had paid very little attention to the WNBA. I just didn't care. I was aware the Storm was good year after year, that Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird were both good players. I just didn't care. But after covering them on their run to the WNBA title, they won me over. The quality of play was high and the atmosphere at KeyArena was as loud as I've been around. I mean, uncomfortably loud. I could still do without a lot of the ridiculous crowd-involvement things like the Stanky Dance, the conga line thing and the incredibly loud music, but that's true of a lot of sports. I will say that the Storm and Sounders do a great job engaging the fans, which I think is awesome. So, will I regularly follow the WNBA next season? No, probably not. But I also won't quickly turn away from a game when I see one, and I wouldn't mind going to a few games next season. It was the first time I actually had fun at a women's basketball game in a long, long time, so bravo Storm.
I'm getting the feeling the Husky football team isn't going to a bowl game. I know, it's early. But yikes, can anyone here tackle? I don't blame the coach entirely, but Nick Holt is one of the highest paid assistant coaches in the country. Why can't his defense tackle? And it's not just the defense. I covered Jake Locker when he was a freshman at Ferndale High School. I've followed him since then. I've never seen him look worse than he did against Nebraska in any sport. It was shocking. Yes, he got bad blocking. But he's supposed to be one of the top five players in the country, and he completely tanked. And I hate that, because he's such a good guy, I want him to succeed. And I know he will. But wow was that bad. The Pac-10 is turning out to be a lot more competitive than we expected and I'm trying to add up Washington wins, but each time I try, I never come out with enough to send it to a bowl game. And what a disaster that would be.
About a month ago we went to see the Sounders play the Chicago Fire and got to sit in the Nordstrom's suite. My aunt works for the Nordstroms (and I don't mean selling shoes) so now and then we get to take advantage of that. We've gotten their Diamond Club seats at Mariner games. We've gotten to use their summer house on one of the islands for a birthday. And when I say summer house, I mean summer compound, where there are like three different huge, ridiculously beautiful houses right on the water. We've gotten to watch July 4th fireworks from their downtown condo which is so big, I actually got lost walking around in it. ...seriously. So, the point is, we've been pretty lucky that my aunt has that connection. And watching a game from a suite is both fun and hard. Why hard? Because you get used to it, and soon (kinda like the Diamond Club), you don't want to watch a game from anywhere else. Free food and drinks, perfect, comfortable seats, free parking, and the ushers definitely treat you differently. I kept thinking, wait, you don't understand, I'm not a Nordstrom, you don't have to pretend I'm important. I knew it was a different world when, as we entered the stadium, we ran into Sounders majority owner Joe Roth, who used to be in charge of Disney. We don't see him much in the cheap seats. On the way out, we walked right next to Drew Carey (who looks really weird skinny) and, right behind him, Ryan Stiles. They were talking about going out after the game but both decided that they had to work in the morning so they wouldn't. My guess is their work was different from our work. Anyway, we're going to see the Sounders against Chivas of Guadalajara in a couple weeks and watching from the suite. I'll try to post something more extensive about that then.
Alright, that's all I've got for now. This is long enough. But I'll try to update again sometime.

How'd We Get Here?

2010-08-08T07:46:00.000-07:00

Today, August 8, 2010, is Jessica and my sixth wedding anniversary. I look outside and it's raining. That's way different than it was six years ago, when we had a beautiful day for our amazing wedding at Semiahmoo Resort in Birch Bay, by the Canadian border. A lot has changed since that day.

Since we got married, we've lived in four places. I've had four jobs, Jess has had five. We've owned a house, sold a house. We've lost two animals. We've had a lot of highs and a lot of lows. And we had Satchel, which is the most ridiculously amazing thing that has happened to us. In fact, I barely remember a day (nor do I care to) without him in our lives. That's been a wonderful change.

What hasn't changed in those six years is how much I love Jess. Yes, she snores. She farts. She drools. If she could, she'd sleep all day, every day. Patience is not her biggest strength. It's all part of what makes me love her.

She's also the most wonderful woman I've ever known. She's so beautiful, my heart races whenever I'm around her. She's so smart, I know I can go to her with any question I have, about anything (she'll at least sound like she knows what she's talking about). She's so funny, she might even be funnier than me! And she's an incredible mom.

She's changed me, and I'm so thankful. She's made me recognize and share my feelings. She's challenged me to think about what I think about. She stirs me to ask questions, to grow, to learn, rather than just glide by on who I've always been.

And if it wasn't for her, I would have never tried Indian food. So there's that, too.

Here's 10 things you may or may not know about Jessica:

1. She's a great cook. I love her enchiladas. She makes great breakfast burritos. About 10 years ago she made great potato poppers and promised me she'd make more. Still waiting.

2. She's an incredibly fast reader. I've never seen anyone get through books so quickly, though she admits she skims a lot. Her favorite books are historical novels.

3. She loves and hates scary movies. She loves the idea of going to them, and then spends the rest of the movie complaining about being there. But her favorite movie, I believe, is The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.

4. Her favorite song is Under Pressure. The Queen and David Bowie classic. But mostly she's into singer/songwriter things, like Nick Drake, Eva Cassidy, Patty Griffin, etc.

5. She's very competitive. I can't play video games with her. We played a wrestling video game in our early days of dating. I was just randomly pushing buttons but she insisted I was hiding moves from her. Eventually she just threw the controller at me. It's the last time we played video games against each other.

6. She has four tattoos. One just below the back of her neck. One on her foot. One on her ankle. And one on her thigh.

7. She gave birth to Satchel entirely naturally. No drugs, no nothing. It was pretty amazing. I know I don't have that kind of strength.

8. She's an incredibly impatient driver. She tailgates (though she says she doesn't). Any sign of any traffic causes her to huff, moan, complain. City living is not for her.

9. She says one word repeatedly during movies. "Jesus." But she says it in a hushed, "I can't believe it!" tone. I can count on her saying it about 10 times every movie.

10. She's very adventurous. We've white water rafted (she's a great boater). We've got hot-air-ballooning. Camping a lot (she's much better at setting up tents than me). She's water skiied, jet skiied. We've hiked. She's (usually) not afraid to try anything.

I've got a lot more I'll get to some time.

Jessica and I are an odd couple, though we're similar in a lot of ways too. She's the hippy, vegetarian chick, I'm the sullen sportswriter. No one would have really expected us to get together. I know she didn't. How do I know? She told me, from the beginning!

We met when we both worked at the Bellingham Herald, she as the newsroom receptionist, me as a sports writer. We said very little to each other for a long time, mostly because I said very little to anybody. But I always heard her laugh. She has a laugh that you can hear anywhere and it filled the newsroom and always lightened up the place. I recognized she was attractive but it took me awhile to make my smooth move.

So how did I do it? Stalking baby, stalking!

I would recognize when she was leaving - usually around 5 - and would strategically head out just ahead of her. One day maybe I'd be "looking" for something in my trunk. Another I'd be just steps ahead of her, knowing that she'd talk to me (her being friendly and all that). Maybe I'd be "heading" in from my car and run into her. You know, I'd change it up. She makes fun of me for it, but hey, it worked!

We started talking, then started hanging out a little, one day at her house the next at my tiny little one-bedroom apartment. We talked (she did most of the talking), ate, watched movies (look up Jimmy Fallon's song Idiot Boyfriend for a fairly accurate look at our early days). We went to a couple movies, including Amelie, which I would never, ever see, but went to because she wanted to. We went to Royal Tennenbaums, she fell asleep, I slyly put my hand on her leg, she stirred, I quickly removed hand.

We went out to eat at an Italian place in Bellingham. This is where, at one point, she said, "Oh my god! I could never date someone like you!" She said it jokingly, we laughed, but inside I died a slow, painful death. Though I knew she was wrong. And while she said that, we continued to be together, pretty much every day. She was housesitting at a farm she volunteered at near Christmas, and the morning I was driving down to Seattle for the holiday, I swung by very early while she was still asleep and left a large back of snacks on the doorstep. I'm very romantic. Then on the drive down I realized, hey, there's a lot of animals at that farm wandering around. Luckily, the treats made it to her.

I also made her an incredibly romantic dinner. At the time, I wasn't vegetarian, so I was a little at a loss, because I also wasn't a good cook. So what did I come up with? Boxed mashed potatoes, boxed stuffing, and frozen corn, baby! She took one look at it, laughed, and said, "Do you have enough carbs here?" But hey, it's the thought that counts, right?

One day we decided to take a day road-trip. I was so excited. I waited by my cell phone. And waited. And waited. She said she'd call. About 3 p.m., she finally called. I'd written the day off. Clearly, I didn't know her that well. Remember how I said she'd sleep all day if she could? 3 p.m.? That's nothing. So, we were on.

We got food, packed Dundee (our dog. ...well, her dog at the time) and headed out up a mountain that was still covered with snow. We got out and ran around in the snow and Jess fell. I laughed and kept right on heading to the car. She doesn't let me forget that.

We reached the top of the mountain and that was the first time we kissed. It was the most electric moment of my life, to know that she (at least kind of) felt about me the way I felt about her. My heart was going a hundred miles an hour, I was so excited. In fact, I nearly drove off the road on the way home. She asked me what I wanted between us. I said I'd like to date and see where it goes. She said, "OK, but nothing serious, and nothing exclusive." I agreed, though I knew I was serious, and she was the only person for me.

I did what I could to impress her. I shoveled horse crap at the farm she volunteered at. I mowed her ridiculously overgrown yard. I even became vegetarian! And even though she continually said nothing serious, we were together, exclusively, from that point.

Eventually, without us even discussing it, she moved into my one-bedroom apartment. Just, like, overnight, all of a sudden, there was all her stuff. So it was two people and four animals in this tiny apartment.

Eventually, yes, we moved to a house and got engaged. Our engagement was another smooth move by me.

We went to Las Vegas and I snuck the ring (which she knew we ordered but she didn't know I had) with us. When we got to our hotel (The Flamingo), Jess, predictably, fell asleep within about 10 seconds. I knew how deeply she slepts, so I called room service while sitting right next to her and asked if they could have the ring delivered. ...they said no (in retrospect, I should have just ordered something and then put it under there while she was asleep, but I was thrown off, alright?). Then I called the improv show they had going there, but they weren't cooperative either. So I fell back on Plan C, which was just doing it.

Later that night, we walked around the (actually) prety nice little garden area the hotel had. We were by the pools and I told her I had to go to the bathroom (but really, I wanted to get some flowers). So I wandered off, and of course, couldn't find flowers anywhere. Nothing was going my way. So I wandered back, and, of course, got lost (hey, it was a huge hotel!). I just wandered aimlessly for what seemed like about 48 hours and was finally about to just sit down, cry and yell "Jessie! Help!" when I accidentally found her. She said, "You got lost, didn't you?

I dropped to a knee, she thought I was hurt. Then I asked her, she looked a little stunned and then said yes. The oddyssey was over, and just beginning.

Our wedding was phenomenal, beautiful weather, a great turnout including almost all of my East Coast family. Jess looked amazing. So much fun. Then we had our best trip ever, our honeymoon in Puerto Vallarta. I swear if our animals weren't at home, we wouldn't have moved back.

So, that's the story of Jess and me, at least, on a somewhat abbreviated scale. I'm so lucky that she picked me, fell for my stalking ploy, stuck with me. She is truly the love of my life, the most beautiful, smartest and funniest woman and I don't know why she picked me, but I'm so glad she did, and I don't need an anniversary to remind me of that.

Seafair With Satchel

2010-08-06T17:26:00.000-07:00

So Friday was the first day of the main Seafair event in Seattle and I decided to take Satchel to take in one of the city's most popular events.

For those who aren't from Seattle or who are oblivious to summer festivals, Seafair lasts pretty much the entire summer and is full of events throughout the city, from really fun weekend-long community parties to really lame local parades that mostly feature local politicians riding around in cars waving and getting heckled.

Traditionally, I haven't done much during Seafair that I didn't have to do. Now and then I went to the Greenwood Seafair Parade and this year I took Satchel to the Tour de Terrace, one of those community parties that is right in our backyard. As I said earlier, the parade was lame (and went on and on and on) but the carnival was fun and Satchel rode the Ferris Wheel, which was a surprise.

Seafair's big event is a weekend-long party in South Seattle that features the hydroplane boat races on Lake Washington and the air show featuring the Blue Angels. There's also the requisite fried food booths, give-aways and music. It's generally fun if a bit overdone.

I got my fill of the hydros/air show when I was a reporter for the Everett Herald and had to cover the three-day event. I hated covering the hydros. It wasn't that I'm against boat racing, though I find it fairly dumb. And I will say that the drivers are entertaining because they all seem to hate each other, which was always funny. It's just that the days are incredibly long with a ton of time where nothing is happening, the races are kind of hard to follow and understand and at the end of the day, you write and file your story and three hours later you find out that a boat committed some obscure rule violation and everything you wrote is wrong.

The air show is pretty good with some pretty daring moves, but you better really, really love the Top Gun soundtrack because you are going to hear it over and over, and once you've seen the air show once, you've seen it. Unfortunately, I was there all weekend and saw it about six or eight times. The people watching is pretty good too. I used to get there at around 7:30 in the morning and people would already be eating enormous heaps of curly fries and corn dogs. I wanted to tell them that just because corn dogs are available at 7:30 a.m. doesn't mean you actually have to eat them at that time. But whatever.

After a few years away from the festivities, I decided to check it out as a common citizen with no press pass, and took Satchel along for the ride. Friday there is no entrance fee so I figured that was the time to go. I told him all about it beforehand, that there would be airplanes and hydroplane boats that were cool, music, food and he could get an ice cream and maybe french fries. He seemed OK but definitely apprehensive because he hates loud noises and knows that planes are loud. But the night before we went, he happily said he'd be dreaming about the blue jets and the hydroplane boats.

The next day, all I heard was how much he didn't want to go. Oh brother.

Well, we went. He didn't like the fact that we went, but we went. We parked about 10 blocks away and genius that I am, I brought along a stroller. He almost never is in a stroller anymore but I knew I was going to be doing a lot of walking, and I knew that I wasn't carrying him the whole time.

Once we actually got there, he was in a good mood. We were walking faster than people were driving (there is a ton of traffic in that area on Seafair weekend) so he liked trying to catch up with police cars and tow trucks stuck in traffic.

We went through the gates and headed into the main area, where all the food booths and activities are. We were greeted with about a dozen booths devoted to the military, none of which we stopped by but it was entertaining watching civilians have pullup contests against Marines. I think Satchel was pretty enthralled by all the sights and sounds and it was nice that there were no planes or boats going at that point so he wasn't overwhelmed.

Our first stop was some kind of organic foods booth where they were giving away these granola bars that Satchel really likes. Then there was another booth that were giving away power bar type things so Satchel picked one that was peanut butter and jelly flavored and one that was cherry flavored. He took one bit of the PB&J one and handed it over to me. I didn't think it was that bad.

We walked ahead and saw that there were three hydros on display that people could take pictures with. Satchel actually wanted to do that, which was a surprise. He climbed up on the first one and then we got in line for the other two and he actually got to sit in the cockpit, which he really liked. It was pretty cool and a good start for us.

Then the day came to a screaming pause. Why?

LEGO.

There was an enormous LEGO exhibit that was really cool but sucked every kid within 10 miles of it into its trap like the tractor beam on the Death Star in Star Wars. It was like they were powerless to resist. It was so colorful and loud that you could not miss it. Satchel took a picture of an awesome LEGO Lion and was completely mesmerized by the exhibits they had behind glass. They were really cool.

I signed Satchel up for a free subscription to LEGO Magazine and he got a LEGO necklace and we played with LEGOs for awhile. I thought for sure we were going to be there all day. He got very upset that there were no LEGO "guys" to add to his creations but we worked through that. Even though there were about a trillion LEGO blocks out to play with, he desperately wanted to play with the ones behind the glass.

Shockingly, we left LEGO after about 20 minutes without any struggle and made our way over to a tent that was sponsored by Boeing and featured exhibits by local nerds who put together robots. They were actually pretty cool but Satchel was upset he couldn't actually play with them. Then I noticed they were giving away mini-airplanes so we got one and that gave him something to do for most of the rest of the day. He was really pumped being able to fly it around and I was pumped that he had something to distract him.

We walked around some more, checking out sights, none of which was super exciting. We did see a firetruck but Satchel didn't want to get close to it. He's weird that way. His entire life revolves around firefighting but when given the chance to interact with a firetruck or firefighter he wants nothing to do with it.

At that point we were hungry (and by we, I mean me) so we walked over to the food row to decide what we'd have. I knew being vegetarian that my options would be fairly limited and they were. So I got a cheese pizza and curly fries (the pile of which was absurdly big and felt like it weighed about 10 pounds) and we sat in the grass to watch the air show, which had just started. Satchel ate some of the pizza and fries and had his peanut butter and jelly sandwhich and apple juice that I brought. And he put on his earphones, the ones he uses to watch movies on the portable DVD player, that he used as ear muffs against the air plane noise. It seemed to work, as he didn't seem to be really bothered by the noise, and it was definitely a lot louder than I remembered it being. When he finished eating, he broke into what has become his common routine: breaking into a solo concert of Beatles songs. He was rocking out and, seemingly offended that more people weren't paying attention to him, sang louder and louder until people took notice.

After working through his songbook, we walked over to a Seattle Fire Department booth. It was pretty cool because there were air tanks, axes, masks, etc. Satchel was a little shy with the firefighter but I told the guy that firefighting was his life and the he knew everything there was to know about firefighting. That was enough to convince the firefighter to give Satchel a very special sticker and pencil to go along with the sticker badge that he got. I told Satchel only the bravest, coolest firefighters got the special stickers and he felt really jazzed up by that.

Then he wanted his ice cream. So we went to the Ben & Jerry's stand and he got a chocolate ice cream that he proceded to get all over his face, hands, legs, pants, shirt, along with my hands. It was dazzling to see all the spots that he managed to get ice cream. He was only able to eat some of it so I was forced to help him finish it.

We walked over to a spot where he could see the hydros, which were in their pits. He couldn't have cared less. He's an interesting guy. He doesn't care about the main things, but is fascinated by secondary things. Like, he didn't care about the hydros or the huge cranes there to lift them into the water. But he couldn't stop talking about the little patrol boat that was just puttering around. He didn't care about the fire trucks, the air planes, the soccer kicking contests. But he couldn't stop talking about the garbage on the ground and that garbage trucks would get to come and pick it up.

So, we never saw the hydros actually moving, and he didn't seem to care.

We kept walking around, mostly to move the curly fries through my system. There was one really cool air show guy who I'd seen before who does some pretty spectacular things, but he does it to his own soundtrack that he wrote and recorded himself and the songs were so stupid that it was distracting. But it was awesome seeing people rocking out to the songs so maybe I'm wrong.

At that point it was time to start the long walk back to the car. I decided to make a large pass around the LEGO exhibit and we walked through the crowd. We made one last stop, my favorite of the day. It was a free photo booth and though he didn't want to wait and was getting tired, he very patiently waited for me in line and he and I took a few pictures together, that we got on a magnet. I don't have all that many pictures of myself with him (I'm usually the one taking the pictures) so this was a great chance to get one and I was super excited by it. They came out great.

We treked to the car right as it was getting hot out and got to the car just as I was about to pass out. Which is just what Satchel did on the way home. That was two days in a row with a nap, which was shocking but good for him.

So, it was an awesome day. He had so much fun, was so brave with the loud noises and it's always so much fun to see him find new things and enjoy himself. We've had some rough days in the past few months as he tests bounderies but it's days like these that I can fall back on when he's losing his mind and throwing the world's best tantrum, and remember what a wonderful, fun, awesome son he is.

Mariners Trade History

2010-08-01T10:05:00.001-07:00

OK, so I've been gone a month. Sorry. But I'm back, and I'll try to start posting a bit more regularly. So please keep checking back.
I'm picking things back up with a look back at the many trades, some good, mostly bad, that the Mariners have made through the years. It's a good time to do that, as the trade deadline just ended with Seattle trading pitcher Cliff Lee to the Rangers for a bunch of young players who we hope will develop well. I like the trade, I think Justin Smoak is going to be a great addition in a year or two, and hopefully one of the younger pitchers will develop. Lee had no future here, and if I have to chose between prospects or draft picks, give me the prospects.
So, here's a look back at the Mariners' trading history. Maybe it will jar some memories for you, or nightmares:
December 7, 1976: Grant Jackson traded to the Pirates for Craig Reynolds and Jimmy Sexton. The first real trade in Seattle history landed a starting shortstop who wasn't great but was steady, kind of an early-day Spike Owen.
March 30, 1977: Roy Thomas traded to the Astros for Larry Milbourne. This trade is only notable because it brought Milbourne to town, and he somehow kept ending up back with the Mariners, winning a lot of fans along the way despite not being all that good at baseball.
December 5, 1977: Jimmy Sexton traded to the Astros for Leon Roberts. Roberts turned into a solid bat in the middle of the order for the M's.
December 9, 1977: Dave Collins traded to the Reds for Shane Rawley. Collins was a great base stealer but Rawley was a bright young pickup for a team that was always on the lookout for pitching.
December 5, 1978: Tom McMillan, Rick Jones and Enrique Romo traded to the Pirates for Odell Jones, Mario Mendoza and Rafael Vazquez. Seattle actually traded for a guy (Mendoza) whose name is synonomous with being a bad hitter.
December 8, 1978: Craig Reynolds traded to the Astros for Floyd Bannister. The M's turned their starting shortstop into a young, locally-developed pitcher who struck out a lot of people and anchored the early M's pitching staff. Good trade amidst a sea of bad ones.
November 1, 1979: Ruppert Jones and Jim Lewis traded to the Yankees for Jim Beattie, Rick Anderson, Juan Beniquez and Jerry Narron. Jones was maybe the most popular of the early Mariners and it was sad to see him go. None of the guys acquired did much good, but Beattie lost a lot of games for Seattle.
October 29, 1980: Odell Jones traded to the Pirates for a Player to be Named Later (Larry Andersen). This is only noteworthy because Andersen was a fan favorite because he was good at practical jokes.
November 18, 1980: Larry Milbourne and a Player to be Named Later traded to the Astros for Brad Gulden and cash. What makes this trade so good is that the Player to be Named Later was Gulden, which means he was traded for himself.
December 12, 1980: Larry Cox, Rick Honeycutt, Willie Horton, Mario Mendoza and Leon Roberts traded to the Rangers for Steve Finch, Brian Allard, Rick Auerbach, Ken Clay, Jerry Don Gleaton and Richie Zisk. One of the biggest trades ever between two teams as it involved 11 players. Horton and Roberts were both good-hitting outfielders while the M's got Zisk, their best player during the early 80s.
March 7, 1981: Carlos Diaz traded to the Braves for Jeff Burroughs. I don't know who Carlos Diaz was. Burroughs at one point was a power hitter of note. But not when he came to Seattle. He did coach a Little League World Series champion with his son, though.
December 9, 1981: Dan Meyer traded to the A's for Rich Bordi. Bordi was a pointless pickup and Meyer, a solid outfielder for Seattle, never did anything after this trade. A wash.
December 11, 1981: Tom Paciorek traded to the White Sox for Rod Allen, Todd Cruz and Jim Essien. Few players have been as popular with Seattle as Paciorek, who was an all star and a pretty good hitter who has become a popular broadcaster. Cruz at least became a starter with the M's.
March 2, 1982: Player to be Named Later (Bud Black) traded to the Royals for Manny Castillo. Black was a local guy who turned into a pretty good pitcher for the Royals and is now a pretty good manager of the Padres. Castillo had a long career of being mediocre.
April 1, 1982: Shane Rawley traded to the Yankees for Bill Caudill, Gene Nelson and a Player to be Named Later (Bobby Brown). Seattle dealt Rawley for a couple of relievers, including Caudill, a hugely popular player with Seattle who was also a good closer on some terrible teams.
December 9, 1982: Rich Bordi traded to the A's for Steve Henderson. This would eventually throw the team into all kinds of chaos when they had both Steve and Dave Henderson on the team.
December 21, 1982: Ron Musselman traded to the Rangers for Pat Putnam. Putnam became the M's starting first baseman, and this was probably the only team he could have ever started for.
June 15, 1983: Julio Cruz traded to the White Sox for Tony Bernazard. Cruz was one of the most popular of the early Mariners, a fast, slick second baseman who was a fast, slick second baseman for the White Sox too. Bernazard was a good hitter before coming to Seattle, where he was not a good hitter.
November 21, 1983: Bill Caudill and Darrell Akerfelds traded to the A's for Bob Kearney and Dave Beard. A highly unpopular trade because the team dealt closer and ace jokester Caudill. There's never been a baseball player who looked more like a teacher than Kearney, and I think he did teach in the offseason if I recall one of his baseball cards correctly.
December 7, 1983: Tony Bernazard traded to the Indians for Jack Perconte and Gorman Thomas. Bernazard lasted six months with the team then was dealt for a pair of guys with awesome moustaches. Perconte was a fast little second baseman who seemed to hit a lot of foul balls in the area I always was sitting in. Thomas hit 32 homers for the M's one year and that was kind of different.
December 8, 1983: Bryan Clark traded to the Blue Jays for Barry Bonnell. Bonnell was a starter in Seattle but mostly I thought he looked a lot like Lon Chaney in Phantom of the Opera.
December 11, 1985: Ed Vande Berg traded to the Dodgers for Steve Yeager. Vande Berg was a reliever with a nice moustache. Yeager had been a decent catcher but by this trade he was old. I remember him hitting a big home run at one point, though, so that's good. He was also the nephew or cousin of ace pilot Chuck Yeager and I love The Right Stuff so that made him pretty cool to me.
December 12, 1985: Darnell Coles traded to the Tigers for Rich Monteleone. Coles was a young third baseman with power potential. You'd think they could've gotten more for him.
July 1, 1986: Player to be Named Later (Ivan Calderon) traded to the White Sox for Scott Bradley. Calderon turned into a power hitting outfielder that Seattle really could have used (he was later murdered!). I liked Bradley, a decent hitter who I modeled my batting stance after. But he wasn't worth Calderon, in retrospect. He's gone on to be a successful coach at Princeton, and his brother is the U.S. National Soccer Team coach.
August 19, 1986: Dave Henderson and Spike Owen traded to the Red Sox for Mike Trujillo, Mike Brown, Rey Quinones and John Christensen. A completely one-sided trade, and not in a good way. Henderson became an all-star and postseason star and Owen was a regular on successful Sox teams. Trujillo, Christensen and Brown were non-factors and Quinones was best known for being nuts and once not being able to pinch-hit because he was playing video games. He's also the only player I've ever gotten an autograph from. He muttered something I couldn't understand and then laughed gleefully.
December 10, 1986: Danny Tartabull and Rick Luecken traded to the Royals for Scott Bankhead, Mike Kingery and Steve Shields. Tartabull hit 43 home runs for Triple A Calgary and then 25 bombs as a rookie second baseman. That was all too much for the Mariners, who couldn't fathom having a player who had talent on the roster. Bankhead was an OK starter for Seattle and Kingery had a great arm in the outfield, but Tartabull had six seasons of at least 25 homers and five seasons of at least 100 RBI. And he was on Seinfeld!
December 10, 1986: Matt Young traded to the Dodgers for Mike Watters and Dennis Powell. Young was kind of a weird pitcher. He was horrible a lot, but also pretty good sometimes. At least he was something, unlike the two guys they got, who weren't.
July 11, 1987: Player to be Named Later (Dave Hartnett) traded to the Cubs for Gary Matthews. Matthews didn't do anything at all in his last big league season, but it allowed Rick Rizzs to constantly get to say, "There's Sarge!"
December 9, 1987: Phil Bradley and Tim Fortugno traded to the Phillies for Glenn Wilson, Mike Jackson and Dave Brundage. Bradley is probably the best left fielder this team has had, which is kind of sad, but in fairness he was pretty good. Wilson had recently driven in 100 runs for Philly but was awful in Seattle. But they did get The Thriller, who was one of my favorite pitchers, so it's not that bad.
December 9, 1987: Mike Morgan traded to the Orioles for Ken Dixon. Morgan was a serviceable pitcher, not good, but not horrible. He had to have something or he wouldn't have pitched for 12 Major League teams in his career. 12!
December 22, 1987: Lee Guetterman, Clay Parker and Wade Taylor to the Yankees for Henry Cotto and Steve Trout. Cotto was an OK player who could steal some bases and hit OK. Trout was horrible the few times he pitched. But at least none of the guys they gave up were worth much.
July 21, 1988: Ken Phelps traded to the Yankees for Jay Buhner, Troy Evers and Rich Balabon. One of the great trades in Seattle history and so well known it was referenced on Seinfeld. Phelps was a powerful DH/first baseman but did little after leaving Seattle, though he did break up Brian Holman's perfect game attempt with a two-out home run in the ninth inning once, which sucked. Buhner at the time was a 23-year-old strikeout machine, but developed into one of the most popular players in Seattle history and the backbone of the best Mariners teams ever.
July 22, 1988: Glenn Wilson traded to the Pirates for Darnell Coles. Three years after trading Coles, they brought him back. Two years later, they traded him again.
April 21, 1989: Bill Wilkinson and Rey Quinones traded to the Pirates for Mike Dunne, Mark Merchant and Mike Walker. The real accomplishment here was tracking down Quinones to tell him he was traded. Again, the guy was nuts!
May 25, 1989: Mark Langston and Mike Campbell traded to the Expos for Randy Johnson, Brian Holman and Gene Harris. I'll admit it, I cried, literally, when this trade happened. Langston was my favorite Mariner growing up and I was crushed when he was traded. I guess it turned out OK, though, as Holman was a quality starter for Seattle. Oh, and Johnson became the best pitcher in Seattle history and one of the greatest pitchers of all time. Johnson went on to beat Langston in the famous 1995 one-game AL West playoff win over the Angels.
January 24, 1990: Jim Presley traded to the Braves for Gary Eave and Ken Pennington. Presley was disliked by a lot of Mariners because he struck out so much but I always liked him because he hit a lot of home runs, which not many Mariners did at this point. I was disappointed when they traded him, and even more disappointed when they got two bad pitchers for him. M's fans might be shocked to learn that Presley went on to become a real, live major league hitting coach.
June 6, 1990: Mickey Brantley traded to the Brewers for Frank Bolick. Brantley looked like he might be the answer in left field but then stopped being good. Kind of like Bolick. Brantley once played in a charity basketball game at my high school, though.
May 17, 1991: Player to be Named Later (Jim Blueberg) traded to the Yankees for Mike Blowers. Seattle sent a nobody to New York for the former Huskies star, who went on to be one of the better third basemen the team has had and invented the Rally Fries!
December 11, 1991: Bill Swift, Mike Jackson and Dave Burba traded to the Giants for Kevin Mitchell and Mike Remlinger. This trade ruined Seattle's pitching staff for years. Swift went on to win 20 games, Jackson developed into a great reliever and Burba was a quality starter for years. Mitchell was even more insane than he was fat, and he was really fat. Once a great power hitter, he did nothing in his one season in Seattle but freak people out.
August 22, 1992: Sean Twitty traded to the Yankees for Tim Leary. The M's brought in Leary, who at one point was a good pitcher for the Dodgers but was well past his good days, and made that perfectly clear in Seattle.
November 17, 1992: Kevin Mitchell traded to the Reds for Norm Charlton. The Mitchell nightmare came to an end and Seattle got one of the Nasty Boys, who continued to be an effective reliever for Seattle and was very popular because he was nicknamed The Sherriff, and Seattleites love a good nickname.
June 27, 1993: Henry Cotto and Jeff Darwin traded to the Marlins for Dave Magadan. This was actually pretty awesome in its absurdity. Five months after this, Seattle traded Magadan - Lou Piniella's cousin or nephew or something - back to the Marlins for Darwin and cash. So essentially it was Cotto and Magadan for Darwin and cash.
November 2, 1993: Erik Hanson and Bret Boone traded to the Reds for Bobby Ayala and Dan Wilson. Hanson won 18 games for Seattle once but looked bad for awhile, but good again when he was traded. Boone, as expected, became a really good second baseman and was great for a couple years a decade later when he returned to Seattle. Ayala was the most hated Mariner ever, and that's got to count for something. Conversely, Wilson was the greatest catcher in Seattle history and one of the most beloved players the franchise ever had. Good trade for once!
December 10, 1993: Mike Hampton and Mike Felder traded to the Astros for Eric Anthony. Hampton developed into one of the top pitchers in baseball before becoming a vastly overpaid walking injury. Anthony had a few big power years for the Astros, but none for Seattle, another in a long line of that story for the M's.
December 20, 1993: Omar Vizquel traded to the Indians for Felix Fermin, Reggie Jefferson and cash. Little O was already a great defensive shortstop and learned how to hit for some great Cleveland teams on the way to an possible Hall of Fame career. Fermin never learned to hit and Jefferson never hit either, but at least Seattle got some cash out of this disaster.
May 15, 1995: Roger Salkeld traded to the Reds for Tim Belcher. Salkeld was a top prospect for about 20 years before Seattle finally traded him and he faded away. Belcher was the beginning of Seattle's moves that led to the AL West title. He was a steady, tough pitcher he was always pretty good, though he'll best be remembered for a meltdown he had after a game in which he karate chopped a cameraman.
May 21, 1995: Shawn Estes and Wilson Delgado traded to the Giants for Salomon Torres. Estes made an all star team two years after this trade. Torres retired for no reason.
July 7, 1995: Dave Fleming traded to the Royals for Bob Milacki. Fleming won 29 games in his first two seasons with the M's, and then did nothing after that, so even though Milacki was worthless, the trade worked out.
July 31, 1995: Marc Newfield and Ron Villone traded to the Padres for Andy Benes and a Player to be Named Later (Greg Keagle). Wait a minute. They did what? They actually traded for a star? This was the first time the Mariners actually acted like contenders, and it worked! Benes was one of the top pitchers in the National League and went 7-2 in Seattle, helping the team to the AL Championship Series. That's what a rent-a-player should do! Newfield never developed into anything and Villone just keeps finding work because he's a lefty, but has never been more than just a roster guy.
August 18, 1995: Player to be Named Later (Jim Converse) traded to the Royals for Vince Coleman. Coleman was one of the greatest base stealers ever and he gave Seattle a great threat at the top of the order on the run to the AL West title. Excellent, cheap pick up. He hit a home run on his birthday which just about made Rick Rizzs crap his pants.
December 7, 1995: Tino Martinez, Jeff Nelson and Jim Mecir traded to the Yankees for Sterling Hitchcock and Russ Davis. Tino was going to be too expensive to afford so the M's dealt him at his peak and he continued to be a great power hitter in the Bronx. Nelson kept coming back to Seattle but kept winning World Series in New York, and Mecir developed into a decent reliever. The M's had a chance to get Andy Pettitte in the deal but went with Hitchcock instead. Oops. He stunk. Davis actually hit over 20 home runs three times for Seattle but was a bad third baseman who reminded me a lot of Forest Gump. But he did hit the first home run in Safeco Field history.
December 18, 1995: Miguel Cairo and Bill Risley traded to the Blue Jays for Edwin Hurtado and Paul Menhart. I really liked Bill Risley, he threw hard and was a good reliever. But really, no one in this trade had much value. Cairo rejoined Seattle later in his career as a slow pinch-running specialist.
July 30, 1996: Darren Bragg traded to the Red Sox for Jamie Moyer. Probably the best trade the franchise has ever made, and it was pulled off by the same guy - Woody Woodward - who pulled off the worst trade the franchise has ever made. So you never know. Bragg was a nice young player but the M's had Jose Cruz Jr. coming up (or so we thought) and Bragg never did anything in his career, really. Moyer, of course, turned into one of the most amazing stories in baseball, still pitching at age 87. He was one of the top pitchers in Seattle history and did a ton for the community.
July 31, 1996: Desi Relaford traded to the Phillies for Terry Muholland. Mulholland had been a pretty good pitcher, even better than Moyer. So they got a pair of solid lefties to add to the rotation for a couple of prospects who didn't do anything. At the end of the season, they had to decide whether to keep Moyer or Mulholland, and went with Moyer. Good choice.
August 14, 1996: Roger Blanco traded to the Braves for Mark Whiten. "Hard-Hittin'" Whiten didn't do much hard hittin' in Seattle. Still, the guy did hit four home runs in one game once in his career, though not with Seattle. And Blanco didn't do anything ever. And it allowed Rick Rizzs to happily say Hard Hittin' a lot.
October 29, 1996: Chris Widger, Trey Moore and Matt Wagner traded to the Expos for Jeff Fassero and Alex Pacheco. Another move that I loved, as Fassero had been a top NL pitcher and in fairness, had a couple good years for the M's before falling apart. Pacheco is not the same Alex Pacheco who co-founded PETA. Widger returned to the M's later in his career.
September 13, 1996: David Arias traded to the Twins for Dave Hollins. At the time, it seemed a great move, trading a nobody minor leaguer for a solid third baseman. But Hollins' days of solidness were behind him, and Arias changed his last name to Ortiz, left the Twins for the Red Sox, got nicknamed Big Poppy and became one of the best hitters in baseball.
December 6, 1996: Sterling Hitchcock traded to the Padres for Scott Sanders. Hitchcock was a big disappointment in Seattle and had to be moved. There was some hope that Sanders would be better, but he was actually worse than Hitchcock, but whatever.
July 18, 1997: Carlos Villalobos, Dean Crow and Scott Sanders traded to the Tigers for Omar Olivares and Felipe Lira. At first there was optimism to get two pitchers who had actually pitched for another team and had to be better than anyone the M's had (well, except Randy). But then we found out Olivares and Lira were bad.
July 31, 1997: Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek traded to the Red Sox for Heathcliff Slocumb. Here it is everyone, the worst trade in Mariners history, and one of the worst in the history of baseball. Slocumb was coming off two-straight seasons of at least 30 saves, but had an ERA near 6 when the trade happened. He actually was pretty good for the rest of the season with Seattle, but was horrible in 1998. Lowe and Varitek went on to have five All-Star selections between them. Lowe was a top closer and a top starter for the Red Sox, though he'd shown little with Seattle. Varitek was a top prospect for the M's and went on to be one of the top catchers in baseball, and the Red Sox captain. What makes this really bad is that the Red Sox apparently asked for one or the other, and Woody Woodward said, "Nah, take both of them." Nice.
July 31, 1997: Jose Cruz, Jr. traded to the Blue Jays for Mike Timlin and Paul Spoljaric. The M's really, really wanted to improve their bullpen, dealing their top prospect for a pair of average relievers. Luckily, Cruz never really developed into a star, which is good, because Timlin and Spoljaric didn't do much either.
August 20, 1997: Joe Mays and Jeremy Palki traded to the Twins for Roberto Kelly. Kelly at one point was a fast, good-hitting outfielder. But that ship had sailed by the time he joined Seattle. Neither pitcher was a top prospect but Mays ended up winning 17 games for the Twins one year.
July 31, 1998: Randy Johnson traded to the Astros for Freddy Garcia, Carlos Guillen and a Player to be Named Later (John Halama). Yes, the team traded the best pitcher it ever had and he went on to continue to be ridiculously good. But he didn't want to be in Seattle anymore, and the team got back three good prospects who all developed, which rarely ever happens. Garcia turned into the ace the M's hoped he'd be, Guillen was a good-hitting, always-injured infielder and Halama was a useful lefty arm. A rare win-win.
August 31, 1998: Joey Cora traded to the Indians for David Bell. My nephew Travis cried when he found out Joey Cora got traded. I'm sure he's not the only one. Moms throughout the Puget Sound area were crushed when Joey was dealt. He was a good player best known for crying in the dugout, but I didn't cry when he was traded. Bell turned out to be a good player and Joey's career was pretty much over.
November 9, 1998: Paul Spoljaric traded to the Phillies for Mark Leiter. Leiter was best known as Al Leiter's way less talented brother. He did save 23 games the previous season but only pitched in two games for Seattle.
December 14, 1998: Leslie Brea traded to the Mets for Butch Huskey. Huskey looked like a guy who could hit about 100 home runs in a season but he wasn't, it turns out. In fact, he was traded less than a year later.
April 3, 1999: Bobby Ayala traded to the Expos for Jimmy Turman. For some M's fans, this is the greatest day in Mariner history, the day they got rid of the most hated player in franchise history. I never had much against Bobby, always thought he was better than people gave him credit for, at least, for awhile. But most people were shocked anyone gave anything to Seattle for him.
April 28, 1999: Two Players to be Named Later (Andy Van Hekken and Jerry Amador) traded to the Tigers for Brian Hunter. Hunter was a top base stealer and he stole a lot of bases in his one season in Seattle, and then went the way of every other potential left fielder the club ever had.
July 28, 1999: David Segui traded to the Blue Jays for Tom Davey and Steve Sinclair. Segui was a pretty good first baseman who ended up being on steroids and beat up Randy Johnson in the clubhouse. Davey was best known for being huge.
August 27, 1999: Jeff Fassero traded to the Rangers for a Player to be Named Later (Adrian Myers). They cashed out Fassero after two good years and he never did much after this. Which is as much as Myers did.
July 31, 2000: John Mabry and Tom Davey traded to the Padres for Al Martin. Neither Mabry nor Davey were worth anything, but this was still a disaster. Why? Because Martin couldn't hit and was crazy, inventing stories about his past that were easily refuted.
December 10, 2000: Ken Griffey, Jr. traded to the Reds for Mike Cameron, Brett Tomko, Antonio Perez and Jake Meyer. The day Seattle traded its greatest player ever. Griffey would not allow a trade to anyone but the Reds, so Seattle was limited in its options but you'd have thought they'd get more than this. Griffey had a couple good seasons for Cincinnati before his body fell apart. Cameron was a very good replacement, a great center fielder with power and speed and a great smile who made an all star team. Tomko stunk and Perez never developed.
December 11, 2001: Tom Lampkin, Brett Tomko and Ramon Vazquez traded to the Padres for Alex Arias, Ben Davis and Wascar Serrano. This is notable because of the six players in this trade, none of them were worth much of anything. Tomko pitched some in the bigs, Lampkin stuck around forever as a backup catcher and Vazquez was a backup infielder, same with Arias. Davis was the biggest name because he was a terribly failed No. 1 pick.
December 16, 2001: Brian Fuentes, Denny Stark and Jose Paniagua traded to the Rockies for Jeff Cirillo. I loved this trade when it was made and interviewed Cirillo shortly after it and he seemed like a good guy. But boy could he not hit in Seattle, odd since he was still in his prime and was a really good hitter. But for the M's he batted .234 with no power. Fuentes has gone on to be a quality closer.
January 25, 2002: David Bell traded to the Giants for Desi Relaford and cash. Seattle had just acquired Jeff Cirillo so had no real place for Bell, a solid third baseman and decent hitter who was never again as good as he was with Seattle. Relaford was worthless but the cash came in handy to pay for Cirillo's terribleness.
August 19, 2002: Derrick Van Dusen and Jermaine Clark traded to the Rangers for Ismael Valdez. Valdez had some success in the National League with the Dodgers but had no success with Seattle. Kind of like a latter day Tim Leary.
October 28, 2002: Lou Piniella and Antonio Perez traded to the Devil Rays for Randy Winn. OK, so Piniella wasn't really part of the trade but the trade was contingent on Piniella signing with the Rays, so essentially he was. Winn thought he was, because he openly complained about getting traded for a manager, even if it was the best manager in Mariners history. Winn was a good left fielder for a few years though.
August 6, 2003: Jeff Nelson traded to the Yankees for Armando Benitez. I kind of liked this trade because while I was a Nellie fan, I liked Benitez because he was huge and threw about 800 miles an hour or so. Plus, I figured Nellie would be back at some point anyway, and he was. Unfortunately, Benitez only pitched like 15 games and never got a save.
December 15, 2003: Gregg Colbrunn traded to the Diamondbacks for Quinton McCracken. This trade was pointless except that they got a guy named Quinton McCracken. What a great name. And I don't think he was even Irish.
January 6, 2004: Jeff Cirillo and Brian Sweeney traded to the Padres for Vince Faison, Wiki Gonzalez, Dave Hansen and Kevin Jarvis. The M's celebrated the new year by getting rid of Cirillo, one of the bigger busts in franchise history. No, none of the guys they got had much value but sometimes it's not what you get but what you get rid of.
January 8, 2004: Carlos Guillen traded to the Tigers for Ramon Santiago and Juan Gonzalez. The Mariners thought they had a trade for Omar Vizquel but that fell apart and then for some reason they traded Guillen, who was always hurt (he even had Mono) but could hit. He's continued to always be hurt, but really became a hitter in Detroit. Santiago played just 27 games for Seattle and then re-signed with Detroit. What's up with that? Gonzalez was not the MVP outfielder of the same name but a worthless middle infielder who never made the big leagues.
June 27, 2004: Freddy Garcia and Ben Davis traded to the White Sox for Miguel Olivo, Jeremy Reed and Mike Morse. I didn't mind this trade so much at the time even though I liked Freddy and he was a budding ace. He never did become much better than he was in Seattle, though. Unfortunately, none of the three prospects Seattle got - Olivo and Reed were highly rated at the time - did anything in Seattle. Reed kept being hyped as a really good hitter, but he wasn't. Olivo was, but Seattle didn't wait long enough for him and now he's an all star. Morse was the biggest shortstop I've ever seen.
August 31, 2004: Pat Borders traded to the Twins for B.J. Garbe. Borders was with the Mariners like five different times and was so old and worthless it was amazing anyone traded for him. But all the Twins gave up were Garbe, a former local prep star who never made it.
June 30, 2005: Randy Winn traded to the Giants for Jesse Foppert and Yorvit Torrealba. My wife loved Randy Winn, so this trade didn't tear me up too much. But if I take jealousy out of it, it was a bad trade as Winn was probably the best left fielder the team has had in the last decade or two. Torrealba was one in a string of bad Latino catchers Seattle traded for within like two weeks of each other.
November 29, 2005: Mike Blowers traded to the Dodgers for Miguel Cairo and Willis Otanez. Blowers never had the kind of success again he had in Seattle, where he was one of the streakiest hitters and hardest-throwing third basemen I've ever seen. But you'd think they could have gotten something more for him than two guys who never amounted to anything.
July 31, 2005: Miguel Olivo traded to the Padres for Nathanael Mateo and Miguel Ojeda. If only Seattle could have waited a little longer they might have seen that Olivo was actually good and worth having.
March 20, 2006: Matt Thornton traded to the White Sox for Joe Borchard. Thornton never really made it as a reliever for Seattle after being drafted so high. Of course, he went to Chicago and became one of the best set-up men in baseball and an all star. Borchard was a former Stanford quarterback who hit a lot of home runs for the Cardinal baseball team but hardly any as a pro.
June 30, 2006: Asdrubal Cabrera traded to the Indians for Eduardo Perez. Cabrera was a highly-regarded prospect and has developed into a highly-regarded middle infielder for Cleveland. Perez, the son of Hall of Famer Tony Perez, was worthless and was hosting Baseball Tonight on ESPN less than a year after this trade. That's not the sign of a good trade.
July 6, 2006: Eddie Guardado and cash traded to the Reds for Travis Chick. I loved Everyday Eddie. He was a good closer with terrible stuff but even more than that, he was the real leader of the team. But he was past his usefulness as J.J. Putz had emerged as the closer, so it made sense to trade him.
August 19, 2006: Jamie Moyer traded to the Phillies for Andrew Barb and Andy Baldwin. Who knew that Moyer would still be pitching in 2010? Barb and Baldwin did nothing in the Seattle system.
August 24, 2006: Shin-Soo Choo and Shawn Nottingham traded to the Indians for Ben Broussard. This seemed like a pretty good trade at the time, as Choo was stalled as a prospect and Broussard seemed poise to break out. Instead, Choo has become a star finally and Broussard retired to play guitar professionally.
December 7, 2006: Rafael Soriano traded to the Braves for Horacio Ramirez. Soriano was an overpower young reliever who once had dinner with my dad. But the M's decided they needed a starter, any starter, and traded a guy who has developed into an all-star closer for a horrible pitcher.
December 18, 2006: Chris Snelling and Emiliano Fruto traded to the Nationals for Jose Vidro. Snelling and Fruto were both not very good, though Seattle fans really liked Snelling because he was always willing to run full speed into an outfield fence and get hurt, and he was Australian. But wow was Vidro a horrible designated hitter. I thought this might turn out pretty good but boy was I wrong.
April 1, 2007: Travis Blackley traded to the Giants for Jason Ellison. Blackley was a top pitching prospect for like a decade before the team gave up on him. Ellison was best known for being good friends with Willie Bloomquist, the favorite player of every Mariner fan who knew nothing about baseball.
February 8, 2008: Adam Jones, George Sherrill, Chris Tillman, Tony Butler and Kam Mickolio traded to the Orioles for Erik Bedard. At the time I liked this trade, getting a No. 1 starter to team with Felix and Washburn. It turns out Bedard was one of the most fragile pitchers ever and a malcontent. Jones was the team's top prospect and developed into an all star, Sherrill became a solid closer and Tillman still is considered a good prospect. This was bad in every way.
May 27, 2008: Cha-Seung Baek traded to the Padres for Jared Wells. Baek was another in a long line of top pitching prospects who stunk until the team finally dealt them.
July 31, 2008: Arthur Rhodes traded to the Marlins for Gaby Hernandez. Rhodes was a popular reliever for several M's teams and is best known for his incredible hatred of Omar Vizquel. He made an all-star team this year at age 72!
December 11, 2008: J.J. Putz, Sean Green and Jeremy Reed traded to the Mets and Luis Valbuena traded to the Indians for Ezequiel Carrera, Maikel Cleto, Mike Carp, Endy Chavez, Aaron Heilman, Jason Vargas and Franklin Guttierez. Jack Zdurencik's first trade as M's GM was a big one and a great one. Putz was a closer on a team that didn't need one and hasn't been the same since being traded. Green is a dime a dozen. Chavez was valuable for a few months though Carp looks like he'll never fit with Seattle. But Vargas has been a huge surprise as a starter and Guttierez is probably the best player on the team other than Felix and Ichiro and is the future of this team.
January 28, 2009: Aaron Heilman traded to the Cubs for Ronny Cedeno and Garrett Olson. This trade was mostly noteable because Heilman was one of the few players to go to Mariners Fan Fest and then got traded like five minutes later.
July 10, 2009: Yuniesky Betancourt traded to the Royals for Danny Cortes and Derrick Saito. The fact that Seattle got anything for Yuni is amazing. The guy can't hit, and isn't a good shortstop. Cortes was KC's top pitching prospect and while he may not be that good, he might still develop some value, and even if he doesn't, who cares, they actually got something for Yuni!
July 29, 2009: Jeff Clement, Ronny Cedeno, Aaron Pribanic, Brett Lorin and Nathan Adcock traded to the Pirates for Jack Wilson and Ian Snell. Seattle finally gave up on Clement, a huge bust as a hitting prospect who was taken ahead of guys too painful for me to list. Wilson has continued to be a good defensive shortstop who can't hit and gets hurt a lot, and Snell continues to be a pitcher who throws hard and deals with mental health issues.
July 29, 2009: Wladimir Balentien traded to the Reds for Robert Manuel. The same day the M's gave up on Clement as a hitting prospect, they gave up on their other top hitting prospect, Balentien. Only in this deal, they got nothing back.
August 1, 2009: Jarrod Washburn traded to the Tigers for Luke French and Mauricio Robles. Washburn was having a great season and was a free agent at the end of the year, and there was a good chance he'd re-sign with Seattle. Of course, he didn't re-sign. French still has some potential and Robles is an exciting prospect so this could turn out to be pretty good.
December 16, 2009: Phillippe Aumont, Tyson Gillies and JC Ramirez traded to the Phillies for Cliff Lee. At the time it was amazing, the M's getting one of baseball's best pitchers to go along with Felix Hernandez. While Lee was awesome, the M's were horrible and they turned him into some other prospects from the Rangers. None of the three Seattle prospects traded to Philly are really developing into stars.
December 18, 2009: Carlos Silva traded to the Cubs for Milton Bradley. Don't let Silva's fast start fool you, he's still fat and bad. Bradley is still crazy and unfortunately, looks like he forgot how to hit. This trade is what many expected, one bad player dealt for another and both continue to be bad.
December 23, 2009: Brandon Morrow traded to the Blue Jays for Brandon League and Johermyn Chavez. No pitcher has been screwed up by their organization more than Morrow, who was never going to live down being picked ahead of former UW star Tim Lincecum, as stupid as the argument is. League is actually pretty good, but pretty inconsistent, and Chavez can hit home runs so there's some hope there. There better be, as Morrow is starting to look pretty good.
June 11, 2010: Cliff Lee traded to the Rangers for Justin Smoak, Blake Beaven, Josh Lueke and Matt Lawson. Lee was never going to stay with Seattle so the M's needed to get quality prospects for him. They did in Smoak, one of the top young power prospects in the game. Beaven has some potential but Lueke could turn out to be a disaster.
June 26, 2010: Ezequiel Carrera and Juan Diaz traded to the Indians for Russell Branyan. I didn't understand this trade and still don't. I like Branyan, but what was the point?

Are They Ghana Do It?

2010-06-26T09:18:00.000-07:00

Is this the biggest day in the history of United States soccer? Hard to argue it. Never have more eyes been on the American team than today, when it faces Ghana in the first knockout round of the World Cup.
So will the U.S. rise to the occassion or crumple under the pressure of playing against the only African nation left standing after group play?
It's hard to believe the United States can top the drama it provided in the three games of group play. The lucky goal against England, the hard-fought comeback against Slovenia and the shocking last-minute goal against Algeria. Has any team provided more drama than the United States? I mean on the field, France.
Well, it might have to, as the crowd will certainly be with Ghana, which carries the hopes of the entire home continent. The United States does have the motivation of paying back the Black Stars for knocking it out of the 2006 Cup, but will that be enough?
For me, the biggest question besides how the Americans will react to having a crowd mostly against it will be how they recover from such arduous games over the last week. Bouncing back from the Algeria match just a few days ago is going to be quite a task, and reserves could play an even bigger role than they have so far.
I didn't think Ghana would get this far. In fact, I picked it last in the group. I didn't think the Black Stars could recover from the loss of superstar Michael Essien to injury before the tournament. Boy was I wrong. The Ghana defense, led by center back John Mensah, has been awesome, allowing just two goals. The midfield has allowed Ghana to control play as Kevin Prince-Boateng and Anthony Annan have really stepped up in place of Essien.
The good news for the United States is that Ghana has not been good on offense, as striker Asamoah Gyan has struggled to get much going and the attacking midfielders haven't been very creative. In fact, the only two goals Ghana has scored have come via penalty kick. For an American team that has struggled on the back line, that will be a welcome change. But the United States can't be complacent, as it only takes one breakdown for the very fast Ghana offense to score against a slower U.S. defense and get momentum.
A huge key will be the United States midfield, especially center mids Michael Bradley and Maurice Edu, who have to battle Ghana's mids for control of the ball and not allow any quick strikes coming from the midfield. If they can do that, that should free up Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey on the wings to create and get into the box, really putting pressure on a Ghana back line that will have to focus on the tall, fast Jozy Altidore, who is right on the cusp of getting his first World Cup goal.
So, what will happen?
I think the U.S. midfield will rise to the occassion. I see Michael Bradley having a really strong game and making life tough on the Ghana mids. Landon Donovan's speed will give Ghana some trouble and they'll get sucked into stopping him, freeing up Jozy Altidore inside. Altidore will score his first goal today, putting the U.S. ahead early in the second half. After some scares on defense and more great play by Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey will break free on a counter and show off his creativity, netting a second goal for a 2-0 U.S. win.
Hopefully I'm right for once.

How'd I Do?

2010-06-26T00:09:00.000-07:00

Group play is over in the 2010 World Cup and we're on to the one-and-done portion of our show. No more playing for a tie, because the winner moves on and the loser is out.
The group stage was shocking on a lot of fronts, most notably the incredible failures of France (I know, I know) and Italy. No one expected Spain to lose, but it did. People expected more from the African nations, but only one has moved on, which is too bad. And what about South America? Five teams qualify, five teams are still alive. That's really remarkable.
We've seen some thrilling games, a few great goals, some fabulous goalkeeping, and some really bad reffing.
All that is behind us now, though, as we move on to the most exciting part of the tournament. But, now's a good time to look back at my pre-tournament predictions and see how I did. ...it's not good. But I stand by what I write, so this is what I said, and what actually happened:

Group A
What I predicted: 1. France; 2. Uruguay; 3. Mexico; 4. South Africa
What happened: 1. Uruguay; 2. Mexico; 3. South Africa; 4. France
What was I thinking?: OK, I failed miserably here in picking France, but come on, did any of you really expect a failure of that magnitude? I mean, to the point where France wouldn't even practice? I know many of you thought I was nuts to pick them to go so far, and it turns out you were right, but I don't believe anyone quite expected that complete of a meltdown. So, yeah, France was a disaster. Uruguay, on the other hand, was not a disaster. It wasn't great, but it was good enough. It defended well, Diego Forlan was excellent and it showed that it's not a flashy team, but it's a pretty good one. Mexico had its struggles but took advantage of France's horribleness to claim the second spot ahead of a South Africa team that showed much better than I expected.

Group B
What I predicted: 1. Argentina; 2. Nigeria; 3. Greece; 4. South Korea.
What happened: 1. Argentina; 2. South Korea; 3. Greece; 4. Nigeria.
What was I thinking?: OK, so I was half right. Argentina looked very, very good, and I'm enjoying watching Maradona look like he's having fun, the only coach in the entire tournament to not look like he's headed to his funeral. Argentina is a definite contender as it attacks from everywhere and defends well. I was wrong about Nigeria, which was not as good as I'd hoped. It's too bad things didn't come together better for the Eagles because this was an opportunity to take a step forward, and it didn't happen. Greece was every bit as unentertaining as I expected but what about South Korea? They just run teams into the ground, which is kinda fun to watch. They have more talent than I thought and just keep working, and there's obviously something to be said for that, so congrats, good to see them make up for the 2006 disappointment.

Group C
What I predicted: 1. England; 2. United States; 3. Algeria; 4. Slovenia
What happened: 1. United States; 2. England; 3. Slovenia; 4. Algeria
What was I thinking: Turned out to be a more balanced group than I expected, and how about those Americans? No, they didn't look great, but they were hard-working and clutch, and that was fun to watch. The match against Algeria will be the one that is remembered but the comeback against Slovenia was just as big. People may not quite fathom how impressive it is that the U.S. won its group, particularly a group that features England, but it's enormous. England squeaked in and wasn't nearly as good as I thought it would be. It just goes to show how important it is to have a good keeper (how can England not have one top-flight keeper? Not one?). Slovenia was a solid side and maybe deserved to move forward. Maybe in four years. Algeria was Algeria, combative, not particularly good, not particularly bad, not good enough.

Group D
What I predicted: 1. Germany; 2. Serbia; 3. Australia; 4. Ghana
What happened: 1. Germany; 2. Ghana; 3. Australia; 4. Serbia
What was I thinking?: Germany was clearly the class of this group, and that was predictable from the start. The Germans are just a good, balanced team that has attacked well (Mesut Ozil is really good) and defends strong (though it can get caught out of position from time to time). As always, it's clearly a threat to go a long way. Serbia must be disappointed, though, after beating Germany only to finish last in the group. Some predicted Serbia could be the group winner so to finish in the basemen has to be quite a blow. But I'm glad I was wrong, because it wasn't that exciting a team. Australia I got right, but I'm surprised it recovered from the 4-0 shallacking it took from Germany in the opener. What happened there? The Australians have to be disappointed as well, after returning the bulk of the 2006 team that made it out of group play. I didn't buy into the Ghana hype but I was clearly wrong, as this is a fun, exciting team with great speed that attacks well. I thought this would be a disasterous tourney for Ghana but instead, it's the only African nation still alive, which is both a disappointment and says a lot for Ghana.

Group E
What I predicted: 1. Netherlands; 2. Cameroon; 3. Denmark; 4. Japan
What happened: 1. Netherlands; 2. Japan; 3. Denmark; 4. Cameroon
What was I thinking?: There was no way Netherlands wasn't going to win this group, and it was never seriously challenged. There's two reasons for that. First, this didn't turn out to be a very good group. Second, Netherlands is really good. As always, this side attacks and is dangerous on offense, but the midfield was stronger than I thought defensively. This is definitely a team to reckon with. Cameroon was a big disappointment, as I thought it would show much better but was in over its head. Denmark finished where I thought, almost getting through but not quite, and not doing a lot to make anyone outside of Denmark take notice. Japan is the real story, as I thought this would be a team that was out of its league but instead it simply outworked Japan and Cameroon and showed some real flashes of greatness on offense. This could turn out to be a dangerous team. With South Korea and Japan advancing while playing away from Asia, this could be a real breakthrough for that region.

Group F
What I predicted: 1. Italy; 2. Paraguay; 3. Slovakia; 4. New Zealand
What happened: 1. Paraguay; 2. Slovakia; 3. New Zealand; 4. Italy
What was I thinking?: From top to bottom, probably the most surprising group in the first round. There isn't a person out there - no you didn't, liar - that thought Italy fail to advance, much less finish last. Yes, this was an old team that probably wasn't going to win it all again, but this was still a strong team that was the clear group favorite. I mean, this was a weak group! So to finish last, wow, we're going to see some major changes for that side, and fast. Instead, Paraguay took advantage and just played well. Justo Villar was outstanding at keeper and the team just played steady and earned the group win. Slovakia, my new favorite team thanks to the Sounders, was the Cinderella story. This is its first World Cup appearance and early on looked over its head but just played steady and then pulled off the shocker against Italy. This team may not go any further but just wait four years. New Zealand, to me, was one of the real stories of the tournament. I thought this was by far. ...by far. ...the worst team in the entire tournament and probably wouldn't even score. I mean, this team only has a couple of really, truly pro soccer players, and I mean that literally. But they just kept tying, and that's great! Good for them. I hope this leads to some added interest in soccer for New Zealand.

Group G
What I predicted: 1. Brazil; 2. Portugal; 3. Ivory Coast; 4. North Korea
What happened: 1. Brazil; 2. Portugal; 3. Ivory Coast; 4. North Korea
What was I thinking?: The one group I got entirely correct. It wasn't that hard. It was clear Brazil would win the group, and it did. This team is dynamite. It defends, it attacks with its usual style, has an excellent keeper and plays with more confidence than any two teams combined. It's the clear favorite, sorry Spain. It was also obvious before the tourney, and even moreso during the tournament, that North Korea was the worst team in the Group of Death. This just wasn't a good team, and there's probably plenty of countries not in South Africa thinking, "What the heck?" So it came down to Portugal and Ivory Coast. Outside of embarrasing North Korea 7-0, Portugal wasn't that impressive, and took diving to a new level. I mean, they went down every time anyone even looked at them. Too bad, too, because there's obviously talent. Ivory Coast missed a fully-healthy Didier Drogba - though it was nice to see him out there, and he showed some real heart - and really, what it came down to is one team bullied the group weakling more than the other, so that team moved on.

Group H
What I predicted: 1. Spain; 2. Switzerland; 3. Chile; 4. Honduras
What happened: 1. Spain; 2. Chile; 3. Switzerland; 4. Honduras
What was I thinking?: The one prediction I'm really happy I got wrong. I thought that Chile's defense and youth would be exposed and while it would be close, it wouldn't quite make it through. I was wrong. The defense was outstanding for most of group play despite usually only having three guys in the back. It made up for it with some of the most impressive attacking in the field, led by Alexis Sanchez, and was one of the most impressive teams in the tournament, despite the loss to Spain. Speaking of Spain, what a shocker it opened up with. But talent won out eventually and there's no questioning this team's talent. But Switzerland did everyone else a favor by showing that Spain is beatable and can't just show up and be crowned. Do you realize how close we came to a Brazil-Spain Sweet 16 match? What a surprise that would have been. Switzerland got great play from its keeper but didn't have too much else, which is good news for the Sounders, who will get Blaise Nkufo sooner rather than later. Honduras had some supporters early on but just didn't have enough talent to keep up with the three other teams in the group.

So, 10 out of my 16 picks are moving on, which isn't that good of a percentage. But Chile and Slovakia are moving on and the United States actually won its group, so I'm not complaining. It should be a fun run to the end!

Who's Redder?

2010-06-25T07:10:00.000-07:00

Fans of attacking soccer should have a treat today. First we've got Portugal-Brazil, with Portugal coming off a 7-goal performance against North Korea, and Brazil. ...being Brazil.
But the one I really care about - and the one with more at stake - comes at 11:30 when Chile plays Spain in what could be the most entertaining match of the first round. Chile has been one of the most impressive teams of the first round, leading Group H after a pair of 1-0 wins and in position to be the surprising group winner. Spain, the pre-tournament co-favorite, recovered from a shocking loss to Switzerland in the opening match to beat Honduras. Spain and Switzerland are tied, so it's possible that the team considered the best in the world coming into the tournament might not even make it out of group play. Italy. France. Spain? Can you imagine?
The game will feature two of the top offensive teams in the tournament. Chile,which can win the group with a tie but is not likely to play for one, has been on non-stop attack since the plane set down in South Africa a few weeks ago. Spain has some of the top offensive players in the world. What more could you ask for?
Chile will be at a disadvantage as midfielders Carlos Carmona and Mattias Fernandez are both out on yellow-card suspensions, not a good thing against a Spanish team with some of the top midfielders in the world, including Andres Iniesta, who missed the Honduras game with injury.
Two keys for Chile:
1. Can the three-man defensive line continue to hold up against a team as good as Spain? Chile's defense has been surprisingly solid, recovering quickly on counterattacks and somehow preventing even a single goal despite always being left without a lot of midfield help. But Spain is a lot better than Switzerland and Honduras, so we'll see if coach Marcello Bielsa adds a defensive midfielder to the mix.
2. Can Humberto Suazo, the team's top scorer and the leading goal scorer in South American qualifying, be a factor? Suazo missed Chile's first game while recovering from injury and was off his game completely against Switzerland, being subbed out early in the second half. Chile needs Suazo to be a threat in this game and beyond to make a serious run.
So, what happens? Both teams are desperate for points. Spain needs three, Chile one. I think Spain comes out strong and Fernando Torres scores on a counterattack early on. Chile answers close to halftime and the teams end the half tied.
Chile comes out strong in the second half and takes a lead on a goal by Alexis Sanchez, who so far may be the player of the tournament. It looks good for Chile, but in the last minutes, Spain breaks through with a goal and the game ends in a 2-2 tie. Luckily for Spain, Switzerland is upset by Honduras and both of the Red teams move on.

A Fun End to a Fun Day

2010-06-24T08:27:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was one of those days that was just, well, about perfect.
In the morning, I watched one of the real transcending sporting events of my life when the United States won 1-0 in a World Cup match that could not have been more thrilling. The only thing that would have made it better was if I was with other people watching it. Unbelievable.
Satchel woke up in a great mood and we got together with my friends Chris Beatty and Jeff Carpenter, and Chris' kids. Satch had a great time playing with his friends and Chris and I had fun catching up with Jeff, who I don't think we've seen since we graduated from high school, 17 years ago. It was good to catch up.
The day was beautiful, warm, sunny, almost like summer was actually here in Seattle. What a concept!
We came home and later in the day, Jess, my Uncle Bob, Satchel, my dad and I played out in the yard. Satchel is big on soccer, and so that's what we did. We played "as a team," as Satchel said, and had so much fun. Satchel really perfected his diving, constantly needing to be carried off the field. I don't know where he got that from, but it's impressive.
But really made the night great was how it ended. Jess, Bob, my mom and I sat on the couch until midnight as my mom and Bob talked about what it was like for them growing up.
My mom grew up in a tiny village in upstate New York named Port Henry. My grandmother and grandfather had eight kids. My mom is No. 3, Bob is the baby (though he's 45 now). He, my uncle Bill and my aunt DeeDee came here last week for my brother's wedding, which was great. It was so fun to see them.
I know a lot about how my mom grew up, but not as much as I'd like, or should. Which is why I love my wife so much (well, one of the million reasons). I'm a journalist, but when it comes to asking questions to my family, I suck. Not Jess. She wants to know. I've learned so much more about my family since I married Jessica than I ever did before.
And so it was so great to listen to my mom talk about how they spent their summers, how my grandparents handled having eight kids in a tiny village where there isn't much to do. It was just great to hear my mom remember things, remember how, while they didn't have much, it was great growing up there. Hearing her talk about fights they had, neighbors they had, places they went. It's a bit hard to describe, but it just allows me to know my mom and that part of my family better, and that's so valuable. I've had similar experiences with my dad - again, thanks to Jess - and that has been just as fun and valuable.
Anyway, it wasn't anything big, but it was the perfect way to end such a great day. Simple, free and fun. What more do you need?

A Day Later

2010-06-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

OK, I've come down slightly from my high. A little. Kind of. But each time they show highlights of Wednesday's stunning United States 1-0 World Cup victory over Algeria, I get chills again. And I love it!
Here's the scene: I'm watching the game at home, by myself, dying. I'm convinced that the U.S. is not destined to win. I mean, how many shots did they miss? It was a glass-half-empty kind of experience. If they can't make that one, what are they going to make? And another blown call by the ref? It's just not going to happen.
And then it did!
The throws by Tim Howard were incredible. I don't know if people noticed that, but he was throwing the ball so far and so accurately that the Seahawks should think about making an offer. The game, the win, was all about effort, and that is so cool. It's not just that the United States was more talented than Algeria - though it was. What was so great about it for me, was the effort it played with. It didn't play with the laid-back cool that we often seen in our athletes. It played with the desperation that is really going on inside them. And they were rewarded.
The goal wasn't a thing of beauty, except in what it meant. It was about a great throw, leading to a great, all-effort charge ahead by Jozy Altidore, to a great, all-effort finish by Landon Donovan. They didn't let up until they got what they needed. How cool is that?
So Algeria shoots and Tim Howard makes the save. I gasp. They might tie, they might not move on, but at least don't lose! And then another spectacular throw by Howard. I'm watching, transfixed, unable to breathe, keeping one eye on the clock, one on the play. Altidore just keeps going, getting where he had to be.
A large part of me is protecting myself by not actually believing they'll score. A small part of me is believing. The cross gets through! To Dempsey! But of course, the shot is blocked. ...but it's still alive. And here comes a white shirt!
Oh. My.God!!!!!!
But here's the problem. Satchel is still asleep. Yes, I know it's almost 10, but he was still sleeping! So I scream!!!!!!! But in my library voice, as not to wake him. I look around for someone to hug. I've got nothing! What do I do?!!!! I pound my legs, pump my fists, continue to scream internally. Aaaaaahhhhh! I need to yell!!!!! But I don't (I'm such a good father). Never have I wanted to be around people more.
I've seen a million sporting events. Being a sports writer can make you somewhat indifferent, as you feel like you see the same thing over and over. But sometimes, they get to you. They remind you why you care about sports. This was one of those moments. Tears began to well in my eyes. My heart was racing. It was an emotional experience that I completely snuck up on me. And I loved that too!
It was one of the great sporting events I've ever seen, right up there with the 1995 Mariners playoff run in terms of emotion for me. I don't know how else to describe it but incredible.
The United States might not win another game. Chile may bow out of the World Cup soon. There may be other bad referee calls. Players will continue to dive, those horns will continue to ring in my ears. It doesn't matter. This one moment made the entire World Cup perfect, and nothing is going to change that.

Can They Do It?

2010-06-23T06:54:00.000-07:00

Remember about 10 years ago when the United States introduced Project 2010, which was geared toward the Americans winning the 2010 World Cup? Seemedd of ambitious at the time, and it turns out, it was. The United States probably isn't going to win the World Cup this year.
But, that doesn't mean it can't be a successful tournament. But only if the U.S. beats Algeria today (right now, in fact!). A win and the Americans move on to the knockout stage. A loss, and they're probably out. And they can't afford that.
Not after failing miserably in 2006, not getting out of group play and losing most of the momentum they'd built up with a solid 2002 tournament.
After a solid tie against England and a disappointing but well-fought tie with Slovenia, the United States are in position to move on to the next round, and even surprisingly win Group C. That would be a big step for U.S. soccer.
So, can the United States win today? Of course, and they should.
Coach Bob Bradley made some surprising moves today, most notably leaving out Oguchi Onyewu, who has struggled at center defense coming back from injury. A huge key will be the play of Herculez Gomez at forward alongside Jozy Altidore. The U.S. needs Gomez to be a threat.
The United States has to come out strong, something it has yet to do. They have to attack from the start and put Algeria on its heels. Algeria is not a strong attacking team and the United States have to prevent them from having any easy chances. The U.S. marking in back hasn't been great and teams have gotten too many easy looks. Nothing can come easy for Algeria. That means strong marking on set pieces and preventing counterattacks.
Mostly, the United States have top play like the favorites. They have to be confident, strong, attacking and set that tone from the start. Game's on! Let's see if they can do it.

Who Needs What?

2010-06-21T17:09:00.000-07:00

What a bizarre World Cup it's been. An incredible amount of close games, some top clubs (Italy, France, England, Ivory Coast) all struggling to even advance out of group play. Portugal went from zero goals in its first game to seven in its second. Switzerland stuns Spain, then falls to surprise Group H leader (and Allende family favorite) Chile. Unfortunately, the reffing is getting a lot of attention. I felt like refs did a great job early on, but right around Germany's second game, followed by the U.S.-Slovenia game, things started to go downhill.
All the close matches have made these third and final group stage games (starting tomorrow) fascinating. There really are some marquee teams that could fail to advance. A disastrous tournament by African teams could reach its low point if none of the squads advance out of group play, which could easily happen. South American teams have not lost a match, which goes to show where the best soccer is played.
So, I've decided to try to break down, in as simple terms as possible, what each team has to do to advance to the knockout stage. The final group stage games are played simultaneously (for each group) so as to not allow teams to take it easy or conspire to play for a particular result. So, get your remotes ready or find a second nearby TV to monitor action on.
Remember, tie breakers are as follows:
1. Goal differential
2. Total goals scored
3. Head-to-head (if three teams are tied, it's determined by the above two criteria)
4. The mysterious draw of lots

Group A
Uruguay

Wins the group with a win or tie against Mexico
Can advance with a loss if France and South Africa tie or if the winner of France-South Africa doesn't make up tiebreakers.

Mexico

Wins the group with a win over Uruguay.
Can advance with a tie against Uruguay.
It can also advance with a loss if France and South Africa tie or the winner of France-South Africa doesn't make up tiebreakers.

France

Can advance only if it beats South Africa and makes up tiebreakers against the loser of the Uruguay-Mexico match.
It can not advance if it ties, or if Mexico-Uruguay ties.

South Africa

Can advance only if it beats France and makes up tiebreakers against the loser of the Uruguay-Mexico match.
It can not advance if it ties, or if Mexico-Uruguay ties.

Group B

Argentina

Advances with a win or a tie vs. Greece.
Will also advance if South Korea loses or ties Nigeria.
It can advance with a loss as long as South Korea and Greece don't make up tiebreakers.

South Korea

Advances with a win over Nigeria as long as Greece doesn't either win by a greater margin than South Korea does or Greece and South Korea win by the same margin and Greece doesn't score two or more goals than South Korea does.
Will also advance with a tie over Nigeria and a tie or loss by Greece.

Greece

Will advance with a win over Argentina and a loss or tie by South Korea against Nigeria.
Will advance if it wins by a greater margin than South Korea does.
Will advance if it wins by the same margin as South Korea and scores two or more goals than South Korea does.
Will advance with a tie if South Korea loses to Nigeria.
Will advance if it wins by three or more goals.

Nigeria

Can only advance if it beats South Korea and Argentina beats Greece.

Group C

United States

Advances with a win against Algeria.
Can advance with a tie if Slovenia-England tie and England doesn't outscore the United States by two or more goals.
Will also advance with a tie if England loses to Slovenia.

Slovenia

Advances with a win or a tie against England.
Can advance with a loss if the United States ties against Algeria.
Can advance with a loss if Algeria beats the United States but doesn't make up tiebreakers.

England

Advances with a win over Slovenia.
Can advance with a tie and a United States-Algeria tie if it outscores the United States by at least three goals.

Algeria

Advances with a win over the United States if Slovenia wins or ties England.
Advances with a win over the United States and an England win over Slovenia if it makes up tiebreakers against Slovenia.

Group D

Ghana

Advances with a win or a tie against Germany.
Can advance with a loss if Australia-Serbia tie if Serbia doesn't make up tiebreakers.
Can advance with a loss and an Australia win over Serbia if Australia doesn't make up tiebrakers.

Germany

Advances with a win over Ghana.
Can advance with a tie and an Australia-Serbia tie if Serbia doesn't make up tiebreakers.
Can advance with a tie and an Australia win if Australia doesn't make up tiebreakers.

Serbia

Advances with a win over Australia.
Can advance with a tie and a Ghana win over Germany.
Can advance with a tie and a Ghana-Germany tie if it makes up tiebreakers on Germany.

Australia

Advances with a win over Serbia and a Ghana win over Germany.
Advances with a win over Serbia and a Germany win over Ghana if it can make up tiebreakers against Ghana.
Advances with a win over Serbia and a Germany-Ghana tie if it can make up tiebreakers against Germany.

Group E

Netherlands

Has already advanced. It will win the group if it beats or ties Cameroon.
Can win the group with a loss if Japan and Denmark tie.
Can win the group with a loss if the winner of Japan-Denmark can't make up tiebreakers.

Japan

Advances with a win over Denmark.
Can win the group if it beats Denmark, Netherlands loses to Cameroon and Japan makes up tiebreakers against Netherlands.

Denmark

Advances with a win over Japan.
Can win the group by beating Japan, Netherlands loses to Cameroon and Denmark makes up tiebreakers against Netherlands.

Cameroon

No chance, has been eliminated.

Group F

Paraguay

Advances with a win or a tie against New Zealand.
Can advance with a loss if Italy and Slovakia tie.
Can advance with a loss if Slovakia beats Italy but doesn't make up tiebreakers against Paraguay.

Italy

Advances with a win over Slovakia.
Advances with a tie and a New Zealand loss to Paraguay.
Advances with a tie and a New Zealand-Paraguay tie if Italy outscores New Zealand.

New Zealand

Advances if it beats Paraguay.
Can advance with a tie and an Italy-Slovakia tie if New Zealand outscores Italy.

Slovakia

Advances with a win over Italy and a Paraguay win or tie against New Zealand.
Advances with a win over Italy and a New Zealand win over Paraguay if it can make up tiebreakers against Paraguay.

Group G

Brazil

Has already advanced.
Will win the group with a win or tie against Portugal.

Portugal

Advances with a win or tie against Brazil.
Can advance with a loss if Ivory Coast loses to North Korea and fails to make up the goal differential with Portugal.

Ivory Coast

Advances with a win against North Korea, a Portugal loss to Brazil and if it can make up goal differential against Portugal.

North Korea

No chance, has been eliminated.

Group H

Chile

Will advance with a win or tie against Spain. It will also win the group in this scenario.
Can advance with a loss if Switzerland loses or ties Honduras.
Can advance with a loss and a Switzerland win over Honduras if it can maintain its tiebreaker lead over Switzerland.

Spain

Advances with a win over Chile.
Advances with a tie against Chile and a Switzerland tie or loss to Honduras.
Can advance with a loss if Honduras beats Switzerland and Spain maintains its tiebreakers over Honduras and Switzerland.

Switzerland

Advances with a win over Honduras and a Chile win or tie against Spain.
Advances with a win over Honduras and a Spain win over Chile if Switzerland can make up tiebreakers against Chile.
Advances with a tie against Honduras and a Chile win over Spain.
Can advance with a loss if Spain loses to Chile and Switzerland holds tiebreakers over Spain and Honduras.

Honduras

Advances with a win over Switzerland and a Chile win over Spain and if it makes up tiebreakers over Spain and Switzerland.

Now What?

2010-06-18T17:33:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to talk much about the United States' 2-2 draw with Slovenia in this post, mostly because thinking about the no-goal call gives me a headache. But it was exciting to see the Americans rally and get that point. Without it, they'd basically be done. I was in a great back-and-forth with several friends on Facebook after the game which I'll recount in a later post about the game, but this will focus instead on what happens next.
I've had a few people ask me just what the scenarios are now. What does the U.S. have to do to move on? It's a bit complicated, but I'll try to explain the best I can.
Here's the standings, with points (remember, 3 for a win, 1 for a tie) and goal differential, goals for and goals against:
Slovenia 4 points, +1, 3-2
United States 2 points, 0, 3-3
England 2 points, 0, 1-1
Algeria, 1 point, -1, 0-1

To put it simply, if the United States beats Algeria on Wednesday at 7 a.m., it moves on to the second round. It can move on with a tie, if England also also ties and the United States maintains its goal differential over England, which right now is at +2 (the U.S. has 3 goals, England has 1). That means England can't score three more goals against Slovenia than the U.S. does against Algeria. Make sense?

Here's how the tiebreakers work:
1. Total points (not goals, points)
2. Total goal difference
3. Total goals scored
4. Points between the tied teams (basically head-to-head result)
5. Goal difference in games between the tied teams (also basically head-to-head)
6. Total goals scored between the tied teams (this is the scenario I talk about above)
7. Drawing of lots by FIFA.

What the heck does drawing of lots by FIFA mean? No one really knows (seriously). It's never been said how FIFA determines who moves on in that scenario. It could be a flip of the coin for all we know. Let's hope it doesn't get there, though.

So, here's how teams can move on.

I talked about the U.S.: Either win, or tie, have England tie, and maintain the two-goal advantage over England.
England advances if: It beats Slovenia, or it ties and outscores the United States by three goals (basically, England and Slovenia tie 4-4 and the U.S. and Algeria tie 1-1, giving England a 5 goal to 4 goal advantage over the U.S.).
Slovenia advances if: It beats or ties England, or it loses and the U.S. ties Algeria, or it loses and Algeria wins, as long as Algeria can't make up all the tie breakers over Slovenia, which would be a miracle.
Algeria advances with a win and a win or a tie by Slovenia, or a win and a Slovenia loss to England, if Algeria can make up tiebreakers over Slovenia, which, as I said, would be a miracle.
Don't worry, I won't be testing you, but hopefully it makes sense.
So, the only way England and the United States can both advance is if they both win, which could well happen.
The goofiest scenario would be if the United States and England both tie and England scores exactly two more points than the U.S. So, the U.S. ties 0-0 and England ties 2-2. That would put England and the U.S. even on all tiebreakers, leading to the mysterious drawing of lots. Let's hope that doesn't happen.
So, basically, just hope the United States wins. That would keep everything simple. Whatever happens, it's going to be a fascinating Wednesday.
Oh yeah, both games are at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, so you'll have to have two TVs running to keep up with the live action.

U.S. Must Avoid the Trap

2010-06-17T20:20:00.000-07:00

First off, you shouldn't read this because I truly, clearly don't know what I'm talking about. I mean, France? Who thought that was a good idea? Clearly, I'm an idiot. But, if you wish, feel free to read on.
Today's United States game against Group B leader Slovenia has trouble written all over it. There's real temptation to believe that the U.S. got through its toughest game with a huge point and should have smooth sailing into the second round. But slow down. Slovenia is the one with three points, and even though it didn't look very good in its win over Algeria, hey, it did what it had to do and is the driver's seat. The United States can't afford to settle for a tie this time, while Slovenia would be happy enough to walk away with a point. That would put Slovenia and (assuming it beats Algeria today) England with four points and the United States with one. That's no good, as England and Slovenia would have little motivation to go hard at each other in the final game of group play.
So, is this a must-win for the United States? Definitely. Can the United States win today? Definitely.
But it's going to be tough. Slovenia is a strong, physical team with a solid defense and the United States has struggled against teams that are this organized. On top of that, Slovenia relies on an outstanding counterattack, and that's something that could be a real problem for the American defense.
The United States must avoid the temptation to score early and often. It doesn't need an impressive, one-sided victory, it just needs a victory. The Americans have to control the ball better than it did against England, and it won't be easy, as the physical Slovenian defense loves getting tough and breaking up attacks. That means the U.S. will have to send in swarms on offense and needs to take some chances, taking cracks on some long shots and maybe following up the rebounds for easy goals.
On defense, midfielders Michael Bradley and Ricardo Clark are going to be especially important in slowing down Slovenia's Robert Koren and Valter Birsa, who lead their team's counterattack.
Maybe most importantly, the United States has to come out stronger than it did against England, and maintain that focus throughout. Bob Bradley has to make the right choices, get the right personnel on the field (Jose Torres, anyone?) and make the right adjustments.
Here's saying that the U.S. rises to the occassion and picks up a huge win, taking a big step in moving on to the second round. I'll take the United States, 2-1. But don't bet on it.

Celebrate Good Times!

2010-06-16T22:14:00.000-07:00

I spent the evening watching the amazing celebrations in Chile (www.cnnchile.com/deportes/2010/06/16/chilenos-madrugaron-para-ver-la-roja/), wishing I could have been a part of it and also thinking, "That would never happen in the United States for any sporting event." Which is fine, but it's also too bad. I mean, Chile completely shut down. The entire country watched the game, and the excitement watching the people celebrate Jean Beausejour's goal that gave La Roja a 1-0 win over Honduras was exhilirating. It was exciting in our house (as exciting as things get at 5 in the morning) but the electricity in Santiago and the rest of the country was amazing and inspiring. The country put televisions up everywhere - and I meaen everywhere. On buses, in the middle of cities, in store windows, even a huge screen on the Presidential Palace (can you imagine the Super Bowl being broadcast onto a huge screen on the White House?). There were celebrations everywhere, including in small indian communities, in the Antarctic, on Easter Island. The entire country was going nuts. That doesn't happen here. People get very excited, but it's only if your city team is doing well. A city might go nuts over a Super Bowl win, but you'll never see the country go nuts like Chile did, and that's kind of sad. I know, this is a huge country and it's hard to get that many people connected to one thing, but wouldn't it be awesome if it did? Wouldn't it be amazing if we all got together to watch the United States against Slovenia? How much fun would that be?
Anyway, it was really fun to watch, definitely added to the excitement of a game that Chile dominated in a way few teams have so far in this odd tournament. Honduras was lucky the score didn't get out of hand, as Chile attacked beautifully, led by the spectacular Alexis Sanchez, who was clearly the best player on the field. Chile was fast, creative, better defensively than I expected and just really looked good. I can't wait to see how they do in their next two games.
Speaking of, wow! I figured Switzerland was better than people gave it credit for, but I never anticipated it beating Spain. ...and you didn't either, so don't lie. Spain looked good, but wow what a performance by the Swiss defense. It was also fun to watch future Sounder Blaise Nkufo, who looks like he'll help the Seattle offense. So now, shockingly, there's Chile and Switzerland meeting on Monday for the right to lead the group, with Spain now needing a pair of wins - probably - to move on. I say again, Wow!
The third game of the day was Uruguay's 3-0 win over South Africa. I'm happy for Uruguay as I always like to see South American teams do well, and I really like star striker Diego Forlan. But I feel bad for South Africa. It's going to be the first host country to not advance out of group play, and is the first host to lose by three goals. The country is putting on a great show and it would be nice to see it rewarded with a better showing from its team.
Thursdays games are big, especially the Group A game between Mexico and France. If France loses, it's probably done, which is bad news for me (I picked it to reach the championship game). And it could well lose, as Mexico is good, and it should be a fun game.
Argentina opens by playing South Korea in what should be a really interesting game between the top two teams in the group. I'll be curious to see if South Korea can repeat its performance from its first game, a resounding win over Greece. Speaking of Greece, it looked horrible against South Korea and if it can't be significantly better against a desperate Nigeria team, it could get ugly.

Viva Chile!

2010-06-15T21:19:00.000-07:00

Important-Game Eve No. 2 in the Allende household as Chile prepares for its first World Cup game since 1998 and there is excitement in beautiful downtown Mountlake Terrace. The Chileans have emerged as kind of a darkhorse to go a long way in the tournament thanks to its relentless offensive attack, outstanding coach and young, talented players.
It's been a strange World Cup so far. Outside of Germany, none of the favorites have looked particularly dominating. Group A is a mess, with South Africa pulling off a shocking tie with Mexico and France and Uruguay looking crappy to leave the group all even.
Argentina looked OK in a win over Nigeria, and South Korea looked pretty solid and may have a chance to beat out Nigeria for the second spot in the group, which would be a big surprise.
The United States' tie with England was huge, setting the Americans up to potentially win Group C if it can take care of Slovenia on Friday.
Ghana's surprising win over Serbia was one of the highlights of the tournament so far and its game against Germany should be a good one. Serbia needs a big bounce-back against Australia to have a shot in Group D.
The Netherlands did look pretty impressive in a win over Denmark and Japan's shocker over Cameroon really made Group E interesting.
The Italy-Paraguay tie was surprising as well, as the Italians just did not look very good. The path was there for first-time World Cup qualifier Slovakia to take a step toward moving on, before giving up a stunning tying goal to New Zealand in the final minute on Monday.
The Group of Death was not particularly impressive, which was disappointing. Portugal - especially Cristiano Ronaldo - looked like it was playing on ice, falling down every time someone from Ivory Coast even looked at them. I was hoping for a game featuring some great offensive play but there was never really a flow. Brazil looked OK against a North Korea team that is tough to play against because it does nothing but defend. You could tell that the Brazilians are a strong team, though, and we'll see more from them against Portugal and Ivory Coast.
Now, on to Group H. We'll get a chance to see Spain today when it meets Switzerland. It will be interesting to see how well the Swiss hang in against a Spanish squad that has some injury issues.
And then there is Chile-Honduras.
Honduras got some attention after qualifying but has not been good leading up to the World Cup and is a longshot to make it out of the group. It needs to get at least one point out of this match with Spain next up on the schedule. Chile, on the other hand, needs to get a win against what is perceived as the worst team in the group.
One thing about this match is we're going to see some offense. Marcelo Bielsa has Chile attacking constantly with a fast, young group led by Alexis Sanchez, Mattias Fernandez and Mark Gonzalez, though it remains to be seen how much we'll see leading scorer Humberto Suazo, who is recovering from injury. Honduras also goes hard on offense, led by Carlos Pavon. Neither team cares all that much about defense, so the question is, who can better get away with that strategy.
Putting my personal feelings aside, I think Chile should be able to exploit Honduras, which is older and, frankly, not as talented. I see the Chileans going after Honduras early and often and taking a lead. Honduras may strike back, but it won't matter much to Chile, which will have a lot of success on offense and will get a big win.
Let's go with Chile 4, Honduras 2. We'll see is about seven hours!

Northwest Trek Adventure

2010-06-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

Jess, Satchel and I spent Sunday at Northwest Trek. It was a beautiful day, sunny, warm and we had a spectacular view of Mount Rainier on the drive there. It was an early Father's Day trip and was a great way to spend the day with my family. Satchel loves the zoo so we figured this would be a good outing for us, though lately, with him, you never know. He's been pretty hit-or-miss in terms of his mood lately (wonder who he got that from?) so you just have to go and hope he enjoys it. And I think he did, plus he napped on the way home, which almost never happens anymore.

For those who don't know, Northwest Trek is an animal park in Eatonville, which is about an hour and a half southeast of Seattle, about 35 minutes from Mount Rainier. It focuses on animals and plants/trees that you would find in the Northwest, which is pretty cool. A lot of the animals are located in a giant natural area with a ton of room to roam, so whether you see animals or not is kind of up to them. The predator animals (bears, large cats, some smaller predators like wolverines) are located in enclosures, but the enclosures are fairly large (though it seems they could be larger for the cats) and well put together. So, basically, it's not like they're in a cage. It's not a cheap place to visit at $16 per adult, but kids 2 and under are free, so we got Satchel there with a couple weeks to spare.

So, here's an account of how the day went:

We left the house a little after 10, Satchel seemed fairly excited, mostly because he got to dress up in a "safari" outfit. He was most excited about seeing bison, so I hoped we'd actually see them. It was a nice drive, especially with the view of the mountain, and we rocked out to The Beatles for awhile before Satch started watching videos on Jess' new phone, a piece of equipment that I'm incapable of operating. We started to get a few "are we there yets" but he handled the ride well. We got to the park at about 11:40, and the parking lot was pretty packed. But the park is so big, that it never felt very crowded, except on the tram ride.

11:43: A little boy is crying passionately in a car near ours. Satchel points out that "he's crying, but I'm happy." We'll see how long that lasts.

11:45: We realize we don't have a stroller. That could mean trouble, especially for Jess. Lately, Satchel wants little to do with me if the three of us are together, so we know she's going to be the one doing the carrying.

11:47: Satchel wants to be carried. Shocked! I offer, get turned down, Jess sighs, lifts him up.

Noon: We enter the park. At the admission booth, we donate $5 to some conservation cause and Satchel gets to pick a stuffed animal from a group of four animals. He picks a bison and seems happy with his new friend, which should be good for at least an hour or two of solid behavior, we hope.
12:10: One of the park workers walks by us and we hear her say, "First the male escaped by jumping out of the tank." Jess and I look at each other, but we aren't alarmed because the worker didn't seem particularly frantic, so maybe it was just a frog or something. But I am reminded of my thought as we neared the park, that it felt a lot like Jurassic Park. I don't say anything, but I begin keeping an eye out for Velociraptors.

12:12: Our first animal is a dud. We look around for the lynx, but see no Lynx. Some people say it must not be here today. We hear this a few other times when an animal isn't spotted. Where do the people think it is? It's not like these are clowns and they get the day off. We do see a child's shoe floating in the water inside the enclosure, and I wonder if maybe the child and lynx are together. Probably not, but we keep a closer hold on Satchel.
12:15: Our first animal! The cougar is kind enough to make an appearance, and wow. Quite an impressive cat. I'm sure I've seen cougars before, but I am startled with how big they are. But this cougar seems bored out of its mind. It just paces back and forth in a continual loop. I actually feel kind of bad for it, but not enough that I volunteer to entertain it. Meanwhile, Satchel just wants to see the bison.
12:17: Animal No. 3? Also a dud. No bobcat. Jess says, "Maybe he's the male who got out." I love her. I begin to think this whole park could be a scam. I mean, really, how would we even know they have a bobcat? We better get a better rate of seeing animals quick or. ...well, nothing, but we better.

12:22: We start mentioning the signs we see around the park. Satchel starts singing Signs by the Five Man Electrical Band ("Signs, signs, everywhere signs. ...). He's extremely smart, hears everything and has a great sense of humor and is almost always fun to be around, except when he's not.
12:23: Coyotes! First a glimpse of them running around behind trees. And then they all emerge. It's quite awesome, though they are kind of scraggly looking. But pretty cool, they get pretty close to us, which is fun. And then, of course, one of them squats and drops a load, followed by a nice, long pee. And let me tell you, coyote poop stinks. You will definitely know it if a coyote is around you. Most of us flee.
12:29: Off to the red fox exhibit, though I can't help but hope that we'll see the great Redd Foxx in the enclosure rather than an actual fox. Yes, I know he's been dead for quite awhile, but it would still be cool. I'm disappointed on both fronts: No fox, no Foxx.

12:34: We head inside the research cabin in search of the exotic animal scientist. No scientist, just windows to try to find the wolves, which we do, kind of, far away, lying down. We get a better view of them outside, but they still just lie down. Not sure what I wanted them to do, but something more than being passed out.

12:40: My most anticipated exhibit is a dud. No grizzly bears. The enclosure is kind of big, but not that big. Where could they be hiding? Maybe they do get a day off.

12:44: Jess spots a black bear. But it's just a big lump of black fur sleeping. Come on man, just one small growl for me. Is that too much to ask?

12:46: We make our way over to the tram. It's about an hour loop through the park, really the highlight of the park. We get there and are, literally, the last people in line, but we have our precious yellow tokens so we're assured spots. And this is where we'll see the bison, and it's a vehicle, so Satchel is excited. And we get good seats in the first car! Our guide/driver is this pretty cool guy with a pony tail who has a lot of information and facts, though he can never quite get "red cedar" and "red alder" straight, much to Jess and my amusement.

12:54: Moose! And it's huge! While not nearly as entertaining as the Mariner Moose, it's still pretty impressive. Though, yeah, it's just lying down, eating, resting, probably thinking, "Oh brother, here comes another one."

12:57: Our first bison, and it is also enormous. We saw lots of bison, in fact, which is very exciting for everyone! They are clearly the stars of the tour and very cool. I'm not sure I've ever seen a bison in person before. We even see babies at one point.s Good stuff.

1:00: We see big horn sheep which are pretty cool but look completely disinterested. Then we see mountain goats, which I love. The driver asks, "Can anyone tell me what a mountain goat's biggest threat is on the mountain?" I call out, "Wind!" Turns out my smart ass is kind of right. It's gravity. Then we see some carribou, and then a duck. When the driver says, "Look, you'll see a duck to our left!" Jess says, "I didn't pay $16 for a duck." I love her.

1:42: We come to the end of the tour. Good thing, as Satchel is getting bored. We see a few other animals, a gorup of carribou, some swans (they can weigh up to 45 pounds we learn!), geese, a raccoon. Satchel had fun, he was jazzed up about seeing bison, but there's only so much he can take. But we get one last thrill when a big carribou comes right up to the tram as we're leaving. And how do they shoo it away? With a spray bottle. It works!

2:07: We make our way to see the owls, including a Snow Owl that can barely be bothered to open its eyes, a couple Great Horned Owls and three Barn Owls, which are perched on a pretend barn. Someone wonders if Barn Owls actually have to have a barn in order to be comfortable. Oh yeah, we also see some golden eagles.

2:12: We stop to eat some lunch, which for Satchel consists of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (which is pretty much the only thing he'll ever request) and Jess and I eat popcorn. It's a good time to break, as Satch is losing some energy, and it gives Jess a chance to rest from carrying him around.

2:42: We make our way to the "Forest Animals" exhibit, which is the highlight for me. Unfortunately, I ran out of memory on my card, so I don't have any photos of it. But there was a beaver who was playing hide and seek with Satchel and Satchel was screaming with delight. It was really fun to watch. The beaver would dive under water, then pop up and Satchel would race over to see him. Then it would repeat the process. This went on for a fun 10 minutes or so. It was great. We also see river otters, a badger, porcupine, skunk and a fisher, which my mom reminds me later once nearly killed one of my uncle's cats. Alas, the wolverine kept hidden. I really wanted to see the wolverine, but what are you gonna do?

3:12: One of the workers is doing a trailside talk about possums, one of which is walking along a piece of wood eating food. They're pretty cute, and it's cool because my mom and Satchel had been talking a lot about possums lately and Satchel had never seen one except on the computer. We get a lot of good info. Possums only live to be 2 in the wild (up to 5 in captivity) but are able to fit up to 13 babies in their pouch, and have up to three litters a year. I say, "This guy sure knows his possums." Jess says, "He's the Possum Whisperer."

3:19: We make one last attempt to see the lynx and bobcat, but neither of them are there (the shoe is still in the water, though). We do see that there's another cougar in the enclosure, but both cougars look bored.

3:25: Back to the car. Satchel has held it together great and it was a great way to spend the day. He falls asleep pretty quickly and it's an uneventful ride back. I'd like to go back again sometime, hopefully to see the Grizzly Bear and maybe even that elusive lynx and bobcat. A fun way to spend a beautiful Sunday in the Northwest.

Green With Joy

2010-06-12T18:27:00.000-07:00

I hate enjoying other people's misery. ...generally. I've screwed up plenty of times. It's no fun, and it's less fun when you know other people are paying attention. So I say this with full awareness that it may make me a terrible person, but I thank you, Robert Green. I thank you for being a mediocre goalie (though better at being a goalie than I am at anything) and allowing the United States to get an all-important point in the World Cup. You are a true gentleman and sportsman and I salute you. I also do not envy the headlines and comments you will be experiencing. It's not fair, and you should always remember that you are a decent fella and people pretty much like you, except for everyone in England, and that's not really that many people, relatively speaking, so don't let it get you down. You're alright in my book.
Did the United States look great in its 1-1 tie with England Saturday? No, not close. But they looked OK. Tim Howard was his usual stellar self at keeper. The midfielders generally played pretty hard. Oguchi Onyewu was solid in the center of the defense and Steve Cherundolo was pretty good on defense as well. And Jozy Altidore made one great run that Green almost turned into a second goal (he couldn't quite come through for the U.S. twice, but that's OK, we still love him).
There were big issues, though. None of them unexpected. Primarily, it was the American defense, especially the right side, which was consistently getting attacked. The defense also did a poor job closing down on England's shooters, allowing too many close calls. The midfielders, while they played hard, didn't do a lot of controlling of the ball. Someone, maybe Stuart Holden or Jose Torres, has to get some time to try to form a bridge between the back and Altidore up front. I also wasn't nuts about using Findlay up front with Altidore. I don't know if the answer is moving Clint Dempsey up front, or trying Edson Buddle or Hercules Gomez alongside Altidore, but they need more from the other forward spot.
All of that said, it was a great result. This easily could have been an ugly game (and would have been, if not for Howard). But the Americans played hard and stayed in it and, frankly, got lucky with the goal, which you sometimes need. The one point is huge and should give the U.S. confidence going into its next two games, against Algeria and Slovenia. So all in all, it was a great day for United States soccer.
I'm not sure how much I'll be writing tomorrow. We're planning on going to Northwest Trek as long as there's good weather. I may or may not get up for the early game, and if so, I'll try to weigh in. If not, I'll try to recap the day tomorrow night. Thanks for tuning in, and I hope your rest tonight is better than Robert Green's will be.

Does the United States Have a Chance?

2010-06-12T09:14:00.000-07:00

Now on to the big question of the day. Does the United States have a chance against England. The short answer: Of course! This is a good American team with plenty of offense and a group that will not be overwhelmed by England's star power. This is the most experienced U.S. team ever, with guys who play at the highest levels in England, Germany and Italy, so the bright lights and pressure shouldn't get to them. But England is a really, really good team, despite its injuries, in particular to captain and star center defender Rio Ferdinand and defensive midfielder Gareth Barry. This is a talented offensive group with Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, etc., etc. The reality is, the United States could play really well and still get hammered. I don't think it's going to happen, but it could.
So, what do I think is going to happen?
I see the United States coming out strong. They have a lot to prove and I think that will carry them early on. Look for the Americans to aggressively attack England's depleted defense, using the speed of Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey to get deep into English territory. I think it's going to pay off, as I see Jozy Altidore being set up by a Donovan or Dempsey run within the first 15 minutes or so and getting a goal to put the Americans up.
Unfortunately, that will wake up England. The Three Lions will gain some composure and start pressuring the American defense, which hasn't been particularly good. Tim Howard turns away a few shots but eventually, Rooney breaks through, manhandling the U.S. wing defenders and pushing through for the tying goal. Halftime comes at 1-1.
Early in the second half, the defense collapses on Rooney as he pushes up the middle, but rather than force it, Rooney shows his maturity and dumps it to a wide-open Lampard, who buries a shot past Howard. This puts the U.S. on its heels badly and a blowout seems about to start.
But then the United States shows a glimpse of its ability, as it pulls itself together around the 75th minute. Donovan streaks through the English midfield, finding Dempsey, who shows his creativity by beating a pair of English defenders and finding the back of the night for a shocking tying goal. Bedlam ensues.
But it doesn't last.
A few minutes later, with a tie looking like a possibility, Gerrard gains control and flies down the flank, going right past the weak American outside defense and sending a beautiful cross in. Oguchi Onyewu is caught out of position, allowing Rooney to leap in and power a header into the goal for the win.
Still, an impressive game for the United States. The question will be, how will they regroup after a disappointing result?
We'll see how close I am in a couple hours.

The Goal is Over There

2010-06-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

Argentina-Nigeria was certainly entertaining, and also maddening. Hey, fellas, the goal is down there, not way up there! There was no shortage of chances, as Nigeria had a hard time containing Argentina's attack, and Nigeria got off several decent shots as well. But so many of the shots were off, it made me wonder if they practiced on a field with a goal suspended by wires off field level. Stop kicking so high, it's not paying off! Nigeria's keeper played a very solid game and kept his team in it, and Argentina has to feel pretty good about at least getting so many chances. I thought the Argentine defense was pretty solid, too. Lionel Messi did little to make people change their minds about his performance for his country, but he did make Nigeria work. I mean, those chances he created don't just happen. Now it's a matter of finishing, which, of course, is the entire point. What stood out to me the most, though, was the confidence that Argentina had with the ball. They were clearly the most composed offensive team I've seen so far, which isn't a big surprise, but was fun to see. Speaking of fun to see, England-U.S.A. in about two hours!

Thanks Greece

2010-06-12T06:37:00.000-07:00

I woke up at 5:30 and rushed to the TV (as much as it's possible for me to rush at 5:30 in the morning) to catch up on the Greece-South Korea match. It was halftime and South Korea was up 1-0, which I knew meant trouble for Greece, which is not noted for its ability to score.
I didn't realize how much trouble it meant, though.
Wow, Greece is not good. At least, it didn't play good. In fact, it played the polar opposite of good, and made me wonder what I was doing up that early to watch a team that looked like it had never played together before. Granted, Greece isn't a favorite, but it won the European championship in 2004 with a lot of these players. Of course, maybe that's the problem. They looked like an old team, and South Korea, with as much energy as it plays with, can make a team look really old. The Koreans just played harder, won most balls, and Greece couldn't control the ball, basically giving away one goal and completely blowing the other goal on a corner kick.
South Korea is pretty good, but Greece made it look a lot better than I think it is. We'll learn more about the Koreans when they play a team that isn't bad.

Day 1 Recap

2010-06-11T23:19:00.000-07:00

This will be a short, quick one because, frankly, I'm tired and got a long day in front of us.
It was a fun start to the World Cup, I thought. The first game was quite thrilling, the second game far less inspired.
It was so fun to see South Africa have some success and get a point when many, including myself, believed that they may go 0-3. It was really cool to see the crowd support and the goal dance was truly inspired. And what a goal it was, by a guy whose last name is Tshabalala, which may be the most fun name to say in the tournament. Tshabalala of Bafana Bafana sounds like a kids book that I would love to read. I guess I was a bit disappointed that Mexico came back to tie it, if only because it's hard not to pull for South Africa, and what an amazing thing at the end of the first day would it have been to see South Africa - a team totally written off - atop a group that includes two former Cup winners in France and Uruguay, and traditional power Mexico? Still, all teams are even, and that's a victory for South Africa by itself.
The second game was, frankly, pretty boring, especially in comparison to the first. While there were a few moments of inspired play by both teams, it mostly seemed to be two teams afraid to lose, rather than trying to win. Maybe they both figured they still get to play South Africa and can get their win there, but don't be so sure, especially with how they played. France clearly waited too long to get Thierry Henry in the game, and while Franck Ribery made some great runs, they just didn't seem to be on the same page as a unit. How ironic was it to watch Henry complaining about a missed hand ball call? Uruguay didn't play nearly as inspired as I'd hoped, though it was every bit as physical. That won't go over well, especially in its upcoming game with South Africa, and could backfire against an equally physical team in Mexico. Both teams have to be disappointed in the result, while Mexico has to be happy that France and Uruguay tied, and South Africa has to be thrilled after the first day. This has suddenly turned into an even more interesting group than I expected.
Saturday is the big one, at least, the first big one. In a game no one is really paying attention to, Greece will meet South Korea in what could be a really competitive game. It may not be exciting, but it should be interesting. Greece defends like crazy and South Korea is in non-stop motion. Whoever comes out on top in this one is going to get some needed momentum. Now, whether I'm up at 4:30 to watch it, we'll see.
Then comes Argentina against Nigeria, which should be fantastic. I'm starting to feel like I undersold Argentina and it could be better than I think. And who isn't excited to watch Messi play? Nigeria should generate a lot of local support and is a really entertaining group. This should be a wide-open, fast-paced game that will be a lot of fun to watch. I'll definitely be tuned in.
Then comes England-U.S.A. Is this the biggest match of the tournament? No, it's only been hyped that way. But it should be a great one and a great measuring stick for the United States. What will be really interesting is how the U.S. will react if it is buried by England. I think the Americans will have success attacking England, but I worry about the U.S.A.'s defense handling the likes of Rooney, Lampard, Gerrard, etc. In the end, I think England wins an entertaining one. I'll go with 3-2.
See you in the morning!

It Begins!

2010-06-11T06:53:00.000-07:00

First off, I went to the Sounders game with my brother last night, a way of getting even more jazzed up (if that's possible) for the start of the World Cup. At that point, my brother pointed out that someone else had a blog called Mike's Musings. So, that wouldn't do. I credit my brother with coming up with the new name of this blog, which fits well.
I'll try to talk about the Sounder game later, but right now, I'm just too excited. I woke up this morning and immediately flipped on ESPN and the images from South Africa were thrilling. I'm always weary of TV coverage of the World Cup, but so far, I've been impressed. Kudos to ESPN for hiring an international staff, including a South African, to serve in the studio. He talked about it being emotional, and he's right. The first World Cup in Africa, in a country with so much dramatic history, is so exciting, and you can't help (unless you're Mexican) but pull for South Africa to at least play well. The emotion is heightened by the news of the death of Nelson Mandela's great granddaughter, as if he hasn't suffered enough tragedy. He truly deserved to be there.
Like the Mariners game last weekend, this World Cup is especially emotional for me as it's Satchel's first. Sure, he won't remember it at all, just as I don't remember the 1978 World Cup. He may pay attention to about a few seconds of it. He'll be cranky, happy, funny, angry, beautiful. He'll be the same as always. But to get to share even a little bit of this with him, whether he's aware of it or not, is really a thrill for me. Of course, it would have been more thrilling if he would have gotten up at his usual 8:30-9 a.m. instead of 7, which means it's going to be a long, long day for daddy, but it's still great.
I'll be blogging semi-regularly during games, so keep checking back in. So far it's been an entertaining game, with South Africa holding its own and lucking out by a horrible offsides call.

Mike's World Cup Prediction Spectacular!

2010-06-10T07:18:00.001-07:00

This time tomorrow, I'll be up watching the first match of the World Cup as South Africa takes on Mexico. I can't wait! That's followed by France against Uruguay before a triple header on Saturday headlined by England-U.S.A. The greatest month in sports is less than 24 hours from kicking off!
With that said, you've all enjoyed my group previews I'm sure, so you're sure to love today's entry, my World Cup predictions. Some will love me by the end of it, some will hate me. And some will continue to take a wait-and-see attitude.
And with that, I give you how the World Cup will (to paraphrase coaching legend Tyrone Willingham) definitely, possibly, probably, might, could, will, should, maybe play out.

Group Stage
Group A
Predicted order of finish: 1. France; 2. Uruguay; 3. Mexico; 4. South Africa.
Key match: Mexico vs. Uruguay, June 22.
Player of the Group: Hugo Lloris, GK, France.
Explain yourself!: France is a popular choice to be one of the real disappointments of South Africa, especially with the recent drama over the decision to bench Thierry Henry for the opener. But I'm not buying it. This is still the most talented team in the group and yes, maybe it shouldn't have even qualified, but here France is and the French have reached the final two of their last three trips to the World Cup. But if they lose to Uruguay on Friday, I'll sing a different tune (and they could!). South Africa is clearly the weakest team and is likely the first host nation to not advance out of group play. But fan support is always a big deal, and if it helps carry South Africa over Mexico in the opener, which would be a true shocker, then anything is possible. But likely, the second spot will come down to Uruguay and Mexico, two evenly matched squads with a few stars surrounded by talented role players. I'm going with Uruguay because I think it's outstanding attackers up front (Diego Forlan, Sebastian Abreu, Luis Suarez) will beat out a Mexican team still trying to figure out the mix of young, inexperienced players with very old veterans.

Group B
Predicted order of finish: 1. Argentina; 2. Nigeria; 3. Greece; 4. South Korea.
Key match: Greece vs. Nigeria, June 17.
Player of the Group: Lionel Messi, F, Argentina.
Explain yourself!: Argentina is far and away the best team in this group, even with coach Diego Maradona doing what he can to screw things up. With the best player in the world in Messi surrounded by an entire lineup of stars, this team is too good not to win the group. The real question is who comes in second? South Korea is one of the best Asian teams, and has been for a long time, but has never won a World Cup match away from Asia, and I just don't see that continuing here. If it can beat Greece in its opener on June 12, maybe it can break that streak, but I don't see it happening. So then it comes down to a defensive-oriented Greek squad against offensive-minded Nigeria. Greece struggled to qualify and hasn't played well leading up to the World Cup, while Nigeria, which missed the 2006 tournament, will have plenty of local support and I see the Super Eagles getting to the knockout stage.

Group C
Predicted order of finish: 1. England; 2. United States; 3. Algeria; 4. Slovenia.
Key match: Algeria vs. Slovenia, June 13.
Player of the Group: Ashley Cole, D, England.
Explain yourself!: Everyone will look to the England-U.S. match as the big one - and it is - but I don't see it as being the real key to the group. The Three Lions are clearly the best team in the group, and even a draw with the United States probably won't be enough to cause the Brits to not win the group. England is loaded as usual, and even with the usual injury issues and drama, there should be enough there to get through. For me, the big match is Algeria and Slovenia. Whoever wins that one is going to have some momentum and confidence. They're both being overlooked, and the winner could get some decent crowd support when it goes against the United States. I think Algeria wins it, setting up a huge final match against the Americans with the winner advancing. But I think this is the Cup that the U.S. finally impresses. That doesn't mean they go a long way, but they at least look like a world-class team, and I just can't see it not failing to move out of group play in what is essentially a pretty weak group.

Group D
Predicted order of finish: 1. Germany; 2. Serbia; 3. Australia; 4. Ghana.
Key match: Australia vs. Ghana, June 19.
Player of the Group: Mesut Ozil, MF, Germany.
Explain yourself!: A very balanced group that could be one of the most competitive. Still, even with star Michael Ballack out and some key players coming off poor club seasons, I can't see Germany not finishing on top. This is the most talented team in a talented group, tough, determined and experienced and should get through relatively unscathed. Australia returns much of the same team that impressed at the last World Cup, but that means this is an older group that has not played well lately. Ghana will have the crowd behind it and is a popular choice to make a deep run, but I actually think this is going to be a big disappointment for the Black Stars. I think losing star Michael Essien is a really big deal and Ghana's traditional trouble of turning a talented roster into a cohesive unit will continue. Serbia isn't getting a lot of attention - maybe because it's not a very entertaining team - and some think it could be the weakest in the group, while others think it could be the strongest. I pick in between, better than Australia, not as good as Germany, but good enough to move on.

Group E
Predicted order of finish: 1. Netherlands; 2. Cameroon; 3. Denmark; 4. Japan.
Key match: Denmark vs. Cameroon, June 19.
Player of the Group: Wesley Sneijder, MF, Netherlands.
Explain yourself!: Another group considered fairly top heavy, but I think a little more balanced. Netherlands is the best team, with too much attacking power to not move on. There's a possibility it might not win the group, but it's remote. There's too much talent in this group and I can see some pretty one-sided matches. Japan just is not up to the level of the other three teams. It never plays well away from Asia and won't have a lot of fan support, and I just can't picture a scenario where the Japanese are anything better than last. That leaves Cameroon, a very popular local team and a popular pick to be a sleeper squad, against Denmark, a team trying to make up for missing out on the 2006 tournament. Denmark is a strong defensive team but will struggle to score goals, while Cameroon has more balance and, with the crowd behind it, should have enough to make it to the second round.

Group F
Predicted order of finish: 1. Italy; 2. Paraguay; 3. Slovakia; 4. New Zealand.
Key match: Paraguay vs. Slovakia, June 20.
Player of the Group: Gianluigi Buffon, GK, Italy.
Explain yourself!: Maybe the most predictable group in the field. Italy is easily the best team here, balanced, typically strong in the back, well coached and with the motivation of trying to be a rare World Cup repeat winner. No question the Azzuri win this group. New Zealand is by far the worst team in South Africa, and may not even score, much less win. I've obviously got an interest in Slovakia as I'll be blogging about the first-time World Cup entrant for the Sounders, and this is an interesting, young team. But it just isn't ready to move beyond group play. That leaves Paraguay, a team that looked good in qualifying, has a nice balance of offense and defense and simply needs one of its attackers to get hot. Even if one doesn't stand out in group play, Paraguay should be good enough to move out of group play.

Group G
Predicted order of finish: 1. Brazil; 2. Portugal; 3. Ivory Coast; 4. North Korea.
Key match: Brazil vs. Portugal, June 25.
Player of the Group: Luis Fabiano, F, Brazil.
Explain yourself!: The Group of Death should be nothing if not entertaining. OK, North Korea has no shot at all of advancing. That's clear. In fact, it probably shouldn't even win a point. It's the weakest link, goodbye! Brazil is the tournament co-favorite, as usual, and even with a style that isn't quite as striking as the Brazilians are normally known for, this is still a fabulous team. A lot of people like Ivory Coast, and I do too, but not as much with Didier Drogba dealing with a broken arm. Yes, you can play with a broken arm. No, you can't play that well. For all the hype Ivory Coast has received, it's really never done much internationally, and I think that continues in South Africa. Portugal did not look good in qualifying, but was without superstar Cristiano Ronaldo for much of it. He's back and healthy and is going to have a great tournament. Can Portugal beat Brazil and win the group? Probably not, but it should be a great game, with plenty of Portuguese swear words flying around.

Group H
Predicted order of finish: 1. Spain; 2. Switzerland; 3. Chile; 4. Honduras.
Key match: Chile vs. Switzerland, June 21.
Player of the Group: David Villa, F, Spain.
Explain yourself!: Sigh. This is going to be a really fun group to watch, and I wish I felt differently. Spain, no question, is going to win the group. It's just too good and should have little problem finishing on top. Some people pick Honduras to finish second, but I think there may be too many slow, older players to keep up with some of the speed and athleticism of this group, and while Honduras may play well, it's not going to advance. That leaves, sigh, Switzerland and Chile. I soooo want Chile to advance. I think it's going to be one of the most entertaining teams in the tournament and its game against Spain should be fun to watch. But no one is paying attention to Switzerland, and that scares me. This is a good team, with a good keeper, solid forwards, good midfielders. Chile can attack like crazy but its defense - like the United States - is a real issue and I think at some point, in a group with so many attacking players, that's going to be a big problem. So I'm taking Switzerland, with the caveat that I think Chile is going to go a long way at the 2014 World Cup, when this young group is just a little older.

Second round
France vs. Nigeria: Should be a really interesting match, as Nigeria will have a lot of support to knock out a team that isn't very well liked or respected. This is a good Nigerian team that has a lot of motivation, but I just can't get past the feeling that France is being overlooked for how good it is, and I'm taking the French to win despite a lot of adversity. Winner: France.
England vs. Serbia: This will be a physical, close match between a couple teams solid on defense. England will likely have the crowd support and more offense. Expect the Brits to attack and Serbia to hold them off for awhile, but eventually Wayne Rooney is going to find a way to get through and score, sending England on to the quarters. Winner: England.
Germany vs. United States: Maybe the most important match ever for the United States, and I think it will play well. Germany's got a strong defense but I think the Americans will find a way to attack and make things really tough. But Germany has the better team, and the U.S. defense scares me. One of the German strikers is going to get through a couple times, and end what is a decent showing for the Americans. Winner: Germany.
Argentina vs. Uruguay: An interesting matchup of neighbors with a long history. This game won't lack for offense or storylines and will be a fun one to watch. Maradona will get up for this one, and if he can keep his zaniness in check, and just allow his talented team to play, it should be fine. Go with Argentina in a game with a few goals scored. Winner: Argentina.
Netherlands vs. Paraguay: This might be the most one-sided of the second round matches. I like Paraguay, like their balance, but don't think its up to the level of a lot of these teams that have advanced. Justo Villar, Paraguay's keeper, should keep his team in it for awhile, but Netherlands is relentless and should wear down its opponent, and move on. Winner: Netherlands.
Brazil vs. Switzerland: Not exactly the most marquee matchup that Brazil could get, but you gotta win the games that you draw. Switzerland is going to be spent getting through its group and just doesn't have the talent to measure up to Brazil (few do). The Brazilian defense has little trouble with the Swiss attack and Brazil's counterattack proves too much. Winner: Brazil.
Italy vs. Cameroon: A fun matchup that should be very competitive. Cameroon, with the crowd behind it, will attack Italy's vaunted defense and really challenge keeper Gianluigi Buffon. But Buffon is great, and Cameroon may grow frustrated, opening up an opportunity for Italy to counterattack and get through in a match that could easily end 1-0. Winner: Italy.
Spain vs. Portugal: Wow, what a second-round match. This should be a great one between neighbors. There won't be a shortage of offense, as Cristiano Ronaldo and company will match Spain's attack. Strong midfield play should be something to watch. The difference for me will be Spain's defense, including great keeper Iker Casillas, which should be just enough to survive an upset bid in the best match of the tournament thus far. Winner: Spain.

Quarterfinals
Netherlands vs. Brazil: A marquee matchup that will have more spectacular scoring chances than any match thus far. The Dutch are going to attack Brazil's defense nonstop, and Brazil will do likewise. So it will come down to which backline holds up under the pressure. The guess here is it will be Brazil's, which is simply better. Winner: Brazil.
France vs. England: Should be a great matchup between teams that don't like each other. England is going to feel plenty of pressure in this game, and I can see the Brits getting ahead of themselves. After all, no one expects much from France. But the French keep it close and England's chemistry begins to fail under the pressure, allowing France to pull off the upset. Winner: France.
Germany vs. Argentina: Two long-time powers go at it in a back-and-forth match that may not quite live up to the hype. Messi has had a spectacular tournament so far, but the German defense gives Argentina some issues, the German strikers Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose continue to surge in South Africa. And this may be the one where Maradona drops the ball, allowing Germany to move on. Winner: Germany.
Italy vs. Spain: Another great win, with the vaunted Italian defense under explosive pressure from Spain, which is really rolling. The Spanish play with a load of confidence in this match, and Italy, desperately trying to repeat as champs, can't quite hold up. Winner: Spain.

Semifinals
Brazil vs. France: There's no way France can win this match, right? Brazil is loaded, as balanced as its ever been and Kaka, who has been relatively quiet in the tournament, is still one of the world's best. France shouldn't even be in South Africa. But....I picked France to win it all in 2006, and got ridiculed. No, the French didn't win it all, but they made it to the final. And I'm just feeling them again this time, I don't know why. I don't even like France! But I think this is a true Cinderella team, and I think it pulls of a shocking upset here. Winner: France.
Germany vs. Spain: This has been a nice run for Germany, which didn't receive the kind of attention it usually does entering a World Cup. The Germans overcame a lot to get this far, but one thing they can't overcome is Spain, which is just too relentless and overpowers Germany's backline, moving on to its expected spot in the final. Winner: Spain.

Third place
Brazil vs. Germany: Who cares? Winner: Brazil.

World Cup Final
France vs. Spain: I like this French team. But I'm also not crazy. France rides a lot of momentum into this one and enjoys the underdog label. But Spain is just too good and takes control of this match quickly, getting the crowd behind it and putting France on its heels. The Spanish don't let up, turning this into one of the more one-sided World Cup finals, and finally living up to the talent and hype its received. Winner: Spain.

World Cup Group H Preview

2010-06-09T07:42:00.000-07:00

The last group to be previewed could be the most entertaining, and I'm not just saying that because Chile is in it. OK, so I have a vested interest in Chile doing well, but it's also one of the most relentless attacking teams in the tournament. Add to that the world's top-ranked team in Spain, another offensive team in Honduras and Switzerland, featuring future Seattle Sounder Blaise Nkufo, and you've got one of the most intriguing groups at the World Cup. There should be no shortage of goals in this group, so that alone makes it worth watching. Add to that the fact that there should be great competition for the second spot in the group, and this may be the foursome to watch.

Chile
This is only the second appearance in the World Cup for Chile since 1982, and the first since 1998, so the country, including the Allende household, is going nuts. But it hasn't won a World Cup game since it hosted the 1962 tournament and made it to the semifinals. But it helps that this is a sleeper team with a ton of offense that finished second in qualifying behind Brazil, a result that included La Roja's first-ever win over Argentina. This is a team loaded with offensive players and with a coach in Marcelo Bielsa who believes if you ain't attacking, you might as well be sleeping. One of the youngest teams in the tournament, it finished second to Brazil in scoring in qualifying and won many key games on the road, giving it plenty of confidence that it can win in South Africa.
Coach: Marcelo Bielsa. A terrific tactician who believes in all-out attack and is nicknamed El Loco, translated to the Mad Man. And he often seems mad, yelling at his players but getting results. He failed as Argentina's coach in the 2002 World Cup but clearly has this team clicking. His decision to rush a group of young players to the senior team has paid off.
Players to Watch
Claudio Bravo: An athletic, quick keeper who is emerging as one of the top in the world, he played every minute of qualification. Starter for Real Sociedad in Spain, he won't be overwhelmed by the Spanish attack. Coming off a knee injury, though, and he'll be under constant pressure given Chile's focus on attack. He's the team's captain.
Humberto Suazo: Starred in Mexico before moving on to Zaragoza in Spain, he's the top scorer on this squad. The 5-foot-7 forward scored a South America-high 10 goals in qualifying, though his production could be slowed by an injury that could keep him out of the opener. This is his opportunity to make a big name for himself internationally.
Mark Gonzalez: The fastest player on the team, he plays on a wing and his speed gives opponents trouble. Played at Liverpool and Real Betis in Spain, but had a mediocre season at CSKA Moscow.
Rodrigo Millar: Often overlooked among his higher-profile teammates, he's a fast, creative midfielder who can get upfield and score and could be the surprise player for Chile. Stars for Chilean power Colo Colo.
Alexis Sanchez: Just 21, he is the emerging star for Chile and could be one of the breakout players of the World Cup. A fast, attacking forward who has been on fire lately, he played regularly for Udinese in Serie A and will likely be moving even higher soon.

Honduras
Honduras loves American Jonathan Bornstein. Why? Because Bornstein's late goal in a meaningless game for the United States against Costa Rica forced a tie, which pushed Honduras ahead of the Costa Ricans in qualifying and into the World Cup. So, thank you Mr. Bornstein! This is only the Hondurans' second trip to the Cup, having gone winless in 1982. This is another heavily-offensive team that is constantly moving forward and is very dangerous. But it's also an aging team without much depth and it has not played well recently, so it will have to stay healthy and fresh to get through this group. The fact that forward Carlos Costly, who scored six goals in qualifying, will miss the tournament with injury, isn't a good start.
Coach: Reinaldo Rueda. A Colombian who is a national hero in Honduras for getting his team to South Africa, he believes in attacking like nuts, but is going to have to keep his aging team from collapsing, literally.
Players to Watch
Wilson Palacios: The best, and most well-known, player on the team, he was outstanding in qualifying. Not much of a scorer, he is a creative midfielder and a strong defender who has played very well at Tottenham Hotspur in the EPL.
Carlos Pavon: He's 36-years-old but still a strong striker who led the team with seven goals in qualifying. But he's also missed plenty of opportunities that make you wonder if he's missing them on purpose. I mean, I'm not saying the fix is on, but you gotta wonder.
Amado Guevara: The captain of the team and a former MLS MVP for the MetroStars. Another creative midfielder who pushes the attack forward.
David Suazo: A powerful forward who plays for Genoa in Serie A after being perpetually injured at Inter Milan. With Costly out, and Pavon old, he'll be counted on to be the main scoring threat for Honduras.
Maynor Figueroa: The most experienced of a thin group of defenders, but who needs defense, right? He'll have plenty of pressure in this group but has faced pressure before playing for Wigan in the EPL. He had an outstanding club season and could be the target of some bigger clubs, especially with a strong performance here.

Spain
Not much is known about these guys, but we hear they're pretty decent. OK, actually, this is the top-ranked team in the world and, along with Brazil, the co-favorite to win it all. Spain has been on the cusp for so long, it's hard to believe it's never won a World Cup, but despite having qualified nine times in a row, it's never made it past the quarterfinals. Another thing Spain has never done is lose to any of the teams in this group, going a combined 21-0-5. The Spanish dominated qualifying, outscoring foes 28-5, after winning Euro 2008. The only stumble was a shocking loss to the United States in the Confederations Cup last summer, but somehow Spain has moved on, continuing to show an amazingly dangerous attack, ridiculous midfield play and a strong back line. In fact, that's its only loss in its last 47 games. ...47 games! But, Spain has had very talented teams before and failed in the World Cup, and injuries are a definite issue, and. ...never mind, this team is ridiculously good, including keeper Iker Casillas, maybe the best in the world. So, he fits right in here.
Coach: Vicente del Bosque. He took over this team after it won Euro 2008, and just continued to roll with it. Not a bad gig to have. He was a very successful coach at Real Madrid and is noted for his ability to make a team of stars mesh well, which is pretty much the only thing he has to do with this team. He's won 96 percent of his games for Spain, which is kind of hard to fathom.
Players to Watch
Fernando Torres: Often hurt, including right now, but always great, the Liverpool striker is one of the world's best. Explosive, good on the ground and in the air, if his knee is even close to right, he's fabulous to watch.
Xavi: Might be the best midfielder in the history of Spain - which is saying a lot - he's an amazingly good ball handler and passer who leads the way for Spain and for Barcelona. But he also has a torn calf muscle that could severely limit him and would be a shame. ...unless you're the one playing Spain, in which case, party!
Cesc Fabregas: Is coming back from a broken leg so may not be ready, but if he is, he's another superstar to add to the mix.
David Silva: A midfielder for Valencia, he'd be the best player on most other teams but here he's just another talented attacker amongst of group of talented attackers.
Marcos Senna: See above, talented, but a reserve here who could make some noise if injuries continue.
Santi Cazorola: Provides great depth to a team that may need it.
Jesus Navas: Another talented reserve who could make a bigger name for himself if given the opportunity.
Joan Capdavila: It's not pronounced Joan, so give him a break. The 32-year-old from Valencia is often looked at as the weak link of a great defense, so there will be pressure on him to show he can be part of the gang too.
David Villa: Saved the best for last, as he's only the best attacker on the best attacking team in the world. Scores an average of two goals every three games, he's the leading scorer in La Liga over the last six years, the top scorer in qualifying, the top scorer in Euro 2008 and is as sure a finisher as there is in the world. Stars at Valencia, where he scored 21 goals this season, he is the favorite for the Golden Boot award, if he's able to see the ball enough with so much talent around him.

Switzerland
The Swiss actually lost to Luxembourg in qualifying - Luxembourg! - and looked dead in the water. But then things somehow turned around and here they are. A talented, successful coach leads this very young team that has some talent but is definitely considered a sleeper that will have to be at the top of its game to get through this group.
Coach: Ottmar Hitzfeld. Hitzfeld knows how to win, having won seven Budesliga titles and a Euro Cup with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. My life-long dream is to own a riding lawnmower. Hitzfeld's life-long dream was to coach the Swiss national team. One of us has achieved their dream. He keeps his team organized and prepared, so there won't be any surprises for Switzerland.
Players to Watch
Alexander Frei: Switzerland's all-time leading scorer is coming back from a broken arm and may not be ready to really contribute. Very experienced on the highest levels of play, the Swiss need him at the top of his game.
Tranquillo Barnetta: I don't know what to make of his name, but he's a really good midfielder and a key player in leading Bayern Leverkusen on an unbeaten run in the Bundesliga. He's creative and a strong attacker who was nominated for the Best Young Player award at the 2006 World Cup.
Blaise Nkufo: The one guy Seattle fans will be paying attention to as the 35-year-old scorer will be joining the Sounders after the World Cup. Born in the Congo, he refused to play for Switzerland for four years before Hitzfeld convinced him to come back. Nkufo then scored five times in qualifying, so good choice. This is his first and last World Cup and, mostly, Sounders fans just want him to stay healthy.
Xherdan Shaqiri: Just 18 and only a member of the national team since March, he did help lead FC Basel to two Swiss league titles and will be looking to move on to a higher level soon.
Philippe Senderos: He's a slow but solid defender who is physical and the leader of the Swiss back line. He has played poorly at club level as Arsenal dumped him on Everton, and Everton dumped him on the bench.
Benjamin Huggel: While Barnetta is busy scoring, it will be up to defensive midfielder Huggel to slow down the likes of Xavi, Humberto Suazo and Wilson Palacios. Thanks a lot, Barnetta.