A sports blog by and for Midwest Sports Fans
Now, with the cat out of the bag, strategy becomes the tallest of orders. FOX Sports has won the World Cup broadcasts for 2018 and 2022 and now must figure out how to engage sports fans to ensure they tune in. They may have to do it without the support of MLS and U.S. Soccer.
Fox Sports does have the rights to the English Premier League, though, and this may be the key.
From running around my friend’s apartment like an airplane…to lying face down in a couch not wanting to move or even watch what happens next.
An entire afternoon spent working on Ian Darke impressions and figuring out ways to meet and impress Alex Morgan vanished without anyone realizing it.
The World Cup Final on Sunday afternoon brought back something that we as sports fans had been missing.
When the movie 2012 came out, it sparked a fair amount of controversy across the nation. Several of my friends asked me what I thought about it. While I personally believe that the whole 2012 doomsday is just another man-made scare-tactic (not unlike Y2K), we are possibly headed towards a similar scenario in two years: a sports world without the NBA and, yikes, the NFL.
Now I know it’s still early, and many things could change in the next 12-18 months, but from the looks of things, the NBA is certainly headed towards a lockout. While this is TERRIBLE news for a basketball addict like me, I have to admit that losing the NFL would be far worse. I don’t think the NFL is dumb enough to lose an entire season. They are head and shoulders ahead of every other sport right now, and it would be foolish to relinquish any of that popularity.
But still, three troubling facts remain:
If this blog were called ArgentinianSportsFans.com, the “aka” part of the title would not be necessary. That is because soccer legend Diego Maradona is referred to by many in his native country as “D10S”, which is a combination of his jersey number (10) and the Spanish word for God (“dios”).
Here in America we know Maradona for what he famously did in the World Cup – primarily the “Hand of God” and the “Goal of the Century” in the 1986 World Cup – and for what he has infamously done off the pitch, including gaining weight, developing drug and alcohol addictions, and essentially becoming Argentina’s slightly-less-erratic version of Mike Tyson.
Although Diego Maradona’s life has always been a whirling dervish of contradictions, one thing is absolutely certain: he his hilariously photogenic.
A second can change everything.
You could not invent a more dramatic ending for the USA/Algeria game. A 91st min goal by none other than Landon Donovan sent the USA into the quarters while also making American fans the happiest people on Earth.
With England up 1-0 against Slovenia, every minute that ticked by with the USA and Algeria tied meant doom and a very uneasy exit from the World Cup for the Americans.
Chances were a plenty for the US, but the ball would not go into the net. Close call after close call, and another disallowed goal by a non-existent offsides, could’ve put the US in the wrong situation.
One man, Landon Donovan, had other plans.
GOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLL!!!
I can honestly say this if the first moment I’ve really been genuinely ecstatic about something that happened in a soccer game.
In case you haven’t heard yet, the U.S. beat Algeria 1-0 during stoppage time on a great goal by captain Landon Donovan. Team USA now moves onto the knockout round of the 2010 World Cup.
WOW, what a game. What a moment. [Read more...]
David Beckham is the first player that comes to my mind when soccer is mentioned.
My knowledge of the game may be outdated., but with the pathetic MLS league dismissing any growing passion I develop for the game, who could blame me?
The highest level of talent is showcased in Europe, and it’s lost on most of the U.S. Many Americans would love to be singing the fight songs while drinking beer and waving their team’s flag. The transition from fan to “supporter” would be welcomed.
And despite what you may hear, soccer is a marketable game here in the U.S.
It looked hopeless, or, at least very dim, for the United States at halftime of their second group play game against Slovenia.
The U.S. were down 0-2, and it looked very dim for a comeback, but the United States, as they always seem to do, came back to get a much needed point in a terribly refereed game.
Sloppy defense early was the culprit, again, for the U.S., conceding a goal just 12′ in. This has become some sort of tradition for the U.S., and it almost bit them in the butt this match. Another Slovenian goal in the 41′ put Slovenia up two going into the half. It was looking very bad for the Americans, and their chances to advancing out of group play.
The Americans needed some leadership, and they found it in Landon Donovan.
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Cisco. All opinions are 100% mine.
So I was invited to take part in promoting the Live the Beautiful Game promotion earlier today, and I have to say that it was a worthwhile experience that I quite enjoyed.
This is how it works: follow the link to put yourself in a World Cup video. Once there, all you do is upload a picture, set a few points at different spots on the face you use, and then watch yourself as a soccer star.
Here is my video:
Used to me talking NBA? Used to me talking LeBron? Kobe? Wade?
Well, here’s the other side of me that you people don’t know: I’m a die hard futbol (soccer) fan, and you can’t blame me…I’m Portuguese! So, you can pretty much say this is a great time of my life, because soccer is everywhere I look and the NBA Finals are reaching their climax!
Now, I know most American sports fans aren’t into soccer, but I’m here to show you why I believe soccer is the world’s most beautiful sport, and why YOU should pay attention this World Cup; I promise you’ll end up falling in love!
Here are some of the best of the best, the cream of the crop, and the most dazzling stars to play the beautiful game that we here in the States call soccer! Enjoy!
If you know me, you know that I am not a natural soccer (sorry…FOOTBALL!) fan.
But I promise you that I’m trying. Two of my best friends in high school were pretty boy blonde prancers who enjoyed duking it out with only their feet on “the pitch”, so in honor of them (this is for you Jay and Jackson Kavanaugh) I am doing my best to get into the 2010 World Cup.
And to be perfectly honest, I was completely enthralled by today’s 1-1 tie between the U.S. and England in what was widely renowned as the most anticipated soccer match in U.S. history.
Maybe here in 2010, it is.
While many such as myself have always fancied October the best month of the sports year (baseball playoffs, football, hockey, hoops about to begin, crisp weather, etc), let’s take a look at right now and what is making mid-June such a great time to be a sports fan:
Rumors are swirling around the net that FIFA (the international futbol/soccer association) has recently been threatened by a terror attack.
According to reports, an online posting was made on the Islamic Maghreb, which had talks of a possible terrorist attack at the America versus England match scheduled to be played on 12 June in Rustenburg.
According to sources, the posting stated “how beautiful” it would be if a bomb were to explode in the stadium.
