Surfing Utah Lake

 

Traditional "end of soccer season" post

So soccer is over in Utah until Spring arrives, and that is a good thing. We don't need to be messing around with soccer in the Fall in Utah. There are more important things to worry about, like cleaning out my garage in preparation for winter.

This winter is going to be the one, the one where I get the garage cleaned out to the point where there is plenty of room to pull the cars in and walk effortlessly to the door with my hands full or groceries and not have to feel like I am walking through a maze of boxes and bikes. 

I already have a leg up on my neighbors, they can't even park their cars in their garages due to too much junk. At least I have always been able to fit my cars in the garage. But this year I am going to put them all to shame, while they walk through the snow on their drive way with arms full of groceries I will pull into my clean garage and bask in my awesomeness. 

With regards to soccer, below I posted KSL articles about RSL trying to make a big deal about how they have qualified for "5 straight playoffs" and the Monarchs trying to make themselves feel better about finishing almost last in their league.

From the Monarch's article:

Through the second half of the season, Utah finished with 10 results in the final 13 matches.

"We feel like if we can keep this momentum going, we can be a playoff contender," Utah coach Jimmy Coenraets said.

"Hitting rock bottom is OK; it gives us a great foundation to end on," he added.

Wow, "hitting rock bottom is OK"?

I guess, whatever. 

With regards to RSL, I usually don't think about them but I stumbled upon a RSL conversation on ESPN 700's the Drive with Spence Checketts the other day. He had on some guy from RSL, someone from the front office, I can't remember who it was. But anyway, they were talking about the season, the playoffs, blah blah blah, whatever.

Basically the conversation ended up focusing on what MLS teams have to do to break out and get to the finals when it comes to players. Do they spend big and get a Messi or someone like him, or do they focus on more homegrown talent?

Then the RSL guy was saying how RSL used to do a good job with its academy and focusing on homegrown talent but something went array during the Deloy Hansen years. Something like that.

Then Spence said something that made me laugh out loud.

He compared RSL to a team like Everton in the EPL.

He said something to the affect that RSL is always in the middle, good enough to get into the playoffs but not good enough to get to the finals, kind of like an Everton in the EPL.

I had to smile because that is the problem with MLS. Am I the only one that sees it? It feels like I am.

In a real soccer league like the EPL, or pretty much every other league in the world, just staying in the league is an accomplishment. Not getting relegated is an achievement because the competition in you league is fierce.

But when you have a closed league like MLS with 30 teams your season is a failure if you don't reach the finals, or at least the semi-finals. 

So yeah, you are doomed and your fans are going to get bored if you aren't at the top every year.

That is why I am slightly excited to start paying attention to the USL. 

There is a little soccer flame burning in me again perhaps.

Ohhhh, I even toyed with the idea of someone starting a low level USL team in Provo perhaps and then watching them grow and move up the ranks. Then one day they would win promotion to USL's top tier and we would have two top tier teams in Utah. 

Well, that is if you consider MLS top tier. 

The Easiest Path to Enlightenment

I suggested in my previous post that we all need to move on to more important things, something that isn't soccer, football, or sports related. 

Here's a video I've watched several times lately about Zen meditation, even without doing any meditation the video itself has been having a calming affect on me which has been nice.

Composer Mark Snow on creating The X-Files theme music

Here, instead of wasting your time watching soccer highlights, check out how the theme song of the X-Files came about.

(link to X-Files theme song for your listening pleasure)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2d6T5G2rrY

Trump wins, RSL loses, the Utes throw a temper tantrum

What a week.

1. Trump wins. You had to know he was going to win, Kamala offered nothing.

Change? She offered change? Change from what, yourself? Change from yourself is Trump.

2. RSL are out of the playoffs. You had to know RSL was going to get beat, they always get beat.

Now the offseason can begin and we can all forget about soccer for awhile.

3. The Utes lose to BYU and throw a temper tantrum. I love seeing the Utes fall apart, but even I was shocked to see the behavior of Coach Whit and Athletic Director Harlan after the game. First off, with regards to the holding call that gave BYU life which led to the game winning field goal, it is part of the game. Sometimes you get the calls and sometimes you don't. But none of that matters, what matters is that the Utes scored zero points, 0 points, no points, in the entire second half. A football team should be ashamed of themselves for not scoring a single point in the entire second half. Not only that but they didn't score any points in the first quarter. All their points game in the second quarter only! C'mon Utes, you have to do some soul searching, admit you suck and move on. But now they are saying they got robbed, they are not proud to be in the Big 12, blah blah blah blah blah. 

Don't believe me?, check out the video, the press conference starts at 1:45 in the video. Oh, notice how Coach Whit knocks the chair over as he leaves the conference as if he were a jilted lover storming out of the coffee shop when he finds out she's leaving him for the new guy at work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WmJ1J38V1Y

At this point making fun of the Utes would be nothing but cruel

Look, I'm not going to poke fun at the Utes. 

I mean, there is still a big big game coming up in two weeks, BYU vs Utah at Rice Eccles. We need to take things seriously, BYU could choke. It happens, anything can happen.

But the Utes are looking rough, I mean rough. And BYU is a steamroller at this point. 

But let's just let things chill at the moment, with the election coming up and this game (I refuse to call it "the Holy War",) let's just get through the next couple of weeks and I think we will all be happier as we get into the middle of November. 

(the above video was posted just after the Utes lost to Arizona State and John Kurtz makes some good points)

Big 12 football standings.... delicious

 

First off, it has been a long time since I posted, I know.

But nothing has changed since July, I still have no idea what is going on in the soccer world and I don't care. MLS still sucks, that is a given.

Also, I still don't follow hardly any other sports. Why would I? It's all stupid.

But I had to smile this week with what is going on in Big 12 college football. The State of Utah has been turned on its head, and it has been fun to laugh at under my breath.

For some reason, even though I'm bored with most sports, I seem to listen to ESPN 700 radio a lot. At least "the Drive with Spence Checketts." Is it because he is Dave Checketts' son?, maybe. I don't know, but he does a very good job with his radio program.

Last year it was fun to listen to ESPN 700 during football season because I could feel the anguish of all Utes fans when the greatest college football quarterback of all time, or at least that is what they build him up to be, Cam Rising couldn't play due to injury but every week they held out hope that he would come back. "Cam this, Cam that, blah blah blah blah blah." They even had a segment on the radio called "Conversations with Cam" which was hilarious because the guy comes off as, shall we say....annoying? Well, he never did come back and the Utes sucked it.

Now, BYU didn't do any better so nobody could really smile or gloat.

But this year, lol.

One week in particular stands out, the week before the season began. With Cam coming back the guys on the radio could not blow anymore smoke up anyone's butt more than what they were doing. They were picking the Utes to win the Big 12, without a doubt. They were even interviewing one of the Utes players, I can't rememeber which one, but the words "national championship" came out of his mouth. 

Contrary to that they had one of the sports guys from KUTV on, I can't remember the guy's name but he has been a Utah sports reporter since forever, and he was asked if he thought BYU would go "bowling" this year, meaning they would win at least half their games in order to qualify for a bowl game. 

The guy said, "No, they won't. They are going to struggle this year, I don't see them winning 6 games this year." Even Spence Checketts was taken back a little bit by that statement.

Well, well, what a difference a few weeks makes. 

After Cam got injured by some paper cups of Gatorade, the Utes are struggling. And BYU, at least at the moment, can do no wrong. 

BYU is ranked number one in the Big 12, where the Utes are, well, so far down you have to scroll once or twice to get to 'em. 

It has been delicious to watch. I even scared myself a little last Sunday as I giggled with delight at the hightlights of Arizona stomping on the Utes in Rice Eccles, the place where my flags once flew. My laugh was uncontrolable, almost sinister. It reminded me of the Joker's laugh from this deleted scene from"The Batman." 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZNWLGL_CxI

"You think they deserved it, you think they deserved it!"

So, I know there are still many games to be played, but at least for now, let's all raise our paper cups of Gatorade and give thanks.

Palio of Siena August 16th, 2023

I remember watching this as a kid on ABC's Wide World of Sports.

It's pretty interesting when you read up on the history of the race and how it involves the different neighborhoods of Siena.

FYI, riderless horses can still win the race.

NBA's top 3 all-time leading scorers together

 

Damian Lillard wearing the Weber State jersey for his 3 point contest

Damian Lillard bests Pacers duo to win 2023 Starry 3-Point Contest

(from nba.com)

Finally, the clock hit Dame Time for Damian Lillard on Saturday in the Starry 3-Point Contest.

In his third career appearance in the event, Lillard bested 2020 3-point Contest winner Buddy Hield and third-year guard Tyrese Haliburton in the final round of the competition, and it was his accuracy on the “Starry” shots in the end that made all the difference.

Lillard knocked down two shots from “Starry” range, and those buckets counted for three points apiece in the final round as he edged out Hield 26-25. Lillard’s last attempt from the corner with a two-point money ball gave him the victory.

Haliburton looked like the early favorite, though.

Haliburton blew out the field initially, tying a 3-point contest record in the first round with 31 points, as he hit four of five shots in an all-money-ball final rack to close out the round. Wearing his college jersey from nearby Weber State, Lillard finished the first round in second place with 26 points followed by Hield, who scored 23 points to start the competition.

We all understand the traditional 3-point contest, which consists of five racks containing five balls apiece spaced around the 3-point line. The usual rack contains four regular orange balls worth one point apiece, and one multi-colored money ball, which is worth two points.

The all-money-ball rack conjured another level intrigue in 2018, when it was first introduced. That rack could be placed anywhere, and consists of five money balls, each good for two points.

The league ratcheted up the 2023 competition even more for the long-range specialists with the addition of the two “Starry” balls, which are placed deep behind the 3-point line on each side of the middle rack past the top of the key.

Those balls are placed roughly 30 feet away from the basket and worth three points apiece.

Lillard used them to his advantage in walking away with his first championship in the Starry 3-Point Contest.

Lillard is currently 27-for-87 this season (31%) on shots between 30-34 feet.

Stockton to Malone !

Back in the building once again 30 years after sharing the MVP trophy in 1993.

John Stockton and Karl Malone!

Jason Williams' Most Amazing Passes | NBA Career Highlights

Back when I was a soccer fan, and I think most soccer fans would agree, that seeing a good pass is even better than seeing a good goal. 

Sometimes goals go in from a deflection, a keeper's mistake, etc.

But a good pass is just pure skill.

I've never been too much of a basketball fan but if I were to see more of this kind of passing in the NBA I'd probably watch more of their games.

AU Band Reacts to 2013 Iron Bowl Win

One of the main reasons I am no longer a soccer fan