Sunday, August 31, 2008

Oregon 44 Washington 10

Always interesting to have a conference game open the season schedule, and the fact that the opponent was border rival Washington made for an added level of excitement in Eugene on Saturday night.


The Ducks took an early 14-0 lead on two quick scores in the first quarter, but the Huskies eventually responded with a couple of second quarter drives to net 10 points, enough to give the home fans enough pause to wonder if they could manage to find a way to combat the talents of Husky quarterback Jake Locker. The score at the end of the first half wound up being 14-10.

The Ducks defense responded to the challenges of defending a mobile quarterback by sending more men to rush and harass him, leaving the Duck secondary to defend the inexperienced Husky receiving corp in single coverage for the most part( a note must be made here that Washington moved the ball most effectively when Locker was able to complete his passes, I was a bit surprised when I found out that all but one of Washington's completed passes went to wide receivers; perhaps more quick screens to the running back (Chris Polk, in this case) might have alleviated some of the defensive pressure.


Speaking of Polk, and the Washington offense in general, I do believe that almost all of their possessions started with a run straight up the middle, and every possession wound up being a second and long situation, not an ideal place for an inexperienced team to find itself in for too long.


Field position played a big part in helping the Ducks establish defensive dominance in the second half, with a couple of kicks from the special teams resulting in starting Husky field postion starting from inside the 20 yard line. This helped the shuttle of Duck quarterbacks get some game experience (starter Justin Roper got a concussion at some point in the first half, and subs Jeremiah Masoli and Chris Harper did some nice things moving the ball in various capacities, the former with his quick release on a couple of ball, particularly the touchdown pass to Jaison Williams that solidified the Duck lead at 30-10 early in the fourth quarter, and the latter with his running ability, he showed some nice moves and smarts in moving the ball around the field and was rewarded with his first collegiate touchdown near the end of the game, though he did not throw a pass in the game.



Other things that struck me sitting in the stands: Duck defensive end Nick Reed seemed to be playing with a bee in his bonnet early on, yapping at Locker after the Husky quarterback misfired on his first attempt of the game, and for getting the first penalty of the game, by anticipating the snap on another play and knocking the Husky lineman on his butt, drawing the ire of the teammates of the visitors.


Jaison Williams did a very good catching the ball, the only one I recall him dropping was the one where he was cited for ineligible touching early on in the fourth quarter.........only after he had run across the field in the first place to help out a scrambling Masoli.


The hits from T.J. Ward in the second half were certainly noticed by a number of fans.


Their were no balls thrown toward tight end Ed Dickson, not sure if that had more to do with the change in quarterbacks or in the scheme of the offense.


Jeremiah Johnson had a terrific game running the ball, he looked as good as ever, and the way that JC transfer LeGarrette Blount moved the scrum forward to achieve yet another crucial first down helped to put the loss of Jonathan Stewart in the back of the minds of most fans.



The scrambling ability of Locker drew grudging admiration from some Duck fans, but it soon became apparent that without consistent help from both aspects of the offensive game, chances of a comeback were practically non-existant at best, though wide receiver D'Andre Goodwin and tight end Kavario Middleton proved to be a handful at the times when Washington closed in on the Ducks.


In the end, it was a good victory over a bitter rival on a surprisingly chilly August evening, and most Duck fans I encountered afterward were saying that it was just one step in the first of many. With a date in Eugene against Utah State next Saturday, it will certainly be the road game at Purdue on September 13th where the Ducks find out exactly where they stand.


BTW, the new video screen in the stadium; it's too bad that the audio system sounded like crap; I couldn't even hear a word of the J.Stew/Dennis Dixon alumni commercial.



R-G STORY



P-I STORY

Chelsea 1 Spurs 1: Up From The Bottom Of The Table

Certainly not a bad way to earn the first point of the year, a well-deserved draw from all accounts, aided by a bit of luck for the Spurs goal and some more luck (and good goal tending) to hold the Blues to one goal.


I will admit that I got into the house just a couple of hours before the match started here on Pacific time in the early morning and did not follow this one live at any time, so it was a thrill to see that Spurs had finally showed some spirit for an extended length of time. The highlights I did see showed that Juliano Belletti's goal in the 27th minute off of a corner kick was well-taken, but it was Darren Bent's sneaky move off of a misplace Frank Lampard kick that tied the match at 1 just before the end of the first half that began to justify the big price tag Spurs paid for him in the first place.



Still no concrete news on the imminent transfer of the Big Sulk (Dimitar Berbatov) to Manure, and Berbs once again did not travel with the team and suit up for the match, but the longer the SAF and the Red Twats wait for someone they think they can just buy to help them is very good news for the rest of the EPL (and football in general). FTR!




SPURS VIEW



SCOLARI VIEW OF MATCH



SOCCERNET MATCH REPORT

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Kevin Duckworth, R.I.P.


Sad news today with the REPORT of the passing of former Portland Trail Blazer center Kevin Duckworth at the Oregon coast Monday night.




Duckworth came to Portland from the San Antonio Spurs in December of 1986, in perhaps one of the greatest trades in Blazer history, a trade in which the Blazers sent the very disgruntled rookie Walter Berry in return. (The subject of Berry in Portland is worthy of a post in its own).


Local TV stations have been replaying one of Duck's greatest moments, returning to play with a broken hand in game seven of a 1990 playoff series with the Spurs ( it was sad to see Drazen Petrovic in those highlights as well), and the local radio shows have been filled with callers retelling stories of their encounters with the big man, the conclusion easily being drawn that we will all miss him not only for being a key cog in those great Blazer teams around the turn of the 90's but for his role in the community, qualities that were sorely lacking just a few short years later with the rise of the Jail Blazers.


Thanks for the great memories Kevin, you will certainly never be forgotten in these parts and, as I'm sure is being done all over the Northwest, one of your Dairy Queen glasses will be used to toast your memory.



KATU STORY



TRUE HOOP MEMORY

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Spurs 1 Sunderland 2: A Black Day With The Black Cats

Not a good day by any means today for Spurs fans. Straight off the top, we're greeted by the news that coach Juande Ramos had left the disgruntled striker Dimitar Berbatov off of the team roster today "BECAUSE HE WILL NOT BE GOOD FOR THE DRESSING ROOM".



Follow up that bit of distressing news (inevitable though it may be to some) with the performance today in the season opener at White Hart Lane. The first half wasn't actually too bad, but there was precious little in the way of organized offensive efforts, especially with the home side playing just one striker (Darren Bent) up front; Spurs may have had a number of corner kicks in the half, but there was never a feeling that any connection with a team member was going to happen, the ball was always either going to get knocked away harmlessly or sail over everybody's head.



Sunderland were a bit unlucky not to have taken a first half lead at about the 30 minute mark, when ex-Spur Steed Malbranque took a low-flying shot from about 25 yards; luckily for the slowly reacting Heurelho Gomes, the shot hit the goal post and Spurs were able to defend against any possible rebounds in the action afterward.



Spurs defender Gareth Bale nearly headed a corner in just after the start of the second half, but it was Sunderland's Kieran Richardson who got the first goal of the game in the 55th minute. The White Hart Lane crowd certainly became palpably nervous at that point, given the meager offensive spark shown by Spurs in the new regular season, and seeing that the goal they were credited with was actually an own goal from Boro, the sense that Spurs were ever going to mount a comeback was a very fleeting one at best.


Just after the goal, substitutes Tom Huddlestone and Giovanni Dos Santos did their best to liven up the Spurs attack once they were adjusted to the game, and the team work was rewarded with a Jermaine Jenas goal in the 73rd minute off of some nice footwork after a blocked shot. However, Djibril Cisse created some space in the Spurs back line to knock home the game winner late, creating more frustration for the home team and their fans, who took the chance at the final whistle to voice their displeasure very loudly.



Even a rare Fulham victory versus ARSENAL gave little consolation, and as if things couldn't get any worse, next up is a match at bitter rivals Chelsea next Saturday, to be compounded by the ongoing Berbatov drama. Oh joy......I can hardly wait......unless a lot of soul searching is done in the next week (combined with any form of sorcery you might wish to name).......my birthday next Saturday is bound to get off to a very lousy start.




SPURS REPORT

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Boro 2 Spurs 1: Choppy & Disjointed

(That's not just for the description of the feed I watched the match on either, but it certainly fits)


In an off-season that saw a lot of personnel changes for Spurs (almost half of the squad is new to the club, by my reckoning), and with the continuing "Berbatov to Man U" saga, Spurs fans world wide were wondering just what exactly we were going to be treated to today at the Riverside. The answer: the same thing as last year, for the most part in today's EPL season opener.


How in the hell Spurs have possession for 65% percent of the game yet get out-shot on goal by 17 to 8 just goes to show how relatively poor the backline of Spurs are in contrast to the rest of the team. Apparently both Ledley King and Christian Bale were both not starting for who knows what reason, but such crucial absences were compounded by things such as Micheal Dawson having perhaps his worst game ever and Alan Hutton still out with injury.



Boro certainly deserved the win to be sure, and David Wheater, who got the first official goal in the 71st minute, was unlucky not to have had one in the first half,
his goal was taken away for him having tugged on Dawson's jersey, though replays certainly looked like it was the other way round.


To add insult to injury, former Spurs player Hossam Mido finished off Boro's scoring with a goal in the 86th minute, taking advantage of a fortunate rebound to seal the victory.


Spurs got some scant consolation in injury time as Boro defender Robert Huth accidentally headed a clearance past Brad Jones, but that gift certainly flatters the true nature of the match.


A home match versus Sunderland next Saturday might just be the tonic coach Junade Ramos needs (after all, I do believe that Boro has throttled Chelsea the last two years up north), so there is still a lot of time for Spurs fans to feel good about the teams chances this year. A lot, however, still depends on the Berbatov case; if the Bulgarian goes, will a somewhat fairly replacement be drafter in shortly after? (I read some of the reports in the papers and message boards, but at this point, there've been too many "conclusive" statements made by various parties that make it difficult to know just exactly who is right these days.


As always, this type of aggravation is second nature to Spurs fans, we're used to it by know, so we'll just end this with the cry of In Juande We Trust and Come On You Spurs!








SPURS REPORT

Monday, August 11, 2008

Big Ten Network On Comcast This Fall

Just what the college football mad fans in this area (who don't or can't use either of the satellite services) have been needing: a chance to see a lot more quality games via the arrival of the Big Ten Network to the Comcast channel line-up on August 28th.



No official announcement on the Comcast website, just notice it over the weekend via the message function of the cable box, and the associate who answered my call this afternoon had no idea what tier the channel would be put on when it does arrive. Still, this pleased my buddy (a big Ohio State fan) no end when he heard the news; I'm sure a lot of other transplanted mid-westerners will be happy as well.



BIG TEN NETWORK SITE

Monday, August 04, 2008

Mark Stewart: Loner

So maybe the initial impressions I've seen of the new Mark Stewart album EDIT (as in the two Amazon takes referred to) aren't of the "immediate all-time classic" that might have been expected, given the very impressive body of Stewart's work. (This is also his first solo album since the brilliant Control Data was released in 1996.)





The song for the new video Loner doesn't immediately captivate me as many of his songs, such as Hypnotised, Learning To Cope With Cowardice, or The Half (also can't forget his classic deconstruction of Jerusalem, the fact remains that Stewart is the kind of artist that demands some work from the listener, so I've got to take some time to find out what has inspired his latest round of musical missives. The July issue of the UK music magazine Wire featured Mark on the cover, along with the full unedited transcript of the interview found HERE.









Sunday, August 03, 2008

Mets At Houston: A Lost Weekend & Kunz Makes His Debut

A totally lost weekend for the Mets in the Lone Star State, with the bullpen blowing leads both Friday and Saturday and the offense failing to show up today when it was needed the most, being shut out 4-0.


Aaron Heilman had the roughest weekend, being charged with the first two losses. On Friday, he gave up a one-out grand slam to Mark Loretta in the bottom of the eighth inning, and the losing runsin the tenth inning on Saturday after closer Billy Wagner blew another save opportunity with the Mets leading 4-2 heading toward the bottom of the ninth.


The Mets offense disappeared after the first three innings on Saturday, making it 16 straight scoreless innings against a Houston staff that has more questions than the Mets do. They did manage a fair number of hits, but typically for the road trip was the fact that they loaded the bases in consecutive innings but failed to capitalize on those chances.


There were some positive things to recall about the Houston series, with Johan Santana pitching very well on Saturday (but failing to get a win for his work yet again) and Pedro Martinez doing reasonably well on Friday in five innings before he got the hook. There were also a couple of major league debuts for the Mets, the first coming on Saturday with outfielder Daniel Murphy doing his best to save the Mets lead in the eighth with a tremendous leaping catch. Murphy caught a blast from Ty Wigginton in front of the left field fence by timing his catch just right, and then doubling off Hunter Pence at second, who was caught in no-man's land between bases trying to judge if Murphy was going to make the catch or not.


Kunz made his debut today in the seventh inning, taking over after a mediocre Oliver Perez performance, with the Mets trailing 4-0. After getting a called strike on his first pitch, Darin Erstad laid a perfect bunt down between the mound and first base, catching Kunz off guard after he'd made the pitch, and Erstad was safe at first. The next batter, Humberto Quintero, put another bunt down the first base line and Kunz, who fielded the ball, lofted the ball over the outstretched arms of first baseman Carlos Delgado. However, Erstad got greedy on the play and tried to make it to third base, where he was thrown out as the Mets quickly composed themselves after the error from the rookie. After falling behind 3-0 to Dave Newhan, Kunz then steadied himself by getting the ex-Met to ground into a double play and end his inning. Wish I had a picture of Kunz walking around earlier in the day with a bubblegum bubble atop his cap, walking around unaware of its presence. Nice little bit of rookie hazing I'd say.


With the news coming out today of injuries to both Wagner and John Maine, the "sooner" aspect of the prospective call up for Kunz was forced upon the team. No doubt the "off" aspect of the Mets erratic bullpen was another issue to consider as well. At any rate, here's to the ex-Oregon State star helping to patch things together in the Mets bullpen until the injuries are healed. In the parity-driven National League East, where all of the contending teams have picked up the habit of imploding at inopportune times, first place is still within reach.




SUNDAY RECAP






KUNZ CALL UP

Saturday, August 02, 2008

No Love Lost Between The Reds








Sign spotted today in the Liverpool section at Ibrox today, where the visitors thrashed the home side 0-4. The bad news, I suppose, is that Robbie Keane teamed up with Fernando Torres well.









REPORT FROM SCOTLAND