Speaking of Weird Standards . . .

In my last post, I spoke about the weird definition of what can constitute success for smaller market soccer teams abroad. We go from there to the San Jose Earthquakes-LA Galaxy game. The Earthquakes' announcer opens the game by describing Galaxy keeper Donovan Ricketts as one of the best in the league.

Five minutes in, a long cross from the left wing bounces between Ricketts and one of his defenders, loops lazily over them, and falls for Chris Wondolowski to bury it from a tight angle. Sure, there are occasional flukes, but that timing was not very good for Ricketts.

Major League Soccer is getting better, but maybe we need to set higher standards. Too often with MLS, I see defensive lapses that are avoidable, just a bit of sloppiness, a bit more frequently than in the Premiership. For instance, Arturo Alvarez, a talented player for San Jose, got the ball in the penalty area, and took one touch too many, let it get away from him, and a defender cleared it before he got a good shot.

There is an interesting article in the current issue of World Soccer, in which Paul Gardner discusses the relatively low-key arrival of Thierry Henry to New York, and he speculates this is a sign of hope for MLS, that this time it might succeed to a greater extent than David Beckham's Galaxy career has done so far.

I want to see a faster pace, players sharper in possession and in the passing, better camera work from the broadcasters. But it is getting more entertaining every season, so that's good to see.

A Dream Too High

This morning, I'm watching Arsenal versus Blackpool. Blackpool is just up to the Premier League for the first time, not having played in the top flight for many years, and most predict them to descend right back down to the limbo of the lower leagues. Arsenal, of course, is Arsenal.

Then again, Blackpool crushed Wigan last week 4-0 in their debut.

There was a bemusing discussion before the game in which the studio analyst was speculating on Blackpool's future. They will get an infusion of money through the season, for being in the Premiership, and if, as anticipated, they are relegated again, they will get a 'parachute' of extra money, presumably to help stabilize the club through the pains of going to a lower league with less revenue and the implications that has for the wages they can pay to players. Would or should Blackpool spend that money on one or two big name players to try to come right back up, or should they just seek to improve the club overall and settle back into the second division.

It's one of those odd aspects of the relegation/promotion structure, the question of simply consolidating one's position. It seems bizarre to the mind of the American sports fan who is raised to expect his team to go for glory at every opportunity. At first glance, the discussion seemed a little condescending, a little patronizing, as if Blackpool is a child allowed to eat an appetizer at the adults' table before going back to the younger set.

The question seems a little more academic now that Arsenal has scored twice and Blackpool is down to ten men. Blackpool has made a couple chances for themselves, but Arsenal's pace and passing has unlocked Blackpool frequently, and were it not for a couple missed chances, it could be four or five goals at this point. (The highlight is Andrei Arshavin getting an assist and scoring on a penalty kick for my fantasy team.)

Taking the money and settling for second division status: is that an example of sports as a business, or of setting realistic expectations, or a little of both? If you can't compete at the highest level, is this an example of patience, of trying to rebuild from a lower level to improve, or is it cashing in on a windfall from a chance to play with the likes of Arsenal for a year?

3-0 now, and Walcott scores his second. Blackpool's dream start last week is quickly being deflated, and reality has set in for them on their visit to London. Blackpool are no match for Arsenal, who are now able to pass and run through them on the flanks and right down the middle and it's not even halftime yet.

Is it possible there is more value for fans to see their team playing consistently and competitively in a lower league than to see them routinely outclassed at the highest level? There would be a certain exotic thrill at first to see the most famous teams and players, but if you get drubbed by multiple goals every week, you might get a bit tired of that. And with the extra money you get, you can do better in the lower league next season. For instance, Newcastle United went down two seasons ago, which left me feeling forlorn. Then last season, they cruised to the title of the League Championship, which was fun, even if it felt like winning a free pizza, but with sauerkraut instead of mushrooms and olives.

I don't even want to think about what this discussion implies for the broader world. Besides, as Marina and I discussed this morning, sometimes people get jaded of serious talks about life: they need their bread and circuses, which is why, perhaps, or at least in part why, I get more of a response to my food and sports blogs than I do when I write about religion and politics.

It has to be said there is a certain pleasure to see a team as skilled as Arsenal play with crystal-smooth precision to burst through Blackpool again for a 4-0 lead. At this rate, I would say Blackpool needs more than one or two big names to reach the upper echelons of the Premier League, so maybe that will dictate their future path. I guess Blackpool's position--or the position of any smaller team that does not have a realistic chance of winning the championship in a given year--is a balance of business needs and competitive needs, and, with rare exceptions--such as the Chicago Cubs--if a team does not give the fans what they want in terms of sporting experience, the fans will let them know, and that could have an impact on the business aspect of the club.

Arsenal now leads 5-0, and there is nothing more to say.

United We . . . Rise?

49 seconds in to the recorded match, Newcastle United versus Manchester United, and I'm worried I've blundered. I'm drinking Anchor Steam instead of Newcastle Brown Ale. Has my thoughtless choice of beer condemned the Toon already????

If so, I should be ashamed.

Andy Carroll for Newcastle has really long hair. He must get follicular advice from Jonas Gutierrez. I didn't picture Andy Carroll with long hair.

There is something about the pristine nature of a soccer pitch that is soothing, the striped pattern of how the grass is cut, thick, alternating bands of light and dark, the white chalk or paint of the lines sharp against the green.

Newcastle is playing Manchester away at Old Trafford, so this is a big match, but it won't be considered a disaster to lose. A loss would be expected, if not the ideal start to the campaign.

I love watching the back and forth flow of soccer, the ball being knocked around, triangle passes leading to the long raking balls down the wings. Manchester look dangerous and nearly break down Newcastle's defense a couple of times here in the first ten minutes.

Andy Carroll so nearly heads it in to the net from a corner, but puts it wide! So close!

Paul Scholes draws a foul from Alan Smith in a dangerous spot by accelerating like the Scholes of old, not the old Scholes of recent vintage. Maybe Smith wasn't expecting that pace. I would be enjoying the skills of United more if it weren't against Newcastle, which is the downside of having a favorite team playing in the game.

I just hope Newcastle doesn't stay bunkered back all game, though that seems a likely strategy in the circumstances.

But there is some nice passing, and Andy Carroll fires in a good solid shot from 25 yards out, forcing a good save from Van Der Sar. I like it. I would have liked it more if it had gone in, of course.

Wayne Rooney's first shot, with a little bit of space, is jerked tamely wide. A bit of an anti-climax, much like his World Cup.

A deserved free kick in the 23rd minute for United, as James Perch picks up Newcastle's second card, but the free kick smacks harmlessly into the wall. There have been a few signs of nerves at the back for Newcastle, as sometimes they have made some mistakes in their own third of the field.

Too many giveaways, and Manchester gets the first goal in the 34th minute from Dimitar Berbatov. Always on the cards. Newcastle has allowed them too much space and too much possession, and made too many mistakes on defense.

Now the game will have to open up, which should be entertaining.

Andy Carroll is tall, but he doesn't seem all that fast, so a counter-attack may not be Newcastle's best weapon.

Gutierrez has shown some speed down the flanks. Newcastle has had a couple chances, but often a careless touch or stumble has let them down. Maybe some nerves is undermining their poise here at Old Trafford in front of goal.

2-0 Manchester United. Sigh. An easy goal to Darren Fletcher.

This could get ugly.

Newcastle lacks the quality of Manchester United. It hurts to admit it, much like it hurts to admit that San Francisco Giants are not as good a team as San Diego this year.

It's very odd, the question of rooting for Newcastle United. I have no connection to the city. The closest I've been was traveling past Newcastle on a train from London en route to Edinburgh. The only reason to cheer for them is because when I first started watching the occasional Premier League match, I idolized Alan Shearer, then playing for Blackburn, and so I affixed my allegiance to Newcastle when Shearer signed for his hometown team.

So there is no rational reason for me to be depressed by their performance against Manchester United in the first half. Not only do sports teams in general have no objective reflection on my worth as a human being--not even the Giants--but Newcastle has no direct connection to me, so they can't be said to represent me.

But when have sports ever been about rationality?

One thought is that I've always wanted to feel like I'm different. Playing and following soccer, instead of American football, that was a way to feel special when I was young. It certainly gave me a little bit of identity, a hint of Anglophilia. It made me think I could impress people in Wales by being an American conversant in football.

Combining that with a genuine fascination with the play of Alan Shearer, and I guess it was inevitable that I would end up like this.

Therefore, I will watch to the end, bitter as it might be, some adherence to an intangible claim of loyalty to a team and a city playing a game that happened nine hours ago, noon Pacific time. It's the sort of melancholy joy one finds in sports, a safe sense of martyrdom, perhaps, balanced on the scales with hope for something amazing.

Of course, for me, I couldn't resist checking the result at halftime, so alas, I know there will be no spark of happiness from this game. It ended 3-0 to Manchester.

It serves me right for buying Anchor Steam instead of Newcastle Brown Ale.

It Begins Again . . .

Today is a beautiful day. The Giants win on a walk-off single by Juan Uribe to beat the Padres and pull within 2 1/2 games in the division--baseball is a game of inches, every day marking an adjustment in the scheme of things. Little things make such a difference, like Buster Posey's hustle turning a ball trickling slowly into left-center field into a double, and from which Posey came home to score on Uribe's soft single looped into right field.

And also, today is the first day of the Premier League in England. Football's back, and not the soap opera world of American football, where two San Francisco 49ers have basically walked away from football this week.

Twenty minutes in to Tottenham versus Manchester City, and Man City's Joe Hart has already pulled off three of the type of spectacular saves that allow low-scoring games to be much more exciting than the scoreline leads Americans to believe.

And he just pulled off another one. Love this game!

This is an intriguing match to start the season, and you know it was planned this way. These two teams, who for seasons have been just outside of the Big Four--Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool--battled down to the wire last season for the fourth and final European Champions League spot for this season, supplanting Liverpool, who slid into the less-prestigious Europa League. Tottenham just nipped City to the post--to mix a horse-racing metaphor into things--despite Manchester City spending big money on big names, a policy they continued this off-season, which means that these two teams could be shaping up for a rivalry somewhat akin to Barcelona-Real Madrid last year, where Real Madrid spent millions upon millions but could not catch Barcelona. The difference being that these two teams might be rivals for a Champions League spot only, not the championship of the Premier League. I'll be interested to see how that develops.

Here are the other topics I'll be thinking about this year:

Will Newcastle struggle to stay up?

Newcastle has not spent huge sums reinforcing their squad now that they are back in the top flight. Two young talents in James Perch and Dan Gosling, and an old famous name in Sol Campbell. I once had Newcastle sign Sol Campbell, but that was only on FIFA '99 for the computer. We'll see how it works out. I would love to see the Toon challenge for a Champions League spot, of course, but should I be satisfied to see them consolidate their position as a Premiership team? The result will tell a lot as to whether their relegation two years ago was a fluke, or whether they are a club in need of rebuilding. I'll be able to tell right away, as they play on ESPN2 on Monday against Manchester United, which will be a severe test to start the season.

What's up with Liverpool?

It looks like Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres are not leaving, which is good, because that was a possibility with the absence of Champions League football. Their talents will be needed for Liverpool to reassert themselves with a new manager.

How will Javier Hernandez do?

I picked Javier Hernandez for my World Cup fantasy team, a selection that left me feeling quite smug, as he had an excellent tournament. He has already scored for Manchester United, in the FA Community Shield match against Chelsea, so he could be poised to have a dazzling debut season, and he could be a spark to drive United back past Chelsea for the first time in three seasons.

Halftime in the Tottenham-Manchester City game, and the score is level at 0-0, but Tottenham has been by far the dominant team on their home pitch. But the thing is, if they don't get a goal, their dominance is for nothing. Time to fast-forward to the second half, and to continue to enjoy the new season.

Turning Of The Seasons

So, yes, I stopped writing part way through the World Cup. It was too distracting, but I enjoyed the tournament, though I wish the US had mustered more resistance against Ghana, and that Holland had not played such an ugly game in the final against Spain. The kick to the chest that Nigel De Jong administered to a Spanish player lost the Dutch any sympathy I had for them, and they were deserving losers of the final.

I watched the final in the Civic Center Plaza with 15,000 other soccer fans, and the atmosphere was wonderful. Everyone was in good spirits, but they were there to watch soccer, so the crowd was paying close attention to the large screens, so there were no distracting elements.

The Spanish team was Barcelona at its' heart, in style of play and in the roster, as a majority of the starters were from the team from Catalonia. But word has it--from Marina's cousin who lives in Spain--that Catalans were rooting for the Dutch, presumably for the same anti-Spain reasons that caused the region to recently outlaw bullfighting. Fascinating how sports and politics interweave like that.

The Giants are surging into August, in the playoff hunt, ahead of the Dodgers, behind the Padres, fighting off the Reds and Phillies for the wild card spot. But I'm not going to write about that. I'm going to write about the business of basketball.

So, LeBron James and the move to Miami from his hometown of Cleveland. There was a lot of heavy rhetoric about his signing with the Heat. Cleveland has been portrayed as completely angry and betrayed; the owner was fined for calling LeBron a coward; another story of a homegrown superstar comes to a close with a whimper.

That's not what I have a problem with, LeBron leaving. The truth is that he is a basketball player who wanted to play in Miami; a free agent. He had completed a contract with Cleveland and was free to play anywhere he wanted, just like any worker in our society. Even though the decision by LeBron and ESPN to stage the announcement in a one-hour prime time special called "The Decision" was tacky, silly, cheesy, insensitive to the Cleveland fans, and just plain vain, that's not enough to work up a good hatred for LeBron and Miami.

What is enough to work up hatred for Miami is the fact that they fired 30 people from their ticket sales staff yesterday, after they sold out all the season tickets for the upcoming year. After spending millions upon millions of dollars to assemble a triumvirate of James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, and after selling out the season already, ensuring a huge revenue stream in a tough economy, they cut loose 30 people who helped get them that sellout.

Granted, if you look at it objectively, if there are no more tickets to be sold, then what would these 30 people do all year? And also granted, the Heat say they have hired a placement service to find jobs for the fired workers. This is the business side of sports. But here's the thing: if each of those 30 people were kept on and paid a $50000 salary, that would come to $1.5 million. That doesn't look like much when you look at what a single player earns in a year.

It just looks callous and New York Yankee-like. And that's why I can now hate the Heat, even though I don't really care about the NBA that much in general.

Now it is time to forget about the NBA and the false drama stirred up by pretending like LeBron James means something in the larger world--outside of Cleveland, a troubled economy where having a homegrown icon was of real value. It's time to get ready for the new English Premier League season, with Newcastle United coming back up, looking to consolidate its position and avoid being relegated again.