Barcelona's Collapse & Madrid v Bayern

In case you hadn't heard, FC Barcelona, the most dominant team in football for the past few years, collapsed in the two biggest competitions of the season. In just one week Barcelona lost to their rivals Real Madrid, extinguishing any chances the Catalan's had at winning a fourth consecutive La Liga title, and were eliminated from the Champions League in the second leg of semifinals by 10-man Chelsea team, a missed penalty by Messi, and a Fernando Torres goal. Yes, Fernando Torres scored.

LOL it must have worked. Guess we can't call him Fernandont Scorres any more.

Here are the highlights of todays Champions League semifinal between Barcelona and Chelsea.


Barca's dominant possession meant absolutely nothing as the blaugrana's could not capitalize on several of their goal scoring opportunities. Messi's miss from the penalty spot, among others, was a clear but wasted opportunity. Barcelona were also unable to take advantage of their numbers advantage, as Chelsea's John Terry was sent off in the 37th minute for kneeing Alexis Sanchez in the back. Fernando Torres entered the game in the 80th minute, in the midst of giggles and shrugs. With just a few moments left in added time, as Chelsea were trying to hold on for a little bit longer, Fernando Torres snuck behind the Barcelona defenders and found himself in front of the net with only Valdes defending the net. And then came the goal.

Barcelona: A Team on Decline?
Maybe, but after you win 13 out of 16 possible titles in just over three and a half years a decline is basically inevitable. (The 13 out of 16 statistic was before the two losses this week, so Pep Guardiola's trophy to competition average has now dropped to 13 out of 18.) I think its too early to call this a real decline.

*"Two" meaning El Clasico and todays match against Chelsea, though the loss in the first leg of semifinals against Chelsea was also a fuck up.

Moving forward, Chelsea face the difficult task of playing without four key players due to red and yellow cards. John Terry, Ramires, Meireles, and Vladislav Ivanovic will all miss the final of the Champions league due to sanctions and expulsions.

With that said, I think that whoever advances tomorrow between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid will go on to win the UEFA Champions League title. Agree? Disagree?

As for tomorrows match, the Barcelona fan in me wants Real to lose, of course. And I certainly think it's possible, maybe even probable considering that it happened last week. The two major factors in this game are momentum and home field advantage. Also, Bayern have some added incentive in that  they are dying to play a Champions League final on their home turf, which would be the case since Munich is hosting this years final.  Will Bayern's 2-1 advantage be slender in the midst of a buzzing Santiago Bernabeu, or will their momentum carry them to the Final? Who do you guys have winning tomorrows match?

El Clasico: April 21, 2012

'El Clasico' between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid never needs to by hyped up. There is always enough intrigue to keep even the most fair weather fans interested in these match ups. And fans of the beautiful game are no doubt in for a treat when the two Spanish titans face each other this Saturday.

Coming off of disappointing losses midweek in Champions League competition, Barça and Madrid are poised for a decisive, possibly title deciding, La Liga encounter.

Bayern Munich and Real Madrid faced off in the first leg of their semifinal at Allianz Arena on Tuesday. Los Blancos lost the match in the 89th minute when Bayern's Mario Gomez netted the game winning goal in dramatic fashion. Bayern was Real's fist truly top-class opponent thus far in the knock out stages of Champions League competition. Madrid defeated CSKA Moscow and cruised past APOEL in the round of 16 and quarter finals respectively. The loss against Bayern has got to be somewhat dispiriting and worrisome for Mourinho's side.
Bayern Munich v. Real Madrid Highlights:

Barcelona come into El Clasico after a tough loss to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Drogba's goal, unrelenting defending by Chelsea, and impeccable goal tending by Petr Cech were enough to give Chelsea the victory. Barça dominated possession, as they always do, and out shot Chelsea 24 to 6, holding Chelsea to no shots on goal in the second half entirely. A lack of ruthlessness in front of the net ultimately prevented Barça from taking full advantage of their several goal scoring opportunities.
Chelsea v. Barcelona Highlights:


Real Madrid find themselves atop the La Liga standings coming into El Clasico with only five more matches to go. If Real Madrid fail to get a result this Saturday at the Camp Nou, it would be safe to call the diminishing of their substantial La Liga point cushion a massive choke job. Just weeks ago, Madridista's were calling La Liga a wrap as Los Blancos held a 10 point lead over second place Barcelona. Fast forward to now, and Jose Mourinho's men have seen their advantage reduced to just four points.

I think this is a pivotal match for both teams in deciding the future La Liga champion, however, I feel that Barcelona need this win more desperately than do Los Blancos. If Madrid loses this weekend, they will still hold a 1 point advantage over Barcelona moving forward. But if Barcelona loses they will see Madrid increase their lead to 7 points, which would be devastating for the Catalan side. 

Predictions? Well, there's no point in hiding it, I AM THE BIGGEST BARCELONA FAN.

So, I've got Barça beating Real this Saturday. Even if Mourinho does implement his 11 defender style of play, I think Pep and his boys will succeed with their stingy possession game. If history is any indicator of what's to come in this weekends match up, Barcelona will come out victorious, considering how well the Catalan side has played under Pep Guardiola when facing Real Madrid the past few seasons. Barcelona are unbeaten in their last seven league matches against los Merengues, having won six and tied once.

What about you guys? Who ya got in this weekends El Clasico? Will Madrid be able to get it together after dropping so many points the past few weeks? Will Barcelona really be able to make up the 10 point deficit they faced just weeks ago?

Happy Jackie Robinson Day!

Baseball Holiday :)




Here's a brief biography of the life and accomplishments of Jackie Robinson, the man who changed the course of American baseball forever.



And a short video about what Jackie Robinson's #42 means to the game of baseball featuring Jimmy Rollins, Chris Young, Mariano Rivera and others:





My favorite Jackie Robinson quote:

"Life is not a spectator sport. If you're going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you're wasting your life."

So get out there and do what you love! Work hard for what you want! Accomplish your goals! So that one day, when you've grown old, you can look back on your life and say, "that was a life worth living."


I think it's great that MLB celebrates this day as they do. Baseball is much more than just a game. It's important for us to realize that sports, leagues, athletes, coaches, etc. have the power to influence society greatly. What do you guys like most about the league wide Jackie Robinson festivities?

The Idiocy of Ozzie Guillen and the Fidel Castro Comments

In an interview with Time Magazine, Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen was quoted as saying "I love Fidel Castro. I respect Fidel Castro, you know why? A lot of people have wanted to kill Fidel Castro for the last 60 years, but that motherfucker is still here."

The worst part about this whole mess is the circumstances.

For one, relations between Cuba and the United States have been troublesome, to say the least, for those 60 years. Shortly after Fidel Castro initiated his government, the United States began to place trade restrictions on Cuba. As state intervention and take-over of private businesses increased in Cuba, more trade restrictions were implemented. In 1960 things got really hot when a freighter exploded on the Havana harbor for which Castro blamed the U.S. This resulted in the prohibition of all exports to Cuba. Consequently, Cuba began trade relations with the Soviet Union, leading the U.S. to end all remaining diplomatic relations with Cuba.

And secondly, there are many Cuban and Cuban-American communities throughout the United States, but Miami is recognized as the most prominent. Miami has a Cuban American population of nearly 900,000 and thats probably due to its proximity to Cuba. Cuban Americans and Cubans living in the United States are overwhelmingly against Castro and his regime.


Guillen later expressed that he felt his words were misconstrued in the Spanish to English translation. "I don't want to make excuses, but I meant that I was surprised Fidel Castro stayed in power so long. Thats what was missing in the translation...I'm not saying the journalist was wrong. I was wrong. I was thinking in Spanish and I said it wrong in English."

But as my dad says, it’s too late to put the shit back into the horse.

The Cuban community in Miami was livid. Ozzie was hired to be a Latin voice and face for a team that would represent the city of Miami. For Cuban Americans, Castro is comparable to Hitler. Lets not get into a comparison of atrocities and injustices, but considering all of that, this is the worst possible thing that Ozzie Guillen could have said. If there's one thing I wish I could say to him it would be: "Come on man, know your audience!"

The Miami Marlins have decided to suspend Guillen for five games.


It's important to note that while many Cuban and Cuban Americans were deeply angered by Guillen's comments, Cuban-American Miami Marlins first basemen Gaby Sanchez called it "drama for nothing." So it seems like Sanchez really believes Ozzie's comments were not a big deal and stands behind his manager.


I don't think Ozzie was trying to hurt anyone. He did, after all, refer to Castro as a "motherfucker". Maybe he was to express his surprise and admiration at Castro's permanence despite threats and attempts against his life.

Many people interpreted Ozzie's comments as him being in support of Castro and his dictatorship. This idea can't be ruled out considering that in 2005, after he won the World Series as the manager of the Chicago White Sox, Guillen stood on the field holding a Venezuelan flag, and yelled: "Viva Venezuela! Viva Chavez!" Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is a close friend of Fidel Castro and is recognized by many as a dictator.


I was not particularly surprised by Ozzie's comments, because of his history making blunt and odiotic remarks. While I do think his comments were just plain stupid and acknowledge that they did upset and hurt many Cuban Americans, I don't think Ozzie should be fired, nor do I think he will be. But 5 games is nothing out of the 162 regular season games he would have otherwise managed.

Ozzie's apology press conference:


I think Ozzie's apology was sincere and heart-felt and I think he feels genuinely ashamed and sorry for what he said and having hurt so many people.

Do you guys think Ozzie should have been or will be fired? Was the five game suspension enough? Will Cuban and Cuban Americans, who were hurt by his comments, move on?


Sources: http://espn.go.com/espn/commentary/story/_/page/gutierrez-120409/offense-ozzie-guillen-comments-fidel-castro-go-cuban-americans

Blake Griffin: Fouled Too Hard or Acting Too Much?

DeMarcus Cousins had some choice words regarding Blake Griffin after the Kings’ loss to the Clippers last week.

Cousins was matched up with Griffin but only spent 18 minutes on the court because of foul trouble. Cousins was especially upset when he picked up his fifth foul, being down 84-83 with only 1:11 to play.  The play went something like this: Griffin had the ball, Cousins swiped at the ball and missed, Griffin grabbed his eye, and a foul was called. When describing the fifth foul Cousins told The Sacramento Bee, "I guess the wind from my hand hit him in the eye. I guess he got fouled by the wind."

Griffin played the non-confrontational card, expressing that he wasn't worried about having to face the Kings again only two days later. In response to this, Cousins said "Of course that's what Blake is going to say because he's in L.A., where actors belong. He's an actor"(Sports Illustrated). 

But thats not all, Cousins accused Blake Griffin of being "babied" by "the refs" and "the league" in general. Cousins went on to say, "He gets away with [everything]. He taunts players. Nothing is done. He's babied."

And for those of you who might say Cousins is irrelevant, here are some stats: leading up to his match up with Griffin, Cousins had averaged nearly 27 points in the previous nine games and scored a career high 41 points against Phoenix just two days earlier. He's been outstanding for the Kings this season.

So what do we make of all of this?

Is there some truth to what Cousins said? Is Blake Griffin treated differently because of his extraordinary dunks that humiliate and embarrass the victims?

Well, towards the beginning of the season we saw some pretty brutal fouls on Blake Griffin, including this one:

I am NOT taking away from any of Griffin's accomplishments. He is undeniably a beast, monster, and every other creature-like word I could use to describe him. He's a freakish athlete, a human highlight reel, and no doubt the king of dunks in the league right now. However, there have been plays where Griffin must have been hit by a phantom, because there's just no other explanation. For example:

And then there are plays where there might be some slight favoritism or special treatment by the officials, like:


I think this play could have gone both ways, but the fact that the dunk counted and an offensive foul was not called could indicate some favoritism, right?


So could it be that calls like the last two, in Griffin's favor, are being made to prevent plays like the first, where Griffin goes down hard?

What do you guys think?

MLB Opening Week 2012

After a 2011 season full of incredibly amazing play off runs, namely the World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals, and let downs, specifically the highly hyped Boston Red Sox, baseball is finally back! Now, its time to see what this season has in store for us. 

The Week 1 power rankings are unsurprisingly lopsided in terms of divisions. Of the 10 teams on espn.com's power rankings, 7 of them belong to the American League. 

The AL East looks as competitive as always with the Yankees, Rays, and Red Sox all having a shot at winning their division. The Yankee's are coming into the season as league favorites on many power rankings, including espn.com's, as they have arguably the most powerful offense in the league and a strong rotation. The Tampa Bay Ray's success will likely result from their strong pitching rotation as well as their usual offensive contributors Evan Longoria, Carlos Pena, Ben Zobrist, and BJ Upton when he comes off the DL. The Red Sox are hoping to bounce back from a season full of let downs. The red sox had a rough 2-10 start and a disappointing end to their season when their loss to the last place Baltimore Oriols in the final game of the season kept them from making the post-season. 

Manager Kirk Gibson and the Diamondback's did some amazing things last season with the help of some incredible starting pitching from Ian Kennedy and Daniel Hudson, as well as solid closing by J.J. Putz. Justin Upton 

The Phillies, though currently plagued with injuries, will likely take the NL East behind their league best starting rotation. 

Offseason acquisitions Albert Pujols and CJ Wilson will definitely make the Angels a legitimate threat in the AL. 

The Detroit Tigers, behind Justin Verlander, hope to prove that last season was not a fluke and that they are indeed a strong and capable post-season threat. 

And finally, my personal World Series favorites, the Texas Rangers. After having made it to the World Series two consecutive years the Rangers look to make it three, but this time hope to make it out with a trophy in hand. Behind starting pitcher Yu Darvish and the offensive powerhouse that is Josh Hamilton and company I see the Rangers as the favorites to win the World Series. 

Major League Baseball has decided to extend the playoffs, adding a wild card spot in both the AL and NL. The two wild card teams would then duke it out in a one-game-playoff for a shot at playing the division winners. This is essentially how I feel about their decision:

LOL

I actually kind of like the idea. I think it makes things a little more exciting. Some might argue that it is unfair to the first wild card team, but I dont think so. The one game playoff between the now TWO wild card teams gives the end of the regular season some added excitement and importance.



Sources: http://espn.go.com/mlb/powerrankings; https://www.facebook.com/mlbmemespage

Being that this is my inaugural post, I'm going to make a small introduction. My name is Claudia, I'm 18 years old. I go to school in Berkeley, California but I'm originally from Los Angeles. Im a huge fan of sports, and, of course, my favorite sports teams. (However, I'll try to keep all bias and favoritism to a minimum.) I LOVE: the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Cowboys, and FC Barcelona. I do support a few other teams, but those are my main squads right there.

Growing up in a predominately male household, I've always been a huge fan of sports. Ever since I was a little girl I loved to play and watch. For years I've enjoyed watching, analyzing, and arguing all things sports related for the excitement and pleasure it brought me. But I hadn't ever considered trying to make a career of it until recently. It occurred to me sick it would be to be able to do something i truly enjoyed with my life... and so i decided to start this blog!

I don't claim to be a certified expert on any sport nor do I claim my opinions or analyses to be the best, I do, however, believe my knowledge of sport to be generally legitimate and valid. The world of sports is a hectic and controversial one. So things are constantly being interpreted in various ways and there are always drastically different opinions.

Lastly, I just want to say thank you to everyone and anyone who is reading any of this stuff. You guys (and gals) are awesome! And if you are reading this, please please please share your thoughts, tell me if you agree or disagree with my interpretations/opinions/etc., or anything else!

Thanks again :)