Weekend bullet points

In a packed weekend for me, a few observations and news items:

• St. Kilda and Collingwood continued a recent run of dramatic, tense Grand Finals (2005, 2006, 2009) by turning in a thrilling draw. Back next week for more...
  
• Gotham Girls Roller Derby regained the Eastern Region Championship, taking out the Derby in the Burbs tournament with a 30 point win over a fast finishing Philly team.
  
• My vote for best bout of the weekend, though, goes to Steel City's huge comeback win over Carolina to take 5th place. From 43 points down at half time, the ladies of Pittsburgh came out like a whole new team - super organized and disciplined - and won by 36. Amazing stuff.
  
• If you umpire a mostly social sport purely for the fun of it, you'll soon stop when the fun goes away. And believe me, the fun goes away very fast when people start sniping from the bench, openly questioning good decisions, and screaming in your face.
  
• Alabama retained the Silver Ball once more, although the underdog Razorbacks of Arkansas gave everything in their pursuit of the mythical trophy, barely falling short in a 24 to 20 game. Next week, previous holder Florida visits the Tide.
  
• Columbia ran away from visiting Towson, 24 to 10. Go Lions!
  
• Carmelo Anthony could be a Brooklyn Net soon. Stay tuned.

Sports roundup

Carlton's AFL season ended in heartbreak in the first week of the finals, for the second year in a row, with a 5 point loss in Sydney. Brave, gutsy, and not quite good enough. Keep at it, Blues. Looking forward to next year. Chris Judd will be another half step slower, but the likes of Garlett, Yarran, and Armfield will be a year wiser. Could be a fun season. But please, can we draft some key defenders?

The Brooklyn Cyclones ended their dominant regular season with a 6-5 win over Tri-City, sending out a series of lesser relief pitchers and somehow surviving the experience. Cory Vaughn's 14th home run set a new team record, and his 56 runs batted in shattered the old mark of 46. Darrell Ceciliani's 2 for 3 effort was good enough to take the league batting title with a team record .351 average. He also set records with his 95 hits and 12 triples. On a personal note, I caught a foul ball and walked on the field for the first time after the game. That was a magical evening.

At the other end of his baseball career, 63 year old Bill "Spaceman" Lee went 5 1/3 innings, giving up two runs, to pick up the win for Brockton over Worcester in the Can-Am league. That's a serious pro league. Impressive. Very, very impressive.

Darrelle Revis has finally signed a new contract with the Jets. This is fantastic news for me, because I can drag out my favorite line again: Welcome to Revis Island. Don't bother bringing a radio, cos there will be NO RECEPTION.

Congrats to Samantha Stosur on her epic three set win over Elena Dementieva. Not only was this the latest women's match in US Open history, finishing at 1:35AM, but our Sam saved four match points to stave off elimination. We're starting to expect great things at this point, which is always dangerous for Aussie tennis players. Fingers crossed for three more wins?

And then there's Jason Day, following up his excellent performance at the Barclays with a third round lead at the Deutsche Bank Championship. Go Jason! Golf is another one of those sports, like tennis and swimming, that Australia likes to think it can own. We have a bunch of good young players now, so maybe more majors are on the way soon. Who knows?

The down side

When you follow as many sports teams as I do, once every few years comes a week where everything goes wrong. Your football team loses two games it should win, with a young star wrecking his knee. Your national soccer team is humiliated on the biggest stage, and the other team you adore is victimized by one of the worst refereeing displays in living memory. Your basketball team loses a heartbreaking game 7 in the NBA finals. Your baseball team goes into its annual, deep, interleague death spiral.

Tonight, the Brooklyn Cyclones hold their home opener, against the Staten Island Yankees. They could make up for everything, in one go. Or it could get that much worse...

Guess where my money is.

Gators roll

On a day of college football I largely missed, I have at least noticed that Florida leads Charleston Southern 62 to 3, late in the game. The Silver Ball may be considered safe. Now the question is, will they beat the 63 point spread?

In other news, go William and Mary!

In other other news, I am not talking about Australian football for another week. Consider me crushed.

Living in the past

Notre Dame vs Army at Yankee Stadium, first time since 1946.

Tom Watson could win the Open, first time since 1983.

Carlton beat Sydney, first time since 2001.

What year is it, anyway?

Scattered updates

Spent a little time in the freezing cold of Bay Ridge today, photographing one of those bizarrely snug ballfields which are such a feature of Brooklyn. This one, the home of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Baseball and Soccer League, was created out of nothing by Al Christman a couple of decades ago. It sits where two freeways and busy Third Avenue all collide.

In other news:

#4 Duke 73, Michigan 81. That's Michigan's second win over a #4 team this season. Are they a real team at last? It's been a long wait through various transgressions, penalties, and disastrous seasons mixed in with the occasional NIT run.

The Age has run yet another puff piece about the bright prospects at Carlton. I'd prefer fewer puff pieces and more wins, to be honest. Especially after the 2005 and 2007 versions of same.

I have spent altogether too much time in the last few days looking at Russian hockey jerseys. My, but there are some beautiful designs around. Having ordered a 1972 USSR jersey - that was a great team indeed - I am now torn between a modern day Russia one, or maybe a Red Army one, or perhaps moving west for a Czech jersey with Dominik Hasek's name and number on. This is far too difficult.

The CBS coverage of the SEC Championship Game is so far over the top, I am tempted to stop watching. Ugh. I hope the Big 12 version (and, incidentally, the Silver Ball game) has more dignity to it a couple of hours from now.

Alas

The anticipated trip to New Haven to see the Lions take on the Bulldogs did not happen, so I am stuck here in Brooklyn with my mind wandering all over the sporting sphere. And today it's wandered into that corner (if a sphere has corners) where people with wonderfully appropriate sporting names are gathered. So here they are, my very favorite names in the sports world:

Chuck Long - star quarterback for Iowa, 1981-1985

Steve and Nick Swisher - father and son major league ballplayers

John Torp* - punter for Colorado, 2002-2005

Angie Green - professional golfer

Cecil and Prince Fielder - ok, Hitter would be a better surname here

Anna Smashnova - tennis player

And I have to ask: why is Mardy Fish in tennis and not swimming?


* In case you don't get it, this is why Torp is a great name for a punter.

Bits and pieces

I've added a few new photos to the other parks page of the Brooklyn Ballparks site, including the one shown here. It was a lovely day at Red Hook last weekend, with all of the Central American food vendors out in force and serving the best baseball food you will find anywhere.

The Silver Ball page has also been updated, reflecting Texas' new status as champion. With 17 wins in Silver Ball matches, Texas is now tied with Nebraska and St. Mary's (CA). Next weekend they face a difficult road trip to Lubbock to meet undefeated Texas Tech.

Grant Hackett has retired with two Olympic gold medals for 1500m freestyle and some brave silver medal finishes at 1500m and 400m, too. At last it seems Australia's run of greatness in men's distance swimming might be at an end. It took a long time for Glen Houseman to appear and fill the shoes of Steve Holland. I hope this gap isn't so long.

I was going to post a long piece about Isiah Thomas, but I haven't the heart. Although he's been mocked a great deal in this blog, we wish him well and hope for the best. It's apparent to us that he needs some help right now.

Finally, a word about corporate naming rights. Could we have some kind of international treaty to prevent a change of name? I believe that once a stadium is named, that's it. Even if the company collapses in disgrace. Once Enron Field, always Enron Field. The latest example to catch the eye is back in my home state of Victoria, Australia. When under construction in 1998, the Docklands Stadium was generally known by that name or Victoria Stadium. However, a short term naming rights deal saw it open in 2000 as Colonial Stadium. In 2002 it became the Telstra Dome, and after a record 6 1/2 years it will become Etihad Stadium in March 2009. Five names in a decade. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Superheroes

Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Seemingly invulnerable.

Joba Chaimberlain, arrested last night driving drunk, is just the latest footnote example in a long line of sports stars who seem to think that nothing can possibly happen to them. Australians will remember Darren Millane as Cardinals fans remember Josh Hancock - players who died with an incredible level of intoxication and thankfully took no one else with them.

Then there's people on a whole range of other levels: Wayne Carey, Ray Lewis, Jayson Williams. The rules just don't seem to apply to them, at least in their own minds. And sometimes in ours, too. Has a hero of your favorite team ever had legal charges dismissed, even if everyone thinks they probably did it anyway? Did you feel just a little relieved?

It's that time of year again

This Saturday, Geelong and Hawthorn will play for the premiership of Australian Rules Football. For most of the season, this is the match-up the pundits have wanted. Hawthorn plays a fearless, entertaining game, while Geelong is the sort of well oiled football machine (23-1 so far for the year) that Hawthorn was 20 years ago.

Last year, Geelong came into the Grand Final facing the weight of history: no premierships since 1963 and five runner-up finishes since. This team shrugged all that off and pummeled Port Adelaide by 119 points.

This year, they have looked even better... but it is a huge mistake to predict the result of a Grand Final with any pretense of certainty.

Reports of Victoria's demise...

...were greatly exaggerated. When six premierships in a row were won by teams from outside Victoria (and four of those going to states where Australian football isn't even the main sport), the inevitable cry for folding or merging teams in the birthplace of the game was louder than ever.

But here we are, two years on, and Geelong has won one flag in overwhelming fashion and looks set for another. And who opposes them? Hawthorn, Footscray, and St. Kilda - true blue Victorian teams, every one.

The best part of this is, of couse, that Collingwood is no longer in the running. Maybe we might even see my beloved Carlton back in contention next year or the year after, too...

Remember, the Grand Final is in two weeks. Find a satellite TV near you and watch it! I reckon Hawthorn will get there, and Geelong will finally get revenge for 1989. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, hit a torrent site and search for the 1989 Grand Final. You won't be sorry!

Can we change the motto?

What's Latin for "throw matches for higher draft picks"? Seriously. If you have an answer, I need to know.

At least this isn't as bad as throwing the 1910 Grand Final.

While I am on double standards

The separate rules for on and off field football people are not confined to the NFL.

In Australia, Richard Pratt, president of my beloved Carlton Football Club and chairman of Visy Industries, a massive supplier of cardboard to business around the country, has been found guilty of gross long term collusion to fix prices, and fined $A36 million. Visy is now the subject of several major lawsuits to recover hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. Pratt remains president of Carlton, as did fellow white collar criminal John Elliott a decade earlier.

Meanwhile, West Coast star Ben Cousins has dropped in and out of rehabilitation as he fights addictions to cocaine and methamphetamine. He has also kept some pretty shady company, lost his place at the club, and generally been hounded and pilloried by commentators*, politicians, and the press. The AFL is now looking at further punishing Cousins for bringing the game into disrepute, just in case any other team is willing to take a flyer on his future prospects.

Massive fraud and theft by a non-player. Drug use by a player. Sure, these are different things. But just like the NFL, the only thing the AFL sees is the difference between a suit and a football uniform.

* Not all commentators. Tim Lane, also a Carlton supporter, takes a strong stand in today's Age on this very subject.

Cats update

My, my. 119 points - the greatest winning margin in Grand Final history. Some very contented Cats thank you for your support.

Cat lovers unite

Late tonight, Brooklyn time, the AFL (Australian Football League) Grand Final will take place. It's a matchup of the season's giants- it's no major upset to see top placed Geelong take on second placed Port Adelaide. The last few years, with my beloved Carlton far from the running, I've taken a purely neutral interest. But this one is different. Geelong, the mighty Cats, are my mum's team. And family is family.

When Geelong last took the flag in 1963, Mum was 19 and, like many young fans, pretty sure more good times lay ahead. And while the Cats never went really bad in the meantime, they never achieved greatness either. In that time, they finished as runners up in 1967, 1989, 1992, 1994, and 1995. The '89 Grand Final in particular, won in an epic finish by Hawthorn, is remembered as one of the greatest games ever played. But 6 points behind might as well be 60 when the final siren sounds.

So this one's for you, Mum. It's time for all Cat lovers to pray, wish, hope, use the force, whatever they can do to help Geelong win that elusive flag. Port tasted success just three years ago- let them wait a little longer.

Go Cats!