It was really disappointing. Not just because Manny lost, but because it didn't even seem to be good boxing.
Watching it occur, I felt the weight of the Filipino nation urging Manny on. Watching him take the loss, I felt the disappointment as well. Are we not as good as them? He had heart. All Pinoys have heart. He showed the world. Yet, we still lost.
Ravens are playing in the 'Big Game' tomorrow. They're looking for their second championship. They can do it if they beat the 49ers of San Fran. Here's to hoping they can.
Went to get a t-shirt at the local sports store. Place was packed to the gills. Everyone and their uncle and his kids and neighbors was there trying to get some purple paraphernalia for the 'Big Game.' I grabbed a generic purple Ravens t-shirt and skee-daddled out there as quick as I could. Told the the doorman, "Go, Ravens!" as I walked out.
You would think that I would already have some kind of Ravens paraphernalia, but I don't. Not since a co-worker kept complaining about baseball/Orioles turned me off of truly rooting for the team. The Bucs still hold a place in my heart. They're still my team, but you have to root for the home team. I sure will. Go team, go! Win the 'Big Game!'
In the last week, the Orioles have shown that they are not gonna roll over. Their season may be over, but they've played the Yankees strong, halted the Rays' momentum, and have put some hurt into the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim's playoff chances. They've got some good pitching and have knocked the hell out of the ball.
I'm really hoping that they turn it on against the hated Red Sox. I dream that they're the ones responsible for the Sox getting bounced out of the playoffs.
Had a blast at the inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix. Although, we were there on the Saturday and just watched the American Le Mans, it was still fun. If you go next year, get the 2 day pass so that you can wander around on the Saturday and watch the grand prix on the Sunday. There's just too much to do for one day. If you do something, you'll miss the races, and if you watch the races, you'll miss the stuff to do.
I have to admit Thomas Voeckler is one of my favorite cyclists ever. I've already recounted his heroics in 2004. How he battled Lance Armstrong for 10 days. Well here he is again in the Maillot Jaune. And on Bastille Day!
His team this year is young and inexperienced. Only through a surprise break away did he win the jersey. In interviews yesterday, he feels that he can't keep the jersey today, Bastille Day. But knowing him he'll fight to hold onto it. Alléz, Tommy! Alleéz!
I'm sure you haven't. I have, and since I've gotten on my bike again, I have watched almost every day of the race. It's been a weird start to Le Tour. Ever since the director changed last year, the normal rhythms of the opening week have been upset. Gone is the time trial prologue; they race the first day. There are a few categorized climbs in the first week. It's no longer flat stages punctuated with a bunch sprint. There is much racing to be done. It's rather exciting.
With the ending of football, it's getting close to baseball season. Pretty soon catchers and pitchers report for Spring Training and then the whole squad. Then 3 weeks of meaningless games and then the big show. Opening day!
In the meantime, imagine that your a fan who has nothing better to do. You're flipping channels between MLB Network and what else's on. You happen upon Ferris Bueller's Day Off and get to the Wrigley Field scene. You too would spend time trying to figure out the actual game that the movie used, right? Or is that too baseball-geeky?
So you've seen me old school that golf on Kiawah Island. Now fast forward 15 years and see that I can still play. Of course my stupid scoring is still at the same place as it was back in the day. Except I can hit a driver now, but my short game is gone to pot. My iron play was also terrible no idea why.
When we were in Hawaii, we played golf a couple of days. This is the first day of the vacation and we had a fivesome going but we still played in under 4 hours. Thanks god as I hate how long a round takes.
Bashing the golf ball has been fun. Maybe it would've been super fun back in the day if I didn't have to deal with lame equipment. Perhaps it time for an upgrade.
Love this photo from back in the day when I use to go on golfing vacations with my dad, brother and titos. It's the first hole on the most difficult course I've played, Kiawah Island Ocean Course. The layout was tough enough with tiny, raised greens to shoot at. The wind blowing off the ocean just contributed to the difficulty. The fairways were wide and generous only because with the wind keeping it on the fairway was tough. Off the fairways, your stuck in sand. It's bunker shots all the time.
This shot is from the first hole. Nice and easy here. I think I bogeyed. We got three holes in, before the wind came up. It was a nasty day. My brother gave up and hated it, but it was a fun, fun day. We'll be back someday.
For those golf crazy fools, today's link takes you to a discussion of how the game of golf is undergoing its own sabermetric change. It'll explain to you the value of the shots you're taking, which stroke is the money stroke, and why you suck as compared to the professionals.
It looks the way I filled out my bracket is just like burning money. You have any money I can burn, too.
UPDATE: 8:47 PM Not completely blown up, but if that G'town-Ohio score holds up that might just sink the ship right there. G'town. How phony! CapSwell why did you trick me?
Oh yeah, just as I said yesterday? F' the Irish!
UPDATE: 10:32 PM I can't watch anymore. My hearts all a flutter. Just lose. Just win. Just keep that bracket going.
CapSwell laments not rooting for his team. It's because you can't be too emotional to make your picks. You just have to be cold, calculating. That way you can say it was the numbers that made you fill out your bracket that way. Here's hoping CapSwell's other brackets are doing alright.
In the current issue of ESPN, the magazine, (Feb ?) they asked fans of this year's losers who they'll root for in the Big Game. Here's who the Ravens fans are gonna be rooting for. This one is hard to believe. No true Ravens fan would cheer for the Colts. They asked the wrong people. Must've been fair weather fans.
When I read this I did a spit take and snapped my head back! I may not be a die hard Ravens fan, but I won't root for them over the Saints.
US 2 - Spain 0 in a Confederation Cup semi-final. US makes it into a final of an actual tournament. They do it by beating the best team in the world. Woohoo!
Orioles 2 - Marlins 4. WTF! They can sweep the defending national champs, but not a somewhat sorry team.
Went to the Yard to catch future Hall of Famers, Ichiro and Ken Griffey Jr play with hometown Birds. It was one of the better times we've had at a game.
First, we walked up to the box office looking for the best tickets, and we got 'em: section 86, lower box, left-center, row bb, seats up against the bull pen wall.
Second, we get three beers and hot dogs and nachos. Just little dinner.
Next, we chat up our fellow neighbors. A couple from NC who got engaged in at the Yard. They're watching the next couple of games. The gentleman and his kids in front of us. He was a Phillies fan. I had to get Marge in trouble with him as the Mets were leading the Phils. He didn't care. Then we had the youngsters behind us. "Get ready." With the glove, Matty Weit Weit's gonna hit a homer. Instead it was all Seattle. They were hilarious.
The game was too. No hitting for the Birds. Matty Weit Weit upped his average. B Rob is hitting. AJ isn't. Not much runs. Loss 4-1.
Tried to watch some of the early evening Orioles game from Tampa. They were up 3-1 in the sixth when I tuned in. Kojira was pitching good. Then the wheels came off. They lost 6-3. This is going to be a long season. Kojira is decent, but then he goes to pot in the sixth. Jeez.
"The Yankees are used to friendly crowds at Camden Yards, where the Orioles have been also-rans for more than a decade. But this time the park was stuffed with 48,607 boisterous fans, most of them wearing orange and black. They delighted in Sabathia’s struggles."
"New Stars Fizzle as the Yankees Absorb a Beating" NYTimes 4-7-09
