Why I Don't Like Soccer...

I know that Soccer (Futbol) is supposedly "The Beautiful Game" but I feel like after watching a few matches that in actuality, it should be called "The Game of the Whining Prima Donnas". I feel like every time you do something good, it becomes a penalty. While watching the CONCACAF finals, I've composed a list of reasons why Soccer has not become an American favorite.

-It's almost like you can only play the sport if you are a Prima Donna. I like Real because they are pretty much the Utah Jazz of Soccer, hard-working guys that play physical and don't mess around, while Monterrey acts like a bunch of cheap, wanna-be rich kids who feel like because they play "Soccer" that they can do whatever they want.

-So many of the rules prevent the game from being good. Offsides is probably the most confusing, controversial rule I have ever heard of, not to mention the absolutely terrible officiating overall. Let's put it this way, Tim Donaghy thinks that Soccer officials are corrupt.

-There's no real rhyme or reason to a lot of the logic behind the game. Road goals mean more in the case of a tiebreaker. Ties are almost as good as wins. Then there are the cards. Beckerman gets a yellow on a flop and has to miss the next game, while Zavala can literally try to choke an RSL player and only gets a yellow? Huh?

-I get that most people think the game is boring. I kind of agree, but only when it stops being aggressive soccer. When a tie can prove to be as good as a victory, you'll get a lot of less-aggressive play. How you can let a game end on a tie, I will never know. (Ahem.....Mr. Goodell?)

-The Flops. I could write an entire column about how bad the flops in Soccer are, how the influx of Euro players flopping has started to ruin the NBA game, and how annoying it is that they continue to let players get away with it, but really, there isn't much use, because.......

-FIFA is probably one of the worst sport-ruling bodies I've ever seen. How can you call something "The Beautiful Game" when bribes and cheating rule the sport at the highest level? I know none of our leagues are perfect, but at least we don't award our biggest sporting event (Super Bowl) to Alaska and Puerto Rico because they gave Roger Goodell a bunch of new cars, cash, and a few native "escorts", like what supposedly happened with FIFA and the World Cup in Qatar and Moscow. I'm not saying there is evidence of any of the above accusations, but I've been to the former USSR, and I can promise, that will be a scary World Cup Final. Way more than it would have been in England.

That being said....

Watching Morales' goal late in the game to tie things up was a thing of beauty. I can't really compare it to any other movement, motion, or play in sports, other than maybe a Jeremy Evans/Blake Griffin alley oop. The first time I ever really cared about soccer was watching Real in the MLS cup against the Galaxy, and I remember sitting there, watching calmly, then seeing a goal just happen, and had no other reaction but to stand up, run around, and yell "GOAL", which just about caused three of my roommates to have heart attacks. In that respect, Soccer does something that few other games do, go from such a mellow, lack of excitement to an instant burst of awesomeness. I know people adore the World Cup, but I have the feeling that what RSL is doing right now is going to change the platform for Soccer. MLS will start signing bigger stars, making more money, and eventually the style of Soccer that we play here in America will end up becoming the norm. I know most countries will get upset about it, but I bet between the EPL and MLS, there could be some interesting, progressive strides made in the game, especially with all the crossover that is happening with American corporations owning EPL teams. Little more contact, less prima donna; maybe some more aggressive attacks; tweaks to the rules, etc. I can't really say what should change, but I know this; Americans do one thing better than everyone else, we take what already exists and find ways to make it even better. Television, Movies, Democracy, take your pick, but when it comes down to it, I liked watching the CONCACAF final in Monterrey, and for a minute even thought I should go watch the final at Rio Tinto, until I realized I was broke, and frankly, I may even end up getting Real season tickets at some point in my life if things continue to move in that direction, but only as long as we're in the off-season for football. Hey, I'm a man of my principles, alright?

Somewhere, in a not-so-darkly lit alley in Salt Lake City, a shadowy figure in a sport coat slides through an ambiguous door....

Fortune Teller: Ahhh, Iz gud to see u again Meester O'Connor, I have forseen your comings for long time.

O'Connor: Pretty sure you didn't need a crystal ball to see this one coming. Have you seen the team play lately?

Fortune Teller: You have made good size disaster for self, vhat with running off hall of fame coach (allegedly) and trading All-Pro point guard, now Jazz not making playoffs?

O'Connor: I told the media, I tried to talk Jerry to coming back, even offered to let him drive a tractor to work, but Coach did what Coach does best, made the team better by leaving at a point where Ty could learn the most. As for Deron, well, Deron is Deron, and we felt he had made little effort to commit to us, other than building a huge house, opening multiple Costcos and Miller Family businesses, starting his Point of Hope foundation here, playing a lot of charity golf, and busting his guts for the franchise most nights.

Fortune Teller: A Biznis decision, is not usual for Jazz.

O'Connor: Larry was a great owner, but he was emotionally attached and loyal. Greg, he wants to win. Which is why I now run the, ah, Castle, so to speak.

Fortune Teller: More like Asylum.

O'Connor: I'm not paying for commentary, I get enough of that from Jazz fans. We're looking for some free agents, preferably a wing or two. We've tried to shore that position up for a while, Raja should have been a good acquisition, and we expected CJ to step up, but they clearly struggled. AK missing 20 games was all in the plans, see how the white kid Hayward did against Kobe? No one saw that coming, except me. I'm sure the Lakers recent poor play had nothing to do with it, but look at him now, one of four rookies to score 30 points this year. I tried to tell the fans, but, for some reason, they don't trust me.

Fortune Teller: Iz perhaps thought that Jazz never draft athletics players in past?

O'Connor: I found Jeremy Evans didn't I? When he played, he was a Top Ten highlight reel all by himself, despite not having the strength to play four, the shot to play three, or a solid defensive stance. I figure if AK will resign for $5 a year, we should be ok on the wing.

Fortune Teller: I forsee Kirilenko moving to, how you say, Greener Pastures, is teams vit more moneys and less bad memories of many injuries. New Jersey? Maybe Rockets? Or vat about Miami at four, no?

O'Connor: Maybe he would stop trying to go on vacation to some beach if he signed there. Who else do you see?

Fortune Teller: Can he be blamed? Vinter here iz terrible, much like homeland. What about more young options? Vilson Chandler? Arron Afflalo? Both cannot be resigning vit Nuggets?

O'Connor: Either of those signings would be too much of a slam dunk, have you watched the Jazz over the years? We're content to have average wings in a league where the 3 point shot has never been more important, both on offense and defense, and true low post players are dying one by one. Any coincidence the Lakers and Celtics, teams with dominant post guys, have won the last few championships? I'm not willing to spend money on guys that aren't legit big men. Or point guards. Can we move onto the draft now?

Fortune Teller: Darkness wrap itself around current draft. Iz many problems, lack of superstar, NBA lockout, You hope for good bounce from little white balls?

O'Connor: Just as long as the Turkish kid, Kanter is still there when we pick. We have enough skinny, euro projects overseas already. Besides, how excited will the fans be when I pick the Jimmer at the draft party? Never mind that his game is a better fit in Boston, New York, Phoenix, even Toronto. The fans will cheer that one all day, maybe he'll even wear the short shorts like Stockton used to.

Fortune Teller: Neither of players seem to solve problems you have. Defense was bad this year, if not for Hayward, shooting vould be equivalent of Russian nuclear meltdown.

O'Connor: Wait until I trade CJ Miles for a bunch of second round picks, then you'll see how good we can become. I still have a few guys left to sign as free agents too. Earl Watson probably needs to come back, he's no starter, but hell, neither was ah, Captain Crunch, what's his name? Oh yeah, Milt Palacio. Francisco's knees ran out of gas, as did Ronnie Price's legs, not sure either of them makes it back. With the lockout coming, gonna be a battle between the five or six major cities and all the rest of us small markets, can't go throwing around money we won't have from lost games on those guys. That Weaver kid showed some hustle, might bring him back.

Fortune Teller: What about big Ukrainian, Fesenko?

O'Connor: Fes? Yeah, we'll probably look into bringing him back, just as long as we keep him locked in a hot Ukrainian gym all summer to work on his free throws. Maybe he can put the Bear costume on at halftime, too. Like Coach Layden used to say, you can't teach height.

Fortune Teller: (stands up, rips off cloak and towel on head) I must go call Mom in Ukraine!!

O'Connor: Wait, what? Fes? Is that you? Get back here with my money!

Utah Practice Report 4/05/2011

Just a few notes from Practice today;

-A few guys stood out today, mostly RBs John White IV and Lucky Radley. Not taking anything away from Thretton Palamo, who continues to be a punishing back, but to be able to transition from Palamo and Langi to shifty speedsters White and Radley will be an asset to the Utes run game. Griff McNabb is an absolute technician, where he lacks physically, he makes up for in being near flawless in running his routes, and even downfield blocking. The O line had a hard time containing the defensive line, Mo Lee reminds me of a smoother, more athletic Shaky Smithson.

-Derrick Shelby looked healthy and explosive, causing some disruption in the backfield a few plays. DBs have talent, just need time, Conroy Black looks like a shoe-in to be the next great Utah Defensive Back, remains to be seen if he'll continue to hold his confidence in games. Linebackers can be a huge strength to this team, especially while the defensive backfield develops.

-Looked like a lot of work on special teams today, probably needs to be a point of emphasis seeing as how this team is young, and needs the reps. Bottom line is this, there are a lot of exciting players to watch, some that are developing really well, and there is a ton of talent here, but you can see the inexperience, even in practice. Will Coach Whit and crew be able to pump up this crew to the point that they contend for the Pac-12 championship? Question to be answered this fall!

What It Means to Be A Fan

I had to take the night off.

This last one pushed me off the proverbial cliff.

Trouble at Work? Nope. Drama with the Girlfriend? Hardly. Dog throwing up on the carpet? Please.

I feel that normally, I handle the ups and downs of life pretty well, everyone has their moments and I'm certainly no exception, but I've never claimed to be perfect, and well, for the most part I keep it together enough to make it to the next day. Life being the way it is, we look for ways to feel joy, happiness, adrenaline rushes and in a very broad sense, emotions. This basic human need to belong to something that delivers these, in my humble opinion, is what makes professional sports, and athletic competition in general, so popular.

Tonight, it didn't work in my favor.

It has been a rough season for the Utah Jazz. The business side of sports has taken away from the true greatness of competition, often times dulling the fact that we live in the absolute prime of greatness for most athletic competition, but for the Jazz, constantly a winning franchise, it felt like those times could not touch us. We had Jerry Sloan, perhaps the second most famous part of Utah, behind a two way tie for a salty lake, and polygamy, as our rock, our lighthouse in the dark, never changing, always delivering. In recent years, Deron Williams had emerged as the new hero of Energy Solutions, and everyone expected Gr8ness to establish himself as the next number in Jazz lore, next to 7, 12 and 32; and we had just rid ourselves of Boozeritis, a disease that at times appeared to make Jazz fans cheer with ferocity, only to have it disappear for 2o games a season, if not more, and had a tendency to shift our competition in the playoffs. Things were looking great.

Then the storm hit. Winds of change to be exact.

No need to go over again what has happened, or how disappointing this season has become, been there done that as they say. What situations like this bring up in ones mind is not as much what happened, but why, and to a deeper extent, why am I even a fan, and what exactly is a fan?

As a fan, you are expected to be emotional. You lay yourself on the line, cheer, invest your time and money into a team, and have the least amount of control over any of the results. Players and coaches do not understand this because, astonishingly, they have control over what happens. Can Kobe Bryant control how many shots he puts up? Okay, bad example, but the point is this, a fan has to understand that the level of caring they have for a team is different from a player. Players can't live and die with wins and losses, they have to develop consistency, and mental toughness, and be emotionally in control. Fans almost by default have to be the opposite, wild, screaming, cheering, whatever, but yet, like players, fans have to learn to see the big picture too. Coaches and players don't see it like that usually until the game is done. It is the an eternal conflict between them and us, we're solely dependent on them doing what we can't.

Sometimes, there are players that just steal a piece of us, due to either the position that they play, or the effort they bring, or the skill they demonstrate, we love 'em. Buy their jerseys. Create screen names with their numbers, even use their names for passwords. (You can't deny you've never done it. Up until this article, the password for our site fit this criteria. Good luck figuring out what it is now though, unless you know Russian. Dammit. I'm stopping now.) When those players fall short, or get traded, we feel hurt. We defend the player, argue with friends about him, or burn his jersey if they end up leaving us. It's a natural cycle, but as a fan, if your loyalty lies with the team, it stays with the team. That means when a guy doesn't perform, as a fan that wants to win, you gotta learn to cut the ties.

Now, the problem with what I just said is it only applies to true fans, the Dylan Macleods of the world, who literally live, breath, and die with every up and down a team goes through. How die-hard is Dylan? Did he take a personal day when Jerry Sloan resigned because he was so distraught? Has he single-handedly funded the expansion of Del Taco onto 4th south due to his routine of eating it after losses? Do I even have to answer my questions at this point? He will never be anything but a Mets/Jazz/Utes fan, and not by choice. Case No. 2, a Mr Justin Curtis, who wanted to get into baseball, and knew he needed a team. Only way to go. Bandwagon fans cheat themselves because they follow the winners, and never declare, kind of like dating a chick. Guys who claim happiness being single only do so because they haven't found a match, true love. Same with true fandom. Justin looked around, talked to friends, went to some ballparks, was leaning hard towards being a Mets fan, until he walked out to the field at Angels Stadium. Call it a first kiss, call in confirmation, I really don't care, but that moment locked him into the Anaheim Angels for life. Mark an 8 dude, it won't change. And yes I called them the Anaheim Angels. They play in Anaheim. There's no Los Angeles in Anaheim.

The bottom line is this. Most fans dedicate themselves to a team because they want to know what it feels like to touch greatness, to be winning, like Charlie Sheen says. Media members, Coaches, Players, GMs, Owners are typically powerful people who are used to being around greatness. When you work in a cubicle 40 hours a week trying to make sure Company A hits some absurd goal that means absolutely nothing to you, the "greatness" of what you are doing is hard to find. You learn to live for the other pieces of your life, good friends, family, children or pets, and the "Team". It is a part of life, just like eating, breathing and dying, and rightfully so. They don't get to do what they do without us, something we lose sight of, and players refuse to admit. We might lose track during a losing streak, get angry and say or do something we regret (Consider this my apology, Greg Ostertag) and can occasionally refuse to admit when someone is better (Jimmer) because our pride won't allow it, but without the passion that takes us to one side, we would never be able to push through to the other side that makes us want to be there when Player A hits the game winner. Will Rogers once said, "We can't all be heroes, because somebody has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by." because without someone there to witness it, greatness just fades away and dies.

Unless you cheer for the Cincinnati Bengals. Then you just know what it feels like to lose.

For Your Consideration

As lockouts have begun, or are looming, I figured I'd post a little vid that proves the point that some guys just never should have left college.

Madness Begins

By no means do I claim to be an expert on College Basketball, (despite many years of watching Rick Majerus trudge the sidelines at the University of Utah, or getting dunked on by Keith Van Horn when I was 12). Because of this, I decided to skip doing a tournament preview, or helping you pick your brackets. There are enough experts out there(Chasey T) who can do a better job of that. However, one thing I enjoy about the tournament is watching guys that I haven't seen play much, and wondering how they would fit in on my favorite NBA team, Los Jazz(no hablo espanol, so if I messed up that translation, that's my excuse). Since I have too much time on my hands, and read too much about the upcoming draft (yay unemployment) I've picked a few guys that I would suggest watching during tournament time that could potentially end up donning the J note. As a sidenote, there will be no James Fredette listing here, as I've had my fill of Zoogar Jazz fans calling the local radio shows and posting on Facebook, telling the Jazz to draft him. If you need me telling you to watch him, chances are you have more serious problems. Moving along....

Harrison Barnes- Top three pick right now in my mind, young, athletic wing that can shoot from range, defend well, and hit shots fairly well off the dribble. Not a great slasher, but hits shots in crunch time and is still developing. If he has a good tournament, Jazz will need some luck to draft him, but he would be a good fit.

Terrence Jones- Another young, explosive wing player from Kentucky, Jones could be in Jazz range as long as the Nets don't continue to win more ball games. Able to score from just about anywhere on the floor, his frame and athleticism are definitely NBA-ready. Plays with confidence, able to create, his game is adequate from all angles, solid defensively, not quite elite but has the ceiling to be an upgrade at small forward.

Jordan Hamilton- Dead-eye shooter from Texas, Hamilton has a sweet shot with long range and has stepped his offensive game up substantially this season after being anointed the "go-to guy" for the Horns. His off the dribble game needs work, but Hamilton has benefitted from a transition to a flex style offense that Rick Barnes based of the current Jazz system. Needs to show improvement on defense, late-lottery pick.

Kawhi Leonard- Strong, talented sophomore from San Diego State has found a way to expand on his physical gifts, turning into an all-around strong player. Uses his length well on defense, decent outside shooter, could use work on his jumper. An above average rebounder, Leonard most likely would remind Jazz fans of a more physical version of Andrei Kirilenko. Plays on a strong SDSU team, so he is more of a role player than superstar, but nonetheless, worthy of a late round lottery pick.

Nolan Smith- Senior guard from Duke, efficient scorer, has taken over the role vacated by Kyrie Irving's injury well. Can slash or shoot from the outside, potentially a combo guard, he might not be a starter, but could be a nice late first-round pickup to back up Devin Harris or score off the bench. Might be a reach for a lottery pick, but has a high basketball IQ, and is a worker, something Jazz fans love.

David Lighty/Jon Diebler- Guard pair from Ohio State, most likely won't be selected until the second round, where the Jazz have previously had a lot of success. Lighty has a lot of similarities to Wes Matthews, struggled with injuries his first few years at OSU, but like Matthews is very versatile and has a good all-around game, and fills a substantial role for OSU. Diebler is a bomber from the outside, like Jason Kapono or Kyle Korver, would be a substantial reach to draft him, but he can light it up from outside just the same.

Justin Harper- 6'10" forward from Richmond, Harper has a smooth outside game for a guy his size, much like Mehmet Okur, but far more fluid and effortless than Memo. Has a back to the basket game as well, making him unusual for a big man. Needs to add some strength, struggles a bit in perimeter defense, and average as a rebounder, Harper still has work to do, but watching him shoot, you could definitely see how well he would fit into the Jazz system.

Keith Benson- Big man from Oakland, has a lot of talent and has been mostly dominant for a team that plays in the little-known Summit League. More of a finesse player than a banger, Benson has a solid foundation offensively, with potential to be a pick and pop player. Lengthy, good shot blocker, could see the Jazz drafting him in the second round as well to develop for the future with Favors. Needs to get stronger, but should be entertaining to watch him play Texas in the first round.

A special thanks goes out to Draft Express for all their amazing footage and information. Best draft junkie site available. Click here to see for yourself.

Practice Notes 3/12/2011

Practice Notes: 3/12/2011

Day started out warm, but got a little colder as practice began. Definitely had a long practice today, you can tell the staff is working hard to get these guys up to speed, they seem to have a long way to go in some areas. A lot of inexperience on this team right now, at almost every position but the O and D lines and Receivers and Linebackers.

Offense-

Continue to be impressed with Thretton Palamo as a runner, still has a lot to learn but the natural ability and instincts are definitely there. John White is talented but needs time to refine, same with Langi. Physically, both are ready to compete, but both need to learn the cuts, develop better as blockers, and work on technique, White especially as far as his ball carrying goes. Luke Matthews probably is in the lead though right now, much more advanced across the board then the rest of the RBs. Very fluid runner. Also impressive is the depth at Wide Receiver, Devonte Christopher is definitely the anchor but teams won’t be able to double him due to the talent at other positions. Westlee Tonga, Kendrick Moeai, and Jake Murphy are talented, Murphy was very impressive, and I would be surprised if he wasn’t in contention to start in the fall. Boo Anderson looked good today, he won’t blow you away with his athleticism but he gets the job done well. O line needs some work with the twos, Ones seemed pretty on top of things. Tyler Shreve might have the edge on Griff Robles coming out of spring, made some pretty throws, definitely a gunslinger, drop back guy, good footwork, needs to improve his decision making, but you can see why they were so high on him when they signed him. Robles looks like he might have the edge on Shreve in terms of being more calm under pressure, and throws much better when he is on the run as opposed to in the pocket. Both made a few bad throws, Robles is pretty effective with his feet. Mostly under center stuff, saw a little pistol, but if this was the old Utah spread, I think Robles would be pretty fun to watch running the ball. Could see him doing that in short yardage and goal line.

Defense-

Defensive line is awesome. Star Lotolelei and James Aiono like strong, big, and effective, and look like they will work well together. I think the biggest reason Aiono didn’t play much last fall was physically he wasn’t quite big enough to man the middle, but they certainly looked good today. Ends are reliable, I think the move for Kruger will be good, they might have a hard time chasing down speedy quarterbacks from behind though. Developing depth will be a key, Joape Pela is a big mound of unmovable man, and Tevita Finau should benefit from more time in the system. Linebackers looked good in team, not as much in individual, very impressed with Trevor Reilly, and think he will be a major factor come fall. Blechen has adjusted well, probably still needs to get a little more stout, but that will come with time. Martinez and Walker are heart and hustle guys, VJ Fehoko didn’t have a terrific practice, might still be adjusting to the system and learning how to use his body. That sounds like an excuse, but some guys take more time than others. We’ll see how he looks in fall camp. Defensive backfield looks strong, athletic, aggressive, but definitely inexperienced. Coach Scalley had to make a lot of the calls when they would break formation, and it wasn’t like the offense was doing that complicated of stuff with their formations. Damien Payne and Michael Walker both look like they could develop quite nicely, Walker is a hitter, and had a pretty good thump on an RB in team session, and Payne made a nice play to intercept a tipped ball. Terrell Reese certainly looks the part of a starting corner, caught my eye on several occasions, same with Lucky Radley, and Jamal Scott, to an extent. Konroy Black has that same kind of swagger we’ve seen in past DBs in Utah’s system, he needs to have a good spring to solidify his starting spot.

Bottom Line-

This is a talent-laden, raw, developing team. They have a lot of guys that could be REALLY good, and they have a lot of guys that need to work hard and really develop their talent in order to be competitive. I thought the effort today was decent, focus was there, but I expected a little more excitement out of the guys for the first day in pads, especially after a rowdy pre practice Oklahoma drill, and the offense wasn’t nearly as crisp as Thursday, I’d almost say at times they were sloppy. Bottom line is this, a lot of young guys that are worth getting excited about, but they have a long, long way to go before making any kind of statements or claims, let alone being competitive in the Pac-12.