Danger Mouse, David Lynch & Sparklehorse, 'Dark Night of the Soul' [Tunes]: Could I interest you in a new Danger Mouse album where he mixes new tunes with Sparklehorse and David Lynch featuring the Strokes, the Flaming Lips, Neutral Milk Hotel and Iggy Pop? The album appears shrouded in mystery and sadness, originally scheduled for release in 2009, it was delayed until now, and in the meantime two artists on the album have tragically taken their own lives. Darkness, pain, twisted dreams...the album evokes a musical form of David Lynch movie themes. Streaming on NPR through July 13.
The Seminal Online Sporting Event?: Over 1.1 million people watched part of the USA-Algeria match online on a Wednesday morning, setting records for online viewership. Anyone else think ESPN3 might be a good division to be working in right now? The content that they will be able to provide digitally online seems pretty infinite.
Getting the Beckham Treatment: The American media is delving into the personal life of the nation's newest soccer star, and it doesn't appear to be going too well so far. That first link gives me everything I need to know as to why Donovan never got along with Becks. Just look how ill fitting that suit is. You expect Posh Spice to be seen near that thing?
The Deeper Meaning of Goal Celebrations: A great retrospective looking at some of the most famous goal celebrations in soccer history. Having been to Buenos Aires in the last year, I can confirm first-hand how big of a star Martin Palermo is there. He spent most of his career starring for Boca Juniors, made his first world cup at age 36 largely due to the madness of Maradona selecting him as a good luck charm, and managed to score a goal in the one game where he saw the pitch. Remarkable. Capello Still Popular with Some Brits: England's exit from the World Cup saved British bookmakers over $75 million. In related news, British fans have yet to realize that one of the tenants of sports is that it never pays to bet on your own team. Every college student with an internet connection and a credit card knows this.
Fredi Got Fingered: Fredi Gonzalez lost an unwinnable 'he said - she said' argument with an umpiring crew amidst a vuvuzela blowing crowd just three days before he was fired. I often wonder if owners look for moments like these to have a reason to fire coaches for cause, reducing the severance they have to pay out.
Fake CEO Would Look Great on your Resume: White males are being paid up to $1000 per week to act as fake CEOs for Chinese companies. It's appears that China is still copying the business model Enron utilized for its business here in the states.
Now that we're approaching a break in the soccer action, here's an ad to help get you excited about the second week of Wimbledon:
"Stay Alert, Stay Alive." No, it's not the name of Ron Artest's new album about playing street hoops growing up in the Bronx. It's a World Cup campaign to promote safe driving on South Africa's notoriously treacherous roads. You see the slogan plastered along the walls surrounding the field during games, and the slogan perfectly describes what it takes to advance. Teams moving on are the ones with reason to be alert, the ones that are actually enjoying their World Cup experience playing for their country. The brilliant book Soccernomics(often dubbed the Moneyball for soccer for those looking for a good book to pick up), touched upon this concept when it focused on Gus Hiddink's motivational tactics in leading an upstart South Korea side that had never before won a match in the world's most famous tournament. Hiddink, the man widely perceived to be the best international coach in the world, discovered that the fundamental problem with Korea wasn't in its lack of height or tactical ability; rather, he found the Koreans to be predisposed to a hierarchical structure that sacrificed joy for discipline. Younger players deferred to veteran's decisions, refusing to challenge older players, even when they weren't as good as the young upstarts or were simply wrong with their tactics. There is a great anecdote where Hiddink notices this hierarchy playing out during team meals, each time the team would eat invariably the oldest players would eat first and the youngest last. Hiddink shook up this hierarchy; he kicked out older players, brought up younger players, and implored everyone on the pitch to make their own decisions and play free and easy. Eventually he brought back the cut veterans, resulting in everyone's roles being better understood with the added desire to work together for a common goal instead of worrying about the hierarchy. The result? Korea made a shocking run to the tournament semifinals that is now part of soccer lore, taking down traditional world powers Portugal, Italy and Spain along the way.
Hiddink has famously gone on to lead other countries to overachieve, giving him a Phil Jackson talisman effect in leading teams to victories. The reasons for the success seems simple - respect the native culture of the player's lives while also stressing the team above all else. The Koreans didn't achieve soccer success until they were alerted to their own constraints that prevented them from playing at the same level as the world's best. Contrast that to underwhelming European powers who have fallen victim to their worst traits, where playing for their country has been more painful than joyous. The French have been arrogant and argumentative, the English stodgy and stilted, and the Italians aged and overly critical. Stay Alert and Stay Alive, I think that sums up well what I've learned from this World Cup so far. And if you don't want to take my word for it, just take a listen to our new American hero. We Believe. We're Alive, Baby.
As an added bonus, I present my World Cup Ratings, fashioned after the ever present player ratings that are required of publications after a soccer match (scale is from 1-10, with 5 being average and 10 being exceptional).
The Future of United States Soccer: 8.5. In yet another round of "biggest soccer game in US history," US fans finally hit the jackpot. Anyone watching the Algeria match will never forget the feeling of Donovan's breakthrough. Just take a look at some of the reactions at pubs across the nation. From Nebraska to Seattle and even the lucky ones at the game itself, America is alert to soccer right now. Now the US gets a rematch with Ghana and a possible road to the semifinals on the world's biggest stage. With the MLS gaining ground on the professional big four and Bill Clinton dispatched to bring the 2022 world cup back to the states, the US is making a big move as a bona fide soccer nation.
Fabio Capello: 4. The most surprising thing of Fabio Capello's reign as head coach of England has been his skills in the English language. Just look at this post-match video after England's victory over Slovenia, where they scored only their second goal in three games. While petty, you have to wonder how grating this can get on a team full of stars earning hundreds of thousands a dollars a week from their pro clubs. Capello's disciplinarian approach, which includes stripping John Terry of his captaincy for his personal indiscretions and refusing to announce starting lineup to the team until just before kickoff, has already caused an attempted coup by the players, and the team's performance on the pitch has reflected that dissatisfaction. Is anyone else thinking Wayne Rooney has looked more like Pikey in the trailer park (below) than an all-world striker so far?
France: -2. Thank goodness for the French. Who else could provide the farcical drama we've been able to watch the last few days? I'm seconds away from pitching to Bravo TV executives a new series starring coach Raymond Dommenech in the Real Housewives of Gay Paris. Every single French stereotype has been played out perfectly by this guy. Arrogant, argumentative, sickly...he's the best French bad guy we've seen since Glass Joe. Meanwhile, with his team in absolute shambles, he makes certain the world knows just how French he is by refusing to shake hands with the host nation's coach after losing his final game with a whimper. Che Fantastic!
African Soccer: 4. With only one out of six teams qualifying for the second round, the performance of African nations in this year's cup can be summed up by one player's last name: African Soccer Nicknames: 10. Meanwhile, how great are the nicknames for the African teams? Les Elephants, the Black Stars, Super Eagles, Desert Foxes, the Indomitable Lions...it's a wonder how we continue to come up with lame team names like the Orlando Magic or the Nashville Predators here in the US. And speaking of the Indomitable Lions, does that make the NFL team in Detroit the domitable Lions?
ESPN TV Coverage:9. The only people happier than Americans and English that their teams advanced to the second round have to be the suits at ESPN. They went all in on this tournament, bringing in the best announcers soccer has to offer as well as a great assortment of in-studio talent. After a rocky start, even Alexi Lalas has me completely on board with his analysis - his change of focus after the Slovenia match from the incomprehensible referee decision to America's slow start set just the right tone for the team to overcome the offside call against Algeria. The American spirit is strong with this one.
Sports Illustrated Written Coverage: 9. Grant Wahl's team at SI is absolutely bringing it with coverage from all angles. Jonathan Wilson is an early star with his spot on (and understandable) tactical analysis. His article focusing on Mexico deploying a pre-war formation provides shades of the Wildcat formation as a counter to zone coverage in the NFL. Peter King's wedding anniversary aside, if there's a one stop shop for written coverage of this cup, SI.com has got to be it.
World Football Daily: 7.5. Steve and Kenny, the duo from London and Glasgow, are undoubtedly the best radio show covering soccer in North America. Bringing close to two hours of coverage daily during the World Cup, nothing is off the table for these guys. With guests dialing in from all over the globe bringing local coverage otherwise unavailable stateside, the $5 cost to listen to their daily podcasts for the month is well worth it.
Jabulani: 2. It's clear at this point that the Jabulani roughly translates to "fly over the crossbar" in Zulu. Can I be the first to suggest that the next World Cup bring back the hexagonal ball from Mexico 1970? Retro is way in, and you can't tell me people wouldn't love seeing that ball back in action. Just like the NFL and NBA, there comes a point where a ball reaches its aesthetic and performance peak. Tinkering with the technology only excites engineers and marketers. Let's get back to the basic on this one, shall we?
Wild Nothing, 'Gemini' [Tunes]: This solo project out of Blacksburg, Virginia, has been dubbed shoegaze on a shoestring as a lot of the album was recorded at home with little to no funding. The nostalgic hazy sound evokes comparisons to the Cure and other forlorn 80's rock. Link is to the band's myspace page.
Girl Talk Deconstructed: An amazing link for Girl Talk fans. For those in the new, Girl Talk is the creation of Gregg Gillis, formerly a biomedical engineering student who puts songs together through a mash-up of samples, this link deconstructs the entire 'Feed the Animals' album to provide the source of each individual sound.
Can I get a Hallelujah from the Chorus?: The Cubs join the 21st century and hire their first full-fledged sabermatician on staff. Look for the Cubs to finally look for free agency value beyond "hit well for the Rangers." Big Love 2: Manute Loves All: Manute Bol passed this past week, and apparently there was a lot we didn't know about him. After the dissolution of his marriage in the US, he had a polygamous marriage with two younger woman in the Sudan, and also gave one of his wives 80 cows per Sudanese marriage custom. I'm not sure which of these two facts is more interesting, but I do know that HBO has an Emmy award winning miniseries on its hands. A Lady Gaga for the People: Lady Gaga shows up at Yankees stadium like 90% of its fanbase watches the game at home - with an unbuttoned jersey on over her underwear and a Jameson's in hand. And what does she get for representing the people? Kicked out of the locker room. The little guys never win.
Tim Tebow is the Next Fantasy Baseball Superstar: On the heels of Stephen Strasburg and Mike Stanton, comes a lefty slugger out of Florida who's scouting report includes the "inability to throw a football like a professional." There were also reports that Tebow, while working on a solution to plug the BP oil spill, delivered a baby between home runs 11 and 12.
A Picture Worth a Broken Wrist: If there was anything to be learned from the Kendry Morales incident, it was that a dogpile was the perfect place for a season ending injury to occur with no discernible evidence recorded. The UCLA Bruins celebrate with a perfectly executed dogpile resulting in a broken wrist. Zapruder would have been proud.
Talk About Bullpen Magic: A divorced bullpen catcher with children spots a divorced woman with children near the bullpen, hits on her, then marries her 13 months later. The story has apparently spread like wildfire amongst the bullpen catcher groupie set.
In case you missed it, Ron Artest's memorable press conference after game 7, confirming rumors that Tracy Morgan's character on 3o Rock has been based on him all along.
Stars, 'The Five Ghosts' [Tunes]: As part of my re-introduction to good music years back, a friend burned for me a few Stars songs, including this haunting and eloquent number. Along with Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene, these Canadian indie darlings tapped into a refreshing new sound, one where catchy pop could be full of joy or melancholy. Their new album contains such uplifting song titles as 'Dead Hearts' and 'I Died So I Could Haunt You,' and will be streaming online through June 22.
Arkady Fireovitch: You've gotta be a somebody in the indie rock world to be able to set the blogosphere ablaze by announcing the details of your new album via written letter posted on your website. Arcade Fire's The Suburbs (album cover above), is scheduled for release on August 2nd, and two songs off the new album can be heard online. Let the hype monster begin. This is why they call it La-La-Land: Details reveal that Dodgers owner Frank McCourt was paying a Russian healer to send long-distance energy to help the Dodgers win baseball games. Not surprisingly, even this miracle healer is not a fan of Milton Bradley.
No Tippin' Pippen: Poor Scottie, first he gets out-personalitied by Jalen Rose to lose his spot on NBA TV broadcasts, now he's in a trial to try to undo some financial shenanigans that he was involved in. Perhaps worst of all, no one is recognizing that Pippen is Rajon Rondo's most valid comp, and that the Rondo-Kobe battles we are seeing right now are the closest thing we'll get to to seeing what the MJ-Pip showdowns must have been like at Bulls practices for a decade.
Cable and satellite TV? And I thought he was just wasting money: Not to be outdone, here's more news of how Eddie Curry chooses to spend his money. Highlights include $6000 per month for a personal chef, $30,000 on monthly expenses, and a personal loan taken out at the competitive rate of 85% interest. Feel free to skip the last paragraph of the article, unless you are the type to enjoy unburnable images in your memory.
Classics in Lego: The gas can in 'Monk on Fire' is deserving of a special nod from the Pulitzer committee.
Drafted Before Jeter: The five players who were drafted ahead of Jeter in 1992 are re-visited. The most amazing part of the article is reading how normal these guy's lives are in their late 30's, while Jeter continues to play at an All-Star level on the biggest stage in baseball.
Lady Gaga's man digit: Is it me or is Gaga's middle finger sort of manish and completely lacking in style? Naturally, Gaga was following the Citi Field tradition of flipping off David Wright after every strikeout. No report yet on whether the man is Plaxico Burress: Um, file this under headlines you never want associated with your name. That Lowe's in Lynwood must be one of the scariest big box stores in the country.
We need to hide this from Stasburg: Some shocking news out of San Diego regarding Mark Prior. I actually made a bet with a friend this guy would win at least two Cy Youngs in his career. Still holding out hope on that one... A brief history in racist mascots: A rundown on World Cup mascots reveals, well, nothing much really other than these choices end up being pretty bad all around. On the plus side, at least none of these are one eyed monstrous cyclopses with crabclaw hands.
Brawl-off Home Run: The execution of this game winning brawl-off is pitch perfect. A slow trot around second, the in your face hand gesture around third, even the hokey country music playing in the background hits just the right note. Too bad Kendry Morales didn't see this before he decided to celebrate his walk-off dinger. Could have saved himself a broken ankle at least.
Can Wally Backman please get his own reality show? Forget Ron Artest, this man needs to be on television 24/7. Just imagine how entertaining ole' Wally would be at the race track? It would take about two seasons before Wally was chosen to replace Simon on American Idol. Note before watching, Wally's mouth is very very flithy.
The world's best sporting event is just a day away, and I for one can't consume enough information on the Greatest Show on Earth, the crowning glory of a veritable sports orgy this summer. The Lakers-Celtics showdown in the NBA Finals features the league's two most storied franchises while the NHL just finished with a Blackhawks run to its first Stanley Cup title in 49 years. Those two events alone would be enough to make any sports fan giddy. Add in a throwback baseball season chock full of young stars (including the stunning debut of Steven Strasburg), a Wimbledon where Rafa Nadal has a chance to officially wrestle the world's best player title from Roger Federer, Tiger's return to the glorious backdrop of Pebble Beach for the US Open, and Lance Armstrong's attempt to recapture the glory with his own team at the Tour de France, and it's enough to cause sports fans to pull an Andy Samburg. And the World Cup is probably more important than all those other events combined. Make no mistake, the World Cup is the best sporting showcase ever. To put it in perspective, FIFA estimated that approximately 715 million people watched the World Cup Final in 2006, or roughly 11% of the entire world's population (compare that this past year's record setting Super Bowl, which attracted 106 million viewers). It's safe to say there's nothing that gets the world together like the World Cup.
For those looking to get caught up on things quickly, Grant Wahl is spearheading some great coverage at SI.com, including this table-setter for the tournament. The website has a preview written for each team and some individual stars, a quick run-down of prior World Cup results, and appears to be a go-to for coverage throughout the World Cup. For those looking to delve in a little deeper on the US team in particular, this article is a fantastic read on the mercurial Clint Dempsey, while Stars and Gripes is holding down the fort on American tactical strategy. And, of course, there's always the soccer WAGS (wives and girlfriends) to keep the fashionable/celebrity set interested. For what other sporting event would this be an actual headline? To round out the coverage, here's a schedule to bookmark for the tournament, a fantasy game to play (feel free to join Veterans F.C. with the code 472419-107280), and for the overly dedicated, a tremendous soccer podcast to listen to throughout the Cup (it's $4.99 for a month subscription, but these guys bring it each day making it well worth it).
And I'd be remiss if I didn't include some of the epic adverts that accompany the World Cup every four years. Nike's contribution is jaw-droppingly good:
Not to be outdone, Addidas has contributed a nice tongue-in-cheek effort featuring the Star Wars Cantina (with cameos from Snoop Dog, Beckham and the Daft Punk duo)
So get ready to get your ears blasted off by vuvuzelas, throw your hands up in disgrace at the ref's whistle, cheer maniacally for your country's goals, and hold up a pint in their honor after the match. And if you feel like feeling some chills before things officially kick-off, you might want to check out this feature ESPN is running focusing on living players that have scored a goal in the World Cup Final. The one featuring Marco Materazzi, the recipient of the more than famous headbutt from Zinadine Zidane, is riveting.
Danger Mouse, David Lynch & Sparklehorse, 'Dark Night of the Soul' [Tunes]: Could I interest you in a new Danger Mouse album where he mixes new tunes with Sparklehorse and David Lynch featuring the Strokes, the Flaming Lips, Neutral Milk Hotel and Iggy Pop? The album appears shrouded in mystery and sadness, originally scheduled for release in 2009, it was delayed until now, and in the meantime two artists on the album have tragically taken their own lives. Darkness, pain, twisted dreams...the album evokes a musical form of David Lynch movie themes. Streaming on NPR through July 13.
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