A Letter to Yao Ming

Dear Yao,

I'm going to be up front with you: I'm a San Antonio Spurs fan. I do not like your Houston Rockets, and I've found your collective playoff disappointments quite enjoyable over the years. It's nothing personal; you just happen to be the rival (along with the more hateable Dallas Mavericks) of my favorite team.

But I'm going to tell you something else: I like you. A lot, actually. As a player, you are remarkably gifted and someone whose box scores I check every night to see how you performed; and it's usually very well. As a person, you've handled the media circus and pressure of a nation (a huge, giant, vast, pressuring nation at that) with grace and politeness that could only be hoped for in your rookie season, but certainly not expected. Upon being selected with the first pick in 2002 by the Houston Rockets, the basketball hopes and dreams of everyone in your native China were thrown on your massive shoulders, and the media surrounding you ever since then has been staggering. Considering there were a hundred reasons that you could have failed in the NBA, it's impressive that not only have you not failed, but you've flourished in your NBA career.

Yesterday, when I heard that your current foot injury may be career-threatening, I was disappointed. How could this happen to someone such as yourself? A larger-than-life superstar, who behaves in the exact opposite manner? It just doesn't seem fair. Many are wondering how the Rockets will replace the robust production you've given them over the years. I'm wondering how the NBA is going to replace someone of your charisma. In addition to keeping tabs on you on the court, I've found myself reading articles about your charitable works and watching you welcome the world to your native China for the 2008 Olympic Games, almost acting as a personal host for all of us Westerners. Watching you walk into the Bird's Nest, carrying China's flag, with the young survivor of the Sichuan earthquake is something I'll never forget as long as I live.

So, Yao, please get better. Please will your foot to health the same way you did to be ready in time to play for China in the 2008 Olympics. People said there was a chance you might miss those games due to an injury similar to the one you have now; but you wouldn't allow it. Now, those same people are saying you might never play again because of your foot problems; please don't let it be true. Basketball needs you. The fans need you, the NBA needs you, and your country needs you. We're all better for having witnessed your abilities against the best competition in the world. It'd be a shame if it all ended too soon. You can do this, Yao; you can overcome this injury again, just like you did before. Besides, it's not like you haven't done the improbable already.

You made a Spurs fan hopeful that hated Houston's best player will be on the floor at the start of this season.

Sincerely,

Tyler A. Long
#1 Spurs Fan

~~ Lank

Brandon Jennings, Please Relax

I've been supportive of Brandon Jennings for a while now. I liked his box at the McDonald's All-American game a couple years ago. I admired his decision to buck the trend and head to Italy to play for a year before entering the NBA Draft (instead of wasting a year in college like so many of his classmates). I even suggested that he'd come back more mature due to living on his own, more or less, in Europe and getting out of his comfort zone.

I was wrong.

I'm not criticizing the kid, yet, because he's only 19 and he hasn't even played a minute in the NBA. However, his recent behavior has shown bouts of immaturity coupled with abnormal eagerness.

First, in pre-Draft interviews in Sacramento, Jennings called fellow draftee Ricky Rubio "all hype" and told everyone how much better he was than Rubio. Considering many people tabbed Ricky Rubio as a high selection before the draft and complimented on his game, there's really no reason to criticize him. Tell us how good you are, fine; but don't go after another player unprovoked.

Then, he's unable to secure an early-pick guarantee, so decides to avoid going to Madison Square Garden, where the NBA Draft was being held, and sitting in the green room with his fellow draft mates. Except, he changed his mind. After Earl Clark was announced as the 14th overall pick (to the Phoenix Suns), Commissioner David Stern then announces that Brandon Jennings (who was nowhere to be found when he was drafted 10th by the Milwaukee Bucks) had arrived and introduced him. Jennings then comes out from behind the stage and waves to everyone before having his picture taken with Stern. This was quite entertaining but also very confusing.

The most recent episode involves him talking to rapper Joe Budden (no, really), on Budden's online web broadcast, about a variety of topics, including Ramon Sessions (Milwaukee's current point guard), the New York Knicks (who passed on him with the 8th pick), and Chris Duhon (the Knicks' starting point guard). Why? There's no reason, even if you're just doing it for show, to hate on these people. Just show us how good you are in October and we'll all hate on everyone for passing you over after you prove that it's deserved.

Part of me is laughing at the situation because Jennings has no idea what he's getting into in Milwaukee. Scott Skiles, their head coach, is a taskmaster who demands that things be done his way. Oh, and he's a former point guard, which means that he's especially tough on his floor generals. Can Jennings get along with a disciplinarian coach who used to play the very same position he does? He better, or else he'll become very cozy with the bench. Ramon Sessions will be the starter, and is more than capable of putting up very good statistics. If Jennings wants to see the floor at all, he needs to focus on his game and less on others.

At the end of the day, I'm chalking this up to overexuberance and youthful immaturity. As the saying goes, "it's a shame that youth is wasted on the young." Jennings has a chip on his shoulder since no one got to see him play during his year out of the States. He feels as if he has to make a name for himself to garner the headlines of Rubio, Jonny Flynn, Stephen Curry, and the other household names in this year's Draft. As he grows up, and hopefully listens to Skiles, he'll realize that what he does on the court echoes infinitely more loudly than anything that comes out of his mouth.

Brandon, consider this season your opportunity to speak to us...properly, this time.

~~ Lank

Saluting the Sams

As you know, the United States men's soccer team lost to Brazil, 3-2, in the finals of the FIFA Confederations Cup. I was disappointed in this result. No, really, I was. Ask Skip. Yes, had you told me prior to the final (let alone the tournament) that we'd lose by one goal to Brazil, I'd have taken it. However, when you're up 2-0 at halftime, you want the win. I realize that Brazil is more talented than we are, I realize that we weren't really attacking much and were fortunate to be up at all, but that doesn't matter.

2-0 is 2-0 is 2-0. And that should result in a victory.

My perceived "criticism" of their loss is not that at all. As a matter of fact, me being disappointed in the outcome is the greatest compliment I can give our team. I expected them to topple one of the best teams in the world in the final of a prestigious international tournament.

Think about that for a minute.

The United States, after having finished 32nd out of 32 teams in the World Cup only 11 years ago, is now contending with (and beating) the best teams in the world. Ask Spain why they're no longer sporting a winning streak. It's because Uncle Sam walked up to them and told them to sit down, that's why. Landon Donovan said it best in his postgame interview following the heartbreaking loss to Brazil, "we're not really about getting respect from other teams anymore; we want to win." When I heard him say that, I vehemently agreed. Once again, ask Skip.

I'm not proud of the Sams (or Yanks or Stars and Stripes, whichever you prefer) because they lost in close fashion to a world superpower. I'm not proud of them because they finished as runner-up in a major international tournament. No, I'm proud of them because for the first time since I've been watching them play, the United States men's soccer team actually had me expecting to win against an elite opponent. Before it was "just stay close and maybe we can pull it out". Sunday, it was, "we should win this game; and I'm going to be disappointed if we don't." Huge difference.

What does this mean for the 2010 World Cup? Nothing, really. We still trail Costa Rica in the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying tourney, and our performance in the Confederations Cup does nothing to help our chances qualifying. We're still a week and a half from being undressed by the Brazilians and beaten by Italy (translation: we're inconsistent). So, in short, there's a ton of work to be done between now and June 11, 2010 (day 1 of World Cup play). The bright side is that we've shown we're the class of our region, fully deserving of a favorable bid from the FIFA Selection Committee. Instead of playing in the Group of Death (as we did in 2006), we should see a slightly less murderous road to the knockout stage.

At the end of the day, I'm thrilled with the United States' showing at the Confederations Cup. Defeating Egypt and Spain in the fashion we did is nothing to sneeze at. Also, being competitive against Italy (with only 10 guys, nonetheless) and challenging Brazil (without Michael Bradley) showed me that this team has indeed turned a corner. My only hope is that we don't rest on our laurels now that we've gotten some love from the soccer world.

Keep on keepin' on, fellas; there's no sense in stopping once you're on the precipice of something even greater.

~~ Lank

Live Blog: 2009 NBA Draft

7:30 pm - Welcome to my live-blog effort for the 2009 NBA Draft. The NBA Draft is infinitely more interesting to me than the NFL Draft because of the immediate impact the players chosen can have. It's going to take Matthew Stafford 3 years (at least) to develop. Blake Griffin? He might come out with 15 ppg next season, helping the Clippers seem relatively respectable. Ok, so that's not quite possible, but you know what I mean. Anyway, it appears to me (and many others) that this draft is short on stars, but long on depth. There should be a lot of NBA rotation players that come out of this draft who play many minutes for many years to come. If you're lucky, your team will actually pick a guy who produces for your team, not another team several years down the road.

7:34 pm - David Stern is talking some jibber-jabber right now, so I'll go ahead and give you two cents:
-- Griffin is going #1, but then it gets interesting.
-- It appears Memphis will draft UConn center Hasheem Thabeet second, even though he cancelled his workout with them and has no interest in going there (the NBA, where a lowly team drafting a player who doesn't want to play for them happens!).
-- This is where things really get cranked up. Oklahoma City is picking 3rd, and I've heard everyone from Stephen Curry to James Harden to Ricky Rubio being selected. If I'm OKC, I pick up Curry, who plays well of the ball, because his skills complement last year's rookie sensation Russell Westbrook remarkably well in the backcourt. A nucleus of Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Nenad Krstic, Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, Thabo Sefolosha, and the other guy you draft at #25? Don't mind if I do.
-- If Rubio is available at 4, Sacramento will select him. Maybe maybe maybe Tyreke Evans, but most likely Rubio.
-- Since Minnesota has the next two choices, they need to take Tyreke Evans and James Harden. If Harden goes to OKC at 3, they need to select Curry instead. Either way, they need to fix their backcourt to go along with their decent frontcourt staples Kevin Love and Al Jefferson.

7:39 pm - The Clippers take Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin with the first pick. Shocker.

7:41 pm - HE CAN TALK! Even though he got more press than anyone during the 2008-2009 college basketball season, I probably only heard (at most) one interview of his. And I watch a lot of sports. So it's relieving for me to see that he, in fact, does speak, and speaks well.

7:45 pm - "Next up on the clock is a Memphis Grizzlies team that needs...pretty much everything." Well said, Stuart Scott; well said. The Grizzlies are terrible and they need to trade this pick in order to get some more assets. I like a lot of their roster, but they need a good veteran to really make them better. Not another project.

7:46 pm - Memphis take Hasheem Thabeet at #2. This is just a bad pick. Yes, he can block shots, but that's about it. The comparisons to Dikembe Mutombo are dumb, because at least Mutombo had some semblance of an offensive game coming out of Georgetown. Thabeet doesn't. And was the only one who saw DeJuan Blair kill him twice last season? You know, the only other good low post player he played all year? Dumb pick. There are reasons why the Grizzlies are the Grizzlies. This is one of them.

7:52 pm - And Harden is the pick for OKC. Not a bad move. He's a great scorer and should complement the abilities of Westbrook and Durant well. The only thing that concerns me is that he liked to dominate the ball at Arizona State, whether it was scoring or passing. With Westbrook also needing the ball (and playing point guard), Harden will need to find a way to be just as effective with less touches.

7:55 pm - Mark Jones, while interviewing Harden after the pick, asks him about shaving his facial hair because his mother doesn't like it much. Weird, I get those same questions...usually from my own mom, though, not a guy from ESPN.

7:57 pm - Hmm, interesting. Sacramento just took Tyreke Evans. I thought they'd take Rubio for the "long-term upside" and all of that, but apparently I was wrong. Now, the draft just got my attention, because I have no idea what Minnesota is going to do with these next two picks. I'm thinking Curry is one of them, but I'm not sure Minnesota wants Rubio. I guess we'll see.

8:03 pm - Ricky Rubio goes 5th to Minnesota. His face seemed somewhat reserved. It's almost like he knows how cold Minnesota is from October to April. Oh, and that it's one of the smallest markets in the NBA. How's that gonna go over for his marketing team? At least he's getting big time dollars for his "troubles".

8:07 pm - Can we put the kibosh on the "Ricky Rubio-Pete Maravich" comparisons right now? I mean, it's just ridiculous. Maravich was one of the more prolific scorers in college history, and scored at will in the NBA. You know what people say Rubio's biggest question mark is? Scoring. It's just silly to compare the two. Please stop.

8:08 pm - Jeff Van Gundy is talking about Rubio needing a mentor, someone who will support him as his backup. Minnesota's current backup? Sebastian Telfair. Yep, there's a mentor.

8:10 pm - With the 6th pick, Minnesota takes Jonny Flynn from Syracuse. They have to trade him, right? There's no sense in taking two point guards who are identical. I think they may already have a deal in place. This just doesn't feel right to me.

8:16 pm - Wow. Golden State just took Stephen Curry at #7. They just traded Jamal Crawford to Atlanta, so that lessens the crowd in the backcourt somewhat, but they still have a ton of guards. I'm not quite sure why they didn't pick Jordan Hill to play down low alongside Andris Biedrins. I'm intrigued to see how this will work out.

8:21 pm - Jordan Hill, forward from Arizona, goes 8th to the Knicks. He's a big boy with mobility, so I think he's gonna do well in coach Mike D'Antoni's frenetic system. He and David Lee could form a nice duo down low. Poor Jordan. He's getting booed by the New York crowd because he's not Steph Curry. Really, that's the only reason. And Curry wasn't even on the board. I know New York City is a tough town, but sheesh.

8:27 pm - Toronto picks DeMar DeRozan, wing from USC, 9th. This is a pretty good pick. Toronto needs athleticism and a scorer on the wing. DeRozan started slowly for the Trojans, but came on like a freight train at the end, leading USC to the Pac-10 championship. If he continues his development at such a steep curve, he'll be one of Toronto's best players by the end of the season. Unfortunately for DeRozan, Toronto is still in Canada, and going from LA to Toronto to play a winter sport just doesn't seem that enticing.

8:32 pm - Surprise, surprise. Milwaukee selects Brandon Jennings with the #10 pick. He's sort of an unknown because he didn't play college ball and had sporadic playing time in Europe. If he thought he was off the grid in Europe, he ain't seen nothin' yet. Milwaukee is like another planet. There aren't 10 guys in the NBA who would choose Milwaukee as a free agent destination, no matter the money. Chances of Jennings opting out of his contract the first chance he gets? 100%.

8:39 pm - New Jersey just took Terrence Williams at #11. I'd heard earlier that he had been given a guarantee by the Nets, so not a big surprise. Charlotte, however, really wanted him at 12, so now they are probably wondering what to do. And when Michael Jordan wonders whom to draft, hilarity ensues. Kwame Brown and Adam Morrison aren't available this year, so maybe they'll stumble into a decent pick. Is it a good thing or a bad thing that they're likely wondering which Tar Heel to take with the pick? You decide.

8:45 pm - Uh oh. This isn't good. Charlotte just made a solid draft pick by taking Gerald Henderson. This might mean bad things in the grand scheme of the world. Add in the fact that he's a Blue Devil, and hell might be seeing a temperature drop right about now. I like the pick. The Bobcats have needed more scoring from the wing for a couple of seasons now, and Henderson should provide that. I'm a little concerned that he was essentially a "one-year wonder" in college, but hopefully last season was a harbinger of things to come as opposed to a fluke statistical increase.

8:51 pm - For everybody wondering where Tyler Hansbrough would go, there's your answer. Indiana takes him at 13, hoping that he'll provide the muscle and intensity down low that they've been sorely lacking for two seasons now. I'm a bit skeptical of his defense and face-up game, but he should be a productive player for the Pacers for years to come. Tyler, you're a lucky man. Indianapolis is my favorite city in the world, and I'm envious of your relocation there. Tell Peyton I said hello.

8:56 pm - Uh, this is awkward. Phoenix (who apparently is working on a deal to trade Amare' Stoudemire) selects Earl Clark from Louisville at #14. Clark is a tremendous talent who can do a number of things on the floor. He's a remarkably talented player, whose only draw back is his reticence. If he gets a bit more aggressive, we're gonna look back on this pick as a steal. However, the weird part happened afterward when it was announced that Clark wasn't present...but Brandon Jennings was. He was late coming to the Draft, so they decided to bring him out after the #14 pick despite the fact that he was chosen 10th. It's probably not a good thing when your draft pick shows up late. Maybe he heard that he was drafted by Milwaukee and tried to go into hiding. Yeah, that was probably it.

9:02 pm - BAD PICK ALERT. It's Joe Dumars selecting, so we shouldn't be surprised, but I still don't like him picking Austin Daye, forward from Gonzaga, at #15. I mean, this guy is 6'11" 190 lbs. How, exactly, is he supposed to contribute right away? Detroit made the playoffs this year, yes, but they also were the 8-seed in a terrible East. Are they getting better with this pick? Nope. Daye, by all accounts, has a good work ethic so he'll be able to put on weight. But when? 2011? 2012? Will Rasheed Wallace even be alive then? I just don't get it. The point of the draft is to get better, and I honestly don't see how this improves the Pistons. For the record, I felt the same way about the Darko Milicic pick in 2003. Sorry, Austin, it's nothing personal, but I had to go there.

9:06 pm - "Daye makes (Tayshaun) Prince look like 'The Hulk'." Great line, Van Gundy. That's funny.

9:08 pm - Chicago selects James Johnson, forward from Wake Forest, 16th. I like this pick. He's not a household name, but he has a lot of skill and can contribute to the Bulls in a lot of ways. With the way Chicago played down the stretch last season, they're already pointed in the right direction, so he won't have a lot of pressure to produce right away. By easing him into the rotation, he'll be able to progress at his own pace, and I think by the 2010-2011 season, he'll be a very good contributor for the Bulls. Wow, I can't believe I just spent that much space typing about James Johnson. I think the 419 Starbursts I just ate in 10 minutes are starting to kick in.

9:13 pm - You know, as a human (providing the "humanity" element that our fine blog promises), I'm glad to see that the green room is now empty. It's sort of awkward/uncomfortable when guys are sitting there for hours and hours waiting for their name to be called. But if I'm a fan of the 76ers, I'm a little let down. Jrue Holiday was the pick at #17, and I'm not as high on him as others. He has no defined position, he didn't wow anyone at UCLA, and isn't overly explosive for a guard. I'm not saying he isn't going to be good, I just haven't yet seen anything to tell me that he'll be a productive NBA player. Oh, that, and Stuart Scott just informed us that Holiday was the team manager of the women's tennis team in high school. Do you really want that on your draftee's resume? Yeah, me neither.

9:18 pm - Minnesota is picking again, and since they took two point guards earlier, why not take a third? I hear Lawson is still available.

9:19 pm - Wait, Timberwolves, that was a joke. I was kidding. No, really, why did you just take Lawson with the 18th pick? What is going on here? They took Rubio at 5, Flynn at 6, and now Lawson at 18. I have no idea what to say. I want to hate on them, but there has to be some logic here...and there it is. ESPN's Ric Bucher just said that Lawson will be moved to Denver for a future pick. But I can still hate because that leaves them with two point guards under 6'4" who can't shoot. Nicely done, Minnesota.

9:23 pm - Atlanta takes Jeff Teague at 19. He's a talented player, but he's nowhere near ready to play point guard at the NBA level, considering he wasn't really ready to play it in college. He's a 2-guard without the size, so I'm not sure how this helps the Hawks. If Teague can't help his team beat Cleveland State in the NCAA Tournament, how's he supposed to help his team beat Cleveland in the NBA playoffs?

9:28 pm - Utah takes Eric Maynor, point guard from Virginia Commonwealth, with the 20th pick. He's a good player. He'll be able to take some minutes from Deron Williams so that Williams isn't playing 40 minutes per game. He's got a composed demeanor, a great handle, and a good jumper. I like the pick for the Jazz. For Maynor? Not really. I hear Salt Lake City's nightlife is about as energetic as Mehmet Okur in the 4th quarter of a close game (tip of the cap to whomever gets that joke). However, going from a small school the NBA is a great accomplishment, so I'm not sure if Maynor actually cares what I think.

9:30 pm - Stuart Scott and Larry Brown, two UNC grads, make some bad jokes about selecting a Duke player with the pick. You knew it was coming, but it still made you shake your head. That's how bad the humor was.

9:32 pm - With the 21st pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the New Orleans (don't call us Charlotte) Hornets select...Darren Collison, point guard from UCLA. The Hornets desperately needed a backup point guard in order to save Chris Paul from spontaneously combusting on the court from too many minutes played. Collison is very quick and has a better-than-average jumper. I think he's entering a great situation and should thrive in this spot. Good call, Hornets.

9:38 pm - The Trail Blazers are on the clock. They gave away three picks to Dallas to move up two spots from 24 to 22, so they must have someone in mind here. I've heard rumblings that they really liked Israeli Omri Casspi, as did Sacramento at 23, so they moved up to get him. The pick is in...and it's a European player, but not Casspi. Victor Claver (pronounced Cluh-vair), a Spanish wunderkind, is the choice. At 6'9" and 224 lbs, Claver provides a lot of size and scoring on the wing. However, he's only 20 years old, so he'll probably stay in Europe for a year or two to develop. Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Rodriguez are already in Portland, so maybe their entire team will be Spaniards in a few years. Speaking of Spain, did you guys hear that their men's soccer team lost to the United States yesterday? Man, what a performance.

9:40 pm - ESPN has a phone interview with Shaquille O'Neal, who was traded to Cleveland this morning. A classy start by the big fella, sending his condolences to Michael Jackson's family and saluting all of the draftees. He says the usual stuff about wanting to win and having a lot of fun with LeBron. Which he always says until a team gets rid of him, and then he tells everyone how it's the worst franchise he's ever played for. Seriously, look it up.

9:44 pm - Well, I was half-right earlier. Sacramento really did like Omri Casspi; enough to draft him at 23. He'll become the first Israeli to play in the NBA. I have no idea what Omri Casspi can or cannot do on the court, so I'll just wish him luck. Omri, you know those dreams of being rich and famous and enjoying the glitz and glamor of the NBA? Yeah, Sacramento can provide you with one out of four. So, uh, enjoy that.

9:47 pm - Speaking of Sacramento, their new mayor is Kevin Johnson. Do you think he could come out of retirement to play for the Kings and chalk it up as a public works project? I mean, seriously, are you telling me that he's not better than Beno Udrih right now? I know they just drafted Tyreke Evans, too, and he'd start; but KJ could come off the bench to slide Evans to the 2-guard spot and you wouldn't miss a beat. I really think this could work, and since he's mayor, he wouldn't even need a contract. I'm gonna research this and get back to you (no, not really).

9:49 pm - At pick 24, Dallas takes B.J. Mullens from Ohio State. He didn't play a whole lot at Ohio State his freshman year, but he's been in and out of homeless shelters during his childhood, so there was no doubt he was a one-and-done player. He's very athletic and showed some offensive skills during his limited minutes in college, so I think this is a good pick for Dallas. Especially at #24. Develop him for a couple years while you're still telling yourself that you're a contender, and then he'll be ready to go for your rebuilding project. Where is Dirk Nowitzki right now? Looking for a girlfriend? Shopping for a baby crib? Sorry, I had to do it.

9:53 pm - With the 25th pick, Oklahoma City takes Rodrigue Beaubois from France. The best part about this pick is that David Stern almost had a coronary just trying to say his name and hometown. That was quality stuff. I don't really know why the Thunder took him; they drafted Russell Westbrook last year, and he's not going anywhere. Did you just take a backup in the first round? Wait, hold the phones...Beaubois is going to Dallas for Mullens. That, I like. OKC now has a center prospect to develop along with all of their other young players and Dallas has their point guard of the future, who they might even leave in Europe for a year or two to mature. Why these two teams didn't just draft their respective new players with their own picks I don't know; but maybe something else was involved in the trade that we've yet to hear about. Whatever, I just want to see "Public Enemies".

9:59 pm - After selecting James Johnson at #16, the Bulls take Taj Gibson from USC with the 26th pick. This gives the Bulls some defense and rebounding down low. Considering Luol Deng and Tyrus Thomas also play down low for Chicago, they need to provide Joakim Noah help defending and rebounding. Gibson is a very solid player, but at 24 years old, he's basically a finished product. He'll get better, sure, but he's not likely to drastically improve over the years. It's a safe pick by the Bulls.

10:05 pm - Remember earlier when I was complaining about Memphis taking Thabeet and I said picks like that are the reason the Grizzlies are the Grizzlies? Well, it happened again. With the 27th pick, they took Missouri forward DeMarre Carroll. I like DeMarre; he's a really energetic player and his teammates enjoy playing with him, but I don't see him translating well to the NBA. He looks like another Renaldo Balkman, and no that isn't a dreadlocks joke. Well, not entirely. He's an energy guy and a good reserve, but he's not exactly making Memphis a team to watch out for next season.

10:10 pm - ESPN's Andy Katz reports that the Lawson deal is imminent, so Minnesota looks somewhat better for taking three point guards in the first round...until you realize that they still have two point guards, taken back-to-back. Weird.

10:11 pm - At pick #28, the Timberwolves take Wayne Ellington from North Carolina. He's a great shooter and has shown improvement in each of his three years in college. I like what he gives the T'Wolves on the wing, and I think he'll play well for them. Good value on the pick as well, since you get him at pick 28. I like it, Minnesota, I do. You still butchered the 5-6 combo earlier, but you nailed 28. Wait, is that a compliment? I don't know, either.

10:15 pm - After trading Quentin Richardson to Memphis for Darko Milicic (there's that man again), the New York Knicks select Toney Douglas from FLORIDA STATE. Go 'Noles. Technically, the Lakers made the pick, but they're selling it to the Knicks as soon as its legal to do so. Douglas is my boy. He was a warrior all year for my Seminoles and led them to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1998. I love his game and love that he's going to New York to play for a coach that will absolutely know how to utilize his talents.

10:21 pm - Should I make a joke here about Jeff Van Gundy preaching that Cleveland should be proud of their season despite a postseason flameout? Nah, that's too easy. I'm better than that.

10:22 pm - Stuart Scott mumbles something about the Cavs' soon-to-be draft pick not getting "top billing" and then David Stern comes out, seemingly drunk, and calls the name of a player I've never heard of. And I've been reading all sorts of draft reports. Christian Eyenga from Congo (don't call it Zaire). Now, there's an awkward silence on the broadcast as these guys can't find any info on Eyenga. After cueing up some grainy high-school-like highlights, ESPN's Fran Fraschilla talks some gibberish about Eyenga's athleticism. Yes, he's African; he's going to be a good athlete, we get that. That also means he's probably not very skilled, so we'll never hear from again. So let me be the first to say, Christian Eyenga, it's been real. Have a great life.

10:28 pm - Now that we're into Round 2, I'm a little confused. DeJuan Blair, Chase Budinger, and DaJuan Summers are all still available. Coming into tonight, I thought these guys were all first round locks. I'd even seen some of them projected to go in the lottery. I know finances play into it (sending guys overseas to develop before you have to pay them), but I'm still surprised to see such talented guys fall into the second round.

10:31 pm - I enjoy the love that Adam Silver, Deputy Commissioner of the NBA, gets every year he comes out to do the second round. It's just funny to me to see the awkward assistant get some love. Reminds me of "Revenge of the Nerds".

10:32 pm - The Sacramento Kings begin Round 2 by taking Jeff Pendergraph, forward from Arizona State, at #31. Pendergraph won't be staying there long (or at all), as Ric Bucher reports that he's being sent north to Portland for Sergio Rodriguez and the 38th overall pick. The Blazers are looking for some muscle down low, and Pendergraph fits into that. I'm not sure why Sacramento added Rodriguez. By drafting Tyreke Evans, and having already signed Beno Udrih to a long-term deal, you now have three point guards, none of whom are all that good. Whatever, I'm not spending any more time on the Kings' point guard situation.

10:36 pm - Washington makes their first pick of the night, taking Jermaine Taylor, guard from Central Florida, with pick #32. I've seen this guy play a couple times and I like him. He just scores. He's a pretty good shooter, but nothing special, yet he scores all the time. He'll fit right in with the Wizards. Especially since he doesn't play much defense.

10:38 pm - Portland takes Dante Cunningham, Villanova forward, at 33. I'm happy for him. He had somewhat underachieved his first three years with the Wildcats before exploding his senior year. Leading Villanova to the Final Four, he improved his draft stock the old-fashioned way...by playing well. Congrats to Dante on being drafted.

10:42 pm - Denver takes Sergio Llull while ESPN is gone at a commercial. He's a Spanish guard with good size, but I suspect he'll stay in Europe for a year or two prior to making his way over here. Think Rudy Fernandez in Portland.

10:45 pm - Finally, DaJuan Summers is selected. Detroit got him at #35. He's a very good athlete, defends well, and can provide some scoring punch on the wing. I think the Pistons made a good move here, which sort of makes up for the Daye pick earlier. Let me put it like this, if I'd heard Summers went 15th and Daye went 35th, I'd consider that a successful draft. So I'll take it easy on them from here on out. No, really, I will.

10:49 pm - At #36, Memphis takes Sam Young, the forward from Pitt. Good pick. He's a solid player an should help them out. That's all I'm saying about the Grizzlies.

10:51 pm - With the 37th pick, San Antonio drafts DeJuan Blair, big man from Pitt. As a Spurs fan, I like this a lot. Having given away all of our big men to Milwaukee, we needed rebounding. And Blair does that...in abundance. Great pick.

10:52 pm - Quote of the night: "I don't care how many ACLs he has or doesn't have, this guy can get the ball." -- Jay Bilas, commenting on DeJuan Blair's multiple knee surgeries in high schoo.

10:54 pm - At pick 38, Portland selects Jon Brockman from Washington. That's a big, big man who goes hard down low (that's what she said). Anyway, the Blazers are trying to get more physical by taking Pendergraph and, now, Brockman. Mission accomplished.

10:58 pm - The Pistons take Jonas Jerekbo at #39, "the Swedish Rasheed Wallace" as my homeboy/roommate Uncle Matt tells me. I trust that guy, so from now on, I will only refer to him as the Swedish Rasheed Wallace. By the way, Jerekbo looks extremely dapper in his suit. If he hits the town after the Draft, he'll kill it. His accent, coupled with his height, thrown in with his sartorial splendor? Ladies will love Jonas. Oh, and he's now an NBA player. That always helps.

11:00 pm - With the 40th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Bobcats select...Derrick Brown, forward from Xavier. He's a good all-around player and will probably crack the rotation, but I don't see why the Bobcats passed up on Chase Budinger. It's almost like they didn't realize he's still available. He'd give them plenty of scoring off the wing, and coming from a guy who went to several Bobcats games last year, that's exactly what they need. Brown is a good player, but Budinger has lottery-type talent. He'd have been a steal at #40.

11:04 pm - At 41, the Milwaukee Bucks take Jodie Meeks, shooting guard from Kentucky. He's a volume scorer and can fill it up when he gets his shots, but he's not very efficient with his shots. However, he can get hot quickly, and should be a good backup option whenever Michael Redd needs a rest. Unfortunately for Jodie, playing for the Bucks means that you'll be playing in Milwaukee. I'd make another joke here, but the people of Milwaukee have suffered enough already. And no, that wasn't my joke.

11:11 pm - While ESPN was gone at a commercial, the Lakers took Patrick Beverley at #42, a guard from Arkansas who went to Ukraine to play professionally last season. He's a good combo guard, but I suspect he'll stay in Europe for another year while the Lakers pay other guys. At #43, Miami gets Marcus Thornton from LSU. This guy is a great scorer and should be a great backup for Mario Chalmers. Thornton is in great shape and a hard-worker, so a good idea for guard-depleted Miami to take him.

11:14 pm - Detroit is trying to make me look silly all of a sudden. With the 44th pick, they take Chase Budinger, a wing from Arizona. He's superb and should be a very good rotation player for Detroit. Having drafted Summers, Jerekbo, and Budinger after the mistake of taking Daye at #15, I like what the Pistons have done. No more Dumars hate from me tonight.

11:17 pm - Minnesota takes Nick Calathes at #45. He's a great guard from Florida, but he comes with a catch. Having already signed a contract with a team in Greece (he has dual-citizenship there, as well as being an American), he will play overseas for a season before coming back. For those of you keeping score at home, the Timberwolves have now drafted FOUR point guards tonight. No, really, they have.

11:19 pm - Danny Green is off the board. Cleveland takes him with the 46th pick. I like Danny Green's game. He's pretty good at everything, and doesn't really have any negative aspects on the court. He'll get limited minutes with such a deep team, but I could easily see him still being in the League in 10 years.

11:25 pm - I am now a charter member of the Henk Norel Fan Club. This guy is the man. Wow. Apparently, he's a 6'10" 230-lb. forward from Netherlands who must improve his "low post moves" according to ESPN. Whatever, they're just haters. Minnesota knows what's up, that's why they drafted him at #47. My goodness, his highlight tape is all about him throwing it down. Hard. What a guy.

11:28 pm - Phoenix drafts Taylor Griffin, Blake's brother, at #48. Apparently, they saw "Griffin, F, Oklahoma" on their board and thought Blake was available. After getting Robin Lopez last year, I'm convinced that the Suns are on a mission to draft every "not quite as good as his brother" player.

11:31 pm - At #49, Atlanta takes Sergiy Gladyr from Ukraine. I know nothing about him. Moving on...

11:34 pm - With the 50th pick, Utah takes Michigan State's Goran Suton. Utah is on a quest to have a completely white roster (yes, Deron William counts), so this helps them there. That, and he's a very low-maintenance player.

11:35 pm - San Antonio takes Jack McClinton with the 51st pick. He's a deadeye shooter from Miami, and I'm sure the Spurs will ask him to do nothing more. Post up in the corner and hit 3s...if you make the team, that is.

11:39 pm - Indiana selects A.J. Price, the point guard from UConn, with the 52nd pick. He's a very good scorer and a solid point guard option, especially this late in the draft. With an unsettled point guard position, the Pacers did well to find such an adequate option in the later rounds.

11:42 pm - The Spurs select a French point guard (Nando De Colo) with the 53rd pick. Sadly, he doesn't really compare to Tony Parker. He's more of a distributor type, though he's got good size at 6'5". We'll stash him in Europe for a little while and then bring him back if/when he's ready.

11:43 pm - Charlotte takes Robert Vaden, wing from UAB, with at #54. He's a solid choice this late. He has unlimited range and can score in a number of ways. I look forward to seeing his progress with the Bobcats. Good pick.

11:45 pm - Wow, I almost forgot that Patrick (Patty) Mills was still around. The point guard form St. Mary's sunk like a rock in the past few weeks. He'd been rumored to be a late first round pick earlier, but was taken at #55 by Portland. He looked very good in the Olympics for Australia and could possibly be an impact player down the road. He's very, very quick and if he improves his jump shot, look out. This guy is talented.

11:50 pm - While ESPN is at a commercial break, Dallas takes Ahmad Nivins from St. Joseph's at #56. He's got good size and a good motor, so I could see him getting some "energy" minutes for the Mavs.

11:52 pm - Adam Silver just delivered the moment of the night. After announcing that Emir Preldzic from Bosnia and Herzegovina was drafted by Phoenix with the 57th pick, he attempted to announce Preldzic's club team's name. It sounded like "Jrjshhrpsvic Lruqsxatic". No really, it did. And afterward, Silver's eyes got as big as silver dollars (pun semi-intended). Man, that was some awkward humor. Considering Phoenix drafted him, I'm assuming he has a brother somewhere that's better at basketball than he is.

11:56 pm - Boston takes Lester Hudson with the 58th pick. A guard from UT-Martin, Hudson was one of my favorite "small school" players to watch in college. He's small in stature, but he can fill it up. The guy just rolls out of bed and scores 25. I really hope he sticks somewhere, maybe even in Boston, spelling Rajon Rondo (assuming he's not traded for some reason that only Danny Ainge can explain).

11:58 pm - Danny Ferry, a Duke grad, makes some more awkward jokes by saying that he drafted Danny Green, a Carolina guy, because Larry Brown, a Carolina guy, drafted Gerald Henderson, a Duke guy. What I really want to know, though, is if Danny Ferry were put to a lie detector test and asked if he's ever seen Christian Eyenga (his first round pick) play, would he pass? I say no, without hesitation.

12:00 am - Chinemelu Elonu is taken at #59 by the Lakers. He was a decent low post player for Texas A&M in his college days, but I don't really expect to see him in a Lakers uniform any time soon. Luckily for him, LA also has a D-League franchise (the D-Fenders), so he'll be able to live in Los Angeles regardless. Fun.

12:06 am - With the final pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Miami Heat select...Robert "SAT" Dozier. Maybe Robert "4th Percentile" Dozier. Whatever works for you, use it. He's a pretty good basketball player, so I hope he sticks with Miami, but read the articles about him and his SAT caper in order to really enjoy his existence.

12:09 am - Alright, I'm tired. I've watched every single draft pick of the evening and have had to try to come up with something witty for all of them. I know that I've failed on many counts, but hopefully you laughed at least four times while reading this. And if anyone actually read the entire thing, God bless you. I would tell you who I think the draft winners and losers are, but I don't really remember any of the picks all that well (they're all running together at this point), and my brain isn't working properly right now. I think it's the combination of Starbursts and computer monitor-watching.

I love you all; peace, love, and hair grease.

~~ Lank

Goodbye, Mike

Michael Jackson is dead.

This sucks. The King of Pop was my guy. Yes, he was weird, and yes, he had a bunch of erratic (and sometimes illegal) behavior that was hard to defend. But the man made some of my favorite songs of all-time. "Beat It", "Billie Jean", "P.Y.T.", "Thriller", "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough", "Black or White", "You Are Not Alone", and I could go on forever. That doesn't even consider the body of work he put together with his brothers in the Jackson 5.

I still can't believe it, really. Nor can millions of other people around the world who were big fans of his. I was born in 1985, and I really, really liked Michael Jackson. But I don't come close to liking him as much as the people who were around in 1984 for the "Thriller" explosion, or the people who were around for the heyday of the Jackson 5. He was popular beyond belief, far beyond anything we have now. To say that he had more fans than any musician since he began recording isn't hyperbole. Michael Jackson was that famous.

I don't really have much else to say. I loved the guy's music, I was happy to hear that he was going back on tour this summer, and was hopeful that it'd be the first step in him getting his personal life back in control. But now he's gone and we'll never really know what could've happened had he continued to work on his personal demons.

Rest in peace, Mike. We'll always love you.

~~ Lank

Surprising Sams Stun Spain

I could get used to this. After years and years of waiting for the United States men's soccer team to beat an elite opponent, I finally got my wish. And boy, does it feel good. Going into Wednesday's game against Spain in the semifinals of the Confederations Cup in South Africa, the United States was a big time underdog. Rightfully so, I might add. The Spanish club had come in having gone unbeaten in 35 straight matches, including 15 straight victories. They probably have 5 of the 30 best players in the world, and their depth is mind-boggling. A United States victory not only would have been a surprise, it would have sent shockwaves around the world.

Well, hello there, world; allow me to introduce us.

That there is Tim, he's our goalkeeper. Standing just in front of him are Carlos, Jay, Oguchi (we just call him "Gooch"), and Jonathan (Spector, not Bornstein). The next wave will present to you Landon, Michael, Ricardo, and Clint. Up top you'll notice our friends Jozy and Charlie. Coming a bit late to the party will be Benny, Conor, and Jonathan (Bornstein, not Spector). Thanks for the congratulations on doing something none of you could do since November 2006: beat Spain.

This wasn't a fluke. Anyone who watched the game knows that the U.S. defended INCREDIBLY well, took their opportunities when they came, and didn't make the kind of mistakes that'd beat themselves. In short, the Yanks played exactly how they needed to play in order to have a chance. Speaking of chances, Spain had a ton of them throughout the match. It seemed like every time I looked up, Fernando Torres or David Villa had the ball on his foot in the box. Either that or Xavi was attacking and making plays. But here came Gooch (Onyewu) or Carlos (Bocanegra) sliding in to stop the chance. The defense was beyond terrific. After being out with an injury for the previous games this tournament, Bocanegra returned with a great game, and looked sharp alongside Jay DeMerit, who's earned his stripes (and hopefully a starting spot for the forseeable future) with his play in South Africa.

When Jozy Altidore scored in the 25th minute, I was excited, but also realistic. Spain was still going to get their opportunities, so I wasn't quite ready to put my chest out too far. But then when Clint Dempsey took the ball away from Ramos and scored in the 73rd minute, all of a sudden things got serious. It really looked like we were going to win the game, whereas earlier it appeared as if we might win the game. Unreal. When the final whistle blew, I sat there in disbelief, asking my buddy if that really just happened.

It did.

After shrugging off the haters with an appearance in the semifinals of a major international tournament following a bit of flair (3-0 win over Egypt) and a bit of luck (Brazil's 3-0 win over Italy), the United States men's soccer team silenced them for a long while with Wednesday's win over Spain. The tournament finals are Sunday, and we'll play the winner of Thursday's game between Brazil and South Africa. At this point, I don't even care who we play (though I'd prefer South Africa); having seen this team come together and play like grown men for four games has been all the reward I need.

But if you guys want to go ahead and bring home the trophy, I won't be mad at that, either. Good job, Sams, way to represent those 50 stars and 13 stripes with pride. The pride has now been shifted to your fan base, and we can't wait to welcome you home after a highly successful showing in South Africa...which also happens to be the site of next summer's World Cup. Just saying.

~~ Lank

Something That Pleases Me: Oregon's Uniforms

My favorite sport is college football. The rivalries, the pageantry, the buildup each week, the lack of a playoff which raises the stakes for each game, the surprising teams that come out of nowhere; basically, I like everything about college football (even the BCS). Every year, around this time, there are a few things that begin to get my engine cranking for the new season. I buy the Athlon Sports College Football Preview magazine. I ask Skip what the North Carolina Tar Heels are going to finish this year (which usually only deviates from 12-0 if he goes with 11-1). I go to schools' websites that are losing big time players and look at their depth chart to see how they're filling the void.

And I peep Oregon's new uniforms.

God bless the Oregon Ducks. They throw a middle finger to tradition and decide to go into the 22nd century, design and make their uniforms, and then come back to the present to play football. And I, for one, have no problem with that. You can take Penn State's boring white-on-whites with a logo-less helmet all day; I'm going with Oregon's jazzed up technicolor wonders every day of the week and twice on Sunday (or should I say Saturday?).

Today (Tuesday, June 23rd), Oregon debuted some new unis and they look great. Not "great" as in, "oh, those remind me of the days of the wishbone, tearaway jerseys, and New Year's Day bowl games." I mean "great" as in, "man, those jerseys are legit. Those boys are gonna be lookin' flashy all year long." I must admit that I miss the all yellow uniforms, and the yellow tops with the green bottoms. However, I'm hopeful that the looks shown today are only a fraction of what the Ducks plan on wearing this season. After all, part of the beauty of Oregon's uniforms are their versatility. Wearing the same color jersey with the same color pants more than once is sooooo 2008.

Oh, and before I forget, I promise that Skip To My Lank will have a legit college football preview, beginning in a few weeks. I'm doing my research and formulating my rankings, conference predictions, and overall national outlook. Stay tuned, because before the season begins, we'll provide you with the most interesting college football preview around, and the only preview you'll need to read to be ready for kickoff in September.

~~ Lank

Jon & Kate Plus Hate

I'm tired, tired, tired, tired, tired of Jon and Kate Gosselin. Tired of them. Can't stand hearing about them anymore. As a matter of fact, after I finish this post, I'm never speaking of them nor writing about them again. I want them to go away. Now.

First of all, I hate that their kids are having to go through this whole ordeal. It's embarrassing to the parents, obviously, but they're grownups and they've brought this upon themselves, so I couldn't care less about them being inconvenienced by this. However, these kids are barely old enough to think, and already they're having to deal with cameras in their face and strangers following them around everywhere. Add on the potentially ugly divorce that may be coming down the turnpike, and you have a recipe for disaster. If these kids don't grow up to be drug addicts and/or strippers, I'll be stunned. Seriously.

Also, I hate that their show has so many viewers. I've never seen it, but apparently, ever since Jon was rumored to be mingling around with other girls, the ratings have gone up. You know how it is, America loves a scandal, and this one just got "better" by the day. I wish Americans would quit fanning the flames of such a train wreck of a relationship, and that I wouldn't have to hear about this madness daily. Honestly, if you need something cool to watch on Monday nights, watch wrestling. It's about as realistic and genuine as Jon and Kate's relationship, but at least it's more entertaining and no kids are harmed during filming.

Another thing I hate about these poor excuses for parents/spouses (by the way, if the word 'spouse' is to be treated like the word 'mouse', wouldn't multiple spouses be referred to as 'spice'? As in, trying to 'spice' up your relationship? I'm just saying. Anyway...) is that people legitimately think that having a reality show ruined their marriage. What the hell? I know relationships that have survived disease, deployments, long distances, disagreements, and children; reality TV ain't got nothin' on any of those things. If their relationship didn't suck to begin with, Jon and Kate wouldn't be having this problem, TV or no TV. Just because Nick and Jessica and Hulk and Linda couldn't make it work either doesn't mean that there's a curse put on reality TV marriages. Did you ever stop to consider that shaky relationships are chosen because they breed more drama and thus more storylines? You know, kind of like how "The Hills" is considered reality TV.

Alright, I think I feel a little better now. But just a little. I still feel bad for the eight children who have to suffer through this tumultuous time in their lives just because Mommy and Daddy have the sense of a mongoose. And I apologize to the mongoose. Bottom line is, I'm done with Jon and Kate (not that I ever really began with them), and you should be, too. These people are ridiculous, their "relationship" is ridiculous, and their TV show is ridiculous. They don't deserve our time or attention, and maybe if we stop giving it to them, they'll go away.

Finally.

~~ Lank

Richard Jefferson To Spurs = Happy Lank

I love the San Antonio Spurs.

There, I said it.

This blog has never been advertised as objective, and I'm not going to pretend like it is. The Spurs are my favorite NBA team and always have been. It's led me to indescribable joy (watching David Robinson, watching Tim Duncan, and of course, the titles), similar despair (the Derek Fisher Shot, Manu fouling Dirk in 2006, not being able to ever beat the Stockton/Malone Jazz), and everything in between. But above all, the thing I love most about being a Spurs fan is that my team is always in the thick of things. The only time we've missed the playoffs since the Admiral joined the team (1989) was in 1997...and that resulted in us luckily winning the Draft Lottery and selecting Tim Duncan. Yes, I know, it's almost nauseating.

So imagine my concern after the Spurs were beaten by the Dallas Mavericks in 5 games this spring in the first round of the playoffs. Duncan looked human, for once, Ginobili was hobbled, and outside of Tony Parker becoming the second-best point guard in the NBA (try me on this, I dare you), there wasn't much to be happy about. Duncan is 32 and has played God-knows-how-many games in his career. Going deep into the playoffs every year takes its toll, and he finally started to show some wear and tear towards the end of the season. Ginobili has had season-ending injuries the last two years (yes, he played at the end of 2008, but was clearly injured) and can't be counted on to be there for the duration of the year anymore. Was this the beginning of the end? How were we going to emerge from this? You can only draft so many times at 25 and below before it starts catching up with you. And with so much money invested in the Big Three, it's not like we can throw mega-dollars at a free agent.

Well, we figured it out.

By trading Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas, and Fabricio Oberto to the Milwaukee Bucks for Richard Jefferson, the San Antonio Spurs have made a move that should help them usher in the new era of Spurs basketball. Jefferson is not young (he just turned 29), but he also doesn't have the mileage on his body that Ginobili and Duncan do. What's more, he's an athletic wing player with a good outside jumper who's capable of putting up 40 points if given the opportunity. He's durable (having played at least 78 games in 3 of the last 4 seasons), defends well, and adds a slashing element to the Spurs offense that was notably absent from everyone not named Tony Parker last season. Imagine a crunch time lineup of Parker, Ginobili (fingers crossed), Jefferson, Duncan, and CTBNL (center to be named later). I only have 80% of the lineup filled in and I'm already excited.

The only downside to this deal is that we no longer have Bruce Bowen to harass the other team's best player, and our interior depth, which was already a question, is now depleted. Hopefully, the Spurs will re-sign Drew Gooden or recruit Rasheed Wallace to fill the void; but those are things that will be settled in the future. The present shows Richard Jefferson and his explosive talents joining a Spurs team that was already a Top 5 NBA team. Will that potent combination lead to another banner in the River City in 2010? It's far too early to tell, but as we sit here in June, I wouldn't bet against it.

~~ Lank

Stars and Stripes Shocker

Well, that was amazing.

The United States men's soccer team beat incredibly long odds to advance to the semifinals of the FIFA Confederations Cup, being played in South Africa. Coming off a disheartening loss to Italy and a beatdown at the hands of Brazil, the Yanks needed a ton of help to advance out of group play and into the knockout stage of the tournament. I'll save you the confusion of explaining the situation and the tiebreaker rules, but know that the United States had to defeat its opponent today (Egypt) by 3 goals, and Italy had to lose to its opponent today (Brazil) by 3 goals. Considering Italy had given up 2 goals total in their previous two games and the United States had scored 1 goal in their previous two games, there wasn't much hope on our side.

But sometimes, a little hope is all you need.

Playing with a fervor and energy unseen all tournament long, the Americans attacked offensively more than they had in recent matches and beat Egypt 3-0 with goals being scored by Charlie Davies (21'), Michael Bradley (63'), and Clint Dempsey (71'). By handling their business, the United States team needed a miracle in the game being played simultaneously between Brazil and Italy. And a miracle they got, as Brazil scored 3 goals early and then held on at the end to shut out the Italians, 3-0. I sat there in disbelief as the seconds wound down on the US-Egypt game (it finished slightly after the Brazil-Italy game) as the team that appeared to be in a freefall only days earlier had now clinched a spot in the semifinals of a major international tournament. What a turnaround.

The Sams had been much-maligned for their recent struggles, including a one-sided loss to Costa Rica in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying and the losses in South Africa. However, they managed to put all of that aside, focus on the improbable task at hand, and deliver a memorable performance for all of Sam's Army. And for that, they should be commended. The semifinal matchup against Spain is another uphill battle, considering Spain is one of the best teams in the world, but the fact that we're in the game is an achievement all its own.

I know you're not supposed to "just be happy to be there" but that's the attitude I'm taking into Wednesday's game against Spain (2:25 ET on ESPN). Spain, fresh off their dazzling performance in Euro 2008, hasn't lost in international competition in quite a while. They have substitutes that would start on the United States team and top-level players that are beyond any talented players we have. If Spain were to play the United States ten times, they'd win nine at least. But maybe Wednesday will be that one game. Last summer, in an international friendly in Spain, the Spaniards beat the US 1-0 in a somewhat competitive game. The United States didn't provide much offense, but did a solid job defending the high-powered Spanish team. If they can defend that well again and steal a goal early, who knows what might happen.

With the way things shook out today, I'm not giving up on anything similarly miraculous happening in South Africa on Wednesday. Go get 'em, Sams.

~~ Lank

At Least Tim Floyd Won Games

As I documented earlier, the Tim Floyd saga at USC came to an end because he got too desperate to win big, and ended up losing his career in the process. But, as I mentioned, I'm not mad at him because he was essentially on his last chance at coaching and did whatever he thought he needed to in order to win.

If only USC followed suit.

Today, the University of Southern California hired Kevin O'Neill as its new basketball coach. That's a bad hire. I wanted to put it in print so that when they're talking about the underachieving Trojans basketball program in 4 years, you'll remember that you heard it hear first. Mike Garrett, USC's athletics director, talked of bringing discipline to the program and needing someone who could show that he was in control. I get that, but you also might've wanted someone who could win.

Kevin O'Neill is one of those guys who gets a lot of credit for being around basketball, but he's never actually done anything. As the immortal John Wooden said, "never mistake activity for acheivement." He was head coach at Marquette...and they weren't good (86-62 in 5 years, averaging out to 17-12 per season). He was head coach at Tennessee...and they also weren't any good (36-47 in 3 years, averaging out to 12-16 per season). He was head coach at Northwestern...and they weren't any good, either (30-56 in 3 years, averaging out to 10-19 per season). He then bounced around as an NBA assistant before being named head coach of the Toronto Raptors in 2003. After going 33-49, he was canned. After being an assistant again, he showed up at Arizona during Year One of the Lute Olson Weirdness and led the Wildcats to a 19-15 record, the only time in the last 25 years that they haven't won 20 games. The dude had 34 opportunities to win a game, and couldn't do it 20 times. This was two years ago. And he's going to lead USC to the promised land? Yeah, right.

I'm all for coaches getting second chances. Heck, Rick Majerus did nothing at Marquette before heading to Utah and turning them into a consistent NCAA Tournament team, even reaching the Final Four in 1998. Herb Sendek was run off at NC State for "underachieving" (how's that working out for you, Pack fans?) and goes out to Arizona State and leads them to one of the more prosperous years in school history. However, when it's been proven time and time again that a guy just can't get the job done as a head coach, there's no excuse to hire him. None.

Is USC headed for probation? Possibly, but you can't use that as a reason to hire a sub-standard coach. Why? Because you interviewed the perfect candidate a few days before hiring the wrong candidate. Reggie Theus worked wonders at New Mexico State before leaving to become head coach of the Sacramento Kings. He took a 6-24 team to 16-14 (including a 10-6 conference record); and took that team to 25-9 and an NCAA Tournament appearance the following season. (side note: Theus got screwed in Sacramento. He went 38-44 with a terrible roster in 2007-2008 and got off to a poor start in 2008-2009 with an even worse roster and got canned. How does this happen? They should've built a statue in his honor for getting 38 wins out of the '08 Kings.) Theus was born in Inglewood, California, has a ton of high school coaching contacts in the area and really wants to get back into coaching. What's not to like? USC had the opportunity to hire a local guy with a proven winning track record and a hunger to coach again. But instead they opted for an import with a proven losing track record and a complacency to just have a job. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

USC had a nice run under Tim Floyd. They made the NCAA Tournament consistently, sent multiple players to the NBA, and were headed in the right direction. Amidst all of the turmoil that came along with the allegations of Floyd cheating, USC panicked and chose a guy who they know isn't crazy (which you couldn't say about Floyd) and won't bend the rules (which you also couldn't say about Floyd). Just because he's the safe choice doesn't mean he's the right choice. Judging by his resume, Kevin O'Neill will probably go 52-83 in the next four years in Los Angeles, and will once again be looking for a job.

Maybe the next time around, in the spring of 2013, USC will make the right call and hire Reggie Theus...unless a more intelligent athletic department beats them to it.

~~ Lank

Something That Irritates Me: Moms Who Dress Like Their Daughters

I went to the mall yesterday. I had to buy a friend a gift for her birthday party tonight, had no clue what to get her, so I went to the mall, figuring that a billion stores at my fingertips might give me some idea of what I should buy. I hadn't been to the mall in a while, but nothing's changed.

Teenagers still try to look cool...and fail.

Kiosk entrepreneurs (you like that phrasing?) try to scam you into buying something...and fail.

Department stores try to lure you in by advertising outrageous sales...and succeed big time (judge me, I don't care).

And, of course, mothers dress like their teenage daughters in an attempt to look "young and hip" or whatever parents like to categorize it as these days. This is one of my pet peeves. I'm all for mothers not dressing "old" with turtlenecks and sweaters and slacks, etc.; but there's no reason for you to be rocking a low-cut shirt with some hip-hugging jeans, and heels that make you taller than me (ok, so that'd mean they were on stilts, but work with me here, I'm on a roll). Let's get serious; you're supposed to be the role model and impression-maker on that kid, and you're dressing like that? And for what? To make yourself feel better when 20-somethings look at you? That's ridiculous. Your poor daughter is going to end up being a stripper and it's all because her mother didn't have the foresight to get over her own self-esteem problems in order to help combat her daughter's.

Yes, I'm jumping to conclusions a bit, but you know where I'm going with this; mainly, because you've had the same thought EVERY single time you see a 47-year-old woman dressed in clothes from Hollister and Forever 21 that she should've given to her 16-year-old daughter. And the makeup? My goodness. I keep trying to give mommy dearest the benefit of the doubt by telling myself that she got the free makeup promotion done at Macy's or Dillard's, but there's no way all of the 46-going-on-17 ladies were in there at the same time. You don't look ugly, ladies, I'm not saying that at all; I just don't understand.

In the future, I hope to see more moms wearing "cool mom" stuff to wear. You know, casual-yet-classy blouses, jeans that are their size and not two sizes below, flats or low heels. Heck, I always make a point of it to smile at the moms rocking the hoodies and tennis shoes; that takes some swagger. So, please, moms, for your own good, for your daughter's good, and so I can buy a friend a present at the mall without judging you, please dress your age. When you do that, everybody wins.

~~ Lank

USA v. Brazil

**Confederations Cup Special**

Dirk here with an early morning Skip To My Lank international soccer special.

Today the US takes on Brazil. This has always been a tough match for the US with only one win against Brazil in recent memory. A win we owe entirely to Predrag Radosavljević, also known as the one and only Preki. That 1998 Gold Cup victory has been the reason that Sam's Army always holds faith against one of the worlds premier national teams. However with superstars the likes of Kaka, Pato, Fat Ronaldo, Adriano and Ronaldiho the Brazilian national teams is one of the most popular in the world. Luckily for the Sams most of those namesakes for Brazil aren't active for the Confederations Cup. With Fat Ronaldo (another player that will put one in the net no mater how old, or fat he is), Adriano and Ronaldinho left off the squad for the likes of Gilberto Silva, the Sams have a chance because this Brazil team doesn't have the same killer line-up it once did.

Line-ups:
USA 4-5-1
Howard
Spector
Onyewu
Demerit
Bornstein
Donovan
Dempsey
Beasley
Bradley
Kljestan
Altidore

Brazil 4-4-2
Julio Cesar
Maicon
Mirando
Andre Santos
Lucio
Gilberto Silva
Kaka
Ramires
Felipe Milo
Robinho
Luis Fabiano

0'-US wearing their the color of angels again and Brazil coming out in the yellow and blue. It will be interesting to see how the US adapts to the different style of another talented team. Italy and Brazil are world class, but play much different styles. Our official if from Switzerland, which I fully approve of.

2:35 - in a socking development we see the first fancy footwork and flair from the US side. Lando with a little flick of the ball over his head to a teammate.

5'- So far Brazil has been playing a more physical brand of soccer, putting their body on US players.

5:46'- First flop by the Brazilian Ramires

6'-GOAL Felipe Melo - Set piece gives Brazil the lead. Puts the header in the back of the net. The US have had trouble early in matches. It's going to me a struggle to get back in this now. Brazil just knows how to turn flops into goals. Rather unfortunate.

10'- We Brazil is finding their flair. With and early goal they aren't afraid to show off and be inventive. Maicon with the flop in the same position as the earlier free kick they score on. Poor clearance by the US and Brazil gets a couple of chances on goal, but to no result.

12'- The US is on their heels and need to find some confidence and ability to hold the ball. It will be a long match if you have to chase the ball for 90 minutes.

13'- Kaka just showing that he is better than our whole team, Makes the run to the 6 yard box and wins a corner.

16'- Brazil is just faster and more skilled than the US right now. The US keeps playing a long ball to an attacker and just leaving him up top by himself. Not a good brand of soccer. The US is struggling to find holes in the Brazilian defense.

18'- Brazil on a 3 on 3 break. Robinho flops on the edge of the box and the ref tells him to stand up. Could have been bad for the US.

19'- GOAL Robinho - Only the US has the ability to turn their own corner kick into a goal for the other team. US misplays the ball and Brazil counters and just runs away from the US defense. 2 on 1 easy goal for Brazil to convert.

20'- The US with a chance on the corner, got a head to it, just couldn't put it on goal. Atleast we didn't give up a goal on that one.

Well the picture has now gone out. That might be the best thing for this USA soccer fan. Its early and ugly. I wonder what the score will be when the picture comes back.

25'- Picture is back. Don't know what has happened but it is still Brazil 2, US 0. If the 5 minutes of missing airtime were anything like the first 20 then I am glad the screen when blank.

27'- Brazil is just looking dangerous on long balls to the strikers. They are just outrunning the US defense.

30'- The game pace is slowing a bit with Brazil holding the ball more and just picking their spots to start an attack.

32'- Corner for the US. Lets not give up a goal this time.

33'- Yellow Card - Oneywu - Just a bad sliding challenge from behind for Oneywu as he was coming back from the corner kick, he deserves that yellow.

35'- The television is telling me that the possession split is 48-52 Brazil. I could have sworn it was more like 70-30.

36'- Oneywu makes a mistake on the header giving Fabiano a open run on goal. Howard makes an easy save of the shot however. It could have been much worse.

38'- Donovan with a beautiful run through the midfield. He and Spector did well working together to create an 80 yard run. The difference is that Brazil would have turned that into a goal. Best chance for the US so far.

39'- Brazil with another chance on a header. Gilberto Silva misses one he should have converted. Its funny how you can be down 2-0 and still think you are "catching" breaks, most teams would think everything had to go wrong to be down 2 goals early.

41'- Brazil with a dangerous free kick. Ball drops to Melo on the back post, but he send it over the cross bar. The US needs to make sure they don't give up a late goal before half. It would be ideal if they could cut it to 1 here in the last minutes, but I'm not holding my breath.

45'- HALFTIME - Brazil 2, USA 0
A horrible half of US soccer. As the US get more and more frustrated the Brazilian attack has been working better and better. Some major changes and improvements need to be made at the half, and that might not even be enough. I dunno, maybe Brazil might come out with with only 6 players and no defenders on the field for the second half, so we could still have a chance.

46'- SUB Casey in, Beasley out. The second half is underway with a change for the US going towards a more offensive look with Casey in. Casey is second in the MLS for goals scored, Brazil probably doesn't see that kind of firepower when they are playing club side in the EPL or La Liga.

47'- Casey and Altidore string some passes together for the best US chance of the day. Casey gives it to Altidore in the box, unfortunately is was on his left foot and we all know how that ends.

50'- The US is looking a lot better to start this half, more confident, better passing and the movement is all there. They are holding the possession and creating offensive opportunities. Bradley attempts a strike from distance, it goes wide.

53'-Brazil with a real chance running at the US defense. Slowly passing the ball around the box finding the open man at the back post, but Robinho can't put it past Howard. On a side note, Maicon has been working the right side up and down making Bornstein look real bad despite his best efforts.

54'- Howard with a GREAT save. Kaka gets the ball at the top of the 18 and just dribbles to a straight on open shot that Kaka usually converts. Excellent save, I thought he would put that on in the back of the net.

55'- Ramires is down with an injury by the hands of Kljestan. Ramires hasn't been afraid to hit the turf and embellish a foul today. Kljestan says he got a RED CARD! What? Again? This is terrible. They didn't show it on TV but Kljestan is sent off! Wow. Now down to 10 against a great team again.

60'- SUB Feilhaber in, Altidore out.

61'-GOAL Maicon - Brazil 3, USA 0. He has been working right side all day and Brazil just passes it through the defense and Maicon finishes a tough shot from the endline. Tough finish from that position, US makes the mistake, but give credit to Maicon for a good finish on a tough shot.

66'- Brazil is just putting together great passes and just choosing where they want to attack. Its gonna be a long last 20 for the Sams.

68'- SUB Fabiano out, Nilmar In. Kaka out, Baptista in. Just getting some minutes for more players here for Brazil. No need to get Kaka injured with the US making bad tackles all over the pitch.

71'- The US has lost all energy and movement. Players are just standing around waiting for Brazil to hold the ball and make them look silly.

74'-Dempsey trying to create something but looses the ball which starts up the Brazilian counter attack. US is lucky to escape with a goal kick.

80'- 10 minutes left and it has just turned into a passing game. Both teams put the ball in to the others area once in a while, but this game is now just a possession drill taking place in the midfield area. Both teams look content just to let the time expire on this one.

83'- US with a CHANCE! Feilhaber puts it off the crossbar! Spector with an excellent run and pass to the middle. Would have been nice, but no such luck. Brazil turns around and counters attacks! US almost gives up another, but Howard is there with strong hands.

85'- Its turned into a counter attacking game, quick play from one end to the other. Dempsey playing with some flair and a couple of cross over dribbles but nothing comes of it.

87'- Dempsey draws the foul and feels like its his duty to show the Brazilians he has some flash too. A lot of useless footwork that doesn't do much, but he earned a good spot for the free kick near the left corner.

88'- Another one off the post. Donovan puts it in and Casey gets a head on it. The strong MLS offensive mindset is showing in Casey's play.

89'- Brazil with a cross right in front of the net. Onyewu clears it, otherwise its another goal from Brazil.

90'- Brazil with a free kick almost straight on from 20 yards out. Could be dangerous.

90+2'- After some discussion and egos getting in the way, Baptista takes the shot and airmails it. Way to go Baptista.

90+3'- The Sams have a long free kick now from about 40 yards. Dempsey steps up to take it. I heard normally we would have Cristiano Ronaldo taking these, but his naturalization papers got held up. Not even a close attempt by Dempsey. And that is the match.

All done here, Brazil 3, USA 0. Man of the Match - Maicon. I give it to the Brazilian defender here. With an assist and a goal he played well the entire match on both ends of the pitch. Robinho is a close second doing an excellent job on the offensive end.

Well Brazil is the second team to secure a spot in past the groups stage joining Spain. The US is the second team to be eliminated following eh Kiwis with an early exit. Thats all for now. The Sams take on Egypt on Sunday at 2pm EST. See you folks then.

~Dirk - International Soccer Correspondent

Movie Review: "The Taking of Pelham 123"

I love Denzel Washington. That guy has made memorable flick after memorable flick. His action movies are usually his best, because he's the perfect combination of "I can kill you if I want to" and "I'm ten times as cool as you are". So, as you could probably surmise from my NBA Finals live-blogs, I went to see "The Taking of Pelham 123" on opening night. It was really, really good. It bordered on great for about 100 minutes and then sort of unraveled during the last 20 minutes. That's not a knock on the movie as a whole, though; you should still go see it.

The premise, as many of you know, is that Ryder (John Travolta) hijacks a train car on the New York City Subway and holds the passengers for a ransom of $10 million. By happenstance, Walter Garber (Washington) is the one who begins communication with Ryder. Despite the presence of police negotiators and the like, Ryder will only talk to Garber. This is one of the stronger points of the movie. Travolta and Washington are fantastic as they smart-but-kinda-crazy criminal and the good-hearted-but-not-an-angel worker, respectively. Their exchanges range from humorous to emotional, but always seem to work. The chemistry between these two is superb and really gives the film a ton of energy.

The plot itself is smartly executed...up until the end. The plot works as long as you suspend your belief somewhat, as the climax of the story is a bit implausible. Don't get me wrong, it's not as implausible as the ending to "Armageddon" or anything, but for a movie that is so creative and so intense for such a long while, it's a bit of a letdown. Luckily, the rest of the movie is superb, which leaves you walking out of the theater with a great feeling of satisfaction. The strength of the movie lies in the fact that nothing is rushed, and all of the pieces of dialogue seem to fit together to build a nice story. There is a good pace to the movie, which slowly crescendos until the action-packed ending. Once it's over, everything makes sense and you won't be spending the entire car ride home trying to figure out what happened. Quite sensible (for the bulk of it), yet very entertaining? Sign me up.

I'm sure several of my friends have yet to see it and if they ask me to join them when they do, I certainly will. It's well worth your $30 or how much ever your local theater asks for tickets these days (and you wonder why I still use my student ID). The dialogue is great, Travolta and Washington are lights-out, and the action sequences, while limited, are very well-done. Overall, it's definitely a movie worth seeing, especially if you're a Denzel Washington advocate like myself.

~~ Lank

Sams v. The Azzurri

A special Confederations Cup live blog here today brought to you by Dirk, Skip To My Lank's International Soccer Correspondent.

The US/Italy match up has provided us with some excitement and controversy in years past. Those passionate followers of Sam's Army will remember back to the 2006 World Cup when the US and Italy battled for a 1-1 draw with 3 players being sent off with red cards. Since that time Italy went on to win the World Cup and the US is still looking to achieve a level of consistent and quality international play. What will today hold? We will have to wait and see.

Line ups-
USA - 4-3-3
Howard
Bornstein
Oneywu
Demerit
Spector
Feilhaber
Clark
Bradley
Dempsey
Altidore
Donovan

Italy 4-3-3
Buffon
Grosso
Chiellini
Legrottaglie
Zambrotta
Pirlo
De Rossi
Gattuso
Iaquita
Gilardino
Camoranesi

Note - A friend once told me that there are about 6 guys in the world that no matter where they are, how old they are or who they are playing you can always count on them to put one in the back of the net. Unfortunately for the US, one of those guys Luca Toni, usually finds himself located directly in the middle of the Azzurri offense. We will have to see how that unfolds today with him out of the starting line up.

1'- We are off and running here with with the Azzurris wearing their traditional blue and the Sams coming out wearing the color of angels. The US has had trouble recently with giving up early goals, we will see how they handle early pressure from Italy.

2:34 - First Italian dive of the match

5'- A few flashes of offense from both sides, each team is feeling each other out with some hard challenges and some errant passes.

8'- First real opportunity for the US on a free kick right outside the box. Donovan taps it to Dempsey who takes a shot high and wide of the target. I would expect to see the US cross it in that situation since we don't have anybody that can take a shot from more than 15 feet away from the net.

15'- Through the first sixth of the game it has been very physical. The US midfield of Feilhaber, Clark and Bradley have been very solid in passing, controlling the ball and field position. Much more impressive than the previous 2 US international matches.

20'-Both teams have put together a couple of opportunities for shots at goal but nobody has broken through yet. The Italian team if known for a slow developing, plodding style that relies on defense and only needing one goal to win. Bornstein has picked up the first card of the match, a yellow, for a challenge on Camoranesi. Italy put in a beautiful cross from the foul that found an open head but went wide. A defensive breakdown by the US.

Side note - The crowd seems to be very loud at this match. I'm not sure if its fans that traveled or the South Africans coming out in droves to support Sam's Army. Either way, a good atmosphere adds a little to the match.

25'- A blown opportunity for the US. Donovan and Bradley using some excellent passing to put together a great run to create a 4-3 break. Bradley gets the ball in the box, but he can't finish with the left foot from 15 feet away.

29'- Well its official, the US needs to work on shooting with the left foot. Almost an identical play with Donovan running through the Azzurri midfield and dropping it off to the American Wunderkind Jozy Altidore, in almost the same spot as Bradley, only for Altidore to nub the shot.

31'- Great 30 yard strike by Pirlo on a free kick. Gives Howard trouble, but he successfully knocks it away. I wish the US had someone who could shoot the ball from farther out than 10 yards.

32'- RED CARD - Richardo Clark gets booked and sent off for a reckless challenge on Gattuso. The player that in my opinion was playing the best defense in the midfield for the US. Should have been a yellow, not a red. The US is used to playing a man down against Italy anyway, no love. Now its 10 on 11.

35'- Donovan catches a elbow to the face from Grosso and wins the free kick. A yellow for Grosso and a free kick from 25 yards out which sails over the net on a shot by Donovan.

38'- WOW - the US just got saved from an own goal, terrible pass back from Bornstein to Howard, by an offside. Lucky!

39 - PENALTY! - Jozy Altidore draws the PK on a 1 on 1. Donovan to take it. GOAL!

Donavan beats Buffon and the US is up 1-0 down a man and against the World Cup Champions. The Sams have heart! F*** Yeah!

45'- We got to the half with the US up 1-0. The US will have a really tough go of it the second half for 2 reasons. 1) playing a man down endurance and fitness will have a greater impact in the 2nd half. Italy will do their best to run the US all over the field. But Donovan won't care about that and run through brick walls, he always plays well against the Azzurri. 2) Italy still has Luca Toni on the bench, which doesn't bode well for the US if he gets in the game, because as previously stated, he is good for one goal. I'll be back at the start of the second for more action.

46'- 2nd half is underway and it wouldn't be a US/Italy match with out at least 1 red card and a close game. Here we go.

50'-So far this match I think Donovan, Bradley, Dempsey, Howard and Oneywu have been fantastic for the US. Strong solid play by all of them. Oneywu has a very difficult task with 3 backline starters that are not normally in the line-up with him.

53'- The US has gone to a 1 striker formation packing in the defense. Hoping to boot the ball ahead and wait for help. The US has a free kick with Donovan over the ball, he curls it into the 6 yard box, but it is safely cleared by Italy.

55'- Italy with the corner, Iaquinta gets a head to it, but it goes wide. Italy is playing well on the set pieces getting a head to most of the 50/50 balls. This may bite the US later on.

56' - SUB - Giuseppe Rossi for Gattuso - Those of you familiar with Rossi know that he could be playing on the other side of the ball right now. Grew up in New Jersey, choose to play Italian Soccer over playing for the Sams. Needless to say this guys is not a fan of Rossi, bring us more Jermaine Jones.

58- GOAL - needless to say Rossi just scored on an absolute rope from about 28 yards out. Damn that guy. 2 Minutes after stepping on the pitch. Yeah, we could have used that.

65'- SUB - Jozy Altidore out, Charlie Davies in.

66'- Italy is peppering the US with crosses and balls toward the goal. The US will need to be strong to withstand these run for 30 more mins and a man down.

67'- Rocket shot on goal for the Azzurris from about 18 yards out, stopped by Howard.

68'- SUB - Toni in, Gilardino out. Well this is the moment that this fan was dreading. Luca Toni is now in the match. I said earlier that he is good for a goal, so the Sams will have an even tougher go of it now.

71'- GOAL - De Rossi with another long range strike. It sure would be great if the US had players that could shoot like this. Well its gone from bad to worse. Not a good situation for the US to be in right now. Italy is known for great defense and now they can just pack it in.

71'- SUB - Beasley in, Feilhaber out.

74'- Corner for the Azzurris and Toni gets a head on it right in front of the net, puts it just past the post. Thats just Toni being Toni.

Note from out sponser - TLank wants me to make sure everyone knows how bad G.I. Joes the movie looks. When I watched G.I. Joes as a kid I don't remember Halo looking dudes with robocop suits on. What a crock.

80'- Dempsey with a good shot from distance, but Buffon makes it look better than it really was. Donovan gets taken out hard in the box in what should be a penalty, but a no call. No play on the ball, but the ref is gun shy to give another penalty.

85'- The pirate is seen getting really to come in for the US. For those of you who don't know who the pirate is, it is the one and only Sacha Kljestan. Kljestan in, Bornstein out. Only minutes left to go.

86'- Italy is playing keep away, happy to leave with a 2-1 victory after being down 1-0 most of the game. LUCA TONI - So close with a wide open header. Toni puts those in, but this time it was right at Howard.

87'-Kljestan with a solid long range shot with some nice curve. Great late game attempt.

89'- The Sams get their first corner of the game and it finds Charlie Davies who puts it over the top of the goal. Davies needs to put that in, he was wide open.

90'- 4 additional minutes of injury time. Forever in injury time, that's like 20 seconds on the clock in the NBA.

90+2'- LUCA TONI misses a wide open shot on Howard. The only reason Toni hasn't score is because Tim Howard is in net.

90+3'- GOAL - Rossi - Well that will do it. A magical run by Pirlo with a even more beautiful cross. Easy picking for Rossi. I'm kinda pissed off that he passed up giving the ball to Toni who was camped out in front of the net.

90+4'- Full Time - Player of the Match - Giuseppe Rossi. Easily got the award with 2 goals coming in as a sub with only 30 minutes left in the match. Tremendous play from a young star.

Italy prevails, the Sams look to regroup and somehow redeem some pride out of this. Thank you for tuning in. I hope my commentary was more enjoyable than watching my nationalistic pride take a hit by the hands of the Azzurris.

~Dirk - International Soccer Correspondent