Last night's loss was a tough one to swallow. Just when it looked like the team was starting to turn it around, up 5-1 going into the eighth, another big, late inning does them in. Errors, once again, defined the loss, wasting another quality start, this time from Matt Florer, who pitched exceptionally well for his first start since high school. The beauty of the league? There are four days off throughout the summer and the team will get a chance to come back and win a series tonight...so long as the weather holds up.
I made my usual stop at Caribou Coffee this morning, but definitely not for coffee. I don't drink coffee and don't plan on starting. I have been feeling a little sick recently and for the last week, two times a day, I have gotten green tea with honey from Caribou. It's scary, because I walked in this morning and the lady didn't even ask what I wanted.
Mike, Jake, Nate, and I are all sitting in the clubhouse doing work and watching the World Cup. This is an event I have been looking forward to for a long, long time. I am South African, by heritage. My oldest brother, our parents, and their families are all South African. My entire family on my dad's side still resides there. I am a Texan and an American and incredibly proud of it, but, in spite of South Africa's many issues, I am also incredibly proud to be of South African heritage. On top if it, my father was a South African football (soccer) player.
As I have been typing this up, it has stopped raining...I hope it stops for the rest of the day because the rain has tarnished the beginning of a week long home stand. Fans have not packed the ballpark nearly as well as what we anticipated, especially with our lineup of really cool promotions. Ironically, we have gotten every game in and the weather from the first pitch onward is great, but the looming threat of rain has kept people out of the seats...and I don't blame them, it's just very unfortunate. There are still five games left...let's get some fans and let's get some wins.
Hot Sports Opinion of the Day: I am taking a one day break from the "MLB Core Debate" in favor of soccer talk. I absolutely love the World Cup. Later in the week I will consider if it is my favorite sporting event or not, not committing either way just yet. However, it is certainly up there.
I stopped playing soccer after 5th grade in favor of American football. I was a good goalie, and pretty good when I got the ball, but I was also lazy without it. My oldest brother, Darryn, was the best between my brothers and I, but none of us carried through with soccer. We all played 3 varsity sports in high school, all choosing basketball in the winter. A little bit ironic as my dad was a South African soccer player, but he never pushed us in any direction and was not at all upset when we steered away. Despite not playing though, we all love soccer. I still play pick up and can watch it all day. It is just as much an art as it is a sport.
It always upsets me that the United States does not compete with the elite in soccer. For such an athletically dominant country, America has missed the boat on The World's Sport. Every year I hope the Americans make a deep run to try and heighten our country's love for soccer to the next level--to promote participation more aggressively--but it didn't happen after the team made it to the quartfinals 8 years ago. I am convinced they need two consecutive strong Cups for it to have an effect, and they did not follow up well four years ago, not getting out of the group stage.
But,the more I think about it...I don't think the World Cup has an effect. Just like the Olympic Hockey fever only last a week or two into the resumed NHL season, I don't think World Cup Fever will have an effect unless the Americans make it to the Finals and that, in all likelihood, is not happen this time around. It's great that more people know who Ryan Miller, Team USA's goalie, is now, but those same people don't take time to watch the game or consider it as a viable athletic option any more than they did before the Olympics.
Hockey, however, is a much more expensive sport than soccer. Soccer is a sport anyone can play--for most Americans, it is the first sport that they do play. I wish it caught on. I wish America grabbed hold of soccer fever. I just don't get why a country full of athletes cannot put forth a more competitive squad.
Sports Pick of the Day: France over Uruguay
(South Africa over Mexico in progress, my pick from yesterday)
Record: 7-3
Streak: W1
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