USSoccer

Kane should have Cruyff'd that

Ka Bib You Lin is playing huge

I don't think Toews knew anything about that one but who cares

YES

Even if they lose, they have played a much better game tonight, Kane in particular.

No, it isn't. There's no psychological hump that automatically stops the Cubs from being good once the postseason starts. That hump exists in the minds of ignorant fans who can't wrap their minds around the concept of sample size and probabilistic anomaly. It's 6 games over 2 years.

It was the only response to your negative generalization of American sports. If such a damaging flaw exists, why engage in conversation on a baseball forum? Surely the more intelligent soccer forums would suit you and the superior European sports. "Strawman" accusations are a convenient out for someone who has no real response. Yes, those teams romped over the regular season, but they romped in the playoffs too. Why can't the Cubs? What will be your response if the Cubs get swept again in the NLDS? Bad luck? The team that won 97 games was completely humliated in every facet of the game. As for the gritty players comment, I never said I wanted a team of grit, but rather a team that executes simple baseball fundamentals when the big lights shine. The Cubs don't do that. You know, I was waiting for a "fundamentals" reference-and I'm not disappointed. Nor was I let down by the oh-so-subtle European sports jab. The idea that pointing out that your argument is crap means I'm copping out has to be like a top 25 dumbest thought all time, and on a board that once featured baseball3.1415926, that's saying something. Yes, of course, pointing out your logical fallacy means I can't poke holes in your shoddy argument. However, I'll try anyway. Take the example of the team most filled with fundamentally-gooey filling: The Minnesota Twins. Lord knows that when October rolls around, they simply blow everyone away with solid execution and good coaching, and win title after title. Oh wait, no? Ok, how about the LA Angels. Solid fundamentals there. Not an overwhelming lineup. Tons of World Seri-wait, just one? Okay, scratch that. And for the record, if we win 97 and lose again to a hot opponent, I'll tip my cap and call it a winter. It's a crapshoot. It's a 5 game series, and it's subject to random bounces, fluke errors, and lucky pitching performances. It happens. So I'll echo MohoPen: Go ahead and explain how you would construct a team immune to the random chance that happens in a 5 game series.

So the Jordan era Bulls were flukes? The 90's Cowboys? The 96-2003 Yankees were flukes? The 80's 49'ers? I guess "American" sports are just inferior that way. Good thing we have soccer here to enjoy. What were we thinking with our zany baseball and NFL? Crazy Americans and their wild eyed games! The things they do! This is a terrible response. Use some critical thinking. No one is saying that those teams were flukes, and all of those teams have one thing in common. With probably few exceptions, those teams romped over the regular season. Your argument is a worthless strawman. Like I said before, go ahead and construct your gritty team and put into place your vague motivational ploys and quasi-random changes, and make decisions based on form rather than class, and I'll stick with a team that won 97 games.

I still haven't made up my mind about going. That makes me a wank, but my daughter loves running and clapping and chanting while watching the games, and she's too little to take to the game. In other news, Man U and Barca both wrapped up their respective leagues. For next term, though, I'd fancy Arsenal heavily. A full season of a non-cup tied Arshavin, development of Bendtner, Walcott, and a non injured Cesc make for a very potent attack. If Wenger sells RVP for a defender (which he should) they could be a very strong side.

If the Cubs make the playoffs and get swept again, what would your reaction be? "Oh well, it's just a crapshoot, go get 'em next time fellas..."? Anybody who has paid attention to the recent playoffs should realize that the playoffs are a crapshoot. It's just a matter of which team is hot at that point. Look at how many times the "best team", the "best hitters", and the "best pitchers" fail in the playoffs. Look at the number of times a mediocre team, hitter, or pitcher is successful in the playoffs. The problem with using reason to refute his line of thinking is that American sports tend to exaggerate the importance of the postseason and vilify those otherwise great players that tend not to succeed in the small sample size of games used. This leads to players like Dan Marino, Jim Kelly, ARod, Bonds, Barkley...I could go on, but you get the point-not getting all the credit for great careers due to random perfomance flukes or the failure of teammates, or random chance. Performance over the regular season, like it or not, is far more indicative of quality that anything else. I posted it in another thread, but it bears repeating: form is temporary, class is permanent. I'll take the class of Aramis, Soriano, Soto, Z , Marmol and whoever else over the fleeting form of the 2007 D'Backs and 2008 Dodgers. So he can build his "postseason team of clutchy goodness" and I'll take the 2008 Cubs, and I'll demolish him 95% of the time.

This post contains 0% Cubs baseball and 100% talk radio style put downs. Riiiiiiiiight Honestly, you want to get rid of players that have contributed to the most successful period of play in the modern era due to 6 games over two years. It's a complete overreaction, and there's simply no way to "build a team for the postseason". Unless you want to fill your roster with the Jim Leyritzes and Mark Lemkes of the worl. Which is fine, but your team is going to suck.

I don't think I've seen as many meaningless aphorisms crammed into one thread in a very long time. "doesn't show up" "can't handle the pressure" "goes ice cold in the playoffs" Seriously, it's like watching a talk radio host post.

Is this a Meph riddle? It's a phrase soccer players/coaches/analysts use to talk about a player on a hot streak who's otherwise subpar.

Form is temporary, class is permanent. He's in good form. It will end.

At this point I'd normally think it'd be counter-productive to have Freddy play in his second u-20 World Cup, but maybe that's what he'd need to get some confidence back. It's not like he's match tired from all the action at Monaco this year and he could use it to reassert his value to Benfica or some other team who might be interested in buying him. Personally I'd love to see him at like a PSV or Ajax. Another team to start fresh who wants him. Holland would probably be perfect for him. AFA the summer is concerned, he should feature on the Gold Cup roster. That team should be built around him. He's nothing left to prove at the U20 level-why play him there?

McBride and his wife have been together since like their freshman year in college

There goes our single most important player

What's the "now this" He threw Hinrich into the scorers table and got a flagrant 1

Thats absurd and you know it There's no way the NBA suspends Rondo. I'd bet on them suspending Kirk for 'retaliating' or something stupid before they take Boston's best player off the floor in a game 7.

I'm still stunned at Kirk missing that layup. He should have just dribbled some clock and forced Boston to foul him.

I sincerely hope people are going to start remembering that Kirk Hinrich is valuable now. He should have been on Pierce throughout OT.

It was a team effort. And the refs didn't help. Don't forget Del Negro not calling a timeout when Boston made their run late in the 4th, despite Bernie Bickerstaff screaming at him to do so.

Now that I've watched him week in and week out, I'm over him. His strengths are motivation, his weaknesses are man-management and tactics. For the US, man-management and tactics are much more important. It makes Joachim Low look more impressive, actually. And lord knows I wish the USSF had the coin to hire Guus to come here for just one cycle.

Kill them on Thursday and win on Saturday.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaa