Goal USA, Putt For Dough, Find Keith Murphy's Pants

(Zach)

As the boss man (who shall be mentioned again in a few paragraphs) said on Twitter earlier today, what looked to be a dud of a sports week turned exciting real fast.

I'm not a fan of soccer, but I usually get into the World Cup.  I hadn't seen hardly any of this year's Women's World Cup until I flipped it on at noon.  While I don't think it has the impact that the "Soccer will be major sport in the USA" folks probably believe it has, it was a transcendent moment.  Partially because USA had to fight such an uphill battle (frankly they got screwed on a number of calls).  But it was the drama of it all that captivated, and to think it came 12 years to the day of the other notable moment in women's soccer history in this country, the 1999 World Cup win.

I think the nationalism, not the soccer, is what makes people tune into the World Cup (and subsequently why soccer never again retains the heights in this country that it reaches during World Cups).  Heck, same thing is true for Olympic hockey.  Most of the time, soccer and hockey may not draw the casual viewer.  But if you put stars and stripes on the uniform for anything, it gets the juices flowing.

Erika lost the game and any chance at an Emmy

As much as the goal and shootout are remembered, the moment that really sticks out to me is Brazil's Erika faking her injury.  You could tell it was an attempt to run time and an act (bad acting at that), and to see her hop right off the stretcher and back into the game was pretty low.  That kind of "gamesmanship" is one reason I think soccer suffers here.  Fortunately, she was not rewarded with the win.  In fact, it was likely the extra stoppage time from her act that gave USA the last minute it needed to score a goal.  Not to revel in someone's failure, but that's EXACTLY what both Erika and Brazil deserved to have happen after that some of the other stunts they pulled.

The John Deere Classic finish was no slouch.  Golf fans in Iowa have seen some amazing pressure putts this year.  In the Principal Classic it was Bob Gilder's 39-footer on 18 for then win.  Then today Steve Stricker's ridiculous putt.  Drive for show, putt for dough.  Year after year it proves true. 

As of now, welcome to the worst week on the sports calendar.  There is NOTHING worse than the week of the All-Star break.  Other than the game (which can also disappoint), there's next to nothing happening.  It's why ESPN made up the ESPY's, and I want to hurl a brick at my TV every time it comes on.

In order to combat this, I'll be taking a brief vacation in my second home of Colorado.  It's annual thing for me to go back at about this time of the year.  It's mostly about visiting family (Mom, grandmother) and friends.  It's also to recharge the batteries.  But in the back of my mind, there's always one other thing-when I come back, football season is right around the corner.  Can football season come soon enough by the way?

Watch the video below and get the guy on the left a pair of pants

I leave you with a little vintage Keith Murphy.  Amazing the stuff you find on YouTube.  This promo must be from the mid-90's since Keith had hair (and in my opinion kind of looks like Chris), but it is hilarious.  Kind of a spoof on some Michael Jordan commercials back in the day.  Further proof of something I learned interning (and now working) here.  A lot of people in TV try to be funny.  Few actually, naturally, are:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn_86xVdyU8