GGGGoOoOoAaAaAaLLLLL!!!

I just had to put in that video 'cuz it features clips from one of the coolest soccer movies, "Shaolin Soccer"(If you haven't seen it add it to you must watch list NOW!). The song also happens to be on the official soundtrack for FIFA World Cup '06 which is the reason the world has come to a standstill and people everywhere are coming up with inventive ways to get out of going to work so they can cheer on their countries and consume an obscene amount of beer in the process.
"Football" to the rest of the world but "Soccer" to us in North America, is by far the most watched sport in the world and to give you an idea 153 million people watched the Euro Cup final 2 years ago while Superbowl that year drew 95 million. I essentially divide soccer fans into two groups, where group 1 is all the fans of the game who follow the game through many soccer leagues (La Liga, English Premiership, Italian League, MLS) year round and group 2 are all those fans who jump aboard during the World Cup. Soccer brings out patriotism like no other sport will ever manage to do and living in Toronto, (one of the most diverse cities in the world) I have had the opportunity to observe this fanatical behaviour displayed by Soccer fans from all parts of the world.
Before moving to North America, Soccer and Cricket were the only sports I was exposed to on television. My early memories of being a sports fan do not include Magic and Jordan in the NBA but rather Diego Maradona and Pele dancing down the soccer field. My entire family is obsessed with the game and even though I am not a soccer fan who falls into group 1 of my definition, come World Cup time my daily schedule is planned around the games and my living room now doubles as my bedroom.

Enough about the past... Lets fast forward to Germany 2006. First let me state that I am supporting two teams Italy and Portugal and I like any team that beats England. (Beckham may be super hot but he is waaaay overrated - sorry Arthur) The groups have been set up really well this time around and the level of competition up to now has been pretty even spare a few games. Its for certain no one could have predicted Ghana taking down the Czech's or that Poland would suck this bad. From my experience it is the nature of sports fans to root for the underdog and come Sunday I am sure the number of Ghana flags on cars will increase greatly. The "Soca Warriors" from Trinidad were a great story as well as they came in and managed to pull out a tie with Sweden but now that they have been eliminated I am sure those fans will jump on the Ghana bandwagon for now.
Looking ahead to the next round even though nothing is settled for groups D through H, teams to look out for are Brazil, Argentina, France and Portugal. I expect these 4 to go deep and thus far Argentina has shown the most offensive power in the tournament but Portugal is still warming up and Brazil is always going to be a favourite.
Speaking of... What on earth is going on with Ronaldo! He looks seriously out of shape and is close to being benched if he doesn't produce I think but as long as Brazil has Ronaldinho in green and gold they should see themselves in the semi-finals and anything less than that would be a complete upset.
There was a time back in the day when Italy was always the team to beat but since the last world cup they haven't made the adjustments. Their defense is not the same powerhouse it used to be and until they realize that 1 goal in the game is not going to cut it they are going to have a tough time making it deep into the tournament. Their coach has them relying on protecting the goal and playing defense rather than being aggressive and I don't think that approach is going to work against the likes of the French, English and the other frontrunners.
Ahh I was going to avoid mentioning the English team altogether but its hard to when talking Soccer. They were lucky last game getting a goal in the closing minutes and they have yet to show any dominance compared to teams like Argentina, Brazil, Italy and France who have a history of success in this game. I have always found this team to be overrated but I gotta give them credit for having some of the most intense fans ever.

Anyways the Japan v/s Croatia game is about to kickoff soon (Mike for the sake of your sanity I hope the Croats win it) so I shall end here. I will blog more on the subject when we are into the round of 16 until them leave me a comment on who you are rooting for...

Links: Some of my daily reads during the world cup and a little bit of homour...
- A hilarious e-mail I was forwarded by Brucki (Get it here)
- The Mighty MJD is a new fan of the game... (read more here)
- The sun : World cup for women
- Fox Sports brings to you pics of several soccer wives and girlfriends (link)
- Strange advertising approach: Soccer Urinal by ESPN in Brazil
- Live blogging for the world cup can be found at Deadspin
- Jabs from the Toronto Star is over in Germany and he has the daily roundup

Bonus: Here are a couple of ringtones I put together for you soccer fans...
Brazil (unknown)
Forca (Nelly Furtado)
Iran (thanx Ramin)

A shot at the future: NBA Mock Draft

This years draft is full of players with great nicknames...We have the JJ, the TT, the Bargs and the Ammo but there is no sign of any of the above being the next Lebron or Shaq. With the top 10 as they are right now there isn't even one guy who stands out with enough of that "upside" factor that makes him the consensus #1 pick in this years draft. I have enlisted a fellow basketball junkie Lincoln to help me out with a mock draft of the top 10 picks which further will show how much of a crapshoot this draft. Draft day is exactly two weeks away as I write this (Lincoln gave his picks a while ago...) and I hope to have us both back on June 28th live blogging with an analysis on each pick as we hear Stephen A Smith go on his rants from Madison Square Garden. So without further adieu here goes....

#1: Toronto Raptors - LaMarcus Aldridge (Natasha)
The Raptors have had some good luck drafting Dallas products and I think if the Raptors utilize this draft pick they are going to go with Aldridge. He is passionate, he solid fundamentals, will be a solid pick and make the Raptors frontline a nightmare for opposing teams to defend. LaMarcus already has a good back to the basket game and can play the finesse game that seems to be more in demand for NBA centers now. All this said I of the thinking that the Raptors are going to trade down so they can acquire a veteran to go along with a top 10 draft pick.
#1: Toronto Raptors - Andrea Bargnani (Lincoln)
All signs coming out of Colangelo's camp is that he's going Euro with this pick. He's scouted Bargnani extensively for years, has numerous connections and is being fairly public about this preference. This is just the sort of unorthodox pick that I can see BC making.

#2: Chicago Bulls - Andrea Bargnani (Natasha)
To be honest I think Tyrus is too much like Tyson Chandler but the bulls need another rebounder and if the Raptors go with Aldridge then the Bulls are going to grab Bargs. The need a scoring big man more than the Raptors do and even though there have been rumors that they will go with Brandon Roy I don't see Chicago going for a guard in this years draft.
#2: Chicago Bulls - LaMarcus Aldridge (Lincoln)
Makes too much sense not to happen. There's been talk of them preferring Tyrus, but they need the low-post scoring and a power forward, Aldridge is the best fit for that. They'd be hoping he's Bosh version 2.0.

#3: Charlotte Bobcats - Rudy Gay (Natasha)
Wow this guy who was almost everyone's #1 pick at the start of the year is barely hanging in the top 5. I think the Bobcats will end up taking Rudy Gay because he is a scorer who can play defense. Felton is going to be solid and a healthy Oakafor will be good but Rudy Gay would be the perfect pick for them at SF and with a good amount of salary cap space they can rely on his "upside" factor and give him time to develop while still investing in one or two vets.
#3: Charlotte Bobcats - Rudy Gay (Lincoln)
Call this a hunch. Rudy Gay is due for a resurgence. Now that the big tournament has left its mark, it's time for workout sessions. He should crush those. Bickerstaff has all but shot down the Morrison rumors (while defending Gay), and who can blame him. Who would you rather have, a one dimensional hustle player who's going to have to squeeze blood from a stone just to get a shot off at the NBA level, or a two-way player who's undeniably far more talented and whose biggest knock has been that he might not reach his maximum on-court assertiveness? Asking if you'd rather have 100% of Morrison or 65% of Rudy Gay's potential is like asking if you'd you rather have 100% of $100 or 65% of $1000.

#4: Portland Trailblazers - Adam Morrison (Natasha)
Portland needs something to give them a boost and Adam Morrison might just be the answer. He is a scorer and he has a passion for the game rarely seen in many over-paid NBA players. His breakdown in the tourney wasn't really the best idea but Portland needs someone to come there and bring something real back to this team. If they want to shed the Jailblazers image they need to ship out the Darius Miles and Zach Randolphs and bring in some passion and skill that Adam Morrsion displayed all year in the NCAA.
#4: Portland Trailblazers - Adam Morrison (Lincoln)
Scoring + college hype + model citizen = Blazers pick? Really who knows what's going on in Portland, but if anyone in the top 5 was going to pick Morrison this is the one team where it might actually make some sense. Rumor has it the team is up for sale. If they dump salary this off-season they may want to add a name in Morrison to sell a few tickets. I guess Morrison has appeal.

#5: Atlanta Hawks - Brandon Roy (Natasha)
Roy is probably the most complete and ready player in this years draft. He is a combo guard who can do a lot of things well. Atlanta right now needs every position that is not a Small Forward and even though Lincoln sees them picking Tyrus Thomas, I see Tyrus eventually being more of a SF Gerald Wallace style. Brandon Roy will give them a scorer who can play the point and will be able to contribute immediately. (I am hoping the Raptors grab this guy though)
#5: Atlanta Hawks - Tyrus Thomas (Lincoln)
Height jokes aside, they could use someone with some defensive potential for the front court. Besides, with no point guards worth taking this high, picking up the best asset they can makes sense.

#6: Minnesota Timberwolves: Tyrus Thomas (Natasha)
Kevin Garnett's contract is straight up ugly! Minnesota has almost half their salary cap tied up with his contract and have not had too much success with the draft and/or lack of draft picks in the recent years but I think they are going to have to starting building a team around him through the draft or if they can trade him then they will manage to put together a decent team. I am still not sold on Tyrus Thomas but he has shown enough of the "upside" to know he can be a force. If Minnesota cant move up in the Draft I am sure they will be happy to take him unless Rob Babcock steps in then we might see them draft J.J Redick!!
#6: Minnesota Timberwolves - Brandon Roy (Lincoln)
Minnesota wants to keep trying to put a team around Garnett. I'm sure they'd love to trade the pick for some immediate veteran help, but assuming the right opportunity doesn't present itself, Roy seems ready to contribute right away on an NBA level plus he gives something in the back court.

#7: Boston Celtics - Marcus Williams (Natasha)
The celtics might not have Paul Pierce as the face of the franchise at the start of next season but they do need to look to get a pure point guard and at this spot I think Marcus Williams is the best option. Sure he has the whole "stealing the laptop" thing going against him and some said he was out of shape but he has great court vision and during this years tournament was by far the best point guard. He might need some developing but I think he would be a good fit for this young Celtics team.
#7: Boston Celtics - Rajon Rondo (Lincoln)
Everyone's had this guy's stock in freefall for much of the season for no reason it seems other than the fact he was ill-suited for Kentucky's style of play. Sobriety time. Boston loved their workout with him, and they could use a pure point. Two bold predictions at this time for Rondo: 1) he's going ahead of Marcus Williams because he is actually the best point guard prospect in the draft (though it does depend what style you want your team to play); 2) he's going lottery and probably top 10.

#8: Houston Rockets - Randy Foye (Natasha)
Going into last season we all thought the Rockets were going to be great and it all came crashing. T-Mac had a rough year and the team was riddled with injuries. Luther Head was a pleasant surprise but the Rockets need some help in the back court and I think Randy Foye can be a combo guard and will be able to fill the role of a SG/PG. Its really not known how T-Mac will be next season but Foye was solid in his time at college and will be able to contribute right away like Luther Head did this past season.
#8: Houston Rockets - Shelden Williams (Lincoln)
Size (well he's not all that tall, but he plays up front... You get my meaning) tends to start to win out in a lot of GM's minds this time of year, especially when there's a lot of parity otherwise. Assuming he doesn't just totally suck, Houston could put Shelden to some potential use up front (especially given that the Swift experiment didn't work out).

#9: Golden State Warriors - Patrick O'Bryant (Natasha)
The big man with upside factor starts creeping in the top 10 at this point. O'Bryant had an amazing tournament and he might be a project and he admits it himself but Golden State could use a solid big body and they would be stupid to pass him up. Shelden is available but I don't see him being as strong as O'Bryant in the NBA.
#9: Golden State Warriors - Rodney Carney (Lincoln)
Why not? Golden State doesn't really need more junk and spare parts at any position since they have plenty already, but Mike Dunleavy really sucks so they might as well take a run at trying to do better while figuring out what to do with the rest of the junk and spare parts.

#10: Seattle Supersonics - Shelden Williams (Natasha)
I really believe Shelden Williams is the next coming of Antonio Davis (Davis of 5 years ago albeit). His physique, his aggressiveness, he was solid in college and will be productive for a long time in the NBA and the Sonics will be happy to take him here. He isn't quite tall enough compared to most of the C's in the league but he has a NBA body and he seems to show a great grasp of the game in terms of position on the floor to grab rebounds and has a consistent offensive game in the paint. It might help him to increase his shooting range but he is a solid pick for the Sonics at #10.
#10: Seattle Supersonics - Patrick O'Bryant (Lincoln)
Again size. Since he's the only centre anyone cares about in this draft (and even then, barely), I figure that should keep pushing his stock up and up until it creeps into the top 10. It's a vicious cycle. Basically a centre is projected to go, let's say, 20-25. But there's no one projected ahead of him who plays his position. So a couple teams with the 17th pick and the 16th pick start saying "Meh". It's not that much of a reach, and we need a centre. Suddenly his draft range is 16-20. But there's still no one ahead of him and so some teams with the 15th and 14th picks start thinking "We need a centre..." and so on. This continues until some idiot just says "Screw it! I'm taking him top 10". Hey did I mention Babcock is back in the Minny front office?

"Bahama Mama"... Making some predictions

Its been a whirlwind couple of weeks and my blogging has gone from non-existent to all over the place. 2 weeks ago I took off to Boston and the Bahamas for some fun in the sun and much needed R&R. Let me tell you Paradise Island lives up to its name and I was fortunate enough to get beautiful weather for the entire length of my stay at Atlantis. A picture is worth a thousand words and instead of praising to no end the beauty of this resort I figure the above picture would give you an idea. A bit pricey but soo worth it, Atlantis lived up to its namesake and provided photo op's every moment as you walk through the resort. My favourite is the slide where you suddenly find yourself enclosed in a glass tube which is suspended inside a shark tank. Ill get some pic's on flikr up sometime soon. In the meantime let's get to what I began this post for some predictions for the NBA Championship and the Stanley Cup ( a little late but I'm going with it)

According to Shaq the role he plays will soon be obsolete and Dirk will be the model of an NBA center. This matchup its one of the best we have seen in a while and is keeping with the theme of being one of the most exciting playoffs for the league in over a decade. There is really no one on the Heat roster that can defend Dirk, but fortunately for the Heat they can try to shut down the rest of the team. Avery Johnson has proven throughout the playoffs why he was named the coach of the year in the NBA as he has played each series perfectly. He has prepared his team well and with his coaching strategies outcoached the opposing coaches putting his team in the perfect position to win. Yet, if there is one guy who can give him a run for his money its Coach Pat Riley who is seen prancing the sidelines on the other end with his always in place hair and lots of experience to boot. I thought about this one for a while as I like both teams but they represent the changing of the guard in the NBA. The heat with the Shaq- Wade combo personifies how a team was built to win in the past but the Mavericks are the future with a high powered uptempo offense and a modern approach to defense. For now though... Shaq is playing like he is in his prime and the 1-2 punch of Superman and the Flash should prevail.
My Prediction: Miami Heat in 6

Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals garnered less interest from viewers south of the border than some women's NCAA softball game. True its a little hard to find what channel the game is on (OLN) and for the most part half the country probably doesn't even know what OLN is!! Its a shame that no major station picked up the finals because its been a great couple of games. I know its a little late to make a prediction (but since this is my blog I will do as I please) for the Stanley Cup as 2 games are in the books. The Carolina Hurricanes are looking strong and the Edmonton Oilers lost their starting goaltender in game 1. The Oilers have kept the Cinderella story alive this season and coming from 8th spot in the Western conference to the Stanley Cup Finals is a big deal in itself but I do believe they will go down fighting and the goaltender situation made their task a lot harder. I don't see this series going too deep and hopefully next year the NHL will have a better television deal in place in the US so more people can enjoy the product on ice with everything that's changed. The new NHL is here to stay.
My Prediction: Carolina Hurricanes in 5

This program is being interrupted due to technical difficulties!

I woke up on the weekend to my laptop making gurgling sounds almost trying to converse in baby talk which then escalated to sounds of a plane taking off from a runway. NOT GOOD! I had replaced the hard drive last year but it was obvious that the laptop was on its last breath so I began the tedious task of backing up all my files before it officially dies on me. Immediately my mind starts thinking of a replacement and I begin doing some research for a new laptop. Lo and behold I come to you today writing from my new baby the Sony Vaio VGNSZ220P . Its strange how attatched I was to my old computer tho and it felt so familiar and now its a whole new "getting to know you" process going on with the new laptop. This all got me thinking about technology overall and different ways that it has a big part in my everyday life.

Back in the day before I had a PVR/TiVO if I was going to miss a game it was like oh well I will watch it game in an hour format or watch the highlights but now I can just PVR the game and watch it like its live later on that night or the next day. Chances are though, the longer I wait the less chance there is that I will get to watch the game without knowing the outcome in advance either. Back in the day that was a lot more easier controlled but now all it takes is an MSN nickname "RAPS WIN! RAPS WIN! RAPS WIN!" and all the suspense is gone. In general though there have been a lot of advancements in technology that enhance or improve the experience for a sports fan. With a little bit of research here are some you might want to look into...

HDTV: Sunday Football was forever changed when I watched my first NFL game in HDTV and reverting back to anything less would be a sin. Over the last two years most cable companies have started offering all the major channels in HDTV and almost all sporting events in north America are now broadcast in HDTV. If you haven't had the chance to watch a game in pure crispness (hrmm is that a word?) I advise you do so ASAP 'cuz you are definitely missing out. Before I had experienced it I didn't think it was going to be that much of a difference (kinda how the introduction of progressive scan on DVD players was)but HDTV has been one of the best new advancements made to enhance the home viewers experience of a sporting event. As the prices continue to drop and more people begin to experience HDTV it will become the norm in watching your favourite team from the comfort of your own home but the feel of being at the game. (Addon: just found this article about the linkage between sports fans and HDTV)

SkyBOX: Vivid SKY has come up with a technology which can change the experience of a fan at a sporting event for ever. Their tagline... "Because the game waits for no one". I first read about the SkyBOX in this USA Today article and did some research into the product. Do not have any first hand knowledge of it but it seems interesting to give the sports fan a way to interact while attending a game. A few clicks away on this handheld device would be the slugging percentage of the batter at the plate or you could check laptimes compared to another car at a NASCAR race. It will add a dimension into the game that our generation is already very in sync with. Its all about stats and crunching information and with the www at our fingertips at home we can access all this information and this SkyBox is aiming to give you that feeling of access and more at any live sporting event you attend. If this product can reach its potential it will change the live sporting experience forever.

Satellite Radio: Sirius Satellite radio boasts the largest variety in sports programming and XM Radio offers listeners a healthy dose of sports. Satellite radio hasn't caught on as fast as some might have expected and that has a lot to do with the cost (reasonable I think) but people are not used to paying for radio a service that has been free for as long as I can remember. Living in Canada I was previously pretty much stuck listening to local broadcasts but with satellite radio I get the chance to listen to ESPN radio or catch out of market games. This has helped people who are fans of a team outside their local listening area and are able to get broadcasts of any game they chose and to boot listeners have to sit through fewer commercials on satellite radio.

Slingbox: Slingmedia has come up with a solution to something I have been struggling with for a while now. I travel a lot and at times for several weeks at a time and I hate missing a Raptors or Eagles game. The slingbox allows you to connect it to your pvr and control it from anywhere as long as you have an internet connection also it transmits the TV feed to your computer anywhere in the world. Earlier this year I was in Dubai and they have limited sports coverage and so I resorted to buying NBA audio league pass and stayed up all all hours of the night to catch a live raptors game. With the introduction of a slingbox I can essentially have my PVR record raptor games and when I get a chance get online connect to the box and watch the game at my own time as if I was sitting in my den in Toronto. Sounds insane and hard to believe eh? I actually know someone who has been using this unit for a couple of months and has nothing but good things to say. So if you are one who wants to have access your TV from the road or your office this might be something you want to look into.

Besides the few advancements I mentioned above there have been others implemented that I now cannot live without. Youtube and Google Video both offer clips of sports highlights, videos made by fans, bloopers and all sorts of gems. Google video also has a deal in place with the NBA and you can watch a complete game by paying 4$ the next day of the game. The leagues have jumped onto the bandwagon as well taking control of most of their media. You can become a Red Sox insider and for a flat fee for the year you can get all red sox games online through MLB.tv . The NBA also has audio and video options for their fans to watch out of market games or when you may be on the road and want to watch your team. Most of the offerings through the MLB, NBA and NFL cost more than a fan might be willing to pay but I believe in time it will level out. I also figure I should mention Podcasts and shows like ESPN, Sports bloggers and other sources are putting up shows online for you to directly download to your iPod's for free and listen to them on the go.

Thought I should throw this in... an article I found basically trying to question the role of technology in sports.

All this said... Its an exciting time to be a sports fan!!!

Would you pay for a music video??

It's hasn't been long but the infamous group known as the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) is back in the news and they got something NEW to whine about.

"Viral video sharing would not have been an issue just 18 months ago, when the labels still viewed music videos as a promotional tool for selling albums. But today videos are a rapidly growing money-maker for the music business. The RIAA estimates that sales of music videos topped $3.7 million in three months, after being introduced in October"

Are they freakin kidding me? Music Videos have always been a form of advertising and a way for us consumers to want to buy an artists album. From my knowledge a great deal of the videos are paid for by the artist with a budget they have been given. The RIAA will probably spend way more in legal fees trying to get the likes of Youtube and similar sites to stop allowing these videos to be shared but this will only hurt the artist. Have you turned on MTV or VH1 recently?? Can you remember the last time you saw an actual music video playing on there?? ... Me Neither. Sure there is TRL but in general these stations have turned to the craze of reality TV and more lucrative offerings. Music Videos have helped album sales for decades and now people are sharing them with the rest of the world. Someone in China who may not have seen the newest Shakira video but now that its on Youtube is able to enjoy it this can in turn help him/her decide to buy the artist's album. Now the RIAA want to be compensated essentially for the world giving their artists a boost by advertising their music on the net?? In essence they want us to pay for commercials and/or pay for the right to show commercials... Pure ludicrous.

To me a music video is the equivalent of a TV commercial... with a purpose to hype up the product to get you to buy it. Advertising on TV has been one of the strongest ways to get consumer awareness of a product and music videos were just telling the fans that there is something new out there. How about TV remove all the stupid commercials we are forced to watch through our favorite shows. They should implement this RIAA theory too and make us pay for them or else watch TV commercial free!! Taking it further maybe the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) should take a lesson from this and stop showing us the movie trailers. They give away most of the good parts anyway so they should stop showing them on TV and maybe then we will actually want to see a movie that hasn't been ruined for us in a 2 minute preview!!!

I understand that the artists were losing money from pirated music but really... would u pay $1 to download a music video so you can watch it once or twice? The public is helping the artist by sharing the music video and bringing it to people who may not see it elsewhere and really do you need to see it more than once its not like some classic movie or even porn. Sometimes its nice to be able to get your hands on an old video that doesn't get airtime and it might remind you of an album and you might want to go buy it. They are stupid to be fighting this... music videos on the net is one of the best free advertising an artist can get but because the RIAA has no control over it they don't want to give the artist that luxury either??

No matter how hard the RIAA's of the world try and no matter how much money they throw at their problem, they will never stop determined people from obtaining their content for free. Groups like this will always be reacting to the proactive.

On that note just because I can...