Infield Chatter

[Scott]

Team USA coasted pretty easily through the group round in the Gold Cup.

Oddly enough the only scores I've seen in the local paper from the Copa de Oro have been for the tri-colores (Mexico) and central american teams.

Even though some of the matches have been played in our local stadium. They must think that Houston isnt a futbol town. Just because we sell out a 90,000 seat stadium for friendlies with visiting national teams.

I find it odd that ESPN isn't broadcasting any of this tournamet.  I get Fox Soccer Channel (FSC) because I'm a soccer nerd and I'm willing to pay for it, but most people in this area aren't.  What really bums me out is ESPN isn't broadcasting a single game of the tournament and FSC isn't HD.

[The Doc]

Riverside - Durham. Stumps day 3

There was only about half a days play on day 2 (between mopping up in th morning and bad light after tea) with West Indies getting 132-4.

By 4pm today they were all out for 287 with Chanderpaul unbeaten on 136 and Ryan Sidebottom taking 5-88.  A pretty good total in the circumstances and made even better when at close we were 121-4.  We were 110-1 only 20 minutes before the close but after losing Vaughan edging to 2nd slip a nightwatchman was sent in (The job of the nightwatchman is to bat out the day and protect one of the better batsman having to face the first tricky balls twice) Unfortunately He was out attempting to drive (not the stroke for the circumstances), caught off the edge at first slip.  If that wasn't bad enough Pieterson, who then had to come in, flailed wildly at the last ball of the day and was caught behind 


On a lighter note  - Go Lewis! (anyone watch the Grand Prix?)

[The Doc]

Oh and I see that Beckham has just won the La Liga title with Real Madrid.

Go Galaxy!

[The Doc]

Stumps day 4 (and a full days play)

WI 287 all out
England 400 all out. Collingwood 128, Strauss 77 Prior 62.  Edwards 5-112
   Looked like it was all over when Strauss was out early on, but a partnership of 169 between Collingwood and Prior made it pretty safe.
West Indies 3-83
   And 3 wickets before the close leaving WI still 30 behind gives us an outside chance of a win if the weather holds.  Chanderpaul (136no, 116no in his last 2 innings) is still there though.

[tgraham]

Yesterday's baseball action: (while I was off having barbecue with dad and watching the Rice game)
Louisville beat Mississippi St. to advance in the loser's bracket.
Rice dominated North Carolina start to finish winning 14-4.
UNC and Louisville play Tuesday evening with the loser going home and the winner facing Rice for a spot in the finals.
Rice only has to win one game, whoever plays them must win two in a row.

Today has Arizona State and Oregon playing in the other winners bracket game tonight, and Cal Fullerton and UC-Irvine in the losers bracket game this afternoon (just ended 5-4 in 13 innings - Irvine won).

[The Doc]

Go Rice!

meanwhile - in Durham

WI 287 ao
England 400ao
WI 222 ao Chanderpaul 70, Gayle 52 Panesar 5-46
England 111-3

Man of the series (deservedly) Monty Panesar took another fivefer setting England 110 to win which they made with few worries

England win by 7 wickets and take the series 3-0

You get a little rest now before India arrive - their first test starts 19th July (my 50th birthday fwiw)  West Indies were universally regarded as a very weak team.  It remains to be seen how we do against sterner opposition

[Sebastian Knight]

WI 287 ao
England 400ao
WI 222 ao Chanderpaul 70, Gayle 52 Panesar 5-46
England 111-3

You beat Wisconsin in cricket?  That hardly seems fair!

[tgraham]

College World Series
Rice lost to North Carolina yesterday 6-1 to force an elimination game today.
NC won 7-4.
Rice comes home, NC goes on to face Oregon State Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Funky team mascots:
Oregon State are the Ducks, not mighty ducks, just regular ducks.
UC Irvine - The fighting Anteaters
My alltime fave however is still the UC Santa Barbara Fighting banana slugs (not represented in the CWS)

 

[sarah]

Over the many years I spent working for a company that does custom printing for schools, I was exposed to some pretty interesting mascots.  Freeport High School in Freeport, IL is the home of the Fightin' Pretzels.  There was another school (I forget where) whose mascot is the Potheads--apparently, there was a large factory in town that made clay pots.  But the very best one I ever heard was a Catholic school: The Immaculate Conception Trojans.

~s

[tgraham]

But the very best one I ever heard was a Catholic school: The Immaculate Conception Trojans.

~s

And their sideline mascot, Prophy

[Chip]

My beloved Philadelphia Phillies are the biggest losers in the history of sports:  http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=270715122

[sarah]

Yeah, I saw that this morning!  The Cubs are only what, the third worst?  Thanks, Phillies, for making us look good.

~s

[Michael]

The Sox are in 4th place, and turning into a collective punching bag.

This wouldn't bother me QUITE so much if it weren't pretty much the same team that won the series a mere two years ago.   

[highlythrakked]

The Sox are in 4th place, and turning into a collective punching bag.

This wouldn't bother me QUITE so much if it weren't pretty much the same team that won the series a mere two years ago.   

Yeah, the Royals are only a game and a half behind the White Sox right now, that's pitiful.

[tgraham]

My only consolation for this sucky baseball season was knowing the CUbbies were right down there with us fighting it out for the bottom of the division. I turn around twice and sleep once, and what do they do? Make a run for first place.

No Fair.