From Messi To Pumpsie

Now imagine Teixeira on a catwalk in Yankee Stadium.
(top-footballer.com)

Well, it hasn't been a great past few days in the world of sports for me. The Sox can't hit water jumping out of a boat, Tiger Woods missed a cut in a major for only the second time ever, and the dreaded arch enemy Yankees are in sole possession of 1st place in the AL East. Today, the Sox made some "blockbuster" moves by acquiring Adam Laroche from the Pirates (The Official Player Development Organization of Major League Baseball) and Chris Duncan from the Cardinals. Getting a .247 and a .227 hitter on my team gets me as excited as taking an SAT on an overcast day, or reading War and Peace in any state of mind. The huge sell on Laroche is his 2nd half splits, his ability to kill right handed pitching (Sox have hit .221 against righties since June 25th), and his ability to help Lowell get some rest time for his ailing hip. However, I do not see how a guy who is going to make maybe 2-3 appearances a week will get on a groove like in years past, thus making me question if he can help this team in the long run. I'm not rooting against the guy, but this better work, especially because I just found out that the Sox turned down a Buchholz for Victor Martinez deal (throwing hard objects across the room). As for Chris Duncan, at least we found out that Julio Lugo has enough value to be exchanged for another living human being. With all of this fury and confusion in my body, I think its a good time to dedicate an entry to....(You guessed it.) soccer. Popular international clubs like Inter Milan and Chelsea are showcasing their talents in the States, and my beloved Barça squad has traveled to London to participate in a couple of preseason matches at Wembley. With the anticipation of a new season approaching, and my recent dissatisfaction for the one that's currently in effect, let's talk a little about the happenings in La Liga and my adaptation to an international sport.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic/Samuel Eto'o

(cdn.bleacherreport.com)

My mind is now leaving Boston and is slowly approaching Barcelona, where many of the team's faithful are anticipating another treble (Champions of La Liga, La Copa del Rey, and The Champions League). However, much of the news has been happening 500 kilometers away in Madrid, as rival president Florentino Perez has spent €209 million (over $297 million) on four players, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaká, who are the last two FIFA World Players of the Year (Seems like an oddly familiar situation). Back in Catalonia, all has been quiet minus the acquisition of Maxwell, formerly from the Italian squad Inter Milan. The pursuit for the popular Valencia striker David Villa seems to have ended due to Valencia's persistence not to transfer him. However, a striker swap seems to be imminent as the Cameroonian Eto'o may be packing his bags for Milan. There has been much speculation on Eto'o, who wasn't returning any of Barça president Joan Laporta's phone calls concerning a two year extension. Who will Barça be potentially getting you ask? The Croat-Swedish dynamo Zlatan Ibrahimovic (also coveted by Manchester United, Chelsea), who booted 25 goals for Inter Milan last season to help Inter win the Serie A league championship. Known as one of the highest paid players in the world, he has earned his money in club play by scoring goals that measure solidly in quantity and breath-taking quality (Especially this goal when he was with the Dutch club Ajax, which is probably in my Top 5). Unfortunately, he has also been known for a shaky temper and not coming through in important matches, something that will be put more under the microscope if he ends up wearing the uniform of the most successful team in Europe currently. With all that said, I don't see it being the biggest issue in the world, considering he won't be the most heralded player on a team with the 2nd best player in the world according to FIFA in Leo Messi. We must still recognize that the transfer is not a done deal, but the acquisition could potentially add a flashy new element to an already super-talented Barça team that can match up to their Madridian counterparts.

I think I know why I'm starting to like soccer.
(chinadaily.com.cn)

I have to admit, this soccer thing is like learning a new language. Using "fixture" instead of game, "pitch" instead of "field" and "conceded" instead of "allowed". I'm thinking Rosetta Stone can make a lot of money from new American soccer fans just by building a template for soccer alone. Again, we saw the potential that soccer can catch on in America as over 80,000 flocked to the Rose Bowl to watch Chelsea defeat Inter Milan 2-0. Along with the flock were a few well-known people, from the extremely gorgeous Alyssa Milano to the hilarious Will Ferrell, who was donning a Chelsea jersey on the sidelines. It also got me to thinking that if we're going to fully catch on to this sport, we need to watch the very best. In my first entry of the month, I said the only people who could make soccer relevant were the ones who were wrapped in the American colors. I also left out another important factor: That we have to constantly be assured that we're seeing the elite before we give a full embrace to international football. And let me tell you, I don't think it takes watching a few highlights on ESPN to realize that the best players in the world don't exactly play for the LA Galaxy. Whether it's La Liga, The Premier League or Serie A, I believe that the promoters of soccer should push real hard in exposing their leagues over to the Land of the Free. In the era of YouTube, Twitter, diverse DIRECTV packages and the uncertainty of the NHL's reach, there is no reason why soccer shouldn't amass a few million more fanatics in America. The quality of European soccer just simply steamrolls over that of the MLS. It seems that the only exposure the general American public gets with quality soccer is when the World Cup approaches, which features the best of each nation, and we seem to eat it up (other than the fact that the US doesn't get far). But the quality of play and passion still exists abroad, even after the curtain closes on the famous world tourney. Imagine Yankees-Red Sox or Duke-UNC with people that have no other teams to follow. I believe that the average American sports fan can appreciate that kind of ambiance but can't not only due to the lack of exposure to European clubs, but also to the lack of quality and prestige of clubs in the States. I'm just glad I'm on board to possibly experience the emergence of "the beautiful game" in the States. After watching this Sox team lately, I need some happier storylines.

Before I Peace: Racial Irony

(espn.com)

Today, I was browsing my Twitter page when I caught a link that Bill Simmons posted, which immediately got my attention. ESPN column writer Howard Bryant reminded us that yesterday marked the 50th anniversary of Pumpsie Green's debut, which more importantly marked the 1st appearance by an African-American in a Red Sox uniform. This anniversary however doesn't feel so golden. Why you ask? In a cruel bit of irony, the 2009 Red Sox roster has zero (count it), ZERO black players on the day of the anniversary. It's very well documented that African-American participation in the national pastime has gone down considerably in the past few years. But for a club that has gone international in the past few years, ZERO BLACK PLAYERS? In fact, the team has as almost as many Japanese players (Okajima, Matsuzaka, Saito) as they do Latinos (Lowell, Ortiz, Ramirez, Delcarmen). The rest of the team is as white as that Sox team before that July day in Chicago. In fact, only Coco Crisp has been the only every day African-American acquisition that the Sox have had since 2002. If you know me, I'm not the first person to make flimsy racial accusations and I'm not in favor of just signing a minority just for the sake of signing one (Lugo would have a terrible shortstop in any color.). But as a minority in America and a minority fan of this club, it is hard not to be conscious of these situations. I realize that the current ownership is aware of the racial hostility that has existed within the city, and they've made some strides in the community. But the image of prejudice still exists in Beantown. You have to remember that not long ago, the Red Sox had Jackie Robinson participating in a try out, and he got turned down. The Sox even had the chance to sign Willie Mays in 1949, but Red Sox scouting thought that it wasn't worth trudging though a few rainy days for a black ballplayer. I mean, imagine a team with Ted Williams, Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays in it! Even with players like Jim Rice on the team, black players never felt too welcomed in Beantown. Meanwhile the team continued to fill their rosters with over-the-hill sluggers and mediocre pitching while falling behind other teams in picking from the talent-rich minority pool. While today's Red Sox are thankfully more progressive, the dwindling of the minority presence on the team is disconcerting to say the least. It's not only a reminder of the racial inequality that the Yawkey administration promoted, but it is also a painful reminder of why we were never champions for almost 9 consecutive decades.