Party like it's 1999! or 1945 (The USWNT and their run at the FIFA World Cup title)

The United States Women's National Team (USWNT) will face Japan in the finals of the FIFA World Cup. The U.S. is looking to avenge their loss to Japan in the 2011 finals, which they lost in penalty kicks. The U.S. missed their first three kicks of that shootout, looking like Shaq trying to eat with chopsticks. It wasn't pretty.

This year's team has nine of the eleven starters from that game back and are certainly looking to finish on top this time around. While the women's team did beat Japan for the Olympic gold medal in 2012, the World Cup is the sports most coveted prize. When Abby Wambach was asked if she needed the Cup to cement her legacy in the game, she replied "You're damn right I need it." Don't look for her to play too many minutes tonight, but if she does come in late, she can have a big impact on the game.
(Abby is chasing her first World Cup title)

The USWNT has not allowed a goal in the knockout rounds. That's over 500 minutes of do-or-die action that they have shutout the competition. The team is currently 28 minutes away from breaking the all-time tournament record of consecutive shutout minutes, because that's what the U.S. does, we shut people out. Unless you're Cuba. Thanks Obama.

I want to see this team go out there pissed off. Not a drunken Hope Solo pissed off, but just angry at the world. They had the lead twice in that 2011 final only to give up tying goals and eventually lose embarrassingly in penalty kicks. The U.S. just knocked out Germany in a dominating 2-0 win and will need to carry that confidence and momentum into the final.

It's been 16 years since the '99 USWNT won the Cup at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Hard to believe it's been that long ago. Seems like just yesterday Brandi Chastain was ripping her shirt off in celebration after scoring the winning penalty kick, arguably the most famous moment in World Cup history.



When I saw the schedule for the tournament this year I was hoping the final would be played on July 4th. Then, I was really hoping we could beat England in the final. Wouldn't that be something?

Instead we'll just hope for an extended holiday weekend. One more day to celebrate America. One more day for strangers to identify with a common interest and a chance to avoid all the nonsense going on around us. That's the great thing about sports, especially sports that are centered around teams from countries, they bring people together. You may not be a soccer fan, maybe never watched a minute of game action in your life, but if I told you the U.S. is playing Japan, who you got? That's right.

Tonight, watch for the U.S. to use possession to control the pace of the game. We have the best defensive unit in the world and will use ball possession to cater to our skills. Hope Solo is the best goalkeeper in the world as well, and that's something you always want on your side. She hasn't had to make many saves throughout the tournament to this point, and let's hope that continues.

Being an avid sports fan for over 20 years, I have noticed more often than not one simple thing: big time players make big time plays in big time games. Our big time player? Alex Morgan. She was nursing a leg injury early on in the tournament but has looked more her old self the last couple of games. I think she comes through with the winning goal tonight. The USWNT wins the World Cup, beating Japan 1-0.

NBA Finals Preview (Is LeBron better than MJ? Kobe? Is Steph Curry the greatest shooter ever?)

He's the closest thing to Jordan since the greatest basketball player of all-time retired over a decade ago and left us yearning for more. He dominates games in a fashion we haven't seen since MJ.
One of the best pure scorers in NBA history. No, not LeBron or Steph Curry. This guy.




With LeBron's fifth straight trip to the NBA finals, you'll find many analysts and articles talking about how LBJ is catching up to and transcending MJ. But in my opinion and in the opinion of many others, he hasn't even caught Kobe yet. Yet.

Bryant is currently looking at both of his hands, one with five rings on it and the other with none. He's been chasing number six for five years now and it doesn't look like he's going to get it. LeBron is quietly sitting with two rings, and still trying to make up for the three he couldn't cash in on. In case you need a quick refresher, MJ has enough to put rings on both hands, capturing six titles and six Finals MVP awards. To take it a step further, he should probably have eight rings but chose to pursue a "career" in baseball in the middle of his championship runs. Why the greatest basketball player of all-time gave it up in the middle of his prime to chase a dream in another sport is beyond me.

(MJ celebrating his 4th title on Father's Day 1996. His father, James, was murdered in 1993 on the side of the road while taking a nap in his vehicle.)


While the debate between Jordan, Kobe and LeBron will go on for unforeseeable decades to come, one thing is clear. LeBron is gaining ground. Quickly. He has taken his team to the NBA Finals now in five straight years and is making his sixth overall appearance. He's playing arguably the best basketball of his career while leading a team riddled with injuries. It was supposed to be the "Big 3" again for Bron Bron, this time in Cleveland. But losing Kevin Love to a cheap shot shoulder injury and Kyrie Irving to his ailing legs (I'm starting to wonder if Irving is beginning to think he actually is Uncle Drew) has left LeBron with a mediocre supporting cast. Let's give him the credit he deserves, he has willed this team to the Finals. He's the best point guard in the game, although his position is small forward. Now, the Cavaliers went through a weak Eastern Conference, I get that. But a team can only play who they are scheduled to play. The Cavaliers, LeBron in particular, have played very good basketball and positioned themselves to possibly take home the title.

(Irving, aka Uncle Drew, has to shake off the old man legs if the Cavs are going to have a chance in these NBA Finals)

On the other side of the ball, we are graced with the greatest gift the NBA has given us this year. No, not Steph Curry. His daughter, Riley.

(Riley Curry is taking the NBA by storm)

Ok, she's great but she can't play in the NBA yet. Only because of the dumb college rule. So let's focus on Steph. Better known as the baby-faced assassin, the better half of the splash, Curry is widely considered to be the greatest 3-point shooter of all-time. Yes, all-time. Better than Reggie Miller, Ray Allen, and Larry Bird. He makes making 3's look easier than breathing. He'll pull up from the parking lot. With the quickest release in the game it's almost impossible to block his shot. Curry had one of the greatest shooting seasons in NBA history and took home the MVP award, deservedly.

But he's not LeBron.

LeBron is the best player on the planet and has been for the last decade or so minus Kobe. He plays all five positions and has strengthened his teammates in a way that hasn't been done since.. Jordan?

What can we expect to see in the Finals?

Viewers can expect to see great basketball. The best player on the planet against perhaps the greatest shooter of all-time. Expect to see a record number of 3-point attempts. Look forward to fast-paced basketball with great ball movement.

Prediction

The Warriors have the better team and supporting cast surrounding Steph Curry. The Cavaliers have one of the best of all-time and a deadly sidekick in Irving. LeBron has started 172 career playoff games while the Warriors starting five has a total of 168. However...

The Warriors take home the title in one of the most prolific series in NBA Finals history. The best part for the Warriors? They do it at home in game 7.


*This blog was written in dedication to and in memory of Stuart Scott. The ESPN anchor loved covering the NBA Finals every year and made it one of his goals to come back and deliver the championship trophy last year in San Antonio, which he did. Stuart Scott passed away from cancer in January 2015.

Keeping up with the Jenners (Why sports networks should not be covering Caitlyn)

   Ted's Take is a sports blog that covers sporting news across the world. I started this in an effort to reach fans and communicate sports in a light-hearted and fun manner that privies information from the brain of a sports fanatic. This blog is centered around sports and always will be. That is why even though I have opinions on the new Caitlyn Jenner, I would never write about them. People are free to do what they want with their lives. It is their choice to do or not do whatever they see as being in their best interest. I am a big believer in if it doesn't involve you, don't be involved. Well I'm involved in sports, and it just so happens that ESPN is the worldwide leader in sports.

A quick factoid for the viewing population if not already known, ESPN is an acronym for Entertainment Sports and Programming Network. While most of the followers from the companies' inception in 1979 have tuned in to view the sports part of the program, the company has shifted focus over the last couple of years. ESPN has moved to include more of the entertainment and less of the sports in the programming. This is evidenced by daily shows First Take, Mike and Mike, and others bringing entertainment stars on the network. Rappers, actors, and comedians alike have hit the stage with sports analysts to debate current issues and rivalries in sports. I'll be honest, does anyone know who Lil B the base god is, because I don't? I'm not even sure if that's how you spell the guy's name but I refuse to waste ten seconds of my life looking it up. The rapper has claimed to put a "curse" on NBA players Kevin Durant and James Harden. Most recently Harden for "stealing" his cooking or stirring the pot motion after making a basket. Lil B or whatever the hell his name is has been all over ESPN and Twitter. Does he play sports? No. As a sports fan do I want to see him on my sports programming or being tweeted about on my twitter line by sports anchors? No. Point being, let's stick to sports here ESPN. Let's let E! cover the entertainment industry. Speaking of which...

There's a fine line between sports and entertainment. Sports are entertaining, but entertainment is not necessarily sporty. Right? Ok follow me down this road for a minute...a 65 year-old has-been athlete, who is only relevant because he (now she)  married the mom of the biggest trio of egotistical whore daughters in the world, having a later-life crisis and sex change is not sports related. Bruce Jenner was an Olympic gold medal winning decathlon athlete in the 1970's. Caitlyn Jenner is not. While this news is certainly relevant to the LGBT community, it is not relevant in the sports industry.

Apparently ESPN does not see it that way. ESPN has an annual awards show called the ESPY's where they recognize the best plays and players in sports from the past year. During the ceremony, they give away awards for categories like top play, top team, best male and female athlete, as well as the Jimmy V perseverance award and Arthur Ashe courage award. The courage award is presented to a team or individual who transcends the sports world, and does not necessarily have to be an athlete. Why is that? It's a sports awards program. I don't remember seeing the Grammy's giving out an award for best buzzer-beater.

Nevertheless, ESPN has presented the award to individuals like Muhammad Ali, Dean Smith, Pat Tillman, Nelson Mandela, and Michael Sam. What defines courage? Giving up a multi-million dollar contract in the NFL to join the Army and serve your country? Yes, thank you Pat Tillman for paying the ultimate sacrifice. Becoming the first openly-gay athlete to enter the NFL draft knowing that teams will pass on you in the draft in fear of you being a distraction to the organization? Kudos for being you, Michael Sam. Having an identity crisis and deciding to change genders? Nope.

While Bruce has known, apparently for a while that he has wanted to be a she and finally having the balls (pun intended) to go through with the process, it is not an action that needs to be recognized by a sports network. It is an action that needs to be recognized by the LGBT world, and rightfully so. The world is evolving into a place where people are starting to feel like they can be themselves and voicing their opinions on the situation. That's what we call advancement in society. Every person has the right to be happy, Caitlyn no different. I just don't want to hear about it on ESPN, NFL Network or from any other "sports" network.

This is a case of a network playing the politically correct card and reaping the benefits. ESPN is well-aware that Jenner is a high-profile celebrity. Shoot, she gained a million twitter followers in four hours yesterday! Beating the record set by President Obama, which I find both hysterically funny and sad. I couldn't get a million followers if I was giving away money.

ESPN knows that their viewership will skyrocket in July when the ESPY's are held  because they will have non-sports fans tuning in for 5 minutes to see the acceptance speech by Jenner. I'm all about bringing in new fans, but not by tainting the award for past winners. There are plenty of courageous athletes to choose from, we don't need to tune in to Keeping up with the Kardashians to find one.

The state of the Rangers

    After making the World Series back to back years in 2010 and 2011, the Texas Rangers have been in a downward spiral since. From losing the wild card game in 2012 to barely missing the playoffs in 2013. 2014? A dazzling record of 67-95 brought diehard fans to tears, and ended with the team's worst season since 1994. But what did we expect after they swept Nolan Ryan out the back door like a pile of dust they were too lazy to pick up. Needless to say, the move did not sit well with fans.

There are some occurrences that a front office can control, and then there are injuries. To add a little insult to injury after the Rangers traded away all-star second baseman for one of the best hitters in the league Prince Fielder, Fielder goes down with a neck injury after only 42 games. Injuries are part of any sport, but it seems the Rangers took a lump sum in 2014.

Despite the lackluster season in 2014 and already a string of injuries to begin the 2015 season, the Rangers are currently sitting at .500 for the year. Despite losing Profar (again) and Yu Darvish for the year, coupled with injuries to Derek Holland and Matt Harrison, the team seems to be settling in to a nice groove lately. After a seven game losing streak earlier in the season, they managed to rattle off a string of six straight wins in May.

While injuries are never something you want to see happen to your ball club, it does provide an opportunity for the younger talent in the organization to develop their skills. This has been the case for rising stars like Delino Deshields and most recently Hanser Alberto. Just last night we saw Chi Chi Rodriguez, a 6'3 righty from Oral Roberts make his pro debut. How did he finish? 5.2 innings pitched and zero runs allowed. Can we have some more of what he's having?

Although the Rangers have faced adversity and controversy over the last two seasons, the team seems to be headed in the right direction. Imagine getting a healthy starting rotation of Yu Darvish, Colby Lewis, Derek Holland, Yovani Gallardo, and Nick Martinez/Matt Harrison. Couple that rotation with the speed and batting power our lineup has shown this year and the Rangers become a very dangerous team. No one in baseball is hitting the ball as well as Fielder, and Hamilton seems to be settling in nicely back home in Texas.

Let's not forget to give cred to Jeff Banister. Taking over as manager after Ron Washington was not an easy task. Washington certainly had some questionable instances arise during his tenure, but he was loved by the fans. Banister has taken over a young, injury plagued team and has them playing .500 ball. That's what they call getting it done.

The present and future looks to be bright for the Texas Rangers. Taking a punch in the mouth with all the injuries and turning it into an opportunity to strengthen the depth of the roster will only help them going forward. Playoffs 2015? Yes, please.

For the Love of Hate

The Yankees. The Patriots. The Miami Heat during the LeBron era. Duke Basketball. The Dallas Cowboys and the rivals of our favorite sports teams. We hate them. We would rather see our ex hooking up with a model than to watch them sniff a win in a game. A six hour flight full of screaming babies sounds like a vacation compared to sitting through one of their games while your friend cheers them on. Whether it's the pure love and dedication to your team or the sheer fact that you would rather shave with a rake before seeing them win another championship, all sports fans love to hate.

Now, we all have great explanations for our reasoning behind the hate. The Yankees buy their payroll, Spygate and Deflategate with the Patriots, LeBron teaming up with other superstars in Miami to chase that elusive title. And no one needs a reason to hate their teams arch rival. That's like death and taxes, it's a given in life.

One of the most hated teams in America is Duke basketball. Coming off their fifth national title in 25 years last night, it was easy to see that the majority of America was displeased. Now, we can trace this hate back to the days of Christian Laettner and the Blue Devils championships of the early 1990's. It's understandable that people didn't like that team. Christian had a brash personality, and he gave less thought to what you cared about him than Obama gives to the future of America. But he owned it. He was comfortable in that skin. He fed off the hate. But just as this team is hated, it's hard to understand why this generation of Duke is continually hated. Coach Mike Krzyzewski has done nothing but be a class act and great coach unlike some of his counterparts (see Calipari and Boeheim). He continually achieves excellence on and off the court. But maybe that's what it is. People love to hate greatness. Think about all the teams listed above in the first paragraph. What do they have in common? Multiple championships. They are all teams that have excelled in their sport.

Maybe it's not the program, team, city, players or coaches that we hate. Maybe it's the winning. Maybe it's the fact that we're sick and tired of seeing that team win and not ours. We all know that someone is a bandwagon fan if they like a great team. No matter how many years you have spent following the team, how many nights you have stayed up late watching their games, or how many times a piece of your heart breaks when they bow out of the final game of their respective season. People love to hate winners. And if your team wins, chances are people will not or already do not like them.

So continue the hating. It makes sports what it is today. It makes showing up at the water cooler on Monday morning a lot better when you have a shit-eating grin on your face cause your team just beat your buddies team and he knows he's not going to hear the end of it all week. It makes friends of enemies. You and a coworker may not like the same team, but if you hate the same team, well that's just as good. Loving to hate teams brings people closer together than the New York subway system. Example: I show up to the Heat vs. Spurs NBA finals game last year. What am I wearing you wonder? An Indiana Pacers shirt. I got tons of looks and people asking if I was lost, but one person actually grabbed me and said "Why the hell are you wearing a Pacers shirt, they're not even playing?" To which I promptly replied " I'm just here cause I hate the Heat. I hope they lose." I made 50 friends with that answer and a few cold ones on the house.

Don't take it personal when people hate on your team for winning. It's not actual hate, it's their love to hate. And their favorite team probably sucks.

Final Four Preview

All good things must come to an end, so fittingly will the men's NCAA basketball tournament on Monday night. But not before we get to enjoy one last weekend of sensational hoops from the Hoosier state. Four teams remain to decide who will take the title home and be the kings of their campus.

The four colleges who remain in the tournament have storied programs. With Kentucky and Duke you have two of the three winningest programs in NCAA history, while Tom Izzo always seems to will his Michigan State team deep in the tournament. Although Bo Ryan may not have the resume of the other coaches, he has taken Wisconsin to back to back Final Fours. Three number one seeds who dominated the regular season along with the underdogs Michigan State as a seven seed sets us up for an unforgettable ending to the madness of 2015. Let's take a closer look at the matchups.

Duke vs. Michigan State

The stats history favors Krzyzewski's Blue Devils in this matchup, as he has gone 8-1 over their last 9 against the Spartans. Duke has the superior starting five, featuring the likely number one pick in the upcoming draft in Jahlil Okafor. Michigan State guard Travis Trice has been one of the best players of the tournament so far and his spectacular play is not likely to stop now. The X factor in this game hinges on Duke's Justise Winslow. Winslow, a freshman from Houston, Tx,  was a solid contributor for Duke all season but has come on particularly strong in the tournament, most recently playing in his hometown for the regional tournament. I like the Spartans will to win and teamwork, but Duke's size and skill will ultimately prevail in this gut-wrenching matchup of two great programs.

Duke 76 Michigan State 71

Kentucky vs. Wisconsin

If you simply looked at the rosters of the two teams, everybody who could read would pick Kentucky to win this game. They boast nine, yes nine, McDonald's All-Americans. Wisconsin? Zero. It almost doesn't seem fair. But if you have followed basketball this season you know that Wisconsin deserves to be in Indy this weekend competing with the best teams in America. Why? Simple. They play old school ball that consists of teamwork, passing, good defense and the best offensive efficiency in the nation. Oh and they just happen to have the Naismith Player of the Year in Frank Kaminsky. The problem? Kentucky is the best defensive team in the nation. While there is no doubt that Wisconsin will give them their best test of the season, Kentucky simply has too much height and firepower coming off the bench. Kentucky wins a close one, in which I believe will be a classic.

Kentucky 65 Wisconsin 63

The NFL's own March Madness

Times have changed. Gone are the days of the NFL where free agents spent days, even weeks traveling to different teams' cities in order to gauge their interest in joining that franchise. Today, we are blessed with insider's tweets and knowledge of behind the scenes action taking place, minute by minute. The frenzy that is the free agency period in the NFL is just that, craziness. For instance, within a five minute span on Tuesday we saw Jimmy Graham traded to the Seahawks, Haloti Ngata traded to the Lions, and the Eagles and Rams swapping quarterbacks Nick Foles and Sam Bradford. Yes, we're still trying to figure out the Foles/Bradford trade.

Now, we have seen in the past where teams get a little crazy and spend way too much money on players that were washed up or overpaid based on actual talent. One would guess the reasoning for this to simply be that GM's are searching for those "special" players that can elevate their teams to the Championship level, or if you're the Jaguars/Titans/Bucs/Raiders, back to relevancy. The spending has increased over the years, with the salary cap rising consistently over the years allowing for clubs to pay players even more money for essentially the same talent. One study showed that an $8 million/year player last year is a $9.2 million/year player this year. While signing quality free agents is a boost to your team, almost everyone in the league will tell you that you win championships through the draft.


Let's recap the biggest moves in free agency so far:

Jimmy Graham to Seahawks/Max Unger and 1st round pick to Saints

Analysis:
    The Seahawks get their first threat in the passing game since Steve Largent (circa 1980's).
The Saints gain an underrated center in Unger In the 7 games that Unger missed last season, the Seahawks ran for a full yard less per rush compared to the 9 games he did play. Conclusion: Lynch will miss running behind him and Ingram is grinning ear to ear.

Haloti Ngata to Lions/4th and 5th round pick to Ravens

Analysis:
   The Lions find a replacement for Ndamukong Suh, while the Ravens avoid a holdout/contract dispute from Ngata, with whom they could not agree on an extension.

Speaking of Suh.. Suh takes his talents to South Beach.

Analysis:
  Hey, it worked for LeBron, right? Not this time. While his presence will drastically help improve the Dolphins defense, the team itself is still far away from competing for a championship. Even Suh admitted "I would say money was the most important factor" in making his decision. Well, at least he's honest.

Sam Bradford to the Eagles/Nick Foles to the Rams

Analysis:
  Who knows. This is one of the screwiest trades the NFL has ever seen. Experts can speculate but no one really knows what either team is thinking in the long run here. Good news for Bradford, he gets to play under his former offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur while handing off to his old OU roommate Demarco Murray. Foles saves the Rams cap space, which means nothing because no big time free agent is going to sign with the Rams. This leads us to think that they either really believe in Foles, or they're tired of dealing with underachieved Bradford. I'm going with the latter.


Demarco Murray and Ryan Mathews to the Eagles:

Analysis:
 Right now,  both running backs are expected to sign with Philadelphia. I've been there twice, nice city with a great American historical culture. But i'm not playing for fans that threw snowballs at Santa. Plus, at what point does someone walk up to Chip Kelly and be like "Uh, what the hell's going on around here?" They've let go of rare talents DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy, as well as letting Jeremy Maclin walk in free agency this year. It seems to many that Kelly is out to prove his system will work in the NFL, no matter who the players are in the scheme. He better hope he's right, or he'll be back to college quickly.

LeSean McCoy to Bills/Kiko Alonso to Eagles

Analysis:
   McCoy provides a feature back for Rex Ryan's ground and pound game while the Eagles clear cap space and get a very talented, albeit injured, linebacker. Winner: Eagles, but I can't explain why.


Frank Gore/Andre Johnson/Trent Cole to the Colts

Analysis:
  The Colts signed three big name veterans this week, hoping to put the pieces in place to propel themselves to championship status. Gore provides a very reliable, 1100 yds/season the last four years, running back that can get the short yardage needed to be effective on fourth down and the goal line. Johnson will be used as a big target, posession receiver. His tutelage to fellow receivers T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief, and newly acquired Duron Carter will be key in developing the Colts' weapons of the future. Cole provides an elite pass rusher from the linebacker position that can flourish in their scheme. Great additions, but is it enough?


My favorite section of the blog so far:

Big name signings that mean nothing.

Brandon Marshall traded to the Jets. Does not matter until they find a reliable quarterback.

Darelle Revis signs with Jets. See line above.

Suh signs with Dolphins. It's all about the benjamins.

Julius Thomas signs with Jaguars. Well, come on. It's the Jaguars people.

Jeremy Maclin signs with Chiefs. Chiefs wide receivers had zero touchdowns last year. Yes, zero. None. Not one. Not by accident, not on purpose.


The NFL has become the Wild West as of late. But really, who's complaining? Have you ever played Madden in franchise mode? Well if you've kept up with the NFL this week, that's a pretty good summation. Teams wheeling and dealing players, signing free agent hopefuls, all for a chance to improve their team. If you're a fan of a franchise, you can not complain. Unless you are a Raiders fan. Well, actually, even you can complain. Go ahead. We understand.

  *Disclaimer: Every player mentioned in this blog may/may not be traded/released by the time I hit publish. At which point I will write another column.