- 12:23 PM
- 12/30/24
| Name: | Steve Bacharach |
|---|---|
| Location: | Thousand Oaks, CA |
| Member since: | January 28, 2006 |
| Last visit: | November 14, 2019 |
sbacharach has posted 3 links and 152 comments to SportsFilter and 0 links and 0 comments to the Locker Room.
Joey Barton in trouble - again: In the past it's often been related to violent conduct (on and off the pitch) or verbal abuse of some kind. This time it's gambling.
posted by sbacharach to soccer at 05:56 PM on April 27, 2017 - 9 comments
Chris Horner, age 41, becomes the oldest winner of a Grand Tour: I really want to believe he isn't doping. What Horner did in the Vuelta was nothing short of incredible - so I guess by definition it hardly seems credible.
posted by sbacharach to other at 03:43 PM on September 15, 2013 - 1 comment
Contador should have hired Armstrong's lawyers: Contador gets a two-year ban and forfeits a Tour de France win (among other victories). Andy Schleck is now elevated to the yellow jersey for that year.
posted by sbacharach to other at 11:25 AM on February 06, 2012 - 8 comments
It was time - actually it likely was time after the last FA Cup win. I hope the club can keep some of his DNA for fluidity and flair. Yes, I would love consistency and I would love a whole lot more defensive solidity, but above all I want to enjoy watching them play - yes, probably even more than watching them win.
posted by sbacharach at 12:29 PM on April 20, 2018
Check out "Icarus" on Netflix - similar idea, at least at the start. It begins with a cyclist who gets a Russian doctor to help him get on an undetectable doping program, similar to many a pro-cyclist a decade ago, to see how it affects his performance. The documentary then moves toward telling the story of the doctor and Russian state-sponsored programs of the last few decades.
posted by sbacharach at 12:22 PM on September 06, 2017
When talk of this has come up over the years I always wonder how you decide if someone dived in the following scenario (with the aim of tricking a match official): (1) Player A is running with the ball at speed (2) Player B sticks a leg out which will miss the ball but hit Player A's shin/knee (3) Player A, rather than risking injury, dives over Player B's out-thrust leg and lands on the ground
Depending on the speed at which the players are moving, the angle of the boot of Player B, the game situation (which theoretically shouldn't matter), you can give a yellow to Player A, you can give a yellow to Player B, you can give a red to Player B, you can call a foul on Player B, you can do nothing. The stakes are even higher when this occurs in the 18-yard box.
How does replay help with that?
posted by sbacharach at 11:08 AM on May 19, 2017
1) Betfair went to The FA. Was there a potential this story would come out, snagging the company in the process, so the company gave the notification? Betfair obviously looks much better now than had this story been "breaking news." Good question - why did they wait ten years to turn over this data? I haven't heard any answers on that yet.
2) I wonder how many players have accounts with these companies: surely some of them place bets on soccer matches? They are probably deleting them furiously right now.
3) Joey Barton will NEVER be confused with a Mensa member. He seems to be one of the more thoughtful footballers who gets a mic put in his face, but that may be a rather low bar to get over. I think we'll be hearing him doing a lot more commentary in the next 18 months and beyond.
posted by sbacharach at 02:52 PM on April 28, 2017
I meant integrity of the "game".
posted by sbacharach at 08:28 PM on April 27, 2017
What I'm struck by in listening to UK podcasts is how many people think that an 18 month ban for gambling - including bets against his own team - is excessive. It's true that betting sites very much support the Premier League financially so there could be a little hypocrisy going on here from the FA, yet his behavior calls into question the very integrity of the same. I think a lot of the pundits work with him doing analysis so they are happy to give him a pass, but this would never fly in the US.
posted by sbacharach at 06:00 PM on April 27, 2017
Way too many teams getting in - waters down the competition considerably. The Euros should have stayed at 16 teams too.
posted by sbacharach at 03:07 PM on March 30, 2017
I doubt he'll need to emote to compete in MLS for a year or two
That may or may not be true. Many foreign players who come into MLS don't seem to realize how physical the league can be - not crunching tackles, rather a lot of running and long travel to away games and as well as hotter temperatures than they are accustomed too.
posted by sbacharach at 12:36 PM on March 22, 2017
I just contacted a friend in Chicago who is a big soccer fan, and he's happy "they finally signed someone worth watching." I can't say he's represents all Chicago supporters, but I'm sure there are many people, myself included, who are happy to see more quality of any kind come into MLS.
posted by sbacharach at 03:16 PM on March 21, 2017
That was depressing. A dead rubber back in London (and Barcelona).
posted by sbacharach at 09:53 PM on February 15, 2017
As part of a Chelsea squad that had several players that were easy to dislike, Frank Lampard always seemed to stand out as one of the real good guys.
posted by sbacharach at 12:45 PM on February 03, 2017
I've seen many LA Galaxy games at the Stub Hub Center in Carson - an excellent venue for watching soccer. It hosts other events like some of the California high school football championship games. Even if it's short-lived, it could be an incredible (and intimate) atmosphere for an NFL game.
posted by sbacharach at 05:09 PM on January 12, 2017
Hilarious.
posted by sbacharach at 04:48 PM on September 13, 2016
How to Watch European Soccer on TV
I had really been taking for granted the availability of EPL, FA Cup, Champions League, and Europa League the last several years. This is disappointing news, but the media landscape is always evolving, so I shouldn't be surprised.