The Swamp

Nonlinear FC

Am I the only one who constantly calculates the percentage complete a drive is? Like it used to be exactly 200 from Boston to my parents house and every 3 miles I'd be reworking the math. I think 1,300 as the denominator would have cause me to swerve into a tree. If it were a common denom, then no,...

Nonlinear FC

Damn, I didn't see this until today. The issue with bailing off of 95-S to avoid DC is that the development in the exurbs has been so intense the last 2 decades, making 301 and Rt 1 (another parallel route to 95) extremely jacked up at various points along the way. It's not worth having to go throug...

Nonlinear FC

Yeah, I think what people either missed or are ignoring is that, yes, Messi has incredible skill in tight quarters, but where usually finds separation is his first two steps... which are usually unstoppable. It's what he does when he's in that very highest gear that makes him truly exceptional. It l...

Nonlinear FC

Just to echo this, I'm REALLY going to miss ESPN come 2018 . I'm 99 percent certain Fox's coverage is going to be a nightmare. But ESPN's coverage has been outstanding this time around. Yeah, it really has been way above average to great. I like just about all of the managers and former footballers...

Nonlinear FC

Are there any stalling rules? Because, by far, my biggest beef with lacrosse is stalling. I'd like to see a shot clock once it's in the box and not wait for the discretion of the ref.

Nonlinear FC

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/07/business/media/sirius-xm-fires-radio-host-over-twitter-postings.html?_r=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Curious what folks here think about this one... On one hand, you have the fairly trite "freedom of speech" misunderstanding f...

Nonlinear FC

So, just to clarify... Is everything a pretty massive promotion/relegation battle here? Are those divisions ranked best to worst?

(I'd want no part of being in the plum division. gross.)

Nonlinear FC

I've been ruined by yesterday. I need something insane to happen to keep my interest in this pedestrian affair.

Nonlinear FC

Johnny Carwash wrote:So did one of the Dutch players just explode next to their goal?

Yeah, it happens. Unfortunate, but necessary part of the game.

Nonlinear FC

plus... boobs.

Nonlinear FC

Secret Service is so ready to kick that guys ass.

Nonlinear FC

Yeah, that sucked, but nowhere close to the Pens loss. That Rangers series just never felt right. By the time game 7 rolled in, the momentum was so clearly in the Gers favor.

But the Pens series, we'd just won on a Steckel OT goal... Just a completely different vibe going into that game.

Nonlinear FC

Sorry, I know I'm pretty much talking to myself at this point, but something's been bugging me... I had this nagging feeling that I had a really similar personal experience, I just couldn't pull it. Game 7 loss to the Penguins in 2010 playoffs. I was at the Verizon Center for that game. The series h...

Nonlinear FC

But back to Sybs overall WTF just happened point. People give Macca a hard time, because his analysis can be kind of thin, but boy was he all over the Brazilians from early on about their lack of desire to play defense. With the stakes on the line in that game... that performance was truly baffling....

Nonlinear FC

WTF just happened? I had the game on my iPod, but was working and not really paying attention. Saw the first goal, and lost connection to my server. Got back on and rebooted the Watch ESPN app, had to sign in with cable provider... caught Khedira' s goal. Wow, 2-0. Look up at the score, HOLY FUCK! ...

Nonlinear FC

All Hail Timmy Howard. Seriously. I'm not saying Brazil's goalie is to blame for this game, far from it.

But Brazil is utterly disgrace today. We easily could've exited this tournament with a similar fate.

Nonlinear FC

I don't think it's the players, though. In terms of going forward, they still have the most talented pool of players on the planet. But they've been playing a bullshit, cynical, plodding shit style of soccer for at least 10 years now. They need to a radical regression to the days of Zico and Socrate...

Nonlinear FC

And Brazil has to play again on Saturday. Yeah, I was just talking to someone about that... What if it's Netherlands, it could be a total debacle, because what motivation would they have at that point? If it's ARG, it will be very weird, but the regional haterade should be enough to get the blood up.

Nonlinear FC

I think the biggest win/loss is 10-0... I was on wikipedia earlier but my head was spinning... Pretty sure it was a Hungary win.

Nonlinear FC

Suddenly not so upset I forgot to record. I am the opposite...sounds like I am missing something weirdly historic. ETA: Altho the radio call on ESPN is pretty damn solid. Tommy Smith is one confused Leprachaun. Didn't see this when I posted... This is unreal. It's almost hard to watch. I mean... th...

Nonlinear FC

mister d wrote:
Sabo wrote:I just want three really good games.
Has this become so bad it counts as good?

This will go down in history... So, there's that, I guess.

This has looked like a Globetrotters game. Traveshamockery.

Nonlinear FC

brian wrote:Waiting for the first idiot to blame this on losing Neymar, as if he would make a difference to this shambolic back line for Brazil.

I don't understand what Brazil is doing on defense... It's really bizarre. Like, WTF are they doing?!

Nonlinear FC

We only lost to them 1-0.

We're clearly better than Brazil!!!

Nonlinear FC

Wow.

So much for the Germans regressing back to organized, stoic style. They are beating the crap out of the Brazilians with swift attacks coming from all over the field.

And while I was typing that...

Holy Fuck.

Nonlinear FC

This is an awesome game, so far. GER scoring first is a huge bonus for the neutral looking for entertainment.

Nonlinear FC

Jesus. That's possibly some of the worst marking I've ever seen at this level. That was like a post pattern where the CB and Safety tripped each other up and the WR walks into the end zone.

Nonlinear FC

If getting the US from the top 20 to the top 10 requires putting little kids into specialized, highly competitive and demanding "academies", is it really worth it? (Steve - I'm about to be an asshole. It has nothing to do with you, I'm just going to be a dick to make a point.) This is why...

Nonlinear FC

Yeah... it's kind of complicated. There is a Maryland Rush (based out of Bowie) and Maryland Rush Montgomery (based in MoCo.) The Bowie team has seniority in the U14 age bracket, so he pulls from my team and the other MRM U14 team to from an EDP team. He still has a team in WAGS, but he barely cares...

Nonlinear FC

This is why a lot of folks groaned when we heard he'd accepted a role with ESPN. There's just not a lot of good that comes from an active player sitting in the analysts' chair. I have absolutely no problem with guys like Keller, Lalas, Wynalda, etc. offering their opinions. But this is like having a...

Nonlinear FC

sancarlos wrote:Looked like some serious trash talk was coming out of the Dutch keeper's mouth.

That was some bullshit. I'm really surprised the ref didn't say something to him after the first time he did that.

Nonlinear FC

I don't think BeIN actually has the rights, but rather has bought them on a game by game basis, putting absolutely no money into production, and taking the feed solely from the host country. Didn't some smaller than BeIN channel televise a game within the past year? I want to say the Jamaica game, ...

Nonlinear FC

Well, the great news is that we don't have to worry about this stuff being promoted. They are perfect money-making vehicles for whatever network owns the rights. That's part of the beauty of these ridiculous TV numbers out of Brazil... TV follows the money, and this entire WCQ and WC cycle have bee...

Nonlinear FC

…And that is going to have to happen when these kids are young. Like, 11 or 12 at the latest. Once a kid grows into teen years, it's not possible to "teach" the innate ball control and awareness you see from the best players. Thank you, noted. Is there disagreement on this? And Nonlinear,...

Nonlinear FC

Yeah, there's definitely a weird need / desire for non-soccer fan to make sure you know that he / she is not a soccer fan in a lot of situations. I was at a watch party for the Portugal game, so of course half the people there aren't even watching, and there are a handful of ladies that are just sp...

Nonlinear FC

Yeah, there's definitely a weird need / desire for non-soccer fan to make sure you know that he / she is not a soccer fan in a lot of situations. I was at a watch party for the Portugal game, so of course half the people there aren't even watching, and there are a handful of ladies that are just spo...

Nonlinear FC

For those in the know or who have an opinion about this: is the NCAA good or bad for player development in the US? Intuitively it seems bad to me to have players of that age playing 3 month seasons and dealing with all the other bullshit that the NCAA has to offer. And yet I count 8 guys who played...

Nonlinear FC

I also got over the "SCORE A FUCKING GOAL!" mentality this time around. The games entertained me without the need for a goal to be scored. Mexico/Argentina was great radio. Ah, yes, a huge mental shift. And, look, some soccer games are boring as fuck, even in the WC. To state the obvious:...

Nonlinear FC

A good Academy example of not $ is Andy Najar. DC United got him after only a few months in the US. They developed him signed him and got the transfer fee. I am guessing Gideon Zeeleman (Arsenal) also was not paying $5k a year for Bethesda's club (or whatever full cost is). The only said thing I se...

Nonlinear FC

* There's a lot to be said on this, but I'll keep it brief: There's a huge battle and major shift going on for who "owns" youth soccer in this country. The bottom line is that the better players are increasingly being funneled into professional academy set-ups. Where when Landon and Beasl...

Nonlinear FC

Also, if I'm Klinsmann, I find the best technique coach out there and I offer him a lot of money. The US needs better first touch. This leads to my biggest question. How possible/practical is it to develop fundamental ball technique beyond a certain age (17? 20? 25?) I invite comparison to the spor...

Search found 10926 matches