Green Demon

I dont think that the US has the strongest team or anything but I also dont see them losing to Ghana, we got the Ghana superstar Freddy Adu. What I am is hoping for is a tie with the Czechs or Italy and a win against Ghana getting us to the next round hopefully. The US team is pretty young so I think that next WC could be one that the US can really accel in of course depending on the draw.

I am happy to say that I finally got Worldwide Soccer Manager 06/Football Manager 06 off of Amazon and I am finally going to get a chance to play the game.

Does anyone know if and when this may be coming out for Xbox 360 and/or PSP. I heard that it was rumored to come out for either but I havent really heard a confirmation that they were for sure coming out on either. I would really like to get football manager but since I live in the US the only way I can really get it would be amazon or ebay. Nothing wrong with getting it on Amazon or something but it would just be easier to get it retail if possible.

From Espn.com The World Champion Chicago White Sox have traded for Javier Vazquez, adding pitching power to a starting rotation that included four pitchers with double-digit wins last season. The Arizona Diamondbacks will send Vazquez to the White Sox, ESPN.com Insider Jerry Crasnick confirmed Wednesday. In exchange, Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez, reliever Luis Vizcaino and outfield prospect Chris Young will be sent to Arizona. The deal has yet to be announced by the teams because Arizona is sending cash to the White Sox, which requires the commissioner's approval. Also, the players must take physical exams. Vazquez had asked to be traded to a team that would be easier for his family in Puerto Rico to visit. He is owed $24 million from the $45 million, four-year contract he agreed to with the Yankees in January 2004. That deal gives him salaries of $11.5 million in 2006 and $12.5 million in 2007. It would be the fourth major offseason move by the White Sox since Chicago won its first World Series since 1917. The White Sox re-signed first baseman Paul Konerko and traded for DH Jim Thome and utility player Rob Mackowiak. Vazquez filed a formal trade demand Nov. 10, the right of veteran players dealt during multiyear contracts. Arizona had until March 15 to trade him or risk having Vazquez become a free agent. He is owed $11.5 million next year and $12.5 million in 2007. Vazquez was obtained by the New York Yankees from Montreal after the 2003 season and was an All-Star in his first season with New York, going 14-9 with a 4.75 ERA. But he won just one of his last nine regular-season starts and was traded to Arizona last January as part of the deal that sent Randy Johnson to the Yankees. He went 11-15 with a 4.42 ERA for the Diamondbacks this year. Hernandez, who pitched in relief in the playoffs, was 9-9 last season and has a career record of 70-49, spending most of his time in the major leagues with the Yankees. El Duque is signed for next year, with a base salary of $4,625,000. He can earn an additional $2 million in bonuses based on innings, getting the full amount if he pitches 205 innings Vizcaino joined the White Sox last season as part of a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers that also landed Chicago Scott Podsednik and sent Carlos Lee to the Brewers. He pitched well in the second half after a slow start and finished 6-5 with a 3.73 ERA. Vazquez has an 89-93 career record, pitching for the Montreal Expos, the Yankees and the Diamondbacks. Young batted .277 with 26 homers and 77 RBI for Double-A Birmingham last season and was one of the White Sox's top prospects. I am not a Chi Sox fan but down the road this trade may not be that good they traded a guy that when was pitching well was a really good pitcher in El Duque and also one of thier top prospects for a guy that I really dont think has been that good since he came out of Montreal in Vazquez, he also has a pretty $10+ million contract for the next two years.

The Kid that pretty much carried the soccer team to the State semis, Josh Grossmen, went to a D. 1. College in Wright State and has scored like 6-7 goals and had some assist to go along with that so he is pretty good in college only as a freshmen. In high school he scored 132 goals in about 75 games so average atleast 2 goals a game and broke tons of school records. Edit: I was just looking at his college soccer site and this show you that he is pretty good he bike in a goal in a tounrnament game. Here is the recap http://www.wsuraiders.com/cgi-bin/athletic...eatures&id=2475

Only team that is any good at my school is the one I play on and I play on the soccer team. Last year we surprised alot of people and went all the way to the state semi finals and finished in forth place, losing to ST. Ignatius, a team that was undefeated this year and #1 ranked high school soccer team in the and a team with three all-americans, so they were pretty good. Other then soccer, all the other teams at my school suck other then the occasicanl good wresteler or tennis player.

I cant believe Sandy is still playing baseball. I can remember when he use to be good before he left Cleveland and he won the All Star MVP when the game was in Cleveland, those were the days.

I am guessing that A-B C-D and so on for the knockout round correct? IF that is true the US would likely be screwed if they could get past the first round since they could possibly be playing Brazil. That said I am really looking forward to seeing the US play in the World Cup this year to see if they can get to the knockout round again.

Yeah I was one of the fan's that got up for the 4:00 am games especially the one agianst Mexico which I was glad to have seen. I also just realized that they are airing the draw in the US on ESPN 2 so I will be watching it when it starts at 3 pm later today.

IMO I think that Sosa is done, last year with the Orioles he really didnt do much and right now I think that he is on the back end of his career it may have something to do with playing in the AL but I wont know for sure unless he plays in the NL again.

I dont know about nobody caring about the World Cup cause I have cared about it atleast the last 2 cycles so there is atleast one person over here, and it really pretty much has a cult following over here right now so no major network is likely to air it. That said they will probaly put the results of the draw on ESPN after it happens.

I think that there are just some problems that dont really become apparent until a mass amount of people have the system. Holding back releaseing might help a little but I think that the companies are more worried about the hype and other stuff they get for releaseing a next-gen system first then the few thousand of people that may have problem when the system first comes out. This is one of the reasons that I usually wait atleast a few months after the inital release to get the new systems.

Even though I live here in the US, the team that I have followed has been Aston Villa. I wasnt really following/supporting a certain team till recently but they are the team and I try to catch one of thier games if it is some how on over here. The reason I picked them really is I liked the team when I was doing the Manager Mode and then look them up. I have also been able to catch a few of thier games recently. I just liked the team and hope that they are on TV here more often.

I can tell you since I live in the US and even have been to a MLS game, if I were you I would just watch actual soccer in the other leagues around the world then the MLS. The talent level in the US not counting a few stars is pretty low. Having gone to one of the Columbus Crew games when my soccer team made it to the final four for high school teams in the state, I can truthfully say that I almost fell asleep watching the game. Anyways I usually try to catch games on TV if they are on wheather it be on one of the Fox Sport channels or once in a blue moon on ESPN. The only thing that I think you will have to look forward to will be next years World Cup in Germany, the US has already qualfied I think at the top of there table ahead of Mexico but I am not positive about that. Anyways the US team surprised last World Cup and we will get to see all the games on of the Cup on one of the ESPN's or ABC. So basically if you want to watch good soccer I would try to some how get a package that could let you see preimership games or some other international league, but if that is out of you price range or for some other reason, I guess MLS can get you what you want. The only thing to look forward to is the possiblity of Beckham moving to the MLS in a couple years and even though he is thought to be overrated by many he would tear everyone in the MLS apart.

Well I dont post much in this hockey thread but I have become alot more of a fan since the lockout, unfourtuantly I am a fan of the Blue Jackets since they are a state team for me and I can watch them, but there isnt really much to say about them. Anyways I just heard about the trade that the Jackets just pulled off with the Mighty Ducks: To The Ducks: Tyler Wright and Rookie D Francois Beauchemin To Blue Jackets: Sergei Fedeorov and a fifth rounder I was just wondering what you guys though about the trade, I know that Sergei used to be good when he played with Detroit, I was just wondering if he still can help the team cause the Jackets didnt give up much for him. It is tough to watch there game lately especially the last game 8-2, that isnt even a real hockey score or atleast it shouldnt be.

It has been fun to watch the Cavs in thier games so far other then the game on ESPN against the Spurs that was brutal, but other then that they havent played to poorly. I think that right now they are playing ok but once they are able to come together and get to know how to play with each other things will get even better. Even though they really didnt face dominant teams at home so far I think they should be able to put up a pretty good record at "The Q", and speaking of the Q I must say the new scoreboard that the owner put in looks real nice and I can't wait till they are able to pull the god awful blue seats out of the arena and put in the wine ones they look nice. I have been sorta suprised by Lebrons play so far he is still scoring high with more talent around him altough Larry Hughes really hasnt hit his stride yet. I always thought Donyell Marshall was pretty good and was a good pick up but right now he looks to be the top pick up for the team so far in the off season. He provides a spark off the bench hitting 3's rebonding, and doing anything else. He is averaging about a double double off the bench so that makes me happy.

As much as I dont want to see the Spurs get to atleast the WCF, I think it is kinda hard to believe that they wouldnt make atleast to the WCF. Obviously teams like the Rockets got better in the Western Confrence but the Spurs improved on an already great team that just won the championship so until futher notice for me I have them in the finals. The Nets have a good core group also but again I think that there are atleast two teams that are better then them, the Pistons Pacers, and possibly the Heat depending on how things shake out their. My finals pick I think will be Spurs and Pacers final altough I am not sure who I would pick in the series. Anyways I was happy to see that my Cavs got off to a good start tonight granted it was against the Hornets but still a good effort nonetheless. The team weakness 3-point shooting last year was non-exsistent tonight with a 13-20 for the team and Lebron hit 6-7 and went on a major run at the end of the first half to put any chance of a Hornets win out of thier mind. Jones and Marshall off the bench worked out well with them combining for 30 points(Jones 12,Marshall 18) and also both hitting the outside shots. Like I said before this Fridays game against the Spurs will be an early test for this team to see where they stand.

Well tonight is the start of the season for most teams that didnt start tonight, for me it will be my first chance to watch the new and improved Cavs team and I am looking forward to it. Tonight hopefully should be a victory coming against the NO/OKC Hornets altough they did play pretty last night. The game that I am looking forward to personally this week is the Cavs vs. Spurs on Friday. That game we give and early scale for me how the cavs might be able to do either way I am excited to get this season started.

I wish the Indians hadnt screwed up whatever they did with Baez a couple years back(something to do with releaseing him and getting him back with some loophole) cause thier bullpen would have been even better then it was last year and also if Wicky doesnt come back this year then they could have turned to Baez for that spot. Who would have known that Baez would skyrocket like he has the past season though.

I am looking forward to watching the Cavs this season, not that is any different from any other year for me but this year my expectations are higher then they have been anyother year for them. I would have to say that bar a complete disater they will be in the playoffs and depending how things shake out I think they could be as high as 4-5, lots of things would have to go right for them to get there but I think it could be a possiblity. I will make a prediction and say they win 48-50, they won 42 last year with less then they got this year so I think that is a pretty good guess. As for Lebron I think that his points wont go down much as people think and he will likely have a few more apg with the new guys. I am glad the Cavs have finally added some outside shooting since that is what they drastically needed. I think that the NBA right now is getting close to having even confrences, the East just countiues to get better and thier may not be a talent gap between the confrences as there has been in the past. Also the Central in the East should be really compiteve with Indiana, Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, and Milwakuee all having good teams, altough I still expect Detroit or Indiana to finish up on the top. Sorry for the rambling but I really can wait till November 2nd the home opener for the cavs and the beginning of a new NBA season.

More talk of Manny trade Espn.com