What has been impressive, and something they didn't do last year (or in previous years for that matter) is starting the last quarter hot. In tonight's (Friday night's) win over the Silver Stars, they opened the fourth outscoring them 17-1. They've done that several times this year. It's a sign of a coach who knows what she's doing, and a team that both buys into what she's preaching and able to execute the gameplan.
God I hope they don't fuck this up.
They should be able to wrap up the conference regular-season title in one of their three games this week: Finishing the home-and-home at San Antone Sunday, home to Washington Tuesday, and beginning a home-and-home with New York Friday.
#-2: Gopher women's soccer (Last Week: -1). Routed South Dakota St. 5-0 at home Sunday, then allowed the game-winning goal in minute 84 at San Diego St. tonight (Friday night) to lose 2-1. This isn't another case where a Big Twelve school will be no match for a warm-weather college, is it? They complete their roadtrip to California Sunday afternoon at UC-Santa Barbara, then begin their Minnesota Gold Classic at Robbie Stadium Friday night hosting Georgia. Exotice interconference matchup featuring a school that may never be here again? I'm there! Hopefully they'll win.
#-3: Gopher women's volleyball (Re-Entry!). Once again I beat the drum of women's volleyball. The players are overall hot, but the main reason I like the sport is the sport itself -- really, it's true.
I'm intrigued and concerned about this year's team. Dr. Mike Hebert has retired. He's been replaced by Laura Bush, who's had experience coaching before, but she's only coach on an interim basis; Hugh McCutcheon, the man who lead the men's team to gold in the 2008 Summer Olympics, has obligations with (I think) the men's and women's Olympic teams through the 2012 Games before he officially assumes duties leading the Gophers. Weird, and I wonder if the current situation is too fluid and/or unstable for the current players to totally be in the moment and for blue-chip recruits to come to the program.
Today marked the beginning of the women's volleyball season, and the U. participated in the marquee tournament of the first of four non-conference weeks: the AVCA Showcase in State College, Penn. I didn't know they were ranked 12th in the preseason AVCA poll. They won't be after this week because they lost to my second-ranked alma mater, USC in heartbreaking, two-sets-to-none-to-three-sets-to-two fashion. The Gophers beat the Women of Troy 23 and 24, but then got blitzed, 13-21-7. To me, that shows that the team blew their wad just outlasting USC the first two sets. A more talented team would at least put up more of a fight the last three sets than they apparently did.
(By the way, ever since I moved back from L.A. I've been going to Gopher women's volleyball games, so I have two allegiances. I think this is the second time they've played each other since I went to college, and I'm always torn. On the one hand, I can't lose, but on the other hand, I can't win. I'm glad my alma mater won, but I'm also mad that the team I follow closest not only lost but choked. What's a fan to do?)
They play their other game in the Showcase tonight (Saturday night) versus Oregon (the other team, obviously, is host Penn St., who'll play USC in what should be a 1-vs.-2 matchup). Next week they host their annual Diet Coke Classic, but this year will have a very special format: a two-game series against only one opponent: fourth-ranked Texas. We should know by this time next week how good this team's gonna be.
#-Infinity: Twins (Last Week: -2). Fuck this team. No, really -- fuck this team. They don't fucking care anymore. Two years after Minnesota taxpayers gave this franchise a $545 million stadium on the promise they can finally now spend to get a good team on the field, they might have no choice but to overhaul the squad, if not totally blow this fucking team up and start from scratch. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: If they were going to suck this badly, they could've done so in the Metrodome and saved us a lot of money.
I did last week's WMNSS after Saturday's win, so they technically went winless this week -- 0-6. Good fucking God. Worse yet, they have set a franchise record of most consecutive games scoring one or fewer runs. During this week, they have batted in, in order, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, and 1 run. After dropping three of four against the New York Yankees, they got swept, at home, by the goddamn motherfucking Baltimore Orioles. You've got to be bullshitting me. Meanwhile, the starting pitching has been stupid bad, allowing, in order, 3, 4, 8, 6, 6, and 8 runs this losing streak.
I was at My Favorite Stripclub (Non-Cover Edition) getting ripped off on tip and lapdances tonight. I was watching the Twinks sleepwalk through tonight's (Friday night's) 8-1 dump to Detroit. My love of sports has such a hold on me that I got physically angry watching the game. Maybe that's why I felt ripped off by the strippers working tonight. I can't imagine how I would feel or what I would do if I was at Target Field. Why people aren't booing, if not throwing shit on the field, over this atrocious, non-professional effort, I don't know.
They finish their series and homestand (where they're currently 1-8 -- some home-field advantage, huh?) against the Tigers, then go on the road for a trio with Chicago and series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Angels of Los Angeles of Anaheim Angels of ... on Friday.
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