(Get) A Sporting Life

I didn't get to catch much of this tonight. The Blues were buzzing the last ten minutes I heard though. It seems as if the Oilers have called it a season already. Blues outshot them 42-18. We haven't done that very often this year. In other news , the Blues have finally announced local ownership (Tom Stillman, owner of Summit Distributing) AND signed a multi-year deal to move radio back to KMOX. That won't matter much to me as I have the XM for the Blues games, but it is nice to know I can get them on the mighty KMOX if I need to. Now if the Cards can just get themselves back on KMOX where they belong.

With the exception of the Scots, it looks like they are dancing in the streets of the British and Irish Isles. On Monday, Northern Ireland woke to the shocking news that the hardliners of both the Catholic and Protestant had agreed to officially stop killing one another and two days later their squad beat Sweden to sit atop Group F (game in hand). From press accounts, guess which one they were more excited about. Ireland (with a game, even two in hand) is tied atop Group D after beating Slovakia. An apparently miserable English performance nonetheless puts them in a second place Group E tie with a...wait for it, wait for it...game in hand. Even the Welsh managed a win, though there is no game in hand, it was against San Marino and they are buried in fifth place of Group D. These damned games in hand mean that the Irish squads are off until Fall and my three weeks in England in June will net me no more soccer pub craic than England v. Estonia, Scotland v. Faroe Islands and a Czech ass-k...

Ugh. What can you say. A terrible game against a terrible opponent with terrible (Mexican) referees. If this is really the best competition the US Soccer Federation can scrounge up I think I'd rather have the guys scrimmage against themselves. This is a complete and utter waste. I want that two hours of my life back.

Urbina sentenced to 14 years in prison Former Major League baseball pitcher Ugueth Urbina was sentenced to 14 years in prison for the attempted murder of five workers on his family's ranch, the Attorney General's Office announced Wednesday. ... The 32-year-old free agent was accused of joining a group of men in attacking and injuring workers with machetes and pouring gasoline on them at his family's ranch, located about 25 miles south of Caracas. "The ruling was too severe," said Jose Antonio Baez, a former attorney who represented Urbina. Urbina repeatedly has denied involvement with the violence, saying he was sleeping at the time of the attack. The pitcher's lawyer, Jose Luis Tamayo, has said that Urbina surprised the workers by showing up at his ranch that night while they were bathing in the pool without permission. Urbina spoke sharply to them, but later left and went to sleep, according to Tamayo. Urbina, a two-time All-Star, last pitched in the major ...

Steve Goff had the following on Soccer Insider: After weeks of phone tag, I was finally able to touch base with Ricky Schramm, the former Georgetown standout who was drafted by D.C. United and subsequently released after a few weeks of training camp. Schramm tells me he has had two formal workouts with the third-division Richmond Kickers and is close to reaching a deal with the second-tier USL club. His hope is that, if he performs well this summer, he will get another shot at MLS later this year or next season. Besides DCU, the L.A. Galaxy had expressed interest in him after the college season and might have drafted him if DCU had not claimed him first. But by the time DCU let him go, the Galaxy was well on its way to finalizing its developmental roster. "They basically said it was too late in the game to bring me in at this point, but they said they would keep an eye on me," he said. "They just want me to play somewhere this year. I'm just happy I'll probably h...

I promised I wouldn't bitch about NHL officiating anymore this season, but there has been a couple of interesting things resulting from the debacle in St. Louis last week. From the PD : GOOD-BYE TO MR. MCGEOUGH? The hapless work of referee Mick McGeough came to the attention of the NHL after he denied the Blues two legit goals against Ottawa. Here is an item Ottawa Sun scribe Bruce Garrioch recently published: “Referee Mick McGeough, who has been getting plenty of heat for blown calls this season, likely won’t work in the playoffs. If that’s the case, there’s a strong chance the veteran official may not be back next year.” That would be a real shame. Interesting, very interesting. There was also this comment from an eye-witness watching from the cheap seats: As a student at a University in Tennesee, I rarely get to see a Blues hockey game. I was happy when I learned that during my spring break, I would be able to attend one. Unluckily, that game ended up being the one last Tuesday...

Man's ear bitten off in Greek soccer brawl Four men have been arrested on the island of Crete after part of a man's ear was bitten off during a brawl after Greece's 4-1 loss to Turkey in a European Championship qualifier. The incident occurred Saturday near the town of Ierapetra during a fight between Bulgarian workers and local Greek men who had been watching the match on television, police said Tuesday. Local businessman Dimitris Tsimbibakis was hospitalized after a man bit his ear. He told authorities he had intervened to try and break up the fight but was beaten by four Bulgarian men. The fight apparently started after the Bulgarian men cheered Turkey's goals. Your team loses 4-1 AND you get your ear bitten off. OK, that's worse than getting screwed by NHL refs.

TJ Oshie will join Ben Bishop as the Blues prospects making it to the Frozen Four in St. Louis, after the Sioux beat Minnesota today in OT. This was a thoroughly just result. North Dakota was by far the best team today, and they dominated the overtime period, so much so that it would have been unthinkable for the Gophers to have advanced. Although the game was close, like the Final Five championship game last week, it was nowhere near as entertaining a game. The teams played much closer to the vest, so it wasn't the high flying hit fest it might have been. Oshie had a good game, but not a great game. His line was the best on the day, but that had more to do with Toews who finally had a very good game (after a couple of clunkers.) Oshie was very lucky that he didn't wind up being the goat today. With Radke earning a 5 Minute major penalty on a very dirty hit against Eric Johnson, Oshie while killing the penalty very clearly played the puck with a broken stick. The refs decided n...

Well, it did get ugly...for Ecuador. Donovan had an outstanding second half, and the entire team played much better. Bringing Bradley in did wonders for the composure in the midfield. The way the US is set up personnel wise they should probably go with a 4-5-1 as their base formation. Donovan as an attacking midfielder is the best option. No one else in the player pool could sit in that midfield role and provide good enough service. Plus he can make great runs and finish. Putting him up front makes him too dependant on service that will never come. Fulltime Grades: Howard 6 - Not much to do in the second half. Bocanegra 4 - No glaring errors. Beat for pace a couple times early. Onyewu 6 - A couple of nice stops in both halves. Conrad 4 - Can play better. Cerundolo 4 - Beaten for pace early. Did better in 2nd as Ecuador wore down. Donovan 8 - Great hat trick. Would have been a 9 were this a non-friendly. Dempsy 4 - Looked a little rusty out there. Couple Nice moments. Beasley 4 - Much b...

Ohmigod. That was easily the worst display of U.S. soccer since the 1998 World Cup. Simply dreadful from (almost) start to finish. Donovon scores in the first 40 seconds of the game, with a nicely taken boomer of a shot after a lucky bounce. But after that...nothing. Our backline seems INCREDIBLY slow. If Howard wasn't on his game it could be 3 or 4 to 1. Quick half time ratings: Howard 6 Bocanegra 3 Onyewu 5 Conrad 4 Cerundolo 4 Donovon 7 Dempsy 4 Beasley 2 Feilhaber 4 Johnson 3 Ching 3 Beasley has been an unmitigated disaster so far. You can see his teammates lose complete confidence in him. The US would finally get some nice movement through midfield via Donovon, a pass would be sent out towards Beasley, and nothing would ever happen. Towards the end of the half they had simply stopped sending balls his way. This could get ugly later.

I just finished watching the (taped) game between Michigan and North Dakota. The Sioux won 8-5 in a wild one. Blues prospect TJ Oshie netted a hat trick and added an assist in a great offensive performance. The game itself was weird to watch. In the first 30 minutes of the game there were twelve goals. In the last 30 minutes there was one, a empty netter scored by Oshie. Michigan scored 2 goals in the first minutes of the game. They also scored 2 goals in the first minute of the second period. The other 58 minutes they were outscored 8-1. The first 30 minutes saw bad defense and worse goaltending, on both sides. Michigan, coached by Blues legend Red Berensen, was a wildly undisciplined team tonight. They took boatloads of penalties. The refs were even being kind to them. If the refs had felt like actually calling "charging" when it happened you could have added another 10 minutes in penalties easy. The Sioux goaltender was really, really bad at times, but turned in a nice thi...

This was a frustrating game to listen to. The Blues came out flying, trying to put the debacle in Minneapolis out of their mind. Goals from Tomas Mojzis and Brad Boyes gave us a 2-0 lead early. But you knew the comeback was gonna come hard. The Blues are not a team that will put you away, even when they have you down. TO be fair, it is hard to say the Blues deserved two points today. Bacashihua stood on his head for two periods and turned away 40 of 42 shots. Basically it was forty minutes of the Red Wings announcers saying "Tremendous save by Bacashihua!" over and over again. There was some controversy about the last two shots in the shootout. Weight's eventually counted and Cleary's eventually didn't. The Wings announcers take was they were probably both in, but on replays you can see Weight's puck in the net and you never see Cleary's in the net. I haven't seen the replay so i don't know. I'll take the win, especially over Detroit. Actual...

Anybody who has followed the NHL for any length of time knew what was coming for the Blues tonight. You complain about the officiating to the league office (who acknowledge the merits of your complaints btw), and you are going to pay the next game. It's inevitable. The officials are like the thin blue line...they cover for their own. So you are Doug Weight and you take a stick to the face that busts your lip wide open and knocks you out of the game? Nah, the refs are blind, they don't see anything wrong with that. You are Lee Stempniak and you are hooked from behind while circling the net while the Blues are putting great pressure on? What? Sorry, the refs minds must have been elsewhere. Look cross eyed at a Wild player? To the box with you. Alright refs, you got your revenge, now drop your capriciousness and return to your usual state of incompetence. UPDATE: I'm done bitching about the NHL refs this season (barring something truly idiotic occuring during the playoffs...so...

La Russa arrested : Cardinals manager Tony La Russa was jailed by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Department early this morning on a charge of suspicion of driving under the influence, according to a police report obtained by the Post-Dispatch. La Russa, 62, was booked at 4:07 a.m. local time after Jupiter police conducted the traffic stop. The arrest potentially represents La Russa’s first offense, according to the report. The Palm Beach County Sheriff placed the report online before most players had arrived at the team’s spring training complex. La Russa typically arrives at Roger Dean Stadium around 7 a.m. A release from the Jupiter Police Department said the traffic stop had happened around midnight. The police report said he had been given a field sobriety test that showed La Russa’s blood alcohol level was 0.093. Florida law considers 0.080 driving under the influence. He gave two breath samples at Palm Beach County Jail before being booked. La Russa was found inside his stalled ...

...Nothing to see here."

Apparently an elderly Blues fan blew a gasket after the display of NHL incompetence last night and died of the resulting heart attack late in the game. It's sad to think that among his very last thoughts was about how this league continues to screw over the Blues. R.I.P. God, knows I'll be joining you one day and for the same reason; Death by NHL referee. The Blues and the Post-Dispatch are not pleased. Jeff Gordon's take: Send in the clowns -- an upgrade over NHL refs The Blues are working hard to the end. They are busting their tails night after night. They are establishing team pride and integrity during the final weeks of the season. So it is only fair that they expect the NHL officials to maintain their integrity while working their games -– and to not hand victories to the other side, as they did Tuesday night. This team has been on the wrong side of poor calls and inexplicable non-calls in recent games, culminating with the fiasco against Ottawa at the Scottrade Cen...

It is very obvious to anyone who watches NHL game that Dennis Larue has no business on an NHL ice surface. He is simply a disgrace. Yet there he is materially affect yet another NHL game with his gross incompetence. And I'm not claiming he is out to get the Blues (like I might with someone like Mick McGeough). Oh, I'll do that sometimes, but deep down I know I'm just a little unbalanced when it comes to the Blues. Larue is different because he ruins every game he officiates every time. He is 0 for his career. For the love of all that is holy, get him the hell out of there, and send him back to the pee-wee league...that he will probably ruin as well. UPDATE: Kelly Chase is about to lose it on the radio after yet another bad call, as the Blues/Senators game is quickly disintegrating into something ugly. Some Ottawa player went after Jackman's knee and God only knows what will happen now. Chase: "This crap has been going on for seven years while New York is supposed ...

From PerthNow: West Coast name is 'dumb' FOOTBALL commentator Dennis Cometti says the name of the 2006 AFL football champions, the West Coast Eagles, is "American crapola". Cometti says that West Coast Eagles is a "dumb name'' and that the side should have been called the Perth Eagles. I couldn't agree more. I've always hated regional appellations. I can't stand the "Texas" Rangers, or the "Golden State" Warriors. Teams should be named after the areas they are actually representing...like the Dallas Rangers, or the Minneapolis Twins, or the stinking, rat infested swamps of Jersey Devils. Of course, the guy makes a good point and then has to flush said point right down the old toilet: He said it was a travesty that no AFL side was named Perth, robbing the state of international exposure. He said that at a time when WA's reputation was suffering nationally and internationally because of image and corruption problems, the ...

Anyone who has ever played in a game for a hopelessly outclassed team can appreciate the following story of Ireland's first foray into international baseball : When Kindle and his band of 30 or so baseball brothers began playing with a hardball in 1995, there were no diamonds in Dublin, no backstops, no tailored lawns and no accounting for the weather. "They play from April to September; those are the only times that are warm and dry enough to play," Fitzgerald said. "Even then, the periodic rain can make a warm sunny day a miserably cold day within minutes. The wind is terrible too. The wind just roars off the Atlantic Ocean and crosses the entire country. It's a challenge, to say the least. But they play through almost anything." Before long, the group thought it could represent Ireland in the 1996 European Championships. And in true Jamaican bobsled style, it did just that. Ireland debuted against the Czech Republic, and after seeing the impressive Czechs...

I just want to point folks to a nice story in the PD: College hockey is gaining fans, fervor Blues rookie David Backes was a high school senior in Minneapolis when the NCAA Division I hockey championships came to the Twin Cities in 2002. All four schools brought their pep bands and legions of loyal supporters, creating a boisterous, fever-pitched environment. The play brimmed with passion and fire. "I got to go," Backes said, "and the atmosphere in the building was unbelievable." The semifinals and championship game — known since the mid-'90s as the Frozen Four — drew nearly 40,000 spectators to Excel Center in St. Paul. Minnesota beat Maine 4-3 in overtime for the title, and Backes was hooked. The following August, he enrolled at Minnesota State-Mankato, choosing college over the major junior leagues in Canada that traditionally produced most of the NHL prospects. Backes' experience is not unusual anymore; college hockey has been on a steady rise. Some 59 s...

The late season swoon continues for the Magpies. It is a little sickening since this squad was in a positition to claim a play-off spot. Promotion always seemed unlikely, I'll admit, but it might have been valuable experience for next season. The BBC on this game: Two fine strikes from Stuart Nicholson lit up an otherwise scrappy mid-table affair as Rovers emerged with the win. The on-loan striker fired Rovers ahead in the 53rd minute when he tucked away his shot following a penetrating run and cut-back by Lewis Haldane. And Nicholson settled the outcome in superb style, accepting a 71st minute pass on the left-flank before lashing home a volley from a narrow angle. County struggled, though Craig Hinton almost scored an own goal for them. Notts sitting in 15th in the table.

The WCHA championship game tonight between the University of Minnesota and the University of North Dakota was a joy to watch. It was especially fun for a fan of the St. Louis Blues as there were three players in uniform tonight that will one day wear the Blue note. Minnesota won the game 3-2 in OT on a highlight reel goal from Blake Wheeler. Here is my take on the Blues-to-be: TJ Oshie: Oshie had a great game tonight. His line was by far the most dominant line on the ice for most of the game. They were usually matched up against the top Minnesota line so there was a see-saw quality to the play. At one point the Gophers would have the edge, at others the Sioux. Throughout TJ was dangerous. He had an assist on one of the goals, and could have picked up a couple more if his forwards could get the puck on net. As a player he reminds me of (brace yourself) Craig Janney...and I mean that as a huge compliment. I never bought into Keenan's running down of Janney. Yes, he was more of a comp...

Cardinal nation was a little apprehensive about Jason Isringhausen's first appearance since last season's hip surgery. Would he pitch the same ? Isringhausen allowed two hits, was charged with an error, escaped a resulting bases-loaded jam without allowing a run... Phew! Izzy's back. Pass me the Maalox. I've actually become intrigued by the Dennis Dove story: Reliever Dennis Dove had just thrown a fastball clocked at 97 mph, struck out two of the three batters he faced with gnarly sinkers, and got the third batter to pop up weakly to first base. It was the kind of outing that turns a prospect into a contender pitching for a big league job, and when pitching coach Dave Duncan was asked about him, his answer was a shock: "I would think that we're probably going to send him out tomorrow. You can't pitch like that in the big leagues." Duncan paused. Then revealed his sarcasm. "That's too good. We don't like those guys that throw 95, 96."...

The Cards were in Fort Myers this past Tuesday to play the Twins and I snagged a third row box seat behind home plate. The joy was watching Johan Santana pitch up close and personal. As a former catcher who never caught anyone who threw above the low-80s, I am in awe of guys like Santana – terrific velocity and phenomenal control down in the strike zone. It reminded me of 1991 when I got to stand ten feet behind the catcher while Jack Morris was warming up. Santana is a minor god on the mound. When he went two strikes on Chris Duncan you knew what was coming and it was just cruel. A vicious change left Duncan looking like a Little Leaguer. He never had a chance. Other thoughts: Wells looked very smooth in his three innings of work. I was not expecting a pitcher who seemed so in command and comfortable. Rincon gave up a couple of runs. The rest were surrendered by guys who aren’t projected to be on the staff. In particular, I saw that Hawkesworth was designated for assignment today. He...

A comment from my buddy, Cin-Cin, about the Cards newest slugging prospect killed me: “Is it just me, or does Tagg Bozied sound like either a bad men's cologne or a wild strain of VD…”

First, the goodbye. That would be to my Illini. You can’t win in the Dance if you can’t handle a full court press and make free throws. As for the hello, I’m Southlandish, a longtime friend of The Iconic Midwesterner dating from our University of Illinois days. I’m a lifelong Cards and Illini fan who has spent the last 16 years on Florida’s west coast. I LOATHE all Florida sports teams and for years my preferred outcome for the annual Gator-Seminole game was for the team buses to spontaneously combust on the way to the stadium. With maturity, I now simply root for a rash of hamstring injuries. As for other sport, I’ve always detested the NBA, never watched the NHL and in recent years found myself watching an ever-dwindling number of NFL games. I spend of fair amount of time in Europe each year and reading English papers. Consequently, I have become more and more interested in European club and national soccer. The Guardian’s weekly football podcast is now a favorite. feed://www.guardia...

Southlandish here. Following up on The Iconic Midwesterner's lament about this year's tourney, I've been thinking about a new tournament format. I have a little time to kill before by Illini tip-off on the way to their early exit. I wish the NCAA would just take the FA Cup (English Football) approach and say everyone is in. There are 336 Division I schools, I think. You add three more rounds to the tourney. Get rid of those silly damned conference tourneys, which pervert everything by making the winner the automatic bid and shortening the regular season conference schedules. There is no excuse for Big Ten teams not to play each conference member home and away, which leads to some of the bitching about the strength of schedule come seeding time. You give 176 teams bids into the first full bracket round of 256 and the other 160 bottom-feeders have a one round play in game to fill in the balance of 80 spots. Then you play out eight rounds. Every year you are going to end up wi...

I used to get very up for the NCAA tournament, but t certainly hasn't been the case this year. For starters, neither of my rooting interests were very good this year. The Billikens had an improving season over their last couple, but they badly faltered and wound up being snubbed from even the NIT. Mizzou just looked like a second rater all year, so there was never a bandwagon to jump aboard. (I'm a Billikens fans first and foremost. I support the Mizzou basketball team usually only after SLU has ended its season. So I'll admit it is more casual.) This year the only thing I've had to cheer for is negative. I was quite happy to see Duke crash out in the first round. I hate Duke with an all consuming passion that probably doesn't come close to measuring up to the bile generated by UNC faithful, but it is impressive for a Midwesterner. Another problem this year is how boring the field is. You've got the major conferences and the minnows with their auto bids, and alm...

Well, it was never going to be easy, but DC United is in a big hole in its two-game total goal series with Chivas. A 1-1 tie at RFK was not exactly what was called for, but it will have to do. On the plus side United it seems United did come out and play pretty well after the break, and maybe they can carry a little momentum into the game April 3 in Guadalajara...but it seems like am uphill battle all the way. Emilio, quickly turning into a favorite of THIS fan, scored again in injury time to scrape the draw out for DC. Gomez supplied him with the assist off a free kick. I have to say that in the early going this season we look extremely dangerous from free kick situations. It has been awhile since that has been true. If we start scoring every so often from our corners I may just fall out of my chair. Here is the take from over at An American's View : Tonight's match was what I really expected the first Olimpia match to look like. United looked like they were in pre-season form...

Anybody else feel that Standford's pathetically woeful performance today pretty much proves they had no business being in the tournament? Considering how intermittently crappy Louisville can be this is nothing but an embarrassment for the selection committee. Unfortunately, they know no shame.

Things have been a little busy around here, so my blogging has been lighter than usual. I did get the chance to listen to the Blues game last night, for a change. I liked some of what I heard. We seem to have three lines that can threaten to put the puck in the net. Boyes continues to impress; Stempniak continues to grow in stature as a goal scorer; Weight is playing like someone who wants to be around next season; Backes is still making some strides forward, etc. But this team still has problems putting people away. The Calgary radio crew mentioned that the Blues played noticeably better when they were behind, and seemed to go into a shell once they were tied or even had a lead. And it is true. After a decent first period, the Blues sat back and let the Flames come at them time and again. Granted the Blues still almost won the game, but Stempniak's bid for a hat trick game winner in OT was denied by a fantastic save, but that doesn't excuse the passivity that creeps into their...

Prelude to a laying down of the law? NHL suspends Simon for stick to face New York Islanders forward Chris Simon was suspended indefinitely by the NHL on Friday for his stick-swinging hit to the face of Rangers center Ryan Hollweg. Simon was given a match penalty for deliberate attempt to injure late in Thursday night's 2-1 loss to the Rangers. The length of the suspension won't be determined until after a disciplinary hearing. That hasn't been scheduled but is expected to take place next week, likely in Toronto. Simon was ejected with just more than 6 minutes left, and the ensuing power play led to the decisive goal in the Rangers' victory. Just seconds before he was hit, Hollweg drove Simon into the boards with a hard, clean check. Simon got up angrily and met Hollweg as they came together again. He then swung his stick into Hollweg's face, just above his neck. Hollweg's chin was bloodied, but he was not seriously injured and expects to play Saturday when the...

Yesterday was a pretty good day for me sport's wise. The Blues handled the Dallas Stars . Boyes scored again, continuing his late season hot streak. Stempniak scored again, and Weight netted two. The Billikens showed some backbone and beat UMass in an OT thriller . (Even though they continue to miss free throws late. How many bullets can you dodge?) GW awaits today. (And, man, do I wish the A10 had more TV exposure. If this season is the best they can do TV wise what makes the A10 better than the Missouri Valley?) The bad news is the loss of Cardinals reliever Josh Kinney for the season to arm surgery . But, back to the good, I notice that a new name is starting to come up as a potential left-handed starter for the Cards, Randy Keisler : You may remember him as the hotshot New York Yankees prospect. Keisler struck out the side in his inning Thursday and kept chugging through two more innings. La Russa remarked after the game that he liked how he was going after guys, liked Keisler’...

From the AP : Tommie Liddell hit a go-ahead layup with 2:00 to play and St. Louis held Duquesne without a basket the rest of the way in posting a 78-77 victory in the opening round of the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament on Wednesday. Duquesne, which recovered from the tragedy of having five players shot in an on-campus incident in September to make the conference tournament, had a chance to tie the game with 7.6 seconds to play, but Scott Grote missed the second of two free throws. The Dukes got one final chance when Ian Vouyoukas missed the front end of a one-and-one opportunity with 6.2 seconds left, but Kevin Lisch stripped the ball from Aaron Jackson as he went to shoot with about two seconds to play. Jackson got an off-balance shot off after recovering the ball, but it was uncertain whether it would have counted. As usual with this team, they have to make it interesting, even when they are playing a team that was 10-17 and had lost seven games in a row. I'm glad they won, bu...

From the PD: St. Louis Derby appears unlikely to take place this year The St. Louis Derby, the richest thoroughbred race in Fairmount Park's 82-year history, which drew an estimated 10,000 people last season, will not take place this year, said Jeff Cooper, who last year ponied up $200,000 of the $250,000 guaranteed purse. The problem appears to be the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby, which will be held on Sept. 3. A lack of funding prevented that race from taking place last year, but the introduction of slot machines to Pennsylvania race tracks has revitalized the race. Additionally, several horse racing issues within the Illinois Legislature are preventing Fairmount Park president and general manager Brian Zander from committing to a specific date. "Brian's quote was 'He wanted to take a year off,' " said Cooper, managing partner of the SimmonsCooper law firm in East Alton. "I'm not sure how you take a year off with a yearly event. And re-visit next y...

Blues lose another point because Sanford CANNOT handle shootouts. Too bad as the Rangers are not a good team.

The old XM radio is getting a workout today, as I flip between the Blues and Cards game. At least the Cardinals know the benefit of scoring early and often. It is 8-1 after 8 innings. Marlins pitching had some trouble with their control today and the Cards capitalized. We also are running a lot, which is always good to see.

The Blues played a pretty nice road game today for awhile. Goals from Boyes and Dvorak got us out to an early lead, but we pissed it away. TOo damn tentative after that. Sanford is playing well, but there have been copious defensive breakdowns. I hate giving up tying goals in the last 3 minutes.

Once again I didn't get to see any of it. Just sat here in Wisconsin watching another foot or two of snow fall. DAMN DAMN DAMN Anywho...here is the take of someone at RFK tonight : From An American's View Anyways, DC United picked up another very early season, impressive victory tonight over a CD Olimpia (I want to call them the Oompalooma's for some reason) club that is in mid season form. They won tonight 3-2, and earned a 7-3 aggregate goals victory in their Quarter Final series. Up next is CD Chivas de Guadelajara on the 15th at RFK. First the good: - Finishing: Once again, DC United were able to put away the ball when given the chance. Yes, one goal was a PK, but both of Emilio's goals were spectacular! Hopefully this goal scoring form carries through for the next two matches, much less the entire season. - Defensive Composure: With the exception of the second goal, our defense looked very composed and in control. I would have to say that Boswell, Erpen, Namoff and...

Isn't this a nice change of pace. It is usually the Blues who find themselves trying to kill off a penalty going into OT. 4 on 3's are deadly as ever, but this time it is Stempniak slaming home the winner. Two points instead of just one. Very nice, indeed. The looks like the Blues had some jump tonight, outshooting the Isles 39 to 27. But it took two late goals to send the thing to OT in the first place. This isn't too surprising when you consider the Blues were working three new players into the mix. No points for Boyes, Metropolit or Nieminen, although Boyes was a +1 with three shots on goal. Good road win. We are still on a roll.