The Women's Professional Soccer Championship Game Was A Squirrely Affair

From the Women's World Cup to today's crazy WPS championship game, this has been quite the year for Women's soccer. And while the women's World Cup was pure drama, today's WPS Championship game between the Western New York Flash and the Philadelphia Independence was not only dramatic, but very odd as well. Especially in the first half when a squirrel ran onto the pitch and delayed play for well over five minutes. Watch as Philadelphia Independence goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart makes a new friend and two adults drag it off the field with the aid of a box.



After a thrilling 120 minutes, which featured a late from the Independence just before extra time to tie the game at 1, WNY Flash won the championship in a 5-4 penalty shootout. No word yet on what has become of the squirrel, although I can confirm it now has its own Twitter account.

What The Fuck Just Happened?

I wish this was one of those funny "find the typo" posts.

Your new Eagles defensive coordinator.............former Eagles offensive line coach Juan Castillo. Really, this is what everyone waited three weeks for.

Juan Castillo's past experience with defense:
San Antonio Gunslingers linebacker (1984-1985)
Texas A&M-Kingsville linebackers/defensive line coach (1982-1985)
Kingsville High School linebackers/defensive line coach (1986-1989)

Uh......yeah. That's it. This guy is now defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Castillo said in a press conference today that he always considered himself a defensive guy in an offensive body, and, uh, his offensive line would always go up against Jim Johnson in practice, and yeah, this is the Eagles new defensive coordinator.

I've never seen anything like this in my life. The Eagles offensive coordinator of 12 years has just been named defensive coordinator. That's the befuddling news. The good news is Juan Castillo's replacement as offensive line coach is Howard Mudd, who is one of the best in the business. He was a consultant for the Saints last year after coordinating the Colts offensive line from the time Peyton Manning entered the league to 2009. During that time, the Colts allowed a league-low 227 sacks (Titans are the next lowest at 337 sacks in that time frame).

The Eagles have one of the best special teams coaches in football: Bobby April.
The Eagles have one of the best defensive line coaches in football: Jim Washburn
The Eagles have one of the best offensive line coaches in football: Howard Mudd

Their defensive coordinator is the former o-line coach who claims he is a defensive guy stuck with an offensive coordinator position. Like Sheil Kapadia of Philly.com said today, "At some point in the last 12 years, the Eagles became one of the most unpredictable franchises in the NFL."

Even though the hiring of Mudd is going to be buried under the Castillo news, it is rather significant not only because Mudd is very good at what he does, but because him and Jim Washburn, though they spent years coaching against each other in the AFC South, are best friends who will now be coaching against each other every day in practice. I challenge you to watch this video and not like Washburn and Mudd.

Toronto Maple Leafs Fans Have A Hunger For Wins

The Toronto Maple Leafs are in a bit of a sticky situation right now. They are constantly trading draft picks while simultaneously placing in the bottom of the standings with no playoff appearances since this happened. Naturally, things have not been very sugary for the Maple Leafs or their fans. And last night may have been the whipped cream on top for some Leafs fans. After losing 4-1 to the Flyers, Leafs fans were determined to show their Toronto Maple Leafs that they had enough. Their means of voicing their displeasure: throwing waffles. No seriously. They threw waffles onto the ice.



Chris Pronger's quote after the game sums it up best, "Who brings a waffle to a game?" Clearly, a fanbase that is starving for a winner.

Scott Barry Has Pulled This Stunt Before

I don't know when, but sometime during the year, Scott Barry was called up from the minor leagues to umpire MLB games. In the last 5 days, he has succeeded in being on the "hate list" of not just one NL East team, but 2 NL East teams. On August 19, 2010, when playing the Atlanta Braves, the Nationals had their own encounter with Scott Barry. From MLB.com's official write up of the incident.

Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman and manager Jim Riggleman were ejected during the team's 3-2 loss to the Braves on Wednesday night.

The incident occurred in the eighth inning with the game tied at 2. After he struck out swinging to end the top of the eighth, Zimmerman threw his bat and helmet in disgust. He didn't say anything, but home-plate umpire Scott Barry ejected Zimmerman.

It marked the first time in his career that Zimmerman was tossed from a game. Riggleman then argued with Barry for about a minute before being tossed out himself.

[...]

According to Riggleman and Zimmerman, Barry believed the bat and helmet tossing from Zimmerman was directed at the umpire, but that wasn't the case. Zimmerman said he was simply frustrated at himself for striking out.

Let's see, player mad himself....lets frustration with self out externally....ejected by Scott Barry........Where have we seen this story before?

I mentioned above that Scott Barry was a minor league call up earlier in the year. Call me totally nutty, but I have a feeling that he is going to end up back in the minors in no time if this lunacy keeps up.

(Hat tip to The Fightins and Fightins commenter Phils Phan)

"Left Fielder, Roy Oswalt!"

Well that was a bizarre 5 hours of 20 minutes of baseball. In the bottom of the 14th inning, Ryan Howard was at the plate with 2 outs. After Ryan Howard got mad himself for swinging at a ball, 3rd base umpire Scott Barry (who just so happens to be a minor-league call up; I think I know where he will be finishing the year) took odd exception to it. 4 pitches later, Howard checked his swing, Berry said he went around, that was strike 3, Howard was visibly upset, threw his helmet, and for it was ejected by Scott Barry. By this point, the Phillies were completely out of bench players. When push came to shove, the Phillies moved Raul Ibanez to 1st base (Ibanez played some 1st base in the early 2000s, so the position is not totally new to him) and inserted their most athletic pitcher remaining, Roy Oswalt, in left field. It does not take a scientist to figure out where the 1st batter of the top of the 15th inning hit the ball.....

CLICK HERE TO WATCH HOWARD'S EJECTION, ROY OSWALT'S PLAY IN LEFT FIELD, AND RAUL IBANEZ PLAY A MEAN 1ST BASE!

The Phillies ultimately lost the game when Roy Oswalt, batting in the clean-up spot, grounded out to end the game after fighting valiantly to work the count. Tough loss, maybe one of the worst of the season. Alleviating that fact a bit, for the 9th consecutive the Phillies and Braves played on the same day, they earned the same result.

Ryan Madson Fought A Chair....And The Chair Sent Madson To The DL

This is something straight out of the page of bizarro world and/or the 2009 New York Mets. Or a combination of the two. After blowing a save in the 10th inning of that crazy game against the Giants, Ryan Madson was a very angry person. He wanted to destroy some shit. His method: kicking a folding chair. But what young Ryan did not realize was that folding chairs do not like getting kicked. When you kick them, they tend to make you instantly regret it. Ryan Madson will now attest to that statement for his misplaced anger at innocent metal folding chairs has resulted in him being placed on the 15-day Disabled List with a broken toe. From CSN Philly.

Angry after blowing a save for the second time this season in Wednesday’s game against the Giants, the reliever exited the dugout, slipped and then drop kicked a chair. Admittedly it’s not the smartest act of Madson’s career.

“I let down my teammates. I let down the fans that want us all to be out there playing hard for them. I feel terrible about that,” Madson said, before gimping around the clubhouse in a calf-high protective boot. “I've done it before. Not kick stuff, but I've gotten upset before and never broken a bone. It's just one of those things. I learned from it. I won't do it again. I realize how much I'm letting my teammates down.”

Still, if one act can describe the way things have gone for Madson this season, it’s the TKO with the metal chair in San Francisco. In nine appearances this season, Madson is 1-0 (the win came in the game for which he kicked the chair) with four saves in six chances. His ERA is a robust 7.00 while opponents have batted .333 against him.

If there is a silver lining in this it’s that the timing was not awful. Madson was placed on the disabled list just as the team’s usual closer Brad Lidge was activated. Instead, the Phillies will have to make some adjustments for the seventh and eighth innings without Madson in his regular role.

“It’s one of those things that happened,” Manuel said. “He told me how he did it and he’s very embarrassed by it. He was very apologetic.”

Oy ve. I can't.......I can't even......oy ve.....thank goodness for the Flyers tomorrow.

You want something that I did not think I would be doing now back in March? Saying oy ve about the Phillies and eagerly anticipating the Flyers. Shouldn't the 2 be reversed?

Flying Athletic Crotch Cups FTW!

This story is beyond bizarre. Generally, I'd lead it in with something, but instead, I'll just post the link to the San Jose Mercury News and let you read about this on your own.

In the bottom of the 12th inning Friday, with Eli Whiteside at the plate and Sandoval dancing off 3rd base with the possible winning run, it hit me.

Panda’s athletic cup.

In the head.

In 25 years of photographing baseball, that was the first, and please, last time that’s ever happened.

I had been shooting from the photo well next to the Giants dugout on the 3rd baseline when Sandoval was running the bags during the Giants’ comeback. He seemed uncomfortable though, and started fussing with his belt when he got to 3rd.

After I turned my attention back to home plate to shoot the batter, something hits me in the head.

Nearby fans gasped, and then groaned.

The Panda’s cup is sitting untouched behind me in full radioactive glory.

Mercifully, trainer Dave Groeschner comes over wearing Sandoval’s glove, and retrieves the offending blue projectile.

Glad I was wearing a hat.

A photographer at the game sent an email to the SJMS and that is how that got in the paper.

For all the talk about the poor guy getting hit in the head with an athletic cup, I have a question for you, why on earth is Kung Fu Panda launching his cup???? And secondly, how on earth did they get that thing out of here. I mean, if I were a rationally sane person at the game, there is no way I am touching something that was near Pablo Sandoval's crotch with a 10-foot pole, let alone handle it into the place it needs to be handled.

Oh boy. That last sentence is just awful, isn't it?

Italian Newsrooms Are Violent And Dangerous Places

I just have to say bizarre. And that guy doing the newscast could not hear that 2 people right behind him were exchanging fisticuffs? Assuming it is real (and at this point I have my doubts), you gotta love how he just got up and walked off once he did realize it. He said "arrivederci" and then realized there is no need for him to stay here where two guys rolling on the ground can bowl him over. Too funny.

Hopefully, Jet Lag Won't Last Long, But This...

(Guest posted by James Craven of The O Files)

Before JFein regains control of his blog, maybe as early as tomorrow or Thursday if that jet lag doesn't kick in, here is an example of why professional baseball - even at its' highest level - should never, EH-EH-EH-EVER (sorry, Chris Jericho) - have two teams wearing colored tops, especially dark colors.

Oakland Athletics 14, Minnesota Twins 13, Purists of Baseball Uniforms, zero:

Minnesota wore their navy blue tops with headache-inducing gray pants featuring navy pinstripes. Sure, it was cool back in 1987... The A's one-downed them with black caps and jerseys when their colors are green and gold.

I rest my case. JFein will be back, so for Keith and me, thanks for hanging around the last week and a half.

Everything Old is New Again in Jersey

(Guest posted by James Craven of The O Files)

Jacques Lemaire was hired to coach the New Jersey Devils. Again. The 1990's live. Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick are doing highlights on SportsCenter on ESPN, the Devils are playing at Brendan Byrne Continental Airlines Arena, the left wing lock (or as it is better known, the neutral zone trap) is legal, and I'm living in the backwater town of Emporia, Virginia, where the most excitng thing there is watcing the delivery truck back into the Winn-Dixie. It's like he never left.

Well, things change. Olbermann and Patrick now do highlights on Football Night in America, the Devils now play a couple blocks away from Newark Penn Station at Prudential Center, the trap play is now illegal in the NHL, I came back to Philadelphia (my birthplace) and Winn-Dixie closed in Emporia when the company went bankrupt, but Lemaire left Jersey a few years ago for the Minnesota Wild. And it's not the first time that a coach has returned to a team he led to past glory.

The most prime example is Billy Martin, who led the New York Yankees four times while Fat George Steinbrenner fired managers on a semiannual basis until Joe Torre settled him down in 1996. And George Halas not only owned the Chicago Bears, but four times coached "Da Bears" ten years at a time. So if the Devils win Lord Stanley's mug next season, don't say that I warned you. In the words of two-time Yankees manager Yogi Berra, it wopuld be deja vu all over again.

The Cleveland Indians Love Seagulls

I've seen numerous bizarre things, but a line drive that hits a seagull resulting in a game-winning RBI is something that I have never seen before and may never see again. Here's the video (thanks to Keith's Sports Journal for the video)



"This one's for the birds."

Indeed, Mr. Cleveland Indians Play-by-play announcer whose name I don't know. Too funny!

This Is Flat Out Redunkulous

Okay, um, wow, you can imagine my surprise as I was joining 49er16 in his live blog of the KU-OU game and all of a sudden the SportsCenter Right Now shows a highlight of the end of the Sixers-Nets game. And in case you have yet to see this clip, you will soon find out what the meaning of the word redunkulous is. I'm not sure if you're ready for this. Marv Albert has the call...



That play was indeed ruled a basket and a buzzer beater win for the New Jersey Nets. The Sixers have been the victims of some cruel buzzer beaters this year (click on the Sixers link below and scroll down to see the video the Celtics buzzer beater), but man oh man, that's about as nasty an ending as I have ever seen in basketball.

I mentioned this in the comments section, but look at the bottom of the screen and the YES "bottom line" if you will. Apparently even they don't believe the Nets won that game. Too funny.

Welcome To Bizarre-O World: 13-Year Old Alfie May Not Be The Father After All

As a follow up to the story about the 13-year old dad that I told you about a week ago, I am about to do two things that I never thought I would ever do on this blog. The first one is to post a video from Fox News, the second is to agree with Bill O'Reilly. No blockquote this time, but rather I'm going to post this video from a Fox News Mobile update that was posted on Comcast.net.



"Are [the British public] as outraged as the American public about this? You've got the exploitation of a baby. You've got a 13-year-old boy who's ignorant, doesn't know what he's doing. You've got a 15-year-old mother who looks like, you know, total chaos. And you've got almost villanous parents." - Bill O'Reilly

My viewpoints don't always coinside with Mr. O'Reilly, but here I have to agree with him. Obviously O'Reilly could not say this (although I think he wanted to), but the mother seems like she is a total slut. I mean seriously, 5 guys at once???

The pressure is great to have sex as teenagers when you're hormones are running wild, but you somehow have to control them. By having unprotected sex and producing a child like this, you are ruining you're life, you are ruining your partner's life, you are ruining your child's life and it is just sad to see. And completely ignoring the financial situation, these kids can never lead a normal life again. And this does not just go for Chantelle and whomever the father may be, but for young teenagers everywhere who think they are ready to be parents. They're not and from here on out there lives will always be attached to the child they conceive.

It's just a really sad situation all the way around, and it does not help the parents in this situation are greedy and would do anything for publicity and money. I am sorry, you just don't exploit teenage pregnancies like this for money, as it appears to be the case here. It's sad, it's pathetic, and it's wrong.

Welcome To Bizarre-O World: Meet The Parents

This has to be one of the most bizarre stories I have ever come across. Meet little baby Maisie and her parents, 13-year old Alfie and 15-year old Chantelle. Seriously. The Associated Press has more.

He's 13. He scarcely looks 10. And according to a British tabloid, he's a father. Baby-faced and only 4 feet tall, the boy, Alfie, was just 12 when he impregnated Chantelle, now 15, The Sun reported Friday. Shown in a video posted Friday on the tabloid's Web site, the diminutive Alfie takes the newborn girl in his arms.

Asked what he would do to support the child financially, Alfie asks in a small, high-pitched voice, "What's financially?"

The girl was taking birth control pills but missed one, the newspaper reported. Friends and relatives left the family home near Eastbourne, about 70 miles southeast of London, Friday without speaking to reporters gathered outside. The teenagers could not immediately be contacted.

Wow.....at 12-years old it's unlikely that little Alfie has even reached puberty! And yet, he impregnated a girl? Wow. That's the news angle of it. For a real interesting read, check out the British tabloid, the Sun, that the story was initially reported in. Here are some snippets and I would advise you to click on the link below to read the whole thing. I'd put it all here, but the article is too long.

"The four-footer — who looks no more than eight — said: “I know I’m young, but I plan to be a good dad.” As he went on the PlayStation with 15-year-old girlfriend Chantelle Steadman, he added: “I think we’ll be good parents. I’ll have to work extra hard at school.”"

"Social Services in Eastbourne admitted to “concerns” over the case but vowed to give “all their support”, including intensive monitoring. Police said they had investigated but had decided to take no further action as it was “not in anyone’s interests” to prosecute."

"A family friend said Alfie had been thrilled when he learned he was going to be a dad."

Well then! I honestly don't know how I feel about this yet. I mean, they sound like they are ready but for goodness sakes, Alfie and Chantelle are 13 and 15, respectively, how on earth are they going to care for and afford a child?

The two articles are below. I strongly urge you to check them out and read them, it really is some fascinating stuff.

Playtime for Baby-faced 13-year old (The Sun)
British boy reportedly becomes father at age 13 (AP)

Adolf Hitler Has Been Taken From His Home

Yeah, I know this is a sports blog (and more specifically, an Eagles blog), but some things just strike me as so bizarre, that I just have to post them and comment. Well, this is one of them. If you remember, around a month ago when the story broke that the Campbell family had ordered a birthday cake from the local ShopRite with Happy birthday and the kid's name on it and the store refused them. Why the denial? Because something about writing "Happy Birthday Adolf Hitler Campbell" seemed quite pecuilar. The Campbell family ended up getting said cake from Wal-Mart (which is a story in itself, quite frankly). But JFein, this was over a month ago? Why are you bringing this up again?

Well because the kids have been taken away from their parents. From MSNBC.com

"HOLLAND TOWNSHIP, N.J. - Three New Jersey siblings whose names have Nazi connotations have been placed in the custody of the state, police said Wednesday.

Holland Township Police Sgt. John Harris said workers from the state Division of Youth and Family Services removed 3-year-old Adolf Hitler Campbell and his younger sisters, JoyceLynn Aryan Nation Campbell and Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie Campbell, from their home Tuesday.

Harris said family services did not tell police the reason the children were removed. Agency spokeswoman Kate Bernyk said it does not comment on specific cases."

There is a family court hearing scheduled for tomorrow, but wow. This really is a lose-lose situation for all involved. From what little we know about the father other than is unusual taste for naming kids, he seems like a normal dad, and the same can be said with the mom. The names are unusual and those kids are gonna have a tough life in school, yes, but I don't see how putting them in state custody is going to help matters. They seem like a happy and healthy family.

Another article that I have cited below states that the state would not take the kids away because of a name so it will be interesting to see exactly why they were taken away. Everything else seemed normal when we met them a month ago, so I'm curious as to why they would take the kids away, if not for the names. And again, we could have a random child abuse case that just so happens to be from the same parents who names their kids "Adolf Hitler", "JoyceLynn Aryan Nation", and "Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie". If more becomes available tomorrow, I will definitley pass the information along to you.

Nazi named children taken from parents (MSNBC.com)
NJ kids with Nazi-inspired names removed from home (Comcast.net)