General Sports Discussion

[Maj]

Well, that sucked. I thought we had a chance to turn it around at any given point during the series, but it just didn't happen. Eh, what can you do? I'm still optimistic about next year though. I think the Lakers have another two years left as (underdog) contenders, though obviously this was a big opportunity wasted. No clue who i'd want to win this year now, but Dirk certainly deserves a championship and Kidd is cool too. Jason Terry and their owner are annoying though. Still not cool with the Heat or Celtics. I guess i'm rooting for Memphis?

[Snoooootch]

Hell yeah! Mavs totally ran a train on the Lakers yesterday! Really brought out the demons on some of the players too.

No offense Maj, but, GO MAVS! (I'm from Dallas)

[Maj]

What happened yesterday?

[Snoooootch]

Sorry, I meant today. Lakers were losing so bad, it seemed they got impatient. My gf was so excited. . . until I told her that that's how ssf4 is played. By not getting impatient. I'm not that big of a fan of basketball, but I get very entertained with how my gf behaves when she watches it. Yeah, but what happened was just... the ridiculous amounts of fouls and aggressive play.

[Maj]

Nah, Mavs just shot 3-pointers ridiculously well this whole series, even tying a playoff record in Game 4. There's really nothing you can do about that. That's why they call 3-pointers the "great equalizer" in basketball. Any team can win if they're hitting those. There's no direct analogy for it in SSF4.

The announcers kept blaming the Lakers for not defending the 3-point line, but almost every clip they showed was a contested shot that still went in. (And that's the problem with sports media - they just make up a convenient narrative when they don't have anything insightful to say.)

Basically this game was over in the 1st quarter. The only dependable way to prevent this kind of stuff from happening is to crush a team before it starts to gain so much confidence. But the Lakers gave away Game 1 in a gift box, so that ship sailed a long time ago. Kind of hard to mess with someone's confidence when they're up 3-0 and playing at home.

Anyway good luck in the next two rounds. You better hope Jason Terry can stay this lucky in the Finals because Bulls/Heat/Celtics are all good defensive teams too. But it's only eight more games, so it can happen. Luck aside though, the Nowitzki/Kidd pick-and-roll is seriously dangerous!

[onReload]

I know nothing of baskets and balls, but I remember a friend telling me that his dad felt that three-pointers were dumb and should be removed from the game...maybe that's the reason why? kinda like hatred for ultra-comebacks (slick reattempt at sf4 analogy)

[Snoooootch]

So slick!

[Maj]

Congratulations dude. I think the entire basketballl universe outside of Miami was rooting for Dallas this year. It's just impossible to feel bad for a young team that's probably going to have five more chances to win a championship.

I can't wait to see Lakers vs Mavs next year, but unfortunately it's looking like there might not be a next year. There's basically zero indication that the owners and players will reach a new CBA contract truce anytime soon.

[Snoooootch]

Yeah, man. That's, in a fighting game term, My favorite match up. Lakers vs. Mavs.

Dude, but I was so excited when they won. They totally deserved to win! Can you imagine? The players are freakin old. I think dirk is like 34 years old, and that's old in basketball player years. They HAD to win.

[Snoooootch]

Anyone follow.... Socccer!? Mexico!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gold Cup! Man, CUp America is next!

[Maj]

It was a much better game than i expected. Early scoring changes everything in soccer. I missed both US goals, but that last Dos Santos goal was straight out of a video game.

[Dark_Chaotix]

Here!

I play football and follow it. EPL, Uefa anyone?

[Don Vecta]

Anyone follow.... Socccer!? Mexico!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gold Cup! Man, CUp America is next!

A WEBO! 4-2 WE CONQUERED! Gio's goal was moralizing for us, crushing for US! xD

[Snoooootch]

^ I know, man! As soon as it went 2:2, I was on the edge of my seat! Now "Copa America" begins! I just hope I stop hearing the women in my house Squealing Chicharito's name.

[Tigre III]

it seems that my little boy Dos Santos will not play soccer in about 6 months... I dont know why he did that, here (barcelona) are prostitutes too!
I dont know if this will also affects to our regular league too...

[Maj]

What's up with England's national team being good in every FIFA game no matter how badly they're doing in the standings? They're all like, "We invented this shit. You'll never match our mastery of the game. We break rules you didn't even know existed!"

[Rufus]

What's up with England's national team being good in every FIFA game no matter how badly they're doing in the standings? They're all like, "We invented this shit. You'll never match our mastery of the game. We break rules you didn't even know existed!"

National team rankings aren't always reflected in performance. For example, France in '02 wasn't as impressive as had been anticipated. The English are a perennial second tier soccer power. Any given year, they're probably going to be better than everyone except for the the other European and South American powers, and that year's one or two standout teams. And England is surely a huge market for FIFA games so they probably tweak things to appeal to the people there.

[Maj]

I figured it was because the English team is always made up of high-ranked players from English clubs, even if they can never figure out how to play together. Anyway they're never the best team in the game, but somehow they're always top 5. I just think it's funny.

[CPS2]

Jay-Z announced the Brooklyn Nets!

"The name inspires some ridicule: the only major sports team named for equipment."

"Nets officials entertained numerous suggestions — Brooklyn Knights and Brooklyn Ballers were the most popular — but said they never came close to a name change."

Oh god they should've called them the Brooklyn Ballers. IDK tho they call the Nicks the "Manhattan" Nicks jokingly in the article, but it seems weird to me to have a "whole city" team and "part of the same city" team. Sydney had the same thing in the NBL...

[onReload]

Wait, what happened to my home state (NJ) having a ball team? Oh well, not like it's a huge loss...

NYC also used to have the Brooklyn Dodgers while the New York Giants (centered in Manhattan, the main island of NYC) were around, and they had a pretty big rivalry, kind of like the way the Mets and Yankees do every now and then, even though those teams just use the prefix of "New York"...Part of the reason it's chopped into the 5 boroughs is because NYC is so huge. (Hey, for fun - name all 5 off the top of your head. I bet I can guess which one you forget every time)

Also, they're "the Nets" because they've been that way for decades; it's only a location change...They used to be the NY Nets, anyway...all these damn sports teams have moved around and changed names

[CPS2]

(Hey, for fun - name all 5 off the top of your head. I bet I can guess which one you forget every time)

Staten Island? =P

I guessed Long Island, then looked it up and was all like, I've listened to enough Wu-Tang to know this >_<

[wolverine-master]

Wait, what happened to my home state (NJ) having a ball team? Oh well, not like it's a huge loss...

NJ sucks major balls.
The only famous person from NJ that still lives in NJ is Wendy Williams. Er'body else dipped.
Kidd, Bon Jovi, Jeter.....even the Jersey shore peeps rolled out.

it seems weird to me to have a "whole city" team and "part of the same city" team. Sydney had the same thing in the NBL...

Texas has 2 teams, L.A has like 8.
I guess it would be cool to have a team in the city I reside, but they gon suck major balls too.
Who the fuck would actually want to play for brooklyn tho, on purpose?

[onReload]

Not true, actually. Many entertainers have come from (admittedly rather not-so-hot) cities in NJ, but relocated to nicer areas; there's an advantage to being in a suburb of NYC while being in an (overall) better state.

[Rufus]

Who the fuck would actually want to play for brooklyn tho, on purpose?

Jackie Robinson? Though that was a while ago.

[Maj]

Argentina vs Germany!! Should be hype. I just hope they aren't planning on showing our combovid during the World Cup final, because i might have to leave the Evo hall for a minute or three hours to take care of some "very" "important" "business."

Man, i totally forgot there's a third place match too. I feel bad for Brazilian players having to step inside a stadium in their home country four days after what happened yesterday. I wonder what that atmosphere's gonna be like. Not jealous of those dudes at all right now, especially Fred.

[onReload]

I haven't been watching any of the games due to work, but let's go NL!

I've also been hearing the cheers from one side of the mall; there's a giant (16-screen) array that plays all the matches.
i kinda want to see if they'd let me play any EVO stuff. if the timing works out, maybe I could get a video of the combo vid playing right smack in the middle of a confused bunch of mall-goers

[Maj]

Messi :(

[Maj]

How about that Barca retiree reunion tour in Miami? Not gonna lie, i was nervous about how it would go, but so far it's been kinda rad.

Also i guess i never mentioned it at the time, but watching Argentina win the World Cup was incredible. I still can't believe it happened the way it did, on Messi's last chance and with that amazing final. The second goal against France was my favorite of the tournament, but i think the most important goal of the run was the first one against Mexico. All the Messi fanboy highlight videos make it seem like they bounced back instantly after the first loss, but they don't capture the slogfest feeling of those first 60 minutes. It didn't seem like Argentina would even make it out of the group stage until that goal, then everything changed.