USA Soccer...improving?

Don't call me un-American for saying this, but Team USA's performance in the Confederations Cup, while brilliant, was not a sign of things to come. Team USA is not a major force in soccer in the world. Sure, they upended the world's top ranked team, Spain, but the proof was in the pudding against Brazil.

Teams that are top contenders to be among the best in the world do not surrender 2-0 leads after halftime.

Brazil was on their heels in the opening 45 minutes. The U.S. carried the play, passed well, obviously notched a pair of tallies, and looked like they belonged. Brazil came out in the 2nd half, and got on the board early--almost a tidal wave of offense pouring at the Americans. Team USA never had a chance.

Soccer may be the world's most popular game, but that doesn't ring true in America. The U.S. can become a world power, but right now, the game is a virtual punchline. Don't get me wrong, I love soccer. I sat and watched the Confed Final, and I used to watch games with my father back in Chicago. The broadcasts were in Spanish, and I couldn't understand what was being said, but watching soccer with my Dad was something I'll always cherish. Incidentally, none of those games I watched with Dad involved the U.S.

I don't profess to have a solution, as there are loads of quality youth soccer programs in not just this country, but right here in North Carolina. American soccer is far better off now, than it was, say 10 years ago. Still, it's not at the level of a Brazil, Spain, England, Germany, and so on.

Joey Logano picked up his first career Sprint Cup Series win on Sunday in New Hampshire, a race shortened by rain. Logano has long been considered the future of NASCAR, so picking a victory in his first season bodes well for him. Series flips the calendar, beginning their return visits to tracks, starting this weekend in Daytona.

Author Brett Friedlander on the program on Monday, and Winston-Salem Dash Manager Joe McEwing stops by on Wednesday. Check it out!

Mike Solarte

NBA Draft thoughts

Couple notes from Draft night.

• Anyone banging on Stephen Curry for allegedly dropping his head in disappointment is a certified idiot. I've never seen a disappointed person, especially one who just became the 7th richest NBA rookie in the draft class, smiling in disappointment. Curry was hoping to go the New York Knicks, but Golden State snapped him one selection ahead of New York. Personally, I'm disappointed Curry is going out west. Having him in the east would have meant the ability to watch him blossom as a rookie. Now, it means staying up late in hopes of seeing that. Might be worth some shorter sleep nights during the season. Congrats to Steph, he'll do just fine.
• Bobcats take Gerald Henderson with the 12th pick. It was a case of 1-a and 1-a. The Cats would have been fine with Henderson or Terrence Williams from Louisville, and when Williams went to New Jersey at 11, Henderson was the obvious pick. Was funny hearing MJ and Larry Brown talk about taking a Duke guy, considering their UNC backgrounds, but in the end, they feel Henderson will be a competent back up for Raja Bell, and given Bell's late season injuries, Henderson could be on the floor more than the average back-up.
• Minnesota has to be thinking trade, considering they selected 4 guards in the first round. Ricky Rubio, Jonny Flynn, Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington. 3 point guards. 2 Tar Heels. Weird, but the T-Wolves need all kinds of help, and now they have some young talent with which to maneuver.
• A big thanks to my media brethren for putting up with me during the draft. News 14 Carolina had hourly updates from Bobcats HQ, and it, no doubt, was a distraction for the others. I appreciate their professionalism very much. Speaking of the other media folks, beat writer for the Charlotte Observer Rick Bonnell had the observation of the night....with so few big men available in the draft, no one wanted DeJuan Blair from Pittsburgh early. Blair eventually was selected in the 2nd round, 37th overall.

This will wrap up my week on the blog, have a great weekend, and we'll chat again on Monday!

Mike Solarte

Peppers signs

After much deliberation, I have come to the conclusion that Julius Peppers is NOT a paycheck player.

Peppers camp made overtures about him playing for another team, saying he wanted to be a part of a 3-4 defense, and then allegedly listing 4 teams he wished to go to.

The Panthers didn't want to let their guy go for nothing, as is their right. They placed the franchise tag on him, basically saying, if you want to go, fine. We want something in return. Once that happened, Peppers wasn't going anywhere.

It was basically a foregone conclusion Peppers would be back in Carolina colors in 2009, but the price is steep. $16.7 million (with an "m") for 1 year of football. The number has been planned for, according to GM Marty Hurney, so it's already in the budget, so to speak.

Is Peppers worth that money? Well, who is worth that money? For an entertainer, that kind of tag means top notch performance. When you break it down, Peppers will make $1 million and changer per game.

He will be worth that kind of money if he has a repeat of his 2008 season, where he was ripping through blockers, recording sacks, and being a force on defense. If he fades into the 2007 Houdini act, there will be a lot of unhappy folks in the stands, and in the front office. The Panthers seem top believe that Peppers will follow up his 2008 with a similar 2009. A lot of folks hope they are right.

NBA Draft coverage comes your way Thursday night from Time Warner Cable Arena, as the Charlotte Bobcats hold the 12th overall selection (at least they do as I write this). We'll keep our eyes on their status, along with Stephen Curry's move to the bigs. Should be a big night--hope you check it all out.

Mike Solarte

Lucas Glover takes Open

It finally felt like a US Open on Monday. Normally, Monday would be the day after the Open. Thanks to Mother Nature, Monday was the final day of an epic battle pitting the golfers against Bethpage Black, with the elements mixed in.

Seems like a month ago when the Open began, and when it finally wrapped up Monday afternoon, Lucas Glover was the winner. Unlikely winner? Perhaps. Glover has one other win in his career, and that came 5 years ago. He was a contender during the Quail Hollow championship, but was unable to close the deal. This time, he practiced what he had been preaching--patience. An even par back nine helped ease the pain of a 38 on his opening nine holes. The teeth of the Black course began to show as the rains finally stayed away. Couple that with the sudden arrival of that "major championship feel," and you had the world's best players hanging on for their lives. Glover stayed on task, made some nice swings coming home and won it.

There was quite a group chasing him down. Playing partner Ricky Barnes flamed out, but get past him and you had David Duval and Phil Mickelson in hot pursuit. Mickelson had it knotted at -4 after a wonderful eagle at number 13. Phil couldn't keep himself together down the stretch, making 2 bogeys in his final 4 holes. Tough finish for him. There will be those that slap him with the "choke" label again, but you won't find me in that group. Lefty dealt with a highly emotional week, and ended up with his 5th runner-up finish in a US Open. He also left with a greater perspective on what it means, considering his wife Amy begins treatment for breast cancer in exactly 10 days. 2nd place in the Open isn't the worst thing in the world.

Duval had a monster week, and had a shot to win the tournament standing on the 17th tee. It was shades of 1999, when Duval was a major factor in the golf world. He's back, having fun, and even smiling again. How long he stays relevant in golf is up to him and his ability, but seeing Duval, Mickelson, and even Tiger Woods (albeit 4 shots back), on the same leaderboard again was something that was ultimately good for golf.

Former Charlotte 49er Trevor Murphy ended up tied for 58th in the Open after a final round 80, while High Point's Drew Weaver ended up +9 for the tourney, one shot behind the low amateur of the championship, Nick Taylor.

Charlotte Bobcats continue their draft preparations, and we hope to have team GM Rod Higgins in studio on Wednesday to talk about it.

Mike Solarte

Quick thoughts before bed

It's late Sunday, early Monday--I need sleep, but wanted to blurt a few things into the blog before bedtime.

• The US Open hasn't felt like a major, and I think it's because the goofy weather has taken the normal buzz out of the National Championship. We have been talking about course conditions due to the wet, rather than the brutally fast greens, ankle deep rough, etc. Maybe that buzz will return when this puppy wraps up on Monday. Ricky Barnes is in trouble off the tee, and Lucas Glover is ready to pounce.
• The weather has dominated the Open, but mad props to the grounds crew at Bethpage. How that course is remotely playable is miraculous, and they get the slap on the back for a job well done.
• I want to see Phil Mickelson rally and win this thing. Mind you, I'm not rooting against anyone, but what a story it would be for Phil to bring the Open trophy to his wife Amy. She will begin her battle against breast cancer on July 1. Monday might be the last time we see Phil for a while. I wish them well.
• Someone spun the clock back 10 years, because David Duval is a threat again. I was blown away when I saw his world ranking of 882. I'm 883. Rats. Seriously, though, nice to see him back in the hunt in a major. He's undergone major changes both on and off the course, and at long last, golf seems to be fun for him again.
• Anyone else picking up on what seems to be sniping at Johnny Miller by his NBC counterparts? It's subtle, but I think it's there. Miller knows the game, but I'm not a fan of his on-air style. Nothing wrong with it, just not my cup of tea.
• Former Charlotte 49er Trevor Murphy was on fire in his 2nd round finish. Birdies on 16, 17, and 18 got him into a tie for 16th with 2 rounds to play. He couldn't follow it up, a third round 77 drops him back in the field, but for a guy playing on the Gateway Tour in Arizona, this paycheck will come in handy. I'm hoping he can play his way into an exemption to the Open next year. 68 in his final round might be the number to do it.
• Spent the latter part of my evening watching "Ocean's Eleven," on TBS. "Ted Nugent called. He wants his shirt back." Priceless.

Mike Solarte

Sammy "Say it Ain't" Sosa

OK, this being an opinion blog, let me remind you that the opinions expressed here are mine, and mine alone, and do not reflect the views of News 14 Carolina, Time Warner Cable, and anyone connected with the station--from staff to advertisers.

That out of the way, if you thought Sammy Sosa was clean, and not using performance enhancers, then you also believe the earth is flat, and that the moon is made of green cheese.

Now, I speak from a bit of personal history on this. I am a Chicago native, and saw Sosa play for the White Sox. At the time, he was built like a greyhound. Sleek, muscular, and had the propensity to swing at just about anything. Hitters mature over time, and Sosa was no different. He became a little more selective at the plate upon his return to Chicago, but as a Cub. His greatest success came as a Cub, but also his most embarrassing moment. You remember the one, where he claimed that he grabbed a batting practice bat for an in-game at bat, right? The bat in question the shattered and upon closer inspection, was found to have cork in the barrel. I'm no scientist, and won't even claim to know what that will do to a baseball. I do know that Major League Baseball frowns upon that sort of thing, so I can only assume it's not good and definitely not legal.

Oh yeah, and when Sosa was a Cub, he was built like a monster truck. Not speedy. Hulking. I admit, with training, athletes will put on bulk. Even if they are doing it with the help of things that are within the rules, such as protein shakes, and such, they can put on plenty of muscle. Sosa outgrew the norm in much the same way as Barry Bonds, and even to a degree, Mark McGwire.

Now comes the revelation that Sosa tested positive for performance enhancers in 2003, as part of an MLB test to determine a baseline for a potential steroid problem. MLB was sampling players, and not disciplining them for a positive test. That alone boggles the mind, but remember, at the time, there was no drug testing policy in place, so players basically could do what they wanted. Sosa is reportedly 1 of over 100 players that had a positive result, and MLB had told the players that the results would be kept private. This test was for MLB to determine if there was a problem that needed to be addressed.

Here's the rub: If baseball was trying to find the problem, why did they maintain the records? If they were going to keep these results private, then they should have destroyed the records. Period. Would it have suppressed evidence? Yes, but they are now guilty of violating the players trust, as the results are becoming public.

The fact that Sosa, and 100+ baseball players reportedly were dirty at the time is not the fault of the players. At the time, they faced no punishment for this. Now, they face stiff penalties (finally).

Sosa and McGwire are credited with saving baseball, thanks to their epic season record home run race they waged. Admit it, it was fun to watch. I can't stand the Cubs, and even I liked what baseball was getting as a result of this. I wasn't blind to the fact that these 2 were probably juicing--you had to be blind not to at least think it. Still, the game benefited from their on-field exploits. The game owes them both for that.

However, the cost to the game now is big. Baseball is sagging behind other sports in America in popularity, and also in the number of youngsters playing it. When I was a kid, there weren't programs to "foster interest in the game." Baseball WAS the game. It's what you did on a summer day after school let out. You grabbed your glove, met your buddies at the park, chose teams, and played until the sun went down. There was no talk of contracts, endorsements, ESPN, or anything. You played. The stakes are now too high for players to just play--so few roster spots are out there, and so many dollars are on the line. Guys finding a way to be just a little better stronger, or faster was the norm.

The players did the game a disservice by using, The game did the fans a disservice by looking the other way. There is plenty of blame to go around, and sadly, there is likely more bad news to come. More names, more heroes, more tainted records.

Incidentally, there is one constant throughout the timeline.

Bud Selig was named Acting Commissioner of Baseball in 1992.

Mike Solarte

Phil Jackson the greatest of all time?

I mentioned this in the last blog post, and it's actually a topic I kicked around years ago during my radio show in Raleigh.

I am convinced, at long last, the Phil Jackson is, in fact, the best NBA coach of all time.

That also means, I have reversed my stance from more than 7 years ago.

The knock on Jackson has been that he has always had great talent, and who can't win with that kind of talent? The answer is simple. The guys that had the talent before he arrived. In Chicago, the Bulls had a young, budding star in Michael Jordan. They had made playoff appearances under Doug Collins, and Stan Albeck, but never broken through.

Enter Jackson. Winners

Del Harris had a talented Lakers team, but couldn't get them through that title barrier.

Exit Harris, enter Jackson. Winner.

In Chicago, the was Jordan, Scottie Pippen, John Paxson. They would rotate parts, phasing out Paxson, bringing in Steve Kerr. Out with Will Perdue, in with Luc Longley. The coach, and his assistant Tex Winter had a system that worked. Even with Dennis Rodman.

Same holds true in LA. Kobe and Shaq when he arrived. Kobe, Trevor Ariza, Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom in the fold now. He has talented players.

What Jackson does is blend all that talent, and all of those millionaire egos into a team that functions better than any other. His x's and o's are solid, his mind is incredible. I have said that anyone can win with that talent.

Turns out, very few can do it, and do it as routinely as Jackson.

Switching gears to hockey, congrats to the Pittsburgh Penguins for winning the Stanley Cup, and making one of my blog predictions come true. Can we lay off Sidney Crosby? Please? He's the youngest captain to lift the Stanley Cup, and you would think he was guilty of grand theft auto.

Detroit Red Wing players were miffed that Crosby didn't shake all of their hands, and made Niklas Lidstrom (the Detroit captain) wait at the front of that line, while he and his teammates celebrated.

Can we step back and look at this a little closer? Crosby is 21. He and his team had just overcome deficits of 2-0, and 3-2 in this series, and won hockey's Holy Grail. They had to beat the defending champions on the road in order to do it. Crosby was also injured in game 7, missing much of the 2nd period, and seeing limited ice time in the 3rd.

Forgive the young man for being a little overjoyed in the moment.

Crosby snubbed no one. Crosby was a joyous hockey player, that had just reached the dream he's had for his entire life. This kid has as much reverence for the game, and its traditions, than anyone.

Once the Wings stop being bitter, I'm sure they'll realize that their chirping after being the only team in the Finals to lose on home ice, sounded like nothing more than sour grapes.

Mike Solarte