Monday, October 16, 2017

Sports Journal October 1-3, 2017

10-1-17
The Rangers’ last game wasn’t picked up today on the El Paso affiliate, so I missed all the baseball today.  I did see a little bit on The Rally on the Stadium Network.  At the Royals’ last game, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Alcides Escobar, and Lorenzo Cain were all taken off the field together.  With all these guys about to become free agents, it was a nice way to let the fans in Kansas City give them one more round of applause as a unit.  The best clip of the day was of Sergio Romo, now with the Rays, sitting in with the ball boys on the foul line.  With everything decided for the playoffs, all the pressure was off for most of the teams.  Without a ballgame to listen to, I came in a bit late, but watched Stadium’s Mountain West coverage of the Nevada Wolfpack versus the Colorado College Prowlers in Women’s Soccer. 

Yes, I’m really doing this.  Yes, I’ve said repeatedly that I don’t like soccer (and, spoilers, this match did not improve my disposition).  No, I wasn’t going to cover football anyway, regardless of the protests.  Yes, I’m still mad. 

This match was held on the Nevada’s football field with both teams looking for their first conference win.  A soccer pitch is apparently the same length, but wider.  Lines were drawn along the sidelines outside the football sidelines and boxes were drawn on the field.  It was a bit awkward.  Not to mention, the large stands on the far side of the field and the endzones were completely empty.  No crowd shots were done, much like last time (9-24-17), nor any crowd noise.  The game was played in something of an out-of-place void.  More frustrating was the camera work.  It was like watching the game from a blimp.  An occasional, medium range shot was mixed in, but no close-ups.  Hey, you think I’m not watching women’s soccer for some sex appeal?     

At least the match had a couple of enthusiastic, passionate Wolfpack fans calling the game.  They were quite knowledgeable too.  This definitely helped the broadcast.  I’ve wanted a radio broadcast at Aggie soccer matches, but upon reflection, I doubt soccer over the radio is a good idea.  There’s not usually enough scoring.  As visual and quick as basketball and volleyball are, there’s at least plenty of scoring.  (It occurs to me that somebody scores on every point in volleyball.)  If somebody was going to do it for the Aggies, they’re going to have to be really good at it and happy to be doing it. 

The most exciting event in the first half was a Nevada girl, Meriwether (didn’t catch her first name), doing a couple of flip throw-ins (doing a forward flip, while holding the ball overhead).  Though basically unnecessary, I have to admit, that looked pretty cool.  (If I saw that at an Aggie match, I’d probably spit my drink through my nose.  The coach might also freak out.)  It was also mentioned that Colorado College (Denver?) only plays in the Mountain West in soccer.  I’d wondered about that, since I’d never heard of them before.  We were scoreless after 45 minutes.  There was no halftime show, but there was a promo for Nevada sports featuring one of the soccer girls and, I think, their coach.  The coach was Asian and the player looked about two feet taller than her.  It was an odd picture. 

The second half was the tale of Nevada keeper, Lauren Horsedaniel (I hope that name’s right, because I’m not going to bother looking it up).  During the first half, one of announcer guys was clearly in love with her (or at least her skills).  In the second half, this adulation was entirely justified.  Nearly the entire half was spent in on the Nevada side of the field, with Lauren making save after save.  “Not in my home!” one of my announcers said.  Also, the referee called nothing, thus in a scoreless match between desperate teams and under a hot sun, the girls got chippier and chippier with each other.  This culminated at 9’ left in the half, when three different girls hit the deck inside of a minute.  Still scoreless at the end of regulation.

In the first overtime (doesn’t that sound ominous after watching nobody score for an hour and a half), Nevada finally managed to mount some offense and make a game of it.  However, with 46 seconds left, Colorado College got an open shot from outside the box into the top shelf.  Lauren had no chance on it.  She’d had 13 saves to that point.  1-0 Colorado College over Nevada.  This was a lot like that last match I watched, only longer.  I have to say the game call has been the best thing about these two matches I’ve seen.  I just wish the camera-work was better.

10-3-17
Let’s watch some more women’s college soccer, mostly because the women’s volleyball match that the Stadium Network advertised, never actually came on.  Tonight’s match was under the lights between the Princeton Tigers and the Bucknell Bison.  The field was well-lit, but everything beyond the field was pitch black.  Again, no idea of the crowd, but at least the cameras, while at times obstructed by a stadium not designed to accommodate them, mixed in some closer shots with the long shots.  The announcers were again really good and passionate, though the sound would occasionally drop out. 

Both teams were incredibly quick.  The “ponytails were flying” as the announcers said.  The speed was amazing compared to what I’ve seen.  Maybe it was because it was at night, instead of the heat of the day.  In any case, either team would have literally run over the Aggies or any of their opponents that I’ve seen.  Princeton scored three times in the first half and a final goal in the last 30 seconds of the match for a 4-0 win.  The Bucknell goalie was not bad, just overwhelmed.  She even stopped a one-on-one,    point-blank shot.  The team is part of the Patriot League, which did the broadcast.  For halftime, they did a league sports update.  The host was named Morgan Uber, an oddly topical name.

KROD carried the first Wild Card playoff game tonight, which was cool, except that I missed the first hour listening to the Aggie Coaches’ Show, also the reception was bad later and I couldn’t really hear anything, and the Yankees beat the Twins 8-4.  Luis Severino was chased early by three Twins’ runs, but Yankees had no problem recovering.  Didi Gregorious, Brett Gardner, and Aaron Judge all homered.  Miguel Sano wasn’t playing for the Twins and Byron Buxton was injured during the game making a great catch.  Neither of these guys would probably change places with Yankees’ catcher, Gary Sanchez, who took a foul ball directly in the nuts.  Thanks to The Rally on the Stadium Network for the recap.  You can tell these guys aren’t ESPN or Fox Sports Radio, since they make no apologies for talking about baseball every night.    

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