FOOTBALL: For the love of the game...

(via ninernoise.com)

This whole week, the news has been about the NFC Championship game between the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Giants.  In addition, they have been covering the difference between diehard fans and band-wagoners.  It really got me thinking about where I stand.  

Thinking back, the 49ers was probably the first sports team that I knew about, especially in elementary school.  You either liked the 49ers or the Dallas Cowboys.  It was the 90s. What do you expect? Since the 49ers are closer in proximity, they were the obvious choice.  Plus, being a history buff (even at that age), I made the connection between the San Francisco 49ers and the actual 49ers of the California Gold Rush. :)

(via bleacherreport.com)

In 1995, I remember the 49ers winning against the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX and becoming the first team to win five Super Bowls.  It was a big deal! 

(via ebay.com)

The next year, Wheaties came out with a commemorative cereal box dedicated to Super Bowl XXX.  I memorized the helmets on the back of the box, recalling the 49ers had the most, followed by the Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers (they won 4 each).  Did you know those boxes are going for $30.00 on eBay nowadays?

For several years, I just watched the Super Bowl for the commercials and somewhat paying attention to the game.  On a side not, I'm pretty sure the Super Bowl was also an introduction to reading Roman numerals...

Flash forward to high school...

I was determined to understand football because I was tired of watching it and pretending I knew what was going on...and because I totally was crushing on the quarterback at school. haha Anywho, my dad helped me understand the game, and I kinda got into it.  I wasn't really rooting for anyone. I'd pick a team to root for for the Super Bowl but that was the extent of that.  I have to admit the Super Bowl experience is more enjoyable and complete when watching the game, the commercials and the half-time show.

Watching the Super Bowl was an annual event for me, but I realized it doesn't mean anything if you're not watching the entire season.

It wasn't until this season that I took advantage of being home and got back into the game - like really in to it.  Football is such an intriguing yet entertaining sport. All season, it became routine to watch a football game anytime it was on - Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.  Then I found myself getting upset when the channel was changed when we were in the middle of watching a game.  Honestly, it was getting intense, but it was all for the love of the game!! There have been some great match-ups this year and some amazing plays (hello Tim Tebow!), and with a couple playoff games left, I'm excited to see what's going to happen next.

So to bring this full circle, I rooted for the 49ers from the beginning...of this season.  Even though I like to think I've been a fan since the mid-90s, I admit that I totally have band-wagon status.  But if you can make dreamers into believers, you can make a band-wagoner into a diehard fan. Let's go Niners! Beat the NY Giants on Sunday! :)

(via Twitter @49ers)

TRAVEL: Portland (round 2)

Only one month until I'm back in the Pacific Northwest for a weekend!  I'm so excited to finally visit after a long hiatus, almost two years.  I can't wait to see my friends who are still in Portland, and I definitely hope I have enough time to spend with everyone!

Some things I'm looking forward to:

BESTIEEE TIME!!

CST (Jan 2010)

It's been such a long time since I've seen CST! I really hope we can all eat out for ol' times sake (even though our favorite hangout is long gone. *sigh*).

DANCE OF THE DECADES!!

Totally rockin' those rad 80s prom dresses! YES! (DOD 2010)

Yes, even alumni can enjoy this popular CPB dance!  Not sure what decade I'll be dressing up as, but it'll be a good way to hang out with friends, dancing the night away to some totally awesome soundtracks! Woo!

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY!!

With the playoffs starting next week, it'll be fun to see who makes it to the Super Bowl!  I've never watched a major sporting event at a sports bar, so we will venture to one. Yay! I really hope Kristina flies in on time for the kickoff! ;)

FOR THE SAKE OF THE BLOG!!

The adventures continue...

Who knows? There might be surprise blog posts...from you-know-where! hahaha

A-SUP OFFICE!!

The ASUP Team 2009-2010

My second home while in school. Things have changed, but I'm sure it was all for the better. It'll be good to visit the office as well as the current board and the Office of Student Activities. Oh those student government days! Good times.

THE FOSCHO SHOW!!

Well, I can't promise this will happen, but I really hope we at least get to spend time together.  But honestly, if we're together, we might as well make a video...or two.

DOWNTOWN ADVENTURES!!

Gotta venture down there at some point.  Maybe get some Voodoo or just walk around (depending on the weather)...

There's probably a half dozen more things I could list, but since it's only a weekend, I have to be realistic!  I'm down for anything, so come on Portland friends, show me what you got! ;)

9/11: 10 Years Later...

When I woke up this morning, the first thing I thought about was the 10th anniversary of September 11.

I put up an American flag outside in memory of those lost that day before leaving my sister's house in San Luis Obispo.

On the drive home, the rain sprinkled the windshield. It felt like the world was crying in remembrance.

Back home, Sunday night football showcased the New York Jets against the Dallas Cowboys. The memorial opening was to perfection with the taps played on a bugle, the traditional French horn playing, bagpipes playing "Amazing Grace" during the unfurling of the American flag by members of the NYPD and FDNY, and then finally a performance of the national anthem by Lady Antebellum.  To top it off, the Jets won.

After the game, I watched "102 Minutes that Changed America" on The History Channel.  This documentary highlights a series of video clips recorded by civilians on September 11 from different areas in New York City.  It gives you a completely different view of the events, especially views from the street as well as from surrounding apartment buildings.  It puts the events of that day in a unique perspective from the people who were actually experiencing it and gives people across the country more than what the media covered.

Watching this, I actually recognized one of my coworkers from Macy's in the video taken in Times Square.  Seeing him there brought this closer to home - realizing that the friends and many of the people I met in New York were actually there that day and experienced the terror first-hand.  I was brought to tears watching the second plane crashed and when both towers collapsed.  It's heart-wrenching to watch, but it's a part of our history that we will never forget.

On this day, Americans will stand united and always remember the nearly 3000 lives that were lost - the innocent civilians, the first responders.  God bless America.

WORLD CUP: Quarterfinals II

Wow!  That basically describes how I felt about today's World Cup games.  Excitement. Disappointment. Frustration. Victory.  It was a day filled with lots of emotion for all teams and fans watching all around the world.

Germany vs. Argentina

The video above gives a quick review about the game (still don't understand why I couldn't share similar videos yesterday. lame).  Germany took the lead early and kept it for the entire game.  Germany moved so swiftly with the ball, finding gaps in the Argentinian defense and making plays that were executed with ease.  They made it seem easy to score those goals and send Argentina home.  

I was hoping for Argentina to score a couple goals, but none got passed the German goalie.  It was also hoping for Messi and his team to make it through to reach that same pinnacle that their manager, Maradona, was able to achieve years ago.  Sadly, their journey was put to an end today.

Paraguay vs. Spain

No video to embed this time. ESPN needs to be more consistent about the sharing feature for these videos. 

In the bracket I made, I have Spain winning the whole tournament, so I definitely cheered them on as they battled Paraguay.  Tough match. Both of them had great defense to keep the offense from scoring.  The offense of both teams also had several opportunities, but it wasn't until the second half when things changed. 

There was penalty kick drama for both teams during the match, but neither team came out with a score.  David Villa finally broke the scoreless drought in the 83' minute, giving Spain the victory!  It was tough match, but Spain came through! 

I'm glad they are still holding on.  The semifinals are not until Tuesday so another two day soccer break.  Hopefully, my withdrawals won't be as bad.  Good thing it's a holiday weekend with Independence Day tomorrow! 

The semifinals bring Germany vs. Spain and Uruguay vs. Netherlands.  More excitement! I can't believe the World Cup is coming to a close soon. A month of soccer went by so fast, but it has definitely been a joy to watch thus far. Until next time soccer fans! :)

WORLD CUP: Quarterfinals

After two days of no World Cup games, I was going through a soccer withdrawal.  Never thought I'd go through one of those, but it happen.  I didn't know what to do during that time when the World Cup usually is on.  I tried watching TV, but seriously, nothing else is on. Summer television, especially daytime television is terrible! :(

However, World Cup action is back!  I was so stoked for the first day of the quarterfinal matches! :)

Brazil vs. Netherlands

I was ready for another Brazilian win, but the Netherlands took a 2-1 win.  I thought Brazil had it in the bag when they scored a goal within the first 10 minutes.  The rest of the half was scoreless.  It was funny watching the game with my mom because they showed a close-up of Ricardo Kaká, and my mom was like, "He's cute."  Good times. :)

The second half started, and Brazil's defense slowly unraveled.  Netherlands got the equalizer (as the announcers would say) with a free kick that was headed in by Felipe Melo (an own goal!).  The Netherlands took the lead with another header - this time by their own player.  Brazil couldn't get back, and to make matters worse for them, Felipe Melo received a red card in the 72' minute.  With 10 players on the field, Brazil tried their hardest to tie-up the match, but they came up short.

It was sad to see the 5-time champs get eliminated.  I was rooting for them to make it to the Finals.  Pretty sure a bunch of people's brackets are messed up now.  Mine has been messed up from the group rounds (pretty sure I didn't do it right), but yeah.  It'll be interesting to see how far the Dutch will go now that they've conquered the #1 ranked team.  It's definitely games like this that change everything and make the World Cup so interesting to watch! LOVE IT! :)

Luckily, that wasn't the only game...

Uruguay vs. Ghana

With Ghana beating the U.S. in the last round, I was definitely rooting for Uruguay.  Plus, I really like watching Forlán and Suárez when they play.  I was watching the national anthems, and I admit that the Uruguayan anthem sounds like it tells a story. 

The first half was basically scoreless, but both teams had so many opportunities to get the ball into the net.  In the extra time before half, Ghana scored the first goal far down on the field.  Although I was unhappy about the goal, it was an impressive shot.  It's really surprising that Muslera was unable to stop it, but I suppose it was a fast moving ball. 

Ghana had a 1-0 lead over Uruguay when they came back from the half.  Ten minutes within the second half, Forlán took a free kick and bent it straight into the goal.  The ball looked like it was going to go over the crossbar but it swerved down into the net.  The game was equalized and remained that way for the rest of the match, even though both teams had several attempts on goals.  Regular time ran out, and the score was still tied.  

Going into an extra thirty minutes, it was intense to watch as both teams played their hardest, trying to get that one goal to help them move on to the semi-finals.  However, it didn't happen.  You could easily tell that both teams were getting frustrated and desperate as the number of fouls escalated.  Everyone was determined to do anything to stop the other team from winning.  This motive was best displayed in that last minute of the game.  

Ghana had possession of the ball with a free kick only meters away from the goal.  The ball goes up into the middle of the penalty box where scads of players from both teams are waiting.  

Attempt 1: Ghana header is blocked by Uruguayan goalie.

 Attempt 2: Ghana tries to kick the rebound in as Uruguayan defenders try to get the ball out of there in the mist of confusion.

Attempt 3: Ghana gets control of the ball again and aims to shoot again.  Suárez and another Uruguayan player are in the box.  As the ball soars toward the goal, Suárez plays goalie and commits a hand ball, giving Ghana a penalty kick.  Suárez also receives a red card.  

Can we say intense?! I couldn't believe it.  

Gyan took the penalty kick and missed, pushing the game to be determined by penalty kicks.  Five players from each team have one shot to make.  Ghana was so close to ending the match right there and then but no.  On to the penalty kicks...

This was so intense that I couldn't even remain in the seat.  I was standing right in front of the TV, meticulously watching each player take their shot.  For a moment I thought each player was going to make their shot, but then Muslera saved one and one of the Uruguayan shooters kicked his ball way over the crossbar.  Muslera saved another one, giving Uruguay a winning chance.  Sebastian Abreu took the last penalty kick with his soft left-footed shot, clenching the win for Uruguay!

This game had intensity from the first kick-off to the last penalty kick.  I was so into the game too - screaming and yelling at the TV, jumping up and down, etc.  This was one of the few times I got so emotional about a sporting event.

It was sad to see Ghana leave the tournament, especially since they had a whole continent's support.  They were representing Africa since they were the only African county to make it out of the group stages.  I feel like Ghana put up a good fight and making it to the quarterfinals is still really impressive.  I have a good feeling they'll be back in the next World Cup.

On Facebook and Twitter, I was checking out people's reactions to the game, and people keep saying Suárez cheated.  Even if he didn't put his hands up, he still would have been in the way of the ball making a goal.  As I mentioned early, when it comes down to it, competitive athletes will do what it takes to avoid losing, and this is exactly what Suárez did.  The ref called it correctly too; hand ball in the box results in a red card and penalty kick.  Gyan had the opportunity to bring Ghana to victory but missed it.  What's been done has been done. Suárez misses the next game as well.

I can't wait to see the next matches.  Germany take on Argentina, while Paraguay take on Spain.  Both should be excellent matches!  So excited! More World Cup news later....

P.S. I was going to include some video, but ESPN.com disabled sharing. Lame. :(

WORLD CUP: USA vs. Ghana

Sad day for Team USA as they are defeated by Ghana, 2-1, in the Round of 16 in the World Cup.  They played with lots of heart and definitely made our country proud!  They certainly seemed like the underdog in some of the group matches but made it on top.  It wasn't an easy journey as they gave goals away early in the matches but found a way to equalize the score in the end.  Unfortunately, they were unable to do so today.

Although they will not be advancing in the World Cup, they have ignited an interest for soccer across the country.  Hopefully, that support for the sport will continue after the World Cup!  Before American jumped on the World Cup bandwagon, soccer didn't seem to be held at the same caliber as other sports, like football, basketball and baseball.  The rest of the world is stoked about soccer, and I really hope the sport reaches that same level as other sports in the US.  With this gathered support, maybe we can bring the Cup back to the US.  That would be pretty awesome. :)

Anyway, still a bit sad about the loss, but definitely proud of our team!

Love ya, Team USA! :)

WORLD CUP: USA vs. Solvenia

My daily schedule has revolved around the FIFA World Cup in South Africa since it started on June 11.  I enjoy watching the live games in the morning.  Makes me wonder why they don't show live coverage of the Olympics. It would be more fascinating to watch it right as it's happening.  That's the best part of the World Cup.  Everyone around the world is watching the action on the field at the same time.  Truly amazing! The world shares this experience together.

Today was no different. Woke up early to watch the USA go up against Slovenia.  The first half was a heartbreaker with Slovenia ending the half with 2 goals and USA - nil.  Not many teams come back after being 2 down, however, Team USA made it happen!  Donavon and Bradley score the two goals to even out the score.  Then coming off a corner kick, Edu shoots the ball into the net, giving the US a 3-2 lead.

However, the goal was called back because of a foul by an American offensive player.  Looking at all the replays, what foul?!  American fans and even the ESPN announcers are bewildered by the call.  No one can spot the call, whether it was a foul or offside.  It was a clean goal that should have given the US a win!

I was appalled by the call, like other Americans watching the game.   I just don't see where the foul was.  Throughout the game, the Mali referee made some ridiculous calls that were unnecessary for both teams.  A handful of yellow cards were handed out, even though some of the calls were just not there.  This ref may be a highly qualified ref for the African Conference, but this is the big leagues! You can't make these kind of calls at the World Cup!

This has definitely got to be one of most controversial calls ever.


With the England-Algeria match ending in a tie, USA still holds the 2nd place spot in the group with hopes of advancing to the top 16, if they defeat Algeria in the next game on June 23rd.

LET's GO USA!!!