Choking On Sherbert

The US Women should have studied 

this infograph before the game.

U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.! Et al. 1-0 in the 69th minute on a goal by Alex Morgan, from a beautiful pass by Megan Rapinoe (PengoSports' tourney MVP). Pissed away in the 81st when 3 US defenders panicked and gifted the ball to Japan's Aya Miyama who easily placed in the net and we were off to bonus/free soccer-time!

 

Will the next contestant for 
America's Sweetheart please step forward.

2-1 US, in the 104th minute of bonus soccer-time, on a Abby Wambach header off of great service from Morgan. But since it's soccer, and since it's FIFA, the awesomeness that would have been an incredible OT goal is crapped all over and we still have a minute in this added period and 15 MORE of the other added period to play and, of course, the US defense folded under the Japanese pressure and allowed the equalizer in the 117th, just 3 minutes from victory and thus denying the extra few minutes of fame tacked on to the usual 15 for women's soccer. 2-2 going to PK's. A feeling of FU*K! Is all over this.

P.K.'s

1st PK was dribbled weakly into the Japanese goalie. 0-0.

Goal Japan. 0-1.

2nd PK was up, and good! If it was an extra-point, which it wasn't. 0-1.

Japan kicks one into Solo. 0-1.

3rd PK rolls to a stop at the Japanese tender. 0-1.

Japan smokes one into the net. 0-2.

Wambach with blasts one in, and not with her head. 1-2.

Goal Japan. 1-3. And that was that.

A bit sexist to say they kick like girls, 

but they did kick like girls. Wee little girls.

The US team had more talent, better chances and controlled the game. But Japan didn't give a sh*t about any of that and responded every time and just won the game. They were the better team and deserved victory: 

 

Congratulations to Japan. 

Honorable winners and World Cup champions!

KONJOU - will-power, guts, temper, nature, spirt

 

Japan gets a thunderous welcome!
Hail to our glorious victors! 

DON'T BE LYING TO ME. UNDERSTAND?!

Colorado Springs Sky Sox hitting coach Rene Lachemann, best known for managing Mayaguez to a Caribbean World Series championship in 1978 (and maybe being involved in baseball for 46 years and, I believe, being the first major leaguer to wrestle with Satchel Paige during their time together with the Kansas City A's back in 1965) has a nice gimmick of giving a ball to the young ones before the Sox bat each inning. But in order to earn said ball the child must go through a traumatic interrogation.

Most kid's love it, but every once in a while one of them freaks a bit and 'Lach' takes it down a notch and talks the kid off the ledge.

DON'T BE LYING TO ME. UNDERSTAND?!

So find yourself some tickets to the outfield side of the Sox dugout, get them as low down as you can, and sit back and enjoy some fine baseball theater.

The man does NOT like him some cold

That's a Long Way From Your Legs Son.

Rockies super stud, 5 tool phenom Carlos Gonzalez crashed headlong into the center field wall after making a tremendous catch on Sunday. It looked like he could have injured his shoulder, wrist, knee and/or head. It was quite the collision, but the aftermath was just plain embarrassing. He was carted off, for a, wait for it, a contusion to his right wrist. Contusion is a fancy word for bruise and he needed a scooter ride off the field. We understand that in the shock and violence of the play he would need to take a moment to sort out the temporary from the 'oh sh*t this is really bad' pain, but after that time has passed and you realize ' yup, it's my wrist' you get up, and walk off the field to go and get the x-rays. You don't even have to keep playing with it. The Rockies have invested $80 million in you, and your career isn't worth not getting it checked, but unless there is a bone jutting out, never accept a ride off the field in that little cart.

Here are Cargo's teammates

helping him, and his wrist, up.

Here comes the 'meat wagon'.

click here to watch the video of the

catch/collision/roll off on MLB.com

Now let's compare that clip to PengoSports' all-time favorite hockey clip:

In the above video Toronto's Darcy Tucker pretty much destroys Philadelphia's Sami Kapanen about 7 minutes into overtime of game 6 in the 2004 Eastern Conference semi finals. Did Kamanen stay down? Call for the trainer? Ride off on a scooter? Hell no he didn't! He somehow wobbled, weaved and flopped himself back to the Flyers bench, keeping the play alive, and Philadelphia scored a couple of rushes later to clinch the series on the road.

The second video is the extended version with the hit, the post hit action and the game winning goal. The action part runs from 2:37-3:25. The Flyers total respect and awe for Kapanen runs from 3:48-4:27.

And back to Cargo:

There goes Carlos.

Off to Gate A46 and Atlanta.

Bye bye and see you in center in Tuesday Thursday.

This the only kind of cart you should

ever ride in on a baseball field

(And if you think that we here at PengoSports are just a bunch of insensitive bast*rds here is our story of a sports wrist injury: A long time ago one of us was cooling down from a game of inline hockey when a wheel got stuck in a gap in the cement court and down we went smack onto our right wrist. We felt a crunch and knew that wasn't good. When we tried to use the hand/wrist the fingers wouldn't grip and the wrist wouldn't bend. "Fu*k. we hope we only tore the ligaments," we whined and then got up, skated to the bench, and one-handed unlaced and took off our skates and the rest of our gear. We then shouted, "later" to the guys who were still playing and loaded our equipment into our sweet 1970 Volkswagen Bug. Shifting right handed was out, so we crossed shifted home and iced the living sh*t out of the wrist hoping the swelling would go down and that would prove it was only the ligaments. Alas, no such luck. A plate, a pin and seven screws later we had a newer, and much less useful right wrist. So screw you Cargo and your sissy-ride off the field).

Pain is just weakness leaving the body