Before the United States takes on Japan in the Women’s World Cup Final this Sunday, Abby Wambach’s head will become a full-blown celebrity. Hope Solo’s contagious smile will be burned indelibly into the American sports audience’s consciousness. Homare Sawa will become an even larger celebrity in her home nation of Japan where she is already its most revered female sports figure.
A story full of amazing moments and brilliant detail gathered up such depth as to seem fabricated. To be sure, this tale of a warm summer day in Dresden belongs in the pantheon of great American sports stories.
Qatar solved this problem of appearances by offering to dismantle its World Cup facilities after the event and rebuild them in poor nations that cannot afford such amenities. FIFA will surely harp on this point early and often as an army of Indian, Bangladeshi & Pakistani immigrant workers labor for slave-wages to build these new facilities.
Yes, there is a professional soccer team in Colorado, a pretty darn good one to boot. With little publicity, the Rapids have provided something the Front Range has been missing of late…a quality product on a grass field, and a team on an improbable run to the MLS Cup Final.
Ujiri is back in Denver to kick-start the Josh Kroenke Era… and potentially the Post-Carmelo Era as well. If that is the case, at least Masai will be building a team designed to compete in the increasingly internationalized NBA.
Stan Kroenke, current owner of the Denver Nuggets & Colorado Avalanche, will need to strike a delicate balance if he hopes to become majority owner of the St Louis Rams.
The Colorado Rockies looked ready to assert themselves through much of a 3-run 1st Inning in Milwaukee on Wednesday. But Colorado stranded two runners in that inning, and missed opportunities became a common theme throughout the day.
The Rockies led 4-0 before Milwaukee fought back with tallies in the 5th & 7th. Both teams scored in the 9th Inning to make it a 5-3 final in favor of Colorado.
The Nuggets will be featured on either NBA TV, ESPN or TNT in 7 of their remaining 12 games, and that kind of exposure creates a unique opportunity for Denver to get the fans on their side.
Just over 24 hours after Paul Stastny & Brian Rafalski played as teammates in Vancouver, they will face off as competitors in Denver. Stastny will lead his Colorado Avalanche against Rafalski’s Detroit Red Wings in a rivalry game tonight.
