Thursday, June 26, 2014

Hilarious Reactions to Suarez Biting

The cover of the New York Post said "EATALY" in all caps with a picture of the bite marks. That had to be my personal favorite.

However, here are some of my favorite Twitter reactions in the aftermath:




























On a serious note, it's a pretty scummy thing to do and he should be kicked out of the World Cup and banned for dozens of games for his actions. Liverpool should also fine him if they have the stomach to do it because of how poorly this reflects on the club. I must say, though, I've had people do much worse things to me playing soccer and get away with it. Some really weird things happen in South Florida while people are scrambling for position on set pieces...

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

LeBron Suitors Chasing Shabazz Napier

LeBron's suitors--including the Miami Heat--should all be taking a good look at Shabazz Napier in the upcoming draft after LeBron's tweet about Napier being the best point guard in the draft:




LeBron has been very complimentary of Napier since the tournament and this is certainly not the first time he has publicly sung his praise. For a team looking to sign LeBron in the next few weeks, adding Napier could be a strong move. It would be a particularly strong move for Miami, who sorely lacks strong PG play with the disappearing act that was Mario Chalmers against the Spurs. I'd love to keep Norris Cole, and would be really upset to see him go; but, if that's what it takes to keep LeBron happy, then Miami should do it. There is almost no way that Napier falls to the 26 spot, so Riley is aggressively trying to move up to a pick in the late teens. Unfortunately, Miami has no assets besides Cole and a 2017 first round pick to flip into a higher pick in this draft. We'll see what Riley can pull off, though. He certainly fits the bill of the type of player that Riley targets in drafts (when he targets anyone at all rather than just flipping the pick for veteran free agents): a multi-year veteran college player who has developed his skills, overcome adversity, and had a taste of championship success. Napier is exactly that kind of guy. He isn't the uber-athletic point guard that would be great on the Heat, and struggles with on-ball perimeter defense; yet, scouts seem confident that he can develop better defensive habits just like Chris Bosh did when he came to the Heat.

Still, I don't want to see Cole go, but it's a small price to pay to lure LeBron back to Miami and set the tone for Wade and Bosh's opt-out decisions and probable pay cuts. I think I might prefer them to flip the 26th pick for Iman Shumpert if that deal is even on the table; something tells me Phil Jackson isn't going to do Riley any favors. It's a Cole World out there...

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Heartbreaking Draw

The USMNT has really earned the respect and admiration of the country after the grit and dedication they showed in the win(s) (well, win and almost win) against Ghana and Portugal. I am teeming with confidence that we can achieve a good result against Germany and advance to the knockout round. The worst part of that gut-punch goal in the last three seconds of stoppage time was that it prevents our guys from getting some much-needed rest against Germany. Now, we really have to give our all to that game.

While the media wanted to play the blame game with Michael Bradley on that last-gasp goal by Cristiano Ronaldo, I don't have any interest in doing that. Bradley played his heart out, and was simply out-muscled for the ball. He did what he should have done in trying to keep possession and force a foul; if his first touch didn't betray him, he would have definitely had the presence of mind to kick the ball far away or out of bounds rather than turn it over. He shouldn't be faulted for that. The first goal, though, was totally inexcusable. 

The way in which we dominated our match-ups with supposedly superior individual players was truly impressive. Ronaldo didn't do anything worthwhile all game, except for his ridiculously perfect cross into the box with about 4 seconds left before the final whistle blew. 


His hair was perfectly gelled throughout, though, so you have to give him credit for that. 

Compared to Portugal, we looked like a team rather than a collection of individuals. There's a good chance we come out and attack Germany and get them (or their B-Squad) on their heels. If Ghana could earn a draw and get plenty of chances against them, there is no reason that we shouldn't be able to achieve a similar result. 

Nate Silver has the U.S.'s chances of advancing somewhere around 75.8%. My only fear is that Ghana just runs away with the game against Portugal because they are a vastly superior side physically and Portugal is still blighted by injury. Hopefully, Ronaldo will have a game that lives up to his billing and the team will take some pride in getting a good result against Ghana before they suffer an ignominious exit from the Cup.

If the U.S. can advance as the 1 seed somehow, that would set up an ideal matchup against someone from the Belgium and Russia group. I'd be confident in #USMNT against either of those teams, but would love to see us up against Russia. The problem is that we would have to face someone like Argentina in the next round. Given their recent form and near-inability to close out against Iran, we shouldn't have too much fear of them either. 

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Poor England

As an adopted fan of Arsenal and England since the I was about 9 years old, it's been very sad to see England lose in such dramatic fashion in every major competition I've ben able to watch and appreciate them play in. They show flashes of brilliance, but ultimately end up on the losing end.

I particularly feel bad for Wayne Rooney, who outside of my time on the sticks with him during FIFA, has not been the player that he truly is capable of being during big international competitions. He had plenty of opportunities to score against Uruguay, and could only manage one goal that was basically impossible to screw up. I would have loved to see him play like the dominant player he should be out there, and I would have loved to see guys like Steven Gerrard get one more good run in international competition before they're replaced by younger guys on the squad at the next World Cup.

England the adopted European team that I would root for if the USA wasn't competing or had already been eliminated, but now that I'm thinking about it...the United States has gone just as deep, if not deeper, into almost every tournament I can remember recently. Rooting for the U.S., who have no expectations burdening them, is much more fun. The raw emotional reaction to U.S. success is much more rewarding than that I feel for England, which I guess is natural.

But, as this Daily Beast article summed up quite aptly, I still find it impossible to walk away from rooting for England as well:

Given the length of time elapsed between 1966 and now, the English football fan’s relationship with the national team is best encapsulated as a long, crisis-strewn marriage, without the benefit of couples counseling and with the certainty that crisis follows crisis. But it is impossible to walk away.

Thursday, June 19, 2014

New Neapolitan Pizzeria Coming In Downtown San Diego

Check out the preview on David Mainiero's latest restaurant from Eater San Diego's Candice Woo. The restaurant--Double Standard--is slated to open in November barring any unexpected delays. It will feature Neapolitan pizza and chef-driven small plates in a hip, urban, and comfortable milieu. The emphasis on local produce and other locally sourced ingredients will be the driving force of the restaurant. Food and design without the pretense our price, but the highest quality...creating a new "Double Standard."


The Godfather talking about the Big Three Staying in the Family Business

Pat Riley coming out with the stuff of legends. He really just shuts down the reporters and tells them to "get a grip." "If you got the guts and you don't find the first door and run out of it, if you have an opportunity."

He is fully confident that he will bring back the Big Three, and used the Spurs as a prime example of why you don't blow up and old core in the face of adversity.

He related to the Heat players on a personal level and the family ties between them. Their kids all love Miami and some of them are each others' godparents. Savannah is having another child this summer, and Wade is getting married this summer as well. That will mean that all three of them will have gotten married during their time in Miami.

Listen to Riley talk about the Heat's plans for the future:



Wednesday, June 18, 2014

"Business" School - What Kind is Right for You?

Don’t Treat Business as a Monolithic Category
Co-authored by Janet, a former Assistant Dean of Admissions at Haas

One of the most important considerations for your B-school choice is your more specific interests in business, your specialization, or your concentration. For some reason, people seem to pay attention only to the “ranking” of a school; while there is some basis for doing so, it should never be the end of your inquiry into a particular school and how it might suit your interests and aspirations.

Just as certain colleges are much stronger and/or weaker in certain departments, so too are business schools stronger and/or weaker within particular focus areas. To add depth to your B-school selection process, it is important to consider the schools that are well known for their specialties. The following is a partial list created by U.S. News and World Report Rankings for the schools in 2013. (Note: these are not ranked in any particular order; they are merely categorized.)

Accounting
University of Texas-Austin
University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign
Brigham Young University-Provo
Entrepreneurship
Babson College
University of Southern California
M.I.T. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
Finance
University of Pennsylvania
New York University
M.I.T.
International Business
University of South Carolina
New York University
University of Pennsylvania
University of Southern California
Supply Chain Management/Logistics
Michigan State University
M.I.T.
Arizona State University
Marketing
University of Pennsylvania
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
University of Texas-Austin

This is just a small sampling of schools, but it does give you some starting points as you begin the research process. When you graduate and take a position in the business world, you will be taking a position in--or in some case, studying for an advanced degree in-some specific type of business. Unless you’re involved in a very small business in which you are tasked with several areas of responsibilities, or unless you are an entrepreneur, you will likely specialize in something. In any case, it will be important to get a taste of each of these areas, and good business programs will certainly do that for you. However, if you know that you are dead set on entrepreneurship, or are particularly fascinated by complicated financing vehicles and products, you will want to make sure you are at a school that allows you to explore that to the fullest. This is important not only for your education while in school, but it is also incredibly important because of the alumni base of likeminded individuals who have walked this path before you and will be ready and willing to support you at the beginning of your career.