sports

One of those days just like any other day.

Happy Birthday, James Ellroy.

Rest in Peace, Gary Gygax.

Thanks for the memories, Brett Favre.

It’s not just Mexico, as this LA Times article points out — women’s soccer is surpassing traditional sports at the college level here in the States as well.

“Mexican women’s soccer team gets its footing”

Soccer moms aren’t common yet in Mexico, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t a force to be reckoned with.

In fact, in a country that’s slowly becoming a force on the international sports scene, few teams have risen higher and faster than Mexico’s women’s soccer team. And to get there, they’ve had to beat more than just their opponents on the field. They’ve also had to overcome insufficient funding, a lack of infrastructure, little support and centuries of ingrained social teaching.

I guess he forgot to put shields up before heading out on the pitch. ;)

“Ronaldo victim of ‘laser attack’”

Manchester United have complained to Uefa that winger Cristiano Ronaldo was dazzled by a laser beam ahead of their Champions League match at Lyon.

The incident allegedly occurred in the warm-up before the last-16 first leg tie but Ronaldo showed no ill effects during United’s 1-1 draw in France.

The Sun is having fun with the “crazy footie jargon” to be heard from US soccer announcers and have produced a glossary for their readers. Some of them I’ve never heard of (bear kiss?), but others are obvious loan words from other sports (in the wheelhouse, southpaw, etc.).

My favorite has to be the evocative Chicken Wing Battle:

A tussle between players, during which they use their arms and elbows to fight for the ball.