World Cup

In case you do not know the link for my World Cup blogs, here it is...:
http://www.examiner.com/x-11040-LA-Beer-Bars-Examiner

In the meantime, here is a photo of Evan's pride and joy, Bam...

Day 3; Serbia vs. Ghana at Q's

You could not have asked for a larger discrepancy between day two and day three. The USA England match was elbow to elbow, every bar packed with fanatics living and dying with every step. On Sunday, the intensity for Ghana and Serbia was so intense, I didn't make it to the bar until the 2nd half (I had family in town, and watched the first half from home). Once I made it inside, there were two other people there. So perhaps not the best opportunity to judge Q's as a sports haven.
However, I have frequented Q's enough times to give a solid overall assessment. As for the match, here's what unfolded...

7:08am Settling in on the couch with a croissant and coffee, I just witnessed one of my favorite soccer ploys. An obvious foul, followed by the player shooting both arms up into the air, as if they police have tasers locked on target. You can relax a tad--we're not in Philadelphia.

7:15am Off a corner kick, a Ghana player heads it right into his face's teammate. Pobably not how they drew that one up.

7:40am My largest complaint about soccer: players don't shoot often enough. I realize this is a dumb American, but if we've learned anything from the US-England match, it is that good things can happen when you put the shot on goal. It happened in the previous match Sunday morning as well. Meanwhile, Serbia dances around, waiting for the perfect opportunity, only to get "dispossessed". This is one of my favorite phrases soccer announcers use (or at least Bob Ley). Try it out... Favre, back to pass, over the middle... dispossessed by Darren Sharper!" Sounds extra fancy!

8:15am I finally hunker down at Q's, with two people. You know its slow when the waitress doesn't bother to walk behind the bar.



Or perhaps she realized I would take the morning off, alcohol wise. I perused a breakfast menu halfheartedly, and they have a nice range, but pretty much everything was at least $9, and by the time it came out of the kitchen, I could be halfway home. We're on a budget here, people. Diet coke it is.
8:27am Another soccer classic: a Serbian player gets pushed in the back, and falls in agony as if Edward Scizzorhands was doing the shoving.
8:31am Yellow card for Lukovic on Serbia, his second of the match. Do videnja! erbia now a man down. THe grizzled vet next to me sums it up thusly: "Bunch of bloody amateurs!"
8:36am Serbia with a fantastic chance, but the shot fired heads directly at the keeper, who saves. Big moment for the Ghana faithful, who look poised to break out some sweet 90s moves in their cross color jerseys.
8:39am Hand ball! A yellow card and a penalty kick awarded to Ghana. Replays showed a fairly blatant outstretched fist punching the ball away. Perhaps a "hand of Devil" moment for Serbia. Great reaction shot of the Serbian goalie, who looks like someone just told him his dog died.

8:40am Goooooal! Gyan nails it, as the Ghana fans erupt with an impromptu Hip Hop Hooray! Ho! swaying from side to side. Meanwhile in Los Angeles, the crowd at Q's opts for a more subdued approach. But we're all excited on the inside.

8:50am Full time. Ghana gets the 3 points with a 1-0 victory. In doing so, they become the first African team to win a World Cup match on African soil. Pretty cool accomplishment, even with the Serbians making costly mistakes.

Post script report card:

Match rating: B-. Penalty kicks are always exciting, espcially that late in the match. But overall, a tough game to get into from a fan's perspective. Perhaps next time I should try watching the whole game. Fair point.

Venue/beer rating: B+. As someone with a great deal of experience at Q's, I can vouch for the fact that it is a great place to watch a game, especially if you are in your 20s. It is loud, the crowd skews to the post college, first job where you kinda make money audience. Usually quite loud, and the social scene is as important as what's on TV. Speaking of which, the screens are plentiful, but at the bar, if your game is not on the bottom row of screens, you will have to crane your neck upwards, which is annoying. But the walkways are wide, and there is plenty of natural light from the windows, so it gives it a much more open feel than, say, Sports Harbour.
As for the beers, they have 12 beers on tap, ll standard fare. Fat Tire and Pyramid Haywire are about as exotic as you get, but they do have most styles represented, save for IPAs and Porters.

Next up: a trip out to downtown Los Angeles, to check out the Azzurri in action against Paraguay. Venue TBD, most likely Casey's.

Day 2; USA vs. Mexico at Sports Harbour

Our second day in, the match-up everyone had been waiting to watch: England and the United States. 1776 against 1812. Parliament against the birthplace of Funkadelic. And on our second day, we are still trying to figure out where to go and when to be there...

7:30am While out for an early breakfast, I popped my head into Brittania, to check the score of Argentina/Nigeria, as well as to get a sense of how crowded the place will be, in case Ye Olde King's Head is too crowded. Apparently, neither would be an option. Both bars were on a reservation only system, and had already reached capacity. Whoops.

9:20am Having settled on a backup location, I headed out the door determined to get a good seat for the game. I chose Sports Harbour in part because I had not reviewed it before, and in part because I figured it was right next to Costco. So worst comes to worst, at least a Very Berry Sundae would be involved.


9:40am After rolling the dice by parking at Costco (but fighting off the urge for a churro), I made my way to Sports Harbour and settled into a seat at the bar. Harbour is a bar's bar--dimly lit, distractions abound, from shuffleboard to pop a shot to, you guessed it, a Foosball table right next to Golden Tee. On the downside, these attractions come at the expense of space, as there are tight walkways-- not ideal for trying to watch a sporting event with a hundred or so of your closest strangers.

10:00am Pop a shot in full effect, the food smells delicious. But I have to pace myself.

10:35am I opt for a Bud Light. Don't want to go full bore out of the gate, plus, an All-American beer, damnit!

10:54am It dawns on me that the game starts at 11 instead of 11:30. Extra time to savor my delicious Bud Light. Yup, we're gonna need some food. I went with a grilled ham and cheese. Basic fare, not too shabby, and as my neighbor Al pointed out, pretty good for the price (6.99, fries included).

10:56am During a live shot of a bar in New York, a fan starts a chant of "Fuck B.P.!" Pretty sure our founding fathers would be proud.

11:20am The bar has now reached full capacity, and the trash talk has begun with some light vollies. "You know what? I've tried tea before. That stuff's disgusting!" Take that, upper crust of society!

11:31am The game is under way. Emotions are high.

11:35am Gooooooal! I hadn't even finished my fries before Steven Gerrard, while running to his left, used his right foot to sneak one past Tim Howard. A crafty goal has the Brits up early, brimming with confidence.

11:43am A man is walking through the bar with USA jerseys for sale. Probably would have had more luck if not for that Gerrard goal. No takers...

11:49am As Bud Light sends me to the bathroom, the Americans nearly score, but can't connect on a header. If I had missed a goal while taking a piss, I might never drink Bud Light again.

12noon First David Beckham sighting (that I noticed). My friend Natalie puts it best: "So Hot!" Beckham looks like he is ready to hop in an Aston Martin and drive off to the nearest Backarat table. Speaking of which, interesting contrast between the two coaches. England's is in a coat and tie, looking quite prim and propper. Our skipper? Wearing a track suit he probably found on the clearance rack at Ross. (Not that there's anything wrong with that). Just saying--clearly this sport means more to some than to others.

12:05pm Sensing the need to change momentum, I opt for a different approach to my beer. Instead of the macro of macros, I decide to go a little "small ball", with a Ranger IPA from the Bear Republic brewery.


All the hoppiness you would expect from an IPA, but with a more subtle flavor profile than a lot of its counterparts. Very nice balance between spice and mellow; not overpowering. One of 18 beers on tap at the harbour, to go with 18 more via bottle, and two ciders.

12:08pm As if on cue, Landon Donovan nearly levels the match at one, sending a shot meters wide. That's British for about three feet.

12:09pm Goooooooal! Clint Dempsey pulls a Patrick Kane, and basically just throws it on net. England's keeper has the ball slip right off his hands, and can only turn and watch helplessly as the ball trickles behind the line for a goal. Dempsey celebrates, which I guess is the right move, but a tough break for England. You have to think playing goalie for a fanatical fan base can't help but to tense you up. The team wins, and position players get the credit. Lose, and it is because you messed up. Tony Meola-- you got off easy.

12:10pm It might not have been his most dramatic save, but Tim Howard had his biggest save of the game, not only preventing an English goal, but a mutiny on board the USS Bandwagon. As my buddy Tim, also on hand, put it: "That would have been literally deflating for all of us." They then showed David Beckham's reaction to the US goal. I'll describe it as stoic, but displeased.

12:19pm Half time. Fans break out a chant of "U-S-A!", to which a Brit at the bar counters, "You're-All-Gay!". Probably a good thing Fuck B.P. guy isn't here, or we would have a ruckus on our hands. Possibly a brouhaha.

12:30pm Spoke with fan JJ, who was sporting a collared USA flag shirt. Good thing he went with the formal duds--you know, in case the Queen shows up. I kid, but after a very nice conversation, JJ points out its better to be lucky than good, and we agree that a draw is a win for the US.

12:40pm 2nd half action, Wayne Rooney shoots, but kick save and a beauty by a US defender on the goal line. This would have been more significant had Rooney not been ruled offsides. Moments later, Tim Howard stuffs another shot from close range. Momentum is building...

12:53pm Off a corner, England duffs a chip shot from inside the box. Not a gimmee, but he'll be thinking about that one for quite some time. Hopefully he won't end up living in a camper and growing a ghastly beard, ala Rooney in that fantastic Nike commercial.

12:55pm US shot hits the post. On one hand, unlucky for the Americans, who nearly took a 2-1 lead with 26 minutes to play. On the other hand, the English keeper was probably due a bit of good fortune.

1:14pm US subs out Jozy Altidore, meaning both of their starting forwards are out of the match. Consider this the "we have a chance to get a point, we're taking it" stage of the match. Wise decision by the Americans.
1:24pm Full time. The US holds on for a 1-1 moral victory against the English. At the Harbour, the US fans are ecstatic, while the UK ones are a bit perturbed... no doubt muttering Bollocks!

Post script report card:

Match Rating: A-. A very competitive match, and although the US essentially only got a point because of Green's gaffe, Tim Howard's net prowess probably deserved a point by itself. Also, the palpable energy throughout the game made it fun from start to finish.

Location Rating: B. The Harbour is not well equipped to handle a big event. The seats are too close together, and the walkways do not allow for much wiggle room. Also, the tap options are acceptable, but with 18 options, they do not explore many exciting unknown beers. Having said that, the dark cave-like ambiance is fantastic for sports, right up until you take a step outside and have the sunshine scar your retinas. I felt like Tom Cruise in Minority Report.

Next up: The plan is for Serbia vs. Ghana at Q's in West LA, on Wilshire. Maybe not exactly the same crowd environment, but it will be interesting to see what a lower-key game is like.

Day One: Mexico vs. South Africa @ Barney's Beanery

We begin our sojourn with an early morning trek to the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. This first entry will be a running diary; not sure how often I will use this format, but let's give it a whirl...

5:40am Alarm clock goes off. Are we sure about this? The couch is looking awfully comfy right about now.

6:00am No turning back--we're in the car, on the way down to Santa Monica via Wilshire.

6:03am Arrived at Santa Monica and 3rd street. That was incredibly fast. Almost made the early wake up call worth it alone.

6:07am Finished reading the parking restrictions. That's right--took me longer to determine if I could park on the street than it did to drive 4 miles.

6:10am Arrive at Barney's Beanery. A bit surprised no one has walked inside yet, since the bar opened up ten minutes ago. Or so I thought... chairs blocking the entrance is seldom a good sign. Turns out they open at 6:30, despite a phone conversation to the contrary the night before. Thumbs down to Barney's for this error (I was not alone in my annoyance at having wasted 30 minutes of slumber).

6:12am Mexican fans begin to mill about, including several fine gentlemen who proceeded to blare their horns not only until we walked in, but then also INSIDE the bar. World Cup Fever: Side effects include pierced eardrums. The situation was summed up nicely by the guy next to me; "Let's do this. Sugar man needs a cocktail." Well then...

6:30am The floodgates open! Well, sort of. The dozen or so die-hards stroll in, as I take my place at the bar. The bartender, knowing the crowd all too well, immediately begins taking drink orders.

6:32am Negra Modelo arrives. Just trying to fit in around here. When in Rome...

6:40am Cell phone goes off next to me. The ringtone? La Cucaracha. Ay, dios mio.

6:46am After holding out as long as I could, I placed my breakfast order. Almost went with the chorizo, but settled on french toast instead. I am, after all, an unbiased journalist.

6:58am National anthems. Surprisingly, not many people singing along with the Mexican national anthem. Not surprisingly, no one singing along with South Africa's.

7:05am And away we go! Bells are ringing, fans are shouting... this should be fun.

7:07am Right off the bat, Mexico with a pair of excellent chances. They are controlling the pace completely, and the crowd is abuzz.

7:15am The bartender asks why Mexico is wearing black jerseys. In case you were wondering, yes, we are definitely in Los Angeles.

7:21am We have our first dive! Player rolling in brief agony--the World Cup is officially under way. I just wish I took the 16 minute mark in the pool.

7:23am Our first yellow card! That seemed pretty quick; today's officials have apparently been keeping a close eye on the NBA Finals.

7:31am Blatant foul by South Africa, yellow card issued. On a side note, if you want to learn Spanish, forget Rosetta Stone--just watch futbol with some serious Mexican fans. Donde la amarilla?! El gato esta sobre la mesa, chicharron!

7:37am Awesome save by the South African keeper, who went spread eagle to keep things scoreless. Moments later, Mexico sends a shot just wide. Toying with our collective emotions!

7:43am Gooooooooal! The crowd erupts in jubi-- what? offsides? On a corner kick? Never heard of that one.

7:44am My new found friend Suman explains that since the keeper came off his line, and left only one defender between the Mexican attacker and the goal, offsides was the right call. I countered with: "So is that like an offsides trap? Seems like a low percentage play." He nods in... let's say... agreement.

7:47am South Africa with a corner, but Carl Lewis can't jump high enough to get a header on it. I think that was Carl Lewis. Don't think so? Prove it!!

7:55am Halftime. No score, but plenty of drama. Meanwhile, I decide to go with chili and a Bud Light Golden Wheat for the 2nd half. I would like to remind people that one full bodied beer before 8am makes you a fan. Two regular beers before 8? That makes you a drunk.

8:15am South Africa building momentum. I swear I wrote this as it happened.

8:16am Goooooal! Sure enough, #8 on South Africa with a shot that goes Johnny Walker Blue--top shelf, right under the bar. Gorgeous shot; not even the Mexico fans can hate on that effort As Suman put it, "I knew that would happen. they are just waiting around."

8:23am The crowd urges Mexico to pick up the pace. You know, from 8,000 miles away.

8:24am Raido! Rapido! Andele, muchachos! When did Speedy Gonzalez get here?

8:28am South Africa with a chance to put a nail in the coffin with goal number two, but can't swing the hammer.

8:30am Suman asks me if I know what club #8 on South Africa plays for. Safe to say Suman has misjudged our dynamic. I eventually look it up on my phone to discover he is unsigned. For now.

8:34am Javier Hernandez checks in for Mexico, which gets the bar crowd going. His nickname is Little Chick Pea, I am told, and he recently became the first Mexican player to sign with Manchester United, at the tender age of 22.

8:40am Goooooooal! Rafael Marquez cracks one far post, beating the keeper and tying things up at one apiece. The bar erupts with emotion; bartenders hi-fiving patrons, complete strangers hugging one another with emotion... good time to be a server. When you think about it, aside from sports books, you could argue that bartenders have as much at stake as any other profession during the World Cup. Pretty sure that goal was worth an extra 5 percent tip.

8:42am The crowd chants Si se puede! I looked around, but no sign of President Obama.

8:52am 90th minute, and South Africa with a golden opportunity to steal the game, but the ball glances off the post, much to the delight of the Mexican keeper, who looks like he just realized all his family members will be safe for at least one more game.

8:56am Full time. We have ourselves a 1-1 draw. Feel the excitement!

Post script report card:
Game Rating: B+. The Mexico match was a fantastic atmosphere, and definitely entertaining, but not much scoring, and at times the pace seemed slow.
Location rating: B. Knocked them down for telling me 6am on the phone the night before, only to have it be 6:30. But otherwise the service was pretty good. Not a long wait for food, a huge menu (full of breakfast items) as well as an impressive beer list. They even had a cider from South Africa, but I decided to pass. They have a ton of TVs all over the bar, not a bad seat in the house.

Beer rating: B. The Negra Modelo was perhaps a little tough to pull off that early, but the Golden Wheat was a solid choice as a second beer. Not where I would want to start off, and not the best light beer out there (Slim Chance and Sam Adams Light, to name two), but more flavor than most, and decidedly easier on the palate that early in the morning.
Tomorrow's match: England vs. USA, at Ye Olde King's Head (pending seat availability).

World Cup Madness!

Don't call it a comeback. Because who knows where this will take us, but I have a plan to get back into this blogging business. Since the World Cup descended upon us today 9Friday), I have decided to embark on a quest to watch at least one match every day from a different sports bar. the commentary will be primarily game based, but will of course also discuss the establishment, the environment, and of course the liquid refreshments.
Some posts (like Friday's Mexico/South Africa match) will be quite long; others quite short.
Hopefully you enjoy the ride; if you don't well... you get what you (don't) pay for. And you can always check out Evan's blog, which is very well crafted.

With that said, the next post begins our journey to the cup!

Walk of Shame

Fresh off a one-month hiatus...

Coming off of Halloween weekend, I know the temptation is to talk about tricks and treats. But let me sidestep one cliché and deliver another. I was down in San Diego for that fantastic holiday, and was treated to one of my favorite twisted pleasures: watching the dreaded walk of shame the following morning. Girls hung over, still sort of still dressed in an uncomfortable costume, holding onto their shoes. Hair a mess, body language defeated, they are coming off a long night with an even longer morning ahead. On the flip side, guys dropping girls off at their car (who says chivalry is dead!) are at the other end of the spectrum. They are loose, excited, and ready for whatever the day brings.
So naturally I thought of the equivalent in college football, and thought the comparison worked pretty well. Take for example USC and Oklahoma State. The Trojans got absolutely whooped on by Oregon, giving up over 630 yards of total offense. The next day, you could picture the boys of Troy limping onto the plane, cleats in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. Talk about a rough night in Eugene.
As for the Cowboys, their evening did not go as planned either. By the time the bands got warmed up, OSU was looking up at a 17-0 deficit. Zac Robinson, the conductor of the Cowboy express, got derailed early and often, throwing 4 picks. The final score (41-14) is far more indicative of the game than the box score, in which Okie State actually had more total yards than Texas. Bottom line is that 5 turnovers translates into waking up in a strange bed with a vicious hangover and a flock of seagulls hairstyle.
But that is the past. Let us look into the future, and try to predict which teams’ makeup will be smeared come Sunday morning, and which squads will be doing laps around the quad, high-fiving all takers. The two games that naturally jump out are Alabama vs, LSU, and Ohio State at Penn State. We’ll start down in Tuscaloosa, where the Tide had been a little soft in the past few weeks. Yes, they are still undefeated, and yes, Mark Ingram is still climbing his way up the Heisman ladder. But beating Tennessee 12-10 ain’t what it used to be. On the flip side, LSU has bounced back from the Florida disaster, and seems to be back in the right direction. This would be a shocker if the Tigers can pull one out. Even though Bama will probably sneak away with a win, tell Nick Saban to bring cab fare, so he can avoid that long, lonely walk back in the morning, just in case.
As for the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions, now we are dealing with teams familiar with the walk of shame. Just mention three little letters to Buckeye fans, BCS, and watch them shiver. Penn State, meanwhile, has only themselves to blame after bumbling their way to another loss to Iowa earlier this year. This game figures to come down to turnovers. In last year’s contest, it was a late fumble by Terrell Pryor that sealed the deal. This time around, expect Pryor to play better, and the Buckeyes to escape on the road. Leaving poor Joe Pa to wake up Sunday morning, fishing for his glasses by the bedside table.

CFB Sizzle Check, Week 4

A big, big slate of games this weekend, with plenty of story lines to get to. Once again, we'll be using our sliding scale to check the temperature of a story. Rare means the story is just being uncovered, medium means it is time to pay attention, and well done means the story is blown over. Clear? Clear. Let's do this...

Story: Sam Bradford playing this weekend. Sizzle level? Rare. Its just too early to put the reigning Heisman winner on the field, even if the Sooners need to beat Miami to still be in the BCS hunt. Shoulder injuries take a long time to heal, especially for quarterbacks. And trying to push Bradford back for one game, potentially at the expense of a lot more, is not worth the gamble. We don't know what Landry Jones will do on Saturday, but kudos to Bob Stoops for not rolling the dice.

Story: Big East making a comeback. Sizzle level? Medium rare. West Virginia's Noel Devine reminded us of how good he was earlier in his career with a 200 yard performance against Colorado Thursday night. Couple that with Cincinnati's impressive win at Oregon State-- just ask USC about playing in Corvalis-- and the Bearcats are at the very least worth keeping an eye on. South Florida, Pitt and UCONN are all off to good starts, meaning the Big East may just crawl out of the BCS dog house this season. And if so, Big Ten, we're looking at you.

Story: Michigan making a run at the Big Ten title. Sizzle level? Well done. This story has not been overdone yet, but let's stick a fork in it while the Wolverines are undefeated and on the rise. Michigan has played very well thus far in 2009, but the bulk of their work is still in front of them. Starting Saturday in East Lansing, the Maize and Blue have only one game remaining on their schedule that is automatic: a non-conference tilt with Delaware State. No, not the Delaware Blue Hens. The Delaware State Hornets, who are below 500 in the MEAC (including a 10 point loss at Delaware). After Michigan's flair for the dramatic this year, its tempting to label them a team of destiny. Or, more likely, it could be they used up all their good fortune in September, and will go downhill faster than the thermostat in Ann Arbor this fall.

Story: Pac-10 balance of power shifting in favor of California. Sizzle level? Medium well. People have been waiting for a team other than USC to take home the conference title, and 2009 appeared to be the year, with USC in an obvious transition. Problem is, even if USC loses two conference games *gasp*, there does not appear to be another team consistent enough to avoid three losses. The bloom is off the rose in Berkeley. As much as they impressed against Maryland and at Minnesota, they were flatter than Kate Moss against Oregon in Eugene. Careful with that joke-- it's an antique.
The Ducks were below average against Boise State and at home against Purdue, but seem to be getting their sea legs. They get USC in Eugene on Halloween, and assuming they can sidestep a potential pitfall at UCLA and Washington, the Ducks could be in line for a top five ranking in time to take on the boys from Troy.

Story: Latest mid-major flavor of the week: Houston. Sizzle level? Medium rare. The Cougars have a fantastic offense, powered by Case Keenum. The junior QB has looked fantastic this season, and the Cougars have a great combination for BCS success. The check list:
1. Knock off a preseason power, preferably on the road, in order to put your program on the map. After winning in Stillwater over a then-top 5 Oklahoma State, check.
2. Schedule non-conference games against lower teams from powerful conferences, allowing the media to say, "Check these guys out. They walked into the (SEC) and (Big 12), weren't afraid to play anyone that would face them, and came out with a W." This one is pending a win at Mississippi State, but following a dramatic win over Texas Tech, things are heading in the right direction.
3. Run the table in a mid-level conference with schools that people know, but not too many that might overpower you. Conference USA is definitely not a powerhouse, but you remember East Carolina and Tulsa from their 2008 success. This of course is the hardest part for the Cougars, but the challenge remains. And thanks to those early wins over Okie State and Texas Tech, the Houston Cougars are ranked high enough that if they win, they're in for a BCS birth.

So those are your sizzle tests for this weekend. And if you want to examine Heisman darkhorses, keep an eye on the running backs in Strawberry Canyon. Jahvid Best and Joe McKnight are the stars of the show for their respective team. If one of them can shine under the lights, expect the Heisman needle to move at least a little.