Seahawks loss Stings but it's Life

This is a great time of year to be a sports fan. Outside of baseball, every sport is under way which is  awesome!

Yet, I'm stuck at work most days or out of the house so much I haven't been able to watch much lately. In fact, before I left for Bolivia, I had only watched 2.1 sports games per day which is down from my hypothesized usual of three sporting games per day.

I commute over an hour to work for a three hour shift. Not ideal but it's what god has handed me in 2017. Honestly, I wish I could write more. Everyday would be awesome but sometimes it's hard to get back in the swing of things after a few days off.

Today I came home from work and had to watch the Monday Night Football game on the PVR. Yes, the game was exciting but I was hoping for a Seahawks win. I think we have to accept that the Seahawks from 2012-2015 are done and they are trying to form a new indemnity.

That's ok, its part of a cycle a franchise has to go through. At 6-4, the Seahawks are still in control of their own destiny to win the NFC West. There's still winnable games on there schedule. 4-2 will likely be the minimum that will be needed to get into the Playoffs. I bet they will at least go 3-3. Therefore, they will likely have beat Jacksonville, Philadelphia or Dallas. All of which I could see them losing to. Not to mention they would have to win their remaining three divisional games.

This is life however, we need to enjoy it. This is the best week of the year to be a sport fan. Yet, this year it will be ruined for me because I'm a employed Canadian.

The UEFA Champions League goes Tuesday and Wednesday followed by Europa League and NFL on Thanksgiving Thursday.

There's lots of ways we can enjoy life, have fun and make a difference in the community. Tough losses will happen and it's ok to get pissed off. It stings that the Seahawks awesomeness on MNF is over. That's why I'm on here to try and make it feel better. Blogs and Social media are great places to vent. If people disagree than their not true friends.

Whatever the result is, life is still a million times better than what it seems like in the moment. The goal should always be to simile and love life. Totally beats the alternative.

Sweden on Brink of Huge Moment

Sweden has taken a 1-0 lead back to Italy for tomorrow nights crucial second leg of the UEFA playoff. 

Sweden is unfamiliar with these playoff type formats. They were able to survive the Denmark attack up 2-1 in the 2016 Euro Qualifying playoff but Italy might be a step up from Denmark. 

Sweden has done their job. A 1-0 win at home which produced a win and a clean sheet that they can take back to Italy Monday. 

To me, the question becomes will Italy rise to the occasion or will they fold under pressure. In the history of these two legged ties, 1-0 is easily reversible especially for a team like Italy. 

It should be a historic night in the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza also known aa the San Siro.  If Sweden survive the barrage that Italy has in store for Sweden then Sweden will deserve it. However, if Italy finds a way to break Sweden down than it will be a historic night for Italy. 

Italy have never lost in 31 games at the San Siro but a win might not be good enough. If Sweden score once than Italy need three and that will be tough against a Sweden team playing well without pressure. 

Sweden folded under pressure in 2010 qualifying and now it's Italy's turn to take an aging roster into a pressure pack situation. Someone needs to step or Italy is going to be out. 

I can't wait for the game tomorrow, I think their will be a magical moment at some point of the game. 

It seems too close to call but I can't imagine Italy finding a way not scoring for two games in a row. 

Italy will score two in the 41st and 73rd minute to send Italy to World Cup 2018 in Russia. 

Bracketology - November 9th

   East                                                                        Midwest

1 Duke	1 Michigan State
16 Texas Southern  / Col Charlestn	16 UNC Central / Mt St Marys
Charlotte	Detroit
8 Wisconsin	8 Oregon
9 Rhode Island	9 Virginia
4  West Virginia	4 Cincinnati
13 Stephen F Austin	13 Northern Iowa
San Diego	Pitt
5 Gonzaga	5 Notre Dame
12 Vermont	12 San Diego State
3  Louisville	3 USC
14 Iona	14 UC Irvine
Nashville	San Diego
6 Northwestern	6 Purdue
11 Vanderbilt / Utah	11 Boise State /  Texas A&M
7 Seton Hall	7 Alabama
10 Oakland	10 Stanford
Boise	Wichita
2  Arizona	2 Kansas
15 Weber State	15 LA Tech
West	South
1 Wichita State	1 Kentucky
16 East Tennessee State	16 UNC Asheville
Dallas	Wichita
8 Oklahoma	8 SMU
9 Providence	9 Iowa
4  Miami	4 Minnesota
13 FGCU	13 Ohio
Nashville	Boise
5 Xavier	5 UCLA
12 Maryland	12 South Dakota State
3 Texas	3 Florida
14 New Mexico State	14 LA Lafayette
Dallas	Detroit
6 St. Mary's	6 Baylor
11 Indiana	11 Maryland
7 Mizzouri	7 TCU
10 Michigan	10 Arkansas
Charlotte	Pitt
2  UNC	2 Villanova
15 Bucknell	15 Belmont

On the Bubble 

Vanderbilt 

Boise State

Texas A&M

Utah 

First four Out 

Clemson 

Iowa State 

BYU

Creighton

Next 4 Out 

Virginia Tech 

Ole Miss 

VCU 

Houston 

Sweden Set for Showdown with Italy

Sweden enters the World Cup Qualifying playoffs with upset aspirations against Italy but it will be easier said then done.

Sweden's downfall came during the 2010 World Cup Qualifying when they only ousted up five wins. Since then, they have been fighting for respectability in a decade that has had Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the spotlight way too often.

Since his retirement, the Scandinavia nation has been able to hold serve. They didn't look out of place in a tricky Group A that produced a tie and win one the Netherlands and later a win over France. Sweden placed second in the group and advanced the playoff where they got paired with Italy.

Despite Italy's well known success, Sweden shouldn't be massive underdogs. They will likely need at least a win at home Friday that would set up a intense 90 minutes Monday night in Italy.

Away goals will also be crucial as that is the tie-breaker if the teams are tied after 180 minutes.

The scary thing is, Sweden hasn't fared well in their new home against good teams. They have allowed three against Portugal, five against Germany and four more against Austria two years ago. They also allowed an away goal against Denmark in their playoff for the Euro's.

I will be surprised if Sweden can hold a clean sheet Friday. They have played 15 competitive games at Friends Arena and only have 6 clean sheet wins but all of them have been against inferior teams with the strongest team being Bulgaria.

This team has already reached expectations, the rest is gravy. That being said it would be fun to knock off Italy. If Sweden fail, they will be in there longest World Cup drought in their history. However, UEFA has had a couple berths taken away the last few quadrennial while the depth of the confederation has gotten stronger.

Italy hasn't lost more than one Qualifying game in a World Cup cycle 1984. The two legged series is there's to lose.

I predict 1-1 in the first leg and 2-0 Italy in the reverse fixture on Monday sending Italy through to Russia 2018.

Washington Basketball Trying to put Conundrum Situation Behind Them

I never thought this day would come for the Washington Huskies Men's basketball program. I was doubtful there would be a time where someone not named Lorenzo Romar would be the Head Coach of the basketball program.


The team hasn't been to the NCAA Tournament since 2011 and the problems that the team endured were evident by around 2010 that Lorenzo Romar was not the coach to take this team to new heights.


By 2011, Romar was getting praised for his coaching ability and none of the media was holding him accountable for never getting past the Sweet 16. In fact, they only had one Sweet 16 appearance since 2006 and that appearance came because of a Conference Tournament win that would have seen them bound for the NIT otherwise.


I called for Romar to be fired in 2011 and all I got was Huskies fans making fun of me and saying I had a mental illness among other things. I ended up being the Mayor of Rightville as the win against Georgia in the Round of 64 has gone on to be Washington's last win in the Tourney. The coach that I always had my eyes on was Ben Jacobson at Northern Iowa who


The next year, they went on to win the Conference Regular Season Title but didn't get into the Tournament because of their weak conference. Romar's seat was a long ways from getting hot. Players wwere leaving the program as freshman and that was leaving a major hole in Washington's depth from 2013-2016. Players transferring or getting dismissed from the team was also leaving a huge leadership problem.  


Top recruited players were coming in, but that was only doing so much. Every year since 2012, Washington has dropped a game to a team at home in non conference that they were superior too.


Last year, they hit rock bottom despite having the best freshman in America in Markelle Fultz. Washington only managed to go 9-22 last year.


At this point, there were still people that thought Romar should keep his job. New AD Jen Cohen thought differently however and in a brisk decision fired Lorenzo Romar shortly after Selection Sunday.


Now, on a gloomy fall day in Seattle, Washington is not only fighting for wins on the court but they are also fighting for relevancy off the court. The Washington Football team is surging right now trying to grasp second straight Pac 12 Title. The Seahawks are in the middle of trying to claim another NFC West Title and NBA Expansion talk is on the brink of starting again with an arena being built hopefully just around the corner.


Washington basketball talk is rare these days. UW's new coach is Mike Hopkins who was the "coach in waiting" at Syracuse. He wasn't who I would have hired but I'm not the AD there so I guess I had no say. The dilemma of firing Romar was losing top recruits such as Michael Porter Jr and his brother who recommitted to Missouri. I'll be curious to see how Missouri does this year as well as Mike Hopkins at Washington.


The reasoning that Romar was fired is believed to be because the cycle of one and dones wasn't going to end as long as Romar was the head coach. The coach that I always had my eyes on was Ben Jacobson at Northern Iowa who produces quality results in the Missouri Valley Conference. He only has a 4-4 record in the Tournament but his losses are to Purdue, Michigan State, Louisville and West Virginia.


Nevertheless, the Washington basketball saga will be fun one to follow.  Mike Hopkins has his hands full this year but it will be interesting to see if he can steer this ship clear of the mess that Lorenzo Romar dug himself into.

It Might be A Fluke, But its Better Than The Alternative

I sit here at my computer desk thinking about the Canucks game tonight as the Detroit Red Wings come into town tonight for the final game of the home-stand. The Red Wings used to be a hot ticket in town but the decline of their roster is completely evident by the number of household names in their lineup.

The Canucks season is in the rhythm right now. The team is 7-4-2 but non of the fans are believing in playoffs yet. Is it cliche that it's 'early' or is it important to get a good start in the marathon 82 game season.

Most people point towards American Thanksgiving as measuring stick point in the standings. That comes in the coming weeks. Canucks have nine games before Thanksgiving and that will tell us a lot as well.

I honestly don't buy in to the Early thing. For one, I think it's a get out of jail free card for teams that get off to a bad start and a jealousy statement for fans when a below average team when their rival gets off to a good start. . For instance, if the Canucks were 4-7-2 at this point, the mood of this hockey team would be quite different. It would be hard to imagine that the Canucks could get back in the playoff race.

That's because the Canucks send out a average roster compared to the other 30 teams. Edmonton has one of the better rosters and can afford a shaky start.

Therefore, it really depends on where a teams organization is at that determines if it is important to get off to a good start.

It never hurts and I'm glad that the Canucks have for the time being at least avoided any tanking talk. The more we avoid that talk the better it will be this season on and off the ice.

This is an important game for Vancouver as they keep  trying to prove themselves before a rough road begins in Calgary tomorrow night.