USA soccer, almost ready to man up

USA soccer, or Brazil's whipping boys if you prefer. They somehow manage to manhandle Spain 3-0. They get a chance at redemption against the "unbeatable" team. They have a 2-0 lead going into the second half. If you know anything about USA soccer, then I'm sure you can assume the result from there. That's right, of course, Brazil 3, USA 2. What a shocker. Well, all I can say about that is that it does seem as if the US team is gaining steam in the world. Playing better, SOMETIMES, against the better competition. Like the ladies cigarette from the 80's, they've come a long way baby. Let's just hope this isn't a flash or a glimmer, let's hope that this time it's for real. If soccer is ever going to take off in this country, the team has got to be good, it's got to have a superstar, and it's got to win. Without all 3 of those things, the fans will remain from every corner of the earth besides America.

Matty's Golf game (Hate or Appreciate?)

In the hilarious words of Fire Marshall Bill "Let me tell ya shomthin'". Actually it's hard not to have both emotions while dissecting his game. Ever since jump street when we were playing $5 Nassau's on the short course at the Marina, when we knew nothing about the game, we were evenly matched. At some point after he moved down south I began to play a lot more often, and starting improving, while his game languished in L.A. He started to play again, and quickly regained form, and improved his own game. A few years back he came up north for an 18 hole friendly, and ended up Tiger Woodsing us by numerous strokes at Sky West in Hayward. That obviously didn't sit too well with me.
I'm not an in your face kind of competitor, but boy do I hate losing. Anyway, time came again for him to come up for another challenge. This time it was just a stroll around an executive 9 at Mission Hills in Hayward. I have a myriad of excuses as to why I didn't play well that day, but none of it mattered because even playing better might not have been enough to beat him that day.
I am making a vow right now, to get my game into shape relatively soon, so that Matt can be given the challenge and the ass whooping that he so richly deserves. Hell, at this point, I'd be happy to make it competitive.
Alas, the answer to the original question is.......Apprecihate. I love Matt's game, his smooth, fluid swing, and his repetitive putting stroke. I hate that he is beating me with relative ease these days. So I'm firmly in the camp of Apprecihating his game right now.