Moreno to Crew - So Long, Joseph Ngwenya

In a fairly big trade, the Crew grabbed forward Alejandro Moreno from Houston and traded Joseph Ngwenya to the Dynamos in return.

I'll be very honest, I've only seen Moreno play a couple times as I generally don't have time to watch non-Crew games on TV (I don't always have time to watch Crew games on TV, for that matter). But from what I've seen, he's a much cleaner player than Carlos Ruiz (not that that's too hard), who was rumored to be coming to Columbus. And he's a big, physical presence up front, a good holder of the ball, and he's scored a lot of goals in the rather limited number of games he's been in. He seems to have always been behind a top-notch scorer on the depth chart wherever he's been, so he's probably chomping at the bit to be the number one guy.

So I like this move. I liked Ngwenya, but have to admit I agree with those who say he was offside too much. He was starting much better this season, but the fact remains that we need a scoring punch, and with only one true forward on the roster (and a crappy one at that in Jason Garey) we needed to do something. And now we have.

Also interesting - our trades recently have been much more about skill than about "hustle," "pace," or being a good practice player. That was a curse we were under in the Fitz/Andrulis years. With Sigi Schmidt as the big kahuna on the bench, we're moving in a much more offensive, skill-based direction. I like it. We'll see how things pan out if we can ever get Moreno and Herron on the field simultaneously. I'm excited!

150 Things You've Done In Your Life

One of my favorite cycling blogs had an entry today with a list of 150 things you've done with your life - mark off the ones you've done, that sort of thing. I thought I'd post it here and see just how I did...

The whole list is down in the comments so that I don't take up too much room on the main blog page. I've apparently done 64 of these. Not bad:

3. Climbed a mountain
8. Said "I love you" and meant it
9. Hugged a tree
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
15. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
22. Watched a meteor shower
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
28. Bet on a winning horse
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
34. Ridden a roller coaster
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
41. Taken care of someone who was shit faced
42. Had amazing friends
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
67. Started a business
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
74. Crashed a party
77. Made cookies from scratch
84. Performed on stage
87. Eaten shark
91. Bought a house
94. Been on a cruise ship
95. Spoken more than one language fluently
97. Raised children
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
110. Broken someone's heart
113. Broken a bone
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
118. Ridden a horse
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey
135. Selected one important author who you missed in school, and read
137. Skipped all your school reunions
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
148. Shaved your head

American Poultry Literally Swimming in Feces

Did you know that most of the so-called "First World" will not buy poultry from the U.S. because it is literally swimming in feces, pus, and other waste products? This is the state of the U.S. poultry industry, particularly the factory farms and such.

More reason to buy organic meats...

Raider Nation Distributing Shields to Fans To Ward Off Errant Russell Passes

Oakland Uber-fan group the Raider Nation is reportedly distributing protective shields to their members in an attempt to protect them from the wild passes of #1 draft pick Jamarcus Russell.

"Mr. Russell, though blessed with a rocket for an arm, has been known to have trouble connecting with his recievers in a big way," said Gregory Baker, head of the Raider Nation Human Resources Department. "These shields will allow our fans to remain safe while watching games."

When asked what sort of protection the Raiders players will get in regards to this situation, Raiders owner Al Davis reportedly said "Have you seen this guy throw? The players have nothing to worry about! It's the fans that need to watch out, and I'm proud of the Raider Nation for stepping up and making these protective devices available to its members."

The shields are reportedly made of a carbon-fiber material, making them light enough for a toddler to hold but strong enough to withstand the bullets of Russell.

"We recommend that two fans be reponsible for the wielding of each shield," said Baker. "This guy could throw a pass through a 747 - he's that strong."

The FTSB is apparently recommending that air traffic patterns be altered during game days to go around Oakland's McAfee Colisseum.

Some ire did remain for coach Lane Kiffin and his staff despite this humanitarian gesture by the Raider Nation.

"What do they think they're doing?" asked one irate Raider Nation mother. "I take my kids to those games - do they think a ten-year old can stand up to one of those passes?"

Baker and the Raider Nation Research and Development team are now looking at new ways to help defend the smallest Raiders fans from the gatling-gun like prowess of Russell. "We're looking at a kids' section that has a protective guard around it - sort of like the Popemobile. A cheaper option would be to hand out free t-shirts to all the kids with targets on the chests - Russell's sure to miss those!"

Ruiz to Crew? Er...um...

Okay, I'm not really sure how I feel about this one. Allen Hopkins at ESPN reports:

Reunion: Vol. 2?

First it was Clint Mathis and Bruce Arena. Now could it be Carlos Ruiz and Sigi Schmid?

There are growing rumblings that the Crew could make a move to pry Carlos Ruiz away from FC Dallas. Ruiz has been substituted in two of the past three matches by first-year head coach Steve Morrow and that hasn¹t sat well with the FCD captain.

Ruiz and Schmid were a very successful pairing in 2002 leading the Galaxy to their first MLS Cup after three previous championship-game losses. And to say Schmid has a place in his heart for Ruiz is an understatement. The Crew are quietly unbeaten and seem to be only a proven goal scorer away from making noise in the East.

An MLS coach told me this week, "It doesn't make a whole lot of sense the way they're [Dallas] playing tactically right now in that formation. To be playing Ruiz up top by himself and Cooper out wide really hurts them quite a bit." Stay tuned.

The article is absolutely right. We are a goal-scorer away from being a power at this point. We have solid defense, a midfield that has been able to get the ball forward, and even lots of shots. But we only have three goals on the season. THREE! Granted, Andy Herron is still trying to work himself into play and the crap suspension against him doesn't help. But there are another ten guys out there to score and they're just not doing it. Eddie Gaven is on leaderboard for shots but not shots on goal. So we could sure use a proven forward.

On the other hand, though... Ruiz is a diving mess. I don't feel as strongly about him as I do Ante Razov, but I sure as heck don't like him. He's too much a Central American player (who's not from Costa Rica - I never see them diving as much as I do other C.A. players, it seems) in that he's constantly flopping and throwing out the histrionics. And I can't support that. Even when it's our player, and you're supposed to be able to support your players... I can't do it here. He's all that is wrong with soccer.

Damn... what's a Crew fan supposed to do?

Ingenuity? Perhaps.

You have to appreciate the work that went into such a project. Look for this at soccer matches and award shows coming soon.

One Day Blog Silence

Apple's New Product

Introducing.... the iRack!

Try Petrolius... It'll Give You That Warm Feeling All Over (the World)

Brilliant video... and visit the link after you watch!

VideoVets.Org

Like any other community, the community of military veterans and their families is not homogeneously for the war in Iraq. Click here for more information.

Best Commercial Ever

And it actually makes me want to buy the product!

Tank McNamara Gets It Right

What's true for the NBA is most certainly true in MLS...

Okay, Who's Been Giving Clocks to the Trees?

Here's a letter to the editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette from Connie M. Meskimen, of Hot Springs, Arkansas. Apparently she thinks Congress has a little more power than they do...

Seriously, I pray that this is a joke. But somehow I don't think it is...

UPDATE: It is a joke. But it's a darned funny one. See Matt's comments below.

Finally, a Serious Look at Caffeine

US News and World Report is running an article this week on the health risks of caffeine and other uppers, an addiction that is afflicting our nation at an alarming rate.

And thank goodness. It's been apparent to me from the beginning that those things are bad news.

Remember Jolt Cola? When that stuff came out in the 80s, I was amused by the ads for it: "All the sugar, twice the caffeine." Then, I tried it - and my heart started palpitating. I never tried it again. I didn't see the point.

I tried a Red Bull once before I realized what it was... the stuff tasted like crap and made me feel about the same... it was hard to tell because I had it with vodka. I never tried that again, either. Then I actually looked at the label... and I figured why I felt the same. And there's another reason to question MLS's "family-friendly" ideals when they accept money from Red Bull to change a team name to that of their drug drink.

Those so-called "energy drinks" are nothing of the sort. They're uppers, plain and simple. They disrupt sleep, cause heart problems, increase stress, and basically wreck your life.

I have a cup of coffee now and then, and I take Excedrin Migraine for my migraines. And that's about it. I rarely drink caffeinated pop, and I get my "upper" from exercise and deep breathing. That's all you really need. There's no better upper than a vigorous round of good exercise - like my daily bike ride into work.

And as for all those drug drink "energy drinks," they need to have warnings on them like cigarettes and alcohol. Because there's really very little difference.

Urlacher Slapped On Wrist Over Choice of Beverage

Brian Urlacher was fined $100,000 for wearing a Vitamin Water hat and drinking the aforementioned beverage publicly at a Bears media day event. Apparently it's against the rules for players to appear at official events wearing logos for non-NFL sponsors.

This makes me laugh until you think about how un-American it is. If we are a country that stands up for the freedom of choice, then what business is it of the NFL or its sponsors which beverage Brian Urlacher or any other player chooses to drink, no matter where he is?

I hope Urlacher takes this just as far as Jim McMahon did back in the day of the whole Rozelle headband thing.