Wild American Gooner

When Sports Are More Than Just Sports

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Why Davidson Beat UNC & Duke This Week, Arsenal & Deflategate

Ever since Christmas break wrapped up shortly after New Year’s, life has been a whirlwind with travel, back-to-school meetings and school work. I’ve certainly made time for sports, but I haven’t had the extra hour post-game to write. So today, I want to offer my perspective on a few things I’ve missed relating to college basketball, Arsenal and of course, the Patriots and the increasingly frustrating Deflategate.

I’ll start with basketball. Over the long weekend, I had the opportunity to go to three big time games in the state of North Carolina on three straight nights. On Sunday, I was at UNC-Virginia Tech in Chapel Hill, experiencing the Dean Dome for the first time. Monday night, I joined my high school friend in the front row at Cameron Indoor for Duke-Pittsburgh. And Tuesday night, I put down the pen to revel in Davidson’s surge of school spirit in our upset win over no. 22 Dayton, taking in the game from the student section instead of my usual spot on press row.

Beyond the excitement I get from simply watching good basketball, I really enjoyed picking up on the differences between the three fan experiences. UNC felt like an NBA atmosphere – albeit without luxury boxes. Fans were excited, and granted, it wasn’t that close a game, but it didn’t have the small-town feel I associate with the college game. I loved all the history they played up. I also enjoyed all the smart, intellectual conversation being had about the game all around me. I sat pretty high up, but I felt like everyone around me knew what was going on and could appreciate the intricacies of the Roy Williams defense. I left impressed with their basketball culture and tradition, but underwhelmed by the atmosphere.

Being in the student section at Duke was the opposite. It was about the experience. At one point, I heard the guy behind me trying to explain what an air-ball was to the girl next to him. This is someone who waited in line all day for second-row tickets, and yet they didn’t know anything about the sport. That being said, the environment in Cameron is terrific. It was unbelievably loud and so much fun to be a part of. But it was hard to concentrate on the game. Everyone seemed more focused on getting on tv and taking pictures than actually watching the game. I certainly enjoyed watching Jahlil Okafor post-up, but I’m not sure the girl behind me even noticed the 6’10” superstar ten feet away.

Davidson-Dayton was an anomaly by Belk Arena standards. I’ll admit that Davidson games typically aren’t great basketball experiences. But I’m going to go out on a limb and say that this game was my favorite atmosphere of the three. More than half of Davidson’s student body showed up for this game. Where else does that happen? It was loud and engaging but at least I had a little space to move, unlike at Cameron where line-monitors literally push everyone as close together as possible. People got fired up with every made three, and the roof nearly came off when Davidson kept stretching their lead. And then there were the five swimmers, who stripped to speedos for free throws and danced – see photo (which I am in as well). I loved every second of it. This Davidson game had both the basketball experience and the game experience. For me, this game experience beat UNC’s and Duke’s – at least on this weekend.

From a basketball standpoint, I remain really impressed with UNC, having seem them play Davidson two months ago as well. Their length causes so many issues for opponents, and their offense looks even more balanced now than it did two months ago. With Marcus Paige picking up his play, I expect this Tar Heels squad to peak in March. Watch out. Duke looked good too, especially offensively. Watching Okafor in person gave me a new appreciation for how good he really is. Duke has the shooters to make him all the more effective against the inevitable double-teams too. What worries me about Duke though is their lack of depth and their defensive lapses. Justice Winslow also seems half a step slow to me. They’re good, but right now, I don’t see them as being National Champions-good.

Davidson is at an interesting point in their season. Overlooking the recent 30-point loss on the road at Richmond, this team has done everything right. But injuries are starting to take a toll as the grind of the A-10 begins. Road trips anywhere without Jack Gibbs ’17 at the point won’t be easy. Is this team good enough to make the tournament? Absolutely. But it’ll be a challenge to get there with a seven-man rotation that includes two foul-prone 6’7” freshmen forwards. I’m confident. But cautiously so. Follow me on Twitter (@Klaus_Faust) for continued A-10 coverage and thoughts. It’s going to be a fun couple months of college basketball.

Now to the Arsenal, where I’ve been way behind in my coverage. This weekend was the first time I’ve felt legitimately happy about Arsenal in a really long time. I’m tempted to say since the FA Cup Final, but that was more relief than happiness. The performance against Manchester City felt like a dream. Texts I sent to my friend included, “I can’t believe my eyes,” “What a day to be a Gooner” and “Coquelin is my hero.” If you told me a month ago that I’d say those last four words, I would have laughed.

But I have to keep reminding myself that it was only one performance. Three points are only three points until you win the next game. A shift in mentality is only a shift if it can be repeated. Much is still to be done. And lest we forget, Arsenal are currently outside the top 4. But there is now hope and hope is something I haven’t experienced as a Gooner in far too long. I’d almost forgotten it could be this way.

I’m excited to see Mesut Özil and Theo Walcott back for the FA Cup tie this weekend, but I think Arsene Wenger needs to be careful with rupturing the flow of this team by thrusting them back in the lineup long-term. I want to see them play, but not at the expense of removing Coquelin or putting Cazorla out wide. I also think David Ospina should continue to start in goal. Wojciech Szczesny made a mistake, and he needs to learn. Sit him for as long as Ospina plays better than Szczesny had been playing. If that’s through the end of the year, I’m perfectly fine with that.

Switching topics, Deflategate is one of the most overblown, poorly handled things I’ve seen in sports. As a Patriots fan, I realize nobody cares what I have to say on this subject and won’t take me seriously, but take a moment to step back and think about what is going on. It’s ridiculous that the NFL has let it get to this point.

If the Patriots doctored the balls after inspection, yes, that is bad. They should be punished. But what about the line judge and umpires who touched the balls on literally every single play in the first half? Why didn’t they notice? And if informed by the Colts staff, why didn’t they stop to check them during a break in action? If there wasn’t a noticeable difference – remember the two pounds is measured in PSI, not weight – then it can’t have that big an effect. The referee should have checked it on the field and replaced the ball. If deemed not important enough to check on until halftime, then who cares about it now? It wasn’t even flag-worthy when they found out they were deflated. They just switched them out. So why are we sitting here nine days before the Super Bowl wasting our time on this issue?

If the NFL wanted to punish the Patriots, it should have done so on Monday. Letting it drag out this long is a disservice to everyone, the NFL included. It takes away from what has happened on the field and what will happen on the field. Hate on Bill Belichick all you want. He doesn’t deserve the benefit on the doubt on this one – I get it. But comparing slightly deflated balls to bounty-hunting and to Spygate is an injustice to sports reporting.

 


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State of Arsenal Heading Into the Festive Period

It feels like it’s been an awful long time since I’ve written anything about Arsenal. But that definitely hasn’t been because of a lack of things to write about. This season has produced intriguing match after intriguing match. And as Ian Darke would say, more than a million talking points. But by now, so many things have been written about Arsene Wenger or about the defensive frailties that nothing new can really be said. So I’ll steer clear of that for now.

There have been times this season – more than I’d care to admit – when I’ve been completely fed up with the Gunners. I’ve turned off games and I’ve stopped reading my usual slew of British tabloids to stay away from all the terrible aspects of what’s happened this season. I don’t need Michael Owen to tell me that Arsenal don’t look like a Top 4 side. I have eyes.

So considering the way Arsenal invited Liverpool on to score the late tying goal on Sunday, it might come off as odd for me to say this. But I’m really not all that worried about the season anymore. I’d even go so far as to say I’m cautiously optimistic heading into the festive period of games.

That optimism starts with the steady betterment of all of Arsenal’s ailing stars. Olivier Giroud is back and firing. The same goes for Mathieu Debuchy. Theo Walcott might be in the starting eleven on Boxing Day. Aaron Ramsey and Laurent Koscielny shouldn’t be out long. And most importantly, Mesut Özil will be back in training in no time.

There’s no way to get around the fact that Arsenal have been unproportionately hit by injuries this year. While there should have been more cover in certain areas, the simple fact of the matter is that Arsenal will be better off when these players return. Yes, Arsene Wenger messed up by not signing another defender in the summer, but that will soon be in the past.

Come January 1, the transfer market reopens and I think Wenger will be eager to open his checkbook for reinforcements. He more than anybody knows how weak Arsenal’s defensive spine is, and I’m confident he’ll spend. I don’t think he’ll bring in a superstar, but he doesn’t need to right now for Arsenal to succeed.

We’ve seen that we can’t rely on Mikel Arteta to be healthy at this stage in his career, and while Wenger might be slightly naïve in thinking Arteta is a strong enough defensive midfielder, he surely knows Mathieu Flamini must be no more than a squad player at this point in his career. Surely, he’ll buy in this area, as he won’t want to start Flamini for any prolonged period. And I think it’s a safe bet he’ll bring in another defender too.

But it isn’t just outside reinforcements that can be difference maker. I still think there is a lot of untapped potential in this side. I really want to see Lukas Podolski given a start in the next three games to see if he can start firing. Younger players like Joel Campbell and Francis Coquelin really haven’t been given a chance either, and I believe they might be more ready for primetime than Wenger thinks. Remember too that Tomas Rosicky has only played a bit part in this campaign. In recent years, he’s been Wenger’s go-to guy in the second half of the season and I don’t expect that to change.

Over the festive period, with four games crunched between now and early January, Wenger will have to rotate his team. I think that’ll ultimately be a good thing, as it will help other players like these ones find a rhythm. Arsenal can’t afford to drop too many points now, but the fixture list is relatively kind over the next couple weeks. Now is a time to begin making ground on the top four. I think Arsenal’s aim should be 10 points over the next four games, as ambitious as that sounds.

When the injuries piled up in September and October, it was always going to be a struggle to get through December. But we’re almost there. Things may not be perfect by any means, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. Finishing in the top four is still realistic. And best of all, Monaco looms in the Champions League. Wouldn’t a trip to the quarterfinals or semifinals bring a nice surge of positivity to the Emirates?

As I’ve discussed with many of my fellow Arsenal fans, it’s been a rough few months to be an Arsenal fan. Aside from the brilliance of Alexis Sanchez and perhaps the emergence of Alex Oxlade-Chamerlain as a reliable midfielder, there hasn’t been much worth writing home about. In fact, I’d like to forget most of it. I really don’t care for watching Cesc Fabregas celebrate with Jose Mourinho, and the image of Bojan Krkic running right through Arsenal’s defense still haunts me in my sleep.

Maybe it’s the Christmas season that’s caused me to lose my recent dose of cynicism. But I’m genuinely looking forward to watching Arsenal play in the coming weeks. To see so many old faces return from injury. To see some new defensive-minded players arrive. To see players like Rosicky being given a chance. I think 2015 will be an exciting time to be a Gooner.

A Merry Christmas to everyone, and let’s celebrate Boxing Day with a victory.

 


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Finally a Win for The Arsenal

Arsenal won 1-0 at The Hawthorns today, beating West Brom on a majestic Danny Welbeck header that came midway through the second half. While beating West Brom should never be a massive cause of celebration, it sure comes as a relief for Arsenal, who hadn’t won a Premier League game since the first day of the month.

In many ways, this was the typical Arsenal game of the current campaign. Arsenal dominated the first half, but hardly managed to get the ball anywhere near Ben Foster in net. The goal came, but soon after, Wenger’s men sat back unable to get a second, and nervily watched as the opponent took siege on the goal. The only difference this time was that Saido Berahino hit the bar, whereas most opponents have been scoring the tying goals.

But why am I complaining? Arsenal are back to their winning ways and have now won a couple in a row. A win against in-form Southampton on Wednesday would give the Gunners a wonderful boost of momentum heading into the holidays. It doesn’t seem far fetched for this team to be comfortably back on firm ground in a few weeks.

Today’s offensive stars were Santi Cazorla and Danny Welbeck, who combined wonderfully for the lone goal. The two had combined well on a few occasions in the first half, with Welbeck enjoying a little more freedom in his role on the left today. Saying he played on the left would be a misnomer though, as he was operating all across the front. Instead of pouting about Olivier Giroud starting up top, Welbeck put in a terrific shift and showed his quality.

Cazorla has been struggling this year, especially in front of goal. You can see that every time he hits a shot straight at the keeper, or when a defender dives in the way of his shots, his head falls in resignation. For a typically fun-loving little player, he looks noticeably downcast this year. Before his assist, he’d had three or four of those moments when it seemed like he couldn’t buy a goal. But to his credit, he did all the other work in midfield, and he was rewarded with an assist through a driving run down the left and a beautiful little chip. Hopefully that will get him going.

Defensively, Per Mertesacker had his best game of the season. A lot of that had to do with Laurent Koscielny returning to the lineup beside him, as Mertesacker appeared more confident. With Koscielny to cover him, he can take more risks on reading passes, which is his strength as a defender.

I’m still not sold on Calum Chambers. People talk about how he has fit into the side seamlessly, but he routinely gets beat, both on the flank and in the air. He doesn’t venture forward that often, yet at least once or twice a game, he gets caught way too far up field. I miss Bacary Sagna because I could trust him completely. Chambers on the other hand is a constant source of worry.

My other dose of criticism for today is for Aaron Ramsey. The bush has already been beaten about how he is nowhere near the player he was a year ago, that he is trying too hard for goals. But what annoys me is the selfishness of his game right now. For every touch he takes in the box, he has to have a shot, regardless of what’s happening around him. Some of them are good shots, like the one he pulled just wide. But some of them are awful. Think about the volley he tried to hit from a lofted pass over his head, or about the shot he took on the rebound with a bunch of bodies around him when he had a teammate in space to his right. He needs to stop wanting to score so much, and just play. The goals will come when he focuses on being in the right spots and making the right decisions.

I hope Tomas Rosicky gets a chance to start in midweek, if only to provide a bit of squad rotation while the fixture list ramps up. Arsene Wenger will have to be more proactive about resting players if he wants to avoid muscle injuries in the next month. He can’t stop the contact injuries like Jack Wilshere’s, but he can prevent others with squad rotation.

This afternoon, I’m getting a chance to see Thierry Henry play in what could be the final game of his illustrious career. While I’ll be rooting for my hometown Revolution in the MLS Eastern Conference Finals, I will relish this opportunity to see Henry play. I don’t know what to expect from the King today on the artificial turf, but I’m eager to pay my respects to the ultimate Gooner. With the Revs up 2-1 on aggregate, I predict another 2-1 win, with the goals coming as the Red Bulls push forward for the second away goal. Go Revs!


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Arsenal Player Ratings vs. Burnley

As I predicted yesterday, Arsene Wenger’s team selection wasn’t what I wanted. Two defensive midfielders at home against the worst team in the league? Really? So the game went about as I expected. It could have been easy had they done things differently, but they attacked the same way as always and thus had the same problems. Who would have guessed?

But in the end, the 3-0 scoreline suited Arsenal. Burnley did themselves well, and fought valiantly to keep it scoreless. 70 minutes of nerves and anguish for Arsenal turned into an absolute party in the end though. The final 20 minutes were a joy to watch, reminding me how frustrating the rest of the season has been. That is how most home games should be. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come.

Player Ratings (1-10)

Danny Welbeck – 6.5/10 – Welbeck always puts in a fantastic shift defensively. Today, there was one instance where he tracked back all the way to the corner flag to make a tackle. But offensively, he was not on the same page with the midfielders today. In a game like this, where the defense will sit behind the ball, I don’t think Welbeck is the man for the job.

Alexis Sanchez – 9.5/10 – Sanchez is a joy to watch. From the opening whistle, it was clear Sanchez was on his game. He was everywhere. He was the only one creating chances in the first half and was unlucky not to score. But he was clinical in the second half and thoroughly deserved his brace. For me, this was his best game in an Arsenal shirt and that is saying a lot.

Santi Cazorla – 6.5/10 – Cazorla is pressing for goals horribly now and it is affecting his play in other areas. He had a bunch of attempts near goal today and somehow managed not to score. He needs to stop worrying about breaking his goal drought and go back to providing for other players. Goals will come. I would drop him after this performance.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – 7.5/10 – The Ox was lively going forward all day. His runs didn’t amount to much, but he was always getting in good positions that should have amounted to more had Arsenal been getting more men into the box. I’m not convinced about his corners, but for the most part, Oxlade-Chamberlain is having a good year.

Mathieu Flamini – 7/10 – Flamini does things. He does a lot of good things. And he does a lot of bad things. He is certainly not inconspicuous on the pitch. Today, he made a bunch of tackles and got forward more than Arteta. He tracked back well and made a couple of key tackles.

Mikel Arteta – 6.5/10 – Arsenal had no need for Arteta today. Where Flamini was noticeable, Arteta was not. I honestly can’t remember him doing much other than a poorly hit left-footed shot. Playing Flamini and Arteta together might be important sometimes, but it certainly should not have happened against Burnley.

Kieran Gibbs – 7.5/10 – In somewhat of a surprise start given his hip injury, Gibbs once again looked good. He is quickly becoming Arsenal’s most reliable defender and he’s getting forward with vigor. His assist on the last goal was lovely.

Nacho Monreal – 7/10 – Monreal had very little to do, but Arsenal kept a clean sheet, so a center back has to get some credit. Burnley didn’t have a physical presence up front, so Monreal wasn’t as troubled as he has been out of his position. Please, though, start Bellerin.

Per Mertesacker – 7.5/10 – Mertesacker played well today. He didn’t have a whole lot to do, but when he was needed, he made the plays. I think this game was a step forward for the big German, who’s been poor this year.

Calum Chambers – 8/10 – Chambers seemed to lack the understanding of what to do in the final third in the first half – getting in good areas before giving the ball away or getting in someone else’s way – but in the second half, he turned it on. In the end, his assist and goal in a three minute span gave Arsenal the win. Congratulations are in order for his first goal.

Wojciech Szczesny – 7/10 – Szczesny may have gotten the clean sheet, but he made a lot of strange decisions today. A couple times he came out too far and were it not for a poor touch by a Burnley player, he would have looked foolish. He’ll need to be sharper going forward.

Subsititutes

Aaron Ramsey (63rd) – 7/10 – Ramsey made a difference. He may have given away the ball the first time he touched it, but it was his desire to push forward that got things going for Arsenal. Putting him in for Arteta was the right move. I would expect Ramsey to get the start in midweek.

Lukas Podolski (80th) – 8/10 – I know Podolski only played 10 minutes, but I’m giving him such a high grade because he single-handedly turned that game into the most fun one all year. He came on and nearly scored twice with two absurdly hard-hit volleys – one that hit the framework and another that was saved spectacularly. This performance demands attention. Podolski needs to start soon.

Theo Walcott (80th) – N/A – Wow it’s nice to see Walcott back. He looked pretty good in limited action I thought. I’m expecting big things from him this season. It may take a little while for him to get back to his old ways, but he’ll get there.

What’d you think of the match? Please comment below.


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Covering My Bases

It has been far too long since I last wrote about sports. School has been getting increasingly busy and extracurricular activities are piling up such that I rarely have the hours necessary to sit down and watch a game – much less write about it. But I wanted to take this brief window I have before Halloween festivities to touch on a bunch of sports topics.

I’ll start with the Red Sox. I definitely wanted the Sox to bring Koji Uehara back as opposed to gambling on a young pitcher or an Edward Mujica-type, but when I saw the 2-year/$18 million contract he signed, my immediate reaction was that is a lot to invest on a forty-year-old pitcher who broke down at the end of this year. Based on market value, and the pitching talent teams would get for that sort of deal, it would seem to be a good contract for the Red Sox. But I’m just not sure how effective he’s going to be in 2016. The two year deal will force John Farrell to look long-term next year with Uehara, and I would not be at all surprised if he tries to limit how often Uehara goes two days in a row. This deal was made with an eye towards immediate contention though, which I’m happy about.

Everybody wants Andrew Miller and Jon Lester back, myself included. But the prices for those two pitchers will be absurd. If the Red Sox splurge on the two of them, there won’t be a ton left to spend. And if they are back, then you are left with a 2015 Red Sox team that looks very similar to the 2014 team. I don’t think the brass will want that. So realistically, I don’t see either coming back. My guess is there will be one minor free agent signing in the rotation and the rest of the changes will come through trades.

To the Celtics. I was able to watch most of Wednesday’s opener and I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that game very well might be the best the Celtics will play all year. Beyond Rajon Rondo being back to his assist-happy ways, and an improved Kelly Olynyk, my favorite part about this team is the bench. Too often, recent Celtics teams have lacked second-units that look to score. Marcus Thornton and Evan Turner sure take care of that problem. Add in Marcus Smart’s defense and that second-unit may start to dominate the second quarter. I still think this team will be bad. But they will be able to win games against teams that aren’t 100% focused that night. Teams won’t like playing in Boston this year.

More than anything though, I’m just happy basketball season is upon us. Davidson basketball starts up too in a couple weeks, which I’m pumped for. It’ll be an interesting year for the ‘Cats. There is more talent on our squad than pundits and coaches are giving us credit for – I know the A-10 is good, but there is no way a Bob McKillop coached team finishes 12th out of 14 in the conference. We’re going to have a fantastic backcourt, with Brian Sullivan, Jack Gibbs and Tyler Kalinoski returning to form one of the best guard trios in the conference. And Jake Belford’s 3-point ability will stretch defenses enough to open the drive up. However, the lack of experience and size at the 4 is frankly alarming. I’ve been hearing good things about the freshmen, but they can’t be expected to come in and find their footing right away.

Regardless of how successful we’ll be, I am really excited for the move to the A-10. It’s a necessary step up for a program that had found sustained success in the SoCon. From a fan’s perspective, I’m looking forward to having quality team come to Belk Arena and hopefully the students section can get fired up for some games this year. And as we’re going to rely heavily on the 3-ball, there might be a few upsets over the course of the year. I’ll be posting anything I write about the team on here, so there will be some Davidson basketball coverage on here for sure.

Now to Arkansas. I’m feeling a lot more confident about the Mississippi State game tomorrow than I should be. The pressure is off Arkansas this weekend. The monkey that’s been on our backs all year will feel lighter on the road against the nation’s top team. The Hogs know they can play with anyone, and with all the pressure on State, I’m hopeful Arkansas comes out firing tomorrow. It’s very much a trap game for the Bulldogs and Arkansas should be able to take advantage of that. With Brooks Ellis coming back, I think the defense is up to the challenge of stopping Dak Prescott. Give Jonathan Williams the ball and let the offensive line do the rest. At this point in the season, the Hogs have nothing to lose in this game. It’s time for some Razorback magic.

Lastly, to Arsenal. In theory, tomorrow’s game against Burnley at The Emirates should be a walk in the park. This is the type of fixture that Arsene Wenger should be able to win even with significant squad rotation. He should rest his injury-depleted squad for the midweek Champions League tie. And Arsenal should still be able to win 3-0. But if I’ve learned anything, it’s that Wenger will not rotate the squad at all, Arsenal will labor for much of the match against the parked bus that is Burnley, and the match will be decided by a single goal.

I would like to see Joel Campbell get a start ahead of Santi Cazorla. Cazorla hasn’t looked right recently, and Campbell deserves a real chance. He has looked lively in short bursts so it’s time to see if he can provide the energy needed to break down Burnley. I also think Danny Welbeck could use a break, so maybe Campbell could even be given a chance up top. I wouldn’t be opposed to Yaya Sanogo either. But most importantly, Nacho Monreal should not be playing center back, whether Kieran Gibbs is fit or not. Slide Calum Chambers into the middle and let Hector Bellerin loose, especially in a game like this.

Hopefully, Arsenal will be far enough ahead that Theo Walcott will be able to make a substitute cameo in the second half. His return is vital to Arsenal’s success in the next two months. Before reinforcements are brought in during the January transfer window and before Mesut Özil and Olivier Giroud get healthy, Arsenal need to find their form. The Premier League can’t be won in the first half of the year – yes, Chelsea is still beatable – but it can be lost. The way the Gunners are playing, I don’t think they’ll make it to January within 15 points of Chelsea unless Walcott gets going quickly.

My predictions for tomorrow are a 3-1 win for the Gunners and a 27-26 loss for Arkansas.

What are you excited for this weekend? Basketball? Football? Soccer? Please comment below.