World Cup, WNBA Drama, Cubs at the 1/2-way point

World Cup Fever

The World Cup play is continuing with games happening all this week, wrapping on Sunday.

This week starts the Semi-Finals, with Spain v France on Tuesday and Argentina v England on Wednesday.

It's been fun catching what I can.  Jamie became involved, and it's been a good time watching with her.  We've had some friends and Steanso over for a game.

I've not had a preferred team this whole time.  It's just fun to watch play at this level and with this much passion from players who are proud of what they're doing and who they're representing.

As was bound to happen, we've had some scandals over reffing.  I'm not any expert and will just accept what the refs decided.  I do not think that as, like, president of the United States, I would call FIFA and ask for them to change a red card.  You'd have to be a blithering idiot who knows nothing about FIFA, international fair play, and sports in general, to think that was a good idea.

I'll miss teams like Cape Verde who absolutely stunned on a world stage.  You just don't get that in pro-sports, or division-ranked college sports.  The narratives that run through a World Cup can be a real delight - and I was so happy that Egypt's team was welcomed home with a huge crowd.  

I've also loved seeing so many people visiting the US from around the planet showing us they're, in fact, good people.  We are so easily led to believe otherwise, just as they seemed to think they were coming to one endless shoot-out.

Sometimes sports is good, y'all.

WNBA Drama

There was an article I absolutely cannot find, but the basic gist was this: 

The WNBA is not looking for legitimacy at this time.  Not when *the* headline that people will think about when they ponder the W from the outside is a woman choking another woman and the refs missing the call.

And, this weekend, someone tossed a shoe to their colleague, missed, and hit an opposing player.  It was assumed it was a malicious act, and now that's a whole thing.

It gets tiresome.  But it's also the result of bad management and bad reffing.  

Mostly, I get frustrated that the conversations aren't about the teams or games.  They're around all the hoopla.  And people seem to eat it up - really engage with that stuff in ways I find baffling.  

I think what people think is just "physical play" is sometimes not, and they need to readjust their expectations and recognize a penalty when they see it instead of cheering on what is essentially bad basketball where people get injured.  And the weird parasocial relationships people have with players makes no sense in a team sport, especially one where players could be on that other team you slagged off for two years.

There's plenty to love in the WNBA.  A wide cast of real personalities from players and coaches.  People with break out games and seasons.  Young players in their first season blowing minds and stats sheets.  And players showing heart enough they pull off minor miracles on the court.

That.  That's what you can enjoy.  Just... watch the damn games and get excited.  Feel a little bad when your team loses.

Now, I'm not entirely pure of heart - I have opinions and whatnot.  There's players I dislike, and I side-eye the reffing plenty.  

I just don't think making it my personality is the best option.

If I do have a beef with the WNBA I'll air publicly, it's that TV coverage never shows the players' names below their faces on the chyron when they're on screen for close-ups or - more importantly - at the free-throw line.  It's literally bad television.  The commentators will spend all game talking about two players, so I have no idea who that person is who just subbed in and I don't sit with an old-school facebook open to identify the players.  

Casually dropping a name in passing ain't gonna do it for us visual learners.  Especially for those of us with "everyone under 30 looks like the same person to me" face blindness which is why I never know who young actors and Rachel McAdams are.

Cubs at the All-Star Break

I'm having a lot of fun watching the Cubs this season - minus the multi-game skids we've had alongside our two winning runs of ten-games each.  The offense can be electric, and the defense is really what I'd hoped for in past seasons and didn't see.  

Expectations around Bregman at third base were cartoonish.  I'm just enjoying having a really solid third-baseman who also can bat.  Is he blowing me away?  Yes, in a way.  He's consistent, seems to be improving things that didn't work, and he's *reliable*.  A .241 is not bad.  It's not great, but not worrisome.  He's just not batted as well as in prior seasons.

The big story of the season is Pete Crow-Armstrong, who has been dynamite on both sides of the game.  He's hitting .291, and his OPS is at .917.  And he's out there in center field catching dang-near everything.

But we're also a Seiya Suzuki household, and he's found his bat after last season, hitting for .269.  He's got 48 RBI.  And he's played hard in the outfield.  

I don't think this is a World Series team, but maybe a Wild Card team.  We'll see.

Pink Hat Guy Merges With The Infinite

Baseball is a sport that takes place over 160 games per season, at three hours-ish per game.  Not all of the games are a thrill-per-minute, and so it gives you some time to notice things other than what's happening on the field.

You can start focusing on some kind of funny things.  Some folks focus on a slow-boiling hate for announcers (I personally cannot stand Ken Rosenthal) or your favorites (I have many, but Elise Menaker killed it in the booth this week).  Even on TV, you will become familiar with what's going on in the stadium - see the Cup Snake that forms in the bleachers at Wrigley. 

But, also, the fans are on-camera - especially behind home plate.  They're usually not aware of the cameras, just going about their business, and generally no one is trying to embarrass anyone. Behind home plate, you're just going to be on camera.  In this way, over the course of a game, you may notice particular people, like an excited kid or people not paying attention as they chat away in the stands.  Less often do you note "regulars".  

But very early on in our Cubs-watching, we noticed "Pink Hat Guy".

His seat was directly behind home plate.  He never wore Cubs blue, but always wore a bright pink cap.  

You knew two things:

Father's Day, World Cup, WNBA, Cubs

Today, as I write this, it is still Father's Day.  

Our family got together in an odd configuration.  What was supposed to be Jamie, myself, The Admiral, KareBear and Jamie's dad, DocDik - expanded to include my CousinSue, Unky Bob and Steanso.  Steanso's kids and wife are out of state seeing her family while he toils in the legal salt mines.  

I have had the good fortune of not just a Quality Dad - I've also had a great Father-in-Law.  Not everyone gets to say that.  But we get along very well, and get to debate "what's wrong with the Cubs now" on a frequent basis.  My own Dad is doing well.  He's into The Expanse, which is cracking me up.  That has spread across our whole family like a virus.

Sometimes I wonder what kind of father I would have been had the fates been different.  And very different they would have had to have been as I very much didn't care for kids until I was in my mid-30's.  Now I find them charming chaos goblins and enjoy how different each one of them really is, right from jump.  But I also don't have to raise them.  

My Dad put up with a lot of nonsense from me, pretty much from when I was a small kid to when I aged into a smart-aleck who liked to push buttons, to someone who fancied himself a wry observer and therefore allowed to crack whichever joke he felt was best in any situation.  That my father allowed me to keep living to age 25 is a testament to his eternal patience.

Here's to Dads.  Good dads, dads doing their best, and dads who go out for cigarettes and don't come back.

And to the moms out there who are either doing it single-mom style or who are partnered up with a lady raising kids minus anyone specifically called *dad*.  Parenting is hard, weird work.  Y'all should get a card on Father's Day, too.  Just scratch out "dad" on the front.

World Cup Fever

I don't know that I've contracted World Cup Fever, but I have been watching some games.  

This weekend I checked out both the game in which Curacao tied Ecuador and the game in which Cabo Verde tied Uruguay.  And that's part of the fun.  These are tiny countries - I hadn't heard of either prior to this last week - who will have eternal futbol glory thanks to a *tie*.  Everyone expected them to get clobbered at this stage, and they held against established national programs.  

There's a lot of joy to be taken in so much of the World Cup - something the corrupt dirtbags at FIFA know and exploit - and it's been decades since it was on our shores.  But now we have thousands and thousands of people from across the globe running around the U.S.  And after the past decade of the US looking like Keystone Cops to the rest of the world, it's great for people to come here and see we're not all ultra violent weirdos.  Just, you know, way too many of us.

Anyway - despite how essentially corrupt and dirty FIFA's leadership may be, I count World Cup as a worldwide good.  Governments may want to lob missiles at each other, but people want to have a beer and cheer on their team by wearing matching shirts.  It may actually work against some interests as it's a reminder we have more in common than we have different, and cultural exchange can be groovy.

When Germans and Japanese people are fascinated with our way of life, like learning getting endless chips with Tex-Mex is free, then we're doing something right by having people here.  But also that we're not the snarling monsters that media would have them believe (we've contained that to the capitals).

Anyway - I have no particular dog in the fight.  I suppose I'll cheer for Team USA a bit.  They're doing better than I anticipated.  But it's more fun to watch the underdog countries every time.

Late Edit:  I admit, I'm gonna cheer for Argentina.  I like that Messi fella.  I assume they are not an underdog.

WNBA

Once again off to a somewhat slow start, the Las Vegas Aces are playing well again here as the season progresses.  We're at 12 and 4, and that ain't bad.  But once again, the Minnesota Lynx are at the top of the leader board with a genuine rookie phenom in Olivia Miles.  

It's funny - there's always a lot of overblown hype about rookies coming in, but Miles has delivered beyond any reasonable expectation.  That's not to say the superstar rookies haven't played well - looking at you Azzi Fudd - but there's usually a curve for growth.  I mean - look at Bueckers in Season 2 as a genuine team leader for the Wings.

Anyway, I don't really have *a* team. I watch several teams and enjoy the players on those teams.  The only team I outright dislike is Phoenix, and I am slowly, begrudgingly, gaining respect for the next Portland team.  Good for me, as Phoenix is 5-12 right now.  

My favorite player remains A'ja Wilson, but that doesn't mean I don't still cheer for lots of other players, like Kelsey Mitchell on the Fever or Thornton on the Valkyries.

If you are curious about WNBA, there's tons of games on network and cable TV right now.  Just take a look at your local listings.

Cubs

We're not yet to the All-Star Break and I kind of need a break.  The Cubs are basically all over the place, sometimes looking brilliant and occasionally looking like last week's trash.  Overall, stats are okay-ish.  But our pitching will just melt-down in the bullpen with absolutely no forewarning.  Someone who pitched great two days ago will come out in the 7th and give up a five-run lead.

And that's not always on the rest of the defense.  In general, those guys are doing pretty well, too.  I disagree that Shaw (that racist piece of shit) is a better right fielder than Suzuki.  But I also respect resting Suzuki. 

Meanwhile, Pete Crow-Armstrong has been on fire on both sides.  He's still doing amazing, stats-defying work in the outfield while also doing things like hitting for a cycle (in reverse, starting with a homer) and just consistently winding up on base every game, or smacking a dinger.

But then we have a game like the one on Saturday that was just dumb, where we blow the aforementioned lead.

  

WNBA Starts, Cubs Fall to Rangers

apparent Marvel-nerd A'ja Wilson is ready for more awards

WNBA Starts 2026 Season

This weekend saw the start of the 2026 WNBA Season.  There's a few reasons this start is of note.  

First, this is the 30th Season of WNBA basketball.  A league that people (read: sad misogynists) have written off and mocked and trod upon has made it 30 years.  think about how many pro football leagues have come and gone in that time.  Pretty amazing it's endured.

The Cubs Walk It Off 3 Nights in a Row

So.  

Last night in the 10th, Michael Busch - the Cubs' first baseman - took a walk on loaded bases to "walk-off" the game.  

For the Chicago Cubs, that was the third walk-off win in three games, their eighth straight win, and the 14th win in a row at Wrigley.  Cubs are now at 25-12.

This is after a clutch homer by Michael Conforto on May 4th, and Busch dinged one right past de la Cruz at SS on May 5th, sending Dansby Swanson in for the run. 

I don't know what the rest of the season holds, but right now, I'm having an alarming amount of fun watching baseball.  

Rewind 03/29/2026 - MLB, UT Basketball, WNBA

accurate!

Been a minute since we checked in.  

Jamie's Birthday

It was Jamie's birthday.  We have done nothing for it.  We're 51 now.  It is not exciting.  We'll have dinner with the parents tonight, and dinner with Steanso's family on Tuesday.

Baseball Starts

It's opening weekend for Major League Baseball.  Cubs have a really good lineup, and despite Opening Day jitters and a loss to the Nationals, I'm enthusiastic about our chances - especially as we bounced back and beat them 10-2 in the second game.  Bats are looking good, fielding shouldn't be a problem, and then it's up to the pitcher rotation.  

It looks like The Cubs org is also not being weird, and went ahead and locked up two favorites with 6 year contracts - Centerfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and 2nd Baseman Nico Hoerner.  Both produce on defense and at-bat, and are fan favorites, so its nice to not worry about contract nonsense through the season on two key players.  

I expect Happ will also retire a Cub one way or another, and I'd love to see Suzuki remain a Cub as long as he's playing the US.  

In addition to baseball, it's good to have my imaginary friends back for the post-game show.  Cliff, Elise and Cole.  And Anthony Rizzo seems to be living part time in Chicago, so I imagine he'll be on with other analysts like Dexter Fowler and Ryan Dempster.

  

Texas Basketball

Both Longhorn Basketball squads made it into the tournament this year!  Hooray!

The men's team played really well, but lost to Purdue after a close game, going down by two points in the last seconds.  No shame at all.  I'm excited about UT men's basketball for the first time since high school.

UT Women, however, have progressed to the Elite 8.  So far they beat Missouri State 87-45, Oregon 100-58 and Kentucky (who I thought of as a really good team this season) 76-54.  

This team is really, really good - and what's nuts is that as good as our seniors are, things look equally (or more) bright for next year based on our lower classmen and recruits.  

While we have our stars in Rori Harmon, Madison Booker, Kyla Oldacre, et al...  Sarah Graves is UT's secret weapon as someone who doesn't just ride the pine.  She's maybe the most enthusiastic player and has become an avatar of the positive vibes of the UT team - leading the bench in enthusiasm for her teammates.  Plus, when she comes off the bench it's a sign from coach Schaefer we have this locked up.  To top it off, Graves has scored multiple times in the tournament after coming in.  

 

WNBA

Sounds like the Connecticut Sun has been purchased as an organization and is headed to Houston.  Houston did have a team years ago, and it sounds like the Sun will reclaim that old team name - The Houston Comets.  No other word on what this means, but I am excited as the trip to Houston is easier than heading to Dallas.  

The contract negotiations are done, the players and WNBA both getting something, and I think it looks like the WNBA players will finally have real pro-athlete pay.  It's now tough to look back at the women who played in the league the past 30 years and know what they did so all of this was possible, but looking forward, it's going to be better for both players and the league. And maybe mean a longer season.

Cubs 2025 Season Ends

Well, dang.

The Chicago Cubs made it to the 2025 National League Division Series versus the Milwaukee Brewers - something that hadn't really occurred before.  We lost two games, then won two games, but lost the fifth game in Milwaukee.  

But I'm calling it a great season.  

We started with the Tokyo Series, and then played lights out through the All-Star Game.  The back half of the season was more uneven, but we pulled out of a nose dive to make the play-offs.

Our Wild Card round was against San Diego, and I wasn't sure how we'd do, but the answer was "just fine".   I guess we had never played the Brewers before in the NLDS, so that's neat.  And we did pretty good against a team who had a lot more rest than the Cubs did coming in.

The team this year was so much fun to watch, which, really, is all you can ask for.  Pete Crow-Armstrong (PCA to fans), and my guy Seiya Suzuki, were in a weird pairing as the two outfielders wound up with dozens of home runs each, often keeping up with one another in the homerun count.  Pete would get one, then Seiya would get one the same game or the next.  Crow-Armstrong wound up with 31, and Suzuki ended up with 32 - not exactly Roger Maris, but pretty good!  

Dansby Swanson was phenomenal as Short Stop, and we got lucky with Michael Busch at first base.  Work horses Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ produced consistently all season on offense and defense.  Kyle Tucker was solid as both a fielder and at bat.  Carson Kelly delivered as both catcher and at bat, too.  And having Justin Turner in the dugout and playing sometimes was really cool.

Pitching could be spotty.  We lost Steele immediately.  Imanaga suffered an injury that he didn't fully recover from.  And the rest of the rotation was up and down and unpredictable.  But, hey, they got us where they got us.

Anyway, great season, Cubs!  Would have been fun to have made the NLCS, but I'll take a 3-2 game NLDS series against a team as good as the Brewers are this year.  

Cubs Baseball Has Wildest Game

I love a box score that tells an insane story.  

I was not watching yesterday, just checking the score online, and things were getting nuts.  So while I worked on some things, I noted that the game was going bananas and tuned in.

But that box score couldn't tell the whole story.  From @OptaSTATS

Condensed game from Marquee Network below: