Predictably i’ve gone silent in the summer lull for college sports, but if all those old-time sports editors across the nation can write rambling columns (”Hitting to all bases”, the guy in Springfield used to call it; “Random ruminations while wondering what happened to…” was another from Huntsville or Nashville, i forget which) then so can i.

• I’m at Buffalo Wild Wings watching the USA – Uruguay Under-20 World Cup match, 0-0 after ten minutes. The US has really done itself proud in this competition so far, beating Brasil and sending that country’s sportswriters into tilt. (How could the Seleção lose to this rag-tag bunch of infidels from a country that barely knows they exist? Futebol is the one topic that gets Brasilian journalists sounding fatalistic enough to be Argentines.)
• The Copa America didn’t go so hot — three and out, two goals scored, eight allowed — but it comes with a ready-made excuse. We sent a B team, like half of South America typically does for the CA really, and paid for it with our hides. As recently as last summer i was arguing passionately that the US should play in the CA at all costs, even if it meant sending an overmatched B squad because the Euro-based players couldn’t get free for both the Gold Cup and CA. I still believe that, but damn, it’s depressing to get walloped like our A team used to!
• Uruguay having the better of this so far. They hit the netting at about 15′, just got a dangerous cross into the box for the requisite dive, and in general look a lot more active than the US.
• The news about Gordon Gee came as quite a shock today, especially since he turned own “The” Ohio State a few weeks back. I don’t doubt that the Board of Trust will hire another good Chancellor — David Williams and Bernie Machen were two names floating around VS — but being a good Chancellor doesn’t mean being as supportive of sports as Gee was. I didn’t agree with everything he did, but i will miss him.
• I’ve beaten a dead horse about my lack of interest in baseball, but i do love the All-Star Game. I have a strong attachment to seeing each player in his own team’s uniform, one side all-white and the other all-gray, unity and diversity. I don’t get sappy about much but the ASG always interests me. Especially seeing guys like Gil Meche, Michael Young, and Carl Crawford as their teams’ only representatives. If they ever got rid of the one-player-from-each-team rule, i probably wouldn’t watch.
• Uruguay with a deep free kick. Oh wow, i had forgotten that Right-Way Rongen was our youth coach. How weird is that? I don’t feel good about that fact, though.
• On the adjoining TV they have the summer league game between the 76ers and Suns. Hope i get to see Byars! That all i got for now.

It’s been a busy week…. but not in my sports life, really. Just busy with taxes, writing a couple of proposals, and miscellanous other stuff that’s kept me from opining about sports. Besides you don’t really want to read another Imus post do you? VSL shows some, err, love? for the bowling team. Maybe for spite i’ll write up a whole preview of the National Championship field. I want Vanderbilt to win the bowling national championship! I want VU to win every bowling national championship from now ’til the end of time! Take that, revenue-sport-snobs. And Huskers. And how could i forget the Great Moot Northwestern Debate? Actually i feel like a donk for not remembering that it was, in fact, moot. Maybe if i have some free time (heh!) i’ll write up a really geeky post estimating the EV of playing versus not playing NU or any other major conference opponent. MLS started. So dlish, if you make it over here, post away. Sooooo-PAH! Soopah Rev!

It was a nice 2-1 win for the US under-20s, in a game where Uruguay probably deserved better, but before it gets stale i should recount my story.

After URU took the lead and with time running out in the 85th minute, i thought to myself, “Rather than wait for the game to end to take a restroom break i should just go now.   Besides, with my luck if i go now i’ll miss the tying goal.”   So i went… and heard a cheer… and when i finished up and got back to my table the 3 or 4 other guys there watching the game were celebrating Cardaccio’s own goal to make it 1-1.   I joked to one of them that i had played a role, and he suggested that i consider going back to the restroom.   “Naah,” i retorted, “It probably won’t work now.   Gotta wait for extra time.”

So as the game neared halftime of extra time, i thought, “I’ll try my luck again just after the changeover.”   Sure enough, i head back to the restroom, hear cheering again, finish up, go back, and see that Bradley’s made it 2-1.    So i’m happy to take credit for that US win to get to the quarters Saturday vs. Austria.

That was such a mean-spirited game.   Cardaccio, after scoring to tie it, should have been thrown out for throwing a punch at Szetela.  What a jerk.  Then after the game, instead of the usual shirt exchange the teams threatened to go at it.   It was kind of fun watching our guy hold up two fingers  (no, not thosefingers) followed by one to say “2-1″.

I won’t be around to comment for a while, but here’s a reminder and some links:

W Tennis: #1 Stanford – #16 Vanderbilt, Athens, GA: live link . Busy live stats board they’ve got there. You can even track the points. Looks like we’re clawing for the doubles point. Took me a while to realize that our match is under “Florida”.

Golf: NCAA West Regional, Tempe, AZ: leaderboard. Yesterday wasn’t so good for the ‘Dores, and today there are 100-degree temps there.