Archive for December, 2010

Good Riddance, 2010

Posted by Staci on Friday, December 31st, 2010

Forward Max Ferdinand's goal to start the New Year's Eve game versus the Omaha Vipers was not enough to keep the Blast perfect. (Photo courtesy of the Baltimore Blast)

The Baltimore Blast lost their first game of the season earlier today, getting edged out by the Omaha Vipers, 9-8. The loss comes on the tail of a 22-6 victory over the Missouri Comets on Wednesday.

Although forward Max Ferdinand got the Blast on the board first with a goal in the first quarter, Omaha’s Chile (mmm, chili) Farias answered in the second quarter, but the scoring didn’t begin again until after halftime.

Farias, who also earned himself a yellow card and a blue card for dissent and tripping, respectively, began the third quarter with a 3-point goal that would ultimately put the game out of reach for the Blast.

Coming off of his four-goal game against Missouri, Pat Healey scored in the third quarter, as did birthday boy Adauto Neto and Worteh Sampson. But a goal each from Frederico Moojen and Johnny Torres wrapped the game up for Omaha.

So, the Blast drop to 5-1 to start 2011. You can see them back on the field January 8 against rival Milwaukee Wave at 1st Mariner Arena.

OK, so we knew that the chances for a 20-0 season were slim, right? Maaaaybe, just maybe, the Blast will get through 2011 without a loss. And hey, look on the bright side – at least you’re not spending New Year’s Eve in Nebraska like the Blast are. Yikes.

And on that note, I want to wish you a very Omahappy New Year. I’m off to get my party on and watch a little Twilight Zone marathon. May your 2011 be filled with wins and Natty Bohs.

Tags: Adauto Neto, Baltimore Blast, Happy Holidays, Max Ferdinand, Omaha Vipers, Worteh Sampson
Posted in Baltimore Blast | 1 Comment »

Potpourri, Everyone’s Favorite Jeopardy Category

Posted by Staci on Wednesday, December 29th, 2010

Good god! Did she really take her bra off????? (Photo courtesy of the Baltimore Blast; Caption courtesy of Larry Harris, funny caption contest winner)

A BIG MAZEL TOV to one Mr. Larry Harris whose funny caption contest entry did indeed give me the giggles. Larry, your grand prize is immortality in the form of a caption on this illustrious blog of mine. Look left and get excited!

No seriously, thanks so much to everyone who entered the first K&G funny caption contest. More to come…you guys make me laugh. Honorable mention to Coz for this baby: You put your right hand in, you put your right hand out, you put your right hand in, and then you shake it all about. You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around. That’s what it’s all about.

***

More mishmosh of soccerly tidbits for you…

Our general region has been treated to some pretty decent international soccer during the last couple summers, with AC Milan and Chelsea selling out at M&T Bank Stadium two summers ago. And this past summer M&T hosted Italy’s Inter Milan and England’s Manchester City.

July 30, 2011 is the date of what may turn out to be the most popular international match played around these parts yet. FedEx Field will host a friendly between FC Barcelona and Manchester United.

As I’ve mentioned before, I am no international soccer expert, but I hear Man U is kind of like the New York Yankees of soccer. Is it wrong then that I think it would be really cool to hang out with Wayne Rooney? Would that be like saying I want to swing a press pass to hang with Derek Jeter?

***

D.C. United star forward Santino Quaranta was back in Baltimore, his hometown, yesterday to watch his daughter Olivia play in the Holiday Tournament at Du Burns Arena in Canton. First Lil Wayne…now Santino…Du Burns is a veritable hot spot for star sightings!

***

The Blast got their current road trip off to a great start tonight with a 22-6 win over the Missouri Comets. Pat Healey led the squad with a four goals, while Machel Millwood scored twice on top of three assists. Max Ferdinand, Robbie Aristodemo, Lucio Gonzaga, Worteh Sampson and Mike Lookingland each contributed a goal as well. The win puts Baltimore at a perfect 5-0, but the team will need to get some rest before heading to Omaha to play the Vipers Friday night.

“The way we train, these guys, they’re able to do that,” said head coach Danny Kelly. “Games back to back shouldn’t be a problem. … We train for these situations and as far as myself and the players go, we wouldn’t mind playing two games every weekend.”

And a very happy New Year’s to you too, DK.

Tags: Baltimore Blast, Boo Yankees Boo!, D.C. United, Danny Kelly, FC Barcelona, Happy Holidays, International Soccer, Lucio Gonzaga, Machel Millwood, Manchester United, Max Ferdinand, Mike Lookingland, Missouri Comets, Omaha Vipers, Pat Healey, Robbie Aristodemo, Santino Quaranta, soccer, Wayne Rooney, WIN column, Worteh Sampson, YOU!
Posted in Baltimore Blast, D.C. United, International Soccer | 1 Comment »

Rockin’ Out With DJ Bumbut

Posted by Staci on Tuesday, December 28th, 2010

I'm thinking that Monterey La Raza player is pretty jealous of Adrian Bumbut's iPod. (Baltimore Sun photo by Kenneth K. Lam / March 6, 2010)

Want sweet guns like the Baltimore Blast’s Adrian Bumbut?

Uh. Who wouldn’t?!

Now, you too can work out like Adrian! In fact, I hope to bring you workout playlists of your favorite Blast stars on a regular basis, and Adrian’s is the first in this series. This is somewhat appropriate since the Romanian-born forward recently admitted that if he weren’t playing soccer, he’d be a musician — more specifically, a DJ.

So if you’re looking for a little Euro-style punch for your ‘pod, download Adrian’s playlist below, and get pumping!

In and Out of Love
Armin van Buuren

Stereo Love
Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina

Castle Walls
T.I. feat. Christina Aguilera

No Love
Eminem feat. Lil Wayne

This is My Life
Edward Maya

Amazing
Inna

P.S. & totally unrelated. Check out the new blogroll on the right rail. ———>

Let me know if you have any suggestions of good soccer sites to add!

Tags: Adrian Bumbut, Baltimore Blast, music
Posted in Baltimore Blast | 5 Comments »

How the Grinch Stole “Hon”

Posted by Staci on Friday, December 24th, 2010

Denise Whiting is missing the hon beehive. That's what the protester in the background is thinking as he enjoys her Christmas caroling. (Algerina Perna, Baltimore Sun / December 18, 2010)

How does one become the most hated Baltimorean (that is…without having a name that starts with “P” and ends in “eter Angelos”)?

Trademark a cornerstone of Baltimore’s lexicon. That’s how.

Fair warning: This is not a truly soccer-related post (that’s what the unsoccer category is for), but it is unarguably Baltimore-related, and Blast fans care just as much about their city as their team. Am I right? After all, Baltimore is the city that reads (and breeds, teehee). So Baltimore, read on for my rant.

This rant in particular is about Cafe Hon owner Denise Whiting’s move to trademark the word “hon.”

Really, Denise? Really?

Yesterday morning I saw a bit on the news about how some dudes dressed up as superheroes and protested outside Cafe Hon. I don’t entirely get the necessity of the costumes, but props to them, and to the slew of people who have been protesting for the last couple of weeks. How is it OK for someone to own a word that some might say is part of the essence of Baltimore? And what is the point? Shouldn’t she be more concerned with serving sandwiches without mold at her overpriced diner?

And what does this mean? No, really. That’s a serious question. I have no legal knowledge. What exactly does a trademark entail? Does this mean Denise Whiting can sue me for this:

HON HON HON HONEY HON MCHON HON AND A HALF

What if I have a Bawlmer accent? Then technically when I read that, it’s “hawn.” Then what, hon? Huh? Huh? (And what happens if you sue someone with no money to pay up? I could probably give her gummi bears to compensate. Way to go, Denise! I hope you like green gummi bears, because I don’t!)

I guess there’s no real point to this other than to say I won’t be eating at Cafe Hon any time soon…or ever. If you too want to eat good food, watch townies long-time Hampden residents, hipsters and John Waters in their native habitat, meet me next door at Holy Frijoles.

Tags: Bawlmer, eatin' good, Happy Holidays, Staci
Posted in Unsoccer | 2 Comments »

Get Your Funny On

Posted by Staci on Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010

This is Kicks & Giggles. Which means it’s just as much about the Giggles as it is about the Kicks. And vice versa of course. So it’s your turn to be funny. Let’s have a funny caption contest.

You’ve seen this before, right? I give you a photo, you give me a funny caption. Yada yada yada. If you give me the funniest caption, I’ll give you a super secret mystery prize. It’s pretty awesome too. Alright, here’s the photo:

YOUR CAPTION HERE!!!! (Photo courtesy of the Baltimore Blast)

I don’t know guys, something about it just makes me laugh. NOW MAKE ME LAUGH HARDER!

Send me your captions three ways: 1) by commenting here, 2) tweeting me @amazingstace, or 3) posting it to Just for Kicks & Giggles’ Facebook page. Don’t forget to give a big thumbs up to that page too, ya heard?

Tags: Baltimore Blast, cop-out entries, Giuliano Celenza, Machel Millwood, soccer, YOU!
Posted in Baltimore Blast | 16 Comments »

Housekeeping!

Posted by Staci on Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

A few items I want you to know about…

First, some of you may have noticed that when you go to comment, it doesn’t show up right away. This is because my smartypants blog thinks your comments are spam. It also thinks that spam comments are real comments. So I need to yank you from spam in order for your comment to show up. Fret not though, it will show up, and it’s quite appreciated. No, really. Sometimes I sit here and just refresh my dashboard to see if there are any new comments in my spam. So comment, and comment often.
In my freshman mass comm class I learned about cross-promotion. Synergy, I think they called it? Anyway. I’m giving that a go. Search Just for Kicks & Giggles and become a fan on Facebook. It’s also my New Year’s resolution to become more adept at The Twitter, so start following me @amazingstace.
I really want an intern. I mean, I passionately despise transcribing my own interviews. The sound of my voice…UGH. Is anyone willing to work for paperclips? I’ll write you a bangin’ college recommendation.
Also, based on the fact that I have many a “popular post” on the main page, it seems to me that this little guy is doing quite well. So keep reading, because it’s been a fun first week and a half. And most of all, thanks.

And in the spirit of the holidays, I leave you with this completely irrelevant but awesome clip from one of my favorite movies. Terrific, thanks so much.

Tags: Happy Holidays, Staci, unsoccer
Posted in Unsoccer | 2 Comments »

Waka Waka…Eh?

Posted by Staci on Monday, December 20th, 2010

Get this Netherlands fan a drink! Err...well, not in Qatar. (Baltimore Sun photo by Algerina Perna / July 11, 2010)

A wise man once said “We’ve already got football, it’s called football.”

Actually, that just sounded good as a sentence. It makes him neither wise nor unwise. All it makes him is American.

But that’s a debate for a different day. We’ll get back to that quote in a minute because I want to write about something that happened in 2010 BKG (Before Kicks & Giggles, DUH).

Earlier this month, global governing body of soccer FIFA named Russia the host of the 2018 World Cup, and to the dismay of many, named Qatar the host of the 2022 World Cup.

Hmm.

Well, admittedly, I don’t follow international soccer as closely as some of you, but even to me this seems like an ass-backward plan.

For starters, Qatar doesn’t exactly scream “WELCOME, SOCCER FANS!” Actually, it screams “Welcome, soccer fans (unless you’re female, Jewish, and/or gay, and oh by the way, nodrinkinghere, havefunnnn)!” I feel like that’s going to be a…um…quiet sporting event. I wonder how they feel about vuvuzelas in Doha.

And let’s not forget that from a purely logistical standpoint, this is a bad idea. The climate in Qatar in the traditional World Cup months of June and July is like, what, 800 degrees? No one wants to watch the world’s favorite soccer stars drop like flies.

Which is why late last week, officials began discussing the possibility of moving the 2022 World Cup to the winter months. And that is also why I led with the football/football quote. As I sit here in sweats, my dad’s ugly sweater, and about six blankets, I’m contemplating how I’d feel about watching World Cup games in these conditions. Football of the American variety makes winter bearable. But I don’t know if I want to watch football of the World Cup variety when there’s snow on the ground.

Let’s face it. I’m an Orioles fan. I think I deserve to look forward to June once every four years.

Why Qatar? FIFA says they’re trying to bring soccer to parts of the world that don’t really have it. The BBC might say it’s because someone in Qatar paid them off. I want to know what you think about it.

Also, I’m pretty sure the 2022 World Cup won’t have an awesome song like this one (which I totally rock out to in my car. I won’t lie because…well…hips don’t lie).

P.S. Pause at 0:04 for some serious thigh. And it’s not Shakira’s…

Tags: BKG, FIFA, football, Orioles, Qatar, Shakira, soccer, vuvuzelas, World Cup
Posted in World Cup | 3 Comments »

Brazil v. Middle America

Posted by Staci on Saturday, December 18th, 2010

Player of the game Lucio Gonzago sealed Blastimore's 12-4 victory with two goals for five points.

For the second week in a row, the Blast got off to a slow start in the first half, tallying only two goals in the first quarter. Luckily, the 2-3 Omaha Vipers got off to a slower start, with only one goal in the first quarter.

Still, the Blast came out with a 12-4 win to improve to 4-0, undoubtedly in celebration of Amy Keller’s engagement.

But Baltimore widened its lead to start the second half with a 3-point, unassisted goal from Lucio Gonzaga, who also scored the first goal of the game before 5,742 at 1^st Mariner Arena.

“That’s a play from Brazil,” Gonzaga said. “We always look for that ball between the legs because they don’t expect it.”

Robbie Aristodemo followed each of Gonzaga’s goals with one of his own, and by the fourth quarter, the Blast were up 9-2.

[Sidenote: So I keep unintentionally typing “Blastimore.” What do we think of this? Can I get an Urban Dictionary entry up in here?]

The Vipers’ Johnny Torres got his second goal of the game almost nine minutes into the fourth quarter, and Omaha brought a sixth attacker into the game with about five minutes left, but to no avail. For four quarters, the Blast managed to step it up on defense and hold the Vipers to only two goals.

And with 11 seconds left in the game, the Blast’s Pat Morris rubbed salt in the wound, kicking a 3-pointer from three-quarters of the way down the field into the Vipers’ unattended net.

Ouch.

“It feels good to win,” said head coach Danny Kelly. “The first half we were a little bit out of sync. We need to do some things better, just sorting out our matchups, little things like that. So we were a little bit out of sync. Second half we made some adjustments and we played a whole lot better. We just started doing little things better. Better defense, better communication, better passing, and better finishing as well.”

The Blast’s next two games are on the road, first in Missouri and then in Omaha. Be sure to watch the webcasts!

Tags: Amy Keller, Baltimore Blast, Danny Kelly, LooOOoove, Lucio Gonzaga, Rings, Robbie Aristodemo, soccer, WIN column
Posted in Baltimore Blast | No Comments »

Better Than A Championship Ring

Posted by Staci on Saturday, December 18th, 2010

"He went to Jared!" (Just kidding, I don't actually know where it's from, but it's pretty freaking fabulous. Well done, Lewkovision.)

Well, now that I have permission to do so, I want you all to be the first to know…

The wonderful, fabulous, beautiful and talented public relations director of your Baltimore Blast is…

ENGAGED!!!!

And I couldn’t be happier for the pair. Way to go, Lewkovision! Make sure to congratulate Chris and Amy if you see them around the arena tonight! Go Blast.

P.S. The Blast are winning 4-2 at halftime of tonight’s game versus the Omaha Vipers. More to come…

Tags: Amy Keller, Baltimore Blast, LooOOoove, Rings
Posted in Baltimore Blast | 12 Comments »

The Best Part of Waking Up is Coors Light in Your Cup

Posted by Staci on Wednesday, December 15th, 2010

Who will fulfill Mike Lookingland's Christmas wish? Danny Kelly or Blaster Claus?

Yesterday, you read about how Machel Millwood would happily sleep through Christmas. Frankly, he’s a bigger fan of his own birthday. Nothing wrong with that. But as I promised yesterday, his teammate Mike Lookingland is a bit jollier this time of the year.

SW: What is the best present you’ve ever received for Christmas?

ML: Power wheels.

(Note from Staci: Best answer ever? I think so.)

SW: Worst?

ML: My grandfather actually gave me a stocking full of coal one year. And I’m pretty sure I cried the entire day. And he was dead serious, said I was bad all year. That year, he gave me a bag of coal and that’s it.

SW: Awesome. What’s your favorite Christmas song?

ML: “Silent Night.”

SW: What’s your least favorite?

ML: What’s that one? The days of Christmas?

SW: Twelve?

ML: Yeah, 12. I hate that one. It’s just too repetitive.

SW: This year were you naughty or nice?

ML:*pause*

Um. I’ve been very…nice. Nah, I haven’t really done anything bad. There are a lot of nieces and nephews, so I’m the role model, and I do an excellent job for the kids. My girlfriend is very pleased with how I’ve behaved this year.

SW: What’s your favorite Christmas movie?

ML: “Christmas Vacation,” by far.

SW: What do you want for the holidays this year?

ML: I would love for Danny Kelly to go one day without playing 5-v-5 scrimmage. That would be the best present ever.

SW: What’s your favorite holiday memory?

ML: It’s the same every year. It’s going to the family party at 9 am every year and having ham, egg and cheese McMuffins that my grandfather makes, and Coors Lights and having the whole family together.

(Note from Staci: Ahh…the breakfast of champions!)

SW: Worst memory? The coal?

ML: That was pretty bad, I don’t know if I can top that one.

SW: Favorite reindeer not named Rudolph?

ML: Prancer. That’s the only other one I know.

SW: Who wins in a fight between Frosty and Rudolph?

ML: It’s gotta be Frosty. I mean what else can Rudolph do? Frosty’s got snowballs, he’s got a carrot he can stab him with. He’s got a lot of options. It’s gotta be Frosty.

(Note from Staci: You hear that Mills? Frosty’s taking your reindeer down.)

SW: Do you have a New Year’s resolution?

ML: Stop cussing at referees. That’s a good one. That won’t happen, but that’s my resolution.

Tags: Baltimore Blast, Blaster, Danny Kelly, Happy Holidays, Mike Lookingland, soccer
Posted in Baltimore Blast | 6 Comments »

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