I have no problem admitting what I am. I have no problem admitting what I am not. And I am not a soccer guy.
I am, however, an America guy.
I yell ‘’Merica!’ as loud as anyone every four years (for the World Cup), but other than that, soccer rests on the bottom of my sports totem pole. Football, basketball and baseball get priority.
I paid attention (kind of) to our stint in the Copa America before our boys did what they are supposed to – lose to a far superior team (Argentina). That was not news.
See you in a few years, soccer.
But then Iceland showed up. Apparently that is a country that people actually choose to live in. And they play soccer.
Unless one of my teams (University of Washington, Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Mariners, etc.) are involved, I root for the story. What Iceland has done that last couple weeks, is a story.
The Chillers (maybe a nickname too literal) topped England in Euro Cup elimination play in what was immediately tabbed as the biggest upset in soccer history. That’s a long history.
Iceland has just over 300,000 people that live within its borders. That’s less than population of Reno. Why is that team beating England?
The lights came on and the party came to a close on Sunday night, though. Thanks to France.
And people ask why nobody likes the French…
Chalmers clutches up
I’m not a soccer guy. I’m not a golf guy, either.
But golf took the regional center stage over the weekend for the 18th Barracuda Championship at Montreaux Golf Course, where I’m pretty sure unicorns live because those houses are insane.
I recognized five or six names in the field going into the weekend, but that was it. Calling a second-tier PGA event a second-tier PGA event, the Barracuda loses shotgun privileges every year to the Bridgestone Invitational.
One of the names I didn’t recognize, Greg Chalmers, made himself a name worth remembering. He went full Iceland and wrote a nice little story.
In his 386th career PGA start, the 42-year-old pulled away from Gary Woodland for his first professional victory, eagling the last hole of the tournament. And we thought Iceland winning was something.
It was also the fifth straight year Saturday’s leader went on to claim the Barracuda, formerly known as the Reno-Tahoe Open.
I should’ve tried hoops
I spent the majority of my childhood playing baseball.
I laid my uniform out on Friday night in anticipation, I made friends (and memories) I’ll never forget and learned lessons that I use to this day. That lesson: more times than not you draw the short end.
What a waste.
After hearing the asinine deals countless NBA free agents were handed over the weekend, I suddenly regret choosing a bat over a basketball.
Timofey Mozgov, the guy who watched every important minute of the finals from the Cavaliers’ bench, agreed to a four-year, $64 million deal with the Lakers. He wore his jersey to the after-parties just so onlookers knew he was on the team.
The slew of confusion over the weekend was created by a rising salary cap. Teams are required to reach a minimum cost for their payroll or will be required to pay a salary tax to The Association.
Checks don’t have enough room for the zeroes that are being written.
If Mozgov got $64 million over four years, just wait until Kevin Durant resigns with Oklahoma City. Wait. Oops.
Nathan can also be reached via email at nshoup@sparkstrib.com. His weekly column, ‘Shoup Shots,’ runs in the hard copy of the Sparks Tribune every Tuesday morning.
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