SuperClassico....EN VIVO!

7:35pm- Just got inside the press box, its up at the very top of the stadium. But I feel that its way better to watch soccer up high either on midfield or exactly behind a goal. It gives you a better feel for the game in terms of field placement, player movement, etc. that you don't get two rows up in $1,000 dollar seats.

Well i got hear at 6pm, and NOBODY knew where the parking was for media. And then Chivas got all bigtime on us (isn't that the Galaxy's job?) and the media had to pay to park tonight. Wasn't too happy about that.
Just caught a Tony Parker sighting. He apparently escorted Becks into the estadio tonight and just got done giving a Mexican TV station a quick interview up here.
The worst thing about the Home Depot Center (HDC from now on) is that its in fucking Carson. The worst spot to put a stadium. Always bad traffic. Not near anything. Wherever you are in SoCal it takes you an hour+ to get to this stadium.

So granted the estadio is only half-full right now 30 min before game time but probably about ten minutes into the match it will be sold-out craziness. Chivas tix are cheap compared to Galaxy's, so the booze will be flowing and the rivarly, which has picked up since you know who arrived, will be in strong form tonight.

Gonna go grab some tortillas y shredded beef from the Media Room, get my grub on and be back with starting lineups.

8:15pm- Your starting lineups are...
Galaxy
Donovan------------------------------Buddle
Beckham---------Pires-----------------Vagenas-------------Allen
Klein------------Franklin------------------Jazic----------------Vanney
---------Cronin--------------

Chivas
Braun---------------------------------Harris
Savage------------Marsch---------------Nagamura-----------Paldini
Talley------------Burling----------------Thomas---------------Mendoza

Interesting things to note:

• The Galaxy switch back to the classic 4-4-2 under the first game with Cobi Jones, and so far its paying dividends. They look sharp and hungry. The biggest question asked by the media was how they would come out and respond and with Klein beautiful pass to streaking Donovan on the right side for the 7th minute easy goal. Seems to be working
• Chivas is without Sascha Kleijstan tonight, who is still at the Olympics. He is their best player and most important in the midfield. With the Galaxy controlling that area early on it seems to be quite the uphill battle for them early on.

8:20- GOAL! Donovan streaks down the right side, perfect leading pass from Chris Klein. 1-0 Galaxy, looking very very strong early on.

8:25- AEG CEO Tim Leinwieke is in the press box, as is Bruce Arena, former US National team coach. They just did a presser with ESPN2, although Bruce I guess is not in the coaching hunt. Soo....why go on TV? To say he's not even though you invited him? Look for Arena to be the next GM I feel. I think he is done with high-profile coaching.

8:35- Chivas is starting to collect a few runs and string some nice passes, but its ultimately nothing compared to the runs the Galaxy are putting together. Each one has the potential to be a goal so far. El estadio is full now, loud, the way it was built to be. Beckham is playing all over the field tonight and his cross field passes are just a beauty to watch.

8:50- Halftime. The Chivas girls are out on the field doin there thing.

"Not very synchronized," leans over a reporter. Whatever gets a gringo fired up you know.

The field was recently sodded after they tore it up for the X-Games. It looks horrible. I really think they need to find another venue to have the motosports at. It probably costs a signifigant amount of money to get the field back into shape year in and year out.

I'm gonna go exploring, the guy I'm job shadowing isn't exactly Mr. Yapper over here.

9:02- Wow, what a day for stories. Buzz around the press box is that Sasha IS HERE. We didn't even know he was in the building! He just returned from the Olympics a couple hours ago. Maybe if they show his face on the jumbotron it could give the fans a little boost after Chivas ended the half on a strong with some good chances and free kicks in the last 15 min.

9:11- GOAL! Chivas strikes as I predicted. The Galaxy's defense is looking very lax like they did with Gullit right now. They pretty keep up the offensive attack so they don't expose their defense.

9:14- And they do just that with several opportunities in the last few minutes. Donovan and Buddle both recieved beautiful passes from Beckham but after Landon beat the goalkeeper to the left with a dribble he lost control and couldn't put it home. Buddle was called offsides.

9:20- Chivas is pulling their defenders up big time to stop this barrage of Beckham lead passes. Donovan just got called offside twice in a row. Jesse Marsch from Chivas, the man who high-kicked Becks in the stomach last year, just got a yellow in the 59th

9:25- Becks picks up a yellow in the 61st. I don't blame him, play was dead and some dude tried to laser shot a blindsider at him.

GOAL! Quick counter from Chivas and Harris and Nagamura play beautiful touch football inside the penalty. Easy goal for Nagamura. 2-1 Chivas.

9:28- Sometimes David Beckham can be to unselfish. He picks up a wide open lane on the right side from a pass from Donovan inside 18 and decides to pull back and cross it rather than blast it with his $250 million dollar right leg. His free kick is good a minute later but nothing comes out of it.

9:30- Chivas almost scores! A header goes off the cross bar and a diving Cronin breathes a sigh of relief.

Some more Galaxy chances. Beckham corner and Chris Klein has his shot blocked by his own midfielder Pires!! Oh what a chance! Pires just had a serious lapse of judgement!

The atomsphere is really picking up here. Both Chivas bands are going and the Galaxy band just played some old school and well-needed Offspring. The Galaxy need to equalize quickly before Chivas drops back too much and plays for the 1-goal win.

9:55- GOAL! Allan Gordon on a nasty header from 10 yards out! I'll write more when I get back gotta go down to the trophy ceremony and lockerroom. Galaxy equalizes in stoppage time to get the SuperClassico crown.

Live Blog Tonight from the SuperClassico

I'm gonna try another live blog tonight. I successfully failed at producing one for my first Dodger game because the Internet was spotty at best in the press box. Maybe I'll posthomously produce it one day when nothing spots up on this blog.

Tonight I will be covering my first soccer game for the Daily News, The Honda SuperClassico, and its arguably the biggest game for both Chivas USA and the Los Angeles Galaxy. Their derby (pronounced "daarrby") match tonight (both clubs share the same venue, The Home Depot Center) is the third and last match between the two this season.

Obviously the hoopla here is the Beckham circus which can be seen live on ESPN2 tonight at 8pm PST.

Galaxy GM (and former US national player) Alexi Lalas and coach Ruud Guillit were tossed by AEG CEO Tim Linwieke Monday and put in recently retired Cobi Jones in charge as interim head coach.

Both clubs come in somewhat dissapointing form. The Galaxy are winless since June 14th, and Chivas USA has been sliding down the ranks in the last month to sit behind Becks' side in 5th place.

This is a huge game for both sides.

For the Galaxy, its almost make or break for their season as year two with Beckham has hit a standstill.

Under European coach Gullit, who brought in "sexy football", the Galaxy were on a roll the first half of the season with Landon Donovan, Eddison Buddle and Beckham showing fine form. But their defense has been lackluster all season and now that they are facing teams 2nd and 3rd times around everyone is exploiting the week midfield and backfield play.

Although the Galaxy lead the league in goals scored, ditto that to their defense giving them up.

Since this game is being broadcast nationally this has huge reprocussions for the Galaxy. They NEED to win.

Linweike said so.

For Chivas, this is another chance for them to stick it to their stadium-mates and possibly gain some ground on popularity in the LA media market. And of course leap-frog the Galaxy in the standings.

I'm leaving the Daily News office in about an hour to head over to good ol' Carson, CA. Home of a go-kart racing thingy, an auto mall and the Home Depot Center.

Then onto the pitch for pre-game interview with Cobi Jones.

Then let the madness begin!

Friday's Madness of a Schedule

Just finished marking down Day 1 of Lolla (we'll call it that for short from now on) and here is what were lookin like.
Keep in mind I have to interview Jordan Farmar via phone tomorrow @ noon.

12:30-1:15
Black Lips
1:15-2:15
Rogue Wave
2:15-3:15
Catching the beginning of The Go! Team's set, then running across the park to see acoustic sets from Wilco's Jeff Tweedy and Rogue Wave
3:15-4:15
The Kills
4:15-5:15
The Black Keys
5:15-5:45
Beergarden break (gonna be seriously needed as I talked about the weather in the Day 0 post)
5:45-6:15
Catching 2/3s of the Grizzly Bear set. Not really sold on them but this is the quite before the storm on Friday. The madness begins....now
6:15-7:15
Bloc Party
7:15-8:00
The Cool Kids (my apologies to The Racounteurs, I wanna dance and feel thug today)
8:00-?
The one, the only Radiohead.

Lollapalooza: Pre-Festival Warm-ups

Some bands have come into town early and are performing tune-up shows tonight in Chi-town.
Radiohead canceled their gig tonight, citing lead singer Thom Yorke's "sick". Hopefully this doesn't damper what should be the highlight of my musical life as we know it tomorrow night.
Some others....

Thursday
The Black Keys w/ Magic Wands
Metro, $30, 10pm
- TBK latest showed them actually stepping into a recording studio, and with a big producer (Danger Mouse) to boot. The result: More polished (of course) + some serious blues rock

The Kills & Black Kids w/ Foals
Apple Store, Free, 7pm
- Solid lineup. Too bad it will be in a fucking store and not a solid venue. Hosted by hometown Kanye protege Kid Sister.

Friday
Brand New w/ Manchester Orchestra
House of Blues, 9:30pm

MGMT w/ Mates of State
Double Door, 10pm

Rogue Wave w/ Dr. Dog
Schrubas, 10pm

-Somewhere douchebag John Mayer, ginger Brett Dennen and lesbo Colbie Caillat are playing.

Saturday
Bloc Party w/ Does It Offend You, Yeah? & CSS
House of Blues, 9:30pm
- Wear very tight clothing and make sure it breaths 'cus you will be dancing and moshing all night long with some serious hipsters (who know they're hip)

Battles w/ Foals
Double Door, 10pm
- If you rock your calculator with slim jeans, this is for you.

Lollapalooza: Day 0

Lollapalooza is less than 24 hours away from myself and 225,000 others.

Chicago is great, amazing city. And after a rousing bar hop that involved a sloppy wingman, Irish Americans (the drink and the people) and some good ol' fashioned late night streaking, I'm ready to bring on the record heat, humidity and a possible Obama appearance.

Up tomorrow is none other than Radiohead among 10 other bands that I have on my schedule.
Over at Rockdaily, festival curator Perry Ferrell has also upped the ante with a full on rave club and beer-garden inbetween Millenium and Grant Park.
I also might go check out the FC Barcelona v. Chivas game on Sunday night at Soldier Field

So we'll have reports every day from concert review, nightlife (we are attending Pete Wentz's Angels and Kings afterparites) etc.

For now, new vid from Vampire Weekend, get ready to get your Thiller/Preppy-Goth on!
Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa

....and another from electronica band M83, "Kim and Jessie". May it brighten your day with sweet sounds of synth.

M83 - Kim & Jessie


Now excuse me while I look for my streaking partner's underwear, socks and wallet

In Honor of Step Brothers Coming out on Friday

Some of Will Ferrell's earliest work showcased him and writer/director Adam McKay's unique style that brought us the William we all love and know. Random outbursts, playing to the crowd, saying the most unheard of things in awkwards situations, etc. etc.
I could put a bunch of Anchorman and Robert Goulet vids up here, but we are going WAAAYYY back in time.
Try not to laugh when you hear the line "I got my own snowcone here"
Step Brothers comes out this friday and early reviews claim it to be Ferrell/McKay's best work yet. Here's praying Anchorman 2 tops that.

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

New Rollingstone Cover

Rollingstone editor and true OG Jann Werner sat down with Obama after he became the presumptive Democratic nominee to talk about the future of his campaign.

Coldplay leakes/streams online today!

Coldplay's new album Viva La Vida or Death & All His Friends leaked online yesterday afternoon on file-sharing sites around the globe. So naturally, the next step to take (which seems to be one that is happening to curb people from downloading) is to stream the album for free online.

While most bands turn to MTV's The Leak, Coldplay's new album is on this site, IHeartMusic, an album review will be up at the end of the weekend. I have already heard the opening instrumental "Life in Technicolor", "Lost!", "42", "Viva La Vida" and "Violet Hill" (the first three from an unnamed at Capitol Records), so it will be interesting to see how the rest of the album blends in to what I have heard.

So far, a lot less open synth-scapes fuel the background, a lot more closed in, much like Death Cab for Cutie's great new album Narrow Stairs.

The State of Women's Basketball

So the headline might want to make you scroll down, but wait! It's a very interesting article by Mark Schwarz about (really) the state of women's professional. Good-ol' mid-west bred (and semi-hot) Becky Hammon has decided to play for the Russian Olympic team.

Why? Well, for one, women get paid much more overseas to play than they do here, and are treated very well. Cars, houses, food, etc. are paid for as well as your salary.

When Hammon was left off the initial 30-invitees for the US Team (later asked to try out, but with little chance of making it), even though she was runner-up in WNBA-MVP voting last year (does that mean anything?), she decided to use her Russian passport to play.

Its an interesting story that involves money (lots of it) and representing your country, or lack thereof.

You be the judge on her story...

Weirdest Album Covers of All Time

If you know me, I'm an LP kinda guy. Actually just got my first legit record player instead of the mono-speaker one I got for $10 at the Goodwill.
Let's just say I won't be buying any of these albums anytime soon.

Scrubs Get the Shock Therapy Treatment

Like milking a dead cow, ABC has picked up LOP's beloved Scrubs for one more final season. And by season, they are picking up the show for an "8th and final season" mid-season (follow me on this) to air the final episodes that NBC didn't want to produce. Then, if the show performs well, ABC will pick it up for additional seasons. So....when is it gonna end is what I am asking? Give Scrubs the proper burial it deserves and give it a great last season instead of milking it for syndication money.

This news will make your Mothers Day!!

Knights of Columbus Anchorman 2 is a reality!! That's it!

Pepperdine East?

Yesterday, Pepperdine aquired the old American College of Physicians building on Penn Ave in the nation's capitol for a whopping $17.4 mill. No word yet on what they plan to do.

The abroad program occupies a swank condo complex (a small percentage of it) just outside D.C. and students have a couple options on attending universities out there, so it will be interesting to see what Pepperdine does with the new property in the amazing location.

Will they turn it into another abroad house with classrooms? Will say flip the property and sell it?

The only thing known is that Pepperdine is starting to use its endowment (close to $900 mill and a massive on-campus rennovation) to makes "waves" (baduump....cha!) around the university scene.

I just wished they could realize a legit bball team would do five times that much for the school.

Scrubs Series Finale Live Blog

So is this the Scrubs series finale or not? Several reports claim it is, including ABC, but EW.com was on the set with Zach Braff to discuss the series finale while he was filiming what may or may not have been a new episode or ABC, which own the rights to Scrubs anyway.

Regardless, it still holds a special place in our hearts, with it wierd and nutty/screwball world that they have created, and the premise or tonight couldnt serve the series (maybe) sendoff any better. A Princess Bride retelling in Scrubs format. Lets do it!

8:30pm- A piece of me is already lost, the season hasn't been very strong as it is so hopefully this Braff directed episode brings down the house.

8:31- Classic Doug quote to JD- "Hey JD you keep reelin them in, I'll keep reelin them out." "Awsome appropriateness Doug!"

8:32- Poor The Todd, finally gets the shun from everyone.

- Great banter so far, keep it up Cox!

- Poor Ted, he has only had one shining moment this entire series, and almost had one when he was asked what a court of law looks like (in his long depressed drawl) "We all wear black gowns and white-powdered robes," poor guy needs someone to buy him a girlfriend.

- They've really been trying to ram this JD/Elliot getting back together down our throats and we know they are going to get back together, so instead of letting it go on the entire season WHAM! us at the end!

8:34- Dr. Cox sets up the fairy tell quite nicely, let the play begin! BTW, i'm not watching basketball for this even though I have a DVR, thats how dedicated I am.

8:38- They don't even try and make Janitor (doesn't he have a name now?) like Andre the Giant, lol

8:40- The name for Turk and Carla, aka the two-headed witch, Turla

8:42- Ted's orange and black tie is just too much, the man needs a woman before this series ends people! What is The Todd's actor ever going to do after this? I couldnt take him seriously (even in comedic roles) in anything else. He should just keep high-fiving people for a living.

8:46- I've always had a crush on Jordan, its gonna be sad to not see her on Thursdays anymore. At least I'll have everyday on Comedy Central, WGN, KTLA and any other station willing to pay dirt cheap for repeats.

8:53- How did Kelso get his job back?!!? I'm struggling to figure this out, he walked out of the job, laughed at returning, and now he is back at the start of the episode as the cheif of medicine. Eh, whatever.

8:57- Ted's "Yeahaha!" flying his kite made the episode, he gets the greatest pleasures doing the simplest things.

Umm....the end i guess? For that possibly being the last episode, no conclusions were drawn other than JD and Elliot still being friends (and Turk still have one testicle). But I really liked the ending, when the "fairy tale" Cox told his kid was not reality. It sums this series up for what it always has been: no matter what the shenanigens they guys get into, or how odd JD's dreams are, or how much The Todd creeps us out, they are still doctors at the end of the day, and have to deal with the struggles that come with it.

Did anyone else notice the new "ABC Studios" logo at the end? Certainly hasn't been there before so from what it seems we might see some more Scrubs, we might not, but I think the series ended on a positive note and doing what it does best, be quirky and goofy while still reeling it in in the end.

Now onto The Office and 30 Rock (waaayyy better than The Office by the way)

Walberg Finda a New Job

It was inevtiable, the former Pepperdine coach and inventor of the AASA has found a new home at UMass with former Memphis assistant coach Derek Kellog.

The Walbergs are out looking for houses to settle in and hopefully the situation works out for Vance and the family. An assitant coaching job at the college level is probably where he should have started, but its a new start anyways for the man who most Pepperdine boosters would like to forget.

When Priests Fly...

I guess priests will do anything for positive media attention these days, including strapping themselves to a shitload of balloons and flying over cities to raise money. It just proves my theory right, South Americans are crazy (as is Hooch)!!!The only problem is the dude has not been found, winds blew him in the opposite direction of the town he was supposed to land in and he last had contact 6 miles out in the Pacific Ocean, poor guy!

Nature 1

Catholics 0

for now...

Study Break No. 7

TV WATCH on EW.com

TV Watch is a great read after your favorite show. They have funny recaps and insight on shows like The Office, 30 Rock, Scrubs, The Hills, The Real World, Greys Anatomy, etc.

Here are a few to ponder at. (I'm working at the weight room so of course I'm reading them)

The Office TV Watch

30 Rock

Not as good as Gooo's Idol Recap

The Hills

An Ode to the Bros

Big shoutout to Ryan Russell over at Yale for this one. The Onion posted this gem back in 2007.

Bro, You're a God Among Bros by Zach Caldwell

My Chemical Romance Speaks Out

My Chemical Romance has been touring Latin America the last few months, and in a concert in Mexico City they finally spoke out against the anti-emo violence, obviously dennoucing it.

New Articles from Moi

Bill Buckner was finally able to return to Fenway Park Tuesday, and it was an amazing scene. My thoughts on it and the story behind the man who went into hiding becasue a city couldn't forgive him.

And then there is Tapes 'n Tapes, whose new album is

somewhat of a mixed bag, you can see the potential, but there is a whole lot of noise going on and they don't say much with it.