The Texas Homeless Network presents the Face the Homeless Film Fest, Tuesday, Sept. 2, at the Alamo Ritz, 320 E. Sixth. The program includes the Texas premiere of Kicking It, a documentary about the 2006 Homeless World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa. That film is 3-5pm ($25); the full event is 8:30am-5pm ($75). Among those in attendance: a player with the Entourage Austin Street Soccer team who's been selected for the national team that's going to Australia for the 2008 HWC in December.
Full event info with this column online; see also www.kickingitthefilm.com, www.streetsocceraustin.org, and www.homelessworldcup.org.
St. Edward's women (17-3 last season) are ranked 23rd in the NCAA Division II preseason rankings. They start their season today with a scrimmage against Southwestern: Thursday, Aug. 28, 5pm. The Hilltopper men start their regular season Sunday, Aug. 31, 1pm against Regis. Both teams compete in the tough Heartland Conference, along with national powers St. Mary's and Incarnate Word of San Antonio.
Below: more home teams: Longhorns, Stoke City, U.S. Men and Women, MLS in CONCACAF.
Sanya Richards – shown here at a 2007 Berlin meet – saved the day for the U.S.
photo courtesy of IAAF
In Tuesday's 400 meters at the Beijing Olympics, the homestretch was a nightmare for former Longhorn Sanya Richards, as a cramping hamstring with 80 meters left caused her huge lead to evaporate into a third-place finish.
In Saturday's 4 x 400 relay, the homestretch was her dream come true, as she anchored the United States to a come-from-behind victory and showed that she really is a champion runner.
Taking the baton with a three-meter deficit behind Russia's Anastasiya Kapachinskaya, she methodically chipped away at the gap and dramatically edged ahead with 30 meters left to take gold. Her blistering closing leg of 48.9 seconds carried the U.S. to a 3:18.54 win, just .28 ahead of the Russians.
The win allows Richards to exit the Olympics with at least some satisfaction, and a much better mood than after her 400 defeat, in which she had been the overwhelming favorite.
The 2008 Little League World Series has narrowed the pool down to four teams and four final games to be held this weekend. It's Japan versus Mexico in the International Championship game (11:30am, Saturday, ABC) and Hawaii and Louisiana playing to see who's best in the U.S. (2:30pm, Saturday, ABC). The Championship Game will take place Sunday at 2:30pm with the Consolation Game being played at 11am (both on ABC). For more on LLWS schedules and scores click here.
If you got a young'un who's not ready for the Little League action to end, Activision has got you covered. Little League World Series 2008 is out now for the Wii (and Nintendo DS) and is the first officially licensed LL game for next-gen consumers. The motion-sensing controls allow easy accessibility for players of all ages and all skill levels. Sixteen teams from around the globe are featured (eight from the U.S.) as well as three Little League stadiums (Lamade Stadium, Volunteer Stadium, and All-Star Field). LLWS 2008 also features fun power-ups, World Series mode, skill challenges, and much more to keep the young baseball fan fixated until next season.
Former Texas Longhorn NCAA champion Trey Hardee was in contention for a medal through the first six events of the 10-event decathlon, but his Beijing experience went awry in the seventh, the pole vault. He failed to clear his opening height of 15-5 in the pole vault, giving him zero points. Scoring a zero in any of the 10 events makes medaling pretty much impossible – he instantly dropped from 4th place to 23rd – so he dropped out of the competition.
Hardee appeared to have an injured hand that hampered him in the throwing events, and presumably also made vaulting difficult, but he made no mention of it in his post-competition interview with NBC.
To the untrained eye, UT ex Marshevet Hooker's failure to get a medal might be viewed as a continuation of the mostly miserable experience that the United States team has suffered in the 2008 Olympics.
Yes, the U.S. has gone 0-6 on golds in the short sprint events (men's and women's 100, 200, and 4x100 relays - the latter featuring two dropped batons), but Hooker owes no one any apologies. She placed fifth in today's 200 meter dash, but ran a lifetime best of 22.34 seconds to get it and can come back to Austin with head held high.
Also today, another former Longhorn, Trey Hardee, got off to a solid start in the decathlon. As of this writing, after six of the 10 events, he is currently standing third. In fact, if not for a poor shot put, he might be in the lead. His 5,377 points place him behind teammate and world champion Bryan Clay (5,505) and Andrei Krauchanka of Belarus (5,381).
The decathletes have completed the 100, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400, and 110 meters hurdles; still to come are the discus, pole vault, javelin throw, and 1500 meters.
Still to come for Austin: Sanya Richards placed a disappointing third yesterday in the 400 meters when her hamstring cramped up with 80 meters to go. If she has recovered, she'll run on the 4x400 meters relay.
I hate to say it, but those 11am Sunday practices have helped the Chronicle's game phenomenally. I hate to say it because I have to be at those morning practices, and typically after a night of boozin' and bruisin'. There was a 90% chance of rain on game night, Monday, Aug. 18, but our game vs. second-place BookPeople went on as planned, in the muggy, saunalike night. This game would be different than our last round with BookPeople, who clobbered us 28-14 earlier this season and made us all realize that practice was necessary. Thanks for that, BookPeople.
The first three innings went back and forth – Chronicle up one, tie, BookPeople up one, then ending the third inning tied at 2. In the first Shannon Stott scored a run on a hit to deep right field by Travis. In the next inning we played good defense, allowing BookPeople to only plate one run, but our offense struggled, with three batters up and three down. Bottom of the third, Doug Freeman placed the ball right over the rover for a double and picking up an RBI (scoring James Renovitch).
Melaine Walker beat the world today in the 400 meters hurdles
photo courtesy of University of Texas
The rest of the world today is buzzing about Usain Bolt's amazing world record in the men's 200 meters, but it would be a shame to overlook another Jamaican's accomplishment. Just 15 minutes after Bolt's win, former Texas Longhorn Melaine Walker blistered the 400 meters hurdles field in an Olympic record 52.64 seconds, destroying her previous personal record of 53.48. Her time is the fourth-fastest in history, and only three-tenths of a second off the world record. Walker's win continues an Olympics wherein the Jamaicans are thoroughly beating up on the usually dominant Americans in the sprinting events.
Also today, former Longhorn and San Antonio native Marshevet Hooker placed second in her semifinal of the 200 meters and will run in Thursday's final. And, since it's already Thursday in Beijing, another Texas Ex, Trey Hardee, has started the two-day decathlon. Both, although in their first Olympics, are realistic medal prospects.
The eighth-ranked UT Longhorns open their regular season at home against Samford this Friday, Aug. 22 at 7pm (Mike A. Myers Stadium, Manor Rd. at Red River. $7 for adults, $4 youth & seniors). They tuned up last weekend with a 3-1 win in Los Angeles, over a pretty good Loyola-Marymount team. And in a coaches poll, the Horns were narrowly picked over Texas A&M as the Big 12 favorite, while preseason all-league honors went to senior defenders Stephanie Logterman and Kasey Moore, and sophomore forward Niki Arlitt, last year's second-leading scorer.
Tough start for Stoke City in their first-ever game in the English Premier League: a comprehensive 3-1 loss to Bolton, who barely escaped relegation last season. Next up: the home opener against Aston Villa, this Saturday, Aug. 23, 1:30pm, live on FSC. A group of Stoke/Austin Aztex supporters will be watching in the back room at Mother Egan's (715 W. Sixth).
Olympic soccer finals: the U.S. Women play Brazil Thursday at 8am, right as this paper's being distributed. The Men's final, Argentina-Nigeria, is live on CNBC at 11pm Friday night. Game of the tournament so far: Argentina thoroughly frustrating arch-rival Brazil in the semifinal, 3-0. Not a good sign for the Brazilians under embattled coach Dunga, who currently sit fifth in South American qualifying for the 2010 World Cup.
Speaking of the WC, watch this space for the result from the U.S. opener at Guatemala, being played just after press time Wednesday night.
Austin's Sanya Richards suffered another championship disappointment
photo courtesy of the IAAF
Despite three years atop the world rankings in the women's 400 meters, former Longhorn track & field champion Sanya Richards still has no global championship gold around her neck. On Tuesday, she appeared to be powering her way to sweet victory in the one-lap race, only to have it turn sour as her hamstring cramped with about 80 meters to go. She faded to the bronze medal position, finishing in 49.93 seconds, well short of her personal best.
The fates seem to be aligned against her in championship races: Last year, she was unquestionably the best quartermiler in the world, but illness hit her at just the wrong time and kept her off the U.S. team for the World Championships. Richards had hoped this would be a perfect championship year for her future family: Her fiance, New York Giants (and ex-UT) cornerback Aaron Ross picked up a Super Bowl ring in February.
The Texas Rollergirls' league season may be over, but there's still the post-season to deal with, and the all-important recruitment for next year.
First, some good news for the Hustlers. The ladies in purple and silver may have ended up with a blank intraleague score card, but last Saturday they proved they're still better than most teams in any other league, travelling to Florida to deliver a 107-40 hammering to the Tallahassee Rollergirls' Capital Punishment touring team.
Now for the recruitment: While TXRG's own traveling team the Texecutioners gets ready for upcoming regional finals, there's a slew of veterans retiring this year from the Hell Marys (Apocalipps, Derringer and Sparkle Plenty), the Hotrod Honeys (Miso Fresh, Pain Jane and Rebellika) and the Hustlers (Slim Kickins and Spawn of Terror, although Lady Stardust said at the championship that, contrary to earlier reports, she's only 50-50 about retiring.) So this means the rollergirls are looking for fresh talent for next season. They'll be holding open try-outs on Sept. 1. See below the fold for details.
The U.S. men open World Cup qualifying group play tomorrow night in Guatemala City. Should be a good match; Guatemala has never qualified, but they've got a few really top-class players, and they really think this could be their year.
Here's a good article from the Washington Post.
The game will be shown live on ESPN2; the Austin Aztex supporters' group, Chantico's Army, will be getting together at their home-away-from-home, the back room at Mother Egan's (715 W. Sixth), trying to get rid of the bitter Olympic soccer aftertaste.
James Kirkland is featured in the main event of ESPN's 'Friday Night Fights' Sept. 5 at the Austin Music Hall
James Kirkland's life story of bad times as a child and a hard-knock life is all too familiar. He grew up without a father on the streets of East Austin in a poor family that needed food stamps to survive. Kirkland had to rely on what he knew to protect himself. What he knew was how to use his fists as weapons, often fighting in the streets of his neighborhood.
“There were lots of drug dealers, and I was always fighting,” said Kirkland. “[I like] going to the boxing gym and being around civilized people. Now, I tend to stay at home with my kids, James Jr. [4 years old] and Gabriel [1].”
Kirkland was developing into a good fighter, knocking out almost every opponent who dared enter the ring against him. But, like a lot of people in similar circumstances, he surrounded himself with those who could bring him down. Unfortunately for Kirkland, he had to learn the hard way.
I don't think I'll be challenging Tony Stewart or Dale Jr. to a race any time soon after my humbling turn as a kart driver this past weekend at Iron Rock Raceway. The friendly folks at IRR were hosting their Austin Grand Prix (with a 5K purse) and kindly invited yours truly to take part in the Sponsor Showdown – 11:30am, Saturday, Aug. 16. Being one to never turn down a sporty challenge, I eagerly accepted. I should have stayed home. I was one of 14 drivers in the SS and I knew I was in trouble when we were randomly picking our karts and all the other drivers seemed to know which ones were the fastest (and slowest). After donning my racing jacket, gloves, helmet, and neck brace(!), it was off to the track. The course was a winding three-quarters-of-a-mile long and we were to make 20 laps around the back-breaking raceway.
After first embarrassing myself during the two practice laps by holding up the entire field behind me, it took all of one lap for me to fall into last place; where I remained for the following 19 laps. Race-car drivers of all levels earned much respect in my book as most every muscle in my body was sore from trying to navigate my kart – that goes up to 50 mph, the souped-up ones go up to 100 mph – 20 times around the curvy track. I was all tuckered out halfway through but managed to survive till the end. Following the race everyone was kind and somehow resisted teasing me on my sad showing. Regardless of how badly I performed, it was fun to try something I'd never done before and I recommend a trip out to Iron Rock to all readers of the Score looking for a new and fun challenge.
Years ago, I saw this comedian on television. I can’t remember his name, or most of his routine, but there was one thing he said that’s stuck with me. Talking about the 1994 World Cup, which was hosted by the U.S., he wondered why it was that not a single incident of football hooliganism had occurred during the tournament. The answer he came up with was that since most of the games were taking place at stadiums in some of the roughest parts of some of the roughest cities in America, European soccer thugs had either decided to stay home or play nice. In other words, despite playing tough on that side of the pond, they were actually afraid of the thugs we’ve got on this side.
I heard this, and despite my distaste for violence, my loathing for the mob mentality, my total mystification with team partisanship, and my tepid sense of patriotism, I couldn’t help but well up with national pride: I come from a country with the meanest, most terrifying thugs in the world!
More of my updates on Longhorn/Austin track & field athletes in Beijing: Yesterday, former Longhorn Michelle Carter, finished 15th (and last) in the women's shot put final. Her throw of 58 feet, 2 1/2 inches was well below the 60-8 that she threw in that morning's qualifying round and the personal best of 61-10 1/4 that put her on the Olympic team earlier this summer. The Olympics are a family affair for Carter: Her father, Michael, was the silver medalist in the shot at the 1984 Los Angeles games, and later went on to be an all-pro nose tackle for the San Francisco 49ers.
In the women's 400 meters, the favorite in the event, Sanya Richards, easily won her opening heat in 50.54 seconds. The semifinals are today. Former Longhorns will also be in other events today: Jamaica's Melaine Walker will run her opening heat in the 400 meters hurdles, and for the United States, Andra Manson will compete in the qualification round of the men's high jump and Leonel Manzano has his semifinal in the men's 1,500 meters.
