Yup - it's a busy day in Canterbury, with lots of computer work on tap, as well as some growing grass to catch up with, a bike to get to the bike shop, maybe even a little bit of exercise (other than mowing) and reading to squeeze in along the way. (Hah!)

Here's the WPS preview for the weekend - with some interesting match-ups, starting with FC Gold Pride and the Daniela-less (and MacNeill-less) Athletica tonight at 8PM ET.

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If you've been paying any attention to JordanCornblog's track record on sports predictions, you'll know that it's pretty much best to ignore anything that I say. (This is, by the way, very freeing in some ways.)

So here are my week 6 WPS predictions ... and for more informed previews, check out Christa Mann's Week 6 Preview on Soccer by Ives!

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That's what we're doing this morning ... bowing down to UNC, and bowing down to Mo! The Tarheels blew out Michigan State last night in a lop-sided contest that was never in doubt. (And some of us were actually quite thankful for that, as it gave us the opportunity to get to bed early!) As for Mo - after a slow start, he moved up steadily, had one brief glitch, and then took the lead for good in the final rounds of play, leaving Jeff and Gary to fight it out for 2nd and 3rd places.

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Amazing game last night as the Louisville Cardinels took it to Oklahoma and are moving on to the national championship game. Angel McCoughtry came back after a dismal first half and scored 14 of her 18 points in the second frame as she helped her team put away the Sooners. Now they have the dubious pleasure of facing the UConn Huskies in the final - after the Huskies (led by the incomparable Renee Montgomery) summarily dispatched Stanford in the late game.

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The Men's bracket is up and some folks (you know who you are) have already made their picks.  The women's bracket will be finalized this evening.  Then we have a couple of days to get everything set before the games are off and running.  I'm using the NYTimes Brackets this year - we'll see how [.. Click to continue reading...

Very much.  Very, very much. No internet this morning - and of course my e-mail account problem has still not been addressed, despite much time spent on hold listening to muzak ... and many e-mails at varying pitches of irateness. You know how Bush kinda made Nixon look better?  FairPoint has had the same effect on my [. Click to continue reading...

That's how Michael Steele has described the Republican Party. I agree that muck is a great way to describe a medium comprised of the detritus of right wing preachers, radio hacks, and turdblossoms.  But it doesn't seem wise for a party that is struggling mightily to find its identity, should choose as its cheerleader-in-chief, someone [. Click to continue reading...

First off, our friend Alice (who suffers good-humoredly my unrelenting pressure to become a JordanCornblog contributor) is off to tour Florence today.  Happy travels, Alice! Happily, she will not have to leave before the USWNT faces Iceland in their second game at the Algarve.  She (and the rest of us) will be able to follow it [. Click to continue reading...

Hey there - don't forget to check the soccer channel (Fox, unfortunately) tonight (8-10 ET) for WPS News!  Per the site, here are your instructions for this evening: Tune into Fox Soccer Channel on Thursday, January 15 between 8-10pm ET (5-7pm PT) to catch live interviews from the NSCAA Convention in St. Click to continue reading...

Fingers crossed here for another good NFL day for the bird teams.  The Ravens I had with a win.  But the Cardinals?  Wow.  I just hope they didn't steal the Eagles' mojo.  (Nah ... an unworthy thought to be having this snowy NH Sunday.)  If Ravens can bring down Titans, certainly Eagles can bring down [. Click to continue reading...

There is actually women's soccer on TV this Sunday - amazing!  On the national team side of things, the Youth National Team is in Chile, where they play in the finals of their World Cup in a game that is being televised live on ESPN2 this Sunday afternoon (4:30 ET).  Yeah!  Pia has joined them [.. Click to continue reading...

I read on The Writer's Almanac that it's William Carlos Williams' birthday today.  He wrote one of my favorite poems - The Red Wheelbarrow. so much depends upon a red wheel barrow glazed with rain water beside the white chickens. It makes me think of looking into crystalline water ... absolutely transparent and absolutely mysterious! Click to continue reading...

To my mind, this was one of the finest moments in quite a collection of 'em over the past couple of days.  Bill came through last night, too. The historic milestone that Obama's nomination represents is both cause for celebration and cause for sadness ... because in 2008 we should be well beyond celebrating this [. Click to continue reading...

It sounds like Lindsey Dolich likes the USWNT's chances - but is NOT taking Canada lightly (nor are we). There were major doubts that Swede Pia Sundhage would pull the strings for a team left reeling after the loss of superlative striker Abby Wambach. But, somehow, Sundhage delicately guided a vulnerable U. Click to continue reading...

Have you missed me?  Hope you're having a great weekend.  I'm heading back to NH from upstate NY (that's HollyCornblog land) sometime today ... and will surely be checking up on the BigSoccer discussion/speculation/trash-talking about the USWNT and more specifically, what to do without Abby. Click to continue reading...

In the run-up to the Oly's it's interestting to read the thoughtful analysis being posted about the whole Solo-Scurry-Ryan episode at the 2007 Women's World Cup. Following on the heels of the SI piece by Grant Wahl, we have commentary from: Sideline Views - in which Andrea Canales cites Anson Dorrance and the way he [. Click to continue reading...

The USWNT defeated Norway 4-0 yesterday in Fredrikstad, and Abby Wambach scored her 99th career goal! Next up is Sweden on July 5th. Interestingly, the US had not defeated Norway in Norway before - losing and tying their two previous matches there. The Norwegians must love it that the USWNT's first win [. Click to continue reading...

MSNBC is reporting a new Pew Poll that shows the balance shifting between those who favor more conservation and those who favor more refineries and more drilling. Among the survey's most astounding findings is the dramatic increase in a span of five months in the support for energy exploration and production among groups that have traditionally [. Click to continue reading...

Lindsey Dolich (of ESPNsoccernet) has posted her analysis of the USWNT 18-woman Olympic Roster. I love the "battle cry" that she cites, as Pia continues her transformation of this team. Embrace change. Be brave. A profile of Pia went up on the NBC Olympic Site yesterday and I was interested to note that she debuted for [. Click to continue reading...