I don't understand all the faux-hate for soccer -- the best sport and clearly better than most/all American sports.

I don't understand the "faux" in your post.

Don't worry BBB, in about 10 years all the fogies and Jesse who hate soccer will probably be dead (or at least irrelevant) and they will be replaced by the soccer generation.

That's what they said when the WC came to the US in 1994, so far I haven't seen much of that soccer generation.

We're already irrelevant. Pretty sure death is preferable to being replaced by the soccer generation.

American soccer-haters aren't wrong, they just need to do some fine tuning. It isn't soccer that is worth hating; it's teams, like Man U, Real Madrid, and FC Milan, that deserve our hatred.

FWIW, my generation was the soccer generation. Pretty much every kid played some soccer when I was in grade school. If you want to go play soccer, I'd think you'd probably have a fun time. If you think that makes me want to watch soccer, you're nuts. I'd almost rather watch racquetball or golf. Some sports are just better to play than watch. Come to think of it, that's most sports...

Jesse, what are the 5 worst TV sports you've watched? What are the two best?

If you could substitute the traffic in L.A. with the traffic from another city OR substitute the players in L.A. with the players from another casino, which would you pick?

1994 was still too soon. I've never heard anyone from Doug's generation (though honestly have really no idea how old Doug really is) say they were the soccer generation, and I can't really say you are wrong, but I tend to think a lot more kids grew up in BBB's and our age bracket as wanting to watch soccer. When the 2002 world cup was televised I remember even the big football jocks who called the soccer players footie-**** or something were into watching soccer.

FWIW I used to think soccer was boring until I started understanding the strategic nuances that go into the game and understanding that exciting plays don't just happen when someone scores a goal.

PS. If we told Jesse his well would denigrate into a soccer discussion on page 6 he probably would've gouged his tongue out or aborted the whole thing, so I won't hijack further.

Jesse, thoughts on Manny Ramirez?

Best I've ever seen, but that's not really fair because it was on HBO. Like, there was just so much sex drugs and violence that comparing it to something on networks TV is just not really fair.

And I've never seen lost or the sopranos

....that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

1. I played soccer for 6 years. It is also not much fun to play, as the "running" to "interaction with the ball or other players" ratio is about 10 times higher than it should be.

The best two TV sports are the NFL and college football.

Before HD, I'd have to put golf and hockey on the worst list, but with HD they are off. The worst five...

1. Billiards
2. Darts
3. Soccer at Babar's LV house in low def with spanish broadcast
4. All other soccer matches
5. Bobsled/Luge

Traffic.

One of the most feared and talented hitters of all time. One of the worst left fielders of all time. Obviously drugged up for at least half, if not more, of his career. And a pretty big *******.

Don't you play golf?

(One of my friends who picked up golf said he found it boring as **** before he knew how to play but fascinating after he learned he could watch it for hours. I don't play golf, but I used to agree with you in terms of hockey, and after having played IM hockey in college - albeit D league - I gained some [very] limited appreciation for watching it on TV.)

I used to golf at a mildly embarrassing level. I've probably been 3 times in the last 8 years at this point though, so no, I don't really golf. I don't mind watching it on TV though their accents are so funny.

I used to shoot low 80's on public courses, and I find golf on TV a cure for being awake. Jesse is a man of action, of course golf on TV is boring to him.

Match play golf is the best format also. Or any event in which John Daly is playing.

Wild Rivers this year?

Favorite Pizzookie flavor?

Finally good to hang with you last year. Hope to see you again this year soon

Match play (participation, not on tv) rocks. Far better than h/u poker!

So do you watch Daly for the CRUSH IT value, or the potential meltdown, or both? I watch Michelle Wie and cry about how it isn't fair to look that good AND swing a driver that well. OTOH, I look like a caveman trying to kill his lunch out there. (Quoted, original source, Lee Trevino.)

The girl is pretending like she doesn't want to get the annual passes which I think is a bad bluff. Either way we should hit that up. Oreo ainec.

I actually mostly like John Daly because he was once sponsored by 84 Lumber, which is headquartered in Eighty Four, PA, which is my official hometown.

Bumping for Jesse's 3-year anniversary of being a pro.

From his 8/1/11 blog entry:

"If I knew back then what I know now, there is no way I'd have ever started walking down this road."

What things do you know now that would have affected your decision 3 years ago?

Dealing with downswings: are you better at it (presumably because you've had more experience) or worse at it (presumably because you've hit downswings that were unimaginable 3 years ago)?

1. How long and how bad you can run
2. How unadvanced my game actually was
3. How big the skill gap between 20 and 40 is

I'm way better. I've taken a $19k and a $13k this year. I could never have survived that in year 1.