BWBB

Hello Friends,

I am finally getting some time to sit down and write the latest installment of the BWBB. Geez, there have been numerous new, interesting, bad and great beers since my last BWBB. Here are a few I remember:

Sofie - Goose Island
Rosie - Lakefront
Picnic Ants - O'so
Lilja's Hopnest Monster - Sand Creek
53212 - Stonefly
Shine On - Central Waters
Hopdinger - O'so
Alpha King - Three Floyds
Bridge Burner - Lakefront (ok, I've had this one on many occasions, but it's just that good.)

I should also mention that I tried my hand at brewing a batch of beer. I'm hoping this one turns out about 100x better than the last one..because my first attempt was an epic failure. This latest batch has been bottled and is currently being conditioned. Soon, it will be moved to the fridge for a little bit of cold conditioning***fingers crossed***

On a related beer note, everyone should watch the new show Brewmasters on Discovery Channel. The show follows the owner of Dogfish Head Brewery as he travels the globe in search of traditional and unique brewing methods. New episodes are Sunday nights. It is pretty entertaining.

For this BWBB, I am going to review Picnic Ants from O'so Brewing Co in Plover, WI. Picnic Ants is O'so's Imperial Saison. A saison is a type of pale ale that originated in Belgium. In the past, saisons were simply refreshing pale ales that were usually drank by farm workers during the Summer. For that reason, it is common to see modern beers brewed in the saison style referred to as "farmhouse ales." Picnic Ants is referred to as an imperial saison because it has approximately 7% ABV, while typical saison are generally low in alcohol, near 4%.

The Picnic Ants I had was on tap and served in a tulip glass. I was not overly impressed. It pours very bubbly, almost over carbonated. It has nearly zero aroma. As soon as it hits your mouth, it has a sour, citrus taste. Unfortunately, not in a good way. There are a bunch of off flavors, and the the aftertaste is acidic. I have had good sour ales in the past, but Picnic Ants fails.

I have yet to try an O'so beer that I really enjoyed. The clerk at my favorite liquor store told me their "Rusty Red" is good. The brewery must be doing something right though, because all of a sudden, you can find their beer on tap at various locations throughout the city. However, I won't be having Picnic Ants again. Just a funky ale that is not refreshing in way.

For all of those reasons, Picnic Ants gets 2 pints out of 10. I would definitely not recommend it to any of my readers.

Well, that's all I've got to say for this BWBB. Until next time...

Josh Ritter

Hey Everyone,

I went back and forth between another beer blog or a Josh Ritter blog. Ultimately, Josh won out..so BWBB still to come.

Saturday was a good day. Started out with an "ugly" yet beautiful Michigan victory over Purdue. For those of you keeping track, that's seven Michigan victories, and we will finally be going back to a bowl game. Our last two regular season games are this weekend against Wisconsin and next weekend versus Ohio st. If we can win either of those, I am totally 100% content with our season.

So after watching that game, C and I headed off to Madison to see possibly our favorite musician, Josh Ritter. A few months ago, I posted a blog about his latest album "So Runs the World Away." Yes, it is an amazing album...just like all his others. C and I have only had the pleasure of seeing Josh one time. That was 2006(?) in Ann Arbor, and Josh played the entire show solo acoustic. It was the bomb. More than four years later, we were finally going to see him again.

Sidenote: Before the concert, we went to The Old Fashioned, which is right near the Capitol. Anyways, this place looks pretty much like any old fashion Wisconsin bar: lots of fried food, tons of beer and a bunch of Badger fans. But, I will certainly be back to The Old Fashioned because they have 50 taps....all from Wisconsin. It's pretty much like my heaven, or wet dream (depending on how graphic you want to be). Needless to say, I tried about four new Wisconsin beers on tap...so the next BWBB will include mini reviews of each. Start looking forward to that right now.

After some drinks at the bar, we headed over to the Majestic Theater. Let's just admit right now that the Majestic kinda sucks as a venue. There are definitely better places to see a Josh Ritter show (plus the beers were $6), but I digress.

Moving on to the show itself, the opening act was decent. The first two pictures in the slideshow are Thieving Irons. They didn't wow me but certainly acceptable. At about 10pm, Josh Ritter took the stage. He played songs from a whole variety of albums. Some were old (Idaho). Some were new (said it was his newest song). He also mixed in old favorites with new hits. For a stretch in the middle, Josh played about 4 songs solo acoustic, but most of the show was relatively "heavy" by Josh Ritter standards. The band was really impressive. No complaints. To hear some tunes and be amazed click here.

A few pictures can be seen here.

Highlights for me, in no particular order, were: Temptation of Adam, Folk Bloodbath, Kathleen, Wolves, Girl in the War, Change of Time, Idaho, and Lantern. (I probably missed a few) Anyways, he left the stage around midnight, having played almost 20 songs. Tough to be disappointed with that. Then we exited the theater into 38 degree blowing winds, and Christina had to put up with me saying, "Damn, that was amazing" the rest of the night. But, it was amazing, so I don't feel bad.

Alright, that's all for now. Like I said, look forward to a new BWBB soon. Until then...go listen to some good tunes.

BWBB

Hey everyone,

Geez, already time for another BWBB?! Where does the time go? I have a couple of thoughts on Andy's comment from the last blog, but I'll save those for a different time...hopefully later this week. (I'm also still bitter because Andy's fantasy team seemed to score multiple cheap tds yesterday against my team...but I'm over that.)

Side note: Huge Michigan victory this weekend. What a crazy/awesome/rollercoaster of a game. Phew!

Moving to the beer. Saturday night, I went to Sugar Maple. This is the same bar that had the Local Acre launch party. It's a cool place because it has 60 American craft beer taps, and they are constantly rotating in new stuff. One of their newest taps is from Furthermore, which is a brewery in Spring Green, Wisconsin. I am not overly crazy about the few Furthermore beers I have had, but they aren't bad either. Regardless, I decided to try their latest brew, Hopperbolic.

The details of the beer are a little unclear. A quick google search doesn't reveal much information at all, other than the fact it's an IPA and it's new. I also learned at Sugar Maple that it's made with hops from Gorst Valley. Gorst Valley is trying its best to popularize the use of Wisconsin grown hops in Wisconsin beer. Gorst provides varying amounts of hops to breweries such as Lakefront, Furthermore, Capital and Potosi. The trend of utilizing local ingredients in beer seems to have really helped Gorst Valley, and I anticipate we will hear more from them in the future.

Needless to say, I was pretty excited to try Hopperbolic. It pours a pale copper color. The aroma is mildly hoppy but not strong by any means. The first thing I noticed when taking a sip was how "light" the beer is. Depending on your perspective, that might be a good thing; but for me, it fell short. Hopperbolic also isn't all that hoppy. The prevailing flavor is an odd spice that I can't put my finger on. The spice flavor is not bad, but it's just a bit unexpected from an IPA. In contrast to most IPAs, this brew doesn't taste all that strong. It tastes more like a regular pale ale, than an IPA. On a positive note, the beer is certainly easy-drinking. It might be a good starter IPA for someone who is trying to experiment a bit. For me however, it was just fine....not bad, but not great.

Because of my ambivalence, I am going to give Hopperbolic 5 pints out of 10. I could drink it if necessary but would not choose to do so. I appreciate Furthermore's effort though.

I will hopefully have a non-beer blog up at some point in the near future. This weekend, C and I are going to see one of my favorite musicians, Josh Ritter, in Madison...maybe I can get some good pictures up.

Until next time...

BWBB

Hey everyone!

I promised a new BWBB, and it is finally here. This, however, is a very special edition of the BWBB. First, this is my 50th blog! When I started, I thought I might hit 10 blogs....20 was probably stretching it...but 50?! Second, this isn't just one of those BWBBs where I drink some beer and give my thoughts; this BWBB was more of an event. So with that kickass intro, here it is:

I'm not sure how many of you remember, but one of the very first BWBBs featured Local Acre from Milwaukee's Lakefront Brewery. I was a big fan. The concept behind Local Acre was to brew a beer that used entirely Wisconsin ingredients. The barley and hops came from Wisconsin farmers, which is rare nowadays. Most brewers in the United States use hops from the Northwest. I read somewhere that a region of Washington produces about 75% of the hops grown in the United States. So beers with local hops are hard to find. The disappointing thing about Local Acre was its limited supply. A few months ago, Lakefront just ran out, and liquor stores slowly sold their remaining supply. It was a sad couple of weeks. One night Local Acre was on tap at Tess, and the next it wasn't. But, in life's typical fashion, good things were just around the corner.

Friday night, Sugar Maple (this cool bar in Bayview that has 60 American Craft taps) had the Local Acre Wet Hop release party. Wet Hop is basically what I have dubbed "Local Acre 2.0." The concept, idea and style of the beer are similar to Local Acre 1.0 but with some slight modifications. Still using all Wisconsin ingredients. Still a high alcohol content lager. Still only available on tap or in 22oz bomber bottle. And still really delicious.

In all honesty, I had no idea what the term "wet hop" meant until Friday night. Basically, the vast majority of hops are harvested, dried and then shipped to breweries around the nation. The idea behind "wet hops" is to get the hops from a local source and skip the drying. Wet hops usually have to be used within hours of harvesting otherwise their quality quickly deteriorates. Obviously, this poses many difficulties for brewers. But, people claim that wet hops have a fresher hop flavor and aroma. If Local Acre is any indication, these people are right.

I apologize for the poor picture quality above, but it was the best I could do with my phone in a dimly lit bar. $4 for the pint, and today I saw the 22oz bottle at Whole Foods for $4.99. Wet Hop is a bit less hazy than its counterpart, but it still pours a dark copper color. The aroma is extremely hoppy. I believe the beer is still around 7.0% ABV; however, it does not taste overly strong and is easy to drink. As far as flavor, Wet Hop still tastes like an intense lager, but the hop flavor is very pronounced. In that way, I think 2.0 is a bit of a step up from 1.0. The taste of Wet Hop is super fresh. No bad aftertaste that sometimes plagues hoppy beers. I was ecstatic that 2.0 lived up to my hopes. I will certainly be buying numerous 22oz bottles of Wet Hop before it inevitably runs out. I urge you all to do the same.

I am going to give Wet Hop 9 pints out of 10. Awesome.

To be fair, I should also mention that Sugar Maple was releasing another beer on Friday night as well. The beer called "Hop Harvest" is from Central Waters Brewing Company in Amherst, WI. Obviously, I had a pint of that as well. I've never had any
Central Waters beer before, and unfortunately, I don't think I'll be going out of my way to have any more. Hop Harvest is brewed as an American Pale Ale. It has almost no aroma and is equally lacking in taste. I did not enjoy it. I am giving Hop Harvest 2 pints out of 10. Fortunately, Local Acre Wet Hop more than salvaged the night. A brew that is certainly worthy of the 50th blog.

Until next time...

Sufjan

Hey People,

I was thinking the blog is a few days overdue for a Bi-Weekly Beer Blog. So I sat down with every intention of busting one of those out...but, then I thought about my recent beer consumption and was a bit discouraged. Since the last BWBB, I haven't had too many beers worthy of their own blog. Friday night, I purchased a six pack of New Belgium's Ranger IPA; it wasn't doing it for me. Then Saturday, C and I went to a wedding. Obviously, no new beers there. But, I promise a really awesome BWBB soon.

Realizing the BWBB was out, I started brainstorming blog ideas. Not surprisingly, Michigan Football came to mind. That wound is just too fresh though. All I'll say is that I am hoping/optimistic that we will come to play on Saturday for homecoming. I've still got loads of confidence in Denard. But no Michigan blog...at least not right now.

Running low on ideas, I started looking around Alterra, and I realized that the music coming from my laptop was making my wait for C to finish school exponentially better. AND that's where Sufjan comes in.

As some of you may know, Sufjan Stevens has been a pretty big staple on my ipod since freshman year at Michigan. That year, he put out his album entitled "Michigan." That album is one of the best of the decade. Then, he put out Illinois, which had most of the great qualities of Michigan but pushed the envelope. It incorporated solid "folk" songs with huge orchestras, horns, drums etc.

Since then Sufjan has had a few projects. He put out an album of outtakes and extras from Illinois (which is actually solid on its own). He oddly(?) made a Christmas album...haha. Then he did some collaborations. Well, yesterday, he released The Age of Adz (pronounced "odds"), and I just finished listening to the entire album for the first time. The last song is a 25 minute epic that basically blew my mind. The ten songs leading up to that are all amazing. The album is definitely a blend of the straightforward songs from Michigan, the complex arrangements in Illinois, and new electronic elements. It's unlike many other albums out there, but in a cool, genuine way. Honestly, in one portion of the 25 minute last song, it almost sounds like hip hop. And I mean the most awesome hip hop imaginable.

If you want to listen, I believe the whole album can be streamed here

I welcome anyone's thoughts. Like I said, expect a BWBB soon and obviously, Go Blue!

BWBB

Hey Folks,

Yep, I am finally getting the chance to sit down and write another BWBB. I apologize for the delay. Sometimes, life gets in the way.

Anyways, this week's beer is Staghorn from New Glarus. With Octoberfest coming around, it seems like every brewery is coming out with their own version of an Octoberfest....only problem is that most of them are not good. Honestly, I'm never a big fan of seasonal brews, but Octoberfests really seem to be the worst. With that being said, Staghorn is really good. I bought a six pack two weeks ago on a whim. I saw it sitting in the cooler at my favorite liquor store and thought, "New Glarus makes good beer. So if I am ever going to like an Octoberfest, this is probably it." And yes, I was right.

When you pour Staghorn, it's color is a bit surprising. It has a noticeable amber/red tint to it. Much more than you typically see from other Octoberfests...although most are actually reds. It is 6.25% ABV, so in the mid to high range for an Octoberfest. It doesn't really pour with much head, but that was ok in my opinion. I would also say that Staghorn is pretty heavily carbonated. If I had one criticism, it would be over-carbonation. The amount of bubbles consistently rising from the glass was a bit much for me. But overall, the appearance is good.

As for smell, I didn't think the beer had any extreme odor. You can definitely smell the roasted aspect of the malt. That was the only odor that really struck me.

When I first tasted Staghorn, I was really impressed with the amount of caramel flavor. The sweet caramel was balanced well with a nice spicy finish, and the spicy finish didn't have any of the bitter aftertaste that sometimes ruins Octoberfests. Additionally, Staghorn is distinctly hoppy compared to the majority of Octoberfests...and you know I'm a sucker for hops.

One additional note: Staghorn is incredibly easy to drink. It doesn't have that heaviness that leaves you feeling full.

Overall, it's a really good Octoberfest. Probably my favorite ever. I should also note that I have had both Flying Dog's and Sprecher's Octoberfests in the past few weeks. And, Staghorn blows those two away. It's really not even close in my opinion. For that reason, I am going to give Staghorn 8 pints out of 10. New Glarus is always making consistently awesome beer, and this one is no different.

Interesting side note: I recently saw a sign for Spotted Cow and it said, "Only Available in Wisconsin." So I looked into that claim, and sure enough, New Glarus does not distribute to anyone outside of Wisconsin....How crazy is that?!?!

Ok, that's all for today. I'm glad I got to sit down and write another blog.

Until next time....

Michigan Football

Hello Folks!

As most of you know, I absolutely love Michigan Football. It's probably some combination of my own personal experiences in Ann Arbor and the thoughts of my father's and grandfather's experiences there as well. When I walk around AA, I feel my family's history. I remember the thousands of miles Christina and I walked together...before we really even knew one another. And I know that the University and its people stand for the important things in life. I hope someday my kids will feel the same way. With that being said, here are pictures from last weekend's opening of the NEW Big House...definitely one of the best sports experiences of my life.

The New Big House

Quick Recap of the festivities:

Brock Mealer led the team out of the tunnel. An awesome, moving moment. To see Brock's story click here

A pair of flyovers...see picture evidence above.

30-10 victory. Enough said.

Denard. 197 yards rushing. 186 yard passing. One of the best individual performance I have ever seen at Michigan Stadium. Wait to see what he does against ND.

The new stadium. It looks great. I love the facade, all brick. Classy as hell. The boxes look good too. The stadium is deserving of college football's all-time winningest program. Lastly, I would say that it still feels like the Big House. It's just a newer, classier, more modern Big House. Tough to complain about any of it.

ND Preview:

Who really knows what to expect? How good/bad is Uconn? How good/bad is Purdue? Today, we will find out a lot. I don't see any way ND can stop DRob or our rushing attack. At the same time, I don't see any way we can stop their passing attack. Our secondary is too young, and theirs is too talented. So the game probably comes down to which team can score the most and not turn the ball over. I have confidence in us. I expect a big day from Denard and our receivers because ND will be forced to stack the box and try to stop the run. By the end of the season, people will respect him as a passer, and that starts today. Also, our dline will get decent pressure. This will sorta mitigate their passing attack. I am predicting a 35-28 victory for the good people. It should be an exciting game. Happy Watching!

As always, Go Blue!

BWBB

Hey all,

We are back with another edition of the BWBB. This week's beer is the Sawtooth Ale from Left Hand Brewing Company in Longmont, CO. I mentioned this brewery before on C and my trip out to Colorado. When we were eating dinner one night, I tried this Polestar Pilsner. Honestly, it wasn't all that great. Maybe my general distaste for pilsners was clouding my judgment, but the Polestar was not my fav. On a better note, my restaurant in Mke usually has their Milk Stout on tap...which is really, really good. One of the better stouts I have ever had. So my opinion of Left Hand is somewhat split. Anyways...

I was at the liquor store a couple of days ago when I noticed Lefthand's Sawtooth Ale. It was like 90 degrees outside that day, and I figured, "hmmm, maybe that could be decent on a day like today." Needless to say, a six pack was purchased. Here are my thoughts:

A pretty average ale without much distinctive flavor. It certainly doesn't taste bad, but it lacks any "good" flavor. There is actually a pretty earthy taste which can best be described as woodsy. It finishes pretty sweet but nothing overwhelming. Also, the beer is advertised as a "bitter." But, I really had trouble discerning any bitterness above and beyond the average ale. The beer pours very dark orange. I would say that the color is not indicative of the flavor. I was expecting bigger, bolder flavors, but it left me wanting more. I also could have used a bit more carbonation. The beer was a tad flat in my opinion.

Ok, so the jury is possibly(?) still out on Lefthand. I understand that they are sorta an up and coming, cool, hip name in the brewing world...but they have to back it up. They also make a point to note that they brew their beer using a significant amount of solar energy. So they get a bit more leeway than most other breweries. No doubt, I will keep drinking the Milk Stout, but the others, probably not. Out of 10 pint glasses, Sawtooth Ale gets 5. It obviously wasn't BAD, but it also wasn't GOOD.

I am hoping to get a Michigan Football Preview up in the near future. I will be in AA for the game on Saturday...CANNOT WAIT!

Until next time, do good and be good.

Soccer Season

What's up blog-readers?

As many of you probably guessed, this work stuff is really cutting into my blogging time. BUT, I am going to push through!

The whole World Cup blog series got a pretty good response; so when a soccer season preview was offered up as a potential blog I thought, "sounds good." Now, let me begin by saying it's a bit tough to put together a soccer preview blog that really encompasses all the leagues around the world. It's pretty much like if each country had their own NFL or NBA. The teams in England for example play each other in what they call the "Premier League." However, some English teams also participate in European leagues where they face off with other squads from around Europe. So it gets a little complicated, and there are lots of matches/teams to keep track of. Don't worry though....that's where I come in, haha. I'm going to try and simplify this as much as possible.

My favorite national league is the Spanish League, also called La Liga. Like most of the soccer fans in the world, I also follow the English League pretty closely. Then, there is the UEFA Champions League. Basically, that league is a collection of the best teams from around Europe, and they play each other in midweek games. So those games generally take place on Tues/Wed, whereas the national league games mostly occur on the weekend. It's important to understand that the Champions League matches are in addition to the national league matches. Ok, that's all I will say about the Champions League right now because it doesn't really get underway until the middle/end of Sept. At that point, maybe we will revisit the rules and teams a bit.

For today, we're going to stick with the national leagues. First up, Spain. In my opinion, La Liga (remember, that's code for Spanish League) is the most exciting brand of soccer around. People might say the English League has better players, more defense etc. BUT, when it comes to exciting, attacking soccer, nothing matches Spain. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on your outlook, soccer is usually ruled by two or three bigs clubs in each league. Entering every seasons, those big teams are realistically the only onces who can win the title; all the others are playing for better finishes than they had the yr before. For example, there is a 99% chance that either Real Madrid or Barcelona wins La Liga this season. Any other team, and it would be the upset of the century. Accordingly, my preview is going to focus on these teams with a few exceptions.

Basic format of the league. 20 teams. Each teams plays eachother twice, once at home and once on the road. So, they play 38 league games. Three pts for a win, 1 for a draw and zero for a loss. Most pts at the end wins. Pretty easy. Barcelona won last season, but it was a pretty close finish that could have gone either way on the last week of the season. The season starts next Saturday. (I believe ESPN is trying to show one game a week usually Sunday afternoon at 1ish. )

Many of you know that my favorite player for the past 5-6 yrs has been David Villa. Total stud....firmly rooted at permanent man-crush status. Well, for all those seasons, he played at Valencia who is sorta my underdog team. They usually finish pretty high, like last season they ended in third. But they were about 30 pts behind the two big dogs...so yeah, there is a little bit of a gap there. Like most clubs in Europe, Valencia is just awfully managed financially. So they basically had a fire sale this summer. Sold their two best players along with lots of their old-timers. So if they manage to finish third again, that would be impressive. The good news of all of this is that my man Villa is now on Barcelona! The common principle in soccer is that the rich get richer. So the best team in Spain (maybe the world) just added another dominant player to their roster.

Let's talk briefly about the two big teams:

1) Real Madrid: Have spent more money on new players the past two seasons than anyone. Last year they paid Ronaldo like $250mil. Then they paid Kaka like $100something. Then they paid this dude named Benzema around that too (he turned out to suck last season). Well they realized that buying all these studs wasn't going to be enough. So this off season, they turned about a paid the best manager in the world a huge sum of money. His name is Jose Mourinho. He actually won the Champions League last season with Inter Milan....and he has pretty much won everywhere he has gone. So far, they haven't made too many huge changes to their team. They brought in this really solid defender named Carvalho and one of the studs of the world cup, German named Ozil. There is also talk that they want to add a big name striker before the seasons starts next week. For example, I have heard possibly Drogba, who is just insanely good and currently plays for Chelsea. If they do that, then they will be seriously upgraded. There biggest problem last season was defensively. When it came to stopping Barca in their two matchups, Madrid just couldn't do it. Maybe the new coach will be able to help them out there.

2) Barca: ok, I'll admit that I am totally biased, but for good reason. Barcelona is filled with the best attacking players on the planet, most of whom played for Spain this World Cup. Their best known player is probably Messi. He draws so much attention that it opens up everything for his teammates. Then in the midfield, they also have Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro and Busquets. Their defenders are all top notch, Puyol, Pique, Alves and Abidal. Then this season they add Villa. It's pretty hard for me to imagine them being worse this yr. Villa will give them even more scoring ability than they already had...which is almost impossible to believe. Basically, Madrid will need to reach Barca's level last season and more in order to win the title.

La Liga final thoughts. Other teams that I like this year to make some noise: Villareal, which is home to America's own Jozy Altidore (maybe not for long though if he gets his wish). Sevilla. Getafe. And Espanyol. It should be a great season, and the fight for the championship should be really good.

Moving on to England. They are already two weeks into their season. It's the same basic format with 20 teams etc. Difference in England is that there are more teams that can compete at the highest level. The last few seasons, Manchester United and Chelsea have been battling for first, but Arsenal and Liverpool could always contend as well. Right behind them are probably Tottenham, Manchester City and Aston Villa. The one team I am interested in watching this season is Man City. About two yrs ago some oil dude from the UAE bought the team and decided to just put boatloads of his own money into it. So last season they had a totally revamped team that was supposed to challenge for the title...unfortunately, they were pretty underwhelming and ended in 5th. So, what do you think they did this yr???? Yeah, spent even more cash..haha. On paper, they should be able to compete. It will be interesting to see if they actually do.

Already this season, Chelsea has won both of its first two games 6-0. That's twelve goals in two games, ha. They certainly havent shown any signs of slowing down. Manchester United made a couple of moves, but pretty much maintained the same players. If they want to win the title, they need Wayne Rooney to start playing like the Rooney of old...not the one we saw in the World Cup. Another thing to watch, remember how I mentioned Madrid might want Drogba??? Well, he is on Chelsea. If they lose him, then everything changes.

One team I think could make a big push this year is Arsenal. I think they are finally starting to have some of their young guys gain a bit of experience. Plus they brought in a few new players who could have an impact. I think Liverpool is pretty much stuck where they have been the past few seasons. They are solid but don't really have the ability to finish any higher than 3rd or 4th. I guess we will see how this season plays out, and injuries could always mess up everything I just said.

At some point, I will do a Champions League blog because the Champions League is just so good it deserves its own space. Maybe I'll preview the groups once they are finalized. Quick little bit of knowledge: Champions League is organized pretty similarly to the World Cup where teams are put in groups of 4 and the top two advance.

Look for that sometime in Sept. I'm also contemplating a Michigan Football blog...but it might be sports overkill for my readers, and you know me, always putting the readers first......

Comment if you would like some extra explanation or have some knowledge to share with the group.

Until next time.............

BWBB

Hello Everyone!

It's been about two weeks since my last BWBB, and given that its called bi-weekly, it's time for the next installment! I'm not sure if you remember, but when I was in Colorado I had the chance to sample some local beers. One of the breweries out of Boulder is called Avery. Well when I was out last night, I noticed that they had Avery's Maharaja Imperial IPA on tap...so yeah, of course I ordered it. I think I've said this before, but Imperial IPA basically means really intense. It's sort of like an IPA on steroids and with lots of alcohol. (A few weeks ago I blogged about Oskar Blues' Gubna Imperial IPA...this is a very similar beer to that.)

Quick facts:
Maharaja weighs in at 10.3% abv. And yes, you can definitely taste it. I think Mom and Christina almost vomited when they tried it...haha.

It pours a really dark orange almost copper, as you can see above.

Loads of hop at the beginning with a woodsy aftertaste. Also, some hints of citrus and floral...grapefruit(?)

The aroma was a bit disappointing. I like when my beer smells like it tastes, but this one just didn't do that. I would expect a bigger, bolder smell from an imperial IPA.

Maybe a bit expensive at $6 considering I only had 12oz, not a pint.

Overall, a good beer. However, I actually preferred Gubna from Oskar Blues. Maharaja was not bad by any stretch, but it lacked aroma and failed to delivery a great aftertaste. I am inclined to give Maharaja 6.5 pint glasses out of 10. Certainly, I would drink it again, but I would probably try some other IPAs first. I have been a bit underwhelmed by my two Avery beer experiences, so they better really impress me on their third try.

Well, that's it for this week's BWBB. I actually had a request for a soccer preview blog....ok, maybe it wasn't a request exactly, more like a suggestion. But that sounds good. I'll try to get one up in the next few days. So look forward to that, haha.

Until next time....

BWBB

Hey everyone,

I've been slacking...again. I'm sorry, but life is just getting busier and busier. I also have not had too many opportunities to try "new" beers recently. (You know, it's crazy how having a full time job cuts into the important things in life.) Regardless, I'm blogging now and back with another installment of the BWBB!

So Friday night, C and I went to one of our favorite restaurants, Tess. Tess is awesome for many reasons: 1) Food 2) Fish Fry 3) Outdoor Patio 4) Flourless Choc Cake with Salted Caramel Custard, and 5) Pretty solid beer list. Their beer list tends to be full of Wisconsin (or at least) regional beers...so, yes, I am a fan. On Friday, the only IPA they had on the menu was from Tyranena, which is a brewery out of Lake Mills, WI. However, the description read, "brewed with orange peel." That immediately raised multiple red flags in my brain. So that beer was quickly out. When the waitress came over, she told me that they had Ale Asylum's Bedlam IPA on tap, but it wasn't on the menu. I thought, "Perfect." Now, I've had Bedlam before on one occasion a few months ago, but I thought I'd give it a second try and really evaluate it this time. Here are my thoughts.

First, Ale Asylum is a brewery out of Madison that seems to be gaining more and more recognition. I see their beers at most decent liquor stores around town. Actually, I think the Bedlam IPA is a relatively new addition to Ale Asylum's lineup, and it's a pretty solid addition. Anyways, about the beer. Ale Asylum describes the beer as a Belgian IPA. So it combines the classic elements of an IPA with some of the typical Belgian brewing techniques.

It is listed as 7.5% abv, and that tastes about right. It's certainly a strong brew, but nothing too outrageous (such as the last BWBB beer...Gubna) It pours sort of orangish gold...almost copper color. I would describe the taste as a mixture of citrus and woodsy flavor with a generous amount of hop. It's a nice change of pace from the standard IPA. It would actually be a good IPA for the person who isn't typically a fan of hoppier beers. I will say that Bedlam went FANTASTICALLY with my perch fish fry while sitting outside on a nice summer evening. Definitely on my list of beers to consider from here on out.

Overall, I would give Bedlam 8 pints out of 10. A very, very solid IPA that has somewhat restored my faith in Madison's ability to brew good beer. I will have to try more Ale Asylum beers in the future.

Until next time,
Jon

Sidenote: Last weekend, Mitch, Tracy, Ben, Theresa, C and I went camping in Devil's Lake. Pictures can be seen here.

Devil's Lake

BWBB

Hey everyone,

So, life is getting pretty busy all of a sudden. Lots of things going on for both C and I...but, you know that isn't stopping me from still posting an awesome Bi-Weekly Beer Blog!

This week's featured beer is from Longmont, CO (the same city as Left Hand Brewery). The brewery is called Oskar Blues, and the beer is called Gubna Imperial IPA. I have seen Oskar Blues name around a bit more recently, but have never tried any of their beer. It is sort of a novelty that they sell all their beers only in cans. I'm not sure how I feel about that or if I am able to fully support it, but I figured what the heck.

After our awesome dinner on Friday night, C and I went to this little bar near our apartment. The bar had a relatively decent beer list, but the descriptions were pretty minimal. I saw "Oskar Blues Gubna - an imperial IPA" and figured I would give it a try. Now, I understand that an imperial tends to be higher alcohol content and somewhat bitter, but Gubna was crazy in both these respects. When the can came, I noticed it was 10% abv! That is approaching dangerous territory. But you know me, and I pushed through...haha.

I will say that this beer certainly does a good job of disguising its high alcohol content. Gubna goes down really smooth. It also has some really distinct hoppy smells and a real hoppy flavor, as to be expected from an IPA. One of the surprising things about this IPA though is the large amount of bitterness. Most IPAs are not known for their bitterness, but Gubna really has a good combination of hops and bitter. It worked surprisingly well for me. Oskar Blues' website claims that the beer has a "citrus blast." I'm not sure I would call it a "blast" but citrus is definitely one of the flavors that is present. If I had one complaint, it would be the lack of any real floral or citrus. The hops and bitterness kind of overwhelms all the other flavors.

Gubna definitely has me interested in trying some of Oskar Blues' other brews. If I find them, I will make a note of it on the blog. Have any readers seen or tasted this or other Oskar Blues' beers before? I'd be interested to get a second opinion. Overall, I would give Gubna 8 pint glasses out of 10. I'm not sure I could drink more than one/two, but it's definitely a beer I would have again. I was really happy with my purchase. (I should also note that I paid $6 for a can. So certainly not cheap, but worth the price in my book.)

Well, I believe that's all for now! I did want to mention that C and I ate dinner at Bacchus on Friday, and it was phenomenal! I would recommend it to anybody.

Thanks for reading folks. As always, I welcome both related and unrelated comments...haha.

Until next blog, be good and do good.

Jon

World Cup Final Preview

Hey folks!
After 63 games, it all comes down to Spain versus the Netherlands for the 2010 World Cup. This should be an epic match between two nations that are both desperate to win their first world cup. It's almost impossible to believe that neither of these two soccer powerhouses has ever won the world cup. Obviously, a huge deal to both countries.

Any regular reader of the blog knows that I am a big Spain fan. Aside from the US, Spain is my team, and David Villa has been my guy for a number of years now. (Villa gets the honor of being the face of this blog.) BUT, I am going to try to be completely impartial in this preview....we will see if I succeed, haha.

Tomorrow's game should be a battle between two attacking teams. Interestingly though, both the Netherlands and Spain have very solid defenses that are physically imposing. For example, in Spain's last match again Germany, Spain really worked the ball well and created many chances. However, they were unable to score until the 73rd minute when one of their defenders, Puyol, hammered a header into the back of the net off of a corner kick. That game showed that Spain is able to use its big defenders not only in defense but also in attack. I think the Netherlands is capable of the same thing. So while all the attention will be on the flashy attack-minded players, the game might come down to the big defenders. If that happens, I think Spain's combination of Puyol, Pique, Capdevila and Ramos has the advantage.

While the game might come down to the defenders, it's always more fun to talk about the little guys up front..so let's do that!

For Spain, Villa is key. He creates so many chances and seems to capitalize on the vast majority of them. Villa is tied for the tournament lead with 5 goals. In their last game, Spain started Villa as the lone striker. I wonder if they will employ the same tactic tomorrow. Villa's normal partner is Torres, but Torres has been completely AWOL this tournament. I just heard that Torres has been pushing the coach for his starting spot back...whatever Spain decides to do, it will have a huge impact on the way the match is played.

In the Spanish midfield, look for Xavi and Iniesta. Holy cow, these two guys are just incredible. They have created some of the most spectacular plays in the tournament. Basically, everything goes through these two guys for Spain. If the Dutch allow Spain to hold the ball for long stretches and work the ball around the field, they will lose. Pressuring Xavi and Iniesta is crucial for the Netherlands. They cannot allow easy passes to Villa and possibly Torres. The Dutch also needs to keep Ramos and Capdevila (Spanish right and left backs) from bombing down field at every instance. The best remedy for this is to make Spain play defense! If the Netherlands can get some good attacks going, this will make Ramos and Capdevila hesitant to move upfield.

So, by now you are probably thinking, "Jon, all I have heard about is Spain. I thought this was going to be fair and balanced." Well, yes, this will be fair and balanced, but fair and balanced in that Fox News sort of way....haha. Actually, I'm getting to the Netherlands right now!

As I said earlier, Villa has five goals for the tournament, but so does the Dutch star Wesley Sneijder. He and Robben have the ability to create something from nothing. Pretty much any Dutch goal is going to involved one of these two players. They can alter the game in a heartbeat. If the Netherlands is going to keep possession and take Spain out of its element, then Sneijder and Robben will have to be the catalysts. Their speed may also cause some problems for the Spanish defense.

One area that the Netherlands needs to improve is its strikers. Van Persie has lots of ability but has been pretty lackluster so far in the tournament. He has to step up his game and create some decent chances because you know, Villa will for Spain. I will also be keeping an eye on Mark Van Bommel. He plays that holding midfield role for the Dutch, and he has his work cut out for him against Xavi and Iniesta. He needs to minimize their time on the ball and force them to act quicker than they'd like. Van Bommel also has a tendency to pick up cards and create needless drama. He can't do that against Spain. He needs to play solid defense and help out his defenders against an incredibly talented Spanish attack.

Wow, this should be one heck of a game. I don't think either of these teams will be content to sit back and play defense. Germany tried to do that against Spain, and we saw how that worked out for them. So I don't expect the Netherlands to follow the same formula. I am predicting a 2-1 victory for Spain, but the Netherlands will give them a run for their money. I personally cannot wait!

Remember game is at 1:30pm tomorrow (Sunday) on ABC!

Thanks for reading! Until next time, do good and be good.

-Jon

Colorado

Hello again,

I hope everyone had happy, safe and enjoyable Fourth of July Weekends. C and I definitely did.

We went to Colorado on Friday and came home Monday evening. I had never been to Colorado before, and C had only been once to ski. Anyways, I'll try to give a good summary of the weekend, while still keeping it relatively short. If you have more questions, ask them!

Best way to recap the weekend:

Colorado

We stayed in Boulder for the first two nights. It was nice. The drive up the mountain to Rocky Mountain National Park was about an hour. We did that twice. Then, we stayed in Denver Sunday night. There are some pictures of Denver towards the very end of the album.

Boulder has a neat pedestrian mall which is called Pearl Street. C and I ate a couple of meals and shared some gelatos there. There were always performers putting on little concerts or shows. It was a cool place to see. Lots of restaurants, cafes and boutiques. We also took a small walking tour of the University of Colorado's campus. It has some nice spots with lots of open green space. There is even an area with a pond and bridge. It's also really neat how close the campus is to the mountains. Unfortunately, not many students around. So it is a little bit difficult to get an idea of campus life.

Obviously, part of my weekend quest was to sample local beers. (Colorado has a bunch of microbreweries that have become relatively popular) I actually tried two beers from Boulder, Avery's IPA and Upslope's IPA. Avery's was pretty decent. Upslope's was the oddest version of an IPA I have ever tasted. Not sure I would even allow myself to call it an IPA. Minimal hoppiness and tons of malt.....hmmmmm? Not sure. Also, I tried a pilsner from Left Hand Brewery. Left Hand is based in Longmont which I believe is about 30 minutes from Boulder. I've actually tried Left Hand's Milk Stout at Nessun (best restaurant ever), and it is really good. This pilsner though was not cutting it. Maybe it's just a product of my general disdain for pilsners. Anyways, Left Hand can't be all that bad because I wanted to find their website and instead found that they have no real website! They only have a Blogspot account just like me! hahaha. So, they get a pass...but just this once. (see how I incorporated a lil mini BWBB in here? pretty clever huh?)

Also, in Boulder, C and I had one really good meal. C's halibut was perfectly cooked and came with all the veggies that she always craves. I had this cool vegetable sampler. See picture.

From Colorado

Ok, let's move to the park, which was the real reason we went to Colorado. It was awesome. I wish the pictures could do justice to the views and landscape, but sadly, they cannot. C and I have zero hiking experience, but we both thought, "hey, we are young, relatively in shape and adventurous." So we set out with a plan to just hike until we couldn't walk anymore. Well, we achieved that goal on the first day. Haha. I won't recap everything we saw or did, but the first day, we hiked about 12 miles. It was fantastic. Highlights included Alberta Falls, Mills Lake, The Loch and Andrews Glacier. The photo below shows me at the highest point we reached. We read that Andrews Glacier is about 11,700 ft, but we couldn't realistically get up there. It was getting real serious at that point people! Like there might have been no more blogging had we tried to reach the glacier.

From Colorado

The second day of hiking we went about 9.5 miles. Some of it was trails we had already seen the previous day, but all of the lakes were new. The coolest lake of day #2 was definitely Lake Haiyaha. We took this crazy trail through the woods to get to the lake. When you get there, there are tons of rocks, and you can just sit on them while you eat lunch/stare at the lake. The only thing that would have made it better would have been a beer...but I don't think my back was capable of that.

From Colorado

Honestly, such an awesome experience that C and I would encourage everyone to do. I already can't wait to go back. Next time around, I would love to hike to Flattop Mountain, which is like 2,800 ft above the trailhead. That is like 12,300 ft! How tight would that be?!?!?! I'll probably have to start actually working out/preparing for that, but it's on my list of things to do.

I think that's all for now. Like I said, I could go on forever, but I don't want to make anyone have to read all that...haha. So, enjoy the photos. (C is a fantastic photographer) I'll be blogging again soon, probably a World Cup final preview. Reminder, Spain plays Germany tomorrow for the right to face the Netherlands in Sunday's finale. You know I'll be pulling for Spain. Vamos.

Hope everyone is doing well.

-Jon

Rough Game

Brutal. Not really sure how else to describe yesterday's game. Just a really rough way to end our World Cup. A few post-game thoughts:

1) Obviously, hindsight is 20-20, and it is easy for us to pick apart Bradley's coaching decisions after they turn out to be duds. But, we need more from our manager. Ricardo Clark played bad against England and helped hand them a goal. Therefore, he sits out the next two matches. Then, he inexplicably starts yesterday, turns the ball over in an extremely dangerous area, and we are punished with a goal in the 6th minute. About 10 minutes later, Clark picks up a yellow card for a silly challenge. Bradley subs him out 15 minutes after that. For a frame of reference, Bradley made one substitution before halftime in all of the qualification and world cup matches before yesterday; it was because of an injury. The decision to start Clark altered our entire gameplan. When we really could have used a sub, we didn't have any left. I am not sure what Clark has been doing in practice, but it must be really impressive. Edu is clearly the better, smarter option. Until Clark proves himself on a big stage, there is simply no way he should be starting.

Findley was another crazy decision. In the first two matches of the world cup, Findley created very little and failed to capitalize when other players created for him. This was exactly what happened yesterday. The partnership of Findley and Jozy was never going to be enough. When Findley had a great scoring chance from about 6 yards out, he fired directly at the goalie. I'm not sure why Bradley was so bent on starting Findley.

When it comes down to it, Bradley's player selections were poor. He was asking a lot from players who have not shown they can deliver. It's hard to justify why Buddle did not get any playing time yesterday. Ok, I think you get the idea.

2) Where is our finishing? Jozy did not have a single goal during tournament, but yet he had soooo many chances. The same goes for Findley. If we want to be a great team (and yes, we are capable of that) then we need to finish a greater percentage of our opportunities! Our forwards need to want the ball and command attention. They don't do that right now. Jozy is clearly part of our future, but he needs to improve. I wasn't really considering it until yesterday, but how much different would our tournament have been with Charlie Davies?!?! Davies has an "it" factor that none of the others do. I hope he can keep developing, improving and rehabbing. It would be fantastic to see him in our squad in 2014. (For those of you with limited soccer knowledge, Davies was involved in a very serious car accident and suffered severe injuries which prevented him from being on our squad.)

3) The toughest thing about the loss is that we outplayed Ghana. They capitalized on two huge mistakes by our team. Other than that, they created very little. I already discussed Ricardo Clark's turnover in the defensive third of the field. Going into extra time, we looked like the likelier team to score. Within three minutes Ghana creates a goal from nothing as Bocanegra is out of position and shoved off the ball too easily. It was one of those plays that makes you realize how athletically inferior we are to most of the other teams. I think we can all agree that if the game had gone to penalty kicks, our money would have been with Tim Howard.

4) We need to develop defenders that are soccer players. I think we all should applaud Demerit and Bocanegra, but they simply cannot keep up with top-class strikers. If Onyewu had played, he probably would have suffered a similar fate. Additionally, our defenders need to be better with the ball. Like Ryan said, it is so valuable to have centerbacks that can distribute and kickstart a scoring opportunity. Too often, our defenders just bomb the ball down field. We need to improve in this area if we want to reach the next level of international soccer. I think it is safe to assume that Demerit, Bocanegra, Cherundolo and possibly Onyewu will not be in our squad four years from now. So we need to find the next wave of defenders.

5) I know it seems like this whole post is negative, but there are some positives that we can take away from this World Cup. First, we won our group. Second, we still have some good, young talent that will take a lot away from this tournament. For example, Michael Bradley played great, and I've never been a big fan of his. But he proved that he can play on the big stage. I also think the whole experience will do great things for Jozy. He needs to improve the mental aspect of his game, and I think he will. Keep in mind, he is only 20 years old. So there is plenty of time for him to expand his game.

Overall, our team played well for stretches of the World Cup. But we were consistently plagued by mental and physical lapses. We got caught out of position too frequently, and our opponents made us pay. Well, it's four more years until we get another crack it. In August we play Brazil in an exhibition match in New Jersey. It will be very interesting to see what our lineup looks like. I hope that it includes some fresh faces because we all know that preparation for the 2014 World Cup starts now.

Other Cup News: Despite the US being out, there is still tons of great soccer to go. Look for Germany v. Argentina on Saturday. That should be a classic. Also, Brazil plays Chile tomorrow and Spain faces Portugal on Tuesday. Both of those matches are worth watching. I'll be rooting for Spain the rest of the way. I might try to preview some of these later matches if people are interested. Thanks for putting up with the US previews. If the blog is still up and running in four years, we will have to do it again! Haha!

Do good and be good.

Jon

United States-Ghana Preview

First, please see the picture above! A picture speaks a thousand words; so I'll let it speak for itself.

We won our group, something we have not done since 1930. We are into the round of 16. So let's keep this thing rolling! It won't be easy, but we are certainly capable of beating Ghana. They play a different style than any of our previous world cup opponents. Ghana is big, physical and fast. Our team has not always dealt very well with teams like Ghana. Also, Ghana beat us 2-1 in the 2006 World Cup. So there may be a bit of a revenge factor as well. However, Ghana is not the most organized team in the competition, and their defense has looked shaky at times. We should be able to create a few great chances. The key will be capitalizing on them, which we weren't able to do very well in the Algeria game. You have to like our chances.

Five Things to Watch:

1) Does Onyewu play? Wow, we have talked about him a lot on the blog, and there seems to be a difference of opinion about his level of play. I was shocked when he didn't play against Algeria, but it's tough to complain about him being left out. Bocanegra (the hot one according to my wife) moved from leftback to take Onyewu's spot in the center of defense. This allowed Bornstein to step in and play leftback. Honestly, I am not a huge Bornstein fan, but he played pretty decently against Algeria. Coach Bradley might want Bornstein's speed on the field against Ghana, but he might also want Onyewu's physical presence. We will all have to wait and see what the coach decides to do.

2) Does Findley start again? I mentioned last blog that Findley had to sit out against Algeria because of his two yellow cards. Now he is eligible to play again. So does he automatically regain his starting spot? Or will Bradley opt to continue with Gomez/Buddle who both created a few good chances vs. Algeria? It will be tough to keep Findley off the field simply because of his speed. Keep an eye on who starts at forward with Jozy. It will tell you a lot about Bradley's game plan.

3) Midfield. The pairing of Edu and Bradley seemed to work pretty well in the first half against Algeria. But, Ghana's midfield is certainly faster and stronger than Algeria's. This is the area of the field that worries me most. I think Edu deserves another start. He has the ability to play tough defense in the middle, which is exactly what we need. For all my constant complaining about Michael Bradley, he has been very solid so far. We need that to continue. If we can close down space in the midfield, we should win.

4) Timmy Howard. He will probably have to make a few clutch saves. But, he will. One of the best goalies in the competition. Plus, he started the counterattack that won the match against Algeria. With a fast and somewhat disorganized Ghanaian team, there should be plenty of chances for Howard to get similar counterattacks going. We just might need one.

5) Landon. Maybe I don't even need to say this anymore, but he needs to be the best player on the field. Like any other sport, star players create their own luck. They always seem to be in the right place at the right time. Donovan's goal against Algeria was another example of that. He needs to use his smarts and pick apart the Ghanaian defense. Like I said previously, we will get our chances. It's just a matter of converting them. If Donovan is the best US player ever, then he needs to continue to prove it, every game. At this point, we should all be confident that he will.

Conclusion: Let's get this win! It's certainly a winnable game but also, scary. I have confidence in our team. If we get by Ghana, we play the winner of South Korea-Uruguay. Either one of those teams is beatable as well. Get ready.

Reminder: The game is Saturday (tomorrow) at 1:30pm central. It will be on ABC. So, use the morning to mentally prepare yourself (like I will be doing), get a nice lunch in your stomach, grab a great six pack, and enjoy a US victory.

Hopefully, the next blog will be a preview and not a recap!

I hope everyone is doing well!

-Jon

US-Algeria Preview

Wow! The game Friday against Slovenia was quite the roller-coaster. We give up an early goal (what else is new), then follow that up with another goal shortly before halftime. WTF! Luckily, our team fought back and should have been awarded the victory, but obviously, the soccer gods (and the ref) were against us on Friday. But, the 2-2 draw was a great result considering all of the adversity involved. So, now we have to win on Wednesday! If we win, we move on. Let's keep is that simple. Game is at 9am on Wednesday, and England-Slovenia play at the exact same time. (BTW, photo for this blog was taken at the Nomad before the US-Slovenia game on Friday. Can you tell how packed it was? Well, it only got worse...but it still fun)

I must confess, I watched the entire, mind-numbing game between Algeria and England; it ended 0-0. If there was one thing that stood out about Algeria, it was there ability to play solid defense. I still have major questions about their goalie, who has only made one international start. But, I cannot deny their ability to defend. Luckily for us, Algeria can't move on if it doesn't win. So they won't be able to just sit back and play defense. That should open the game up a bit for our offense.

Jon, what are the keys to beating Algeria? Well, faithful-blog-reader, I'm glad you asked, because I've been giving it a lot of thought. Five keys to the match:

1) Midfield defense: Both of Slovenia's goals were at least partially due to our lack of defending in the midfield. Bradly and his partner (Edu or Clark most likely) have to do a better job of closing down space. They can't let Algeria have open shots or runs at goal from 25 yds away.

2) Clint Dempsey: where was he against Slovenia?! He should have been carded about 50 seconds into the game! We need him to play better, create for his teammates, and beat people one v. one. There is a chance that he starts at forward, which alters his gameplay a lot. Regardless, we need more from him.

3) Jozy Altidore: He had moments against Slovenia. For example, he set up the tying goal with a great header, and won the freekick that should have won us the game. Jozy, more of that! Sometimes he just loses his focus. He had a great chance to take the goalie on in the first half against Slovenia, but he inexplicably lost the ball. He needs to be consistent.

4) Onyewu: He is up and down. First half against Slovenia, he was bad. Second half, he was much better. We need his imposing presence on defense and for set pieces/corner kicks. His size could be a real advantage against Algeria.

5) Landon Donovan: the best player on the field. He single-handedly got us back into the Slovenia game. His assist should have won us the game. And, his goal just after halftime was the turning point. He is possibly the only player on our team who could have converted that goal. We should all expect big things from him; he is the best US soccer player ever, so I think it's fair to ask a lot. If he plays well, we should win.

I don't think I need to say it again, we need to win. We should win. Algeria is solid, but in a must win game, we have to be able to beat them, otherwise we don't belong in the round of 16.

Questions, comments, analysis, criticism of my analysis....all of these are appreciated.

Remember the game is 9am Wednesday. (That's 5pm Israeli time if my math is correct...) Anyone is welcome at my place to watch the game. I'll probably be decked out in the US jersey sipping some lakefront and eating a muffin from Alterra. Not sure I can complain about any of that.

Hope everyone is doing well. Sorry to be inundating you all with lots of blogs, but there is just too much good stuff going on right now.

Go USA

BWBB

Hey everyone,
Obviously, the world cup has temporarily taken over the blog, but a new bi-weekly beer blog is still in order. This will be the first BWBB featuring the "new" beer rating system suggested by Mr. Michael Ruiz. Each beer will be given a rating from 1 to 10 pints glasses. Looking back through past BWBBs, I have noticed that I tend to only feature beers that I consider good. But what is the fun in that? So I am going to be mixing in both good and bad from here on out.

This week's featured beer is Bear Republic's Racer 5 IPA. I tried this beer last weekend at Sugar Maple. (The awesome photo above was taken by me) Bear Republic is located in Healdsburg, CA, and I have heard lots of good things; so I decided to give it a try. I should mention that the beer comes in at 7% ABV.

So, how does it taste? Honestly folks, I was not digging it. I thought the beer was really citrusy and overwhelmingly fruity. I could have used a bit more malt as well. One other aspect that I did not like was the lack of carbonation. I don't expect lots of carbonation, but a bit more would have been nice. On the positive side, there is a nice hint of caramel which lingers with each taste. Overall though, I was underimpressed. There was nothing unique or different about this IPA. I was expecting bigger things from this brew that Bear Republic claims is "The Best IPA in the USA."

Racer 5 gets 4 out of 10 pint glasses. I would maybe(?) give it another try, but I would do so reluctantly! Has anyone else tried this beer before? I'd be interested to hear others' thoughts.

Related Note: Sprecher came out with a new beer yesterday. It's called Belgian Dubbel. (Thanks to Emily for this tip.) I can't wait to try it.

Totally Unrelated Note: Look for a US preview in the next day or so. We play again Wednesday at 9am. Go find yourself a tv and a good beer! If we win, we move on. Let's hope we don't have to get into any crazy scenarios involving a draw.

Until next time, do good and be good.

World Cup: Analyzing Our Team

First things first, let's talk about how the US played against England. Overall, it certainly was not the best performance. Giving up a goal in the 4th minute of the game always forces your hand, and it definitely affected our game. However, we played our hearts out after getting a gifted goal. Keeping the game 1-1 was a victory considering the circumstances. Remember when I said that Tim Howard would have to make some big saves for us to have a chance, well DAMN WAS I RIGHT! Timmy probably had eight fantastic saves that kept us tied. There is some talk that he may have broken a rib or two, but I am confident he'll be out there when the US takes on Slovenia on Friday.

Three positives to take from the England game:
1) The center of our defense. Wow, for all the talk I did about Rooney, did he do anything? Demerit and Onyewu were absolutely rock solid in defense.

2) Tim Howard. One of the best goalies in the world cup. A stud. Enough said.

3) Donovan played really well. Both he and Dempsey had a role in most of our threatening plays. Donovan had a couple of fantastic crosses that could have been in the back of the net. They need to keep doing it for us to succeed.

Three negatives that need to be corrected:
1) The center midfield was below average. Ricardo Clark and Michael Bradley turned the ball over wayyyyy too many times! It nearly cost us a goal on multiple occasions. Also, Clark lost his man on England's goal. That can't happen at this level. We need to start the game against Slovenia with a different midfield pairing.

2) I'm not going to say that Robbie Findley played bad, but he wasn't the answer to partner with Jozy. Findley is out there for his speed, but he rarely beat his defender with it. I might start Buddle in place of Findley against Slovenia.

3) Ball control left a lot to be desired. Jozy needs to hold up the ball better until help arrives. The midfielders need to quit turning the ball over. And, our defenders need to distribute the ball better.

Closing US Thoughts:
one point against England was a victory. But we need to win on Friday. Slovenia is leading the group right now with three points. We should be able to get lots of quality chances and win the game. If we do that, we are set up to move through the group. If not, it might be over.

As always, I will be watching Friday at 9am. I hope you all will too. It is a monster game that makes or breaks our tournament, and I fully expect us to win!

World Cup Thoughts:
Argentina was supremely disappointing. One goal against Nigeria? They better get it together. Similarly, Italy looked brutal against Paraguay. They were lucky to escape with a draw. It'll be interesting to see how those teams evolve as the tournament progresses.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, great wins by South Korea and Ghana. Ghana might be a team to watch. They can win games with their speed and physicality.

Well, that's all for now. I encourage everyone's thoughts, questions and comments. Go USA!

World Cup Preview

I've been thinking about how I want to blog for the World Cup. As many of you know, I have been anticipating this World Cup for about four years. When the US crashed out early in 2006, I was already thinking about 2010. So, I am promising previews for all of the US soccer matches. I will try my best to include little tidbits about other matches, but my focus will be the US.

First, let's get to the basics. The World Cup starts this Friday, June 11. The host nation this year is South Africa, and the matches are played at ten(?) different stadiums within the country. There are 32 countries represented. Those 32 are divided into eight groups of four. Each group has a letter name. (For example, the US is playing in Group C) Every team plays the other three teams in their group one time. For each game, the winning team receives 3 points; if the game ends in a tie, then both teams receive 1 point. After all the teams in a group have played eachother, the points are added up, and the top two teams in the group advance to the round of 16. The rest of the tournament proceeds in single elimination knockout style until one team is left standing. Questions?!?! Haha, I did the best I could while trying to keep it relatively simple.

I should also note a few other things: 1) every game is on either ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 2) Since the games are taking place in South Africa, kickoff in the United States is somewhat early. Some matches start as early as 6:30am central.

Alright, let's move to the soccer. The United States is grouped with England, Algeria and Slovenia. Pretty much everybody and their mama is picking England and the US to advance out of this group. BUT, things are never quite so simple in the World Cup. Our first match of the cup kicks off at 1:30pm central on Saturday, and we play England. Whichever team wins that game is probably advancing to the knockout stage. Needless to say, a huge game for us! Most of the world is picking England to beat us, but not sooooooooo fast! One thing our team has is a scrappy spirit, and because of that, we can pull off an upset in any match.

So, let's take a relatively brief look at some of the key members of our squad. (Sorry if I omitted anybody's favorite player, ha)

1) Landon Donovan: If we are going to make some noise this year, it starts with Landon. He generally plays as an attacking midfielder on either the left or the right side, but he can play as a forward as well. At 28, this will already be his third world cup. Can he be consistently the best player on the field?

2) Clint Dempsey: Another guy who we need to play big. Clint will play as an attacking midfielder opposite Donovan or as a forward. He brings a flair and attitude that nobody else does.

3) Tim Howard: Our goalie. He is rock solid in goal and might end up winning some games for us. He will probably have to come up with some major saves on Saturday in order for us to win.

4) Jozy Altidore: A big striker who combines speed and physicality. If Landon and Clint can get him the ball in good positions, then I like Jozy's chances.

5) Carlos Bocanegra: Our most versatile defender. He will probably start at leftback, but he could just as easily play centerback too.

6) Jay Demerit: Born and raised in Green Bay! He will have to play tough, physical defense at centerback for us to advance in the tournament.

7) Oguchi Onyewu: Gooch has struggled since recently coming back from a knee injury. Our team needs him to play and play well. Standing 6 feet 4 inches tall and built like a tank, he might be the most physically imposing defender in the entire tournament.

Saturday at 1:30pm our quest for the cup begins. No doubt, England has great individual talent, better than us. So what can we do?

A) Keep track of Wayne Rooney. Rooney is one of the most dangerous players in the tournament. He can score in the blink of an eye, and he plays tremendous defense. But, sometimes he loses his cool. If we frustrate him for the first half hour, then maybe we can keep him from having a huge game. Our midfielders also have to be willing and able to help defend Rooney. If they don't, it could be a long day.

B)Hold our own in the midfield. England has fantastic midfielders like Gerrard and Lampard. We cannot let them run free. Michael Bradley and whoever partners with him (Edu or Clark probably) need to close down space in the middle of the field. We also need Donovan and Dempsey to help contain England's big names. This might force us to sacrifice some of our attacking ability, but it's probably the only choice we have.

C) Forwards need to hold the ball. If there is one frustrating thing about watching our team, it's the inability of our forwards to hold onto the ball. It is absolutely necessary that Jozy and his partner (possibly Dempsey, Findley or Buddle) win some balls in the air and hold the ball until our midfielders can join in the attack. If they can do this, then it will help set up our counterattack...which is probably our best chance to score.

D) Donovan. Did I mention him yet? Yes, we need him to play big. He is probably going to be matched up head to head with England's leftback, Ashley Cole. Well, when they met earlier this year with their club teams, Donovan absolutely brutalized Cole. Without a doubt, Cole is one of the best leftbacks in the world, but Donovan can beat him. If Lando has a couple of good opportunities to cross the ball or get into the box, then I fully expect us to score. The same can be said for Dempsey on the other side of the field. If he can win his battle over there, then I like our chances to get a goal....or two....or three.

Overall, we need a great team effort and solid game-plan to pull out the victory on Saturday. If we can get the first goal, then England will feel a lot of pressure and change their strategy. No matter the result on Saturday, we can still qualify for the knockout stage. I am predicting a 1-1 tie, but my heart is saying, "We win 2-1!" It should be an excellent match with all the enthusiasm and excitement that the World Cup deserves. I hope you will all be watching.

Additional note: South Africa opens the tournament against Mexico at 9am on Friday. Don't sleep on South Africa. They will come out flying in their first game on their own turf. I wouldn't be surprised if they have an opportunity to win the game against Mexico.

Ok, much more World Cup coverage coming in the next few weeks. I am confident we will be ready to play on Saturday. I look forward to hearing anyone else's thoughts or questions. Thanks for reading...if you made it to this point, haha.

El secreto de sus ojos

Hey folks,

Yes, I know. I promised a World Cup preview blog. It's coming. Hold your horses. I'm still trying to mentally process everything I saw from the United States team on Saturday. But, I just wanted to write a quick blog about a really great movie C and I saw last night.

The film is called The Secret in Their Eyes. The film is definitely a crime thriller, and it won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film this year. The story takes place in Argentina during the late 90s, but there are many flashbacks to the 70s. Basically, a brutal murder from the main character's past still haunts him. In an attempt to reconcile his past, he begins writing a novel based on the murder. This leads to a whole bunch of good plots twists. The way the film weaves the present with the past is probably its best element. The end does not disappoint.

Side note: Those of you in Milwaukee should check out Cafe Corazon. It's located in Riverwest on Bremen just north of Burleigh. C and I ate dinner there Saturday night, and it was fantastic. Cheap and great mexican food. Plus, all the beef comes from the owner's family farm in Waupon, WI. Added bonus: it's right near Nessun Dorma. So just pop over there afterward and have some great beer.

Alright, next blog will be the world cup preview....I promise.

Until then, do good and be good.

BWBB

Beer drinkers, it's your lucky day. Here comes the next installment of the BWBB.

So, the other day I was cruising through Outpost with walnut burgers in hand, and I noticed Peak Organic Brewing Company's IPA. My initial thought was "Damn, do I really want to buy a beer from Portland, Maine?" But, I figured I should be open to trying new things, especially organic beers. Well, I was not disappointed.

For starters, the price tag (atleast at Outpost) was a bit steep. $9.50 for a six pack. But, there are much worse things to spend money on than good beer. Peak's IPA comes in at 7.1% ABV, relatively average for an IPA. Immediately upon opening, you can smell the hops and a hint of citrus. I actually love the aroma of this beer. It isn't overly floral or citrusy but provides hints of each.

As for taste, Peak IPA is hoppy. There is a bit of bitterness, but the overwhelming taste is hop. You also get a little citrus and malt flavor. The blend of flavors works really well. Some (possibly many) IPAs are just insanely hoppy but lack any distinct taste. Well, Peak's breaks that mold. I thoroughly enjoyed my three bottles of Peak IPA. Actually, that brings me to another characteristic: drinkability. This IPA is really easy to drink, maybe too easy for 7.1% ABV. After three bottles, I could have had one or two more.

Overall, a totally solid IPA that I would purchase again. In fact, I'd love to try some of Peak's other brews. I was browsing their site, and the King Crimson Imperial Red Ale caught my eye. I'm not sure where I could even find that, but if anyone has any ideas, let me know. I know that I can buy the Nut Brown Ale; so maybe I'll have to give that a try.

As always, any beer suggestions for the next installment of the BWBB are appreciated. I am thinking my next blog will be a World Cup Preview. All you soccer fans can start drooling now. I hope everyone is doing well, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Until next time, be good and do good.

Door County

Hey Everyone,

C and I have been really busy the past few weeks with all the graduation festivities, bar admissions, etc. But this weekend, C took me up to Door County. We stayed in Bailey's Harbor at this nice little bed and breakfast. Trust, the breakfasts were the bomb. We rode a tandem bike about 15 miles to a lighthouse. We kayaked a decent distance out to a shipwreck, and walked through a nature sanctuary. Oh yeah, and we got real burnt! The whole trip was great. Two nights was the perfect amount of time. Please browse the pictures below if you are interested.

Door County

In honor of today being a holiday, I am going to keep this post short, and let everyone go enjoy themselves. Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Graduation

Hey People,
Not sure if you all heard, but I graduated from law school this weekend. It was a long weekend of numerous ceremonies, but I had a lot of fun. To anyone who came to my party on Sunday, thank you very much. It means a lot to me. I want to thank everyone who helped me get to this point, because without all of them, none of this means anything. My dad, who I know affects my life on a daily basis, deserves a special mention.

The photo above is my attempt to take a cool, John Grisham-esque lawyer photo on the steps of the Capitol. Even though I'm now an attorney, I'm still always looking to keep it funky and keep it fresh. Haha, who am I kidding?

I wanted to post some pictures from the weekend for everyone to see and download if they want them. They can be found by clicking below. The first set of pictures are from the Saturday night ceremony. The later photos were taken this morning when I was being sworn-in at the Wisconsin Supreme Court. So apparently I can like practice law in Wisconsin right now...that is cool.

Graduation

I have one more little event tomorrow, and then, it's off to find a job...

Until next time, be good and do good.

BWBB

Hey folks,

New beer blog. I haven't had much of an opportunity to try new beer recently, but I did buy a six pack of New Glarus Moon Man. New Glarus is the brewery that brings Spotted Cow to all of us. Actually, Spotted Cow is probably the first beer that I really loved. So the brewery holds a special place in my heart. I've since moved on to many other beers, but like the first love in your life, Spotted Cow (and hence, New Glarus) remains. Drinking a Spotted in the brewers parking lot when it is 93 degrees outside and you are surrounded by good people is a special experience.

With all that being said, I am somewhat ambivalent about the other New Glarus brews. Fat Squirrel is too nutty. Stone Soup has some odd spice that doesn't agree with me. And the fruit beers are all way too fruity for me. So, I purchased the new Moon Man Pale Ale with no expectations.

Let's talk about the beer. First thing I noticed about Moon Man was the hops. They claim that it has five varieties of hops, and I don't doubt it. The second aspect I noticed was the lack of bitterness. There is almost no bitterness to beer. I guess, I prefer a good mix of hops and bitter. For that reason, I was left wanting a bit more. I certainly would not say Moon Man was bad, but it didn't do it for me. Looking at my fridge, all the Moon Man is gone...so apparently it was drinkable. haha.

Anyone else want to chime in with their opinions of Moon Man? I would certainly welcome a 2nd, 3rd or 4th opinion. I would also be interested to hear everyone's opinions of the other New Glarus beers.

That's all I've got for now. Graduation is this weekend...kinda looking forward to it. The party on Sunday should be fun. I hope everyone can make it for a bit. There will be beer. :o)

Why I love Paul Krugman...

I am a frequent reader of the NYTimes. It's on my short list of bookmarks that get a visit every morning. Sometimes I find interesting columns, sometimes not. But one thing is for sure: when I see Paul Krugman's name, I read the entire column. Today was certainly no different. For an important and interesting read, click here

I think the oil spill is one of those news stories (similar to Katrina and Haiti) that has lingered. And it has lingered so long that eventually it becomes un-newsworthy. "It's boring. We've heard/read it all before." We would rather talk about Elena Kagan, Greece, or Tiger Woods' injury. At least we haven't read those stories before. But news stories linger for a reason, because they are important and have lessons to teach.

Down at the bottom of Mr. Krugman's column, there is a reference to Obama's commencement speech at Michigan. The President is quoted as saying

"Government is what ensures that mines adhere to safety standards and that oil spills are cleaned up by the companies that caused them."

But, is it too much for me to ask that our government not only react but also be proactive? Not only make BP clean up for their mistake, but make sure another mistake is less likely. I expect my government to regulate and do it well. The notion that somehow government does too much regulation has certainly been destroyed over the past few years. If we take an honest look at these disasters (economic, social, and environmental), we cannot rationally come to the conclusion that our government does too much regulating.

Thanks for reading my little mini-rant. The moral of this blog however is that Paul Krugman is tight. Read his stuff and do it frequently.

Law school is over. I hope everyone can make it to my graduation party on Sunday May 23. If you just want to stop by and say hello, I won't be offended.

That's all for now. Thanks.