Cue Cards Archives - Page 15 of 19

Cue Cards 9-16-14

Cue Cards is a series designed to assist with the common small talk about high-profile recent sporting events that is so omnipresent in the workplace, the bar, and other social settings.

Yesterday — Monday, September 15

Eagles beat Colts, no one was arrested — The Monday night football game was between two teams that most everyone thinks are in the top third of the NFL. They played true to form by having a close, tightly contested, high scoring contest. The Eagles won, 30-27, moving to 2-0 (two wins, zero losses) while the Colts moved to 0-2.
Line: Did you know it’s the first time the Colts have lost two games in a row since Andrew Luck became their quarterback?
Rutgers apologizes for “classless fans” — Over the weekend, my alma mater, Rutgers, hosted their first ever Big Ten Conference game in football against what, geographically speaking, should be our new rivals, Penn State. Rutgers lost the game 13-10 but we upheld our reputation for vulgar behavior when some fans publicly and visually mocked Penn State for its recent sexual assault scandal. I can’t say I condone the behavior… but when I was at school there, we were way better at ceaselessly mocking the other team than we were at beating them in football.
Line: There’s been so many other scandals lately, Penn State’s issue feels antique in comparison.
Baseball’s checkered flag — In car racing, a checkered flag means ‘one more lap.’ Major League Baseball teams have about twelve games left in their 162 game season. Playoff races are in full swing (pun intended) and last night the first team clinched a playoff spot. That team was the Los Angeles Angels. The Kansas City Royals also helped their playoff cause by beating the White Sox in a “dramatic ninth-inning comeback.”
Line: Wow, the playoffs are coming up fast. I better start paying attention to baseball!

Cue Cards 9-15-14

Cue Cards is a series designed to assist with the common small talk about high-profile recent sporting events that is so omnipresent in the workplace, the bar, and other social settings.

Yesterday — Sunday, September 14

The NFL plays football — After a week full of ancillary cultural stories, the NFL actually played football games yesterday. Read the Week Two NFL One Liners for full (and brief) coverage of each game.
Well, that was easy — The United States Men’s National Basketball team finished their romp through the FIBA World Cup of Basketball with a 129-92 victory. Looking back on the tournament, the toughest game the team had, was against Turkey in the group stage. It may have been different if Spain had made it to the finals, because they were expected to be around even with our team, but they were knocked out of the tournament in the quarterfinals by France.

Cue Cards 9-12-14

Cue Cards is a series designed to assist with the common small talk about high-profile recent sporting events that is so omnipresent in the workplace, the bar, and other social settings.

Yesterday — Thursday, September 11

Goliath beats David easily — After France’s upset of Spain in their FIBA Basketball World Cup quarterfinal game, it was easy to feel like upset was in the air, and to get a little nervous about the United States’ game against Lithuania. Not to worry though, after a slow start, the United States outscored their opponent 53 to 24 in the second half. The U.S. team moves on to the finals in Madrid where they will face the winner of France vs. Serbia.
Line: It’s starting to look like the U.S. team, even missing some of our biggest stars like LeBron, Kevin Durant, and Paul George, is simply in a different class from its opponents.
It’s us against the world = victory — One of the incongruities of how people within the NFL talk about football is the subject of “distractions”. “Distractions” like from having an openly gay player on your team are seen to be a legitimate cause of concern as something that could derail the performance of the team. But, predictably, when there are real distractions, like when your team is embroiled in a domestic abuse scandal and potential cover up, that “distraction” gets used as a rally cry within the team’s locker room and seems to almost always lead to a victory. So it was last night when Ray Rice’s old team, the Baltimore Ravens played their division rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Ravens won, 26 to 6.
Line: I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised at the Ravens performance. Doesn’t it seem like teams in the middle of scandals always play well and usually win?

Cue Cards 9-11-14

Cue Cards is a series designed to assist with the common small talk about high-profile recent sporting events that is so omnipresent in the workplace, the bar, and other social settings.

Yesterday — Wednesday, September 10

Spain upset by France — It sounds like the plot of a children’s book about regional food but it really happened yesterday in the FIBA Basketball World Cup. The host country, and co-favorite to win the entire tournament, Spain, was defeated 65-52 by France. This is a real shock, in part because France lost by 24 points to Spain earlier in the tournament. What to make of it? Well, for one, it means that the United States matchup against Spain in the championship game that was expected, won’t happen. Spain is eliminated. It’s a good reminder though, that if the gap between the rest of the world and the United States in terms of basketball wherewithal (that should be the name of a blog) is closing, then so too is the gap between the rest of the world and itself.
Line: I can’t believe Spain lost on their home court. And to neighboring France to boot! They must be so sad in Spain today.
Decade-long underdogs holding on — People often use the phrase “national pastime” to refer to baseball, but it must be said, given how little room on sports pages baseball is receiving, even as its regular season charges into tight playoff races, that it’s no longer our national sport. That said, the most compelling part of baseball season is upon us and a couple of long-suffering, long-pretty-bad franchises are desperately trying to hold onto playoff spots. Both won important games last night. The Pittsburgh Pirates beat in-state rival, Philadelphia Phillies, 6-3 and the Kansas City Royals shut out the Detroit Tigers 3-0. If the season ended now, both the Pirates and the Royals would make the playoffs.
Line: Baseball might not be the national pastime anymore but rooting for the underdog still is! Go Pirates and Royals!
The NFL’s Watergate Week continues — An AP story broke yesterday with the news that the NFL received a copy of the video from inside the elevator where Ray Rice assaulted his fiancee months ago. This only confirms my opinion that the question we should be asking NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is “what did he know and when did he know it.” Given yesterday’s news, it sounds more likely than ever that Goodell’s job is in jeopardy over this.
Line: Wow. Goodell’s got to resign or be fired.

Cue Cards 9-10-14

Cue Cards is a series designed to assist with the common small talk about high-profile recent sporting events that is so omnipresent in the workplace, the bar, and other social settings.

Yesterday — Tuesday, September 9

U.S. Basketball Advances — It seems more and more like neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night will stay our national basketball team from its appointed FIBA Basketball World Cup championship matchup with Spain. Slovenia fought the good fight but by the third quarter, the U.S. team had run them ragged. The final score was United States 119, Slovenia 79. In the other quarterfinal, Lithuania toppled Turkey 73 to 61. Serbia plays Brazil today at noon ET and France plays Spain at 4 p.m. ET. You can catch those games on ESPN3.
Line: Rooting for the U.S. team is an exercise in rooting for the other team to keep it exciting for the first three quarters and then, if necessary, rooting for the U.S. in the fourth quarter.
Game two of the WNBA Finals — Okay, truthfully, almost no sports fans that you bump into during the day today will be talking about this. But they should be, so here’s a few facts you can use to get the conversation started. The finals are a best three out of five series between the Chicago Sky and the Phoenix Mercury. Game two was last night and the Mercury won big, beating the Sky 97 to 68. This was the single largest margin of victory in WNBA finals history. The Mercury are also on a 20 game winning streak which started before the playoffs even begun. Phoenix stars Diana Taurasi at point guard and Brittney Griner who plays center. During last night’s game, “Chicago scratched Brittney Griner across the eyelid, chipped one of her teeth and bloodied her lip.” She barely missed any playing time and finished the game with 19 points, six rebounds, and four blocks. After the game, her teammate Candice Dupree reported that, Griner’s teammates, “huddled around her, and were saying, ‘Come on, BG, you’re all right.’ Sometimes you gotta give people tough love. I think, emotionally, it would have gotten to her last year. If nothing is broken and you’re not bleeding to death, then you’re OK.” Game three is on Friday night, 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Line: Hey, did you watch game two of the WNBA finals last night? Heck of a game… [insert factoid from above] Want to get together to watch game three on Friday?

Cue Cards 9-9-14

Cue Cards is a series designed to assist with the common small talk about high-profile recent sporting events that is so omnipresent in the workplace, the bar, and other social settings.

Yesterday — Sunday, September 7

Ray Rice Released — TMZ.com released video of NFL player Ray Rice assaulting his then fiancee in an elevator. The emotional (and PR) power of the video led to Rice being immediately released by his team and suspended indefinitely by the league. A full summary and my take on this can be found here.
Line: Ray Rice was unequivocally in the wrong since the minute he struck his fiancee but the law and the NFL didn’t have to be. Their inappropriate response now puts them at the center of this story.
U.S. Open Winner — Marin Cilic defeated Kei Nishikori in the men’s finals of the U.S. Open. The U.S. Open is the last of the four major tournaments of the year, so, although tennis season officially continues, casual coverage of it basically stops until next Spring. As pointed out by Kyle Jurczak on Fancred, Cilic won in three straight sets, all six games to three, which was the same score Serena Williams won her straight set final in. Weird! Also from Kyle, this means that 2014 saw eight different people win the eight (four men’s, four women’s) available major tournaments. Weird!
Line: Did you know [insert one of Kyle’s cool stats here.]
The last two NFL games (until Thursday) — I’m not sure why but for some reason the NFL always starts with two Monday night football games on the first weekend of the professional football season. Maybe it’s shock treatment to get used to having football back in our lives? The earlier game between the Giants and the Lions was a yawn, as predicted by it being featured in our Do Not Watch This Game column, but the second game was a close one that came down to the last few minutes. The Arizona Cardinals just squeaked by the San Diego Chargers, 18 to 17.
Line: It’s too soon to make any real conclusions from week one. The Cardinals and Chargers might both be really good or both be pretty mediocre. The Lions could be great or the Giants could be so terrible that they made them look great.

Cue Cards 9-8-2014

Cue Cards is a series designed to assist with the common small talk about high-profile recent sporting events that is so omnipresent in the workplace, the bar, and other social settings.

Yesterday — Sunday, September 7

The National Football League Makes its triumphant return — With all the off-season mess: players being suspended, players being suspended, owners being suspended, etc. it was easy to wonder why professional football has such a pull on us all. Yesterday’s football games reminded us why — because they are exciting! Full tiny synopses in our NFL One Liners column.
Line: That’s why the NFL is the most popular sport — two overtime games, comebacks left and right, fantasy football excitement!
Serena reigns supreme over nearly everyone — Serena Williams never lost more than three games in a set (you need to win 6 to win the set) during the entire U.S. Open tournament. Fittingly, she beat her opponent in the final, Caroline Wozniaki, 6-3, 6-3. Serena Williams is great.
Line: It’s amazing that Serena Williams is still so dominant at an age (32) when most other tennis players are on their way to retirement.
The Basketball World Cup gets serious — The round of 16 in the FIBA Basketball World Cup is complete after four games yesterday. There were no enormous surprises — the U.S. and Spain still seem fated to meet in the finals. The most hotly contested game was between neighbors and rivals Brazil and Argentina. Possibly seeking a little cosmic revenge for the soccer World Cup, the Brazilian team won 85 to 65. The next round of the tournament begins on Tuesday.
Line: Brazil had too much size inside, with Anderson Verejao, Tiago Splitter, and Nene, for Argentina to handle.

Cue Cards 9-5-2014

Cue Cards is a series designed to assist with the common small talk about high-profile recent sporting events that is so omnipresent in the workplace, the bar, and other social settings.

Yesterday — September 4

I wrote a post yesterday about the two most exciting sports games on TV that night called “I don’t always watch sports, but when I do, I prefer contrasts“. Here’s what happened in those two events.

Cool outlasts Hot — Last night Roger Federer beat Gael Monfils in a five set U.S. Open quarterfinal tennis match. I wrote about the two that Federer “doesn’t get ruffled.” He had to use all his anti-ruffling skills after losing the first two sets. About Monfils on the other hand, I wrote that he, “spends a lot of time self-destructing on tennis courts.” That’s exactly what happened. After losing by just a little in the third and fourth set to a determined Federer, Monfils got into his own head and lost the fifth set six games to two. They both played to type.
Line: “Federer’s gonna Federer and Monfils is gonna Monfils.” Or, less obtuse, “That’s why Federer is a champion and Monfils isn’t — mental toughness.”
Defense flusters offense — The Seattle Seahawks beat up, confused, and eventually just beat the Green Bay Packers during their 36 to 16 victory last night. The defense sacked Green Bay Quarterback Aaron Rodgers three times, forced one fumble, one safety, and one interception. Meanwhile, that “frankly bad” defense of the Packers fairly wilted under the pressure of Seattle’s offense which did “pound their opponent into the ground with powerful running attacks” as predicted. The Seahawks ran for 191 yards, averaging a massive 6.8 yards per carry.
Line: “The most physical team wins most football games and last night that team was the Seahawks.”

Cue Cards 9-4-2014

Cue Cards is a series designed to assist with the common small talk about high-profile recent sporting events that is so omnipresent in the workplace, the bar, and other social settings.

Yesterday — September 3

Djokovic beats Murray — The most highly anticipated men’s tennis match yesterday was the nightcap of the U.S. Open between Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic. With a start time right around 10 p.m., there was the possibility of it lasting until 3 a.m. if it had gone into a fifth set competitively. Instead, after two very close sets which both went into tie-breaks, Murray seemed to fade because of hip and back pain and Djokovic won the final two sets by a wide margin. The two players have been playing each other since they were 13!
Line: “What a shame that Murray lost it physically because the first two sets were so close. I’m not sure anyone left can beat Djokovic.”
The two faces of baseball — Yesterday’s slate of baseball games had two great games on either side of the baseball spectrum. Both were competitive and close. One was a low-scoring “pitcher’s duel” and the other was a big-hitting “slugfest.” The Seattle Mariners beat the Oakland Athletics 2-1 in a matchup between great pitchers Felix Hernandez (Seattle) and Jon Lester (Oakland). The Washington Nationals beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in a game that needed extra innings over the normal nine because it was tied after nine. The game ended in the fourteenth inning after the Nationals scored three runs in that inning.
Line: “People love those high scoring baseball games but I really appreciate a well played defensive game like the one between Oakland and Seattle.
Here comes football — actual sporting events aside, the thing on most sports fans’ minds today is going to be the National Football Leagues season which starts tonight with a game between the defending champions, the Seattle Seahawks, and the Green Bay Packers. Seattle is expected to again have the best defense in the league while Green Bay is expected to have one of the best offenses. The NFL is the least predictable of the major sports leagues but this seems like it will be an exciting game.
Line: “Remember last year when the defending champion Baltimore Ravens got beat by the Denver Broncos 49 to 27? It could happen again… but I doubt it because Seattle’s defense is too good.”

Cue Cards 9-3-14

Cue Cards is a series designed to assist with the common small talk about high-profile recent sporting events that is so omnipresent in the workplace, the bar, and other social settings.

Yesterday — September 2

The Quiet Before the Storm — Not to step on my own blog here but there just wasn’t that much high profile sports going on yesterday. Because of that, most sports fans’ minds will be full of anticipation for the NFL season, which starts on Thursday, and their own fantasy teams.
Tennis in a Sauna — The tennis players at the U.S. Open yesterday had to play under very adverse conditions. It was in the low 90s with 45% humidity. I live about 30 blocks from the stadium and I had to take a supplementary shower yesterday afternoon just from blogging. I can only imagine how horrible it must have been for people trying to play tennis! The notable winners of the day were Roger Federer and Gael Monfils who will play each other in the next round and Caroline Wozniaki and Peng Shuai who will play each other for a place in the finals.
If College Football is the Thing — Then you will have paid attention to the release of the weekly top 25 teams put out by the Associated Press. Although it’s essentially meaningless until the end of the season, college football fans pay close attention to where their team is ranked throughout the year. It’s a source of great conversation and consternation throughout the nation.