The U.S. women’s Olympic soccer team is set to get its match tomorrow beamed live to an outdoor screen in Mount Vernon Square.
The free showing is scheduled to begin on the Carnegie Library grounds (801 K St. NW) at 6 p.m. Tuesday, when the United States kicks off its game against Colombia, according to a news release.
Hosted by the U.S. Soccer Foundation, EventsDC and the Colombian Embassy, the watch party will include food trucks and “soccer pool,” in which participants can kick around balls on a large surface intended to mimic a billiards table.
Although registration isn’t required, soccer fans cans RSVP online to win free food and drinks during the match, a soccer ball signed by current and former U.S. women’s national team players and tickets to see the National Women’s Soccer League’s Washington Spirit.
Photo via U.S. Soccer Foundation
From Kent Barnes. Follow him on Twitter @KentBarnes, email him at kent[AT]borderstan.com.
Kent Barnes’ eight years of YouTube sports videos. (Luis Gomez Photos)
Eight years ago this week I was a junior at the University of Mary Washington, probably pretending to study for final exams.
At the same time, three former PayPal employees were putting the finishing touches on a website that would transform internet video sharing. April 23, 2005, will forever be known as the day YouTube was born and productivity died.
YouTube is an incredible resource for sports fans. Through it we do can everything from catching up on recent highlights, to reliving glorious moments from the sporting past. We can spend hours watching clips that range from amazing, to hilarious, to truly bizarre.
Top 10 YouTube Sports Clips
Without further ado, I introduce to you 10 of my favorite sports-related YouTube clips.
10. Mike Tyson Threatens to Go Cannibal. We’re starting off the countdown with a double dose of Iron Mike Tyson. In case you didn’t catch that, he said “My style is impetuous, my defense is impregnable, and I’m ferocious. I want your heart! I want to eat his children!” And somehow we remember him much more fondly a decade later.
9. Mike Tyson Actually Goes Cannibal. Anyone who grew up in the 90’s remembers when Tyson bit off a chunk of Evander Holyfield’s ear in their June 1997 heavyweight title fight. I could think of tastier ways to lose $3 million-plus.
8. Malice at the Palace. This, my friends, is why you can’t buy a beer after the third quarter of a Wizards game.
7. Basebrawl. I like to think Izzy Alcantara spent some time watching YouTube clips of catchers tackling hitters who charge the mound and decided to give himself a better head start.
6. Minor League Meltdown. Back before YouTube existed, a minor league baseball manager might have been able to get away with an outburst like this. Not anymore.
5. Gus Johnson. The undisputed king of play-by-play announcers, Gus Johnson’s enthusiasm also provides an entertaining soundtrack to a clip of a frisky bulldog.
4. Boom Goes the Dynamite. What happens when you have a substitute sportscaster working with an inexperienced teleprompter operator? Boom Goes the Dynamite.
3. Headshot. To this day, only a screaming goat has gotten me to laugh as hard as I did the first time I saw this clip.
2. Jason McElwain. I’m not crying… I’ve just been cutting onions…
1. Tie – Boston Strong. Bruins Fans Sing the National Anthem and This is Our City.
These clips speak for themselves. Thoughts and prayers to the victims of last week’s Boston Marathon bombing.
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Into sports? Find the perfect gifts for the holidays, right in the neighborhood. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Kent Barnes. Follow him on Twitter @KentBarnes, email him at kent[AT]borderstan.com.
Top Picks for Gifts in the Neighborhood
Here are my top picks for gifts in the area:
- For the yogi in your life, head over to LuluLemon (1461 P Street NW) in Logan Circle where you’ll find a variety of yoga apparel and accessories. Normally I’m a strictly boxers kind of guy, but buy your man a pair of the Game On Boxer Briefs and I promise he won’t be disappointed.
- Shopping for a runner? Check out Pacers Running Store (1427 P Street) and let the store’s expert staff recommend the perfect pair of shoes. And don’t leave without picking up a DC themed running shirt to stuff in the stocking.
- With more DC residents than ever using bicycles to get around town, you might find yourself (or your gift recipient) in the market for some cycling equipment. Local bike shops District Hardware, Rollin Cycles, and The Bike Rack have a variety of bikes, helmets, accessories, and apparel to choose from.
- If your significant other would rather drink beer and watch sports than play them, gift cards are always a fine choice. Treat them to a few rounds at Touchdown or Nellies on U Street, or to Drafting Table’s new soccer brunch in Logan Circle.
- Finally, if you’re looking to spread a social message along with holiday cheer, the Human Rights Campaign has a store in Dupont Circle (1633 Connecticut Avenue NW) where you can buy training shirts and shorts, or a bicycle jersey.
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Lebodome gets to Column #50. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Scott Leibowitz. Find Scott on Twitter @Lebodome. Email him at [email protected].
I remember like it was yesterday. Thanks to a push from friends and the great owners of this site, I was going to somehow become “the sports guy” for borderstan.com. I remember after the first few posts thinking that only my mother and brother were reading it, and how would I ever keep this going. Well after 49 posts about kickball, running, and general D.C. sports hilarity (so much material), I am proud to reach the ripe old post number of 50.
I want to thank Matty and Luis for giving me this space, and the rest of the amazing Borderstan team, especially the copy editors (volunteers sifting through my endless typos). To my readers and fellow residents of Borderstan, a hearty thanks and reminder that it’s only a neighborhood if you treat it like it’s one. Open doors for the next pedestrian and always say, Thank You.
The Top 10 Sports Stories of 2012
To get everyone ready for the office and family holiday parties, here is a nice easy run down of (in my humble opinion) the biggest sports stories of 2012. In no particular order:
1. Lebron James wins a championship. In the words of my college friends, “NO ONE CARES!” Win a few more and maybe I won’t find him so obnoxious. Did anyone else notice all those ads before the start of the NBA season with Lebron and his ring with crowds of people loving him now?
2. Fastest Man Ever: Usian Bolt (destroyed 2012 Olympics) or RG3? I would pay anything to see this foot-race….
3. Why is everyone moving to Brooklyn?? First it’s your friend in Logan Circle. Then the NJ Nets, then the NY Islanders. What’s the deal?
4. Livestrong comes to an end. Really tough to watch Lance fall like this. What a fall…
5. Kentucky does it with Freshmen: NCAA Championship won by a bunch of 18yr olds. What a feat. This title will be stripped by the NCAA in a decade or so for some violation or another…
6. NFL Replacement Referees. This about sums it up. May this never happen again.
7. Happy Valley No More: Penn State in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Hopefully justice is served and future incidents are prevented.
8. Are You From London?? Great show England, thank you for a fun 2012 Summer Olympics. Scowl Face. What was your favorite event?
9. Why is there still NO HOCKEY! That is all
10. Playoffs in College Football — it’s about damned time.
Let’s hope another wonderful year filled with DC team playoff runs, our government functioning, and less time waiting for the Metro. Happy holidays and a very happy new year! Stay safe everyone!
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From Kent Barnes. Follow him on Twitter @KentBarnes, email him at kent[AT]borderstan.com.
The Verizon Center on 7th Street NW. (Luis Gomez Photos)
It’s the most wonderful time of the year for District sports fans. Cold weather means it’s time for some hockey and basketball! The Capitals and the Wizards! Or maybe just the Wizards…
For the fourth time in the last 20 years, the National Hockey League (NHL) is in the midst of a work stoppage. Each year, Alexander Ovechkin, Niklas Backstrom, and the rest of your favorite Capitals take the ice under a contract called a “collective bargaining agreement” between the players and the owners. This agreement covers things like salary structure, revenue sharing and player health and safety standards.
These agreements run for a set period of time and must be renegotiated before they expire in order to avoid a work stoppage. Unfortunately, the latest deal expired on September 15th and the players and owners have yet to agree on a new one. The result? A lockout.
So what does this mean for the District? Most obviously it means hundreds of thousands of disappointed hockey fans. The Capitals are consistently among the NHL’s elite, and have made the playoffs each of the last five seasons.
More problematic is the potential impact on local businesses. The Capitals play one or two games at the Verizon Center almost every week between mid-October and mid-April. As long as the lockout continues that’s 18,000 to 35,000 fewer potential customers spending money in restaurants, bars and other local shops — and that’s thousands of dollars of revenue District business owners can’t get back.
While the Verizon Center may seem like it’s a far reach from Borderstan, the economic impact is one that affects our neighborhood. Not only is the Verizon Center just south of Shaw, an area that is under constant development, but imagine how many fans venture up to the 14th and U Street areas before and after a game for a bite to eat or a post-game celebration.
Owners and players are tentatively scheduled to meet at the negotiating table this week, but experts are not optimistic that a deal is close. For now local sports fans are to rally around the Wizards, who are off to a league-worst 0-8 start to the season.
If things keep-up as they are, it won’t be such a wonderful time of year for District sports fans or the city’s budget.
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DC is a great place to play tennis. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Scott Leibowitz. Find Scott on Twitter @Lebodome. Email him at scott[AT]borderstan.com.
As an around the clock sports enthusiast, a question that has often been asked of me is what is my favorite sport to play (to watch is a whole different discussion). Basketball and hockey are fast-paced and physical, while baseball is a bit slower, but more precise. But the sport that I look forward to the most has always been, even since I was younger, tennis.
I credit my grandpa for instilling in me a love for a game that is all about mental control and consistency, and has no clock ticking against you. The month of June always gets my tennis juices flowing with the French Open and Wimbledon being played at both ends of the month. There is a bonus this summer as the London Olympics will include tennis at the Wimbledon grounds, which will be cool to see players not wearing the usually required all whites.
If you haven’t played since last summer, dust off your racket, check the strings and get out there! There are plenty of people to play with and your friends may want to get back out there as much as you do. Here are just a few tips for hitting the courts and having a great time.
Know Your Level. Not to sounds too competitive, but how good are you? There is an official tennis rating system, but you should generally know how consistent you are. This is important in determining if your tennis date is just a good hit back and forth or a competitive set or two. The more you know your level and play with people around yours, the more fun you will have.
Be Friendly. This is not a high school match, and it isn’t the US Open final either. Some people tend to amp up their intensity in public due to the fans (people walking by) or the players on the court next to you (who are obviously judging you). Don’t be labeled as that intense player who argues about line calls or yells when they win a point (like I used to when I was a teenager). When you get paid to play tennis, then yell a little, but until then, relax.
Don’t Overstay Your Welcome. The catch with public courts is that it’s a first come, first serve basis combined with patience. On the nice weekend days, I have walked by courts and seen actual lines to get their turn. In situations like these, it’s the common courtesy move to play about an hour and no more. Remember what your parents taught you: share.
While tennis can sometimes be an “upper-class” sport meant for the country clubs, DC is fortunate enough to have a sprinkling of public courts all over the NW part of the city. Click here for a great interactive map of the city and where to find the nearest courts to you. All are free to use anytime and have no dress code. Then buy a new can of balls, get out your baseball hat and hit the courts on the days it’s not horribly humid.
Shout-Out!! I want to personally thank Borderstan owners Matty and Luis for an amazing DC Pride Parade experience. If you were out there last Saturday, hope you saw the Borderstan cars and I threw you some beads!
Links! Links! Ice Cold Links!
- Even when the Nationals are in first place, getting dates can be tough.
- House Hunters isn’t real! What’s next? The tooth fairy?
- Why did the Wizards have a poor season? The answer is in the shoes.
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