Headlines (see glossary below): – The NPSL is out. Georgia Revolution fell 3-2 in the “Battle of Atlanta” against the NASL Silverbacks. – The USASA is out, though Dearborn took Dayton (USL Pro) to extra time before falling 4-1. -…
mma
Leaving the UFC: It’s the money
by Beau Dure • • 0 Comments
John Cholish is leaving MMA, saying he lost money on his last fight. It’s not really a function of the recently exposed fighter contract, which only accounts for a small part of the problem — Cholish had to pay out of…
olympic sports, track and field
Woly Award: Jordan Burroughs rules the mat
by Beau Dure • • 0 Comments
Wrestler Jordan Burroughs is the winner of this week’s Woly, the weekly award for U.S. Olympic-sports athletes. I used to give this award for USA TODAY, and it continued for a while after I departed. They stopped, so I’m restarting.…
soccer
Washington Spirit vs. Portland: The forward dilemma
by Beau Dure • • 8 Comments
I won’t belabor the Thorns’ 2-0 win over Washington, having spent most of the game discussing it on Twitter with everyone who’s likely to read this post. But I should address the big question on everyone’s minds: Wouldn’t the Spirit…
soccer
W-League, WPSL still going – with a few changes
by Beau Dure • • 2 Comments
The old leagues are not dead. Long live the new league — and the old ones. The USL’s W-League has survived to its 19th season. Heading to last season, the league lost no teams and added three. Of those three…
soccer
Washington Spirit at Seattle: Battle of the unluckys
by Beau Dure • • 0 Comments
I’ll have to confess that I didn’t stay up to watch the Spirit’s late-night game at Seattle last night. I won’t belabor my scheduling problems, but it simply made more sense for me to get up and watch it on…
soccer
NWSL attendance: Perception, reality and more perception
by Beau Dure • • 15 Comments
We’re roughly 20% of the way through the debut NWSL season. Ready to take stock of attendance? Jeff Kassouf did, pointing to low numbers in New Jersey and Chicago as possible reasons for concern. That’s a good conversation-starter. I checked…
rugby
Time for a rugby reality check
by Beau Dure • • 0 Comments
Want to know the best place to read up on the quest for professional rugby in the United States? BigSoccer, of course. The venerable message board picked up the discussion after The Guardian posted a couple of pieces on RugbyLaw, a startup…
mma, olympic sports
Today in wrestling’s Olympic battle
by Beau Dure • • 1 Comment
Hey, Dana White! Bjorn Rebney! What do you big-time MMA promoters think wrestling should do to stay in the Olympics? Wrestling’s leaders have indeed asked, and my former USA TODAY colleague Kelly Whiteside has the story on what they’re considering…
mma
UFC contracts laid bare, marginally fair
by Beau Dure • • 0 Comments
Ever see something that used to be top-secret, then wondered why it was so secret? That’s what happened today when Bleacher Report flexed its investigative muscle (No, I don’t mean that sarcastically — they’re making progress) and came up with…
olympic sports, soccer
Monday Myriad, May 13: Triathletes, pentathletes and mascots
by Beau Dure • • 0 Comments
Storify by Beau Dure Mon, May 13 2013 12:17:41 Monday Myriad, May 13: Triathletes, pentathletes and mascots The top U.S. Olympic athlete of the week (an honor I used to bestow on behalf of USA TODAY and may soon reclaim…
soccer
Washington Spirit vs. Boston: Ties, ties, ties!
by Beau Dure • • 0 Comments
Here’s a quick look at the top-to-bottom competitiveness of the NWSL: – The Boston Breakers are unbeaten. – The Washington Spirit is winless. – The Breakers and Spirit have played twice. – Both games have been ties. The games have…
soccer
Should young players stick with one club?
by Beau Dure • • 0 Comments
Elite youth soccer in the USA used to send its kids through this rotation of clubs: Youth club, ODP, high school, youth club, ODP, high school, big-time summer league (Super-Y, etc.), college, USL, college, USL … then maybe pro. Now…