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About Steve Davis
I started writing about soccer in the early 1990s at The Dallas Morning News — when covering the sport for a major U.S. daily was a career killer in the eyes of baseball-centric editors. But such parochial attitudes helped crush the newspaper industry, I’ve moved on and, well, here we are.
In a fabulously lucky life, I’ve written about four World Cups, countless U.S. qualifiers, more MLS matches than I can possibly remember and everything else attached to domestic soccer.
Now I write for ESPN.com and MLSnet.com in addition to doting on this blog. And I stay attached to the rest of the world with regular work for several national (non-soccer) magazines.
Contact me directly at BigTexSoccer [at] yahoo [dot] com
Cheers, y’all
Dempsey! Another memorable strike ... and man who predicted it
by Steve Davis on Mar 19, 2010 2:22 PM EDT
9 comments
If you see Bruce McGuire today, hog tie that big ol’ bearded prophet with duct tape, throw him in the trunk of your rattletrap and drive like Sammy freakin’ Haggar (ya know, he can’t drive 55!) immediately to Las Vegas. Fame and fortune will soon be yours, and leggy women of highly questionable reputation will suddenly discover abiding interest in you, for Bruce will make you a rich mo’fo’.
I’m in Austin for a few days, working up MLS previews for SI.com by day and absorbing SXSW by night. (Super-fast summation: eclectic and electric scene, great music and a crap-load of ridiculously pale people. No shit, kids, you're not vampires ... get outside a little bit more!)
Back to my man Bruce McGuire, who runs DuNord, a super-duper kick ass soccer news aggregator site. As I say, if Bruce ain’t linking to it, you probably don’t need to know about it. Just move on.
So yesterday I’m checking out a few twitter thingys and I see that Bruce is channeling his inner oracle on his pithy feeds. He’s checking out Fulham-Juventus in the Europa League and he’s on Clint Dempsey like stink on a port-o-potty.
He calls it: Dempsey will come on as a sub and crank out the winning goal, sending Juventus packing.
Do you know what kind of odds you could have gotten on that?
If you haven’t heard, that’s exactly what happened. If you haven’t seen it, do. Dempsey, only recently back from injury, hit on the most delicate and clinical of chips.
McGuire’s next twitter feed is this: "I AM THE NEW NASTRADAMUS!!!!!! Dempsey scores! Dempsey scores! Dempsey scores!"
Great stuff.
As for Dempsey, read on:
9 comments | 0 recs
This World Cup is gonna be a little different
by Steve Davis on Mar 17, 2010 11:16 AM EDT
2 comments
Here’s something to consider as you start making plans for World Cup watching parties this summer … or, if you’re one of the lucky ones, as you prep for that 16-hour flight into
A bunch of FIFA and national team worker bee types just went to South Africa for some early preparation and reconnaissance. FIFA folks were getting acquainted with procedures and logistics and such. The national team officials were scouting; assessing the available medical services, checking out hotels, making plans for news conference sites, etc. Mostly mundane stuff.
Until the baboons started attacking!
OK, that’s an exaggeration. But not much of one. Read on ...
2 comments | 0 recs
Soccernet is out; SI.com is in
by Steve Davis on Mar 16, 2010 10:14 AM EDT
10 comments
There’s a lot of movement these days in our little niche market of
So you might need to sleuth around a bit to locate your favorite writer, editor or blogger right now. As for yours truly, you’ll no longer find my work at ESPN Soccernet. Rather, the folks over at SI.com asked me to pick up my pens and pencils and wander over to their site. I was thrilled to oblige.
I’ll mostly be covering MLS, perhaps occasionally sticking my journalistic oars into international waters. (I’ll also continue to write for the MLSnet site and for this site, of course.) My first piece at SI.com went up yesterday.
The move from Soccernet wasn’t a difficult call. You needed a CSI techie to find MLS articles these days over at Soccernet now, not just my own, but those written by esteemed former ESPN colleague Jeff Carlisle. Ives Galarcep moved over to FoxSoccer.com earlier this year. New management is in charge at Soccernet, and I don’t get the feeling that MLS is a big part of the plan going forward.
There is some other shifting, zigging and zagging in the domestic soccer journo world. As I know that much yawning will greet that news, I won’t beat down the audience with particulars. But more good stuff is on the way; it will benefit readers and supporters as the options expand. There will be more folks talking and squawking soccer on ever increasing and improving platforms. That can’t be a bad thing.
10 comments | 0 recs
Beckham's injury: what it means
by Steve Davis on Mar 15, 2010 2:16 PM EDT
3 comments
No one can be joyous about David Beckham’s injury. No matter what you think of Brand Beckham, his array of handlers, his growing mosaic of tattoos, the appearance of hypocrisy when it comes to supporting MLS, etc., it’s really bad karma to cheer any injury.
That doesn’t mean that we can’t gather ‘round the water cooler and bat around what it all means. To put a finer point on it, what will Beckham’s Achilles tear, suffered Sunday at the San Siro, mean to the happenings June 12 in
Short answer: not much.
It would be fair to call Beckham’s role on
Beckham’s role on this team was always going to be as a tactical option off the bench. His free kicks and pinpoint crosses can still change a match. But at 34 years old, especially in such a demanding tournament, he was never going to lave the legs to be a first-choice weapon.
Let's do keep it all in perspective. He's been to three World Cups, after all, more than 99.8 percent of all pro soccer players. I heard a guy on FSC lament, "the poor guy," because Beckham has worked so hard to get to South Africa. I don't know about your world. But in my world, David Beckham not getting to a FOURTH World Cup isn't going to ruin my day. We all work through misfortune. All in all, this guy has family, fame and fortune. That's more than enough for most mortals.
3 comments | 0 recs
An open letter to ESPN: your soccer broadcasts overfloweth with British accents
by Steve Davis on Mar 14, 2010 9:53 AM EDT
36 comments
Dear, ESPN
How’s it going at the Worldwide Leader Mothership? I do hate to bother you chaps … you are probably nibbling on fish and chips while knee deep in a marathon of The Office at this very moment. (British version, of course!)
But I was hoping you could tell me what this means: “That might be worth a bob if you’re having a little bit of a plunder on it!”
I heard that today on one of your networks, from Tommy Smyth. You know the guy. Thick glasses. Lots of opinions. Some of ‘em right. Anyway, what the eff does that mean, mates?
I suppose Smyth is saying that such-and-such is a good bet. OK. Fair enough.
But here’s my point: He knows the ESPN audience is primarily in the
“Hey, mate, would you run up on the lift and fetch me torch and me mac? It’s frightfully dark and wet out!”
Go say that around the auto assembly plant in
I’m on this British accent thing again because you guys just announced your lineup for World Cup broadcasts. Talk about a kick in the nads to the American soccer establishment! Here’s the opening line from your announcement:
“ESPN's World Cup telecasts will have a British accent.
Adrian Healey, Derek Rae and Ian Darke have been hired by ESPN for its
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Should he stay or should he go now? Landon Donovan’s days at Everton almost up
by Steve Davis on Mar 12, 2010 10:59 AM EST
17 comments
Landon Donovan’s 10-week loan spell at Everton has unfolded famously. His run for the grateful EPL side, surely a watershed in Donovan's career, is nearly done and the American attacker is scheduled to re-join the Los Angeles Galaxy next week.
Everyone around Everton wants him to hang out a bit longer, keeping his address in Liverpool -- not far from Penny Lane and the abandoned orphanage at Strawberry Fields -- for as long as possible.
In one regard, I understand the desire around Everton to hold onto Landon Donovan past this weekend’s trip to Birmingham. The reasons have been well documented; he’s been all that and a bag of crispy chips.
But let’s spin this puppy around, look at it from 180 degrees t’other side and see what we may see: Fact is, in the most practical sense, I’m not sure why Everton is so kickin’ keen on keeping the lad.
Donovan has proven his ability as EPL-worthy, that’s not in doubt. But how much can he realistically effect movement in the table at this point?
Everton currently sits 9th in the EPL table. The Toffees would need to make up seven points on
17 comments | 0 recs |
Everton fans love them some Landon Donovan
by Steve Davis on Mar 10, 2010 9:03 PM EST
13 comments
LIVERPOOL,
Our little soccer party moved up north from
But they do love them some Landon Donovan around the old and somewhat dank Goodison grounds.
Even for a cynical journalist – “That glass is half empty, I tell ya!” – seeing the affection for Landon Donovan was moving. I know it’s a little late, and you may have heard the tale of Sunday’s appearance at Goodison, so I’ll be brief.
As they announced the subs prior to kickoff, the round of applause for Donovan was louder than it was for some of the starters. As he came on late, the cheers were loud and surely earnest. As he blazed a ball into the hapless
Then came the chants. “
It happened again as he set up Everton’s final goal in the 5-1 win. And then at the final whistle, as he took a short little walk to clap for the fans, the “
Remember, these aren’t just Everton fans. Presumably, they are
Such is the affection for a guy who earned the admiration and respect quite quickly, not only by fans but by teammates, too. None of them had a bad word to say, and all talked of hopeful efforts to keep the American attacker around Goodison a little while longer.
13 comments | 1 recs
A day at Fulham; the tyranny of the 0-0 tie is overrated
by Steve Davis on Mar 8, 2010 4:29 AM EST
12 comments
Also file under: Something to email your jackhole friend who likes to make fun of soccer
I know that the scoreless draw is frequently a punch line, a slow-moving target for unoriginal people who like to make fun of soccer. Ever notice that this (thankfully shrinking) lot is stocked with the same lame-o douches who, in high school, thought they were funny, but really were just boors who made cliché jokes at someone else’s expense? Either that, or they’re just one of these sad, scared simpletons who see soccer’s advance up the American culture food change as a metaphor for a world that’s changing and passing them by. But I’ll stay on point here …
Here’s what the grandstanding dillyweeds don’t get about soccer – but somehow seem to understand about a low-scoring, riveting pitcher’s duel in baseball: the 0-0 draw is equally riveting, so long as something is truly at stake.
To wit: yesterday’s match at Craven Cottage truly meant something to Cottagers fans. Fulham, as many of you know but some may not, is hardly one of
This year, Fulham has done well enough to stay above relegation peril. Generally, the fight to remain in
On the other hand, Fulham won’t challenge for one of
There’s one huge exception: the FA Cup. The esteemed all-comers tourney has lost a little sheen lately, but it remains a valuable, storied trophy in
12 comments | 1 recs
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