Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Farewell, Deuce

He might not have been the most talented American player ever, and he certainly wasn't the best-behaved, but he might've been the toughest. Clint Dempsey, tied with Landon Donovan as the all-time leading goalscorer for the U.S. Men's National Team, announced his retirement from professional soccer today.

Here's a compilation of his most important goals:



Here's a terrific story by Grant Wahl in Sports Illustrated about Dempsey's unusual upbringing in the sport.

And here's the Clint Dempsey Face, which epitomizes the tenacity and no-fucks-given, no quarter given attitude he'll likely most be remembered for.



Thank you, Deuce. You were a bad, bad man.


84 comments:

Dave said...

can our past selves feel our future lameness?

rob said...

tralfamadorians can, for sure. i assume that's what tr is short for.

zman said...

The only reason you rent lederhosen is to appear festive at some Teutonic theme party involving lots of beer and cured meats, and I guarantee no one treats rental lederhosen as respectfully as they do their own lederhosen. So I don't think I'd want to wear rental lederhosen, and I'm positive that I wouldn't want to be the guy to rent a pair of lederhosen immediately after TR--we lived together off and on for about 6 years and I know what happens when he drinks lots of beer and eats lots of cured meat and I can assure you those rental lederhosen will bear the brunt of it.

TR said...

I just watched Back to the Future I and II w/ my kids. I’ll think about Dave’s question in the context of those movies.

Movies are so so so good. Great to see my kids loving it too. MJF was a great physical comedian. Biff comes off a bit too rapey though.

zman said...

We watched BTTFI with zkids and it was a hit. zdaughter understands time travel much better than zwoman.

I watched Raiders of the Lost Ark with zkids and it was a big hit so we then watched Temple of Doom and I forgot about some of the excessive violence, like ripping hearts out of peoples' bodies, until it was too late.

Whitney said...

And Kate Capshaw’s horrendous acting and the fairly racist depiction of the Asian kid

TR said...

I would say the melting face in RotLA is comparable to the heart ripping. Numnumcheba.

Mark said...

I watched Back to the Future I with my kid. She liked it even if it was a little confusing for her.

rob said...

capital city go go schedule is out. take a look, and let's schedule a mini-summit at st. e's:

https://gleague.nba.com/schedule/#/team/capitalcity

zman said...

Yeah, the melting Nazis didn’t bother zkids much. The heart-ripping priest did.

zman said...

Mark, try Splash. My daughter loved it. She wants to be a mermaid now.

TR said...

Bocce balls!

Whitney said...

I’m in a Board retreat for a large workforce development board I’m on. Very diverse membership. A white dude was just referencing the dangers of changing the by-laws. He called it “monkeying” with the by-laws. Seems like if he had read the national news this week he’d have gone a different direction.

rob said...

at least 'monkeying with...' is a reasonably common colloquialism. 'monkey it up' in the context of voting or anything else, isn't common at all. as it turns out, desantis (the dude who's under fire for the 'monkey it up' comment) is also a moderator of a racially inflammatory facebook community (along with, wait for it...the commonwealth's own corey stewart). in a just world, both of those motherfuckers will go down in a flaming heap of their own racist bullshit. in a very just world, andrew gillum is the instrument of desantis' destruction.

Mark said...

You have more faith in Florida than I do.

zman said...

I love the "clint dempset" tag, kinda like Dipset but different.

rob said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
TR said...

Billy Packer doesn’t understand what you all are fussing about.

rob said...

dempset does do a bit of rap work, z

Danimal said...

Will be in South Bend in about 20 hours w Uncle Buck, #69 Twalt, Jon Pierre, and my boy Decco. Somewhat excaated.

Danimal said...

Purdue vs NW entertaining thus far. Trent Green's kid shares QB duty for the cats. Watch Purdue frosh Rondale Moore. Could have played anywhere but I guess the allure of playing for a mediocre team in rural Indiana was too hard to pass on.

TR said...

Longhorns giving 13.5 to the Terps. Seems like a layup. Will be a disaster of a season for Maryland.

Tix still available at FedEx Field. Come join me!

zman said...

Someone moved my Drive-By Truckers beer coozy! Luckily I found it, daddy needs a drink.

Mark said...

Moore is awesome. And Brohm is creative enough to maximize him on offense.

I missed college football.

Whitney said...

Zman, I told someone "Daddy Needs a Drink" 2 hours ago. Well quoted.

zman said...

I do what I can. Shouldn’t Northwestern be good at recruiting? You get to play B1G10 football right outside Chicago and if you stay for four years you get a prestigious degree. Who wouldn’t take that scholarship?

Again, I’m from NJ so I don’t understand how college football works.

TR said...

There is a Skynrd doc on Showtime that is available on demand. It is fantastic.

Whitney said...

TR, is it new? I saw a 2-3 hr one on Skynyrd a few years ago that was killer.

Ed King died very recently. Underrated guitar master.

TR said...

Not sure how old it is. It’s 97 minutes.

rob said...

that’s pretty new

Whitney said...

Apparently it's brand new. I enjoyed this line from a news article about it.

A clip from the film juxtaposes the tragic plane accident with the band’s hard-partying image. “When I think of Lynyrd Skynyrd, I just think of outrageously fun times,” says one of the speakers over pictures of the guys hanging out, shirtless and drinking and feeding whiskey to a monkey. .

Squeaky said...

And that's where "monkey it up" comes from. Thanks, Skynyrd.

Danimal said...

big day here.
36000 ft above the midwest. with son and needing to drive have upon touchdown has kept me from being a few vods into the day. very sad, but not really.

zman said...

I had two bottles of Lagunitas Brown Shugga last night and I didn’t realize it’s 10% ABV so I accidentally drank the equivalent of a bottle of wine but in beer format. I did not feel great when I woke up and my beloved Toto toilet was very unhappy with my Jackson Pollockesque output.

zman said...

Squeaky, you need to bid on this, it’s in NH:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1971-chevrolet-corvette-13/

rootsminer said...

A few years ago I wrote a little radio skit where my wife (played by a Roanoke writer of some reknown, Beth Macy)and I got into a spat because she threw out my batch of home brew after my monkey got into it. "I coulda strained it!"

Whitney said...

I love Roanoke

TR said...

A girl on my block is a freshman at College of Roanoke. Her and her folks know all about Texas Tavern. She knows to avoid the shady local musicians.

rootsminer said...

Oddly, Roanoke College is in Salem, a sweet little gentrified oasis just to our west.

I'd say she should be more worried about the lax bros on campus, and the gastric revenge of indulging in the Texas Tavern.

rob said...

i saw toad the wet sprocket at a little bar in salem with some roanoke college lammies back in the day. and that’s all i’ve got to say about that.

Mark said...

This Nadal-Khachanov match is riveting.

Mark said...

I saw Toad the Wet Sprocket (actually more heard them in the background) when they played Epcot Food and Wine a couple years ago. They’re not afraid to replay their hits multiple times.

TR said...

Would be fun to see Spartans lose tonight.

Mark said...

Yes sir. Let’s go Aggies!

Shlara said...

I've become a committed non-watcher of football, and I'm really down on big time college football these days.
But, I cannot help but love College Game Day

TR said...

$50 to park at FedEx Field. Thanks, Danny!

On the flip side, there are female UT fans in short skirts and cowboy boots. Strong to quite strong look.

Mark said...

Sundresses and cowboys boots are one of the better things about college football.

Texas Tech’s defense is already in midseason form.

TR said...

I did the math and figured out UT is 53-48 over their last eight seasons. I told my 11 y/o. He is telling that fact to every grumpy UT fan around us. They are not thrilled.

Terps up 14-7 after a 48-min 1st qtr. UT does not look good.

TR said...

UT is hot garbage. Vodka sodas are $11 w/ no lines. Everybody wins.

Whitney said...

#6 Washington vs #9 Auburn

Nice

Mark said...

Texas being this shitty makes no sense. Flagship university in a football crazy state. Awesome college town. Deep pockets to fund the program. Somehow they’ve been garbage for nearly a decade.

Mark said...

Packed house in lower Maryland.

zman said...

It’s not like there are strong high school programs in Texas for UT to recruit from.

Whitney said...

What are TR & Co doing during the weather delay?

Danimal said...

Florida hot and humid in s.b.

rob said...

made what’s likely my last drive to myrtle beach today to pick up some stuff from my mom’s house. she’s moving to jax to hang out with danimal. it’s africa hot here. anyone want anything from tar baby’s?

Mark said...

I just hung with the wife and kid in our pool whilst watching college football on the large tv mounted by said pool. Labor Day weekend is pretty great.

Mark said...

I’m surprised there’s a place named Tar Baby’s in south cack. I shouldn’t be though. That state is racist as fuck.

Whitney said...

Rob, I’ll take a beer from Swinging Bridge Saloon.

TR said...

Team TR headed home. Looked nasty and we got in car before the monsoon. Made it back in the room before game restarted. Game was going on for 3+ hours already, and we were less than one minute into 4th, so we felt okay about bailing. Wine and vodka in room, AC and iPads for kids making everyone happy.

zman said...

Did anyone see the CNN interview with George Papadopoulos’s wife? She is, well, not what I expected.

T.J. said...

Hello from the field at Nats Park for BP. McFisty is investigating Ryan Braun again

TR said...

Please please please pull off the upset, Appy State.

rob said...

speaking of salem, i’ve been digging on parkway brewing’s stuff of late. rootsy, you been there?

zman said...

If you want to learn how to hit a backhand watch Richard Gasquet.

Mark said...

The App State bear upset really bumm d me out when it didn’t come through.

And it’s Charleston Southern but Florida’s offense looks semi serviceable. I’ll take it!

rob said...

app state eat some porridge?

Mark said...

I have no idea what Rob was talking about. He’s a lot smarter than me though.

Marls said...

He thought your prior comment was too hot or cold. On the other hand, I thought it was just right.

rootsminer said...

Rob, I have been to parkway many times. I'm on the TR no beer plan of late, but their shit is legit.

We have another one in Roanoke called Big Lick Brewing whose beer is dangerously good and strong.

Whitney said...

NC State WR is named Jakobi Meyers. He’s got a lot of suits.

TR said...

Does he know Joynes Bieber?

Whitney said...

They’re pals

Mark said...

About to head to my large $ league fantasy draft. I’m very sober. But not for long.

Shlara said...

Danimal—looks like you had fun in SB.
Mike Brey looks like he’s had too much fun over the years...

Danimal said...

Really solid but quick weekend in South Bend. Brey was very nice. I felt bad tho bc after I stopped him and asked very nicely for a pic, he was swarmed. Oh well. Nice guy.

rob said...

tr's boy wayne rooney just made a sweet little flick header to set up a goal for luciano acosta.

rob said...

and then he scored on a penalty kick.

rob said...

another sick rooney to acosta pass for dc united's third goal.

Mark said...

I’m far more sober post fantasy draft than I anticipated. I guess this is what happens when the draft moves from a bar to somebody’s house and everyone in the league is in their 40s.

rob said...

you've still got time, mark

Mark said...

Ed Orgeron dropping a raspy god dammit on live TV made my night.

Mark said...

Working on it, Rob. The rest of my house is in bed and I just poured another bourbon.

Mark said...

Die Hard, Scarface, Taken and Kill Bull are all on TV right now. The universe does not want me to go to sleep.