The Mired Tales of Otter.
What happens when you go West?.
Apr 8, 2015
Dec 10, 2012
F U Manchester!!! December 9, Hammers vs Liverpool.
So I thought that I would try and make it to the Celtic Crossing, my favorite bar ever, for the early game between Manchester United and Manchester City. The only problem with waking up early is always dependent on what you did the night before. Just so happens that two buggers came over to my house and kept me up until way after 12 midnight drinking Busch and watching You Tube. Well, needless to say that I woke up 10 minutes before the real match of the day came on. So I woke up, very hazy, still inside the em-battlements of last night and turned on the TV. I walk into the living room and two of my droogies are passed out in different locations, a couch and chair. "Get the F up!!!, I have to go to the Bar!!!!".
Can you believe that! They get up, we proceed to my car. I drop the short one off at his house and I take the smellier one along to the bar for a gander at the game. We walk through the front door just as the first half is finishing up. I am crying tears in my beers because the situation had gone from bad to worse as Liverpool were down to West Ham 2 - 1. Dammit, drink more beer and yell at the Television. Why are we drinking Guinness this early in the morning? By noon we are going to be schlitzed. The second half comes and goes, Jon Jo gets his name yelled by me a few to many times. I guess it is OK to be a loud super fan, drunk at 11am on a Sunday morning. Well, we were not hammered, just finely crusty around the edges of our well behaved selves. So holy shit, Joe Cole and Jon Jo do the clean up work for a fine LFC victory. Having that many Guinness in the early hours of the day is not leading to a abundance of productivity. It was a nice turn out in the bar. David and David were there as always, but then some left over Man U fans stayed around and then a few other LFC faithfuls that are on the quiet side were also there. So I shake everybody's hand after the game is finished, pay my bill and head for my favorite Mexican restaurant, Los Comales.
So I make it home around 2pm or something after eating. Guess what I did, passed out. As much fun as it is going to bar to watch a game it reeks havoc on the rest of the day. I know, so don't drink. But its hard to live by that logic since everybody else in the place is getting sloshed right along with you.
Can you believe that! They get up, we proceed to my car. I drop the short one off at his house and I take the smellier one along to the bar for a gander at the game. We walk through the front door just as the first half is finishing up. I am crying tears in my beers because the situation had gone from bad to worse as Liverpool were down to West Ham 2 - 1. Dammit, drink more beer and yell at the Television. Why are we drinking Guinness this early in the morning? By noon we are going to be schlitzed. The second half comes and goes, Jon Jo gets his name yelled by me a few to many times. I guess it is OK to be a loud super fan, drunk at 11am on a Sunday morning. Well, we were not hammered, just finely crusty around the edges of our well behaved selves. So holy shit, Joe Cole and Jon Jo do the clean up work for a fine LFC victory. Having that many Guinness in the early hours of the day is not leading to a abundance of productivity. It was a nice turn out in the bar. David and David were there as always, but then some left over Man U fans stayed around and then a few other LFC faithfuls that are on the quiet side were also there. So I shake everybody's hand after the game is finished, pay my bill and head for my favorite Mexican restaurant, Los Comales.
So I make it home around 2pm or something after eating. Guess what I did, passed out. As much fun as it is going to bar to watch a game it reeks havoc on the rest of the day. I know, so don't drink. But its hard to live by that logic since everybody else in the place is getting sloshed right along with you.
Nov 26, 2012
Liverpool Foot Ball 11/25/2012 Celtic Crossing (Memphis, TN)
Jeez!!! We played Swansea and the game started for us over here in the States at 7am on a sunday morning. Do you understand how hard it is for me to get up on a Sunday morning. First start with what you did Saturday night which usually means staying up late drinking cold, cheap American Beer, (BUSCH!!!!)
So my alarm goes off at 644 am. I turn the TV onto the channel the game is shortly airing. I get out of bed, make coffee, put clothes on and go back to bed, fully dressed, listening to the start of the game. It occurs to me to call the Celtic and make sure they are open, I do and they are. That was 30 minutes into the half, I wait and leave for the Celtic at 40 minutes of elapsed time.
Driving is hazy, there are no cars on the streets, I get to the Celtic and its half time. I walk in the front door and of course the only other true die hard fans are there, David and David. That's right Kopite's, now we make three. Then there is Anna our bar tender, she wore a England Sweater and served us Coffee and breakfast (Guinness) but I don't think she knows to much about Football. Then that was that, two Guinness and a 0-0 draw to the Swans. I was not gutted, I was not relieved but I did have a hint of satisfaction that was the boys 8th undefeated game. Yes, there are a slew of draws but that's alright isn't it..... I mean we are bound to start stealing away goals by the evidence I have been seeing lately. Every high light footage of Liverpool are riddled with shots off the cross bar and near misses.
Then 10am rolls around and the Chelsea game is on. A whole slew of new fans begin to fill the bar and the Guinness gets poured again and again. I didn't hear any Rafa bashing, instead just a a lot of loud banter and yelling at the televisions. A bunch of Chelsea fans even laughed whole heartily when I yelled "Hey look, is that David Louis playing defense " I had never attended another league game that was not Liverpool at the Celtic, thought I would meet some of the other circles of fans that hang around the Celtic since my little group is just that, little. I was surprised at how many opposing fans asked about my game. Even the guy in the Man United jacket was a pretty swell guy, made me feel bad for talking about Man U fans. No, I guess it does not matter as long as you bring your best game to the pitch.
So my alarm goes off at 644 am. I turn the TV onto the channel the game is shortly airing. I get out of bed, make coffee, put clothes on and go back to bed, fully dressed, listening to the start of the game. It occurs to me to call the Celtic and make sure they are open, I do and they are. That was 30 minutes into the half, I wait and leave for the Celtic at 40 minutes of elapsed time.
Driving is hazy, there are no cars on the streets, I get to the Celtic and its half time. I walk in the front door and of course the only other true die hard fans are there, David and David. That's right Kopite's, now we make three. Then there is Anna our bar tender, she wore a England Sweater and served us Coffee and breakfast (Guinness) but I don't think she knows to much about Football. Then that was that, two Guinness and a 0-0 draw to the Swans. I was not gutted, I was not relieved but I did have a hint of satisfaction that was the boys 8th undefeated game. Yes, there are a slew of draws but that's alright isn't it..... I mean we are bound to start stealing away goals by the evidence I have been seeing lately. Every high light footage of Liverpool are riddled with shots off the cross bar and near misses.
Then 10am rolls around and the Chelsea game is on. A whole slew of new fans begin to fill the bar and the Guinness gets poured again and again. I didn't hear any Rafa bashing, instead just a a lot of loud banter and yelling at the televisions. A bunch of Chelsea fans even laughed whole heartily when I yelled "Hey look, is that David Louis playing defense " I had never attended another league game that was not Liverpool at the Celtic, thought I would meet some of the other circles of fans that hang around the Celtic since my little group is just that, little. I was surprised at how many opposing fans asked about my game. Even the guy in the Man United jacket was a pretty swell guy, made me feel bad for talking about Man U fans. No, I guess it does not matter as long as you bring your best game to the pitch.
Liverpool Foot Ball 11/11/2012 Celtic Crossing (Memphis, TN)
Hello All, this is the start of something light and new for me. Writing about my football bar adventures.
10 am at the Celtic Crossing I walked into the front door to watch Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC at Stamford Bridge. I did not expect much from the team other than a draw. We got a draw and I got drunk before noon. You got to be careful. I got loud and made fun of Torres and Terry a whole lot. I wonder what those people think of me in there, I dont even know them that well just yet. I just discovered they existed a couple of months back. It is so much fun to sit in a bar with LFC peers. I have never talked so much shop and shit in my life. Will be back saturday morning at 9am. I will post pictures if I got any good ones.
10 am at the Celtic Crossing I walked into the front door to watch Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC at Stamford Bridge. I did not expect much from the team other than a draw. We got a draw and I got drunk before noon. You got to be careful. I got loud and made fun of Torres and Terry a whole lot. I wonder what those people think of me in there, I dont even know them that well just yet. I just discovered they existed a couple of months back. It is so much fun to sit in a bar with LFC peers. I have never talked so much shop and shit in my life. Will be back saturday morning at 9am. I will post pictures if I got any good ones.
Jun 30, 2011
writing a football blog
Rufus Branch the Blog was suppose to be the place that I was going to exercise my thoughts on football. I tried this, posted several entries, even got some praise for my writing ideas but it did not last very long (have not posted in over a year because I post here now). What is so hard about it you might ask. For me, personally, it is a chore to come up with good material, original ideas and something that flows when it comes to football writing. I think that I could write an everyday kind of blog that basically summarizes the weekend or weekday events that happen in the Football World, sure I could, but its not enough. As I started the journey I was reading articles off a half dozen web sites daily, countless other blogs and listening to every podcast/radio show I could listen too collecting data. I was even reading biographies of footballers to fully understand life growing up in the UK. I wrote a few entries and then I just stopped, I had burned out. It is too much work I think in part to living in Memphis, TN. What I need is more exposure on television, news papers, venues and people to talk to.
I don't know anybody in town that has an in depth knowledge of the game. There are people in the city, I know it, there has to be. Hey, Tim Howard lives here in the off season, maybe I should call him up and see if wants to shoot the bull. I actually met him in a bar here one time. Another idea that I had is to coordinate a meet up group. MEETUP.com has this nifty site that allows you to create a social event which then allows people in that area to view your event and finally join the event. So my event would be watching footy at one of the local Irish Bars. The best one is Celtic Crossing, they already support watching games and are always willing to accommodate you the best they can. They also sponsor my buddies rugby team as well. The only draw back is space. The Celtic is not huge so it could get crowed easily. There is another Irish bar called Dan McGuinness that is more ideal. Dan McGuinness have a separate restaurant with a good sized bar next door to the restaurant. The only problem is when I have approached Dan McGuinness about watching games they have not been responsive or interested which is foolish in my opinion (loosing money). Also they are located in a central spot of town that is more accessible to wider range of people. If you look at Celtic's web site you will see that they verbally support football and if you look at Dan McG's site you will see nothing. Dan McGuinness also owns another lot of Irish Bars in Memphis called TJ Mulligans. Nothing, Dan McGuiness nor Tj Mulligans does not show any support to the game.
So what should they do?? First off we create an event on meetup.com, its free and it finds people. Create an organization of some sorts, tell friends to tell friends, put up fliers, tweet about it, create a FB page, just market it the best you can. People have got to respond and show up, they are out there hiding away I know it. Then once you have a bunch of people and a bar to house them in, get the bar to post a schedule of events on their web site like Ginger Ale's in St Louis does. So maybe you up the traffic to your bar on a Saturday or Sunday morning (when English Premiere Games are on in US) by 25 or greater, would be the goal at least. And lets say that that each person spends an average of $7.00, then you have made a whopping $175 dollars plus a waiter or bartender's tips. I bet you could make a lot more. Then once you have those people hooked the big events like FA Cup, Champions League, Europa, World Cup, even Rugby will bring in packed houses. Think of the profit now. The Tour De France is starting Sunday, I know if the 30 people on the Sunday group ride knew that a awesome bar was showing the Tour after their ride they would show for a couple of pints and lunch at least. I know, the market in Memphis for the big European sports watching might be small but it does exist. These bars in this city don't get they are loosing money. Just take a look around the other big cities in the United States, they have bars with web sites that have events calendars, big screen TVs and a willingness to take money. Hmmm...I know what you are thinking. Weren't you talking about why you started writing, I do digress.
I write some what frequently here - http://rufusskates.blogspot.com/ - it is a THIS IS MY LIFE BLOG. Much easier to write but we'll see what the future holds. later.
I don't know anybody in town that has an in depth knowledge of the game. There are people in the city, I know it, there has to be. Hey, Tim Howard lives here in the off season, maybe I should call him up and see if wants to shoot the bull. I actually met him in a bar here one time. Another idea that I had is to coordinate a meet up group. MEETUP.com has this nifty site that allows you to create a social event which then allows people in that area to view your event and finally join the event. So my event would be watching footy at one of the local Irish Bars. The best one is Celtic Crossing, they already support watching games and are always willing to accommodate you the best they can. They also sponsor my buddies rugby team as well. The only draw back is space. The Celtic is not huge so it could get crowed easily. There is another Irish bar called Dan McGuinness that is more ideal. Dan McGuinness have a separate restaurant with a good sized bar next door to the restaurant. The only problem is when I have approached Dan McGuinness about watching games they have not been responsive or interested which is foolish in my opinion (loosing money). Also they are located in a central spot of town that is more accessible to wider range of people. If you look at Celtic's web site you will see that they verbally support football and if you look at Dan McG's site you will see nothing. Dan McGuinness also owns another lot of Irish Bars in Memphis called TJ Mulligans. Nothing, Dan McGuiness nor Tj Mulligans does not show any support to the game.
So what should they do?? First off we create an event on meetup.com, its free and it finds people. Create an organization of some sorts, tell friends to tell friends, put up fliers, tweet about it, create a FB page, just market it the best you can. People have got to respond and show up, they are out there hiding away I know it. Then once you have a bunch of people and a bar to house them in, get the bar to post a schedule of events on their web site like Ginger Ale's in St Louis does. So maybe you up the traffic to your bar on a Saturday or Sunday morning (when English Premiere Games are on in US) by 25 or greater, would be the goal at least. And lets say that that each person spends an average of $7.00, then you have made a whopping $175 dollars plus a waiter or bartender's tips. I bet you could make a lot more. Then once you have those people hooked the big events like FA Cup, Champions League, Europa, World Cup, even Rugby will bring in packed houses. Think of the profit now. The Tour De France is starting Sunday, I know if the 30 people on the Sunday group ride knew that a awesome bar was showing the Tour after their ride they would show for a couple of pints and lunch at least. I know, the market in Memphis for the big European sports watching might be small but it does exist. These bars in this city don't get they are loosing money. Just take a look around the other big cities in the United States, they have bars with web sites that have events calendars, big screen TVs and a willingness to take money. Hmmm...I know what you are thinking. Weren't you talking about why you started writing, I do digress.
I write some what frequently here - http://rufusskates.blogspot.com/ - it is a THIS IS MY LIFE BLOG. Much easier to write but we'll see what the future holds. later.
Jul 8, 2010
Tim Howard
 |
| Tim Howard |
May 13, 2010
State of Affairs for American Football/Soccer
First of all, I don't have all the answers at this point and I am sure after reading this somebody in the U.S. will mutter to them selves that it is more complicated than that bla bla bla. The World Cup is almost here and most of the media are looking at the recently released roster of the U.S. national team and commenting on how very average they are. That does not bother me, they are average for the most part except for a few players like Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Michael Bradley and Tim Howard. Then Charlie Davies would have been included but he was left off the roster and there is some controversy surrounding that issue, Davies spoke about some of the reasons. Then many people say that Bob Bradley, U.S. Coach, is another contributing weak link that does not really know what he is doing fully. Put that all together and you get a mediocre team. Although they qualified for the World Cup, so they couldn't be all that bad, there is that.
So what the hell am I trying to say here?? When a river is polluted where do you go to find the pollutant? You find it up the stream, you keep going up the stream until you find the source. I guess what I am saying is that the United States is not up to par in Football around the world because where football starts in American's lives. The source is how Americans are taught to think.
As a point of reference I read Wayne Rooney's autobiography (dont worry, I'm not a Manc at all). Like Rooney, many kids in the UK grow up surrounded by football, their parents are supporters of the big club, their friends, the people down the street, it is every where. The sports that compete with football to take away from its lime light in a child's path are cricket, rugby, tennis, maybe darts or golf. From what I can tell though, a football family is a football family like maybe a rugby family is a rugby family and so on. Maybe I am wrong at this point, this is just observation, right. Maybe some families are just into sports, but there is something strong in the air for football and I talk to rugby people, there is something in their air as well.
In the United States kids grow up with similar circumstances with the sports: basketball, baseball, American football and hockey. These are what people think of as the American sports. Football or Soccer (I will continue to call Soccer Football because that is what most of Europe calls the game) are not included as American, some jack asses think that Football is Un-American, a sissy sport. We who watch the game know that there are sissy's who play the sport, but this is not a sissy sport at all. This is the place where the polluting begins in the U.S., the thought process of young Americans has been polluted and corrupted because it is all we know.
In 1950 the US qualified for the World Cup, played and was eliminated in the third round by a defeat to Chile 5-2. To get there they beat England and lost to Spain. Ok, big deal, but the US fell off the radar for several decades after that. What happened?? I am not going to get to far into that but I will say it is what sells and football (soccer) was not on the radar. That is what happened, the game baseball became more popular along with America football, basketball and hockey. Business and advertising promoted the likes of these sports and a thought process has been ingrained into a couple of generations of people fairly hard. Ok, yes, Americans have been brain washed, there I said it. Professional sports figures were idolized through these practices and every kid then wants to grow up and be a Professional Quarterback and play for the New York Jets or who ever. Things have not changed to much in that strain of ideas. I mean, in London kids want to be Wayne Rooney or Fernando Torres, you know what I mean.
Things have changed in the last twenty years but it has been slow as far as recognizing football as a sport that American kids play through high school. The system is lacking before high school but it is not so bad. There are many good clubs (not Professional) that are competitive for kids before high school to develop in but then there is high school. Kids get to high school and play right back into the system, they end up playing one of the four American sports and not football. Why?? Because in the United States, high school is a popularity contest and the best young athletes flock to what makes them popular. That is one idea, then coaches at these high schools go after and recruit the best athletes to play in their programs that is not football, so many great athletes who could have been great football players are now shooting hoops or catching fly balls. There are many other reasons than just that, the point is that the focus is else where because the basic thought process of most Americans does see football in the lime light of sports.
Then there are the high school players who go onto college and play. Lets talk about college to professional sports in the United States for a second. In professional basketball, football, hockey and to a lesser extent in baseball (baseball has a farm system that pulls players from all over that are not in college), most of the players come from college. So how good you do in your college sports dictates if and where you play professionally. So you apply that to college football (soccer) and you come up with a weak system of players. The college system does not work for football, not sure why.Compared to what I know about how things are done in Europe it is different.
What I know about Europe is that players are developed at the club level from a very young age. Liverpool F.C. for instance has a youth system that starts at around 9 years old or younger. These players play for the LPFC club and any other school team. They spend hours and hours of time developing skills at their club (LPFC). The club decide as they get older whether they make the cut into the older teams, some kids make it and some don't. At some point the kid becomes a young man playing in the reserves and from there the first team. Some players go to other clubs, some get sold and others walk away. On top of that, there are large sums of money involved that fuel the whole process from beginning to end. You put all that together with top class talent and you get the best football in the world. I could be wrong about all of this, this comes from reading and listening to radio (as for the European development) , so... You guys across the pond feel free to correct me, but I think I am dam close with out being there.
Then there is the money, this idea goes back to the business and advertising aspect that football in the United States falls short in. This, in my opinion is the true root of the problem, the MONEY. Football failed in the U.S. because business went with sports they felt they understood and would attract people. The truth is that anything they threw there money at would attract people. People go where advertising tells them to go, that is the American way in the end. Money is the driving force behind almost everything in most places. I know, that's arguable, but lets do that another day. Nobody is throwing billions of dollars into the football system in the United States, another huge reason why the United States National Soccer Team is average. Opps, did I say soccer, sorry, but that is all we know. I hate that there is a divide in the naming of a sport. I wish they would change American Football to Throw Ball or Carry Ball, much better (another debate, another day).
Then there is a the fan base, the being part of the club. I have not fully experienced this yet because I have not been to Anfield and sat in the Kop, but belonging to a club like Liverpool F.C. is a big feeling. To be there and be a part of the collective around you can make you go through every emotion in your body. This is just another element I can say does not quite have the strength it does in Europe.
Until any of that changes and a the U.S. professional teams start a development system like that of clubs in Europe, the U.S. will continue to be mediocre when it comes to the game of Football. The children of today have a chance for the sake of tomorrow if the changes continue. Hopefully in the future you will see more and more Americans playing in Europe.
So what the hell am I trying to say here?? When a river is polluted where do you go to find the pollutant? You find it up the stream, you keep going up the stream until you find the source. I guess what I am saying is that the United States is not up to par in Football around the world because where football starts in American's lives. The source is how Americans are taught to think.
As a point of reference I read Wayne Rooney's autobiography (dont worry, I'm not a Manc at all). Like Rooney, many kids in the UK grow up surrounded by football, their parents are supporters of the big club, their friends, the people down the street, it is every where. The sports that compete with football to take away from its lime light in a child's path are cricket, rugby, tennis, maybe darts or golf. From what I can tell though, a football family is a football family like maybe a rugby family is a rugby family and so on. Maybe I am wrong at this point, this is just observation, right. Maybe some families are just into sports, but there is something strong in the air for football and I talk to rugby people, there is something in their air as well.
In the United States kids grow up with similar circumstances with the sports: basketball, baseball, American football and hockey. These are what people think of as the American sports. Football or Soccer (I will continue to call Soccer Football because that is what most of Europe calls the game) are not included as American, some jack asses think that Football is Un-American, a sissy sport. We who watch the game know that there are sissy's who play the sport, but this is not a sissy sport at all. This is the place where the polluting begins in the U.S., the thought process of young Americans has been polluted and corrupted because it is all we know.
In 1950 the US qualified for the World Cup, played and was eliminated in the third round by a defeat to Chile 5-2. To get there they beat England and lost to Spain. Ok, big deal, but the US fell off the radar for several decades after that. What happened?? I am not going to get to far into that but I will say it is what sells and football (soccer) was not on the radar. That is what happened, the game baseball became more popular along with America football, basketball and hockey. Business and advertising promoted the likes of these sports and a thought process has been ingrained into a couple of generations of people fairly hard. Ok, yes, Americans have been brain washed, there I said it. Professional sports figures were idolized through these practices and every kid then wants to grow up and be a Professional Quarterback and play for the New York Jets or who ever. Things have not changed to much in that strain of ideas. I mean, in London kids want to be Wayne Rooney or Fernando Torres, you know what I mean.
Things have changed in the last twenty years but it has been slow as far as recognizing football as a sport that American kids play through high school. The system is lacking before high school but it is not so bad. There are many good clubs (not Professional) that are competitive for kids before high school to develop in but then there is high school. Kids get to high school and play right back into the system, they end up playing one of the four American sports and not football. Why?? Because in the United States, high school is a popularity contest and the best young athletes flock to what makes them popular. That is one idea, then coaches at these high schools go after and recruit the best athletes to play in their programs that is not football, so many great athletes who could have been great football players are now shooting hoops or catching fly balls. There are many other reasons than just that, the point is that the focus is else where because the basic thought process of most Americans does see football in the lime light of sports.
Then there are the high school players who go onto college and play. Lets talk about college to professional sports in the United States for a second. In professional basketball, football, hockey and to a lesser extent in baseball (baseball has a farm system that pulls players from all over that are not in college), most of the players come from college. So how good you do in your college sports dictates if and where you play professionally. So you apply that to college football (soccer) and you come up with a weak system of players. The college system does not work for football, not sure why.Compared to what I know about how things are done in Europe it is different.
What I know about Europe is that players are developed at the club level from a very young age. Liverpool F.C. for instance has a youth system that starts at around 9 years old or younger. These players play for the LPFC club and any other school team. They spend hours and hours of time developing skills at their club (LPFC). The club decide as they get older whether they make the cut into the older teams, some kids make it and some don't. At some point the kid becomes a young man playing in the reserves and from there the first team. Some players go to other clubs, some get sold and others walk away. On top of that, there are large sums of money involved that fuel the whole process from beginning to end. You put all that together with top class talent and you get the best football in the world. I could be wrong about all of this, this comes from reading and listening to radio (as for the European development) , so... You guys across the pond feel free to correct me, but I think I am dam close with out being there.
Then there is the money, this idea goes back to the business and advertising aspect that football in the United States falls short in. This, in my opinion is the true root of the problem, the MONEY. Football failed in the U.S. because business went with sports they felt they understood and would attract people. The truth is that anything they threw there money at would attract people. People go where advertising tells them to go, that is the American way in the end. Money is the driving force behind almost everything in most places. I know, that's arguable, but lets do that another day. Nobody is throwing billions of dollars into the football system in the United States, another huge reason why the United States National Soccer Team is average. Opps, did I say soccer, sorry, but that is all we know. I hate that there is a divide in the naming of a sport. I wish they would change American Football to Throw Ball or Carry Ball, much better (another debate, another day).
Then there is a the fan base, the being part of the club. I have not fully experienced this yet because I have not been to Anfield and sat in the Kop, but belonging to a club like Liverpool F.C. is a big feeling. To be there and be a part of the collective around you can make you go through every emotion in your body. This is just another element I can say does not quite have the strength it does in Europe.
Until any of that changes and a the U.S. professional teams start a development system like that of clubs in Europe, the U.S. will continue to be mediocre when it comes to the game of Football. The children of today have a chance for the sake of tomorrow if the changes continue. Hopefully in the future you will see more and more Americans playing in Europe.
May 11, 2010
US World Cup Roster Announced Today
I know that I am a few hours off the pace of posting the US Squad but I do have a job. This is straight forward, Bob Bradley announced the selection this afternoon. The biggest disappointment is that Charlie Davies was left out due to an injury he has not recovered fully from. Then Freddy Adu was left out and I have not found out why yet. Nothing to blow our lids about yet, just a little information thrown our way. I will keep searching for answers on Freddy. All I can find at the moment is that he just did not make the cut, like he was not good enough. You can look at the list of players there and the teams they play for. The US squad is not full of super stars but there are some experienced players there. Take a look: I will try to link the names back to a wiki page when I have time.
GOALKEEPERS: Tim Howard (Everton, England), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton, England), Brad Guzan (Aston Villa, England).
DEFENDERS: Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan, Italy), Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes, France), Jay DeMerit (Watford, England), Jonathan Spector (West Ham, England), Steve Cherundolo (Hanover, Germany), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA, MLS), Clarence Goodson (Start, Norway), Chad Marshall (Columbus, MLS), Heath Pearce (FC Dallas, MLS).
MIDFIELDERS: Michael Bradley (Moenchengladbach, Germany), Maurice Edu (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Ricardo Clark (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany), Stuart Holden (Bolton, England), Jose Francisco Torres (Pachuca, Mexico) Benny Feilhaber (Aarhus, Denmark), Alejandro Bedoya (Orebro, Sweden), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA, MLS), Robbie Rogers (Columbus, MLS), DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland).
MIDFIELDER-FORWARDS: Clint Dempsey (Fulham, England), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles, MLS).
FORWARDS: Jozy Altidore (Hull City, England), Brian Ching (Houston, MLS), Edson Buddle (Los Angeles, MLS), Herculez Gomez (Puebla, Mexico), Eddie Johnson (Aris, Greece), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake, MLS).
Notable absences: F Charlie Davies, MF-F Freddy Adu, F Conor Casey.
League breakdown: 21 from overseas, nine from MLS.
Number of former MLS players: 13.
Local ties: Onyewu (Sherwood High School, Olney, Md.), Goodson (W.T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, Va.; University of Maryland), Edu (Maryland), Rogers (Maryland).
May 6, 2010
Spurs Win, City Loose but English Football still Changes Face
Tottenham Hotspurs stole the show yesterday with Peter Crouch's late header over Manchester City. I did not get to watch the game until much later and then it was only highlights on Sky Sports News, so I cannot comment on the game itself that much, which is not really as interesting as the result any how. The result of Tottenham Hotspurs taking fourth spot just two points off Aresenal is making the weekend heat up even more. Not only do the Spurs get to go to the Champions League next year but they have a real chance of taking third in the EPL and they have forced Manchester City to sit out for another year and fight for a Europa victory. It is as though justice has been served to Manchester City for spending all that money and still only coming up with fifth place. The money they have spent is enormous in contrast to even the big spenders in the EPL, huge. So hats off to 'Arry for out doing City for fourth and making them fight out another year.
The Stage for the 2010/2011 season is already being set and this one is not over yet. Manchester City are going to spend more money during the summer in hopes to etch there dominance on the league. Who they get over the summer will be quite interesting to watch, but that can be said about any club, it is all very interesting if you ask me. City have an edge because of their very deep pockets. Because it is coming, Manchester City are going for the League Title and any of the other glory they can muster, that money they spend is their bounty.
As far as Mancini goes and his tenor. Another of the features in last nights broadcast on Sky Sports was the after match interview with Mancini. They asked if he would be there at City next year and his reaction was that he thought that he would be there next year. I can't help but notice there was a air of doubt that surrounded his demeanor, he thinks he will be there, not sure. All the pundits said he would be sacked if he lost this game, honestly, he has a better chance of staying at the club now than if they had won. If Man City had won then they would be in the Champions League which would be very attractive for the likes of Jose Mourinho or Pep Gaurdiola, but now who wants to be at City that they are only fifth and no Champions League?? There is no way of knowing until the head lines shout the news. Who knows, Jose or Pep could see it as a challenge and jump right in, maybe Capella gets finished with the World Cup and decides he wants the challenge. Those deep pockets over there at Manchester City are handsome to a perspective manager.
What ever the case may be, the top of the table is changing colors and Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspurs are the first to sit down and invite themselves inside. Liverpool have lost out and it may be a a while before they are back, but what is Rafa up to over there at Anfield?? Did you read the Sailing and tides article, a must read, great post. I think am a Rafa realist not just a supporter, he could surprise us all. I hope so. More to come later.... Thanks for reading if you got this far.
The Stage for the 2010/2011 season is already being set and this one is not over yet. Manchester City are going to spend more money during the summer in hopes to etch there dominance on the league. Who they get over the summer will be quite interesting to watch, but that can be said about any club, it is all very interesting if you ask me. City have an edge because of their very deep pockets. Because it is coming, Manchester City are going for the League Title and any of the other glory they can muster, that money they spend is their bounty.
As far as Mancini goes and his tenor. Another of the features in last nights broadcast on Sky Sports was the after match interview with Mancini. They asked if he would be there at City next year and his reaction was that he thought that he would be there next year. I can't help but notice there was a air of doubt that surrounded his demeanor, he thinks he will be there, not sure. All the pundits said he would be sacked if he lost this game, honestly, he has a better chance of staying at the club now than if they had won. If Man City had won then they would be in the Champions League which would be very attractive for the likes of Jose Mourinho or Pep Gaurdiola, but now who wants to be at City that they are only fifth and no Champions League?? There is no way of knowing until the head lines shout the news. Who knows, Jose or Pep could see it as a challenge and jump right in, maybe Capella gets finished with the World Cup and decides he wants the challenge. Those deep pockets over there at Manchester City are handsome to a perspective manager.
What ever the case may be, the top of the table is changing colors and Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspurs are the first to sit down and invite themselves inside. Liverpool have lost out and it may be a a while before they are back, but what is Rafa up to over there at Anfield?? Did you read the Sailing and tides article, a must read, great post. I think am a Rafa realist not just a supporter, he could surprise us all. I hope so. More to come later.... Thanks for reading if you got this far.
May 5, 2010
Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspurs Today
I thought the clash between Chelsea and Liverpool this past weekend was the biggest game in the EPL all year long, it could still be, who knows. Then Chelsea win and the hype over that game dwindles down and by Monday morning the new big hype, and even more important idea, is the Manchester City Vs. Tottenham Hotspurs game.
Roberto Mancini is saying that this is like a cup final, that Man City have not had any silverware show down so this is that replacement. It is big, this game will decide who rides in fourth spot. Fourth spot gets you into the UEFA Champions League. Fourth spot will attract a variety of top class players and a new manager, maybe Mourinho or Guardiola. Will the blue scarf be back next season??
The bigger picture is Man City are going to replace Liverpool in the top four positions whether they win tonight or not. If Man City don't win today then it will be tomorrow and you can place bets on them being there next year for sure, City have the money and are quickly gaining the talent. The biggest question is the manager. If they loose tonight then most certainly Mancini will get sacked, then if they win he most certainly will get sacked over the summer. If they are in fourth then like I said, Mourinho or Guardiola are up for grabs. There are great arguments why either of those gents are right for the job or are interested, because they are interested and they are right. So Man City's doors are opening wider as Liverpool's seem to be closing tighter as it goes for the future of a club.
Man City are going to start pressing the the top flight teams next year for their positions, they could possibly be on top next year. Yes, just read Marcotti's article, I think you can find that a managerial move could tip that to happen. Many might say that it will be good for the league because all that money will have a trickle down effect to the other clubs. I will have to see that in motion to fully understand it in the end, that is see it on paper.
So the face of English Football is changing, not because of this game, just because Man City have owners with very deep pockets and Liverpool don't. I will root for the Hotspurs in the end.
Roberto Mancini is saying that this is like a cup final, that Man City have not had any silverware show down so this is that replacement. It is big, this game will decide who rides in fourth spot. Fourth spot gets you into the UEFA Champions League. Fourth spot will attract a variety of top class players and a new manager, maybe Mourinho or Guardiola. Will the blue scarf be back next season??
The bigger picture is Man City are going to replace Liverpool in the top four positions whether they win tonight or not. If Man City don't win today then it will be tomorrow and you can place bets on them being there next year for sure, City have the money and are quickly gaining the talent. The biggest question is the manager. If they loose tonight then most certainly Mancini will get sacked, then if they win he most certainly will get sacked over the summer. If they are in fourth then like I said, Mourinho or Guardiola are up for grabs. There are great arguments why either of those gents are right for the job or are interested, because they are interested and they are right. So Man City's doors are opening wider as Liverpool's seem to be closing tighter as it goes for the future of a club.
Man City are going to start pressing the the top flight teams next year for their positions, they could possibly be on top next year. Yes, just read Marcotti's article, I think you can find that a managerial move could tip that to happen. Many might say that it will be good for the league because all that money will have a trickle down effect to the other clubs. I will have to see that in motion to fully understand it in the end, that is see it on paper.
So the face of English Football is changing, not because of this game, just because Man City have owners with very deep pockets and Liverpool don't. I will root for the Hotspurs in the end.
Liverpool and Five Live Dailey Football
I Listened to the Five Live Football Daily for Monday after I got off work yesterday, I think it is Mark Chapman, Tim Lovejoy and another guy who said he drinks and smokes a lot. It is hard to get every detail because I down load the audio cast to my phone and then listen from there. The app I use is a google app and it does weird things with names and descriptions, does what it wants sometimes, but that is another discussion. Then the guys are all British or Irish and they mumble a lot of words including their names.
The point here is I write a couple of entries, the two from yesterday, and I listen to these guys and they discount everything that I say about Rafa and Torres. They said that the whole Liverpool situation is Rafa's fault and that his accomplishments at Liverpool are rubbish. They think Rafa is a weak manager, he has put Liverpool into the one of their worst periods of existence and the owners (Gillette and Hicks) are not all to bad, they gave Rafa plenty of money that he mismanaged on poor player choice. That Rafa's player line up and tactics weekend and week out are weak, that he needs to part ways and just go. They said that he would be doing Liverpool FC a favor by leaving. Finally, that they don't understand how there is a contingent of LPFC supporters that back Rafa when he clearly is the problem. All that came out of the BBC Live at Five broadcast yesterday about Liverpool FC. WOW!! will have to write about that later I guess.
They did however make some fantastic points on the things to expect in the future for English Football. That thing would be Manchester City, whether we as football fans like it or not. This also has a big impact on all Liverpool FC supporters since it might be a while before we see LPFC get back to top class. With all the money that Manchester City are receiving it is only a matter of time before they become a top four team in the EPL. There is a whole other story around that situation I will talk about later.
The point here is I write a couple of entries, the two from yesterday, and I listen to these guys and they discount everything that I say about Rafa and Torres. They said that the whole Liverpool situation is Rafa's fault and that his accomplishments at Liverpool are rubbish. They think Rafa is a weak manager, he has put Liverpool into the one of their worst periods of existence and the owners (Gillette and Hicks) are not all to bad, they gave Rafa plenty of money that he mismanaged on poor player choice. That Rafa's player line up and tactics weekend and week out are weak, that he needs to part ways and just go. They said that he would be doing Liverpool FC a favor by leaving. Finally, that they don't understand how there is a contingent of LPFC supporters that back Rafa when he clearly is the problem. All that came out of the BBC Live at Five broadcast yesterday about Liverpool FC. WOW!! will have to write about that later I guess.
They did however make some fantastic points on the things to expect in the future for English Football. That thing would be Manchester City, whether we as football fans like it or not. This also has a big impact on all Liverpool FC supporters since it might be a while before we see LPFC get back to top class. With all the money that Manchester City are receiving it is only a matter of time before they become a top four team in the EPL. There is a whole other story around that situation I will talk about later.
May 4, 2010
Torres and Berbatov
Fernando Torres is one of the top strikers in the English Premiere League as of present. It is really amazing, he has the third most goals scored (18) in the league and just over 22 appearances, then another 4 goals in 10 non league games for Liverpool FC. The other top two goal scorers, Drogba and Rooney, have over 40 appearances and a few more goals. So you have to think how Liverpool would have done this season if Torres had been in 40 plus games. The answer is obvious, they would be in fourth maybe third, who knows, it blows my mind just thinking about it. One guy makes or brakes a team. Now, last season was the same, good goals and a low number of appearances for Fernado, but the difference is that the team kept scoring when Torres was not present. They lost players over the summer transfer window is said to be a major cause.
Two weeks ago I was reading the Guardian and they were quoting him as saying that the EPL was rough, maybe to rough for the longevity of his career. The press spun the story as if he was giving a hint he wants out, that the league was the cause of his injuries, maybe another league, say the La Liga. I agree, I bet he would not get hurt as often and his style of play would be complimented in La Liga, he is from Spain after all. Then again in another press conference Yosef Shai "Yossi" Benayoun (my favorite palyer) says that he is doubtful for Torres in the future but knows he wants to play for Liverpool. Ouch, it leaves your head spinning, I need some pain relief. There is a good pub by my house after I get off work.
So if Torres wants to get hurt less and play more then I have a solution. Go buddy up with Dimitar Ivanov Berbatov, this guy is a good striker and he stays out of the way of other players. People criticize Berbatov because he does not play into the opposing team aggressively when they have the ball. Then again, how often has Berbatov been hurt this year, point is his lack of aggression keeps him from getting hurt often. He has not had a huge amount of games played, he has scored sufficiently, what else do you want from him. He is a little prissy on the field but he can play, he is just a little bit of a toy poodle at times. Yes, the transfer for 30 million, I know, a bit excessive for his contributions, more on Berbatov later. My point is, Torres is an aggressive little bugger who puts him self in situations to get hurt. Torres challenges and charges entirely to much in my opinion, he could back off just a hair or four. The goals Torres scores is because of his deft touch and keen handling of the ball, not because he slide tackles John Terry or not.
Two weeks ago I was reading the Guardian and they were quoting him as saying that the EPL was rough, maybe to rough for the longevity of his career. The press spun the story as if he was giving a hint he wants out, that the league was the cause of his injuries, maybe another league, say the La Liga. I agree, I bet he would not get hurt as often and his style of play would be complimented in La Liga, he is from Spain after all. Then again in another press conference Yosef Shai "Yossi" Benayoun (my favorite palyer) says that he is doubtful for Torres in the future but knows he wants to play for Liverpool. Ouch, it leaves your head spinning, I need some pain relief. There is a good pub by my house after I get off work.
So if Torres wants to get hurt less and play more then I have a solution. Go buddy up with Dimitar Ivanov Berbatov, this guy is a good striker and he stays out of the way of other players. People criticize Berbatov because he does not play into the opposing team aggressively when they have the ball. Then again, how often has Berbatov been hurt this year, point is his lack of aggression keeps him from getting hurt often. He has not had a huge amount of games played, he has scored sufficiently, what else do you want from him. He is a little prissy on the field but he can play, he is just a little bit of a toy poodle at times. Yes, the transfer for 30 million, I know, a bit excessive for his contributions, more on Berbatov later. My point is, Torres is an aggressive little bugger who puts him self in situations to get hurt. Torres challenges and charges entirely to much in my opinion, he could back off just a hair or four. The goals Torres scores is because of his deft touch and keen handling of the ball, not because he slide tackles John Terry or not.
Rafa
Should He Stay or Should He GO????
Rafa's new theme song should be the Clash's Should I Stay or Should I go,
Should I stay or should I go now
Should I stay or should I go nowIf I go there will be trouble
An' if I stay it will be double
So come on and let me know
If Liverpool FC had only won a game or two more and taken the fourth spot then I think the big debate over whether Rafael BenÃtez is going to be at Anfield next year would not be an issue. Other wise the focus would be on the Hick's and Gillette circus and who will own the most prestigious football club in the UK. Rafa wants to stay, he has taken Liverpool to some good heights as well as some lows of this years, but does he deserve the boot?? I don't think so.. Who are LPFC going to get to replace him?? Martin Oneil of Aston Villa, really? Martin is a wonderful coach but he does not stack up to Rafa's accomplishments, or could he ever. And Jose Morinho ? No way Jose is coming to Anfield, there is no money at Anfield for a while. As well, Rafa's contract would be a 14 million buy out. There seem to be a lot of haters of Rafa or they have very short attention spans.
Here is a gross opinion: http://bit.ly/bLKc76
Read on as the saga continues to unravel. The next big thing is Torres.
Here is a gross opinion: http://bit.ly/bLKc76
Read on as the saga continues to unravel. The next big thing is Torres.
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