- 03:46 AM
- 12/22/24
There's so little revenue in Scottish football - the country has a population about the size of a city, and the lion's share of soccer fans either follow Rangers or Celtic, usually for sinister religious reasons or simply because they know it's the only two teams with a chance of winning a trophy. Many want to see the Old Firm banished to another league to make it more exciting in the SPL but the truth is the game would be on its knees in a matter of months without the revenue the OF generate. No win situation, never gonna change.
posted by Duncan Mathers at 08:52 AM on May 23, 2005
He doesn't want Man Utd for any reason than to make money. He's not a fan of the team or the sport. He's a dick. And I don't like Man Utd either, but I wouldn't like to see them shafted by some greedy fat foreigner. Wait a minute though....how much are they paying Roy Keane?
posted by Duncan Mathers at 08:28 PM on May 12, 2005
Neither Liverpool or Milan deserve to be in the final. Neither do Chelsea mind you......
posted by Duncan Mathers at 01:28 PM on May 05, 2005
Modano the obvious choice there.....
posted by Duncan Mathers at 11:21 AM on May 02, 2005
I'd personally love to see the back of Norwich, West Brom and Southampton. Delia Smith's a nutcase, and her team are rotten. West Brom are just dire, and Southampton's chairman deserves ruination for the way he treats people. I hope Everton get the CL spot, and Arsenal take second.
posted by Duncan Mathers at 11:06 AM on May 02, 2005
Well, I live in neighbouring Scotland, where our football is pretty damn crap. Of all the leagues in Europe, The FA Premiership is the one I'd most want to watch. Put it this way, if I had to choose between watching live coverage of Real v Barca, Man Utd v Arsenal or Juve v Milan, I'd probably want to watch Man Utd v Arsenal. It'd be close, I can tell you......the recent Real v Barca match was a treat, but I do prefer the Prem. There are top notch teams and players in each of the 3 leagues I've mentioned, but when it comes down to it, and you take the top 2 teams from each league away so that you're left with a choice of.......well, let's say Liverpool v Newcastle, Chievo v Parma or Valencia v Getafe, what are you going to watch? I'm going with the English game. I think the standard is just a little bit higher, the coverage will likely be better, the incident will likely be more compelling. I can't argue about players being better etc because there are players in each league at the absolute peak of their abilities. As far as the Premiership goes, I just think it's a better product all round. Sure, Real had the Galacticos and Milan has an awesome team too, but I just find the Premiership is more exciting all round.
posted by Duncan Mathers at 10:59 AM on May 02, 2005
Putting the fact that I'm a massive Avs fan aside here, I think the whole thing is just a sorry situation. A pre-meditated assault (Bertuzzi was quoted soon after Moore had caused 'Nucks captain Markus Naslund a concussion as saying "That punk won't be playing past March") on another player is both despicable and unacceptable. Yes, I'm sickened by Todd Bertuzzi's words and actions, and it'd be a shame if such a talented power forward was lost to the game. That said though, much as I admire his abilities, I think the only punishment fitting the crime is a lifetime ban. If I broke some guy's neck at my work, they would sack me on the spot. Tell me why The Canucks didn't fire his sorry ass on the spot? Because they put him up to it? Maybe. Maybe not. I don't know. There is no way in hell The Nucks will sack him, so the NHL should do the decent thing and send him packing. I'm sorry, but a ban and a fine is not sufficient punishment for breaking someone's neck and possibly ending his career. Todd's a great player, one I would have loved to see in an Avs shirt before this incident, but I think the only reasonable retribution is to ban this guy from hockey for good. If someone is so badly wired that they'll carry out a pre-meditated attack with the intent to cause grievous harm, there is no place for him in professional sport. Sorry Toddski, but I think your time is up.
posted by Duncan Mathers at 12:24 PM on April 26, 2005
I was reading Bowyer's disciplinary history in a newspaper the other day........this guy would be locked up if he did any other job. He's a complete and utter waste of space. I wish Dyer had flattened him (not that I'm a big admirer of Kieron Dyer mind you)
posted by Duncan Mathers at 06:57 AM on April 08, 2005
The Pope rocked, actually. I mean come on, football and hockey? The old chap was a dude! Stories suggesting he used his papal staff to hit slap shots across St Peter's square should not be taken lightly.
posted by Duncan Mathers at 06:52 AM on April 08, 2005
Darts is a game of skill, but a sport? Nah, sorry, darts players ain't sportsmen. You can call it a sport by all means, but imo sports aren't played by beer swilling 40-somethings with no neck. Wait a minute.....how old was Neil Ruddock when he retired?
posted by Duncan Mathers at 06:46 AM on April 08, 2005
Just read further up the page - agreed, the most successful imports from Stateside have been keepers. Brad Friedel is very highly regarded in England and has been for the past few seasons. He's been linked with Man Utd too. Keller is much travelled and has been solid until a few bad blunders in the last year or so; I think his time is perhaps running out which is a shame because he's a likeable guy and was a decent keeper.
posted by Duncan Mathers at 11:46 AM on April 04, 2005
I'm surprised to see Landon back so soon, he's always looked like a very talented and capable player whenever I've seen him. Often head and shoudler above the other players on the pitch in MLS, but it's a different game in Europe - a lot tighter, faster and more physical. Reyna did well at Wolfsburg, did well at Rangers, but has found the English Premiership something of a step too far perhaps. Hard to say given he spends most of his time with an ice pack on his leg. He is doing a very different job at Man City from his job at Rangers. DaMarcus Beasley, though, should be given some credit alright. He's been doing tremendously well in Holland. So far American players have done little to impress in Europe. Joe Max-Moore, Carlos Bocanegra and Bobby Convey haven't really stamped any real authority on the game yet. That'll change when Freddy Adu signs for Man Utd in 2007. (That last part was a joke, btw. He'll sign for Real Madrid)
posted by Duncan Mathers at 11:43 AM on April 04, 2005
*Sigh* Lucky stick? It hasn't been so lucky over the last coupla seasons, now has it? Maybe someone was trying to do him a favour? Ok, I confess - Jaro! I have your stick.
posted by Duncan Mathers at 11:35 AM on April 04, 2005
The game is definitely gathering serious momentum in the States now, at long last. After years of being treated like a red-headed stepchild, America is becoming the last country in the world - civilised or uncivilised - to embrace the world's most popular sport. Course, had they invented it themselves, it'd be hyped out of the park, right? Games don't end in farcial 46-38 socrelines - scoring becomes a lot less fun when it happens every two minutes. Soccer is cool, and you know it. And to all those people who say it's for pussies - if it's for pussies, where's the padding? Arf! You don't see soccer players wearing helmets and shoulder pads, they take their lumps and get on with it! I'm not always this obnoxious btw.......
posted by Duncan Mathers at 11:30 AM on April 04, 2005
After been allegedly involved in a race-related attack, various elbowing storms AND clearly stamping quite deliberately on an opponent's head, isn't it about high time Bowyer was sent packing from professional football? What exactly does he have to do to earn more substantial punishment, pack a weapon? God knows, the guy's hardly kicked a decent ball in 3 or 4 years. He was always so criminally overrated anyway, and is still dining out on one good season from back when referees wore blazers and a pint cost tuppence. According to a radio rreport on Saturday, the row erupted shortly after Dyer had made a run into open space and Bowyer opted out of passing to him. Dyer took umbrage and verbal became physical. I don't know if that's gospel, but that's what TalkSport UK said on Saturday. I can't help but think a small fine, a public apology and a 3 match ban is insufficient for bringing the game into disrepute, striking a team-mate and making your club a laughing stock. Again.
posted by Duncan Mathers at 11:20 AM on April 04, 2005
Rangers win SPL championship
I believe the trophy was somewhere in between Motherwell and Edinburgh and was being choppered to the winners. Be funny if, with 5 minutes to go, they'd set off for Motherwell and then heard the scores and said "Awww dammit..." and had to turn around!