Let's Kick It

The day my wife has come to dread is upon us. English Premier League begins today. Oh, how 12 weeks flew by. My fantasy team (Darjeeling United) is ready, and my Fulham Cottagers better be, too. So many quality players left the premier league this summer (read: Cristiano Ronaldo). Manchester City (the other Manchester club) was bought by an Arab Emirates group and used their cash to bring in everyone under the sun to a perennially average club. My team, Fulham, qualified for the Europa League and will be playing mid-week on the mainland. Can't wait to see the new clubs that were promoted (Burnley, Birmingham City, Wolverhampton) and the new faces that have come to England (Alberto Aquilani, Jozy Altidore, Yuri Zhirkov, Thomas Vermaelen). It's a long way to May. For those who still haven't caught the fever, look out it's more contagious than H1N1....

Feel free to click the link above and join the fantasy league, Pabst United. Commissioner Murphree will be glad to welcome you!

Say It Ain't So, Jimmy

Well for all you non footies out there, January and August serve as the Transfer Windows in the world of Soccer/Futbol. No matter the league or the country, it turns into an all out free-for-all to sign players, sell players, spend money, and make money. My lowly Fulham Cottagers have just sold the heart and soul of their team for a measly 5 million quid. Really? Fulham's owner is Mohammed Al-Fayed. Like he or the team needs another 5 million especially for the engine of their team. Jimmy Bullard is their central midfielder and the player that takes all free kicks. His final free kick last year careened off the head of Danny Murphy for the goal that kept Fulham in the Premier League. Around the goal, his kicks strike fear in the hearts of keepers as he bends his shot wicked good. Yes, he has had a lackluster year compared to the heroics of last. Alas, it is all gone. He his now at Hull City. Blegh! Now what will we do?

Here is a shot from the old boy last year
(fast fwd to 1:30 to see the replay)

Take It to the Next Level...

About 2 months ago, the new Nike Soccer commercial directed by Guy Ritchie was released. I still love seeing it. It's a 1st-person job as if we're looking through your eyes while climbing the ranks of the futbol world into world renowned celebrity. The clip is a who's who in European soccer featuring YOU against Christiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), being tapped by Arsene Wenger to come to Arsenal, subbing for Gallas, scoring after an assist from Cesc Fabregas, losing a tooth via Ibrahimovich, walking the Red Carpet, high fiving/getting a lesson from Ronaldinho, taking the field with the Dutch National team, Huntelaar and Ruud Van Nilsteroy against Portugal, and it is after the jump. Oh, Guy Ritchie...you're cooler than Madonna.... Well, maybe not....

The Euro Cup began last weekend and is one week in. This is basically a mini-world cup for the national teams of Europe (like the World Cup - it's every 4 years). The defending champs, Greece, are about to be eliminated, while Spain and the Netherlands look poised for dominance. The Italian and French sides couldn't win if you paid them (my what difference 2 years makes after an Italy/France World Cup Final in 2006). Check it out on everyday for the rest of the month on ESPN2 and ESPN Classic every day at 12:00 and 2:45 (we watch it in our resident's room while we eat our lunch). You can also watch it for free on ESPN360.com if your internet provider allows it. Viva Espana!

Come On Fulham!!!

How in the world did Fulham beat Everton? America's team holds off the death rattle for another week with a header to win by an American, Brian McBride! Leland, we're coming for your Magpies! (that's Newcastle people) Come on Cottagers!

Relegation Vacation

Fulham was long ago headed for the dreaded drop....Relegation. I just hoped that they could pull a miracle. Nope. I took little solace from Jimmy Bullard's late free kick that salvaged a measly point for the Cottagers. After looking like a child that wanders into the middle of a movie up until now, new American addition, Eddie Johnson, finally found some life breaking away in the 2nd half, stepping over a couple of times, and glancing one off the post. All for naught, nichts, nada, niente, rien and wolloshe. Surely Fulham will moan that their marker (Stalteri) was thrown down in the box for Blackburn's go-ahead goal (hence Gamst's wide open header), but he should have just been stronger and stayed firm. Still my biggest beef with futbol - everyone loves to fake/flop/whine/die on the pitch, get carried off on a flippin' stretcher, and then magically return five seconds later to play at full speed. Italians and South American players are the worst for me at this charade. Pathetic. If you're gonna go down, be for real ala Eduardo da Silva (nasty).

And yes, that's his tibia sticking out of his sock/skin. (shiver....)

Nevertheless, a loss or a draw is no win, and Fulham needs wins like a crackhead needs a hit. With 9 games to go and 6 points adrift, I have finally given up. Having won only 3 games all season, I find it highly unlikely for them to win 4-5 of 9 (which they'll need to survive). The "American" team will be playing AAA ball in the CocaCola Championship division meaning NO tv in the US. A promotion back to the Premiership next year doesn't seem to be in the cards either considering their current form. They have 3 goals in their last 7 games....yuck. There is a run of lower tier teams coming this month, but hope is lost. Looks like I'll be throwing my support back to the Merseyside and Fernando Torres (and don't even get me started on all the drama in Liverpool). I think this will be my lot in life. Cheering for the three-legged dog in a fight. Whether it be Fulham Futbol or Vanderbilt Football, my team is going down...

You'll Never Walk Alone !!!

Two late goals by Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard gave Liverpool a 2-0 victory over Inter Milan (FC Internazionale Milano - leaders of Italian Serie A) and put them in a comfortable position in the first knockout round of the European Champions League.

As some of you know and some of you have heard (mainly via complaints from my wife), I have caught the Futbol bug in a BAD way! As if there weren't enough sports in my life, I have finally found something to fill the winter void in my sports life. Once football ends in Jan/Feb, we are left with nothing.....The last time I cared about the NBA, Charles Barkley, Michael Jordan, (Oxford Comma) and Clyde Drexler were still running the court. On the other hand, we have the NHL who likely will never recover from their season on the brink a couple of years back. I haven't watched that mess since Claude Lemieux and Ray Bourque were still sliding around. I will say that the NHL's outside Ice Bowl in Buffalo earlier this year was one of he cooler things I've seen in sports in the past year (it should be happening all the time). Coupled with March Madness, soccer might help me make it this year. A serious competitive investment in the Memphis crew's Premier League Fantasy League coupled with my acquisition of 2 European classmates has sent me into a whirlwind of soccer madness! I have had a mild love affair with Arsenal since my time in London with Samford in 2000/2001 (the same can be said about my wife). I latched onto Liverpool year before last after getting a mild case of soccer fever brought on by the World Cup during the summer. This year, I have pulled hard for Fulham FC. Fulham is in west London by the Thames and is owned by Mohamed Al-Fayed (the owner of Harrods, father of Dodi, man of many conspiracies concerning Dodi and Dianna). Fulham also has more Americans playing for them than any other Euro team. They are likely to be relegated (read: demoted) to the lower league if they finish in the bottom 3 of the Premier League (an awesome consequence seen only in soccer that would send shockwaves in American sports if it was implemented - e.g. - Baseball). So, I will continue to pull and hope for the best. Catch the fever - GOOOAAALLLL !!!!!!!!!!