A Quick One (as I was away)

Any excuse for a The Who reference . . .

I just got back from visiting my Wife's family in the Washington D.C. and let me tell you, wearing a Hammers shirt or jacket will make you some new friends quickly. I plan on making a trip report in the next few days, but for now thanks to Dan, Will, Drew, and Sally will have to suffice. They made a wonderful trip even more wonderful. If you are ever in the area and need a soccer fix, make sure you get over to Ireland's Four Courts. They made sure I saw the Stoke game in style.

Two big wins and a huge jump up the table. Happy New Year everybody! I hope the club has big resolutions and is able to follow through. I resolve to keep the West Ham spirit alive here in the southern United States and convert more to our noble cause. I hope you all stay safe and prosper.

West Ham 0- Aston Villa 1

A benefit of living in the United States is that the papers are not full of news of the latest West Ham loss. When my favorite college football team loses a game, I have to avoid the local papers for a few days so I do not have to relive the event. West Ham gave up a undeserved loss to AV on Saturday on a fluke goal. Of course, Davenport probably saved one earlier and AV had another few chances that could have easily gone in. Those didn't though. Only the skim off of Neill's shin did so and Green had to watch helplessly as it spun over his head. West Ham had their chances and Cole continued to score 90% of a goal a few times. Zola says he is going to work on that last 10% with him until Cole is sick of it this week. I hope he throws up all over the pitch.

So, I get to watch the match in the early afternoon due to the time difference. The loss did not ruin the rest of my Saturday but it came damn close. Sunday morning, I awoke to a new day, free of all thought but the match on the 26th. I picked up my Sunday sports section and worked my way through the college basketball scores, bowl previews, and NFL news. On the back page, in the lower left corner, the hand reached up to slap me back to Saturday. It was just a blurb but is read like a long, bad Russian novel. "Brad Friedel made a number of saves to move Aston Villa to third in the English Premier League in their 1-0 win over West Ham at Upton Park."

Why State Newspaper? Why?

Chelsea 1-West Ham 1

Everyone knows how well Parker and Collison played. Did everyone miss Behrami as much as I did during the first twenty minutes of the second half? It was as though he was getting a rub down at half and did not make it back in time for the kick-off. Bellamy probably does not have to run in the off-season; All he does is continue to yap non-stop to exercise his lungs. Somebody needs to mic him for a match. I am sure it would be comedy gold.

The Ref decided to book everyone in the first half and then watch the second with his eyes closed. It would have taken a stab wound to bring out a card. Chelsea are going to continue to complain about the shoulder ball and the Lampard fall though they both appeared to be defensible decisions. If they had gone the other way, Hammers would have just as valid complaints.

It was fantastic seeing Bellamy finally get one in. Now, let's work on the bunches that should follow. Unfortunately, it is becoming less disappointing when Cole misses a makeable chance. He had a few flashes where he flat out physically dominated in the middle. Then, he would get the ball and fall over himself.

From a defensive standpoint, the team looked comfortable. It was worrying not to see Collins in there with his anvil head. It turned out alright though it was killing me to watch all those clearance kicks not make it to mid-field. Also, it appeared that there was a lack of zip on some back passes. Like I said, the defense looked comfortable, but I was worried it would turn to lackadaisical and one of those lazy passes would end up on the foot of a blue toe and over the Green. Speaking of Green, he avoided his embarrassing moment and all we will remember will be the couple of very nice saves he made. This is not the same keeper we saw against Everton.

It was a huge point. Let's get three this week.

I shouldn't really cheer loudly here, but if WHU scores late to take a win, I just might let fly

The online calculator states I am 4069 miles away from the match today as the crow flies. Why is my stomach so jittery then? Come 3:00 p.m. my time, I am shutting the door to my office with a shout of "Hold all my calls!" I have always wanted to shout that, though I never have.

Physical manifestations of stress from an event occurring over 4000 miles away caused by the future actions of adult men whom I have never met: I can't really say that is healthy.

And Boa Morte comes off the bench to score a fantastic win for West Ham United!!! What? He missed? You've got to be ************ kidding me.

I hate to bandy about the word "useless" about world class athletes, but Boa Morte and Faubert looked as though they were playing for the red team today. Bellamy kept the team alive with the pressure he was able to muster all match while Ol' Ironhead and his crew did their job splendidly for the third match in a row. Gerrard was kept in check but for an incredible entry pass late that ended up out of the net somehow. I would like a photo of his face though, right after he whiffed on his shot. It was priceless.

Announcers time their words in an attempt to look prescient. At the eighty minute mark it was, "No side has scored more last minute goals than Liverpool and no side has conceded more than West Ham United." Really? Stellar observation there Sherlock.

The Liverpool crowd seemed into the match the entire time though I imagine it was frustrating for them not to be able to break through. No sympathy here though. I've got my own team to worry about. One point is a freaking win today. Nice job, guys!

The P2P went out at about the 30 minute mark and I could not find any other source, so I went ahead and signed up for a month of Setanta Broadband to get the second half. Meh, I should have done it at the beginning of the season anyway. Thanks to all of you who post the streams. It helps those of us who are in other parts of the World a lot.

From the Guardian online

The legal battle over the Carlos Tevez affair will stretch into the new year after West Ham lodged an appeal against a high court ruling in Sheffield United's favour.

Sheffield United earlier today appeared to have gained the advantage in the saga, after Mr Justice Teare granted a temporary order stopping the Hammers appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over a ruling that they had breached Premier League rules in hiring the Argentine.

But the London club have lodged an appeal against the judge's decision to allow Sheffield United to go ahead with their arbitration claim for damages over their relegation from the Premier League last season, and the matter will return to the high court for a full trial next year when Sheffield United will seek a permanent injunction to prevent West Ham appealing to the CAS.

As an attorney, I find the process fascinating.
As a West Ham fan, I find it excruciating.
As a sports fan, I find it ludicrous it has come to this: decisions made in court rooms that should be made on the field of play.

I fail to see how this can be helpful in finding a new buyer. Who wants to spend the money when there is so much uncertainty? Of course, there would probably be a provision in the sale agreement providing for an adjustment depending upon the outcome of the Sheffield matter so it may not be as big as impediment as it seems.

As for now, I linger between excitment and dread. woopee.

Ironhead

Well, that was fantastic. A win, a clean sheet, and the emergence of some real defense. No matter how hard he tried, Samuel Cisse Jackson could not get his head quite aligned to score. Reid kept knocking it in there, but James Ironhead Collins kept knocking it back out. I watched at the house with the kids crawling all over me. I wonder if they could feel how tense my body was as the clock ticked away. After an awful day of college football on Saturday, West Ham provided a great start to my Sunday. The middle of the table is crowded and the hammers have two tough ones in a row. Maybe they can make up for those losses earlier to relegation fodder and make their own case to move into the top half.

Where are they now?

From ESPN Online

A voracious appetite for birds, booze and drugs rarely complements a fruitful footballing career but Frank McAvennie, a striker who once scored goals as freely as he partied, made a genuine effort to marry the two.

. . .

West Ham fans will never forget the season of 1985-86 and he was the name on everyone's lips that season, where the Hammers achieved their best league position in a 113-year history. McAvennie scored 26 goals while part of a wonderful partnership with Tony Cottee. Yet the season he came back to East London - 1988-89 - the Irons were relegated. It was during this latter period that his love affair with the mirror and the razor blade developed.

I need cheers to awake me from this Winter slumber

The time change and early onset of darkness always gets me down for a few weeks. Add in three goals in six minutes by Everton after some beautiful football by West Ham only adds to it. I sat at the Cock n' Bull waiting on the match to start while fans of some other two teams were packed in watching their tine little match. Who is this Arsenal and Manchester United these people speak of anyway?

The pub was open at 7:30 a.m. for the early match and I headed down to get a good breakfast and watch with Buddy Tim. The Arsenal fans left happy and I have to say I felt a little better with them winning rather than Man U. I am an underdog supporter and while it is hard to consider either of those teams an underdog, Arsenal did have fewer fans in the building during the match. Most of the crowd of 45 or so left during the first half of the West Ham match and I was left alone with the bartendress and manager by the time the Hammers scored. I was on the edge of my seat for the next twenty minutes trying to will the clock to move faster. Alas, I am no Hiro and Everton scored and scored and scored again. I tabbed out after the second goal as the staff was looking to close up as soon as the match was over so they could get to the South Carolina game, but they assured me they had no problem with me sitting there until the end. After the third goal, the manager slid a Guinness in front of me and said, "This one's on me." Mighty nice for a Newcastle fan.

As for Portsmouth, there was no coverage of it anywhere in my neck of the woods. I did catch the highlights on the wrap-up show and it looked to be typically full of missed opportunities. Does a clean sheet rate as a win right now? A point is a point is a point I guess.

I don't recall any particularly pithy comments from the Everton match, but the announcers were a bit harsh about Green. There was something along the lines of "And he thinks he should be the goalie for England." It reminded me of Jerry's comment to George, "And you want to be my latex salesman?"

It appears this week's match will be on Fox which means I'll have no problem watching. Maybe the two other West Ham fans and I will get together and watch.

Even in South Carolina there are Manchester United asses giving me a hard time (he's not really an ass, just a Man. U. fan)

I hung out with Buddy Tim last night who asked if I was going to cut out of work early today to watch the game. I told him I was going to tape it and watch it later as my Wednesday night poker game was going to conflict with it. Tim, still not certain about my EPL knowledge, wondered if I even knew what game he was talking about. I replied that it was the game wherein Manchester United was going to suffer a crushing defeat. His response was that it was clear I did not know the game he was speaking of. He was referring to the one was one in which West Ham United was going to get demolished. "That game is not scheduled for tomorrow," I replied. Hope I'm right.

I now have to spend the next 36 hours avoiding him and the internet so as not to hear the score before I have a chance to watch the match Thursday night. Please, nobody post anything important until Friday morning when I have a chance to get back on the net. Thanks. ;)

Edit: It appears as though I will be able to watch from the office today thanks to a timely heads-up from Hammered who has become the "go-to" guy for up to the minute revelations.

The past is past. The future awaits and contains a striker at every turn. Hopefully some Saints stayed in town and are available for knockout duty,

Arsenal just played a little bit better. For much of the game West Ham stood toe-to-toe, but one little lapse led to the only score that mattered. Faubert is a good player. I think it is obvious he has some nice skills. Where do you put him though? Right now, it seems as though he is being plugged into a square hole just to get him on the field.

Welcome back Mr. Collins. Solid, as was Parker.

For the first time this year, the middle looked safe as I found myself not cringing every time the ball went into the middle third. It will be a tall order to replicate that feeling with Man. U. and the fifteen strikers they will be putting on the field tomorrow.

Speaking of strikers, Cole may be one one day. Unlike that Lost castaway, Mr. Eko, for Arsenal, Carlton does not appear to have grown into his body yet. Once he adds 10-15 pounds of muscle, he will be able to shunt defenders aside and make better opportunities in front of the goal. Right now, he seems on the verge of always tripping over his own feet.

Bellamy is fast. I bet he gets impatient if the patron in front of him at the checkout takes too long to unpack their cart. He will break out for two or three as long as he can keep the hammy from sproinging.

My favorite announcer comment of the match: Faubert had an awful clearance attempt that popped straight up and the comment was, “That was a fairly unsophisticated attempt.” Indeed.

I want a win over Man. U. Oh, I know you all want one as well. I need it though as most of the EPL fans in town are supporters of that group for some reason. They have that Dallas Cowboy thing going on without the cool star on the helmet.

Speaking of the NFL, did the Saints-Chargers game cut into attendance at the EPL matches on Sunday? I noticed a ticket promotion on the West Ham website for Arsenal and was confused as I figured any match with them would be an instant sellout. At least the NFL game was entertaining unlike the one they had over there last year.

Alright, the recorder is set to go tomorrow as I will be playing poker during the match and we don’t get Fox Soccer channel out there. Not that anybody in my game would want to watch it anyway. They would rather listen to bad music of their youth. Not my youth mind you. That music was awesome. ;)

Hull. Who Knew?

Before the season, when the schedule had just come out, you took your mental pencil and marked the projected wins and losses for the year. You put a check in the win column against a few of the big clubs. For the most part, you made sure it was home game as you know the boys always play a bit better in front of the home fans. Sure, you probably picked an away upset somewhere in there. After all, there is always hope and a little history to support such a pick. Besides, what is better than being able to say, "I knew it!" when they pull off a big victory on the road.

For the most part though, you tried to keep it reasonable. The Hammers were sure to lose a few on the road they should win, would lose some at home to a team that was just better, or played better that day, and would suffer the random, inexplicable loss to an inferior side. As for the wins, you marked down the sure things first, before you moved on to the "should wins," "could wins," and "Boy it would be nice to win this one wins." If your list was anything like mine, Hull was on that "should win" list at the beginning of the year along with Bolton and WBA. Unlike as with those two though, Hull has to be moved into the "could win" column. They are on an amazing run and I hope it continues for a bit. At least until the rematch. Who knew they would be able to do this first time around? If you did, more power to you. What did you put by Arsenal this week?

__________________________________________________________________


I am watching the Man. U/Celtic match on P2P on a Chinese network I think. I recognized when they said "Davenport," but Berbetov was a mish-mash.

It was 40 years ago today . . .

I used to play some football. Of course, it involved an oblong ball and handball was encouraged. I wish I had played more of the foot only variety.

It's been 21 years since I last put on a football helmet. I still have dreams of remaining eligibility and me trying to play at ECU or USC. Then, I wake up and thank goodness I don't really have to go out there and pop people. I still hurt all these years later. If my kids never step on a football field, it won't bother me a bit. I love the game still. It is violent to your body though and the ramifications will manifest the rest of your life.

This was the best we did while I was at ECU. We played the best team I had ever seen, the National Champion Hurricanes. Standing on the sideline as Miami kicked off, it sounded and felt as though a herd of elephants was running down the field. They were huge and fast. We got crushed by an FSU team that ended up # 2. Todd Ellis and the Gamecocks had what was probably their best team ever and Southern Miss was lead by a freshman Qb named Favre.

G 1 9/ 5 1987 R A W 32-14 ( 4 - 7 - 0 55) North Carolina State
G 2 9/12 1987 R C H L 3-44 ( 11 - 1 - 0 2) Florida State
G 3 9/19 1987 R A L 10-20 ( 3 - 7 - 1 64) Illinois
G 4 9/26 1987 H W 16-13 ( 0 - 1 - 0 0) Georgia Southern
G 5 10/ 3 1987 R H L 0-49 ( 6 - 6 - 0 31) West Virginia
G 6 10/10 1987 R H W 56-28 ( 4 - 7 - 0 69) Cincinnati
G 7 10/17 1987 R C A W 32-23 ( 2 - 9 - 0 65) Virginia Tech
G 8 10/24 1987 R C A L 12-34 ( 8 - 4 - 0 10) South Carolina
G 9 10/31 1987 R C A L 3-41 ( 12 - 0 - 0 1) Miami (Florida)
G 10 11/ 7 1987 R H W 31-26 ( 3 - 8 - 0 81) Temple
G 11 11/14 1987 R C A L 34-38 ( 6 - 5 - 0 30) Southern Mississippi





This photo was taken after the Cincinnati game, six days before my 19th birthday. I played a few more weeks and then retired at the end of the season. All athletes retire at some point whether it's the twelve year old who decides that baseball is no longer for him or Chris Chelios who will have to hang it up at some point. Sports was a huge part of my life back then. I wish I had listened to Dad who told me to concentrate on pool and golf as I could play them my whole life and get paid if I was smart enough. It wasn't for me though as I insisted on playing all the baseball, basketball, and football I could. Now, I am a bad pool player and worse golfer to go along with my sore knees and shoulders. To top it all off, my ass hurts if I play poker too long.

Anyway, it's my 40th. I am taking the family to the State Fair tonight and meeting the gang for a few drinks tomorrow. I don't feel different.

When it rains . . .

From The Sun

WEST HAM manager Gianfranco Zola has been dealt another blow with Valon Behrami likely to face a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

The £5million right-back, 23, hurt his knee while training with Switzerland when team-mate Gelson Fernandes clattered into him.

Now the Swiss are piling on. What do they have against us? They are supposed to be neutral.

UPDATE
The club website says he's fine and will be playing this weekend for Switzerland.

Bolton

The match started at 8:30 a.m. my time. I did not think my usual spot would be open that early so I waited to stop in on my way to church. It was about 9:45 when I stuck my head in the door. There were a few souls in already waiting for the "bigger" games to start and no sign of my fellow Iron. I could tell they had just opened the doors and asked if I could catch the last few minutes of my match. "Not on," was the reply. I think the live telecast was on Sky, which no one gets here. The owner checked the listings for me and saw it would be recast at 5:00 p.m. on Setanta. He assured me they would have it one for me.

So. I spent the rest of the day trying to stay off the internet, or at least away from sites where I could stumble across the score. Honestly, it is not that hard to avoid EPL scores in South Carolina. Everything sports related on Sundays is NFL and NASCAR. I couldn't check my EPL fantasy scores though as I was scared I would run across the score. The closest I came was a vision of a 3-0 West Ham win. Turned out to be wishful thinking, didn't it?

I sat for the whole thing, sans sound. The bartender obviously had a Marley fetish and the accent was on the third beat the entire time I was there. The wings were overcooked and the Carlsberg keg ran dry. At least the hippies in Vermont had sent down a fresh shipment of Magic Hat # 9 and the key lime pie was dense with limey goodness.

Etherington was an invisible man. Did he even play? I couldn't tell without the sound on. He was just another skinny, white guy running around, unlike the last match where he distinguished himself with his gainful activity. Cole was around the goad and had a nice opportunity that got away to go along with the good bounce. De Michele got tired. The defense looked completely out of synch and Bolton seemed to control the middle of the field for much of the match. They also made a fresh Bellamy and Sears irrelevant in their short time in. As for Mr. Green, well, we all have our days don't we? One day, there will be a shutout. It's hard to bet on one coming now though.

Once again, losing to a bottom half club is especially harsh. Doing so at home is worse. They have got to take advantage of this part of the schedule. It gets tougher I hear. Even on this side of the World, I hear it gets tougher.

No time

I have a million words I want to say about the Sheffield decision but work is in the way today. Fortunately, there are many others writing very eloquently about it. Go check them out and check back here in a bit.

Zola. Zola. Zola.

Di Michele scored twice and passed up another opportunity to a teammate. The defense held for the most part. Boa Morte missed a sure thing. It was a fun game to watch as the Hammers had many chances and Newcastle never looked as though they had a chance. In hindsight, it was as close to a sure thing as it could be.

Now, the Pirates are trying to h old on to a touchdown lead with 90 seconds to go.

Why am I excited?

The sponsor is bankrupt. Ashton is out for a month. West Brom won the game last week. Nevertheless, I am excited about Saturday. Maybe it's the new manager and my first chance to see the new players. Maybe it' just that I haven't actually been able to watch a match in three weeks. Whatever it is, I'm almost buzzing here.

Bring on Newcastle!

By the bye . . . speaking of beer. What is the appropriate beverage to drink while watching the match? Carlsberg is the official beer of West Ham according the website but I think they are also the primary sponsor of some little team in the league. I have nothing against their beer but I would hate to give the wrong impression by my choice of drink. Maybe I should get it in a plain glass. Suggestions are welcome.

This Post Sponsored by . . .

Once again, Hammered has alerted me to an item of interest. I'm six hours behind most West Ham fans and asleep when most of this stuff comes out. There is a petition circulating to use the Bobby Moore Fund as the primary "Sponsor" for the rest of the season (replacing XL). It sounds like a great idea to me. Here's the link to the petition. I'll commit to buying one now.

Those that weren't happy should now be a little more happy

This should take a little heat of of Zola from the fans who were upset Zola was the choice. It's also nice to see the traffic come the other way once in a while.

From the club official home

West Ham United are delighted to confirm the appointment of Steve Clarke as first-team coach working with new manager Gianfranco Zola.

The highly regarded Clarke, who left his post at Chelsea last week and was able to move to the Boleyn Ground after a compensation package was agreed on Monday, will be part of a strong coaching set-up. It also includes Kevin Keen, who has been promoted to first-team coach, and goalkeeping coach Ludek Miklosko. Clarke has agreed a three-year contract.

Wrong West

You have to beat the teams you are supposed to beat. Of course there was a litany of distractions over the last two weeks, but when you are fighting to stay out of the bottom half of the league, you have to be able to put aside everything but the match. Now, I'm talking out of my ass a bit here as I could not see the match and have no real idea how it played out. I am hoping it will be on tape delay at the Cock 'n Bull one night this week. Do I really want to go watch though?

All losses are tough. Losing to one of the last place teams is especially tough. At the end of the season, you don't want to be fighting West Brom for position, especially with them using the points you gave them.

The match is on Fox Soccer this week so I will definitely get to see it. Guinness at 10 a.m. is a fine start to the day. Right after West Ham, the East Carolina Pirates get to play at their biggest rival, North Carolina State. The Pirates came off a huge win against highly ranked ranked West Virginia last week and almost stumbled against Tulane, a perpetual also-ran. They were able to recover and pull it out late in the game to keep an unbeaten season alive. It was a game they had to win, and they found a way to do it.

Is Zola the Man?

From The MailOnline

With thanks to Hammered for alerting me to the article

Former France international Leboeuf said: ‘He (Zola) is a very intelligent person, very smart on the pitch and I’m sure he’s going to do well.

‘My only concern is that he was a Chelsea player and not a West Ham player. I heard a West Ham fan say that they would rather the club went for Paolo Di Canio because he was a Hammers legend and I can understand that.

‘I never wanted to sign for another club because I gave my faith and my love to Chelsea and I think you have to stick to that.
Zola in his time with Chelsea

The old days: Zola in his time with Chelsea

‘Gianfranco is a legend at Chelsea and I don’t see him at West Ham. I’ve nothing against West Ham but Zola belongs to Chelsea.’

When the amount of money the Clubs are willing to pay to attract players and managers there may soon be no such thing as a Chelsea Man or a West Ham Man. They may all be Money Men. In American terms, Tommy Lasorda is a Dodger and will always be a Dodger. Men such as he are few and far between though. Rick Pitino crossed over in one of the biggest rivalries in sports from University of Kentucky basketball to University of Louisville basketball. Will he retire a Cardinal? Not likely, especially if the New York Knicks offer him the right compensation. The introduction of big money into the sports has made it more accessible (in television terms) to those of us who follow from afar. Conversely, it has made it less of an intimate experience as those who are able to pay the money, or willing to take the money, can inject themselves into organizations where their presence would have been unthinkable a generation ago.

Now, I don't think that is completely bad. There have been many instances where a player or manager who is connected with one team has switched allegiances and been able to overcome those prior ties to be an effective asset to his new club. In some cases, those men develop a special grudge against their former club and strive all the harder to defeat them at every opportunity. Hopefully, this will be the situation with Zola. As soon as he steps into office, I will assume he is a West Ham Man and give him all my support. It is the only thing to do.

So, You're saying there's a chance

Well, which job does Mr. Obama want? Judging with my knowledge of fickle sport fans, I think the presidency may be the better option. Barring historic events, it is a guaranteed four year contract.

Well, this certainly doesn't make me feel better.

From The TimesOnline:

He is smart to leave now, though. The table does not show it, but unless they can find a friendly billionaire sheikh, West Ham face a bleak future. Low morale, money tight, perhaps a few more stars out of the door in January: it is a recipe for relegation trouble.

I'm a Gambling Man by Nature

I'll send a bounty to the first one to identify the movie from which the title of this post came.

David Di Michele and Herita Ilunga are on loan. A gambling striker and a needed left back. I can find very little information on Ilunga, but I hope that is due to his age rather than his skill. Di Michele has an extensive history and is know as a creative player. Of course, these are now 32 year-old legs that are trying to be creative.

I think I get Curbishley's reasoning for leaving. The sale of Ferdinand, the row with Neill after the game Saturday, and the general impression of the soft collapse the second half last year all contributed to an untenable situation. It all could have been worked out but it wasn't. So, what do you do? Move on to another spot.

Who is his replacement? The rumors sound good but I don't want to speak of it myself. I am sure the decision has been made. I'll wait with the rest of Hammer Nation for the announcement.

I Hardly Knew You

After all the gossiping in the press it can't come as much of a shock but can someone explain the timing to me? If this was to be done, shouldn't it have been done prior to the season? Good bye Mr. Curbishley and good luck.

I'm Not the Only One

Kickoff was 10:00 a.m for those of us on the east coast. Fortunately, we have a local that will open up early for us. It was my first time at the place for a match and didn't know what to expect when we showed up with West Ham kits on. There was only one other patron and he was there to support the team as well. It was obviously a nice match with a well earned goal by Cole to go along with the return of Bellamy. Where was that team that played last week vs. Man City?

The Arsenal crowd started pouring in and we had to leave to pick up the kids but I've got a place to watch the next one with at least one other local fan.

Now, it's Pirate time.

That football isn't round!

American College Football starts here tonight. It is as much a religion as anything I know. This day has been anticipated by legions of fans since the last whistle of the 2007/08 season. This is the intro for South Carolina (my hometown team and from where I have a degree but not where I played). I've loved it since I was a kid. There are at least 78,000 who agree with me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQPAU4u6UBc

Pay no attention to the little old lady coaching the team and never mind the final score, this is the best representation I've seen of the Carolina intro short of being there. But you really got to be there.

The Hammers crushed in extra time yesterday. I had to leave the computer screen to play in my Wednesday night poker game. At least they won as I sure didn't.

Frustration

This is how I have to watch the Irons today. That solid yellow dot just showed up, making me a little less stressful. It appears as though they are dominating in every facet but scoring.

I need another yellow dot. Or a drink. Or both.

1-1

Actually got to catch the game on Fox Soccer this weekend. Wish I hadn't. Manchester City looked very good and West Ham was lucky they only scored three. Oh well, can't win them all, although it would be nice.