Why REAL Conservatives love Soccer

When I read Glenn Beck's recent ridiculous tirade against soccer where he proclaimed, " ... we don't like the World Cup, we don't like Soccer...." I admit I was astonished by Beck's arrogant decision to misrepresent all of us, conservatives, with his narrow-minded proclamation. Wow. Glenn Beck has certainly struck a cord, but from comments I'm seeing around the web - clearly, the wrong one.

There are a lot of conservatives that seem to be wrapped up in hero-worship of Glenn Beck for his opinions on politics. I guess I've never fallen into that category so I haven't really lost much. But his soccer comments this week put a good size chink in his so-called in penetrable armor. What Mr. Beck may not realize is that most of American parents have children in soccer programs across the country. Hey Beck, ever heard of the term Soccer mom? or Soccer Dad? The fact is that most of America loves soccer, and enjoys cheering their sons and daughters in a game that is played in the rain, in the snow, in 90 degree weather, and in the frigid cold.

This whole inflammatory discussion actually came to me via a tweet from National Review. Jonah Goldberg via National Review's The Corner posted a soccer commentary discussion, which wasn't particularly favorable to soccer or the World Cup. But, in fairness his main reason for posting appears to oppose The Nation's article here which falsely makes the complaint that racism and nativism is the reason that the right-wing doesn't like the World Cup or soccer. At least Jon Miller goes on to defend soccer - although he does take a swipe at MLS.

Our kids (and I mean our true blue American kids) learn more from soccer than they do any other sport played in a group setting on a field. And unlike Little League where kids check out after the 6th inning after standing alone out in the middle of left field, soccer demands consistent athletic ability, stamina and team coordination. You sprint for the larger part of 90 plus minutes trying to outrun and out-maneuver your opponents. And you score not by hitting a ball over the fence with a bat and jogging around a set of bases, but from a fast moving position with nothing more than your own body as the tool of execution while eleven other players try to stop you. And rules - well there are many, and subjectivity of the referees calls are a lot like you see in the real world - imperfect and frequent.

In the advance soccer leagues, if you are even able to make the team, not everyone gets a trophy like they do in most American Sports. From a fitness standpoint, there are no long huddles, television timeout or breaks unless you have to remove an injured player from the field - and the referee then adds time on to the half to make sure that the game isn't shortened for intentional wasting of time. Stamina and fitness matter in soccer. There is no room for overweight kids to stand around and be an observer.

Complaints about soccer not being a high scoring game are equally short-sighted. Perhaps the problem lies with the lack of understanding that in a skilled strategic game that solid defensive play can be more rewarding than a contest of endless high scoring numbers through runs or touchdowns. Soccer operates on a point system, and an elimination system. Goal differential and goals not scored you actually count for something.

Beck sadly makes the mistake of making fun of the European version of soccer, and this too is a foolish position. European soccer fans - chat, yell, sing and engage themselves through out the game - as a near interactive collective during the game. Baseball fans sit silently gnawing on their hot dogs until something happens or they get caught up in a wave. Do you hear anything other than, "Defense, Defense" chant at an American Football football game? And never mind the dozens of opportunities given to get another snack from the fridge. Oh man, thank God for commercials, right?

At the Euro Professional League Level, you don't get situations like you do in Major League Baseball, where teams not headed into playoffs just go through the motions in August and September. In Soccer, you could face relegation, and in that - lose your salary and perhaps your job. Games count through the end. And your play impacts the fate of other teams, so no one limps through knowing careers are on the line through the last game of the season. In American Football, the season is just about over after six weeks, and you know your team can't be dropped from the league. But can you image the increase in the level of intensity if demotion were a real possibility in American Sports? Ha. American fans would get their money's worth.

So Beck, let's not antagonize our Middle American base. Let's not have you speak for us and scare away millions of soccer moms and dads from conservative candidates because you insist conservatives don't like soccer. In fact Beck why don't you just stick to politics, and shut it. Maybe over the next month you might tune into the World Cup and see what competition is really about.

Here are 10 basic reasons why Conservatives should be soccer fans:

1. Not everyone gets a trophy. Only those who win get trophies. The runner ups get a handshake,if they're lucky.

2. Soccer is sport where fitness and talent actually matter. This even applies to officials who are grosely obese in MLB - if you haven't noticed.

3. Passion is part of the game, on and off the field for players and fans alike. It doesn't die when you leave the venue. You carry it with you everywhere. It's like religion.

4. It's ok to hate your rivals, and its ok for your rivals to hate you. It's part of the game, and no one need make excuses for making opposing fans feel bad. American sports used to be more that way - this goes to fandom and passion.

5. In Soccer, teamwork is essential to winning. If one of eleven men doesn't do their job for 90 minutes, you'll probably lose

6. Fair weather fans aren't part of the equation; soccer is played in heat, cold, snow and rain. Pansies need not apply. There are no tarps, or rain delays, or postponements (after management feels they milked the fans for a few bucks while they wait for a planned decision)

7. No commericals disrupting every stinking play, inning, possession, or worse - creating an actual break in the game like you see in basketball. You only get them a half-time.

8. If you do drugs, you're done. There is no union group of players schemeing with their attorneys to find ways to cheat by making up lists of drugs that you can and can't be tested for. Or finding ways to get out of drug testing in the name of "privacy", or defending people like Barry Bonds, who care little for "fair play" and more about getting juiced so they can break records.

9. Full body commitment. Soccer players give 100%. They don't take one hops, or come out of the game because they have a hangnail, or don't "feel just right." They play the game like true athletes do - and don't spend all their time trying to take it easy to extend their million dollar contracts to milk the system over the next 10 years. Oh, and many of them return to regular jobs after they play, not try to sell your kids Nike shoes or sugar bars.

10. Merit counts in Soccer. Lack of effort means your team gets relegated, or eliminated. There is no mandate forced by a liberal union to keep the money flowing in for poor results.

Relegation Hurts, and Television Revenue in the Premier League

This blogsite is probably one of the best I've seen on soccer news.

This article struck me since it talks in detail to the amount of money being paid in TV revenue to each Premier League team. Top flight football in the Premier League is worth its weight in gold - even for the upstarts and mid-tier teams.

This article emphasizes the importance of the practice of relegation which makes each game count up and through the end. This is a huge contrast to American sports, where mediocre and poor teams are rewarded for one pathetic season after another, and where non-play-off teams go into cruise control mode for months when its clear they don't have shot at the post season. Just imagine what baseball or American football would be like if teams were bounced from MLB or the NFL for coming in last place or second to last place? The true NFL season would have a significant number of games that matter past week 10. Just think of it! How many people would pay to see New England, New York or Dallas relegated?

Fear of relegation makes every game count. Relegation means doom for many teams - loss of finances, loss of star power and/or premium players, loss of gate revenue, and demoralization of the team overall. And climbing back to contention for top flight is a whole nother matter. Do you really think Derby will bounce back after having the worst Premier League record in history?

Look at poor Leeds United. Once a proud top flight team, and now that are the talk of what once was. The only top flight games involving Leeds are found on the show Premier League Archives.

Accepting failure....

At the peak of it's day, the idea of running an blog dedicated to English Soccer in all its forms - Premier League, National Team, Champions League, Carling Cup, on and on and on was a novel idea. But in all honestly, my meager attempt has lead to miserable failure. Oh well. No one died.

But on the other hand, I guess I have to accept that the project was doomed from the start. Not only are there hundreds upon hundreds of sites dedicated to English Football, all reporting timely news and appropriate commentary, but my opinion on the topics were not outside of mainstream thinking or reporting by the average fan. At least not original or timely enough to warrant a 24/7 blog that I could hardly maintain. (And at times, this one is hard to maintain consistently).

I first started that blog so as not to clutter this one with English soccer stories, and it seemed every other day, I had a number of stories that centered around Premier League activity; this became confusing to my readership which found two sides which decried that my blog was either too sporty, or too political.

Whatever it was it was at least more active with new posts and stories.

Now, I guess I just don't really care.

This blogs main purpose is to make me happy. So if I write about how great Manchester United is or how crummy Hillary Clinton is, I guess I shouldn't really care about what the readership thinks. At least not entirely. A few of you that I know, I do care about what you think.... its the drive by types that "think they know me" but don't have a clue. I think I might even have relatives like that.

So moving forward, expect to see a few more comments on the world of sport here. For those who don't like sports, I guess your a click away from the next blog.

As for English Soccer, I get plenty of it these days. Fox Soccer Channel and ESPN have been doing their duty to keep me well entertained over the past several weeks and months. I still wish I could get Setanta, but that would require a dish, and you never get something without giving up something. And the whole dish thing seems pretty complicated to me. Not to mention that my wife doesn't want a thing that looks like a radar tracking station on the roof of our nice house.

I look forward to the day that the cable industry no longer finds it profitable to divide channels and line ups into rigid territories, and we can move to where all channels are a la carte - if you so choose. You pick what you want, and pay for what you REALLY want to watch.

The only negative to this suggestion is that channel surfers would lose the ability to watch shows they don't normally watch ... you know.... five minutes of mongooses in the wild, or the building of a Sherman Tank, or a biography of some drunken Hollywood boob. You know, stuff that entertains you for for less than five minutes until you feel obliged to move on.

Americans are big on options. We just aren't big on paying $120 a month when 95% of what's broadcasted is unwatchable garbage.

If I had a line up, it would probably look like this (not in order of priority or anything):

1. CBS Local Affiliate
2. ABC Local Affiliate
3. NBC Local Affiliate
4. NESN
5. ESPN
6. ESPN 2
7 ESPN Classic
8. SCI FI Channel
9. Fox News
10. Fox Local Affiliate
11. Fox Soccer Channel
12. Setanta
13. Gol TV
14. CNN
15. Discovery Channel
16. History Channel
17. Travel Channel
18. History International
19. Noggin
20. BBC
21. PBS
22-30: My wive's choice; she may throw in a few channels that she watches, but I'm not sure.

That would probably do it. The rest is crap.

A blog that leaves you smiling... and Scotland beats France at home!

I found this blog this morning called hotenglishmagazine.com/blog a.k.a. Dr. Finger's Blog.

I was out in search of some additional articles on the fabulous win yesterday by Scotland over France, 1-0, and accidentally stumbled across his blog. It's nice to see a blog (unlike this one) that is so well organized and so well written.

So, in my moment of (what a lie... how about hours of endless) exultation over England's defeat of Russia, I forgot to comment over the far more significant story about Scotland's soccer victory.

In fact, shows like Fox Soccer Channel's simulcast of the Canadian-run soccer show All through the Night headlined the Scotland win as the number one story. And rightfully so. For Scotland to have marched into France, and play a team so well-respected in the football community as World Cup Champions, and pull out not only a win, but a defensive shut out is amazing to say the least. For the 2008 Euro qualifiers, Scotland defeated France both at home and now away which may just about guarantee their advancement to the next round. The Scots have something to really beat their chests about today. Congrats!

So as not to offend others on the British Isles, I should also report a fine victory by Wales yesterday over Slovakia. The story is here.

Manchester United's Wayne Rooney to make early return!

Whether the decision is to enhance the poor play of Manchester United over the past several weeks, or because he's actually fit to play, key Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney is set to return to the Red Devil's squad earlier than anyone expected.

Rooney had been out recouperating from a fractured left foot he received when he was challed by Reading's Michael Duberry during United's goalless draw with the Royals on the opening weekend of the season on August 12.

Man U faces three important matches coming up soon. One with Everton this Saturday, one Champions League qualifying match with Sporting Libson next Wednesday, and then the following weekend in a clash with their rivals - Chelsea.

Man U is suffering with the loss of Rooney and suspended Cristiano Ronaldo, who received a three game suspension for violent conduct during Man U's draw with Portsmouth on August 15.

England stomps Israel 3-0; At last something for the three lions to cheer about!

Just when you think England has breathed its last breath....

Today's win was an impressive display of fortitude since the loss to Germany two weeks ago which was an abonination in the eyes of English Football (Soccer) loyalists.

Chelsea's Shaun Wright-Phillips ('20), Liverpool's Michael Owen ('49) and Manchester City's Micah Richards ('66) each scored for England, which had been hanging by a thread in fourth place in Group E before the match, and remains so just one point behind Russia.

England hosts Russia on Wednesday and stories like this one abound about the decision to change the line up after such a tremendos victory today. Steve McClaren call your office!

Lastly, David Bentley was booed upon his replacing Wright-Phillips. Some notes on that can be found here.

Pundit reviews from some of the best here.

Champions League: English Premier League teams draw tough road. Italians receive free pass.

Let the whining begin...

We all know that the brackets for NCAA College Basketball Tournament games are created with the intent of saving the best games for the end. Which is why you don't seek Duke playing Kansas or Florida in the first round. Yet Champions League draws are a bit of a mystery with suggested collusion when it comes to deciding who plays where and when, and in which Group.

Last years Champions League quarter, semi, and finals were exciting since they paired the most talented teams (or arguably the most talented) to meet in the Spring. This year is something else since some of the best teams must survive their own grouping before advancing foward in the competition.

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The downside of this is that it could be "over before its over" and the upside could be that there could be a darkhorse or two that could surprise everyone - that is - before getting squashed in the final.

Liverpool will face Porto, Marseille, and Besiktas out of Group A. Chelsea has drawn one of the toughest roads in the competition: Valencia, Rosenborg and Schalke 04 out of Group B. Manchester United out of Group F will face Roma, Sporting Dynamo, and Kiev. Arsenal will face AEK Athens or Sevilla, Steaua Bucuresti, and Slavia Prague

Sadly, the Italians pretty much got a free pass going into the first round (or real competition) AC Milan drew an easy road with Celtic, Benfica and Shakhtar Donetsk in Group D, while their rivals Inter Milan drew an easy road with PSV Eindhoven, Pernerbahce, and CSKA Moscow out of Group G.

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There is probably more risk to the game by drawing out best from worst due to the sensitivities involved. But a least no one will be able to say that the English had a easy road should they advance. English teams already have the toughest schedule in the Sport - FA Cup, Champions League, and Carling Cup plus the match-ups in their weekly EPL schedule.

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It's really no wonder that people are beginning to question the reasonability of the schedules, and the impacts to the players. Some argue to leave it alone since its always been this way, but I'm not sure that such is the case - the competition within the regular EPL schedule is better than its always been with once mid-tier teams now strong enough to unseat "expected" power teams like Man U, Arsenal, Everton, and Liverpool.

English Premier League Kicks off tomorrow!

The official season of the English Premier League (EPL) kicks off tomorrow, and it looks like the games will be as exciting as last year - which is great news for those of us who love the sport of Soccer as played by the Europe's and World's greatest and most formidable league.

This brings me to a question that I've been toying with off and on regarding this blog and how to incorporate EPL updates as part of my regular ramblings. The question I've been asking is should I set up a separate blog for that purpose, or should updates continue here as key developments unfold? I don't intend to set up a blog or webpage that provides up to the minute scores or details of trades and so forth - as that is well covered by both Fox Soccer Channel's website and ESPN's Soccer site. And to their credit the coverage is good enough for the average fan.

In the coming days, I'll either set up a new blog, or decide to keep my soccer ramblings to a once a week thing.

But no matter what happens, I'm ready to watch Chelsea, Man U, Tottenham, West Ham, Liverpool, Newcastle and the host of other teams that are ready to take to the pitch. This will come as a huge disappointment to my wife and kids. The television will be centered around soccer which means that nonsense shows, soaps, reality TV, and Barney will have to take a hike. If Barney wants viewing time, he'd better put on a Chelsea Jersey and shag his fat, purple self onto the pitch.

Now how many parents would pay to see Barney slide-tackled. I'd pitch in a few bucks toward the Red Card suspension fee. Wouldn't you?

In the meantime, trying to figure out who was transferred to where? There have been a lot of trades in the EPL over the summer, so you may want to look here so your not surprised to see players like Alan Smith wearing a Newcastle Jersey over the weekend!

Soccer: Credit to AC Milan for winning the Champions League Trophy!

Well, congrats AC Milan. You are the Champions of Europe!

You managed to defeat Liverpool FC by a score of 2-1 yesterday in fancy style. Despite calls for your removal from the tournament due to your involvement in the match fixing scandal, you ignored the controversy and won the game on the pitch. And like it or not, the game is not won in committee meetings or courts, but on the pitch - and no one can take that away from you.

As for Liverpool FC, their play was inexcusable. Gerrard, Crouch (who was added too late in the game btw), and the gang lacked focus and looked like children ready for a nap. The fact is that Liverpool FC has looked pathetic for weeks now, including lackluster efforts during the final weeks of English Premier League play that made people question whether or not they were even engaged at all.

Maybe next year, Liverpool. But be prepared to finish what you start. This is yet another sad end to an otherwise promising season. This is another win for Serie A to rub in the face of the EPL.

Now that the soccer season is officially, over - and as losers often do - Liverpool FC will have the chance to think about what could have been, all summer long. And in when play resumes in the late summer/fall we will see if Liverpool FC has learned anything from all of this.

Sunday morning rant: biding the time as we wait for number two to arrive, and my first Referee report!

This expects to be a big week, with "number two" expected to arrive this week. But thoughts are now that with the due date of Tuesday, May 8th just on the horizon, that it could certainly go beyond anything that we might have had planned. We expected to go in on Tuesday, and by the doctors' initial thoughts, we scheduled the 8th as our "go-date". But after a visit with the doc this past week, we are opting to go natural, and let our little one come when its ready. Planning is always easier with a second child, but we are opting skipping induction and going for the full drama.

So as I expect the call at the most inopportune moment, I'll keep the car gased, cell phone fully charged, and ringer on full blast!

Notwithstanding the wait for the imminent arrival of number two, and on the orders of the spousal-unit, I kept myself busy! My lawn received its first trimming and cut yesterday, and I'm feeling the pain involved in deep knee bends, weeding, digging and trimming everything to death. And I bought a new "power tool" yesterday - a hedgehog. It's true what they say about power tools and guys - power tools are awesome! And now I know how Edward Sissorhands felt. Man! (Speaking of which - see the new adaptation stage show about Edward Sissorhands here.)

Yesterday, I also ref'd a game for the U-14 girls. Boy, one thing is for sure - the parents can be relentless. And when you play the role of assistant referee (formally referred to as "linesman") you get to hear the commentary up close and personal. So yesterday, I had this parent sitting in a lawn chair my quadrant (I reffed as Assistant Referee 2 [AR2] - opposite side of the team benches (aka the "technical area"). You know the type - loud, large, opinionated, critical - and what was worse was that he was an annoying Yankee fan (could tell by his hat). All the characteristics of "trouble".

During the game, he became very critical of the center referee over a few calls that might have been otherwise deemed fouls had they not be ignored in lieu of "advantage" for the team that maintained possession and was quickly moving the ball up field. The parent continued to make critical remarks after two close plays, and finally the center referee warned him, and told him that if it continued, he would removed from the spectator area.

I also had to turn to the spectator twice, and asked him to refrain from criticism. And it wasn't just talking, it was meant to detract from the game, and get other spectators worked up. Some of the banter is just that... but it was rude of him to make fun of the Center Ref's age and make comments that were downright derogatory. I told him "please not criticize the refs", of course he was so smart - he replied "oh, I'm just talking to myself.".

But I guess this is what you can expect. Other than that, I had a good game. I made a few offsides calls, and one was ignored by the Center Ref, which prompted our friendly spectator to offer further criticism of the Center - which he did by calling someone on his cell phone to tell the story of what he'd seen, but all in all - it was a good game - well played, and with no cards issued.
I think this "reffing business" is certainly the kind of thing where you improve over time. There is so much to monitor during a soccer game simply because the action is in constant flow with 22 players all doing their own thing across an enormous playing area, and lots of rules to enforce about so many things. It was a good first experience which I came away fully satisfied with, and I look forward to more games.

Today I will be taking on the role of Center Referee. I can only help that my brain and eyes are working properly and that I make the right calls. God help the kids, and God help me!

And for those who were looking for a follow up comment on yesterday's EPL action: As I had hoped, West Ham defeated Bolton 3-1, and Wigan fell to Middlesborough 1-0. Karma is coming back to haunt Wigan for trying to push West Ham down to relegation through legal action instead of through hard work and winning games. Keep in up West Ham! Today you sit at Number 17. Next week, you need to keep the pressure on!

Pulling for West Ham! And EPL league analysis heading into this weekend's action!

As English Premier League play draws to a close, we have to pull for the West Ham United "Hammers" as they attempt to escape the relegation zone. As of this writing West Ham is hanging in at the number 18 spot with 35 points and only two games to go (Wigan also has 35 points but leads because of other stats that define rankings).

Why pull for West Ham? West Ham has been a forerunner for the EPL for years, and at the onset of this season, West Ham seemed like they would have a promising season; they handed Arsenal a loss that no one expected on Sunday, November 5th, but immediately after that point West Ham only managed to win one more game out of their next 20 games (defeating only Sheffield United on Saturday, November 25th). So with West Ham either losing or drawing week after week until they managed a win against Middlesborough on March 31st - it seemed that the team was simply bound for the relegation express.

West Ham improved in April winning three out of five games including consecutive victories over the past two weeks. But as the world wondered, would a last minute effort by last years' former FA Cup contenders be enough to pull them out of the basement? Would it be enough to save them from Coca-Cola land? That answer is still up in the air.

West Ham has also been in the news regarding irregularities involving the signing of Carlos Terez and certain clauses within a four year deal that allowed a third party Kia Joorabchian direct influence over West Ham. The FA ended up fining West Ham a record $5.5 million. Initially it was thought that the FA would have also deducted 10 points from West Ham which would have doomed them to relegation, considering their current ranking. Wigan and other relegation teams have threatened legal suits to attempt to get the 10 point subtraction imposed. This is yet another reason why we MUST ALL PULL for West Ham. How weak is it for a rival relegation bound team to threaten legal action instead of trying to beat out West Ham by winning their way to security? It's damn pathetic!

With Carlos Tevez now playing for West Ham, its possible that the Hammers have a fighting chance to beat relegation. But let's not kid ourselves, the road to beating relegation is paved in blood, sweat and war - with final two two games of the season scheduled against top EPL teams - Bolton and Manchester United. If West Ham beat these teams, then they deserve a place in the 2007-2008 Premiership.

The battle against the fifth place Bolton Wanderers tomorrow (Saturday 10 am EST) will be no walk. Bolton is hell bent on knocking off their rival, Arsenal, for a slot in Champions League play (CL spots are reserved for only the finishing top four teams), and at a minimum, hold onto their spot in European UEFA cup action (reserved for the top six finishing teams).

Naturally, finishes depend on how the other teams in and outside of relegation fair. The schedule breakdown and analysis is as follows:

20th place Watford is headed to relegation because they have 24 points and even two victories would not pull them free of relegation.

19th place Charlton Athletic has 33 points, but must play a red hot 9th place Tottenham Spurs this weekend and 3rd place Liverpool on May 13th.

17th place Wigan must play 14th place Middlesborough tomorrow, and 15th place Sheffield United next weekend. Wigan has the easiest road, but Middlesborough is no walk having recently held Manchester United to a draw in the FA Cup - and nearly pulling out an upset. Wigan has also lost its last two games, including their last game to rival West Ham by a lost of 3 - 0. If Wigan fails to win, they could give West Ham an even chance even if West Ham draws.

16th place Fulham has 36 points and have lost and draw in their past two games; the "Cottagers" must face a red hot 3rd place Liverpool team this weekend, and then must play 14th place Middlesborough.

15th place Sheffield United is in at 38 points, and must face 11th place Aston Villa, who have drawn and lost in their last two games. The Blades then go on to face 17th place Wigan next week.

14th place Middlesborough, already mentioned above stands with 40 points and plays Wigan this week and Fulham next week.

Manchester City (13th place) and Newcastle United (12th place) seem assured of safety, but will finish out in the bottom half of the league with little to be proud of except avoiding relegation and clinging to survivial. Hanging out near the bottom makes you a target the next time around and doesn't do much for club enthusiasm particularly when both teams sit with 42 points.

So I think we have it. Let's hope West Ham finds six points, and pray Wigan loses this weekend and next. Soccer schedules can be tricky things, the answer lies in not putting yourself in a position where you are counting your points, and others at the end of the season.

Go West Ham!

Soccer: the REAL athlete's sport

OK, so today I'm tackling the big question that everyone has been asking me these days... what is all this (sudden) fascination you have with Soccer (a.k.a. European football)?

Well its not really sudden, since I've been a fan for some time, but its been nearly impossible until very recently to be able to watch it on cable television and take in the game at a professional level on a regular basis. With the advent of Fox Soccer Channel (FSC), fans like myself can catch both the English Premier League (EPL) - the number one professional soccer league in the world, U.S. MLS, Italian League, and other soccer leagues from around the world. And its daily coverage instead of what we used to get which was a splattering of sound bites at the end of the World Cup.

Thank God for FSC as ESPN hasn't really caught onto the "world most popular" sport. Here's what I see: ESPN shows a five second clip of a ball entering a goal with little reference to the actual game, and calls it "coverage". Although to be fair, ESPN does get high marks for http://www.soccernet.com/ - its probably one of the best sites out there for scores, news stories, trades, and analysis, etc. But ESPN TV, especially SportsCenter coverage -- stinks! They need to get a clue over there at ESPN studios - someone needs to remind them that ESPN Desportes shows are produced in spanish, and the channel isn't available to everyone state-side. And they could probably cut out some of the airtime they give to the world's biggest cheater - baseball's Barry Bonds. Maybe some of the spots that ESPN devotes to kissing Bond's rear could go to real athletes like Ronaldo and Keane.

Of course, soccer isn't an unknown here. Just about every kid in the USA grows up playing soccer as part of the gym curriculum; and teams are popular from Elementary School through High School level. But when I was young, most kids could probably name only one soccer player - the great Pelé. Although they probably couldn't tell you that he is a famed player from Brazil. Today, kids know Ronaldo, Rooney, Henry, Keane, Lampard, and on and on.

Today, my hometown of West Hartford boasts as having the largest number of soccer leagues, and boasts of being the town with the largest number of kids playing in all of the State of Connecticut: 1400 kids are registered to play soccer under the banner of the West Hartford Youth Soccer Association. And that is just the kids - that doesn't include high school teams, recreational teams, and adult leagues. If you move from Italy or the U.K. and want your son or daughter to grow up playing soccer - then West Hartford is where you want to be! Here is the WHYSA site in case you are interested.

My general interest in soccer was reignited back when the United States hosted the World Cup in 1994; FIFA was very reluctant to permit the U.S. to host the World Cup based on the incorrect perception that there weren't many soccer fans in the United States. FIFA also imposed that in order for the United States to host that they would have to create a professional league at some point in the near future - which they did in 1996 under the banner of Major League Soccer (MLS). Despite the initial perception of FIFA representatives and officials from competing nations, World Cup Soccer venues were well-attended in the States - up to 70,000 attendees per game. And with a good action plan in place, interest in U.S. Soccer is on the rise.

Anyone can recognize that Americans have almost too many choices for Pro Sports with long seasons that already tend to cross over each other. NFL Football, MLB Baseball, Basketball, Hockey, PGA Golf, NASCAR, Tennis, are but a few that receive regular programming time, then complicate the matter by throwing in NCAA College games and tournaments in most of those sports mentioned above. So why would anyone want to add Soccer to the list to compete with all of those previously mentioned. Well, one reason is that Soccer pound for pound, minute for minute is better than most of those listed above.

So why do I believe that soccer is better than most other American sports?

Well to start with, soccer is one of the few sports where the athletes, referees and officials have to actually be in reasonable shape in order to even show up on the field of play. Players and officials must run their tails off for 45 minutes straight - with few breaks, followed by a brief intermission, and then followed by another grueling 45 minutes of non-stop play. If that isn't enough, players endure kicks to nearly every part of their body, collisions, slide tackles, dives, and a host of other dangerous maneuvers during the game. Most soccer players are in incredible shape - and clearly, you can't fake the kind of physical fitness that's required of the game. No one stands around "waiting for a ball to come to them"; you either play hard for 45 minutes at a clip or you don't play. There is no time out, and if time is wasted, the ref adds more time on the end of the period to make up for it.

In contrast, if you look around Major League Baseball (and I am a die hard baseball fan, so no hate mail please), a great number of the guys on the field are just plain fat and out of shape. And I don't just mean those porkers in the Designated Hitter (DH) position, but pitchers, outfielders, first basemen, and particularly MLB umpires are all poster-children for weight loss programs. Quite a few (American) football linesmen are big, bulky and out of shape too. It's nearly pathetic to call some of these overpaid slobs - athletes. And I won't even start on the golfers. Oh man!

Soccer season tends to run from late August through end of May (continuing through the summer for athlete's chosen to represent their nation in World Cup qualification games), and often the teams participate in multiple Cup Championships during the regular season and in the middle of regular season league contention, and not after they are all rested up at the end of the season. How about that in contrast to Major League Baseball owners and players whining about pre-season activity by some players who participate in the World Baseball games. Gesh, give us a break, won't ya? Just don't overexert yourselves boys! It's a long summer sitting on the bench spitting out sunflower seeds and we wouldn't want you to become too tired to do that!
Soccer action is fast and furious, while baseball comes slowly, one pitch at a time. Soccer requires athletes to cover lots of space by spiriting back and forth a long 130 yard field, unlike pro basketball players who run around on the court and are able to rest during the plentiful "television timeouts" (Football is even more pathetic when it comes to TV timeouts). Soccer requires team effort all the time, passing the ball forward and backwards, and side to side, where as pro basketball is simply premaddonas making pretty baskets from 30 feet away.

Whippeee!

I would also say that the excitement, stamina/physical fitness required, fan sense of extreme anticipation (based on the fact that soccer at the pro level is usually a low scoring game than can be decided at the last second by a quick goal which could mean a win, loss, or draw), atmosphere, unpredictability, and complexity of the game, the incredible technical skill required, and number of rules (actually referred to as Laws) that govern actual play - all of this - makes the sport more exciting than most.

Finally, I particularly have to give a special Kudos to the professional English soccer leagues for setting the bar across all sports for penalizing teams who don't make the grade, and rewarding teams that do. The English system is made up of six levels (listed lowest tier to highest tier): Conference North and Conference South (both level 6), Nationwide Conference, League Two, League One, League Championship, and the Premiership (a.k.a. English Premier League or EPL). If you finish in the bottom positions in either the Championship League or the EPL then you receive an automatic demotion the next lowest tier; this is referred to as "relegation". So losing can mean losing a sponsor, notoriety, embarrassment, playing in front of smaller crowds, and there are obvious salary and pay disadvantages. On the other hand, if you finish in the top three spots in either League One or the Championship League, you receive a promotion to the next highest tier. And promotion naturally comes with all the rewards of moving to an advanced league provides - money, fame, and fortune.

So what does this do? Well, it makes teams play hard all the way through the last game of the season since every game counts; teams control their own destinies, and of course, on the other side of the equation - no one wants to lose to a team about to be relegated. The competition is so fierce that it doesn't permit teams to settle for a loss here and there based on laziness, when it could mean getting bumped down to a lessor division after losing in consecutive quality games. In contrast to other sports, where teams face no "penalty" other than embarrassment and loss of revenue for being at the bottom of their division.

The best example of how relegation can affect your club is to look at the history of Leeds United. A team considered to be cream of the crop in the EPL, a team that won several cups in the 80s, now finds itself struggling to keep from being relegated to League One!! Obviously, the money teams are usually the Premier teams, and once you lose a foothold, it become harder to recruit the best players, and reclaim ascension and glory. After all, what all-star wants to play for a has-been, when there are 20 teams in the Premier League offering higher salaries, and more options?

Alas, if you wonder what the big deal is... then tune in. There's nothing like it in the world!

Editorial: Ban Italian Football from Europe!

The scene on Wednesday was horrific.

During Wednesday's Champions League game between AS Roma and Manchester United, Italian Police - without cause - beat and brutalized Manchester United fans (see pic to the right - courtesy the Daily Express). Another fan was stabbed near Roma's Olympic Stadium. About 18 fans required medical treatment due to crazed Italian fans with many more leaving with minor injuries, and shattered nerves.

Overshadowing what was a first-rate Champions League game (with Roma winning 2-1 over United), the incidents have moved world-wide attention away from clean and exciting competition to anarchy on Roman streets. During the game, AS Roma's fan threw glass bottles containing urine and other objects over the plastic barriers, while Italian Police did nothing. In fact, reports clearly showed that Italian Police stationed themselves only within the Manchester United fan area, and not in the Italian section from where the dangerous objects were being thrown.

No one knows for sure why Italian Police decided to attack Manchester United fans, but the videos and facts support that it was clearly unprovoked. Manchester United, so concerned about matter, has set up a fan inquiry line, and those who were assaulted or attacked can be directed to : roma@manutd.co.uk or by mail to Roma Inquiry, Manchester United FC, Sir Matt Busby Way, Manchester, M14 0RA.

After this and other incidents, its time for the UEFA to step in and declare that Italian venues are unsafe for all soccer fans. The UEFA must take steps to immediately ban Italy from European competition and perhaps even their own interleague games for the safety of all involved.

Italian Football (Soccer) has long been scrutinized for the violent and unruly behavior displayed by their fans. In fact, due to the behavior of some Italian fans with teams playing in Serie A, many teams such as Catania must play in closed stadiums without fans. So this means that many Serie A games can be seen on TV being played with empty stadiums. It's a well known fact that Italian Football officials refuse to govern themselves accordingly, or provide realistic and consistent sanctions and punishments for unruly fans.

There is precedence for shutting down an entire nation's football league until they solve for security issues. UEFA and other organizations successfully shut down English Football in 1985 when the Heysel (Brussels) stadium tragedy occurred in which 39 fans died during a match between Liverpool and Juventus for the European Championship.

England took the right steps to ensure that hooliganism was reduced to a minimum, and the correct number of police, and crowd control procedures and equipment where put into place. The ban was lifted after a full five years and after England could demonstrate to UEAF and local government officials that venues were safe and England could better manage soccer fans.

The fear is that Serie A and Italian Government officials apparently need their own tragic Heysel incident before they take the time to clean up their act. Or perhaps a better alternative is for English, French, German, and other European nations simply take the step to protect their fans by refusing to play Italian teams in European competition until Italy reforms itself.

At least for now, let's hope that when AS Roma comes to Old Trafford, England to play the final leg against Manchester United on April 10th, that Manchester United fans don't retaliate and conduct themselves in a manner that blurs the issue and takes the light of scrutiny off of Italian League soccer - where it clearly belongs.

I also recommend you read this great piece by ESPN's Jon Carter.

On April 10th, even if you hate Manchester United, the world's fans owe allegiance to the Red Devils, and pray they knock Roma out of the competition, if not for anything else - for the safety of Soccer fans everywhere!

UEFA shut down Italy!