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.

Hully City Promotion Song!

This sort of grows on you after you watch it 10 or so times.

All in all, best of luck to the Hull City Tigers in their bid to reach the Premier League next year!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=9_OBPLrX22g

A regular Joe seeks to make a real difference

Some folks have criticized Joe Visconti for making the jump to run for Connecticut's first district House seat after only being in his West Hartford Town Council position for only a few months. Yet, you also have to admire Joe for having to the guts to not permit John Larson to run uncontested, unchecked where it matters most.

Everyone realizes that Joe has a tough job as it is. He painfully sits and listens to the debate between Democrats and alleged Republicans (RINOs) about - not whether or not taxes in West Hartford should be raised, but how high they should be raised all the while spending increases are soring through the roof. Sadly (but expectantly) Alder and Davidoff are hardly the opposition that Republicans clamoured for during campaign season. The record shows that these two have done nothing but sit on the sidelines and endorse the Democratic parties decision to give town employees a free pass instead of renegotiating budgets and even asking the question - as any responsible person should do. Occasionally, Adler might make a point or two in an effort to appear high-minded, but its merely lip service, because when it comes down to voting - he's not willing to make the tough choice and take a stand against backroom pals. Right out of the Joe Lieberman play book.

God bless Joe V for sitting week after week around the table with liberals from both parties, with only the ability to voice opposition and cast a "no" vote. The fix appears to be in. Everyone is on board the tax and spend express except Joe. And to think, five months ago, Davidoff talked openly about taking the Republican Party in a new direction. Well he's certainly done that - someone please buy him a shirt that reads "I sold out" so that he can show everyone that he's been honest to his word. As for Adler, well Adler is as Adler does. A walking, taking contridiction. It's pitiful. Poor Joe. He's a the lone wolf, the lone Republican. Can anyone really poo-poo him for seeking public office where he may actually be able to make a difference if he won?

Connecticut is full of districts where state senate or state house of representative seats are owned by Democrats (and I mean owned!) simply because the Republican Party can't seem to muster anyone to bother running. And those that tend to run sound a lot like Democrats anyway which gives voters little choice but to vote for the real thing anyway. It must be nice for the Democrats to live in a world where they can do anything and say anything without fear of losing their precious seats. Want a full fledged crusade against businesses by calling for new taxes? Or how about creating bills to bail out those who took opted to jump into risky variable mortgage schemes? And if that's not enough, why not spend time and money drafting bills to apologize to families related to witches of the 1600s?

Well, I wish Joe Visconti luck. It's been awhile since Republicans have had a solid candidate like this run for public office. Yeah, and buy the way, you guys at State Central may not be able to pull this candidates strings; and Joe has proven that he doesn't need party endorsements, or big money organized support to get his message out, or get elected. Nope. It's Joe Visconti, an average Joe. No millionaire connections, no movie stars, no law degree, no big corporation bucks, no royal ties, and no rears to kiss through favors owed. Self-made and a breath of fresh air.

If you haven't heard Joe speak, I strongly recommend taking the time to listen to a man who willing to put the little guy ahead of city hall, and speak his mind on issues that matter to all of us. No one is perfect, but he gets it right where it counts, and that's what matters.

So there's the difference. You have the Adlers and the Davidoffs, who are a ball of fun at Democratic cocktail parties slapping each other on the back over their lasted defection of principle, and then you have the real dea, Joe Visconti - a guy that is ten times the Republican that either of those characters will ever be. Someone that understands family, fiscal restraint, national interest, national security, economics, and what its like to get his hands dirty to earn a living without having a silver spoon handed to him. It's going to be nice to have a candidate that listens to you for a change.

Good luck Joe! I hope you make it all the way to Congress!

West Hartford Republicans

Joe Visconti

Joe Visconti

Being Green

The idea of introducing elements of "living green" into our daily lifestyle is hardly a new concept to most people. The last few weeks we've all seen a very good nation-wide campaign to educate people in the ways of incorporating green living options into our everyday lifestyle.

Speaking (or writing) as someone who's fairly conservative, I have to say that its unfortunate that Democrats have been seen as the folks who've owned these issues from the onset. And Big Money Republicans have traditionally been seen (and incorrectly so) as anti-environmental polluters. There is a paradigm here on this issue that would surprise most. Polluting and wasting is by far an American problem and not a political problem that is contributed to by everyday Americans at all income levels. It's apathy, laziness, and lack of respect that contributes to every day violations by neighbors and strangers right next door.

And it's easy to make the bad assumption that when a company is found dumping waste into lakes and streams, that 1) the company owned by a Republican (based on the belief that only rich Republican millionaires are capable of being CEOs), 2) the violation is advocated by Republicans, and, 3) that those who vote Republican aren't equally as angry and outraged at violators, polluters and so forth as would say - Democrats would be.

All of this classification by the left is ridiculous. But its also a foundation for Democrat candidates to run on/raise money one as traditionally, Republicans have never made environmental issues a top priority in their campaigns (if they mention the issues at all). Actually Republican candidates have been mute on the issues, even though THEIR biggest fundraising constituents have the most to gain by protecting the environment and keeping waterways and forests clean and protected.

Who are these folks? Hunters, fisherman, companies that deal in environmental clean up, and a host of other strange bedfellows that Republicans tend to forget about during election time.

Like everything, there is fraud and hyperactivity in every constituency. Al Gore and his merry men spent an astronomical amount of money to warn the world that Global Warming was annihilating the Earth and unless we do something - tomorrow - then we are all doomed. And that's the problem when fringe elements hijack causes. Even scientists disagree with Al Gore and his money-making phonies. It hard to take seriously anyone like Al Gore who tries to take credit for inventing the Internet. Isn't it?

But more to the point of the everyday violations that annoy me right here in Colchester, Connecticut.

What if the concept of "being green" is so remote that you have to start with the idea of "being clean"? What if the local population is so ignorant of acceptable behavior that "being green" is like a graduate level course, out of sight, out of mind from the norm?

Here are some observations about first steps to being clean in this environment....

1. People here seem to be disproportionally lazy. Garbage such as McDonald's wrappers and containers, soda cans, etc are often seen littering the streets of main and side roads. How lazy and ignorant can one be? Most destinations have garbage bins - can't these hicks put their garbage in a garbage can? What is the big thrill of throwing garbage out of your car pr 4x4 window?

2. The Town of Colchester doesn't even provide garbage bins in the town center or other places where garage can be discarded. Thus the town (run by Democrats) won't lift a finger to contribute to garage pick up. Colchester town officials set a poor example for residents by not bothering to provide receptacles.

3. Police officials don't pull people over for littering, gunning their engines in excess of every noise violation known, and they won't even chase speeding motorcycles as per their policy (another topic for another day).

4. Instead of using public works officials to clean up the messes along town streets (including the adjacent woods just off the road), town officials seek volunteers to do clean up around town. And the town's view is that if it doesn't get cleaned up, so be it. A pretty poor attitude shared with me by our public works department.

5. Attitudes about trash-riddled roadsides and building lots, and other areas of public disgust are chalked up as "country living". The truth is that this thinking is total BS and a cop-out. The problem stems from laziness, and the belief that "no one is going to do anything about it anyway." The problem is further exasperated by a lack of education on such topics in the schools and a failure of town and police officials to fine and punish violators.

Who'd a thought that being green was more complicated out here than it is in metro areas. In Farmington they argue about how uneco-friendly the recycle containers there are, out here they can't even recognize what a recylce bin looks like.

Good God. What a mess.

Colchester, CT