Wednesday 6 August 2008

ready to go....(?)

Well, it looks like our summer break is almost over.... the football season is nearly upon us again.

[blows on tiny party horn]

No?

Not excited by that?

(me neither....)


Pressurised by the impending kick off, I have finally pulled my damn finger out and managed to pull together a particularly half-arsed review of my own predictions for the 2007/8 season over on Cheer Up Alan Shearer.

You can read it here.

It took me bloody ages too.

...And I'll have to document my wild guesses for this year in the next couple of days too.

Mutter mutter.

I'm not predicting Spurs for the top 4 again, I know that much.

...But I don't fancy Stoke's chances much.

...and I'm counting on Berbatov's move to Man Utd to complete my fantasy team, although as I've also picked the little Croatian fella and I've got Bentley, perhaps it wouldn't be the end of the world.

Oh, but aren't they all Spurs players?

Damn.

Curses. It looks as though I'm getting into the swing of things now....

Stupid, neverending game....

5 comments:

  1. I still think the Bears have a shot if they can get the left side of their offensive line figured out.... Oops, sorry ST, wrong football. I'll slink off quietly. Let me know if you need me to break down the Chicago-KC game tomorrow night for you though.

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  2. Cody - help yourself. I'm not really familiar with your football, but I'm curious (only yesterday I was reading a long article on Brett Favre) and more than happy to read what you've got to say. I have an NHL team (the flyers of old, thanks to an ex-girlfriend who was a bruins fan, but really it's the red wings thanks to an enduring fascination with the line that featured Ted Lindsay and Gordie Howe, with a growing softspot for the flames) but I'm teamless when it comes to baseball, basketball and football, so if you want to make a bid for my allegiance, then help yourself.

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  3. ST, you always struck me as someone who roots for the underdog so how does this sound. The Chicago Cubs last won a World Series in 1908, for all you mathematically challenged out there, that is 100 years of futility, near misses, and crying in our beer struggling to speak the words while our voice are cracking "Wait til next year". Well guess what, next year is here. This is probably the best Cubs team that I have ever seen in years(I realize that the tallest midget analogy fits here, but lets run with it, shall we). Better than the last week in the season breakdown of 69, better that the 84 team that was one game away from the World Series, even better than 03, where they were only 5 outs (about 15-20 minutes)away from the pennant (given to the participants of the World Series, American league vs National League). The Cubs happen to play in the oldest, most architecturally gorgeous ballpark in the majors, Wrigley Field. Surrounded by the hippest, most fun neighborhoods in Chicago, Lincoln Park, Wrigley has been called the Worlds largest Beer Garden, although Chicago White Sox fans use that term derisively, they can't spell derisively or know what it means, but I digress. As a Cricket man, I think that you might have some inner baseball sensibilities that could possibly be awakened. Since this very well might be the end of the 100 year drought, or a spectacular collapse, I highly recommend Cub fandom as a wonderful, gut-wrenching past time. It will all be over by October, we would be happy and honored to have you on board.

    Here is my thought, spend a few moments on Wikipedia on the history of the Cubs and Wrigley field. If this part time fandom interest you, I would be happy to send you a few baseball hats and a mug to help announce your allegiance, maybe even a t-shirt celebrating our new Japanese Right Fielder, Kosuke Fukudome. I will also offer you and C a personal invitation of a beautiful day at the ballpark, as well as many drinks and wings before and after, if the two of you ever get to Chicago in the Summer.

    Lastly, please go to YouTube and watch the video of Steve Goodman, playing his song, A Cub fans dying request performed on a rooftop overlooking Wrigley right before he died in 1984, right before the Cubs blew the playoffs to the Padres, the stinkin Padres. Jeez. Good luck with this ST, we would love to have you aboard, because as we all know, Misery Loves Company. Let me know where to send your swag.

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  4. The Red Wings are hardly underdogs, but my interest in them is my history bug, I think. Otherwise you're bang on. My soccer team (Wolves) were the best side in the country back in the 1950s, but have won nothing since then and sank as low as the very bottom division of the league. My cricket team (Northampton) have never won the title at all. The cubs sound ideal, and the history obviously appeals to me too.

    I'll do some reading. Wiki is a good place to start, but if there's a good book or something.....?

    ST

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  5. I would reccommend "The Cubs: The Complete Story of Chicago Cubs Baseball. available on Amazon. If you receive HBO, they are running a great documentary about the Cubs, entitled "Wait til next year" or just google "Cubs" and "Futility" and you will get the idea. Don't forget to learn about the Billy Goat curse. Damn Greeks.

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