Ask the Sports Nerd: Bob Sturm answers your questions on archiving classic games, European travel and more

https://theathletic.com/1015141/2019/06/07/ask-the-sports-nerd-bob-sturm-answers-your-questions-on-archiving-classic-games-european-travel-and-more/

I have been covering sports for quite a while and have done so for The Athletic since the start of 2018. I’ve written 225 stories for this fine publication, making this past time to get real with each other. I have a confession to make:

I am a sports nerd.

I have never denied it, of course, but I also don’t go around telling people; it might scare them off. I follow sports, I love sports and, yes, as pathetic as it may sound, I definitely live sports.

For that reason, perhaps I am equipped to take you down some roads you might have questions and concerns about. I am 46 years into this journey, and sports has been my No. 1 interest the entire way. I assume it will always be that way. I have no regrets, but also no other real areas of expertise in my life, to be fair. If you need someone to fix your car or repair a sink, get someone else. But if you just need a sports nerd to help you navigate these choppy sports-waters, I am your guy.

Now that we have established this, let’s tackle some topics, as well as a few concerns.

Today is Mike Modano’s 49th birthday and the 20th anniversary of the 1999 Dallas Stars Stanley Cup. This was an important time for me in moving to this big city and taking a sports job at the age of 26 in a big city that lacked hockey media. It wasn’t why I was hired at The Ticket, but loving the game and working at a radio station which lacked hockey people during a Stanley Cup run absolutely helped me establish a foothold.

The memories were amazing and as a young man in a new city, I can’t imagine anything better about how my run in Dallas began. And since this weekend represents 20 years since that awesome team won it all, I am doing what a proper sports nerd might do: Reviewing the series as it happens (since none of my current teams are involved in the NBA or NHL Finals).

In confessing this recently, I was hit with a number of requests on how someone was to accomplish this quest of re-watching the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals, so let’s start right there. Now, I will tell you right now that I recorded all of these when the games were played. But, assuming that won’t work out, allow me to point you to the games on Youtube.

Game 1 – 1999 Stanley Cup Finals:

Game 2 – 1999 Stanley Cup Finals

Game 3- 1999 Stanley Cup Finals

Game 4 – 1999 Stanley Cup Finals

Game 5 – 1999 Stanley Cup Finals

Game 6 – 1999 Stanley Cup Finals

Or, if you would like to take 15 hours and just use one to watch the Championship video for the 1999 Dallas Stars, you can take this shorter journey:

The time investment is immense, and the quality is fitting of video recorded 20 years ago on a VHS tape, before high-definition television. Enjoy, or take a hard pass.

And, now, to your questions!

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Hey Bob,

I could be mistaken, but I was pretty sure you’ve been converting your old game tapes to digital. I was wondering if you could give me some insight into your setup or send me a link that helped you get started. When I was researching it there were so many different methods/setups that I thought I may have better luck asking the expert. I’ve got about 20 years of OU games I was wanting to digitize. 

Thanks! Nathan Olivarez

Sure, Nathan. This is a passion project that started when my parents bought a family VCR in 1986. Then, at the age of 14, I thought I needed to not only watch sports, but to then record it so I could (never) watch it again at my leisure. I started recording sports for future reference that day, and I still do so now. As you can imagine, that means I have thousands of sporting events recorded, annoying my wife in all sorts of formats. We started in VHS, then quickly converted the games to DVD when those became available and now finally, I think, to a digital .mp4 format which can be saved on any number of external hard drives and won’t lose quality to the decay of time and dust.

To turn your VHS or DVDs into a digital file that you can then keep on a memory stick or external hard drive, you will need to follow this process. First, they need to be converted to .mp4 format, which I do with my MacBook and a piece of hardware/software called “El Gato Video Capture” which links your VCR/DVD player to your computer (there is also one called Eye TV that does the same thing for HD games you have recorded on your modern day DVR for more recent events). I am sure there are a number of competitors that do the same thing, but I am not some tech nerd, just a sports nerd that figures it out on the fly.

Anyway, you convert your game from the VHS or DVD to your .mp4 and then edit it with an application called MPEG Streamclip to cut out anything you don’t want, before labeling it with obsessive detail and placing it on an external hard drive. (I back mine up just in case.) The initial capture must be done in real time, and therefore a four-hour game takes four hours to dump on to a laptop (which is annoying if you want to use the laptop for anything else during this duration) so I usually try to do it while I am sleeping. I have become quite proficient at this, as my collection is absolutely ridiculous in size and out of control.

What do I do with these games after this painstaking process? Usually nothing. But if I ever want to watch Super Bowl 22 again, it is a few clicks away. The big pay-off here is that 10 boxes of VHS tapes can fit on one external hard drive about the size of a small book. And that makes the wife happier, which is what life is all about.

Hey Bob – 

Saw on Twitter that you got tix to White Hart Lane for a match in April. I know you’ve mentioned before, vaguely I think, how you get tickets for EPL matches.

I have always wanted to go to a match or 2 and will be over there next year….do you mind telling me your hook-up? If its a friend of yours, then I understand if you don’t….if it’s thru a broker or some other method, then I would appreciate your guidance. 

Thanks and enjoy your trip, can’t wait to hear about it as long as Dan will let you!

P1 Phil

I get asked this question all the time and thought it might be helpful to be able to just direct people here in the future. The English Premier League is the best football (soccer) in the world, and one of my favorite things to nerd out on. I have attended 22 different English matches over the years in my eight journeys to the UK and can’t wait to go again. Journey No. 8 in April gave me a chance to witness my beloved Liverpool taking down Chelsea in person, just six weeks before they were crowned Champions of Europe. I got to witness about the coolest goal I have ever seen live from a player I consider one of my favorites ever:

Mo Salah kicked the ball directly at me. I am sure of it. If the corner of the net doesn’t stop the ball it would have hit me in the face. It was glorious. In fact, I accidentally was recording on my phone at the moment — to merely capture singing for the radio show — and as you can see, things got delirious when it all happened.

• The bigger the match, the more trouble you will have securing tickets. If you just want to see a good match over there, I can tell you about an infinite number of great places where you can pretty easily get tickets. But if you insist on seeing Chelsea hosting Arsenal or Manchester United hosting Manchester City, prepare for high prices.

• I recommend the smaller grounds. Most mid-table teams have a better stadium setting anyway. I have been to Old Trafford, and it is not that great. Same with Arsenal’s new stadium. (The old place — Highbury — was the best.) Go to Crystal Palace, Everton, QPR, Fulham, or Watford. Awesome scenes. It’s not that difficult to get in most matches, but so much fun. I realize if you are a Tottenham fan you will want to see their home scene, but most 60,000-seat stadiums will let you down.

• Beware of counterfeit tickets. Scammers fool plenty of people there. Do not be the guy who is planning the time of his life only to get to the gate and to be turned away.

• Plan to spend some money. Low end isn’t bad ($40-60), but high-end can certainly get up there a bit (I have paid $300 for a match). The thing is, I go once every 24-36 months, so if you want to see something awesome, you have to bite the bullet sometimes.

• I have made connections over the years so there are occasions where I am able to get tickets the easy way, but in April I did have to buy them just like anyone else to see Tottenham’s new stadium and it was pretty pricey, considering a less-than-great opponent. (Sorry, Huddersfield.) But here is the big secret on how to make sure your tickets are legit, you will get in, and you will do what you wanted to do: book a hotel that has a concierge. It’s pretty easy to figure that part out and, yes, it will be a bit more pricey, but save your money. Once you have booked your room, call the concierge and tell him the match you need to see. He will go to work for you. He will also charge you a little on his end, no doubt, but he is going to be obligated to make you a happy man, and you will not have to worry about the tickets being authentic. He will find tickets and they won’t be terribly cheap, but you will have secured your match. Again, that will probably cost $200 or more per ticket, assuming you want to see a big match. If you don’t care about the stakes, pick a smaller situation, and you might be able to get tickets at face value through the club.

Ok, enough of my reminiscing, let’s talk about you making your life-long memory over there.

A few things to remember:

I have never not had fun. It is safe, enjoyable and you can gamble inside the stadium in the UK, which helps those who get bored watching soccer. Just don’t make the mistake of thinking you can cheer for the road team amongst the home supporters; they don’t do that over there.

(Photo: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)

Is there a sport that you tried to get into, but just couldn’t? Also, you mentioned on the radio that the UFC had a chance to be that “next big sport” but went awry – what are your thoughts on where they went wrong? 

I would say that the answer is generally “no.” I suppose I have faded from some sports like NASCAR and boxing over the years, but if I tried something, got to know the topic matter, and really gave it my attention, I generally enjoyed it. It isn’t the game, I suppose. It is the human competition that I enjoy so much.

Where did UFC take a wrong turn? Well, I guess it is debatable about whether they did or not, but my answer would be that they got too excited about crossing over to the masses when Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor (and to a lesser extent Brock Lesnar) captured the attention of the mainstream media. I think they lost their path a bit at that moment and started making short-sighted decisions based on cash grabs. Speaking of cash grabs, I think they have really hurt their product by going to a primarily streaming platform that seems to largely take their product more out of sight, out of mind. As a huge UFC guy, I have found myself less engaged over the first five months of their new relationship.

Bob Sturm

✔@SportsSturm

Daniel Calhoun@DC_BigD

Twitter Ads info and privacy

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 · Jun 6, 2019

Tomorrow's Friday Riffing is an experimental edition called "Ask the Sports Nerd". So far, I have questions on #ProjectDigitize, how to get EPL tickets, and what is the worst rule in the NFL. You have a few hours to join them before I get writing.

@SportsSturm I now have paid subscriptions to ESPN+, Bleacher Report Live, and NBCSN just to watch all the Arsenal, EPL, and UEFA games I want. Is this the way of the future? Will I have to pay a la carte subscriptions to watch MLB, NHL, NFL, and NBA too someday?

8:38 AM - Jun 6, 2019

See Daniel Calhoun's other Tweets

I now have paid subscriptions to ESPN+, Bleacher Report Live, and NBCSN just to watch all the Arsenal, EPL, and UEFA games I want. Is this the way of the future? Will I have to pay a la carte subscriptions to watch MLB, NHL, NFL, and NBA too someday?

I do not have a good handle on this at all. I also have subscribed to all three of those services for my Liverpool matches and have no issue doing so because the product is fairly priced and worthy of the expense. Is this the next paradigm for all of our sports, though? I simply do not know the answer to that one. What we do know is that these sports have to be proactive to stay with the times and to maximize their revenue possibilities. We also know the traditional networks are not going to stay static. I don’t love all the advances by any stretch, but my satellite bill is astronomical and includes many channels I never watch. So if I have to pay a la carte in the future and save money in the process, let’s do it.

I hope this left turn was a reasonably enjoyable Friday read, and if so, maybe Ask the Sports Nerd will return down the road.

Either way, expect a return to your normal Cowboys programming by early next week.  Happy weekend.

Time To Sell

Great news for anyone who supports Liverpool, the Texas Rangers, or the Dallas Stars: (Or all 3!)

Hicks to sell Liverpool

Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett have confirmed that they are looking to sell the club after appointing British Airways chief Martin Broughton as chairman on Friday.

Hicks and Gillett have been at the club since their 2007 takeover but have come under plenty of scrutiny throughout that time, notably from fans disappointed by their apparent reluctance to invest heavily in the squad. They also promised to move the club into a brand new ground in Stanley Park as part of their purchase three years ago, but a lack of funding meant the building work never began.

With Rafael Benitez's side unlikely to qualify for the Champions League next season, Hicks and Gillett have decided to officially put the club up for sale, though the loss of potential revenue from not participating in Europe's premier club competition could make the club a less attractive proposition to potential buyers.

A statement on Liverpool's official website from Gillett and Hicks read: "Owning Liverpool Football Club over these past three years has been a rewarding and exciting experience for us and our families.

"Having grown the Club this far we have now decided together to look to sell the Club to owners committed to take the Club through its next level of growth and development.

"We are delighted that Martin Broughton has agreed to take the position of Chairman, working alongside the club's excellent senior management team.

Delightful. Just to give you an idea of the problems with payroll - and how they mirror the Rangers and Stars, here are the Liverpool payroll figures as they compare to the other big boys in England....

Sunday's Telegraph

The race for fourth place intensifies on Sunday as the Rafael Benítez's side face Fulham and Manchester City host Birmingham. Trailing City by four points and having played a game more than them Liverpool are faced with sobering prospect of their place in the league hierarchy coming into line with their place in the financial hierarchy.

Under the American owners, the club's progress has been stalled, like the engines on the diggers waiting to build a new stadium in Stanley Park. Never exactly a club that embraced modernisation, off the pitch Liverpool have been on pause as the rest of the league progressed. It has got to the stage where Benítez cannot even guarantee that the "spine of the team" – and for that read Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres – will be at the club next season. Two seasons ago Liverpool's wage bill – and this more than transfer fees is the true arbiter of success – was £10 million behind Arsenal, £30 million behind Manchester United and £80 million behind Chelsea. That gap will have grown and Manchester City will have also overtaken them, withTottenham catching up fast. In terms of tradition, status and success in recent seasons Liverpool are obviously one of the big four but in financial terms they have been falling further behind the curve by the season.

On Thursday night, Roberto Mancini, the Manchester City manager, and Frank Arnesen, Chelsea's director of football, sat in the Anfield directors' box, casting their eye over Benfica's rich crop of talented young players, including the tremendously gifted (although poor on the night) Angel di Maria. They were like the middlemen with mobiles who represent billionaires in the auction room. In fact that's exactly what they were.

"It is not easy to compete with them," Benítez said. "I always say that we have to do almost everything perfectly. If we make a mistake in the transfer window it is extra difficult for us to manage. You can see other teams with players who cost £15m or £20m and they don't play but for us, it is more difficult to manage." The obvious example in Liverpool's case is Alberto Aquilani, whose £17 million signing has been used as an example of Benítez's inadequacy in the transfer market. The failure of Aquilani to replace Xabi Alonso is exacerbated by the thinness of Benítez's squad. Manchester United have signed Mexican striker Javier Hernandez and Chris Smalling of Fulham for fees that could total £19 million ahead of next season and neither is expected to come into the first XI. "No, we can't do this," Benítez said.

Times are Tough

Reports on the first day of NHL Free Agency were wild across much of the National Hockey League, but in Dallas, where we hear about the tough economic times of Hicks Sports Group, all seemed quiet.

Sure, the Stars were able to keep Jere Lehtinen for what was reported as a home-town discount (1-year, $1.5m), but forgive my cynicism when I point out that in order for there to be a discount, that must mean that someone somewhere else was planning on offering him top dollar. He is 36, and has been broken for the last two seasons. There was not going to be an aggressive bid placed on his services this summer, in my estimation.

Otherwise, the early days of the Joe Nieuwendyk/Marc Crawford regime have been dotted with very little discussions (that have leaked out) about improving this team at all cost, but rather the issue that we hear and read about is mostly about the Stars operating under a very tight (by Dallas Stars' standards) budget.

Nunca Caminaras Solo

After a day at Ticketstock, I came home to watch Liverpool take on Portsmouth. I love Fernando Torres. He is my soccer hero.


Torres Song



Torres Song – Nike

Stars Blog Mailbag

The following is a reader email bag I did for my dallasstars.com blog on Sunday morning (which was the last day I wasn't ill) - So until we get some normalcy around here....



Well, I asked for mail, and here it comes….Mucho email today on the team we are all obsessed with, the Dallas Stars. Obviously, it should certainly come as no surprise that much of the email is on the negative side of the streets. But, they told me to bar no holds on this blog, so if you said it and I deemed it worthy of making the cut, your email is about to be seen by what must be enormous crowd if the volume of email I received from all over the hockey world indicates the size of the readership.

The fact of the matter is this: If you are reading Dallasstars.com in the first place, chances are you want to see this team do well. Nobody has answers right now, and nobody thinks this level of hockey is acceptable. I would like to think this is merely a rough patch, but if we have learned anything in 2008 it is this: Just when you think the team is bad, it turns good. And, conversely, just when you think the team is good, it turns bad. Imagine if your life was directly affected by winning or losing a hockey game. I know, we eat, think, drink, sleep, talk, and dream hockey. But, If you read my blog, I am going to go out on a limb and suggest that your ability to feed your family is not based on getting the Stars out of the cellar. That is why the only thing I will not allow in this mailbag is full out insults and disrespect to the players or coaches on this team. You can say they are performing poorly, but I don’t want the hate and bile to turn into hoping someone loses their job. We already understand what is at stake to the men who make their living in this sport…let’s leave it at that on this blog.

On to the mail…



==============================

Hey Bob,

I am a long time reader and avid post game listener. I have been a stars season ticket holder since the first year out of the lockout as it was my first year out of college, I was one of the few people to defend and stick with Turco in seasons past when people were saying he cant carry a team in the playoffs, he can't win a series, the stars wont go deep with him etc, etc. I just got home from the Stars Sharks game and I have to say he is the weakest link on this team. There were definitely two, maybe even 3 goals that Marty should have had he makes those saves the game is 3-1 maybe even 2-1 going into the third and who knows how it is played. You can see it in the actions of the team after the first goal they game back aggressive, tied the game and seemingly were able to keep pace even had several scoring chances. Even after goal two the players seemed to press on drive to the net chase hard after loose pucks only for goal three to smack them in the face. A decent start in the second period and then goal four and from there you could almost see the team put its hands up and say "we can't win with this guy". Is it time for Tippet to sit Turco for a week or maybe even send him down until he can "find his game"? This team can't stand in the neutral and defensive zones for 60 minutes simply because they are afraid to let a shot go near Turco and be expected to also score 3 plus per game.

Just my rants,

James

Bob: There is no doubt that the biggest concern is that this team is built on the premise that it has a world-class goaltender. And there is also no doubt that Marty has not been that for the Stars. I am sure he is putting more and more pressure on himself, and that seems to be having an even more damaging effect on his performance.

Remember when I ran his numbers after Game 15 to suggest he was making great progress? Well, Games 16-20 appear to be a giant jump in the wrong direction. What is worse, for the first time in years, the Stars appear to have little confidence in the backup situation, as their actions speak louder than their words. Truth be told, they know that their lot in life is cast with Marty Turco, and the only chance anyone has to get out of this mess is Marty returning to his normal form. Trouble is, this is going from a small sample size to a large sample size the further we get into this season.

Games	Goals allowed per start	Save Percentage
1-5	4.6	83.7%
6-10	3.6	87.7%
11-15	2.2	93.1%
16-20	3.6	85.6%

Watching the stars game on Friday, I noticed a very similar trend in the goals that San Jose scored on the powerplay and some on even strength. They were mostly shots by defensemen either tipped in by a shark in turco's face or scored with a shark in turco's face. Do you think that a key to fixing the stars' defense should be to keep opponents off the crease area? I know it may sound like an obvious error and easier said than done, but really, it seems to happen all the time. Turco can't seem to see any of these pucks that are zipped from the point. If he couldve seen them, I know he has the ability to save them, and friday could have been completely differnent.



Thanks!

Kaushik

Bob: One of the oldest battles in hockey. The offensive team tries to get traffic in front of the goal, and the defensive team tries to clear traffic from in front of the goal. The winner of that battle ends up winning the games more often than not. There is no question the Stars ability to clear traffic is just not up to the level it needs to be. They have a much smaller defensemen group than they had in the glory days of the clutch-and-grab NHL, and there is no telling if the Stars could have won a Cup with the current rules with a group of large men like Hatcher, Matvichuk, Ludwig, and Chambers. It worked back then, but the idea now is that you just cannot assault each other in the crease like you once did. The game changed, and the Stars seem to be somewhere in the middle with their selection of players who play on their blue-line. I will say this, my favorite of the kids right now is Nik Grossman, and I am convinced that he has the size and composure to do well in his own end. Most games you do not notice any negative issues with his performance and that is a tough thing to do at this level for a young player.

Up and down the lineup this team has not seen the type of defense that has been a staple of Dallas Stars hockey. Before we break out the injury argument remember this team still has some of what are considered great or at least really good players in the line-up. Richards, Mo, Zubov, Avery, Riberio, Loui, Sydor...While Morrow and Lehtinen are two thirds of what was one of the best lines in hockey last year...Riberio co-leads the team with 19 points and is still one of the best set-up guys in the league. Speaking with someone from the Stars last night I was told Shannhan has been contacted multiple times and as we know has no interest in leaving the Northeast. So I am not sure who is still out there that is a viable option at wing. So what about a trade? Who do we trade. I've heard Stars Minor leaguer Benn is a hot prospect and has drawn lots of interest...

Lastly, let me finish with the "kids" Neal is -5, Brunnstrum is -9, Niskanen is -9, Grossman is -6, Conner is -2, and Fistric is -2 Ouch...Neal is no doubt a great talent but with the lack of defense from his line (Riberio -4) we will continue to lose. Brunnstrum looks lost and scared, he has no business being out there if he is unwilling to pay the price. He usually does not work hard and is opportunistic at best. Niskanen needs to get back to the minors...Was last year an anomaly?

So in summation- This thing is easy to figure out. DEFENSE first. This thing does not play defense- it's great to see the pretty goal. but it's better to win. The one word that used to define this organization was CHARACTER! Now it's just a bunch of characters. No heart...no desire...an unwillingness to play a team game...This of course could be thrown at the feet of the coach and maybe it should be...but at the end of the day...May favorite coach Ken Hitchcock used to say "Hard work will always beat talent if talent doesn't
work hard."

Baby Arm-
P1 Kevin

Bob: Kevin, I feel your pain, and I agree with your assessment of Shanahan. From everything I hear, he is looking to get in the mix for the Cup, and when you are dead last in the West, it isn’t easy to sell him on getting a Cup here this year. Also, I have heard plenty about his hopes of staying in the Northeast. Further, I am not sure that is the answer this team is looking for. He is one of my favorite power forwards, but at his age (he will be 40 in 7 weeks) what is the upside in Dallas? It would seem that he is not a great fit here.

Beyond that, I do take issue with your thoughts on the kids. I don’t like those minus numbers either, but the team is -22 this year (61 for, 83 against) so it would stand to reason that there will be ugly +/- kicking around. But I am a huge believer in the idea that you have to be willing to allow your kids some level of failure if you ever want to see them learn and develop. You have to ride out a few strikeouts to get a few home runs later. I think James Neal is a stud in the NHL for the next decade, and the Stars would be absolutely foolish to overlook what the eyeballs are telling us every night because of a -5 which may or may not have anything to do with him and his lack of position or execution on a given goal. Brunnstrom does look lost at times, but that is to be expected for a guy who has never played at this level. My concern with him is that I think he needs to play on an offensive line and once the Stars went and got Mark Parrish, then that opening was gone. He is now relegated to a checking line or a 4th line and that does not seem to be a comfortable spot for him. Matt Niskanen and Mark Fistric have been particularly disappointing this fall. Neither have played well at all, and Fistric is in Manitoba trying to work it out. Niskanen is here, but his confidence seems to be falling quite a bit as we go. I obviously thought the Stars were golden with Grossman, Nisky, and Fistric after last year’s playoffs, but playing in the NHL is a humbling task.

I loved Ken Hitchcock, but when he was here I believe he would take a 37 year old over a 22 year old any day of the week. I think in today’s salary cap NHL, if you don’t allow your kids to grow in confidence and responsibility and allow them to try to succeed rather than being terrified of failure, then I don’t think you can win. Now that Hitch is in Columbus, he obviously has grown to be more tolerant of rookies and youth, but when he was here it seemed he had little use for any prospects on his big team. I think the cap makes those kids mandatory to success.

Where to begin with the season.... I really feel like going back to the dump and chase mentality would benefit the Stars. They obviously can not stop anyone, so why not put the forecheck to work and eat some clock up? With the grit of Ott (even though he is out for a bit) and Avery, they ought to be able to get some type of pressure going. Do you think its possible to maybe switch the pairings up on D? Not sure who they could move, but its a thought. I think this team is at that point. However, there is enough fire power and there is an all start goalie hiding under that mask that this season can be salvaged with the correct moves by Tippett.

Thanks,
P1 Andrew

Bob: If I am not mistaken, the Stars have already tried about 20 different defense combinations. If switching the pairings on D was the key, the Stars might be in 1st place. They just need quality. And on defense, the Stars have not found any this season.

Bob,

At the end of last season, the Stars had a pretty bad streak going before turning it around in the playoffs.

Now I'm thinking that streak carried over somehow. Given the loss of some pretty good players and the addition of some marginal ones, and it's really showing now. The trade to bring Richards here hurts now because Mike Smith was a very solid backup. Signing Avery will go down as one of Brett Hull's most noticeable mistakes.

At what point does owner Tom Hicks blow this thing up, go with one GM instead of two, fire Tippett, and do something drastic with Turco?

For some reason, the chemistry just isn't there with this team. No matter what line is juggled together, nothing works for very long. The defensive trap system seems to have fallen apart. I just can't believe this is, for the most part, the same team that played Detroit tough in the finals.

I believe that an aggressive coach with a spirited approach needs to come in and take this thing over. It's been a good run with Tippett, but in my opinion he's too nice a guy to get Dallas to the promised land.

Mike
Rochester, NY

Bob: I hate to imagine what will happen when Tom Hicks gets tired of this situation. There are all sorts of candidates for change, and honestly, as anyone in the organization will admit, this is what happens to teams that are struggling this badly after planning an unbelievably successful season. This is what makes the thrill of victory such an intoxicating high – the agony of defeat. I do not like to imagine change for change sake, but if word came down tomorrow that the Stars made a MAJOR decision – be it a trade or a firing or whatever – could anyone be shocked? There are great rewards and great consequences in the highly lucrative world of professional sports.

Bob,



DEFENSE? Where is it?? I remember the days of when an opposing forward would skate down the boards with the puck into our zone and our defense bruisers (Hatcher, Ludwig) would staple the guys to the boards and force them off them puck before getting halfway into our zone. Now all I see is our defensive guys leaning on the forward sand following him down to the corner then try and plant to him to board. This so far has not worked out for the team. Our current “D” guys are talented, quick on the ice (Daley), but I think the Stars would benefit on having a couple of bigger “D” guys in back that can remove a player from the puck and be a force in the “D” Zone. This is just my short 2-cents and thanks for letting me voice my opinion.

Michael

Bob: The large defenseman is what everyone seeks. If you can find Rob Blake or Chris Pronger size and ability then you have found a cornerstone player. However, just big is not the key. Sami Helenius and Jon Erskine were two very large men who did not great success here in Dallas. I think that Derian Hatcher in his prime would have been fine under any rules, but in the league today, there seems to be far more premium placed on the ability to move the puck than to be a human bulldozer.

Bob,

I don't know where to start with this team! It seems like they are in need of some sort of shake up. Last year when they were struggling and Doug Armstrong got fired they seemed to come around and start playing again. It's like they need something tangible like a firing to realize that it's their fault and they have to get better so they don't get anyone else fired. Whether it's the coaching staff or the general managers, or maybe even a trade, something needs to change and it needs to happen sooner rather than later. I think Les Jackson has done a good job, but I'm skeptical about Brett Hull. It just seems like maybe he would fit better in a different role within the organization. As icing on the cake special teams and goaltending have been non-existent. I just dread when the Stars go on the PK because there is a very good chance that the other team is going to score. What happened to the team last year that was top 10 in both powerplay and penalty killing? I know it's already been said, but I think this team really misses the leadership and play of Stu Barnes.

I enjoy reading your blog and watching your in dept interviews. Keep up the good work!

Jessica

Bob: A few things here. First, the Brett Hull thing is a huge hot button issue. On Hockey Night in Canada, it was suggested that he is the big issue right now, and that a move for him is forthcoming. I am not sure I buy it. Especially considering how much he was lauded for where this team was back in May. Which is it? Is his fresh approach to the sport working wonders or is he not qualified? It depends who you ask. But know this: The Canadian media has had an issue with Hull for about 2 decades since he decided to play with the United States rather than Canada when he had dual citizenship and Canada didn’t want him. Later, when they did want him, he stayed true to the USA, and some scribes north of the border have never buried that hatchet. So, as much as I enjoy HNIC, I generally ignore the Hull commentary. Also, imagine how many of his competitors are quick to point to him as the problem since he did not go through the “proper paths” to get to his position. Jealousy is alive and well in the NHL, and I am quite sure that nobody is missing a chance to kick Hull when he is down.

As for the special teams, of the 7 penalty killers from 2007-08 with the most ice time, only 2 have been available this year for any stretch of time. Last season, Mattias Norstrom led the team in PK ice. I think there is no player who was more underappreciated and at the same time absolutely vital to the success of this entire operation. Fans and media alike get caught up in who scores and who makes saves and responsible defensive defensemen are the last to be carried on anyone’s shoulders, but Matty Norstrom was absolutely invaluable. Top 7 Penalty Killers last season: Norstrom, Stu Barnes, Trevor Daley, Nik Hagman, Stephane Robidas, Jeff Halpern, and Steve Ott. Since Ott has been hurt I figure that only Daley and Robidas have been fully available so your entire forward unit on the kill is new. Add to that Lehtinen is also a big PK guy when available and you can see that everything is new. And what was 85.6% last year (2nd in the NHL) is now 75.5% (28th).

Bob,



As the year started I thought we had a great shot. I thought my seats would cost more next year, the price for consecutive years chasing the cup. I have never been a supporter of Mr. Tippett but, we were winning.



Now, time to clean and start anew.....not just add $15 promos and probably some cheap t-shirts.



Certainly not "Our Team, Our Time"......



Brett is a, never mind, not an NHL GM.....got a tee time.....we are NHL laughing stock, ask Wayne, we'll soon be the next Mickey Mouse franchise.



Sean is his answer......we needed a big D man, but when we can't get our man we have to spend the money, we are going to eat that contract as we cannot get anyone to pick it up. Mr. Avery has made our team a bunch of individuals, no chemistry. Oh, but the Rangers won more games with him than without.....18 million, wow. He lasted all of 30 minutes at the luncheon, rest of the team stayed, he said he tried to schedule an MRI but figured if did not have a conflict he should at least show up !, big of him.



Mr. Richey....7.8, another wow, well maybe we can re-structure him, he is most likely as embarrassed as I of our taking that contract.



If we needed to move Philippe (both shoulders hurt mean no slappers), just get a pick for down the road.



What is next, watch, we'll trade Ott, (to save half a year's worth of 2.5 million) hope his injury stopped that.



I think the fans would support a re-build with quality youngsters, potential for high picks.



My best thought....lower the expectations and just hope for some good games, least we get to see a little more of the league.



Thanks for the forum,



Bill Roth

Season Ticket holder

Bob: Bill, your frustration is loud and clear. Obviously, two guys who are big targets right now are Brad Richards and Sean Avery. It is the tendency of fans and team alike to judge players on their salary and their equity. Salary, as in: “He makes how much? For that?” and equity, as in, “What has he ever done with a Dallas Sweater on?”. It is a tough spot for both of them – especially Avery. Say what you want about the guy, but his reputation preceded him so much so that many fans thought he was a failed experiment before the first shift in Dallas. Then, the bottom falls out of the team and it will be hung around his neck first and foremost by many who are watching the games, and almost everyone across the NHL who isn’t watching the Stars every-night because if ever there was an easy target , it is Sean. Fair or unfair, the Stars handed him a check that isn’t that much smaller than Brenden Morrow’s, and for that the fans demand an impact of substance on a night to night basis, and so far, it is tough to get a feel for what his impact really is. He seems to have some real offensive ability, but to me, too many of his shots miss the net in the scoring area.

Richards is cursed with being offered absurd money coming off the Stanley Cup in Tampa Bay, and despite the fact that nobody would ever recommend you say no to that contract, he instantly was then expected to produce like Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin. The fact is, I am sure you can win with Brad Richards as a key part of your team, but very few around the sport would say he is clearly a “Top 10” player in the league. Like I said in previous blogs, if I were king, Richards would be getting more ice at more times. He peaked at 26 shifts a game in Tampa, and right now is a 23 shift a game guy. Those 3 shifts can mean a lot of key ice at key times. Also, I think no player has had his wings change more frequently than Richards. If you want him to produce more, you have to show more faith in him at key moments.

Hi Bob,


From across the pond!! i've been a fan of the Stars for last ten years & chose them as i am a Cowboys fan from the coverage over here!! bearing in mind i don't see every Stars game Live on the channels over here & only highlights on Internet my views maybe sketchy & not of the calibre of many fans but heres how i see it going.

To me its a Western Conference Finals hangover, from the whole team, Marty's not in his groove or confident best, Zubov hasn't quite got back to normal since his long layoff, Boucher didn't look happy but was Sydor the answer long term?? i know he got to the finals last year, but there must of been a better option??



Losing Brendan's a crippler, even though they needed to step up with him, its tenfold now...Now Steve Ott is an enforcer, he sticks up for team mates, & fights but what he's magnificent at is his forechecking, Back checking...ANY checking & because he 'Breaks his Hand Fighting' it doesn't help the team he sticks up for, for a month!!!, we love fighting & the toughness of the game but that's an example of when your struggling, the luck gets worse.



Brunnstrom ain't Crosby, its going to take time but Richards, Ribero, Avery, more is needed from those top guys to help Modano to get it moving.

Has Tippett taken us as far as he can, That's up to Brett Etc but maybe he may have & won't be back next year....or earlier if it keeps going like this.......But in summary....

I don't think we'll make the playoffs this year, God i want us too, don't get me wrong & anything can happen in them but to me San Jose & Detroit are too strong in the West so its time for a complete overhaul & use this year to improve for other years!!

I hope i don't sound like a dumb englishman & go easy on things i've missed...Ha Ha

Go Stars!!!!!!!!!!

Alan (UK)

Bob: Alan, always nice to hear from a good Stars fan from England. At least Liverpool is top of the table now, right? Actually, I think the odds are quite good that you support a club rather than Liverpool over there, so you might not be happy about that.

The overhaul question is lingering in many circles presently, and if the Stars continue to spiral in the wrong direction, it is quite possible that the Stars will attempt to shed some veterans. That would be truly sad, but it is a fact of life for a losing team. This team came so close last year that the hangover theory is not completely out of the question. But then, how is the hangover affecting Detroit?

Once the Stars get on a roll they will right the ship.

In the meantime, I think they should pull Ribeiro off the top line until he starts to do something. Put Modano up there because he is a leader and is the center playing with the biggest effort and heart. Reward with that chance and give him the “C” until Brendan gets back. That would send a clear message to the team and they would get even more out of Mo than they are now.

Perhaps the team should focus on some serious defensive hockey like back in the days when Hitch was around coaching. Good defense always leads to offense and always keeps you in the game. You rarely get blown out with a good defensive effort. This means you can steal points (unlike last night) when maybe you wouldn’t otherwise. It also builds great morale because you’re always in games and most of all you’re working together as a team.

Turco is not the problem. It’s the team effort in front of him. Most of his goals are not his fault. Far more mistakes are being committed by the players in front of him that cost goals than what he is doing between the pipes.

Just a few thoughts from a long time Dallas fan – Go Stars!

Alex

Bob: The problem with a theory of becoming a “defensive hockey team” is that it is tough for a Tiger to change his stripes in the middle of the day. The Stars have accumulated plenty of offensive skill recently, and perhaps don’t have the type of shut-down players it once did. Like I said, penalty killers are all new. The Forwards who have killed the most this year are: Richards, Modano, Loui Eriksson, Ott, and Toby Peterson. That group is almost completely new. Is Eriksson a prototypical penalty killer? No. But, they are trying to utilize his skills as much as possible and hope he learns on the fly.

This might be a great spot to marvel at what Loui has accomplished around here this season. He already is closing in on the 14 goals he had last year, and with 11 after Friday, and being a key PK guy, he is developing very nicely. Also at a +6, he is the top Forward in that statistic. Eriksson is everything Doug Armstrong told me he was several years ago, when the Stars drafted him.

Hey Bob, to start out positively; while the loss of Morrow to a torn ACL sucks and hurts this Stars team, we are already seeing the guys who need to step up do so. I'm talking about Eriksson and Neal, both of them have been doing great so far this season and Neal is showing that he doesn't want to be sent down to the A again. Eriksson is breaking out just like I thought he would, he's been really fabulous for the Stars on both ends of the ice, he's upped his offensive game and has become one of our, if not the most consistent scorer on the squad, and his defensive play has also improved a lot.

Now, I have no idea whats up with this Stars team. Sharks v. Stars games are always close down to the wire games, but not this one. I don't believe in curses but has the curse of the AAC come back? It's ridiculous that they can't win a game for the home crowd and have to lose a bunch before they can upset someone else's crowd. I think Tippett needs to start focusing on the Power Play and go back to team defense and mental conditioning for now. The offense has been fine, with a goaltender like Turco, and the defensive capabilities we all know this team has, 2-3 even strength goals a game is fine. Right now they need to get back to basics, moving the umbrella better on the powerplay, and taking a lot more shots on it. They need to be able to cycle it to Zubov, Modano, and/or Richards at the point or up at the tops of the circles for a good one timer that could be a snipe passed the goaltender or get tipped or put in on the rebound. Also, they need to calm down and work on mental toughness, their D hasn't been terrible overall in a while now, but there are always a bunch of random breakdowns that occur in like 3 seconds and turn into goals. That's a total of like, 15 seconds of breakdowns a game, leading to 5ga every night. So I think they need to do that. Oh and also, go oldschool, make them skate.

Isham

Bob: Yes, Power Play is another mess. 13% is good for 26th in the league, after being 18% last season (13th – 5th best in the West). The first thing I think when watching the Stars on the PP is that there seem to be too many cooks in the kitchen. With Modano, Zubov, Richards, Ribeiro all out there at the same time, I always fear the idea that they are deferring at times to each other. Then, when the second unit rolls out there, they actually seem to shoot the puck on the net and get after the rebounds. I love the fact that this team employs many puck magicians on that top unit, but the production has to match the talent or knuckleheads like me start inquiring what the problem might be…

This thing is in the toilet right now. It's not for lack of effort - just teams finding a way to finish them off before it has even started. Defense has always been the key and it is just horrific right now. Is Marty the man for this job? Is Dave the man for this job? Is there time to turn things around? Just my thoughts.

Regards,
Michael

Bob: There is time. But after each game, that time keeps ticking away. At first, I said “it is just 5 games”. Then, “It is just October”. And now, “It is just October and November”. They are burying themselves. They can be back in the playoff mix by Christmas if they start playing better, but where have we seen that this team can string together 2 wins in a row?

Bob,

You asked for it, so I'm giving you my opinion. It's my opinion that the Dallas Stars have QUIT on their coach. Unfortunately you can't fire multi-million dollar athletes, soooo you have to make a change somewhere, and that is why Dave Tippet has got to GO. That's just the first change I would make. The second would be to send Marty to the minors for a month or so to get his head back together and to get his game back in shape.(as long as he does not have to clear waivers) If I'm not mistaken, Marty has MORE games where he has allowed 5 goals or more than he does not. Marty is currently ranked 27th with a save percentage of .866. This is not what we as stars fans expect. I'm tempted to ask for my money back on my season tickets. I feel with their lack of effort, they are in breach of contract with their fanbase. The only players playing with any kind of heart are the young guys like Neal, Erikson, Barch, and the other rookies. They may not make the best play with the puck, but they play hard and they are fun to watch because you can see their desire and love of the game. Well, that is my opinion, we need to do something before it too late. We could still make the playoffs if do, if we don't...WE WON'T.

Hockey Puck

Bob: We all want them to snap out of this soon. And, according to my numbers, Marty is actually 46th in the NHL in save percentage. :)

I'm going to start this by saying I am a die hard stars fan I bleed green and gold. But why can't we play man coverage in our own zone, instead we create a cluster of players down around the net. I agree with Tippet it all starts with Marty. I still believe the playoffs are achievable, but it has to start soon. One more thing, do you think we can get Barnes and Hagman back in here. The amount of players that are injured is key also.



Thanks For Listening

Jason

Bob: You are not the first person who wants Stu back, Jason. I think they know where to find him.

Hi Bob,


I think a lot of the Stars' problems right now besides the much harped on lack of stability in net, is that there is no real identity for the team right now. It seems like there are few defined roles on the team as there were last year. With injuries this makes this even more complicated, as it seems impossible to create the standard two scoring lines and a checking line. Also, I think the team is struggling between adhering to their defensive legacy and creating the offense they need to make up for their defensive deficiencies right now. I think this is an unexpected crossroads year for the team and it will be interesting to see where it goes from here.



John from Minnesota

Bob: Jason, you said a mouthful right there. There is no doubt there is a fork in the road immediately ahead. We all want to see these guys figure out a way out of this mess.

Hey Bob,

How much longer do the Stars woes need to continue before changes are made within the organization whether that be with coaching or with the players?

It seems to me that you want to build upon your success from the prior year(s) and things are looking too good so far for the mighty Stars in that realm. Sure Morrow's pretty much season ending injury doesn't help, but there is plenty of talent on this team to carry through to the playoff or at the very least string together more than one win in a row. We had a slew of young defensemen playing for the Stars last season that helped them carry the team to the WC finals. What's gone wrong?!

I'm sure this is nothing new and we've all asked ourselves these questions, but how long must it go on?

P1 Dan

Bob: In the words of the great Bono, “How long? How long must we sing this song? How long? How Looooooooonnnnnnnngggggggg?”. Answer: Until we start winning some stinking hockey games around here.

Well, after about 7,000 words, let’s me end this mailbag for now. I obviously need to do more of these based on the dozens of emails I did not even get to. Perhaps we can even do some live chats down the road (not sure if the dallasstars.com folks are up for that, but if they are – so am I.)

Let’s all stick together in this thing, and continue to enjoy doing what we do: Watching hockey and hoping for the sun to shine on our boys very soon.

Bob

EPL Update - P1 Report

Mehul's report:

Since Arsenal's 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge in February 2004, Chelsea had gone 86 games at home without defeat. Liverpool ended the streak yesterday on a first half Xabi Alonso goal. The win puts Liverpool at the top of the table, 3 points ahead of Chelsea.

Xabi Alonso's solitary first-half goal ended Chelsea's 86-game unbeaten home league record and put Liverpool three points clear at the top of the Barclays Premier League.

Alonso struck in the ninth minute when his 20-yard shot deflected off Jose Bosingwa and left Petr Cech wrong-footed.

It was Chelsea's first defeat under new boss Luiz Felipe Scolari, but Liverpool were always in charge of a pulsating contest at Stamford Bridge and look real title contenders on this form.

Chelsea had not been beaten at home since Arsenal's 2-1 success in February 2004 but Liverpool deserved their triumph with an impressive display.

Chelsea began the brighter of the two sides and their initial thrusts almost resulted in an opening goal.

Nicolas Anelka dribbled his way into the penalty area in the third minute but was tackled before he could test Jose Reina.

The ball fell to Deco but the Chelsea midfielder's shot was deflected to safety.

Liverpool went ahead in the ninth minute with their first attack of the game.

Chelsea failed to deal with a thrown-in when John Terry could only half-clear Dirk Kuyt's clever back-header.

The ball fell to Alonso on the edge of the penalty area and his shot deflected off Chelsea right-back Bosingwa into the net.

Arsenal took 3 points from a win against West Ham at Upton Park. An own goal by West Ham defender Julien Faubertin the 75th minute gave the Gunners the lead and a 90th minute strike from Emmanuel Adebayor sealed the 2-0 victory.

Arsenal capitalised on a poor weekend for title rivals Chelsea and Manchester United to secure maximum points from a hard-fought 2-0 win at West Ham.

Following Liverpool's victory at Stamford Bridge earlier this afternoon, and United's failure to beat Everton, Arsene Wenger's side knew just what was at stake as they looked to keep pace with the Barclays Premier League leaders.

The Gunners - fresh from a fine 5-2 Champions League trashing of Fenerbahce in Turkey - certainly had to dig deep for their win, which came courtesy of an own goal from Julien Faubert when he deflected a shot from substitute

Emmanuel Adebayor late in the second half, which was harsh on inspired West Ham keeper Robert Green, before the African wrapped things up in stoppage time.

Nevertheless, it is these such keenly-contested clashes which Wenger's young squad will have to come through if they are to have a say in the destiny of the title come May - and on this afternoon's evidence, they could still just have the final word.

With 25 minutes left, Wenger made a double change as Adebayor and Abou Diaby - who had played so well in Turkey - were introduced, replacing Nasri and Walcott.

Green was having an inspired afternoon and made another fine one-handed save to keep out Van Persie's low, angled drive.

When the England stopper was finally beaten by a stinging 25-yard free-kick from the Dutchman, his luck held as the ball cannoned off the base of the post and bounced away.

Arsenal, though, finally got the breakthrough with quarter of an hour to go when Adebayor weaved his way into the area and hit a low shot back across goal.

With Bendtner lurking in the six-yard box, the unfortunate Faubert stuck out a boot which diverted the ball past Green.

Adebayor should then have done better when following up his own shot, only to stab over from close range.

The Togo frontman eventually made sure of what could yet prove to be three vital points in an intriguing title race when he latched on to a long pass up field from Bendtner to round Green and smash the ball into an empty net.

To compound the misery for West Ham, referee Phil Dowd showed striker Carlton Cole what seemed a somewhat harsh straight red card for a sliding tackle from behind on Song.

Man United settled for a point in 1-1 tie at Everton, dropping them to 6th place with a game in hand.

Everton outmuscled Manchester United to claim an unexpected 1-1 draw thanks to a spirited second-half comeback.

The champions had dominated the first 45 minutes of the Premier League clash with a controlled and confident display, to the point that Everton were chasing shadows.

United held a deserved lead through Darren Fletcher at the break, but in the second period Everton stormed back with a physical performance, with Marouane Fellaini heading the equaliser.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was able to make five changes to the United side that outclassed Celtic in the Champions League in midweek.

Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra were back from injury, while Ryan Giggs returned as captain. Wes Brown and Ji-Sung Park were also recalled.

Everton had former United striker Louis Saha up front with Ayegbeni Yakubu, while Joseph Yobo and Phil Neville returned from injury.

The hosts were either brave or foolhardy to play two wide-men in Steven Pienaar and Mikel Arteta, leaving Leon Osman and Fellaini sometimes cruelly exposed in central midfield, where Giggs pulled all the strings.

United found space with ease. Dimitar Berbatov may seem to show an economy of effort, but his clever link-up play kept United moving forward with menace.

Everton did have a couple of decent half-chances early on, firstly when Fellaini took a pass from Joleon Lescott and saw a shot on the turn blocked by Nemanja Vidic.

From the corner by Mikel Arteta, Belgian midfielder Fellaini headed just over. Then Wes Brown needed to make a hasty block when Saha struck a low drive from the edge of the box.

But United's movement, quality passing - and the amount of men they got forward so quickly - had Everton constantly stretched.

Fletcher had a header from Giggs' corner deflected wide, and Neville blocked a drive from Cristiano Ronaldo. Wayne Rooney then blasted wide after a free-kick had been blocked.

A goal from the champions has been on the cards for a while when Fletcher broke the deadlock after 22 minutes.

Another week, another win for Hull as they continue their red hot start with a 3-0 road victory at West Brom. Since the game was a day before the Liverpool-Chelsea clash, Hull had a brief share of 1st place with their 20 points.

Hull produced another stunning performance to claim an unlikely share of the Barclays Premier League lead this afternoon.

The promoted Tigers were second best to West Brom for large parts of a full-blooded encounter at The Hawthorns but hit the hosts with three goals in the second half.

In a blistering 20-minute spell, Hull - earlier indebted to goalkeeper Boaz Myhill and the crossbar for keeping them in the game - snatched victory trough Kamil Zayatte, Geovanni and Marlon King.

Hull's fourth successive win, amazingly, put them level with Chelsea and Liverpool at the top of the table and left them in good heart for clashes against the Blues and Manchester United next week.

It was a second successive heavy defeat for the Baggies and, like last week's 4-0 loss to United, was one in which the scoreline barely reflected their effort.

The result could hardly have been anticipated at the break after the hosts enjoyed a number of opportunities.

Ishmael Miller, recalled to add some firepower to the goal-shy home attack, proved a particular handful for the Hull defence and Myhill had to be at his best.

West Brom took an early grip on the game and earned their first opportunity from a free-kick on the edge of the box after Andy Dawson chopped down Miller.

Miller's deflected effort was easily gathered by Myhill but left-back Dawson had been injured in the challenge and was limping out of position as the Baggies attacked again.

In another news from the weekend, Tottenham fired manager Juande Ramos and hired Harry Redknapp away from Portsmouth. A day after the switch, Spurs were victorious for the first time this season, but not enough to keep them out of last place. Tottenham were 2-0 winners to Bolton.

Harry Redknapp took less than 24 hours to deliver what Tottenham wanted all season - a victory, 2-0 over Bolton, to kick-start their Barclays Premier League campaign.

Roman Pavlyuchenko and Darren Bent grabbed the goals against Bolton at White Hart Lane but all eyes were on Redknapp after his appointment to succeed Juande Ramos as Spurs boss.

They are still bottom of the table but have made up ground with other strugglers and crucially have a morale-boosting first league win of the season, at the ninth attempt.

Bolton, who had Gavin McCann sent off, gave Spurs nervous moments but there is enough for Redknapp to work with when he gets to work this week, with key contributions coming from players who struggled under Ramos.

Ramos' hasty departure came too quick for the club to change the matchday programme, so fans were given a chance to read the Spaniard's final notes.

"If you believed everything that was being speculated on then your perception of the club would be far removed from the reality,'' he wrote.

The reality was Ramos heading back to Spain and Redknapp in the dressing room and dugout, even though reserve-team coach Clive Allen picked the team.

Redknapp was unveiled to the Spurs fans before kick-off - something not afforded to Ramos due to the embarrassing manner of Martin Jol's departure a year ago.

The encouraging sign for Redknapp was skipper Ledley King being available, four days after playing in the defeat to Udinese - it was the first time he had been ready for games in such quick succession for 10 months.

As expected of a team with a new manager, there was an extra zip to the hosts, something missing so far this season.

In other scores from the weekend:

Newcastle 1 - Sunderland 2
Middlesbrough 1 - Blackburn 1
Stoke 0 - Manchester City 3
Aston Villa 4 - Wigan 0
Fulham 1 - Portsmouth 1

------------------
Standings after Round 8

1. Liverpool - 23 pts.
2. Chelsea - 20
3. Hull - 20
4. Arsenal - 19
5. Aston Villa - 17
6. Man Utd - 15 (game in hand)
7. Portsmouth - 14
8. Man City - 13
9. Sunderland - 12
10. West Ham - 12
11. Blackburn - 12
12. Middlesbrough - 10
13. West Brom - 10
14. Everton - 9
15. Wigan - 8
16. Fulham - 8 (game in hand)
17. Bolton - 8
18. Stoke - 7
19. Newcastle - 6
20. Tottenham - 5
------------------

And, Edith…gulp…

Edith's Soccer Blog

I just arrived back home this morning after a long flight. First of all, thanks to Bob Sturm for expensing my trip to report on the Chelsea v. Liverpool game match. Let me assure you, Bob, I did not rent those movies that the hotel will certainly accuse me of having expensed to my room.

As you have surely heard by now Liverpool defeated Chelsea 1-0 in an offensive showdown that would make Don Coryell wet his pants.

Xabi Alonso scored the only goal of the match when his nine minute shot was deflected beyond goalkeeper Petr Cech by the Blues full-back as I bellowed “MOOOOOOOOSSSSSEEE” from the stands.

The result ended Chelsea's incredible 86 match unbeaten home league record in the Premier League.

Game Story

A first half goal from Xabi Alons ended Chelsea's' 86 match unbeaten home league record and put Liverpool three points clear at the top of the Barclay's Premier League.

Alonso struck in the ninth minute when his 20 yard shot (that's nothing to be proud of, Russ. Yep 20 yards!!) deflected off Jose Bosingwa to leave goalkeeper Petr Cech flat footed.

Chelsea had their moments but Ashley Cole wasted their best chance of the match in 73rd minute by firing wide from eight yards.

Chelsea began the brighter of the two sides and their initial thrusts almost resulted in an opening goal.

Nicolas Anelka dribbled (somehow this is not a penalty) his way into the penalty area in the third minute but was tackled before he could test Jose Reina.

The ball fell to Deco but the Chelsea mid fielder's shot was deflected to safety.

Liverpool went ahead in the ninth minute with the first attack of the match.

Chelsea failed to deal with a throw when John Terry could only half clear Dirk Kuyt's clever back-header.

The ball fell to Xabi Alonso on the edge of the penalty area and his shot deflected off Bosingwa past Petr Cech.

Match Report


Now on to the mailbag:

Dear Edith,

What makes you think you are qualified to report on soccer?

Marcus

Dear Marcus,

I don't think my work would be on the Internet if I were not qualified.

Edith

This Saturday I will be traveling to cover the Chelsea v. Sunderland match at Stamford Bridge and will have a full report next week.

Love,

Edith Wordsworth

And finally, Brandon:

Liverpool 1, Chelsea 0

Allow me to editorialize here as a newbie Reds fan:

HELL YEAH, BITCHES!!!!

WOOHOO HAHAHAHAHA!!!

With that out of the way, Liverpool served notice that while they may
have had a great bit of luck in pulling off some last minute victories
against mediocre competition, they are very much a legitimate threat to
ending a drought in the Premier League that has lasted since 1990. And
they did it by becoming the first visiting team in 87 matches to defeat
the Blues at Stamford Bridge. A streak that spanned 56 months.

Coming into Sunday's match, Chelsea had not allowed a goal in six
Premier League matches. But it didn't take long for that streak to end.

10 minutes in, Liverpool had won a throw in on the far side on Chelsea's
end of the pitch. Alvaro Arbeola threw in to Dirk Kuyt, whose chip into
the box was headed out by John Terry but only to the edge of the box
where Xabi Alonso gathered it, and fired a shot that was intended to
curl towards the right side of the net and away from Petr Cech. Along
the way, it deflected off defender Jose Bosingwa and Cech could only
watch helplessly as the ball bounded into the left corner.

Armed with a 1-nil lead, the Liverpool defense headed up by veteran
Jamie Carragher took over, thwarting the Chelsea attack over the next 80
minutes with an Ashley Cole slice wide at the 73rd minute proving to be
the only cause for concern for Pepe Reina.

Like previous matches, this tilt had it's chippy moments with four
yellow cards handed out. Captain Steven Gerrard was questionably booked
for what appeared to be a good challenge on Bosingwa just before
halftime. Then in the second half with Chelsea pressing on a corner,
Jason Terry fouled Reina, causing the Spanish goaltender's blood to rise
for a bit before cooler heads prevailed.

Alonso had a golden chance 17 minutes into the second half to pick up
his second goal of the match when his free kick bid eluded the vision of
a frozen Petr Cech. The Czech goaltender was bailed out however by the
post to his left

Everton 1 Manchester United 1

The Red Devils had gotten back into the race in recent weeks, but may
very well look back at this visit to Goodison Park with disgust come May
in a result that left Fergie whining about the officiating.

United opened the scoring 22 minutes in when a through ball from Ryan
Gigg was gathered by Darren Fletcher who fired low and across former
United goaltender Tim Howard. Moments later, United missed two golden
opportunities to stretch their lead when Howard made two fabulous saves
on Ronaldo and Nemanja Vidic five minutes later.

United held the lead at the half, but saw that lead vanish 18 minutes
into the second half when Phil Neville's cross was headed past Edwin Van
der Sar by the 6'5" Maraouane Fellaini. Both clubs battled to a tie over
the next 27 minutes but not without a little drama from Merseyside's own
Wayne Rooney, who was booked at the 68th minute for clobbering Mikel
Arteta. Rooney, who started his career with Everton, heard it from the
Toffee supporters and responded by kissing the United badge on the front
of his jersey, which is technically a bookable offense.

The referee decided to let it slide. Yet, Fergie decided to question
Alan Wiley's decision for reasons only known to him.

“The referee was to blame, and the crowd was egging him on and there was
every chance he may have been sent off, and not for anything he did in
the game.”

Yeah, OK. Don't expect the FA to do anything to golden boy Fergie, whose
side sits eight points behind Liverpool with a game in hand.

Arsenal 2 West Ham 0

The Gunners averted a draw with a pair of goals in the last 15 minutes
against a frustrated West Ham squad at Upton Park to stay four points
behind Liverpool. Arsene Wenger's squad finally broke through thanks to
an own goal by Julien Faubert, whose clearing attempt on Emmanuel
Adebayor's shot instead found the back of his own net. Adebayor would
ice it in extra time with a goal of his own off a counter attack,
causing frustration to boil over for Carlton Cole, who was sent off two
minutes later for a reckless swing on Alexandre Song.

The Hammers fell to 10th with their 5th loss in the Premier League season.