Bacsik: The Rangers have NO options left

This is new to the casual Rangers fan but we are getting close to making sure your options are available for your playoff roster. A player MUST be on the Major League roster before Sept. 1 or that player will not be available for the playoffs. I don’t want this to be confusing because baseball rules can become very confusing.

A team’s playoff roster is 25 guys. Usually 4 starting pitchers (the 4th starter might be your long man and not start a game), 7 relievers, and 14 position players. If you are on the MLB DL on Aug. 31 you are eligible to be on the playoff roster. That means guys like Kinsler, Guzman, Holland, and Treanor are all eligible to be on the playoff roster. But, let’s say Trainer is ready to come back on August 20. The Rangers will either keep Treanor on the DL until the rosters expand on September 1 or they will activate Treanor and DL Teagarden. The reason being, you don’t want to option Teagarden down because if you recall him on Sept. 1 he is not eligible for the playoff roster. Make sense?

Lets take an example: If for some reason the Rangers lose both catchers on Sept. 25th and neither can play the rest of the way the Rangers can petition MLB to let them have a catcher on their playoff roster that wasn’t on the team on August 31 because the team can’t win a playoff series without a catcher. Almost every time MLB will allow the team an exception to the rule.

But what if a pitcher like Tanner Sheppers comes up on September 3rd and pitches in 10 games and gives up no runs and dominates every hitter he faces? In almost every case the Rangers wouldn’t be able to have Sheppers on the active playoff roster. Even if a guy like Feliz gets hurt, MLB will tell the Rangers that you have Holland, Nippert, and your fifth starter that can be on your roster. Pitchers that come up on September 1 will rarely become eligible for a playoff roster.

Another question Rangers fans might have is, what if a guy like Adam Dunn clears waivers and the Rangers trade for him on Sept. 2 because Vladdy gets hurt? Adam Dunn would not be eligible for the playoffs no matter what. Even though he was an active Major Leaguer on August 31st he wasn’t on the Rangers active roster on August 31st.

On September 1st the active rosters will go from 25 to 40. Most teams in a playoff race will expand their roster from 32 to 34 guys. Just try to remember who came off the DL and who came up from the minors. If Chris Davis is recalled in September he is not eligible to be on the playoff roster. Pedro Strop was just called up. If the Rangers believe he could be option for the playoffs they will DL him instead of optioning him down to OKC. Last note: you can change your 25 man roster from series to series but not game to game. Lets hope all Ranger fans will know these rules as the years go by. Go Rangers!

EPL Mailbag 2

Here is this week's EPL Mailbag. I am on vacation, but since boredom has arrived with the post-lunch weather, I thought I might knock out a bit of stuff for you today:

First, with the games starting Saturday, I better tell you where the games are and when they are:

Here is the link you should bookmark for all of your EPL viewing: http://www.epltalk.com/premier-league-tv-schedule.

It is what I use, and I anticipate this is what you will find serves your purposes. Here is Round 1 of the 2010-11 EPL season.

Saturday, August 14: EDIT: ALL TIMES ARE EASTERN! ADJUST ACCORDINGLY!
7:45am: Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City, ESPN2 and ESPN3.com
10am: Aston Villa v West Ham United, Fox Soccer Channel
10am: Blackburn v Everton, Fox Soccer Plus (and FoxSoccer.tv)
10am: Wigan v Blackpool, FoxSoccer.tv
10am: Sunderland v Birmingham City, FoxSoccer.tv
10am: Bolton v Fulham, FoxSoccer.tv
10am: Wolves v Stoke, FoxSoccer.tv
12:30pm: Chelsea v West Bromwich Albion, Fox Soccer Channel

Sunday, August 15:
11am: Liverpool v Arsenal, Fox Soccer Channel

Monday, August 16:
3pm: Manchester United v Newcastle, ESPN2

You may call it opening weekend, but they call it Round 1. Why? Because they know that there are 38 matches in an EPL season.

20 teams in the EPL. So, you play the other 19 clubs, 1 home and 1 away. Which equals 38 matches.

3 points for a win. 1 point for a draw. 0 points for a loss.

Maximum total of possible points: 114

Most points in a premier league season: 95, Chelsea '04-05

Last year's champion: 86, Chelsea.

Most points ever for a team that did not win the premiership: 85, Chelsea '08, Man Utd '10

Points expected to be needed to avoid relegation: The last 3 years, the 17th place team (the highest team not to be relegated has finished with 35, 35, and 36 points). 40 is where we usually agree the "safe zone" starts for teams that don't want to be relegated.

Cool?

---------------------------------


Dear EPL Mailbag,

Could you give me a feeling on who is the most popular player over there? Who is there version of Lebron? With Beckham and Ronaldo no longer in the Premier League, who are the players that are the most famous?

Thanks,

Doug


Doug, here is what i found recently, from a story that showed the most sold jerseys in the last year :

Top 10 selling named shirts

1. 'Torres 9' (Liverpool)
2. 'Gerrard 8' (Liverpool)
3. 'Rooney 10' (Manchester United)
4. 'Fabregas 4' (Arsenal)
5. 'Arshavin 23' (Arsenal)
6. 'Lampard 8' (Chelsea)
7. 'Drogba 11' (Chelsea)
8. 'Owen 7' (Manchester United)
9. 'Carragher 23' (Liverpool)
10. 'Tevez 32' (Manchester City)

It seems odd that Liverpool goes #1 and #2 and that Chelsea has no player in the Top 5, but there you go. John Terry has seen a major drop in popularity since scandal has invaded his life. Ah the price of love.

---------------------------


Bob -

I played soccer as a youngster but gave it up in high school for other sports. (Most of the guys that played soccer in my high school were stoners and not guys that I wanted to hang around with anyway...so there's that.) Anyway, I love the World Cup and watched avidly this year. The Americans' run was inspiring, and I am excited to follow the USMNT in the coming months/years. Also, for the first time I am committed to carrying over my World Cup excitement to the EPL and, like many others, I have been trying for weeks to decide which team to support.

A few questions:
Do you think supporting a team because it has American players (re: Fulham) is valid?
How do the Brits feel about Amercians adopting their teams?
Are the various ELP teams taking steps to woo American fans?
Do you think Landon will end up back in England either on loan or as a transfer and, if so, where?

By the way, I'm leaning toward following Everton, but could be easily swayed.

- Scott



OK. First, "Do you think supporting a team because it has American players (re: Fulham) is valid?"

Sure. I don't see any problem with that at all. As an American, there are no real Geographical rules that can be followed. So from there, guys like me would look down upon you if you sign up for Manchester United and Chelsea and cite bandwagon and front-running bylaws, but otherwise, there are no real laws in place that would keep you from selecting a team honorably.

And if Clint Dempsey plays for Fulham and you love his work (I do) then why not? There is one issue to sort, though.

What if, in 3 seasons, Dempsey leaves for Newcastle. Will you follow him? Or will you then be Fulham for life? I think rooting for a team requires you not to jump from team to team because of one player's employ, but I suppose that is for you to decide.

Next, "How do the Brits feel about Amercians adopting their teams?" - probably amused, or indifferent. How interested are you when you hear people from Europe are Cowboys fans?

Then, "Are the various ELP teams taking steps to woo American fans?" - Yes. They are touring here constantly. They are making their tv rights available. They are making merchandise available. It is happening.

Finally, "Do you think Landon will end up back in England either on loan or as a transfer and, if so, where?" I desperately hope so. It needs to happen. Trouble is, nobody is spending money in England this year. Nobody. And to get Landon, they have to spend. So, stay tuned.

---------------------------------


Bob, Good idea!..

I've watched WC's in the past but watched 2010 closer (because of HD) and enjoyed it alot.

Question.. I have DirecTV. What channels show the games?

Suggestion.. You should pick one or two "matches to watch" per week that will be televised and give a brief rundown of each (along with TV info)..

Thanks!

Wess


Directv: 209, 619, 621 are the 3 channels with EPL matches. 209 is ESPN2, 619 is Fox Soccer, and 621 is Fox Soccer Plus. Fox Soccer Plus will cost you some money, but they are ALL in HD now! I think I have mentioned that 10 times now.



Does Newcastle have any hope? Top ten chance? Will they even stay up this time? At least it will be nice to watch games in St. James' Park again, if only for one season.

Mario


Newcastle is one of those teams (Chicago Bears, New York Knicks, Boston Bruins, St Louis Cardinals) that has a huge fan base, and although they would not be confused for the best team in the sport, it is clear to me that we would miss them if they vanished.

Well in English Football, that happens. Newcastle had a lousy year 2 seasons ago, and were relegated. I need to spend an entire mailbag on relegation sometime down the road, but basically it means you get kicked out of the league because of a bad season. You get sent to "AAA" and must win your way back to the big leagues. Newcastle is back, and Mario is right, if only to see St James Park again, it is good to have them back.

Will they be any good? I don't think so. But, I am hoping they shock me. But their squad is very weak by EPL standards.

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Intern Will found this list of the top salaries in Europe. Keep in mind the numbers are in Euros. A Dollar is about 78% of a Euro. 6.5m dollars is about 5m Euros. Also, the money is from last season.

Futebol Finance, a Portuguese marketing agency, has released a list of the top 50 footballer salaries for this season. The guy at the top is obvious, but the rest of the list is pretty interesting. Do keep in mind, though, that the wages shown are just for this season and this season alone. Also, try not to laugh when you spot Robinho's name above Drogba or Torres. Here's the full list via The Mirror...

Futebol Finance's 50 highest paid players in world football
1 Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid, £11.3million)
2 Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Barcelona, £10.4million)
3 Lionel Messi (Barcelona, £9.1million)
4 Samuel Eto'o (Internazionale, £9.1million)
5 Kaka (Real Madrid, £8.7million)
6 Emmanuel Adebayor (Manchester City, £7.4million)
7 Karim Benzema (Real Madrid, £7.4million)
8 Carlos Tevez (Manchester City, £7million)
9 John Terry (Chelsea, £6.5million)
10 Frank Lampard (Chelsea, £6.5million)

11 Thierry Henry (Barcelona, £6.5million)
12 Xavi (Barcelona, £6.5million)
13 Ronaldinho (AC Milan, £6.5million)
14 Steven Gerrard (Liverpool, £6.5million)
15 Daniel Alves (Barcelona, £6.1million)
16 Michael Ballack (Chelsea, £5.6million)
17 Raul (Real Madrid, £5.6million)
18 Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United, £5.6million)
19 Kolo Toure (Manchester City, £5.6million)
20 Wayne Rooney (Manchester United, £5.2million)

21 Robinho (Manchester City, £5.2million)
22 Iker Casillas (Real Madrid, £5.2million)
23 Victor Valdez (Barcelona, £5.2million)
24 Frederic Kanoute (Sevilla, £5.2million)
25 Deco (Chelsea, £5.2million)
26 Didier Drogba (Chelsea, £4.8million)
27 Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus, £4.8million)
28 Francesco Totti (Roma, £4.8million)
29 Luca Toni (Roma, £4.8million)
30 David Villa (Valencia, £4.8million)

31 Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich, £4.8million)
32 Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich, £4.8million)
33 Ashley Cole (Chelsea, £4.8million)
34 Fernando Torres (Liverpool, £4.8million)
35 Gareth Barry (Manchester City, £4.8million)
36 Patrick Vieira (Internazionale, £4.8million)
37 Charles Puyol (Barcelona, £4.3million)
38 Andres Iniesta (Barcelona, £4.3million)
39 Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid, £4.3million)
40 Andreas Pirlo (AC Milan, £4.3million)

41 Willy Sagnol (Bayern Munich, £4.3million)
42 Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich, £4.3million)
43 David Beckham (AC Milan, £4.3million)
44 Wayne Bridge (Manchester City, £4.3million)
45 Lassana Diarra (Real Madrid, £4.3million)
46 Dimitar Berbatov (Manchester United £4.1million)
47 Andrei Arshavin (Arsenal, £4.1million)
48 Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea, £4.1million)
49 Ryan Giggs (Manchester United, £4.1million)
50 Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus, £4.1million)

That is all for this week.

Huge match Sunday with Arsenal visiting Liverpool. Enjoy your football. This journey is only beginning.

Kids These Days: Elvis Andrus Edition

There is no question the closer I get to 40 years old, the further I fall out of touch with the kids. It was bound to happen.

I don't get flat-billed baseball hats cranked to the side.

I don't get sea-shell necklaces.

I don't get vampire movies.

And no, I don't get what Elvis Andrus is doing.



Elvis was on our show a few months ago (EDIT: Actually, June 22) and as I sat next to him, I noticed he was doing something odd with his hair. It was all about some crazy yellow color that he put in there, and then you could see that he was letting it grow out. So, I snapped a picture for Twitter purposes.



But, recently, Elvis has rolled out a new hairdo, and P1 Justin sent me pictures from last night's game showing what Elvis is doing:



I think the evidence is indisputable. He has fake braids. He has hair extensions. He got his hair did. It is like he wants to be Ronnie Belliard without the time investment.

Who does this? Who gets hair extensions? I mean, what man does this? After watching "Good Hair", I realize 90% of African-American women do it, but dudes?

Has it come to this? Am I the old man here?

Cowboys '09: Game 10 vs Washington

Winning Ugly.

There are 16 games in the NFL most weekends, and 16 teams get beat each of those weekends. The object of the game is to avoid being one of those 16, and, of course, if you can do that often enough, when your 16 weekends of trying to avoid being one of those 16 losers is over, then you get to play game #17.

The Cowboys, despite playing one of their ugliest games of the season for much of the day, grabbed a crucial win on their way to playing game #17 this season, with a 7-6 win over their rival, the Washington Redskins.

Know this: A loss would have deeply wounded this team's ability to make the 2009 NFL Playoffs and hopefully to win the NFC East Division. Nobody wants to hear this the morning that the team played well below expectations, but the number 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 priority was not to "look good" or "score 30", but rather to get a win and get to 7-3. Once that is accomplished, we can discuss how sharp they looked or the opposite.

I think something can be said about the 2009 Cowboys team that we may not have said about the 2008 version: They have the ability to figure out how to scratch out a win in bad circumstances. The game at Kansas City and yesterday's game against Washington prove that there are times when like the starting pitcher that doesn't have his "good stuff", and in those times you still have to win that game somehow. Ask Philadelphia about their trip to Oakland and Green Bay about their trip to Tampa Bay to discuss their experience with this phenomenon and whether those experiences would be less painful if they still had an ugly win to show for it.

They did that. They did figure out how to find a Win in there somewhere. They beat an injury-depleted team that suffered even more injuries as the game went on. Like I said, a loss to the Redskins would have been catastrophic to the Cowboys hopes in 2009, but there wasn't a loss yesterday. The win is worth just as much as the win in Philadelphia 2 weeks ago. March on.

Cowboys '09: Game 9 at Green Bay

Ambush. Ambush, indeed.

Despite preparing for what they knew was going to be quite a challenge, the Dallas Cowboys found that it is sometimes difficult to finish running the sword through a team that had lofty expectations and has been kicked like a dog for 2 straight weeks. The Green Bay Packers likely will eventually be finished off soon in their quest for the NFC Playoffs, but it won't happen yet, as evidenced by their 17-7 win over the Cowboys at Lambeau Field.

This Cowboys' offense, which at times has looked as dangerous as any offense in football, failed to make even the slightest mark on the field Sunday, and allowed drive after drive to end without ever really flexing its muscle. And, of course, on those rare occasions where they actually did get out of their own way, the Packers' desperate defense would rise up and make a play and end the threat.

We talked about the importance of patience for the offense and the OC when I laid out the Friday Game Plan :

"Patience - So, now that we all know the Packers are a wounded animal with plenty of game breaking talent on both sides of the ball, we must understand that the only recipe to handle them is patience, precision, and composure. The Cowboys showed tons of that in Philadelphia, but that doesn't carry over. They must withstand the initial burst of energy from the crowd, and weather the storm. Usually, this means high percentage passes and pounding the rock between the tackles. I believe if the Cowboys turn the ball over less than 2 times, they win this game. But, it is vital on the road (and there are plenty of stiff road tests ahead) to play a clean offensive game. That starts with a patient Tony Romo and Jason Garrett.

This team did not do that at all. The Cowboys went back to their road ways that suggest they cannot handle failing on offense. This happens time and time again in road wars: @ Pittsburgh, @ Denver, @ Green Bay; When they cannot get in the end zone early, as the game goes on, they start to get more and more impatient. They start to pass in running situations. They start to go "shotgun" and sling it around - which only invites more blitzing and more chaos from the defense. They do not stick to their game-plan of what they do well: Power Football.

EPL Mailbag Episode 1

Ok, I have no idea how often these are going to come, and I have no idea how often I will be able to write about the English Premiership at all.

But, for once, when I blog about this stuff, it is a labor of love rather than doing something to further the career or the show's popularity. When I write about the Cowboys or Stars or Rangers, it is for you and for me, but it is with the show's success somewhere in the equation.

When I write about Everton or Tottenham or now, Blackpool, I can rest assured that A) this will never be on the air as Dan and the boys will not stand for it and B) there are not enough English Soccer people to impact the ratings one way or another.

With this realization does come the truth that because of all of this, I will not be able to keep to a schedule. But, I must confess that I think about the EPL a ton, and I will want to write quite a bit about it over the course of the season. I want to help you enjoy the league, because despite what my colleagues at the station say, I am convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt that there is significant soccer growth in this country and I want to be able to say that I was there before it was cool.

I began following the EPL in the 2000 season, after getting involved a bit in the 1998 World Cup. I spent a bit of time considering what team I might follow, but in the end, I chose Liverpool FC for a few reasons that you can further investigate in an essay I wrote on the topic in 2005 .

In 2000, it was barely on television and it was certainly not cool. Since then, I have seen it slowly and gradually become more and more visible. I love it, because unlike any other sport on the rise, it has seemed to do it without any help from the media. MMA, for instance, has tons of supporters in the young media. If you are a sports talker under the age of 40, chances are pretty good you know all about the UFC and have seen some of the fights. But, the EPL? The World Cup? I think it is pretty clear that when you listen to guys on your favorite sports radio station talk about soccer, they still either want to poop on it, or just launch into their stand-up routine about how soccer sucks.

Fine. Feel that way. Soccer doesn't need your help. It is slowly seeping into the American periphery without assistance from Sports Radio. Oh well.

Now, before I drive anyone away with my defiance on the topic, allow me to share my views on soccer as it stands today. Then, we will answer some email and become friends that do this more and more over the course of the season.

The Product Had To Knock Your Socks Off

In the past, when people have tried to convince you soccer was sweet, they did so with a product that was not "best in the world". They might have been trying to tell you that NASL or MLS is what you need to "give a chance". Well, this is flawed from jump. Just like trying to convince someone that baseball is awesome, but then showing them a minor league game or that basketball is great, so here is a German League game, it just doesn't work. You must have the best players in the world. You must have Kobe Bryant, Peyton Manning, and Alex Ovechkin selling their sports. But, in soccer, we tried to sell you Alexi Lalas?

No chance.

You had to see Messi. Or Rooney. Or Drogba. Or Villa. Or Torres. Or Crissy Ronaldo. You had to see the best in the world who can perform magic tricks on the grass with the ball. The guys who are the most popular athletes in the world. You could not see a guy in Dallas who is paid $60k and couldn't make even a middle of the road team in England or Spain and understand why the sport intoxicates those who are immersed in it.

And the only way this could happen is if the sport was available to you on your couch. Easily. And without a subscription cost. Which leads us to.....

The Revolution Needed To Be Televised.

In 2000, there were almost no games live. And those on delay were not very reliable. If you fell in love with a team and needed their matches it was not pleasant. Slowly, but surely, things started happening. Obsessive-Compulsive types like me would then be interested in PPV packages. I clearly remember paying $350 for one season of PPV matches. Another year, I spent $20 a weekend on PPV for Liverpool. This demonstrates my mental weaknesses and the inaccessible nature of the EPL. How many people would pay more for the EPL than they did for the NFL? Nationwide, I bet fewer than 1,000. That is not going to grow the sport.

Directv went the PPV route for many years. Fox World became Fox Soccer. Games went from 2 or 3 a weekend to now, where if you have the means, you can see pretty much 8 of the 10 matches. Only the very worst matches are unavailable. Then came highlight shows and a Sportscenter-type nightly show that was produced in the USA called Fox Soccer Report.

Fox wasn't the key, though. ESPN somehow saw the 2002 World Cup as a worthy endeavor. If I am not mistaken, MLS bought the rights to the World Cup in 2002 and sold them on to ESPN. Either way, ESPN enters a relationship with MLS and the World Cup and their needles start to move a bit even though the '02 World Cup was played at 3 in the morning. Then, slow and steady growth continues to happen to where in 2006 the World Cup was shown with great depth by ESPN. Their bosses begin to see the value in what international soccer has to offer. The Beckham experiment didn't hurt either as ESPN did some big numbers there, too.

And that is the tipping point.

ESPN and FOX both saw what was here. And they started to compete with eachother. This is far from NBC and CBS competing for NFL rights, but we all know that the best way to see improved products in all walks of life is for there to be competition. And that is where we are in 2010.

1 year ago, ESPN started televising the English Premiership. This, to my knowledge, is the first time Fox had any competition for the EPL. ESPN has been handling the Champions League for quite a while, but it was almost only there because of ESPN Deportes winning the rights for the Spanish Audience. ESPN seemed to not want to even air the matches instead of their normal daytime programming for many years. They had no idea what they had.

But, let's credit ESPN for furthering the game a level that has been that proverbial tipping point for English Soccer in the USA. High Definition, brother.

Last August, when Chelsea played Hull City in HD on ESPN2, those of us who have followed this league for years almost burst into tears. It was magical. And it showed us the future.

Quickly, Fox saw that ESPN would get numbers for any match in HD. Fox broadcasts in Standard Definition looked horrendous. Guys like me would patiently wait for the rare moments when our team would be scheduled for an HD match. We have come so far, but to have 1 game a weekend in HD showed us how far we could go with a little burst of technology.

Then, Fox responded. Fox Soccer and its little brother Fox Soccer Plus have now entered HD since last spring, and Directv will flip the switch for both on August 11 according to reports. I assume this means many, many more games of EPL action in HD. I don't want to assume it will be all, but I do believe it will be plenty.

That is so awesome I am dancing as I type this.

None of this happens without a market. If they weren't doing numbers, they wouldn't be bidding against eachother and working to out-perform eachother with technology. But, because of this, days of spending $350 for SD broadcasts are years ago. Now, HD for free is here. And that is why it is time for you to get onboard.

And now, this week's emails:

Bob,

I actually have a few questions:

1. What channels are a must have and what channels would be nice to watch the EPL on DirectTV?
2. What are some good websites that you visit on a regular basis on the EPL?
3. How about some people to follow on Twitter?
4. Only slightly related - Do you follow only the EPL or do you follow other leagues as well? I am thinking of trying to do the EPL and the Champions league and basically ignore the others except when Real Madrid plays Barca

Cheers,

Joseph Cross


This is a good place to start. Thanks, Joseph.

My Answers:

1. ESPN2, Fox Soccer Channel are musts. Fox Soccer Plus is nice to have. If you are like me (I hope that you are not) and need to watch EVERY match of your team, then you need all 3. But, if you plan on casual viewing, then you can survive on the first 2. I assume Fox Soccer Plus is the one that will hit you in the wallet, about $12-$15 a month for that one on Directv I seem to recall.

2. Websites: ESPN Soccernet is the best for the US Soccer fan. I read a few UK papers, with the Guardian being the one I find to be my cup of tea. Stateside, I enjoy EPL Talk as a good US-based EPL site.

3. Twitter: @grantwahl @epltalk @dtguardian @peterssoccer that should get you started.

4. I follow the EPL and the Champions League. There is only so much time in the day. I know that Italy and Spain have good football, but I have to choose where my time goes (especially when we have US Sports to care about!). So, yes, when Barca and Real hook up, I will try to get to it, but beyond that, it has to be Champions League for me to venture out of England.

I am a gooner and have been helped by blogs. I would suggest newbie's search out some blogs of the team you are rooting for. This helps gather daily perspective and feel the passion that those across the pond have for their team.

Chris Swindell

I agree, Chris. By the way, Chris said he is a Gooner. That means he follows Arsenal. If he said Scouser, that means Liverpool. Magpie is Newcastle. Toffee is Everton. And so on. Look, you are going to be confused. Teams don't have official nicknames. They are not the Lions or the Bears. But they have unofficial nicknames. Some are insults and some are compliments. But, do not try to absorb that all in Year 1. You will go mad.

And I do agree that if you seek out your club's blogosphere, this is the proper play. Google it. And weed through until you find one worth a darn. They are out there.

Hey Bob,

So, I jumped on the EPL bandwagon about 2 years ago, and now I am strongly committed. Of course, I am a follower of the Toffees, so we are pretty much mortal enemies. But for purposes of picking your brain, I'll let that slide for now. I must admit though, that I am woefully short on my knowledge of the rest of the 1st division. I mean, I know all the World Cup stars (Rooney, Fabregas, Tevez, Torres) and the top of the table. But what I'd really like to know about are the rivalries. Who are the, for lack of a better analogy, the Yankees-Red Sox of the EPL? Who are the Yankees-Rays (big market vs. small market upstart)? Who are the White Sox-Cubs? Who are the Rangers-Astros? My buddy has talked me into having Arsenal as a 2nd team (just to have someone in the Champions League to root for). Who are they rivals with? And if you feel I am a candidate for sports bullying, bring it on.

Thanks,
Jeff


Jeff, I don't mind the Toffees. They are lovable Everton. Never a threat to win it all, but certainly a tough match at their place. In the EPL there are rivalries everywhere. But, most is based on geography or table position. For instance, the traditional "Big 4" all are mortal rivals with eachother, but that is competition-driven more than anything.

But for Geography, we have some amazing derbies. And yes, they call them a derby, not a rivalry game or whatever we call it. Manchester United/Manchester City. Everton/Liverpool, Tottenham/Chelsea, Tottenham/Arsenal, Arsenal/West Ham, Middlesboro/Newcastle, Portsmouth/Southampton, and several others are based on proximity. Of course, many of these are fully dependent on being in the same level (and if you don't understand relegation and promotion, don't worry about it yet, but know it is about the coolest thing in the world).

And, I don't understand this "2nd team" to root for idea of yours. But, if that is how you roll, that sounds good.

What up football Bob!

I’m in on soccer for a long time, I think. This last world cup is the first time I really actually watched soccer, and I loved it.

The tension and release of the attack and the defense is addicting. The artistry of quick passes and good motion is another draw for me, as well.

I’ve been watching replays of the EPL matches last season, and I get that same feel watching my chosen team, Arsenal, and Fabregas. I saw some of that in a Liverpool match I watched the other day, as well. Torres was a different player in that match compared to his injured WC appearance.

The Questions:

- Where to do find your matches? TV? Internet?
I am on dish network, and most replay matches have been on FSC. I have the option to get the Fox Soccer Plus channel if that’s what it takes also.

- I’ve been reading all the transfers that Man. City has been stockpiling. Without knowing a lot about the level of talent in the top teams, does this Yankees approach payoff quickly in soccer, or is there a chemistry development period?

LOVE LOVE LOVE the 45 minute commercial free halves.

Cheers

Jeremy


I know the internet has plenty of backdoor feeds for you (that you can find on your own lest they hunt me down and shut me up. But, TV is the only way. See above for my thoughts, but I am not sure DIsh Network is totally down with the HD bit. So, you will have to research.

As for Man City's new view of buying up all of the talent in the world - well, it worked for Chelsea. When I started watching the EPL 10 seasons ago, Chelsea and Everton and Tottenham were all in the Top 10, but not in the Top 5. The Top 5 back then year in and year out were Man United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle, and Leeds. Chelsea was bought by a Russian Billionaire who wanted to buy the best players in the world. It has worked, and now Chelsea can make the case of being the best in England and a Top 5 club in the world. Leeds United was promoted from the 3rd level of English Soccer to the 2nd level last spring. They are trying to get back to the Premiership sometimes soon after falling on horrendous times. Newcastle was promoted back to the Prem last May after being relegated the year before. Nothing lasts forever (except Sir Alex).

Can Man City buy their way to the top? Yes. It is not easy, and it is not always as fast as they would like, but if you continuously money-whip the world's best players to your club, eventually you get it right. And the Arab Billionaire who bought them seems to want to do that.


Sports Sturm - I have dabbled in the EPL for a couple of years now, but never put any real time or energy into it. This year though, I'm all in. My problem is probably a problem most EPL newbies have; what team should I follow? My concern is I do not want to pick one of the Big 4 (obviously Man U, Liverpool, Chelsea, or Arsenal) because I don't want to come across as a frontrunner. But my biggest problem is the only way for me to truly get into the EPL is to have a team that is consistently on tv. This rules out US favorites Fulham and Everton. So who do I pick? I also don't really want to go with someone like Man City since they seem to be a team like the Mets; little brother to Man U but with retardedly deep pockets. Do you think a team like Tottenham will be ok even though they came in 4th this past year?

Sorry for the long email but I really do want to do this thing right.

Zach Ballenger


This is the type of email I get plenty of. Who should I follow?

Now, I know I preach against front-running on all fronts. But, I also want you to enjoy this and if you choose a minnow, you will not enjoy your viewing. So, the question is, do you have to stomach to follow a team with no chance of winning the league?

Group 1: (3) Teams with a great chance to win the league: Chelsea and Manchester United, with Arsenal right behind.
Group 2: (1) Teams with a medium or small chance to win the league: Manchester City
Group 3: (1) Teams with a sliver's chance to win the league if Tom Hicks sells before Labor Day: Liverpool

Group 4: (7) Teams with no chance to win the league but still better than many and fun to follow because of tradition and fan base: Everton, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Fulham, West Ham, Newcastle, and maybe Blackburn

Group 5: (8) Teams with no chance to win and a fairly ordinary fan base but you will get to enjoy a relegation battle up close: West Brom, Stoke City, Blackpool, Birmingham, Bolton, Sunderland, Wigan, and Wolves

Anyone of the Top 3 groups will have 95%+ of their games televised.
Anyone in Group 4 will have games televised when they play anyone else in the Top 4 groups, and at least 50% of games against Group 5.
Anyone in Group 5 will have a dicey TV schedule that will go well with their dicey performance.

Basically, Do Not jump on Chelsea or United's wagon. They are 1st or 2nd every year, and it will say a bit about your character if you cheer for them. Yankees, Cowboys, Lakers, Walmart, Big Oil, and American Idol. Just don't do it.

I also would not recommend you dive into bed with Tom Hicks (Note: I was there before him, and I will be there after him. Don't you dare accuse me of jumping on LFC because Tom Hicks bought them. How dare you!). However, it appears Liverpool is close to a sale to some dude from China who is really rich. Isn't that something you might be interested in?

Man City is like the Mets. That is so perfect.

Arsenal is everyone's popular choice. I must admit, if I had to find a team, I might end up there, too. They are beautiful. They play well. They have a system with a coach who is a genius and are like the San Antonio Spurs with the way they do their business. They play in London and they have a cannon on their logo. How much cooler does it get?

Group 4 has many interesting choices. If you don't want to be cliche, grab someone there. In future mailbags, I promise to give you something on all of them.

And I would stay away from Group 5. Like I said, I want you to enjoy this.

Ok, let's stop here. I will do one of these every week (or maybe every few weeks - let's see how this goes) until you all lose interest.

See you next time.

Cowboys '09: Game 8 at Philadelphia

It was a "Show Me" game for the Dallas Cowboys. One to show those who want to see them do well and to show those who want to see them fail that the 2009 Dallas Cowboys may not be cut from the same cloth as the 2008 Dallas Cowboys. A chance to return to the scene of possibly the most painful day in modern Cowboys' history just a little over 10 months ago and attempt to make something right. A chance to show you can beat a quality opponent at their place under the scrutiny of a national television audience.

And your Dallas Cowboys did not waste this chance. In fact, they impressed by making key plays on offense and defense in the 4th Quarter, and left Philadelphia a frustrated city of Cowboys haters.

I said on Friday that I couldn't just pick the Cowboys to win on blind faith. At some point, they needed to step up and do what they claim they are capable of against a top opponent. They needed to prove it. We can debate whether the Eagles are elite, just as we can debate whether the Giants or Cowboys are, too. But, Sunday Night looked alot like two great rivals who have great players trying to knock eachother out in the center of the ring. It was a man's game, with players being asked to take a tremendous beating with injuries all over the field. To withstand that test and to kill the game off where you did not run a meaningful play after the 2 minute warning was impressive and important. The Cowboys are no longer under the radar of the NFL. At 6-2, they find themselves in a wonderful spot. And given that they have won 4 straight since that ugly day in Denver, I would submit they deserve to be right where they are.

Fill the EPL Mailbag

During the World Cup, plenty of you emailed me your questions about the English Premiership and the fact that you are in for trying the top level of professional soccer this season.

Well, trust me: You won't regret it.

In my opinion, we have to handle this right. We have to get you to watch the proper matches and follow the proper teams. You have to figure out how to experience the influx of HD and perhaps even consider your options from the fantasy angle if you roll that way.

Regardless, since this is a personal passion of mine, I do not mind helping your journey. In fact, I want to be there for you.

So, email me your questions (sturm1310@aol.com), concerns, and issues and let's do a mailbag this week and prepare you for what lies ahead....

This is going to be a fun ride. And it starts for real in 11 days.

Cowboys '09: Game 7 vs Seattle

There will hopefully be weeks in the 16-game NFL schedule where your opponent is in no shape to beat you and you must merely take the game from them and take care of your business in matter-of-fact fashion. These types of weeks do not come around very often, but, when they do, you would like to merely crush them like a grape and move on to your bigger battles without anything like a bad injury or lost momentum. The Cowboys did just that in their rather simple 38-17 pounding of the Seahawks on Sunday to raise the season record to 5-2 as they take to the road.

Seattle was coming of a bye week, but still looks just too beat up to resemble anything close to the team that many thought could challenge the Cardinals for the NFC West title. Injuries are part of the NFL game, so you should always prepare to deal with them, but if you have 5 Left Tackles as the #1 on your depth chart by November 1st, it might not be your year.

For the second straight week, the Cowboys used a Touchdown right before halftime from Tony Romo and his receivers, and another Touchdown off a 2nd half punt return from Patrick Crayton to seal the fate of their opponent. And this opponent was in no position to fight back too much, leading to a 4th Quarter where the only doubts left were wondering how the Cowboys brass could defend their QB getting hurt after they took out his personal bodyguard, Flozell Adams. Luckily, he seemed fine, despite rubbing his right arm on camera after the sack he took while up 38-10.

Beyond that, it was all about getting your work in, and getting to 5-2. 5-2 is a fine place to be after 7 weeks, and thankfully the Giants have obliged by sliding back to the group in the NFC East. Now, with half the season to go, it is all in front of the Cowboys. And, I don't believe you should be quick to assume that this team is going to follow any path of fading that has been worn by previous teams. There are certain elements of this squad that lead me to believe that this team may have the right amount of chemistry, accountability, and unity to stay together when adversity visits. Not from above, of course, but from eachother. Keith Brooking has filled a gigantic void of leadership, and others who were here have stepped up to do their part.

They have their work cut out for them, but they are where they wanted to be with 5 wins already in the bank with 9 to play. Assuming it will take 4-5 more wins to make the playoffs and 6 more to win the division, the battles that decide this are straight ahead.

Let's crack open the notebook and offer some observations from the easy win against the Seahawks at Cowboys Stadium:

* Tony Romo and his streak of flawless play continued, as did his chemistry with Miles Austin. There is no question where he wants to go with the ball when he needs to connect downfield, and the inside-outside game he can play with the safeties as he works from Witten to Austin and back is going to be very important down the stretch. I also loved the concept of running the WRs deep enough to clear out the Defensive Backs, only to send a shallow route - once it was Hurd, once it was Felix -across the linebackers and exposing their inability to run with the Cowboys speed. When you see two defenders with "5" as their first number trying to chase down Sam Hurd, you know that the game plan installed on Wednesday and Thursday worked to perfection. We will spend plenty of time looking at that tomorrow on Football 301, but the conclusion is obvious: If they are going to gang up on 82 and 19, then you can use them as decoys to get big gains on underneath high-percentage plays that gash and demoralize the opponent.

* If the roof cannot be open on the most beautiful day of the year (73 degrees, not a cloud in the sky) will there ever be a time when it can be open? Or could we have saved about $500 million by just making that place a dome? Just asking.

* Bobby Carpenter shot the A gap and Matt Hasselbeck never had a chance to avoid the sack. You might have thought that was the first sack of his career, but I looked it up during the game, and apparently he had 1.5 sacks already. The entire 1.5 came on December 16, 2006 (week 14 of his rookie season) at Altanta against the Falcons' QB, Michael Vick. A lot has happened in this world during those 1,051 days - and in the life of Mr. Vick - since that day, but Carpenter now has another sack. Good for him, I think I am starting to secretly pull for the guy because he has become such a pinata. Although I suppose if I am going to secretly pull for him I shouldn't tell you. Oh well.

* Did you happen to see how the Seahawks have tried 14 offensive line Combinations in the last 23 games? I don't care who your QB or Head Coach is, when you have that much trouble in the offensive line, you don't have a chance. The Cowboys have lost 1 lineman since the start of 2008 to injury when Kyle Kosier was out for much of the season last year, but otherwise, it has been Adams-Kosier-Gurode-Davis-Colombo for the entire ride. If you can keep it that way, you have a chance to be in the playoffs. If one of them drops, things can start to unravel. The New York Giants had the same starters since the start of the 2007 season until Kareem McKenzie got hurt a few weeks back - a streak of 38 games in a row. Quality and stable offensive lines and winning football are closely related.

* What sort of bizarro world do we live in where a month ago, Miles Austin was ignored running free in the endzone in Denver and now he gets pulled early in the 4th Quarter because he is such a vital part of this offense? Crazy how quickly things change in this league.

* Perhaps now is a good time to sing the praises of the special teams, and their new leader, Coach Joe DeCamillis. Bruce DeHaven (who now coaches Seattle's special teams) and Bruce Read (who now coaches Oregon State's special teams) had their shot at changing this team's special teams. In fairness to them, I am not sure they ever had the benefit of massive personnel changes to address the issues on their crews, but in fairness to JoeD, his unit seems pay attention to detail and generally is in the right places. I have no idea what has gotten into Patrick Crayton, unless the challenge to his manhood has raised his game another few notches, but he has been superb in sealing the last 2 wins with spine-snapping returns in the 2nd half. But, I feel like we should recognize the other 10 Cowboys who were on the field for this week's return (and aside from 85, likely last week's, too): 89 Phillips, 53 Octavien, 17 Hurd, 34 Anderson, 25 Watkins, 32 Scandrick, 20 Ball, 57 Butler, 85 Ogletree, and 18 Buehler.

* That's right: David Buehler is now on the punt return and punt cover teams. The Cowboys kicker is running down the field trying to make tackles and blocks against NFL linebackers. It is my understanding that this was actually a situation from last week's Allen Rossum signing against Atlanta. See, with Rossum, you had 5 guys on your 45 that had no chance of helping you anywhere but with their designated special teams role (McBriar, Folk, Ladouceur, Rossum, and Buehler). This meant that you had to deactivate a depth LB (Jason Williams) which meant you were short a cover player in returns and coverage teams. Well, you could either ask a starter to join or you could go the extremely unconventional route of having your kicker trying to actually get in the middle of some of the most violent scenarios on the field. But this is no normal kicker. This guy is fast, muscular, and looking for a collision. He did so well, that this week, without the Rossum problem, they left him out there. And, so far, after 2 weeks on the crew, he has been a part of 2 returns for Touchdowns. I know this will possibly backfire if he gets hurt, but it really excites my inner football dork to see this working, so I support it 100%.

* Announcers: Please stop telling us that Roy Williams and Tony Romo "threw alot" in the offseason. This is pointless on a number of levels. First, we must assume as fans of the NFL that QBs and WRs generally throw periodically between games and seasons. This should be a given, and similar to saying that "so-and-so chose to eat and sleep in the offseason". Second, they apparently require plenty of more work. The zigging of Romo and the zagging of Roy will not be very amusing when they are down 7 in the 4th Quarter at Philadelphia and desperately need a score. On the other hand, it seems that Romo's throws to Roy right now are almost charity, and when he needs something important, he doesn't seem to look at Williams very seriously. Strange, but in key spots, 82, 19, and 84 are all more likely targets than Roy. Only when that changes will we be able to assume they are on the same page.

* Miles Austin can't dunk? Seems unlikely. I will say he took off too far from the basket.

* I love it when we excuse Wide Receiver rants (like TJ Houshmanzadeh yesterday) on the sideline because "He just wants to win". Anyone else, in any other sport is called a jerk. But, WRs "just want to win". Whatever. It is called being selfish and myopic. Can't win with em. Don't want em.

* Evan Grant tweeted that the back-to-back weeks with a punt return TD was the first time the Cowboys did that since 1968 with Bob Hayes. Nice stat, Evan.

So, here we are. 44-6. At Philadelphia. The hated Eagles. I like this match-up because the Eagles are feeling great coming off a crushing of the Giants. They are going to be told how great they are all week, and the Cowboys are going to be told to relive 44-6 all week. I like that mixture to result in a very annoyed Dallas squad taking the field on Sunday night. This is going to be riveting.

Cowboys '09: Game 6 vs Atlanta

I have never seen, nor do I plan on seeing, the 1998 movie, "How Stella Got Her Groove Back". I assume Stella had a groove - lost it somehow - and then spent a great deal of time trying to figure out how to re-acquire this groove again. I will also assume that she found this groove by the end of the movie or the title would have been rather mis-leading.

I take you down this unlikely road to bring the conversation to Tony Romo. I think we can all agree he also once had a groove. In his first 25 or so games in the NFL, he was somewhere between amazing and unbelievable. Then, something happened where he hit adversity and we began to see the weaknesses in his game. And for the last 20 or so starts, he just has not been the same guy who seemed like he played the game with everything happening around him in slow motion. Was something wrong with him? Was something wrong with his coaching? What happened to a guy who seemed to have the NFL figured out?