The Race for the Championship

We've entered the last quarter of the Premiership season with Manchester United leading the charge. However, Fergie's men have the distraction of the Carling Cup Final this weekend, allowing their rivals to gain ground.

At the bottom, there are still a dozen clubs who are worrying about relegation. Join me for all the action this morning.

80s Trivia of the Week

Bivalve recently had the temerity to challenge me to a game of Trivia Pursuits 80s Edition. This sounds like an excellent excuse for an LOB reunion in the near future. However, before I have a chance to hand out a smack down of epic proportions, I'm going to initiate a new series of 80s trivia.

I've always been a defender of 80s music; however, even my breath was taken away by the profusion of crap #1 hits from the period. Below is a list of the lamest of the bunch. Simply name the band/artist. (Bonus points if you remember any lame 80s movies that featured this tunes:

1. "Let's Hear it for the Boy"
2. "Eye of the Tiger"
3. "867-5309 (Jenny)"
4. "Heat of the Moment"
5. "Total Eclipse of the Heart"
6. "Jeopardy"
7. "Sister Christian"
8. "We Built This City"
9. "Take My Breath Away"
10. "(I Just) Died in Your Arms"
11. "Lady in Red"
12. "Maniac"
13. "Broken Wings"
14. "Can't Fight this Feeling"
15. "Never Gonna Give You Up"

Good luck, folks. (No wikicheating, David!)

RIP Wendy Richard (1943-2009)

Boy, I'm feeling particularly old today with the news that Wendy Richard has died at the age of 65 after a long struggle with cancer. You may remember Wendy from her stint in the 70s as the saucy young Miss Brahms on "Are You Being Served" or later as a mainstay of "Eastenders."

More Champions League Knock-out Action!

Today's fixtures:

Chelsea vs. Juventus
Real vs. Liverpool
Sporting vs. Bayern
Villareal vs. Panathinaikos

Champions League - The Knock-out Stage!

We've been waiting months, slogging through the tedious group stage in order to get to this moment - the knockout stage. Here's where the best teams in Europe kick off against each other with a place in the quarter-finals on the line and no way to hide behind the wallets of their patrons.

Arsenal vs. Roma
Athletico vs. Porto
Inter vs. ManYoo
Lyon vs. Barca

I'll be in and out throughout the afternoon but I hope to catch some of the action and some of your company.

What is Ron Paul Smoking?

Here's Ron Paul's appearance on the 2009 debut of Bill Maher's Real Time show on HBO Friday night. There are times when I have to grudgingly agree with the Texas Congressman, especially when he's talking about getting government morality out of our private lives. But then he starts talking economics...

The Academy Awards Live!

It's Hollywood's big night and as usual I'll be watching it and grumbling about it. They never reward the people I'd like them too, but somehow I'm always glued to it. Go figure...

The glitterati have started to show up on the red carpet. If you're watching, come on by and grumble along with me, won't you?

The Prem is Back!

After several weeks of games postponed for weather or pre-empted by Cup ties, the Prem is back in earnest with nearly a full slate of matches today. It all starts in a moment with a real cracker - third place Villa at home to fourth place Chelsea, in their first match without Big Phil Scolari.

Join me for the usual Saturday banter.

Great Moments in Python, Volume 15

It's Friday and there's always time for a classic bit of Python. And now...Notlob. Enjoy!

Is This The Most Boring Premiership Season Ever?

The always excellent Guardian Football Weekly podcast tossed out a hand grenade of a question in today's edition - is this the most boring season ever?

The top of the Premiership seems to support the affirmative, with the championship race reduced to essentially a two-horse race. ManYoo haven't given up a goal since the dawn of time and seem to be romping toward an unthinkable five trophies this season. If they manage it, fans of the other 19 sides bother?

At the same time, the real excitement may well reside at the bottom of the table. In the strangest of seasons, every side outside the top six could conceivably go down. The relegation race may be worth watching. How do the rest of you feel?

Advice from the Japanese Finance Minister

How do you deal with a collapsing economy that threatens to bring down world civilization? The answer from the Japanese finance minister Shoichi Nakagawa is apparently - drink heavily!

Kanpai!

Arsenal vs. Cardiff: The re-match

You know what I'll be watching if I can find a link somewhere at 2:45pm

More Cup Madness!

The footie gods have served up to tasty morsels for us today, starting with two Champions League strivers - Everton and Villa - clashing in the 5th Round of the Cup. ManYoo to follow...so join me for the fun.

FA Cup 5th Round Live!

It's FA Cup time again and the action kicks off with a bang early with high flying Championship outfit Swansea taking on Premiership relegation battlers Fulham in a few minutes. Along with the Cup matches, I'll have my eye on my Leeds boys in their Yorkshire derby with 'Uddersfield.

Join me, won't you?

A Day of Internationals

It's a day chock a block with friendly internationals, highlighted by England visiting Spain in Seville.

I'll be in and out during the afternoon, but I look forward to your company and comments.

Blossom Dearie (1927-2009) RIP

It's been a year of bad news already for jazz fans and fans of popular song and it keeps on coming. Yesterday came news of the death of Blossom Dearie at 82. With King Pleasure and Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, Blossom virtually invented "vocalese" (check out her solo on "Moody's Mood for Love"). She was a terrific pianist as well and her version of "Manhattan" is the definitive one IMHO. I saw her about ten years ago in Boston and was amazed that she had the same light, girlish voice into her seventies.

She'll be missed.

Scolari Sacked!

I was just about to put on a token thread about the Millwall-Leeds match when I noticed that Big Phil Scolari has been sensationally sacked at Chelski this afternoon!

That follows the sacking of Big Tony Adams at Pompey over the weekend; by my count, that's six Premiership managers sacked this season, with Gareth Southgate and Sparky Hughes sure to follow. A record?

Oh, and I will be monitoring the Leeds boys this afternoon if you can be bothered.

Radiohead Do the Grammys

It was, to be fair, a really great Grammy show for a change, with eye-catching performances from the likes of MIA and surprising wins for Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. Then, just as the event was winding down, Radiohead hit the stage with the USC marching band. Enjoy!

England squad to face Spain on 11 February

Goalkeepers: Green (West Ham), Hart (Man City), James (Portsmouth).

Defenders: Bridge (Man City), A Cole (Chelsea), R Ferdinand (Man Utd), Jagielka (Everton), G Johnson (Portsmouth), Terry (Chelsea), Upson (West Ham), L Young (Villa).

Midfielders: Beckham (LA Galaxy), Barry (Villa), Carrick (Man Utd), Downing (Middlesbrough), Lampard (Chelsea), Milner (Villa), Wright-Phillips (Man City), A Young (Villa).

Forwards: Agbonlahor (Villa), C Cole (West Ham), Crouch (Portsmouth), Heskey (Villa).

I think this is a pretty good looking squad. I especially like that he's gone with a number of the Villa guys who look so good this year. Is Gerrard suspended? Where is he?

The big one. Join me.

Soccer vs. the Snow

Mother Nature is doing her level best to stop the Beautiful Game this weekend, with scores of matches in the lower leagues off. Fortunately we've still got plenty to watch. So pull up an easy chair in front of the fire and join me for some mid-winter footer, eh?

Midweek FA Cup Footie

The nice thing about all of those draws in the FA Cup 4th Round a week or so ago is that we've got some more footer to watch this afternoon. The UK seems to have recovered from their hilarious "snow day" yesterday (six inches!) and all matches are back on.

The big one is the Merseyside derby from Goodison. Join me in a few minutes...

The Window is Closed

The transfer window slammed shut again yesterday at 5 p.m. GMT so it's about time to evaluate the comings and goings. First, it was a fairly underwhelming period. Citeh missed out on all the glittering stars (most notably Kaka) but ended up settling for the likes of Wayne Bridge, Craig Bellamy and Nigel DeJong. Other sides followed suit picking up workmanlike players (Beattie to Stoke, Heskey to Villa, Mido to Wigan, a crocked Jimmy Bullard to Hull). And in the end we had a bit of a flurry on the last day of action with Arsenal finally landing Andrei Arshavin, Chelski signing Ricardo Quaresma (another winger?!) and Robbie Keane joining up with his mates at White Hart Lane again.

So who did the best business?

Help MacGruber

Attention: office time-wasters. NBC recently had the bright idea of posting a game based on its genius, long-running homage to 80s cheese "MacGruber." Give it a go then!

www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/exclusives/backstage/library/MacGruber/

Liverpool vs. Chelski Live!

It's the umpteenth meeting between Liverpool and Chelsea this season, but these games are always full of interest. The winner potentially gets within two points of ManYoo at the top. The loser has to begin to doubt its championship hopes. A draw - probably the most plausible result - helps neither.

Join me for another Big Four clash live on FSC.