The Boys are Back!

Last week I reported that the lads who had brought you "World Soccer Daily" as a Sirius radio show and free podcast had packed up the show due to a campaign of intimidation by the Liverpool supporters' clubs in this country. Well....after a little over a week off the air, Steven Cohen and Kenny Hassan are back with a new name - "World Football Daily" - and new incarnation of the show, which will be televised via Ustream. Here's the announcement from their website:

"On Monday, August 31st, World Football Daily will do a complete show, with guests, as we preview what the future of our brand is going to be. It is our intent to change the way football is discussed by bringing a football show of the people, for the people and by the people straight to the people. We hope you will get involved, be active and support this new show. The United States of America will lead the way in fan-based shows covering the beautiful game."

By support, they are indicating that the new show will be "subscriber driven" rather than ad driven, meaning that you'll have to shell out $9.95 per month to listen. As it's a daily routine for me, I'm thinking very seriously on doing this.

For now, you can see their teaser on "Ustream WSD."

Sunday in the Prem

If you've got any more energy for footer after yesterday's bonanza, join me this morning to see how "Mad Citeh" (S. Dahlgren t.m.) are getting on. Later Everton take on Wigan and then FSC favor us with Villa vs. Fulham.

Super Saturday!

It's another super Saturday of footie action, which starts on ESPN in a matter of minutes with Chelsea vs. Burnley and is crowned by the first Big Four match-up of the season - United vs. Arsenal - at 12:30 on FSC. Don't be a numpty - join me on the LOB for all the festivities!

Champions League Draw

The draw for the group stage of the Champions League was made yesterday and the English clubs have got to be really pleased with the results, particularly Arsenal who have avoided the big boys and any tricky Eastern European treks. Here's the draw in full:

Group A: Bayern Munich, Juventus, Bordeaux, Maccabi Haifa.
Group B: Manchester United, CSKA Moscow, Besiktas, Wolfsburg.
Group C: AC Milan, Real Madrid, Marseille, FC Zurich.
Group D: Chelsea, Porto, Atletico Madrid, APOEL Nicosia.
Group E: Liverpool, Lyon, Fiorentina, Debreceni.
Group F: Barcelona, Inter Milan, Dynamo Kiev, Rubin Kazan.
Group G: Sevilla, Rangers, Stuttgart, Unirea Urziceni.
Group H: Arsenal, AZ Alkmaar, Olympiakos, Standard Liege.

Hammers Face Ground Closure

In the aftermath of those ugly scenes on Tuesday evening, West Ham United are facing sanctions from UEFA. While I think that Millwall fans were likely the instigators, most of the pitch invaders were unfortunately Hammers fans. It also didn't help that Stanislas chose to brainlessly celebrate his goals in front of the opposing fans. What should happen to West Ham, then?

You can read more from the Guardian by cutting and pasting the following link:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/aug/26/west-ham-millwall-violence-punishments

Champions League Qualifiers

It's crunch time for those clubs still trying to get into the group stage of the Champions League. In the most enticing match-up, Arsenal take a two goal advantage into the Emirates today.

I'll be in and out as usual but feel free to comment if you're following along.

WSD is Gone!

Catching up with my podcasts yesterday, I was shocked to hear the hosts of World Soccer Daily - Steven Cohen and Kenny Hassan - announce during Friday's show that it would be the last show to broadcast. They are shutting down operations principally because of a campaign of intimidation launched by a number of Liverpool supporters clubs in the U.S. after Cohen's numerous, inflammatory comments about Liverpool and the Heysel and Hillsborough tragedies. I've never agreed with Steven on Hillsborough, in which he seemed to be influenced by the anti-LFC reporting by The Sun. However, I don't think that there is any excuse for the reported death threats against Cohen and Hassan and their families that prompted the abandonment of the show, and I mourn the loss of a big part of the footie infrastructure in the U.S.

If you feel the same way, you can sign a petition at the following website:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/support-world-soccer-daily-and-siriusxm

Carling Cup Second Round Live!

It's Carling Cup Second Round day. Unfortunately, I'll be in the classroom during the matches but I've got my lucky Leeds shirt on under the monkey suit, so I'm hoping that that will do the trick against Watford today. I'll be checking in around half-time. Chip in a comment or two if you're around and about today.

KFC Doubles Down

File this story under "More Evidence of the Decline of Civilization." Our friends at KFC have unleashed "The Double Down," a new sandwich that features bacon, cheese and the "Colonel's Special Sauce" in between two glistening pieces of fried chicken.

Your thoughts?

Monday Footer

Will wonders never cease? We've got some live footer on ESPN2 this afternoon. It's Liverpool and Villa and it all starts at 3 pm. Norwich meet Sunderland in the Carling Cup 2nd round in the other match. I'm stuck at work and will have to run to class at half time or so. Join me if you're around this afternoon.

DLDD

Double London Derby Day!
First we have West Ham vs Tottenham followed by Fulham vs Chelsea
Make it three in London with England trying to win the Ashes
Burnley and Everton added to the menu
Join me

UWS

T.G.I. Saturday Morning

After a busy week at work, I'm looking forward to kicking up my heels in front of some world class footie. Join me in the morning, won't you?

Midweek Footer

Hurrah, after a long, hot summer, the excitement of mid-week footer is back in action today. We've got a full schedule of Championship and Division 1 action as well as two Premier League matches and Celtic vs. Arsenal in a Champions League qualifier. Join me for all the action from about 2:45 pm onward.

The Champions Begin Their Defense

Can they do it again? We're about to see. Join me for United vs. Birmingham coming up next.

THE BIG KICK OFF!

HERE WE GO!!!!!

It's Nostradamus Time!

With the Premier League starting up this week, it's time to make those wild predictions about the winners and losers of the 09/10 season to come. Here are mine:

Champions League Winners - Barcelona
Premier League Champions - Chelsea
FA Cup Winners - Spurs
Carling Cup Winners - Manchester City
Champions League Qualifiers - Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal
Europa League Qualifiers - Aston Villa, Manchester City and Spurs
Relegated to the Championship - Hull, Burnley and Wolves
Promoted to the Premiership - WBA, Cardiff and Coventry
Relegated to Division 1 - Newcastle, Scunthorpe and Swansea
Promoted to Championship - Leeds, Charlton and Millwall

What about the rest of you?

The Autopsy

Perhaps 24 hours is enough time for us to have recovered from the crushing loss yesterday and to reflect on what went wrong:

1. I lay the blame squarely at the feet of Bob Bradley.

2. The tactics were all wrong. Spurred on by the unreasonable expectations after the Confederations Cup run, Bradley for the win at the Azteca.

3. We're not quite ready to take the Mexicans on and win in the Azteca. At most, we need to go there looking to keep it tight and perhaps grab a shock win.

4. 4-4-2 was a big mistake. At first I thought Bradley had got it right with a 4-5-1 but then I noticed that Ching was playing. That was about half an hour in.

5. Once Davies scored, Bradley should have made immediate changes in order to shore up the win. I would have gone for Feilhaber on and Ching off.

How about the rest of you - your thoughts, chaps?

Loads of footer!!

Great day of footer today. I just finished watching Germany win on FSC. I have Scotland vs Norway live from the BBBC and am looking forward to Engurland and USA!
Join me

UWS

USA Squad for Mexico Qualifier @ the Azteca

USA's Roster for Mexico Trip
Here's the list for Wednesday's qualifier against Mexico at Azteca.....

Goalkeepers: Tim Howard, Brad Guzan.
Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, Jonathan Spector, Jay DeMerit, Steve Cherundolo, Jonathan Bornstein, Chad Marshall.
Midfielders: Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Benny Feilhaber, Ricardo Clark, Stuart Holden, Jose Francisco Torres.
Forwards: Landon Donovan, Brian Ching, Jozy Altidore, Charlie Davies, Conor Casey.

Go after them with the most attacking looking XI possible or play it tight and hope to snatch enough to win? WWBBD?

TV listing for USA @ Mexico on Wednesday

Hello Chaps!

Telemundo holds the rights for Mexico's home WC qualifiers and refused to sell their feed to US broadcasters. They decided to screen the game on their little known and even less available English language channel mun2.

Today however, it's been announced that mun2 will air on Time-Warner, Comcast, DirecTV, and the DISH network for the duration of the match.

Call your cable provider to find out what channel it's on in your area. Anyone in the City of Alexandria in Virginia who has Comcast, will find it on Channel #178

Darlington vs. Leeds Live!

Blimey! The season has only just started and suddenly we've been thrust into the First Round of the Carling Cup. The Elland Road boys are facing a 48 hour turn-around as we travel to Darlington for tonight's clash.

Join me from 2:45 EST to see the mighty Leeds stuff the Quakers!

New Nick Hornby Novel!

It was already looking like a busy fiction season coming up in the fall with new novels by Thomas Pynchon, Richard Russo and Monica Ali coming along. But then I heard that LOB fave Nick Hornby would be favoring us with a new work this week. Here's how Publisher's Weekly describes Nick's latest, titled "Juliet, Naked:"

"Hornby returns to his roots—music, manic fandom, messy romance—in his funny and touching latest, dancing between three perspectives on fame: a sycophantic scholar, an appreciative audience member, a fabled singer-songwriter who can’t see what all the fuss is about."

I don't usually have a lot of time for novels in the school year but I'll definitely be making an exception with this one. Anyone care to join me?

LOB Book Club - The Big Sort: Part IV

I am one who is known to get a wee bit frustrated with American politics from time to time, especially how maddeningly narrow the spectrum of acceptable opinion is in this country. Take the current health care debate. Poll after poll shows mainstream support for national health care among the populace; yet because of moneyed interests, it's off the table.

Bill Bishop would doubtless disagree with me. What frustrates him is too much rather than too little partisanship. In Chapter 11, he uses the 2004 Presidential election as Exhibit A in his case that American politics has become too rancorous. Perhaps so, and there were enough differences between the candidates for me to plump for Kerry while I was living in a swing state. But let's also remember that 2004 pitted too aristocratic sons who attended Yale at virtually the same time and were both members of "Skulls and Bones."

So, what say you about American politics - too civil or not civil enough? Too extreme or too centrist?

The Traditional Season Opener

Always the Charity Shield in my mind but here we go with the Community Shield

Join me

UWS

It All Starts Here....!

The 2009/10 season starts today and as usual the LOB will be in the thick of it. Join me from 7:45 a.m. EST for a full slate of Football League matches.

Remembering John Hughes

I'm an unabashed fan of John Hughes, who died at the age of 59 yesterday, so I thought I'd memorialize him by remembering his sharp writing for such 80s film gems as "The Breakfast Club" and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."

Match the dialogue with the films below:

1. I can’t believe that my grandmother actually felt me up.

2. Does Barry Manilow know that you raid his wardrobe?

3. You know, there's going to be sex, drugs, rock-n-roll... chips, dips, chains,whips...You know, your basic high school orgy type of thing.

4. We’re all going through this. It’s on time on the edge.

5. They think he’s a righteous dude.

6. You know, it's so insane that someone you've never met, never talked to can be your enemy.

7. Well, I like art, I work in a gas station, my best friend is a tomboy. These things don't fly too well in the American high school.

8. We'd have more luck playing pickup sticks with our butt-cheeks than we will getting a flight out of here before daybreak.

9. We're fine. Sweetie, don't burn your book. Maybe we can get some wood.

10. Marcie Dahlgren-Frost. Dahlgren is my maiden name, Frost is my married name. I'm single again, but I never bothered to remove the Frost. And I get compliments on the hyphen.

A. Some Kind of Wonderful

B. St. Elmo’s Fire

C. Uncle Buck

D. Planes, Trains and Automobiles

E. Sixteen Candles

F. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

G. She’s Having a Baby

H. The Breakfast Club

I. Pretty in Pink

J. Weird Science

Best of luck, kids!

Caption this Photo!

A pint of heavy and a packet of pork scratchings to the person who can come up with the most humorous caption for this odd and disturbing image of Russian president Vladimir "Pootie Poot" Putin. Good luck!

Patrick's Return?

The buzz out of the Emirates over the weekend was about the return of former skipper Patrick Vieira. He would certainly fill that defensive midfield hole, but is he up to the challenge now? In other Arsenal news, Wenger's sniffing about Daniele DeRossi. What say you, Gooners?

LOB Book Club - The Big Sort: Part III

In Chapters 7, 8 and 9 Bishop explores "The Way that We Live" in order to make the point that culture trump tradition in terms of the choices we make about where to live. In Chapter 9, however, he admits that, "Of course, in the strictest sense, place no longer limits the availability of goods. People can rent obscure movies through Netflix and buy books at Amazon.com that their local stores can't afford to stock. Digital technology and cheap transportation have given everyone access to nearly everything, no matter where they live" (p. 201).

Bishop dances over this point a bit too quickly for my taste. As someone who has lived outside big Northeastern cities where I might naturally gravitate in order to satisfy my cravings for art movies, used books and avant garde jazz CDs, I can attest to the fact that you can bring the culture with you. What do the rest of you think of this issue?