For English Football Fans.

Citta

Big, big, game tonight.
Chelsea v Man U.

I suspect that early in the season as it is, it will be a bellweather for the final Premiership Championship positions...
In other words the 2013-14 Champions will be whoever wins tonight.
I am not a Chelsea fan, but I suspect it will be the Special One....

Silouan

I'm a Liverpool fan, and I think those two will be at the top of the table, but I don't think that this game will decide the champion. Its a long season.

Citta

Yes I am aware that I am being extremely premature... But the psychological effect on tonights winners ( and losers ) I think will be far reaching..
Particularly with Man.U.being without Sir Alex. All eyes will be on David Moyes.
And of course Murinho knows the Chelsea dynamics well.
I must say I remain unconvinced by your bloke Rogers...but we'll see. You have had a good start.
Im a Tottenham man...I think we will do well to get to the Europa league again.

Jason

Thanks for heads up. I'm a big Chelsea fan and would love to see a win over Man U.

Citta

Im conflicted.
I like Murinho and am glad to see him back..I also like David Moyes and would like to see him do well at Man U.
But I dont care for the effect that Abramovich and his wallet have had on The Beautiful Game.
I will watch the game ( on TV ) with great interest..

Jeffrey

How long does the season play out to? How many games per season? How many teams in the league?

Citta

The top league in England/Wales is called the Premiership..{.Scotland has its own league.}.Has 20 teams.
Each team plays 38 league matches per season. But they also compete in various Cup tournaments both in England and internationally.
Last years Champions were Manchester United...they have a new manager. Chelsea have a returning manager.

Citta

Nil-nil at half time..22 of the best players in the English Premier at their best..great stuff. :thumbup:

Jeffrey

I used to play football (soccer here) and I loved it; it was my most natural sport and I was good relative to US. But I find international except for the world cup to be boring because so few goals. In contrast I like American football defensive struggles because there are a lot of key plays on defense that a good defense just looks awesome.

Jeffrey

Here is a highlight reel of one of the most talented running quarterbacks of all time, Denard Robinson. It is American college football. The same guy is making all of the runs and throws. Football US is very entertaining because there are huge plays every game.

Kundo

Man U all the way

Citta

It was a 0-0 draw. Which sounds dull..but wasn't.
But of course gives little clue as to the likely rest of the season. We now know that both defences are rock solid.
The third championship team of recent years Man CITY...Manchester has two top teams..Manchester United and Manchester City..looked very vulnerable this year when they were beaten by Birmingham's Aston Villa on Saturday.

What larks..!

lobster

Think I watched the wrong match . . .

Tosh

Jeffrey said:

Here is a highlight reel of one of the most talented running quarterbacks of all time, Denard Robinson. It is American college football.

We call that rugby in the UK (a game played by men with odd shaped balls), but we don't play it with all the padding and protection.

Citta

Well I guess @Jeffrey you will have to watch that until the real thing becomes more accessible in the U.S...But I gather its growing. The time will come when you don't call it soccer. Just 'football'.
It doesn't make sense calling your game football anyway..you are allowed to handle the ball.

Bunks

Citta said:

Well I guess @Jeffrey you will have to watch that until the real thing becomes more accessible in the U.S...But I gather its growing. The time will come when you don't call it soccer. Just 'football'.
It doesn't make sense calling your game football anyway..you are allowed to handle the ball.

Ahhhhhh @Citta....the old "should 'soccer' be the only game called football" debate? I hear where you're coming from.

In southern Australia Australian Rules is generally referred to as football while football is rugby league in the northern states.

Jeffrey

I love american college football so much. Every day I count down to the next season or game starting.

Bunks

Jeffrey said:

I love american college football so much. Every day I count down to the next season or game starting.

I struggle with American Football @Jeffrey....I have tried to watch it but just can't get into it. It must be a good game though because you guys are nuts about it!

Now baseball on the other hand, that's my kinda sport. Cricket with a tough hard arse edge!!!! Love it.....go the Rockies!

Kundo

Bunks said:

In southern Australia Australian Rules is generally referred to as football while football is rugby league in the northern states.

AFL is also affectionately called Aerial Ping Pong too.

I'm a mad Sydey Swans girl myself though

Now baseball on the other hand, that's my kinda sport. Cricket with a tough hard arse edge!!!!

Cricket is tennis on valium

Citta

Cough...May I respectfully remind the honourable members that the subject is English Football. Not the various past times devised by people from the colonies or former colonies.
Ithangyew.

Jeffrey

@Bunks, some of the pleasure of football comes from the strategy of the game. The players line up again and again each time after the ball is 'down'. Each time they start a new play there is a defensive 'play' and an offensive 'play'. It is really a meeting of the minds and the strategy is even different depending on the capabilities, physically, of the players. And then mentally each player has 'a football IQ'.

@Bunks, did you look at the video I put up? That's another good thing about football; there are big plays.

Lee82

Blue. Moon. Rising. :-)

Citta

Maybe...

Citta

Meanwhile my hometown team were beaten 6-0 by a team in the league below them..
Fortunately Spurs have my Premier contract to play on my behalf.

Kundo

Citta said:

Cough...May I respectfully remind the honourable members that the subject is English Football. Not the various past times devised by people from the colonies or former colonies.
Ithangyew.

You mean the colonies who have better weather and cold beer? :P

Citta

No I mean the colonies who have too much sun and fizzy pop beer.

sndymorn

In these colonies, soccer has surpassed basketball in terms of average attendance. So apparently we colonists are returning to the real football in large numbers. Tea is gaining in popularity too!

I am big EPL fan, but my team is the LA Galaxy.

Jason

sndymorn said:

In these colonies, soccer has surpassed basketball in terms of average attendance. So apparently we colonists are returning to the real football in large numbers. Tea is gaining in popularity too!

I am big EPL fan, but my team is the LA Galaxy.

Pfft. RCTID!

Citta

sndymorn said:

In these colonies, soccer has surpassed basketball in terms of average attendance. So apparently we colonists are returning to the real football in large numbers. Tea is gaining in popularity too!

I am big EPL fan, but my team is the LA Galaxy.

None too soon I'd say.

Jeffrey

We have a renaissance in craft beer over here. In my small state there is probably 20 craft beers in my state; they are all high quality. I'd say we rival any other area in the US or world.

http://www.mibeer.com/find-mi-beer <-- michigan craft beer

Of MBC beer is pisswater. (miller budweiser coors)

Citta

We have ' London Pride '..it is brewed by the Thames not far from the Fulham FC ground. Behind it is one of our favourite restaurants. They serve London Pride. I once asked one of the waiting staff if the restaurant has its own pipe to connect it to the brewery a few yards away..joke. She thought for a moment and said that she didn't think so...So that little bon mot fell flat.

Jeffrey

I checked google and the only 'bon mat' was translated to spanish. What does it mean?

Citta

Bon MOT Jeffrey...try again.

Jeffrey

Ah I get it. It is wittiness. I'm expanding my mind. I learn something new every day. And I forget things like names of celebrities. The mind is always shrinking and growing.

sndymorn

RCTID @jason


You guys appear( from my vantage here on the couch) to have the best soccer community and rivalry between teams there in the North West. Here we just put away Chivas( our rival) rather consistently.
Watch out for that Dempsey fellow.

Lee82

Great draw for City in the Champions League :-)

Not so great for Arsenal and Celtic!

Jason

sndymorn said:

RCTID @jason


You guys appear( from my vantage here on the couch) to have the best soccer community and rivalry between teams there in the North West. Here we just put away Chivas( our rival) rather consistently.
Watch out for that Dempsey fellow.

He's definitely good. And he kind of reminds me of House when he hasn't shaved in a few days.

Citta

Jason said:

sndymorn said:

RCTID @jason


You guys appear( from my vantage here on the couch) to have the best soccer community and rivalry between teams there in the North West. Here we just put away Chivas( our rival) rather consistently.
Watch out for that Dempsey fellow.

He's definitely good. And he kind of reminds me of House when he hasn't shaved in a few days.

Excellent player. He is already missed at Tottenham.

Citta

Lee82 said:

Great draw for City in the Champions League :-)

Not so great for Arsenal and Celtic!

City looked pretty shaky against Villa...

sndymorn

With Dempsey gone and bale on bubble , you guys at tottenham are the football world's striker vacumn. ( I am not saying you suck)Who do you want for replacement?

Citta

AVB is trying to sign Christian Eriksen from Ajax..but Arsenal are after him too. Watch this vacuum...

Bunks

dhammachick said:

Bunks said:

In southern Australia Australian Rules is generally referred to as football while football is rugby league in the northern states.

AFL is also affectionately called Aerial Ping Pong too.

I'm a mad Sydey Swans girl myself though

Now baseball on the other hand, that's my kinda sport. Cricket with a tough hard arse edge!!!!

Cricket is tennis on valium

The mighty Swans hey @dhammachick? Will they go back to back?

I actually used to support them as a youngster when they were South Melbourne. They lost me and my father when they headed north though!

Bunks

Jeffrey said:

@Bunks, some of the pleasure of football comes from the strategy of the game. The players line up again and again each time after the ball is 'down'. Each time they start a new play there is a defensive 'play' and an offensive 'play'. It is really a meeting of the minds and the strategy is even different depending on the capabilities, physically, of the players. And then mentally each player has 'a football IQ'.

@Bunks, did you look at the video I put up? That's another good thing about football; there are big plays.

Sorry @Jeffrey I didn't. I log on to New Buddhist at work and Youtube is blocked :-(

Bunks

Citta said:

No I mean the colonies who have too much sun and fizzy pop beer.

....and can't play cricket!

Kundo

Bunks said:

The mighty Swans hey @dhammachick? Will they go back to back?

I actually used to support them as a youngster when they were South Melbourne. They lost me and my father when they headed north though!

Namaste @Bunks,

Yes we will. That evil magpie team beat us in the last mactch but we will not be defeated. We can't be defeated. I have Platinum membership, I have to get my money's worth

In metta,
Raven

Bunks

Citta said:

We have ' London Pride '..it is brewed by the Thames not far from the Fulham FC ground. Behind it is one of our favourite restaurants. They serve London Pride. I once asked one of the waiting staff if the restaurant has its own pipe to connect it to the brewery a few yards away..joke. She thought for a moment and said that she didn't think so...So that little bon mot fell flat.

I used to live in Chiswick many years ago @Citta. Loved a pint of London Pride every now and again. I do miss the English beers (ales and bitters particularly). Much better than the tasteless, freezing cold rubbish we brew down under.

Kundo

Much better than the tasteless, freezing cold rubbish we brew down under

Ssssh @Bunks!!! The tourists still drink Fosters, how else are we going to get rid of it?

Citta

Bunks said:

Citta said:

No I mean the colonies who have too much sun and fizzy pop beer.

....and can't play cricket!

Naughty !

Citta

Bunks said:

Citta said:

We have ' London Pride '..it is brewed by the Thames not far from the Fulham FC ground. Behind it is one of our favourite restaurants. They serve London Pride. I once asked one of the waiting staff if the restaurant has its own pipe to connect it to the brewery a few yards away..joke. She thought for a moment and said that she didn't think so...So that little bon mot fell flat.

I used to live in Chiswick many years ago @Citta. Loved a pint of London Pride every now and again. I do miss the English beers (ales and bitters particularly). Much better than the tasteless, freezing cold rubbish we brew down under.

Fullers have brought out a light, summer beer to serve chilled and even that packs far more flavour than any lager...

Silouan

As I suspected soccer, and I will use that term because that is what it is called over here, is the most popular played sport in in the U.S.

According to Wikipedia, the 2009 U.S. Census measured the most popular team sports by number of participants as follows:

Basketball (24.4 million)
Baseball/Softball (23.3 million)
Soccer (25.6 million)
Volleyball (10.7 million)
American football (8.9 million)
Hockey (3.1 million)
Lacrosse (684,730)
Rugby (335,001)

It is extremely popular among girls and women, and the U.S. women's international team is arguably the best in the world. The men's national team has come a long way, and the sport is starting to attract better athletes that perhaps would have played a different sport, so the talent is starting to flow into it.

I'm in my 40's and I played since a young boy through high school, and it was the only sport I played until I played baseball for one season when I was 18. My daughters played soccer too.

I remember watching an occasional match that PBS would air in the 70's, and it always seemed to be Liverpool FC vs. Manchester United, and that's the reason I'm a Liverpool fan today. Loved the game, and the chanting too, so much so that my childhood dream was to play overseas either in England or Germany, as my family roots are half of each. My grandmother's parents emigrated from England, and my great grandfather was born in Ilford, or Great Ilford then, and I have a copy of his birth certificate. I suppose I should be an Ilford FC fan.

I prefer ale over lager and we do have a vast number of great tasting crafted ales in the U.S. to choose from. I love hops, so for me the hoppier the better. The thing I like about ales is that yes, we keep them cold, but it serves a purpose. When it is 118 degrees outside (125 in the garage when jamming with the band) and the ale starts to heat up it is always drinkable. The poor guy with the lager made from rice has to pound his and get another one quickly or it will taste even more like @Jeffrey said when referring to these types of beer. That's why I term those types of beer as “beer water”, but also because of their low alcohol content. In fall I prefer brown ales and then stouts in the winter.

Jeffrey

I like lager, but it is just for varieties sake to have multiple options of traditonal and new beer styles.