Filed under: Uncategorized
This is my 101st post, and it’s just to say “Good bye!”
Au Revior!
I started this blog to keep track of my articles and reviews for ESPN.com’s Soccernet, eventually expanding to mild analysis and poor punditry, all while making connections and forming online and “real life” friendships with some very amazing bloggers and journos around the world.
I’m happy to announce that I’ve just accepted a job that allows me to basically do what I’ve been doing here– but for money. I’m leaving the television news business, and going over to the international sports newsroom- and while it’s a big step, it will be a lot of fun. Can’t tell you the network (and can’t continue the blog due to the nature of the job), but I’ll definitely be checking out the blogs in my Roll Call section regularly.
Thank you to those of you who have been along with me for the past few months- I’ve learned a lot about many of the people who watch football, love football, and live for football. Thank you to those of you who contributed to the blog either through pictures, story ideas, notable quotables, ect. You’ve made me a happy woman and a stronger supporter!
Cheers,
TheShed
Filed under: Uncategorized
I’m currently watching the final at work, and I’ve instructed all of the women I work with to watch the match with interest. After several minutes of silence, only broken by my own girlish screams when Spain scored, one woman said, “Hm, Spain’s players are a lot better looking than Germany’s. I’m going for them.”
Sometimes, that’s what it’s all about.
In the meantime, it’s halftime of this cracking match which has already seen a bloody Ballack, and if you’d like a bit of company for the second half, please do go to This Is Extra Time, where there’s some live bloggery happening.
I didn’t have time to put in my grand predictions, but several people will vouch that I said Spain will register a 2-0 thumping on the day.
Filed under: Blackburn, Cristiano Ronaldo, football, Footballers, MK Dons, Paul Ince, Real Madrid
It’s Sunday. I’m at work. Italy and Spain are strolling around a pitch in Vienna looking as if this were a friendly rather than a quarter final match in the European Championships. If they’re not going to be bothered today, I may not as well. To be honest, I’m still a bit gutted about the Dutch loss to Russia last night- but at least it was a quality match.
In the meantime, it’s a bit of a slow news weekend all around, but some folks have managed to pick out some quality goodness:
–The Guvnor’s Coming To Ewood Park (The Guardian): Paul Ince has become the first black manager in the Premier League after being appointed manager of the Blackburn Rovers. That’s right, he beat out Big Sam Allardyce for the jobby job, and here’s hoping the former England captain and MK Dons manager will make it through his three year contract.
–Just let him bloody go! If Cristiano Ronaldo wants to go to Real Madrid, then let him- if only so that writers can stop wasting column inches online and in the sports pages on this guy. Yeah, he’s a really good player, yeah, he’s probably not a very nice chap- we know, we know. I found this fantastic letter to Cristiano from a ManU fan, and well- it says it all. (Manchester Red)
–How many sports blogs are written by women? Let me rephrase this: How many sports blogs are obviously written by women? Do you care? As a woman footie blogger, and a fan of bloggery in general, I was stoked when Anna of This Is Extra Time sent over this link to an interview with Andrea from Ladiesdotdotdot about blogging whilst female.
Shed’s Note: Apologies for taking a few days off from my duties of diligently recording my idle observations on sport, but alas- the tainted tomatoes here in the U.S. got me, and I was confined to bed with food poisoning for a few days with nothing but an uncaring cat and even less sympathetic friends and neighbors to comfort me.
But that’s enough whingeing. On with the tournament:
Last week, I asked for your round up of your favorite TV pundits, commentators, and hosts to form the Pundit’s Champion’s League. Today, I would like to add another person to my illustrious list- the BBC’s Marcel Desailly, the former French national team captain.
If you haven’t been watching the English coverage, Marcel just stands awkwardly inside the football stadium with some other bloke who’s only job is simply to ask him questions. Because the unlikely pair are on the sidelines in a very full stadium, they are forced to scream at eachother- an interesting choice for a punditry setup, as Marcel’s English-as-a-second-language commentary is made better when he’s shouting it excitedly over the Austrian technopop pumped through the stadium speakers. You may be able to barely hear or understand him, but with his genuine enthusiasm, uptown fade haircut, and quality international credentials, he’s a refreshing way to break up the clearly bored, clearly stuffy, and far too color coordinated Match of the Day team (excepting Martin O’Neill, of course. He’s been fantastic this tournament).
Just wanted to note that. I’ll be back in stride soon- still weak…must drink Gatorade. …no, on second thought…champagne….
Filed under: Blackburn, David Bentley, England, Euro2008, football, Grounds Clippings, soccer is sexy!, USA, Wayne Rooney, Weddings
-After an unfortunate 0-1 loss to Spain earlier this month, and the excruiatingly dull 2-0 loss to England I witnessed at Wembley, the United States men’s national team got an exercise in ego boosting with an 8-0 trouncing of Barbados in a World Cup qualifying match on Sunday. The scoreline looks pretty awesome, but the opponents were truly hopeless. There are still some severe problems with fundamentals like ball handling and control, and even when given plenty of room by Barbados for improvisation and creativity, we played an extremely direct forward attacking style.
–Roman Abramovich is coming to America! It’s old news, but it still brings a shiver to the spine, thinking he could buy up the Colorado Rapids club in the MLS and turn it into Chel$ki-Lite. The Russian oil billionaire bought at 36 million dollar ranch near Aspen. He already bought another property near Snowmass, CO back in February. …so just what is he planning to do in Colorado that requires so much land and two houses? (Answer: Pick up hottie snow bunnies on the slopes, no shame in that)
–Waar de Engelsen zijn? Wo Englisch ist? где английские языки? Where are the English? For the first few days of Euro2008, fans were singing it and saying it in different languages- and we have the answer… the English national team players are on beaches ’round the world, working diligently on their tans, apparently not even bothering with a bit of keepy uppy on the sand. I mean, at least Steve McClaren is watching a bit of footy on the time off.
-The life of a football blogger is a bit well, different, during a major tournament. With major news outlets analyzing every last morsel of each match, a blogger’s reach for material (when not on site) is somewhat limited. So they go with whatever Getty images has available for a cheap ‘n’ easy post: WAGS and hot girls in the stands. Por ejemplo: The top posts on both Newsnow and Soccerblogs have had to do “sexy girls” and/or “body paint” for the past 5 days or so.
Snippets:
- A cheat sheet for lazy newspaper headline writers. (The Offside)
- David Bentley is so over Blackburn. Seriously. He just can’t wait to leave, because he’s such an amazing player. (This is Extra Time)
- Racism in Poland: What you didn’t see on the BBC– a Polish football fan’s view of a documentary on racism in the sport in that country. (Pitch Invasion)
- Wayne Rooney and Coleen McCloughlin have officially tied the knot- and spent millions to show their love to the world. But what about the chavtastic family members they leave behind? (Sniffing the Touchline)
Filed under: Buffon, ESPN, Euro2008, football, Italy, Turkey v. Czech Republic, Video
After today’s absolute cracker of a match between Turkey and The Czech Republic, I’m left breathless. ESPN was so enamored that they replayed the match from the beginning straight away- an excellent programming choice, as it was the absolute perfect match for a neutral. Drama, heart, an incredible comeback, an insane last minute ending… I won’t go into it all, and won’t even mention the score- you just have to see it for yourself.
Didn’t get a chance to watch? Here is a very short highlight reel from Soccernet. I’ll post something better a bit later, but ITV and BBC have liscensing issues to deal with.
In other news:
What’s up with Italy’s Gianluigi Buffon and the black neckerchief? It’s like David James and that unfortunate little hat he perched atop his equally ill advised afro. The black cravat made him look like a Cowboy Keeper, but as with many of the gestures and tattoos of the lads in the Italian side, I wonder if it had any use other than a sweat wicking device. Any ideas? I doubt it’s anything particularly controversial or thrilling, but I’d like to hear some creative ideas.
Filed under: BBC, Euro2008, football, Gary Lineker, ITV, pundits, Setanta Sports, TV
As a football-loving American, I’ve often gone to great lengths to see broadcasts of live matches. Justin.tv, Sopcast, various dodgy looking sites from China- I’ve scoured them all for English-speaking footy commentary at one time or another. Though the Euro2008 matches are shown on ESPN, I would rather listen to vigorous elephant-on-pig action than hear Tommy Smyth’s often offensively ill-informed opinions, so I come to work to watch European television, or simply bask in the warm glow of my laptop.
ITV and BBC are splitting the Euros coverage between them, and as one Guardian MBM commenter noted- there should be a tournament to decide who will continue to cover the matches, and who will agree to never appear on television again. As we all know, a good television pundit is hard to find- and of course the term “good” is incredibly subjective (my apologies to anyone who worships at the Altar of Smyth), so I’m interested to find out who would be on your TV Football Pundit Dream Team.
My team?
Commentators: David Pleat (ITV) , Barry Davies (BBC-retired) substitutes: John Motson (BBC- I love old people), Mark Bright (BBC- gets emotional)
Pundits/Presenters: James Richardson (Setanta Sports), Gary Lineker (BBC), Martin O’Neill (BBC), Rob Stone (ESPN), Andy Townsend (ITV),
Color/Feature Reporters: Adrian Chiles (BBC), Kelly Dalglish (Setanta Sports)
Yes, most of the BBC Match of the Day team are painfully boring and smug, ITV’s pundits are tolerable- but the inclusion of Sam Allardyce and his gold chains and ill fitting pants is distracting. The only thing ESPN ever had going for its football coverage is Rob Stone, and even Andy Gray can’t do more than look upset at being stuck in Bristol, CT as an effort to cut costs instead of actually experiencing tournament action overseas.
All said, who’s on your top team?
The Groundsman's Shed 