Thus far, 2013 has been a whirlwind. As with most years, there’s been the expected absurdity that accompanies the holiday season to keep me busy: the annual cornucopia of fixtures, plus the ensuing avalanche of (faux-)headlines that is the January transfer window.
the only person who’s had a busier start to 2013 than WSOTP is wesley sneijder’s agent.
But, unlike previous years, things have been especially crazy around the imaginary WSOTP office during this already hectic time of year thanks to the eclipsing of a number of major milestones for the blog. First, I had the privilege of having my first ever article published by legendary blog In Bed With Maradona. Next came the announced partnership with the stalwarts at the Free Beer Movement. And then piggybacking off of that, over the last week I’ve seen the WSOTP Soccer Pub Atlas get further attention from at least three major MLS blogs… which has left me buried in pub submissions.
If it sounds like I’m complaining, I’m not. If these were problems, they’re good ones to have. And thanks to the vast increase in exposure for the blog I’ve also seen an influx of new followers and likes from the social media channels. And if you happen to be one of the n00bs, don’t think I’m just a “soccer bar specialist” — as if that kind of specialization actually exists. I also write a bit, too. So make sure to check back regularly to read my musings on the world’s game.
So as I put some finishing touches on my next original treatise, let me kick the new year off in truly lazy fashion by sharing a few of my favorite links from the last week.
With tomorrow being Thanksgiving here in the States, it’s the time of year when many reflect upon all of the things in their lives for which they should be thankful. Things are no different here at WSOTP. And while I’m especially thankful for a wonderfully patient wife, a loving family, and that Spurs’ UnderArmour kits aren’t as hideous as I had anticipated — among other blessings — amongst other things too, of course — I do have one gripe I want to air about the holiday.
The dearth of usable Thanksgiving-themed soccer images on the internet is roughly equivalent to the amount of soccer normally on TV on Turkey Day.
Between the NFL and NCAA, the American-flavored version of football seems to go hand in hand with Thanksgiving. Games will be on all day tomorrow, and many families across the country will gather around their TV’s to watch as a part of their annual holiday tradition. But as my fellow soccer fans will attest, we’re normally left in the dark on Turkey Day by the major networks. This year, we’re lucky enough to have Europa League matches to occupy us, but they’re typically not high-profile matches. And while that’s enough for me, that doesn’t mean everyone else in my family will prefer round football to egg football this year. But since the festivities are being held at my house this year, the rules will be different… a new dawn for Thanksgiving traditions is in the cards.
But if your family won’t budge from their normal traditions, here are some links to help keep you from feeling neglected. Happy holidays everyone!
if arshavin's fashion sense catches on, we all have reason to be pessimistic.
It may just be me, but I feel like my recent posts have taken a rather pessimistic view of the beautiful game. A quick look at my front page shows a total of seven non-round-up posts, and four of them are nothing but me bitching about some current aspect of the game. I must think soccer is going to hell then, right?
Well, sort of… but I could also just be moody and hypersensitive to issues that I think are currently plaguing the game. If it makes you feel better, you can call me a pessimist. I won’t take it the wrong way.
However, if you’re not yet concerned about the state of affairs in professional football, just take a gander at a few of the links below. We’ll make you into pessimist in no time.
turmoil in the world of football (postponements like i’ve never seen in england, the togo bus shooting, liverpool’s bumbling boardroom idiots, etc.) has left me debating what i should write my next long article about. it’s like i can’t get my head wrapped around something before another major story breaks.
oh well, it could be worse. at least there’s plenty to write about, right? so while i finish my mental debate on what my next main course post will be for you, i’ll give you an appetizer sampler of some of the interesting links i’ve dug up in the last week or so.
want to know when you should add glen johnson back to your fantasy team? well honestly, you shouldn't have a single scouser on your team at all.
english premier league injury table – physioroom.com
if you’re like me, you spend far too much time obsessing over your fantasy premier league team. who should i start in goal? should i drop anyone that plays for liverpool? so on and so forth. but the one thing that always seems to be at the top of my fantasy concerns is when my injured “star players” will be returning from injuries. it’s always a risky venture to drop an injured fabregas/rooney/gerrard/etc. as they produce so many points when healthy, and they’re very difficult to reacquire due to their ever raising prices. but if they’re out for a fortnight instead of just a game, would it be worth me picking up players that will give me more points than my subs?
well, i can’t answer that question for you. but i can provide you with this lovely link. physioroom.com has a team by team analysis of every single first team player that is injured, complete with the type of injury and an expected return date. i’ve been searching for this type of website for ages, as is the best way to keep an eye on when big names will be returning for action. why i’m sharing this, giving my competitors one of my more useful fantasy tools, i don’t know.
USSF launches new second division – soccerbyives.com the u.s. soccer community just dodged another potentially fatal bullet, after it was announced that the USSF has finally sanctioned a second tier league. before the new year, the governing body rejected applications from both the entrenched USL and the newly formed NASL for second division status. the new, temporary solution sees the USSF overseeing a two conference league representing each league. each conference will lose a team to MLS in the 2011 season (portland and vancouver), to be replaced with expansion squads the following year (atlanta and new york). whether this completely settles the issues that caused the schism between USL and some member clubs ($$$) remains to be seen. however, with the potential for an MLS lockout looking ever more likely, the USSF could not afford another disaster to the reputation of the sport in a world cup year.
micah richards slams snowball in robinho’s face – whoateallthepies.com i’ve grown to despise robinho over the last few years. i liked the kid when he was at madrid: he showed glimpses of brilliance and looked to be promising down the road. but he never looked to be trying very hard, which always rubbed me the wrong way. when he pined to be sold two summers ago, i was more than okay with his punishment sale to manchester city. his year and a half as a citizen have been more “meh” than “wow,” and he’s continued to grumble for another transfer and make unauthorized returns to brazil. basically he’s turned into a full-fledged, self-entitled, spoiled brat. so when i see his teammate micah richards slam a snowball in his face from less than a foot away, i can’t help but giggle uncontrollably.
"look how awesome i am guys! my snowball is so much bigger than yo... arghrgarahdh!"
while i’m not happy about all of the postponed games in england, this one picture makes all of the snow and ice more than worth it.
arsenal agree to pay bolton fans’ travel costs – bbc.co.uk
the frozen wasteland that is great britain does have some warmth left in it after all. the premier league fixture list has been ravaged by the heavy snowfall and below freezing temperatures as of late, causing the postponement of up to 80% of all fixtures in the isles the last ten days. many of the premier league stadiums worked around the clock to try to keep their scheduled kick-offs from being canceled, though heated pitches and snow crews weren’t able to save a majority of the games. unfortunately for bolton fans, last wednesday’s premier league fixture against the wanderers was called only four hours before kick off, meaning those traveling from the northeast were already well on their way to north london. the arsenal front office then did something few clubs are willing to do: they decided to foot the bill for any travel expenses incurred by traveling bolton fans. this is hardly surprising though, as the gunners are consistently one of the best run clubs in england. it’s nice to see that not every club is “all about the money.”
dennis bergkamp goal, arsenal vs. newcastle – youtube.com
hardly new news, but always worth a mention. as the “lists of the decade” continued to trickle through the media in recent weeks, one of my favorites was the sun’s “top 20 goals of the decade”. sitting rock solid at the top was arguably one of the greatest goals ever scored, if judged on pure creativity at least. the enigmatic dennis bergkamp scored an absolute beauty against newcastle in 2002 at st. james’ park. have a look below, and judge for yourself.
