Little Things

Welcome back! So glad you decided to read this, I know other blogs are available and I thank you for choosing this one.

EURO 2012


For the most part, the tournament in Poland and Ukraine has been very enjoyable.  We didn't get a 0-0 until the last quarter final (bravo England), Holland provided great humour by collapsing like a flan in a cupboard, and Roy Hodgson gave hope to a nation by taking England to the quarter finals (I wonder if Fabio had taken us to the quarter finals, would it have been a success or a failure...).  Its been a good few weeks on the whole.  The only major smelly guy in a crowded train? The commentators.

By the term commentators, I mean an umbrella term encompassing the analysts in the comm box and also the experts in the studio.  ITV, BBC, listen up.  You've been a disgrace.  Just because someone played the game of football does not mean they are an expert.  It usually means they are a tosser who love the sound of their own voice.  Mark Lawrenson accused the England players of lacking national pride.  Mark Lawrenson, born in Penwortham Preston but played for the Republic of Ireland, accused the England players of lacking national pride.  He then "amusingly" inferred that people who use Twitter are "sad".  The only thing sad is that he got paid to do a job that most of the football watching public who have NEVER played professionally could do better.

I highlight "Lawro", as he is the easiest figure to rally against, but both networks deserve criticising heavily for the tone of they all used whenever England played.  Oh sweet Jesus, CHEER UP.  What a heavy task it must be to watch England, at least I imagine so for the amount of pissing and moaning all concerned did.

I know I may be strung up for this, but the sooner Sky has all sports the better.

AMERICA'S TEAM


Since I have watched the NFL, I have always been puzzled by the self appointed nickname of the Dallas Cowboys of "America's Team".  The team only began in 1971, so it can't be THAT great.  But of course, that is an English mentality attached to an American sport, where the attention span is shorter.  In the 1990s, Hall of Fame trio Troy Aikman Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith led the team to three Superbowl victories, Aikman winning 90 games in the decade (an NFL record for any decade).  But since 1997, the Cowboys have won 1 playoff game.  ONE! Yet every season this team is talked up as "THE team to shock/rule/win it all".

GIVE IT A REST.

They are a team that deserves to be spoken of in the same breath as Arizona, Buffalo and Cincinatti.  They may have a good year, but they won't win it all.  So if the term "America's Team" means "the team America is most likely to over rate and be disappointed by", keep calling them it.  But they suck.