New Link: Fistpumps.com

A few weeks back, I was pimping this link on my school blog. It's possibly one of the greatest websites in the past 5 years and has brought me an embarrassing amount of joy. Another blogger site like our our Black Lodge, I give you:


Fistpumps.com




Please note the Professional and Amateur fistpump montages on the right side of the site. They update it daily and run the gamut of classic fist pumps in every sport from EPL action to Tennis pumps. It is now linked on the sidebar of the Lodge for future enjoyment.

Monday Pitch Talk

ALTHOUGH Shawn claims that I only post when Liverpool wins, that is completely untrue. I only post when I have time. And when I'm procrastinating. I have two 12 page papers due by Friday that I only have an outline on one done so far... yet I'm caught up on football. No, Goose... not the NFL combine. We are talking the football the world knows. And it being the A.M., I'm busting out a late night Monday Pitch Talk for ya Wilco style.

By taking out a scrappy Reading club, Liverpool is now set up for a tough five-game stretch that will define their season in the EPL and in Europe. Manchester United are next at Old Trafford, then Everton, followed by three clashes with Arsenal, including both legs of the Champions League quarter-finals. We will see if they have it in them.

Arsenal again drew to an inferior club, beginning to look like my Reds during a winless January. With the aforementioned Champions League draw and a mighty tough league schedule the remainder of the 2nd half of the season, the Gunners might have just fallen from the top of the table for good. Train's Chelsea squad is quietly lurking within striking distance in 3rd. With all the chanting for Grant's head, I think the Blues' fans are missing a great season here.

America's team in Fulham pulled off a shocker versus Everton, which leads me to bring up that Jimbo is going to have a Pitch Talk on Tuesday with all of the regulation worries that must be discussed with 8 matches remaining. Can Fulham pull out of the zone with upcoming consecutive matches versus also-ran struggling clubs in Newcastle United, Derby, Sunderland and Reading? Jimbo will bring the details tomorrow. Stay tuned...

ESLEWHERE in the world, with my brother by my side [Mike was down in La-La land on business], I witnessed PSV completing the knocking off of Spurs in UEFA this past week. I was pleased to see the Dutch squad with a ton of noticeable young talent finally pull through in a big [well, kinda big] match against a quality opponent. Spurs were the butt of a joke again. [Sidenote: Speaking of jokes about Tottenham... the movie In Bruges is worth your 10 bucks at the movie theater, and it includes a great quip about Spurs. The film altogether was very good, with quality acting, clever writing, and it is very well edited. Taking on the subject of death is a tough one, and they pulled it off.]

IN SERIE A, Inter bounced back from losing domestically and in the CL with a 2-1 win over Polermo. While Roma kept chase with a decision over Milan under the same score. Roma have a chance to overtake Inter. A small chance. But still a chance. Milan on the other hand, needed those 3 points versus Roma, and are now 4 points back from non-Champions League play next season. Personally, I think Fiorentina is going to blow it versus Napoli and Lyon in these next two weeks.

Sid Lowe believes this is the worst LA LIGA in history. Barca sh!t the bed in an attempt to gain points on Real. After the league leaders lost on Saturday, the Messi-less Barcelona squad only could managed a draw. They are done, put a fork in them. Barcelona's coach Frank Rijkaard will be looking for a job in six weeks time. I'll celebrate St. Patty's right now by pouring one out for the doomed Dutchman, than making another and drinking it down slowly.

Monday Pitch Talk

Up late writing on my school blog, before I hit the hay, I wanted to bust out some quick thoughts from yesterdays matches in the Premier League to get everybody's week started. On a oddly busy Sunday, I was only able to catch United's disappointing form in the Manchester Derby without the suspended Wayne Rooney & Chelsea drew against L'pool. I'm pretty happy with the result for my Reds, especially considering Torres was out thanks to a hamstring injury sustained during the midweeks effing friendlies. Although Liverpool needs some wins instead of these friggin' draws. I'm just holding out hope that we will pull together some wins and claim that 4th Champions League spot during this second half of the season...

• I'm not trying to be mean or anything, because he's a gifted player... but Tevez kinda looks like the main Orc from LOTR. Check it. Hey, I'm just sayin'...
• City just seemed to have waaay more quality opportunities than United throughout the match, with Giggs showing why he's a step too slow to play on the front line on more than one occasion.
  
• The throwback kits in the Derby were awesome.
  
• Speaking of kits, I love that there were countless Chelsea supporters sporting the yellow bumble-bee kits. What would motivate a fan to buy that kit!?! A dare or lost bet are the only things I could come up with.
  
• Alex is a friggin' beast in the back for the Blues.
  
• Similarly, Skrtel has looked very strong for Liverpool. Only 23, he has played very well so far since his transfer.
  
• I think Malouda is French for "disappears for long spells."
• You have to love that Pizarro continues to rock the mullet. That's the best picture I could find, but the party was definitely going on in the back.
  
• And look, I know everybody praised Chelsea for the Anelka signing during the January transfer window, but he doesn't strike fear into the opponent like Drogba. It's just a shame that Kalou will probably be headed to the bench once the Elephants are back from the ACN.
  

Signings...

SEATTLE -- Going with the theme of the day, hopefully the Times didn't jinx the reported contract extension with Ichiro with their front page story in today's paper. In my opinion, this would be Bill Bavasi's first good move as the Mariners GM. Even if the speculative price is $20 million per year, it's worth it considering the box office draw, market appeal both here and in Asia. It's a no-brainer. And something Seattle should have done in the offseason.

The story is starting to get national media attention, and with good reason. If Ichiro becomes a free-agent next Winter, Seattle will have lost to free-agency their fourth HOF in his prime, following Randy Johnson, Ken Griffey Jr. and Álex Rodríguez out of town.


If Ichiro indeed re-ups with the M's, it'll be a great day. And it might buy Bavasi another year or two as MLB's worst GM... but hey, we'll take the bad with the good, eh!?! At least we have Kevin Durant in the Northwest for the next three years...

UPTON PARK -- From the Irony Department, another reported signing is the transfer of Craig Bellamy to West Ham United in a club-record £7.5million move. Bellamy joins a West Ham club that barely escaped regulation this past season after two shady signings of now notorious Argentinians. I think Bellamy thinks by signing with United, he gets to roll with the Green Street Hooligans firm, and saw the appeal in a guaranteed fight every week.

Top 5 Podcasts

Since Jimbo has only a few days left in India and not much is going on until Saturday's FA Cup Final at the new Wembley Stadium, to pass the time, I've included below my updated Top 5 Podcasts list to give Jimbo something to listen to the remainder of his trip and plane ride back to the States. Please note that Ask A Ninja should be mentioned for being occasionally funny & The Onion Radio News must be mentioned for being consistently funny. Both barely missed the cut and are well worth a listen and/or watch. I subscribe to each podcast on the list below on iTunes.

Top 5 Podcasts

5. ESPN Soccernet Extra
Jimbo and Train might know of better football podcasts out there, but this one is easily accessible and well done overall. It's available each Thursday for download & covers all football around the globe, not just the Premiership. It's produced by ESPN, but the hosts are English and true fans, each not afraid to call out clubs, players and broadcasters alike.

4. KCRW's Film Reviews
The podcast is a little short. But it's amazing how little words you need when you are a good writer. And Joe Morgenstern is a great writer. I guess you must be to earn a Pulitzer Prize. Morgenstern drops a word like denouement as easily as Train eloquently mentions yabboos. Quality stuff.

3. Strong Bad Emails & More!
From the classic HomestarRunner site, comes a video podcast of Strong Bad Emails & other video clips. Trogdor the Burninator came from this creative collection, so you know it's good. Genius all around.

2. Filmspotting
Most of these podcasts are about movies... but these guys give a Lodge-style podcast, complete with fights over each others reviews, Top 5 Lists and Massacre Theaters where they butcher select scenes that you can email in answers to for free DVDs. Each show ranges from about 45 minutes to an hour.

1. The Treatment
Do want an interviewer to finally ask the questions you want to ask? Well, The Treatment is your show then. KCRW's Elvis Mitchell gives the best interview on the planet. And his subjects range from directors to writers to designers to musicians. It is easily my favorite podcast out there.

A New Dawn on the Sou' Coast

We had some big news(rumors) come out of the UK today. It appears that Paul Allen (yes our very own Paul Allen) is attempting to buy Southampton FC. Foreign buyers are becoming more and more prevalent in English football.

Many of these investors are American and current owners of Major American sports teams. Liverpool FC was purchased by Tom Hicks and George Gillett. Randy Lerner purchased Aston Villa FC near the beginning of the Premier league season. Just recently Stan Kroenke started a hostile takeover of Arsenal FC. What this means to me is not that Americans are into world football but these millionaires see the ability to tap into a trillion dollar sports industry, which in the long run should mean quality teams in all divisions.

A source close to Allen told the Daily Mail: "He sees Southampton as a sleeping giant, a family-supported club with traditional values."

We know what Allen can do with a team. See 2005 Seattle Seahawks.

I’ve always believed that smaller English clubs could and should be bought by investors. This would elevate the overall game in the England. I bet even the Lodge could pool some money and buy Millwall. Who wouldn’t want a return of Queens Park, Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday to the Premier league? Let the big 4 teams (Chelsea, Arsenal, ManU, Liverpool) feel some real heat. I don’t see many negatives to these foreign owners, though they of course must be dedicated to winning.