My Euro 2008 Dream Team

FC Stunner is ready for Euro 2008 thanks to soccernet.com's fantasy game. With a 100 points I assembled a team that might be better then the Greece home that took home the trophy last time.

Starting 11
Goalkeeper: Edwin van Der Sar, Dutch
Defenders: Sergio Ramos, Spain
Patrice Evra, France
Eric Abidal, France
Jose Bosingwa, Portugal
Midfielders: Niko Kranjcar, Croatia
Luka Modric, Croatia (pictured above)
Cesc Fabregas, Spain
Simao, Portugal
Forwards: Karim Benzema, France
Fernando Torres, Spain

Bench:
Antonios Kikopolidis, goalkeeper, Greece
Pepe, Defender, Portugal
Gelson Fernandes, midfielder, Swiss
Roman Pavlyuchenko, forward, Russia

Mascot Fight Club

It has been a while since Only Time Will Tell has looked at the wonderful world of Mascots. Over the course of the year, Mascots have gone wild, even going as far as to start their own sort of Mascot Fight Club.

Here are several examples:

The Houston Cougar and the Oregon Duck go at it.

Sparty of Michigan State fame vs. the Pittsburgh Panther

James Madison Duke Dog goes at it with the Coastal Carolina mascot

Rugby mascots go at it

Mascot fighting wrap up

Endy in the Outfield takes his shot at Euro 2008

It's Endy in the Outfields time to turn pundit and pick the winners for the Euro 2008. Endy also predicts a break out tournament for the Dutch Liverpool midfielder Ryan Babel. As well as Ronaldo doing something amazing.

Group A:
Czech
Portugal
Switzerland
Turkey
Winner: Portugal
Runner up: Czech

Group B
Austria
Croatia
Germany
Poland
Group winner: Germany
Runners up: Croatia

Group C
France
Holland
Italy
Romania
Group winner: France
Runner up: Holland

Group D
Greece
Russia
Spain
Sweden
Group winner: Spain
Runner up: Sweden

Quarter Finals
Portugal vs. Croatia: Portugal
Germany vs. Czech: Germany
France vs. Sweden: Sweden
Holland vs. Spain: Holland

Semi-Finals
Portugal vs. Germany: Portugal
Holland vs. Sweden: Holland

Final
Holland vs. Portugal: Portugal, yes Ronaldo even walks on water

I Don't Even Know Where To Begin....

Few people have had the sports year that Endy in the Outfield has had. First Liverpool are beaten by Chelski in the Champions League Semi-final, then the Mets turn into a team that can not get out of its own way. It has been a tough year for one of the members of the tailgating crew.
By Endy in the Outfield

The past few days I have spent wondering.
Wondering what is going on with my Mets.
Wondering if Willie Randolph was still caring about the team.
Wondering if anyone had seen Jose Reyes.
Wondering when David Wright was going to step up and be the vocal leader in the clubhouse. Wondering when the injury bug was going to stop.
And most importantly, wondering if its a crime to steal $16 million the way Carlos Delgado had.

It pains me even more to realize that this team is doing nothing this year. Nothing indicates they will bust out of this disgusting .500 we don't care baseball they have been playing. So for the rest of the season, it looks like Mets fans everywhere will have to put up with this shit for another 3 months, football season starts in September right when the Mets season will be ending.

Which should lead to one VERY interesting off season. One thing is for sure, the following Mets can email Endy in the Outfield (defcubus85@gmail.com) for one way tickets to their home towns courtesy of Only Time Will Tell (thank you stimulus check for making this possible): Aaron Heilman, Mike Pelfrey, Scott Schoenweis, Claudio Vargas, Raul Casanova, Luis Castillo, Fernando Tatis, and Alou and El Duque (I think both are already home). And for Carlos Delgado, first class accommodations if you'll get the fuck out of New York.

Euro 2008 predictions

It's almost time for Euro 2008 and here are some predictions, England there is no need to look:

Group A:
Czech
Portugal
Switzerland
Turkey
Group winner: Portugal
Runners up: Turkey

Group B
Austria
Croatia
Germany
Poland
Group winner: Germany
Runners up: Croatia

Group C
France
Holland
Italy
Romania
Group winner: Holland
Runner up: France

Group D
Greece
Russia
Spain
Sweden
Group winner: Spain
Runner up: Russia

Quarterfinals
Portugal v. Croatia: Portugal (game of the tournament)
Germany v. Turkey: Germany
Holland v. Russia: Holland
Spain v. France: Spain

Semi-Final
Portugal v. Germany: Portugal
Holland v. Spain: Spain

Final
Spain v. Portugal: Portugal as Ronaldo cements maybe the best year ever by a player by dominating in the Iberian Peninsula Derby

Stairway to Heaven

Putting your hands on a major trophy is something that all athletes live for but in some sports they hand out of the trophy in a better way then most. In the United States, when a team wins a major trophy like the Super Bowl or the NBA Finals, they roll out a stage on wheels and present the trophy to the captain of the team.

But in Europe, they give out the trophy in a different way, they make the players climb up a stairway to heaven. Traditional in cup tournaments like the FA Cup, Coppa Italia, Champions League, and the Carling Cup the captain leads his team up the steps to meet the president of the association and collect the their trophy and medals.

The best thing about having players climb up the steps to get their trophy is the interaction with fans. During the walk up fans give the players flags of native country, scarfs and hats to show there appreciation for winning the trophy.

It would be great to see Tim Duncan climbing up the steps to the commissioners box to collect the trophy from David Stern.

Coming a long way

Almost a decade ago, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays had a choice of a hard throwing right hander out of a Texas high school or an outfielder out of North Carolina that was called ""The Natural,"" with the number one overall pick in the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft. At the time the Rays selected the outfielder from North Carolina Josh Hamilton while the Marlins picked Josh Beckett.

At the time, scouts around Major League Baseball expected Hamilton to be one of the next big things. According to the Baseball America 2002 Prospect guide Hamilton was expected to set baseball on fire. At the time he was rate the top prospects in the Rays system and in the top 20 overall.

"""A five-tool player Hamilton is excepted to excel at all phases of the game,'' his scouting report said. ""He has outstanding power potential with great leverage, quick swing, and an ideal body.''

But for the for the first six years of his career, it looks like Hamilton would never measure up to his high school exploits, but this year that has all changed. During the first six years of his career, Hamilton battled substance abuse including a heroin addiction and at times talked openly about ending his life. Last year the Rays left him off their 40 man roster and the Red took a chance on him and it paid off for everyone involved as Hamilton showed he was done with drugs and was moving forward with his career. At the end of last season, the Reds decided to move the tattooed one to the Texas for Edinson Volquez.
Since his trade to the Rangers, Hamilton has looked like Roy Hobbs, at this point in the season he has as many home runs as he has tattoos, which is a lot. He might be heading for the triple crown and not the triple crow of drug addiction.

United Celebration in Philly

The Only Time Will Tell Tailgating Crew was at Fado Philly for the Champions League, as most of the you know already, here are some of the sites and sounds from inside the Irish bar. Thanks to Youtuber Kievboy for the videos.

The end of the regular time

John Terry's missed penalty

Ryan Giggs Penalty

Champions of Europe celebration, Glory Glory.