Saturday, July 23, 2011

College Football: The Cover Story 2011

The start of the College Football season is right around the corner. So here is a look at all of the preseason magazines from the Sporting News. Note that TP is still on the cover of the Ohio State one, very interesting.





Friday, July 22, 2011

More Money Please

It's not like Manchester City have not spent a bunch of money over the last two years, but that is not enough for their manager. Roberto Mancini claims Manchester City need to sign more players in order to challenge Manchester United for the title. Wow now Mancini is crying poor, I feel bad for someone who regularly throws down $30 million for a player. Come on cry me a river.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

A September Return?

Stephen Strasburg rehab from Tommy John surgery appears to be going so well that he could be back on the mound for the Nats by September. National's manager Davey Johnson is optimistic about Strasburg progress after watching him throw a simulated game on Monday.

Five Clubs to Watch this Season

Teams are returning to preseason training around Europe and there are ton of story lines. But here are five clubs that I will be keeping on a close eye during this upcoming season.
  • PSG: I have highlighted them in the past, but they are the team to watch in France this year. They are closing in on QPR's Adel Taarabt, that should be the first of many big money signings at the capital city club. 
  • Maluga: They are turning into the Manchester City of Spain. Sheikh Al Thani purchased the club on June 11, 2010 and became president on July 28. Jesualdo Ferreira was brought in as coach but was sacked after a series of bad results. Chilean Manuel Pellegrini, who had previously been in charge of Villarreal and Real Madrid, took the reins while the club was in the relegation zone. He oversaw a revival thanks to five consecutive wins later in the season, a historic first for the club. With several new signings, which included Maresca, Martin Demichelis, Ruud van Nisterlrooy (above) and Julio Baptista, the club managed to finish in 11th place.
  • Manchester City: It's one thing to make it to the Champions League, it's another to deal with the demand. They have a big enough squad, now the fan base is going demand that they contend for the league title and not just qualify for Champions League.
  • QPR: Once the richest club in the world, now the club is going to face a tough return to the Premier League. Will the owners spend enough to keep them there and how much is the pending loss of Taarabt going to effect them. 
  • Bayern Munich: Last years was a disaster in the league finishing third. How does the big spending club bounce back. 

How not to take PKs

If you where a fan of the art of taking penalties kicks then Sunday was not the day for you. In the Women's World Cup Final, the United States butchered their attempts, while at Copa America Brazil put on a performance that was fitting of a under-8 game, it may have been the worst display of pks ever.

United States in the Women's World Cup



Brazil PKs at Copa America