Look out EPL, Dean Windass is coming

The EPL has its 20th member for next year, it's Hull City, yes Hull City and the iconic Hull City striker Dean Windass. For the first time in their history Hull will be in the top flight of English soccer next season. Hull City beat Bristol City in the $80 million dollar game at Wembley Stadium 1-0. Hull City joins already promoted Stoke City and West Brom in the greatest league in the world.

Drama, Drama, Drama

This video from footytube.com breaks down the highlights of the final and if you heart does not skip a beat you are not a true fan. I promise this will be the last of the Champions League Final talk for a little while.

Champions of Europe, 68, 99, 08. Long live Busby Babes.

Endy in the Outfield Goes Global

During the fun of the Champions League Final on Wednesday at Fado in Philly, Endy in the Outfield went world wide. Endy was on World Soccer Daily and did not disappoint touching on topics such as Rafa the Rotating Manager, The Special One, and Rick Parry with Steven and Kenny.

Not bad for being almost drunk or totally.

Professional Tailgating: Champions League Final at Fado

After the Champions League Semi-Finals were completed the Only Time Will Tell Tailgating Crew had to make a decision on where they were going to watch the final. After a couple of minutes the decision became easy: Fado in Philly.

Timmy Changs Passing Records was upset that Park Ji Sung did not make the United squad for the final.

Steven and Kenny of World Soccer Daily discuss tactics before the final.

Joe Wolf's Vertical Jump and Endy in the Outfield get ready for the kick off.

Endy in the Outfield does is impression of The Special One.

Joe Wolf's Vertical Jump makes friends with a Chelski fan.

The drama was too much for everyone including Chelski fan Steven Cohen.

The game was great, the outcome was great with a United win and Giggs and Rio lifting the Big Ears Cup and the atmosphere at Fado in Philly was amazing. Thanks to World Soccer Daily for bringing their show to the City of Brotherly Love.

Caution Wet Field

A picture is worth a 1,000 words and this one tells the whole story about John Terry and the Champions League final yesterday. Thanks to the Daily Mail for this one and other they have.

A Red Letter Night in Moscow

Drama, Drama, Drama.

United are Champions of Europe again. Lets just say that again: United are Champions of Europe, has a great ring to it. More on the Only Time Will Tell tailgating crews experience at Fado later, but here is how papers around Europe covered the drama in Moscow last night.

The Jornal de Noticias (Portugal) celebrates Nani and Ronaldo's part in the win.

Irish Examiner

The Daily Telegraph (UK)

The Special Boots

It's almost time and above are the shoes that Ryan Giggs will be sporting for the Champions League Final vs. Chelski tomorrow. The shoes honor him possibly making his 759 appearance for the club during the final, breaking the previous record of the great Sir Bobby Charlton's.
Photo courtesy of the Daily Mail.

The Ghost of 1999

The hours are starting to tick away, the final is almost here. Lets hope that ghost of 1999 will see the Red Devils to the lifting the big ears cup. What a better way to honor the 50th anniversary of the Munich Air Disaster, then to lift the European Cup.

The Only Time Will Tell tailgating crew including me, Endy in the Outfield, and Timmy Changs Passing Records will take the game in at Fado in Philly, along with the World Soccer Daily radio team.

He is gangly and wins lots of medals

He is long and gangly and he never looks good doing anything, but Portsmouth's Kanu might be one of the most underrated players in the history of English football.

On Saturday, Kanu became one of the few players to get his third FA Cup winners medal. Kanu scored the winner in South Coast side 1-0 winner over Championship side Cardiff.

During his career in Europe, Kanu has won the: Champions League, UEFA Cup, three Eredivisie Championships, two EPL titles, a Community Shield, and three FA Cups. He is the only current Premiership player to have won the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup, Premiership, FA Cup and an Olympic Gold Medal. People fail to realize the great career he has had.

Any other player with three winners medal would be treated like a hero, but not the gangly Nigerian. During his years in English football he has dazzled fans with his great touch.

But Kanu biggest contribution might come in a different area. The big Nigerian was one of the first Africans to really call the EPL home. Without Kanu players like Essien, Drogba, Muntari, Utaka, and Mikel might have never been part of the greatest league in the world

Finally he is a college grad

Sixteen years after leaving the U, Lamar Thomas is finally a college graduate. The brash former receiver has his share of incident over the years including the famous Sugar Bowl incident and his rant during the FIU and the U brawl last year.

But now he can call himself a college graduate.

The draft matters even in baseball

People talk all of the time how the Major League Baseball Draft has the least affect of any draft in sports but that is not the case just look at the team that is playing the best ball in the NL: the Arizona Diamondbacks.

During the last five drafts the Diamondbacks have shown how to build your team through the draft. After winning the World Series in 2001 the front office decided to rebuild and they did it through the draft.

A look at the key players shows the success the scouting staff had between 2003 and 2006.

• 2003: Connor Jackson and Carlos Carlos Quentin, who was later traded.
• 2004: Stephen Drew and Mark Reynolds. As well as two other players that were traded for veteran pitchers.
• 2005: Justin Upton (pictured above) and Micah Owings.
• 2006. Max Scherzer.
  

During the period the team spent $25.7 million dollars on signing bonous for all of their picks. Sure it seems like a lot but in the end it looks like it was money well spent.

Simple the best: CR7

He has won all of the awards in England and in Moscow Ronaldo hopes to add a gold Champions League winner medal. Here are his top ten goals of the season.

Some of Ronaldo's best tricks

Thanks to footytube.com for the videos

Rangers Fans Love their Soccer

Here is the deal of a lifetime: One son for one ticket to the UEFA Cup final between Rangers and Zenit. Now that is a deal that you can not turn down. I wonder how the boys mother feels about the deal or does she even know about it.

Thanks to The Guardian for the photo.

Euro 2008 is coming quickly

ESPN is getting ready for EURO 2008 in a big way. The network is doing country specific commercials for those who qualified for the tournament, sorry no England.

Germany


Spain


Portugal


Italy


Greece

The NHL Playoffs = Great Injuries

Ruptured spleens, broken orbital bones, and crushed testicles it can mean only one thing the NHL Playoffs. Hockey players do not know when to slow down, every year you see a great variety of injuries and this year is not different.

• Shawn Avery, Rangers: ruptured spleen.
  
• Kimmo Timonen, Flyers: blood clot in his ankle.
  
• Brandon Coburn, Flyers: swollen and battered face
• Patrick Thoresen, Flyers: puck to the groin.
  

This is only a sampling of it, but when is the last time you heard of another athlete taking one in the family jewels to help his team out.

The Front Pages Look Great

One of the best things about winning a title is seeing the front pages of newspapers with your team all over the front and with United title clinching win yesterday that is no different.

Diario de Noticias (Portugal) celebrates Ronaldo and Nani winning the league with United, as well as Benfica and Sporting wrapping up there seasons.

The Guardian celebrates United's 10th Premier League title

D-Day in the EPL

Since mid August teams have been battling for the throphy with the crown on it and it came down to last day. Here are some random thoughts during the day.

• As a United fan it started really well as at church the priest was dressed in his best reds. Was that a good omen,we will all know later.
• Nothing is like the final day, drama all over the table. Hey Liverpool would never say that because they treat fourth like the new first.
• Not a great day for John Terry, first he wears the wrong shorts for the new jersey's then he does not make it to the end of the first half because of a serious arm injury.
• Peter Cech looked like a big orange in the new Chelski goal keeping shirt.
• Glad to see Gary Megson is sporting the latest in Cheslski hats.
• I guess the players at Man City really wanted Sven back 8 -1. I guess that is a no.
• It's a great day for all the Joe Wolf's Vertical Jump Family as United are crowned champions and Fulham USA avoid the Fizzy Pop League.
• Every year people talk about great escapes. Is Fulham's escape up there with West Ham from last year and West Brom from a couple of years ago?
• Everyone kills FSC for their coverage of the EPL but props to them for going to the Setanta coverage of the trophy presentation.
• I know it's in Italy but are Inter going through the greatest choke ever.

Is it really over?

Are they coming back, the crew pulls a Sopranos and leaves everyone hanging. Please come back for the second season.

Getting Old is Never Easy

You know you are getting old when you start to see children of players that you watched play get drafted and during this year's Major League Baseball Draft that is going to be so true. Among the prospects that are catching the eye of cross checking scouts all over the country include the son of a former All Star Game starter and the son of a player that was once called "Nails''.

• Jack Armstrong, P, Jupiter High School: The son of the former Reds pitcher is a favorite of scouting staffs for his outstanding fastball and pitching make up.
• Cutter Dykstra, SS, Westlake (pictured above): Plays the game just like his father does. Toughness and speed makes everyone think of his dad.
• Ike Davis, IF, Arizona State: The son of former Yankees relief pitcher Ron Davis combines with Brett Walllace to the give the Sun Devils one of the most feared duos in the country.
• Kyle Long, 1B, St. Anne's Belfield High School: Howie's other son is one of the top players in the state of Virginia. Know in his home state for his tape measure home runs.
• Casey Kelly, SS, Sarasota High School: The son of former major leaguer Pat, has got baseball scouts wondering. Kelly has signed with Tennessee to play quarterback. So any team that draft him will have to buy out his commitment.

So come mid-June, I will again start to feel old, when I see those named called during the draft.

Two teams, One trophy

Two teams have battled since late August, but only one will walk away with the EPL Trophy with the crown on it. Chelski or United.

One of the greatest season in memory comes down to the final and everyone should enjoy. Thanks to Footytube.com for the video.