sports sports sports sports

[kyle]

Exactly. Followed by a "Oh look! Lionel's making a run. Here, you play with this for a second and then give it him. Maybe he'll score another goal this half."

[Chet]

i mean, just try and tell me this isn't just supremely beautiful

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LS1TgoF8htg

Supremely. They're so good at that sport. I'm not jumping on the Barca bandwagon, but I love watching them play. I'm hoping Sneijder and Eto'o can give them a run for their money on Tuesday. We'll see.

I think that anyone who is even a casual fan of the sport has to admire barca right now. It's not just the way they pass and move though, it's when on the rare occasions when they do lose the ball they almost always get it back immediately. apparently they have a tactic that is they lose the ball they have seven seconds to harrass the opposistion team to try and get it back, and after that seven seconds they drop back into a regular formation and go man for man. the most admirable thing about it all is that the majority of their players have come through their youth system (seven of them on the park today against madrid).

tuesdays game will be interesting though, if anyone can master a win against them it is mourinho. he just has to figure away to make sure they don't spend the majority of the game in posession.

[Good Intentions]

Their squad is also very stable, which helps, and they've been playing like this for a while. In this clip, from back in 2007, they have a different coach, but many of the same players (a great deal of whom products of their academy system) and a very familiar playing style.

[Chet]

Yes, the Barca footballing ethos is drilled into them from birth. A huge part of the set-up is down to Cryuff's influence.

You're right to point out that they played a similar style under Rijkaard, but it's important not to understate Guardiola's influence. He got rid of a lot of the big egos who had stopped peforming (Eto'o, Ronaldiniho et al) and put together a wholly more efficient and ruthless team, and has won every trophy going and broken all sorts of records in the process. Plus, he is one cool and handsome bro

[coldforge]

That is the weirdest tie I've ever seen.

[Good Intentions]

Really? I've got one with similar vertical lines (not in that colour, and not as pronounced).

[what whale]

and for all the talk of Messi - who could be seriously given consideration as the greatest ever if he takes his seasons form into the world cup this summer - i'd put foward the argument that xavi is as equally talented, ableit in a much more understated way. the complete midfielder.

For real.  Xavi's give to Messi on the first goal was just brilliant, and he's made a career now out of making those moments of brilliance utterly routine (though no less spectacular).  Incredible. 

[kyle]

Great show Tottenham! Hell of a goal from Rose!

Also, when can we start talking about the World Cup?

[Wally]

Despite winning our last match Burnley are probably fucked and going down after one season in the Premiership. It was inevitable, but I wish we could have made more of a fight of it, the post-christmas season has been kinda sad.

[Good Intentions]

Your manager doing a runner surely can't have helped.

Good to see you around, mate.

[Chet]

Also, Brian Laws? What a weird as fuck appointment that was.

Used to manage my hometown team doncha know.

[Wally]

yeah, no doubt the managerial change was the largest nail in the coffin.

cheers marinus, hope you're doing well.

[Good Intentions]

I'm not too far from your neck of the woods at the moment, actually: I'm in Norway for the next few months. I'd come over to visit you lot in Blighty if I could manage to sort out this fucking visa nonsense. Hopefully I'll manage it in the end.

I fear I've entirely lost track of competitive sport during this past year, except for cricket: I've been moving around too much and had too many other things on my plate. Cricket has stayed in the picture because it's a sport so well suited to keeping track off through the newspapers, etc. I've only actually watched one game of cricket in the past six months, as opposed to a half-dozen games of footie.

[Wally]

Well if you do, you should drop us a line. There's free beer, food and accomodation in Nottingham if you want.

[davy]

I swear to god, baseball is just making everything better this year.

[Thermofusion]

Crazy day for baseball yesterday, and I would've loved to've been able to sit on the couch watching it all. Alas. 20-inning game that went scoreless until the 18th? Check. Franchise-first no-hitter by a pitcher I've never heard of? Check. Unlikely second walk-off victory in a row for the Pirates? Check.

[davy]

Fuckin no-hitter.

I'm actually more upset about Prado's hitting streak coming to an end than the fact that the entire team got blanked.

[Thermofusion]

But you gotta respect a no-hitter, that's a big deal. It looked like he even got a standing O from some Braves fans.

[davy]

Yeah, I respect it, even if it was the ugliest no-hitter I've ever seen. 6 walks! Dude never looked like he had total control over his pitches, but he never totally lost control, either. It was a weird effort.

[El_Josharino]

Fuckin no-hitter.

I'm actually more upset about Prado's hitting streak coming to an end than the fact that the entire team got blanked.

Yeah, I was in the same boat about Prado. Ubaldo is a really great pitcher, though, and deserves the accolades. The walks are out of the ordinary for him.

How about that ballgame today? The Jay-Hey Kid with the walkoff two-run single. Fuckin' right. And Marteeeeen started a new hitting streak.

[davy]

Prado is the great unsung player in the Major Leagues right now, I swear it.

My dad and brother-in-law were at that Braves game today! I would've been there too if I hadn't gotten a job* last week!

(*fair trade, of course.)

[El_Josharino]

No joke. He's a career .300+ hitter, mostly off the bench up until mid last year. I was pretty glad when they finally let Kelly Johnson go during the offseason to open the door for Prado.

[davy]

Now if only they'd put Cabrera on the bench and open the door full-time for Diaz. I am not sold onthis Melky character AT ALL.

And hey, what happened to our fucking awesome relievers from last year? Soriano and Gonzalez? I'm assuming they got traded--though I can't imagine why. Who'd they get in return?

How do you trade Soriano, though? Jesus.

[El_Josharino]

Eh... Soriano was pretty inconsistent. I never really liked him that much. They let Gonzalez go to free agency, he signed with Baltimore to close for them and hasn't been very effective, I think he maybe even got hurt recently. They tried to let Soriano go as a free agent, but he unexpectedly took their arbitration offer and got a 1 year deal for 7+ million (way more than he's worth), then they dealt him to Tampa Bay for Jesse Chavez who had a shitty spring, but has been decent so far in the season. In fact, the entire bullpen has been solid, which is really great to see. I don't miss either of them. Saito and Wagner will give us more consistently solid performance for a fraction of the cost.

[El_Josharino]

Now if they'd only get rid of JoJo Reyes once and for all...