Bad boy Gerrard

Well if you haven’t heard already (and if you haven’t, you could simply look on my facebook wall and see the numerous ribbings from my friends), the great Steven Gerrard has been charged with assault over an altercation with a DJ at a lounge. The incident came hours after Liverpool defeated Newcastle 5-1 with Gerrard, scoring two goals.

Not a whole lot has been released about what happened and who was at fault, so I can’t really speculate on that. But I can say that being a famous athlete must be difficult. There is always a chance of an altercation at a bar, especially amongst men. I was at a pub last night to watch the Canucks game and a scrap almost broke out right beside me. Famous people probably get targeted even more than the average person. More importantly, the urge to fight or defend oneself doesn’t go away no matter how famous you become. So you end up seeing situations where things escalate between an athlete and another person, a fight ensues, and then the athlete takes the PR hit.

Furthermore, assault to me has always been a shady charge. In any altercation I have been in or around, both sides are pretty much equally at fault and are entering the fight bearing the same amount of risk. Again, I don’t know the particulars of the incident, but these two points come to mind.

On that note, have a safe and happy new year’s evening. I hope 2008 was a good one for you and 2009 is even better.

.4

Last night I won my fantasy NFL pool (and $180) by .4 points.  The loser?  Tom Tompkins, Whitecaps Senior Account Manager.

I left a bunch of  “.4″ signage all over his desk and facebook profile today and included this voice message for when he comes back to work.

Ahh, fantasy sports is fun.

Friday Fantasy Forecast

Marlon King – Hull City have secured points in their last five matches, most recently a draw against Liverpool, and King has been a big factor in their success of late.  With two goals and an assist in his last three, he’s heating up at the right time, as big matches against Manchester City, Aston Villa and Arsenal are coming up.

Michael Owen – Owen seems to be finding his form back from injury with four straight 90 minute showings.  A pair of goals against Stoke two weeks ago and a goal last week versus Pompey suggests he’s heating up.  There’s always a chance of injury with him, but when he gets on a roll, he’s one of the best in the league.

Blackburn Forwards – Blackburn have sacked Paul Ince and replaced him with Sam Allardyce in another round of manager musical chairs.  Teams always respond to a new manager and Rovers will enjoy playing for Big Sam.  I still see problems on defense, but upfront I expect a return to form for both Roque Santa Cruz and Benny McCarthy.  These guys are just too talented to remain at the bottom and have a reasonable schedule for the next month or two, so buy low now.

Whitecaps everywhere

I find Whitecaps logos in the strangest of places. This one is at McCloskey Elementary in North Delta (I was watching my nephew’s Christmas concert).

Wasn’t that a party

In anticipation of the Whitecaps Christmas party tomorrow night, here’s a great article about Premier League parties gone awry.

Photos o’ the day

Just a couple of random pics for today:

Is it just me or is there a resemblance here?

Here’s the view out my window.  Despite it being uncharacteristically cold, Vancouver never ceases to be a beautiful place to live.

Can anybody tell me what this is?  It’s made by Samsung and I have three of them.  They were in a free promo bag that I received in the summer.  But I have no idea what this thing does.  I’m tempted to even email Samsung and ask them.

The Monday Memo

What I’m listening to: I have to admit, I bought Common’s album as soon as it came out, but I’ve hardly had a chance to listen to it.  I was in a nice music buying and listening mode through November but it’s slowed down a little now.  Anyway, his album didn’t get the best review in Rolling Stone, but what little I have listened to is decent (slightly edgier though less thoughtful).  Here’s the single, Announcement.

What site I’m visiting: check out wonderhowto.com.  It’s essentially user generated video clips on how to do just about anything.  It’s a pretty cool concept and you’ll find both useful and downright strange things on there.  Be careful, it’s pretty addictive.

What football clip has me shaking my head: We all know Wayne Rooney has a temper, but this series of events had to be punished.  The fact that UEFA chose not to suspend him is deplorable.  Have a look.

What article is making me shake my head: I appreciate NBA commish David Stern admitting they blew it in Vancouver with regard to the Grizzlies franchise.  But to then say that he doesn’t think they can come back to Vancouver is a complete stomach punch.  I’m still holding out hope.  We need a second chance.

No finish at Anfield

A rollercoaster of a match at Anfield this morning.  Hull City stormed out in front and enjoyed an early 2-0 lead after an uncharacteristic own-goal by Jamie Carragher.  Steven Gerrard brought his team back to 2-2 with a couple of tremendous goals in close.  Liverpool continued the pressure for the rest of the half but couldn’t finish.  The second half saw much of the saw – overwhelming Liverpool possession, no goal.

This problem has plagued the Reds all season and must be resolved if they are to seriously challenge for the top spot.  Certainly playing without Torres for much of the first half of the season hasn’t helped.  And I agree Robbie Keane has struggled, but the guy didn’t even see any action today.  I can understand benching him when Torres is around, because he and Kuyt provide a nice dynamic upfront.  But with Torres out, you have absolutely nobody that can finish, other than Gerrard (who also has to be responsible as a distributor and defender).  Benayoun, Kuyt, El Zhar, Riera and Babel all show signs of brilliance, but it is few and far between.  With all due respect to Kuyt, who’s skills are more in his work rate than his finishing, none of these guys should be leading a top table squad into battle.

The only person with proven ability here is the aforementioned Keane.  So play the guy!  With Torres out, this is a perfect time to build his confidence and have him learn the system.  Benitez always takes time to warm up to his new additions.  I never quite understand it either.  He makes a big splash in the transfer window and then inches the guy along and usually destroying his confidence along the way.  Kuyt needed three years to get any support.  Crouch never did.  Even Torres, one of the top strikers in the world, saw his playing time bandied about during the first six months of his Liverpool tenure.  By February, Torres was a 90-minute guy, so I can only hope he has the same in mind for Keaner.  Or he may be following the path of Kuyt, for all we know.

Well, there’s my rant.  Tense times indeed for the Reds.  At least we’re still on top (although that may only last one more day, with Chelsea facing West Ham tomorrow!)

Friday Fantasy Forecast

Once again, my intrepid intern Liam delivers his top picks for fantasy football supremacy.

Nemanja Vidic – The Serbian international is having a breakout season. Alongside Rio Ferdinand, the two of them are the heart of United’s success.  His explosive pace and ability to read the play, not only gives him the confidence to keep the goals out of United’s net, but as well as push up and help attack. With his late heroics against Sunderland, he is receiving more and more praise.  Vidic is a must have on your fantasy squad if you are looking to take a run at the title.

Ashley Young – This dynamic midfielder has raised many eyebrows after coming over from Watford. His two goals against eighth place Everton secured the win to move them up the table. Ashley’s skill has opened many doors to the Englishmen’s future, if he decides to stay with Villa or move on. Playing behind the front two, his speed and intervention enables him to threaten the opposition’s defense.  His confidence is growing, so so should his points.

Jose Bosingwa – Coming over from Porto FC, Bosingwa has fit right in with the solid Chelsea defense. Playing sixteen games with Chelsea, he has scored two of their thirty six goals and the back line has only conceded six goals. Without the Portuguese native, Chelsea’s fight for first place would be severely affected. If you are looking for a strong and safe pick, Bosingwa is your go to guy.

Pepe Reina – Born in Madrid, Reina has played for a number of Spanish clubs, including Barcelona and Villarreal. In 2005 he came to Anfield and debuted in a Champions League game. Since that he has been one of Liverpool’s keys to success. The bald stopper has conceded a total of nine goals this year, and is on his way to winning the Premiership title. He is a keeper at the top of his game and should stay at the top of the points table.

Championship Memories – Pt. 2

A few weeks ago, I talked about one of the enduring memories I have of our championship run.  I saved my best memory of the final match for later, and now seems like a good time to divulge.

Working for the Whitecaps is truly a unique opportunity.  In a little more than five years, the club has turned from potential bankrupt franchise to an up and coming presence on the local and national scene.  I have only been involved with the organization for about 3.5 years, but even in that short span of time, I’ve seen the staff size grow and the ambitions continue to reach skyward.  I say this all the time, but it truly is exciting to be part of something from the ground up.  We are on the cusp of bigger and better things, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of the ride.

But we’re not there yet.  We are still a small club.  We play in a league that is considered to be inferior to the MLS.  We play in a stadium that is located outside of Vancouver, has limited seating and even more limitations with respect to facility improvements.  We have a bright future ahead, one that envisions us packing BC Place with more than 20,000 fans for an MLS match.  But we’re not there yet, and that’s what makes this victory so special.

When you’re a small club, there’s a level of intimacy between the team and the fans.  Unlike some of the bigger sports teams in Vancouver, an experience at a Whitecaps game provides a closeness to the sport and the players themselves.  For example, a young child can take part in the player introductions prior to the match.  You can sit in the bronze section and watch a throw-in take place right in front of you.  You can sit in the BMO Club and dodge flying soccer balls.  You can venture into the Southside and take part in heckling the opposing keeper.  And by match end, you can shake hands with the players and grab an autograph of two.

It’s this level of intimacy that made the final match so special.  The players celebrated the victory with the fans.  Literally.  Fans poured onto the field and the players were quickly engulfed in a mob of ecstatic supporters.  In true Canadian fashion, the fans on the east side arranged themselves in a long line on the pitch and maintained an orderly conduct in front of the few security guards.  While 2006 will always be a great memory for me – having travelled with some coworkers to Rochester for the final – I was happier for the fans in 2008.  They deserved to witness the win first hand.  We’ve had fans that have been with us since the beginning and they have all seen their share of speed bumps along the way.

Future victories will not have the same level of intimacy that Swangard provided that night.  You’re probably not going to see fans pour onto the pitch at BC Place.  Everyone wants to see us grow as a club, but with growth comes a little less of that intimacy. Much like the Canucks or Lions, when you have 20,000+ people in a building, you have to ensure a heightened level of security and safety for all those in attendance.

Don’t get me wrong, I can’t wait for us to parade down Robson St. with 100,000 fans like we did after winning the NASL trophy in 1979.  But for now, I’ll take that one special night in October, when the fans got to storm the pitch and celebrate alongside the team.