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Big Gay Soccer Thread

Barber Shop Talk
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  • Well, unlike in the NFL there is relegation in the football leagues. For example in the EPL the 3 teams who finish last play in the league below the next year. The top 2 teams of the division below (called the Championship) go up to the EPL and the 4 teams below the top 2 play off to see who the third team is to go up. This goes through all 4 professional leagues and in to the non professional leagues. So my question to Chris was when did Villa last get relegated to the Championship? It was a long time ago. Despite their size West Ham have been relegated a number of times, but have been in the EPL for the last 4 seasons. Villa are currently bottom of the EPL and the bottom placed team by Christmas has always been relegated apart from in one season. So although Villa fans have been suffering recently traditionally they are Birmingham's biggest team and constantly in the EPL. This is why I was saying Hammers fans have suffered a lot more pain.

    You're right about the disparity in English football compared to American sports. There is no attempt to reduce the gap. The FA (ruling body of football in England and Wales) decided to bring in a Financial Fair Play system supposedly to reduce the gap. The morons thought that by restricting clubs to spending a fixed proportion of their income on players and their salaries this would help, and it was connected to the amount they had spent in their previous season. So when clubs like Man City spend £150-200 million on players whereas top 10 teams like West Ham can only afford to spend £20-30 million all they were doing was increasing the disparity! They were also hoping to stop smaller clubs spending too much and going bust. There is so much money in European football and traditions have been so ingrained that I think it is too late for the football authorities to curb the powers of the biggest teams. If they tried they would probably just set up their own league of mega rich clubs and govern themselves.

    The only thing reducing the gap is the sheer amount of money EPL clubs now receive due to TV deals. These are so vast that teams can spend money on attracting players from UK/Europe that normally wouldn't have been interested in playing for teams like Swansea, Stoke, Southampton etc. The EPL is the richest league in the World and the traditional European power houses of Italy and Spain have been caught up with. Players now want to play in England whereas for decades most wanted to go to Italy and Spain. There is no reason why Man City shouldn't be competing for the European Cup, but the difference seems to be the tactics and ball skills which Barcelona and Real Madrid remain better at. The Barcelona teams of recent years have been phenomenal as have Bayern Munich. Chelscum, Man Citeh and Arsenal are all through to the next stage of the European Cup competitions this year and could do very well. Man Utd went out this week (ha ha ha)

    If there is a connection to an English club this a good reason to follow them. I wouldn't just pick one though I would research and choose one that most suits you based on location, tradition, colours, reputation, fans....

    It's just a thought, but this could be why the NFL is getting so popular in England? No relegation, much greater parity and your team should win a division at some point. There are of course exceptions! And it's also so much better to watch. And Gipper, your relation is right, footballers are a bunch of whimps!

    Loyaultie me Lie. If I hadn't seen such riches I could live with being poor!
  • The GipperT The Gipper

    @the-cysko-kid said:

    If I'm just arbitrarily picking an English soccer team I'm going to pick a good one.

    Then it wouldn't be an arbitrary choice, it would be a FRAK like choice, no? Arbitrary would mean random....not backing the best.

    If I were to choose, I too would probably choose Liverpool. My uncle lived there and was a Liverpool supporter. (so, that choice would not be arbitrary). Though, I think he was more into rugby. He gave me a Liverpool Rugby jersey when I went to visit him 40 years ago. And my cousin....his son...is a big rugby guy. He travels the world following rugby. (he.....an Englishman....says most soccer players are preening pansies.....his words)

    @the-gipper said:

    Then it wouldn't be an arbitrary choice, it would be a FRAK like choice, no? Arbitrary would mean random....not backing the best.

    If I were to choose, I too would probably choose Liverpool. My uncle lived there and was a Liverpool supporter. (so, that choice would not be arbitrary). Though, I think he was more into rugby. He gave me a Liverpool Rugby jersey when I went to visit him 40 years ago. And my cousin....his son...is a big rugby guy. He travels the world following rugby. (he.....an Englishman....says most soccer players are preening pansies.....his words)

    That is random. I don't know anything about any of them except I've heard of arsenal before.

    Early man walked away as modern man took control. Their minds weren't all the same and to conquer was their goal. So He built his great empires and he slaughtered his own kind, and he died a confused man and killed himself in his own mind...
  • T The Cysko Kid

    @the-gipper said:

    Then it wouldn't be an arbitrary choice, it would be a FRAK like choice, no? Arbitrary would mean random....not backing the best.

    If I were to choose, I too would probably choose Liverpool. My uncle lived there and was a Liverpool supporter. (so, that choice would not be arbitrary). Though, I think he was more into rugby. He gave me a Liverpool Rugby jersey when I went to visit him 40 years ago. And my cousin....his son...is a big rugby guy. He travels the world following rugby. (he.....an Englishman....says most soccer players are preening pansies.....his words)

    That is random. I don't know anything about any of them except I've heard of arsenal before.

    @the-cysko-kid said:

    That is random. I don't know anything about any of them except I've heard of arsenal before.

    But, saying "I am going to follow the winningest teams" is neither random nor arbitrary.....it is a specific choice you make on who you want to follow: the ones who win.

    That is how the Steelers/Cowboys and a few others got to be a FRAK fan base.

    I mean, if choosing a big winner is why you choose a team, so be it. Just admit it. Though I prefer to go the "I have a connection" route.

    And hell another reason....besides the "my uncle was a Liverpudlian" connection, for people where I live to support Liverpool:

    Fellow Akronite LeBron James is a part owner.

  • I happened to google arsenal because it was only one of two English soccer teams I've ever heard of. The other was Manchester united. Upon googling them I noticed they were the tenth ranked team in the world. Nothing more than that.

    Early man walked away as modern man took control. Their minds weren't all the same and to conquer was their goal. So He built his great empires and he slaughtered his own kind, and he died a confused man and killed himself in his own mind...
    The GipperT 1 Reply

  • You can't choose Arsenal because they are only one of two teams you've ever heard of in England?! Well, you can....but if it's glory you hope for you're backing the wrong horse. If you're determined to follow shit (Arse, Manure) you'd be better going for manure and then you'd have a rivalry with Gipper as Liverpool and Manure are bitter enemies. Youd have a shit rivalry Poo v Manure! ?

    Loyaultie me Lie. If I hadn't seen such riches I could live with being poor!

  • Oh don't get me wrong. I have no intention of following any soccer team foreign or domestic. The game does nothing for me. Hockey either. Basketball and (American) football is where my loyalties lie.

    Early man walked away as modern man took control. Their minds weren't all the same and to conquer was their goal. So He built his great empires and he slaughtered his own kind, and he died a confused man and killed himself in his own mind...

  • I only watched the Olympic version and whIle it can be an amusing diversion I wasn't vested in it at all. I do expect it to pick up steam here in light of the concussion concerns in football but that's for my kids to deal with.

    Early man walked away as modern man took control. Their minds weren't all the same and to conquer was their goal. So He built his great empires and he slaughtered his own kind, and he died a confused man and killed himself in his own mind...
    The GipperT 1 Reply
  • T The Cysko Kid

    I happened to google arsenal because it was only one of two English soccer teams I've ever heard of. The other was Manchester united. Upon googling them I noticed they were the tenth ranked team in the world. Nothing more than that.

    @the-cysko-kid said:

    I happened to google arsenal because it was only one of two English soccer teams I've ever heard of. The other was Manchester united. Upon googling them I noticed they were the tenth ranked team in the world. Nothing more than that.

    I kind of like the name though: Arsenal. Sounds "tough". You know: this is where we keep stuff that blows shit up. How did they get the name?

    gftChrisG 1 Reply
  • T The Cysko Kid

    I only watched the Olympic version and whIle it can be an amusing diversion I wasn't vested in it at all. I do expect it to pick up steam here in light of the concussion concerns in football but that's for my kids to deal with.

    @the-cysko-kid said:

    I only watched the Olympic version and whIle it can be an amusing diversion I wasn't vested in it at all. I do expect it to pick up steam here in light of the concussion concerns in football but that's for my kids to deal with.

    FYI.....I heard the statistic: more kids here get concussions playing soccer than do playing football. I don't know if kids are kicking each other in the head a lot or what. In football at least they wear a helmet for protection.

  • The GipperT The Gipper

    @the-cysko-kid said:

    I happened to google arsenal because it was only one of two English soccer teams I've ever heard of. The other was Manchester united. Upon googling them I noticed they were the tenth ranked team in the world. Nothing more than that.

    I kind of like the name though: Arsenal. Sounds "tough". You know: this is where we keep stuff that blows shit up. How did they get the name?

    @the-gipper said:

    I kind of like the name though: Arsenal. Sounds "tough". You know: this is where we keep stuff that blows shit up. How did they get the name?

    They were originally workers from the woolwich arsenal 'guns n shit' factory.

    That's one thing I like about soccer, the teams have organic roots, like west ham as we talked about before.

  • I like their nickname..... "The Gunners" but I don't like them as a team though

    "And they don't really know even what they're talkin' about And I can't imagine what empty heads can achieve."

  • I didn't realize Columbus had a team. If they do, and you didn't just make that up, I hope they win.

    is that considered Support?

    WSS

    www.westsidesteve.com www.myspace.com/westsidestevemusic www.cdbaby.com/artist/westsidestevesimmons
  • W Westside Steve

    I didn't realize Columbus had a team. If they do, and you didn't just make that up, I hope they win.

    is that considered Support?

    WSS

    @westside-steve said:

    I didn't realize Columbus had a team. If they do, and you didn't just make that up, I hope they win.

    is that considered Support?

    WSS

    They do have a team, I did not make it up....they played for the MLS title, but lost to Portland.

  • Well, with this move....and the move of the Rams also to LA.....guess who may be in line to fill the void in those cities: yes, the "gay" sport. The MLS is looking at being at 28 teams by around 2020-2022.

    Prime MLS expansion targets are: St. Louis, which the NFL abandoned, Sacramento...which, if the Raiders move to LV, it along with Oakland which constitutes the "East Bay" fan base of the Raiders. San Antonio/Austin, Raleigh, Tampa, Detroit....and now, I suspect San Diego could easily be high on the list to put an MLS team in. Huge Hispanic, soccer oriented population....no competing "real" football team.

    The MLS is already in the largest 3-4 non NFL markets: Portland, Orlando, Columbus, Salt Lake

    Going into Sacramento and San Diego and San Antonio and St. Louis and Raleigh would put them into like 8 of the 30-32 largest Metropolitan areas in the US....with no NFL competition in those markets (plus they are in Toronto and Montreal)

    The largest metro area in the country that an MLS team is not in is Detroit (#10 largest metro area)...and Detroit is also on the target list for MLS expansion.

    If an MLS team went into Detroit, guess which metropolitan area would be the largest without an MLS team? Answer: Cleveland/Akron/Canton.

  • Couldn't resist?

  • Is "soccer" gay? Is this a trick question? 😆

    Soccer, recess for big kids.

    GO BUCKEYES, BROWNS, INDIANS, CAVS, YSU, NAVY and yes I like ND!

  • The point of my post above is that I think it is unjustifiable for the NFL to cede those markets mentioned above to the "gay" sport.

    Of the 25 largest metropolitan areas in the USA, the NFL is absent from 6 of them.

    After proposed expansion, the MLS will be absent only from at most 2-3, including Cleveland

  • Yea soccer's pretty gay

  • DeputyDawgD DeputyDawg

    I raise the glass of Laphroaig I'm drinking right now to them. Cheers!

    @deputydawg said:

    I raise the glass of Laphroaig I'm drinking right now to them. Cheers!

    Good stuff, I have a bottle of Lagavulin here.

    WSS

    www.westsidesteve.com www.myspace.com/westsidestevemusic www.cdbaby.com/artist/westsidestevesimmons

  • Yes:

    19380_247637206149_7246082_n.jpg?oh=1a00

    "You planning on having a long relationship with that glass or are you going to drink it? Drink up, man. Maybe we can get another.” - Janis Joplin, 1970.
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