Disqus - Latest Comments for Hudsonland

Re: Following Premiership Players in the African Cup of Nations

Hudsonland — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 10:40:49 -0000

It's supposed to be available in the US via DishNetwork on the Francophone African channel 3A Telesud. I'm going to call them next week to see if I can add it for just a month ($15) or whether a longer-term commitment is required (in which case, stuff it).

Re: Soccer America Miss The Ball with Gerard Houllier Interview

Hudsonland — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 10:03:16 -0000

I don't know anything about Soccer America but it sounded to me like the subjects they were asking about (development of both youth and coaching) are precisely what has led to the French national team success of the last ten years (one World Cup, one European Championship, another World Cup Final) and therefore probably more relevant to their audience than insight into Newcastle/Lyon/Liverpool/Ireland.

I hope that was constructive criticism and not as unnecessarily over the top as some of the previous comments.

Re: Fox Needs to Learn How to Pronounce ‘Premier League’

Hudsonland — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 19:14:09 -0000

Uh-oh. Here we go again.

Re: I Get Knocked Down But I Get Up Again

Hudsonland — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 10:47:26 -0000

Best wishes, Gaffer. Take care of yourself.

Re: Wise Move by Stewart Downing?

Hudsonland — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 22:24:16 -0000

Loyalty, maybe? Not enough of it around these days if you ask me...

Re: I Missed Me Some Champions League

Hudsonland — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 21:19:53 -0000

Derek Rae gets a pass out of sympathy for having to work with Tommy but on what planet does Smyth count as one of the best? The man is a one-line, zero-comprehension, 37-IQ, audio monstrosity.

Re: I Missed Me Some Champions League

Hudsonland — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 08:17:26 -0000

I'll second what Kartik says about Seamus Malin. I kinda like Waldo, but his constant contrarian act does get tiresome. Smyth is just a performing seal.

Liverpool Inter is a fascinating match-up. On paper, Inter should walk it, but they under-perform in Europe and Liverpool do the opposite. Add in the pressure on Rafa (lose and he's out?) and pretty much anything can happen.

Re: Halftime Thoughts–Liverpool vs. Chelsea

Hudsonland — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:42:51 -0000

Tommy Smyth ... why, Michael, why?

Re: Halftime Thoughts–Liverpool vs. Chelsea

Hudsonland — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:25:29 -0000

Maybe, but he didn't annoy the living shit out of me.

Re: The Beauty of the Playoffs

Hudsonland — Sun, 11 May 2008 09:54:44 -0000

Using a single match as an argument for a play-off system is ridiculous. I could just as easily point out that (regular league) games such as Spurs-Chelsea, Spurs-Villa, and Villa-Chelsea this season show that there should be no play-offs at all.

Re: Day One: First Impressions of ESPN’s Euro ‘08 Coverage

Hudsonland — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 23:10:40 -0000

Van Nistelrooy was offside. See http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/fe... page 102.

"If a defending player steps behind his own goal line (Panucci did not step behind the goal line, he was forced out) in order to place
an opponent in an offside position (which implies that being legitimately over the goal line would put Ruud offside), the referee shall allow play to
continue and caution the defender for deliberately leaving the field
of play without the referee’s permission when the ball is next out of
play."

Panucci wasn't an active player and as such should not count towards keeping an attacker onside.

Re: Day One: First Impressions of ESPN’s Euro ‘08 Coverage

Hudsonland — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:06:35 -0000

Foudy is poor, as is ESPN's seemingly endless array of panel hosts, although not poor enough to make Smyth look half-decent.

However, if you watch every panel discussion while thinking 'Andy Gray is totally hitting that back at the Bristol Clarion' the broadcast is so much more enjoyable.

Poor on-screen talent aside, ESPN's coverage has been stunning. The hi-def looks and sounds amazing. I have seen the future of football on tv and it has cowbells coming out of one speaker and drums out of another and the orange just looks sooooo orange.

Re: Day One: First Impressions of ESPN’s Euro ‘08 Coverage

Hudsonland — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 18:40:21 -0000

Is 'USSF publication “Advice to Referees on the
Laws of the Game”' a copy of a FIFA document or just a USSF guideline? Cause I could write some 'Advice to Referees' that would hold equal weight as the USSF.

Now, the correct interpretation of the law may well be that van Nistelrooy was onside, but the law as written is impossible to interpret clearly, and in the specific case of the Holland goal, van Nistelrooy was offside by any definition in keeping with the spirit of the law. It would be an absolute nightmare to try to write up a perfect offside law, so maybe I just have to accept that out of any written law will arise flaws in real life situations. That's ok, that's football.

Re: Euro 2008 Applauds As Sweden Win For Football

Hudsonland — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:56:58 -0000

"Thank you Lars Lagerberg."

Who?

Re: Euro 2008 Applauds As Sweden Win For Football

Hudsonland — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:33:29 -0000

You could even throw in an umlaut (heavy metal or otherwise) and make it Lagerbäck.

Regarding Greece, they were dull, but they weren't quite as dull as I remember them from 2004. Also, the defensive aspect (i.e. 98%) of their game seemed to be based more on technical competence than 2004's desperation - a case of 'this is what we're best at' rather than 'we're no good at all, better knock it around at the back and hope a long ball takes a lucky bounce'. If that makes any sense.

Re: Euro 2008 Applauds As Sweden Win For Football

Hudsonland — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:32:37 -0000

Hitzfeld? What is it with this post and coaches' names? Otto Rehhagel, not Ottmar Hitzfeld.

And the second goal? I was laughing so much at the ball bouncing off one knee, onto the other and into the net that I didn't notice what the defender did.

Re: Viewership Numbers For ESPN Euro ‘08 Broadcasts So Far Are Not Bad | EPL Talk

Hudsonland — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 22:48:04 -0000

ESPN is doing such a fantastic job I'm not even going to knock Smyth. And the HD is nothing short of beautiful.

Can anyone confirm that these numbers do not include anyone watching the soccer fan's greatest friend, the DVR? Or are they 'same day + 24' numbers?

Re: Luiz Felipe Scolari Will Be Chelsea’s New Manager | EPL Talk

Hudsonland — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 07:59:02 -0000

I have to agree with Michael here, and I'll try not to do that again. Given the attacking nature of the players available to him at Portugal, he does get them to play a relatively defensive style. Which may well give the team more balance than doing otherwise.

I give Big Phil a year. He doesn't like the press and will be seeing plenty of them, and unless he is spectacularly successful, his style will not meet Abramovich's vision of how Chelsea should be playing (and winning). Also, he might not get the independence from the owner that he demands.

Re: Viewership Numbers For ESPN Euro ‘08 Broadcasts So Far Are Not Bad | EPL Talk

Hudsonland — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:11:02 -0000

"The ratings would be much higher if England had been in the tournament ..."

True.

"and quite frankly the football would be better."

Not true. All England had to do to be there was get a draw at home to Croatia. Or beat Macedonia at home. Or Israel away. Epic fail. Croatia and Russia are there not because of the Russian pitch but because they were better over 12 games than England.

I think if the tournament gets decent ratings even without England that might be more of a wake-up call to the sports media than if England had been there and the ratings were slightly better. It demonstrates the growing maturity and sophistication of the fan base in this country. I hope.

Re: Swiss Show The World How To Run A Football Tournament | EPL Talk

Hudsonland — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:28:29 -0000

Never trust a country where the trains run on time. I heard somewhere that the Swiss (or Austrians) apologise over the PA if the train is a couple of minutes late.

Love the free transport for match-ticket holders idea.

"Maybe all that money that the United States spends on weapons and the military could be better invested in its own country instead by fixing the infrastructure such as roads, bridges and signage?"

Or the US could use that military to invade Switzerland and kidnap their urban planners. I understand the Swiss have weapons of mass destruction, you know.

Re: Viewership Numbers For ESPN Euro ‘08 Broadcasts So Far Are Not Bad | EPL Talk

Hudsonland — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:44:45 -0000

Would you settle for 'capable of atrocious performances'? 'Cause I don't know how else to characterise a 0-0 at home against the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Re: Euro 2008: How Seeing A Football Match On TV Can Be Better Than Seeing It In Person | EPL Talk

Hudsonland — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:58:07 -0000

To me the whole point of attending a game live was exposure to and participation in the atmosphere. It's a sad indictment of the corporate packaging of modern football that maybe a couple of thousand people in Swindon's Town End on a Wednesday night could produce a better atmosphere twenty years ago than a Holland-Italy game in 2008.

Re: Euro 2008 Group C Match Predictions

Hudsonland — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:03:48 -0000

Isn't Domenech's philosophy mainly base on Astrology?

Any philosophy that doesn't find room for Mexes in a France squad has to be fatally flawed.

Re: Euro 2008 Group C Match Predictions

Hudsonland — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:11:22 -0000

But he was a Scorpio, so, no place for Bobby.

Re: Arsenal Fans Say It With Flowers | EPL Talk

Hudsonland — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 23:10:27 -0000

He'll have to start doing a version without the white sleeves...

Re: Euro 2008 Group C Match Predictions

Hudsonland — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 10:02:58 -0000

Mandanda's not a bad alternative to Coupet.

Re: The Pleasure Of Watching Spain v Sweden In An Irish Pub

Hudsonland — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 22:38:40 -0000

I watched (wearing my Spain jersey) with two Swedes and three neutrals. Occurred to me later I should have attempted tapas and smörgåsbord rather than just laying on chips-n-dips.

Re: The Pleasure Of Watching Spain v Sweden In An Irish Pub

Hudsonland — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 11:57:37 -0000

There's a standard America restaurant/bar in town where one of the owners is English (and if his 'Yiddoes' chants are any guide, either a Spurs fan or a rather virulent anti-semitic). I saw all the WC2006 England games there, sometimes over full English breakfasts for the early games.

As the tournament progressed the crowds got bigger and noisier. The Portugal game was on a Sunday morning, before the local laws allow alcohol to be served. I guess they knew there might be trouble if they had hundreds of thirsty Englishmen waiting a couple of hours for the bar to open, so they put a guy on the front door.

"Are you here for the private party?"
"Huh?"
"The private party"
"Uh, yeah, sure"

And thus the beer did flow. There must have been four or five hundred people in there by kick-off, couple of hundred past fire regulations, about half English ex-pats and the rest were youngish Americans who were totally digging the atmosphere. Word had spread that this was an experience unlike anything American sports had to offer.

By late in extra time, the floor was covered in spilled beer and broken glass, and the crush was easily equal to anything I'd experienced on the terraces in the pre-Hillsborough days. It was dangerous, noisy, exciting, and the only time watching a game in a bar ever really matched those good/bad old days for atmosphere.

Irish pubs have never seemed particularly 'Irish' to me. I guess it's like Indian food in Britain, it's not necessarily like food in India, but it's what the British have come to expect.

Re: The Pleasure Of Watching Spain v Sweden In An Irish Pub

Hudsonland — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 19:42:45 -0000

Didn't the Swiss play better in the first game after Frei went off? Jus' sayin' ....

Re: Euro 2008 Coverage By Sky Sports Is Pathetic | EPL Talk

Hudsonland — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:39:34 -0000

For the same reason Sky doesn't - both are NewsCorp.

Re: Piturca Looks To Complete The Job

Hudsonland — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:00:36 -0000

I'm thinking Romania too. The only hope Italy and France have is that the Dutch second-stringers really want to impress van Basten and we get a couple of games with three teams desperate for a win.

Re: Group C Final Match Preview and Predictions

Hudsonland — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 22:09:20 -0000

Raymond Domenech is a goal down in a must-win game. Naturally, he takes off Samir Nasri and brings on Jean-Alain Boumsong.

I am just so glad that will be the last we'll see of the freak.

Re: Group C Final Match Preview and Predictions

Hudsonland — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 23:27:03 -0000

Well, every *major* city in the Western world would have its share of Italians living in it, no?

Re: Group C Final Match Preview and Predictions

Hudsonland — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 23:49:20 -0000

Well, maybe not *full* ... but enough to make a little noise.

Are Italy doing their usual slow-starter act?

Re: Julie Foudy: You Are ESPN’s Weakest Link, Goodbye!

Hudsonland — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:07:51 -0000

"when push comes to shove [...] Henry steps up for country" - I must have missed that game.

Foudy's been OK; you might criticise some of her predictions but her knowledge of the world game seems fine. And I really enjoyed Gullit hitting on her yesterday.

I thought Pedro Gomes has been very poor, but maybe he just rubs me up the wrong way.

Overall, the top layer of competent American talent is very thin, but that's only to be expected given the sport's relative profile.

Re: Time Shifting Helps Increase The Popularity Of Soccer | EPL Talk

Hudsonland — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:16:09 -0000

I've wondered whether soccer fans in the US tend to be more tech-savvy in terms of DVR and internet-usage than the average American sports-fan, possibly as these are linked to wealth and soccer is more of a middle-class sport here than the rest of the world, and also out of necessity due to niche market status.

Re: ESPN2 Sees 64% Increase in Households For Euro ‘08 Over Network Average | EPL Talk

Hudsonland — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:45:00 -0000

They're not exactly pushing their own MLS coverage during the Euro games. The NBA finals have been promoted much harder.

Re: Is Fan Segregation At Football Matches A Good Thing?

Hudsonland — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 13:38:11 -0000

The element of danger was definitely a large part of the thrill of pre-corporatised football. There was nothing like threatening chants with a genuinely violent subtext to get the adrenaline going. I wish I was being ironic.

Re: ESPN Makes Smart Move With Andy Gray Hiring

Hudsonland — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 16:58:36 -0000

I've agreed with every criticism of the spineless referee, but then I am wearing a Spain jersey right now. I suspect you might be wearing blue, Delf.

Re: ESPN Makes Smart Move With Andy Gray Hiring

Hudsonland — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 18:58:42 -0000

Italy lose after making no attempt to win the game for 120 minutes and you take it out on a Scottish commentator? Stay classy...

Re: Spain And Italy’s Bore Draw Gives Soccer A Bad Name

Hudsonland — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 20:45:19 -0000

I'll assume Russia don't play for penalties right from the kick-off, so the semi should be a better game, with two teams actually trying to score.

If Fandel had given Spain one of the two or three decent shouts they had, Italy would have been forced to attack (against a weak Spanish defence) and we might have had an actual game on our hands.

To be fair, a great defensive performance from Italy, it just doesn't make great entertainment. And catenaccio would probably have worked if someone other than Luca Toni (tied with Mario Gomez for flop of the tournament?) was up top.

Re: Spain And Italy’s Bore Draw Gives Soccer A Bad Name

Hudsonland — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 10:47:20 -0000

Spain didn't try the fast counter-attacking tactics that would give the best opportunities against a stubborn Italian defence (see 3-0 Holland for an example). I blame that on coach Aragones, but then I hate the bastard so that's hardly surprising.

Re: ESPN Find Magic Formula With Andy Gray & Derek Rae

Hudsonland — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:08:37 -0000

A nation is not the same thing as a race. Hating Germany is a duty, not racism.

Re: ESPN Find Magic Formula With Andy Gray & Derek Rae

Hudsonland — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:56:13 -0000

I didn't say Germans, I said Germany, by which I meant the German National Football Team. Hating Germany is fine and is in no way racist.

Or are all USMNT fans who would claim to hate Mexico also racists?

Re: ESPN Find Magic Formula With Andy Gray & Derek Rae

Hudsonland — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:55:00 -0000

Can you give me just one example of an anti-German comment from him?

For example, if you were claiming an anti-Italian bias then his 'good luck Cesc' comment would be a valid point, although having watched 120 minutes of anti-football who can blame him for wanting to avoid commentating on Italy in up to 2 more games?

I can't remember the earlier games but he seemed to be very clear that Germany were the better team against Portugal. I guess he just had the audacity to point out that Ballack fouled Ferreira for the second goal, which was ... true.

Gray has been calling the games as he sees them, and few neutrals would disagree with him.

Re: New 08/09 Chelsea Away Shirt: Pictures

Hudsonland — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:56:13 -0000

I always thought the yellow strip made them look like ten highlighter pens running across my tv screen.

Re: 5 Reasons Why The European Football Championship Is Better Than The World Cup

Hudsonland — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 09:22:34 -0000

I kinda like having the minnows around, especially when they throw up games like Cameroon Argentina in 1990 and Senegal France in 2002.

The greater number of games (3 a day! for weeks!) is awesome for the armchair fanatic and there's only a maximum of one more game for the players.

Re: Euro 2008 Coverage Has Failed To Match The Tournament

Hudsonland — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:02:36 -0000

I was always a Barry Davies fan, never could stand Motson.

Re: 5 Reasons Why The European Football Championship Is Better Than The World Cup

Hudsonland — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:28:59 -0000

I'd like to state for the record that I do not believe the US MNT deserves to be at Euro 2008.

Re: Euro 2008 Coverage Has Failed To Match The Tournament

Hudsonland — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:50:21 -0000

Examples?

Re: ESPN’s Euro 2008 Dream Goes According To Plan

Hudsonland — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:25:59 -0000

Andy Gray, knowing nothing about players outside of the Premiership, is still way, way better than Tommy Smyth.

The anti-German bias, such as it is, is part of the English national psyche. The bastards keep winning by manifesting their national persona in their football team. Stolid, making up for a lack of flair and real creativity with hard-work, discipline and regular invasions of neighbouring countries, the English hate Germany because they succeed where we fail (also without real flair and falling back on a common work ethic).

And I'm ok with that. Everyone's got to have a nemesis, are we supposed to love ours rather than hate them?

Re: Euro 2008 Semi Final Preview Spain v Russia

Hudsonland — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:23:55 -0000

Can I just say that the referee for this game was bloody brilliant. Time and time again he maintained control of the game by talking to players rather than flashing yellows for every foul and he also let the game flow by not whistling for every contact.

Re: ESPN’s Euro 2008 Dream Goes According To Plan

Hudsonland — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:51:16 -0000

Besty: 'Why do the English hate the Germans? Do you not know ANYTHING about European history? The Germans sort of bombed England. "

I don't think the English hate the Germans because of WW2, it's because of two penalty shoot out defeats (1990 and 96). Same goes for Argentina; it's not the Falklands, it's the Hand of God.

Sanjay: "Whether the English writers admit it or not, there are at least 5 or maybe 6 players on the German national team who would walk into the English team. I’m talking about the likes of Ballack, Podolski, Schweinsteiger, Klose, Lahm, maybe Frings as well."

Not Frings, and probably not Klose. Podolski, Schweini and Lahm have been great (and great counterexamples to the stereotype of the German footballer). Ballack seemed to disappear against Turkey. I just don't see who these English writers are that are supposedly saying otherwise.

Phil: "This fantastic tournament has looked even better in HD. ESPN has two HD channels already, yet FSC and Setanta admit they are years away from getting to that level."

It's gonna suck hard if this is the last we see of HD until 2010. It has been simply awesome.

Regarding the other crap - I enjoy watching soccer. A football team is often seen as a personification of the town, city, region, or country it represents, and is considered to possess some of the characteristics associated with that region. This element can add so much to the experience of watching two teams play.

In the case of the Germans, they are regarded as a nation as being efficient, somewhat humourless etc. In 2006, the football team adopted a style with much more flair and dash, and that itself seemed to represent a new birth of the German nation, as they threw off their inhibitions about celebrating themselves. I think that rebirth both on and off the pitch was welcomed in the English press, at least the bits that I read (I imagine The Sun may have had other feelings towards a resurgent united Germany).

So anyway, I still don't buy this 'English media biased against the Germans' line. To actually prove one way or the other you would have to compare reports in many outlets across many nations to prove that the English press consistently had a lower opinion of the German team than any other country's media. And maybe you've done that, but I suspect you're basing your views on purely anecdotal evidence.

Re: ESPN’s Euro 2008 Dream Goes According To Plan

Hudsonland — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:35:33 -0000

FSC vs GolTV thread?

Is this how we pass six weeks without football?

Re: Bored By The EPL’s Big Four

Hudsonland — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:22:57 -0000

Swindon!

They'll certainly give you a change from supporting United.

Re: GolTV Removed From DISH Network

Hudsonland — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 11:08:13 -0000

I am fucked.

Re: Man United Website Features Berbatov As New First Team Player | EPL Talk

Hudsonland — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 18:01:46 -0000

It's fake. Although that doesn't mean he's not going there...

Re: Man United Website Features Berbatov As New First Team Player | EPL Talk

Hudsonland — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 18:03:22 -0000

For example, Michael Ballack - http://www.manutd.com/publish.sps?pagegid={FE60...

Re: HD Coming To Fox Soccer Channel

Hudsonland — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:49:36 -0000

Except that nowhere in the article does it actually indicate that any matches will be shown in HD. FSC could have an HD feed but still show games in SD, like ESPN[2]HD often does.