Hardin-Simmons College Made a Big Mistake Hiring Craig Carse!
Parents out there: do not send your young men to play at this school! Please go somewhere else. Look at other programs out there.
If you do send your sons to play basketball for this man you will be sorry that you did! I think Hardin-Simmons could have found someone better to lead their young men!
Well, well, well – what do we have here? A big three? That’s sure what it looks like atop the English Premier League, with a Carlos Tévez-less Manchester City falling off-the-pace after losing in Wolverhampton. While none of Chelsea, Arsenal, or Manchester United were dominant, each picked up three points to gain some distance at the top of the league.
Myself, Kartik Krishnaiyer and Laurence McKenna will discuss that, the rest of the league’s matches, results from around Europe, as well as …
Whatever you want. This is your pre-show open thread, and as you can tell from our previous shows, the podcast is much better when you take part. Use the comments section, below, or email richardfarley@gmail.com and we will get your thoughts on Monday morning’s now.
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| Week 8 | Steve | Jimmy | Clayton | Bernie | Chris |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaguars at Cowboys (-6.5) | Jaguars | Cowboys | Jaguars | Cowboys | Cowboys |
| Panthers at Rams (-2.5) | Rams | Rams | Rams | Rams | Rams |
| Broncos at 49ers (-2.5) | Broncos | Broncos | 49ers | Broncos | Broncos |
| Bills at Chiefs (-7) | Bills | Bills | Chiefs | Bills | Chiefs |
| Dolphins (-1) at Bengals | Bengals | Dolphins | Dolphins | Bengals | Bengals |
| Packers at Jets (-6.5) | Jets | Packers | Jets | Jets | Jets |
| Redskins at Lions (-3) | Redskins | Lions | Redskins | Redskins | Redskins |
| Titans at Chargers (-5) | Titans | Titans | TItans | Titans | Chargers |
| Vikings at Patriots (-5.5) | Patriots | Patriots | Patriots | Patriots | Vikings |
| Seahawks at Raiders (-2.5) | Raiders | Raiders | Raiders | Raiders | Raiders |
| Buccaneers at Cardinals (-3) | Buccaneers | Buccaneers | Buccaneers | Buccaneers | Buccaneers |
| Steelers at Saints (-1.5) | Steelers | Saints | Saints | Steelers | Steelers |
| Texans at Colts (-5.5) | Colts | Colts | Colts | Texans | Colts |
| 2010 Overall Record | 48-55 | 41-61 | 42-46 | 47-40 | 45-43 |
By all accounts it has been a rollercoaster week for Newcastle United boss Chris Hughton. After an impressive win away to West Ham, bookmakers suspended betting on Hughton been the next Premier League manager to lose his job.
The pressure was heightened after the Toon were dumped out of the Carling Cup by Arsenal , but today Hughton’s side were in stunning form as they brushed aside Sunderland to record a stunning 5-1 win over there local rivals.
A hat-trick from Kevin Nolan and as well as a brace from Shola Ameobi was easily enough to guide Newcastle to victory, but perhaps more importantly for Hughton, the win could go a long way to saving his job.
Hughton himself received the backing from the Geordie faithful during today’s game and was delighted with the crowds support. He said: “It means a lot and I’m always grateful to hear that. They are a spirited group of fans. All of the decisions on contracts will be made by the club.
“But we will enjoy today and so will the supporters. The most important thing has always been seeing a wonderful group of players doing well and wanting to do it for this football club. The win is three points against our local rivals and you can see what it means to the players. It was a wonderful team performance with some outstanding individual performances too.”
You really do have to hope that this result will go a long way to earning Hughton a new contract. While the Toon have had a very inconsistent start to life back in the Premier League, it was only to be expected given the lack of funds spent during the summer. In many ways I think Newcastle have vastly exceeded expectations with 14 points from their opening ten games.
The pressure on Hughton comes because he does not have the big name reputation as previous managers. But previous managers have all failed at Newcastle, maybe a low-profile manager like Hughton is exactly what they need in their bid to ensure Premier League safety.
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It’s amazing how many times referees ruin soccer matches. I know every time it happens I have to remind myself that this so-called “human element” is apparently very important to the major powers that be in world soccer’s hierarchy. It does not soothe me, though. It just doesn’t.
I was outraged, as all of you were, at the blatant mistakes made in this past Summer’s World Cup. The brutal job in the USA-Slovenia match will not be forgotten by Americans any time soon. There were a lot of casual fans wondering how it was possible that the world’s largest sporting event could be handled by such incompetents. A lot of us were left shrugging our shoulders and having to explain to our non-hardcore friends that these things occasionally happen and it’s all part of soccer’s rich tapestry. And then we cry into our pillows and wonder why oh why we follow this maddening sport.
Most of you know by now that my Dad is a lifelong Tottenham Hotspur supporter and longtime season ticket holder. Now, I don’t know how many of you managed to catch yesterday’s Manchester United-Tottenham Hotspur match, but there was yet another mystifying and ultimately ludicrous refereeing gaffe. To quickly describe, United leading 1-0 late in the match, a tense affair, and United break loose up the right hand side. Nani ends up on the receiving end of a pass, loses his balance and ends up falling basically right on top of the ball, including putting his hand on the ball. Referee Mark Clattenburg, the stooge in question, does not signal for…anything, really…but the players all assume it’s a free kick for the keeper to take. Now, Spurs keeper Heurelho Gomes picks up the ball, places it on the ground (moving it away from the spot where Nani fell on the ball), and prepares to kick it. Nani has picked himself up and is coming from behind Gomes, and he has a quick peek at Clattenburg, who seemed to signal that the ball was actually in play and not being taken as a free kick. Now, here’s where it goes mental. Nani kicks the ball into Spurs net, and Clattenburg signals goal. Spurs players go mental, and run over to the linesman to say that Nani cannot do what he just did, and someone must have said something that resonated, because the linesman then puts his flag up to indicate…something (we all assume it was “offside” but I’m still not sure exactly)…and while Nani is celebrating his goal, Clattenburg decides to investigate why the flag is now up.
He strides over to the linesman, they have a quick chat while Rio Ferdinand comes over and berates both of them, and then Clattenburg, the final arbiter, points to the center of the pitch to indicate a good goal.
Seriously.
It’s just yet another example of a referee botching the first call by not giving the proper response to Nani’s hand touching the ball, which at that point makes the ball dead. The second mistake from there is the response to Nani’s inquisitive look which was essentially “Yes, the ball’s in play, have a go.” Now, if there were any questions about whether or not the ball was live, he had to address that with everyone, not just Nani. It’s pathetic and yet another example of shoddy refereeing at the highest levels of the game, this time at the club levels.
Now, to clarify. United certainly deserved to win the match. They had largely been the better side, although Spurs did have their moments. They had the lead when this disaster took place, so it wasn’t like this goal decided the match outcome. I’m certainly not suggesting any of that. What I am saying is that it’s ridiculous that things like this go on with no recourse for the teams that are hurt by these things, and there is no responsibility at all on the referee to explain what it was he or she was trying to do out there or how they interpreted the play. It’s ridiculous and I’m sad for it.
Here’s Sunday’s television and internet schedule, all times EDT and bear in mind that Europe changed clocks overnight.
7:30am- ESPN3.com/Fox Soccer Plus/FoxSoccer.tv- Palermo vs. Lazio
8:00am- FoxSoccer.tv- Aston Villa vs. Birmingham City
9:30am- Fox Soccer Plus/FoxSoccer.tv- Newcastle United vs. Sunderland
10:00am- ESPN3.com- Brescia vs. Napoli
10:30am- ESPN3.com- Mainz 05 vs. Borussia Dortmund
12:00pm- Fox Soccer Channel- Bolton vs. Liverpool
12:00pm- GolTV- Sporting Gijon vs. Villareal
12:00pm- DirecTV- Malaga vs. Real Sociedad
12:00pm- ESPN3.com- Deportivo La Coruna vs. Espanyol
12:00pm- FoxSoccer.tv- Monaco vs. Bordeaux
2:00pm- Telemundo- Toluca vs. San Luis
2:00pm- Fox Deportes- Morelia vs. Monterrey
2:00pm- GolTV- Athletico Madrid vs. Almeria
3:45pm- ESPN3.com- Catania vs. Fiorentina
4:00pm- DirecTV- Athletic Bilbao vs. Getafe
4:00pm- GolTV- Hannover vs. Hoffenheim (Delayed)
4:00pm- Fox Soccer Plus- Montpellier vs. PSG
8:00pm- ESPN2/ESPN3.com- Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Seattle Sounders FC
I have to be honest, I’m a bit shocked that Aston Villa – B’ham is not on television, but I guess that’s why God invented illegal streams, right? Anyway, enjoy the matches today, thanks as always for your clicks and comments, and if you want to see a writer go completely off on American soccer in general, go read Jamie Trecker’s tweets from last night after watching the RSL-FC Dallas match. Hoo boy. Oh, and Happy Halloween!
In an announcement that is sure to thrill managers of several Premier League clubs, Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has revealed his ambitions of playing in the Premier League. The German midfielder has a contract with the Bavarian club until the summer of 2012, but claims he would be interested in a switch to England.
In an interview with the Sunday Times, Schweinsteiger spoke of his admiration for several Premier League clubs and even gave English fans a glowing reference. He said: “For me, in England the fans are better. When the team give their best, they are not booing. It’s more like they are fans more with the heart.
“I love the atmosphere in English stadiums. When we played last year in Manchester it was fantastic. My brother is a big fan of Man U and he always says, ‘Go to Man U, go to Man U.’ I say, ‘I can’t, I can’t. But I don’t know what will happen with me, I have a contract to 2012 and we’ll see.”
Signing Schweinsteiger would certainly be an incredible coup for any English side. He starred for Germany during the World Cup and was at the heart of their comprehensive Quarter Final victory over a beleaguered England side.
His calm presence in midfield would surely fit in perfectly with the fast pace of the Premier League and while he claims he “can’t” go to Manchester United, if a move was available I’m sure Sir Alex Ferguson would love to bring him to Old Trafford.
The resemblance with Paul Scholes is clear. Two players who love to have the ball and can be deadly when given time and space. Schweinsteiger would certainly be an excellent replacement for Scholes when he finally decides to retire.
Personally I see a move to United as the most likely destination for the midfielder. While Manchester City could obviously attract him with massive wages, United always have the pulling power of success.
Wayne Rooney’s contract extension indicated a big name signing could be round the corner for United, and they don’t get much bigger then Schweinsteiger. Given that he does not have a long term deal either, he wouldn’t come with a massive price tag. So in theory the deal is very feasible.
What do you think? Could Schweinsteiger arrive at Old Trafford? If not could you see the German star elsewhere in the Premier League?
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The scariest thing about the above picture is that it’s real and not Photoshopped. It’s been making the rounds across the Internet for a few weeks now, so it’s hardly new. But it’s the perfect picture to use to wish you a Happy Halloween. Apologies to Liverpool FC supporters.
On this Halloween, we have three Premier League matches in store for us beginning with the Birmingham derby between Aston Villa and Birmingham City at Villa Park. It’s always a very heated tie both on and off the pitch, so be sure to tune in for the 8am ET kickoff wherever you live around the world. It’s followed by the Tyne-Wear derby between Newcastle United and Sunderland at 9:30am ET. There’s a lot on the line for both clubs in this match and Chris Hughton will be hoping for a decent result to ensure he continues to stay in charge of his Newcastle team.
Last but not least we have Bolton at home against Liverpool at Noon ET. This will be a fascinating match to watch to see how the distance between both clubs has closed. Bolton caused Manchester United a scare earlier in the season, so it’ll be interesting to see what Owen Coyle’s side does against a Liverpool team that is desperate for three points. Liverpool never seems to have an easy time at the Reebok Stadium, so this match will be a must-see, as all three are on this Halloween day.
On behalf of EPL Talk, may you and your family have a wonderful Halloween. And either before, during or after the matches today, feel free to post your comments, questions or rants in the comments section below.
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