Two Weeks Until Bears Season Opener, Where's The Excitement?

I was in Chicago Saturday afternoon, and on my way back to the train station I ran into the crowd arriving for the Bears preseason game against the Cardinals. Amongst the dark blues, oranges, whites, and ghastly pink uniforms, I noticed a change. A shift in jersey-wearing if you will.
The typical 54s, 23s, and 6s were replaced by 34s, 51s, and 89s (Walter Payton, Dick Butkus, and Mike Ditka for the youngsters and uneducated).
I began to wonder about the possible causes for the throwback uniforms and came up with a few different explanations.
1) The typical best-sellers (Urlacher, Hester, and Cutler) have been disappointing. Already on the decline, Urlacher suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1 last season and has been banged up through out the preseason as well. Memories from his Defensive MVP days of the early 2000s have long since faded away. In fact, Urlacher has been reduced to making cameos on Entourage to stay relevant.
Hester is currently a slot receiver masquerading as a number 1. No longer a threat on punt and kick returns, his value has diminished tremendously.
Despite throwing for over 3600 yards and 27 TDs, Cutler's first year in a Bears uniform was defined by his 26 INTs, many of them in the red zone. While many astute observers have noted his lack of competent receivers and offensive lineman, it doesn't diminish the fact that his decision making is questionable at best and leadership qualities are non existent.
You can't really blame fans for being ashamed of wearing any of these three players jerseys.

2) Julius Peppers is experiencing the "Jay Cutler Hangover." I'll use the "Jay Cutler Hangover" in reference to a big name offseason addition that doesn't live up to the preseason hype. Peppers was the best free agent available this offseason and he joins a talented but underachieving defensive line. By all means, some excitement (and jersey sales) should have been generated from this acquisition.
But the fans know better. They don't want to go ape-shit supporting Peppers only to find out he has a bad season next year. Cutler ruined it for him. Bears fans won't be as quick to embrace a big name who hasn't played a down for them yet.
Of course, if Peppers records four sacks in his first two games, things will change.
3) After 2004, that Jerry Azumah jersey didn't get much wear. Remember Jerry Azumah? He had one great year, made the Pro Bowl as a return specialist and quietly retired two years later. I'm not suggesting Johnny Knox will be out of the league in two years, but there are some questions about how he'll fit into the offense. While he also made the Pro Bowl last year, it's unclear what kind of role he will play in the offense this year.
With the possibility of Knox being a one year wonder, not too many people will be rocking number 13 this year. But look on the bright side, Hall of Fame center George Trafton (of the Decatur Staleys) wore number 13. So if you can get a jersey without the name on the back you'll be fine.
By my calculations, the only jerseys left are Lance Briggs, Matt Forte, and Robbie Gould (I'm filing Chester Taylor under category 2). Forte had a terrible year last year, which is attributed more to the offensive line than anything he did. This year he'll be splitting time with Taylor, so who knows how good he'll be.
Robbie Gould is a kicker. If you're wearing the jersey of a kicker that reflects poorly on yourself and your team. Under no circumstances should you be wearing a kicker's jersey. One exception: Adam Vinatieri in his New England days, and that's only because his leg clinched two Super Bowls.
That leaves Briggs. As a Bears fan, that's the only current player's jersey I would recommend. He's been the best player on defense for at least the last four years and has remained healthy. He's a lock for the Pro Bowl every year. He's been so good that most of us fans have forgotten that just three years ago he demanded a trade and said he's never play another down for the Bears again.
Combine an atrocious preseason, a division with two legitimate Super Bowl contenders, and a brutal schedule, and you have the 2010-11 Bears season that no one has high hopes for. This is the first season in the last decade I can remember where no one thinks the Bears have a chance at making the playoffs, not even their own fans.    
So where do you turn when things look hopeless? To the good ol' days. That's the attraction of wearing a Payton, Butkus, or Ditka jersey. They're Hall of Famers. They aren't going to fumble the ball, miss a tackle, or drop a pass. They aren't going to be traded or have a poor season.
They can do no wrong, a strong contrast from what is expected of the Bears this year.

EPL Week 3 - Spurs vs. Wigan, The Day After...

Is Week 3 a little too early to start looking at the standings? Probably, but that doesn't stop us hardcore fans from staring. When I look at the standing, here's what I see: Chelsea at the top (where they will be all season), and Manchester United and Arsenal tied for second with seven points each.
You'll notice the top 3 are the top three from last year. Spurs were last year's fourth place and are currently lost in the sea that is the 6 way tie for 5th place. Ok, if there's a 6 way tie, then it's too early to start looking at standings.
There's too many reasons to go into detail about why this loss hurts, so excuse me while I delve into list format.
1) Wigan looked to be the worst defensive team in the league, giving up 10 goals in their first two matches.
2) Spurs controlled 64 percent of the possession against a side that didn't even attempt an offensive attack until the last 15 minutes.
3) They were coming off a 4-0 dismantling at home that clinched a spot in the Champions League group stages.
4) They had nine more corners in the game.
5) The first 80 minutes of the game looked like a draw was the worst case scenario.
I'll stop there. It's hard to explain how quickly this game became a disappointment. I don't have TiVo or anything, but I seem to remember boos reigning down within the first 20 minutes.
The crowd in attendance and everybody watching (myself included) expected at least a 4-0 win. The scoreless tie at halftime was already a disappointing effort from Spurs.
While watching I tried to justify the performance. No big deal, Wigan is playing out of their minds defensively and we're playing sluggish offensively. We'll be able to push a goal across in the second half. It won't be the impressive score we were looking for, but it's still three points.
At the 70th minute I had come to grips with the fact that this game was going to be a scoreless tie. I wasn't happy about it, but at least we'd get a point. You can't give away points, especially at home.
Then Hugo Rodallega puts a weak shot past back up goalie Carlo Cudicini and I'm stunned that the Spurs are actually going to lose.
A couple more performances like this and I won't be directing my attention towards the top of the standings to find Spurs.    

Defoe May Not Need Surgery After All

While Jermain Defoe's possibly surgery may not be the biggest injury news of the day, that honor goes to Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg, it has certainly caught the attention of soccer fans. Two weeks ago, Defoe aggravated a groin injury he suffered during the World Cup in the first leg of Tottenham's match against Young Boys.
After scoring one of Spurs' four goals in their 4-0 blowout in the second leg, Defoe's groin apparently feels fine. It's amazing what a win and beneficial no call will do for a player's spirit.
The cynic in me believes that if this injury has nagged Defoe for the last two months, there's no reason why it's going to stop now, especially if he continues to play and put added stress on it. Ask anyone who has suffered a major injury. You have your good days and your bad days. And Defoe happens to be in that "good" stage. For now.
Many questioned why Defoe didn't have the surgery after the first Young Boys match. He sat out against Stoke, so it would have seemed like a perfect time to get it done. It turns out that Defoe was adamant about helping his team advance to the Champions League group stage. Even if he could only play 60 minutes, he wanted to contribute whatever he could.
It made sense at the time, but quite frankly, Spurs would have been just fine without Defoe. Defoe's possible surgery is expected to heal in about 4 weeks. At this point, he could have been a week and a half through the healing process.
Manager Harry Redknapp says that Defoe will play this week against Wigan, and if he feels fine then he may not need surgery. But if his groin starts to bother him again, he'll have the surgery after the game, no questions asked.
If Defoe does eventually need surgery, this is the point in the season to do it. Here's the forecast for the next four weeks. Next weekend is a bye, then West Bromwich Albion on the road, and Wolves at home. All three are winnable games even without Defoe.
The game towering above all else is Spurs first game against Werder Bremen, September 14th on the road. This will be one of the most, if not the most important game in determining whether Spurs can advance out of the group stages.
Defoe would have missed this game even if he elected to have surgery a week and a half ago. Here's to hoping he'll be able to suit up for it.
I'm no doctor, but I do know that reoccurring injuries don't often heal themselves. If there's a possible exception to this rule, I'm hoping for it now.

Champions League Draw Finally Here

At precisely 11:45 CT I was staring at my computer, steadily hitting the refresh button every 60 seconds. This is what I would call typical "Ebay Behavior." Hitting refresh every few seconds hoping for a positive development. Which inevitably leads you to question your life and priorities because all you've accomplished in the last ten minutes is staring and periodically working out your right index finger.
As I found myself engaging in Ebay Behavior at 11:45 this morning, this time it wasn't to make sure I was still the high bidder for a rare Sega Genesis game, but to see Spurs' Championship League Draw.
The sad part about this is that they could have thrown any teams in their group and I still wouldn't have known if it was a good or bad draw. That's what research is for. See, I did learn something in school.
From what I gathered, Spurs' draw could have been better, could have been worse. I know, world class digging. For the complete list of groupings, click here.
For new fans like myself, the groupings are made easy. Teams are separated into 4 pots, with 8 teams in each pot. Pot 1 is supposed to consist of the best teams, while pot 4 is the worst. Each group is made up of one team from each pot.
Without further ado, here's who Spurs (who were part of pot 3) drew.

Inter Milan (Italy, Pot 1) - Go ahead and pencil Inter Milan into the knockout stages now. Consider these factors:
1) They won the Champions League last year and return every player from their starting lineup in the championship game.
2) They have world class players Wesley Sneijder (arguably the best player in the 2010 World Cup), Julio Cesar (arguably the best goalkeeper in this tournament), Samuel Eto'o, Diego Milito, and Lucio.
There's probably a third point, but it pales in comparison to the first two. Plain and simple, Inter Milan is one of only a handful of teams that is expected to win this tournament.
In addition to their national success, Inter has dominated Italy's Serie A as of late. They've been crowned champions of Italy's premier soccer league the last five years in a row. They're also the only team in Serie A that can say they've never dropped out of the league in their 100 plus year existence.
The best Spurs can hope for is a draw at home. Either way, it should be a riveting scene when Inter visits White Hart Lane.
Inter plays in Giuseppe Meazza stadium, the largest stadium in Italy, seating around 80,000. I'm guessing that game may be a tad intimidating.
Some other interesting information I learned: don't ever shorten Inter Milan to "Milan." Milan is AC Milan's shortened name, who also happen to be Inter's biggest rival. The two side's fans are typically split along class lines, and don't much care for each other.

Werder Bremen (Germany, Pot 2) - Werder Bremen comes in as a team that finished 3rd in last year's Bundesliga, Germany's premier soccer league. Werder seem to be the wild card of this group. If they show up, they should advance, but this is not the same team as last year's third place club.
Most notably, Werder lost German World Cup standout Mesul Ozit to Real Madrid at the start of this season.
They didn't respond well, dropping their first Bundesliga game 4-1 to a TSG Hoffenheim side that finished 11th in the league last year.
Werder can hang their hat on the fact that they've finished in the top 3 of their league in 6 of the last 7 years. They will have time to adjust to life without Ozit and could very well turn it around in time for the Champions League.
The trip to Weserstadion should be a fun one. Werder's stadium is located on the bank of the Weser River and a ship's whistle sounds every time they score a goal. Hopefully that whistle won't be blowing too often in Tottenham's game though.
Spurs' match ups with Werder will likely determine the second team to come out of Group A.

FC Twente (Netherlands, Pot 4) - I've been tempted to just call them 20. You know, that's how it looks doesn't it? Ok, I have no idea how to pronounce this Dutch's teams name, in fact, I know very little about them.
They finished first in the top Dutch league Eredivisie last year. They finished second in 2009. While not thought of as a dominant league, it would be foolish to overlook this side. In 1975, they actually were the runner up in the Champions League. So there, they already have more experience than Spurs in this tournament.
Twente's De Grolsch Veste stadium's seating was doubled in the late 90s. What that tells me is they have a growing fan base that surely will be rowdy come game time. Especially against a pot 3 team they feel presents the best chance of earning three points.
Spurs haven't exactly looked good on the road this year. They fell 3-2 to Young Boys, and a bad call saved them from a draw against Stoke.
Both of these teams should have been convincing victories, even on the road. If Spurs don't start playing better away from White Hart Lane, the road game against Twente could prove to be especially costly.

We Did It! Spurs Advance To Champions League Group Play

After a less than stellar performance on the artificial turf of Stade de Suisse, Spurs came back with a vengeance to secure a 4-0 win at home. Despite the heavy rainfall and a goaltending switch after halftime, Tottenham continued to impressive through out.
Peter Crouch stole the show, scoring three goals, two off of set pieces. At the five minute mark, Crouch headed in a corner from Gareth Bale. The goal was Crouch's first of the season, and put his side at ease going forward.
Crouch scored again in the 61st minute, heading in another corner from Bale. Crouch calmly approached a penalty kick twenty minutes later and completed his hat trick by sticking the ball in the bottom left of the goal.
Striker Jermain Defoe postponed surgery to help his team advance to the group stage. He scored Spurs' second goal on a controversial non-hand ball call. Defoe received the pass off his arm, continued with the play while the defender complained, and scored with his left foot. Despite Young Boys' protests, none of the referees saw the hand ball and the goal was upheld.
Although overshadowed by Crouch's hat trick, Gareth Bale continued his excellent play. He recorded four assists in the game, and would have scored if he wasn't tackled inside the box. Bale was brought down by defender Senad Lulic, who was ejected from the game after his second yellow card.
Towards the end of the first half, Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes asked to be removed from the game after suffering a leg injury. Redknapp stuck with him through the first half before sending out Carlo Cudicini as his replacement.
Cudicini was only challenged once and made the save easily.
The announcer summed it up best when he said Spurs played with "Pride, Privilege, and Achievement." That's what I love about English announcers and England in general. Can you imagine a scenario where an American announcer would utter those three words in succession to describe a sporting event? Absolutely not. Only the English.
Spurs will find out which group they are drawn into tomorrow. I'll be anxiously awaiting, researching, and will come back tomorrow prepared to provide updates.

Making Sense Of The UEFA Champions League

I'd planned on writing about the Champions League last week but held off due to my frustration over the Spurs' result. I've talked about the learning process that comes with following a new sport or league and the Champion's League tournament is just that.
Of course, I didn't know what the Champions League was. All I knew was that it was an honor to be there and for a highly touted English Premier League team, it would be a disaster to not qualify for the group stages.
Here's what I learned. The top four teams from the EPL (based on last year's standings) qualify for tournament play. The top three (Chelsea, Manchester United, and Arsenal) automatically qualify for the group stage. My fourth place Spurs have to earn their spot into the group stages.
It's kind of hard to explain, but there are four rounds leading up to group play. Similar to the NCAA college basketball tournament, teams are awarded placement based on performance but also the strength of the conference which they play in.
For the first three rounds, a total of 49 European clubs battled it out for 15 of the 20 spots in the fourth round, known as the playoff round. The playoff round is separated into two categories: the Champions and Non-Champions.
The Champions division consists of ten teams that advanced from the third qualifying round. All of these teams were champions of the European league which they played in. They're all matched up at random, with five teams from this division moving on to the group stages.
The Non-Champions league also consists of ten teams, five teams that advanced from the third qualifying round, and five teams from top European leagues that didn't win their league but finished high enough to qualify. Spurs fall into this category. These ten teams are also paired up at random and five of them will advance to the group stages.
The ten teams that advance from the playoff round will join the 22 automatic qualifiers to complete the 32 team field in the group stages. From here, it plays exactly like the World Cup. The teams are randomly broken down into eight 4-team groups, and the top two teams from each group advance to the knock out stages.

For their playoff round match up, Spurs drew the Young Boys from Switzerland. Young Boys were largely regarded as the worst team out of the 9 that the Spurs could have drew, despite beating Turkish squad Fenerbache 1-0 on the road to nullify their first 2-2 match up.
Riding high from their advancement, Young Boys shocked Spurs in their first match up, earning a 3-2 win at home. While they earned the victory, they gave up 2 goals in the second half, despite recording a 3-0 advantage at halftime.
This is important, because if both team's earn a victory, the tie-breaker is goals scored. If the number of goals is the same, the tie-breaker goes to the team that scored more goals on the road. If both sides are still even, it comes down to penalty kicks.
Here are the scenarios which Spurs would advance:
1) A 1-0 victory
2) A 2-1 victory
3) A victory by 2 or more goals regardless of the score
If they draw, lose, or give up 3 or more goals in a one goal victory, they will be eliminated. 
Spurs will play the second leg of their Young Boys match up tomorrow. I want this win bad. The group stage format is one of the best in all of sports, and I've been without it for a month now. Please Spurs, please, I need this, you need this. Think of the children. Better yet, think of the lucrative television deals that will follow.
It won't be easy. Spurs will be without midfielder Luca Modric. Jermain Defoe, who needs groin surgery after reaggravating an injury in the first leg, could play anywhere from 45 to 60 minutes. It is unclear whether forwards Roman Pavyluchenko or Robbie Keane will be available.

EPL Week 2 - City vs. Reds

For two teams with lofty expectations this year, it's never too early to start placing a certain amount of importance on a week two game. The fact is, each team only plays each other twice, so when two teams battling for top 4 position meet up, the match can not be understated.
Chelsea, Manchester United, and Arsenal are the perennial favorites for top 4 position every year, leaving one spot open that both Manchester City and Liverpool look to vacate this year.
Both teams were coming off of poor showings. City was lucky enough to come away with a draw, as goalkeeper Joe Hart made four or five miraculous saves against Spurs last Sunday. Liverpool was looking to bounce back from a goalkeeping error that cost them a win over Arsenal.
Newest City addition James Milner wasted no time getting acclimated to his new club. Milner set up Gareth Barry's goal in the 13th minute with a nice delivery in front of the net. It would be City's only goal of the first half despite dominating possession.
City would strike again right after half time from a set piece. A Micah Richards header off a corner kick may or may not have been deflected into the net by Carlos Tevez. Either way, Tevez celebrated like he nudged it in, and was given credit for the goal.
Tevez would score another goal off a free kick in the 67th minute to put the match out of reach.
City looked much more impressive this week than their first. They took care of the ball much better and led a more focused offensive attack.
Liverpool, however, was out of sync the entire game. Striker Fernando Torres embodied his team's struggles. Still suffering from a groin injury from last July, Torres turned the ball over a few times and appeared slow on some of his shots and deliveries. He was hoping the club season could erase some of the memories of his poor play in South Africa, but so far he has had no such luck.
Reds mounted only one good scoring opportunity the entire game. Approaching the 60th minute, Steven Gerrard bounced a shot off the left post. Hart then successively denied Ngog and Torres to preserve the clean sheet for City.  
Even though we're only two weeks into the season, this match up provided a better sense of where second tier team such as Spurs, City, and Reds are fitting in.