Slicky, I am formally and publicly announcing that I have selected my team and I have only one thing to say...
When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark.
At the end of the storm there's a golden sky
And the sweet, silver song of a lark.
Walk on through the wind, walk on through the rain,
Though your dreams be tossed and blown.
Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart,
And you'll never walk alone.
You'll never walk alone.
Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart,
And you'll never walk alone.
You'll ne-ever walk alone.
I know that it is a little cheesy to pick a team that has been at the top of the sport during recent years and become instantly passionate about it, but I have the following reasons for choosing Liverpool F.C.
- My Grandma and the rest of my extended family on that side are Liverpudlians. I would rather be thought a fool than cross my Grandmother who survived the Bombing of Britain in WWII as an independent teenager. I figure if I have to pick a sports franchise in a nation I've never visited, it may as well be in a city to which I have an ancestral relation(Don't ask about Everton F.C., also from Liverpool).
- Though I did enjoy watching Man U. play in the Champions League, that would really have been cheesy. I can still pull for EPL in international play.
- While a good team, LFC did place 3rd in the Premiership last season, making them suitably mediocre within the top tier.
Not exactly the greatest of reasons to pull for a team, but most sports fans who cheer for a non-local team do so based upon a vague childhood recollection or a fondness for the colors.
Update: I had seen this in the news, but had forgotten about it until I just heard it on World Soccer Daily (the greatest free podcast on the web). Liverpool's fans have just been named the "worst fans in the world" and I am apparently joining their thuggish ranks.
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You scouser! I appreciate the blog for an audience of one...namely, me!
ReplyDeleteLet's get down to business. I have heard it said that you don't pick the EPL team you root for, it picks you. I think this is a perfect example of this soccer law in action. First, you can claim ancestoral linkages to Liverpool. I tried that approach, but we can't nail down where in England my Dad's side came from (Norway is easy on my Mom's side, since it was only 2-3 generations ago). Second, red looks good on you. Third, if Liverpool truly are the worst fans (which UEFA can produce 25 separate instances similiar to forging $1000 Champions League tickets to substantiate this claim) I see it fitting that someone who also cheered for the Raiders in high school should also be a Liverpool fan. Fourth, Liverpool is an icon of English football so you shouldn't have to worry about them EVER being relegated down a division. Fifth, they have Peter Crouch...a 7 foot tall forward who scored two goals this season on BICYCLE kicks. Enough said. ...and sixth, to complete the the "unholy" list, if you actually do a Google search on Liverpool Matt Gaw, with the exception of your blog this actually comes up:
http://www.blogstoday.co.uk/bloghome.aspx?username=A%20view%20from%20the%20office
Apparently, this guy from the UK has a buddy in the UK named Matt Gaw and mentions him and Liverpool in his blog (separate entries). There you have it.
Although my team has not yet chosen me, I fully endorse you becoming a Liverthugian and I look forward to many future rivalries when the opportunity presents itself! The lines in the sand have been drawn my friend, the lines have been drawn.
First, in discussing the title of worst fans, the WSD pointed out that they had complaints from something like 54 international matches in recent years...which was exactly the total of international matches that LFC played during that period. I like that kind of consistancy. Second, I still cheer for the Raiders when bother to be interested in the NFL. Third, the fact that they will never be relegated was somewhat of a downside. It seems that persevering through relegation makes you a true fan. And finally, 7 foot tall, bicycle-kicking footballers are just enough of a freak show to keep me interested.
ReplyDeleteThat freak show just may start tomorrow against Estonia! Seriously, congrats on joining the ranks of the beautiful game! You should check out YouTube for some good videos of Liverpool and the fans. I'm sure you'll find some great renditions of You'll Never Walk Alone.
ReplyDeleteI heard that he may get the nod. I want another bike tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteGood game tonight bro. Keep up the hustle. Although they came back and won, it's not like we were beating them in play the first half. They had lots of shots in the first half but just couldn't make any. The second half they made the shots they took. Although I did score goals (Stacey keeps track), I let in 2 on 2 shots when I was playing goalie, plus left my man twice on 2 of their goals. So, I really only came out +1 on the night. But, who's really keeping score - I am just there to have fun. We'll get them next time.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I think their shots were just really off in the 1st half. We were outplaying them but once they started attacking we kind of fell apart on D. I think playing on the house team is tough because we can't customize our strategy to take advantage of each player's strength. You should never have to drop back to goal to play defense. We needed you (or the guy who had the other 6 goals) as an outlet to start a counter. We should be able to defend with 4. My real strength is not playing face-to-face D or strictly attack. I am more useful in the midfield when I can add a man to either defense or offense by running a lot.
ReplyDeleteA few times I would try to come up to help an attack and our 70's tennis star would follow and leave a man behind him. Strangely, if I didn't go, he'd stay back with me unnecessarily. That and his proclivity toward doubling up on the ball while ignoring the backside made it tough to know what to do.
You did a great job and I just hope we can figure something out for a real team that is pretty much the same every week.
Very true...I was telling Stacey the same thing. Regardless of who is playing up top, that person needs to stay there for the counter attack. I think we should ask the big defender and the guy who scored a bunch of goals last night to play on our team. There was also another guy who I played with in our first game that we could use. That would be 8 players. Anyone else?
ReplyDelete