What sports teams do you support?

[Heid the Ba]

Forza gli Azzuri!

I had hoped the Pie Faced Granny Fucker would get sent off but instead he scored. Oh well.

[Arneb]

With their current run of luck, I fancy them to fluke/cheat their way past the Italians :(

I suggest, humbly, that for this once, you, Heid and Lianachan, support England.

You see, as I wrote in another post, if the Germans meet Italy, they lose. And since the winner of the England vs. Italy match goes on to play Germany (or Greece, God forbid) in the semi, I'd humbly ask you to lend your support to England just this once, so our boys can finish them off later.

Deal?

[Lianachan]

With their current run of luck, I fancy them to fluke/cheat their way past the Italians :(

I suggest, humbly, that for this once, you, Heid and Lianachan, support England.

You see, as I wrote in another post, if the Germans meet Italy, they lose. And since the winner of the England vs. Italy match goes on to play Germany (or Greece, God forbid) in the semi, I'd humbly ask you to lend your support to England just this once, so our boys can finish them off later.

Deal?

Absolutely not, sorry. It would go against every fibre of my being. There's as much chance of my falling upwards all the way to the moon as there is of my ever supporting England. Should a fleet of alien motherships arrive, saying they will or will not destroy the Earth based on the result of a football match against England, I'll be rooting for the green guys.

[Heid the Ba]

The English media are already talking about whether the semi against Germany will go to penalties or not.

Balotelli will be up against 3 or 4 club teammates so it will be interesting to see if they manage to wind him up.

[Lianachan]

The English media are already talking about whether the semi against Germany will go to penalties or not.

At least they're only one game away this time. Historically, I can remember them talking about who they'll be playing in the semi finals of competitions before they even played their first group match.

[Lianachan]

Mr the Ba' - have you seen this statement from Vlad?

He's not mincing his words, there. I was expecting it to end with "and the horse they rode in on!".

[Arneb]

Great takedown of the Old Firm mafia, IF it exists. Heid, would you agree with the assessment?


Greece 2 - 4 Germany

Fourth semifinal in a row, and 5 out of the last 6, in the big torunaments. Tidy game, although Boateng played blunderboy a little too often.I knew it would be a tough one when the Greek players started to stall for time 5 _minutes_ into the match.

England or Italy, England or Italy, England or Italy, England or Italy, England or Italy.....Later

[Heid the Ba]

Vlad is an arsehat but he summed it up nicely.

Hopefully Italy. :D

[Arneb]

I beg to to differ this once. As Mehmet Scholl, former Bayern whizkid and on-and-off Germany international said, England are utterly predictable, while Italy, with their two crazy forwards, can wreak a lot of havoc.

Rare occasion that I'll support England, but this is definitely the time.

Meanwhile,
Spain 2 - 0 France

Is anyone else here starting to feel that tiqui-taca can really, REALLY get on your nerves? It looked so elegant 2 years ago, and now it's just stale.

[Arneb]

Heid, Lianachen, please support England with me tonight for an even more humiliating defeat against the Germans next Thursday.

You see, I WANT to see the Sun having to eat its Panzer, Nazi, Siegfried Line, Vee Vill giff you a Right Royal Srashing rhetoric, I WANT to see the keeling over and throwing up to the tune od "God save Our Gracious Queen" stopped cold after a conclusive header by Miroslav Klose, I want all the beer-belly touting and showing-off of unkempt teeth antics to go sour when our mixed immigrant lot gives them hell with a nice and tidy 2-0 or so.

So much better than the smirk on the face of some Italian diver after he has tricked the ref into blowing the whistle for a deciseive yet unjustified penalty against that Boateng dumbboy in the 89th minute.

You CANNOT want that, can you?

[Мастер]

Heid, Lianachen, please support England with me tonight for an even more humiliating defeat against the Germans next Thursday.

You see, I WANT to see the Sun having to eat its Panzer, Nazi, Siegfried Line, Vee Vill giff you a Right Royal Srashing rhetoric, I WANT to see the keeling over and throwing up to the tune od "God save Our Gracious Queen" stopped cold after a conclusive header by Miroslav Klose, I want all the beer-belly touting and showing-off of unkempt teeth antics to go sour when our mixed immigrant lot gives them hell with a nice and tidy 2-0 or so.

So much better than the smirk on the face of some Italian diver after he has tricked the ref into blowing the whistle for a deciseive yet unjustified penalty against that Boateng dumbboy in the 89th minute.

You CANNOT want that, can you?

Maybe next time.

[MM_Dandy]

Meanwhile, in US sports, the Miami Heat have taken home the the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Heat player Mike Miller hails from South Dakota, and has become the second South Dakota born player to win an NBA championship, and the only one that attended school here through high school. Med Park, who won a championship with the 1958 St. Louis Hawks, was born in Britton, SD, but grew up in Missouri. At any rate, Seattle fans are slightly less disgruntled.

And now, back to futbol.

[Arneb]

Maybe next time.

Yeah, I guess they just have to break the spell, then.

MMDandy, I am very happy to hear of American sports here, too- though I can't take part in the discussion, at least not in any way knwoledgeably. Maybe I can throw out some generic uninformed sterotypes?

[Lianachan]

Finally England's seemingly endless supply of four leaf clovers and rabbits' feet ends and they are out. Astonishing that it went to penalties, as they could easily have lost 5 or 6 - 0. Inevitably, trouble ensued.

Commiserations, Arneb. I'm sure you can beat Italy though.

[Lance]

Maybe next time.

Yeah, I guess they just have to break the spell, then.

MMDandy, I am very happy to hear of American sports here, too- though I can't take part in the discussion, at least not in any way knwoledgeably. Maybe I can throw out some generic uninformed sterotypes?

When something sounds good, just "Wuf!". If something sounds real bad, throw out a "Wuf!". That's really all a casual observer needs to know. It applies equally to all sports in the U.S.

[Arneb]

Thanks for the heads-up, Llance,... sorry,


Wuf!!!

[MM_Dandy]

No problem, Arneb. I know that for the most part, there is interest in American sports here (even American Football!), they just don't get top billing. I hope I didn't come across as sarcastic, as sarcasm was not intended.

[Arneb]

No worries :D

[Heid the Ba]

Well Rangers won't be in the SPL next season. Due to the venality and financial cowardice of the SPL chairmen we'll likely be in the First Division next year rather than the Third where we should be.

[Lianachan]

Well Rangers won't be in the SPL next season. Due to the venality and financial cowardice of the SPL chairmen we'll likely be in the First Division next year rather than the Third where we should be.

I'd consider your lot getting parachuted into the first division more offensive than just staying in the SPL, personally. Can't see many div 1 chairmen voting for it either, it's a highly competitive league and it's hard enough to get promoted out of it as it is. You have to be a legendary team of supermen like Ross County to manage it.

[Heid the Ba]

Indeed, I really wouldn't be surprised if we didn't get out at the first attempt. We really ought to be good enough, even with the team we'll have, to get from the Third to the First in two seasons but I think it would be four seasons to the SPL.

As for Whittaker and Naismith, fuck them with a big fucky thing. I have no problem with them leaving but don't talk shite about the new club having no connection to the old. Leave for money or for personal ambition, fine, that is the nature of sport but don't be a wanker about it.

And yes, we need legendary supermen like the Ross County players. :D

[Lianachan]

As for Whittaker and Naismith, fuck them with a big fucky thing. I have no problem with them leaving but don't talk shite about the new club having no connection to the old. Leave for money or for personal ambition, fine, that is the nature of sport but don't be a wanker about it.

I had two thoughts about that when I heard it on the radio:

1) What a pair of arseholes, for exactly the reasons you describe
2) Thin end of a wedge? What squad (and supporters!) could Sonofhuns take to Div 3?

And yes, we need legendary supermen like the Ross County players. :D

Our team, which only lost one league match all last season, was pretty much exactly the same as the one which had been mediocre (and that's being kind) the season before. Bit more fire in their belly, I suppose. Obviously, your lot being replaced by either Dungfermline or Dungdee increases the number of teams we could beat, with resultant improvement to chances of relegation avoidance.

[Heid the Ba]

Thin end of a wedge? What squad (and supporters!) could Sonofhuns take to Div 3?

A couple of players have said they will stay, notably McCulloch. Ok, he's a bit of a donkey but good enough for the next couple of years. There will be enough fans, many will leave but others like me will be more involved. All we need to get out of the Third is a couple of SPL players and a team good enough for the Second; to get out of the Second a couple of SPL players and a team good enough for the First. That should be easily fundable given the level of support.

The general feeling among the Huns seems to be that if we can't stay in the SPL then it should be the Third and sod the SPL. If the economic effect on everyone else causes them problems then Hell mend them. I think we shouldn't stay in the SPL and should go to the Third, the same as any other new team would. The consequences for us and anyone else are irrelevant.

Our team, which only lost one league match all last season, was pretty much exactly the same as the one which had been mediocre (and that's being kind) the season before. Bit more fire in their belly, I suppose. Obviously, your lot being replaced by either Dungfermline or Dungdee increases the number of teams we could beat, with resultant improvement to chances of relegation avoidance.

I don't think motivation will be much of a problem for whoever plays for us next year. If I was a 19 year old in the youth team at Ibrox I'd be licking my lips at the thought of next season.

[Heid the Ba]

How funny was it that the prancing cockwallet didn't get to take a penalty? I laughed and laughed. :D

[Lianachan]

How funny was it that the prancing cockwallet didn't get to take a penalty? I laughed and laughed. :D

I was at work at the time, only saw the first 80 mins or so of the match.

However, the BBC would have me believe that if he'd taken Portugal's first penalty then they'd probably have gone on to win. Because he's the best player in the world, and not at all a diving ponce, or something like that.