Bleacher Report - Articles by Thomas

Mirko Vucinic a Point of Interest for Real Madrid

Thomas — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:01:31 -0500

Real Madrid has been hoping to strengthen their attack, but with Ruud van Nistelrooy out for the season, that hope has turned to a virtual necessity. Among the names mentioned in considering a possible Madrid transfer is Roma frontman Mirko Vucinic.

Relations between Roma and Madrid have been very good since Cicinho and Julio Baptista were both transferred from Madrid to Roma. Now it looks like Vucininc could be moving to Madrid.

Under-fire manager Bernd Schuster has not been involved with talks with Vucinic and Roma. Rather, president Ramón Calderón, sporting director Predrag Mijatovic, and technical secretary Miguel Ángel Portugal will be in charge of bringing in players during this midseason transfer window.

The only setback to Vucinic moving to Madrid in January is the fact that the 25-year-old striker would not be able to play for Madrid in the Champions League. Other than that, everything looks good for Vucinic and Real Madrid.

Currently, Roma holds all of Vucinic's contract. Originally, Roma held only 50 percent of his contract while Lecce held the other half. However, Roma paid €19 million for the player to gain all of his contract rights, which means that if Calderón and Real Madrid want the Roma striker, they will have to pay more than €19 million.

The New York Red Bulls: A Hollywood Movie in The Making

Thomas — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 22:17:44 -0500

Hey folks, there's a new movie coming out. It's about an average team that has had some rough spots and hasn't done many things right in the past 12 years. They go through coaches as much as people go through a pair of shoes (about a year); and players almost never stay at the club. The captain went into retirement; their star player got sold to a bigger club for millions; and a couple of their players have been banned from the sport because of illegal substances. They barely make it into the playoffs and somehow make it to the championship. There they meet a club that almost twice as good as them and then...

Sounds like a good storyline for a movie, doesn't it? Well, this is no movie. I just reviewed the Red Bulls entire season into one paragraph. The New York Red Bulls are only a victory away from winning MLS Cup. It might sound like fiction to many sports and soccer fans who have followed the exploits and misadventures of the original MetroStars and the Red Bulls. It seemed the club could do very little right from the onset. However, after what seems like a miracle, they find themselves on MLS's biggest stage - the MLS Cup Final.

In their 13 season history, New York has gone through more coaches (11 in 13 years) and players (202) than any other club in Major League Soccer. What is worse, they haven't been able to gain the exposure people thought they would in New York. In essence, the New York Red Bulls can be considered Major League Soccer's greatest underachievers, much like Newcastle United is in the Premiership.

However, no longer are they just an average club. With a good mix of young and old players, the Red Bulls have found their stride and could be on their way to becoming MLS Champion.

The club couldn't be where it is now without its young players. Let's take a look at some highlights.

- Rookie midfielder Luke Sassano, who turned 23 on Oct. 14, hadn't started a game since the 2-0 win against Toronto FC on Aug. 17 ane then became a forgotten Red Bull, appearing in two more regular season games as a second-half substitute. But after the 5-2 regular-season ending debacle of a loss to the Chicago Fire in which Juan Pietravallo played poorly and after Seth Stammler learned he would miss the postseason with a knee injury, coach Juan Carlos Osorio decided to use Sassano in the defensive midfielder role. He could not have done any better, limiting two-time MLS MVP Dwyane De Rosario to no goals or assists in the upset of the two-time defending champion Dynamo and playing very well Saturday night.

- Midfielder Sinisa Ubiparipovic, a second-year pro and 25 years old, had last seen the starting lineup Sept. 6, when the Red Bulls lost at the Fire. Ubiparipovic played some 25 minutes of the 1-1 draw at Real Salt Lake on Oct. 9. When Venezuelan international midfielder Jorge Rojas, the team's playmaker, underachieved, especially in the regular-season finale, Osorio decided to turn to Ubiparipovic to run the show at central midfielder. Like his good friend Sassano, Ubiparipovic has done a tremendous job, not only on the attack, but on defense as well.

- Thrust into the starting job when verteran Jon Conway was banned for illegal substances, young Danny Cepero has become a very very good goalkeeper. On his debut in October 12th, a freak accident happened - he scored a goal from a 80-yard free kick. Guess who he scored against? None other than the Columbus Crew. Since then, Cepero has remained the Red Bulls starting goalkeeper. He's done a pretty good job at it too.

Let's not forget about the hardened veterans of the club. Without them, the youngsters might not be as good as they are.

- Juan Pablo Angel, 33, might be best known as a goal-scoring machine, but his presence in the locker room has been vital to the team's success. According to Red Bulls players, Angel is the last thing from a foreign player who is a diva. He may be talented, but he has a blue collar mentality, setting an example as the hard-working player. If Angel can do it, the rest of the team has to fall into line.

- Midfielder Dave van den Bergh - the other David in the news on the same day the Los Angeles Galaxy signed David Beckham on Jan. 11, 2007 (the Kansas City Wizards traded van den Bergh to the Red Bulls for a third-round supplemental draft choice) -- has been the team's most consistent player since literally the first minute of the season, scoring seven regular-season goals and one in the playoffs (yeah, the game-winner against RSL). Actually, make that the 47 seconds. In the Red Bulls' season opener on April 5. Van den Bergh, 31, stunned the Giants Stadium crowd by connecting for the fastest goal in club history. After taking a pass from Ubiparopovic, van den Bergh found himself with the ball on the left side and let loose a 24-yard shot for a 1-0 lead the game only 47 seconds old en route to a 2-0 triumph.

Goes to show that a club who gels together goes and wins together (or something like that).

Now like any good sports movie about a down-on-their-luck team, the Red Bulls have to face their biggest opponent on the biggest stage - the Columbus Crew at the MLS Cup Final. The Crew have been a monster this season and go into the final as the favorite. New York is hoping to spoil the party. New Yorkers should take heart in knowing that the Red Bulls have a 2-1 record against the Crew.

There's really only way to explain this phenomena: expect the unexpected.

Jonathan Spector Signs 3-Year Extension At West Ham United

Thomas — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 06:16:37 -0500

Despite recovering from a hip injury, American midfielder Jonathan Spector has signed a three-year extension with West Ham United. According to Spector, West Ham had been renegotiating his contract since last season and promised to get a deal done after he returned to training.

The American international told ESPNSoccernet:"I appreciate their confidence in knowing I'm going to be making a full recovery and knowing I was doing everything I could possibly do in the U.S. for my rehab to make it back. I've certainly enjoyed playing for West Ham and it's somewhere I want to be. I feel I have some things I want to accomplish at West Ham, and I was happy that the club gave me the opportunity to do that.".

Spector has been struggling with a hip injury since the end of last season. The injury has caused him to miss several international friendlies, including the England match at Wembley. The 22-year old had a torn labrum causing him to have surgery in June and miss out on the Beijing Olympics. Although he was expected to be out for three to six months, Spector recently started practicing again. However, he says that he doesn't want to rush any comeback.

Injuries are nothing new at to the Hammers. Key players - including strikers Dean Ashton and Craig Bellamy and midfielders Scott Parker and Kieron Dyer - have missed chunks of time in recent seasons.

Spector is an ambitious player. Among his personal goals, he hopes to become a first-team regular and help the Hammers qualify for Europe. West Ham currently sits at fourteenth on the league table with one point above the relegation zone. According to him, West Ham's fortunes could change with former Chelsea star Gianfranco Zola. Since Zola's takeover, the Hammers have a 2-5-1 record. In their last match on Saturday, West Ham lost to Everton 3-1.

Spector said: "He's had an impact on the club since he's returned to English football, and I think it's a positive impact. I know the results as of late haven't been what we want, but just in terms of the way the team is playing, I think we're playing much better football, and I think that in the long run it's going to pay off."

Robinho Wants Kaka to Join Him at Manchester City

Thomas — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 22:20:23 -0500

Apparently, Robinho is enjoying life at Manchester City. He has just recently dedicated himself to a long-term stay at the club and has said that they could become as powerful as Real Madrid. Now, he wants Kaka to join him.

Robinho told reporters: "He's a great player and a great person. Kaka is fantastic and has so much ability. He is strong intelligent and fast. I hope I can play with him here at City.

"If Kaka or any other great player wants to come here the door is open.

"It's great when we have players like that mentioned with the club. We love it, and the ambition of the owners. All the players are hoping to make this club the best in the world."

Traditionally, Kaka and those around him have said that he will remain at AC Milan. However, they have now said that if Manchester City were to be eligible for Champions League football, he would be willing to join the club.

Robinho himself is looking to become the best player in the world. Currently, he has seven goals since he joined Manchester City. He told reporters: "I hope to play here for many years. I came to City because I saw them growing and making progress.

"I hope to make history at this club and become one of the great heroes at Manchester City. I'm in a very good phase and I hope this will continue."

"I'm enjoying it here, and my aim is to become the best player in the world."

"I hope I can do that here."

Currently, Manchester City have only won once in the last five matches. They sit 15th in the league table with 13 points. Their next match is against newly promoted Hull City.

New York Red Bulls Pull Off 1-0 Victory Over RSL; Heading To MLS Cup Final

Thomas — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 16:09:27 -0500

If you missed tonight's MLS semifinal showdown between the New York Red Bulls and Real Salt Lake, you missed an exciting match. Both clubs were hoping to reach their first ever MLS Cup final, but in the end it was New York who fulfilled their wish by beating RSL 1-0.

The match was hyped up to be a heated and physical matchup and it didn't disappoint. Strangely enough, it wasn't the goals that made this match so exciting. It was the lack of goals.

The only goal in the match came from Dave van den Bergh in the 28th minute which saw the Red Bulls win the match and advance to the final. Although the Red Bulls won, it was really RSL who stole the show.

Real Salt Lake had a total of 24 chances on goal but couldn't convert any of them. On the several occasion, the ball hit against the goalpost; and at other times they completely blew open shots. It was just an unlucky night for RSL. They blew all their chances.

With the win, the New York Red Bulls will be against the Columbus Crew in the MLS Cup final. The match will be at 3:30 pm on the 23rd of November.

Good News for Roma: Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi Ready for Derby

Thomas — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 12:37:21 -0500

Good news for Roma fans ahead of the Rome derby against Lazio as striker and captain Francesco Totti and midfielder Daniele De Rossi have been declared fit and will be included in tomorrow's lineup.

Totti has been struggling all season long with a nagging knee injury. On Friday, he had to leave practice early. After a series of tests, it was determined that he would be able to play in tonight's match.

De Rossi has also been given the nod to play. His wrist injury is not as serious as first thought. Like you really need a wrist to play football anyways.

However, midfielders Rodrigo Taddei and Alberto Aquilani have struggled to get fit and probably won't be able to go tomorrow.

Roma are desperate for points as well as some pride. A win is necessary in order to stop them falling into the drop zone - and to restore some confidence in the team. They are currently 19 points behind leader Inter Milan and just one point ahead of Bologna in the race to avoid relegation.

Ronaldo Passes 100th Goal Mark As Manchester United Defeats Stoke City, 5-0

Thomas — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 10:27:41 -0500

Manchester United celebrated Fergie's 50th anniversary in football with a 5-0 win over Stoke City at Old Trafford. There was over 75,000 people in attendance and they were not disappointed.

United opened the goal scoring in the 3rd minute, when Cristiano Ronaldo converted a free kick into a goal. It was his 100th goal for Manchester United. Stoke attempted to get a goal back 12 minutes later, only to have Edwin van der Sar clear the ball. For most of the first half, it was United who were in control and in the 45th minute they got another goal. Michael Carrick, who is back from injury, drove in a goal to make the score 2-0 to the Reds.

Manchester United went into the second half with a renew vigor and less than five minutes in, Dimitar Berbatov volleyed a shot into the net from a Tevez cross. The score was now 3-0 to United.

Things were going so well for United that Fergie brought on Danny Welbeck, Darron Gibson and Manucho in place of Park, the outstanding Darren Fletcher and the equally impressive Carlos Tevez. It didn't take long for Welbeck to make his mark on the match as he scored on his debut. The 17-year old striker unleashed a powerful shot from 35 yards out to make the score 4-0 in the 83rd minute.

Stoke fans have had to learn many things about the Premiership this season. One of the things they learned was never to insult Cristiano Ronaldo. He'll just show you up. In the 88th minute, he was handed another free kick and again he converted it into a goal.

The match finished 5-0. Manchester United are now sitting at third on the table with 24 points while Stoke City are at fourteenth with 14 points. Chelsea and Liverpool still sit at the top of the table with 32 points each. However, United is quickly finding its former self and has quickly risen towards the top. Soon, they will be able to contest the leaderboard.

The Nine Most Unusual Popular Sports in the World

Thomas — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 23:14:54 -0500

Football, soccer, basketball, baseball—these mainstream sports attract the most interest. However, there is more to sports than just hitting a ball with a stick or throwing something at someone.

Here's just a few of the most unusual popular sports...

1. Extreme Ironing

http://www.goextremeironing.com/

I don't know about you, but I hate ironing. It's so boring. For all you adrenaline junkies out there, there is a way to get your blood pumping while you iron. It's called extreme ironing.

All you have to do is find the craziest way to iron your clothes. If that means ironing across a canyon or while jumping off a cliff, then so be it. As it says on goextremeironing.com, "...we just don't put our lives in danger we risk our laundry to."

Think you can iron your shirt while parachuting?

2. Wife Carrying

Husbands, have no fear. There is a sport which you and your wife can do together—wife carrying.

Originally began in Finland as a joke, the sport has become a sport that attracts many. It seems to becoming very popular in the United States with at least three major competitions a year.

3. Shin Kicking

Any sport, mainstream or not, can be considered useless. However, there is one sport that is absolutely useless but fun: shin kicking.

The point of this sport is to kick your opponent so hard with your shin, that they will fall down or you can throw them down. Talk about ruthlessness. I don't recommend wearing steel-tipped boots, unless you really want to hurt someone.

4. Chess Boxing

http://www.chessboxing.com/

According to Wikipedia, chess boxing is "a hybrid sport which combines the sport of boxing with games of chess." Sounds simple enough. Get a guy in checkmate, then go beat him to a pulp and repeat.

This sport is mostly popular in Europe, but it is gaining world-wide recognition. The sport gains its inspiration from a graphic novel called, Froid Équateur.

5. Zorbing

http://www.zorb.co.nz/

Wanna feel like a hamster? Then zorbing is the perfect sport for you.

According to the official website of the Zorb Ball, “Zorb is the sport of rolling down a hill inside a giant inflatable ball and where New Zealand once again leads the world in stupid things to do while you’re on a vacation.” Sounds fun. I didn't realize that New Zealand was the world leader on stupid things to do while on vacation.

The zorbs can hold as many as three people, making it a great way to battle against rival families.

6. Buzkashi

http://www.afghan-web.com/sports/buzkashi.html

Buzkashi is so popular, that it's a national sport—for Afghanistan.

The aim is to seize a medium-sized decapitated animal (generally a goat, sheep, or calf), ride around a series of obstacles and deposit it in a circle. Sounds easy enough, right? Well, it might not be once you have literally hundreds of guys on horses trying to do the same thing.

Did I mention there's only one decapitated animal? Horses, hundreds of men, a dead animal—sounds like a great time.

7. Cheese Rolling

http://www.cheese-rolling.co.uk/

The rules are very simple: Someone throws a cheese wheel down the hill, and hundreds of people stampede after it. The first person who gets the cheese and crosses the finish line gets to keep the cheese. It's really just a Western version of buzkashi.

The biggest event is the annual The Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling and Wake held in England. I'm not too sure I want cheese that has been thrown down a hill though.

8. Catfish Grabbling

http://www.catfishgrabblers.com/

According to the website, grabbling is "the art of fishing with hands." To get started, all you need is a swimsuit and the ability to wrestle in the water trying to get the catfish if possible.

Don't worry—most of the time they catch and release.

9. Cell Phone Toss

"Why I hate this frik'n phone! Die Nokia!"

Have you ever just wanted to chuck your phone out of anger? I have. Chucking phones has a way of making you happy.

Every so often, people meet up and have chucking competitions. At the Seventh International Mobile Throwing World Championship, the winner chucked a phone 89 meters (or 97 yards).

That's a lot of frustration.

If you want to nominate any other unusual sport, let me know in a comment.

Swedish Wrestler Banned From Competition After Olympic Incident

Thomas — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:10:10 -0500

Remeber that Ara Abrahamian? That Swedish wrestler who threw down his bronze medal in the Beijing Olympics? Well, I was the first and only person to cover that story here on the B/R. For those who missed it, here's the article (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/47705-swedish-wrestler-throws-temper-tantrum-after-winning-bronze-medal).

After months of deciding what to do with Ara, the IOC has finally come up with a decision. They have suspended Ara and his coach, Leo Myllari, from the sport for two years. According to the report: "their scandalous behavior showed a serious lack of Olympic spirit."

Abrahmian won the bronze medal in the competition, but staged a protest and claimed he was cheated. He then threw his medal on the ground and stormed off. In addition of banning Ara and his coach, the IOC also banned Sweden from hosting international wrestling events for two years.

Columbus Crew Defeats Chicago Fire; Heading To First Ever MLS Cup Final

Thomas — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 22:39:17 -0500

One of the two feel-good teams of the year has fulfilled its dream of going to the MLS Cup final. The Columbus Crew defeated the Chicago Fire, 2-1, on Thursday.

The match looked to be a tough matchup and it didn't disappoint. Within the first twenty-five minutes, there had already been tackles and yellow cards shown. Fifteen seconds into the match,Marshall tackled Cuauhtemoc Blanco along the right touchline without a foul being called. Bakary Soumare from the Fire was issued a yellow card in the 22nd minute for tackling Gaven.

It wasn't until the 29th minute that any club scored. Brian McBride powered home one of his famous headers to give the Fire a 1-0 lead. Justin Mapp had floated in a cross toward McBride who easily converted the goal. This was McBride's first match against his former club with an opposing MLS club. Instead of a heart-warming home reunion, banners read "Wanted. McBride. Treason." and chants of "Traitor" could be heard. Any time he was part of the action, McBride was booed.

For the rest of the first half, the Crew could not find a goal. It wasn't until the beginning of the second half that the Crew drew level. A free kick from Schelatto lead to a header goal from Marshall who beat McBride to get the ball. The score was now 1-1.

The match was now in the Crew's favor as they played with a renewed vigor. In the 55th minute, the Crew pulled ahead with another header goal courtesy of Gaven. The Fire attempted to get a goal back, but the Crew held on long enough to win the match 2-1, and advance to the MLS Cup final.

After going 11-2-2 at home during the regular season, the Crew won both playoff games, giving them eight in a row at home, outscoring the visitors 18-3 with five shutouts. Each time the Fire and Crew met during the regular season, the match ended in a 2-2 draw. Both clubs had their own award winners. Chicago had Jon Busch who won MLS Goalkeeper of the Year while Columbus had Marshall who won MLS Defender of the Year.

The next semifinal match between the New York Red Bulls and the other feel-good club, Real Salt Lake, will take place on Saturday. The winner of the match will meet the Columbus Crew in the final.

Tristan Bowen Becomes First Player To Sign From Youth Development Initiative

Thomas — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:22:30 -0500

Congratulations Tristan Bowen, you are the first player to be signed from the Galaxy's youth system.

On Wednesday, Los Angeles announced that they had signed Californian native, Tristan Bowen, to its Developmental Roster. Tristan was signed as part of the program Generation Adidas, meaning that his salary won't count toward the club's total salary.

Bowen has been a part of the Youth Development Initiative, which was started in November 2006. The program helps MLS clubs find talent in local regions. Currently, the Gals have youth clubs in the U-18 and U-16 sections of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. They also have an U-20 club in the USL U-20 league. Since the program's inception, more than 70 players have been identified by the club and today play in the program for the U-16, U-18 or U-20 teams, with no players having to pay the registration fees that are typically associated with similar club soccer programs.

Tristan Bowen is a forward who has been with the U-18 and U-20 US National Team. He joined the Gal's youth program after an open tryout back in February of 2007. Bowen was a member of the U-17 teams that represented the Galaxy at the 2007 and 2008 SUM Under-17 Cup in Colorado, as well as one of the top scorers for the Galaxy U-20 team that won the USL Super-20 League title this season. starts. He is eligible to play for the club during the club's friendly against an Oceania All-Star Team in Auckland, New Zealand on December 6 and will be eligible to make his MLS debut during the 2009 campaign. Bowen has already played four Reserve Division matches this year for the club.

Prior to the Galaxy leaving for New Zealand, Bowen will accompany the U.S. Under-20 National Team to Madrid, Spain for a week-long training camp from Nov. 15-23. Bowen and the U.S. will play friendlies against reserve teams from Real Madrid (Nov. 19), Athletico Madrid (Nov. 20) and Rayo Vallecano to round out the trip on Nov. 22.

At the announcement, Bowen told reporters: "I'm really excited to be signing with the Galaxy so that I can stay at home here in Los Angeles. It's been a great experience training with the first team and with the academy and I'm looking forward to getting started. It really hasn't set in but it feels great. It's an honor to be the first player to move up from the academy to the first team and I can only hope for the best.

Gary Smith Named Head Coach For Colorado Rapids

Thomas — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 22:09:36 -0500

Although the Colorado Rapids did not make it to the MLS Playoffs, the club did very well this season - thanks in large part to interim head coach, Gary Smith.

On Tuesday, the Rapids took the name " interim" away from the job title and made Gary Smith the sixth head coach of the club.

Smith took over as coach of the Rapids during the last eleven games of the 2008 season. He helped steer Colorado into a playoff race, but was eliminated by a 1-1 draw with Real Salt Lake. His record since being with the club is 5-4-2, which also includes 3 away wins and an entire month of going undefeated. Before Smith's arrival, the Rapids had only won once on the road out of nine games.

Gary Smith joined the Rapids back in February of 2008, after being a player and coach in England for 10 years. Smith began his coaching career at Wimbledon FC. He then moved to Wycomb Wanderers where he started out as an assistant coach but soon became interim head coach.

Gary Smith looks to be a successful manager with the Colorado Rapids. After just barely missing the playoffs, the Rapids and new coach will be looking to have a great season in 2009.

An Open Letter To My Fellow Bleacher Creatures: Farewell For Now

Thomas — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 23:49:14 -0400

My fellow Bleacher Creatures,

By now, you most likely have heard of that crazy American here named Thomas. Well, that's me.

I joined the Bleacher Report almost three months ago now—fairly new compared to some people here. In those three months, I've had a blast here. I quickly became addicted to this site.

In the short time I've been here, I've written 120 articles, received five POTDs, and gained 98 great fans. I like to think that I have some of the best fans here. Without them, I probably wouldn't be where I am on the Bleacher Report today. To them, I say thanks.

People like Andrew McNair, Jeff Harbert, Lisa Horne, and so many other writers here have made the Bleacher Report the best sports site around.

While I have enjoyed myself here, the rest of the world has moved on. Things, people, and even lifelong dreams change inevitably.

I am writing my final article here on the Bleacher Report and I have no plans of returning to this place for a while. I have had plans of leaving for a while now. I feel that this is the best time for me to put those plans into action. No, no one I know has died; and no, I didn't get a new girlfriend. I'm just leaving. I've spent too much time here. I need a change of scenery, as we all do at some point in our lives.

I have always said here that sports is not the most important thing in the world. Education, finding ways to survive, and the people near you—these are just a few of the things that are more important. Sports is just,in reality, an escape from the realities and hardships of life.

College calls to me. Then after that, only God knows. All I can do, is be as smart as I can and go with the flow.

Before I leave, I feel like I must thank everyone here for giving me a great time.

Zander and all the head guys here—you've done a great job. You have my uttermost respect.

Joe Guarr—My fellow MLS co-CL, it's been great working along side you. I think we've done a great job getting MLS exposure here.

Jeff Harbert—It's great to see a fellow American that's a Man. Utd. fan. I hope that your plans for the future will be as great as you hope.

Gray Ghost—You are one of my best fans and friends here. You're just awesome and one of the best writers here.

Michelle Alves—When you first joined the BR, I didn't think that you'd be a good writer. Boy, was I wrong. You're not just good—you're great. I wish you the best here. You'll be a top writer in no time.

Everyone else—If I wanted to thank every person here individually, it would take all day. Unfortunately, I don't have all day. Whether you are a fan of mine or not, you all are great. Without you, the Bleacher Report would be designated to the back alleys of the Internet.

It's a hard decision leaving a place like this. It's not the sports or even the articles that make the Bleacher Report what it is. It's the writers, editors, and commentators. It's all the people that make this place the best. I wish everyone here the best of luck here and wherever you go.

When I first announced my exit, I received emails and notes from people asking me to reconsider. I must be honest, I didn't expect it. In my opinion, there are a lot of other people here better than I am; and if they're isn't one here now, there will be one in the future.

So, goodbye Bleacher Report. Goodbye my fellow Bleacher Creatures. I will miss this place and all it's people. It's time for me to move on, hopefully to bigger and better things.

Sincerely,

Thomas

If you wish to keep in contact, my email address is tml_1990@yahoo.com

USA Defeats Cuba, 6-1; Advances To Final Phase Of World Cup Qualifiers

Thomas — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:19:51 -0400

Let's face it people, the USA is the dominant country in CONCACAF. Mexico is a has-been. The USA is the now.

The USA have done very well in their World Cup qualifying group. They are undefeated and lead Group 1, ahead of Guatemala, T&T, and Cuba.

On Saturday, the USA played their final group game against the Caribbean island of Cuba at home, in RFK Stadium. For most of the match the USA was in control, and went on to win 6-1.

The scoring started in the 10th minute, when Sacha Kljestan allowed DaMarcus Beasley to race down the left side of the field and easily push in a goal past the Cuban goalkeeper, Odelin Molina.

The winger from Rangers scored again in the 30th minute, only to have Jenzy Munoz score for Cuba two minutes later. It was the first goal in six qualifying matches conceded by the USA.

It looked as if Cuba would somehow pull out something from the match, but in the 42nd minute, midfielder Yoel Colome fouled Landon Donovan to get his second yellow card. Now Cuba was down to ten men.

From then on it was smooth sailing for the USA. Donovan almost scored in the 44th minute, but his effort missed; four minutes later though, he found the back of the net from point-blank range, making the score 3-1.

Brian Ching added a fourth in the 63rd minute, and Villarreal striker Jozy Altidore added a fifth in the 87rd minute. In the 90th minute, defender Oguchi Onyewu made the score more emphatic by adding the sixth and final goal of the match.

With this win, the USA keeps their perfect record and advance to the final phase of North American qualifying for the 2010 World Cup.

Cuba, on the other hand, find themselves at the bottom of the table with no chance of qualifying.

Ten Funny Tennis Quotes

Thomas — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:43:30 -0400

Tennis is a game unlike golf. In golf, you want to kill yourself; in tennis, you want to kill the other player. Here are ten funny quotes that explain tennis.

1. To err is human. To put the blame on someone else is doubles. - Anonymous

2. In tennis, the addict moves about a hard rectangle and seeks to ambush a fuzzy ball with a modified snow-shoe. - Elliot Chaze

3. These ball boys are marvelous. You don't even notice them. There's a left-handed one over there. I noticed him earlier. - Max Robertson

4. Why has slamming a ball with a racquet become so obsessive a pleasure for so many of us? It seems clear to me that a primary attraction of the sport is the opportunity it gives to release aggression physically without being arrested for felonious assault. - Nat Hentoff

5. I listen to him most of the time, some of the time I switch off. - Andy Murray on his coach, Brad Gilbert

6. I had a feeling today that Venus Williams would either win or lose. - Martina Navratilova

7. I'd rather be No. 2 in Chile and No. 1 in the world. - Nicolas Massu

8. She comes from a tennis playing family. Her father's a dentist. - BBC 2

9. The depressing thing about tennis is that no matter how good I get, I'll never be as good as a wall. - Mitch Hedberg

10. Nobody beats Vitas Gerulaitis 17 times in a row. - Vitas Gerulaitis, on finally beating Jimmy Connors

San Jose Earthquakes & Tottenham Hotspurs Announce Partnership

Thomas — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:20:01 -0400

Okay, when I read this on MLSnet.com, the first paragraph was this:

"It seems that whenever two soccer teams announce a partnership agreement, regardless of where it happens in the world, there are two guarantees: One is that there is a big press conference, and another is that it will never be heard from again."

I thought about that for a few minutes, and well, they're right. Real Salt Lake and Real Madrid—partners in name but not much more.

Chivas USA and Guadalajara—sure, they have the same owners, but that's about it.

Now, the latest MLS club to have a foreign partner are the San Jose Earthquakes and Tottenham Hotspur. And according to the two clubs, this partnership won't be in name only.

Paul Barber, executive director for Spurs said: "In various markets around the world, I think some clubs from Europe have gone in, played a game, left, picked up a big fee, and done a little bit of brand awareness. That's not our approach.

"We'd rather go to fewer places and strike larger, deeper partnerships that have got some longevity to them."

As proof of this partnership not just being for show, Spurs pointed to South Africa where they have a partnership with reigning champs, SuperSport United. There, youth coaches in South Africa have the ability to go to England to train and in turn, Spurs get to show their brand there.

Barber went on to say, "The payoff for us is that we get the first opportunity to look at some of the young talent that is emerging from Africa, and South Africa is seen as the gateway to the rest of Africa.

"So they're bringing in young boys from all over the continent and we get an opportunity to see them first hand. And it's the same here in the States.

"This isn't about taking the best talent in the States and exporting it to Europe. It's about helping teams in the U.S. develop talent faster and get it to a higher standard as quickly as possible."

San Jose's general manager, John Doyle said that the deal will include a jumpstart in the club's youth program and the construction of a training facility for both clubs. Sounds familiar doesn't it RSL?

Apparently, the connection between San Jose and Tottenham goes all the way back to the late 1980s. The sporting director for the Spurs, Damien Comolli, lived in San Francisco as a teen and became friends with Billy Beane, who was then the general manager of the Oakland Athletics.

The two friends then took the A's owner, Lew Wolfe, to the FIFA World Cup in 2006. Once Wolfe brought the Quakes back to San Jose, it was apparent that Spurs and the Quakes would soon hookup.

The question, though, is will the two clubs, especially San Jose, benefit from this? Other than training sessions, the only thing that both can take from this is a youth program.

What do you think? Is this a good partnership?

How To Tell if Someone Is a Big Sports Fan

Thomas — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 03:46:00 -0400

Ever wonder if your neighbors or people you know are big sports fans, just like you? Well, it's very easy to tell. Here are some clues that can give it away.

1. They plan to have this on their tombstone:

"Here lie the bones of Mike Jones -

His life knew no terrors.

Born a young Yankee, died an old Yankee -

No runs, no hits, no errors."

2. They're willing to pimp out a relative for a ticket.

3. Their closet seems to be full of jerseys and other clothes bearing the team logo.

4. Their bedroom (or some other room) has a Fathead on the wall.

5. They brand their steaks and burgers with their favorite team logo.

6. They're willing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a lifetime seat at the stadium.

7. They have every issue of Madden NFL (or other sport game).

8. They put down "NFL" (or some other sport) as their religion on a questionnaire or survey.

9. Their child is named after a famous athlete (ex. Michael Jordan Smith).

10. They can recite useless stats without thinking and spends hours on sports websites like the Bleacher Report.

11. They request to be buried in the stadium or at the team's cemetary (most famous cemetary is the Boca Juniors cemetary).

12. They have a tattoo of their favorite player or team.

Which Championship Means More?

Thomas — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 23:41:36 -0400

I recently went to the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, with my family. The favorite part for my brother was the Vince Lombardi trophy (that's him in the photo).

For any football fan, winning the Super Bowl is the best thing that can happen. However, ask a baseball fan what he would rather win, he'd say the World Series.

I'm asking you, the Bleacher Report Community, to tell me what championship means more. Here's the different championships you have to choose from. I know you can't compare sports, but it's a question that's been bugging me for a while.

1. The Super Bowl

Sport: Football

Last season's winner: New York Giants

The Super Bowl is the biggest and most anticipated night in the NFL. Held in February, it pits the best of the AFC against the best of the NFC. The winner gets the Vince Lombardi trophy and bragging rights for the next season.

2. The World Series

Sport: Baseball

Last season's winner: Boston Red Sox

The World Series is held every October and is often called the Fall Classic. The best team from the American League play against the best team from the National League. Whoever wins the best of seven games gets the trophy and is called the best baseball team in the world.

3. The Stanley Cup

Sport: Hockey

Last season's winner: Detroit Red Wings

Unlike other major trophies, there is no new Stanley Cup each year. Instead, the old team gives it to the new team. The best teams from the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference face off in a series of seven games. The winner of the best of seven takes home the cup.

4. The NBA Finals

Sport: Basketball

Last season's winner: Boston Celtics

The NBA Finals is a highlight in my town. I don't know why, it just is. The final puts the best of the East against the best of the West. The series is in a 2-3-2 playoff format with the best of seven taking home the trophy.

5. The NCAA Men's Basketball Championship

Sport: College basketball

Last season's winner: Kansas Jayhawks

Better known as March Madness, the NCAA men's basketball competition comes to its highpoint during the playoffs. During the month of March, 65 teams have a shot to make it to the final. Yet, only two do make it. The team who wins the final game is known as the best NCAA basketball team in the country.

6. The BCS National Championship Game

Sport: College football

Last season's winner: LSU

Ok, so the current playoff setup is a mess. It's still not fixed yet. Anyways, the BCS Championship brings the top two ranked teams in the nation together to fight it out for numero uno.

So there are the choices my friends. It's your turn to choose which championship you think means more.

Kiatisuk Senamuang: Thailand's Own Zico

Thomas — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 21:28:04 -0400

The southeast Asian country of Thailand is not known as a great football nation.

However, this hasn't stopped the country.

They are a dominate force in Asian football and the national team has won the ASEAN Football Championship three different times in 1996, 2000, 2002.

Thailand doesn't have many players abroad because most of them would rather stay in Thailand and play in the Thai Premier League. Those players who do decide to play abroad tend to come back to Thailand.

One of those players that followed this path is Thailand's greatest footballer, Kiatisuk Senamuang.

Known as Zico to Thai people, Kiatisuk Senamuang is a legend in this football-mad country.

Born in a relatively poor town, Kiatisuk was originally a police officer. He played for three different local teams from 1989-1998 during his time as an officer. During his early years, Kiatisuk scored 142 goals in 197 appearances.

In 1998, he quit his job as a police officer and joined Perlis, a football club in Malaysia. During the 1998-1999 season, he scored 13 goals in 17 appearances for the club. Before he knew it, he was headed to England.

In 1999, Steve Bruce brought Kiatisuk in to play for Huddersfield Town. However, he did not make any first team appearances for the club and went back to Thailand at the end of the 1999-2000 season.

When Kiatisuk came back to Thailand, he joined Raj Pracha, a club he had played for almost 10 years earlier. In his 26 appearances for the club, he scored 18 goals.

His stay in Thailand did not last too long.

He was soon sent down to play for the Singapore Armed Forces for the 2001-2002 season. There he scored 15 goals in 20 appearences. Once again, he moved to a different club.

In 2002, Kiatisuk moved for the final time to the Vietnamese club, Hoang Anh-Gia Lai.

There, he gained star status with the club and fans. He helped the club win the V-League and Vietnamese Super Cup two different times. In his 75 appearances, he scored 59 goals. He remained with the club until he retired in 2006.

While his club accomplishments are talked about many times here in Thailand, he is best remembered for his international career.

Kiatisuk made his international debut in 1993, when Thailand defeated Sri Lanka 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier. Since then, Kiatisuk made 130 appearances for his country and unofficially scored 85 goals. According to FIFA, however, he scored 65 goals.

His international awards include four medals from the SEAS Games and several Tiger Cups and King's Cups.

In 2006, Kiatisuk retired from playing football. Throughout his club career, he made 335 appearances and scored 234 goals.

He is now the head coach for Chula United, a club in the Thai Premier League.

As I said before, not many Thai players go abroad. Currently, 14 different Thai players compete abroad. Of those fourteen, one plays in the J-League in Japan, three play in the V-League in Vietnam, six play in the S-League in Singapore, and four play in England.

Thai people have yet to see a player that can be considered the next Kiatisuk Senamuang.

Even More Hilarious Football Photos

Thomas — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 15:29:53 -0400

This is yet another knock off of my original Hilarious Photos article.

If Mr. Beans ever played football, he'd look like this.

"At last, my evil plan is working."

"He's getting away! Get him!"

I'll let you create a comment for this.

Wonder what he's looking at...

"Hey Seedorf, look, I'm a moose!"

Everbody was kung-fu fighting...

"Forgive me for letting in a goal."

"Hold him still, will ya."

"I said get away from me!"

MLS Roundtable: What Should MLS Do to Increase its Image on the World Stage?

Thomas — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 15:25:38 -0400

While the Premier League in England is experiencing continued growth, another little league is trying to doing the same. Major League Soccer has grown from a fledgling league to an improved league in a little over 10 years. Yet MLS has continually struggled on the international stage.

What should it do to improve?

In his second MLS roundtable, Thomas brought in fellow MLS community leader Joe Guarr, World Football community leader Salaar Arshad Shamsi, and a regular MLS and world football contributor, Eric Gomez, to discuss what Major League Soccer should do to increase its image on the international stage.

Thomas

This year alone, MLS clubs have won only one international competition—the New England Revolution won the SuperLiga.

In the innagural CONCACAF Champions League, only two MLS clubs have made it to the group stages of the original four clubs—DC United and Houston Dynamo. DCU currently sit at the bottom of their group with no points and the Dynamo sit third in their group with two points.

USL clubs are doing better than MLS clubs are! The Montreal Impact are currently undefeated in the Champions League and are at the top of Group C with seven points. Meanwhile, the Puerto Rico Islanders are also undefeated and sit at the top of Group D with seven points.

So what's wrong with MLS clubs? That question is for another article.

If Major League Soccer wants to increase its image on the international stage, it's going to have to improve quite a bit. The biggest problem it has is its quality of play. Clubs and players in MLS are not awful but they aren't good either.

In order to improve, it's going to need to bring in more quality players, not star players necessarily. Once you get quality players, you then get quality clubs; and once you get quality clubs, the entire league soon improves.

You don't necessarily even need to bring in foreign players. MLS has one of the most extensive youth systems around. They can use it to bring out quality players that want to play in MLS.

Once the quality of the league improves, Major League Soccer can than qualify and compete on the international stage and improve its image. Once clubs from MLS start winning in international competitions, their image will also improve. I believe that an improvement in the quality of MLS clubs is what's needed to increase the league's image on the international stage.

Joe

I actually wrote an article about this a while back. I argued for four things in this article: a system of relegation and promotion, the abolition of the MLS playoffs, continued expansion, and an increased salary cap.

Those last two reasons are what I'd like to focus on. Currently, MLS sits at 14 clubs with a plan in place to be at 16 by the 2010 season, and 18 two seasons after that. This is good news for the league because most of the recent expansion cities have done a fairly good job of embracing their clubs. Toronto FC sold 14,000 season tickets before the team ever played a game, and Chivas USA always plays to good crowds.

I'd like to see MLS expand to 20 teams by 2015. There are many football-friendly markets in this country that have yet to be tapped into. There are ready-made fanbases scattered around this country, remnants of the old NASL, just looking for another local top-flight club to give their allegiance to.

These fans should take their lessons from the Sons of Ben in Philadelphia. The SOBs had no team to cheer for, yet fervently supported MLS and ended up playing a major role in the league granting Philly an expansion club.

With regards to the salary cap, it's simple. MLS can't compete with the salaries paid to players in the Mexican or South American leagues, much less European leagues. It's going to take more than aging superstars like David Beckham or Youri Djorkaeff to get the world to respect MLS. It's going to take money, more competitive salaries, and more competitive teams.

I'm on the record as saying that the MLS salary cap is a good thing, because it will prevent another debacle like the New York Cosmos. I'm very confident that the salary cap will continue to be raised as teams continue to gain sturdier financial footing.

Owning their own stadiums are helping a lot of teams take steps towards turning a profit, and this should continue (assuming that the recent economic plunge will be fixed somehow.)

Salaar

The MLS is currently a sinking ship, Americans wouldn't want to admit it but the Major Soccer League can't even be compared to the likes of Europe's elite, which are the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, Italian Serie A, Portuguese Super Liga, German Bundesliga and French Ligue 1.

Now the question is, "What Should MLS Do To Increase It's Image On The International Stage?"

It's not really rocket science, The MLS is lacking quality, David Beckham's star presence has had an enormous impact on soccer in America. The MLS needs to recruit some more quality players to set a standard for themselves.

Secondly, the standard of football in the United States needs to be improved, The grass root levels need to be overlooked to churn out quality players from within the United States.

Thirdly, MLS needs to be advertised on a larger scale within the United States, Americans need to accept football on a larger scale, the following needs to come within one-fourth of the fan-followings of NBA, NHL and NFL.

Perhaps, bringing in quality coaches or managers from Europe or South America could help because the standard of soccer at school level and college level is nothing compared to other sports.

The NCAA's system for football needs to be reviewed and treated with as much of significance as the other sports.

Eric

While the obvious answer is to continue to import big-name international stars from European leagues, I don't know if that's been such an effective strategy for MLS.

It's certainly raised visibility for the league, and the sport (if only briefly) in the United States, but most any fan in Europe, if asked where David Beckham plays, will probably answer with "somewhere in America".

Qualifying a team to the FIFA Club World Cup would be a fantastically positive step for MLS.

It would definitely have people taking notice of soccer in America if, say, a Houston Dynamo gets to battle and even beat a Boca Juniors or a Manchester United someday soon.

If not just for the MLS to gain image points, US Soccer will be greatly benefited if the league becomes an exporting partner to the world's top leagues.

Granted, the strategy should be to send more Altidores and Adus...and less Donovans.

Cedric Benson Getting Another Chance In the NFL; Signs With the Bengals

Thomas — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:35:23 -0400

Cedric Benson was let go by the Chicago Bears due to two separate alcohol-related arrests in Texas. Now though, he is getting another chance to play in the NFL.

On Tuesday, the Cincinnati Bengals signed Benson to replace the hole left by running back DeDe Dorsey. Dorsey was placed on injured reserve Tuesday after hurting his hamstring in a 20-12 loss to Cleveland.

Benson was drafted by the Bears in 2005 and rushed for 1,593 yards and 10 TDs before being released by the Bears last season. He missed five games last season due to an ankle injury, but rushed for 674 yards.

Cedric Benson was arrested in May for operating a boat while intoxicated and resisting arrest. Then in June, he was arrested for drunk driving. Last week, a jury decided not to indict Benson on those charges.

What To Bring and What Not To Bring To The Bleacher Report

Thomas — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:49:50 -0400

I don't know if it's just me, but I've noticed strange things here on the BR. The thing I've noticed the most is the fact that some people aren't here for sports. Which is strange because this is an open-source sports network. Am I not right?

So as a reminder for all of us here on the BR and a shout out to all newcomers here, I've come up with a list of things to bring and a list of things not to bring here on the BR.

What Not To Bring

Stupidity: This is just common sense people. Don't be stupid.

Religious articles and comments: I'll come out and say it, I'm a very religious guy. In fact, my dad is a preacher (or minister or whatever you call him). However, there's a place and time for everything. The BR is not the place for religious articles or comments relating to religion.

Racism: I'm surprised at how much racism I've seen here. For some reason, people just happen to talk about race. I think racism is the worst thing in the world. It degrades people. So please, no racists here.

Political articles and comments: Ok, we all know that a potential vice-president was a former sports announcer. Who really cares though? Give me a break. I've seen many articles and comments mixing politics with sports. This is a sports network not a political network. That's what CNN is for. Just go there and click iReport and be happy.

Articles in foreign languages: I know what you're thinking, "People write in different languages here?" The answer is yes. I've seen articles here in Chinese, German, and French. People please keep it all in English until the guys in charge create a BR in some other language (hint). I don't care if you use it in comments or notes but not in articles.

Vulgar articles: I know I may be getting picky, but let's keep it at least PG here. There are people here as young as nine and I don't think they're parents appreciate them learning how to cuss from the Internet. I guess it's okay to let a couple slip out once in a while, but let's not have a sailor's mouth here. Am I going too far to say that?

Plagiarism: Guys, I've seen people take articles right off other sites and post it here as their own; or take an article already here on the BR and rewrite it exactly as your own. You do realize that plagiarism is a felony punishable by prison?

If you must post an article from a different site, please tell people where you got it from. I've done that a couple times when I'm in a hurry to do something. Provide a link to the original piece. However, it's best for you to just write your own articles.

All other articles that don't have to deal with sports: This is plain and simple. Keep all articles to sports. No blogs about what you had for breakfast; no articles on why you hate your friends; just sports.

What To Bring

Love of sports: If you don't love sports, don't even come here. For those of you who do love sports, this is the place to be.

Love of writing: You don't have to be a Pulitzer Prize winner to write. Anyone can write. That's the whole point here on the BR. Regular people, like me, can write about sports and people won't care if it's not the next Wall Street Journal.

Creativity: Sure you can just write boring old factual articles, but that's not fun. Put your own touch on it. Be creative.

An open mind: No doubt everyone here has found an article blasting your favorite team, player, or coach. Don't get offended. It's just someone's opinion. Just ignore it if you must and move on.

Or you can do as I've done and write an article responding to that article you found. However, I don't always recommend that as it could possibly lead to a World War III here.

Plenty of time: Most people who come here get immediately hooked. If you come here, be ready to spend at least an hour here. Come with plenty of time to do what you want to do. At least until the guys in charge come up with a site for cell phones and PDAs (another hint).

A good sense of humor: Some of the best articles here on the BR are humor pieces. Humor is medicine for the soul. A good laugh does everyone good. It can lift people up who are down and brighten people's day. Be ready to laugh once in a while here on the BR.

Other items necessary: As I said before, this place is addicting. You could end up spending a lot of time here. I recommend you bring things with you to the computer so you don't end up as a zombie. That means bringing food and drink for when you're thirsty and hungry; a blanket for when you get cold; and a pillow so you can fall asleep in your chair.

That's all folks. If you have anything else that should be included on the list just let me know. And let's continue to make the Bleacher Report the best sports site around.

10 Hilarious Football Photos To Get You Laughing

Thomas — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:02:54 -0400

This is the sequel to my successful article, Ten Hilarious Football Jokes to Get You Laughing.

Football (or soccer to my American brethren) can brings hours of laughter. Here's ten photos from everywhere that will get you laughing:

"Look into my eyes Fletcher."

Sing Special One! Sing!

Let's be friends!

"Thanks for the lift Vierra!"

"It sure looks pretty. Don't it Materazzi?"

"Oh my goodness! I'm growing old!"

Someone really hates soccer.

"I sense a disturbance in the force. Its...its...its you!"

"Don't touch my trophy, woman. It's mine!"

Um...Mr. Special One, Sir, your face is gonna freeze up if you leave it like that.

An Official Apology to Liverpool Football Fans

Thomas — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 21:31:59 -0400

Dear Liverpool supporters,

By now, you've most likely seen my two articles taking shots at Liverpool. What was supposed to be meant as jokes has been blown into a mini WWIII here on Bleacher Report.

I would like to apologize for any offense that I've committed to you. I had thought people would see past the words and realized that it was a joke. Unfortunately, it didn't happen.

I've been known to go overboard when I'm on a roll. Looks like I did that with Liverpool. I have nothing against Liverpool fans or the city of Liverpool. Some of the best writers here on B/R are Liverpool supporters.

I am not someone who is classist (for lack of a better term) toward Liverpool. I merely dislike them very much. With that said, any chance I get to blast them, I will—within reason.

So, with that said, I'm sorry for offending the Liverpool army.

Sincerely,

Thomas—Glory Glory Man United! (had to get that in)

An Open Letter To All Bleacher Creatures: Let's Get Along

Thomas — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:58:24 -0400

My fellow Bleacher Creatures,

I come to you today not as a Manchester United fan or as a Baltimore Ravens fan, I come to you as a sports fan and a person.

Sport is one of the greatest inventions in the history of the world. It was meant to bring people together, not tear people apart. Too many times I see fans of one team bash the fans of another team. While it can be in fun, sometimes it turns into an ugly, violent scene.

Now, I admit, I have been one of those people that bash other teams and fans. I believe everyone has done that once in a while.

I recently wrote a couple of articles bashing Liverpool and some of its fans. I meant it as a fun joke not to be taken seriously. However, some people got the wrong message and blew it out of proportion. If I offended anyone with those articles, I apologize.

Too many times we let our emotions and egos get ahead of our common sense. Someone says a hurtful thing about a team, player, or coach and we jump in to defend them. Eventually, both parties are fighting about things not related to sports and can't remember the original argument.

It is OK to talk smack sometimes. Smack talk is one of the things that makes sports fun. However, we musn't turn the smack talk into personal attacks. We must all look past our different tastes in teams and look at people as they really are.

Follow the example of those two guys in the photo. Well, actually don't hold hands. The point is, get along with one another. Don't let minor differences get the better of you.

In the ultimate picture of life, it doesn't really matter which team you support. So stop acting like it's the most important thing in life.

Let's all just enjoy sports. Stop the bickering. Stop the ridicules. Stop getting worked up over minor matters. If you give people a chance beyond sports, you might find out that you can actually get along with them.

Sincerely,

Thomas

10 Photos That Sum Up Liverpool

Thomas — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:48:39 -0400

This article is a sequal to my previous article, 10 Hilarious Football Jokes About Liverpool.

Liverpool—the club with a goose on its crest—is one of the top clubs in Europe. There's no arguing that. Here's 10 photos that sum up Liverpool.

Fans: I didn't know Borat was a scouser. Then again, I don't like Borat either.

Rivals: I feel like doing the same thing, Mr. Mourinho.

Rafael Benitez: No explanation needed.

Players: "Hey guys, let's wait till we're off the pitch."

the ego: That's right Rafa, just keep talking it up.

the hatred: "Now Stevie, this is gonna hurt me more than it'll hurt you...ah, maybe not."

the peculiarites: What is that aweful smell?

"Don't worry, he's ok!"

Reina: "I need something to eat."

guy: "Will McDonalds work for you?"

"Ugh, I'm starting to itch."

"Oh great, now I'm itching here too."

Real Salt Lake Snaps San Jose's Nine-Game Winning Streak

Thomas — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:00:27 -0400

As pointed out here on the B/R by David Wilson, the MLS is totally unpredictable. Sunday night's match between the San Jose Earthquakes and Real Salt Lake was supposed to be an easy win for San Jose. Instead, RSL managed to keep up with the Earthquakes the entire game and won the match, 3-2.

The Earthquakes went into the match coasting on a nine-game winning streak. RSL came into the match with one of the worst away records in the league (1-9-2).

It seems like more goals are scored within the first five minutes in MLS than any other league. RSL opened the score in the third minute, before many fans had time to get comfortable in their seats. Javier Morales chipped a pass to teammate Movsisyan, who then made a beautiful move and fired home a screamer from 12 yards out. The score was 1-0, Real Salt Lake.

In the 23rd minute, the Earthquakes equalized when Huckerby received a chipped pass from Ryan Cochrane and beat out the goalkeeper for a goal. The score was now 1-1.

San Jose nearly pulled ahead in the 33rd minute when Scott Sealy volleyed a free kick from Ronnie O'Brien into the net, but his goal was declined because of offsides.

RSL also had a chance to pull ahead when Movsisyan went one-on-one with San Jose's goalkeeper. The keeper managed to deflect the shot, but Movsisyan rebounded the ball towards the net only to have Ryan Cochrane clear the ball off the line.

San Jose almost pulled ahead again when a free kick from Huckerby found Cochrane who headed the ball over the post.

The Earthquakes finally gained the lead in the 47th minute. Huckerby and Arturo Alvarez had some brilliant play that eventually saw Huckerby score a goal. The score was 2-1, Earthquakes.

However, less than a minute later, Real once again came back to score and once again it was thanks to Movsisyan and once again a chipped pass allowed him to score. Kyle Beckerman chipped a pass to Movsisyan who chipped the ball over Joe Cannon to score. The score was now 2-2.

Then in the 59th minute, Real Salt Lake went ahead for good when Morales hooked a 25-yard free kick into the upper left corner of the goal for a 3-2 lead.

The rest of the match was pretty much uneventful. Both clubs sent in substitutes near the end of the match. San Jose sent on Shea Salinas for Ronnie O'Brien in the 69th minute and RSL brought Robbie Findley for Clint Mathis.

Both clubs had chances to change the score again. San Jose had a free kick that was blocked in the 79th minute; and then in the 81st minute, another free kick went over the crossbar.

Real Salt Lake now move to third in the Western Conference table with 34 points. San Jose meanwhile, stay in sixth with 29 points. Salt Lake will head to New England for a match on Saturday and San Jose will go up against FC Dallas in MLS Primetime on Thursday.

One Hundred Articles Down, Countless More to Go

Thomas — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 07:37:54 -0400

Okay, first of all, I'm not the one wearing the shirt. I just found the photo when I typed "Bleacher Report" in the photo box.

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Thomas. I'm an 18-year-old college student who loves sports.

Back in mid-August, I wrote My Story about the Bleacher Report. It was basically an early thanks to B/R. If you want a little background about me, just go to that article.

I joined B/R in the beginning of August and quickly became hooked. I wrote article after article, and I was crazy about the site. I still am.

Now, just under two months later, I'm writing my 100th article—a high point in anyone's view here.

As my profile says, my first love is soccer. (I mean football to all you non-Americans.) I live and breathe soccer. Naturally, the majority of my articles have been about soccer. However, I've written many other articles about other sports—a few golf articles here, a few football articles there, and some Olympic articles, too.

Throughout the time I've been here, I have been blessed to gain great fans, had five different articles win POTD, and had the opportunity to become the community leader for MLS. I have many people here who encourage me and give me feedback and advice.

Here are my thanks back to all of you.

Alex, Yoosof, and Jeff: You guys are some of my most favorite writers, and I'm honored that my articles are good enough for you.

Salaar and Andrew: You two are excellent writers and encouragers. Thanks for all you've done so far.

Michelle: You have shown me that guys aren't the only ones who can write about sports. Although you're a Liverpool fan, you're great. Keep it up, and don't stop the humor!

Gray Ghost: Gray, you're awesome, my friend. Although you're a DAWG, I still enjoy your work. Thanks for everything. What about those Gators?!

Joe: I'm honored to be co-CL with you. Your articles are great. Thanks for everything.

Editors: I am not the perfect writer; I make mistakes. However, not everyone notices them...except the editors. I have had so many editors fix my crap pieces that I can't name them all. To all of you, I thank you immensely.

Everyone else: I know I haven't named all of the people I should thank. If I haven't, please don't think that I'm forgetting you. You are all great. Without you, I wouldn't be where I am now. Thanks.

Now I'm past the 100 mark. What's next? More articles, hopefully. Be sure that I'm gonna be here for a while. Thank you all again. One hundred articles down—many more to go.

10 Hilarious Football Jokes About Liverpool

Thomas — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 16:14:35 -0400

Liverpool is a club that lots of people love. They're also a club that lots of people hate. I am one of the people that hate Liverpool. Also, I am on this humor streak for some reason. So, I have gathered 10 jokes about Liverpool and brought them to you. Some of these take shots at Liverpool fans; if you get upset, sorry. It's all in fun.

10. Rafael Benitez: "Our new Winger cost five million. I call him our wonder player"

Sir Alex Ferguson: "Why's that?"

Rafael Benitez: " Every time he plays I wonder why I bothered to buy him!"

9. Q: Santa Claus, the tooth fairy, an intelligent Liverpool supporter, and an old drunk are walking down the street together when simultaneously they each spot a fifty quid note. Who gets it?

A: The old drunk, of course; the other three are mythical creatures.

8. A father and son were eating breakfast. The father's newspaper had the headline, "Van Gogh sold for £8 million".

The son asked "Is he worth it, Dad?"

The father, surprised at his son's interest in fine art, replied "I suppose so, son. Why do you ask?"
The son said "Well, Liverpool paid more than that for Stan Collymore, and he was crap."

7. A young mother was pushing her baby along the street in Manchester when suddenly a huge rottweiler dog lunged towards the pram, gnashing its teeth. The young woman thought for a moment that the dog would kill them when suddenly a man rushed over, wrestled with the rottweiler and broke it's neck with his bare hands.

Another man rushed to the scene and said, "I am a reporter and I saw everything that happened. Wait until I put the headline in my paper. It will read 'Manchester United fan saves baby from savage rottweiler!"

"No you can't write that!" replied the man.

"But why not?" said the reporter.

"Because I am not a Manchester United fan, that's why!" replied the man.

"Oh, okay then," said the reporter, "I will write Manchester City supporter saves mother and baby from savage rottweiler!"

"You can't write that either," said the man.

"Why not?" asked the reporter.

"Because I am a Liverpool fan!" replied the man.

"Oh I see," said the reporter, "How about this then, 'Scouse ******* kills family pet!"

6.Steve Bruce signed a new superkid from foreign parts. On the first day of training, Steve Bruce gets a ball a says, “You get this and kick it at the goal.” The new superkid looks a bit bewildered but carries on nonetheless.

The next day of training same thing happened. Steve Bruce says, “You get this and score a goal.” Again the kid looks bewildered but carries on.

The third day, the same thing: “You get this and score a goal.” Finally the foreign superkid gets up and says, “Boss, I speak very good English and know what to do.”

Steve Bruce says, “Sit down son, I'm talking to Heskey!”

5. At a recent Liverpool-Everton derby, Rafa Benitez goes into the Liverpool changing room to find all his teammates looking a bit glum. "What’s up?” he asks.

“Well, we’re having trouble getting motivated for this game. We know it’s important but it’s only Everton and we can’t be bothered, we always beat them”.

Rafa looks at them and says, “Well, I reckon I can beat these by myself, you lads go down the pub.”

So Rafa goes out to play for the Reds by himself and the rest of the Liverpool team go off for a few beers. After a few pints they wonder how the game is going, so they get the landlord to put the television on. A big cheer goes up as the screen reads “Liverpool 1 - Everton 0 (Benitez 10 minutes).” He is beating Everton all by himself!

Anyway, a few more pints later and the game is forgotten until someone remembers “It must be full time now, let’s see how he got on.” They put the teletext on. “Result from Anfield: Liverpool 1 (Benitez 10 minutes) - Everton 1 (Cahill 89 minutes).”

They can’t believe it; he has single-handedly gotten a draw!! They rush back to Anfield to congratulate him. They find him in the dressing room, still in his gear, sat with his head in his hands. He refuses to look at them. He says, “I’ve let you down, I’ve let you down.”

“Don’t be daft, you got a draw, all by yourself. And they only scored at the very very end!” the players say.

To which Rafa replies: “No, No, I have, I’ve let you down… I got sent off after 12 minutes”

4. Q: What ship has never docked at Liverpool?

A: The Premiership!

Courtesy of Marie Ofeire

3. Q. What is the difference between a battery and an Scouser?
A. A battery has a positive side.

2. St. Peter was manning the Pearly Gates when 40 Liverpool fans showed up. Never having seen anyone from Liverpool at heaven's door, St. Peter said he would have to check with God. After hearing the news, God instructed him to admit the 10 most virtuous from the group.

A few minutes later, Saint Peter returned to God breathless and said, "They're gone."
"What? All of the Liverpool fans are gone?" asked God.

"No" replied Saint Peter "The Pearly Gates!"

1. (everyone's favorite) A man arrives at the gates of heaven, where St. Peter greets him and says: "Before I can let you enter I must ask you what you have done in your life that was particularly good."

The man racks his brains for a few minutes and then admits to St Peter that he hasn't done anything particularly good in his life.

"Well," says St Peter, "have you done anything particularly brave in your life?"

"Yes, I have," replies the man proudly.

St Peter asks the man to give an account of his bravery.

So the man explains, "I was refereeing this important match between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield. The score was 0-0 and there was only one more minute of play to go in the second half when I awarded a penalty against Liverpool at the Kop end."

"Yes," responded St Peter, "I agree that was a real act of bravery. Can you perhaps tell me when this took place?"

"Certainly," the man replied, "about three minutes ago."