Bleacher Report - Articles by Brandon Evans

How Accurate Are The Writer Rankings On The World Football Section?

Brandon Evans — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 19:01:23 -0500

Football is amongst one of the more popular sections of this website and there are a lot of writers contributing articles to it on a daily basis. The writer rankings on Bleacher Report work as an incentive to keep users contributing to the website.

Whether they are a true representation of who the best writer in that section is another story.

If you have been on B/R for a long time, it's likely you will be at the higher end of the rankings, no matter how good or bad you are at writing.

But if you haven't been here long, it's difficult to break into the top section unless you are a writer with articles attracting great attention on a regular basis.

It would be interesting to find out how many writers here write on B/R with a goal of eventually climbing the rankings and the writers that just don't care and write for the fun of it. I clearly care because I've written an entire article about it!

A good idea would be to allow each writer profile to have a detailed list of their favourite top writers. A nice little section can accompany it where the owner of the profile can explain why they prefer the writers work.

Let's face it, the current "fans" and "favourite writers" lists currently on the site are just not as prominent as they should be, especially with the emphasis the site wants to place on users contributing and reading other people's work.

Profile pages are extremely boring, in truth, with the site strangling all the creativity out of how far they can take each feature. A lot can still be done to make B/R more interesting and this is one of them. B/R works on the ethos of users being able to appreciate other peoples work.

More features should be allowed for writers to express their opinion on who they really think are the best writers on Bleacher Report are, not the inaccurate writer rankings that will never determine who the best writers or even just peoples favourite writers are for as long as it existed.

Writer rankings favour the users who publish several poor quality articles every other day to climb the rankings.

It favours the writers that like to reply to each and every comment they get to make it seem like their article is rousing debate or interest because the comment count is high.

The only people who can really say who are good writers here are are the real people. Not a machine or a computerized system.

We need an honest system in place and the only way this will happen is when every writer gets the opportunity to write short and detailed bios of their top five writers, for instance, on their profile page.

It would work brilliantly, giving users more to do on a profile page than just see articles and links to other peoples site—and whether you prefer Schumacher or Hamilton, whatever it is!

After all, the other writers on the site are what keeps Bleacher Report alive, so let's put the focus back on them!

I would bet all my possessions the top writer in each section of B/R is usually not the best one. Nor are the top few most people's favourite in the eyes of the majority of the users that regularly contribute to the site.

This is especially true for the World Football section and goes to show that Bleacher Report although has come far, still has a long way to go in satisfying every opportunity to make the site more interactive and interesting.

FIFA 09 vs. PES 2009: Take Your Pick

Brandon Evans — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 00:54:47 -0400

Football simulation games have been around for a very long time and in that period, two franchises have established themselves as the main competitors in a broad market.

Pro Evolution Soccer and FIFA series titles have become must have games for fans annually and with the recent release of FIFA 09 and the imminent release of PES 2009, we at B/R will finally decide which one we prefer.

FIFA's first game in a ground breaking series began with FIFA International Soccer in 1993. Revolutionary at the time for it's detailed animation and graphics as well being the first video game to use the official FIFA license meaning real club names and players could be used to enhance the gameplay experience.

Pro Evolution's series emerged in 2002 as a result of FIFA's dominance in the genre and, whilst some fans where initially turned off by the lack of licenses in comparison to EA's titles, many warmed to the increasingly realistic and intuitive gameplay Pro Evo games offered.

With each edition every year, both games offer improvements to the amount of teams, quality in realism, graphics and enhancements in gameplay to gradually reach an authentic footballing simulation experience.

The market for football games is now a global industry worth over £1.2 billion a year for the pacemakers. FIFA and Pro Evo both frequently use the endorsement of well known brands as well as the world's best known talent like Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Wayne Rooney and Leo Messi for promotional purposes.

But as far as fans for football games go, there's no sitting on the fence when it comes to FIFA and Pro. Are you a fan of football games? Do you have a favourite or do you play both? Or do you never play football games anyway?

FIFA vs. Pro Evolution

Which one takes your pick?

Barclays Premiership Game Week 7 Predictions

Brandon Evans — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 09:14:26 -0400

Saturday

Sunderland v. Arsenal

Roy Keane's men will be looking to bounce back from their away defeat at Villa last week and Arsenal travel to The Stadium of Light after their convincing 4-0 thrashing of Porto. If Wenger doesn't rotate, the Gunners may find it difficult.

Brandon's Prediction: Away Win

West Brom v. Fulham

Fulham also travel away after their defeat to West Ham last weekend and their squad seems to be struggling to put a string of wins together. Albion managed to overpower Middlesbrough last weekend and will be eager to continue their new found form at the Hawthorns, but Roy Hodgson's men will be too strong for Albion.

Brandon's Prediction: Away Win

Wigan v. Middlesboro

Wigan seem to be stumbling into some irresistible form and with key players like Palacios, Zaki, and Heskey in form, they should prove too much for an inconsistent Boro side.

Brandon's Prediction: Home Win

Blackburn v. Man Utd

Rovers are playing some fine stuff at the moment and may have just enough to cause an upset to a fatigued and depleted United squad at Ewood Park. Berbatov and Tevez up front is combination that is unlikely to gell instantly and will cause United problems.

Brandons Prediction: Home Win

Sunday

West Ham v. Bolton

Bolton have been unconvincing for me and West Ham appear to be going from strength to strength. Bolton going forward still have a lot to work on before they can trouble anyone seriously away from home this season.

Brandon's Prediction: Home Win

Chelsea v. Aston Villa

Chelsea have an extensive list on injuries but there is still a squad strong enough to cope with any threat Villa could provide. Still expect a comprehensive win with goals likely to come from Frank Lampard and Nicolas Anelka. Chelsea's home record will comfortably be intact by the end of Sunday lunch time.

Brandon's Prediction: Home Win

Manchester City v. Liverpool

City's form seems to be stuttering and their incapacity to rotate will see them fall at home to a buzzing Liverpool squad. Expect Robbie Keane to open his Premership account against a fatigued City back four.

Brandon's Prediction: Away Win

Portsmouth v. Stoke City

Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch's partnership is beginning to prosper and after Traore and Johnson put in fine performances last week, Portsmouth are in a favourable position. With their midfield functioning Pompey can cause a host of problems for Stoke who will be trying to recover from a hotly contested loss against Chelsea last week.

Brandon's Prediction: Home Win

Tottenham v. Hull City

Hull City will be on a high after their win at Arsenal and have shown they can cause the most capable defences problems from set pieces. However their defensive discipline won't be enough to hold out a determined Spurs who will almost certainly build on their midweek win against Wisla Krakow. This is the most likely to be the highest scoring game of the weekend.

Brandon's Prediction: Home Win

Everton v. Newcastle

Joe Kinnear will have a lot to prove against his critics and Everton's defeat in midweek and the trip back to Goodison Park for Sunday will prove too much for a small squad to cope with. Newcastle's most convincing win of the season to come in the late kick-off. here.

Brandon's Prediction: Away Win

Now for some more wild and eccentric predictions to keep it interesting come Monday when I sit back in front of the computer to check how accurate I was.

Definite Goalscorers: Frank Lampard & Jermain Defoe

Definite Top Performers: Carlos Tevez, Amir Zaki, Robinho, Cristiano Ronaldo

Most Unhappy Manager: Gareth Southgate

Happiest Manager: Joe Kinnear

Penalty At: Upton Park

Sending Off At: White Hart Lane

Horrific Referee Decision At: City Of Manchester Stadium

Highest Scoring Game: Tottenham v. Hull City

Most Comfortable Win For: Arsenal

And there you have it. If anyone has any wild predictions to add or any comments on my predictions let's have your opinions. Maybe then we'll be able to see who is most reliable of the B/R writers!

Tottenham's Season to Get Kick Start This Weekend after UEFA Cup Victory

Brandon Evans — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:38:02 -0400

Tottenham Hotspur's 1-1 draw was enough to see them uneasily progress to the group stages of the UEFA Cup after a narrow victory over Wilsa Krakow winning 3-2 on aggregate.

A goal from Krakow defender Arkadiusz Glowaki turned out to be enough for Tottenham, who managed to hold off persistent Krakow attacks as they pushed to try and send the game into extra time.

Krakow started on top with good passages of play, creating chances and nearly taking the lead through Radoslaw Sobolewski just before half time. A diving Heurelho Gomes got in the way of the shot to keep the game tied.

In the second half, Spurs came out on top controlling possession and utilizing the pace of Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale on the flanks to penetrate a disciplined Krakow back four and began to gain some control.

It was a low cross from Gareth Bale initially intended for Fraizer Campbell that was headed in by the perplexed Glowacki to give Spurs the lead.

After they went behind, Krakow came out fighting. With the support of the energetic home crowd, Tottenham buckled under the pressure. Their defence looked flimsy and vulnerable and with every attack looked more likely to fall behind.

Within minutes, it became apparent that their problems this season haven't been caused by "Berbatov's poisonous presence" as idiotically suggested by Terry Venables, but by Tottenham's incapacity to defend the most simple of attacks.

A lack of communication between Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate and a simple ball over the top between them was Brozek's cue to lob the on rushing Gomes for a comical equalizer at the 84-minute mark.

Tottenham's defensive efforts to hold off Krakow would best be described as mediocre.

They could have gone behind on numerous occasions in the last 10 minutes of the game if it hadn't been for some good defending from Gomes and Michael Dawson. Juande Ramos won't be resting comfortably tonight even after qualification since he should be aware their defending still leaves a lot to be desired.

Tottenham was fairly unconvincing going forward, and although Jenas and Lennon did their best to provide the spark in midfield, they were unable to support Darren Bent and Campbell when they did get into promising attacking positions.

It would be easy for Spurs to dwell on the negatives of the game, but there were still a lot of positives they could build on ahead of Hull City's visit to White Hart Lane this weekend.

Although Tottenham wasn't exceptional, they managed to show glints of their more self-assured selves when they did get forward. As long as they build on this performance, Tottenham fans can expect a home win when they face Hull City on Sunday afternoon.

Is Serie A Really That Boring?

Brandon Evans — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:27:05 -0400

What comes into mind when I think of Italy's first division: A couple of good teams; slow, boring style of football; and not enough excitement. But this really isn't the case. So why is it that many are under the impression that Serie A is one of the more boring top-flight football leagues in Europe?

It's a fair comment to say the Italian league is less attractive to watch. It's commonplace for a team to score and then defend the lead for the majority of the match. And it's tactical reasons that best explain why so many are turned off. But the Italian league has some of the most technically capable and skillfully gifted players in Europe.

From Ronaldinho and Kaka to Abate, Totti, Pato, Lavezzi, Silvestri. The list of talent is endless, and yet these players play in a conventional system that stops the league in general from being as exciting as it can possibly be. This must irritate Italian fans when their league is compared to The Premiership or La Liga. Is it just an issue of coverage?

After all, the coverage on a global scale of Serie A in comparison to the EPL is minuscule. Italian teams aren't as prominent around the world as their European counterparts, but it was only recently that Italian teams were dominating Europe in the Champions League.

It's only recently that Italy were crowned World Champions in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, so the Italians are getting something right. It may be consistently classed as the most boring league but, in terms of it's structure, it sets an extraordinary example to the rest of Europe.

Serie A has shown on various occasions that their top four is completely interchangeable. Nobody knows which team will finish in the coveted Champions League spots because that's just how competitive and efficient a majority of the teams are in the league at challenging for the best finishes.

Compared to the EPL, there is also a phenomenal amount of homegrown talent playing regularly in most of the teams. The Italian national team prospers as a result of this, and the best squad can be picked from a wider selection of players than the rest of the other big leagues in Europe.

Currently there are 12 teams in Serie A that stand a realistic chance of challenging for the top four places. In any circumstance, that is an encouraging example to the rest of Europe of a functioning, competitive, and unpredictable league that also works well for its international team.

Why Chelsea Should Begin To Worry About Manchester United

Brandon Evans — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:31:04 -0400

If Manchester United's recent victory sent any message to their domestic title rivals, it's that they have got an equally strong and interchangeable team that is yet to hit its peak. United created masses of chances, played elegantly with pace, skill, and conviction and above all showed their title contenders that they are still very capable of throwing a spanner in the works at Stamford Bridge this season.

As convincing and dominating as United where they also demonstrated that they have a squad as strong as Chelsea's if not better attacking wise. Influential players like Scholes and Rooney came off along with Rafael DaSilva, and were replaced with players just as capable of creating opportunities for the front men.

An interchangeable squad and a wealth of options in most positions is exaclty what is needed to challenge for the title realistically and despite United's slow start, they have proved they have it in abundance.

Dimitar Berbatov has also gone a long way to silencing the critics who were claiming he hadn't exactly set the world alight since his £30 million move to the Mancunian club. His link up play with the attacking players was breathtaking to watch and he proved he can be just as important for his team as the season progresses.

Chelsea have a chance tonight to send just as much of a message back to Old Trafford when they play in the Champions League, as I'm sure Sir Alex Ferguson will be interested in the result and the effect it has on their title ambitions. So far this season Chelsea haven't shown fully that they have a catalogue of higher quality performances they are yet to delve into. Man Utd however have shown that they are just heating up.

If the Chelsea faithful thought that their displays in the EPL so far where enough to comfortably romp to the title this season, Manchester United's recent performance albeit against a low par team has gone a long way to show that Chelsea have considerably more to worry about than initially anticipated.

WWE: Hoax Or Entertainment?

Brandon Evans — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 01:35:55 -0400

Entertainment seems a good description of what to expect of the WWE, and it's fascinating to watch whether you're a fan or not. The wrestlers getting the crowd hyped, slamming their opponents, the music, the commentators—you can't deny the excitement every match manages to conjure up.

But this is scripted entertainment, which is totally different. Writers have already decided who wins the fights, there's even a backstage crew and every wrestler seems like a trained bodybuilding actor.

I vividly remember my devastation at discovering that the WWF, as it was called back then, was scripted. Looking closely, I realized The Rock wasn't actually smacking Kurt Angle across the face the way I first thought, and it hurt. I immediately lost all interest, and gone were the days of me jumping off my bed pretending to be a wrestler.

I just couldn't justify it in my mind alongside sports, where I could find an authentic passion to win and will to fight until the end in a bid to be champion. I was about 10 years old, but since then my opinions have changed slightly.

I have come not to disrespect the WWE but actually accept it for what it is, even though I don't watch it anymore. Wrestlers are trained, yes, fights are choreographed, yes. But they still need to be able to improvise, and the dangers of injury are still very real.

I now see wrestlers as trained athletes who put on a hell of show every time they step into the ring. WWE is a multi-million dollar industry that has managed to gain my respect through being able to entertain just as much as most sports, no matter how scripted it is.

Is FIFA's 2010 World Cup Bound To Go Wrong?

Brandon Evans — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:36 -0400

It's been more than five years since it was announced that the "Clem da la Clem" of world football will descend on South Africa in 2010 to compete for the title of world champions.

But even hosting such a spectacle can't hide the reality of high crime rates, poverty, and lack of infrastructure in South Africa.

As the tournament approaches, skeptics will continue to question whether a nation with a turbulent history can pull off this prestigious football event under the watchful eyes of the world.

The first major sporting event in the continent of Africa could open the doors for the world and set a trend. No doubt it is a beautiful land, rich in culture, with the potential to host any international occasion with as much gloss as the rest of the world.

The other side of the coin is obviously not so beautiful, and dangers and doubts continue to hang and will continue, even when the competition gets underway.

Less than a decade ago, it would be unthinkable that the world's press, fans, and international football teams would descend on Africa for a major sporting event. Things have clearly changed since, and Africa has finally been given a great opportunity to prove themselves to the world.

Are they capable of pulling it off?

Which Football Team Has the Best Supporters in the Barclays Premiership?

Brandon Evans — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 09:32:07 -0400

The Barclays Premiership easily sells hundreds of thousands of tickets each week, and it's all down to the fans that pay good money to see the games. But which supporters stand out the most to you as the best in the league?

The best fans are those that lift the team when they need a goal, raise decibel levels so high to the point it feels as if the away support never turned up. They don't leave after 60 minutes when they realise the deficit is too steep, and they certainly don't jeer their own team when they feel the performance needs improvement!

The best fans sell out season tickets and travel to every corner of England, following their beloved team, prepared to shout their lungs out in the pouring rain. They have anthems for every player, and every opposition player, and away teams dread visiting their ground.

They're faithful, care about their club, and kick every ball with the players during the entire 90 minutes.

Which fans have your vote?

Is This Season Chelsea's Best Chance of Winning the Quadruple?

Brandon Evans — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 04:48:51 -0400

After a near flawless start to the season, a favourable Champions League draw, and nearest challengers Manchester United having a less than perfect start, things seem to be looking colourful for Chelsea so far.

It appears nothing can possibly go wrong.

Chelsea seem like a wounded animal, stopping at nothing to ensure success in all tournaments after failing to pick up any silverware last season. Yet to concede this season, and having made some calculated additions to the squad with players like Deco, Bosingwa and possibly Robinho, Chelsea seem to be hitting all the right notes.

Bookies are already touting the Blues to win the Premiership and the Champions League, but have they all spoken too soon?

It's gone wrong in the past and it wasn't a long time ago Chelsea somehow managed to put together a run bad enough to lose the title by a couple of points. The toll of chasing trophies on four fronts also has the ability to cloud what is really important for the Londoners this season, and that's exactly what happened last season.

Getting far in Europe is considerably more important than progressing in the League Cup, yet the staff and squad have set the bar so high that they might have already damaged the teams chances of competing at their highest level in the other, more important, competitions.

Is winning four trophies in a season achievable, and even if so, is it really how Chelsea should plan every season?

After all, was that not why they ended up winning nothing last year?

Has Usain Bolt Forever Changed 100m Sprinting?

Brandon Evans — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 04:15:15 -0400

The 100m world record has been broken numerous times in the past. But not like this. Usain Bolt of Jamaica obliterated the competition and the world record at the Beijing Olympics, running an astonishing 9.69, and he clearly could have gone faster.

The question is: Will his potential to dominate pave the way for a different style of athlete in the 100m?

In the world of professional sprinters, Bolt is in the odd category. He is 6'5" and doesn't have the lower center of gravity and muscle build of most competitors he races. But his height and stride length gives him a great advantage.

His stride length is key, as it allows him to eat up more track than everyone else, and it's simple science. If "X" takes five strides per second to every three strides per second "Y" takes, "X" is faster. Even with his raw power and height alone, if Bolt had a bad start, he's still scientifically bound to catch up

Coaches could potentially begin looking for taller athletes as sprinter, and we could see a drastic change in the type of sprinters in the future. Maybe even as early as 2012!