Premier League: Friday Football Fun

With a off week in the Prem due to the World Cup qualifiers, teams will have some extra time to look ahead to the January transfer window and figure out how to run up a little more debt. As the global economy collapses around us, the PL braintrust is considering holding some games in Asia as part of the regular season. Just as the idea for games in the US was broached earlier in the year, this one looks to be heavily opposed but also inevitable. The League has gone global, and just like salary increases and billionaire owners, you cannot stop progress that you've already opened the door to.

The PL is marketed strongly in Asia, with plenty of exihibition games held each summer, to draw the line here would be arbitrary. Is it a good thing? I'm not sure. There is a point where a sport can get to its height, and then loses some of its romanticism on the way down. What was once so deeply tied to small English towns, has become a world commodity. The nature of our society determines how sport progresses. Now, do officials have to be cautious and prudent when figuring out which route to go in terms of expansion? Absolutely. But to fight the progress would be contrary to the direction that the League has already been headed in.


Let's get to some fun:

-Ronaldo (the prostitute-loving one.....wait, that doesn't help, the chubby one with the Madonna teeth), is still reported to be interested in Manchester City. Say what you want about the Brazilian striker, but even a bloated Ronaldo won the Bronze Shoe at the last World Cup. He can score in his sleep, and he is still only 32 years old. That seems amazing, but if he seriously whipped himself into shape, he could start pouring in goals for a couple of more years. It makes sense for City to bring him in for the rest of the season, although they have distanced themselves from him and are seemingly set on bigger targets. It would do him good to be out in Eastlands where the supermodels and nightlife are sparse, compared to Paris Saint-Germain, where fun-loving Ronaldo will be up to his bloodshot eyeballs in nightlife.

-Fernando Torres is excited about the prospect of winning the Baloon d' Or. It looks like Ronaldo has it wrapped up, but Messi had a strong Olympics to go with his fantastic season, and Torres scored the Euro 2008 winner for Spain to go with his 33 goals last year. I think that these three players are the favorites, with Iker Casillas garnering consideration as well.

-The Tottenham Hotspur situation has gone well beyond the point of an adjustment period for new players. Luka Modric, David Bentley, Gomes, Roman Pavlyuchenko, Giovanni Dos Santos. All came to Tottenham with dreams of Champions League football. Now they sit on two points, no wins, and remain in last place in the Premier League. The only good sign in London right now, is that Spurs have not yet had their doors blown off in a match. Yes, they are a laughing stock, but in many games they have controlled possession, and they've have only lost by more than one goal once, away to Pompey. The next two matches will be the tipping point at White Hart Lane. They face fellow bottom dwellers, Stoke City (away) and Bolton (home). It is a neccessity that they win both matches, not only to move up the table, but to resemble anything close to a confident football team.