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World Cup 2022: Beer sales banned at World Cup stadiums in Qatar

I already thought the Qatar regime was bad enough, but making Bud Zero the only available beer is new depths of inhumanity.

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Ben, Todd

A definite Human Rights infraction.

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Ben, Todd

Sober football spectators? That can’t be good…

If it’s only sober straight people who are allowed to celebrate the World Cup then I imagine it’ll be a pretty shit party.

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Todd

I was gonna spend $40,000 on airfare, hotel reservations in Qatar, and tickets to as many matches as I could, but I think I’ll just watch the World Cup from my living room and drink $40,000 worth of craft beer. And potato chips.

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DavidM, Rocket, Ben, Al-x, Todd, garjones, Dave

At London pub prices that might just about cover a round.

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DavidM, Ben, Todd

Congrats England on a great opening game.

27 minutes of injury time, what the fuck happened there? 😂

garjones wrote:

Congrats England on a great opening game.

27 minutes of injury time, what the fuck happened there? 😂

Don’t know if you watched it but there was a bit of a debacle about 8 minutes in with a concussed goalkeeper for the Iran team which took about ten minutes to sort out on its own. He should have been taken off immediately. But yeah, bit of a crazy statistic either way.

Good luck to Wales tonight – should be a good match against the US.

Dave wrote:

garjones wrote:

Congrats England on a great opening game.

27 minutes of injury time, what the fuck happened there? 😂

Don’t know if you watched it but there was a bit of a debacle about 8 minutes in with a concussed goalkeeper for the Iran team which took about ten minutes to sort out on its own. He should have been taken off immediately. But yeah, bit of a crazy statistic either way.

Good luck to Wales tonight – should be a good match against the US.

US and Wales tied.

Dave wrote:

Don’t know if you watched it but there was a bit of a debacle about 8 minutes in with a concussed goalkeeper for the Iran team which took about ten minutes to sort out on its own. He should have been taken off immediately.

I did see the game, I was more confused where the 10 minutes came in the second half.

Someone shared an interview with legendary ref Pierluigi Collina who said they are now counting not just injuries but things like goal celebrations which will extend added time in all games. We saw something like 9 minutes in the second half of the Wales v USA game too.

On the farce with that Iranian goalie, football really need to look at rugby’s concussion protocols where they allow temporary subs for head collisions for medical assessment. He and his team-mate would have been ordered off the pitch by an independent doctor because you can’t trust team medics to think of the player over the game. It was ridiculous he wasn’t taken off immediately.

It is massively dangerous to play on after a concussion because the brain gets inflamed, a second collision in that state can and has killed players.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/dec/13/death-of-a-schoolboy-ben-robinson-concussion-rugby-union

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Ben, Dave

Todd wrote:

US and Wales tied.

Yes, I saw it.

The US looked like the stronger side early on but didn’t seem to be able to maintain it in the second half. Wales struggled to capitalise on their chances but that late penalty was pretty unambiguous. In the end a draw felt like the right result.

Wales started with the wrong lineup. They thought Daniel James’ pace would work against the USA but he got no change and couldn’t get into their half, they then replaced him with Keiffer Moore who is a classic big lump frontman and he held the ball up for them.

A draw was a fair result.

garjones wrote:

Congrats England on a great opening game.

27 minutes of injury time, what the fuck happened there? 😂

Yeah, I saw the second half. I’ve not watched many football matches in the past decade or two but I don’t think I’ve ever seen or hears of one running til the 103rd minute before. Madness. I don’t get why they don’t stop and restart the clock like in rugby. And it was pretty ridiculous how England didn’t seem to be allowed to bring their subs on for several minutes despite multiple lulls in play.

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garjones

Martin Smith wrote:

I don’t get why they don’t stop and restart the clock like in rugby.

Football just doesn’t like change. Probably with some justification they say it’s the most popular game because they keep it simple and don’t change rules easily. Games like rugby and NFL tend to change something at least once a year.

It does mean though that common sense solutions from other sports (and stopping the clock is originally from US sports like basketball) are frustratingly ignored. Even with VAR it is the clunkiest video replay system I’ve seen. Even as a Union fan I have to day Rugby League is probably the best, it’s very smooth and well communicated. Tennis do it well too but they are too proud to learn from lesser sports. 😂

 

This world cup is absolutely bonkers.

Yeah two big shocks from Saudi Arabia and Japan.

Yet more twists as now Iran seem to have pulled off a face turn owing to the political protest connotations now being linked to their team, while Wales turn heel as their keeper comes within inches of kicking an Iranian’s face off. England are almost certain to win this group but the other qualifying spot seems likely to come down to USA vs Iran, with all the inherent political connotations that brings. Set, of course, against the backdrop of Qatar in a tournament that the USA wanted to host and were so pissed off about missing out on that they set about an investigation to arrest half of the corrupt FIFA executive committee. A game of two halves and an infinite amount of crazy. If only Ukraine had been in this group rather than Wales to complete the madness.

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DavidM, Todd, Dave, Rocket

Quite a guy:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/nov/25/richarlison-brazilians-bolsonaro-world-cup-brazil

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Al-x

USA v Iran was a good game. Pulisic really took one for the team in getting the only goal of the match.

Poland scraping through by virtue of having picked up two less bookings than Mexico is quite the thing. Not that either side would have made it past France in the next round. In fact, we’re on course for a France/England quarter-final that could well determine the end winner of the tournament.

Nothing against Belgium but I’m all for one of the major teams getting sent home at the group stage. Pretty sure that Germany will still scrape through with Spain in the other group playing today.

 

Incredible to watch the second halves of those Japan/Spain and Costa Rica/Germany games. Leave it to FIFA to mess with the format and deny such intense ends to the group stage next time.

Took under 10 minutes for the US team to give up the first of three goals in yesterday’s loss to the Netherlands. Despite the loss, it was an exciting game with solid performances on both sides of the field.

In other football news, the greatest star of the game, Pele, is currently dealing with a severe respiratory condition. These days the phrase respiratory condition fills me with dread…

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Al-x, Todd

What the hell is goin on with this world cup

Arjan Dirkse wrote:

What the hell is goin on with this world cup

are you talking about the fact Spain has no scorers? They had over 1000 passes and a high possession % but eventually you have to take a shot. it showed up badly in penalties.

Yes all the big favorites look bad or are already out.

Spain are a very boring team, glad to see the back of them.

France and England look like the most solid teams right now.

Holy shit, Portugal, calm down.

There’s a Moroccan living across from me who is going absolutely bezerk.

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Todd

Good for him. I see Ronaldo was in tears:

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Todd, Dave

Getting to the semi finals whilst only conceding one goal is truly remarkable. And even that was an own goal!

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Todd

So Brazil lost to Croatia by penalty kicks.

It is what it is.

Next!

Pretty good semi-final line-up, really.

Croatia – chance for a new country to win the cup and a fitting end to Modric’s career

Argentina – chance for the fairytale ending to Messi’s career, likely cementing him as the GOAT

Morocco – chance for the first African country ever to win the cup

France – chance for the first back-to-back wins since Brazil in 1958/1962 (and the first to do it with the same manager since Italy in 1934/1938)

Pretty cool that one of those scenarios will come to be.

If Croatia manage to make it to the final then they’ll either play Morocco, which would make it the first time a group stage match has been replayed in the final since 1962, or France, which would make it the first time the prior tournament’s final happened again since 1990.

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Todd, Dave

Well, it is Argentina v France. Should be nice.

As for having the consolation game: I have mixed feelings. I mean have already been eliminated, and you still play? Must be a huge payout for 3rd place.

————-

NFL

What a crazy game!
And I am not a Vikings fan.

Argentina managed to give Messi the exit he dreamed of.

Went right to the wire with a penalty shoot-out. Ouch.

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Sean Robinson, Todd

Al-x wrote:

As for having the consolation game: I have mixed feelings. I mean have already been eliminated, and you still play? Must be a huge payout for 3rd place.

It’s always been a game with mixed opinions, some want to just define the 3rd best team, some think it better to just go home as nobody wants to be in that game.

As for payouts, not personally. Most footballers earn a fortune from their club contracts and individual football associations often aren’t very wealthy. An England player for example can earn £300,000 a week from their club but will only get £2500 for playing for their country. As such they all give their international salaries away to charities.

It’s not exactly a huge sacrifice when you are already a millionaire but yeah they actually do just play for the glory of winning it.

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Al-x

Ben wrote:

Argentina managed to give Messi the exit he dreamed of.

Went right to the wire with a penalty shoot-out. Ouch.

It was a fantastic game. Finals are often cagey and boring but this one had a bit of everything.

Yeah pretty tedious this one.

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njerry

The enduring image of Qatar 2022…

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garjones, Martin Smith, Al-x, Todd

As someone who isn’t a soccer fan, is there any reason why the World Cup doesn’t just go into sudden death extra time instead of penalty kicks? Because that was a fun game, but I feel like penalty kicks were such a bland way to end an exciting game.

And on an unrelated note, I enjoyed seeing the Patriots make one of the dumbest plays in NFL history yesterday. Just an absolute nonsense way to lose a game.

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Todd

Chris D wrote:

As someone who isn’t a soccer fan, is there any reason why the World Cup doesn’t just go into sudden death extra time instead of penalty kicks? Because that was a fun game, but I feel like penalty kicks were such a bland way to end an exciting game.

There was a time in the 90s and early 2000s where the Golden Goal idea was put into practice by FIFA in the hope that it would make sides more attacking and open play up during extra time.

But from memory the opposite happened, teams actually got more defensive because they feared conceding so much and it ultimately led to a worse quality of football rather than better, so the whole thing was done away with sometime in the mid-00s.

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Chris D

Dave wrote:

from memory the opposite happened,

Yes that is essentially the problem, a ‘golden goal’ scenario saw both teams clam up out of fear of making the mistake that costs the game.

I saw a similar thing in rugby (where draws are much more rare) a couple of years back and in the extra time period they just kicked back and forth to each other scared because running from deep could draw a mistake that lost the game. It was just 20 minutes extra of boredom and the same result.

A lot of sports basically are a clash between rules and canny coaches. Ideally everyone plays a cavalier attacking game we all love, and to be fair this final with 6 goals was better than maybe any other we’ve seen, but like in life it is hard to legislate for your ideal outcome. I think the penalty shootout remains because like democracy in general it is the least worst option.

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Chris D, Dave

Chris D wrote:

As someone who isn’t a soccer fan, is there any reason why the World Cup doesn’t just go into sudden death extra time instead of penalty kicks? Because that was a fun game, but I feel like penalty kicks were such a bland way to end an exciting game.

And on an unrelated note, I enjoyed seeing the Patriots make one of the dumbest plays in NFL history yesterday. Just an absolute nonsense way to lose a game.

I saw the highlights.
That was ridiculous!
Bellichek must have hit the roof. Good for them 🤣

Almost as embarrassing as the Colts who were ahead by 33!🤣

MLS had a different version of the penalty shootout in the 90s. The attacker started with the ball 35 yards out, the keeper in the goal, and there were 5 seconds for the attacker to try to score with as many touches of the ball as needed.

They scrapped it by the end of the decade so I suppose it didn’t work.

Holy fuck Denver (Broncos)!
Seattle owns your first round pick and now you are 4-11

Yes, the most injured team in the League, and I’m pretty sure they’re guaranteed most improved team next year

But wow, did that trade for Russell Wilson ever not work out.

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Todd

And could every team from the AFC East make it?
1 division winner and 3 Wild Cards.
Unreal.

And could Brady and the Buccaneers host a playoff game?
How the fuck are they in this position?

If Brady makes a dent, he’s not done and a one year deal coming.

Tonight huge for the future of Brady

An interesting post I saw on Twitter today. Since the dimensions of football goals were decided in 1863 the average male has increased in height by 5 inches. Should they be widened as a result?

I’d actually like sport in general to be more open on stuff like this. There was a debate I heard on women’s rugby the other day about the size of the ball, they use the same as the men despite having smaller hands (3 sizes of ball are in normal production since they cater for age groups from minis upwards). One side was looking at equality and consistency, the other that these are just facts and using a smaller one would mean fewer dropped balls, ability to offload with one hand, and more entertainment.

Javelin is one that constantly adjusts because if they hadn’t made the javelin harder to throw over the years it would be impaling the spectators in the stands at the far end!

 

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Martin Smith, Rocket

[Al-x]

I am reminded that the Carrier is international.
Not to confuse, but I will say American football…NFL 🤣

Should be nice playoffs match-ups. I didn’t realize it has been a
17 game regular season for the last two years. Might be 18
soon with the Super Bowl pushed to the first weekend of March.

The NFC should be the Eagles unless the other teams pull an
upset. The AFC will be battle of the super teams Chiefs and
Bills.

Feel bad for any up and coming AFC team as they will have to
deal with Josh Allen (Bills) and Mahomes for the next 10 years.
Maybe the Jets can sneak one in but…

As for the Jets, they might have to draft another QB again! 🤣
Years of Geno Smith, Sam Darnold, Zach Wilson… While other
teams have 1 QB for over 10 years. Both Darnold and Zach were
picked by the Jets a LOT higher than they should have. Oh well…

• This reply was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by Al-x.

@rocket – You see that Colorado win tonight? Down 2-0, come back and force overtime.
Edmonton player gets a second chance and baseball swings it, but a great save.
Cale Makar goes the other way and wins it!
I believe Colorado will be in it and are headed in the right direction.

As for other NHL teams, good for Seattle. Unsure what will happen, but nice if they’re the one to bring down Vegas.
If Dallas believed in itself then they could be dangerous. Same for Winnipeg.

I’m wondering what San Jose’s plan is. Thought they looked good, and they had their run.
But you can’t hang out with Phoenix and wonder why your fan base turns on you.
Chicago’s plan is to suck properly and get another Toews and Kane. Hope this backfires on them good and proper (but they did get 3 Cups, more than some will ever see)

In the East, Toronto will go all in on a trade. Looking for a D-man, but will take a forward.
(hey, upcoming UFA Bo Horvat is having an awesome season, and this trade will make or break Vancouver.
because he cant walk as a free agent, not when he’s on pace to crack 60 goals).

Canada’s win at the World Juniors solidified Conor Bedard (born in North Vancouver!) as the number one pick in the upcoming draft (in what looks to be an awesome draft that could change the direction of a few franchises).

I am looking for my Canucks to start the trades soon, and tank properly. This middling shit will destroy us.
The right moves, and winning the draft could be a quick turnaround.
Have we appeased the Hockey Gods?
It’s all I dream of, or I need to murder this idiot owner (may need bail money soon, or a place to hide).

When was the last time someone without a top four draft pick on their roster has won the Cup?
2011 Boston (ouch!, but one top 6 pick and another top 15 pick) and before that 2008 Detroit (one top 15 pick)
Seems like you have to have a few proper bad years to win.

Sean Robinson wrote:

I believe Colorado will be in it and are headed in the right direction.

what we need most is health. im worried Gabe is  gone for the year. Hope we can get someone to fill in for him. Hope bout Bo Horvat?

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Sean Robinson

With regards to the Sharks, they basically went all in a few years back when they knew Thornton and Marleau were at the tail end of their careers and it backfired. Now they’re stuck with a lot of bad contracts they’re slowly trying to work their way out of. I’m also still mad they chose Karlsson over Pavelski. I understand why, but I’ll always be mad at that choice. It’s gonna be a few years before they’re competitive again, unfortunately.

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Rocket, Sean Robinson

Canucks fire Boudreau hire Tocchet. It got my attention because one of my all time favorites was picked to be his assistant: Adam Foote.

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Sean Robinson

@Rocket

Colorado broadcast starts with hot mic on seagulls from hockey

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Rocket

Sad news for hockey fans:

Hall of Famer Bobby Hull, The Golden Jet, dies at age 84

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Rocket, Sean Robinson

Horvath to Isles – nhl network.  O well. At least we didn’t have to give up too much.

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Sean Robinson

@Rocket
The Avs are finding themselves at the right time (Nice goal by Malgin (who?)).
They’ve announced they will be in, and I’m thinking the wild card spot that goes Pacific side can be a cake walk.
Vegas (admit I just want them to fail) tough, but Colorado can.
Then LA, Edmonton, or Seattle don’t know how to be there.

Umm, just realized how tight the Central is.
Colorado can/will win division.

Central is tough. Dallas and Winnipeg are for real, maybe Minnesota too. Just don’t know how to win yet, or what to do if they start (like a dog chasing a car…)

Convinced Colorado is in, and shut the door behind them (sorry Calgary, Nashville, and St. Louis)

The East is Boston, but Toronto has to put it together sometime, right?
First two rounds will dictate a lot.

Trade deadline this Friday.

Colorado vs. Toronto in the Finals, going to game 7

In the NFL, there is QB Lamar Jackson and his FA situation.
It is tricky and time consuming to work out the details and his options, but
the news is he never had an agent! No professional representation since he
came in. Amazing.

MLB Opening Day at month’s end. Let’s go Mets.

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Todd, njerry

Well, this has escalated fast.

Lineker criticised the government over their new, admitted by them to be illegal, refugee policy.  In response to political pressure, the BBC have taken Lineker off presenting Match of the Day.

In response to that the other pundits, Wright and Shearer have pulled out to back Lineker, and two other presenters have followed them.

At this rate, it’s going to be a clips show tomorrow.

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Todd, Dave

Yeah, I think this is a severe misstep by the BBC that is going to erode confidence in them quite a bit.

There’s a clear double-standard here where other BBC presenters and employees have tweeted plenty of political stuff, some of it quite extreme, but haven’t been similarly reprimanded.

The growing narrative is that people airing right-wing views haven’t been treated by the BBC in the same way as those airing left-wing views. While I’m not sure whether it’s quite as simple as that, either way the BBC have created a sense that they are concerned about upsetting the government and have overreacted to Lineker in the name of ‘balance’.

The sad thing to me is that Tories and right-wingers have been trying to weaken and undermine the BBC for years, while this latest episode will erode support for them on the other side of the aisle.

It’s going to get to the point where there’s dwindling support all round for the organisation in its current form – which is, of course, exactly what the Tories want.

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Martin Smith, Todd, Ben

Don’t worry Joe Lycett has offered to step in:

I have informed the BBC that I am very much available for tomorrow’s #MOTD pic.twitter.com/7cZTVgY01j

— Joe Lycett (@joelycett) March 10, 2023

It is now confirmed there is no one to present Match of the Day tomorrow.

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Martin Smith

The growing narrative is that people airing right-wing views haven’t been treated by the BBC in the same way as those airing left-wing views. While I’m not sure whether it’s quite as simple as that,

I mean Andrew Neil was allowed to (supposedly impartially) front BBC political programs while also having a paid position as editor of a right wing newspaper, so I’m not quite sure why Lineker can’t tweet (for free!) his own opinions separately from presenting a football show.

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Ben

Those BBC negotiations in full:
“Delete the tweets”
“No”
“Okay, well, apologise for them”
“No”
“We’ll get somebody else in to do your job if you don’t”
*Everyone downs tools*
“Will you at least promise not to tweet political stuff in the future?”
“No”
“Okay, we have a deal”

— Nick Pettigrew🇺🇦 (@Nick_Pettigrew) March 13, 2023

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garjones, DavidM, Martin Smith, Todd, Ben

The NY Jets are hoping that Aaron Rodgers will do for them what Tom Brady did his first year with Tampa Bay.
I really don’t know about that. I will believe it when I see Rodgers with the trophy with all that Super Bowl
confetti raining down.

And… NY Mets Edwin Diaz messed up his knee and is out for the season.

What next?

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Todd

Rodgers is more likely going to be Russell Wilson last year with the Broncos than Brady with the Bucs

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Todd, Sean Robinson

Rodgers head isn’t in the game the way Brady’s was, that’s for sure. What he would have going for him with the Jets is being reunited with his old OC (the same guy who blew it hard with Wilson in Denver as HC) and at least one WR he’s very familiar with. He’s also a better QB than Wilson. However he’s also 5 years older and has had one foot in retirement for like 3 years now. So yeah, I’d also wager he’d more likely end up like Wilson last year than Brady in TB.

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Rocket, Sean Robinson

https://theathletic.com/4423776/2023/04/18/matt-dumba-joe-pavelski-stars-wild/

I need to post this here because I don’t want to feed the twitter trolls. The Wild franchise should be penalized. Minnesota does this year and year. Also, when did it become a smart thing to put one of the biggest thugs in charge of Player Safety. George Parros is the guy who didnt suspend Dumba.

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Sean Robinson

NHL player safety is such a joke. Everything that department does is so inconsistent. Parros should have been removed from that position before he even got the job. On a side note, Pavelski is basically my favorite hockey player. I’m still pissed at the Sharks for getting rid of him. So I extra hate seeing him on the receiving end of these hits.

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Sean Robinson, Rocket

@GARJONES

Wrexham earns promotion on wild journey under Ryan Reynolds

WREXHAM – Ryan Reynolds held his head in his hands. Rob McElhenney leaned forward, took a deep breath and was soon wiping tears from his eyes.

Below the Hollywood actors, thousands of Wrexham fans flooded onto the field at the Racecourse Ground, setting off red flares and waving Wales flags.

A previously down-on-its-luck Welsh soccer club thrust into the global spotlight because of its A-list owners was celebrating on Saturday after Wrexham secured promotion to the fourth tier of the English game.

Reynolds and McElhenney, along with actor friend Paul Rudd, were among a crowd of more than 10,000 at the Racecourse in north Wales to see Wrexham clinch the National League title with a 3-1 win over Boreham Wood.

Reynolds and McElhenney embraced in the directors’ box when the fulltime whistle sounded and, before long, were holding up a flag with the words: “Wrexham champions 2022-23.”

They seemingly have become soccer fanatics since completing their out-of-nowhere purchase of the club for $2.5 million in 2021. An offshoot of the takeover was the making of a fly-on-the-wall documentary — entitled “Welcome to Wrexham” — that has charted the journey of a team run by a couple of actors learning the ropes of sports club ownership.

The second season of the show will have a happy ending, with Wrexham heading back into the English Football League — the three divisions below the Premier League — for the first time in 15 years.

“One thing that is running through my head over and over again,” Reynolds said, looking around at Wrexham’s jubilant players and fans, “is that people said at the beginning, ’Why Wrexham, why Wrexham?’ This is exactly why Wrexham.”

Wrexham is four points clear of second-placed Notts County with one round of games left, so is guaranteed the sole automatic promotion spot to League Two. After being greeted by Reynolds and McElhenney, Wrexham’s players lifted the league trophy in the middle of the field to the sound of “We are the Champions.”

Reynolds is best known for starring in the “Deadpool” movies, while McElhenney is the creator of TV show “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” One of their stated aims when combining to buy Wrexham from its success-starved fans was to lead the 158-year-old team — the world’s third oldest professional club — to the Premier League and the journey is well underway.

It is Wrexham’s first league title at any level since the old Division Three — then the third tier in the English game — in 1977 and the team has done it in style, collecting a record 110 points so far and winning 34 of its 45 games.

And, as has so often been the case with a club that does drama like no one else, the win was achieved the hard way after falling behind inside 44 seconds.

Wrexham equalized in the 15th minute then Paul Mullin, the team’s star striker, earned victory with two superbly taken goals in the second half.

“Paul Mullin is one of the greatest football players in the world,” McElhenney said.

With the title in the bag, Wrexham fans lapped up the final few minutes of a match that ended more than a decade of hurt. The club fell on such hard times since the turn of the century that its supporters’ trust twice had to save the team from going out of business.

“We can feel what it means to the town,” McElhenney said on the field. “This is a moment of catharsis for them and celebration. For us to be welcomed into the community, and to be welcomed into this experience, has been the honor of my life.”

Since their unlikely takeover, Reynolds (21 million) and McElhenney (1 million) have used their large Twitter followings to promote the club and brought in sponsors such as TikTok, Aviation Gin and Expedia, global brands that typically have no place at this level of the game.

The actors are also living up to the promises they made when taking over, like making improvements to the stadium and investing heavily in the women’s team. They brought in board members and advisers with experience of top-level soccer and who have made good, sensible decisions.

The industrial town of about 65,000 people, located near the northwest English border and close to the soccer hotbeds of Liverpool and Manchester, has been abuzz with excitement for the past two years.

Last season, Wrexham lost in the playoffs to miss out on promotion but made no mistake a year later to get out of the non-leagues, where some teams are semi-professional.

Wrexham finished the game to a backdrop of fans joyously singing “We are going up” – with Reynolds and McElhenney joining in. Rudd also seemed to enjoy the occasion, too — he was spotted drinking a beer with locals before the game.

“I’m not sure I can actually process what happened tonight,” Reynolds said. “I’m still a little speechless.”

Green Bay Deals Aaron Rodgers to the NY Jets

For the second time in 15 years, the Green Bay Packers are trading an aging icon to the New York Jets.

The Packers agreed Monday to deal quarterback Aaron Rodgers and their 2023 first round pick (No. 15 overall) and a 2023 fifth-round pick (No. 170) to the Jets for New York’s 2023 first-round pick (No. 13 overall), a 2023 second round pick (No. 42), a 2023 sixth-round pick (No. 207) and a conditional 2024 second-ro0und pick that becomes a first if Rodgers plays 65% of the plays this season, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday.

[Al-x]

Sean Robinson wrote:

Green Bay Deals Aaron Rodgers to the NY Jets

For the second time in 15 years, the Green Bay Packers are trading an aging icon to the New York Jets.

The Packers agreed Monday to deal quarterback Aaron Rodgers and their 2023 first round pick (No. 15 overall) and a 2023 fifth-round pick (No. 170) to the Jets for New York’s 2023 first-round pick (No. 13 overall), a 2023 second round pick (No. 42), a 2023 sixth-round pick (No. 207) and a conditional 2024 second-ro0und pick that becomes a first if Rodgers plays 65% of the plays this season, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday.

That team has messed up so badly over the years drafting QBs in the first round.

This is a gamble. If (and a big if at that ) Rodgers does for the Jets what Brady did for TB, that
would be the payoff that makes up for a LOT. The Jets haven’t gone to the SB since 1969 ffs.

Hope for the best.

And… I get a little jealous when another team drafts a nice QB like Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, or Josh Allen. When will the Jets draft a nice young guy and have him be QB the next 10 years?

• This reply was modified 1 year, 7 months ago by Al-x.

Are you shitting me? The Toronto Maple Leafs have advanced to the second round for the first time since 2004 (that’s pre-lockout missing season 2004-05). 19 years.
Taking down the Tampa Bay Lightning who only had 2 Stanley Cup wins out of 3 straight Stanley Cup appearances (losing to Colorado 2022).

Honestly, while Edmonton’s Conor McDavid is the best player in hockey, I just don’t think they can do it (unless Colorado’s plane hits Vegas’ plane…)
Toronto has become Canada’s best chance to prevent 30 straight non-Canadian teams winning the Cup (okay, there is a missing season and no Cup handed out in 2005, so 28 U.S. teams won from 1994 to 2022).

Since the Montreal Canadians beat the Wayne Gretzky led LA Kings in 1993, it’s been 6 appearances by 5 (out of 7) teams:

1994 – NY Rangers over Vancouver Canucks in 7 games
9 years without a Canadian team
2004 – Tampa Bay Lightning over Calgary Flames in 7 games
2006 – Carolina Hurricanes over Edmonton Oilers in 7 games
2007 – Anaheim Ducks over Ottawa Senators in 5 games
2011 – Boston Bruins over Vancouver Canucks in 7 games
9 years without a Canadian team
2021 – Tampa Bay Lightning over Montreal Canadians in 5 games

The Winnipeg Jets got a franchise back for the 2011-12 season (relocated Atlanta Thrashers), previous being a WHA team from 1972-79 that came into the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, Hartford Whalers (now Carolina), and Quebec Nordiques (now Colorado).
Those Jets became the Phoenix Coyotes for the 1996-97 season (only the Edmonton franchise survived that expansion).
The Winnipeg Jets have never been to the Finals in any incarnation.

Toronto last won the cup in 1967 (before I, and many current Toronto fans were born) when it was a 6 team League (and they expanded to 12 teams for the 1967-68 season), but have not been to the Finals since.

Of note, the Quebec Nordiques moved to Denver and became the Colorado Avalanche for the 1995-96 season, winning Cups in 1996, 2001, and 2022.
Nostalgic for people from that city, don’t count one iota.

[Sean Robinson]

NHL second round has started with some upsets a few days ago.

Seattle beat (defending Cup champs) Colorado, and Eastern 8th seed Florida took down President’s Trophy winning Boston.

“There’s a reason why you play the games!”

Now this shit is wide open.

Vegas – Edmonton.
Both good, hate Vegas. Go Edmonton (did I just say that?)

Dallas – Seattle
Both good. I’ll cheer for Seattle (not really a Dallas guy).
But that Joe Pavelski is something, even at this age.
He scored twice tonight.

[Edit] He scored 4 goals in a 5-4 OT loss to Seattle.
Weird: 7 goals scored on the game by someone with a first name that starts with a “J”

The more I think about it i would LOVE to see him get a Cup. That would be awesome!
Winner of this series please go to the Finals.

Toronto- Florida.
Well Toronto, if you focus on today and bring your best, you’ve never had a roster like this with this chance. Not that Florida is easy (they took game one tonight), but its time to stop spectacular failure (beating yourself).

Carolina – New Jersey
Least known of the remaining teams to me, and Ive got some preconceived views (yet if you watch both are good and faster than I think).

NHL Second Round Schedule

• This reply was modified 1 year, 7 months ago by Sean Robinson.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 7 months ago by Sean Robinson.

Sean Robinson wrote:

Vegas – Edmonton.
Both good, hate Vegas. Go Edmonton (did I just say that?)

I will always have a place in my heart for the Edmonton Oilers, as Houston used to have a football team called the Oilers.

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Sean Robinson

Has anyone that Fanatics is trying to take over Sports Marketing? It used to be you only went to fanatics if you couldnt find something elsewhere because it was so cheap but now it is like all those other outlets are gone or taken over by Fanatics. They are even doing official uniforms now. UGH through aggressive funding, they bought a bunch of local major league baseball networks then they sold and bought Topps so if you are a card collector you are the same boat as NHL fans. Most recently they have put a bid in on a gambling network. scary. I’m scared that soon they will start buying teams. Kansas City Royals presented by Fanatics, or  Fanatics presents the Houston Texans.

Boston Celtics… that Game 6 in Miami.

Wow!

I love this innovation in athletics, the lights at the side of the track are running world record time. So both the athletes and the fans know what they have to do to break it.

 

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Martin Smith

From an email I received called The Upshot:

They don’t make sports stars like George Best any more, and that’s probably good news for everyone. But even by his standards, Best’s short stint in Scotland involved some serious hell raising.

Now 35 and past his best, the feted winger shimmied into the Hibernian dressing room to the acclaim of everyone, except his new manager, who described the signing as a “disaster waiting to happen”.

It didn’t take long for him to be proved right. In February 1980 Best went AWOL for days, missing training. Nobody knew where he was until the tabloids published photos of him stumbling out of a London nightclub.

With a big cup game against Ayr United coming up next, the gaffer handed Best a final warning, ordering him to spend the night before the big game in his room at Edinburgh’s Balmoral Hotel.

But Georgie’s plans for a quiet one were derailed when he bumped into hard-drinking French rugby player Jean-Pierre Rives in the lobby, who insisted they have a sesh.

And things escalated when Debbie Harry, lead singer of Blondie and every 70s teenager’s wet dream, joined them at the bar.

Best has no recollection of what happened next, other than “bedlam”. His next memory came at 10am, when hotel staff carried him from the bar to his bed.

One hour later, a Hibernian coach arrived to pick him up for the game. He found Best, passed out in bed next to Debbie Harry, unable to say anything except “I’m so pissed.”

Eventually, after a vat of coffee and several slaps, Best opened his eyes, gestured towards the Blondie singer, and quipped: “What would you rather do, spend the afternoon with her or play Ayr United?”

He didn’t make the game.

Messi joins the MLS. He will be with the Miami team.  Interesting.

——————-

Now the PGA has merged with the LIV. Wow… for all the complaining before about LIV being rivals and backed by Saudi Arabia

Al-x wrote:

Messi joins the MLS. He will be with the Miami team.  Interesting.

——————-

Now the PGA has merged with the LIV. Wow… for all the complaining before about LIV being rivals and backed by Saudi Arabia

Two examples of the adage: “Follow the money”.

Al-x wrote:

Messi joins the MLS. He will be with the Miami team.  Interesting.

Now the PGA has merged with the LIV. Wow… for all the complaining before about LIV being rivals and backed by Saudi Arabia

Have you ever heard the phrase “Follow the money”?

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Sean Robinson

So nice you said it twice. Two minutes in between.
It is money related. Strange bedfellows too…

As for Messi: We had Pele with the Cosmos in the 70s, David Beckham in LA years ago, and now Messi.

Important game #4 in Florida tonight. The Stanley Cup Finals can either be tied 2-2, or Vegas take a 3-1 lead.

Of note, Jack Eichel went number 2 in the 2015 NHL draft to the Buffalo Sabres, behind the best player in hockey Connor McDavid at number one to the Edmonton Oilers.
Eichel got traded to the Vegas Golden Knights, and is in the Finals where McDavid has yet to attend

Charles Barkley in the audience, so of course they want to talk to him.
The TV man with the mic only has so much time during a stoppage in play.
Barkley knows second question will be it, so he just takes over and says “I have to tell you this story. I’m staying in the same hotel as Jack Eichel. I meet him and say hello, so nice to meet you.
He looks at me like he has no idea who I am. It was funny.”

I’m not an NBA guy, but I just assume everyone in North America (at least) knows who Charles Barkley is.
Definitely high on the best without winning it all list, I would put him as number one.

Al-x wrote:

As for Messi: We had Pele with the Cosmos in the 70s, David Beckham in LA years ago, and now Messi.

MLS is actually a big success, it has grown massively from the 1994 World Cup where it was promised as part of the awarding. On attendance they are the 3rd biggest sport in the US and Atlanta and Seattle’s crowds are comparable with Europe’s top leagues. I think its popularity is underestimated in the US generally.

However those 3 big players were and are ‘retirement’ signings, well into their 30s looking for an easy gig to see out their time. It would be a real shift to sign a great player at his peak. That is difficult because so much of football income is in TV. The 3 top leagues in England, Spain and Italy get contracts in the billions. Asian countries follow the EPL and Champions League like a religion. I get my name pronounced correctly now only because of Gareth Bale of Tottenham and Real Madrid fame.

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Al-x

Wow…

 

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Todd

The US womens team was eliminated by Sweden on penalty kicks
They go home now.

They almost lost before against Portugal when that kick hit the goalpost.

I think they have the wrong coach Al, been underperforming since they were installed.

Australia are the surprise package this WC it seems, lots of expat Aussies and English here so may pop along to the pub to watch their semi final game.

garjones wrote:

I think they have the wrong coach

consider they overall scored approx 1/4th the amount of goals they scored in gm1 of 2019. They lacked discipline and precision. Now that Europe has caught up to them they are going to need to improve or end up like the US men. The US Soccer Federation, imo, has been a clownshow for over a decade and will drag down the Women if allowed.

Last season in the CFL my BC Lions had a standout Canadian quarterback by the name of Nathan Rourke.
I prayed he would sign for 2 or 3 more years to hone his skills before the bolt to the NFL, but he signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Jags backup QB Nathan Rourke throws sensational touchdown pass

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Nathan Rourke dazzled teammates and the internet on Saturday night with what may turn out to be the play of the preseason in the Jaguars’ 28-23 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night.

Rourke, a former Canadian Football League standout, evaded four potential sacks and threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to running back Qadree Ollison on a third-and-16 play in the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium.

Defensive ends Durrell Johnson and Chauncey Golston converged on Rourke and got hands on him but Rourke spun away from Johnson and Golston rolled off his back. Rourke stepped up into the pocket and broke free from linebacker Isaiah Land before getting wrapped up around the legs by defensive end Ben Banogu. He somehow was able to set his feet and make a throw just before hitting the ground.

Video

Best view video

Good for him! I hope he gets his chance to shine!

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njerry

Sean Robinson wrote:

Good for him! I hope he gets his chance to shine!

I’ll be keeping an eye out for him this season.

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Sean Robinson

https://apnews.com/article/rubiales-fifa-spain-suspension-kiss-womens-world-cup-1559a704b765b834d94544ee0b119efc

Al-x wrote:

https://apnews.com/article/rubiales-fifa-spain-suspension-kiss-womens-world-cup-1559a704b765b834d94544ee0b119efc

Honestly I watched this live and you don’t have to be ‘wokerati’ to see his behaviour was not normal. He kissed Hermoso on the lips with a forced hold of the head but for the rest of the women he was kissing them on the neck and the like.

There’s no hint I have been given in my life that isn’t a very intimate gesture. I have never kissed anyone on the neck or lips I wasn’t romantically involved with. I know Brits can be uptight about physical contact but that shit is mostly the same in Spain, you can kiss both cheeks as a greeting, not neck and lips (and then grab your balls).

He’ll end up regretting this stance, I know his mother is on hunger strike or some shit but in so many situations the cover-up is worse than the offence. If he said he was overcome by the occasion and sorry he went to far with a genuine apology he’d probably be fine today.

 

 

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Ben, Todd

The mum holing herself up in the local church on hunger strike is absurdly bonkers.

But yeah, this only ends one way with how Rubiales has doubled and tripled down on his idiocy.

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Todd

NFL!!!!!

Chiefs lost to Detroit but as for the rest of it all… Sunday Sept 10.

“Football widows” every Sunday (until February) losing their husbands who are in front of the flatscreen for the 1pm, 4pm, and 8pm games.
11 hours 🤣

No predictions. Just hoping that Rodgers stays healthy for the Jets, and the Giants do well. NY could use a good football season given the Yankees and Mets. But that is another story…

NFL!!!!!

Chiefs lost to Detroit but as for the rest of it all… Sunday Sept 10.

“Football widows” every Sunday (until February) losing their husbands who are in front of the flatscreen for the 1pm, 4pm, and 8pm games.
11 hours 🤣

No predictions. Just hoping that Rodgers stays healthy for the Jets, and the Giants do well. NY could use a good football season given the Yankees and Mets. But that is another story…

NY Giants…

I said we could use a good season from you 🤣

Sorry to the people of New York, but Ha! Take that Aaron Rodgers you anti-vaxxing prick!

Aaron Rodgers wishing he has some peyote. #Jets pic.twitter.com/EvFL9D7KCw

— Crumbs O' Bread (@OriginalSixClub) September 12, 2023

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Todd

Sean Robinson wrote:

Sorry to the people of New York, but Ha! Take that Aaron Rodgers you anti-vaxxing prick!

I can’t even enjoy the win now with the possibility of a season-ending Rodgers injury. At least we still have the Giants…oh, wait…

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Todd

That was quite the game! No giving up from the Jets was awesome!

And lets face it, the Bills helped their own demise. I wonder what they’ll do this season?