Where pop culture meets geek culture and they make out a little.
Posts tagged Football
Werewolves VS Unicorns — Updated by the Victor, Kilian
Mar 13th
There are many things in which Kilian and I don’t see exactly eye to eye. Kilian loves bacon, while I’m a vegetarian (I eat fish, but telling people you’re a pescetarian usually only causes confusion). Killing thinks that Werewolves are the mightiest of mythical creatures, while I of course am partial to disturbingly horrid and brightly coloured depictions of Unicorns. And while we are both unapologetically big fans of the old Football (read: soccer, here in the states) and follow the Premier League in particularly we do not cheer for the same clubs (read: teams for yanks).
Every Silver Lining Has Many Clouds
Mar 10th
Today has been exceedingly long. I was up late Sunday night grading and got in all of 3 hours of sleep. Last night, after a combination of exhaustion, too much caffeine and not enough water, I woke up with a migraine. I probably got 2 hours of sleep last night.
Bad Dreams
Feb 5th
What do you know O_O a proper comic has emerged, here, on NR of all places! Woot! Told you we would be doing this sort of thing again, and we are, so there. Take that unbelievers! In your arse! Ha! OK, it’s waaaaay late, I’m waaaaay tired, and I think I’ll leave Kilian to post the remainder of this one for me, as I’m sure he’ll have much to say. But for those not familiar with at least the main part of why this strip might be considered funny (aside from my well known love of unicorns), consider this:
Cheers,
–Aleister
Graham Norton (Best of 2008 Special) – BBCA
Yeah, and where was Gilgrim two months ago when Liverpool was atop the Premier League table?
Ok, so I sent a rambling e-mail to Gilgrim (I think) two weeks ago. It went like this:
Hey,
Sorry about still not being around much. The last two weeks I’ve been getting to the store at 6 am. Which means I get up at 4:30. But since I don’t go to bed until after 11, and then wake up for an hour around 2, I’m just about dead and useless at home. Basically, I’m a zombie who wants to eat pie instead of brains.
So I had this weird dream I want to turn into a comic.
The dream, as far as I can tell, happened in comic panels.
I was on trial for something…I’m not sure what. You were defending me. The jury was made up of Smurfs, all of whom looked angry (maybe I stepped on Smurffette or something). For some reason, Clarence Darrow was the prosecuting attorney. All of the scenes were very bright/colorful ala an episode of the Smurfs. There was one “panel” where Katrina was sitting behind me with both the kids crying.
I think I got off on a technicality and all the Smurfs were pissed. Darrow yelled something about justice being thwarted.
I don’t know.
Also, I saw that Unicorn v Werewolf thing.
I’m writing a short story called “After the Unicorns.” I won’t tell you what it’s about, but the word “Cornocaplyse” figures prominently.
I may be losing my mind.
So there you go. I’m not sure what (if any) insight I’m expecting anyone to gain from that, but we’re all about the full disclosure here.
And that stuff about the unicorn story is true. Although, I think I might submit it to a journal, so I won’t be posting it here. Well, after it gets rejected I’ll probably post it.
So, you ever wonder what the site might look like in a miscellaneous asian laguage…well, voila!
And, because I really want to infect everyone with my sickness, please enjoy some more Phineas and Ferb.
The space armada from the planet Plumbing Supplies! Fucking brilliant!
The Von Bondies — Nite Train
Reason #246 Why Europe is Better than the U.S.
Jul 29th
When a sports team in this country decides that it’s time to update the uniforms, what do they do? Maybe have one or two of the team’s stars come out wearing the new jerseys at a press conference.
Well, that’s child’s play! Bayern Munich (they of the German Bundesliga) understand that what a new uniform unveiling really needs is a fashion show…with soaring, third rate techno-classical music…and CONTEMPORARY DANCE!
If you don’t laugh out loud right about the 1:29 mark, I’m not sure we can be friends anymore.
A Good Day for Football
Jun 9th
Yesterday was quite a banner day for football (proper football, that is) watching. Three decent matches were on TV, Galaxy v Rapids, Germany v Poland, and US v Argentina.
The weekends being what they are, I was only able to watch portions of each game, though that still allowed me to see each of Podolski’s goals in the Germany match, and two of the three goals that the Galaxy scored, so all in all, not a bad day’s watching.
But where will good, honest, hard-working people vomit, I ask you?
Nov 28th
For a major metropolitan area, San Francisco is quaint in a lot of ways. One such way is the fact that it is very difficult to find food after the bars close. I’ve only been to New York once, but Manhattan seemed to have no problems delivering mediocre quality food to me during the wee hours of the morning. But if you’re drinking in, say, the Sunset and you want something to eat at 3 am, you might have to trek your ass over to the god-damn Marina just to get some Jack in the Box.
North Beach, however, has long been a bastion of multiple late night eateries that specialize in pizza. North Beach is also a bastion of pretentious literary landmarks, strip clubs, and ridiculously crowded breakfast places, but I digress…
So now The City is apparently considering a proposal to force all business, including the pizza places along Broadway, to close at 2 am.
So there was this one weekend when the wife (then, the girlfriend) was out of town for work. It just so happened that one of the guys from my soccer team was also “off-duty” as he called it, because his girl was back in Texas visiting her family.
So, of course, it was decided that we were going to get drunk. Steve came over and we went to get dinner at The Sausage Factory (and don’t bother pointing out the ridiculous irony that there is a restaurant called “The Sausage Factory” in the heart of the Castro…) before heading off to North Beach to meet up with some of the other guys from our team.
I think I had a beer with our meal.
I know that when we got to the first bar, I had two (more?) beers. This first place was pretty nice, but located in an alley, for some reason. We didn’t stay there long and headed off to another bar a few doors down. Once here, Steve says something like, let’s do shots. I’m pretty sure I convinced him to do a round of Jaegermeister, because that’s one of the few hard alcohols I can tolerate in shot form. So at this point I’m pretty buzzed and Steve says let’s do another shot, but something different than Jaeger. I was probably open to suggestion at this point because I only half-heartedly opposed, even when Steve ordered Wild Turkey…
And the next morning I woke up somewhere that I didn’t know…
Luckily, it turned out to be Steve’s apartment. My recollections of a majority of that night are so insubstantial that the term hazy would be a gross exaggeration.
I know at one point I had my arms around one of my teammates and was saying something like, “I love this team!”
I was told, though I don’t remember, that I threw up in the middle of a crowd outside a pizzeria at 2:30 am.
So what I’m asking is, if San Francisco shuts down the North Beach pizzerias at 2 am, what will drunken amateur footballers do with themselves when they are so drunk that they can’t stand on their own accord?
Only a matter of time…
Nov 21st
Well, today saw the England national squad, playing in front of 90,000 at the new Wembley, fall 3-2 to Crotia. And thanks in part to Russia securing a 1-0 victory over a hapless Andorra, the Three Lions will now miss out on Euro 08.
I’ve previously stated on these very pages that Steve McClaren must be secretly plotting against me. But now, not only has he pissed me off, but he’s no doubt earned the ire of an entire nation. And not just any nation, but the one that invented hooliganism. So, you best run for cover Stevie, cause I’d put 20 bucks on you getting beaten with a lead pipe by an unnamed assailant in the very near future.
Sure, Sven wasn’t exactly great, but at least he got the boys into the tournaments before leading them to a total collapse…
Two days late…again
Nov 8th
I’ve been…quiet…of late in regards to the ongoing football season. After a brilliant start, my beloved Reds have faltered a bit. They are still unbeaten in the Premier League, and their away form has been excellent. But they’ve only claimed one victory in 5 matches at home (which is something out of bizarro world, honestly). Even worse has been their form in the Champions League. I expected them to get at least 4 victories (and two draws) out of the six group stage matches, but after losses to both Marseille and Besiktas (seriously, Besiktas, I’m not even making that shit up) Liverpool was looking like they might have an early exit out of a competition that they’ve played in the final of 2 of the last 3 years.
And then came Tuesday’s match, at Anfield…
That, friends, is a new Champion’s League record for goal difference in a single game. Now I didn’t see the whole game, it being on at 11:45 AM in California (I do have a job, after all). But from all the highlights I’ve seen, I’d say that is probably one of the best total team performances I’ve ever seen. The Besiktas defenders looked absolutely lost, and there always seemed to be at least two Reds open at any given moment. Not too mention that Liverpool’s passing was, across the board, cleaner than at any other time this season, and you can see why the game ended the way it did. It’s also interesting that so many of those goals came off rebounds. The keeper did a good job on stopping a lot of first shots, but they were so well placed that he couldn’t catch the ball or deflect it enough for a clearance and there was, invariably, an unmarked Red set to pounce on the rebound.Hopefully the lads can parlay this victory into a good run of form in the league and climb back up that table…
Is Steve McClaren part of an international cabal dedicated to my eternal suffering and torment?
Oct 18th
Current England Manager (and former head of Middlesbrough) has always seemed a nice enough guy to me. I mean, it’s not like I’ve ever actually had a conversation with him, or even been, say, in the same city as him. But I’ve always gotten this sorta, I don’t know, fatherly vibe from the guy.
But that feeling of general good will I once had toward McClaren has long since evaporated. And after yesterday, well, if I am ever in the same room as him I swear to god I’m going to take a crowbar to his knee.
Playing a Euro qualifier in the cold wastes know, colloquially, as Russia, the Three Lions needed a win to, basically, secure a spot in the finals next summer.
And everything looked good as Wayne Rooney put in a goal just under the 30 minute mark.
Now, I can’t be sure, because I was getting minute by minute text updates off the UEFA website, but it sure seems to me like McClaren, or the whole of the England squad, really thought that one goal was all they would need.
Judging by the scare stats info that UEFA was providing, Russia had much more control of the ball and many more shots on goal for most of the game. Even still, England held the 1-0 lead until the 69th minute. Then, in the span of 5 minutes, Russian sub Pavluchenko puts in 2 goals! Now, the first was a PK from, what appears to have been, a bit of a dubious call, but that still doesn’t explain the second goal.
In an obvious move of desperation, McClaren brought on all three subs in the span of a minute (and, seriously, can’t it just be decided to leave Lampard out all together) in an attempt to steal a late equalizer, which, of course, did not happen.
Now some may blame Gerrard for missing a seemingly sure goal early in the second half, but the stats (and granted, I haven’t actually watched the match yet) suggest that either the game plan was flawed (which would be on McClaren’s shoulders) or its execution was flawed (which, in many ways, would also be on McClaren’s shoulders).
Now football (yeah, that’s right, FOOTBALL) is a terribly unpredictable sport. Current European champions Greece are a testament to that. But since McClaren has taken over the England squad has been absolutely atrocious in away matches. And I realize that John Terry was out. But here’s an idea, instead of trotting out the few battered remains of what used to be Sol Campbell, why not bring in Jaime Carragher. I’m still at a loss at to why he hasn’t gotten more national team caps over the last three years considering he’s been the most (or second most, depending on who you ask) consistent defender in the Premier League over that span.
Now England have to hope that Israel beats Russia. It’s certainly a possibility, though a fairly remote one. If Russia win that match, then England will not participate in Euro 08.
I’m going to try and restrain myself.
Aug 16th
With last weekend marking the beginning of the Premiership season in jolly ol’ England I have become, as you might imagine, a bit addled by what I lovingly refer to as “Red Fever.”
What’s that?
You have no idea what I’m talking about?
Well then, let me broaden your world view.
I am, I will freely admit, a geek in the truest sense. No one with as much knowledge of the Warhammer Fantasy world as me can claim otherwise. But I am also a rabid football (that’s proper football, you know, the kind where you kick a ball with your feet) fan having played it in some form or other for most of my life. And this past weekend opened up the new season in England with my beloved Liverpool (look at the icon on the bottom) taking a 2-1 victory away at Aston Villa.
No doubt you American readers are wondering why I would root for a team thousands of miles from me when the Galaxy play 50 miles from where I live…well, you obviously haven’t watched much MLS. It’s kinda like watching a really good Elvis impersonator. He might entertain you for a bit, but after a while you realize it’s just not as good as the real thing.
So, anyway, I’m going to be in football heaven for the next eight months, provided Liverpool can grab some hardware this term, since we was robbed in Athens last May.
But the season has started well thanks to one Steven Gerrard and a free-kick worthy of the ages. Behold and bow in wonder at his awesomeness….
Of course, we do have someone over here in the states that can play a bit…now that his ankle is better…
…in honor of the excitement, and regardless of the fact that Kilian’s club is half a match up on me (we tied in our opener, where as the ‘pool won their’s), I figured I would whip up a little something to sum up my feelings about futbol, the season, and Manchester VS Liverpool… here it is:
^__^ the gauntlet is thrown. We have many months to wait still, but the beginning she has arrived.
