Own Goals: New Feature Inaugural Edition

Holy shit, it's a new feature. Take a moment. Let the awesomeness wash over you.

Anyway, now let me bring it down a bit as this was such a pain in the rear that it will likely be pretty infrequent. But we love our readers so much that we thought we'd pull back the veil and let you know what happens in the secrecy that is the Unprofession Foul listserv. Basically for every post we put up, we send about 20 emails to each other. It's pretty sad when you think about how much more productive we could be.

Anyway, on a normal day, the group distribution list has about 60 emails in it, give or take. Unfortunately, this idea was hatched yesterday, when we went to about 280 collective messages. Yeah, I don't expect you to read those, especially considering after about 100 it became a very special episode of Blossom.

Really, there was sadness and joy in UF yesterday and some of it was personal. Then it degenerated back into an argument over Sean Avery and dirty play. What you after the jump is a largely unedited version of everything that preceded the Oprah-to-NHL talk. Sorry we're not doctors because, on a daily basis, this is all time we could put toward curing cancer. Instead we talk bullshit about football. We hope the Gods don't punish us for taking time so trivially. Enjoy.



The Fan’s Attic: Agger asks for double the pay. (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1091432/Liverpools-Agger-edges-closer-Milan-double-quit-wage-demand.html)

Spectator: Liverpool in hot water over show of support for jailed supporter (http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/dec/03/liverpool-michael-shields)

Just to wrap up the Arsenal chat, again, I agree 100% with Precious Roy. Only thing I'll add is that, as much as I support Arsenal, I'm kind of happy that a Championship minnow has knocked off two of the big four. After all, Obama taught us that change is good!

ü75: Player killed by opposing team after game (http://www.thelondondailynews.com/european-giant-killers-alleged-financial-scandal-p-1879.html)

Lingering Bursitis: Burnley: Carling Cup :: Barnsley : FA Cup. Now that's math we can believe in

Spectator: Yup, I got them mixed up! Oh well, it's been a long day, etc.

Spectator: Oh wait, no I didn't. Sorry, I'm in a fugue here.

ü75: Shunsuke Nakamura will not be moving back to Japan in January because
of CREDIT CRUNCH (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/scottishpremier/celtic/3543251/Credit-crunch-costs-Celtic-3m-Shunsuke-Nakamura-deal-Football.html)

Lingering Bursitis: Ü75, I have to give you +1,000,000 for the obscure Dreamcast/Leonard Nimoy video game reference in today's backpasses. Simply brilliant.

ü75: Thanks. I had forgotten about the game until I did the image search. Too creepy.

Lingering Bursitis: One of my housemates brought his Dreamcast to the apartment back in January, excited to dust off Seaman and begin playing all over again. He had the microphone attachment for the controller (he's a nerd like that; has just about every piece of Nintendo or Sega gadgetry/hardware in existence), and was looking forward to playing Seaman for a couple of minutes each night until he'd cultivated an amphibious beast.

It lasted two weeks, and then his fish died. Back into storage it went...

ü75: Speaking of video games--Wales left out of FIFA 09 (http://www.worldcupblog.org/world-football/wales-has-disappeared-according-to-fifa-09.html)

The Fan’s Attic: looks like this expansion fee for MLS is going to become a bigger issue. (http://www.financialpost.com/story.html?id=1023715)

Lingering Bursitis: I have the Peru riot story for this morning, can someone take Santa Cruz/Pennant from yesterday? Also, that link about MLS expansion fees is worth some discussion too

Precious Roy: I'll do MLS and the cash. Let me get some coffee. Have a good story from the other night. Some British doctor was telling me the 'real' reason for Leeds' implosion a couplathree years back.

Spectator: Interesting that the two cities balking at the franchise fee are in Canada (you don't hear any other cities complaining). I bet that Vancouver and Montreal had put together their proposals when the Canadian dollar was stronger. Oh well, at least Canada has all its Rough Riders franchises!

ü75: Swedish football teens in sorta hot calendar shoot. (http://www.thelocal.se/16072/20081202/)

Lingering Bursitis: Oh lord, someone cover that who's not me. I'll get in trouble at work if I stare for too long.

Spectator: I won't even dare open that link here at work!!

ü75: link is ok. just one oddball picture. Slideshow link is above the article. That said, The Local is always obsessed by boobs and dicks, so other stuff may pop up. You should probably stay away.

Spectator: Yes I generally try to avoid popping up dicks here at work! [/Rip Taylor]

Bill Jelavich: I noticed that also, but I doubt it was because they were foolish enough to think the Canadian Dollar would be stronger than the US dollar forever. My thought (and what I was kicking around last night at 3am while watching perry mason) is that while Canada is consider 'more socialist' than the US, they are less likely to use taxpayer funding for what is considered private enterprise investment. Public infrastructure like roads, mass transit, even stadiums, can justify their public good feeling, but franchise fees aren't in the big picture.

Lingering Bursitis: Alright, I have another in the pipe for 10.30. Doubt I can write anymore today due to a series of meetings from 12.30 onwards, but you never know

Bigus: Im doing fourth off and maybe wales fifa 09

The Fan’s Attic: Nothing NSFW on the calendar but story says some of those girls are as young as 15. Hooray Sweden... I mean, that's disconcerting. Although, I'm not sure why the football club is dressing up in hockey gear in one photo.

I do love the one story that says hiding a camera in the women's bathroom is not a crime. Praise Sweden!! Preach!! (http://www.thelocal.se/16050/20081201/)

The Fan’s Attic:

Your Homeless World Cup Update. It kicked off on Monday with Fat Boy Slim... appropriate that a man whose stage name sounds like some railcar riding hobo's nickname. (http://www.happynews.com/news/1222008/fatboy%20slim%20invites%20homeless%20world%20cup%20turn%20tunes.htm)

and... some Socceroos get involved... Emerton, Neill, others I don't know...

(http://www.happynews.com/news/1222008/australian%20socceroos%20melbourne%20homeless%20world%20cup.htm)

and it is the first time there is a Women's Cup as well.

(http://www.happynews.com/news/1222008/first%20australian%20women%20team%20competes%20homeless%20world%20cup.htm)

The Fan’s Attic: MLS Rumors got a tip that revealed, allegedly, Toronto FC's Discovery List...some interesting names on it. (http://www.mls-rumors.net/2008/12/report-toronto-fc-top-30-tfc-discovery.html)

ü75: Commenters seem to be sure that list is a fake.

Precious Roy: Isn't that list a bit long... thought you got like 6 or 8 discovery claims?

The Fan’s Attic: Comments said you get 6 claims. maybe this was a fantasy wish list of a TFC fan.

Lingering Bursitis: Sad thing is, that "wish list" is virtually all duds. Take Bellamy, Senna, van Nist for MLS, that's about it

The Fan’s Attic: Yeah... Just read the comments. They make some good points.

Spectator: Not sure we want to be dicks to MLSRumors, but if we did we should post something along the lines of...

"We here at UF also have received an exclusive anonymous tip regarding
Toronto FC's discovery requests:

1. Kaka
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
3. Gianluigi Buffon
4. The Ghost of George Best
....

Do with it what you will but keep my name and email address anonymous.
You did not get this from me. Thanks."

The Fan’s Attic: Yeah... not sure we should do that, but it is damn funny.

Looks like Hertha Berlin will get the "USMNT when it's playing Mexico at home treatment" when it takes on Galatarasay. Wow...that's a lot of "a"s. (http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,3843350,00.html)

Precious Roy: Maybe add 1962 Pele to that list.

Spectator: Heh yeah that's good. Is it okay if we are kind of dicks? I'll make it really silly and say that we love their site. I can probably write it up this afternoon.

ü75: I'll do the Swedish calendar girls overnight for UF After Dark, unless
someone wants to take it first

The Fan’s Attic: Good idea... I just hope that nobody else hits it today. I didn't really want to write it up at work today.

Lingering Bursitis; I am sure it will keep until tonight. I still can't believe some of them are 15 and posing in a calendar.

Spectator: UF field trip to Sweden??

The Fan’s Attic: LB, I added some artwork to your Lineker post. Had to be done.

Lingering Bursitis: That's fine. It looks good, although how dare you touch my masterwork!

The Fan’s Attic: UEFA Cup Final logo revealed. Unadulterated awesomeness. (http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=160503&bolum=127)

Precious Roy: Apparently the entire graphic design industry of Istanbul is still tethered to the Commodore 64.

Spectator: ROFL. I've seen better design at Foxwoods Casino!

The Fan’s Attic: That's a really easy post for tomorrow... We seem to be shooting our wad today.

The Fan’s Attic: Wow...ESPN's front page is reporting Pedroia got a $405M extension. Thankfully it's not my wife missing a period today.

Precious Roy: What it doesn't say is that they've got him locked up for 100 years.

Precious Roy; I moved the Cheap Canadian Bastards post until tomorrow... We've got a bunch of shit up already today.

The Fan’s Attic: Awesome story...with 3 great parts. First, the cost of a pint in the EPL stadiums. 'Pool and ManU on the cheaper end...Chelsea most expensive. Second, looks like Gillett used his LFC interest as collateral for a $75M loan that is being called in now. He has until next month to refinance the loan. Third, Chelsea is reporting it will make a profit (not counting the interest free loan with no repayments amounting to $600M (or is it quid?) from Abramovich) in 2011. (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=598426&sec=england&root=england&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos2&cc=5901)

Bigus: That logo should have a knife and blood on it. Surely an English team will make the final? Always stabbings. Always.

The Fan’s Attic: More info for the canadian story in that Gillett news. Gillett was part of the group in Montreal bidding for an MLS club. They wanted to negotiate the expansion fee, got shitcanned. Credit crunch is really hurting pro sports. I bet MLS doesn't get $40M... $35 tops.

Bigus: It’s pounds 600 mil pounds.

The Fan’s Attic: Arsene: Young Gunners dumb. (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=598689&sec=england&cc=5901)

Precious Roy: And they won't necessarily be self-sufficient by 2011, it's that they think they will be. And that's already pushed back a year. The goal was originally 2010. And it's not including the £600M to Roman.

Bigus; He says you have to mix intelligence and experience, but then he says intelligence is ok on its own? What the fuck is he saying, why does this man speak in riddles?

Precious Roy: Wenger is a fucking genius and is now coaching in Zen koans. He is one step away from being a Jedi and will soon defeat teams with only his mind.

Be cooler if he were a ninja though.

The Fan’s Attic: or maybe Phil Jackson.

The Fan’s Attic: Valencia denies it is bankrupt...which means it will be shortly. (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=598640&sec=europe&cc=5901)

Back to Wenger... Imagine if somebody told this to their boss as an excuse for a performance... how would that go over?

"We had the quality to [do this project] but you have to make the maximum of what you have. You have to mix intelligence and experience. We did not have the experience but could have made up for that with intelligence."

Autoglass: Wouldn't it be cooler if he won something? Obi Wan Wenger: "These are not the trophies we are looking for..."

The Fan’s Attic: This Wenger thing has to be it's own post.

The Fan’s Attic: Holy crap... that Dundee United shirt is amazing.

The Fan’s Attic: We should probably announce that switch to the dotcom, huh? Ask people to change their links... and the such.

The Fan’s Attic: Freddy Adu Q&A. (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/feature?id=598583&sec=europe&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos3&cc=5901)

Bigus: Why do you lie about your age fred? Do you think you are over rated? Oh nope... not in there.

Bill Jelavich: Not a bad idea. I also registered last night [redacted] to make some space for our content. I like free but I think some claim staking is needed. Speaking of which I need some legal advice for my friend margaret for her website that sells her sex toys. She is getting an infringement claim over the term party goddess.

The Fan’s Attic: I can probably offer some unofficial free advice (in other words, with the caveat that your friend should speak to a real lawyer and shouldn't rely on anything I say).

Precious Roy: Another piece on Gillett gives a little more scope to his holdings and potential problems. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20081203.GILLETT03/TPStory/Sports)

The Fan’s Attic: Man, that guy loves sports... he owns a bit of everything it seems.

The Fan’s Attic:US Women team has game in Detroit on Dec. 17... tix on sale now. (http://www.freep.com/article/20081202/SPORTS18/81202057/1065/SPORTS17)

Bigus: Why? And why would you?

The Fan’s Attic: For the fundamentals of the game. And, I love to look at women soccer players' bodies (most of them). Seriously though, I was just sending the link... maybe somebody near there could get a press pass... I don't know.

NY Kid: I sent an email to [redacted] about getting me a press pass so I could do some coverage, and I never heard back from. I contacted [redacted] but I haven’t heard from him either. No one loves me.

The Fan’s Attic: Do again young lad.

Spectator: Agree that you should try again. Maybe you could try to email the nice MLS lady that LB and I met this summer.... Granted she doesn't work for the USSF, but maybe she has an in with them. I'll dig up her email address.

Autoglass: Freddy Adu grew up a Tottenham supporter? That is somehow perfect. Overhyped, middlebrow, changes managers like old underwear.

Autoglass:WATFORD! Gooooo Colaship!