jstinger

Done. Good value for years of lurking.

Mostly Baseball, but kind of an interesting series of stadiums in Atlanta. '96 Olympic Stadium in Atlanta built just south of the Atlanta Fulton County stadium. Everyone thought the Olympic Stadium was very strange at the time due to its really odd shape. Atlanta Fulton County Stadium was part of the plague of 60s round all purpose stadiums. Horrible for pretty much everything. I saw the Chiefs play here a long time ago in the NASL. http://blu.stb.s-msn.com/i/8D/9211D16DF44F1741EF322C57E2.jpg Then the Olympic Stadium was converted for the Braves - Turner Field, the TED. Really a very nice place to watch baseball. http://www.stadiumpage.com/mndatlanta/Turner_construction4.jpg http://www.ballparks.com/baseball/national/turner70.jpg Old Fulton county stadium ballground outline is now in the Turner Field parking lot. They left the fence section where Hank Aaron set the home run record in '74. http://clatl.com/binary/a5d2/1374856643-cover_staduim2-2-h.jpg

I find it hard to understand the vitriol thrown at Given compared to some of the real villains that have been on the payroll. Given had his faults - for me his weak distribution of the ball was the largest - but compared to so much of our other "talent" he was a gem. He was a servant of the club for years and we would be in much better shape if even a few of our other high wage "stars" had his commitment. I reserve a great deal of anger for the miscreants we have spent good money on, as well as the series of buffoons that hired them. I am disappointed that Shay left during the season, but I just don't have it in me to despise him for it. The fact that he didn't leave sooner at the height of his value shows that he is a long way from a villain. Expecting player loyalty to the bitter end as a club burns down around them is just crazy. J

Like it. Will buy one when when/if we are bought.

As an American I grew up playing the game in the 70's and 80's. In the deep south it wasn't considered a "normal" sport to be playing when compared to football(the American game), baseball, and basketball. This was especially true when I started out, so it sort of set me up as a person who likes to do things off the beaten path a bit. Started following the American national team in the 90's and that eventually that exposed me to European and specifically English league play. I was blown away at how much better the game was overseas. ESPN was carrying more Champions League games and Fox started showing some English league games around 2000. I finally decided to pick a team to follow and pretty much used the same methods as others. I really didn't want to follow one of the big three teams as I saw it at that time. Arsenal, Liverpool, and ManU. I liked the beer, the stripes were amazing, and I had heard of Shearer so Newcastle it was. I watch or listen to every game I can since then. I have infected about 6 other people as well, though some naturally gravitated to the glory teams. In retrospect it seems I jumped on at the highpoint of the ride. I figure it would be craven to bail off at this point. So I may be a plastic fan. I may be a fool by some people's estimation. I may be driving myself to an early grave raging at the television this summer. I don't care. What I am is loyal. I am here for life. One day we will win something and that day will make it all worth while. J

Gutted. Absolutely devastated. I am sitting in a room full of people that don't follow the sport much less comprehend relegation. I just wish I had someone around who understood.

Having to listen to the audio here at work. Other people here think I have gone crazy.

Certainly not the end of football, but its another 3 steps backwards to our one step forward recently. While I wasn't thrilled that we failed to do more yesterday, I did consider our signings before yesterday as progress and indicative of the right kind of players to bring to the club. Now we are mired in chaos again. I will always support the toon. Nothing will change that. I am just shocked that this has been so mishandled yet again. I know I shouldn't be, but I really felt like we had turned the madness corner for good. Gutted. Gutted. J

I watch the show every few weeks and regularly listen to World Soccer Daily online while at work. The host in the Nufc jersey was Nick Webster, and I have seen him in several other kits from time to time. I didn't catch the reason why he had on the black and white this week. The show often gives us a hell of a ragging, and Stephen in particular is merciless. As for Liverpool, I think you are remembering the other host Nick Geber from Fox Football Fridays. He is more heavyset and wears a goatee. He is a rabid Liverpool supporter and was always in some sort of Liverpool shirt. I mainly listen and watch because its the only US shows I know of with anything close to relevant comentary on the game. Thats if you can get past the 80% focus on the big four, Real Madrid and Barcelona, and the unending commentary on Beckham.

6th

What a day!!!!! :clap: :clap:

I am pretty much giddy with delight, and I have no one really to share the good news with. I have been wandering around the office all day and people keep saying that I seem to be in a great mood today. Such an amazing turn of events in such a short time. I am from the States and live in Atlanta. A couple days after the Reading game while standing in line for lunch a man in front of me commented on the Newcastle shirt I was wearing. An unusual thing around here for sure. Turns out he is a real live Geordie who runs a soccer academy locally here. We chatted a bit about the season, but the discussion of the year was so bleak, that it wasn't too entertaining to talk about it. I told him I have been following since around 2000, he said try growing up there and dealing with it your whole life. As we walked off we took turns observing what we needed to turn the club around, he commented that we needed more defenders and more strikers. I commented that we needed a new Coach and a new Chairman. He half laughed and said why not a new owner as well. We both laughed bitterly at the thought of all that. I am sure if I met him in the line at the counter again we would be high fiving instead of shaking our heads. What a difference a month makes.