Shak

Can't speak to baseball and basketball but that's very much not the case in the NFL. The salary cap dictates the maximum they can spend on players per season but the owners are also obliged to spend a minimum of 89% (over the course of a 4 year period) of it too. You'll occasionally get teams "tanking", which is when they trade or cut their best/players for extra picks in future drafts, but this is all done with the aim of it allowing you to be really good a few years down the line. The Browns did an extreme version of this a few years back and were pretty much a laughing stock, four years later they have one of the best rosters in the league and are a legitimate Superbowl contender next season. Not to say that the NFL is devoid of problems, it certainly isn't. But I do think it's as close to perfect as you can reasonably expect in terms of creating a level playing field. As others have said though, that's a system that's come together organically over decades and is massively dependent on it essentially being a one country sport whose athletes only have one league they can play in. Attempting to uproot the system that football has in place and just implementing a US sports model is completely unfeasible, and the way this ESL is structured doesn't even seem to want to do that as the bigger teams will still be dwarfing their fellow "super clubs".

I don't care for your tone, Christopher. But thanks.

Been out most of the day. Is the current idea that these teams will still play in the PL as normal and this new wankthing will essentially just replace the Champions League?

Right? People are deluded thinking players are gonna take a stand here. Other than a few conscientious objectors, maybe. This is their job, they aren't going to view it the same way we do. Will they like it? Probably not. But long term they're probably gonna be earning a lot more money for playing in fewer games. They'll come around.

Why are PSG not doing it? I don't think it's cynical to suggest that it's not some sort of moral stand they're taking?

I mean, this whole thing can easily be blamed on foreigners

Ultimately the domestic leagues will just give in and accept this, too much money to lose by kicking them out. They'll work something out. Be great if they took a risk and just said fuck off though. I honestly think there's enough hatred for this among football fans that this thing would fall flat on its arse after a few years.

Quite enjoyed that, basically don't watch football anymore and when I do it's inevitably dull. Watching the last 30 of that certainly wasn't boring, anyway. I couldn't watch that fat mess on the sideline every week though, my heart goes out to you all.

Haven't watched us for a couple of years and saw the situation in the game and thought I'd have a look at this ASM guy everyone raves about in what should be a good situation for him to showboat a bit. Just ten minutes of getting pinned back by 10 men and he goes off injured. I don't miss this

Voted for the last option but it seems aggressively worded and I don't feel good about it because I like Rich. However, he created the option so it's kind of his own fault. Damn you for making me hurt you, Rich.

Yeah gonna have to watch that for sure. Don’t think there’s ever been a better player to watch, arguably in any sport. Can’t think of one anyway.

Fuck. I like how he presented it as some clever thought that he’d had, like we’d all be delighted to have the admins track this pesky ITK down and expose him to the world.

Jesus man, how long did that take?

Gazza spending his late 20s playing in the fucking SPL is pretty solid indication he didn’t reach the heights he could have.

That goal was such a moment, think it was the first time in years I’d actually jumped up out of my seat and properly celebrated.

I received a text message from Wullie[/member] while I was at work, informing me of the deal and telling me he’d just done a little “jig of delight” around his living room. Don’t think he’s ever allowed himself to feel joy again. Lesson learned.

Current mood...

Cans I’m going to live forever Cans I’m going to learn how to fly Of course I’m not

Exactly, and although this is true, I have had no interaction with Shak, at least not since the last time he stayed at mine. Smoking joints on the balcony alone like a massive legend while you and Rich looked on disapprovingly and Mosley ruined the Pro Evo tournament. Little did we know that was our own clique curtain call.

I think Wullie is cute, and I know he’s sexy and makes the posts that drive the forum wild. Does that mean I’m in the clique?

Always had a soft spot for Shola as a player, never disliked him despite him obviously being not good enough for over a decade. The Ashley apologist cuntery though means he can get fucked, all of them can.

They should tell him he has their full support and they want him to have the first shot at taking the club forward. Then join him for a press conference and snigger quietly to themselves while he’s talking and make wanker gestures until he realizes what’s happening and just gets up and walks sadly away.

Similar to what I was saying, as far as I know this has never happened. It's such a novel excuse that there is no known example of a manager using it in over 150 years of professional football being played. It’s almost admirable the balls on him to say such a thing.