Exiled in Texas

From a logistics point-of-view (esp season ticket sales), how does a team go from having 150 visitors one game to 2000 the next. That means that you cannot sell season tickets in the space where you will have to put the 2000, and can only sell them as single games or mini-plans. It's unusual that teams are even within driving distance (or that fans care enough to make the drive). The SEA-VAN-POR teams are one set, plus NY-PHI and maybe DAL-HOU, but for the most part, teams only have to worry about their own fans.

US sports are all set up as Franchises - not only do they own the team, but also 1/32 of the league. That's they love expansion and adding new teams, because the new team has to buy their way into the league and the current owners all take their shares. I do like the process of teams flowing up/down the leagues through promotion and relegation. Can you imagine if the Prem League was fixed at the current 20 and there was nothing to stop teams in the bottom like Wolves or Liverpool from dropping, but also no way up for Cardiff or QPR.

Draft Picks work in closed leagues (US Franchise leagues) not open ones with promotion/relegation. Because they assume that only teams in the league draft (32 NFL teams drafting or 20 PL teams) but they don't have the concept of a 92 team league spread across 4 or 5 different levels. They also work because the teams drafting the players does not have any interaction in the young player development area. No school boy or youth teams associated to the big clubs. Players come from High School or College teams (NFL,NBA, MLB) or from Junior Hockey (NHL) and they cannot be drafted to a Major League team until they pass a certain age. No schoolboy contracts or academy contracts allowed.

Well, there are always the Cubs and the Islanders to point to. Although the Cubs seem do very well from being the loveable loosers. And yes, the MLB cycle is much longer than that of the NFL, NBA and NHL - but it is possible to turn your draft picks into a winning team as long as you don't p*** each pick/prospect away for fools gold.

No relegation anywhere in US Sports, and you actually get rewarded for coming last by getting first pick at the most promising youngsters in the draft. 2-3 years in the dumpster (and drafting 2-3 stud players) and suddenly you can catapult to the top of the league.

Don't you love the idea that the owners should just spend whatever it takes regardless of fiscal responsibility. They are basically saying the owners have to do an Abramovich or they are not interested, and they have a basic right to being Top-4 and up with man U and Chelsea The deluded high pressure front seems to have moved away from Tyneside to Merseyside.

Can't believe that no-one has posted the Vinny/Gazza photo yet.

I have his friend too..... http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/pmrye/Smilies/Yellowcard.gif

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/pmrye/Smilies/RedCardSmillie.gif

You are a referee, no? What is the situation with touching referee's anyway? Seems to differ by the leagues and the players. I was watching our match on Saturday, and M'Bia actually grabbed the referee's head with both of his hands when pleading for a decision. I thought he might even get sent off, but nothing was made of it. Yes, I referee. You read all sorts of non-verbal things when out there. Pat on the shoulder.... fine, Two handed touch to my face to plead a decision? Not fine, but probably not more than a verbal warning. Would accept that more in a latin environment, than an anglo/african game. It seems more cultural to the latin players. Now striking/pushing/shoving etc .... Bye Bye. It's like the difference between a player saying "I wasn't F****** offside" and "F***** H*** ref, I wasn't offside" You just know whether the expletive was aimed at you directly or was more just descriptive of the situation.

Too funny - probably mean to pat the ref on the shoulder, and ends up doing that.

Actually, I would see "Post Video Review" as adding to a referee's power. Being a referee isn't easy, and anyone who says it is, has never done it. As a Referee you hate to change a game (and you're always the game changer - never the players) and if you're not sure what you saw then you don't want to give something. So your more likely to let something go if you're not sure, than Red Card/award a PK etc when you're not sure. I would love to know that video replay was there - It would be a training tool for me as a referee to get better, and would allow me to rachette up my misconducts knowing that if I was wrong that it would be downgraded etc. It would also allow referees to say, I only got an interupted view, and had I seen on the field (what I saw on the replay) then I would have issued this card etc.

That's like saying it's OK to steal sweets from the corner shop, as it's the shopkeepers job to catch you and stop you. In my opinon, until the league (and the media) starts calling out the cheaters and divers and making as big a deal about it as forums like this do, nothing will change. It has to come from within the player, and I'm not expecting them to become saints because it's the right thing because we know they have no moral core, but that they are afraid of being outed as a cheat. Think about a game of footy with your mates, and someone was always diving, you'd give them grief in the pub about it later. If there was post game replay and player fines/suspensions for items not seen by the referee then the players would be forced to clean up their act. As it is, there is no incentive for them to play with morals. Alas, the league is run by eunocks and the media are afraid of loosing their meal ticket to do something about it.

http://www.toxic-web.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/blog/mcclown-wally-with-brolly.jpg http://cdn.radionetherlands.nl/data/files/imagecache/must_carry/images/lead/FC-Twente-wins-ANP.jpg

How many times must a Tatoo artist be thinking....WTF....are you serious?.....but it's your decision....so I'm happy to take your money.

Because all footbally clubs (and all businesses) think about your career first, and put their own business need second. FFS - If you're crap you're gone - not my problem Sammy.

But we are, are we not?

There is no such law. The closest is requiring a keeper to release the ball within 6 seconds. There is nothing similar for a throw in. Only a general misconduct for delaying a restart - but that's not specifically defined.

Funny thing now is that as a referee you have to wear "predominantly black shoes" and it's a devil of a time finding black cleats and sneakers to wear on the pitch.

They also hate it when they collapse in agony from a tackle and grab below the shinguard and I tell them they should have worn bigger shinguards.

LOL - Keeper Crisis - not Kebab Crisis

No idea really - I think they want the smallest and least bulkiest shin guards available. US Highschool even had to add rules that stated that shinguards had to be size appropriate and worn in the correct location (no higher than 3 inches from ankle bone) to stop the kids playing in U7 shinguards that were taped half way up the shin.

And pulled up before play is restarted

Yes, LOTG state that the shinguards must be covered at all times. The 3rd point from LOTG is laughable as most players want the smallest possible shinguards and look like they borrowed their 7yr olds shinguards. No wonder they roll around on the ground after each tackle.