5.28.2004
My Favorite Justice is Visiting Michigan Law!
Heh. Seriously though, it should be extremely interesting to hear him speak and/or sit in his class session. Although I seldom agree with his opinions, his writing is always fiery & lively, and from the two oral arguments I've attended, his questioning is also among the most entertaining & interesting of any of the Justices. It should be fun.
|
|
5.24.2004
Clarett Loses in the 2nd Circuit
The Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit held today that the NFL's eligibility rule--barring any player from entering the draft who isn't 3 years removed from graduating highschool--is immune from antitrust scrutiny thanks to an exemption for labor agreements. This opinion, available here, reverses the SDNY decision in Clarett's favor back in February (which I've blogged about here, here and here)). The Post has an article about the decision here, Yahoo Sports has a wire service report here, and the NYTimes has a story here.
Given how vehemently I opposed the NFL's practices in those posts above, it's no surprise that I'm disappointed by the decision. However, I do have to admire the legal hair-splitting the 2nd Circuit committed to arrive at this crappy result. The NFL has claimed its rule is legit & beyond the reach of the antitrust laws because it's part of the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with its players' union. And, of course, inclusion in a CBA normally would immunize any antitrust concerns.
The problem is that the NFL's eligibility rule does not appear in the most recent CBA (from 1993); it appears in the NFL's Bylaws. Moreover, the rule has existed since the 1920s & the days of Red Grange, and to qualify for this labor-law related antitrust immunity, the CBA & the eligibility rule must be the products of bona fide arm's length negotiations.
Even the 2nd Circuit realizes this presents something of a obstacle in its path to maintaining the NFL & NCAA's exploitation of 'student' athletes:
To be fair, I've merely skimmed the opinion so far. Perhaps giving it a closer reading will persuade me better, but the result still seems somewhat strained.
|
Given how vehemently I opposed the NFL's practices in those posts above, it's no surprise that I'm disappointed by the decision. However, I do have to admire the legal hair-splitting the 2nd Circuit committed to arrive at this crappy result. The NFL has claimed its rule is legit & beyond the reach of the antitrust laws because it's part of the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with its players' union. And, of course, inclusion in a CBA normally would immunize any antitrust concerns.
The problem is that the NFL's eligibility rule does not appear in the most recent CBA (from 1993); it appears in the NFL's Bylaws. Moreover, the rule has existed since the 1920s & the days of Red Grange, and to qualify for this labor-law related antitrust immunity, the CBA & the eligibility rule must be the products of bona fide arm's length negotiations.
Even the 2nd Circuit realizes this presents something of a obstacle in its path to maintaining the NFL & NCAA's exploitation of 'student' athletes:
Despite the collective bargaining agreement’s comprehensiveness with respect to, inter alia, the manner in which the NFL clubs select rookies through the draft and the scheme by which rookie compensation is determined, the eligibility rules for the draft do not appear in the agreement. Slip Op. at 5.The Court does note, however, that the CBA references the Bylaws, which contain the eligibility restriction. Oh, and the NFL sent a copy of the Bylaws along with the CBA to the players' union before the CBA became effective. And that's apparently good enough for the 2nd Circuit to consider it a full part of the CBA, as well as a product of bona fide arm's length negotiation.
To be fair, I've merely skimmed the opinion so far. Perhaps giving it a closer reading will persuade me better, but the result still seems somewhat strained.
|
5.21.2004
More Congrats to Arsenal
It appears, at least from this press release at Arsenal.com, that not only has Arsenal topped the Premier League's 'Fair Play' table (calculated using a team's disciplinary statistics & judgments from referees), but its fans have also been named the best behaved in Britain. Earlier this week, Arsene Wenger received the League Managers Association's Manager of the Year award.
Arsenal will also be receiving a specially commissioned trophy to commemorate their fantastic unbeaten season. I've also been meaning to include the following glut of links:
Here is a photo gallery of Arsenal's season from the BBC. Here are photos from their victory parade(Soccernet has an article here). Here the BBC gathers various media responses to the undefeated season. Here is a reaction piece from The Observer. Here is one of my favorites, an article collecting the reactions of various well-known fans and which contains ex-Liverpool centre-half & current BBC presenter Alan Hansen stating 'Arsenal are quite simply the most fluid, devastating team that the British Isles has seen.' Here is a general season-in-review piece from the Guardian. Here is a fact sheet on Arsenal history, and lastly, here is a story about the 1888-89 'Preston Invincibles,' the only other team to achieve an unbeaten top-flight season, and who contain a number of similarities to this great Arsenal side. Both were proponents of a fluid, dynamic passing game, and both imported key talent from abroad--Preston raiding Scotland, and Arsenal France.
|
Arsenal will also be receiving a specially commissioned trophy to commemorate their fantastic unbeaten season. I've also been meaning to include the following glut of links:
Here is a photo gallery of Arsenal's season from the BBC. Here are photos from their victory parade(Soccernet has an article here). Here the BBC gathers various media responses to the undefeated season. Here is a reaction piece from The Observer. Here is one of my favorites, an article collecting the reactions of various well-known fans and which contains ex-Liverpool centre-half & current BBC presenter Alan Hansen stating 'Arsenal are quite simply the most fluid, devastating team that the British Isles has seen.' Here is a general season-in-review piece from the Guardian. Here is a fact sheet on Arsenal history, and lastly, here is a story about the 1888-89 'Preston Invincibles,' the only other team to achieve an unbeaten top-flight season, and who contain a number of similarities to this great Arsenal side. Both were proponents of a fluid, dynamic passing game, and both imported key talent from abroad--Preston raiding Scotland, and Arsenal France.
|
5.19.2004
Is The Bush Administration EVER Truthful?
Exhibit #26,453 in Bush v. America--the USDA has publicly lied about importing Canadian beef after Mad Cow Disease was found north of the border. I've already blogged about the USDA's deceit & distortion regarding the discovery of Mad Cow Disease in the US, but that stuff was small potatoes compared to this:
Between Rumsfeld & Venemen, it's starting to look like lying to the American public must be a prequisite to entering Bush's cabinet.
I wish I'd get to a point where I stopped being surprised and/or outraged by this crowd, but they just keep on outdoing themselves.
Update: I did a bit more surfing around & found the actual documents on the USDA website: here is the press release announcing the end of the ban on boneless beef & here is a conference call transcript about the release. In the latter, Secretary Venemen claims "We will continue to prohibit entry into the United States of certain other Canadian products, notably live cattle, until a rulemaking process is completed." Except they didn't--ground beef is not among the items listed for removal from the ban, & no rulemaking process has been completed. Yet Venemen's USDA has issued permits for 33 million pounds of Canadian ground beef.
I wonder what the consequences of her public lie to the American people will be. Given Bush's treatment of Rumsfeld, I now expect to hear about how Ann Venemen is a superb Secretary of Agriculture, and I wouldn't be entirely shocked to hear Dick Cheney claim that she's the best Ag Secretary this country's ever had.
|
The Agriculture Department allowed American meatpackers to resume imports of ground and other "processed" beef from Canada last September, just weeks after it publicly reaffirmed its ban on importing those products because mad cow disease had been found in Canadian cattle.I can't even wrap my head around this. The Secretary of Agriculture publicly states that importing ground beef from Canada poses too great a risk & danger to public health & commits to banning such beef imports until after a formal process open to the public. Except that's a complete & total lie, because we're issuing secret permits to import just such ground beef because our chums in the beef industry have been whining about declining profit margins.
In the next six months, a total of 33 million pounds of Canadian processed beef flowed to American consumers under a series of undisclosed permits the USDA issued to the meatpackers, permits that remained in effect until a federal judge intervened in April.
The imports -- which involved ground beef, cubed beef and some types of sausage -- were allowed despite the August 2003 announcement by Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman that she was extending an earlier ban on many types of Canadian beef.
Ever since the USDA briefly shut down all imports of Canadian beef in May 2003 after the mad cow discovery, the agency has been under great pressure from Canada and from large American meatpackers with plants across the border to loosen the restrictions, which hurt profits in both countries.
In her August announcement allowing importation of boneless beef to resume, Veneman said the risk that ground beef might contain the mad cow infection was too great to allow it in. She and her top deputies said ground beef imports would resume only after the agency completed a formal rulemaking process, with public debate.
Between Rumsfeld & Venemen, it's starting to look like lying to the American public must be a prequisite to entering Bush's cabinet.
I wish I'd get to a point where I stopped being surprised and/or outraged by this crowd, but they just keep on outdoing themselves.
Update: I did a bit more surfing around & found the actual documents on the USDA website: here is the press release announcing the end of the ban on boneless beef & here is a conference call transcript about the release. In the latter, Secretary Venemen claims "We will continue to prohibit entry into the United States of certain other Canadian products, notably live cattle, until a rulemaking process is completed." Except they didn't--ground beef is not among the items listed for removal from the ban, & no rulemaking process has been completed. Yet Venemen's USDA has issued permits for 33 million pounds of Canadian ground beef.
I wonder what the consequences of her public lie to the American people will be. Given Bush's treatment of Rumsfeld, I now expect to hear about how Ann Venemen is a superb Secretary of Agriculture, and I wouldn't be entirely shocked to hear Dick Cheney claim that she's the best Ag Secretary this country's ever had.
|
5.18.2004
From Boom to Bust in Weeks
If this article in the Post is to be believed, the Low-Carb Atkins-Friendly mania may soon subside. About time.
Of course, I'm all for anything that helps American whip its fat ass into shape, but this Atkins stuff rubbed me the wrong way--almost cultish it seemed. Anyhow, I found this little bit rather amusing. From the Department of Irrational Exuberance:
|
Of course, I'm all for anything that helps American whip its fat ass into shape, but this Atkins stuff rubbed me the wrong way--almost cultish it seemed. Anyhow, I found this little bit rather amusing. From the Department of Irrational Exuberance:
And even if low-carb turns out to be a really big niche in the market, some entrepreneurs touting massive expansion plans are disappearing. Brad Saltzman, profiled last month in a Time magazine cover story on the craze, is already backing out of the business, for example.
Just a couple of months ago, Saltzman was touting the astounding success of his two new low-carb stores in Los Angeles -- the first in the city -- and saying he would have a chain of stores with $100 million in sales in five years. But that was when his tiny Santa Monica store was doing $4,000 a day in sales. Now that location is ringing up less than $1,000 a day, Saltzman said, and sales are "falling every week." He has already converted his Beverly Hills store, which opened in mid-February, almost entirely to sales of gourmet foods with just a smattering of his original offerings.
"Our retail days in low-carb are over," he said.
|
5.17.2004
Oh, The Many Hardships We Washingtonians Must Endure
As if enduring the swarms of cicadas that envelope the East Coast every 17 years wasn't bad enough, we Washingtonians must suffer yet another yearly infliction: busload upon busload of tourists.
This Washington Post article amusingly describes the constant battle between locals & tourists on the many, many long escalators of the DC Metro system. It's also full of interesting bits of trivia. For instance, of Metro's 572 escalators, the longest is the 230-foot-long one at Wheaton, which is also the longest escalator in the Western Hemisphere.
My own personal Metro battle-story happened early last summer, in the days I still rode the Metro to work (since January, I've been doing the 30-minute walk instead, but as the temperatures rise, I might change course). Like many of the scurrying locals mentioned in the article, I almost always scamper down & up the escalators, and if I find a tourist blocking my path on the left, a polite "excuse me" usually does the trick.
One morning last May, however, as I was descending the escalator at Dupont Circle, I found my path blocked by a rather obese duo & their two young kids. I said my usual polite "excuse me, can I get by," which seemingly went unheard. Again I said "excuse me." The woman, standing on the left, turned around & looked at me in puzzlement. "Excuse me," I said again, "can I get through." By now, her two children below her had already shuffled to the right. She, however, continued staring at me, her face now wearing an expression as though I'd been speaking to her in Martian. "Excuse me," I said again, this time slightly exaggerrated. This time, finally, she replied, rather angrily, "Go on!" and motioning me between her & her husband.
Now it was my turn to look confused. In turning around to talk to me, she had sort of pressed her massive frame against the left side of the escalator, while her husband pressed up against the right side. There was about 6 inches between the two. Somehow I managed to squeeze through, and as I did, I said "usually you stand to the right." I'd already skipped down several steps when I heard her shouted reply, something like "thanks for the etiquette tip, asshole!"
That encounter aside, I've actually found most tourists to be quite nice & friendly. I even enjoy helping point them where they want to go if they look lost. Still, I think there's some kind of a rule that you can't be a proper Washingtonian if you don't moan about the tourists, and since I'm leaving here in early July I may as well get my rant in now.
|
This Washington Post article amusingly describes the constant battle between locals & tourists on the many, many long escalators of the DC Metro system. It's also full of interesting bits of trivia. For instance, of Metro's 572 escalators, the longest is the 230-foot-long one at Wheaton, which is also the longest escalator in the Western Hemisphere.
My own personal Metro battle-story happened early last summer, in the days I still rode the Metro to work (since January, I've been doing the 30-minute walk instead, but as the temperatures rise, I might change course). Like many of the scurrying locals mentioned in the article, I almost always scamper down & up the escalators, and if I find a tourist blocking my path on the left, a polite "excuse me" usually does the trick.
One morning last May, however, as I was descending the escalator at Dupont Circle, I found my path blocked by a rather obese duo & their two young kids. I said my usual polite "excuse me, can I get by," which seemingly went unheard. Again I said "excuse me." The woman, standing on the left, turned around & looked at me in puzzlement. "Excuse me," I said again, "can I get through." By now, her two children below her had already shuffled to the right. She, however, continued staring at me, her face now wearing an expression as though I'd been speaking to her in Martian. "Excuse me," I said again, this time slightly exaggerrated. This time, finally, she replied, rather angrily, "Go on!" and motioning me between her & her husband.
Now it was my turn to look confused. In turning around to talk to me, she had sort of pressed her massive frame against the left side of the escalator, while her husband pressed up against the right side. There was about 6 inches between the two. Somehow I managed to squeeze through, and as I did, I said "usually you stand to the right." I'd already skipped down several steps when I heard her shouted reply, something like "thanks for the etiquette tip, asshole!"
That encounter aside, I've actually found most tourists to be quite nice & friendly. I even enjoy helping point them where they want to go if they look lost. Still, I think there's some kind of a rule that you can't be a proper Washingtonian if you don't moan about the tourists, and since I'm leaving here in early July I may as well get my rant in now.
|
5.15.2004
Immortal Arsenal
Down 1-0 at halftime, playing at home to already-relegated Leicester City, Arsenal's amazing unbeaten season seemed in serious jeopardy. But just 56 seconds into the 2nd half, Leicester allowed Robert Pires to stroll about the middle of the pitch unmolested, and the Frenchman saw leftback Ashley Cole making a surging run down the left & chipped a delightful ball forward to him. As Cole bore down on the keeper, Frank Sinclair came rampaging back to cover & simply steamrolled over Cole--a rock solid penalty.
The referee blew his whistle, pointed to the spot & up stepped Thierry Henry. Thierry took about a 15 yard run-up before smacking the ball low & to the left, giving Ian Walker absolutely no chance. It was his 30th of the season, & 8 more than his next closest rival, Newcastle's Alan Shearer.
Arsenal surged on, seeking a second & swarmed all over Leicester. It came 20 minutes later, when Leicester again allowed an Arsenal player far, far too much time on the ball just outside their penalty area. This time it was Dennis Bergkamp, and spotting Patrick Vieira setting off toward goal on a smart diagonal run from wide left, he threaded a simply beautiful pass through something like 5 Leicester defenders, using the outside of his right foot. Vieira collected the ball at the six yard box, neatly side-stepped the diving keeper & tapped the ball into the open net, writing Arsenal into the record books.
The stats for this incredible team are 26 wins, 12 draws, 0 defeats, 73 Goals Scored, 26 Goals Allowed (the best offsense & the best defense).
Preston North End went undefeated in the Football League's inaugural 22-game season in 1888-89. They were called the Invincibles, also winning the FA Cup that year, without conceding a single goal along the way. Five years later, in 1894 Liverpool would complete an undefeated season, but that was in the 2nd Division. 110 years later, Arsenal become only the 3rd English team ever to finish an entire league season unbeaten.
They're currently on 40 games unbeaten stretching back to the final two games of last season; the all time record is 42 & belongs to the great Nottingham Forest side of the late 1970s, who compiled their streak over two seasons.
Here's a round-up of links to just a few of the many stories about this amazing achievement:
--Here are the final standings, and Football365's detailed team statistics are here;
--Here is the BBC contemplating Arsenal's place in global sports history;
--Here is a piece in the Guardian (written before today's game) remarking on how relatively drama-free the run has been, as Arsenal have never trailed at any time in the last 20 minutes of a game;
--Here is a look at Arsenal's outstanding defense from the BBC's Mark Lawrenson;
--Here is a look at the key moments & close calls in Arsenal's season (namely Ruud van Nistelrooy's last minute penalty miss at Old Trafford in the season's 6th game, which ended 0-0, and Arsenal's two key come-from-behind wins against major rivals, winning 2-1 at Chelsea in February after conceding a goal after just 37 seconds, and their 4-2 home win against Liverpool, after going into halftime down 2-1 days after being knocked out of the FA Cup & the Champions League);
--And lastly, here's a wire story with quotes after the match from the Guardian & another from Soccernet.
I doubt we'll ever see anything like it again. It's been a truly amazing season, and counting 'em up all I realized I watched 31 of their 38 Premiership games this year (not to mention 4 of their 5 FA Cup matches, missing only the 5-1 thrasing of Portsmouth, and 7 of their 10 Champions League matches). I have quite a few on tape, and there really were some memorable & amazing matches: 5-0 against Leeds (and 4 for Thierry), 5-1 vs. Inter Milan, 2-1 at Chelsea, 2-1 at Liverpool & 4-2 at home against Liverpool, 3-2 against Newcastle.
Half the reason I started this blog was because I felt like I just had to write about this amazing team, to record this bit of history as it happened. I haven't been watching football for all that long really, but it was still clear just how very special this team & this season have been. For American parallels, I can only think of the undfeated 1972-73 Miami Dolphins, or perhaps truly amazing individual feats like Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak. And I guess Nebraska's consecutive college football national championships in the mid 1990s were pretty impressive too.
Anyhow, I think I've run out of superlatives, and regardless nothing I write could possibly approach the beauty of what they've accomplished & the way they've played this year. There's more I want to write--looking beyond Arsenal's dominance to the collective dominance of Arsenal, Chelsea & Manchester Utd, or, having just read the stats-laden baseball book Moneyball, discuss how utterly unstatistical soccer is--but I've already gone on long enough today.
Euro2004 doesn't start for another few weeks though, & I guess I'll just have to fill that football gap with some more Arsenal blogging.
|
The referee blew his whistle, pointed to the spot & up stepped Thierry Henry. Thierry took about a 15 yard run-up before smacking the ball low & to the left, giving Ian Walker absolutely no chance. It was his 30th of the season, & 8 more than his next closest rival, Newcastle's Alan Shearer.
Arsenal surged on, seeking a second & swarmed all over Leicester. It came 20 minutes later, when Leicester again allowed an Arsenal player far, far too much time on the ball just outside their penalty area. This time it was Dennis Bergkamp, and spotting Patrick Vieira setting off toward goal on a smart diagonal run from wide left, he threaded a simply beautiful pass through something like 5 Leicester defenders, using the outside of his right foot. Vieira collected the ball at the six yard box, neatly side-stepped the diving keeper & tapped the ball into the open net, writing Arsenal into the record books.
The stats for this incredible team are 26 wins, 12 draws, 0 defeats, 73 Goals Scored, 26 Goals Allowed (the best offsense & the best defense).
Preston North End went undefeated in the Football League's inaugural 22-game season in 1888-89. They were called the Invincibles, also winning the FA Cup that year, without conceding a single goal along the way. Five years later, in 1894 Liverpool would complete an undefeated season, but that was in the 2nd Division. 110 years later, Arsenal become only the 3rd English team ever to finish an entire league season unbeaten.
They're currently on 40 games unbeaten stretching back to the final two games of last season; the all time record is 42 & belongs to the great Nottingham Forest side of the late 1970s, who compiled their streak over two seasons.
Here's a round-up of links to just a few of the many stories about this amazing achievement:
--Here are the final standings, and Football365's detailed team statistics are here;
--Here is the BBC contemplating Arsenal's place in global sports history;
--Here is a piece in the Guardian (written before today's game) remarking on how relatively drama-free the run has been, as Arsenal have never trailed at any time in the last 20 minutes of a game;
--Here is a look at Arsenal's outstanding defense from the BBC's Mark Lawrenson;
--Here is a look at the key moments & close calls in Arsenal's season (namely Ruud van Nistelrooy's last minute penalty miss at Old Trafford in the season's 6th game, which ended 0-0, and Arsenal's two key come-from-behind wins against major rivals, winning 2-1 at Chelsea in February after conceding a goal after just 37 seconds, and their 4-2 home win against Liverpool, after going into halftime down 2-1 days after being knocked out of the FA Cup & the Champions League);
--And lastly, here's a wire story with quotes after the match from the Guardian & another from Soccernet.
I doubt we'll ever see anything like it again. It's been a truly amazing season, and counting 'em up all I realized I watched 31 of their 38 Premiership games this year (not to mention 4 of their 5 FA Cup matches, missing only the 5-1 thrasing of Portsmouth, and 7 of their 10 Champions League matches). I have quite a few on tape, and there really were some memorable & amazing matches: 5-0 against Leeds (and 4 for Thierry), 5-1 vs. Inter Milan, 2-1 at Chelsea, 2-1 at Liverpool & 4-2 at home against Liverpool, 3-2 against Newcastle.
Half the reason I started this blog was because I felt like I just had to write about this amazing team, to record this bit of history as it happened. I haven't been watching football for all that long really, but it was still clear just how very special this team & this season have been. For American parallels, I can only think of the undfeated 1972-73 Miami Dolphins, or perhaps truly amazing individual feats like Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak. And I guess Nebraska's consecutive college football national championships in the mid 1990s were pretty impressive too.
Anyhow, I think I've run out of superlatives, and regardless nothing I write could possibly approach the beauty of what they've accomplished & the way they've played this year. There's more I want to write--looking beyond Arsenal's dominance to the collective dominance of Arsenal, Chelsea & Manchester Utd, or, having just read the stats-laden baseball book Moneyball, discuss how utterly unstatistical soccer is--but I've already gone on long enough today.
Euro2004 doesn't start for another few weeks though, & I guess I'll just have to fill that football gap with some more Arsenal blogging.
|
5.13.2004
Watch the Daily Show
Later tonight or tomorrow when it's repeated. Jon Stewart had on conservative Bill Kristol, editor of the Weekly Standard, and Stewart simply made him look like an utter fool. And in doing so, he totally dismantled the main reason Kristol gave to support Bush this fall.
Stewart started by pointing out how Kristol & his magazine had been strongly critical of Rumsfeld's poor/nonexistent post-war planning, and now, somehow, after these truly shameful & disgusting photos & stories have emerged about the abuse at Saddam's old torture palace Abu Ghraib, Kristol is one of the few voices supporting Rumsfeld keeping his job. Kristol's defense was basically that he liked being contrarian.
Stewart then asked, point blank, given how Bush & Rumsfeld have--even in Kristol's own view--largely botched important portions of the occupation (planning, troop strength, etc), why support him still?
Kristol responded that Bush has the right vision on the war on terror, and we have to stick with him because he understands where we need to go. Stewart replied, well, basically that's like saying this guy here drove us into a ditch, but we've got to stick with him & only he can drive us back out. I say, why not get a new driver who knows what he's doing?
Kristol just hemmed & hawed, and at first tried to claim Kerry would cut & run. Stewart cut him off, noting that's not Kerry's position, and indeed that Kerry has even called for more of our guys, and for more guys that aren't our guys. Kristol really didn't have any answer, and as Stewart kept pressing him, Kristol at one point even said something like "well yes, he's driven us into a ditch....oh wow, i walked into that one, you set me, well, uh, yes, but..."
It really was quite amusing. And rather pathetic that one of the biggest conservative voices out there couldn't muster a better defense of Bush than that. Of course, it may just finally be coming to pass that supporting Bush, even for true & principled conservatives, simply is indefensible--he's certainly no fiscal conservative, spending money like a drunken sailor; he's not even a free market conservative, happily throwing money at agricultural subsidies & steel subsidies & to the drug companies; he's not even a small government/libertarian conservative, witness the PATRIOT Act (which really does rile quite a few uber-conservative Senators, Reps & groups). And, of course, the point of Stewart's exchange tonight was that Bush isn't even doing a good job waging war in Iraqi/fighting the war on terror.
Of course, homophobes & religious wackos can still comfortably support him, along with various monied industrial interests, but I think it's becoming more & more difficult to mount anything resembling a principled defense of the man.
|
Stewart started by pointing out how Kristol & his magazine had been strongly critical of Rumsfeld's poor/nonexistent post-war planning, and now, somehow, after these truly shameful & disgusting photos & stories have emerged about the abuse at Saddam's old torture palace Abu Ghraib, Kristol is one of the few voices supporting Rumsfeld keeping his job. Kristol's defense was basically that he liked being contrarian.
Stewart then asked, point blank, given how Bush & Rumsfeld have--even in Kristol's own view--largely botched important portions of the occupation (planning, troop strength, etc), why support him still?
Kristol responded that Bush has the right vision on the war on terror, and we have to stick with him because he understands where we need to go. Stewart replied, well, basically that's like saying this guy here drove us into a ditch, but we've got to stick with him & only he can drive us back out. I say, why not get a new driver who knows what he's doing?
Kristol just hemmed & hawed, and at first tried to claim Kerry would cut & run. Stewart cut him off, noting that's not Kerry's position, and indeed that Kerry has even called for more of our guys, and for more guys that aren't our guys. Kristol really didn't have any answer, and as Stewart kept pressing him, Kristol at one point even said something like "well yes, he's driven us into a ditch....oh wow, i walked into that one, you set me, well, uh, yes, but..."
It really was quite amusing. And rather pathetic that one of the biggest conservative voices out there couldn't muster a better defense of Bush than that. Of course, it may just finally be coming to pass that supporting Bush, even for true & principled conservatives, simply is indefensible--he's certainly no fiscal conservative, spending money like a drunken sailor; he's not even a free market conservative, happily throwing money at agricultural subsidies & steel subsidies & to the drug companies; he's not even a small government/libertarian conservative, witness the PATRIOT Act (which really does rile quite a few uber-conservative Senators, Reps & groups). And, of course, the point of Stewart's exchange tonight was that Bush isn't even doing a good job waging war in Iraqi/fighting the war on terror.
Of course, homophobes & religious wackos can still comfortably support him, along with various monied industrial interests, but I think it's becoming more & more difficult to mount anything resembling a principled defense of the man.
|
Wow
What a finish to the Spurs-Lakers game tonight. Lakers down 71-70 with 11 seconds left, Kobe Bryant drains an outside j after a pick from Karl Malone. 72-71 Lakers. Tim Duncan then hits an off balance shot at the top the key with Shaq right in his face to put the Spurs back on top, 73-72, with 0.4 seconds left. Off the inbounds pass, Derek Fisher catches, twists & shoots in one fluid motion & swishes the game winner, the ball leaving his hand nanoseconds before the buzzer.
Amazing stuff, but of course there were something like 4 time outs & 2 or so commercial breaks sandwiched in between. Watching as much soccer as I do, all these stoppages are rather jarring & annoying, and it reminds me why I rarely watch basketball until the playoffs, and even then, generally just the second half.
|
Amazing stuff, but of course there were something like 4 time outs & 2 or so commercial breaks sandwiched in between. Watching as much soccer as I do, all these stoppages are rather jarring & annoying, and it reminds me why I rarely watch basketball until the playoffs, and even then, generally just the second half.
|
Everything You Want to Know About Cicadas
You can find here, at the Washington Post's special page about the critters soon to swarm all over the East Coast after a 17-year sleep below ground. I've received a lot of hits from people doing google searches for cicadas + Washington DC, so I thought I'd help point them to some folks who really know what's up.
I personally still haven't seen any cicadas in & around downtown DC, but suburban people I know have seen a few and have noticed quite a few holes in their yards, suggesting the little buggers have started to tunnel up.
|
I personally still haven't seen any cicadas in & around downtown DC, but suburban people I know have seen a few and have noticed quite a few holes in their yards, suggesting the little buggers have started to tunnel up.
|
5.12.2004
Bergkamp's Back
Excellent news today that Dennis Bergkamp has signed another 1-year contract (the Guardian has another story here, and Soccernet's story is here). Next year will be Bergkamp's 10th season with the club & I'm sure it's his (and my) greatest hope that the club will be able to send him off with a Champions League medal.
He'll likely receive far less playing time than he's accustomed to, with youngsters Jose Antonio Reyes, Jeremie Aliadiere, David Bentley (who may go out on loan to gain more experience) & new signing Robin van Persie battling him to start alongside Thierry Henry. Indeed, I think Wenger may primarily want him around Highbury to continue mentoring & leading this crop of young & talented strikers. Both Bentley & van Persie have expressed their admiration for Bergkamp, calling him an idol. Hopefully Bergkamp's presence on the training ground will inspire & motivate them, especially his young Dutch compatriot van Persie.
So, with Henry, Bergkamp, Reyes, Aliadiere, van Persie & [possibly] Bentley around, I think it's safe to say we'll have quality in depth in attack next season. The group may be a little young, but Reyes has already well-proven his immense talent & promise, with 3 goals against Chelsea, in the FA Cup & Champions League, and plenty of experience ripping defenses to shreds in La Liga. Likewise, van Persie has done very well at the highest level in Holland.
And of course it's not guaranteed that Wiltord or Kanu are on their way out. When their current contracts expire, it'll depend on whether they're willing to accept new deals at significantly lower wages to stay on at Arsenal. I kind of doubt any club out there will be willing to pay them wages as high as their old contracts (signed back when big TV contract money was still flooding the game), so it'll probably come down to a choice between which pay cut is smaller.
After the season's over & the summer transfer window opens, I'll post & take a look at our midfield & defense.
Update: Here's another excellent article on Bergkamp. It was actually written back in March, but it's a nice appreciation of everything he's brought, not just to Arsenal, but to the game.
|
He'll likely receive far less playing time than he's accustomed to, with youngsters Jose Antonio Reyes, Jeremie Aliadiere, David Bentley (who may go out on loan to gain more experience) & new signing Robin van Persie battling him to start alongside Thierry Henry. Indeed, I think Wenger may primarily want him around Highbury to continue mentoring & leading this crop of young & talented strikers. Both Bentley & van Persie have expressed their admiration for Bergkamp, calling him an idol. Hopefully Bergkamp's presence on the training ground will inspire & motivate them, especially his young Dutch compatriot van Persie.
So, with Henry, Bergkamp, Reyes, Aliadiere, van Persie & [possibly] Bentley around, I think it's safe to say we'll have quality in depth in attack next season. The group may be a little young, but Reyes has already well-proven his immense talent & promise, with 3 goals against Chelsea, in the FA Cup & Champions League, and plenty of experience ripping defenses to shreds in La Liga. Likewise, van Persie has done very well at the highest level in Holland.
And of course it's not guaranteed that Wiltord or Kanu are on their way out. When their current contracts expire, it'll depend on whether they're willing to accept new deals at significantly lower wages to stay on at Arsenal. I kind of doubt any club out there will be willing to pay them wages as high as their old contracts (signed back when big TV contract money was still flooding the game), so it'll probably come down to a choice between which pay cut is smaller.
After the season's over & the summer transfer window opens, I'll post & take a look at our midfield & defense.
Update: Here's another excellent article on Bergkamp. It was actually written back in March, but it's a nice appreciation of everything he's brought, not just to Arsenal, but to the game.
|
Follow-Up to Empagran Supreme Court Oral Argument
A couple weeks ago I attended the oral argument of an antitrust case (F. Hoffmann-LaRoche v. Empagran S.A., No. 03-724) before the Supreme Court (which I blogged about here), the transcript of which is now available here. In my original post, I described a rather amusing exchange between Justice Rehnquist & Tom Goldstein, counsel for the plaintiffs. My recollection was fairly accurate, but here's how it was transcribed:
|
[MR GOLDSTEIN]...and that's also the point of Pfizer [Pfizer, Inc. v. Government of India, 434 U.S. 308 (1978)]. So Congress recognized that and it made the cartel --If you're really interested, you can find that bit & a little more on page 29 of the .pdf file linked to above.
QUESTION: Well, but Pfizer was doing business in this country.
MR. GOLDSTEIN: Mr. Chief Justice, we accept that as correct, but --
QUESTION: Well, you have -- you not only accept it, it's a fact, so you're --
(Laughter.)
MR. GOLDSTEIN: And it -- and we accept it.
(Laughter.)
MR. GOLDSTEIN: With good reason, I think. Mr. Chief Justice, our point is that the rationale -- I don't want to --
|
5.11.2004
Simply the Best
To the surprise of no one, this weekend Britain's Football Writers' Association overwhelmingly voted Thierry Henry Footballer of the Year, making him the first to win the Writers' award in consecutive seasons since the prize was created in 1947-48. Also impressive was that 87% of the writers voted for him, the highest margin in 34 years.
Well done Thierry.
|
Well done Thierry.
|
Valencia Win La Liga
And how sweet it is. At least for this Real Madrid-hating football fan (and if you're not familiar with European football, for Real Madrid (or Manchester United), substitute New York Yankees & you'd understand).
David Beckham thus becomes the first "galactico" signed by Real Madrid to go trophyless in his first season, and now Valencia, like Arsenal, have won their league twice in the past three seasons. The Guardian has a good piece here on their title win by their man in Spain, Sid Lowe, whose weekly columns are always a supremely interesting read. Soccernet's Phil Ball has another good column here.
The year I spent studying in England, I took a shine to Valencia after visiting the city over the December holidays. The city was gorgeous--expansive boulevards lined with orange trees, awash in parks, home to fantastic food (paella) & extremely friendly people. The weekend I was in town Valencia were hosting Real Sociedad, and I managed to secure some very nice tickets--at midfield, and up the perfect distance to still be relatively close to the action but able to watch it from an elevated perspective.
The seats were among a collection of die-hard cigar-smoking 60 year-old men. Who were the friendliest chaps in all the world. They happily talked with me, volunteered up their programs, and when Valencia scored their first goal, they all hugged me & exclaimed that the Americans must be lucky--you should come to every match!
That year Valencia improbably reached their second consecutive Champions League final--knocking out Arsenal along the way, 2-2 in the Quarterfinals, advancing only on the away goals rule. Still, because I so enjoyed the city--and because they were playing Bayern Munich, masters of bore-you-into-submission football--I was rooting all out for Valencia. I also plunked down a few wagers on the match, and winning each bet (and £150) softened the blow of Valencia's loss on Penalties after the match finished 1-1. For the record, I'd bet that Gaizka Mendieta would score, that there'd be a goal in the first 15 minutes (Mendieta's penalty was in like the 3rd minute), that the match would go to extra time, and that the match would go to penalties. Unfortunately, I didn't link all the bets together, otherwise I might have been looking at least a 4 figure payday.
When Valencia won the title in 2001-02, by all accounts they'd largely bullied & shin-kicked their way to the glory, playing a highly disciplined & defensive (er, boring) game. I think they scored about 1/3 as many goals as 2nd place Madrid, and picked up roughly twice as many yellow cards as any other team. And last year I wasn't too impressed by their behavior when they were drawn in the same group stage with Arsenal in the Champions League--they were diving, play-acting belligerent punks.
But I think this year they've rediscovered some of the style & flair that launched them to those two Champions League finals, before financial pressures forced the sales of stars like Claudio Lopez & Mendieta. Pablo Aimar & Ruben Baraja are both wonderfully talented players, and left-winger Vicente (who played an outstanding match on my visit, filling in then for an injured Kily Gonzalez) is outstanding & a true joy to watch. I wouldn't be surprised to see Vicente establish himself as a true superstar this summer in Portugual at the European Championships. Their defense, anchored by Mauricio Pellegrino & the uber-hardman Roberto Fabian Ayala, is superb, as is their goalie. This year they've matched Madrid goal for goal, each scoring 70 in 36 matches; the difference is Madrid have conceded 48 goals, and Valencia have allowed just 24 (here's the league table).
If I get the Dish Network next fall, I should be able to catch plenty of action from La Liga on the Gol TV channel. Speaking of, here's a question. Are any of you readers satellite TV customers? Know somebody who has DirecTV or the Dish Network? Satisfied, dissatisfied? I'd appreciate any info...
Anyhow, now the perfect end to the season in Spain would see Barcelona push past Madrid into 2nd place & earn the automatic Champions League berth, forcing Madrid to endure some unpleasant foray into Eastern Europe to qualify for the lucrative Group Stage (and risk being knocked out entirely, as Newcastle were this year, and Inter Milan were back in 2000-01). Well, one can dream.
And I'd definitely be far happier to see Arsenal finish off their amazing unbeaten English league season by winning at home against Leicester. That'd be a truly incredible accomplishment & could well indelibly write Arsenal into the record books.
|
David Beckham thus becomes the first "galactico" signed by Real Madrid to go trophyless in his first season, and now Valencia, like Arsenal, have won their league twice in the past three seasons. The Guardian has a good piece here on their title win by their man in Spain, Sid Lowe, whose weekly columns are always a supremely interesting read. Soccernet's Phil Ball has another good column here.
The year I spent studying in England, I took a shine to Valencia after visiting the city over the December holidays. The city was gorgeous--expansive boulevards lined with orange trees, awash in parks, home to fantastic food (paella) & extremely friendly people. The weekend I was in town Valencia were hosting Real Sociedad, and I managed to secure some very nice tickets--at midfield, and up the perfect distance to still be relatively close to the action but able to watch it from an elevated perspective.
The seats were among a collection of die-hard cigar-smoking 60 year-old men. Who were the friendliest chaps in all the world. They happily talked with me, volunteered up their programs, and when Valencia scored their first goal, they all hugged me & exclaimed that the Americans must be lucky--you should come to every match!
That year Valencia improbably reached their second consecutive Champions League final--knocking out Arsenal along the way, 2-2 in the Quarterfinals, advancing only on the away goals rule. Still, because I so enjoyed the city--and because they were playing Bayern Munich, masters of bore-you-into-submission football--I was rooting all out for Valencia. I also plunked down a few wagers on the match, and winning each bet (and £150) softened the blow of Valencia's loss on Penalties after the match finished 1-1. For the record, I'd bet that Gaizka Mendieta would score, that there'd be a goal in the first 15 minutes (Mendieta's penalty was in like the 3rd minute), that the match would go to extra time, and that the match would go to penalties. Unfortunately, I didn't link all the bets together, otherwise I might have been looking at least a 4 figure payday.
When Valencia won the title in 2001-02, by all accounts they'd largely bullied & shin-kicked their way to the glory, playing a highly disciplined & defensive (er, boring) game. I think they scored about 1/3 as many goals as 2nd place Madrid, and picked up roughly twice as many yellow cards as any other team. And last year I wasn't too impressed by their behavior when they were drawn in the same group stage with Arsenal in the Champions League--they were diving, play-acting belligerent punks.
But I think this year they've rediscovered some of the style & flair that launched them to those two Champions League finals, before financial pressures forced the sales of stars like Claudio Lopez & Mendieta. Pablo Aimar & Ruben Baraja are both wonderfully talented players, and left-winger Vicente (who played an outstanding match on my visit, filling in then for an injured Kily Gonzalez) is outstanding & a true joy to watch. I wouldn't be surprised to see Vicente establish himself as a true superstar this summer in Portugual at the European Championships. Their defense, anchored by Mauricio Pellegrino & the uber-hardman Roberto Fabian Ayala, is superb, as is their goalie. This year they've matched Madrid goal for goal, each scoring 70 in 36 matches; the difference is Madrid have conceded 48 goals, and Valencia have allowed just 24 (here's the league table).
If I get the Dish Network next fall, I should be able to catch plenty of action from La Liga on the Gol TV channel. Speaking of, here's a question. Are any of you readers satellite TV customers? Know somebody who has DirecTV or the Dish Network? Satisfied, dissatisfied? I'd appreciate any info...
Anyhow, now the perfect end to the season in Spain would see Barcelona push past Madrid into 2nd place & earn the automatic Champions League berth, forcing Madrid to endure some unpleasant foray into Eastern Europe to qualify for the lucrative Group Stage (and risk being knocked out entirely, as Newcastle were this year, and Inter Milan were back in 2000-01). Well, one can dream.
And I'd definitely be far happier to see Arsenal finish off their amazing unbeaten English league season by winning at home against Leicester. That'd be a truly incredible accomplishment & could well indelibly write Arsenal into the record books.
|
5.10.2004
Report from the Cornhusker State
The last two weekends I've been traveling out of National Airport (last weekend, apartment hunting to Ann Arbor, this past weekend, for my sister's graduation), and I have now seen 2 (of the 5) members of Nebraska's Congressional delegation. And I can't believe I forgot to write about my experience last weekend--after all, I wasn't just meeting Representative Tom Osborne, I was meeting legendary former Nebraska Cornhuskers Football Coach Tom Osborne.
Growing up in Nebraska, where the obsession with Husker football is such that even the slightest of news from practice makes front page headlines--Back up QB Smith Sprains Ankle In Scrimmage; May Miss Showdown With Sooners, etc--Tom Osborne was a veritable King, easily the largest figure in the state's collective imagination, and probably about on par with the President. So it was quite a surprise when I ordered a sandwich at the one shop at National's tiny A terminal & turned to see Tom Osborne in line behind me.
I frantically began looking about, half expecting him to be accompanied by some elaborate retinue. Seeing nobody, I almost thought, "No, this couldn't be Tom Osborne; surely he'd be surrounded by autograph hunters or a posse of security guards, or something."
Then I realized I wasn't in Lincoln anymore--Coach Tom wouldn't necessarily be recognized instantly by your average Washingtonian, and mere Congresspeople aren't given full security entourages or anything. So when he stepped down to my end of the counter to wait for his sandwich next to me, I felt vaguely uncomfortable just staring at him now that he was mere inches from me, so I sheepishly turned to him & said, "Excuse, but, uh, are you Tom Osborne?"
"I am he," he replied. I quickly explained I grew up in Nebraska & what a pleasure it was to meet him, although regretably I'm not a voter in his district. He laughed & then politely asked me about where I was going, where I went to school, what I was doing in DC, etc, etc. He seemed pretty high on Michigan Law, and just then my sandwich was ready. I wished him a pleasant trip back to Lincoln & went back to eat my sandwich with my girlfriend near our gate (we were flying to Detriot, he was flying to Lincoln via Minneapolis).
By the time I sat down I realized I'd totally forgot to make a joke about how hard it had been for me to choose Michigan, especially after our acrimonious split National Title in 1997. Both teams finished undefeated, and the sportswriters gave Michigan the AP title, despite barely squeaking past like # 8 (I think) Washington State in the Rose Bowl while Nebraska crushed #3 Tennessee 42-17 in the Orange Bowl. Nebraska did win the USA Today/Coaches' Poll, but that was probably only because well before the game Coach Tom had announced his intent to retire at the end of the season. I think we'd clearly been the better team, despite what the idiots in the media thought & wrote, and it's always kinda annoyed me that we probably only won a share of the title out of sympathy for a retiring legend. Of course, that lingering sense of injustice never entered my law school decision making, although it probably helped that I'm now almost exclusively a fan of soccer.
Oh well, I didn't want to bother him again, but I did derive considerable fascination from watching him wander about the store in the middle of the A terminal, narrating his every move to my girlfriend (much to her amusement): "Now he's looking at the books. Oh, he just picked up a copy of the Post. And now he's grabbing a bottle of Sprite. Oh wait, it's a water. Oh, and look now, he's waiting in line to buy them."
Anyhow, my sighting this weekend wasn't nearly as exciting. My flight from National to Omaha was delayed three hours due to some nasty thunderstorms in DC. I spent the delay devouring A People's History of the Supreme Court and Moneyball. So engrossed was I that I didn't realize Senator Ben Nelson had been sitting literally 10 feet away until just before boarding the plane. I didn't get a chance to talk to him, which is probably just as well, as I might just have taken him to task for giving Zell Miller a run for his money as the Party's biggest DINO (Dem In Name Only).
Wow, I've sure rambled on in this post, and it's getting rather late. So then, just two more quick anecdotes from the weekend. Along with my sister (who graduated with a perfect 4.0--Congrats again), the University of Nebraska also graduated a Ms. Assmann & a Mr. McAnally. Congratulations to them on their diplomas, and sincere sympathy on their surnames. Lastly, I found it rather impressive that UNL managed to hand out actual inscribed diplomas to each of the 1,800 hundred or so graduates attending the ceremony; they noted they were one of the only major universities who manage to orchestrate such a feat. Kudos to them.
|
Growing up in Nebraska, where the obsession with Husker football is such that even the slightest of news from practice makes front page headlines--Back up QB Smith Sprains Ankle In Scrimmage; May Miss Showdown With Sooners, etc--Tom Osborne was a veritable King, easily the largest figure in the state's collective imagination, and probably about on par with the President. So it was quite a surprise when I ordered a sandwich at the one shop at National's tiny A terminal & turned to see Tom Osborne in line behind me.
I frantically began looking about, half expecting him to be accompanied by some elaborate retinue. Seeing nobody, I almost thought, "No, this couldn't be Tom Osborne; surely he'd be surrounded by autograph hunters or a posse of security guards, or something."
Then I realized I wasn't in Lincoln anymore--Coach Tom wouldn't necessarily be recognized instantly by your average Washingtonian, and mere Congresspeople aren't given full security entourages or anything. So when he stepped down to my end of the counter to wait for his sandwich next to me, I felt vaguely uncomfortable just staring at him now that he was mere inches from me, so I sheepishly turned to him & said, "Excuse, but, uh, are you Tom Osborne?"
"I am he," he replied. I quickly explained I grew up in Nebraska & what a pleasure it was to meet him, although regretably I'm not a voter in his district. He laughed & then politely asked me about where I was going, where I went to school, what I was doing in DC, etc, etc. He seemed pretty high on Michigan Law, and just then my sandwich was ready. I wished him a pleasant trip back to Lincoln & went back to eat my sandwich with my girlfriend near our gate (we were flying to Detriot, he was flying to Lincoln via Minneapolis).
By the time I sat down I realized I'd totally forgot to make a joke about how hard it had been for me to choose Michigan, especially after our acrimonious split National Title in 1997. Both teams finished undefeated, and the sportswriters gave Michigan the AP title, despite barely squeaking past like # 8 (I think) Washington State in the Rose Bowl while Nebraska crushed #3 Tennessee 42-17 in the Orange Bowl. Nebraska did win the USA Today/Coaches' Poll, but that was probably only because well before the game Coach Tom had announced his intent to retire at the end of the season. I think we'd clearly been the better team, despite what the idiots in the media thought & wrote, and it's always kinda annoyed me that we probably only won a share of the title out of sympathy for a retiring legend. Of course, that lingering sense of injustice never entered my law school decision making, although it probably helped that I'm now almost exclusively a fan of soccer.
Oh well, I didn't want to bother him again, but I did derive considerable fascination from watching him wander about the store in the middle of the A terminal, narrating his every move to my girlfriend (much to her amusement): "Now he's looking at the books. Oh, he just picked up a copy of the Post. And now he's grabbing a bottle of Sprite. Oh wait, it's a water. Oh, and look now, he's waiting in line to buy them."
Anyhow, my sighting this weekend wasn't nearly as exciting. My flight from National to Omaha was delayed three hours due to some nasty thunderstorms in DC. I spent the delay devouring A People's History of the Supreme Court and Moneyball. So engrossed was I that I didn't realize Senator Ben Nelson had been sitting literally 10 feet away until just before boarding the plane. I didn't get a chance to talk to him, which is probably just as well, as I might just have taken him to task for giving Zell Miller a run for his money as the Party's biggest DINO (Dem In Name Only).
Wow, I've sure rambled on in this post, and it's getting rather late. So then, just two more quick anecdotes from the weekend. Along with my sister (who graduated with a perfect 4.0--Congrats again), the University of Nebraska also graduated a Ms. Assmann & a Mr. McAnally. Congratulations to them on their diplomas, and sincere sympathy on their surnames. Lastly, I found it rather impressive that UNL managed to hand out actual inscribed diplomas to each of the 1,800 hundred or so graduates attending the ceremony; they noted they were one of the only major universities who manage to orchestrate such a feat. Kudos to them.
|
5.07.2004
Cicada Invasion
Looks like the first few cicadas have already emerged, and the full-on cicada assault could begin as soon as this weekend.
Which makes me doubly happy to be heading home to Lincoln, Nebraska, for the weekend, where I'll watch my little sister graduate college. Unfortunately, the Post article predicts they'll stick around until early July--just when I finally get out of DC. Thankfully I pretty much live in downtown and my walk to work is basically all cement, so I think there's a decent chance I won't have too many cicadas dive-bombing me on my daily commute. I'll just have to steer clear of Franklin Square.
|
Which makes me doubly happy to be heading home to Lincoln, Nebraska, for the weekend, where I'll watch my little sister graduate college. Unfortunately, the Post article predicts they'll stick around until early July--just when I finally get out of DC. Thankfully I pretty much live in downtown and my walk to work is basically all cement, so I think there's a decent chance I won't have too many cicadas dive-bombing me on my daily commute. I'll just have to steer clear of Franklin Square.
|
5.04.2004
36 Games Unbeaten
Arsenal's amazing unbeaten season continued today, with the Gunners drawing 1-1 at Portsmouth. Yakubu gave Pompey the lead before halftime, but Arsenal pulled level minutes after the break. Thierry Henry looked to have equalized just two minutes into the second half, but Shaka Hislop pulled out a fantastic save, deflecting the ball up onto the crossbar, where it then rebounded off the far post, bouncing on the line and then away to safety. Seconds later, however, after Pompey failed to clear his corner, Thierry sent another cross to the far post, which was weakly headed to the edge of the box, where Jose Reyes met it with a perfectly struck volley. The ball swerved just inside the post. 1-1.
I only caught the second half on TV, but from what I saw, this David Bentley kid could turn out to be quite some player. Playing wide right, he showed great pace, good crossing & passing, and most importantly the ability to take on defenders with the ball at his feet.
I've read a couple stories suggesting that Wenger may send him out on loan next year to gain steady Premiership experience, which would definitely benefit him, but I hope it's a flexible month-to-month deal, because as far as I'm concerned, he looks quite capable of slotting into the first team & holding his own. We were especially lucky with injuries this year--we'd only used something like 21 players all year, fewer than any other club--but that luck can't go on forever. And when it does turn, I hope Bentley'll be around to help out.
In any event, just two matches--away to Fulham & home to relegated Leicester--separate Arsenal from an undefeated season. A feat essentially unmatched in the history of English football.* It'd be great to see the boys pull it out, and it'd be a fitting end to a fantastic season.
* Yeah, sure, some team went unbeaten back in 1888 or something, but it was a 22 game season, and yes, Liverpool were undefeated in a similarly short season in the 1920s or 1930s, but that happened in the 2nd division.
|
I only caught the second half on TV, but from what I saw, this David Bentley kid could turn out to be quite some player. Playing wide right, he showed great pace, good crossing & passing, and most importantly the ability to take on defenders with the ball at his feet.
I've read a couple stories suggesting that Wenger may send him out on loan next year to gain steady Premiership experience, which would definitely benefit him, but I hope it's a flexible month-to-month deal, because as far as I'm concerned, he looks quite capable of slotting into the first team & holding his own. We were especially lucky with injuries this year--we'd only used something like 21 players all year, fewer than any other club--but that luck can't go on forever. And when it does turn, I hope Bentley'll be around to help out.
In any event, just two matches--away to Fulham & home to relegated Leicester--separate Arsenal from an undefeated season. A feat essentially unmatched in the history of English football.* It'd be great to see the boys pull it out, and it'd be a fitting end to a fantastic season.
* Yeah, sure, some team went unbeaten back in 1888 or something, but it was a 22 game season, and yes, Liverpool were undefeated in a similarly short season in the 1920s or 1930s, but that happened in the 2nd division.
|
Back in DC
As we'd hoped, finding a nice roomy 2-bedroom apartment within walking distance of the Law School turned out to be rather easy. After a single day of looking, we found our place & everything's lined up. According to Mapquest, it's .4 mi from the Law School, and by our timing, it was a 6-8 minute walk.
So, our quick success left us with 3 days of hanging out in Ann Arbor, which I'm sure was just awesome for our hosts, five 2Ls furiously studying for their exams. We got plenty of reading in ourselves. Plus, the weather was mostly nice, and we spent an afternoon walking all about the Arboretum. I also made sure to stock up on some Michigan gear, buying a zip fleece, a t-shirt & a key chain.
But mainly, I spent the weekend cursing Oriental Express Chinese restaurant on Packard St (just near State St, & catty-corner to the Atlanta Bread Company), who served me perhaps the most foul & disgusting egg drop soup ever. They brought it out in a big styrofoam cup, and it was the thickest, slimiest 'soup' I'd ever seen. Nonetheless, I tried a few spoonfuls, only to discover a soggy fortune cookie near the bottom (paper fortune included). My digestive system waged full-on total war against me until we got back to DC.
Anyhow, back to the apartment. Perhaps the best thing is the enormous ceiling-to-floor window & balcony in the living room. Not only is it great for all the normal reasons such a thing would be great, but it's also great because it faces South. Which means I can hopefully get me some satellite TV action and continue to watch soccer this fall, as I've realized that the bastards at Comcast cable refuse to carry Fox Sports World (or maybe it's really down to Rupert's stubborness, I don't know).
Speaking of soccer, Arsenal are playing this afternoon (in a matter of minutes) at Portsmouth. Wenger had talked about giving some of the young'uns some experience today, and looking at the starting line-up, which includes 19 year-old David Bentley & Jose Reyes, shows he meant it. The normal back four, + Vieira & Henry are out there too, so it's hardly a reserve team, and I hope the experiment pays dividends & we can keep our incredible unbeaten streak alive.
|
So, our quick success left us with 3 days of hanging out in Ann Arbor, which I'm sure was just awesome for our hosts, five 2Ls furiously studying for their exams. We got plenty of reading in ourselves. Plus, the weather was mostly nice, and we spent an afternoon walking all about the Arboretum. I also made sure to stock up on some Michigan gear, buying a zip fleece, a t-shirt & a key chain.
But mainly, I spent the weekend cursing Oriental Express Chinese restaurant on Packard St (just near State St, & catty-corner to the Atlanta Bread Company), who served me perhaps the most foul & disgusting egg drop soup ever. They brought it out in a big styrofoam cup, and it was the thickest, slimiest 'soup' I'd ever seen. Nonetheless, I tried a few spoonfuls, only to discover a soggy fortune cookie near the bottom (paper fortune included). My digestive system waged full-on total war against me until we got back to DC.
Anyhow, back to the apartment. Perhaps the best thing is the enormous ceiling-to-floor window & balcony in the living room. Not only is it great for all the normal reasons such a thing would be great, but it's also great because it faces South. Which means I can hopefully get me some satellite TV action and continue to watch soccer this fall, as I've realized that the bastards at Comcast cable refuse to carry Fox Sports World (or maybe it's really down to Rupert's stubborness, I don't know).
Speaking of soccer, Arsenal are playing this afternoon (in a matter of minutes) at Portsmouth. Wenger had talked about giving some of the young'uns some experience today, and looking at the starting line-up, which includes 19 year-old David Bentley & Jose Reyes, shows he meant it. The normal back four, + Vieira & Henry are out there too, so it's hardly a reserve team, and I hope the experiment pays dividends & we can keep our incredible unbeaten streak alive.
|
