ESPN2 Making The Right Call With Soccer Saturday and Sunday

Puneet Singh

ESPN2 recently signed a deal with SkySports News to broadcast one or two games each Saturday from the English Premier League, the top footballing league in England. Last week Sky Sports reached a deal with La Liga (Primera Divison) to have rights to broadcast their games on Sundays. Sky Sports then passed this off to ESPN2 as a part of the first deal.

In conclusion; anyone who has ESPN2 can now watch Premier League action on Saturday mornings and La Liga action on Sundays.

While this may not be a big deal to some, footballing fans in the US should be rejoicing. The oppurtunity to watch two of the top leagues in the world (sorry Serie A) is now available to almost anyone who pays for cable.

This bodes well not just for soccer fans but Americans in general. Let's face it, has anyone ever been up on a Saturday or Sunday from 7:30 am to 9 am? If you have and ever turned on ESPN2 you'll notice that it's either fishing, bowling, Nascar or drag racing on tv.

Now let's be serious for one second? Is it more beneficial to gain exposure for a sport that's on the rise in the US (soccer) or wasting time on a whole bunch of nonsense that A.) No one cares about or B.) Isn't Entertaining.

By signing up the two biggest leagues in the world right now, US fans will get exposure to teams like Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Valencia to name a few. Not only do these teams score goals, but they play entertaining football; something that will entertain and keep ther view captivated as opposed to someone sitting on a boat waiting for a fish to bite. (no offense)

When it's all said and done both ESPN2 and the US audience's will be winners. ESPN2 will fetch ratings and American's will slowly begin to follow it. Moving soccer to a cable access channel is the best thing ESPN2 has done in awhile. Now if only we could get the NHL on it.....

Madrid Sell Two Dutchmen, But Were They The Wrong Ones?

Puneet Singh

With the saga of Wesley Sneijder to Inter Milan finally over, people can stop reading the mularky of his on and off deal with the La Beneamata. Jose Mourinho finally captured his man and for a cut rate price of £15 million, a steal for the dynamic dutchman. He'll be a staple in the center of the park making a nice duo with either Sulley Muntari or Esteban Cambaiasso. Madrid's loss.

In addition to Madrid selling Sneijder to Inter, they also found it necessary to sell Arjen Robben; this time in a deal to Bayern Munich for £25 million and nothing in a deal that solidifies Franck Ribery coming to the Bernabeau.

Wesley Sneijder was purchased for £27 million while Robben was brought in for £24 million, meaning a combined £51 million for the Dutch duo. The fact that they were sold a lot cheaper than what they should've been sold at shows that Madrid are just trying to minimize their debt from their lavish sprending spree this summer. (Those who argue that there is a £1 million profit on Robben must realize he can fetch at least £30 million if Madrid weren't desperate to move him).

Their sales were an insult to both the players and Madrid supporters.

Sneijder is a world class CM and was vital to Madrid's success in 2007-2008. He insisted over and over again that he didn't want to leave, yet was forced out the door by Florentino Perez.

The case of Robben is much worse. Robben is by many standards amongst the top wingers in the world; in the same conversation as Franck Ribery, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. While Messi and Ronaldo are on their own planet, Robben is only a notch below them. A proven success in the Premier League with Chelsea and then his successful run in La Liga with Madrid, he is one of Holland's more accomplished players. With all the big names coming to Madrid this summer, Robben was the one who's spot was supposidely safe and wouldn't be sold.

Little did we know that two of Madrid better and consistent performers would be sold.

Robben and Ribery on the flanks for Bayern will give them THE BEST Winger tandem in all of the world. A midfield of Ribery-Van Bommel-Schweinsteiger-Robben is better than most can imagine. Great pickup for Bayern as it is a steal.

With Sneijder to Inter, Jose is handing him the keys to the offense and letting him be the playmaker for Eto'o, Milito and Ballotelli.

The big question now arises. Why were two players who could fight for and deserve a place on the Madrid squad sold, when two players who clearly want out (Rafael Van Der Vaart and Ruud Van Nistelrooy) are still here?

Pellegrini said himself that he wanted Van Der Vaart out and Sneijder to stay. Sneijder offers more to the team with his versatility, work rate and skill than Van Der Vaart does. Even Esteban Granero has more to offer than Van Der Vaart. And Van Nistelrooy now seems the odd man out with the addition of Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain and Raul still at forward.

It is still possible that Van Der Vaart and Van Nistelrooy both leave too? More than likely yes. But how do Madrid fix the sale of Wes and Arjen? Hopefully Guti can turn the clock back and De La Red's condition gets better or they have a gem in the Cantera. Otherwise, when someone goes down, they're gonna be thin on the flanks and kiss the creativity good bye.

Brandon Marshall On His Way Out of The Mile High City?

Puneet Singh

With Brandon Marshall's suspension this morning from the Denver Bronco's it looks like this marriage is slowly but surely over.

Things hit rock bottom yesterday in practice when Marshall was clearly dogging it and blocking the ball as opposed to catching it as he is paid to do. On top of that, he went off and punted a ball some 20 yards away for no apparent reason.

Here's video footage of the incident and analysis from ESPN (fast forward to 0:55 to see his antics):

As you can see Marshall wasn't doing his proper duty to be a good citizen. Both him and management have been at odds for awhile now over a contract and his habits and with the trade of Jay Cutler this offseason, it should be a message that no one player is bullet proof in the Josh McDaniels era.

In addition to Marshall's on field antics, he hasn't been a good sumaritan off the field. I'd go into detail about his trouble with the law, but I'll leave it to this link (<---click there) to explain his exploits.

Time to look at what teams desperately needs a WR and what is the market value for the embattled WR:

Denver is asking for a 1st AND 4th rounder. Based on his numbers it's well deserved. The last two years Marshall has posted numbers of 102 catches for 1,325 yards and 7 TDs in 2007 and 104 catches for 1,265 and 6 TDs. Clearly All-Pro numbers given that he was 23 and 24 when he posted those numbers. Unfortunately given his habit for getting in trouble with the law and management, the Broncos should be fortunate to get a 1st and 5th or multiple 2nd/3rd/4th round choices.

Now onto who needs a WR: NY Giants, Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, St. Louis Rams, NY Jets, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Tenneessee Titans and The Jacksonville Jaguars.

You can cross off the Rams Bears, Browns, and Bucs off this list. The Ram's could use a new WR now that the "Greatest Show on Turf" has officially ended with Torry Holt being cut and signing with the Jags. Will they pay the price? They have too many other holes to fill on defense and the O-Line for the next coming years that it doesn't make sense to mortage it for a WR. So the Rams will be out of it. The Bears probably can't afford him given they just traded off a lot to get Cutler from the Broncos, and the Browns and Bucs both have young QB's in Brady Quinn and Josh Freeman and the last thing they'd want to do is rattle a young QB by bringing in a a loudmouthed headcase to the lockeroom.

The Giants JUST finished dealing with Plexico Burress. However, the need for WR is so apparent. Their WR group consists of Sinorice Moss, Mario Manningham, Steve Smith, Domick Hixon and David "One Catch Brought Me Fame" Tyree. Clearly there is no number one in that group, although Manningham has the potential to develop into one. Can the Giant's hustle the Broncos and afford him? Absolutely. Do Coughlin and Manning want to deal with another headache? Desperate times call for desperate measures. By week 3 we'll know.

There have been mumurs in Jet's camp about Marshall. He would be an instant number 1 there and further help Jerricho Cotchery and Mark Sanchez. Rex Ryan is knowing for handling brash personalities well (see: Ray Lewis) so handling an ego and attitude like Marshall shouldn't be too big of a task for the first year head coach.

The Ravens are a class organization. Ozzie Newsome only brings in players who are going to be upstanding people. Just by that Marshall doesn't fit. But the Ravens are so desperate for a WR anything is possible, whether it be a player and low level pick going to the Broncos or just moving draft picks to the Bronco's to give Flacco a target for the next 4 to 5 years.

Although the Titans are content at WR, the oppurtunity to land an unprecedented number one is hard to turn down. They have one major headcase of their own in Vince Young and because of that I don't see them making a move.

The Jacksonville Jaguars landed a jewel in Torry Holt this offseason. Pairing him and Marshall together would give them a 1-2 similar to Holt-Bruce from the glory days in St. Louie. Problem is, the Jags have had their share of terrible WRs with law problems over the last few years and with Jack Del Rio on the hotseat this year, I doubt he makes a move that will further put his job into jepordy.

Final Guess: Brandon Marshall will be a NY Giant no later than Week 2. The Giant's desperately need a WR and Denver is fully into shopping Marshall's services at this moment. This deal makes too much sense to not happen now.

UEFA Awards, Champions League Draw for 2009 And A Preview

Puneet Singh

Here's a recap of today's events in the footballing world dealing with the Champions League meeting that was held in Monaco, France.

Awards:

UEFA Goal Keeper of The Year: Edwin Van Der Sar, Manchester United (ENG).

Runners Up: Petr Cech of Chelsea FC (ENG) and Victor Valdes of FC Barcelona (ESP)

(Presented by Victor Maia, keeper for the 2004 FC Porto team that won the CL that year.)

UEFA Defender of The Year: John Terry, Chelsea FC (ENG).

Runners Up: Nemanja Vidic, Manchester United (ENG) and Gerard Pique, FC Barcelona (ESP).

(Presented by Paolo Maldini, Five Time winner, Eight Time Finalist during his 25 year career; all of which was with AC Milan.)

UEFA Midfielder of The Year: Xavi Hernandez, FC Barcelona (ESP).

Runners Up: Andres Iniesta, FC Barcelona (ESP) and Steven Gerard, Liverpool FC (ENG).

(Presented by Luis Figo, winner of the 2002 Champions League with Real Madrid.)

UEFA Forward of The Year: Lionel Messi, FC Barcelona (ESP).

Runners Up: Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United (ENG) and Samuel Eto'o, FC Barcelona (ESP).

(Presented by Denis Law, winner of the 1968 European Cup with Manchester United).

European Footballer of The Year: Lionel Messi, FC Barcelona (ESP).

Runners Up: Xavi Hernandez, FC Barcelona (ESP), John Terry, Chelsea FC (ENG) and Edwin Van Der Sar, Manchester United (ENG).

In addition to these awards, Paolo Maldini was given a lifetime achievemant award, presented by Michel Platini. This award was to celebrate his 25 year career in which Maldini carried himself and his team with Pride, Honor and Respect as well as all the accolades he had earned over those years.

Champions League Draw.

The pots were broken down as follows:

POT 1:

Manchester United FC (ENG)

Liverpool FC (ENG)

FC Sevilla (ESP)

Chelsea FC (ENG)

FC Barcelona (ESP)

FC Bayern Munich (GER)

Arsenal FC (ENG)

AC Milan (ITA)

POT 2:

Olympique Lyonnais (FRA)

Juventus FC (ITA)

Real Madrid CF (ESP)

CSKA Moskow (RUS)

FC Porto (POR)

Internaziole FC (ITA)

Glasgow Ranger (SCO)

AZ Alkmaar (NED)

POT 3:

Atletico Madrid CF (ESP)

Olympiacos FC (GRE)

Vfb Stuttgart (GER)

Dinaymo Kiev (UKR)

ACF Fiorentina (ITA)

Olympique Marsaille CF (FRA)

Besjtikas CF (TUR)

Girdons Bordeaux FC (FRA)

POT 4:

Macabbi Haifa FC (ISR)

FC Zurich (SWI)

VfL Wolfsburg (GER)

Standard de Liege (BEL)

FC Rubin Kazan (RUS)

AFC Unirea Urziceni (ROM)

Debreceni FC (HUN)

Apoel FC (CYP)

One team from each pot is distributed towards a group going from letters A-H. Teams from the same country cannot play each other meaning, in the likelihood that Lyon (Pot 2) and Bordeaux (Pot 3) or Munich (Pot 1) and Wolfsburg (Pot 4) were placed together, they would null it and move it to a different spot. Also, teams from the same country cannot be playing on the same day. They'd be distributed evenly 1-1 or 2-2.

The Groups are as follows: (the number in parenthesis tells what number they were called out of from their respective pot)

Group A: (2) FC Bayern Munich, (7) Juventus FC, (2) Girdons Bordeaux FC, (8) Maccabi Haifa.

Group B: (3) Manchester United FC, (8) CSKA Moskow, (3) Besjtikas FC, (4) VfL Wolfsburg.

Group C: (5) AC Milan, (2) Real Madrid CF, (8) Olympique Marsaille, (6) FC Zurich.

Group D: (6) Chelsea FC, (1) FC Porto, (6) Atletico Madrid CF, (5) Apoel FC.

Group E: (1) Liverpool FC, (3) Olympique Lyonnais, (4) ACF Fiorentina, (3) Debreceni FC.

Group F: (7) FC Barcelona, (4) FC Internaziole (Inter Milan), (5) Dinaymo Kiev, (7) FC Rubin Kazan.

Group G:(8) FC Sevilla, (5) Glasgow Rangers, (1) VfB Stuttgart, (2) AFC Unirea Urziceni.

Group H: (4) Arsenal FC, (6) AZ Alkmaar, (7) Olympiacos FC, (1) Standard de Liege.

Group Analysis

Group A:

A contender for the group of death.

Juventus has built their squad up excentelly this past transfer window adding a key defender in Fabio Cannavaro's return to the Bianconeri and the addition of two brazilian playmakers in Diego and Felipe Melo. Already with a good attack force, Juve has built the complete squad this summer to not only contend for the Scudetto domestically but to make a monster run in the Champions League, similar to their glory years.

Like Juventus, Bayern too is a well rounded squad that has made some key additions, their biggest being keeping Franck Ribery in the Allainz Arena for at least this season. In addition to that, they have added a proven Bundesliga talent in Mario Gomez to replace the outgoing Lukas Podolski. With Lucio being replaced by the youngster Breno and Bastian Schweinsteiger taking over Ze Roberto's role, Bayern are a legitate challenger out of this group and possibly even further if they can manage to finish the signing of the Dutch wizard Arjen Robben.

Bordeaux are a young upstart group led by the French phenom Yohan Gourcouff and the Moracan forward Maroune Chamakh, both of whom have yet to hit their prime. With a balanced team, Bordeaux is a middle of the tier club in this competition.

Sadly for Maccabi Haifa, I will not beat around the bush; the chances of them advancing out of this group are slim to none. Let's put it this way, there's a better chance of Stoke City winning the Premier League this season than Haifa winning the Champions League. Although a good team in their league, they just cannot match up against the biggest of the giants.

Predictions: Advancing: 1) Juve 2.) Bayern Munich. Europa League: Bordeaux. Eliminated: Macabbi Haifa.

Group B:

The battle for #2 will be a fun and entertaining scrap.

This should be a cake walk for United, making it easier for them to rest their starters significantly for the latter stages. They have a squad built for this type of competition with all the depth and talent they possess and will be more hungry coming off their disappointing loss in the previous CL Final, after winning it the year before.

CSKA is a power, but nothing to the upper echelon extent. They boast a squad of Vagner Love, Danny Carvalho, Igor Afinfeev and Mark Gonzalez; all skilled players that have been in the CL before and played against good opponents in Inter Milan and Liverpool in recent times.

Besjtikas is a squad built on home grown talent mixed with some outside internationals. Sadly they will come up short as Nihat, Delgado, Bobo and Matteo Ferrari cannot carry this entire team.

The final team in this group is VfL Wolfsburg. This is a team that can do damage to this entire group including Manchester United. You can build an all national team out of their players. Talented, proven and a strong unit they will be the team to advance along side United. Boasting forwards Edin Dzeko, Obafemi Martins, and Grafite and a defense of Ricardo Costa, Cristian Zaccardo and Andrea Bargzali they've got both ends of the ball covered very well.

Predictions: Advancing: 1) Manchester United 2) VfL Wolfsburg. Europa League: CSKA Moskow. Eliminated: Besjtikas.

Group C:

The second contestent for the "Group Of Death" label.

AC Milan finally returns to battle the big boys after taking a year off and playing in the UEFA cup last year. With the additions of Oguchi Oneywu, Thiago Silva, and Klass Jan-Huntelaar, they add some much needed youth to their squad. Kaka leaving for Madrid will be a huge hole to fill; luckily they have Ronaldinho to give it a shot. A good veteran midfield in Gattuso, Pirlo, Seedorf, Flamini, a solid backline and world class forwards, Milan will be sure to tell everyone of their return to the Champions League.

Real Madrid are favorites for this year. Wanna know why? Kaka. Ronaldo. Alonso. Benzema. Bernabeau. With the additions of four mega stars and superstar talents to go with their other new additions of Raul Albiol and Arbeloa, Madrid have filled up every hole possible and then some. With an offensive minded coach finally running the show, Madrid will go as far as their legs and will let them. Having the final at their home ground gives them that much more reason to succeed this year more than ever.

Take a look at some players Olympique Marsaille have sold over the last years: Karim Ziani, Franck Ribery, Samir Nasri, Djibril Cisse, Aroudon Kone. World class talent at its finest. While they still have players in Bakari Kone, Mattieu Valbuena, Lucho Gonzalez and Haten Ben Arfa, they will fall a weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee bit short this year. Nothing to be disappointed about as they have a young talented squad, as long as they decide to keep it together.

This is FC Zurich's 1st time in this competition. That gives you an idea of what chance they have.

Predictions: Advancing: 1) Madrid 2) Milan. Europa League: Marsaille. Eliminated: FC Zurich.

Group D:

The last group of death from this year's draw. A lot of entertaining and exciting football in this group.

Chelsea have a coach. A coach who has not only won this a few years back, but a coach who has some idea of how to run a team. Carlo Ancelloti has brought a whole new mentality to the Chelsea locker room. With no big name addition this offseason, the Pensioner's couldn't add a player to the likes of Kaka or Sergio Aguero so Ancelloti came up with an idea his predescesors(AV Grant and Phil Scolari) couldn't; adapt new tactics. He has Chelsea up and running and with that core in place for the past several years, the chemistry is there.

FC Porto are like Marsaille; selling away some amazing talent, but some how always qualifying for CL the next year. This season looks a little bleak however, selling both Lisandro Lopez and Lucho Gonzalez. Although they added the Columbian sensation Falcao from River Plate, they could use another forward.

Atletico Madrid quite possibly have one of the world's best forward duo's in Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan. Both have a knack for scoring goals, especially Forlan who just won the Pinchini award as La Liga's top scorer as well as the European Gold Shoe. While the backline may be makeshift, it is still decent and make up for it with a strong midfield featuring Simao and Maxi Rodriguez.

This is Apoel FC's first time in the Champions League. They better be prepared to get some lumps as Chelsea and Atletico will give them a struggle.

Predicitions: Advancing: 1) Chelsea 2) Atletico Madrid. Europa League: FC Porto. Eliminated: Apoel FC.

Group E:

Could this be the year that the Scouser's hit a knock? A "trap group" for all parties involved.

Liverpool are struggling so far in their Premier League campaign. Is that a sign of things to come this year? With the sales of Alonso and Arbeloa and the signings of Alberto Aquilani and Glen Johnson to replace them one would guess they'd be in good shape right? Not at all apparently. Liverpool fans will soon learn that Aquilani cannot even sniff Xabi Alonso's boots and that Aquilani does not possess a killer ball like the Spaniard did. Same with Arbeloa, Johnson doesn't have the mental toughness and grit that the Spanish international possessed. Couple these developing problems with the fact that the backline is thin due to injuries to both Daniel Agger and Martin Skrytel and this could be a quick exit for the Merseysiders.

Some would think selling your best young player who's eventually going to develop in a dynamo forward is a potentially bad thing? Well not for Olympique Lyonnais' luck. With the sale of Karim Benzema to Real Madrid, Lyon purchased forward Lisandro Lopez from FC Porto, LB Aly Cissokho from FC Porto and LM Michel Bastos from Lille. These three have already helped Lyon get through the qualifying stages and figure to be a staple in the French squad for as long as they hope to stay. The loss of Juninho will hurt, but their is depth with Ederson and Kim Kallstrom. This is the strongest Lyon have looked in awhile on the European stage. That say's a lot.

Alberto Gilardino of Fiorentina wanted the big dogs this year and he surely got it. Liverpool will undoubtadely prove a test for the Florence based squad as will Lyon who knocked Fiorentina out last year of the group stages. Depth is the key. Even with the loss of Felipe Melo to Italian rivals Juve, Fiorentina still boast a squad featuring good forwards (Adrian Mutu and Gilardino) and a world class keeper in Sebastian Frey. With Cesar Prandelli a magician as a coach anything is possible with this bunch.

FC Debreceni is another new comer. With these three powers in here, they'll be fortunate to walk away with one point.

Predictions: Advancing: 1) Lyon 2) Liverpool. Europa League: Fiorentina. Eliminated: FC Debreceni.

Group F:

Heavyweights and The Eastern European Block.

The reigning champions come back looking better than ever. Barca added anther player in Zlatan Ibrahimovic although at the expense of Samuel Eto'o. They bring back the same exact sqaud with a few minor changes. Dymoto Chygrynskiy may be on his way in on Saturday, giving Barca another holding mid with the ability to play CB. They also added a top quality attacking LB in Maxwell from Inter. All these additions make them that much more lethal than last year. Think about that.

Inter Milan may have benefitted from selling Ibrahimovic. It brought in Eto'o and 40 million euros. With those 40 million it help to fund the purchases of Diego Milito, Thiago Motta, Lucio, Kerlon, Marko Arnautovic and possibly the addition of Wesley Sneijder as soon as tomorrow. A 4-2-3-1 looking like this: GK: Julio Cesar || RB: Maicon CB: Lucio CB: Samuel LB: Chivu || CM: Muntari/Cambiasso CM: Sneijder/Motta || RM: Mancini/Zanetti LM: Quaresma/Arnautovic CF: Eto'o/Kerlon || ST: Milito/Ballotelli. This team is built for the long haul and can battle with any team in Europe.

Kiev are based heavily on homegrown Ukraine players and they have had small success in Europe. It'll get them far, but not as much as one would hope. Europa League seems likely for them, where they have a better chance to contend.

FC Rubin Kazan of the Russian Super League. Never heard of them? Tells you all you need to know for this team. Maybe they battle it out with Kiev for that Europa League spot. MAYBE

Predictions: 1) Barcelona 2) Inter Milan. Europa League: Dynamo Kiev. Eliminated: FC Rubin Kazan.

Group G:

Between three middle of the pack teams, this can go anyway.

You can label Sevilla the favorite of this group. They have one of the top strikers in all of Europe and the world in Luis Fabiano. In addition to that, they also possess to up and coming wingers in Diego Capel and Jesus Navas. With a solid squad year in and year out and Fabiano in his prime, they should win Group G with ease. Don't expect a thorough march through Europe though; their backline may be sufficient enough to get through the group stages, but if they have to face any team with a good strike for (ie; Barca, Madrid, United) it will be a quick exit for the Spanish side.

Glasgow Rangers are no strangers to this competition. They've been in this competition or the UEFA cup for the last decade. With a blend of good midfielders (DaMarcus Beasley, Pedro Mendes) and a forward in Kris Boyd who has a knack for scoring goals in bunches, Rangers FC should be a stern test for anyone, whether it be Champions League or if they play in Europa League. With a veteran and tactical coach in Walter Smith, they should be able to make it a good fight in the Group Stages.

VfB Stuttgart have world class players and are coming off a successful campaign in the Bundesliga finishing 3rd and qualifying for this tourney. Selling their top scorer in Mario Gomez certainly hurts, but they still possess a solid team with Jens Lehman, Khalid Bhoularouz, Jan Simek, Thomas Hitzelberger, Boka, Elson and the newly acquired Alexsander Hleb. With a veteran keeper in Lehman who apparently still has something left in the tank and good Champions League experience and Hleb coming off CL glory with Barca, they have a winning and determined mindset in that lockerroom.

With AFC Unirea Urziceni, its the same story again. New comer into CL play. Although I don't expect them to advance, I still expect them to put up the best of fights compared to most of the other new teams in this tourney. Walking away with 5-6 points is possible and a good start for someone new into a big stage like this.

Predictions: Advancing: 1) Sevilla 2) Vfb Stuttgart. Europa League: Glasgow Rangers. Eliminated: AFC Unirea Urziceni.

Group H:

The "Pancake" Group.

Arsenal fans and players have to be ecstatic. This is the easiest of the groups in this years draw. This bodes well for the Gunners as Wenger can experiment with tactics, formations and players to get a feel for how he can move about in the knockout rounds. Also this gives him a good chance to rest injured stars whomever me pick up a knock of so. With Eduardo running at full pace and Bedtner promising a plethora of goals, this would be the perfect time for those two to build chemistry and an understanding with one another, which will ultimately help them in the long run. One key concern in the backline; selling Toure leaves them thin with only Gallas and Vermaeleen as their CBs and no other reliable source. (Note: I didn't say they didn't have an able body to put there, they don't have anyone of quality who could make a difference).

AZ Alkmaar are making their first ever appearence in the Champions League. Believe me when I say they have the talent to make magic as they just won the Dutch Erdivisie last year. The loss of trainer/tactician Louis Van Gaal will hurt, especially because they replaced him with Ronald Koeman; yes the same Ronald Koeman who almost managed to wipe Valencia CF off the face of the planet. If Van Gaal was still here, I could give them a thumbs up to do something. Sadly he's not and Koeman will more than likely guide them to Europa League.

Another old face in this tournament is none other than Olympiacos CF Piraeus. Always coming through VIA winning the Greek League, almost every year the Greek Giants boast a formidable squad. Names like Rivaldo have at one time suited up for the team. This year, Olympiacos boast a talented and tested team featuring; Olof Mellberg, Luciano Galletti, Oscar, Diogo, Matt Derbeyshire, Raul Bravo, Dudu Cearense, Enzo Maresca and Cristian Ledesma; all big time players and talented as well. Although these are some big name players they will struggle when they meet a formidable squad such as Bayern Munich or Juventus.

Standard de Liege are also marking their first appearence in CL play. They lost their top defender in Oguchi Oneywu which certainly will not help. Expect a quick and quiet exit from the Belgium side.

Predictions: Advancing: 1) Arsenal 2) Olypiacos CFP. Europa League: AZ Alkmaar. Eliminated: Standard de Liege.

And there you have it there are the predictions for this years draw. One final thing to look at which stands out this year more than ever; storylines. And there are two that will capture every headline.

REAL MADRID VS A.C. MILAN

Kaka going back to Milan. One can only imagine the reception he will receive; nothing but warmth and love for the former Rosseneri player. Remember he never fully wanted to leave, but it was said to have been beneficial to Milan in the long run. With Kaka playing against his former mates, the same will be the case for "The Hunter" Klaas Jan-Huntelaar. One can state, Huntelaar wasn't given a fair shake during his stay at the White House, but let's be honest; he was a panic buy by Ramon Calderon. Now at Milan, he can see proper minutes and work with another up and comer in Alexander Pato. Madrid fans will be indifferent with Klaas, as he never exactly set the world on fire during his stay at the Bernabeau.

INTERNAZIOLE VS FC BARCELONA

'Samu' comes home to visit the Blaungra. Ibra'cadbra takes stroll through Milan again. Eto'o will be received with cry and tears, maybe some jeers. During his tenure at the Nou Camp, no matter how enigmatic he was, he was still loved by the Barca fans for his ability to score goals in key games (something Barca fans will learn this year that Zlatan doesn't possess in his arsenal). It was a bitter exit marked by a lot of "he said" "she said" non-sense between Joan Laporta and Pep Guardiola. As the exit was tough for Eto'o, the same cannot be said for Inter; management and fans for ready to cash in on another enigmatic figure for the chance at 40 million euros and forward who has a penance for scoring big goals and goals in bunches. It's easier to see who was happier when this was all said and done.

And there you have it, a full recap of everything and what's in stores. CL recaps will be posted after matchdays with analysis and possibly video footage.

Daily Fail: NAACP Marching In Support of Mike Vick

Charlie Klein

Maybe because I am a white male between the ages of 18 and 25 is the reason that I generally speaking do not understand why the NAACP does the things that it does. When I read the news that the NAACP was going to be marching outside of tonight's Philadelphia Eagles v. Jacksonville Jaguars in support of one Michael Vick, it did not surprise me.

J. Whyatt Mondesire, president of the Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP, released a statement explaining the organisation's decision to orchestrate this march.

"We believe Michael Vick has served his time, paid his debt to society and deserves a second chance and the animal rights groups want to hold him hostage for the rest of his life. We think that's patently unfair. It denies Michael Vick's basic civil rights, denies him his ability to make a living."

I have a myriad of objections to this statement. The first of which is that Michael Vick has already signed with an NFL team and has not been denied the ability to make a living. This would all be very different if Vick had yet to be reinstated by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Vick will be making millions of dollars over the next two years, and in my mind, that's one hell of a second chance.

My second objection is that Mondesire's claim against animal rights groups preventing Vick from making a living is misguided. The fact that PETA et. al. are not letting Vick off the hook has nothing to do with how Vick cannot get any endorsement deals. I mean honestly, what company with a PR department would want Vick endorsing their product on August 27th 2009 when he has done little in clearing his name? The sheer fact that Mondesire cannot understand where another interest group is coming from is baffling.

The third objection is that the NAACP should have more important causes to march for than a convicted fellon playing football. There should be plenty of injustice going around the city of Philadelphia that there should be no reason they have the time to march outside of a football season for a man that has achieved a second chance, which is the cause for which they are marching.

What this really is, simply put, a publicity stunt by the NAACP. In an attempt to increase the relevancy of the organisation, they are attaching themselves to a famous cause in order to get some media play.

English Premier League Picks 8/28-8/29

Charlie Klein

Per a reader's request, we will now begin to do weekly Premier League picks for the upcoming weekend's matches. This week in the Barclay's English Premier League there are some tantalising matchups as most sides (with the exception of Liverpool) remain in shouting distance of the top spot in the league.

Chelsea v. Burnley (Stamford Bridge 7:45 ET)

If this match was being played at Turf Moor then I would argue strongly that Burnley had a fantastic chance at taking this tie. After defeating two top half sides from last term including the Champions Manchester United last week at home, Robbie Blake and the Clarets are in fine form. That being said, Chelsea are off to their usual fast start and the partnership of Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka is starting to take off. Carlo Ancelotti's men make easy work of Burnley, 2-0.

WINNER: CHELSEA

Tottenham Hotspur v. Birmingham (White Hart Lane 10:00 ET)

If form guides are anything to make predictions off of, Tottenham will dominate this tie. And I honestly believe that they will. While Birmingham held Man United to one goal in their opener, I cannot see them restraining Aaron Lennon on the wing or the creative magic of Luka Modric in central midfield. Birmingham look like a squad that has the quality to remain in the top flight, but I do not expect them to show it especially on the road. Tottenham takes this one easily, 3-1.

WINNER: TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Blackburn Rovers v. West Ham United (Ewood Park 10:00 ET)

I honestly really like West Ham this season. In spite of their loss in a London derby with Spurs at the weekend, and the fact that at times Carlton Cole plays with the intelligence of Lucas Leiva, the Hammers have shown some promise this season under Gianfranco Zola. Blackburn, on the other hand, look certain to do what they narrowly avoided doing last term, which is being relegated. I'll say the Hammers look good again and take this one 2-1.

WINNER: WEST HAM UNITED

Bolton Wanderers v. Liverpool (Reebok Stadium 10:00 ET)

Liverpool's performance versus Aston Villa yesterday at Anfield was truly remarkable for a myriad of reasons. Steven Gerrard was uncharacteristically absent and looked completely off his game. The still injured Alberto Aquilani leaves a gaping hole the size of Rafa Benitez's appetite in midfield and Fernando Torres is not making the most of his chances in front of goal. Combine that with the fact that the Reds are using their fighting spirit on referees and not their opponents and it would not shock me if Kevin Davies and Bolton make things difficult for the Reds. I still see Liverpool winning this match but if it turns out to be a draw don't be surprised. Liverpool 1-0.

WINNER: LIVERPOOL

Stoke City v. Sunderland (Britannia Stadium 10:00 ET)

Stoke is playing at home against a team that is not playing in Europe this season, so that makes this a pretty easy pick for me. Sunderland have improved under Steve Bruce, the latest ex-United player to manage the Black Cats, and Kenwyne Jones and Darren Bent look to be in the scoring mood but I think the play of Ryan Shawcross and the Stoke defense keeps them out. Even though I do not think much of Tony Pulis' wardrobe (why must he wear that stupid hat?) his side will be the victors. 2-1.

WINNER: STOKE CITY

Wolverhampton Wanderers v. Hull City (10:00 ET)

With a bit more luck Wolves would be much higher in the table than their current position. Andy Keogh has impressed during his short run in the Premier League this year as he very nearly helped his side take a share of the spoils at the City of Manchester Stadium last weekend. Hull City have also been unlucky and their new loan signing Jozy Altidore of the United States had an assist in his debut. The Molineux faithful will play a factor in this one as I see Sylvan Ebanks-Blake breaking his Premier League duck in a big way. 3-1 Wolves.

WINNER: WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS

Manchester United v. Arsenal (12:15 ET)

MATCH OF THE WEEK. Grab your best football watching pals and a six pack of your favourite brews for this match lads (and lasses) as this match should be a cracker. Any time Manchester United plays Arsenal in a meaningful game (when are they not meaningful?) it is always a spectacle. These two sides understand how the game ought to be played, with a glittering amalgamation of style, flair, and grit that always amounts to a fast paced football match. Both teams enter into this fixture in stunning form as both dismantled their opponents on Saturday. I would argue that United hitting Wigan for five was the more impressive of the two, and they are the team I feel will win this tie. United do not lose at Old Trafford and I don't see them doing that this weekend against an archrival. The match should be a great one. United 3, Arsenal 2.

WINNER: MANCHESTER UNITED

Portsmouth v. Manchester City (Fratton Park 8:30 ET)

Fratton Park is always a difficult place for opponents to win, but that was mainly when the home side had anything to offer in a football match. Pompey have looked miserable thus far and in dire straights financially there are few options for them to improve before the close of the summer window. Meanwhile Manchester City looked impressive while not all-powerful against Wolves at home last week and if they manage to bungle the same chances against Pompey things could get ugly. I honestly do not see that happening as Manchester City ought to romp in this one, 4-0.

WINNER: MANCHESTER CITY

Everton v. Wigan Athletic (Goodison Park 10:00 ET)

Both sides are in dire need of a strong bounceback performance following stunning losses at the weekend. Wigan looked great in the first half versus the Champions until Wayne Rooney opened the floodgates ten minutes into the second half. Rodallega and Gomez were largely ineffective while their Welsh international Jason Koumas was only able to offer one brilliant attempt which was saved expertly by United's No. 12 Ben Foster. Everton became the second Turf Moor victim of the season after Louis Saha bottled a penalty kick. Everton also look set to step into life after Joleon Lescott with a victory, which I envisage them taking with both hands. 2-0 to the Toffeemen.

WINNER: EVERTON

Aston Villa v. Fulham (Villa Park 11:00 ET)

The Villans of East Midlands looked absolutely brilliant versus Liverpool yesterday whilst Roy Hodgson's Fulham were underwhelming in their derby with Chelsea. This is the best match of Sunday as it pits two top ten finishers from last season who have eyes on Europe this term. I love Clint Dempsey for Fulham and Brede Hangeland is one of the better centre halves in the league but I am going to go with the form guide and say Villa takes this one 2-0. The attacking power of Aston Villa will be too much for Fulham.

WINNER: ASTON VILLA

So Long Cowboy Up & Money Ball

Charlie Klein

That kid in the picture, well, he used to be me. Now I look like Jerry Manuel when Fernando Tatis strikes out for the millionth time this season (where is he at now, like 500,000 K's!?!). While in a conversation with a friend, I came to a sad realization my friends, I have almost no interest in baseball anymore. There's no fun in the game. No surprises. The teams that have the money are the teams that win the games. While the Yankees and the rest of the big spenders battle it out for world domination, I sit on my couch finding myself completely uninterested.

Maybe I have lost interest because my two teams, the Seattle Mariners and the New York Mets, are no longer at all involved in the races for October. That is a definite possibility. But at the same time the game has lost a bit of wonder, a bit of unpredictability that I used to always find an inherent quality in MLB. Instead I have to wait for next season to roll around or hope that maybe an underdog team can come out of nowhere and steal my heart. I just don't think that will happen this year.

Out of the eight teams that if the season ended would be playing playoff baseball, six are in the top ten in 2009 player salaries. The New York Yankees, who have the operating budget of a small country, make the seventh and eighth playoff teams (St. Louis and Colorado) look like thrifty clubs. When a team goes out and spends over $400 million on three players, it should come as no surprise that that team owns the best record in baseball. It was no genius move by Brian Cashman and the Yankees to sign aces C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett nor was first baseman Mark Teixiera a diamond in the rough.

It used to be that I could root for the Red Sox to defeat the mighty Yankees. I used to delude myself into thinking that the Red Sox stood for the everyman, the blue collar team that 'cowboy'd up' to defeat the mighty Yankees. And yet with their $122 million payroll it is hard to see them as that team anymore.

I guess I could root for the Rockies, since they have the lowest payroll, but nothing about them inspires me in the slightest. I understand that this may all seem hypocritical to those who know me well for two reasons. The first is that my two favourite baseball teams are in the top ten in terms of highest payrolls in the league. The second is that I support Manchester United, one of the biggest spending clubs in world football.

And yet in spite of those factors I do find it depressing that all of the money that has been put into sport, in particular baseball, has nearly ruined it for me. Once it became known that sports was a marketplace in which millionaires could be sustained as well as born, it became corrupt. The pressure on young men to become MLB superstars drove them to drugs that enhanced their performance. Enhanced performances meant enhanced pay packets.

General managers around the league may as well money ball themselves into irrelevancy. Remember what a smart bloke we all used to think Billy Bean was? Last time I checked, the Oakland Athletics were in last place with no future of finishing better and play in the worst stadium in Major League Baseball. So much for on-base-percentage and drafting college pitchers.

I'm sorry baseball, but I just cannot follow you anymore in 2009.

The $1.2 Billion Dollar Daily Fail

Puneet Singh

It sucks to be Jerry Jones. It sucks more to be the guy who built the stadium for Jerry Jones.

The new stadium which is now constructed and finished in Arlington, Texas cost Jerry Jones and the state of Texas a total of $1.2 billion dollars. It was developed by HKS Inc; the same people that constructed Miller Park for the Milwaukee Brewers and Stanley Park for Liverpool FC, to name some of their projects.

The stadium is so popular and in demand that it is already slated to host the BIG 12 Championship Game this year for College Football, The Cotton Bowl from 2010 onwards and Super Bowl XLV(45) in 2011.

When Jones came up with the idea for the new Cowboys MEGA-STADIUM-HOME-HOTEL-HUT-AMUSEMENTPARK, I don't think he had in mind a score board that would eventually get smacked by footballs upon punts the way kids used to do in their gym class.

But that is now the case with the new "Dallas Cowboy's Stadium."

Take a look at the vid and see for yourself:

It seems that the scoreboard is about 5 to 10 feet lower than it should've been. Well, that's because it is. When paying that much money, shouldn't a blunder this serious been thought out and developed carefully?

Chalk it up to Jerry's ego and stupidity which gave him the the brilliant idea for to have a score board that ranges from each team's 20 yard line.

Problem is, this television/scoreboard weighs 600 tons. For all of you who don't do math, thats 2000 X 600 = 1.2 million pound screen. Once it's in place, how does one go about moving it?

The answer: you don't. The cost would be upwards of another $300 million and would delay the stadium for AT LEAST another half season.

When asked about this problem after the game, Jerry replied with this: "Well, I guess they'll just have to kick around it." [chuckling with that cheeky grin on his face]

That about sums up how this is going to go for Jerry and the Boys....