College Football Top 25 Heading into Week 10

Not much change in the Top 10 except USC dropping out, we now have the 7 undefeated schools in the Top 7:

1. Florida (1)
2. Texas (3): They dominated Oklahoma State on Saturday night and have become the first of the “Big 3” to really start playing like a National Title contender.
3. Alabama (2)
4. Iowa (4)
5. TCU (6)
6. Cincinnati (7)
7. Boise State (8)
8. Oregon (9): The dismantling the Ducks did of the Men of Troy was something to be seen, unfortunately their loss to Boise State keeps them from soaring up the rankings. They’re a dangerous team with an outside shot at the National Championship Game as the best 1-loss team in the nation.
9. LSU (10)
10. Penn State (11)
11. Georgia Tech (12)
12. USC (5)
13. Pittsburgh (15)
14. Ohio State (16): A huge matchup for the Buckeyes this weekend as they travel to Happy Valley to take on Penn State. If Ohio State pulls out a win there will certainly be talk of them beating Iowa in two weeks and then going to the Rose Bowl instead of the Hawkeyes.
15. Utah (18)
16. Arizona (17): The Wildcats definitely hold their fate in their own hands with games still against Cal, Oregon, and USC.
17. Houston (19)
18. Miami (21)
19. California (25)
20. Notre Dame (22): A Notre Dame rout keeps the door open on a possible BCS Bowl for the Irish as the BCS would likely take a 2-loss Notre Dame squad over a Non-AQ School, however unfair that may seem.
21. Wisconsin (NR): Probably a little overrated but the Badgers are a good team and will probably being playing on January 1st come Bowl Season.
22. Oklahoma State (14)
23. Virginia Tech (13)
24. Oklahoma (NR)
25. South Florida (NR)

Dropping out: West Virginia (20), South Carolina (23), Idaho (24)

A Comprehensive Weekly Look at the Top Teams In European Football

This is the second edition of a Top 25 Poll of European Football Clubs as voted upon by myself (Tom) and Blaine. We had some interesting (and some not so interesting) cup matches mid-week along with a full slate of domestic games on the weekend.
Some thoughts from Blaine to start the rankings: Here’s to another wacky and wild week of European football hooliganism. This week we saw quite a shakeup in the rankings, most notably Real Madrid’s shocking 4-0 defeat to Alcorcon F.C., a Spanish 4th level football club, in the Spanish Copa del Rey. To give the readers an idea of the magnitude of this upset, many of Alcorcon’s players are part time players who need to work other jobs to supplement income. This is the equivalent of the New York Yankees losing to the Kane County Cougars, at Yankee Stadium. The only thing more audacious than the defeat was Raul’s (Real Madrid’s captain) proclamation that Real Madrid can win the thing on aggregate (meaning they’d have to win by 4-0 or greater in the 2nd leg). Consequently, Madrid fell rather far in the rankings (although obviously not too far, they’re still one of the most, if not the most talented club in the world). Barcelona also had a bit of a down week, as they drew against Osasana in a thoroughly unimpressive way. One club who’s stock went up quite a bit was Arsenal’s, who proved their worth by thrashing Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 Saturday, and Arsenal now sits in a 3-way tie for 3rd. Inter Milan has also showed impressive form as of late, winning easily this morning 2-0 at Livorno while playing a squad that was certainly not their A-squad. Inter now sit 7 points clear of 2nd place in Serie A after only 11 games, and appear to be running away with their 5th straight Scudetto. Finally, it may be wise to keep an eye on Napoli, who have been playing very well lately (although they’re not yet in these rankings, I have them as my next club in). They’re currently in 6th place in Serie A, and have an impressive W, L, W, W, Draw vs. AC Milan, W at Juventus as their last 6 matches. That’s all for this week, and remember, when you’re down 2 games to 1 in the World Series, don’t start Joe Blanton over Cliff Lee, it’s a great way to assure that you go down 3 games to 1. Let’s hope for a ridiculous week of Champions League action.
View last week's rankings here.

Biggest Riser: Lyon (18th to 12th)
Biggest Faller: Tottenham Hotspur (11th to 16th)
Team to watch this week: FK Rubin Kazan, who hosts Barcelona in Champions League action, a team they stunned 2-1 in Barcelona two weeks ago. Blaine boldly calls for a 1-1 "ish" draw in this matchup.


Rank Team (Nationality) Points
1. Chelsea (Eng) 50
2. Manchester United (Eng) 48
3. Barcelona (Esp) 46
T4. Arsenal (Eng) 42
T4. Inter Milan (Ita) 42
Tom: Inter Milan has taken over Serie A, with an imposing 7 point lead after a 5-3 win vs Palermo on Thursday and a 2-0 win at Livorno Sunday. In just 11 matches they have outscored their opponents 29-8, for a 1.91 average goal differential per game. A loss at upstart Sampdoria and a draw to defensive-minded Bari are the only blemishes on Inter’s record that includes a 4-0 thrashing of Milan and 5-0 rampage at Genoa. Inter has yet to turn their domestic domination into true European success, but they will have an opportunity to make strides in their group when they travel to Ukraine to take on Dynamo Kyiv on Wednesday. The addition of strikers Diego Milito and Samuel Eto’o (6 and 5 goals respectively in the league) has enabled Inter to remain on top after an active transfer season in which Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Hernan Crespo, among others, exited the club.
T4. Sevilla FC (Esp) 42
7. Real Madrid (Esp) 38
8. Bordeaux (Fra) 34
9. Juventus (Ita) 33
10. Bayer Leverkusen (Ger) 31
11. AC Milan (Ita) 29
12. Lyon (Fra) 19
13. Manchester City (Eng) 18
Blaine: After a long run of mediocrity (14th in 2006/2007, 9th in 2007/2008, 10th in 2008/2009, and the like in the years prior), it appears that Manchester City is ready to challenge the Premier League’s “Big 4”. With His Excellency Sheik Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan in his first full season in charge, and a squad that has been entirely revamped more or less, City has been playing a very high level of football. City’s most impressive win so far was a 4-2 home victory vs. Arsenal back in early September, but they’ve complimented that with a number of quality wins, as well as a respectable derby loss (if there is such a thing) against Manchester United, where the final score of 4-3 couldn’t come close to describing the quality of the match. With a new group of confident, young, world class footballers, expect to see City see off their recent stretch of relatively bad form (4 straight draws) and stay in the Premiership’s top 4 for the long run.
T14. Fiorentina (Ita) 17
T14. Sampdoria (Ita) 17
16. Tottenham Hotspur (Eng) 16
17. CSKA Moscow (Rus) 15
T18. Olympiakos (Gre) 14
T18. Schalke 04 (Ger) 14
20. Hamburg SV (Ger) 13
21. FK Rubin Kazan (Rus) 12
T22. FC Porto (Por) 11
T22. Werder Bremen (Ger) 11
24. Ajax Amsterdam (Ned) 10
Tom: Ajax is coming off of a weekend where they dismantled a formidable Feyenoord squad 5-1. Ajax boasts an obscene differential, outscoring their opponents by an astonishing 2.5 (+30/12 games) goals per game, second only to Benfica in Portugal, who are outscoring their opponents by 2.56 (+23/9 games) goals per game. Ajax has won by three or more goals in 7 games so far and is still managing to lurk in third place in the league behind Twente Enschede and PSV Eindhoven. In Europe, Ajax is tied atop their group in the Europa League, with a trip this Thursday to Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb, a match that will be played behind closed doors after crowd trouble in their away match to Timisoara on October 1.
T25. Fenerbahce (Tur) 6
Blaine: One could make the argument that this pick is partially biased due to the fact that I visited Fenerbahçe’s home city this past summer and was quite enamored with it. However it is very clear that Fenerbahçe is the best club in the Turkish Super Lig. After eleven games, they’re five points clear of 2nd, and six and seven points clear of their two biggest rivals (and the two other big powers in Turkish football), Galatasaray S.K. and Beşiktaş J.K, respectively. In addition to their domestic performance, they have played quite well in the UEFA Europa League, with four wins, one loss, and two draws on the season. They currently sit at the top of their group with six points after three games, two points ahead of 2nd place. Their current roster has a number of Turkish national team players, and given their performance thus far in the Europa League and domestic play, I think it’s safe to say that they’re among the top 25 clubs in Europe.
T25. Valencia (Esp) 6

Also Receiving Votes: Braga (Por) 5, Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukr) 5, PSV Eindhoven (Ned) 4, Benfica (Por) 1, Dynamo Kiev (Ukr) 1


Here is how the voters voted:

Rank	Tom	Blaine
1	Chelsea	Chelsea
2	Manchester United	Manchester United
3	Barcelona	Barcelona
4	Inter Milan	Arsenal
5	Sevilla	Sevilla
6	Arsenal	Inter Milan
7	Real Madrid	Real Madrid
8	Bordeaux	Juventus
9	Bayer Leverkusen	AC Milan
10	Lyon	Bordeaux
11	Juventus	CSKA Moscow
12	Schalke 04	Bayer Leverkusen
13	Hamburg SV	Tottenham Hotspur
14	AC Milan	FK Rubin Kazan
15	Manchester City	FC Porto (Really!?!?)
16	Olympiakos	Fiorentina
17	Werder Bremen	Sampdoria
18	Sampdoria	Ajax Amsterdam
19	Fiorentina	Manchester City
20	Valencia	Fenerbahce
21	Braga	Shakhtar Donetsk
22	PSV Eindhoven	Olympiakos
23	Tottenham Hotspur	Lyon
24	Ajax Amsterdam	Werder Bremen
25	Benfica	Dynamo Kiev

Next 5 in for Tom, in order from East to West: FK Rubin Kazan, Dynamo Kyiv, Napoli, Twente Enschede, FC Porto

Next 5 in for Blaine, in order from West to East: Braga, Celtic, Napoli, Besiktas, Spartak Moscow

Champions League Schedule

Champions League Schedule
All matches 14:45 ET
Home team listed first
November 3
Group A
Bayern Munich v (8) Bordeaux
Maccabi Haifa v (9) Juventus
Group B
Besiktas v VfL Wolfsburg
(2) Manchester United v (17) CSKA Moscow
Group C
(11) AC Milan v (7) Real Madrid
Marseille v FC Zurich
Group D
APOEL Nicosia v (T22) FC Porto
Atletico Madrid v (1) Chelsea
November 4
Group E
(T14)Fiorentina v Debrecen
(12) Lyon v Liverpool
Group F
(21) FK Rubin Kazan vs (3) Barcelona
Dynamo Kiev v (T4) Inter Milan
Group G
(T4) Sevilla FC v VfB Stuttgart
Unirea Urziceni v Rangers
Group H
(T4) Arsenal v AZ Alkmaar
Standard Liege v (T18) Olympiakos

Games involving Ranked Teams in the Europa League
November 5
13:00 ET
Dinamo Zagreb v (24) Ajax Amsterdam
Slavia Prague v (T25) Valencia
(20) Hamburg SV v Celtic
15:05 ET
(T25) Fenerbahce v Steaua Bucuresti
(T22) Werder Bremen v Austria Vienna

Andre Agassi's Drug Use. Wrong? Yes. Roger Clemens-esque? Absolutely Not

Let me begin this article by saying that, at best, I’m a casual tennis fan. I never watch tennis outside of grand slam events, and sure as hell don’t even watch the Australian Open, so my knowledge of tennis is rather limited. This does not, however, disable me from spotting an asinine statement (or in this case, multiple asinine statements) about tennis when I see them. As some of you may know, Andre Agassi recently came out about his past drug use in a new autobiography. Agassi confessed to using crystal meth dozens of times, including one instance where he was contacted by the ATP regarding a failed drug test, to which Agassi said his drink had been inadvertently spiked by his manager. No penalty was levied by the ATP, and Agassi eventually stopped using crystal meth and became the number 1 tennis player in the world, winning 8 grand slams and earning over $30,000,000 in prize money. Despite these accomplishments, let me make this very clear. The actions done by Agassi are not admirable, acceptable, legal, or justifiable. However, after this huge announcement, many tennis legends voiced their opinions, and frankly their opinions are wrong. The most egregious statement made regarding Agassi was made by Martina Navratilova, a former women’s number 1 in the world and winner of 18 grand slams. Navratilova was quoted as saying that she had “Not as much shock that he did it as shock he lied about it and didn't own up to it. He's up there with Roger Clemens, as far as I'm concerned. He owned up to it [in the book], but it doesn't help now.” This statement is completely incorrect for a number of reasons. The most obvious, as well as idiotic part of this statement is the comparison to Roger Clemens. While there has been no proof of Clemens’ steroid use, this statement was clearly an implication of that, that Agassi’s use of crystal meth is comparable to Clemens’ use of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). I personally have never used crystal meth, but everything that I’ve ever heard about it, as well as general logic, would imply that crystal meth is far from a drug which enhances your performance. Another inaccuracy in the comparison to Roger Clemens is the fact that Agassi did not vehemently deny his drug use in front of a court of law. He did not brashly shake off reporters and attorneys as his legacy was going up in flames in front of him. Agassi simply made a huge mistake, and has now owned up to it. Considering the immense surprise at this news, it’s completely realistic to say that Agassi could have just as easily simply not told anyone about the crystal meth usage, and it would have likely never become public knowledge. However, out of a need to clear his conscience (and let’s be honest, sell books), Agassi came out and told everyone that he had a drug problem, and that he overcame it to become the best in his sport.

Interestingly enough, the Agassi story makes an interesting comment about the media in the U.S.A. in general. When I read about Agassi’s confession, my first thought was that this is somewhat similar to the story of a man who is currently viewed as a hero in our culture, a man who represents the evils of addiction and the capabilities of a man to overcome those addictions and achieve greatness. The man I am referring to is Josh Hamilton, a prodigy, turned junkie, turned the greatest runner-up in the history of the Home Run Derby. Hamilton, however, was never able to hide his drug use. He was arrested, failed drug tests, and generally viewed as a pariah. After years of destroying his life, Hamilton was able to come back and make the all-star team, play in the Home Run Derby, and capture the nation’s hearts. Agassi’s journey is interestingly similar. He was a prodigy at tennis, and had a career that was seemingly leading to greatness. He won Wimbledon in 1992 and was at the top of his game. By 1997, however, he was ranked 141 in the world and was essentially a complete nobody in tennis, a has-been. After stopping his crystal meth use, Agassi rebounded, and shot up to number 1 in the world by 1999. Had Aggasi’s drug abuse been known at the time of his ascension to the top of his sport, he would have been a symbol of inspiration, a public hero who overcame drug abuse to become a champion. Due to the world we live in, however, Agassi is considered a fraud, a liar, a disgrace, etc., because of this act of honesty. I’m not condoning his actions, and I acknowledge that it was absolutely wrong of Agassi to lie about his drug test, but to compare him to Roger Clemens and to view him as a disgrace to his sport is not only idiotic, but it’s completely uncalled for, inaccurate, and typical of our culture today.

Ricketts' Ideas are Good in Theory

As a Sox fan, it is weird for me to say this or to even think this but, Tom Ricketts buying the Cubs will end up being really really good for Cub fans. He seems to be a smart businessman and when you add that to his fandom for the Cubs, you’ll find an owner who is going to do whatever it takes to bring a winner to the North Side of Chicago. Bruce Levine of ESPN1000 and espnchicago.com outlined the plan that Ricketts wants to accomplish in the near future when it comes to Wrigley Field and I wanted to take a closer look at some of them:

The first thing Levine lists is a plan to refurbish the grandstand and the upper deck of Wrigley Field. This is obviously the biggest need for the ballpark at almost 100 years old the building is slowly falling apart. He wants to add new skyboxes and restaurants, which I think, is an interesting idea. Skyboxes and restaurants undoubtedly mean more revenue for the team, but I as a baseball fan, think that this idea might make Wrigley too modern. This seems more like a remodel as a way to make a profit quicker than a simple refurbish to stop concrete from falling and preserve the history of Wrigley Field.

Another thing that is outlined that sort of goes with the refurbishing is expanding the concourse and bathrooms in the park. I think this is a great idea because the times I am leaving Wrigley are just a hassle fighting the crowds of people leaving and the people waiting in line for the bathrooms.

The next two are topics that rub a lot of Cub fans the wrong way. The first thing is an video scoreboard that can also be used a place to sell advertising. I personally think it’s a thing Wrigley has been missing for some time and I think if done properly will only add to the atmosphere in Wrigley. The most ideal situation is to have a rooftop owner that will allow the Cubs to put a scoreboard up there. But really to not have a video board in 2010 at a sporting event is just mind-boggling.

The final thing I wanted to talk about is naming rights for the field. I think it would be a huge mistake to just sell the rights to name the field to the highest bidder. But I do think it provides a great source of revenue and could even allow the Cubs to receive some money to make these renovations out of someone else’s pockets (similar to the White Sox and U.S. Cellular). So what I think the best solution is to keep Wrigley Field in the name but name the building and the area, similar to the San Francisco 49ers when their stadium was called Monster Field at Candlestick Park. I also think some company would be thrilled to do this because their company would be associated with Wrigley Field instead of being seen as replacing Wrigley Field.

But hey what do I know? I’m only a Sox fan.

Weekend Soccer Preview

As always, home team listed first, all times Eastern. Here is a link to a time zone converter if you for some reason cannot pull off the simple subtraction. Click on the league name to see the league table!

Game of the Week (Rankings from Poll)
8:45 ET Saturday (English Premier League on ESPN2)
(7) Arsenal v (11) Tottenham
A big London Derby is a fantastic way to kick off a weekend of football. This game will be shown in the US on ESPN2 nice and early so everyone should be up and ready to watch it. Arsenal’s Russian striker Andrei Arshavin was nearly a Tottenham player last summer, but they could not agree to terms with Arshavin’s old club Zenit St. Petersburg. Manager Arsene Wenger foresees a big game for Arshavin: “Arshavin can change any game, anywhere at any moment so I believe he will have a great game tomorrow. He is a player I love, not only because he is talented, but because he is efficient. I am confident he will have a big impact on the game tomorrow.” Arsenal is 4-0-0 at home this year while outscoring opponents an incredible 17-4. Arsenal’s only two losses have come to Manchester United and Manchester City, both in Manchester. They are coming off a weak 2-2 draw at West Ham last weekend and will look to take out their frustration on a Tottenham squad who is still reeling from a 1-0 loss at home to Stoke City. If Tottenham wants to stay in the top 4 to the end of the year this is the exact type of game they must take points from. Tottenham will have to come out and attack with energy early and hope they can bog down Arsenal’s attack in the middle. Both teams have broken the 5 goal barrier twice this season and can be explosive on goal. Expect a barnburner in north London.
My pick: Arsenal 4, Tottenham 2

Other Games Between Two Ranked Teams
13:30 ET Saturday (German Bundesliga)
(19) Schalke 04 v (10) Bayer Leverkusen
Schalke are in 4th in the Bundesliga, only two points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen. This is Schalke’s second top-four clash in as many weeks, as they played to a thrilling 3-3 draw against Hamburg last weekend.

Top of the Table Clashes
14:00 ET Saturday (French Ligue 1)
(8) Bordeaux v AS Monaco
Monaco is off to a surprise start this season, as they finished 11th in Ligue 1 in 08-09. Bordeaux lead by 1 point and will look to make that 4, with manager Laurent Blanc saying, “It is not by chance they are in second…We must be at our best for this game. It’s a big week with three matches and we must take maximum points when we play at home.” AS Monaco’s Brazilian striker Nene leads the league in goals and Bordeaux will have to keep him in check to preserve their 38 match undefeated streak at home in Ligue 1.
17:15 ET Saturday (Portugal’s La Liga)
Braga v (T21) Benfica

Game between Two Teams whose names are just impossible to pronounce
7:00 ET Sunday (Turkish Premier League)
Gaziantepspor v Diyarbakirspor

English Premier League
8:45 ET Saturday
(7) Arsenal v (11) Tottenham Hotspur (ESPN2)
11:00 ET Saturday
Bolton Wanderers v (T1) Chelsea
Burnley v Hull City
Everton v Aston Villa
Fulham v Liverpool
Liverpool is in perfect position to sneak back into the top four this weekend with the Arsenal-Tottenham match earlier in the day. They sit just a point back of each and a win guarantees that they’ll be in the top 4 somehow. However, Liverpool will have to make the trip to London without Steven Gerrard, Alberto Aquilani, and Glen Johnson. The Gerrard injury is a main concern for Liverpool, as his fitness is the key to the rest of Liverpool’s season. Rafa Benitez has reason to be worried, as anything but a win at Fulham along with a loss in Lyon next Wednesday would put him suddenly back on the hot seat even after the 2-0 win against Manchester United last weekend.
Portsmouth v Wigan Athletic
Stoke City v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Sunderland v West Ham
13:30 ET Saturday
(3) Manchester United v Blackburn Rovers
11:00 ET Sunday
Birmingham City v (T12) Manchester City


Scottish Premier League
11:00 ET Saturday
(23) Celtic v Kilmarnock
7:45 ET Sunday
Dundee United v (24) Rangers

Spain’s La Liga
13:00 ET Saturday
(4) Real Madrid v Getafe
15:00 ET Saturday
Osasuna v (T1) Barcelona
Xerez v (T5) Sevilla FC
13:00 ET Sunday
Malaga v Valencia
15:00 ET Sunday
Deportivo La Coruna v Sporting Gijon

Italy’s Serie A
13:00 ET Saturday
(9) Juventus v Napoli
15:45 ET Saturday
(T14) AC Milan v Parma
AC Milan is coming off of a disappointing 2-2 draw mid-week against Napoli. They are already in 5th and 9 points behind leaders and bitter rival Inter Milan. Parma is one point ahead of Milan in 4th place. Milan manager Leonardo is confident in his squad: “Of course there is still a bitter taste from the two points we dropped, but there is a belief in what we’re doing and in our play…It is difficult to see which way the title race will go and the league is wide open as seen in the matches this week.”
9:00 ET Sunday
AS Roma v Bologna
(T12) Fiorentina v Catania
Livorno v (T5) Inter Milan
(T16) Sampdoria v Bari
14:45 ET Sunday
Palermo v Genoa

German Bundesliga
10:30 ET Saturday
(T13) Hamburg SV v Borussia Monchengladbach
Nurnburg v (T24)Werder Bremen
VfB Stuttgart v Bayern Munich
VfL Wolfsburg v Mainz
13:30 ET Saturday
(19) Schalke 04 v (10)Bayer Leverkusen

French Ligue 1
14:00 ET Saturday
(8) Bordeaux v AS Monaco
Marseille v Toulouse
16:00 ET Saturday
St. Etienne v (T18) Lyon

Dutch Eredivisie
14:45 ET Saturday
PSV Eindhoven v Vitesse Arnhem
Roda JC Kerkrade v Twente Enschede
15:45 ET Saturday
FC Groningen v AZ Alkmaar
6:30 ET Sunday
Ajax Amsterdam v Feyenoord Rotterdam

Portuguese Liga
17:15 ET Saturday
Braga v (T21) Benfica
15:15 ET Sunday
Sporting CP v Maritimo

Russian Premier League
Results from Friday
(T18) CSKA Moscow 1-0 Terek Grozny
(T25) FK Rubin Kazan 4-1 PFK Samara Kryliya Sovetov

Turkish Super League
9:00 ET Sunday
Galatasaray v Sivasspor
13:00 ET Sunday
Kayserispor v Fenerbahce

Greek Super League
Atromitos v (T16) Olympiakos
12:00 ET Sunday
Panathinaikos v Panionios

Ukranian Premier League
14:00 ET Saturday
Dynamo Kiev v Karpaty Lviv
9:00 ET Sunday
Chornomorets Odessa v Shakhtar Donetsk

MLS Conference Semi-finals (First Leg)
From Thursday: Seattle Sounders FC 0-0 Houston Dynamo
18:00 ET Saturday
Real Salt Lake v Columbus
14:00 ET Sunday
New England v Chicago
17:00 ET Sunday
Chivas USA v Los Angeles

Copa del Rey (Spain)
This is the main cup competition in Spain. The first leg of the Round of 32 was played this past week with one absolutely stunning result. Real Madrid lost at lowly Alcorcon of the Segunda Division B-Group 2 (of 4), which is two leagues down from La Liga. This was the club’s first ever match against a team from the top flight. The team has only once finished above 7th in their current division, which occurred when they finished 3rd in the league last year. Currently they sit at 6th in the league. Alcorcon has a stadium capacity of 3,000 and a budget of 1.1 million euro, which is barely a quarter of the price Real Madrid paid for defender Alvaro Arbeloa, who scored an own goal in the match. All in all, Real Madrid has a budget of 420 million euro, almost 400 times that of Alcrocon. Real Madrid did not play one youth player in this tie, and though their squad was without Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, and Xabi Alonso, they still had Raul, Raul Albiol, Rafael van der Vaart, Guit, and other first-squad players on the field. Fans in Madrid will be calling for manager Manuel Pellegrini’s head after that debacle. In other action, Barcelona defeated Cultural Leonesa 2-0, and would face Real Madrid in the round of 16 if Madrid were to pull off the miracle comeback in the second leg. Sevilla, Valencia, and Atletico Madrid also won their first leg ties.

Week 9 College Football Picks

West Virginia over South Florida

Florida over Georgia: Flordia wins this game but I really do think Georgia will give them an extremely tough game but the SEC officials will make a call to help the Gators out.

Iowa over Indiana

TCU over UNLV

Oklahoma State over Texas: I just don’t think Texas is that good of a team this year, and Oklahoma State finds a way to shut down the McCoy-Shipley connection.

USC over Oregon: I really wanted to pick Oregon but I just don’t see USC and Texas both losing this weekend.

Boise State over San Jose State

LSU over Tulane

Penn State over Northwestern

Ohio State over New Mexico State

Miami over Wake Forest

Cincinnati over Syracuse

Georgia Tech over Vanderbilt

Utah over Wyoming

Houston over Southern Miss

South Carolina over Tennessee: I’m picking the Gamecocks but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Lane Kiffin pull the upset this week, his team is playing hard and it’s bound to pay off at some point this season.

Notre Dame over Washington State: For some reason this game is being played in San Antonio but the Irish win anyway.

California over Arizona State

Ole Miss over Auburn

My apologies for missing the Va. Tech – UNC game, busy week.

Fan Support or Team Success, What comes first?

I was reading a book for my Inequality in Sports class written by C. Vivian Stringer the head coach for the Women’s Basketball team at Rutgers and she brought up an interesting question. Should fans come out to support a team before it is successful or should the team have to be successful for the fans? I thought it’d be a good idea to try to answer this and when I thought about it, I found that it really doesn’t have an answer because there are different scenarios surrounding different teams. The best examples of both of these scenarios just happen to come from the teams in the city of Chicago, and specifically with both baseball teams.

The Chicago Cubs are a team that has not had success when it comes to winning a championship (101 years so to say not having success is putting it nicely), yet their “fans” will come out to Wrigley Field day in and day out to watch the lovable losers. I think a large part of why they sell out every game despite having ultimate success is because they play in Wrigley Field, which has an aura to it (For more details on the attraction of Wrigley Field read this). While some of the true fans of the Cubs will refuse to spend their money at the ballpark while the team suffers in mediocrity, the majority of Cub fans will continue to go to Wrigley because it’s the cool place to go. That type of attitude isn’t found on the South Side of Chicago.

When it comes to the White Sox, they experienced a surge in attendance towards the end of 2005 and into 2006 and 2007, and if you remember correctly, that can be attributed to the World Series title in 2005. Some people will say those are all the bandwagon fans who just want to support a winner. I would argue it’s the true fans of the White Sox spending their hard earned money on the White Sox as a way to support the team so that they can continue to experience success for many years in the future. If the team stinks or won’t win a championship that year why should fans go out and spend a ridiculous amount of money to watch a baseball game that they can just as easily turn on their television and see the same game?

For me personally I hold the belief that I’ll attend games in person whether or not the team was a winner (I even sat through the debacle that was the 20-1 White Sox loss to the Minnesota Twins this past summer). However, if the team was winning consistently and I could afford it, I would purchase season tickets and make that investment into my team to show them that I support them and I appreciate the way they’re playing.