Cut Backs

Can we ask Mr. Obama to save our butts if we aren't willing to save our own first. What I see and hear on a daily basis from every news outlet is figures about how bad it will get before it gets better. And who knows what "better" will be this time around. I'd like to believe that THIS TIME we've learned our lesson, but what I see every day on my way home from work, or on the way to the grocery store tells me otherwise. If we're on the verge of another Great Depression, the waiters & waitresses at Johnny Carino's wouldn't know it, neither would the clerks at Pier One. We're all geniuses when it comes to what's wrong with the BIG 3 and the how wrong it is for congress to hand them a bailout check, while we answer "credit" to the girl behind the Cinabon counter swiping our plastic. Here's our chance to set our priorities straight, for our ourselves, our families, the country, and the planet....what? gas is $1.30 a gallon, and there's 0% APR on the 2008 H3.....we'll cut back next tim
e!

Happy New Year....Day 2

Big moves on the horizon?

EPL:
-Mr. Given is not happy at Newcastle, but neither is anyone else. Owen will most likely move on and since no one wanted to buy his club, the owner has a new found fondness for his side
-Man City got the Bridge...what else will they throw down for?
-Red Devils got a pair (Serbian pair Zoran Tosic and Adem Ljajic), and appear satisfied
-Portsmouth apparently have a load of players to offload, but can they attract any new talent?

Heskey, Defoe, Bellamy, and Pennant seem to be on a lot of managers minds...who will win the bidding war?

Should be intersting

MLS:
Still not too much to report, no one in a hurry to sign foreign prospects until the MLS draft? 3.75 months till the season openers...let's get crackin!

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya...tomorrow

The January transfer window is upon us! Who strikes first and how large? Man City with their deep pockets...rumored to be after Defoe (not Willam), Santa Cruz, and  Dynamo Kiev's Diakhate. Liverpool...Glen Johnson? How about Chelsea and Arsenal...names (in no particular order) Arteta, Kleber, and Arshavin. Is Man U poised to make any moves or are they holding tight believing they have the talent in-house?

MLS

How about MLS? Many reports about US players making moves, but all rumors concerning players abroad making moves to MLS must be taken with a grain of salt. Why? It's my feeling that a "possible move" to the MLS is nothing more than a bargaining chip agents to use to fetch a higher price elsewhere. Is this yet another signal that the league has a growing respect around the world? 5 years ago, would threatening a move to the MLS have held any weight? I don't think so!

Permanent Becks?

Will Becks move to Milan become permanent in the not so distant future? Is this a bad thing for MLS? I don't think so. I think the league is past falling over itself for one player. I think we've earned some respect and with higher salary options (DP & raised salary caps)) for each team, we'll continue to attract talent. Yes, we're losing some quality US born talent, but again, this means we're making progress...I don't think we need beg for attention anymore.

Really?

Israel-vs-Palestine-vs-Hammas-vs-Israel-vs-Egypt.......is there an end in sight, probably not. How do you get people who have hated each other for hundreds/thousands of years; people who pass hatred down to their children, to get along? I know, I know there are supposedly good reasons on each side why they "do unto others", but when do the "might makes right" versus "he's picking on me" arguments stop and REAL progress is made for the sake of humanity. How long will a back seat kids "he's touching me, no I'm not he's touching ME" argument go on while children are maimed and killed? I don't care about justification and who started it anymore, I want to to turn the car around and go home.

USMNT Call-ups

Suprised at Bob Bradley's list? So is Chris Wingert, he was selected to the training camp starting Jan.4th in Carson, CA. Chris finally getting his due, or is there a lack of defensive depth? Is he there simply because the Euro based players are staying put...for now? Bob looking for speed at the outside back position? What are his chances? Remember Robbie Findley's brief stint with the U-23 USMNT. Chris is a bit more polished than Robbie, but this still has to be a bit of a Christmas present for Chris....Happy New Year!

Say it ain't so Steven....Nice Work Deuce

Steven Gerard arrested in supposed night club brawl after a 5-1 drubbing of Newcastle. Has Steven gone the way of the American athlete or simply at the wrong place at the wrong time? My gut tells me he was there and got caught up in the mess, but had no serious part to play. Even so, does this distraction end up hurting the Reds title chances? Did Sir Alex throw down the gauntlet before or after Stevens alleged blunder? If it's true, how hard does the law come down on the superstar athlete in the UK? What was the extent of the "incident"? Say it ain't so Steven!

The boy from Nagadoches makes good on two chances on Sunday to level with Chelsea, the 2nd in the 89th minute! Is this the resurgence of Deuce for the Nats? Can Bradley find a deadly pair up top for the US before 2010 and South Africa? Is qualifying a lock, or does Bob need to pull all the big guns out now so he has time to solidify the team. Who's your scoring pair up top for the USMNT? Do we have a solid scoring pair to start up top? Ching - does he have the touch for serious world competition, or is size his only asset? Johnson - has to be a 2nd or 3rd option off the bench. Deuce, Donovan, who else?