Archive for August, 2011
In 115 years, English Premier League staple Arsenal has never suffered a loss like this. Yesterday, their nightmares became reality, as they lost 8-2. To make matters worse, the loss came at the hands of their bitter rivals: Manchester United.
“You feel humiliated when you concede eight goals,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. “It was a terrible day for us, it was a combination of an under-strength team and weakness.”
This weakness is something that Arsenal knows all too much about as of late. Allowing eight goals (three of which came at the hands of polarizing forward Wayne Rooney) is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the problems surrounding the storied club. Earlier this month, team captain Cesc Fabregas left the Arsenal to play in his hometown team Barcelona of the Spanish League. The club also lost Samir Nasri to a place where he could hurt his former club: Manchester City. Defections are something that Arsenal has become accustomed to since loosing Thierry Henry years ago to Real Madrid.
Today, the record books for baseballs most historic franchise have changed. Number seven is now number two, and number two is now number one. By appearing in today’s game Derek Jeter passed the legendary Micky Mantle to become the Yankees’ all-time leader in games played. All it took was 18 years and 2402 appearances.
In typical Jeter fashion, the Yankees’ captain downplayed the achievement, saying: “I take pride in coming and doing my job. I think that’s probably the best way to put it. “My job is obviously to come and play games, try to stay on the field and try to stay healthy. I’ve done it for a long time, I guess.”
Columnist Woody Paige had an excellent article in the Denver Post about Denver Broncos’ quarterback Tim Tebow on Friday. Paige has a certain way with words that cannot always be seen during his appearances on ESPN’s Around the Horn. He is almost poetic in his writing and he truly paints a picture when he tells a story. But enough about the writer, let’s focus on his subject.
Tim Tebow, the darling of Denver, and perhaps the most polarizing quarterback in the NFL is the man in question. His jersey sales were through the roof before he played a single snap in Denver. His name has to be mentioned among the greatest college quarterbacks of all-time. On the other side of the coin, he has only started 3 NFL games, and his passing stats were marginal (right at 50 percent completion rate). Furthermore his throwing motion isn’t exactly a thing of beauty and some question (especially Merril Hoge) whether his skills will translate in the NFL.