"Sports do not build character, they reveal it." - John Wooden
"Losers quit when they're tired. Winners quit when they've won." ~Author Unknown
"Losing streaks are funny. If you lose at the beginning, you get off to a bad start. If you lose in the middle of the season, you're in a slump. If you lose at the end, you're choking." ~Gene Mauch
"We didn't lose the game; we just ran out of time." ~ Vince Lombardi "I would have thought that the knowledge that you are going to be leapt upon by half-a-dozen congratulatory, but sweaty team-mates would be inducement not to score a goal." ~ Arthur Marshall
Goodbye to Hu
Lately I've been asking myself why do I watch sports and why am I so connected to the two teams that I love, Arsenal and the New York Mets. While I knew the Mets were going to be mediocre, some of the luck they have had has been beyond bad (Ike Davis and now David Wright landing on the disabled list) and some of the play and managerial decisions have been beyond pathetic (pinch hitting with pitcher Jon Niese* with 2 outs in the bottom of the 11th and down by one run and letting Chin-lung Hu anywhere near a Major League roster).
In typical Mets fashion, even good news becomes bad news. Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran are finally performing like the players we all knew they were. Unfortunately the team is in transition and it's looking pretty likely that they will be used as trade bait to bring in young prospects. Figures. Since the Mets were one game away from the 2006 World Series Reyes and Beltran have either been hurt or underperforming. Now that the Mets have no chance of going to the playoffs they're hot.
Regardless of the heartache that the Mets constantly provide for myself and other fans who are forever in the shadow of the cross town Yankees and their arrogant supporters, I could always rely on Arsenal to play at the highest level and restore my pride. While not as dire as the Mets, Arsenal have for the first time since I've been a fan, totally imploded. No recap is necessary. Suffice it to say that up until February 27th Arsenal fans were dreaming of four trophy's. Since then, however, the dream has turned out to be a nightmare. What makes it even more frustrating is that it's mostly mental. How does a team beat Barcelona, Manchester United and Chelsea all in one season then go out and get humilitaed by the likes of Stoke, Bolton, Sunderland, etc?
See you later Squillaci
Also sad is the fact that the legendary Arsene Wenger has painted a very despondent picture throughout the season. The once dignified "professor" has looked like my 10th grade chemistry teacher used to look any time I got near a bunsen burner. The poor guy has been let down by so many of his players. In Arsene we trust, is still a mantra I believe in, but his reluctance to bring in defensive reinforcements was a major mistake. Usually a great judge of talent, he has made several bad signings. At the top of the list is Sébastien Squillaci. He is the Chin-lung Hu of Arsenal and should never be allowed anywhere near a football/soccer pitch again. He did score one game winner off of a set piece but he also contributed to many defensive screw ups. (He actually got rated a ZERO by the Sun for his most recent "performance". NO ONE GETS A ZERO).
I am a fan though and as a fan I stick with my teams through the good and the bad. (Mets more bad, Arsenal more good). So, as the most optomistic pessimist out there, the Mets will rebuild and hopefully compete at the highest level some time soon. The new GM is already showing that bad play will get you jettisoned out of town (Ollie, Castillo, Boyer, Emaus, Carrasco and Hu) and I am confident that Arsenal will tweak the squad this summer and come back to compete for trophy's next season. As disappointing as the Arsenal season turned out, top 4 and the opportunity of European football is not too bad. The Mets are the West Ham of baseball. Their only saving grace is that they can't be relegated.
Hopefully Arsenal will close out with a win at Fulham and as Tug McGraw once said as a member of the New York Mets, "Ya gotta believe".
*Niese made the manager look good by getting a triple, but in typical Mets fashion, this amazing feat led to nothing as the Mets couldn't drive him in from 3rd and lost in 11 innings.
So after what seemed like a never ending run of heartbreaking results, Arsenal fans were finally given reason to smile last weekend with a comprehensive 1-0 win over Man. U. at the Emirates. Arsenal bossed the game and finally made Man. U. look like the not very impressive side that they really are (they are only top of the table due to the fact that everyone else has also underperformed). Also, with Cesc Fabregas out due to injury, Aaron Ramsey got the start along with Jack Wilshere in midfield. Together with Alex Song, the two played like seasoned veterans with Ramsey setting up and scoring the decisive goal from a fine Robin Van Persie pass. While Arsenal fans were happy for the win, the victory also made it clear what could have been and perhaps should've been. So many dropped points to inferior teams is the story of Arsenal's season and ultimately what cost them a very attainable title. However, using the old RFK quote as a rallying point, "There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why? I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?", the future for Arsenal appears bright. Ramsey looks solid and back to health following the Shawcross debacle, Wilshere will be a fixture for years to come, Vermalen is finally healthy and will be ready for the start of the new season and Stan Kroenke will be giving Arsene Wenger money to bring in reinforcements over the summer.
Hopefully the idiots that want Arsene Wenger out will stop throwing their temper tantrums. Wenger is the most successful Arsenal manager ever and the man votedManager of the Decade by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics beating out Fergie and the NOT very special one, Mourinho. As fans we all want it now, but sometimes you can't always get what you want. For me it's better to come close and fail than to never have a chance. Arsene Wenger puts his squad in the position to achieve every year and has added stability to a well run and respected club. It's evident that Wenger is frustrated and his heart is firmly with Arsenal.
As for the EPL title...mathematically Arsenal are still alive, but it would take some amazing events for the title to end up at The Emirates. Arsenal's victory over Man. U. was a massive favor to Chelsea setting up this weekend's match pitting Chelsea at United. A Chelsea victory would put them top of the table. While I have no love for Chelsea, my dislike for Man. U. is so intense that seeing Chelsea snatch the title under the nose of Fergie would be awesome. After all the talk of Arsenal going trophy less this season and "bottling it", there's a very good chance the mighty Man. U. just might do the same thing.
Jason Bay is actually playing like Jason Bay
As for the Mets, they looked like the Bad News Bears for the first 3 weeks of the season and then Jason Bay came back from injury. Suddenly the Mets pulled off six straight wins and started playing some good baseball. That didn't last long, however. Since then they have been losing more than winning, but on the positive side they have been playing better and have at least been a lot more competitive. (Although when you have a game where Jose Reyes gets on base 6 times and Carlos Beltran hits a 3 run homerun and you still lose, you know the odds just aren't in your favor.) On the positive side Bay, Beltran, Ike and Jose Reyes are looking strong, but on the negative side the Mets bench is filled with mediocre players and the pitching staff overall is very questionable and to quote a friend, our "ace" Mike Pelfrey is a "pansy ass".
On to the political rant...if by chance you are still reading and don't want to hear any political thoughts you'd better stop reading now.
While the Mets were salvaging a game against the Phillies on Sunday night, I was simultaneously watching one of my guilty pleasures, the Celebrity Apprentice. Just before Donald was getting ready to fire someone, NBC interrupted the show announcing a special report and an upcoming announcement by Obama. These kind of "special reports"are nerve wracking at normal times, but on a Sunday night at 10:45 p.m. it seemed a bit ominous. So while the talking heads kept telling us for 45 minutes that the president was just about to speak, the Mets continued to play as their game with the Phillies went in to extra innings.
In the category of multi tasking I was also on Twitter and saw a Tweet about the upcoming announcement being about Osama Bin Laden. Soon the tweets were coming fast and furious and then the President spoke. It was short and to the point, but of course the media machine took over and the Osama story was dissected at every level and the footage of my city in ruins was back in a continuous loop on every local channel. Those sadly familiar stories of the lives lost, the firemen and policemen killed were all over the airwaves.
Soon the news channels were showing a small minority of folks cheering outside the White House, at Ground Zero and in Times Square and tried to spin it as some big sign of rah rah USA patriotism. (Meanwhile it looked more like tourists and drunk college kids that would show up for any event where they could party). In reality, there was some satisfaction that the mastermind and face of Al Qaeda was captured and gone, but as a resident of a city greatly affected, the truth is that yes this was a good thing, but this is just a drop in the bucket and these idiots yelling in to the TV don't represent the average person or those folks who were really affected by the events of 9-11. These drunken clowns who only wanted to be on TV and party in the streets will only make things worse and inflame hatred by celebrating like the USA won the World Cup...and of course the moronic media were there to cover it all and encourage it.
Meanwhile the Mets kept playing.
What really got me upset, however, were some of the horrible, scary, nasty, hateful, ignorant and downright sick comments made by folks on Twitter towards the USA. I am no super patriotic American and there are times when I myself am embarrassed by the American stereotype (fat, loud, obnoxious, oblivious to the rest of the world, not from the liberal east coast or west coast, Palin, Bachman, Limbaugh, Glen Beck, etc.) However, to see people hypocritically comment on how Americans are picking on Muslims and that the Jews are behind all the problems in the world really broke my heart and got me angry.
Maybe living in NYC I look at this country differently as NY is unlike most places across the USA. Where I live every walk of life lives within the 5 boroughs. Just this week I took 2 Dutch tourists on a tour of Astoria in Queens and in one 45 minute walk we passed an Egyptian Hookah bar, Halal restaurants, a mosque, Korean, Thai, Chinese, Colombian, Italian, Irish, Brazilian, Mexican, Greek, etc. restaurants and real people of these actual descents. In other words, by passing judgement on me and lumping me and everyone else in the US in to one stereotype you are doing exactly the same thing that you are accusing us of doing. I can only speak for me and I have my own opinions, thoughts, ideas and feelings. My government does not represent my personal views, in fact what makes this country special is that we are all entitled to our personal opinions and feelings while living side by side people from many different backgrounds.
One Tweet that blew my mind asked why Americans believe in the views expressed on Fox News, the us against them point of view on any political situation. What? How can someone really believe this? Perhaps their perception is that we are all Stepford Wives and Sarah Palin clones, maybe they themselves are watching too much Fox News...but where are they coming up with this insulting and completely erroneous idea. Yes, there are some who think like the folks at Fox and stir up hate and fear, but everyone in the USA? Crazy and insulting to even say this. (a couple of other choice Tweets expressed hatred towards both the USA and of course everyone's favorite punching bag, the Jews).
Whatever you think and whoever you think was behind 9-11 the fact is that these arethe faces of REAL peoplewho were innocently killed that day in horrific fashion in my city just five miles from where I live. I smelt that disgusting, horrible odor of what can only be described as death as the toxic fumes from a fire that lasted MORE THAN 3 MONTHS permeated the air that I and millions of others breathe.
Take your conspiracy theories and what not out of the equation, here are some real FACTS:
1. The World Trade Centre took 6 years and 8 months to build
2. It took 1 hour and 42 minutes to destroy both buildings
3. The impact of the North Tower collapse registered 2.9 on the Richter Scale
4. The planes were travelling at 475 mph and 595 mph when they hit the towers
5. The death toll was as follows:
2605 innocent citizens in the towers 343 fire-fighters 60 policemen 37 Port Authority Police 23 members of the NYPD 10 bystanders
6. The total number of vehicles crushed by the towers collapse was 1350.
7. It took 3.1 million hours of time to clear the site
8. Number of nations whose citizens were killed in the attacks: 115.
As for your assumption that this is all fueled by anti Muslim sentiment, investigate the truth. Yes there are a small number of ignorant people that view this as a war against Muslims, but they are a blip on the radar and don't represent intelligent and informed people. There were Muslim victims of the 9-11 attack not to mention the living victims who are feeling threatened or compromised by a radical few who have overtaken their religion in the name of evil. We get it people, it's not a war with Islam. It's a war with INSANE PEOPLE. Nobody wanted this, no rational person wants war, no intelligent people supported Bush's invasion of Iraq to look for WMD's that didn't exist, but this is what we've been dealt and what we are dealing with. I can only speak for me and these are my thoughts. So, chill out, relax, join hands and let's all form a circle and sing "We Are The World.
Ok, I've ranted. Now back to the sports. The Mets won in the 14th inning by the way.
Part of the reason I started this blog was to give myself a forum to vent about the teams that I follow. Since I think that I'm the only one who reads this, I feel safe in saying whatever it is that I feel. So, here we go.
Since the Carling Cup loss in late February it has been a very disappointing time for fans of Arsenal. Rather than go in to the same old details, suffice it to say that too many draws, a weak central defense and the lack of an out and out striker have resulted in a series of results that find the squad 6 points behind ManU (and now behind Chelsea on goal differential) with 5 games remaining. While this has left myself and other supporters sad, upset, bummed, etc. what I find shocking and don't understand is the scathing comments being hurled at the team from "fans", the press & the pundits.
The entire EPL season has seen massive changes at both the top and the bottom of the table. The relegation battle is so tight this season that the bottom ten teams are all currently battling to stay in the league. That is usually not the case.
Meanwhile, both ManU and Chelsea have been sub par and at times unimpressive, yet they are currently one and two. Then there are the "title challengers" Man City, Tottenham and Liverpool. Tottenham have probably over achieved, yet they are still behind the top 4 fighting for the final Champions League spot and ten points behind Arsenal. They get praised. Okay, whatever. Man City, for all their millions spent, have at times looked very average and everyone seems to have forgotten the horrible start to the season Liverpool had and that only their recent turnaround has saved them from total embarrassment.
The point of all this, the distance between the haves and the have nots has lessened. Therefore I really don't understand the dire mood of a majority of Arsenal fans. Arsenal have qualified for the Champions League for 12 consecutive seasons, they are always in the battle for major trophies and they have been a consistent top team for as long as I've been following them. (mid 90's) Perhaps it's a cultural thing. I did not grow up in England, I don't have a family history of Arsenal supporters and without living there I can honestly say I am not as informed on the culture of English football fandom as those based in the UK probably are.
However, coming from an American sports fan perspective allows me to look at the Arsenal situation in a much different way. We are spoiled for sports teams and leagues to support in New York. There are 10 professional sports teams within 25 miles of downtown Manhattan and outside of the free spending Yankees, they have consistently delivered heartache to their fans on a regular basis. (I'll give the Red Bulls a pass on this category as they are still a work in progress and are definitely heading in the right direction; THIERRY HENRY).
The Knicks have been horrible for 7 years and the butt of so many jokes; the Nets are a non entity without a fan base; the Islanders are just plain sad, the Rangers finally won that Stanley Cup in 1994 and have broken their fans' hearts ever since; the Devils have fallen on hard times after a very successful period; the Jets, while getting closer to being possible contenders, are still remembering the glory days of Joe Namath and the 1969 Super Bowl win; while, the Giants go from bad to good and then good to bad.
Mets fans see their team get off to the worst start in baseball
Of course that leaves my first true sports love, the New York Mets. If you want to talk horrible, you've come to the right place. They have started the 2011 season in pathetic style and officially have the worst record of the 30 teams in baseball. Rather than rehash the annual collapses and ineptness of New York's "2nd baseball team", all you need to know is that they have consistently screwed up and put their fan base through torture and agony. We live in the same city as Yankee fans. We constantly get grief from them at work, from neighbors, from total moronic strangers. Yet, we keep coming back for more. Why, because we are FANS. It would be real easy to just jump on the Yankee bandwagon, become a Pittsburgh Steelers fan or pledge allegiance to Kobe and the Lakers. Why do we stick with the Knicks, Rangers, Jets, Mets or whomever? It may be because we are crazy and gluttons for punishment, but the reason is we are fans. We win with the team and we lose with the team.
So, long story short, I'll keep supporting the Mets and hoping that things improve (although I expect to see fans with bags on their heads throughout the season) and I will definitely stick with Arsenal and give them the respect they deserve as a wonderfully run club that competes at the highest level EVERY season and consistently gives their fans a reason to believe. If the Mets performed like this season after season, the fans would be THRILLED.
Yes, I'm just an American girl, but that's how I see things.
Wow, what a crazy week it's been both on the field of play and at the upper level of team management. It's always best to start with the positives so I'll begin with Arsenal.
Since the February 27th Carling Cup Final loss to Birmingham, it's been tough times for Gooners. Arsenal fell out of both the Champions League and the FA Cup and mediocre play produced draws with inferior teams, West Brom and Blackburn. The English media didn't help matters with lots of negative reports and second guessing and Arsenal fans seemed to be turning on each other on social media with the Wenger out brigade vs. the in Wenger we trust army.
While all this was going on ManUre continued to find ways to win games they should have lost and Arsenal's chance at winning the EPL title seemed to be slipping further away.
Some sort of order has been restored in the last week. Gooners were treated to the site of gloating Spuds fans having their bubble burst as Madrid embarrassed Tottenham in Spain and Arsenal went to Blackpool and came away 3-1 winners (despite some nervy play). With 7 games left, Arsenal's title dreams are hanging on by the edge of a knife, but they are still alive.
Stan Kroenke takes over
The real big news came down on Monday when it was announced that American businessman Stan Kroenke had purchased a controlling stake in the ownership of Arsenal. Kroenke runs Kroenke Sports Enterprises which includes ownership of the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche and the Colorado Rapids of MLS.
The ownership model at Arsenal is quite different than what most American sports fans are used to, but by upping his stake in the club, Kroenke has essentially taken control of the team's ownership. Both the New York Times and Martin Samuel of the Daily Mail do a good job of explaining the details of Arsenal's ownership situation.
While I am far from a flag waving rah rah American, I do take offense to some of the anti US rhetoric being bandied about by some folks. Yes Arsenal is a storied English football team from North London. However, by aiming for international success and importing stars regardless of their country of origin the team has become a global entity with fans from all over the world. The Walmart and Dick's Sporting Goods jokes are a bit hypocritical if you consider the fact that Arsenal play in a stadium called "The Emirates", after the airline of the same name. Additionally, to American sports fans, it's odd to see players running around with sponsor names on their jerseys. Some of the sillier ones that I've seen over the years were Portsmouth with Ty (makers of the Beanie Babies), Wolves with Doritos and Man. United with the disgraced financial institution AIG. Unfortunately, sponsorship is a necessary evil, because even if we don't want to think it, at the end of the day all sports clubs are businesses.
Time will tell how the Kroenke deal turns out, but most reports are optimistic and portray a dedicated sports owner who shuns the limelight and gives his teams the necessary tools to compete at the highest level.
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The Wilpons, sending out an SOS
At the other end of the spectrum are the owners of the New York Mets; Fred and Jeff Wilpon and Saul Katz. The Bernie Maddoff scandal has left them searching for an investor to buy a stake in the team due to the $1 billion lawsuit being filed against them. Whether you like the Wilpons or not, the sad fact is that the off field problems are definitely being felt on the field. With limited resources and coming off of several bad seasons, the situation presently looks bleak.
Bobby Parnell gives it away
The team won 2 out of 3 to start the season versus the Marlins, leaving fans somewhat hopeful. Since then however, they've lost series' to the Phillies and Nationals and the team's bullpen has resembled the Yorkville Pee Wee League that plays just up the block from me.
A sure sign that this is going to be a long season is that the Mets have had four home games so far and I've already been offered free tickets to two of them. (One I didn't accept as I had to do my laundry). I did attend Opening Day and there were quite a few empty seats. Those fans proved to be prophetic as the Mets blew the game and received their first vociferous round of boos of the season.
So, hopefully Arsenal can end the season strong and somehow finish atop the table. As for the Mets, it's a long season but the signs are not looking good.
It has been a depressing month for Arsenal fans as the team has gone from being the only club in England eligible for four trophies to barely holding on to a slim chance of winning the EPL title. The Carling Cup loss to Birmingham was gut wrenching as it was the team's best chance to pick up some silverware and it was blown to an inferior team that simply played better on the day and made fewer mistakes. The high of beating Barcelona 2-1 in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 was defused easily when Barcelona made Arsenal look ordinary in the second leg. Despite a bad decision by the ref to send off Van Persie for following through on a shot after being called offside, Arsenal were simply outplayed and frankly embarrassed.
A string of FA Cup replays to lower division opponents were a prelude to a demoralizing 2-0 loss to ManUre in the FA Cup 6th round. What made the loss even worse was the fact that Arsenal had the majority of the possession and double the amount of shots on goal.
Sadly, that seems to be the theme of the entire season. Arsenal put up great statistics in possession and passing, but never seem to be able to put the game away. They have proven to be a real Jekyll and Hyde team. Sometimes they are brilliant; other times they are quite ordinary.
In Arsene I Still Trust - A True Arsenal Legend
The saddest thing is that many fans are now turning on the players and most upsetting of all, many are turning on Arsene Wenger. There is a definite need for improvement but the negativity being directed at a man who has spent more than a decade making Arsenal so successful, is really sad and makes things even worse.
It could be a cultural thing, after all many New Yorkers have come to expect little or nothing from the teams they support (Knicks, Jets, Mets, Rangers, Islanders), but I don't understand how supporters can turn on a man who has guided their team to a top 4 finish for 15 straight seasons. (Barring a disastrous meltdown this year). He is the only Arsenal manager to have won the FA Cup more than once and the only manager to take the Club to a Champions League Final. Plus, as all Arsenal fans know, he is the first (and still only) manager in English league history to complete an entire 38-game season unbeaten (2003/04).
There are 20 teams in the league. Obviously 19 will come up short each year. Of course I want my team to win competitions, but I also want them to be consistently good. Arsene Wenger has ensured that. I look at fans of clubs such as Portsmouth and Leeds which have seen both very good and very bad times in recent years. I'm sure they've been upset many times, but they stay loyal to their teams.
So, my hope is that common sense will prevail and Wenger will remain to reshape the squad to be that much more competitive and able to withstand the long grueling season.
Defensive frailties were the main issue all season long. Vermaelen's absence along with the lack of solid and tough central defenders and a true top class keeper were the team's biggest weaknesses. Every set piece was a potential disaster on defense. Also missing were both a proven motivator on the pitch and a true world class striker. Van Persie was hurt too much to play that role and since Henry's departure, the team has lacked a true finisher.
That being said, these are the games that truly put dents in the team's chances to win the EPL title:
Sunderland 1-1 Arsenal September 18th
Rosicky missed penalty, Sunderland equalized in the last minute of stoppage time on a defensive screw up.
Arsenal 2-3 W.B.A. September 25th
West Brom went up by 3, Arsenal came back but it was too little too late. Defensive problems showing.
Arsenal 0-1 Newcastle November 7th
Fluke Carroll goal and no solid Arsenal finishing.
Arsenal 2-3 Tottenham November 20th
Up 2-0 after 27 minutes, Arsenal embarrassed themselves by giving up 3 in the 2nd half to their
most hated of rivals. Most painful loss of the season.
Man United 1-0 Arsenal December 13th
A lucky Park goal and the inability to score. It seemed as if Arsenal were waiting to be defeated.
Wigan 2-2 Arsenal December 29th
A terrible Squillaci own goal in the 80th minute gives Wigan a draw soon after a great win over Chelsea.
Arsenal 4-4 Newcastle February 5th
A complete horror show. After going up 4-0 after 26 minutes, the team implodes and the ref gifts Newcastle a phantom penalty.
Arsenal 0-Sunderland 0 March 5th
Terrible play coming off a demoralizing Carling Cup defeat due to terrible defensive play.
W.B.A. 2-2 Arsenal March 19th
A total defensive screw up left Arsenal down 2-0. A late come back comes up short.
Arsenal 0-0 Blackburn April 2
Controlling their own destiny, Arsenal again put in a pedestrian performance to an inferior team. Luck will now have to come in to play if Arsenal are to win the league.
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As the EPL season winds down, the MLB season has just begun. While the Mets are back to being the butt of every late night comic's jokes, it's a very liberating feeling to not have the anxiety of the high expectations. Finally nothing is expected of the teams as the Mets are supposed to suck. If they do suck, then they are meeting expectations. And if they don't, that's a bonus. That makes it much easier to watch as no one (especially cocky Yankee fans) can really hurt you with wise ass comments about the Mets. We've already heard it all. In fact, by dumping the GM, manager, hitting coach, gimpy Castillo and crappy Perez there's a sense of actual optimism amongst fans. While the Wilpons are embroiled in the Madoff scandal and the club continues to lose monetary value, the team is becoming more like the Mets of the early '60's...lovable underdogs.
Things started off as they ended last year. Pelfrey began the season by surrendering the first grand slam of the year to the Marlins before the Mets even had a hit. Adding to the plot line was the fact that Josh Johnson was working on a no hitter in to the latter part of the game. The Mets didn't get no hit and didn't get shut out. They lost, but they lost without embarassing themselve. That's progress. They then went on to win the final 2 games of the series and have started a respectable 2-1.
The frustration has continued since my last post. Arsenal were knocked out of the FA Cup by hated Man United and then put on a sub par performance away to West Brom this past weekend. Arsenal were down 2-0 with about 20 minutes remaining to an inferior team and looked pretty uninspired throughout. The team turned it on from there and ended up with a draw, but with ManUre getting a lucky win, it just put Arsenal 2 points further behind the top.
So, in less than 3 weeks Arsenal went from being in competition for four trophy's to fighting for just one. If Arsenal win all of their remaining 9 games, they will be champions. It is in their control. Unfortunately the team roster is depleted with enough injuries to fill an entire ward of a hospital.
Rather than dwell on all the negatives and the second guessing, I refuse to give up and remain optimistic and loyal to the team. There are currently 18 teams in the EPL that wish they were in Arsenal's position.
Instead of the game specifics, I'm going to focus on fandom. The Twittershphere was a buzz recently with Arsenal fans calling for Arsene Wenger to be fired, trashing various squad players and most interesting of all questioning the non North London based Arsenal supporters. In essence, some long time London born fans were directing some vitriol at those fans from abroad that dare to support THEIR team. Comical isn't the word. FIFA and the major European leagues, including the EPL have been courting a global fan base for years. Clubs such as Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus and AC Milan as well as top English clubs including Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea have been marketing their "product" to attract an international fan base for years. I've had the chance to see a number of these teams here in New York. In fact, I got Thierry Henry to sign Arsenal programs from games that I attended while he was with Arsenal, only when he was in New York with Barcelona.
So when locals lash back at "outsiders" and "foreigners" it reeks of total xenophobia. They get all high and mighty and talk about how their great grandfathers had to walk 15 miles in a snow storm to see the Woolwich Arsenal or they skipped the births and graduations of their children in order to attend a match as if that makes them a "real" fan. To use an English colloquialism, that is bollocks. Give me a break.
I once took a train from London to Leeds by myself (my London based friends didn't want to travel) to see Arsenal at Elland Road in an FA Cup 3rd Round tie. (Arsenal won 4-1 despite Lehman gifting a goal to Mark Viduka to start the scoring). Then on the way back to London I was verbally assaulted by some crazy lunatic shouting anti US and George Bush comments at me (I did not vote for Bush). Who came to my rescue? Fellow Arsenal fans. They didn't jump in and start accusing me of being a fake fan and a bandwagon jumper. They were thrilled and amazed that I, a girl on my own from New York, loved Arsenal enough to head to Leeds to see the Gooners. Does that make me more of a fan than someone who lives on the other side of the world but watches games live at ungodly hours on horrible streams or at stinky pubs at 7 a.m.? I don't think so.
(I also want to know what the "real fans" think of all the young English kids I see wearing Yankee hats and Kobe Bryant jerseys or attending the recent NFL games in London.)
That brings me to my other team, the New York Mets. There is no comparison between my 2 teams. Arsenal are like caviar while the Mets are like spam or marmite. The Mets truly do suck and truly do deserve grief, yet the fans stick with their woeful team while the crosstown money grubbing Yankees get all the attention.
Our owners lost millions in the Bernie Madoff ponzi scheme and are named in a major lawsuit currently heading to court. We have no money to sign good players and therefore we head in to the new season already knowing that we are going to suck. We would love to have more folks across the world as Mets fans and I invite you to join us. We need your support (as well as your money).
An example of the Mets' fiscal stupidity are the events of the past three days. On Friday the Mets finally released the gimpy Luis Castillo (he will earn $6 million this year) and is best known for dropping a routine pop up that turned a Met victory in to a loss at Yankee Stadium. Then today, Mets fans everywhere rejoiced when news broke that the man the team will be paying 12 million dollars this season, Oliver Perez, was FINALLY cut from the team. No more booing for Ollie. So, with the season set to begin in less than two weeks, the Mets spent $18 million dollars not to bring in players, but to get rid of 2 players!!!
$18 million to say goodbye
Here's a sampling of some of the fan reactions on Twitter:
Tbone721
Oliver Perez was released by the Mets today. It was worth the $12m. There is a god.
FernandoRTzompa
The name "Oliver Perez" became synonymous with failure in the same manner "Madoff" is equated to fraud"
DavidLCreme
Time to throw a party lol RT @DavidLCreme: The Mets released Oliver Perez....finally
jpgillin
The best move they've made in years. RT @Mets The Mets officially announce LHP Oliver Perez has been released.
brodyc24
Finally the Mets realize that Oliver Perez is a terrible pitcher. I no longer have to know a loss is coming in the playoffs when he starts.
tfieldz
WHAT IS THIS, THE METS HAVE FINALLY GOTTEN RID OF OLIVER PEREZ? i must be dreaming. hell yes
leerodgers
Goodbye Oliver Perez, Don't let the door hit you on the way out!
danmogelnicki
The Mets have finally released Oliver Perez. We're freeee
greenghoulie
Mets release Oliver Perez... Already have released Castillo. Looks like a better year already!
JoePontillo Joe Pontillo
The mere fact that Oliver Perez was wearing sandals the day he was released makes me that much happier that he's gone. #mets
pshep89
The New York Mets release Luis Castillo and now Oliver Perez... thank god #ourseason #11daystilopeningday
peteramckay
Wow. Fans so happy #Mets released Oliver Perez, his name is a trending topic in NYC. Wonder what the fake @MrOlliePerez46 will do now (C;
QSTJHoops
Glad I don't have to share a city with Oliver Perez anymore.
Reem720
Yes da mets release oliver perez about got damn time
southsideweb
this week has started off great. oliver perez cut. good shit. #mets
hey_mr_foley
Never having to see oliver perez pitch in a mets uniform again makes me incredibly happy.
ericaaronpeters
Bye bye Oliver Perez... I doubt you'll be missed by anyone in NY.
dis1974
Oliver Perez finally released from the Mets!!! Let's send him to the nuclear reactors in Japan and put him to good use!!!
AngelM109
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS Oliver Perez is not a New York Met anymore ! YEEEAAAHHHH BUDDYYYYY !!!!
KodiaksRestBar
Come down to Kodiak's at 1 for the next Mets preseason game vs. Atlanta. Guaranteed to be Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo free!!!
JRibakove
The #Mets & Oliver Perez are over. I think I'll miss the laughter the most.
PrettyFlyMoh
Thank god the mets released oliver perez he was absolutely horrible.
Wool_life
Dear Oliver Perez, its been real, now get the fuck out of here! Xoxox love, every mets fan
dontardino
Twelve million U.S.dollars to Oliver Perez not to pitch for the Mets .Seem like thats the money we should have used to bomb Libya
humbertops77
Por finnnnnnnn dejaron los Mets libre a Oliver Perez... Bye, Bye Ollie creo que nadie en los Mets te va a extrañar.
PatrickJFlood
I like to imagine that in Queens right now, some poor intern is physically eating the paper of Ollie Perez's contract.
tfc3rid
@TheRopolitans Will they declare that henceforth from this day, March 21 will be known as Oliver Perez Independence Day
I'll give the final word to new Mets GM Sandy Alderson who was interviewed by Gary Cohn during today'sMets pre-season game. When asked about the release of Oliver Perez Alderson laughed and said, "It allowsthe media to go on to something else that they can point to negatively." That's the way it is to be a Mets fan and it shows that Alderson is aware of the shit he’s stepped in to and that he has a sense of humor about the situation.
The meaning of fan from Dictionary.com: fan–noun an enthusiastic devotee, follower, or admirer of a sport, pastime, celebrity, etc.
The past ten days have been beyond frustrating and downright gut wrenching for fans of Arsenal. After beating Barcelona 2-1 in the first leg of the round of 16, Arsenal have had a less than impressive run of form and luck...some of it of their own doing and some of it from HORRIBLE officiating.
The Carling Cup trophy was there for the taking as Arsenal met Birmingham in the finals at Wembley on February 27th. It was 1-1 when misfortune hit. Arsenal gifted Birmingham the winning goal in the 88th minute as Wojcech Sczeny and Laurent Koscielny inadvertently crossed paths while trying to defend a Birmingham attack. This one hurt and it was beyond painful to watch Birmingham celebrate and see the disconsolate looks on the faces of the Arsenal players. Another painful element was seeing some of the vitriolic comment coming from Arsenal "fans" on Twitter, blogs, discussion boards, etc.
Then a few days after Arsenal easily disposed of lower division Leyton Orient 5-0 in an FA Cup 4th round replay, they had the chance to get three points closer to ManUre who had lost to Chelsea earlier in the week. Sunderland was the opponent at the Emirates and frustration reigned again. A blatant penalty on Andrei Arshavin was somehow not spotted by the referee and then an onside GOAL by Arshavin was incorrectly called offside. So, a 2-0 Arsenal win became a 0-0 draw. One point gained rather than the deserved three. This injustice was cushioned by ManUre's humiliating loss to Liverpool but the frustration was still there. Again, daggers were out from some Arsenal fans calling for various players' heads on a platter.
Then came the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 at the Nou Camp in Barcelona.
Before even dissecting this debacle I have to vent: why do Arsenal always get the hardest draws no matter what the tournament is? Every year Arsenal get Barcelona and every year Chelski and ManUre get the easiest draw. No disrespect to Marseille or Copenhagen, but I would have much preferred to face them. Then who do Arsenal get in the FA Cup next round, ManUre away. Of course.
So, to the Nou Camp it was. It sucks to have to admit it, but Barcelona looked like Arsenal when we play Wigan, except this time we were Wigan. Arsenal couldn't get the ball. Add in that the ref was handing out yellow cards to the Arsenal players like the meter maids hand out tickets in Manhattan. Meanwhile, the Barcelona players committed fouls freely without punishment like New York City politicians double parking at fire hydrants. Despite this, the defense held. Then in the dying moments of the first half the most unlikely of culprits, captain Cesc Fabregas, made a misguided back pass that led to a Messi goal.
The officials didn't see this choke hold but it seems the photographers did
Early in the second half Arsenal got a return gift from Barcelona as Busquets headed in to his own goal on an Arsenal corner. Then the most ridiculous, insipid, pathetic, idiotic, moronic, f'd up call I have ever seen in a game came from some Swiss referee who's name I won't even take the time to look up. Robin Van Persie streaks across the pitch with the ball at his feet and fires a shot towards the goal. It goes over and wide. The next thing you know, this d-bag ref is taking a yellow card out of his pocket and Van Persie is off as he was given an earlier b.s. yellow card for some b.s. reason. What was the infraction here? Well apparently Van Persie was supposed to know that the whistle had gone for offside despite a crowd of 95,000 cheering fans and Barcelona defenders clipping at his heels. Yes, in that one second with all that noise he was supposed to not follow through on his shot. For actually taking a shot and "wasting" one second of play, Van Persie was shown a red card and Arsenal had to play the remaining 30 plus minutes with one less man. Yes, Barcelona were superior and yes they controlled the possession but this was a kick in the stomach and the worst bit of refereeing I have ever seen. It made the ref of the Sunderland game look like Einstein. Barcelona scored two more times and went on to win 4-3 on aggregate. Frustration is not even the word.
The worst referee in the world at work
Even worse though, "fans" ripping Arsene Wenger, cursing Cesc Fabregas, bashing their own team. Frustration plus irritation = a term I have yet to come up with. Come on fans, be fans. Support your team through thick and thin. I have to go back to my other team, the New York Mets to make this point.
The Mets have sucked for 75% of their 49 years. Maybe even 80%. They have 2 World Series titles and have appeared in the World Series just 4 times. They are second fiddle in a city where the money grubbing Yankees buy titles on a regular basis and steal the headlines constantly. When the Mets make the front page news, it's because of something horrible like their owners losing a bundle in Bernie Madoff's ponzi scheme or a clubhouse attendant being named in a steriod scandal. In other words Arsenal fans, the Mets are the Tottenham of New York. In fact, it's even worse. They're like the Watford or Crystal Palace of New York. The only saving grace for the Mets is that they can't be relegated. They get to suck every year and still come back.
One thing is clear, however, Mets fans are loyal. Through thick and thin they hang in there with the team. Yes, the fans bash their players and bitch on call in sports shows, however, the difference with them and Arsenal fans is that the Mets fans are entitled to complain. Their team genuinely sucks. Arsenal on the other hand are an amazing club run by one of the best managers in the world. Perhaps Arsenal fans are too used to winning. Yes it's been frustrating, but remember this is a team that competes at the highest level every year. They did just beat Barcelona 3 weeks ago.
Maybe I'm just trying to cheer myself up, but come on Arsenal fans. Stay loyal, support your team and keep the faith. Oh to be a Gooner.
If any Arsenal fans want to follow a real bad team and have reason to bitch and complain, I invite you to follow my beloved New York Mets. The new season gets under way on Friday, April 1st.
