Tag: Arsenal

  • ODDS and ENDS: North London Derby, Apple Picking, and My Flute!!!

    (My weekly segment and , you know, I like soup.)

    Here we are – Tottenham v Arsenal. The North London Derby. The #1 and #3 team of the Premiere League go at it. Will Spurs stay undefeated? Will Arsenal stay on top of the League? I won’t know because NBC is showing the match in USA, and I don’t have cable. I have Peacock, and the more I say that out loud, the sillier and more embarrassed I feel. What the hell am I paying for if I can’t watch matches live. (Yes, I sound like a bitter old man, and yes, I will start yelling out a cloud next.) Anyway, I saw a report that Dejan Kulusevski got injured this past week, and might not play. On paper that shouldn’t be an issue with Kane, Son and Richarlison up front and Dier anchoring the back line. Still, it is Arsenal which has been playing really well, and if there is a team that can get under Tottenham’s skin, it’s Arsenal. Should be a fun match, but I’ll have to catch it on the replay, because NBC’s Premiere League coverage sucks.

    Tomorrow starts October, which means I will go apple picking with my family, and I will have flannel on. Even if it is too warm out, I will be decked out in Autumn appropriate clothing, even if it kills me. It just was the season demands.

    Apparently, according to our American Conservative friends, Lizzo isn’t allowed to play an old flute that no one knew existed three days ago. I can’t prove any of this, but I have a feeling that the idea of Lizzo playing the Madison flute probably was thought up by someone in the Library of Congress with the intention of expanding kids’ interest in American history, and Lizzo was all for it. Good intentions, you know… I bet there are a bunch of history nerd at the LoC looking at each other wondering how this flute situation has become “controversial.” I bet the “H.E.R. Playing Lincoln’s Guitar” idea is now out the window.

    (Say, before you head over to another blog, do me a favor, huh? I need you to like, share, comment on, or subscribe to this blog. Every click I get helps an angel keep his wings.)

  • Premier League Week 3: A Tottenham Win, Brentford’s Heartbreaker, and Leeds

    Tottenham Hotspur took on Wolverhampton this Saturday, and it was a mixed blessing of a match. A win is a win, so I’ll take it – No complaints there. But the start of the match, Wolverhampton looked pretty solid, as they had some good chances that they just couldn’t convert. What I thought the Wolves did great against Spurs was shut Son out of the match, which third match into the season, I have yet to see Son be Son. Either way, Spurs had another slow start, and the first half of the match left me feeling like this is a team that keeps bending to opponents, but not breaking. In the second half, Tottenham came out fighting, and it really felt like it was only a matter of time before that were able to strike. It came in the 64th minute when Harry Kane got a header to score which was all Spurs needed to get the win. This match did feel like another test, and Tottenham proved that they could keep it together to stay undefeated. Yet, this still doesn’t feel like a team that finds ways to win, but a club that refuses to lose.

    Then there was my dark horse team Brentford that lost a heartbreaking nail biter at Fulham. The match started off awful for the Bees who gave up two goals early, one being in the first minute. Brentford hung in there with Norgarrd scoring at the end of the first half, and Toney scorning an equalizer in the 71st minute. But Fulham’s forward Mitrovic was able to put the match away at the 90th minute. Sure, there were four minutes of stoppage time, but Brentford was spent. This was a match of two very scrappy teams fighting it out for respect in the League. Fulham just got promoted last year, and Brentford looking to prove they belong here as well, especially after the drumming the handed Man United last week. I’m telling you, and I know nothing about football, keep your eye on Brentford.

    Hey! Leeds beat Chelsea 3 – 0. That just made me happy, as clearly I’m not a fan of Chelsea. Nor of Arsenal. Or Man City. I’ll throw Liverpool in there as well. But Hey! Leeds looked awesome! No disrespect to Leeds.

    On to Week Four!

    (And, as always, if you are find this insights insightful, then don’t be a bother, give a like, share a share, or sound off in the comments. It’ll do you good, as I knew your father, I did!)

  • ODDS and ENDS: Farmer’s Markets, Premier League Starts, and Summer

    (Don’t jock my style!)

    If you were to ask me how old I feel, I would say 25 even on a bad day. But, there are a few things that do, unfortunately, remind me that I am a middle-aged man. The fact that my hair is gray, that I have enough ear and nose hair that I have to trim it, and I am balding. The other factor that most comes into play is my desire to go to a farmer’s market early on a Saturday morning. Not just a desire to go to one, but an actual level of excitement to be there. I think we’ll hit the one up in Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow one (weather permitting), and I hear there is a pickle vendor there, which makes all the difference. The real honest goal is to get out of the City, but to also get more fruits and vegetables in our diet. The person in our household pushing for this is our daughter. The wife suggested we hit up a farmer’s market as a way to meet the kid’s request, and now I am looking forward to getting a bunch of produce. I guess there are worse things to get excited about in middle age.

    The Premier League starts today with Crystal Palace v Arsenal! Hopefully, and I am biased, Arsenal will go down in flames, as that will fill my Hotspur supporting heart with so much joy! Tottenham’s team has stayed pretty much together in the off season, so I am expecting a solid run from this club, especially with Conte in charge from the get-go. I have read all the predictions, and it seems like the whole world is either picking Man City or Liverpool to win the league, BUT just about everybody has the Spurs down as third or fourth on the table, so to me, that says there is hope, if nothing else, that Tottenham can make a run at it. And let’s not forget that this season there is Champions League play, and that break in the middle for the World Cup. This is going to be a crazy football season, and I am sure I will be writing about all of it.

    Go Away Summer! I’m tired of your shit!

    (Say! If you enjoyed the refreshing oddness and thirst-quenching blandness of this blog, please show some love and like, share, or comment on this post. It does a body good!)

  • ODDS and ENDS: Tottenham One Last Time, Sarah Sherman is Damn Funny, and Naps

    (things happen, and i talk about it)

    It’s the end of the Premiere League season, and yes, it does actually come down to the final matches. Lucky for me and the Tottenham loyal, with Arsenal’s loss to Newcastle, Spurs are sitting in the driver seat of their own destiny. All Tottenham has to do is win or tie against Norwich on Sunday. Lowly Norwich is at the very bottom of the table, doom to be relegated back to the Championship League. This would imply that Spurs should have this in the bag, and I for one, totally do not believe that. If sports have taught me anything, it’s that the last placed team can play like champions on the last game of the season. But if for some reason Tottenham does win or tie on Sunday, then I am quite positive that Harry Kane and Conte will both be receiving huge contracts in the off season. And I have never been wrong about this team.

    Sarah Sherman is my favorite new person on Saturday Night Live. I only found out about her last September when SNL announced its new cast, and as a lark, I looked her up. Sarah Sherman also goes by Sarah Squirm, which I started following on Instagram, and I have been enthralled with her. She’s weird and quirky, and funny, and has this whole sense of style that is unlike anyone. Her work on SNL this season has been a complete standout, and she carries herself like she’s been on the show for years. Go hunt her out, and pay attention.

    I’m going to take a nap.

    (Say, don’t forget to like this post, or share it, or leave a comment. I got bills to pay, you know.)

  • Arsenal Lost

    I can’t believe it myself, but Arsenal lost to Newcastle yesterday 2-0. Tottenham is in fourth place in the Premiere League, and if they can win or tie on Sunday, Spurs will earn a spot in next season’s Champions League. The thing I had hoped for might actually happen. And if they hold on to fourth place, then there is a good chance that Harry Kane will stay, and so will Conte.

    Ah, but it’s an “if.”

    If they can do it.

    And I have been around the block enough times to know that nothing is guaranteed until its over. Too many years of watching the Cubs blow it, and the Rangers, and the Cowboys, and the Stars, and the Mavericks, and pretty much any sports I have taken the time to follow.

    Do you really know what love is if you heart has never been broken?

    That’s kind’a what this feels like; my heart is about the be broken.

    But it’s also kind of thrilling as well.

    This season has been a roller coaster. From Harry Kane holding out, and the lack luster start of the season. Nuno getting hired then fired, and Conte coming in. Letting Dele go, and picking up Kulusevski, which has worked out great with Kane and Son. The defense is playing better, and it seems like things are going well.

    Which is why something awful may still happen.