I am not some Johnny Come Lately in regards

To my support for Everton FC in the English Premier League (EPL).  I picked them as my team some time in the late-Nineties, probably just after I finished reading Nick Hornby's smashing Arsenal memoir, Fever Pitch.

Liverpudlian ladies model Everton FC's  kit.

I picked Everton because I did not want to support the super rich big city clubs in London like Arsenal, Chelsea, or Spurs.  My London club is Fulham (who right now are on the verge of being relegated.) And, I did not want to support Man U, as they were the hottest thing on the planet at that time, and everybody here in the States loved them.  (Now, most folks here in the States are madly enamored with Arsenal.  Yuck.)

When I found out there was another club in Liverpool, that was not nearly as wonderful as Liverpool FC, a club that was the underdog of one of the biggest underdog cities in the world, well, that was it for me.  It was just gravy on my chips when my favorite football player of all-time, Landon Donovan, had two loan spells with Everton, and the Liverpudlians really took to him, and loved him.

Everton are nothing if not consistent.  For the last decade and a half Everton FC have finished on the top half of the table every single season.  That is great except they have never finished fifth or higher.  If you finish in the top five of the EPL that means the next season you get to play in "Europe".  In either the Champions League, the greatest club football tournament in the world, or the NIT version of Champions League, Europa.

Everton always finished between sixth and tenth during that spell.  Not good enough for Europe, but still nowhere close to relegation, either.

But, this year something beautiful might just happen for the Toffees -- Everton's nickname.  Man U's Sir Alec retired after last season, and Everton's coach, David Moyes, took the job at Man U. Everton hired a very good young Spanish coach, Roberto Martinez, who had had a fair amount of success with some other lesser known Welsh and English football clubs.  The conventional wisdom going in to this season was that Man U would continue its winning ways, and Everton would probably end up on the bottom part of the table.

That has not happened.  Martinez has done a masterful job of incorporating a smashing counter attacking style, and has nurtured some very fine young talent, and judiciously used some loan players to give Everton their first real crack at going to Europe in ages.  Meanwhile, down the road in Manchester, David Moyes is probably receiving death threats, and is being lambasted every single day, as Man U have had -- for them -- a very rough season.  They will probably finish  in sixth or seventh place.

I think a fifth place finish for Everton is on the cards.  They are one point up on Spurs, but still have a game in hand.  A fifth place finish would get Everton in to the Europa tourney next year.

But, recently, Arsenal have been struggling, including getting shellacked by Chelsea about a week ago, 6-nil.  A few days later Arsenal gave up an own goal in the ninetieth minute against lightly considered Swansea, and were only able to muster up a draw.

So, there is still hope for Everton to finish in fourth place.  Everton have a big game tomorrow against Fulham.  It is a game they really have to win if they have any legitimate shot at making it to Champions League.  The game after that is against the team they are chasing, Arsenal, up at Goodison Park in Liverpool.

We will see what happens.  When I am in London a few weeks from now Everton will be facing Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland.  I will be in Paris when Everton square off against Arsenal the day before my birthday.





Ta,
Ardent







UPDATE:  Arsenal drew 1-1 against title contenders, Man City, in London today, and are seven points ahead of Everton as of this moment.  The big shocker in the EPL today, though, was Crystal Palace beating Chelsea 1-nil on a own goal by John Terry.












-Ardent

I had my first Travel Anxiety Dream last night.

Every time I travel overseas I have one or two Travel Anxiety Dreams (TADs) right before my flight. Usually, it is same dream every time.  That dream is one where I am at the airport, ready to board the flight, and I realize that I do not have my passport.  No flight for me!

But, last night, I had a new and different TAD.  I am extremely excited about finally visiting Abbey Road Studios while we are in London, and I guess -- after last night -- I am a little anxious about it, as well.

In my dream last night, I was by myself in the right neighborhood, St John's Wood, and I had a reliable map that told me where the studio and the famous crosswalk were.  But as I approached my destination I realized that the crosswalk and the studio were not where they should be. Instead I was suddenly in a very long, wide, and exquisite Belle Époque hotel hallway that was covered in beautiful gold from floor to ceiling.  The ceiling was beautiful, and had long rows of window panes that threw light on the hall.  As I walked up and down this beautiful hallway, I would constantly refer to my map to see where the crosswalk was.  The map told the tale that I was at my destination, but I obviously was not, and I began to get worried.  

Next, I left the beautiful hotel and came across a gorgeous dog legged outdoor lawn that stretched on for blocks.  The map said this was the Mall of Great Moves.  And there were giant chessboards set up on the mall with giant chess pieces, each setting an example of famous chess moves throughout history.  These boards and the mall seemed to stretch on forever.  Finally, when I walked the entire mall, the map said I had reached the crosswalk.  But, I was back in the hotel hallway.  I noticed a little maintenance room at the end of the hall.  The door was partially open.  I went in there, and finally saw the famous Abbey Road Studios outer wall, all covered in its adoring Beatles graffiti.  But, I could not get to the wall because there was a large metal grated door between me and the studio.  The door was locked.  So I could finally see -- barely-- the studio but could not go there.  I woke up.  I never did find the crosswalk.  

************

Which brings me to the point of how odd it must be to work at Abbey Road Studios, knowing that every single day you go to work there will be grown adults, right outside, acting like silly joyful children, writing mash notes on the studio walls, and furiously trying to set up photographs of folks crossing a very busy street over a nondescript 'zebra' crosswalk whilst Londoners just try to do their thing. 

I think it is a real testament to the absolute brilliance and magic of the Beatles that they could make so many regular folks feel so blissfully childlike again, and act on those beautiful childlike wishes.  It is an inadvertent Magical Performance Art installation that plays every day of the year.  

How flipping beautiful is that.

Mwah, ...

It is an absolutely awful thing

That happened in Austin last night, and I can not tell you how bizarre it is to hear news reports stating that "these are the first two fatalities ever at a SXSW Conference."

But, as terrible a tragedy as this is, and as much as I would like to see justice served, I would encourage folks to tone down the rhetoric somewhat.  The police chief has already declared that the suspect,  Rashad Charjuan Owens, will be tried for two Capital Murder charges.  I wish, of course, that the DA would let him do a plea deal so as to avoid execution, but that may not be possible.  Even in Lefty Central Texas.

And, I do hope that Owens gets a fair trial.  If that means a change of location, well, that means a change of location.

My heart goes out to all the victims of this horrific incident, and to all the great and wonderful citizens (past and present) of Austin, Texas.  Austin truly is one of the finest cities in the world, and no city deserves this kind of evil recklessness at a time of such civic pride and joy.












mds

For Nick C, a new Lily Allen song!

This was on Girls last week.



























Mwah, 

Everyone have a great Oscars weekend!