A little footie with a dash of food is stupid to end your weekend. Do enjoy.
Former Japanese international Kazuyoshi Miura extended his loan deal with Portuguese second-division side Oliveirense last week. Pretty run of the mill soccer news, you'd think. Except for the fact that King Kazu is 56 years old and entering his 38th year of professional soccer. He says he wants to play until he's 60. Me, too, Kazu. Me, too.
We've featured the interview show Hot Ones here before, but it's worth reupping the mention because several of the online program's Season 21 episodes have been really fun. In particular, and for very different reasons, the shows featuring John Mulaney (who barely breaks a sweat), and Jennifer Lawrence (who absolutely does) are worth watching.
In actual huge soccer news here in America (that probably deserves a more thoughtful treatment than it's getting here), the United Soccer League (USL) announced this week that it plans to vote in early August to adopt a promotion/relegation system across its multiple divisions. Currently, the USL runs two leagues, the Championship (which is the second professional division in the U.S. soccer pyramid) and League One (the third division). The proposed pro/rel setup would add a third USL division and operate on the model employed by most of the rest of the world - the bottom teams in a division would drop to the level below and be replaced by the top teams from the lower division each year.
There is a large and vocal segment of the American soccerati that have clamored for pro/rel in our professional ranks for some time. The primary obstacle in MLS has been the reality that most owners paid significant sums of money to purchase their franchises and are unwilling to risk the negative impacts to revenue and valuation that would accompany relegation. The USL, with its less-expensive buy-in and larger number of franchises, would seem to be more suited to experimentation.
The fascinating kicker here is that USL leadership hasn't been particularly shy about their ambitions to have the league ultimately sanctioned by U.S. Soccer as a first-division entity, putting it in direct competition with MLS. Having a pro/rel system that allows American fans the same experience they get with the Premier League and the other major European leagues may create a competitive advantage that gets the USL closer to that first-division objective. My only objection is that Loudoun United, my local side, is odds-on to be one of the first relegated teams.
And finally, in more really stupid/really inspired food news, some demented genius just put dreamed this into the world:
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15 comments:
What if the NFL had relegation? Not sure what penny-ante league Washington would be in now.
Having a Finnish Long Drink. I’m not exactly pantsless, but I’m in some fairly snug board shorts so it may be about the same.
A fifth set! They're always worth your time. As I've commented here too many times, Boris Becker said that the person who wants the match more wins the fifth set, it isn't so much about talent as it is heart.
cromulent tennising
A noble spirit embiggens you, Rob
I'm impressed by John Mulaney's hot sauce skills. I think he's wearing the Rolex mentioned in Baby J.
I just watched the Baby J show last night. Quite the saga.
At a 40th bday party. Someone dropped an F bomb around an infant in a dude’s arms and apologized to the dad. I said, “Aw, he don’t know a cuss word from shinola.” Blank stares all around. Getting too old.
40 year olds are younger than they used to be.
First full day back at work in over a week and I'm just about all caught. On the downside, I've been largely sitting in my office chair for 8 hours.
Idea that's been rattling around my head since Mark mentioned a bunch of posts back: He's a knowledgeable hoopster, and he said that he tends to separate GOAT discussions into centers and all-court players.
How about a post elaborating? I believe he chose Michael over LeBron, but said Magic was his fave. As for centers, how does he rank Kareem, Russell, Shaq, Wilt, Olajuwon, Ewing and anybody I'm forgetting? And what if Jokic goes 4-5 more years of his current production? Where does he figure in mix?
my eldest went to a metal show in deecee last night, all 4'11 of them. came down for breakfast this morning and said, 'i got punched!', all proud-like. sure enough, little baby shiner and a swollen cheek, courtesy of mosh pit flailing. and wants to get right back to it. we raised a unique little human.
big gulps!
Gheorghe: The Ghost Town
It’s summer Whit. People are at the beach, Dave is fighting undergrads at the Rutgers gym.
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