Macca

I've been demonised (possessed) Just in time for the footy season - I'm calling it my combative mode.

Watched the incident and putting aside the weirdness of what happened, he'll either cop a lengthy ban or he might cop a smaller sentence or a reasonably small sentence - much depends on what Barry might have to say. He'll almost certainly be out for the next 3 regardless because of the red card. As for 4th spot, I reckon 2nd or 3rd isn't restricted to just a few sides fighting for those prized CL positions ... such has been the nature of the season that nothing would surprise me. At Southampton next up for your blokes - that won't be easy as they're thereabouts as well.

Wow, great stuff hardtack! The great thing with music and all it's genre's is there is a seemingly endless supply - in many ways we're spoilt for choice ... discovering* new music doesn't have to mean it was made recently. I preferred the earlier stuff from Chicago as well ... I've always found it fascinating how a number of bands/artists run out of ideas where as others just change direction and can often remain successful by doing so. *With regards to the movies, great books, some TV etc etc, the same discoveries go on ... (especially with jazz) I tend to treat it all the same way whether it's new or old. .

And Man City can only manage a point at Norwich ... loads of possession but the sky blues just couldn't create enough chances (considering the talent that was show) Now 9 points behind Leicester with 9 games left ... it's getting harder and harder to see them winning the title.

And what Chicago became ended up appealing to many others (who were perhaps born later and missed their early stuff) Music is like that. As an example, Steely Dan started off as a (sort of) commercial band which I was a bit beige about and then went non-commercial with 'The Royal Scam' & 'Aja' (which is the stuff that I really really loved) and then went a bit commercial again with 'Gaucho' (which I really liked but didn't love) And there are numerous people who don't like Steely Dan at all - it takes all types. It's definitely a generational thing and we are all heavily influenced by the period in our lives of say the ages of 15 - 25 (or thereabouts) ... especially around that 17-22 age period. After that, anything new has to be really good for one to accept it readily (IMO) ... or, the music has to remind us or take one back to when we were heavily influenced. Over the years, I've learned to appreciate almost anything. That's my take on it anyway 'ht' ... and then there's the brass influence in rock that seems to only appeal to a certain amount of people. To this day, I still am blown away by the 'Peter Gunn theme' ... Tinsley Waterhouse used to do a great version when I used to see them at the Station Hotel (Prahran) Here's a couple more with that brass influence ... more BST and Chicago (the first clip is a little 'different') ... btw, the other music thread that 'nutbean' started is a beaut - couple of really good venues there with a lot of favourites from the past appearing (not forgetting of course the jazz thread kicked off by JJ)

Here's a couple with a heavy brass influence ... Blood, Sweat & Tears and Chicago

Osweiler moving is a bit of a shock but money talks (if that was the main reason) ... 72 million is a lot of dosh though. Sanchez being signed by Denver seems a bit bland - have the Broncos got someone else in mind as well? There are strong rumours surrounding Kaepernick going to Denver but he's been made an offer by the Browns (and Kap wants to go Cleveland too - ??) Denver Broncos acquire quarterback Mark Sanchez

And you've got a game in hand too Cards ... what is your run home like?

Yeah, I'm officially excited and it's a very strange feeling ... unknown territory. A bit like our Demons in '87 after only knowing mediocre seasons for so long. The truth is we've got 5 very winnable games of the 9 remaining fixtures when considering how well the team is playing (vs Arsenal, @ Leicester, @ Chelsea & vs Man Utd will all be very tough but we might even snag a win and a draw or 2 out of those 4 games) Then, we'll need 2 of the other 5 teams to really slip up but who knows? Sakho is already making a difference after coming back from injury. It's just great to be part of the conversation. The Spurs/Arsenal game had draw written all over it but Leicester gained another 2 points on both sides ... the Foxes are not over the line yet though ... Ranieri will need to use all his experience and guile to guide them through. And yes, it was a wonderful goal by Harry Kane - one of the best of the season.

And so to the big game in just over an hour ... Spurs vs Gunners. A draw is not a good result for either side (especially if Leicester win at Watford later on) A win to Arsenal probably means more to the Gunners than a loss would mean to Tottenham (if Arsenal win then they would draw level on points with Spurs) In all reality both teams need to go all out for a win as they can't rely on Leicester dropping points ... so I'm expecting an attacking game with lots of goal scoring opportunities - meanwhile, Man City should defeat Villa whilst Man Utd have a tough one at West Brom. My Hammers have an equally tough game at Everton but we can win. Anyway, I'll be tuning in to the Spurs/Gunners game on cable but to listen to the live broadcast of the game go here ... talksport.com ... then follow the links. A local derby with it all to play for.

It was quite an incredible morning with regards to the results ... the biggest shock was your team losing but the impact was felt all over ... and now Chelsea and Man Utd are hovering. Does any team really want to win the title apart from Leicester? Here's a decent synopsis of the top 4 teams chances (from the BBC website) ... Premier League: Fate, romance, the perfect farewell? Who wins the title? ... even my Hammers are given some sort of chance of snaring 4th spot whilst Man Utd are now level on points with Man City.

Reckon it's going to be like this every week right up until the last day 'Gv' ... all the teams in contention can drop points anytime - it's been that sort of season. And more than one of the 4 teams could go on an unbeaten run - but the teams will be chasing 3 points - a draw is now like a loss. Teams like my Hammers will want to throw a spanner in the works too (no pun intended!) ... It's been reported that Sakho will finally reappear in Thursday morning's clash against your lads ... should be a great game too. Sakho will probably make an appearance late in the game - he'll need to be guarded well. Same with Payet. I've got a feeling that Man City might mount a real charge ... but first they need to win at Anfield - no easy task. Arsenal just have to win vs Swansea too.

Agree with that 'dc' but I'm more than just a footy fan - I'm a sports fan so I'm therefore going to take a broader view. The worldwide PED issue is infinitely bigger than what went on at Essendon ... in fact, I believe that what went on at Essendon can be attributed to how things are worldwide - a flow-on effect per se.

If nothing else Goodwin has almost certainly had quite a wake-up call. Any coach or perspective coach knows that he himself needs to be on the up-and-up. If one was to put oneself in his position then one would know that there would be many viewing him with a discernible eye ... and not just from within our club. The stuff that went on at Essendon may end up making him an even better coach - in a way he has put himself on notice and therefore, there shouldn't be any comfort zones. Too many rookie coaches get carried away with themselves - their sometimes false sense of worth ends up getting in the way of coaching to the best of their ability. Goodwin has come in under a bit of a cloud but that can be a real positive. There's no room for big heads and I very much doubt that he will get ahead of himself. As always, a coach can only really be judged on how the team performs on the weekend. I wish him well. And not all who were pointing the finger of guilt at the Bombers treated the Essendon stuff in the same way - a number here treated it (and still do) in too much of a narrow way ... it became like Melb vs Ess for too many ... The broader picture is horrific and that's where the focus should lie (with regards to PED use) The AFL were always going to go into repair mode with the Bombers and it can't be any fun missing a whole year of footy and to be forever labeled as a drug cheat (and that's how many will view the 34)

Well, I've seen 7 of the 8 movies up for best film at the Oscars - all of them very good or better. Haven't seen Mad Max: Fury Road yet but will hopefully catch that film on the weekend Anyway, here's the 8 movies with my rating ... keep in mind that my interest in movies is quite eclectic so any genre can appeal no matter what the content. Click on any of the movies for the IMDB link. The Revenant 9.0 ... cinematography was spectacular in this not-so-classic Western. Really enjoyed this film. Bridge of Spies 8.5 ... cold war thriller with some great performances from Hanks & Mark Rylance The Big Short 8.0 ... explains the financial meltdown of 2007/08 in a user-friendly manner with some fine performances from Bale, Gosling & Carell Room 8.5 ... wow, this movie really was a terrific surprise - a worthy nomination. Brie Larson was quite superlative alongside a marvelous acting performance by Jacob Tremblay. Brooklyn 8.0 ... one for couples, and very well made. Saoirse Ronan was terrific in this fine film. The Martian 8.0 ... pure escapism and a lot of fun. A feel-good movie which leaves one well satisfied. Spotlight 8.5 ... a superb exposé on a story that needed to told. A terrific ensemble cast headed by Michael Keaton & Rachel McAdams. Mad Max: Fury Road (haven't seen) And here are all the other nominations in the various categories Edited just now by Macca

Man Utd lose to Midtjyland (who?) in the Europa League ... what is going on at Old Trafford? Anyway, the rumours are getting stronger that Mourinho will be managing United ... what other high profile managers would be available anyway? I'm not sure he's a great fit but there's no denying the impact he continually has wherever he has gone (his tenures' also only seem to have a shelf life of about 3 years) This article from the Daily Express indicates that he'll end up at Man Utd but who knows?

Here's a couple that I came across randomly ... don't know a great deal about either band but both songs have got a nice driving rhythm ... could have almost gone on the jazz thread but this thread will do.

Outside of the UK there are the fierce rivalries in Milan and Madrid (AC & Inter as well as Athletico & Real) There's probably a stack more but I've heard that there's any number in Argentina & Brazil. Not forgetting the Man Utd & Liverpool rivalry which goes way back. As for the title race, Man City won the title after coming from 8 points behind 2 years ago but ... they'll need to get on a winning streak asap. One could make a case for any of the top 4 teams prevailing ... I'm hoping it comes down to the final match-day (which, for those who don't know is May 15th - Sunday night ... midnight AEST) ... so, we've 3 more months left - it's a long season.

Now we're set for the run in to the finish ... every week the order of the top 4 might change. FA cup (round 5) next weekend but here's the EPL schedule for the next 30 days. It's worth repeating that Leicester are the only team amongst the top 4 who have Premier league commitments only. Injuries aside, the foxes can pick their best team without having to worry about resting any of their players (in theory) Spurs vs Arsenal in a duel to the finish? Are there 2 groups of fans who dislike each other more intensely? Man City need to get on a roll ... they've already lost 7 games and their next 2 (EPL) are @ Newcastle then @ Liverpool.

Yeah, I'd already thought that one through 'GV' (kinda, sorta) I don't believe it dilutes the EPL that much but it would resurrect the FA cup (in theory) ... so, it's not so much robbing Peter to pay Paul but more making sure that there are 2 competitions in England that are absolutely viable and vibrant. The whole idea is to lift the FA to it's once former glory ... the idea is one that I'm passing on too - it's thrown up a lot in England and has been bandied about for a number of years now ... the other bit to remember is how UEFA would view such a scheme. It's now getting to a point where more & more of the fans of the big clubs see the FA cup as clogging up an already busy schedule - the talk is constantly about qualifying for Champions league - well, give the FA cup winner the 4th Champions league spot and those fans would then want their club to win the FA cup (again, in theory) By the way, whilst I'm very happy that my Hammers defeated Liverpool in the 4th round replay a couple of days ago, it should be noted that Liverpool played an under strength side themselves (as they did in the first encounter at Anfield) The idea would make it a lot harder for a battling club to win the FA cup but back in the day when the FA cup was treated very seriously, the winner wasn't always one of the bigger clubs. Oddly enough, of the big clubs, (the money clubs) only Liverpool are missing from the 5th round this year ... but, most or all of the big clubs have been playing 2nd string sides for years now (with the odd exception - Arsenal?) The fans are torn between wanting to see some silverware whilst keeping a firm eye on higher stakes. Fifth Round draw 1. Chelsea v Man City 2. Reading v West Bromwich Albion 3. Watford v Leeds United 4. Shrewsbury v Man Utd 5. Blackburn v West Ham 6. Tottenham v Crystal Palace 7. Arsenal v Hull City 8. Bournemouth v Everton

It might be Washington's year ... they've only lost 13 games (including o/t losses) which is 7 better than the next best record ... they score freely and have by far the biggest goal difference. A few of the usual suspects are thereabouts as well (Blackhawks, Kings, Bruins, Rangers et al) Florida have been impressive and San Jose is quietly making a bit of a run at it. Dallas & St Louis are looking good too. Pittsburgh are another team that is starting to come good (7-2-1 in their last 10) I'm hangin' for the playoffs though - or at least the last month of the regular season.

Hammers knock of Liverpool (again) in the FA cup ... Blackburn next I reckon the only way the FA cup can be brought back to it's former glory is to offer the 4th Champions league spot to the winner of the cup ... ok, it's a "playoff" spot for the group stages in the Champions league but it would be a big incentive, all the same. Every year we hear the same complaints about most of the Premier league teams not putting out their best teams in the FA cup but that's not going to change unless those clubs are incentivised. The Premier league with all it's riches rules (big $$$$'s for just being involved, Champions league spots)

The Americans are even worse ... some stadiums are virtually empty by the end of some games. I've also heard that a lot of NBA fans (at the games) are in the bars until half time.

Such is the nature of soccer that it's altogether possible that Leicester could play really well at Arsenal next Sunday and lose the game ... their last 3 games of the season are tough too. But the other 3 sides in contention have a fair bit on their plate too. However, Arsenal will do well to get past Barca in the Champions league and Spurs might decide that the Europa league is too much of a distraction. Man City will probably get past Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions league.

Leicester have got 13 games left with 2 fortnight breaks ... they stay healthy, they can win it. Conversely, the Spurs, Gunners and City have up to 26 games ahead of them (counting Champions league, Europa league, FA cup and League cup commitments) That is a significant advantage in terms of keeping players fresh (esp at the tail-end of the season) ... however, Leicester could ill-afford to lose Vardy, Kante or either of their 2 big centre-backs (Morgan & Huth) It's going to be a fascinating run in.