General - Top Content

TTPL2 Super Cup Final

Wed, 02 May 2012 13:19:38 +0000

Final

After a long and arduous campaign the climax to the season, the Super Cup Final is upon us. Team Ocelot and Giorgio & The Wonder Bewbs have surprised us all, having both claimed the final Super Cup spot in their respective divisions. Both teams won their Semi-Finals rather convincingly with Team Ocelot managing to score just a solitary goal more than their now opponents and now they come head-to-head in what promises to be a titanic encounter.

Rules

Scoring and predictions will work the same way as the regular season. Your team captain will contact you with your assigned game. You will PM your team captain your prediction for that match. Team captains will PM me their full team predictions by the deadline posted for that round (See post below for details on best way to do this):
Captain start a PM with the 4 other team members. Each team member just submits their prediction in the PM, then once the captain has all the predictions from his team adds you to the PM to see them all, that way you know each member has submitted their own prediction and captain hasn't submitted one for them.

Once the deadline has passed, I will post all predictions in this thread so that everyone can follow along. No chance for application errors or anything like that. Team captains will also answer a "Tie Breaker" question for the 2nd leg for each round in case your match ends in a tie. If the match is still tied after the Tie Breaker question 1 and Tie Breaker question 2, a coin flip will determine the outcome.

Matches
FA Cup Final - Chelsea v Liverpool - 5th May 2012 @ 17:15 GMT
Europa League Final - Atletico Madrid v Athletic Bilbao - 9th May 2012 @ 19:45 GMT
Coppa Italia Final - Juventus v Napoli - 19th May 2012 @ --:-- GMT
Champions League Final - Bayern Munich v Chelsea - 19th May 2012 @ 19:45 GMT
Copa del Rey Final - Athletic Bilbao v Barcelona - 24th May April 2012 @ --:-- GMT

Tie Breaker
1. Number of goals (90mins) across the 5 selected matches.
2. Time of the opening goal in the CL Final.

Captains have until 4th May 2012 @ 23:59 to get their teams predictions to be via PM.

Final

Team Ocelot - 0
Chelsea v Liverpool
Atletico Madrid v Athletic Bilbao
Real Betis v Atletico Madrid
Bayern Munich v Chelsea
Athletic Bilbao v Barcelona

Tie Breaker
1. Number of goals (90mins) across the 5 selected matches.
2. Time of the opening goal in the CL Final.

Giorgio & The Wonder Bewbs - 0
Chelsea v Liverpool
Atletico Madrid v Athletic Bilbao
Real Betis v Atletico Madrid
Bayern Munich v Chelsea
Athletic Bilbao v Barcelona

Tie Breaker
1. Number of goals (90mins) across the 5 selected matches.
2. Time of the opening goal in the CL Final.

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The Premier League's 20 Seasons Awards

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 02:21:08 +0000

20 SEASONS OF PREMIER LEAGUE

Yes, it really has been 20 years. And this is how the Premier League is choosing to celebrate its 20th anniversary. From five categories, you can choose your favourite match, goal, celebration, save, and players (submitted as an all-time best team) that have graced the Premier League over the past couple of decades. Just follow the link to cast your votes, but, be warned, you won't agree with some of the nominees.

Best Match

Liverpool 4-3 Newcastle United (1995-96)
Newcastle United 5-0 Manchester United (1996-97)
Tottenham Hotspur 3-5 Manchester United (2001-02)
Portsmouth 7-4 Reading (2007-08)
Arsenal 4-4 Tottenham Hotspur (2008-09)
Liverpool 4-4 Arsenal (2008-09)
Manchester United 4-3 Manchester City (2009-10)
Newcastle United 4-4 Arsenal (2010-11)
Manchester United 8-2 Arsenal (2011-12)
Manchester United 1-6 Manchester City (2011-12)

Best Goal

Matt Le Tissier – Southampton v Newcastle United (1993-94)
Matt Le Tissier – Blackburn Rovers v Southampton (1994-95)
Tony Yeboah – Leeds United v Liverpool (1995-96)
David Beckham – Wimbledon v Manchester United (1996-97)
Eric Cantona – Manchester United v Sunderland (1996-97)
Paolo Di Canio – West Ham United v Wimbledon (1999-00)
Thierry Henry – Arsenal v Manchester United (2000-01)
Dennis Bergkamp – Newcastle United v Arsenal (2001-02)
Alan Shearer – Newcastle United v Everton (2002-03)
Wayne Rooney – Manchester United v Manchester City (2010-11)

Best Celebration

Alex Ferguson & Brian Kidd – Manchester United v Sheffield Wednesday (1992-93)
Lee Sharpe – Manchester United v Arsenal (1994-95)
Jurgen Klinsmann – Sheffield Wednesday v Tottenham Hotspur (1994-95)
Eric Cantona – Manchester United v Sunderland (1996-97)
Temuri Ketsbaia – Newcastle United v Bolton Wanderers (1997-98)
Ian Wright & Neil Ruddock – West Ham United v Southampton (1998-99)
Steven Gerrard – Manchester United v Liverpool (2008-09)
Jimmy Bullard – Manchester City v Hull City (2009-10)
Lomana Lua Lua – Newcastle United (Multiple occasions)
Alan Shearer – Newcastle United (Multiple occasions)

Best Save

Peter Schmeichel – Liverpool v Manchester United (1992-93)
Peter Schmeichel – Newcastle United v Manchester United (1997-98)
Jussi Jaaskelainen – Manchester United v Bolton Wanderers (2001-02)
Shay Given – Sunderland v Newcastle United (2001-02)
Tomasz Kuszczak – Wigan Athletic v West Bromwich Albion (2005-06)
Carlo Cudicini – Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea (2007-08)
Brad Friedel – Blackburn Rovers v Manchester United (2007-08)
Joe Hart – Liverpool v Manchester City (2007-08)
Tomasz Kuszczak – Birmingham City v Manchester United (2007-08)
Craig Gordon – Sunderland v Bolton Wanderers (2010-11)

Fantasy Team (Best Player by position, each position has a ten man shortlist)

Goalkeepers – Petr Čech, Brad Friedel, Shay Given, Joe Hart, David James, Pepe Reina, Peter Schmeichel, Mark Schwarzer, David Seaman, Edwin van der Sar
Right-backs –Warren Barton, Stephen Carr, Lee Dixon, Glen Johnson, Rob Jones, Gary Kelly, Gary Neville, Dan Petrescu, Micah Richards, Bacary Sagna
Central defenders – Tony Adams, Steve Bruce, Sol Campbell, Jamie Carragher, Marcel Desailly, Rio Ferdinand, Paul McGrath, Jaap Stam, John Terry, Nemanja Vidić
Left-backs – John Arne Riise, Leighton Baines, Gael Clichy, Ashley Cole, Patrice Evra, Ian Harte, Denis Irwin, Graeme Le Saux, Stuart Pearce, Nigel Winterburn
Right midfielders – Darren Anderton, David Beckham, Joe Cole, Andrei Kanchelskis, Aaron Lennon, Freddie Ljungberg, Steve McManaman, Cristiano Ronaldo, Steve Stone, Ashley Young
Central midfielders – Cesc Fàbregas, Steven Gerrard, Paul Ince, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Matt Le Tissier, Claude Makélelé, Emmanuel Petit, Paul Scholes, Patrick Vieira
Left midfielders – Gareth Bale, John Barnes, Damien Duff, Ryan Giggs, David Ginola, Harry Kewell, Marc Overmars, Robert Pirès, Arjen Robben, David Silva
Forwards – Dennis Bergkamp, Eric Cantona, Andrew Cole, Robbie Fowler, Thierry Henry, Wayne Rooney, Alan Shearer, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ian Wright, Gianfranco Zola

Videos are provided on www.premierleague.com, voting closes on Monday 30th April. Link

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TTPL2 Semi-Finals

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 02:20:52 +0000

Semi Finals

The Quarter-Finals saw Team Ocelot, Fierce Invalids, Los Últimos Románticos and Giorgio & Giorgio & The Wonder Bewbs progress to the Semi-Finals of this second season of the TTPL. Team Ocelot ousted Division One winners and Super Cup favourites Backdoor Bandits in the only real surprise of the round. Fierce Invalids and Los Últimos Románticos progressed against Division Two qualifiers The AA-Team and Los Gramps respectively, meanwhile Giorgio & Giorgio & The Wonder Bewbs saw off Illuminati FC in the lowest scoring game of the round.

Draw in Full
Team Ocelot v Fierce Invalids
Los Últimos Románticos and Giorgio & The Wonder Bewbs

Rules

Scoring and predictions will work the same way as the regular season. Your team captain will contact you with your assigned game. You will PM your team captain your prediction for that match. Team captains will PM me their full team predictions by the deadline posted for that round (See post below for details on best way to do this):
Captain start a PM with the 4 other team members. Each team member just submits their prediction in the PM, then once the captain has all the predictions from his team adds you to the PM to see them all, that way you know each member has submitted their own prediction and captain hasn't submitted one for them.

Once the deadline has passed, I will post all predictions in this thread so that everyone can follow along. No chance for application errors or anything like that. Team captains will also answer a "Tie Breaker" question for the 2nd leg for each round in case your match ends in a tie. If the match is still tied after the Tie Breaker question 1 and Tie Breaker question 2, a coin flip will determine the outcome.

1st Leg

Matches
Arsenal vs Chelsea - 21st April 2012 @ 12:45 GMT
Cliftonville vs Glentoran - 21st April 2012 @ 15:00 GMT
Trabzonspor vs Beşiktaş - 21st April 2012 @ 17:00 GMT
Barcelona vs Real Madrid - 21st April 2012 @ 19:00 GMT
Juventus vs AS Roma - 22nd April 2012 @ 19:45 GMT
SJ Earthquakes vs Real Salt Lake - 22nd April 2012 @ 03:30 GMT

Captains have until 20th April 2012 @ 23:59 to get their teams predictions to be via PM.

2nd Leg

Matches

Semi-Final 1

Semi-Final 2

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Ayrton Senna

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 18:21:56 +0000

Ayrton Senna da Silva (21 March 1960 – 1 May 1994)

F1 World Champion in 1988, 1990 and 1991

162 starts

41 wins

80 podiums

65 pole positions

"Magic" Senna

Emerson Fittipaldi, who became World Champion F1 in ’72 and ’74, was a local hero in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Fittipaldi was Senna's childhood role model. He knew he wouldn’t achieve anything in his career if he wasn’t going to work for it. Without work, talent didn’t mean anything. When a tropical thunderstorm occurred during a kart race which flooded the race track, Senna got passed by every opponent. It was an important lesson that Senna will remember for the rest of his life. Every time it rained, Senna would go practice. On an abandoned parking lot in the heavy rain, Senna would practice and become the unbeatable driver in treacherous circumstances.

People say that nowadays the car decides who will win the championship. It hardly shows who the best driver is. It was different in the past. I remember watching footages and hearing stories about the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix. It was literally a downpour on race day. Senna drove that season for Toleman, which had an uncompetitive car. He started the race from 13th on the grid and made his way through the Grand Prix to 3rd place and soon got past Niki Lauda, who drove for Mclaren. Prost who was in the lead was driving more than 19 seconds ahead of Senna, but it was clearly that Prost would be caught by Senna. Senna was more than 4 second a lap quicker than Prost. When Senna finally reached behind Prost, the race got red flagged and Senna got passed Prost at the start/finish. At the time Senna didn’t realise the race got red flagged, so when he finally noticed he was convinced he had won the race. But the regulations tell that when a race gets red flagged the official results would be the standings of the previous lap. So Prost won the race and Senna became second. That day the world of Formula 1 witnessed what the young Brazilian was capable of.

Later on in 1985 Senna moved to Lotus and at the second race he qualified his Lotus on pole position. The race was in similar circumstances as the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix. A downpour made it very treacherous, but Senna showed his wet weather driving skills and drove his Lotus to the checkered flag dominating the whole race and winning the race with a minute lead to second man Michele Alboreto.It was a stage in his career where he had a decent car that could fight for championship points and sometimes fight for the lead of races. Senna stayed at Lotus for 3 seasons and sooner or later Senna had to move on, because with the package that Lotus offered he wasn’t going to achieve his goals, which was to become ‘World Champion’. Because he was so involved with the development of the car, he also had a close relationship with Honda, who delivered engines for team Lotus. So eventually when the 1987 season ended Mclaren had announced that they were going to run Honda engines in ’88. This was the perfect moment to make the switch. Not only is he partnered with Honda, but now he has a Mclaren car at his disposal. The elements Mclaren, Honda, Senna and Prost In ’88 were a team that marked a historical dominance. In the ’88 season Mclaren won 15 of the 16 races. The Mclaren MP4/4 designed by Gordon Murray was the most iconic F1-car of the turbo era. (cfr. Top Gear tribute)

Senna driving the Mclaren MP4/4

In the final Grand Prix of the 1988 championship the race took place on the Suzuka Circuit in Japan. Ayrton Senna started from pole with rival Prost alongside him. When the race started, Senna stalled and fell back to 14th place after the first lap. Despite the setback, he drove an amazing comeback on a light damp track to win the race and claim the title of World Champion in 1988. This was his first title in F1.

It was in the European Grand Prix in Donington '93 that Senna showcased his brilliance on a damp track. All the practice he had done in his childhood produced a one lap magic, which the world of motorsports witnessed on that Easter Sunday:

Senna wasn’t only quick on a damp track, but when it comes to street courses like Monaco, Senna was a specialist. During the 1988 qualification in Monaco, Senna took pole position over Alain Prost with a gap of 1.4 seconds. He was a very aggressive driver. A driver that just wouldn't give away his position at all cost. It was very hard to drive against, but he was always fair. Senna always knew where to put his car on the road. He has the ability to make his car as wide as possible. (cfr. Top Gear tribute)

The Good-hearted Brazilian

On the final and decisive race at Suzuka in Japan, Ayrton started on pole position, which meant he was going to start the race on the cleaner side of the track. Ballestre, the president of the FIA, announced before the race that the pole position spot needed be switched to the other side, which meant Ayrton would start the race on the dirty, more dustier side of the track, whereas Alain Prost would start second on the more cleaner side. Despite Ayrton having a few meters advantage, he would go slower off the line than Alain Prost. He knew that and so he said if Alain Prost gets ahead of him before the first turn, he would run him off the track. So he did... It was his answer on what they call the "dark forces". Balestre deemed favoring his fellow countryman Alain Prost.

I remember that one time when he was on track at the Belgian GP back in 1991. It was Friday free practice and Senna was on a flying lap before reaching Blanchimont. The yellow flags were waving. Someone had gone off and crashed heavily. That driver was Eric Comas who passed out after the crash. His foot was still stuck on the throttle. As Senna slowly drove by the wreckage, he clearly heard the engine hitting the rev limiter. Senna stopped on track and ran back to help his colleague. He was well aware that if he didn't shut down the engine, the consequences could have been far worse. This showed a different side of Senna, knowing that back in 1989 he kind of deliberately ran Alain Prost off the track. He actually risked his own life to safe another. Eric Comas later said that Senna had saved his life that day.

It's a paradox compared to 1 May 1994, where Eric Comas was released from the pits when the race was red flagged. Comas was racing down the Tamburello bend not knowing that the road ahead was blocked by the medical team and a helicopter. He avoided the medical team and stopped his car right in the middle of the track. At that moment Comas witnessed the medical team trying to revive Senna. He felt helpless, considering Senna saving his live back in 1991.

Senna, an inspirational character

Ayrton Senna’s success lead to great things back in Brazil. At the time the poverty was high in Brazil, but the Brazilians used Senna’s success as a way of inspiration for their lives. During the ’88 season Brazil just got out of the military dictatorship. Soon a new and better system was introduced in Brazil. People from Brazil preferred to hide that they were from Brazil, but Senna was different. Senna was proud of what he was. He was proud he came from Brazil. He showed that by embracing the Brazilian flag. Senna gave the Brazilian population ‘hope’. Besides that, he was also a very charismatic and generous person. After his death it was revealed he had donated a large amount of money to help poor children. An estimate $400 million was donated. Before his death he created an organization dedicated to poor children called “Instituto Ayrton Senna”.

Senna and Japan

Ayrton Senna and Honda had a good relationship. Japanese car enthusiasts admire Ayrton Senna as a god in Japan. Senna himself had a lot of interest in Japanese culture. I remember seeing this Japanese show with Ayrton Senna as guest. This was shot in 1993.

In part 4, Senna said “I’ll challenge you next year again”. That was heartbreaking knowing it would never happen.

Senna and Berger

In 1990 and 1991, Gerhard Berger drove for Mclaren and became teammate with Senna. Senna dominated Berger in the 1990 season. So Berger worked harder to beat Senna in the following season. During pre-season he got his hands on the new Mclaren. He tested and developed the car thoroughly through pre-season on his own, while Senna was on vacation. When Senna came back for his first test with the new car, he stunned Berger. On his first flying lap he was immediately more than one second faster than Berger. This shows once more the raw speed Senna had as a race driver.

Berger was a person with great humour and so during his time at Mclaren he wanted to disrupt Senna's focus by making many practical jokes. Senna accepted the challenge and through out the season there where numerous times this happened.

Senna and Boutsen

Ayrton Senna, was always alone in his mysterious world. He didn't really have real friends in the paddock. His best friend within the paddock was a Belgian. Thierry Boutsen was one of the drivers who raced against Senna in F1. Boutsen relived some of his moments:

Quote

I met Ayrton the first time at the Grand Prix of Detroit in 1984. We were fighting on the track for the last championship point. It was a fierce battle. We were banging wheels. It looked like we were racing in the Formula Ford series. That fight actually made us friends. After the race we exchanged words and we decided to catch up again the next race weekend in Canada.
I was amazed with his driving. The Toleman wasn’t a competitive car at all, but he drove very fast. That’s because of his commitment behind the steering wheel. Some people say he’s a tough person on the track, but he’s always like that against all the drivers. He’s always a tough competitor, but he’s always fair to be honest. His only bad action was probably back in Suzuka 1989, which probably was an act of revenge.

Later we were on holiday together. We were invited by Club Med to the Island of Mauritius. There I learned about Ayrton and his private life. He was actually a very outgoing person. He was always concentrated with everything he did. From building a flyer, water skiing to racing RC cars. He was a very passionate man who lived life at its fullest, but always demanded perfection. Also in terms of his closest friends. It’s pretty rare that two drivers have a really great bond, because there's always rivalry when drivers like us are on track. The pressure of the manufacturers, the team bosses and the sponsors were so unbearable. It’s pretty much a paradox that our friendship has grown bigger and bigger. Eventually we always met off the track, sometimes not talking about cars. Except for that one time in the winter of ’90-’91. He was in negotiation with Ferrari and he asked me not to sign anything, because if the deal went through he would have hired me as a team mate. It all went differently though.
We both loved aircrafts and we both loved kids, despite Ayrton never mentioned it maybe because he never found a suitable mother. The most beautiful proof of friendship is his answer to my question if he could be the godfather of my son Cedric. That was just a few days before the accident…

Senna died, but I didn’t lose a friend. He’s still here with me and the tons of advice he gave me, I still have yet to fulfil them.

I could go on and on and there's tons of material on the internet about this racing legend. Ayrton Senna is an inspiration for everybody not only for the sport, but also for humanity. So it’s not only a sad loss for the sport, but also a big loss for humanity.

Other footage material:

Controversy Senna vs Prost Suzuka 1989

Top Gear Tribute to Ayrton Senna

Senna testing the Honda NSX, which he helped to develop it + his heel-and-toe technique

Spor Toto Süper Lig

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 03:26:49 +0000

A place where you can disccus the Süper Lig, the Turkish premier football league, where Alex, Yobo, Emre, Elmander, Felipe Melo, Riera, Baros, Ujfalusi, Muslera, Rustu, Manuel Fernandes, Quaresma, Hugo Almeida and Simao earn their pennies.

Also the home of the world's greatest player since Oleguer: Emannuel Eboue.

http://dai.ly/xk40GF

Awesome game between Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray last weekend. I creamed myself on Alex's goal.

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CraiigMan's Match Day Thread

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 16:29:59 +0000

It's back. 10 avatars for each game every game, with the occasional signature. So if you are looking for the most recent avatars this is the place to come. To start with I will only be doing Arsenal (Plus a few random ones) games, but I will take any requests. This first post will be a way to locate each game with the links provided. All will be 180x120 and high quality.

Chelsea vs Bolton

http://www.tiki-taka...post__p__619060

Arsenal vs Tottenham

http://www.tiki-taka...post__p__619442

Norwich vs Man Utd

http://www.tiki-taka...post__p__619596

Cardiff vs Liverpool

http://www.tiki-taka...post__p__620309

West Brom vs Chelsea

http://www.tiki-taka...post__p__628538

Man City vs Bolton

http://www.tiki-taka...post__p__628538

Liverpool vs Arsenal

http://www.tiki-taka...post__p__628541

Tottenham vs Man Utd

http://www.tiki-taka...post__p__628887

Chelsea vs Stoke

http://www.tiki-taka...post__p__628887

Man Utd vs West Brom

http://www.tiki-taka...post__p__628887

Arsenal vs Newcastle

http://www.tiki-taka...post__p__628887

Liverpool vs Everton

http://www.tiki-taka...post__p__628887

Tottenham vs Bolton (Plus Muamba Extra)

http://www.tiki-taka...post__p__629345

Wolves vs Man Utd

http://www.tiki-taka...post__p__629352

Chelsea vs Leicester

http://www.tiki-taka...post__p__629354

Liverpool vs Stoke

http://www.tiki-taka...post__p__629356

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TTPL2 Quarter-Finals

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 12:02:21 +0000

Quarter Finals

The 2nd season of the TTPL seen the Backdoor Bandits run away with the First Division with not even a challenge from defending champions Supernaturalistic, who even failed to reach the Super Cup this time out. On their form this season, the Bandits will surely be installed as favorites for the Super Cup where they come face-to-face with Team Ocelot in the Quarter-Finals. They will however have to be wary of the threat from the Golden Boot winner Tom. if they are to progress.

In the second division The AA-Team came home with the title however not come up against a top tier side in Fierce Invalids, it will be a real test for The AA-Team but a chance to show what they are capable of and whether they may be able to make an impact on the First Division next season.

The other Quarter-Finals see Los Últimos Románticos take on Los Gramps in what could be a tight affair with 2nd division Los Gramps actually having outscored Los Últimos Románticos over the course of the regular season. And finally an all First Division affair with Illuminati FC taking on Giorgio & The Wonder Bewbs in what should be another close one with both teams having finished on the same number of points.

Draw in Full
Backdoor Bandits v Team Ocelot
The AA-Team v Fierce Invalids
Los Últimos Románticos v Los Gramps
Illuminati FC v Giorgio & The Wonder Bewbs

Rules

Scoring and predictions will work the same way as the regular season. Your team captain will contact you with your assigned game. You will PM your team captain your prediction for that match. Team captains will PM me their full team predictions by the deadline posted for that round (See post below for details on best way to do this):
Captain start a PM with the 4 other team members. Each team member just submits their prediction in the PM, then once the captain has all the predictions from his team adds you to the PM to see them all, that way you know each member has submitted their own prediction and captain hasn't submitted one for them.

Once the deadline has passed, I will post all predictions in this thread so that everyone can follow along. No chance for application errors or anything like that. Team captains will also answer a "Tie Breaker" question for the 2nd leg for each round in case your match ends in a tie. If the match is still tied after the Tie Breaker question 1 and Tie Breaker question 2, a coin flip will determine the outcome.

Fixtures for the 1st leg will follow in the coming days...

1st Leg

2nd Leg

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Mass Effect 3: Demo Review

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:06:42 +0000

Gather round the fire boys, and I'll tell you the story of how I played the Mass Effect 3 demo haha

It was good, and showed alot of things I'll be looking forward to. First off graphics appear to be refined, especially lighting and armour. The HUD is also slightly revamped, for better I think. Same goes for the menu system, it just looks smoother in general. Technically, though, the frame rate was kinda disappointing, even if it's a game as big as Mass Effect - then again, keep in mind it's only the demo. It's 1.7GB, smaller than ME2's demo, so compression is likely the case here - full game should, theoretically, run better. Another aspect of the aesthetics is the character customization - I don't feel they did a good enough job for Fem Shepard. She still looks like a custom made character, and yes I realize the fans chose her appearance, but she doesn't have the same level of rendering and texture that default Male Shepard has - he stands out from custom made characters, she doesn't IMO. The customizing options are nearly identical to ME2, bar one or two more hairstyles - I still don't think it's a worthwhile feature, and TBF that's what Bioware tries to sell to gamers, that it's the jack of all trades action role-playing game.

Gameplay is pretty boss. First thing I noticed was the gun play - sounds and feels better. You can dodge roll too now, which is neat. Your two party members also have more biotics and techs at their disposal, which I can't stress how awesome that is - looking after my party was something I never bothered with in ME2, because characters were limited to two or three abilities. Now they are your equal. Not my equal, though, I was a freaking Vanguard bossing the shit out of Cannibals and Guards. Oh yeah. Speaking of Cannibals, new enemies that look like Scions, except less terrifying. Unfortunately, Husks are, ugh, back. I don't get it, aren't the Protheons/Collectors the only ones capable of transforming humans and other species into Husks and Abominations? I wiped those bastards out, so how the fuck do the Reapers have them now it aggravates me knowing they're back. Also, before I forget, your abilities now have longer and branching paths, ie. Concussive Shot has 3 levels before it splits into a further 3 levels with two different paths, kinda like how when you reached the last upgrade of an ability in ME2 it asks you if you'd like to evolve it into a stronger version that delivers more damage, or one that spreads out the damage in a wider radius.

The single player portion of the demo was divided into two, rather short I should say, parts:

A tutorial level much like the beginning of Mass Effect 2, when Shepard awakens and has to escape. It was decent. You meet Ashley Williams and James Vega, on top of assisting Anderson. I want to label the end of the mission cliche and corny, but the music holds me back from doing so. I think I'm going to love the OST for ME3.
Secondly a mission that takes place a bit later in the game, apparently. You team up with Wrex and Liara, and are asked to save a female Krogan who's being kept safe by Mordin. I'm not sure how this mission would play out if you killed Wrex in the first game, like I did. Maybe Grunt takes his place, who knows. This mission counter acts the first's lax course with a good chunk of action, including facing a big mech, but it was still pretty short.

I completed both in maybe 20 minutes.

The multiplayer is like what's already been mentioned: co-op, with two other players, and basically like a hord mode. I only played one game. Both of my teammates were higher ranked, yet they died fairly easily. We only made it to Wave 3, with me being the last man standing. At that point it wasn't just about clearing out the enemies, we also had to secure four tiny beacons. I died trying to arm the fourth one. I don't think I'll become invested with the multiplayer aspect of this game.

The Gilded Age?

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:12:00 +0000

This is not a message of fear, or worry, or concern.  It is simply thinking out loud.

This age that is being spoken of, has its establishment at the beginning of the current campaign.

A lacklustre preseason, in which most of the squad was not together.  South Americans were gone on international duty most of the time.  About half of the squad was absent during the preseason, filled with B team players we vaguely know.  In the entirety of the preseason, there was one who we can genuinely say had a good time out, Thiago.  There was not this sense of continuity beind held.  Fabregas was signed in the middle of August, just prior to the first leg of the Super Cup.  Sanchez did not join up until August 8th, almost three weeks after the preseason started.  Constant traveling saw a fatigued squad emerge.  Xavi and Puyol, our two captains, visibly tired at times during preseason.  The Super Cup came and went, and we were salvaged only by Messi's brilliance, who looked unfit himself.  In those two games, he had three goals and two assists on a 5-4 aggregate victory.  It was the first time we conceded two goals against Mourinho's Madrid.

As the season began, there was promise.  A 5-0 drubbing of Villarreal seemed to make for a much more promising victory than it has ultimately turned out to be (Villarreal are in the relegation zone at the moment).  There was the uncharacteristic blemish of the 2-2 draw vs Sociedad, something most overlooked as an anamoly.  Sanchez injured and out for two months, just as he was beginning to show promise.  The 8-0 dismantling of Osasuna.  A hard fought 2-2 draw with Milan and Valencia, a fair result on both occasions.  There was the disheartening draw with Sevilla at home.

Gradually however, more and more cracks have seemed to surface.  Away form has been deplorable this season, with one multi-goal away win, most recently against Malaga.  This problem of away form has three reasons in my estimation.

1)  As with most sides in La Liga, playing Barcelona at home (along with RM) are the marquee events for smaller clubs, like Granada.  Prize showing in front of the home fans against players the world clamors for.  Inspired, often their performances are elevated against the likes of Barcelona.

2) Motivation.  As great as Josep is at stirring the men in the squad in cup ties and against big La Liga teams, he has found difficulty in getting us up against some of the smaller squads.  The 0-1 wins against Hospitalet and Granada provide this precedent.  Soon after, the infamous defeat at Getafe, where we were spurred on only after we conceded the winning goal.  It would be preferable to play the likes of Madrid every game rather than against midtable and lower table opposition.  Lately, there have been five consecutive games in which the team has conceded a goal.

3) Depth.  Josep prefers a small squad, becuase there are a few dozen players who can seamlessly play the Barcelona way.  This system is so finely balanced, that any disruption (a la Ibrahimovic) can provide clash with performances on the field and off.  Now Keita is gone with Mali, and there are three players with long term injuries.  The first team had widdled down from twenty players, to sixteen.  Fourteen healthy outfield players.  The team is supplemented with B team talent.  They are in the B team for a reason.  There may be brilliant performances here and there.  What they lack is consistency that is required to be a first team player.  I vouch that we require two more players to help with stability in the squad.  God forbid if the Messiah went down for any extended amount of time.  As the cliche goes, quantity is a quality of its own.

I believe that there will be some sort of devolution to come in the squad if these problems are not addressed.  Whether it's a key injury, or continued draws away from home, there are necessary precautions that should be put in place to alleviate potential problems.

I also recognize the squad is in supreme harmony at the moment.  If Josep needs any additional motivation to the squad to help it overcome its troubles (when not facing elite opposition), he will find a way.  I trust in Josep, I trust in the players.  I am not suggesting that our time is over, and that rebuilding needs to occur.  These are all preemptive suggestions that could help us stay at the top for years to come.  However, once you take away the shiny surface that sends the crowds into raptures, there is a slightly more metallic, less durable remainder that is not so appealling.

What do you all think of our curent squad and situation?  What issues do you see with the squad, if any?  Five points is definitely possible to make up on Madrid.  Our prospects for cup competitions continue, with excellent possibilities to win another double.

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Where do we go from here?

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:11:34 +0000

So. Here we are.

A brief recap: Luis Suarez said some things to Patrice Evra a while back. Based on testimonies, the FA decided that those things constituted racial abuse and suspended Suarez for eight games. In his first start after the ban, Suarez refused to shake Evra's hand, then had a shitty game before scoring a consolation. Evra jumped around celebrating right next to Suarez at the final whistle. Alex Ferguson called Suarez a "fucking disgrace" and suggested that the negative effect he's having on the image of the club mandated ceasing to employ him.

Throughout the process, the only one from Liverpool to speak publicly has been Kenny Dalglish, and he's remained bullish and unrepentant, maintaining that Suarez did not deserve the ban and that The Media (because it is clearly a single entity with a monolithic agenda) is to blame. For what exactly, I'm not sure, but he used the cute English phrase "bang out of order."

Obviously lots should have been done differently. There isn't any aspect of this I don't find regrettable and distasteful. But we can't can't change any of that. My question is: Where do we go from here?

I have some thoughts.

1. Someone besides Dalglish needs to speak on behalf of the club, particularly someone from the ownership group. The New York Times published a piece that I thought carried a lot of weight. Here are the opening and closing paragraphs:

Quote

If the Fenway Sports Group is to be the responsible team owner in soccer that it has proved to be in baseball, it needs to get hold of Liverpool, its club in England’s Premier League, and repair its global image fast.

. . .

It is time for John Henry and Tom Werner, leaders of the Fenway Group that controls Liverpool, to state clearly the direction the team will take on this issue.

2. When Henry or someone else speaks, s/he needs to accomplish two things. The first is to show some sort of sensitivity and nuanced understanding of racism. Partisan bullishness and witty quips have their place. That place is far, far away from discussions about racism. The second is to explain why Liverpool has handled this affair as it has. It's time for the organization to act like adults and not crouch behind this repugnant teenage victimization.

3. Someone needs to explain why the club doesn't take Ferguson's advice of terminating the employment of Suarez (and Dalglish). Ferguson is obviously being hypocritical in this instance, but that doesn't mean he's wrong. If it is because Suarez has a rational and sturdy case as to his innocence, fine. Then explain that. But surely someone in the PR department has realized that when the ostensibly neutral body of the FA decides Suarez is guilty, the rest of the world that doesn't have fan attachments to the club is likely to believe it? Dalglish has slyly insisted the process and the decision were incorrect, but refused to explain his reasoning. I am reminded of Joseph Smith's explanation as to the disappearance of the golden plates.

All companies employ cunts. Steven Gerrard physically assaulted a d.j. for the crime of not liking Phil Collins. Andy Carroll sports a ponytail. If the team believes Suarez guilty of a singular case of racial abuse, but perhaps not deep-seeded racism, that's fine. But I'd like the matter discussed.

4. Besides poor dental hygiene, is there anything the English like more than moralizing about pieces of fabric on the bicep or handshakes?

5. I think Liverpool should try to win more games.

Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that when this:

hits home as accurate parody, it's time to readjust your strategy.

You may commence your ad hominem attacks on me now.
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