LongLiveRalph

He went to Germany as a 16-year old and couldn't really hack it. He was there for about 3-4 years and wasn't getting a lot of PT...And was struggling with professionalism, quality of life, etc. He was still under contract with his German club but was loaned to the MLS so that he could play rather than ride the pine. He came back and had a good stint in the MLS, and had a pretty good World Cup in '02, and I think he went back to Germany and tried again, but wasn't there very long at all (maybe 3 months if I remember correctly?) Once again, couldn't really hack it, and his contract was officially sold to MLS. [Don't take any of that as a factual timeframe...That's just kind of how I remember it...] There is definitely something missing from his game at the international level. He is fast and skillful, but there is that "savvy" that the great players have that Donovan doesn't seem to have. Perhaps sticking it out in Europe for the last 10 years rather than at home in LA could've culitvated that part of his game.

Any lineup info? It should be the Euro-based players for the US, since their leagues are in the offseason, while the MLS is currently playing. I assume a few MLS guys (Donovan, etc.) have made the trip too. It will be interesting to see the lineup. Likewise, England should have their full selection of players....And they don't need to worry about injuries hampering their EURO 2008 performance!!

He's had hoof trouble his whole life. He's been wearing specially designed horseshoes for races since he began, so this isn't really anything new, or any kind of "safety net" for if he loses. These are the type of scenarios that the opponents of the sport get angry, because Big Brown is going to sire hundreds of offspring (because of his talent and pedigree) but with that comes some of the same foot problems that will be passed onto his foals. He is without a doubt the best 3YO horse in the world, so it's a stretch to say he's "unsound", but breeding unsound horses has played a role in a lot of degenerative injuries and breakdowns. Short term payoffs have (at times) taken precedent over the long term health of the sport and the animals.... Not that getting caught up in short-term profiteering is exclusive to horse racing...It happens constantly in every other business in the world...

He was great in the Birdcage. That speech he gave about driving from Ohio and watching the foliage was top notch...Perfectly acted...Droll and painful for everyone else, yet Hackman's character (through all the drollness) was able to remain enthused about it...Too funny...

It is funny. It'd be like Spitzer standing up at his press conference and saying that all politicians order prostitutes. Sure, some do... But ONLY YOU got caught, and it STILL DOESN'T MAKE IT LEGAL

I love when Tucker said he mentioned it to Troy Brown in '05, and Brown said, "Every team in the league does it." It's great that the guy who played for ONE TEAM his entire career ('93-'07) is telling the guy who played for 5 teams in 7 years what the rest of the league is doing.

Hey, Jimmy Chipwood vouched for him...

I know there is a AAA rate...Anybody know what that currently is? And does it differ state-to-state? Last I knew of, it was low-to-mid $0.40 range...That was a few years ago. Has to be in the mid-.50's now, right?

These dudes are still ripping! Couldn't believe it. Saw them at a small place in London in March '07.

I'm not sure of any of it. There are no facts in this comparison. You're stating an opinion, and I'm stating an opinion. And I'm not talking about the bottom clubs, the bottom would be the bottom anywhere, just as the top would be the top in any league. I'm talking about the mid-level teams. Of course tactics matter. But 7 days a week, I will take the team that has the confidence to take a stab at THREE points over a "tactically savvy" underdog who gets outshot 17-1 and "earns" their point. Of course offense is more appealing to the eye, but I can appreciate a great defensive effort. I love the team that scraps for a point with a weary lineup, or after an early red card. It can tell a lot about a team. But overall, it is my opinion that the mid-pack teams in England are better quality than those in Spain or Italy. Tactically speaking, it doesn't take a genius to get 10 defenders behind the ball...The nature of the sport alone lends itself to close games...And yet low-scoring tactics are applauded?? That's the point I'm making...Not that the EPL is better because it's more appealing to the eye; it's better because the talented players on the mid-table teams allow for a confident, ambitious approach to the game, and they do more to put some of the big clubs on their heels. Giving Man U a scare but losing 3-2 says a lot more to me than a team who plays 90 minutes with one striker getting two touches while they hold their breath in a 0-0 draw.

How does that make sense??? I know, words is hard. But try reading it once more: I agree about the parity at the top of each league. In a European final, the bounces could go in favor of Man U, Barcelona, Milan, Bayern Munich, etc etc. Any one of them can win it. The English league is better, IMO, because the teams that finish 6th-15th are of better quality than those in Spain and Italy. The major difference I see, as Pete mentioned above, is that those teams in the EPL are more offensively ambitious than their counterparts in La Liga and Serie A, especially against the bigger clubs. And that's not mass marketing, that's what I see with my own eyes.

Throw out the bottom 5 in each league, they are irrelevant. England is very strong at the top, as are Spain and Italy, but the teams in the middle 10 is where the Premier League separates itself, IMO. I think a squad like Tottenham (11th in EPL) could challenge for Europe in La Liga or Serie A. You've picked a tough time to argue your point when 3 of the 4 Champions League semifinalists were EPL teams.

WGR: Ok, let's go to Steve in Tonawanda. Steve? .... WGR: Hello Steve? .... WGR: Alright, I guess St-- Steve: Hello? WGR: Yeah, Steve go ahead. Steve: Um...Hi...Yeah, I was wondering, the Giants were able to beat the Patriots by sending a rotation of defensive ends at Brady. And this was one season after their star running back retired, even though he was still pretty productive. Should the Bills trade Marshawn Lynch to the Dolphins for Jason Taylor? And I'll hang up and listen to your answer.

Exactly....You spend all day talking to stooges, you're bound to start sounding like a stooge yourself. He is a pompous ass, but I'm sure he's playing up to that role a little bit. The day I need Mike Schoop to tell me what's going on in the sports world is the day the world ends. Listen for enteratainment. If it's not entertaining, find another station that is. Sincerely, Jeff on a cellphone

Sirius channel 24 is Lithium (90's alternative) Always some solid tunes

Each European country has their own domestic league. The best domestic league right now is probably England, followed in some order by Italy, Spain, Germany...Then France, Netherlands, Scotland, and all the rest are a level below those... So, each country's league plays it's own season. In England, the Premier League has 20 teams. Each team plays 38 games (the other 19 teams home and away.) At the end of the season, the top-4 finishers in the English league advance to the Champions League tournament- a European Cup that invites the best teams on the continent to play against each other. The invitations are extended to all leagues, although some of the "lesser" leagues may only get their top 1 or 2 teams into the Champions League. There is another Euro tournament called the UEFA Cup. Those are for successful teams who were not invited to the Champions League. In England, the 5th and 6th place finishers are invited to play in the UEFA Cup, and so on in the other countries. Each country may have their own "open cup" which in England is called the FA Cup (Football Association.) The idea of that tournament is to allow ALL levels of English professional teams to play. Therefore, a Premier League squad like Manchester United might play a 3rd division squad with part-time school teachers. Pretty much all of the domestic leagues in Europe play from August to April/May on the weekends, and these tournament games take place during the week. This Champions League final today just happened to have the two best teams from England appear in the final, as they defeated the other nations' best teams to get through the groups and brackets. The English league is finished, Manchester United already won, and Chelsea finished 2nd. Today's game is to determine the overal European club champion.

Hairy Busch or Shaved Busch or Brown Eye Stout

In the realm of sports talk radio, people hating the host is far from the worst scenario, and far from uncommon in most cities. In fact, some program directors are looking for that controversy and tell their host to work at it. The audience NOT CARING either way is the death knell. This stretch in the Buffalo sports radio world (end of hockey thru NFL training camp) is just horrendous and pointless. Crank the tunes!!!

The Russians in the crowd will probably lean toward Chelsea, as their owner is a Russian oil tycoon. Me, I will be pulling for Chelsea also...MY father had lived and worked in London for a long time and is good friends with Joe Cole's parents, and as such, I was/am a West Ham United fan (the club Cole came up with)...I have hung out with Joe a few times, he's a nice guy, very down-to-earth for somebody who is quite famous, at least in England. I am also a big fan of Drogba and Lampard, but I CAN'T STAND Michael Ballack. Chelsea (I believe) will be missing Terry at centerback, which will hurt. Man U is a pretty classy team, and they play an attractive style. But they are the "Yankees" and I can't pull for them. Let's just hope there are a few goals...I would consider myself a soccer fan but 0-0 defensive struggles don't please anybody, even the purists...And those types of games only breed MORE BULLSHIIT DIVING and ROLLING AROUND....Disgusting... An early goal for either team should really help open things up and make it the showcase game that it has the potential to be. FWIW to the casual fan- Manchester United won the English league, Chelsea finished 2nd just two points behind, and now they are facing off after advancing through all of Europe's best teams in the Champions League final. Clearly they are the two best squads in the world at the moment.

In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, I recall that there was a vote of the owners to agree to Giants Stadium as a Super Bowl site...At that point in the country's history, it was a no brainer, right? Revitalize a broken city, show the spirt of NYC, etc etc etc etc....The owners voted 31-1 in approval, with Ralph as the lone dissenter. I remember people calling out Ralph's patriotism and such, calling him a lost, senial old man. [Even with owners' approval, I believe league officials eventually cited weather concerns and did away with the idea.] All Ralph said was something to the effect of, "Hey, we vote on potential Super Bowl sites every year. The cities go all out, make a huge presentation, have a thick binder with their entire Super Bowl week event planning, entertainment, restaurants, lodging, and on and on. For the New York proposal, there was no presentation, no information provided, they just told us to vote on it. Without any information provided, I voted no." Very similar situations. Ralph just wants to know what he's voting on.

I heard a comedian say that it's actually the far right that is pushing to legalize gay marriage, with the hope of putting an end to gay sex.

Facebook does seem more "scholarly" or something. I agree, I was very skeptical when I first set up a page, but I have become reaquainted with some great old friends who are doing some pretty cool things. I've been sold. The sexual deviant ratio also seems fairly low compared to myspace.

Overall, quite a hissy fit....Great closing line, though...

I was sharing John's optimism until I woke up one morning a few days ago and remembered that the Bills have a VERY unproven QB and they are still coached by the uber-conservative Dick Jauron. Love the potential, but I'm slightly fearful of an 8-8 season with lots of 13-10 W's and L's.

Did you hear on Stern, after the Spitzer scandal, Sal was out on the street interviewing women and asking them what Eliot's wife could have done differently to prevent her husband from turning to prostitutes? It was hilarious. These ladies were flipping out.