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An American’s Guide the Premier League Part 2

Now that you’ve picked a team to root for, how does the Premier League work?

No Playoffs: The league consists of the 20 best teams in English Football. They all play each other at home and away for a total of 38 games. Each game is 90 minutes plus stoppage time and either ends in a win, draw, or tie. A win is worth three points and a draw worth one. At the end of the season, whoever has the most points wins the league. Many Americans don’t understand a lack of playoffs and I was the same way. But what makes it cool is that each game has the importance of the entire season being on the line. Most of the games are on Saturday and Sunday mornings which is great because it gives you something to watch early on weekend mornings and mostly doesn’t interfere with the NFL, college football, or other US sports leagues. The tie breaker for two teams with the same record is goal difference, so teams are incentivized to continue playing hard even in blowout games.

Relegation: The league has many great ways of ensuring teams continue to compete throughout the year. The bottom three teams get relegated to the next highest level of English soccer (the Championship) and three teams from the Championship join the Premier League next year.

Domestic Cups: Throughout the season there are two domestic cups, the FA Cup and the EFL Cup. The tournaments are a one and done format. The FA Cup is absolutely awesome, with SEVEN HUNDRED AND TWENTY NINE teams competing this past year. I had to write out the whole number so I could capitalize it. Why so many teams? It would take super long to explain the English soccer system, but I’ll try to do it quickly. Basically anyone can start an English soccer team. That means you and I could start one and due to the fact that each level of the English soccer pyramid has relegation and promotion (no promotion in the Premier League because it’s the top dog) we could theoretically make our way all the way up to the Premier League. Unlikely, but the fact it’s plausible is still awesome. Basically the top 9 levels of the system all play each other for the FA Cup. It’s the equivalent of every single college football team in the country competing in a one and done, winner takes all tournament. That means the Division Three MIT Engineers football team could take on FBS powerhouse Alabama Crimson Tide. The EFL Cup (also know as the Carabao Cup due to sponsorships) is the same format as the FA Cup, but just consists of the top four levels of English soccer.

European championships and qualification: Another incentive for teams to keep playing hard is qualification for next season’s European championships. The top four teams from the Premier League qualify for the Champions League which decides who’s the best team in all of Europe (and therefore the world). The top leagues from countries all over Europe have teams qualify and they play each other throughout the next season. Below the Champions League, there are other levels of European football teams can qualify for. The 5th place team and the FA Cup champion qualify for the 2nd highest level of European championships, the Europa League. If the FA Cup winner was one of the top 5 teams, the 6th place team gets into Europa League. Finally, the EFL Cup winner qualifies for the third tier of European Championships, the UEFA Europa Conference League. If that team already qualified, then the 6th place team will qualify for the Conference League or the 7th place team if the FA Cup winner led to the 6th place team making the Europa League. Basically, most teams have something to play for other than pride deep into the season.

How to watch as an American: If you want to really follow the Premier League you should get Peacock. They show most of the games and USA and NBC will also show some games.

There’s your primer from an American. If it sounds confusing, it starts to make more sense as you watch more games. There’s also some good YouTube videos and articles online that explain it well. Just a heads up, the Premier League season ends on May 19. However, it starts up relatively soon, in mid August. I’ll post these guides again in early August as a quick refresher. Welcome to being a Premier League fan!

NFL Schedule Release

The NFL schedule release being bigger news than the NHL or NBA playoffs shows the popularity of the shield. Some highlights for the Pats and league as a whole:

Patriots

The Pats are tied for the 8th hardest strength of schedule and this will probably be a tough season record wise. The good news is they are starting at rock bottom so they can only go up.

The Pats only “unique” games of the year are a Thursday Night game vs the Jets Week 3 and a London game vs Jags. It makes sense that they aren’t on primetime a lot, but shows how far they have fallen.

Other Highlights

I love that the NFL is now scheduling games whenever they want to. There are two Friday games, including a Week 1 matchup in Brazil and a game on Black Friday. They are also playing two Christmas Day games on Netflix, even though it’s a Wednesday.

The NFL is the most popular league in America and they know it. No matter what day they show a game, people are going to watch.

One thing I don’t get about the NFL schedule is the Monday Night doubleheaders that overlap. I’d understand if they separated them so fans could watch both, but as they are now, fans must choose one or the other, which makes no sense. It’s happening 4 times this year.

Streaming Delimna

The massive news about Netflix showing Christmas Day games emphasizes an annoying trend in sports and streaming in general that is only going to get worse: There are too many streaming platforms people need to pay for. Below are all the streaming services and their prices needed to watch every NFL game next year.

That is crazy. I’ll pay for Sunday Ticket, I have Prime, and I also pay for NFL Plus (another $7 a month to stream games on your phone). For the steaming only games, I’ll have to rely on family, friends, or a local bar- as I’m sure a lot of other people will too.

This all highlights the awkward phase we are in with people moving from cable to streaming. No one under 40 wants to pay for cable, but there are too many streaming services to potentially pay for.

There’s a lot of news about companies bundling services together, especially for sports, and this makes sense. People don’t want to pay for all of these, but if you could somehow bundle all the NFL steamers together, that would be a hot ticket. One day, all the games will probably be streamed, so this will only continue to be a bigger issue.

Bruins Panthers Game 5

A huge win by the Bruins keeps the series alive and takes it back to Boston for Game 6. Game notes below:

– Swayman kept his stellar play going and backed up his promise to bring the series back to Boston.

– The Bruins finally didn’t get out shot and dominated in hits. When they play this way they can keep up with Florida.

– They still need to keep the penalties down. It feels like they get a too many men on the ice penalty every game which is inexcusable. They also still need to finish chances better.

One game at a time. If they win Game 6 in Boston, then Game 7 – anything can happen.

An American’s Guide to the Premier League Part 1

As I mentioned in last week’s article about the Premier League, if you want to get into English soccer and need a team, then pick one of the top 6 teams to follow. These are Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Liverpool. You might feel like a bandwagon, but it makes it a lot easier to get into soccer when the team you’re playing for is actually good. Plenty of us are cursed by being born into fandom of US sports teams that disappoint us and let us down. Don’t hurt yourself anymore by picking a team that will never win the Premier League or even compete. Also, very few American Premier League fans you meet will accuse you of being a bandwagon fan – they’ll just be happy to meet someone else who follows it.

Manchester United: Probably the most prestigious Premier League club, they are the equivalent of the New York Yankees. They have been historically great and won more league titles than any other club. However, they have been less dominant of late and haven’t won the league in over a decade. It’s an especially tough pill to swallow given the newfound success of their main rival who we’ll talk about next. If you like teams with an awesome history they are for you. Also, if you like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Glazer family also owns United.

Manchester City: The new kids on the block. They are basically the Kansas City Chiefs of the Premier League. For years, they were Man United’s little brother, but are now the best soccer team in the entire world. If there’s any team you’ll get shit for, for being a band wagon fan, it’s probably them. However, if you want your team to dominate and win titles then this is your team. Also, if you like following a team that historically didn’t have a ton of success, but now is dominant, this is also the team for you.

Liverpool: They are similar to Man United in that they have an incredible history. Unlike Man United, they are having much more current success. If you like a team that is currently good and has great success in their past, then they are for you. A word of warning though, their coach is leaving after this year, which could have a big impact. Also, Fenway Sports group owns them, so if you’re a fan of the Red Sox this is an easy team to pick. For any Lebron James fans, he’s a part owner of Fenway Sports Group, so this might also be the team for you.

Chelsea: Chelsea does not have the same long-term success as some other Premier League teams, but recently became one of the best clubs in the league winning 5 of the last 20 league titles. Unfortunately, the past two seasons have been tough, as their new owners have struggled to keep the team competitive. There is hope for the club, as the new owners seem very interested in making sure the team is competitive and have spent over a billion dollars since May 2022 in acquiring players. They currently have many young players with potential too. The other teams they own, the Dodgers and Lakers, have also had recent success, so it’s believable they will make the club successful in short order. If you are a fan of West London or the Dodgers and Lakers, Chelsea’s your team.

Arsenal: Arsenal has an incredible history, though not as prestigious as Liverpool and Man United. They have not won a league title for 20 years, but are one of, if not the most, promising young teams in the league. They are filled with young, exciting players and a young manager. If you want to a follow a club with an exiting history and future or really like North London, they are for you. The owner of the Colorado Avalanche, Denver Nuggets, and Los Angeles Rams, owns Arsenal so if you like those teams, this could be the team for you.

Tottenham: They are definitely the biggest underdog team of the Top 6. They haven’t won a league title since the early 1960s and are known as under achievers. If you like North London or like an underdog team that’s trying to overcome a harrowed past, this is your team.

On Wednesday, I’ll post a quick guide to the basics of how the Premier League works.

Patriots New Logo

The Pats have subtly released what seems like a secondary logo (as seen above). It is very odd to release a new logo with absolutely no fanfare whatsoever. Maybe this means they are just experimenting with it and may remove it, if fans aren’t big into it. The current reaction is mostly negative and I have to agree.

The NE is too big and they are trying to do too much by incorporating the Flying Elvis face into the letters while also merging the N and E into one. It’s a little odd, but maybe hints that they are looking for a new logo long term.

Bruins Panthers Game 3

This was the opposite of last game, where they lost, but didn’t play awful. Last night was just plain bad. Game notes below:

– Sam Bennett had one of the dirtiest hits I’ve ever seen. He straight up punched Brad Marchand and should be suspended. On our end, Marchy is out at least two games which is a huge blow. I really hope someone has a big hit on Bennett or challenges him to a fight. It’s fitting the Panthers bandwagon fans throw rats on the ice, because their whole team is filled with them.

– The Panthers dominated all game and had double the shots of the Bruins. You are not going to win in the playoffs with those numbers.

– The Bruins need to be way more disciplined. They keep giving the Panthers Power Play opportunities and last night the Panthers completely took advantage. They also still continue to have terrible in zone turnovers that lead to goals.

The B’s need to put this game away and start playing with some heart. Maybe Marchand’s injury will finally give them a spark.

An American’s Perception of English Soccer

Growing up my whole life, I always thought soccer was such a dumb, boring sport. Going to New England Revolution games and my friends’ high school soccer games never changed my mind on the subject. In addition to that, European soccer always seemed so confusing with a lack of playoffs and all the different competitions these teams played in. Furthermore, I never had a team to root for, which made it even harder to get into.

However, my opinion forever changed in January of 2022, when I got an in depth tour of Stamford Bridge and then went to a Chelsea FC – Tottenham match there later that month. I can honestly admit how wrong I was about soccer, because at that moment I realized, I had never witnessed high level soccer with the best players in the world. Me watching the MLS and concluding soccer was boring is the equivalent of a European going to a UMass football game and deciding football is a boring sport not worth watching.

The atmosphere at pubs around the stadium and during the actual game was like nothing I’d ever experienced. The entire crowd singing the same chants in unison was awesome and the game was super interesting to watch. Easily the most surprising thing was how much more physical English soccer is than I would’ve thought. I never could get why soccer players were always on the ground so much, but getting slid into by a guy going full speed when you’ve played 70 minutes of a soccer match isn’t fun, and it’s obviously going to take you a little bit to get up. Seeing Chelsea win 2-0 was absolutely awesome and I’ve been a Chelsea fan since, even if the last two seasons have been rough.

I know not everyone can get the chance to go to a game in person, but anyone who thinks soccer is boring or soft should give the Premier league a chance. It’s not as entertaining as football or hockey, but it’s defintely worth watching. The games go by much faster than American sports and they tend to play Saturday and Sunday mornings so it doesn’t interfere with watching other sports later in the day.

A word to the wise, pick one of the top 6 teams to follow if you’re going to become a fan. These are Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Liverpool. You might feel like a bandwagon, but it makes it a lot easier to get into soccer when the team you’re playing for is actually good. Plenty of us are cursed by being born into fandom of US sports teams that disappoint us and let us down. Don’t hurt yourself anymore by picking a team that will never win the Premier League or even compete.

The next two weeks, I’ll post a quick guide to those six teams and how the Premier League works.

Bruins – Leafs Game 7

Whew. The Bruins pull that series out by the skin of their teeth. Game notes:

– Swayman was out of his mind this series. Easily the MVP of the series. Without him, we never would’ve won that series and need him to continue his great play.

– Carelessness from the Bruins continued today. They still don’t look completely focused and like they have their composure. Mind boggling turnover continue to plague this team. They got to get it together.

– Lindholm played so good. Getting such a quick goal in response to the Leafs scoring was super important and swung the momentum back for us. It feels good to see Pasta get the game winner and hopefully he keeps the momentum going.

– The Bruins have a lot of shit to work on and need to play a lot better next series. The Panthers are great team and are much more rested. Time for some revenge after the tough defeat last year.

LET’S GOOOOOOOOOOO BRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUINS!!!

Bruins Leafs Game 6 Recap

Now, it’s time to be worried. The Bruins are in danger of repeating what they did last year by blowing a 3-1 lead. We have tormented the Leafs for years and now we’ve given them hope that they can turn the tables on us. Game notes below:

– Another slow start for the Bruins as they were outshot 12-1 in the first. If not for Swayman playing so well, these past two games could have been much more lopsided.

– The Bruins continue to not finish scoring chances late in the game. There were a couple golden opportunities to tie the game at 1 in the third and they just couldn’t put the puck home.

– McAvoy was way too aggressive on that last Leaf’s goal. He made a terrible step up that led to Nylander getting a breakaway. It’s another example of how the Bruins need to be more composed and keep their heads.

– Bruins coach Jim Montgomery, called Pasta out for not playing better. Hopefully, this lights a fire under him and he plays his ass off Game 7.

“Game 7. Anything can happen.” – Kevin Millar, former Red Sox first baseman. It’s one of the truest quotes in sports history. You absolutely never know what’s gonna happen in these winner take all games. The Leafs have the momentum and Matthews might be returning. But the Bruins are back at home and know they can’t blow this series lead, especially after last year. Let’s just hope they get it together and win.

Bruins Leafs Game 5 Recap

This was a game the Bruins did not deserve to win, but nonetheless, had plenty of chances to win. Below are my game notes:

– They were absolutely terrible in the first period and the first ten minutes of the 2nd period. They got outplayed, could not get anything going, and were lucky that Swayman played amazing last night to keep them in the game.

– Even though they improved their play the last half of the game, some common errors kept happening. They could not break the puck out and their composure was awful all night. They had so many in-zone turnovers that led to scoring chances and it looked like they couldn’t make a clean pass all night. They were dominated on faceoffs too.

– This is giving me echos of last year. The Bruins were up 3-1, then lost game 5 in OT at home and went on to lose the series.

– It would be one thing to simply lose the game. It’s hockey, that is going to happen. But the fact that the Maple Leafs – without Austin Matthews – outplayed them and the Bruins didn’t look like they came to play is a bad sign. The OT goal is a perfect example of that. Two Bruins forwards took a terrible change while the Leafs were on a rush, leaving the Bruins with three guys in the Dzone. Grzelcyk was playing Tavares, while McAvoy and Coyle were simply watching the puck instead of covering a guy. Tavares got the puck out front and McAvoy and Coyle weren’t in position and there was no backchecking forward there to cover Knies either and he got an easy rebound goal. That simply can’t happen in the playoffs.

– Despite their bad play, the Bruins still had multiple chances to win the game but were either stopped by Woll (who played great) or missed the net. Those are pucks they need to put home if they want to win the Cup.

– Now they have to go back to Toronto and try to win there, lest we have a Game 7. It’s time to put this game to rest and focus on Game 6.