Sweet baby Jesus is wearing Blue!
by River, Hell of the Upside Down Sinners, Sunday, May 13, 2012, 08:59 (5141 days ago)
That was pleasant.
Worth waking up early for
by Greg, seemingly ranch, Monday, May 14, 2012, 08:41 (5140 days ago) @ River
On Mother's Day, to be up with the kid before the wife/mother wakes up and to get to flip between ESPN2 and Fox and get both sets of announcers' commentary as things unfolded was a blast. Particularly when we flipped right after City's first goal and saw United still celebrating, then flipped again 90 seconds later (or so) and saw them dejected. Add in the QPR reaction to staying afloat in the top division and the commentators' discussions of relegation and what it meant, being top 4 and what that meant, and what in the world Chelsea was doing in resting so many players the last two games and going all-in for the Cup. It was all really amazing.
Then we went to a Doyer game and, prior to the game, watched the Clips/Griz game on the jumbotron (what a neat idea, watching another game in another sport live before yours even starts) and I realized that between the bad teams tanking (hi, Indy!) and the good teams being able to coast and get into the playoffs where they should have stark advantages over multiple-game series, there is not the same win-or-die mentality anywhere in American sport that there is in EPL. Except in college football, once upon a time before Alabama lost its most important game of the year at home and was rewarded with a free pass to a championship rematch. Or, maybe, in 1993 when FSU lost its most important game of the year and then leapfrogged over the team that beat it to play the sole undefeated team in America for the title. And when I thought of that, I figured, "the college regular season really isn't that great, is it?" so why not have a playoff?
I only watch the US National Team and caught the highlights:
by NDTerp, I am not Jay. I never have been Jay., Monday, May 14, 2012, 04:12 (5140 days ago) @ River
That was a red card? What a bunch of pussies. The lot of them. Flopping around on the field like they just had their dicks cut off.
How the hell can you people watch that crap?
Wow. Great game. Amazing that a team beat another because they had one extra guy. Amazing how that works.
Stupid sport.
Here's my brother-in-law's take on the Barton red card
by MattG, Monday, May 14, 2012, 07:36 (5140 days ago) @ NDTerp
"In all honesty I am disappointed he didn't punch a few more as he was being sent off. A very soft red card. The most amazing game of football I have seen."
Of course, my brother in law is a 6-5 rugby player, a QPR fan, and has a lot of disdain for the fancy flopping inherent in soccer, so he's biased. But that was a lot of flopping.
I still think it's odd how, in the aftermath, everyone is saying that the elbow was "red for certain" when it's not even clear that he really connected in any meaningful way with either Tevez OR Aguero - certainly not enough to have both players screaming in agony and writhing on the ground. Tevez, frankly, appears to have been the instigator, and just turned out to be better at selling contact.
Then Barton kneed Aguero in the butt. He's admitted that he was attempting to get ManCity to retaliate, to try to even out the red cards, so yes, there was premeditation and he'll get some suspension. But Augero fell like he'd been shot, screaming, and then immediately got up and continued playing, even scoring the winner.
A great day for Queens Park Rangers - possibly the most important in their 100+ year history. QPR was a once-great club that came dangerously close to folding due to scandal and mismanagement. Suddenly, they wind up on worldwide TV, in a game that mattered intensely for both teams, and they played Man City to the wire short-handed (under somewhat dubious circumstances) - even taking the lead - and the world hears that they're staying in the premier league just prior to the miracle loss. They're suddenly one of the better-known "have-not" teams in England - at a minimum, they're miles ahead of where they were 2 days ago.
I'd be surprised if Barton gets any serious discipline from QPR. He'll sit out his 4 matches or whatever is mandatory - he may even yield the captainship to Tarrabt or somebody for the sake of appearances (but I think Barton remains one of QPRs better draws, so probably not). I doubt that they wind up facing the drop next year... they gained some momentum yesterday.
It was neither soft nor dependent on another's reaction.
by Trosa, Monday, May 14, 2012, 09:33 (5139 days ago) @ MattG
A red every day of the week, in any league, from U10s in Seattle to over-40 five-a-sides in Australia, where they probably don't fall down at all. It doesn't matter whether he got hit first, or whether he made contact at all. Even the post-card knee on Aguero is pretty much textbook violent conduct and could only be a straight red (just ask John Terry).
The only shock about the whole affair is that Tevez beat Barton to the punch, as his whole raison d'etre seems to be the sneaky instigating punch and then a completely overblown, falling-down-while-clutching-his-face-and-screaming-in-pain reaction. He's a huge liability, which is why, despite his ability, he's fallen so far as QPR in the first place. When's the last time the guy made it two consecutive seasons with the same club anyway?
And full disclosure: I am not a City fan and I think I like Tevez even less than Barton.
As I've said below.
by River, Hell of the Upside Down Sinners, Monday, May 14, 2012, 08:04 (5140 days ago) @ MattG
It was a soft red. This is a perfect instance to use replay because Tevez started the whole thing. It should be pointed out that Barton didn't drop like a rock when Tevez raked him worse than what Barton gave back.
That said it was a great game for both sides and I am happy as shit for City and glad that QPR rallied to stay above relegation.
I don't know if it was the best possible result for QPR....
by MattG, Monday, May 14, 2012, 09:06 (5140 days ago) @ River
....but it was awfully close.
With the world watching them for the first time in decades, they get to look like "tough, non-flopping" soccer players, who held off a substantially more talented team, on the road, down a man, for 40+ minutes - and even took the lead - before ultimately losing a game that people will actually remember for years, primarily because it decided the championship in favor of the team that hadn't won since '68.
For their fan base, it's basically the ending of Rocky 1, with the extra bonus that their loss also meant that the Cubs won the World Series or something.
In the long run (considering that they remain in the EPL regardless) QPR are probably better off ALMOST triumphing over insurmountable odds while losing an instant classic game, than they would have been if they'd held on for a 2-1 win or a 2-2 draw, another boring ManU title, and winning 17th place outright.
I'm stunned.
by tex29, Dallas, TX, Sunday, May 13, 2012, 16:24 (5140 days ago) @ River
I genuinely don't know how to process this. They pulled a reverse City; they clutched victory from the jaws of defeat. Oh yeah, and Joey Barton is a wanker. But I can't thank him enough for being a wanker right now.
Really?
by Pat (Moco), Bar, Urban Chophouse Short North, Sunday, May 13, 2012, 18:11 (5140 days ago) @ tex29
I thought Man City had it won as soon as ManU lost to Wigan.
Don't underestimate the power of pulling a typical City.
by tex29, Dallas, TX, Sunday, May 13, 2012, 18:19 (5140 days ago) @ Pat (Moco)
edited by tex29, Sunday, May 13, 2012, 18:26
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Ohhh...Like today.
by Pat (Moco), Bar, Urban Chophouse Short North, Sunday, May 13, 2012, 19:05 (5140 days ago) @ tex29
Where every non-soccer fan is going "Sweet, who is QPR?" I had to explain to my parents that Man City should've won that game by a billion and for some reason or another, the soccer gods wanted an awesome ending.
Sit back and enjoy!
by River, Hell of the Upside Down Sinners, Sunday, May 13, 2012, 16:52 (5140 days ago) @ tex29
I was impressed with the post-game comments from the players. They believe this is just the start.
Barton is a wanker, but damn it seemed to inspire QPR rather than beat them down. big thumbs up to their effort and was happy to see them stay up.
Soft red card for Barton.
by MattG, Sunday, May 13, 2012, 11:06 (5140 days ago) @ River
Result doesn't matter to QPR, fortunately, as that would have been an all time gut punch.
Agree because it was relalitory.
by River, Hell of the Upside Down Sinners, Sunday, May 13, 2012, 12:45 (5140 days ago) @ MattG
It's a straight red on the surface but Barton's history went against any leniency.
His post-red card antics were a treat.
by Pat (Moco), Bar, Urban Chophouse Short North, Sunday, May 13, 2012, 16:06 (5140 days ago) @ River
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Hell of a game.
by Pat (Moco), Bar, Urban Chophouse Short North, Sunday, May 13, 2012, 09:49 (5140 days ago) @ River
Hell of an ending.
I still contend that the best part of that game was that ESPN kept cutting to that one REALLY ANGRY Man City fan and, as if on cue, he would do something to display his anger every time they showed him.