Rut

Swap the Vikings for the Broncos in your like list. Add the Steelers & Chargers to your dislike list and job done. If you haven't actually got a team then try betting on who is gonna win the Superbowl this year. http://www.oddschecker.com/american-football/nfl/superbowl-xliv/win-market shows the current odds. How about a tenner on the Saints @ 11/4, a fiver on the Bengals @ 16/1 and 2 quid on the Broncos @ 40/1. If any of them win you make a profit. Those wild card places and post-season games will seem so much better when you actually care who wins...

Such as what? He lives in New Orleans and has a season ticket at the Superdome. The whole city is 'who dat this' and 'who dat that' - it's the way it is down there. Watching the games & seeing the videos you can't help but feel the passion the city is giving the team. It's the most moving support I've seen for a long time (not just for a NFL team but any sporting team, world wide). You have to remember that they've always historically been seen as a very bad team. Suddenly are they the best around. 5,000 (and growing each game) people turn up in the middle of the night at the airport to welcome the team home after every away game. After all the shít the city went through after Hurricane Katrina they suddenly they have something good to get behind. I definitely want them to win the NFC - and as long as it ain't the Broncos - then for them to win the SB. You think George (and the rest of New Orleans) is excited now - wait til that happens. It'll be the party to end all parties down there... As I said before - I'm currently just plain 100% jealous.

Now that is actually quite funny and I can so see that happening in many parts of the USA. Big TV? Guns? Beer? - I'll be round in 5 minutes buddy. I think both the AFC & NFC are wide open. I think that Saints prob will make it to the Superbowl but it won't be a cruise. As for the Broncos? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCzBtxoBdQY&feature=related "All we are doing is trying to win a mother f**** game" I do love the 'sincere apology' that the commentators give on this clip - funny. But yeah - I reckon they are still on to play the Saints....

Or 'bloody lucky' !!!! Just how much did you pay that guy to miss that field goal??? I'm off to Lucas Oil on Sunday to see the Broncos end the Colts unbeaten season. So as long as Saints don't slip up in Atlanta you'll be the only one left without a defeat. Arizona looked excellent the other night and I think they have timed things right - they'll def give Saints a good run for their money....

Who dat say dey gunna beat dem Saints? The Broncos in the Superbowl. Obvious ain't it? You go George mate. I'm 100% jealous that you live in a place that has an NFL team - let alone a good one. It was a cracking game on Monday. Broncos are due to be away to New Orleans in 2012 so we'll have to sort out a pint or 10 then. Would you dare be seen talking to an away fan though? Dodgy stuff... Out of interest - how many Patriots fans were there on Monday? Plus who brings the most there on a regular basis?

Normally when teams start asking for things to be banned I just laugh at them - however this time I totally agree. Anyone who just goes to football to blow down a poxy plastic trumpet thing for the whole 90 minutes needs to be shot. 90 min drummers would be NEXT in line - those trumpet things are really that bad. (90 mins is important here - sure bang a drum or blow a trumpet when you score or get a corner but just to go MERRRRRRRRRRRRR or BANG BANG BANG for the whole game is just wrong. F**** off to some village hall to make your racket - not at a football match that you ain't even watching) As for the World Cup - Sam's army are coming - watch out! Check out the FAQ here: http://www.sams-army.com/about-the-army/faqs.html They so nearly 'get it' - but not quite. Some good Q&A's like: Q/ Why do you stand instead of sit in your seats? A/ One of soccer's finest traditions is to stand for the duration of the match. Much of this is attributed to the standing areas, as opposed to seats throughout the rest of the world's stadiums. The standing areas usually housed the more vocal supporters. Besides, we feel sitting detracts from the atmosphere and noise level we are trying to create. Can't argue with that one but then you get stuff like: Q/ I can lead chants & songs - what do I do? A/ The song and chant leaders are situated in the rear/middle of the section. Go there and join in and you'll find your time to create a chant. Please do not start another chant until the current one is over. Starting a new chant/song while another is going is frowned upon and may result in you being "removed" (in a nice way of course!). I dunno what the big fuss is all about anyway - they only know one song U-S-A U-S-A U-S-A!!! Gonna be good - I hope the USA can at least qualify from the group stage.

Great to get out of the bottom 4. I'd have thought we would be higher in this table: http://www.mikeavery.co.uk/AllTeamLeagueTable.htm At least we are above P*mpey and Totton are top though...

Don't Network Cards still exist? For games around Birmingham it was always a NW card day return to Banbury - and then a day return to Bham (or Witton, or Walsall or wherever the game was) from Banbury. You could buy both sets of tickets from Southampton Central ticket office. As long as your train stops at Banbury (and the Virgin ones did) then you don't actually have to change trains at Banbury. It wasn't dirt cheap but wasn't too bad - plus you didn't have to worry about pre-booking it. You just buy the tickets on the day. Think it was about 25 quid to Banbury and then another fiver to Bham. Also you could get any time train you wanted ie 1st one there & last one back - no need to give the guard any sob story as to why you weren't on the train it said on your ticket. Is this option no longer available then??? If so then I've been in the USA too long...

Broncos showed last night why they started 6-0. A great performance. If we play like that in a couple of weeks then bye bye Colts unbeaten season.

Saints. Pah. Damn glory supporters.

Sammy Lee Peter Drury - I can be really looking forward to watching a game and then the dreaded 'commentary is from Peter Drury' gets said. Suddenly the game is not so appealing. David Pleat - same as above but for co-commentary.

Saints to beat Brighton Broncos (-3.5) to win Eagles to win New England (+2.5) to win Ravens (-10.5) to win Pays about 21/1. Easy money I tell ya. So easy I've risked a whole fiver.

Poxy time. The 4.30 (instead of 4.00) means it clashes with the start of the Broncos game. As Derek & Clive would say - 'that's outrageous that is'.

Getting a bit worried about all this. I've booked a trip back to England in March - fly back to USA Thurs 24 March. The Final at Wembley is 4 days later. Saints will be there - guaranteed. This could be dipsh*t planning at it's best...

The theme to the old kids program called 'Murphys Mob'. It's called 'Empty Days' and is sung by Gary Holton (played Wayne in Auf Wiedersehen Pet). Also covered more recently by Argy Bargy. To prove I ain't making this up: Anyone else remember this?

Definitely NO to changing the offside law. If that happened then you'd soon have America wanting 4 quarters, bigger goals and the much joked about 'multi-ball' if the game is a draw at 90 mins. The one thing I think should be done is have a separate time keeper. You have a big digital clock that counts down from 45.00. When there is a substitution, goal or injury then it gets stopped. The whole crowd can see it. Both managers can see it. When it hit's 0.00 the game is over - end of. You only allow extra time for a penalty to be taken. It is one person's job to operate this clock. That is all they do. It is not a law change so wouldn't be too controversial for 99% of teams. Only Man Utd & Liverpool would vote against it because they are used to being given extra time at home if they are behind. This idea would cut all that out. Simple.

Yeah I was 99% sure it was gonna be on but didn't quite get into the swing til I saw the start of the prog 'from Bristol, England'. Then the 1st half came on and it was a bit dire. Good that you could hear the Saints fans better than the Rovers fans. Even though in places it was 2 or 3 Saints near the mike singing the same old songs. 2nd half was great although why can't Saints (just for once) win a game with no stress. At 3-0 it was party time but of course we have to let them score blah di blah. Setanta Xtra is only for Directv customers - they have an extra 3pm UK game on every week (and that is about all they have on that channel bar the odd NZ rugby tournament or whatever). Gives us 4 channels that show Prem games (Set, Set X, FSC & ESPN2). I'm pretty sure that if Saints can make it back up there in the next few years we will get every game either live or on delay. Here's hoping :-) Blackburn, AFC Totton, Houston (v Colts), Giants (v Chargers) & Broncos to complete a nice weekend.

Alrite LV It still ain't showing up on Directv's guide: http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/epg/theGuide.jsp?d=310&h=16&timeZone=e&c=18167 but we should be ok. It is listed on http://www.livesoccertv.com/schedules/ (as well as the already mentioned Setanta site) and apparently DTV's guide thing ain't always up to date. ... but If it doesn't come on then don't blame me!!! I'm all set for no net or phone for a couple of hours - then a nice few cold ones and a Saints game on TV. Great way to start the weekend. Good shout on the WC play-offs but the Brighton game ain't down as being shown. If you are on Directv then the Blackburn v Pompey game is live tomorrow on Setanta Xtra (Channel 622 - one up from Setanta). Normal 3pm UK KO so a bit early for you but fine for me :-) Have a good one...

Errr - Yep. 5pm ET (Eastern Time) is 10pm UK time. As I said - it is not live but not too long to avoid the score for. Just wish it would actually say it was this game on my DVR - at the mo it's saying it is some Champions League re-run. This is probably wrong though - best be! It is also listed on here: http://www.livesoccertv.com/schedules/ Just remember that this is Setanta USA so not available in the UK. You can't get Setanta anymore anyway can you? Spect it will shut down here sometime soon but for the mo it is still going...

http://www.setanta.com/US/TV-Listings/ For those in the USA the whole game is on Setanta at 5pm ET. Also repeated at 4.15am. It's not live but not too long to avoid the score for. Perfect. As an aside Swansea v Cardiff is on live at 7.40am ET on Sat morning - will make a good change from the endless Prem games we get over here. Here's the 2nd round - bring it on :-)

Surely he could get closer to London than that?

Football (or soccer as you really do have to call it here) is the same as American Football in the UK. Some people are really into it but a lot of people don't like it. Both are the major sports in one country - and a minor one in the other. Both countries have good TV coverage of the 2 sports. If Saints were in the Prem I could watch them (live or delayed) pretty much every week. Both get good crowds in the other country. The NFL game at Wembley sold out in minutes and I'm pretty sure that the World Cup in the USA in 1994 is still the most attended WC ever. I've met some really clued up soccer fans here - most don't know much about it all though. That said the un-clued up ones don't really know much about sport full stop. They will walk around in their Colts top but ask them who they are playing next game and they ain't got a clue. They feel as if they should be into it so walk-the-walk... Do other ex-pats living over in the USA find that? I don't really care anymore. I love both soccer and the NFL and watch tons of both - that is what counts. I am really looking forward to seeing what it is like for the World Cup next year over here. The media coverage was excellent when USA qualified. Mexico getting in was good for the hype as well. I plan on not making too big-a deal of it at work though - mainly cos I'll probably be wanting to avoid a few scores and watch it when I get home. Nobody being into it will suit me fine! I get the feeling that people will half talk about it if the USA do well - if not then it will be back to talk of what new lawnmower to buy... Saints to beat Orient & Broncos to go 7-0. The perfect weekend coming up :-)

Yep it was 'The Walk'. Not just me - but a couple of thousand of people on an early start. Best thing was that ISU actually WON!!! They were the team that held the current USA record for consectutive defeats (30-odd) - that is now destroyed. Great scenes at the end. Full blown pitch invasion. Old school - was great. Not too bladdered actually. Game started at 3pm and there is no beer in the ground. A lot of time to sober up. Here's to Saints getting someone 'easy' at home and Bath losing to whoever they draw. Just watching Salt Lake v Colorado. A crunch game. Saints would beat either of em. Also just watched Hull v Pompey. Avoided the score (not hard here). That was 90 odd mins of my life I'll never get back. Shocking atmosphere - Hull will be going down with Pompey I think.

After Liverpool come 'MK Dons' as my most hated team. I quote their name as they shouldn't even be a team. So come on Saints!!! Do the f******. I think we will win well. 4-0 to Saints.

Never mind one game a year - you may be getting a team! http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12118_5642507,00.html