Interviewing two more Brits playing for practice squads today. Marvin Allen from the Steelers and Jermaine Allen from the Saints.

I'm also going to be talking to Aden Durde of the Kansas City Chiefs and both Rhys Lloyd and Shaun Smith of the Carolina Panthers tomorrow :p

Mate, would you be up for heading down to San Diego for the Chargers v Pats game next month?

Been looking on stubhub for tickets...

Any good? If you buy them through the Chargers, you need to buy them as a ticket package with two other games, including the Colts I think. The package is expensive though.

I'd be up for it (so long as I have money!)

Well, the cheapest tickets would be classed the 'Up in the heavens' tickets.

Chargers only have one home game in October which is a bummer. After that, its 9th November at home to the Chiefs, which are cheaper and you can sit somewhere lower!

On the other hand, tickets for the 49ers are a tad cheaper, and from where we are, its only a additional 2 hours or so onto the drive! From the LA Valley, its a good 2 hours or so to San Diego. 4 Hours to San Fran from here.

Three of us are planning on heading to a game so we have a spare seat in the car for you when we head to a game if you want it!

The Pats are on the road to the 49ers the week before they play in San Diego.

Depends how desperate we are too see the Chargers/Pats. 49ers have home games in October as well to the Eagles and Seahawks (Again, tickets cheaper than against New England).

And then I see the Raiders...Haha, guess who they play NEXT Sunday? San Diego...Tickets not bad priced, but most of the decent ones are up high in the Coliseum.

Very much depends on what we want to see; A NFL game for the experience or a Chargers game regardless?

Some would say I don't need any help after my great start but thanks all the same ...

Just seen the bonehead play of the century in the MNF game .... :D :D :D How funny is that?

Two interviews down, three more to go :D

JA is a thoroughly nice bloke. Very down to earth considering. I know a few people that still stay in daily contact with him.

Yeah, Jermaine was a bit quiet, but a good bloke. He was very passionate and he has a lot of self belief. I hope he makes it.

Marvin was excellent too - a Croydon boy (but an Arsenal fan - unfortunately!) and very mature and (from what I could fathom) experienced.

I've enjoyed talking to all of them so far. Hopefully we can piece something together to get them a bit of exposure in the UK.

Some speak of blogs doing the rounds... and whilst I don't have one, I wrote three "blogs" when bored on my training course this week. Once I've typed them up, I'll post them. Should be by the end of the day.

It's all about the game

I’m an addict. No, it’s not a case for rehab to kick the booze and the drugs. It’s not THAT kind of addiction. It is sports, and rehab is not required. My wife might say different.

Now I must clarify – it’s not all sports. Well, not really. Sat in front of a TV, I’m a little more choosy but give me a live event and I’d watch anything.

As a youngster it was football – I’d go every week and I’d watch intently on TV. Until 4 years ago, I was still going to games regularly but my TV viewing was on the slide. Was I falling out of love with “soccer” or, heaven forbid, was I falling out of love with sports?

The turning point isn’t evident right now but a change of scenery strengthened my love of sports, but only some.

A move to Bermuda meant my live football was removed and my sport watching turned more to American sports. I’d always enjoyed and watched the NFL and NBA but I now found myself watching MLB and NHL, albeit to a lesser extent. I had access to Premier League and Champions League but, quite frankly, I just wasn’t bothered.

Surely, you must be thinking, you can’t be much of a sports addict if you happily won’t watch football? Well, maybe, maybe not.

As the last 4 years have progressed I’ve watched less and less baseball and hockey but watched more and more and MORE American football, even attaching myself to the college game.

And then it comes to vacations. In 2003 I went to Australia for the rugby world cup. Now, pretty much every holiday or trip includes a sporting event, some even revolving around them. Even where it didn’t I looked to include some (I even took my wife to a Mexican wrestling event in Mexico City on our honeymoon!)

Whenever a trip was in the planning, I’d immediately look at the schedules for ANY team in the city I was visiting. June 2006 was a soccer match in Buenos Aires, November bought a 49ers match in San Fran and a Lakers match in LA. I even cut short a weekend with the wife-to-be in Miami to fly to Baltimore for a Ravens game.

She’s understanding, bless her. She knows, she moans, she gives in. Mostly. And I love her for it!

I asked her if she wanted to go to Paris on holiday in 2007. She said yes, I booked rugby world cup tickets. Maybe saying she is understanding is an understatement!

I guess that shows some addiction but when think of addictions, we often think of withdrawal symptoms. Like that weekend in Miami, when the Dolphins weren’t playing, I had to fly elsewhere. Anyone wanting to visit BALTIMORE has to be pretty desperate! I get sent to NY for the week and both the Yankees and Mets are on the road (rare, but it happened to me once). I’m not even a big baseball fan but that annoyed me.

And it is not just live, either. Sundays from September to January are TV days. 2pm to the early hours of Monday morning. Anything else planned is an annoyance.

Recently, we won a charity auction. It cost $400 and we won a home cooked South African BBQ with wine from the region. I was looking forward to it. WAS. Until my wife arranged it for a Sunday evening. I have to admit, my first thoughts were “which games am I going to miss?” and “I wonder if I can get out of it!” Of course, I’m not going to get out of it and really, deep down, deep DEEP down, I don’t want to and I’m looking forward to the BBQ. But surely those initial thoughts show an irrationality that only an addict would think.

Maybe the fact I’m missing the match shows my rehab is underway. This isn’t Fever Pitch (I hate Arsenal, not to be confused with the Red Sox/Drew Barrymore Hollywood version…) as I am no longer obsessed by one team. I’m obsessed by a whole sport and a whole world of balls…

Maybe our hosts will have a nice big TV and I can sit in front of NBC on Sunday night…

J-E-T-S! Suck! Suck! Suck! Favre v Brady?

Once every two weeks, Giants Stadium turns green. At the near end, a man of an age where he should know better sits on the shoulders of a friend wearing a fireman’s helmet with the Jets emblem emblazoned on the side. On the big screen, his face comes up and he waves his arms in an effort to quiet the crowd. Over 80,000 people follow his command. Seconds later, his face grimaces, his arms go up and his congregation yells “J! E! T! S! Jets! Jets! Jets!”

Noisy? Check
Fun? Check
A little cheesy? Check
Intimidating? Get outta here…

As a man in Patriots blue surrounded by a sea of green, the party piece of the Jets did little to worry me but sure as hell kept the NFL circus rolling.

The day started early. In fact, it started so early it started the day we got the tickets, which happened to be a few weeks back.

In the green corner, Brett “The Jet” Favre, holder of more records than Virgin Megastore, fresh out of a short retirement and now in a different shade of green.
In the blue corner, Tom “Ladies man” Brady, coming off a record season where a fourth ring just eluded him.

A first time ballot hall of famer versus a first time ballot hall of famer. Two of the best QBs of all time.

Or not.

That matchup was sooooo last week. Well, it was so one crunching tackle last week. Favre v Brady became Favre v Cassel, a nice chap who hasn’t started a game since 1999… and that was in high school. Party like it’s 1999? Heck, young Master Cassel wasn’t even old enough to party way back then…

My disappointment at Brady’s injury was selfish. I’m a Pats fan and I felt for the team and their prospects. I felt for Brady and his future as a top QB. But most of all, I felt me for. I wanted to see Brady. This was Tom Brady, the leader, the hero, the bloke on crutches…

Come game day and this was all forgotten. I got up early and headed into Central Manhattan and purchased a Pats cap. I purchased a Jets one too for my collection but today that stayed hidden.

I met Phil, a fan of football from England, who follows neither team but living in NY, he had to follow the home team. Heading into Jersey, we caught our ride for the day – my colleague Blane and his son, previously Jets season ticket holders. Even amongst friends, I was amongst enemies.

I’d been to NFL games before but this was my first real experience including tailgating and all the trimmings. I just can’t imagine Palace fans lighting BBQs and drinking beer in the Sainsbury’s car park pre-game with away fans just wandering around.

The sun baked down, the beer flowed, the grill smoked and we chucked the ball around. For the record, I can throw the ball but my arm is more Pennington than Favre.

The game itself went smoothly from a Pats point of view. Cassel won’t win any awards for his play but no mistakes plus steady play calling could see something better than expected with you-know-who missing. It wouldn’t be the first time. Remember 2001?

The dissent in the stands came fairly early. The game was tight and only a missed FG stopped the Jets being level. Favre looked tied down – the play calling belied his ability and the “wow” plays came when Grandpa Brett evaded the rush and chucked the ball. Had Coles not covered his hands in oil pre-game, we might have seen a different outcome. At 3-0 to the Pats, the Jets found themselves at the 1 yard line…

First down – Favre hands off to Jones who gets stuffed at the line.
Second down – ditto
Third down – the offensive line collapses and Jones rushes for a two yard loss.

One of the best QBs ever, signed to make a difference and the play calls result in three consecutive hand-offs and a FG on 4th down. Two years ago, the Jets fans called the coach “Manginius”. Well, you can shove that tag somewhere, Eric.

On the other sideline, there stood a true genius. Love him or loathe him (as fans of 31 teams do), Bill Belichick was not tested in out-coaching the Jets. Slants to Welker, screens to Faulk and pretty much leaving Moss to his double coverage and keeping the “rookie” QB in his comfort zone.

Like the fans of 30 other teams, the Jets hate Bill. During the second quarter, the Pats and 4th and 1 and Hanson came on to punt. The Jets special teams D was in disarray and the genius-in-waiting called a timeout. After the time out, Bill sent the offense back out and the regular D came on for the Jets. As the clock wound down, the Pats sprinted off, Hanson sprinted on and punted into an empty field. The Jets fans booed and the original chants of “ar$ehole, ar$ehole” echoed around Giants Stadium.

Another Pats call designed to p*ss off Mangini but kicking into the wind and keeping Washington, the Jets dangerous return man, off the field is the sign of a man who thinks and lives the wrinkles of the NFL.

As time went by, the chants turned to baiting the few Pats fans. Chants of “ACL, ACL” and “18-1, 18-1” were the best they had. Boy, do these guys need some English imagination in their chants…

Having the last laugh is always nice but especially satisfying when planted in enemy territory.

2-0, the Dolphins up next, a new QB, same old Pats. Tom who?

I have all home wins except the Cowboys!

Where is everyone? I was hoping for some good chat today. How dare you all work...

I have retired from this thread :hi:

Hope you had a fun trip. Oh and gl with the wedding :p

:hi:

Great read fella, really enjoyed that .. :p

Ugh, meetings.

I'll read them at work tomorrow. ;)

What wedding? My one 3 months ago or my next one, as yet undecided? ;)

Oops confusing you with someone else. As you were.

Flounce ;) :D

Saxon the 2nd blog is brilliant, great review of the game and your dayout.

Did I not say it would be more pleasurable to win with Cassel against the "certainties" NYJets.

How did the fans react to Favre being sacked for a 20yd loss and the 3 basically consecutive penalties in the 3rd? Quarter?