That Sound Liverpool Fans Are Making Is Not Rock And Roll
After today's announcement it seems like Liverpool has used up all the political capital that it built up giving the world The Beatles.
While much of the English speaking world thinks it's either great, good, or indifferent that Liverpool got given a spot in the Champions League's first round, not everyone is so happy. Especially those people I've come in contact with from the minnow nations.
One person I ran into over on bigsoccer.com who's a Shelbourne (of the Eircom League in Ireland and Northern Ireland) supporter was just plain pissed off. His complaint was that Shelbourne would gain much more exposure playing another minnow for the first two rounds and making the third.
Not to be too blunt about it, but I think he took the Guinness Tour a few times before he posted.
Whatever side draws Liverpool in the first and second rounds, despite the fact that they're probably going to get humiliated, is going to get more exposure than they ever could playing domestically. Except, that is, for an Irish or Northern Irish side who, well, can't get much more exposed to Liverpool.
And if they hold it close, they'll be forever remembered by every other minnow and minnow fan in the world as legends.
But, more in the real world, they are going to reap huge revenues because of control of the TV rights for their home leg of the two legged series. Every national sports network in Europe is going to be knocking on the door of the club team in Kazakhstan or Belarus or whomever they draw.
Though I can't blame the minnow fans for being a little upset. The whole point of the Champions League is living the dream. Of course, for every team in all but eight leagues (the big four, Holland, France, Portugal, and on rare years Scotland) the dream usually turns into a nightmare long before the pool play.
I'm actually a little more upset with the Liverpool fans I've come in contact with. It's just not enough for them to get let in (which by rule they shouldn't have been). They're pissed off because they didn't draw straight into the group stage.
I've said to a couple of them, "look, if you don't think you're going to waltz through the first two rounds and, more importantly, the third when you draw better competition, you probably don't deserve to be there anyway."
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Now I put on my bias hat for City for a second. While I would have loved to see Manchester City get given a spot in the UEFA Cup with Liverpool being bumped up, I hope it doesn't happen.
UEFA told the English FA that they were not going to get an eighth team overall in the two European club tourneys. The FA, smelling blood over landing Liverpool in are now going to lobby on behalf of Manchester City.
Frankly I'd rather City just tell the FA to stop it and then the club working on qualifying for 2005/6 on their own.
The FA's already got a black eye in most of Europe for pushing for Liverpool so why push it. They should save whatever bargaining power they have left for a much more pressing situation.
---
Staying in Europe, 10:30 a.m. United States central time tomorrow marks the "Baby Yanks" first match in the 2005 World Youth Championships in Holland against Argentina on Fox Soccer Channel.
Or, as I hope it will be, Eddie Gaven's introduction to every club team in Europe. Who knows, maybe by this time next year, he'll be signing for a team who made the group round of the Champions League.
And maybe it will even be Liverpool. If they don't make the group round I'm not sure we'll ever hear the end of it.
While much of the English speaking world thinks it's either great, good, or indifferent that Liverpool got given a spot in the Champions League's first round, not everyone is so happy. Especially those people I've come in contact with from the minnow nations.
One person I ran into over on bigsoccer.com who's a Shelbourne (of the Eircom League in Ireland and Northern Ireland) supporter was just plain pissed off. His complaint was that Shelbourne would gain much more exposure playing another minnow for the first two rounds and making the third.
Not to be too blunt about it, but I think he took the Guinness Tour a few times before he posted.
Whatever side draws Liverpool in the first and second rounds, despite the fact that they're probably going to get humiliated, is going to get more exposure than they ever could playing domestically. Except, that is, for an Irish or Northern Irish side who, well, can't get much more exposed to Liverpool.
And if they hold it close, they'll be forever remembered by every other minnow and minnow fan in the world as legends.
But, more in the real world, they are going to reap huge revenues because of control of the TV rights for their home leg of the two legged series. Every national sports network in Europe is going to be knocking on the door of the club team in Kazakhstan or Belarus or whomever they draw.
Though I can't blame the minnow fans for being a little upset. The whole point of the Champions League is living the dream. Of course, for every team in all but eight leagues (the big four, Holland, France, Portugal, and on rare years Scotland) the dream usually turns into a nightmare long before the pool play.
I'm actually a little more upset with the Liverpool fans I've come in contact with. It's just not enough for them to get let in (which by rule they shouldn't have been). They're pissed off because they didn't draw straight into the group stage.
I've said to a couple of them, "look, if you don't think you're going to waltz through the first two rounds and, more importantly, the third when you draw better competition, you probably don't deserve to be there anyway."
---
Now I put on my bias hat for City for a second. While I would have loved to see Manchester City get given a spot in the UEFA Cup with Liverpool being bumped up, I hope it doesn't happen.
UEFA told the English FA that they were not going to get an eighth team overall in the two European club tourneys. The FA, smelling blood over landing Liverpool in are now going to lobby on behalf of Manchester City.
Frankly I'd rather City just tell the FA to stop it and then the club working on qualifying for 2005/6 on their own.
The FA's already got a black eye in most of Europe for pushing for Liverpool so why push it. They should save whatever bargaining power they have left for a much more pressing situation.
---
Staying in Europe, 10:30 a.m. United States central time tomorrow marks the "Baby Yanks" first match in the 2005 World Youth Championships in Holland against Argentina on Fox Soccer Channel.
Or, as I hope it will be, Eddie Gaven's introduction to every club team in Europe. Who knows, maybe by this time next year, he'll be signing for a team who made the group round of the Champions League.
And maybe it will even be Liverpool. If they don't make the group round I'm not sure we'll ever hear the end of it.
posted by incendiarymind at 8:05 PM
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