Weekend Rewind

Been a little behind on the blog in the past week with a busy time at the office as well as a couple of other projects that I am currently working. But time to get the Tractor in gear and take a look back at a busy weekend. Not a bad past few days on the sporting front. Plenty of action on both sides of the pond, unless you happened to be watching the Premier League games on Fox Soccer Channel stateside, but that aside the rewind this week will try to touch most of the highlights.

Starting with the teams of the TractorHawk faithful (ie me):

A little extra rewind is in order this week as before the domestic matches there was an appointment on the International friendly calendar as Fab took the Lions off for a nice little kick-around in Berlin with Germany. I don’t care if it was a friendly we beat Germany. John Terry knocked in the winner atoning for an earlier howler that had allowed German striker Patrick Helmes to cancel out Matthew Upson’s opener for Fab’s lads. I didn’t realize that Germany have never defeated England in Berlin in 7 games played there between the nations. Very surprising, considering they have beaten us everywhere else. England close out their 2008 calendar with a 2-1 win over an arch rival and with optimism looking forward into 2009. Was it just a few months ago that this same team were fumbling around under the guidance (or lack thereof) of Steve McFool?

ITFC returned to Portman Road, where their home form has been as consistently inconsistent as their away form. Last season’s Premier whipping boys, Derby County were the visitors this week. After a slow start adjusting to life back at the lower level, Derby have been improving recently, climbing the table in the process. By all accounts a good performance from the men in blue this week as the Tractorboys ran out 2-0 winners behind goals from Pablo Counago and Jon Walters. That should be enough to see them both on the bench for the next match. Town back up to 8th, sort of knocking on the play-off door. Next up is a mid-week trip to second placed Birmingham who, along with their midland mates Wolves, look a good bet for automatic promotion. Jim is relishing the challenge….not so sure the same can be said for most Town fans.


So two for two on the football front. Then Sunday came…again. The hallowed Jim Zorn returns with the Washington Redskins, leading his team back into his old stomping ground in the Pacific Northwest. Flag goes up, 12th Man jersey goes on, ‘Hawks play close game, ‘Hawks lose fourth in a row when Matt H. throws the exact same bloody pass to the exact same spot that he threw at the exact same time in the previous week against Arizona, which also cost us a chance to win it at the death. And, of course the exact same thing happened – interception, game over. Flag comes down…shirt goes off…you get the picture. The ‘Hawks have a short week before they head off to Dallas for most likely a Thanksgiving Day stuffing. I’m not sure I can bear to watch but I probably will.

Weekend TractorHawk Grade: B

England beat Germany, Town won, and at least the Seahawks game was close. With nothing left at stake for the 'Hawks, expectations have to be set realistically. So a solid B is appropriate this week.


Tractor Driver of the Week:

Each week I select a sporting nominee to receive the prestigious keys to the Blue Tractor. This week we're going back in time to call out former Ipswich and England stalwart centre back Terry Butcher. Why Butcher? As the latest patron saint of Scotland, Maradona returned to the scene, Tel-Boy had no intention of being caught up in the politically correct hoopla and media frenzy sourronding the return of the little twat, and made the point that he still bore the grudge from '86. I'm not sure if Butcher did shake hands at the end of the game but good on you mate for not bowing to the little prick. So while Diego may have had reporters eating out of his cheating hands once again, Terry stood firm by his own beliefs and those still shared by many England fans. As for Maradona, his latest trip to the limelight is over...we'll see you in 2010 sunshine.

Note-a-balls:

I made a reference to the sleepers from the Fox Soccer Channel this weekend. An early morning start had us US viewers tuning into a dreadful affair at the Bridge as Newcastle paid a visit. The FSC resident “expert” for the season, Warren Barton described this as a magnificent performance from the Geordies. Eh??? Chelsea had 33 attempts at goal...Newcastle 2. Magnificent – are you sure your’e not setting the bar just a little bit low for your ex-mates, Warren? Any point in the capitol city is a great result for Newcastle but lets leave it at that.

With the Chelse faltering, Man U had a chance to make up some ground. So cue the next FSC offering from Villa park. Better game but same result. So the day starts with 3 hours of footie on the box and not a single bloody goal. Elsewhere Liverpool drew at home to Fulham, thus ending my 5 week run of successful banker bets on the EPL prediction league, I Know the Score. The “Big Four” shutout was complete when the Gallasless Arse capitulated in the Sky Blue side of Manchester 3-0, with Robinho notching a sublime goal.

FSC did offer a tape delayed match later in the afternoon so they at least had a chance at some redemption. But it was from the Brittania as Stoke edged West Brom 1-0 in a game labeled as “absolute dross” by Bags manager, Tony Mowbray, so nevermind. On Sunday, West Ham won for the first time in 8 as they defeated Sunderland 1-0 at the Stadium of Light. Not much to be said for this game either. Sunderland were poor with Cisse guilty of a few glaring misses as well as a well dodgy haricut which is now dyed bright red. And will someone please buy West Ham a new kit so they can get rid of those ridiculous patches on the front of their shirts.

So none of the teams in the top 10 of the Premier League were able to register a victory and there was a goal drought. Maybe it was jut one of those weekends crunched in between International friendlies and upcoming European action. End result is that the league is tighter still after 14 rounds.


On the US Front there were no problems with scoring in the NFL as points were aplenty in the league this week. 8 teams managed to score at least 35 with the Buffalo Bills leading the way as they dropped 54 on a hapless Kansas City. New Orleans followed in a close second on the Monday Night spectacle as they romped past Green Bay 51-29. There are no remaining unbeaten teams in the league this year as the Tennessee Titans fell to the Brett Favre led NY Jets at home, 13-34. The Titans may not have the swagger of the 2007 Patriots, and thankfully not the attitude, but with a record of 10-1 they are still in a great position to secure the top spot in the AFC. Good luck to them and their coach as they look to bounce back on Thursday at winless Detroit.

It’s interesting to note that two of the top quarterbacks in the league this year are ageless veterans Brett Favre of the Jets and Kurt Warner of the Arizona Cardinals. As they approach the big Four-Oh, neither one is showing signs of slowing down and they have their clubs poised for a serious run at the playoffs. Warner is aided by having the best receiving corps in football with his standout WRs Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin but it would not surprise me to see Favre and Warner mentioned at voting time for MVP. There, that ought to jinx both of them.

Onto college, dear oh dear. We really are going to have to take some time and get that essay published about this variation of gridiron football. Where to begin? I suppose at the top as Texas Tech, the number 2 ranked team, visited Oklahoma in a highly touted and way over-hyped Saturday night match. As we are told each week this game will have “profound implications….blah blah blah” – Oklahoma won 65-21 and it wasn’t even that close. So Tech fall down the rankings to around seventh or something, and won’t play in the championship match. Alabama didn’t play so they retain the top spot. The Texas Longhorns move to number 2 and OK are now ranked 3 in the BCS. What does all that mean? Who knows really.


As I look at the standings there are currently 4 unbeaten squads: Alabama, Utah, Boise State, and Ball State. Seems like a simple equation. If it stays the same 4 unbeaten teams in a semi-final and onto the Championship. But no, of course that cannot happen because those ‘other’ teams don’t play as hard a schedule and there are no divisions in the college sport that are based on competitiveness. So a whole load of people vote, then 6 super computers that would make a NASA scientist green determine some kind of average, then we mix it all together in some secret code that the CIA couldn’t crack, and we end up determining who will eventually play for the title. Can anyone think of an easier method?

And something else, we need more blue fields in football...

On a side note, locally, in the Pacific Northwest two of the worst college teams in the country squared off in Pullman, Wa. I believe that UW and WSU are ranked somewhere in the bottom 120 or so, if it goes that far. The Cougars won and retained the Apple Cup.

Hope your sporting week was a dandy one…..Cheers!

Weekend Rewind

A split on the football front for me this weekend and, with the inconsistent form of Ipswich combined with the plight of the injury decimated Seahawks, that’s about the best I can realistically hope for on any given week.

Starting on the brighter side, the Tractorboys made it 7 points out of a possible 9 in their past 3 games with a solid 2-0 win at home against QPR. One of the biggest problems for the Town this year has been the lack of consistency at Portman Road, with far too many indifferent performances seeing the team mired in mid-table. However, the silver lining of playing in the Championship is that it is always tight. Just 10 points separate the 6th placed team from the relegation zone. In the latest turn of the ever-rotating starting lineup, Jonathan Stead was the hero, coming off the bench to score twice in 4 minutes and secure the 3 points. With upcoming games against Blackpool and Doncaster, maybe the team can put together a run and give us some hope, for at least a shot at a play-off spot. Though, the constant rotation of Magilton’s starting lineup is puzzling at best. It’s one thing for Rafa Benitez, Sir Alex, and the Arsene to mix up the lineup, but they have squads that could field 2 teams in the Premier and survive. This is Ipswich – Jim pick a team already. But there is hope.



Moving to the dark side, 3 hours of Sunday afternoon was spent watching a Seahakws performance drearier than the Seattle November day that it was. The clocks moved back but darkness was enveloping Qwest Field shortly after the first quarter. When Seneca Wallace hit Koren Robinson for a franchise record long 90 yard TD play on our first possession, hope seemed eternal. A win would keep us within 2 games of the division lead. Hasselbeck might convince his doctor he can walk sometime soon. McNabb was confused either by the defense or by the noise of the 12th Man. The ‘Hawks were in control. Can we call it early and all go home happy before it starts pissing down again?!! Then the second period began. McNabb went on to complete 20 of his next 22 passes, moving his team at will through the depleted ‘Hawks defense. On offence, bad habits returned with receivers dropping key passes that killed any decent drive Seattle could muster. Seneca Wallace deputizing at QB, as Hasselbeck missed his 4th straight start, did ok but Philly wasn’t about to be fooled again and reeled off 26 straight points for an emphatic victory. Seattle punted the rest of the game. At 2-6, this season has come and gone, and it’s time to level our expectations. In Big Mike’s farewell season he deserves better, and despite the injuries some of these players just aren’t performing.

Weekend TractorHawk Grade: C
Held up by the Town this week as we move into 8th place in the Championship (tied on points with 5 other teams mind you)

Weekend Tractor Driver:

Jonathan Stead, 2 goals in 3 minutes from the bench in his latest role as super-sub.

Note-a-balls:

The happy ‘Arry revival continued at the Lane as last placed Tottenham welcomed, got outplayed for most of the game, and then defeated league leading Liverpool. Dirk Kuyt got the scousers started and it looked to be business as usual for the ‘Pool looking to grind out another close win. But when Reds defender Jamie Carragher headed into his goal, Spurs were sparked into action, and just as they had shocked the Gooners a few days earlier, they struck again in injury time as Pavlyuchenko knocked in the winner. Spurs moved off the bottom for a couple days until Bolton beat the now seriously under-achieving Arabians of Manchester and Newcastle scored an unlikely 2-0 win over the previously impressive Aston Villa. So much for me stating Villa being a potential top four squad. Spurs back to bottom but 7 points in a week has them believing again – in what exactly I’m not sure but you get the point.

Talking about the shocking Gooners, a 2-1 defeat at Stoke, combined with Van Persie seeing red, and Adeboyor and England wonderkid, Theo Walcott off hurt has seen Arsene’s lads spiral. Dropped points this season already to Fulham, Hull, Sunderland, Tottenham, and now Stoke has got the Arse looking more like UEFA cup hopefuls than title contenders.

Chelsea take over top spot on goal difference after a 5-0 win over a pathetic Sunderland performance at the Bridge – see my previous article on Big Phil and his lads.

Hull decided to play attacking football at Old Trafford in a 7 goal affair. You’d be forgiven in many circles for thinking that if Hull were daft enough to attack United on the road they could be in for a 7 goal drubbing. United edged it 4-3 and again HCFC has everyone rooting for the underdogs in brown and gold. With 20 points they are half-way to safety which, at the beginning of the season, not many gave them a snowball’s chance of achieving.

In the land of the pigskin, America prepares to elect the new president. But first there was a typical busy fall weekend to get through. The pre-season unfancied Tennessee Titans remained the only unbeaten team in the league with a close 19-16 overtime victory over the Cheeseheads. I respect the Titans – they are a team that get very little media attention but this year they have overcome a bit of adversity at the QB position, and at least for now, continue to prove themselves as the best team in the NFL. You can’t argue with an 8-0 record and hats off to their unassuming and professional Head Coach Jeff Fisher.

In the NFC, the marquee game saw Eli Manning and the Giants welcome the Romo-less and suddenly dysfunctional Dallas Cowboys. While Jessica nurses her boy’s thumb back to health, the Cowboys tried 2 different quarterbacks to no avail, as the Giants romped 35-14 to take control of the very competitive Eastern division.

The college front needs a dedicated article, or thesis for that matter, and there will be one coming in a few weeks as the season progresses. Once again the sort of voted champions-elect-number one team went down as Texas Tech downed Texas with an incredible touchdown with 1 second to play (just as well they don't let the refs decide on injury time in US sports). There is no doubt that on any given week college football can produce some amazing games. But until they figure out a way to objectively and competitively rank these teams, I still struggle to find the point. Errr make them play each other….maybe….just a thought mind.

And how was your sporting weekend?

Cheers!

Weekend Rewind

As I develop this site we’ll take a minute to look back over the previous weekend and get some regular themes established.

A royal blue weekend double for me as the Tractorboys got a rare win, romping past Plymouth 3-1, thanks to an Owen Garvan brace and a first in 11 games for Kevin Lisbie. This was followed by an even more improbable ‘Hawks road win against the reeling 49ers who introduced their new interim Head Coach, linebacker legend, Mike Singletary, after the sudden firing of Mike Nolan.

A big fan thumbs up to Singletary though for kicking one of his own players out of the game! Not sure I’ve ever seen that before but after Vernon Davis was flagged for a personal foul for smacking ‘Hawks Free Safety, Brian Russell after a reasonable gain and costing his team 15 vital yards, Singletary gave him a right good rollicking. This was followed by swift sending to the showers…not only that, but as the sulking player headed off for the early bath, his coach calls him back to get his helmet and then tells him to piss off...wow! That’s a Golden Tractor Key award nominee right there (when we get it started).

It’s been a tough season for both my football teams, so this weekend, was indeed, a rare event. Though it was great to see both my blue flags flying, I think it’s going to be a rough year for me on both sides of the football pond.

Weekend Tractor-Hawk Grade: B+ (not an A because the ‘Hawks were actually out-gained though we won by 3TDs and David Norris got sent off in injury time for kicking the ball away – cue the referee’s a total wanker)

Other notes:

The NFL took its show to the “Home of Football” as the New Orleans Saints upended the San Diego Chargers in a 37-32 shootout in front of over 83,000 at the most expensive stadium in the world, Wembley. Can only imagine the “what the bloody ‘ell is he doing then?” when the Saints punter ran the ball back through his own end-zone for an intentional safety in attempt to run off the clock. “Own touchdown?….how much it that worth then?”

Hull City remain in the top 3 in the Premier League after a comprehensive 3-0 win over West Brom, and I was thoroughly impressed getting to watch the game as the Saturday early match on Fox Soccer Channel (our big-screen football feed for English fans living in the US). I will say the result was a bit harsh on the Brom but HCFC have already earned themselves a future article on this site.

Liverpool ended Chelsea’s 86 game unbeaten run at home. The men in red move to first place in the EPL for the first time in like 30 years with a 1-0 win at the Bridge over Big Phil and his lads. Enjoy it while it lasts, Scousers. By the way are you still protesting your US bankroll??

The Phillies take command of the World Series. Most focus is still on the upstart Tampa Bay Rays, who like the previously mentioned Hull City of the EPL, are more than worthy of a full post at another date. Shout-out though to Seattle favorite Jamie Moyer on his performance for Philadelphia Sat. night – at 44, he is giving all us middle-aged over-the-hill beer-guzzling-fried-egg-sandwich-eating blokes some hope.

College football – we’ll need to get this going a bit as it is not one of my hot topics but I pay attention. Pretty much all the top teams won, so we’re still on course for about 8 teams qualifying for the championship but with no tournament at the end noone knows, and for right now, who gives a toss – come on, let Boise State back in, it’s worth it just to see that frickin blue field….no upsets of note, though a worthy mention to the AZ Wildcats for playing a close game against USC, eventually succumbing 10-17. Having lived in Tucson for 12 years or so, you’ll notice a Wildcat reference every once in a while.

And how was your sporting weekend?

Cheers!!