tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87048306645464442132024-03-14T08:34:07.918-02:00The Trap GameJust when you think you've got one of the answers, you figure out it's a trick questionBokolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597135316320749668noreply@blogger.comBlogger282125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704830664546444213.post-82094933289263208852023-06-20T00:59:00.004-02:002023-06-24T13:32:15.832-02:00Ale Bunga Ale<p> </p><p>So, Berlusconi faded away, and Bokolis had a few things go through my mind. For a bit, I wasn't sure what to think.</p><p>This man bankrolled AC Milan's surge to dominance, both of Serie A, the strongest league in Europe at the time, and through European football itself. Officially, his reign over the club ran from 1986-2017, but the time Bokolis will most fondly remember is the the run of <i>ass whuppin</i> from 87-95. There were <i>Scudetti</i>, there were European cups, and there was a barren period for the dreaded Juventus, which shut up everyone around me. </p><p>Somewhere in there, Berlusconi managed to become prime minister of Italy. When Bokolis had to explain Berlusconi to Americans, I would use the comp of Donald Trump for the bombast but, as Trump was a comparative piker, I would throw Ted Turner in there, mix the two and say that it was like Trump being president. Then we would snicker, <i>Donald Trump president, yeah right</i>.</p><p>With Trump fulfilling the prophesy, it turns out that Italy were early adopters, you might say, of (right-)wingnuts. Bokolis ribbed my Italian buddy about this, goading him (into invoking Benny Bianco from Bologna and) to state the obvious- just as they were in 1921, except, this time, it's the US increasingly looking like heading down the <i>Via D'Annunzio</i>.</p><p>In those heady days, it was kind of a cute novelty to have the owner run the whole country. His time in charge lasted about as long as novelty does. </p><p>That said, once Berlusconi came back from being prime minister, Milan, while still a top club, no longer would dominate as they did. During his second run as Prime Minister, his stench of both his politics and appetites started to define him, even in the eyes of <i>Milanisti</i>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOsEMZHanuVsU8kMiskn4PUSjpeNNly2dGjc9SXSPnnfM1t_UinIN2JkV0I0VArD7O_3Z95XWf0AsxdNgrGBU-kJ8vw4XiUQzytcocV3o6LewgnipDZw1XDGH7vrExY80_KzEV_jRoRqi4FIdZEQE9jrxdLh8hcwcs7zBboxEwAyHmoZeIuWKyaQ2B_Tw/s450/bunga.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="318" data-original-width="450" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOsEMZHanuVsU8kMiskn4PUSjpeNNly2dGjc9SXSPnnfM1t_UinIN2JkV0I0VArD7O_3Z95XWf0AsxdNgrGBU-kJ8vw4XiUQzytcocV3o6LewgnipDZw1XDGH7vrExY80_KzEV_jRoRqi4FIdZEQE9jrxdLh8hcwcs7zBboxEwAyHmoZeIuWKyaQ2B_Tw/s320/bunga.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>By the time he came back from his third turn, the world had been introduced to the terms <i>bunga bunga</i> and <i>culona inchiavabile</i>, Barbara was fucking the striker, Pirlo was off to Juventus. Berlusconi, in addition to hurtling towards senility (as American football fans have seen with Al Davis and are now seeing with Jerry Jones), was in the process of having his <strike>comeuppance</strike> finances dwindle and empire unravel. 2011-2017 was a period of regression for AC Milan while we waited for Bunga Bunga to divest, and even that was a shitshow.</p><p>Berlusconi shitting all over Italy was possible to overlook while Milan were delivering trophies, but ultimately became impossible to reconcile.</p><p>Suave homes, the hedge funds have got it from here.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPAZmFG3sSQf6tN-Rpuafdzq85hvFAVqpad940zvWPtH_kLyl36Sq530h-nsUMzQ9N0CsHoP4fZYHY1lZ2pB9BotvjW2fNHMyqxcM4CBaBzmMrnhPkqdRw218039lePWc3KXenakd78c52WNeq_IHuGSqVzbMUS8AcVvW1dbMtAO3S2k3AnDWwb22Cqw/s1200/sheikymsg1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="623" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPAZmFG3sSQf6tN-Rpuafdzq85hvFAVqpad940zvWPtH_kLyl36Sq530h-nsUMzQ9N0CsHoP4fZYHY1lZ2pB9BotvjW2fNHMyqxcM4CBaBzmMrnhPkqdRw218039lePWc3KXenakd78c52WNeq_IHuGSqVzbMUS8AcVvW1dbMtAO3S2k3AnDWwb22Cqw/s320/sheikymsg1.jpg" width="166" /></a></div><div>I bet that y'all thought this was going to be about the Iron Sheik. </div><div><br /></div>I'd have too much to say, and it's already been done. In at once treasuring and lampooning him, we've all effectively been eulogizing him for the last 15 years. He was always a Bokolis favorite, as he looked like one of my uncles, and almost as ornery.<br /><p>With any luck, he has come up on his daughter's murderer, put him in the camel clutch, and humbled him for all times.</p><p>Suave homes, <i>namber vun</i>, there'll never be another.</p>Bokolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597135316320749668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704830664546444213.post-89176902477494128412022-01-02T01:46:00.006-02:002022-01-02T01:55:28.805-02:00Boom! He's on his back!When Bokolis followed gridiron football, one of the things that made it worthwhile was listening to John Madden blather on about something that was apparent to a fan capable of critical thought, though maybe not to the larger nation of mongoloids, in such an endearing way that excused him telling us stuff we should already know.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUAMh7hM1ygR2rMYW0PqtOicxl616Frf6LxA2lCVo5p3lsrGlZ6n36eEPgFYItcmqmiNpEty1y3YD5nWUdIL63I7SufmYuF2RAi4T3kHZmOyyt_69-I42XnUlkognQpA5D3qXFuK-AOeeS1ogtKX14M683e9NOUJgcmDItih2ENOErLL3ZY9dFx8R_=s992" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="992" data-original-width="793" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUAMh7hM1ygR2rMYW0PqtOicxl616Frf6LxA2lCVo5p3lsrGlZ6n36eEPgFYItcmqmiNpEty1y3YD5nWUdIL63I7SufmYuF2RAi4T3kHZmOyyt_69-I42XnUlkognQpA5D3qXFuK-AOeeS1ogtKX14M683e9NOUJgcmDItih2ENOErLL3ZY9dFx8R_=s320"/></a></div>
Bokolis was too young to have experienced Madden the coach, and too old to give a fuck about the video game. So, my impression of him will remain as the broadcaster from the 80s and 90s- with a beer commercial thrown in- who knew and cared just a little bit more than the rest.
Bokolis brings this up because, watching a college basketball game today, I saw some kid, after his team battled all game to whittle a 10-point deficit and finally tied it in the final minute, settle for shooting from Curry land, down two with 20 seconds left.
A friend of mine, when I relayed this to him, lamented that everyone thinks they can shoot 3's. It reminded Bokolis of an old Madden line, one where he explained that two things everyone thinks they can do, but can't, are kick field goals and play tennis.
It was one of the many times Madden stumbled on to genius.
Bokolis would like to think that, if Madden had stayed in the public eye long enough to experience the current NBA, he would have added shooting 3-pointers to that.
Suave, homes. You blazed quite a trail.Bokolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597135316320749668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704830664546444213.post-21262676482331216562021-04-19T23:18:00.002-02:002021-04-19T23:18:49.372-02:00Feudalism by any other name...<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #070707; font-family: YahooSans; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, it seems the bloodsuckers at UEFA/FIFA have met their match in </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Len_Blavatnik" style="font-family: YahooSans; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">this soulless cunt</a>,<span style="background-color: white; color: #070707; font-family: YahooSans; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> who is looking to blow up football as we know it by bringing to existence the long-threatened European superleague to finally run the European Cup competition, currently doing business as the misnomered Champions League*, out of business once and for all.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #070707; font-family: YahooSans; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Feudalism by any other name...despite the stated nationality of the bloke at the head of the table, Bokolis' inner circle of friends considers him a middleman/facilitator, and puts the blame for this squarely on the shoulders of the American ownership regimes of EPL teams. </span></p><p style="background-attachment: unset; background-color: white; background-image: unset; background-repeat: unset; background-size: unset; border-color: unset; border-style: unset; border-width: unset; color: #070707; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; float: unset; font-family: YahooSans; font-size: 16px; inset: unset; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">As it is, with the proposed league saying that the squad can't play domestically and its players could be precluded from playing int'l, this has the potential to bite them in their ass.</p><p style="background-attachment: unset; background-color: white; background-image: unset; background-repeat: unset; background-size: unset; border-color: unset; border-style: unset; border-width: unset; color: #070707; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; float: unset; font-family: YahooSans; font-size: 16px; inset: unset; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: unset; background-color: white; background-image: unset; background-repeat: unset; background-size: unset; border-color: unset; border-style: unset; border-width: unset; color: #070707; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; float: unset; font-family: YahooSans; font-size: 16px; inset: unset; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most of the relevant players would have no problem choosing riches of the superleague over country, but what happens when they are no longer good enough to play for the new G-20 and the lord kicks them off the land? Like a deposed nobleman, they'll be thrown in with riff raff, and still(?) banned from playing int'l.</p><p style="background-attachment: unset; background-color: white; background-image: unset; background-repeat: unset; background-size: unset; border-color: unset; border-style: unset; border-width: unset; color: #070707; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; float: unset; font-family: YahooSans; font-size: 16px; inset: unset; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: unset; background-color: white; background-image: unset; background-repeat: unset; background-size: unset; border-color: unset; border-style: unset; border-width: unset; color: #070707; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; float: unset; font-family: YahooSans; font-size: 16px; inset: unset; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The fans might be the bigger issue. We've hung in with the CL through all perversions because we still manage to hold some silly romantic connection to the European Cup. This new league would be like rewriting the Constitution, to which we have no allegiance, and not (self-)required to support. For Bokolis' part, I have been slowly extracting myself from football these past few years. My head is still lodged up its ass, but the rest of me is out. </p><p style="background-attachment: unset; background-color: white; background-image: unset; background-repeat: unset; background-size: unset; border-color: unset; border-style: unset; border-width: unset; color: #070707; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; float: unset; font-family: YahooSans; font-size: 16px; inset: unset; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: unset; background-color: white; background-image: unset; background-repeat: unset; background-size: unset; border-color: unset; border-style: unset; border-width: unset; color: #070707; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; float: unset; font-family: YahooSans; font-size: 16px; inset: unset; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The P in EPL has always, to some degree, stood for <i>Plastic</i>. The chief purpose of rebranding was to capture the national/int'l TV market- the so-called 'plastic fans' who who don't live near the grounds and don't go to the matches. Of course, television now makes up the bulk of the big clubs' revenue; spectators are just there to help with the TV ambience.</p><p style="background-attachment: unset; background-color: white; background-image: unset; background-repeat: unset; background-size: unset; border-color: unset; border-style: unset; border-width: unset; color: #070707; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; float: unset; font-family: YahooSans; font-size: 16px; inset: unset; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: unset; background-color: white; background-image: unset; background-repeat: unset; background-size: unset; border-color: unset; border-style: unset; border-width: unset; color: #070707; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; float: unset; font-family: YahooSans; font-size: 16px; inset: unset; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Similarly, the TV revenue in play here renders those local fans to being a bunch of local peasants, like someone living in a bungalow next to a high-rise who won't sell to the developers.</p><p style="background-attachment: unset; background-color: white; background-image: unset; background-repeat: unset; background-size: unset; border-color: unset; border-style: unset; border-width: unset; color: #070707; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; float: unset; font-family: YahooSans; font-size: 16px; inset: unset; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: unset; background-color: white; background-image: unset; background-repeat: unset; background-size: unset; border-color: unset; border-style: unset; border-width: unset; color: #070707; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; float: unset; font-family: YahooSans; font-size: 16px; inset: unset; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Surely, the new bloodsuckers would buy off UEFA/FIFA for its blessing. The EPL and the FAs are not Bokolis' hero- just a more tolerable lot of bastards. They are all cut from the same cloth.</p><p style="background-attachment: unset; background-color: white; background-image: unset; background-repeat: unset; background-size: unset; border-color: unset; border-style: unset; border-width: unset; color: #070707; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; float: unset; font-family: YahooSans; font-size: 16px; inset: unset; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: unset; background-color: white; background-image: unset; background-repeat: unset; background-size: unset; border-color: unset; border-style: unset; border-width: unset; color: #070707; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; float: unset; font-family: YahooSans; font-size: 16px; inset: unset; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The fans' only recourse is to disavow the clubs. Only the English fans are capable of this. Bokolis would count Gary Neville among them. While G.Neville the filthy manc cunt is to be reviled, I very much like the way G.Neville the analyst shakes. He is just about as quick to slam his own club for its misdeeds as he is any other, and praise a club he dreads just as quickly as he would his own, which are about the best things you can say about an analyst. He rightfully <a href="https://streamable.com/n3zqnz" target="_blank">shreds</a> MUFC and LFC in the same breath.</p><p style="background-attachment: unset; background-color: white; background-image: unset; background-repeat: unset; background-size: unset; border-color: unset; border-style: unset; border-width: unset; color: #070707; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; float: unset; font-family: YahooSans; font-size: 16px; inset: unset; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: unset; background-color: white; background-image: unset; background-repeat: unset; background-size: unset; border-color: unset; border-style: unset; border-width: unset; color: #070707; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; float: unset; font-family: YahooSans; font-size: 16px; inset: unset; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Have you ever noticed the difference between who gets the championship trophy in football (the captain) and who gets it in American sports (the owner)? As part of the greater culture, as Bokolis pointed out to his circle, you see a big difference right there between Britain, hardly as left-leaning as much of western Europe, and America. In America, where corporations seemingly have more rights than humans, and the free speech granted to a corporation and its money extends to the right to tell you to STFU- with the threat, implicit or explicit, to throw you off its land- when your view clashes with its own, a man with an opinion like this wouldn't even get three minutes to voice it on corporate media, let alone an uninterrupted three minutes.</p><p style="background-attachment: unset; background-color: white; background-image: unset; background-repeat: unset; background-size: unset; border-color: unset; border-style: unset; border-width: unset; color: #070707; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; float: unset; font-family: YahooSans; font-size: 16px; inset: unset; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: unset; background-color: white; background-image: unset; background-repeat: unset; background-size: unset; border-color: unset; border-style: unset; border-width: unset; color: #070707; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; float: unset; font-family: YahooSans; font-size: 16px; inset: unset; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bokolis remembers reading- maybe 10-15 years ago, an article about the growing American ownership of clubs in the EPL and how they were already lobbying to scrap relegation. Someone was cited as saying it will never happen because they need 2/3 of the votes, and then the league has to also agree, which it would never do. I thought, <i>just you wait, pal</i>.</p><p style="background-attachment: unset; background-color: white; background-image: unset; background-repeat: unset; background-size: unset; border-color: unset; border-style: unset; border-width: unset; color: #070707; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; float: unset; font-family: YahooSans; font-size: 16px; inset: unset; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: unset; background-color: white; background-image: unset; background-repeat: unset; background-size: unset; border-color: unset; border-style: unset; border-width: unset; color: #070707; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; float: unset; font-family: YahooSans; font-size: 16px; inset: unset; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">It's this kind of nonsense that America is seeking to bring to old world Europe, only it has stormed the beaches of England this time.</p>Bokolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597135316320749668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704830664546444213.post-63896325874084956072020-02-01T22:12:00.000-02:002020-02-01T22:12:34.209-02:00Rugby for fairies LIV at MiamiBokolis split the conference championships- the Packers were run over, a bad bet, and the Chiefs blasted their way out of adversity. This leaves it at 5-5 for the playoffs, with it coming down to the final game.<br />
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Chiefs (-1.5) over 49ers - Bokolis is taking somewhat of a chance posting the evening before the match. I am leaving myself open to the dead-hooker story. In reality, I was in at -1 a long time ago, so any dead hookers will have to say missing until Monday.<div>
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Lay people are all over the Chiefs, while players seem to be favoring the 49ers. Anyone taking the 49ers has to be putting tremendous stock in their defense and running game. They might also be banking on Andy Reid mucking up the playcalling like he used to, on Kyle Shanahan winning that battle.</div>
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Bokolis will be banking on that 49ers running game not being nearly as good as you think it is, on the Chiefs daring Jimmy G to beat them, and, even if everything goes wrong, on Mahomes and that offense being able to blast their way out of it. I see this as the Chiefs having a 75% chance of winning, which should translate to more than a two-point victory- more like two touchdowns.</div>
Bokolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597135316320749668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704830664546444213.post-21005036538878201612020-02-01T21:58:00.002-02:002023-06-21T01:37:28.444-02:00When I cook beef...When Bokolis found out about Kobe Bryant's number being up- via a <i>Yo! Did you hear what happened to Kobe?</i> text from one of my homeboys- my response was that I feel about how Tony felt about Omar- an eerie parallel, don't you think?<br />
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All Bokolis saw was a link to the TMZ story, which, at that point, was four minutes old. Of course, I don't believe in push notifications; my friends take care of that shit for me. While keying in <i>k-o-b-e</i>, I didn't consider or speculate what it could be.<br />
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Bokolis didn't click through to the story. I presumed he was on there with his secretary/mistress 'on business' and that it was a case of statistics catching up with him.<br />
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See, Bokolis has never thought much of Kobe. Leaving aside his forcing a trade before he had ever played a game, I had him lined up as a cocky fuck needing to get the shit slapped out of him, and the only reason that wasn't happening is because Shaq was around. While I'm not knocking his hustle, I can't have respect for someone who can't clear his own orbit, yet portraying the big willy. I had even less respect when he later effectively whacked the guy under whose flag he flew (pun unintentional). I guess Shaq could've kept himself in better shape.<br />
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Bokolis' opinion was crystallized when Kobe bought and/or was bailed out of a murky rape situation, where some bird went to the room not realizing what happens when you go to the room, and, this time, Kobe wound up having to take the pussy (and/or ass, apparently). Moreover, I was already pretty well detached from the NBA.<br />
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So, while Kobe might have spent the rest of his days- when he wasn't yelling <span style="color: #52565a; font-weight: bold;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">puši kurac</span></i></span> in between free throws- rehabbing his image, I'd never have known. If he turned into a genuinely good person, it's news to me. In fact, Bokolis considered his later self-applying the nickname <i>black mamba</i> was his way of trolling for having gotten away with it.<br />
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So, right after the <i>whoa!</i>, and saying that I felt about how Tony felt about Omar, Bokolis keyed out, <i>the black mamba is in the black land</i>. I somehow refrained from keying in <i>Kobe cooked</i>.<br />
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Of course, soon enough, the news comes out that one of his daughters was on board*. <i>Well, fuck, that changes things</i>. Then it was five people. <i>Damn, the devil him him hard</i>. Then it was nine people. <i>Jesus, this is a fucking mess</i>.<br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: x-small;">* Aside- it may have said that in the TMZ article, but Bokolis didn't open it, and was not aware until it was more widely reported.</span><br />
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You can look up the details of the doomed flight. Whether you believe that the pilot was trying to please his boss, or that Kobe demanded to plow ahead is up to you. Bokolis does not have that answer. I do know that this guy was taking a chopper to a girls basketball game because he couldn't be bothered with sitting in LA traffic.<br />
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You may also see him as #girldad, as if trending hashtags count in the final judgement. Bokolis would hate to think that this was karma catching up to him (or the devil coming to collect) but, if I were his accuser/victim, I would definitely be thinking that.<br />
<br />
The sadness comes from realizing that there are grieving people left behind, and is for the people roped in with this muthafucka. The tributes are heinous. It is sad how we try to make kings or deities out of people. When you're gone, goodbye, so long, farewell. False idols, muthafuckas, false idols...this guy was just another cunt.<br />
<br />
Suave, homes, ya dun well.Bokolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597135316320749668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704830664546444213.post-67687530207249636152020-01-19T17:57:00.001-02:002020-01-19T17:57:08.236-02:00Rugby for Fairies 2019-20 Conference ChampionshipsBokolis, 4-4, is looking to make hay this week so as to not have it come down to the pro-wrestling clown show in two weeks.<br />
<br />
CHIEFS (-7) over Titans - Yes, this would bust Bokolis' long-held prediction of the Chiefs not getting to the bowl, but this is not a hedge. History has repeatedly told us that teams like the Titans- run heavy, pass light, rely on no mistakes- almost never turn this trick three weeks in a row. Derrick Henry is a special player and could pull this off in the cold and, even if not, the Titans can still cover. However, it was only the Chiefs' momentary offensive jitters that put them in a 24-0 hole last week. This is something I don't expect to recur. The Titans will have to do a lot to keep up.<br />
<br />
Packers (+8) over 49ERS - Bokolis doesn't promise that the Packers will win this game. But, given that I don't think enough of Garoppolo to believe that he can beat the Packers by this much without help from his defense. I'm going to take Rodgers and his back of tricks to keep it close.Bokolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597135316320749668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704830664546444213.post-9743076681430178342020-01-13T00:49:00.003-02:002020-01-13T00:49:33.212-02:00Another divisional beatdownSo, about when the Texans made it 21-0, Bokolis was thinking about the beating I was taking this week and thinking that the silver lining was that my long-held prediction that t<i>he Chiefs and the Jets would not be back to another super bowl until all the rest of the teams made it first</i> would still hold. To boot, the potential was there for the Texans to come off the list,which also includes the Lions, Browns and Jaguars.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666;">Aside - since the Cleveland Browns were paused/didn't exist when Bokolis first made the statement, and the Jaguars and Texans were, respectively, a recent addition and non-existent, I would claim victory if the Lions somehow made a super bowl.</span><br />
<br />
Bokolis didn't watch the Saturday games and didn't start tracking the Vikings-49ers until some point in the second quarter. But, I knew the Vikings were sunk when, after intercepting late in the second quarter and already in field goal range, they went 3-and-out. I also had the sense that only one of the Saturday road teams would cover, so I was resigned to 0-2 right there. Ultimately, my hasty picks disregarded my acquired perceptions: the Titans had a proper running back and the Vikings couldn't run between the tackles.<br />
<br />
As if Bokolis didn't already know, after the Ravens were stuffed on the first 4th and short, it confirmed what the early part of the game had made apparent: the Ravens and their QB weren't ready for the playoffs.<br />
<br />
That's how it goes. Bokolis didn't feel bad because I was lukewarm on those games. Of course, back in the old days, I would have been backing up the truck on the Chiefs, as I had the most conviction on that game.<br />
<br />
Imagine, then, how Bokolis felt when I turned on the game- I thought it started at 3:30- and saw 14-0. That truck was hijacked.<br />
<br />
When the Texans botched their plan to go for it on 4th and short while leading 21-0, ultimately standing down and taking a field goal, Bokolis didn't disagree. Piling up points as a bunker seemed the correct thing, because 21 was never going to be enough- and it's not the hindsight talking. However, and, that's an all-caps and huge font however, taking the field goal there, only to try a fake punt- and botching that planning as well- in their own territory made no sense. I knew they would not make it to the end right then and there, but I still wasn't sure that KC would cover the 10 (the line nudged back up to 10 by game time). The Chiefs, who scored their first TD on a short field, were handed another short field for their second TD, which sped up the comeback.<br />
<br />
They brought the truck back, with a little extra in it, no questions asked.<br />
<br />
Actually, there was a red flag the whole time, as Deshaun Watson spent way too much time after plays (seemingly) schmoozing with officials and players, things that should not be on his radar. He is not a winner.<br />
<br />
Aaron Rodgers is a winner. This is being keyed in on either side of halftime of the Seahawks-Packers. Not having to worry about a running game, the Packers seem to be getting pressure the same way the Chiefs did, and Bokolis sees Russell Wilson staring at the defensive end the same way Deshaun Watson was. So, the Seahawks are suffering much the same way. Of course, Russell Wilson is about the only QB who can get away with this, but not without a running game. To boot, Aaron Rodgers isn't making mistakes, making the Seahawks secondary look foolish, and the Packers are cutting through the Seahawks.<br />
<br />
As it is, at 28-10 Packers, halfway through the third quarter, Bokolis is waiting for the Seahawks to bog down on their current drive before hitting <i>publish</i>, so I can get to bed. At 28-17, I'm aggravated that I've got to hang with this, that, even if the Seahawks manage to hold the Packers AND score another touchdown, covering would come down to a 2-point conversion. The perils of results over process. <br />
<br />
Actually, the Seahawks scored early enough that there was a little more to it than that.<br />
<br />
The lack of a running game might seem glaring, but Russell Wilson is a running game. What they won't tell you is that the Seahawks were done in by a lacking secondary, especially #21 and #28...and probably some dodgy replay angles. Jimmy Graham did not get the first down at the end. <strike>Thirty</strike> Forty years later, rulings are as dodgy as they ever were.<br />
<br />
1-3 for this round, 4-4 for the playoffs, down the vigs.<br />
<br />Bokolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597135316320749668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704830664546444213.post-77252522677548121562020-01-11T13:01:00.000-02:002020-01-11T13:02:10.077-02:00Rugby for fairies 2019-20 Divisional RoundSo, after a 3-1 wild card week, Bokolis is confronted with a couple of lukewarm Saturday matches. Then again, there is little that is more lukewarm than last Saturday's curtain jerker.<br />
<br />
Vikings (+7) over 49ERS - Bokolis doesn't really think the Vikings will win, but I do think some combination of they have enough to keep with or cockblock the 49ers/the 49ers don't have enough to dominate the Vikings and/or the slower track will help converge performances.<br />
<br />
<div>
RAVENS (-9.5) over Titans - Bokolis has to believe that the Titans have shot their wad. The Titans are more equipped to hang than the Vikings, but the Ravens are better equipped to dominate.<br />
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CHIEFS (-9.5) over Texans - This is supposed to be game where the side barely squeaking by in the last round goes to the top seed and gets duly hammered.<br />
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Seahawks (+4.5) over PACKERS - From what Bokolis is told, the Packers are a soft 13-3- it allegedly includes a couple of ass-kickings- and Aaron Rodgers is making mistakes that he wasn't making in prior years. There's also something about the Seahawks road record- huh?!? I'm not buying that the Seahawks will win, but I do believe that the Packers are not equipped to pull away.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Bokolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597135316320749668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704830664546444213.post-16203256451411061522020-01-06T01:44:00.001-02:002020-01-06T10:26:48.454-02:002019-20 Rugby for fairies wildcard rehashWith what he considers to have been one and a half solid picks, a concussed QB and a luck-out, Bokolis manages a 3-1 wild card round. While I didn't watch Saturday's games, I was texting with a group of blokes who were full of tickets and banter. That is also connected to the Sunday update of the lines; the group was in constant uproar for every movement, which influenced me to be current. The Seahawks actually went off at +1, but I felt a second update would've been too much.<br />
<br />
After sleepwalking through much of that game, looking like they didn't want to win, just as they did last year, the Texans were in position to close out the fading Bills- whythefuck did the Bills go for it on 4th and 27 with all their timeouts?!?- but nearly pissed it away themselves when, scared to attempt a long-ish FG, they were stuffed on 4th down. The QB had his Eli moment, and they pulled it out. The betting public was nice enough to bet the game down to 2.5, so it's a cash...yaaay! dumb money.<br />
<br />
Brady performed suitably shitty, and Derrick Henry was as good as advertised, maybe better. As the Titans were running down the clock, some joker tried to call a <i>pick six</i>, to which Bokolis replied, <i>when Brady gets the ball back?</i> When Brady did the deed, instead of crowing, I wrote, <i>TaInt-ed legacy</i>. TaInt, of course, is how Bokolis refers to what the mouth-breathers call a pick six. It's a pain in the ass to text, even if you're not an iPhone fanboy who can't be bothered to capitalize, so, thankfully, it hasn't caught on.<br />
<br />
Bokolis decided pretty early on that the Saints didn't want to win, and was reminded of the Saints' shitty play calling and their equally shitty run-blocking. They had one excellent drive. I'm starting to understand that this is likely related to there being certain throws that Brees doesn't want to make, or can't make. It seemed that the Vikings were taking away his first option, and his response often showed his confusion.<br />
<br />
On the other side, this kid Cook is pretty good, but he can't run between the tackles. Keep that in your pockets for next time. When he scored- between the tackles- to make it 20-10 Vikings, Bokolis was quick enough to key out that the Vikings were smart enough to call a draw play, which I later amended to stumbling onto the correct call, before they could rub my nose in it. Besides, I said, he had only performed to expectations- it's just that we expected the Saints to have 30 points by then.<br />
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That was a push-off, by the way. The Saints get hosed again.<br />
<br />
The Seahawks were probably better, but losing Wentz rendered the Eagles non-competitive. The Seahawks teased everyone by doing the minimum and committing a few penalties. Nonetheless, Bokolis thinks the Seahawks playcalling was a bit better than I've seen from them in big games. They kept themselves out of trouble and didn't have to (overly) rely on Russell Wilson pulling a play of of his ass. I mean, it was the same 17-9 as the regular season, so discussion is done.<br />
<br />
That's all the fuck I've got. We go again next time.Bokolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597135316320749668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704830664546444213.post-71392276315457887382020-01-04T17:02:00.002-02:002022-01-02T12:19:08.475-02:00The Waybach machine: NYF Giants at SF 49ers into rugby for fairies playoffsTo get myself in the mood for NFL playoffs, Bokolis found an old playoff game on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgFCjQsZE0I">YouTube</a>. In this game, the San Francisco 49ers, on their way to winning Super Bowl XIX, defeated the New York Giants 21-10. While the Bill Belichick-led linebacker corps intercepted the legendary Joe Montana three times, and the 49ers did not score in the second half, the Giants' offense could not score a touchdown of its own.<br />
<br />
Despite detesting the 49ers more than any other team, Bokolis loved watching games played at Candlestick park, especially playoff games, because the slow track made for some hitting. While the Walsh 49ers were known for his revolutionary v2.1 of Paul Brown's offense, mis-labeled as the "west coast offense," it was when they had a suitably punishing defense that Walsh won his three super bowls.<br />
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In the moment, Bokolis could not appreciate, or even acknowledge, such a defense. Even though the Giants had emerged from the dark ages, any Giants fan was already well-used to an offense pissing in the wind. So, the Giants not getting anything done against the 49ers didn't make the latter seem like anything special.<br />
<br />
The first drive ended in a 49ers touchdown, but left the Giants with <i>what ifs</i>. A Montana pass deflected off of Roger Craig's hands and right to defensive back Bill Currier with room to run. You can debate what would have happened, but Bokolis says Currier was <a href="https://youtu.be/LgFCjQsZE0I?t=7m37s">gone</a>. Both running backs were in the pass pattern, and the only receiver, surely quicker than Currier, would've been blocked. It would've been a matter of getting past the linemen. Give me that play and let's see what would've happened.<br />
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Aside- The defensive backs have always been an issue on the Giants.<br />
<br />
Dwight Clark then caught a 3rd down pass to extend the drive where he probably didn't get both feet in bounds. On the next drive, Ronnie Lott intercepted a pass at midfield and was contacted while on the ground, but was allowed to get up and run to the Giants' 12.<br />
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It would take another two years for Phil Simms to blossom (at the super bowl played in the Rose Bowl {<i>nudge nudge</i>}, get it?). Simms would often try to hang in there that little extra so that his receivers (who were never very good) would get open. In this game, it seemed that he often waited too long, probably because his receivers couldn't get open. It didn't get any better the next year in Chicago.<br />
<br />
Now that Bokolis is good and ready- good and ready, yeah- fast forward to the playoffs.<br />
<br />
TEXANS (-2.5) over Bills - In a battle of the teams that have rolled over so many times in the playoffs, Bokolis is not buying Buffalo and thinks it will go wrong for them.<br />
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Titans (+4.5) over PATRIOTS - For a guy like Brady, Bokolis would typically have to see him fall to believe it. But, with nothing other than Edelman around him, I've seen enough shitty play from Brady this season to believe that, short of Gronk showing up, the best he will do is pull out a close one that the other team has pissed away.<br />
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SAINTS (<strike>-7.5</strike> -7 <span style="color: #444444;">Sunday edit</span>) over Vikings - Didn't the Saints cock this one up a few years ago? They had better be playing to leave no doubt.<br />
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Seahawks (<strike>-1.5</strike> <span style="color: #444444;">PK</span> <span style="color: #444444;">Sunday edit</span>) over EAGLES - Bokolis never quite trusts the Seahawks, as they make things harder than they should be, and have to resort to QB Wilson to pull some (jizz-stained?) magic out of Ciara's ass. But, the Eagles have not done it against any team that is any good, QB Wentz hasn't done it with a full team, and won't have TE Ertz to help. Ertz is solid and doesn't do stupid stuff on the field, which will be missed, even at home.<br />
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<span style="color: #444444;">Sunday note- lines moved to Saints -7 and PK. Winning back the hook in the Saints, especially since I would've bought it anyway, and simply needing the Seahawks to win are too much to ignore.</span><br />
<br />
<br />Bokolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597135316320749668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704830664546444213.post-26650307416930355462019-07-15T21:17:00.001-02:002023-06-21T01:50:44.196-02:0023 girls 4 cups?Bokolis decided to wait until all the afterglow simmered down to talk some shit about the US Women's National Team running out winners of its fourth world championship. Despite any efforts to sidestep the noise, I've had to endure the nonsense of those who think the women should be paid more than their male parallels, and of those who think they are being edgy in using '90s references to insinuate that each practice ends in a daisy chain.<br />
<br />
Still others have thumbed their noses by bringing up that, a couple of years back, the side lost a scrimmage against a FC Dallas under-15* side by some distance. This gets met with some broad straight out of Dave Lozo's GSF academy coming through with the <i>they weren't really trying</i> excuse, and allusions to <i>insecure men</i> who would dare bring this up, as if a victory against 15-year old American boys is supposed to be groundbreaking.<div><br /></div><div>Aside- they call it under-15, but it should more properly called '15 and under.'<br />
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No, whether elite US women footballers win or lose a scrimmage against a u-15 side is not relevant. Bokolis hasn't seen any footage, and I imagine it has been burned or locked away. We don't know at what levels the sides were playing. It is reasonable enough to speculate that they boys were going at 90%-100% and the women were going at 70%.<br />
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It is far more damning that they would have to go that far down the latrine to find a pace of play and level of athletes that suits their preparation. You see, if playing full bore, this USWNT could probably hang with a u-17 side, or u-18 side taking pity on them. They've already learned that they can't practice against a serviceable college side because the male players can't figure out the appropriate amount of pity to take.<br />
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A side of 15-year old boys going virtually full-bore provides the women with a tolerable amount of physicality and speed against which they can practice.<br />
<br />
Of course, 15 year old American boys aren't well-drilled footballers. They largely rely on their athleticism. This, of course, does nothing to help the women become better footballers.<br />
<br />
And, Bokolis' issue with the assessment of this squad was that, while they had, far and away, the best athletes, this world cup showed quite clearly that they did not have the best footballers. Sweden, England and the Netherlands all had better footballers.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Hey, jerk- the US beat all those teams!</i><br />
<br />
In all those cases, their superior athleticism won out. Against England, they also flat-out got lucky- lucky that VAR caught the offside despite England again splitting the US centre-halves after having done so on their lone official goal, lucky that the England women made like the England men when it came to taking a penalty.<br />
<br />
That said, they were never threatened. Bokolis thought Alex Morgan stumbled onto brilliance with the tea-sipping display, but the raised pinky was bad form.<br />
<br />
Sweden punted the group stage match, apparently trying to play possum in case of a possible meeting in the final. The US clearly dictated the play, but had trouble producing any football capable of breaking down Sweden, and benefited from the dodgy new-age offside interpretations on the second goal.<br />
<br />
By the time of the final, it should have been abundantly clear that the Netherlands had no shot of standing up to the superior US athleticism. Nonetheless, it took a dodgy VAR penalty decision for a foul on Alex Morgan, who had been diving/embellishing all tournament, to break the ice. Bokolis immediately dismissed this in real time, even as I quickly texted my group that, sooner or later, this diving dishrag was going to get one of these calls. Sure enough, here came the prompt to re-referee the game. I also told my friends that I would bet one of my testicles that Rapinoe was going to her right on the PK. How the Dutch keeper didn't deduce the same is beyond me.<br />
<br />
The second goal was legitimate, and took advantage of what should have been the glaring liability in the Dutch side, the centre-half wearing the number 3 jersey. She was exposed in the Japan game, and this should've been known. The US should've piled on about four more.<br />
<br />
Bokolis must admit that I had no prior knowledge of the Dutch side, much less that they won the latest Euro. I immediately noticed that they all played like they thought they were Dennis Bergkamp. Of course, they bunkered up once the competition got better, which reinforced Bokolis perception that their best female athletes are still riding bicycles or speed skating, playing field hockey or whatever.<br />
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The Norwegians were better footballers, too. But they didn't measure up athletically and weren't deep. They had nothing left for England. Bokolis will leave out Germany, as this was not even close to a proper German side.<br />
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Spain were not better footballers but, thanks to their tactics, the US did nothing from open play. They won two penalties, one on an excellent embellishment by the only proper footballer on the US (Tobin Heath), and a dodgy one on what was a straight-up dive, and a bad one at that.<br />
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Perhaps it wasn't surprising that their best performance was against France, who had the most similar squad makeup, enabling the US women to press their athletic superiority against a side who weren't necessarily better footballers and worse yet, were set up to rely on their athleticism to bully lesser sides.<br />
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Since Bokolis always says that Ligue 1 is MLS, but faster, I got a kick out of the females being similar. France had two singularly unique players in winger Kadidiatou Diani and the giant centre-half Wendie Renard, players for whom the rest of the world had no answer. To boot, the side was stocked with players from Olympique Lyonnais, which has won the women's Champions League four years running.<br />
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Like the Norwegians, the birds from Lyon also figured out that they might not be as good without Ada Hegerberg. They tried to match the US athleticism, and they failed, big-time.<br />
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The new-age nonsense worked against the US in this game, as they had their third goal taken away because the VAR machine said a heel was in an offside position. Get the fuck out of here!<br />
<br />
Nonetheless, the US outplayed the French, and only conceded because the player wearing the number three jersey (Mewis) played the whole French team onside by dropping too early on the free kick. The analysts neglected to bring up what was in their face, instead blaming it on Horan, who was apparently marking Renard but, like the rest of the team, trying to play the French offside.<br />
<br />
To boot, those analysts didn't figure out to give Crystal Dunn credit for the job she did on Diani until after the match, by which time the whole world had already weighed in. They hadn't done it at halftime, when Dunn had already plugged what, going into the match, seemed like the biggest liability. It was all the more amazing because Dunn, playing out of position at left back, had shown herself (in prior matches) to be a naive defender, allowing herself to be pulled out of position in search of something to do. Diani certainly had a few tricks up her sleeve to wrong-foot Dunn, Dunn's fight allowed her speed to hang with Diani.<br />
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The French were neutralized, and there was maybe one other person in the world who could have done that job as well as Dunn. But the Velvet Mafia didn't want her on the squad because she wasn't feeling the rainbow, so Dunn got the chance, and gets all the plaudits.<br />
<br />
Bokolis had a chuckle because her teammates seemed to refuse to pass Dunn the ball. I wondered whether they didn't trust her, or they didn't want to give her too much to do. Subsequent games suggested it was the latter. But, hey, at least they let her play.<br />
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Bokolis would now give individual assessments of each player...would- but I don't want to break any ground.<br />
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You know the rest, lift the cup, parade in NYC, Rapinoe drops a few f-bombs while demanding equal pay (if not more) based on wild distortions of reality, a bunch of them dressed up like porn whores at the ESPYs- <i>what's that? It's their prerogative? Sure it is, just as it is Bokolis' to say they dressed up like porn whores</i>- and now they'll go back to playing in front of 6,000 at their league matches while the rest of the world forgets about them until the next cycle.<br />
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No one can say this in the face of their distortions because they'll just shout it down as insecure men and patriarchal hate and all this other nonsense. Bokolis will give them more credit than they deserve by calling it an attack of cognitive dissonance rather than than their own attempt to counter bullying with bullying.<br />
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You see, ladies, you can't get paid like the men because, while the footballing world is going to be locked in to every qualifier for ever major nation (and most middling and minor nations), the world is set to pick your plight back up in June 2023. What's your next trick?</div>Bokolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597135316320749668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704830664546444213.post-76525266648383270152019-06-07T18:35:00.001-02:002019-07-18T10:51:26.840-02:00Cup runneth...dry?So, it's the birds' turn to play football. Said slightly more properly, it's the turn of the women to be in the bright lights for playing football. The Women's World Cup is upon us.<br />
<br />
Like the hockey women, the female footballers are whingeing about not being paid like the men for what they perceive to be the same work. While Bokolis' cock-jerk reaction is to guffaw and to tell them to get paid like men, go earn like the men, I grudgingly admit that the issue might be a little more nuanced than that.<br />
<br />
But, Bokolis will say that <i>equal pay for equal work</i> is bullshit. Negotiations are all about leverage, which is a catchphrase that really means a side's ability to bully. When you don't own the factors of production, your ability to bully is limited. <br />
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Bokolis will now dismiss the merits of their case. I actually did some poking around on this.<br />
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The USWNT claims that because they do better than the men do in international competition, that entitles them to draw at least as much water as the men. More accurately, they do <i>comparatively</i> better than the men.<br />
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This is because the US women have a relatively higher-level of athlete in their talent pool and because the US women had a head start on most of the world, certainly the nations that would be considered top among the men (Germany, England, France, Spain, Italy). Germany caught up; France caught up; England and Spain are catching up; Italy haven't yet reconciled that women are allowed to be something other than mothers or whores, and the Dutch women seem to be committed elsewhere. Others will eventually catch up, and the rankings of the US men and women will converge.<br />
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If the best male athletes in the US focused on (soccer) football, even with a lack of quality coaching, we would pound the rest of the world back into the dark ages, crushed as they would be that we took their sport away from them. Ironically, that would do more for the women's game than anything the USWNT have ever done.<br />
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They do not do better than the men, as they do not play the same competition; they play against a talent pool that isn't as developed, or as deep. Would you like us to take off the governor and put you in against men? After enough ass-whuppings, at some point, evolution will smile on women and they'll be the physical equals of men. Society would have broken down by then, and we'd probably have had an ice age or two, affording women even more chance to better their place in its reconstruction. But that also presumes that women would have evolved to be the hunting equals of men- and equally adept at avoiding being the hunted- which is how we got the drop on them in the first place.<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Before that, if we dropped the current USWNT into the fourth tier of English (Men's) Football- League Two- for a full season, they would most likely get relegated. Bokolis is told the league average wages (using 2017-18 figures, employ an inflation multiplier accordingly) is about 1000GBP/week, or 46000GBP ($60k USD, rounding up) per full season. Once they were relegated to the <strike>Conference</strike> National League, which straddles the line between full-time and semi-pro, wages figure to drop by 25%-35%. $40k-$45k/yr seem fair for you ladies? Because, you would very likely be relegated from there, as well. Bokolis is pretty sure that players in the 6th-tier of English football get paid more from their day jobs than from football.</span></span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #26282a; font-family: 'Yahoo Sans'; font-size: 14px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26282a;">On the basis of percentage of revenue generation, the failed leagues demonstrate that the women cannot draw anywhere near the men. This is even the case in the US, where the WUSA, WPS, W-league, WPSL Elite have folded and the NWSL is still trying to gain traction. All this, while MLS chugs along just fine, despite those guys being just a little better than Bokolis was. At least in the US, the women's clubs function independently of the men's. In Europe, the women's teams are typically arms of a larger (men's) club.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26282a;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26282a;">Sure, as revenue earners, the USWNT compares far better in relation to its male counterpart than does the rest of the world. In the US, 'soccer' is perceived as the girls sport- that is, it is the sport females are best equipped to play. Said another way, it is the sport we'd most prefer our girls to play. You've got seventh-generation American fathers, who wouldn't be caught dead watching soccer, mindlessly putting their daughters into soccer because it seems like the thing to so. This has been going on for a couple of generations and, as a consumer group, American women- despite what they tell you- have a standard of living suitable to support their national team.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26282a;">"Girl Power" and all that notwithstanding, women in the rest of the world still prefer men's football to women's football.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26282a;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26282a;">As such, taken in total, the men's world cup cycle generates 40x-50x the revenue that the women's world cup cycle generates. Said another way, for every billion that the men's game generates, the women's game generates $20-$25 million. Nonetheless, the WC prize pool for women is already at a greater payout rate than for the men. This is actually understandable, as there are far greater carrying costs associated with the men, who are far more greatly valued assets. If Sheikh Mansour puts in a bid for Alex Morgan- well, you've heard what happens on those yachts- whatever he pays is barely going to eat into what City will get by selling Leroy San</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">é </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #26282a; font-family: inherit;">back to a German side.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #26282a; font-family: inherit;">The players suffer further humiliation by having the lords of the game- and a few other chauvinists- suggest that they'd be more of a draw if they played in revealing, form-fitting and otherwise more suggestive outfits. Does it need to be said that this could also be harmful, even dangerous? The fucked up thing is, as it is a weighing machine in the short term, these fuckers would be right in the short run.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #26282a; font-family: inherit;">Amazingly enough, Bokolis does not want this. I like my sex with my sex, and my sports with my sports. Some hornbag will make youtube videos cherry-picking the best-looking asses of female volleyball players in those shorts and get a bunch of people to look. Still, I'd rather see the pros of the skin trade, swimsuit models and porn whores, in those outfits than athletes. Seeing pics of Hope Solo's nasty looking growler- even though that was not meant for our consumption- was bad enough. Seeing Megan Rapinoe in the swimsuit issue was a soul-scarrer of a train-wreck. I'd much rather watch them play football than shake their asses.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: x-small;">Aside- ever since Bokolis let a female friend convince me that Alex Morgan was not that hot, I've never been able to judge the looks of any of them. In fact, when I saw Julie (Johnston) Ertz WAGged out at Super Bowl 52, my first thought was alarm that she may have given up football. Of course, she has been playing professionally the whole while, but I'd never know.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26282a;">Besides- and, Bokolis will blow that fantasy right out of the water for you- for the most part, jocks, female and male, are weird. But, hey, they've got to earn, so go on with your patronage. I'll try to reel this back in, while also trying to forget about Rapinoe in a thong.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26282a;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #26282a;">So, they don't measure up physically, and they don't earn like the men. To boot, as opposed to doing their own thing, they have submitted their game to the patriarchal FIFA's rule. Nonetheless, the women are effectively asking that the cash cow that is the men's game (further) subsidize the women's game by bringing pay in line with the men- in effect, to</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #26282a; font-family: inherit;"> bump up the women just for the sake of doing it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="background-color: white;">hmmmm....ok, Bokolis will bang it around.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #26282a;">Training should be funded as closely to equal as is feasible all the way up and down the age levels, and elite-level women should not have to train and play on crappy turf fields, which would be unconscionable in the men's game.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #26282a;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #26282a;">As far as being paid, the reality is women's football is currently a second class sport, and there is a certain amount of grinning and bearing it that female footballers will have to suffer from choosing a calling that doesn't fund itself. If schoolteachers have to suffer and no one cares, no one is going to give a fuck about the lot in life of a female footballer. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #26282a;">That said, Bokolis thinks there is little to be gained by being ruthlessly pragmatic. Continuing to t</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #26282a;">reat them like second-class citizens could quite possibly damage revenue on the men's side by turning women off to the men's game.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #26282a; font-family: inherit;">The American women, in particular, attempt to invoke Title IX, intended for federally funded and/or educational institutions, and assert that it should apply in this case. Bokolis scratches his head, as, not only does Title IX involve entities that are not intended to be profitable (which FIFA most certainly is not), Title IX is the main roadblock to ANY college athletes getting paid.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #26282a; font-family: inherit;">While the education aspect is certainly not applicable, </span><span style="background-color: white; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #26282a;">Bokolis isn't sure that the "Federal financial assistance" aspect of Title IX is applicable here. Even if it is, it probably wouldn't be much of a problem for USSF to forego any federal funding, thus being able to tell the women to go fuck themselves. Even if they get some of what they want from their federation, while the USWNT would be improving its own situation, it would seem a bellwether, but none of this would necessarily apply to other nations.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="background-color: white;">FIFA takes a big chance by alienating the US Women. FIFA has gained much from the US market, even as it has barely tapped the well. It is not the wisest thing to do anything that could jeopardize that income stream. Is FIFA going to come through for all federations? The answer is, not until it figures out how to make itself look like a superhero for doing so.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="background-color: white;">As it is, Ada Hegerberg, a Norwegian considered the best female footballer, has declined to play in this World Cup. Her reasons are not entirely clear, but it is evident that she is sick and tired of the way FIFA and the national federations treat the women's game. Even if she is the best player, she is just one woman, and the competition will shrug it off.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="background-color: white;">If the USWNT, whether as champions or not, were to boycott the next World Cup (to take place, presumably, in Australia), it would make a dent. If the US boycotts AND whoever wins this year (France?) boycotts the next WWC, then it would be a sham. If you lose the American woman as a consumer, the women's game is in trouble, and it's going to do no favors to the men.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="background-color: white;">Y'all muthafuckas didn't think I was going to do predictions, did you?</span></span></div>
Bokolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597135316320749668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704830664546444213.post-87558575359136143812019-06-06T03:08:00.004-02:002022-01-02T12:43:13.712-02:00YNWA SixThis may be seen as crowing for winning the European Cup. Bokolis has previously diminished the significance of winning the made-for-TV leagues. Still, we won it and they didn't. All things equal, though, Bokolis would've preferred the League. Let's see where it goes.<br />
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At some point during Liverpool's second match of the EPL season, Bokolis had seen enough to declare that this was the best Liverpool side I had ever seen. I had cooked up a scenario where they would amass 92 points and would be in with a shout for the League, but likely falling short.</div>
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The reassessment after round 22 yielded a projected total of 96 points. Mind you, this was after Manchester City were on the right side of the luck of two posts and a GDS- 11 millimeters- to take a 2-1 decision against Liverpool.</div>
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As City could claim a maximum of 101 at that point, six dropped points in this scenario would be enough. As City was having trouble with away fixtures, while Liverpool had taken all 45 available points against non-top 6 sides, Bokolis doubted that City could take maximum points at the middling quartet of Bournemouth, Brighton, Burnley and Palace.</div>
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Before City ever got to any of those places, they lost at Newcastle, three of the six points Bokolis was looking for. I had taken my hand out of my pocket to reach for the trophy. City ran the table from there, 14 wins from 14 matches. Even though Liverpool bettered my outlook by one point, they were not afforded the necessary room for error. The staggered matchdays gave the effect of head-bobs down the stretch of a horse race.</div>
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City got the ball 25.9 millimeters over the line at Burnley and, against Leicester, Vincent Kompany, after both he and David Silva committed fouls that could've resulted in red cards- Silva more so than Kompany- rifled in a 30-yarder, one of those shots that defenders dream about, one they usually put into the stands.</div>
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Just as he punted league position last season for the sake of the Champions League- Liverpool could've finished second but, aside from a few quid and bragging rights among the simple, second doesn't get you anything more than fourth- Klopp concentrated on the league while trying to get away with doing the minimum in the Champions League group stage. The gambit got them to last season's final, where they fell victim to the dirty rat cunt motherfucker Sergio Ramos bulldogging Mohammed Salah's shoulder into the turf with no VAR, no recourse, and, oh yeah, two howlers from their keeper. </div>
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To start this season, Klopp did the opposite, favoring the league. He was trying to incorporate Naby Keita and Fabinho into the squad, but each took a while to get accustomed to the tempo of the squad. Keita definitely trying to do too much out there, his speed and skill helping and hurting at the same time.<br />
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He also often started Milner and Henderson together. This was often counterproductive, as they do enough of the same things that each would have to find other things to do on the pitch, which necessarily weakens their effectiveness. They were more effective on the pitch at the same time when one of them, typically, Milner, came on as a sub, when there would be a defined duty for the substitute.<br />
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Liverpool just about slid by in the group stage, sealed by a 1-0 win at home against Napoli, when a ball that should've gone anywhere else fell lovingly to the upgraded goalkeeper, Alisson. The victory was part of an eight wins in eight December that had them top of the table.<br />
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One of the things Bokolis appreciates about Jurgen Klopp is that he consistently learns from mistakes and improves the process, and, by extension, the team. This season's mistake was where, in three (almost) successive matches, Klopp employed what Bokolis would call his 0-0 lineup. To digress, elaborate and, possibly, explain myself:<br />
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Klopp mostly fields a 4-3-3 formation. In a 4-3-3, not only are you always supposed to be attacking, the idea is to get the ball to your attackers as quickly as possible, leaving the opposition defenders without midfield support. A 4-3-3 is meant to create imbalance, and it presumes that the side creating the imbalance would be in better position to deal with it than the more passive opponent.<br />
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Of course, the side creating the imbalance is itself imbalanced. If you try to play defensively in a 4-3-3, you take your attackers out of the game. You will either disconnect them because the midfielders will be too busy supporting the defense, or you will retreat to what will function as a 4-5-1 with two players playing out of position.<br />
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A 4-2-3-1 would be a better option for a more defensive setup, and it is Klopp's preferred formation. However, neither of Salah or <span style="font-family: inherit;">Man<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">é</span></span> like to play up top, and neither of them can pass worth spit. Firmino can pass, but he is better at passing to midfielders than forwards. And, he is certainly not fast or strong enough to be left to deal with two centre-halves focused (primarily) on him. This is a bigger issue because Liverpool do not have a trequartista, capable of determining and exploiting the weak points of the opposition. Henderson would do his best, and Keita is capable, but Keita took most of the season to find the right tempo, and was injured soon after he found it. Ox could do it, but was still on his way back after tearing up his knee.<br />
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In Bokolis' 4-2-3-1, the danger is always going to be that the wingers do too much backtracking and run themselves into the ground before they can impact the attack. The idea is that they funnel the opposition towards the holding midfielders. who would then combine with the relevant defender to destroy the buildup and have the wingers as a handy outlet after possession is gained.<br />
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This would work better with, say, Milner and Shaqiri as the wingers. But, this only happens with Salah and Man<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">é subbed out, and Klopp is not about to do that. Except for protecting a late lead, for a few minutes, this formation is not viable for Liverpool.</span><br />
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The 4-3-3 typically involves a narrower midfield, and leaves the dirty work on the wing to the fullbacks. While there is always room to operate on the flanks, that's where they want it. The true way to carve up a 4-3-3 is diagonally through the middle of the park.<br />
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Because of the lack of depth at fullback, Klopp would often have to use Milner as a fullback when one of his regulars was hurt, as he had probably seen enough in his first day as coach to avoid Alberto Moreno at all costs.<br />
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Milner is Bokolis' kind of player- the proverbial man's man and pro's pro. I have liked Milner since he was on City, even while Yaya Toure got all the praise. From back then, I used to say that, for 60% of the time, Milner is as good a midfielder as anyone in England. Once he played more than that, the diminishing returns would kick in and Milner would reach the cracking point and become somewhat less effective. If Liverpool have to burn Milner at fullback, not only are they missing him in midfield, but he's that much closer to cracking. It should've been known to them, as we saw it late last season.<br />
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What's worse, the demands placed on the fullbacks in a 4-3-3 make it a far more demanding position for Milner. Thanks to the all-around mastery of Virgil van Dijk, Robinson and Alexander-Arnold got into minimal trouble from constantly bombing forward. While Milner is still in top shape, he is not as fast as either regular fullback, and had a bear of a time dealing with fast wingers when filling in for them. It was his experience- he knows when to hit, when to foul, when to take a yellow card, and when to win the ball- that allowed him to be effective.<br />
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Faced with these imperfect scenarios, Klopp would compromise and field a 4-3-3 with three defensively-minded midfielders, which Bokolis would tell my friends- before the game- was his 0-0 lineup. This involved Henderson, Wijnaldum and Fabinho in midfield. While not afraid to get forward, Fabinho is a decidedly defensively minded midfielder. Once he found the pace of the team, he became a fixture, as he has a captain's level of understanding. Wijnaldum, on Liverpool anyway, is a worker bee who is comfortable and can contribute in attack, but he does not himself create in attack. Of the three, Henderson is easily the most capable of creating in attack and can score himself. That said, his most visible contributions are more often when he is strong on the man with ball, turning over possession.<br />
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Klopp fielded these three in matches against Bayern Munich (2/19), at manchester united (2/24) and at Everton (3/3). Granted, in the Bayern match, it was the first leg and Fabinho was at centre-half because Virgil van Dijk was out, so Klopp felt he had to favor his defense. At manchester united, who were reaching the end of an extended new coach honeymoon, he had to put Milner at left back because Trent Alexander-Arnold was out, so he again fielded a midfield that favored his defense.<br />
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Both of those matches ended 0-0, with Liverpool looking punchless. For the intervening match against Watford (2/27), Klopp came to his senses, and was rewarded accordingly.<br />
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Therefore, the most egregious mistake was fielding the 0-0 lineup of Fabinho, Wijnaldum and Henderson in midfield against Everton, despite having seen what it got him against Bayern and against united, despite having struggled for goals in the reverse fixture against Everton while still fumbling around with formation and rotation, despite fielding the strongest back line.<br />
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As with united and Bayern, Liverpool were listless against Everton.<br />
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It turned out that this would be the tipping point, as both Liverpool and City won all of their remaining matches. Bokolis would like to tell you that this lineup was part of Klopp managing to City dropping points somewhere, like he did in the group stage. But, it took Jordan Henderson complaining to Klopp about playing so far back to get the side back to an attacking setup.<br />
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We didn't get the League, but the Champions League was on. The 3-0 loss in Barcelona was bitter because this isn't the <i>Xavi, Iniesta, vamos a la fiesta</i> vintage. This is diving cunt Messi, (insert offense here) cunt Suarez, doesn't-fit-the-setup Coutinho, with Busquets and Pique wondering where all the cowboys have gone, kind of like the Yankees post-2001.<br />
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The striking thing about watching Barcelona at home is that they get to every loose/second ball. When Bokolis was playing, I found this quality indicative of a side playing harder and/or smarter. With Barcelona, it is also a function of being on the right side of refereeing decisions. Their fans have no small part in this, as they have perfected the tactic of whingeing for calls. They seem to anticipate when contact will occur (and their player will fall), so they are hollering before the referee has had a chance to process what he's seen. The hollering then plays a larger role in the referee's decision-making.<br />
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While the fans are yelling, Messi and company roll around and wave invisible cards. Barcelona commit the same (or worse) fouls, but don't get called for them at home. Lest it seem that this is Bokolis' bitterness talking, it was even worse when Neymar was there, with both the diving/embellishing and the uncalled fouling.<br />
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It is easy, then, to draw the inference for why their play away from home in the Champions League has been god-awful these last two or three seasons; they don't get these calls. In addition to not having the audacity to dive and/or embellish as much as they do at home, the opposing fans will also shout down their more legitimate claims.<br />
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Whether the analysis is sound or not, there was bitterness at the 3-0, but not despair. Bokolis had these impressions of Barcelona before putting them here. If Roma rolled them over last season, why couldn't Liverpool? I can't say that I knew Liverpool would turn the tie around; I thought they'd likely get two goals at Anfield, that they might get a third in regulation, but I wasn't so sure that they'd also keep a clean sheet. What we got was more than we could ask for.<br />
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If Liverpool had won the League, Bokolis wouldn't have cared about the Champions League. Winning the League is chiefly about not having to hear the nonsense. Without the League, the European Cup then became about Klopp no longer hearing the nonsense. Because it was Spurs, there was no way we could lose, and no way we could live it down if we lost to the spuds. Most of the people with whom I've become friendly through football are Arsenal supporters; I could not let them down. As I told my friends, I only want the result, not the game. <i>Just give me the 3-1</i>.<br />
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Accordingly, Bokolis watched the game with my buddy in a (half-empty) place where they know nothing about football. While I might have yelled at home, I'm not much for screaming, and I didn't want to be in a place full of screaming Liverpool fans and I REALLY don't want to be around them if we lose.<br />
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Apparently, Klopp was also not concerned about the quality of the match, as he again fielded his 0-0 lineup. Klopp was boxed in, as he didn't have Nabi Keita, had to save Milner for later, and he wouldn't dare trot out Ox or Shaqiri. <i>Ugh- he knows to let Henderson have a more advanced role, but I don't know</i>...<br />
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This time Klopp and Liverpool lucked out by winning a penalty 26 seconds in. Bolokis saw Man<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">é check up after running down Henderson's pass over the top and thought, <i>bah, you should've just shot first time this early. The movement is over now, everyone knows you can't pass for sh</i>...handball!?! Penalty!</span><br />
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Spurs fans are insufferable, including one acquaintance who said he would go to his grave knowing that wasn't a penalty. Remember how Bokolis said Man<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">é</span> was a terrible passer- he was apparently trying to float a ball into the space behind Sissoko, where Henderson was making a run and where he would've had a clear lane to one-time the soft pass from the top of the box. Man<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">é</span> hit Sissoko in the chest with the pass, which deflected onto his raised arm. It's a very unfortunate penalty, as even a perfect ball had little chance of leading to a goal-scoring opportunity, but you cannot have your hand up like you are hailing a cab, especially when you are stationary. But, hey, delude yourself all you want.<br />
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Beyond saying that it wasn't the best-taken penalty, no one further analyzed it. No one said a thing about Lloris basically shying away from the shot by pulling his hands away from where the ball was going. Because Bokolis didn't want the bad energy, I also kept quiet about it.<br />
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The 0-0 lineup looks like a better idea when you basically start the match leading 1-0. When a physically limited Harry Kane talks his way into the lineup, and a talent-limited Son Heung-min is favored over anyone, you'll generally be fine with one goal. Son isn't horrible, but his form is so inconsistent that he is a wild card. If you leave him alone for long enough, he might just get one past you. Kane was nowhere, as much because his teammates couldn't get him the ball as because of his apparent lack of match fitness. For all his time on the ball, the best Son could muster on this day was a knuckling 25-yard drive that forced a parry out of Alisson.<br />
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Spurs fans further deluded themselves in thinking that they were in the ascendency because the dominated possession. They were allowed to hold the ball because they couldn't do much with it. They did eventually threaten, but any anxiety was because Liverpool didn't look terribly interested in getting a second.<br />
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They got the Derek Jeter fist pump upon Salah's take, and a standing double fist-shake on Origi's late clincher. No yelling.<br />
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Alisson- worth every penny. van Dijk- worth every penny<br />
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YNWA</div>
Bokolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597135316320749668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704830664546444213.post-46944045601748593152019-02-03T02:14:00.000-02:002019-02-03T22:06:14.776-02:00Rugby for fairies...bowl 5 3Bokolis split the conference championships, taking the playoff record to 4-6. Given that I've had no feel for about half of these games and had a few others come out screwy. I would like to find a couple of side bets to attach to the pick so that a winning postseason is on the table. But, without scouring the list of nonsense, all I've got is some hedges.<br />
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Take the Rams-Saints as an example. After being sunk by some curious play that made for a miss-able field goal in the divisional round, which put Bokolis on the wrong side of the number, more curiously conservative playcalling by the Saints kept them from stepping on the necks of the Rams when they had them down.<br />
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This put them in a position where a horrible call could help bite them in the ass- and where Greg the Leg would kick them in the ass. Funny how, while there was no call for a blow to the head on Brees on his final interception, Brady got that call when he wasn't hit in the head.<br />
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But, make no mistake, this was facilitated in no small part by the Saints neutering themselves. Despite the utter inability to run-block, they continuously called running plays that got their running backs swamped. This slowed them down enough for the Rams to hang in long enough to get lucky.<br />
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Aside - Bokolis thought those balls used on kicking plays were supposed to be tinkered with so that they don't go as far. That kick by Zuerlein was good from at least 70. I saw Graham Gano kick a 63-yarder to beat the Giants. That muthafucka never came close to kicking a 63-yarder in his life. Something is going on.<br />
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Brady actually threw the Chiefs a lifeline by being intercepted in the end zone. When the Chiefs got it together in the second half, they shredded the Pats defense. Ultimately, the Patriots, as ever, knew the way home. <br />
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It's also funny that, even while it seemed that, for once, the Patriots were on the short end of the curious calls, they got the two biggest calls of the game. The offsides penalty that extended the final drive of regulation typically doesn't happen because the officials will usually tell a defensive lineman that he is lined up offside. The officials apparently clammed up before that play.<br />
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Before that, of course, was the muffed punt by Edelman that was reversed out. Bokolis doesn't think Edelman touched the ball. But, only the Patriots and the Giants get that call reversed.<br />
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In any event, Bokolis gets to keep peddling my story about the Chiefs and Jets.<br />
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Rams (+2.5) over Patriots - It's almost needless to say but, if you believe in the Rams, you are obliged to do everything possible to find +3. If the line doesn't move that way, you'll have to buy it up. There is no way you can be on 2.5. This is another battle of a seemingly better side against a team that knows the way home.<br />
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The Patriots have been able to run the ball. This has kept the pressure off Brady, and no one has gotten to him this postseason. As a result, Brady has made his perfectly useless receivers look like all-stars.<br />
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Allegedly, the Rams have the line to both stuff the run and get to Brady to at least knock him on his ass without getting a penalty for hitting him too hard. They also have Gurley.<br />
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As for the hedges, Bokolis will also split another play- which, collectively, should come to half of the play on the game- on the Patriots in the first half (-0.5) and the over for the game (56). The reasoning here is that, if the Patriots do take this game, they would have already taken the first half, and they will score enough points to make the over much more likely. While all three of these can win independently of each other (i.e., Pats lead at the half, Rams win the game 31-28), that is not the point.Bokolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597135316320749668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704830664546444213.post-8263598963676627962019-01-20T14:07:00.001-02:002019-01-20T14:07:54.107-02:00Rugby for fairies...Conference championships and the home -3Bokolis wound up on the wrong side of a pair of results on last week's games. It worked out to a 1-3 week, 3-5 for the playoffs. While it would ordinarily be embarrassing, it reflects that I probably wouldn't have gone near any of the Saturday games, and probably would've backed away from the Saints after having sent it in on the Patriots.<br />
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Bokolis waffled back and forth on the Colts-Chiefs, so I can throw away the result. The Colts went outside after being inside. If there was a chance that they'd challenge the Chiefs' mettle, it ended with Vinatieri hitting the upright.<br />
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Cowboys-Rams came down to a couple of fourth down plays. The Rams converted, the Cowboys didn't. Aikman says the Rams got away with a blatant hold...womp womp. Why didn't Dallas hold?<br />
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After seeing what the elements did to the Colts, Bokolis would've sent it in heavy on the Patriots. I don't care what the Chargers did on east coast trips this year, whether going east or west, no way can you make trips on consecutive weeks and expect to fire.<br />
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The Saints fell out of bed, but managed to grind out a victory after spotting the Eagles 14 points. They did it playing conservatively, then repeatedly throwing for first downs on 3rd and long. When it was time to cover, Payton went into Herm Edwards mode, calling odd plays and depending on a long field goal to ice the game. The field goal to cover the spread pushed to the right, and the Saints were ultimately bailed out by...oh dear<br />
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The good news is that Bokolis drank more liquor in a 30-hour period Friday into Saturday than I've had in about the last three years combined. I didn't kill anybody, either- yay for me!<br />
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SAINTS (-3) over Rams - Last week's performance might make someone think that the Saints are vulnerable. Bokolis saw a team playing close to the vest because they were down 14 early and, even though they were down 14, they decided they wouldn't have to score that much to win. Also lost in the fuss was that, after that flurry, the Saints shut out the Eagles for the rest of the game.<br />
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On the flip, the chatter is about the Rams having two backs run for over a 100 yards against an allegedly good Cowboys defense. I think that was more about a bad game plan and that it will be overvalued for this game. Belief in the Saints probably necessitates buying a half-point.<br />
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Patriots (+3) over Chiefs - Bokolis has been telling Jets fans for over 20 years that because they won a rigged super bowl, they will not get to another one until all other teams get to one. While they look at me like I am crazy, I then pause for effect and say, them and the Chiefs. Then, it sinks in. I am fully prepared to change the narrative when faced with the cognitive dissonance of the Chiefs winning, but I am married to my banter. So, I have to forestall the changing of the guard and rely on some stat that says QBs in the playoffs for the first year are 0-9 vs Brady in the playoffs. Actually, that sounds like a really stupid stat, doesn't it? I'm just going to believe the Patriots know the way home, and that Andy Reid simply got rerouted last week on his way to the crapper.Bokolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597135316320749668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704830664546444213.post-17220772912884524302019-01-11T21:52:00.001-02:002019-01-11T21:52:08.765-02:00Rugby for fairies...divisional round 2018 postseasonBokolis is glad to be done with the wild card round. Allegedly, we've dumped all the crap teams- and the Seahawks- and are ready for the proper playoff teams to play. After a ho-hum 2-2, I welcome the divisional round and am keen to atone for last year's whiff.<br />
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Okay, keen may be too strong of a word. Bokolis has to show the flag on Saturday, so the best I will do is peek in on those games.<br />
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There is declining momentum on the Chiefs. Even with home field, Bokolis can't imagine the Chiefs getting it right twice. This, of course, points towards the Patriots, after a unremarkable regular season, getting it in gear and progressing to yet another Super Bowl.<br />
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Home field, however, figures to play a big part for the Saints.<br />
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The games line up in increasing order of conviction. In the old days, when I just had to bet them all, Bokolis would keep doubling up until I hit.<br />
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Colts (+5) over CHIEFS - As stated, Bokolis doesn't know what to make of the Colts. I'd have to trust them outside. The other side is that Mahomes is going to have to show me {nudge} he can perform when it matters, and Andy Reid is going to have to avoid cocking-up another playoff game. Even if the Chiefs prove better, Reid will find some way to keep the Colts hanging around.<br />
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Cowboys (+7) over RAMS - Considering that the place will be at least half Cowboys fans, seven is a lot to lay. Bokolis thinks the Rams will be tight, and that the Cowboys will keep it close enough.<br />
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PATRIOTS (-4) over Chargers - All those away wins notwithstanding, Bokolis does not see how Rivers, after all those losses, will be able to finally win one against Brady. I think the back-to-back trips across country will get them this time.<br />
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SAINTS (-8) over Eagles - Bokolis is going to blindly jump on the idea that no one can keep up with the Saints in the dome. If the Eagles are going to drop the crown, it should be against a team better than they are. Accordingly, the Saints are going to have to piss this away for the Eagles to keep up.Bokolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597135316320749668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704830664546444213.post-37492835094727382152019-01-06T23:51:00.001-02:002019-01-06T23:51:22.496-02:00wild card post mortem...who knew QBs and kickersDespite saddling myself with two not-ready-for-primetime QBs, with the aid of a quirky back-door cover, Bokolis managed a split of the wildcard weekend.<br />
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In retrospect, the smartest money was on the Colts. It would've taken some balls to take the Chargers, and Bokolis could not grow them enough to take the bolts. My balls were up on the table for the Eagles- this is what I knew.<br />
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Who could know that a couple of inexperienced QBs could stink up the joint in their first time in the lights? The Texans and Ravens QBs were so awful that Bokolis will pull a Parcells and refuse to mention them by name.<br />
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Bokolis will focus on the Ravens, as I watched that disaster. It was painfully obvious that the QB did not know where to throw the ball. He would look at his first option, see it covered, and break it down in a panic. It is quite likely that his first option was covered because the Ravens built a dumbed-down playbook to accommodate the QB, which the Chargers, in turn, were able to easily decipher the second time around. If I noticed this by the second series, anyone who had watched this team for any length of time this year must have surely known this. The paid professionals must've been licking their chops. The late, futile attempt at <a href="https://psolara.blogspot.com/2012/01/are-you-ready-for-somerugby-for-fairies.html">Tebow Time</a> notwithstanding, that Harbaugh-B left this guy in to start the second half was done either by a coach who knew he was done after the season and couldn't wait to get the hell out of there, or on orders by management to not pull the QB. You have to figure Harbaugh-B is out of there.<br />
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As an aside, boy, did they butcher those calls around the Chargers TD. After the Chargers were not awarded a TD on a play where the ball broke the plane of the goal line before contact- the ball was actually marked about 26 inches from the goal line- the Chargers were then awarded a touchdown when not only was the runner down short of the goal line (given that he had to gain 26 inches), he seemingly fumbled before he was down, and that ball was picked up and taken 100 yards the other way for a would-be touchdown. The officials had blown the play dead, which nullified the return, and delivered a cop-out of a replay ruling that the runner was down by contact short of the goal line. The Chargers scored on the next play, which was the justified outcome. Nine wrongs make a right.<br />
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Bokolis didn't watch the Titans, but it sounds like their QB was missing open guys left and right. This bothers me because I don't know how seriously to take the Colts.<br />
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The Seahawks loss of their kicker led to a new way to backdoor cover. Janikowski apparently did his hamstring on a missed field goal, and the back-up is some Aussie rules guy who cannot place kick. This lead to two instances where the Seahawks went for the two-point conversion in situations where they would typically kick the extra point. They converted both, with the second providing the final points in a two-point loss. While it seems freakish, Bokolis would point out that, if Janikowski doesn't get hurt, he probably makes the FG. If you do some adding, extrapolating, assuming, projecting and figuring, you might determine that the Seahawks would've kicked the extra point on the first TD after the injury, and that after scoring their final touchdown, they would've been down two points just the same and be going for the tie. Unlike the attempt you saw, that attempt might have been met with some resistance from the Cowboys.<br />
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So, Bokolis has been typing this during the second half of Eagles-Bears. I am prepared to say that the Bears are playing just conservatively enough for the Eagles to cover, as it seems that the Bears have figured out the Eagles secondary, mainly this kid Maddox. Once the Bears take the lead, the Eagles appear to be done, but the spread still hangs in the balance. Foles just hasn't been right and that interception he threw in the endzone in the first half seems like it will be the points left off the board that sink the Eagles. Then, it comes back to the Bears playing conservatively. The Eagles come down and score, but that is secondary to bleeding the clock. The number is made. The Bears get into position for a winning field goal and...oh, dear.<br />
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Bokolis would advise the kicker to head home without showering.Bokolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597135316320749668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704830664546444213.post-87920193148509096892019-01-05T18:47:00.000-02:002019-01-05T18:47:57.545-02:00Rugby for fairies...2018-19 Postseason: wild card roundWhile the knuckle-draggers decided that Sundays with the wifey was less palatable than suffering through a kneeling or raised fist and have trudged back to the television, Bokolis again backed away from the NFL. I've had shit to do. I'm not going to let having shit to do today fully interfere with my fascination for playoffs. With the stock markets trying to decide whether to correct or go full crash mode, the world could use a positive ROI right about now. Let's see what Bokolis can do.<br />
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TEXANS (-1.5) over Colts - Bokolis wrote "Titans" before fixing. Same shit? This is an apt curtain jerker, as these two teams interest me the least. Nonetheless, Bokolis is keen on seeing the Texans make a run this postseason. These are two apparently hot teams. I'm still surprised that three teams from the AFC South managed winning records. They must have butched up on the AFC East.<br />
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I suppose Luck is more proven than Watson, and that's where the money is leaning. In trying to make plays, Watson has been sacked a bunch this year. This greatly bothers the pundits, but Bokolis less so. The real issue for the Texans will be stopping Luck from finding Hilton. I still can't figure out how he manages that without much of a running game or other wideouts. It must be that other defenses are too stupid to stop it. I'm going to bank on Luck messing this up at some point.<br />
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Seahawks (+2.5) over COWBOYS - The Seahawks will decide if they want to win this game. The Cowboys can only decide how they want to lose it.<br />
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RAVENS (-2.5) over Chargers - Everyone remembers the throttling Baltimore put on the Chargers a few weeks back. As much as Bokolis hates to go with the crowd, between that, the early Sunday start and having little faith in Rivers in this spot, just like with the early Saturday game, I can't bring myself to play the QB experience card.<br />
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Eagles (+6.5) over BEARS - Even if Bokolis is supposed to believe this Bears unit is semi-legit, I'm going to bank on an attack of pride for Philadelphia and enough self-doubt on the part of the Bears keeping this game hanging in the balance.Bokolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597135316320749668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704830664546444213.post-10965487584572516842018-09-26T12:36:00.000-02:002018-12-07T13:16:43.950-02:00The numbing down of the dumbing down<br />
https://www.nbc4i.com/news/u-s-world/teacher-fired-for-refusing-to-give-students-credit-for-homework-not-turned-in/1473439237<br />
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So, some teacher in Florida was shit-canned because she refused to give students who hadn't turned in their assignment a 50 per cent grade. Suppressing the 5th-grader in me from screaming <i>battleaxe!</i>, Bokolis is not going to discuss the merits of grading or not grading homework, as this is not the issue here.<br />
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Over-devotion to (lying) statistics is ruining many other aspects of society; this is just another instance of what happens when anyone has incentive and ability to goose the numbers to show 'effectiveness' in the hopes of procuring funding. On the heels of the Great Orange Sultan bragging about 'record' military funding and that the U.S. military is the most powerful that it's ever been to a- on the face of it- peacekeeping organization, we might consider that so much money that could go to education is going towards weapons of war- that is, when the money manages to make it that far without going into someone's pocket- so we can remain 'free'- free to lurch further towards feudalism as we are exploited by the political donor class.<br />
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But, the idea of spending money so that we are not a nation of dipshits and capable of critical thought is branded '<i>socialist</i>.' Bokolis is sure I have explained that the inefficient/improper taxation and budgeting puts increased pressure on states and municipalities to scramble to find revenue. I may have explained that, while we have been duped to perceive 'high' federal income taxes as 'socialism' run amok, the awful truth is that, when you add in FICA, state, local, property, sales and all the other use taxes, we are taxed like a socialist nation without social benefits.<br />
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Real estate property taxes are the biggest sham of all. For this example, Bokolis assumes that this house was purchased to live in (at least) until the kids are grown and out of the house. I am not talking house flippers here. The family house is assessed (and re-assessed) as if it has been made available for sale, even though most have no intention of selling it- while a corporation can park assets on its books at historical/carrying/holding value until it is good and ready to dispose of them- and taxed accordingly.<br />
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That the value of the property has increased through no action of the owner- in other words, he didn't tear down and rebuild a McMansion; he (maybe) gutted a few rooms and redecorated, but nothing noticeable from the outside or without a listing- but he is being made to pay taxes on that increased value. He will then be made to pay capital gains (on gains beyond a certain threshold) when he sells that property.<br />
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This is double taxation at its ugliest, as the 'book' value of the house is essentially the same when he sold as when he moved in, and the increase is largely due to the combination of the increased desirability of the location and inflation.<br />
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Of course, this issue is involved, and fixing all these things is even more involved. Your opposition, in shouting you down, will portray you as someone who is looking to '<i>overcomplicate things</i>,' which falls right into the wheelhouse of the dipshits, gulling them to side against their own interest.<br />
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Teaching kids finance and critical thought would not only make them hip to the chicanery, but equipped to battle back. The jowl-set say, <i>now, we can't have that, can we?</i>Bokolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597135316320749668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704830664546444213.post-18248471448795018232018-08-05T21:30:00.000-02:002018-11-22T20:45:52.130-02:00The Force-fed Feedback LoopAs is almost always the case, the powers that be in the league offices of sport will dilute and adulterate so as to bring in the marginal fan, while banking that the existing fans will stay because, face it, they have nowhere else to go.<br />
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We've seen it in many sports, under the logic of <i>changing with the times</i>. <span style="font-family: , serif; font-size: 16px;">While we would all like it to imply improvement, changing with the times (effectively) means</span> catering to the increasingly ADD-led populace that can't focus, and certainly can't appreciate. It means more highlight plays, less inside sport. The NBA and NFL are almost unrecognizable as compared to 20 years ago, let alone 50. NASCAR makes it so everybody is piled up on top of each other, then concocted a playoff system, as if NASCAR needs playoffs, so that it can hit the reset button on a one-horse race and get fans to hang in until the conclusion of the soap opera. Golf does this as well.<br />
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Hell, the NCAA has conference tournaments, where, the 18 (or so) games played in regular season be damned, some slacker can go on a four-game run and make the tournament, or some slacker can go on a four-game run and play itself into a high seed. <br />
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Football has largely steered clear of playoffs. Sure, it has promotion playoffs, relegation playoffs in a few leagues, playoffs for a country's other Champions League spot. But it doesn't have playoffs to determine a domestic league champion. It has the respective national cups, which, in theory, anyone can enter and win.<br />
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Because Bokolis has seen this coming down the pike for a while, I've been withdrawing from the soap opera aspect of football. I still watch matches, but not in the context of the broader implications. In the big picture, it's a rigged game.<br />
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Accordingly, Bokolis didn't come around during the world cup to offer knockout round predictions. For the record, I might have lost an extra game in the second round, but I perceived Croatia to be finalists from its second match (against Argentina?) and I perceived <i>neuf trois</i> to be the winners after its second round match (against Argentina!). From watching u-18, u-19, u-20 tournaments over the past few years, I knew, sooner or later, one was coming their way.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Aside - <i>Neuf trois</i> is the new moniker Bokolis as applied to France. I've long-referred to them as North Africa, but that gag has run its course. For those who skipped the first week of elementary French, that means <i>nine three</i>. It is the colloquial name for the suburb of Paris where much of the footballing talent grows up.</span><br />
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Bokolis supposes that the Champions League is a playoff of sorts. Once upon a time, UEFA had this competition where the champions of each national league met in midweek clashes to determine the champion of Europe, winner of the European Cup, as it was and sometimes still is called. As it became more practical to travel and television (and the money it brings along) became increasingly involved, the lords at the bigger clubs started to envision a European super league. To stave off a possible mutiny, UEFA has tried its damnedest ever since to create such a league for them.<br />
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As Bokolis remembers it, the idea was first shot down way back when by the courts. Instead, UEFA revamped and rebranded the European Cup into the Champions League. Ever since, UEFA been slowly changing the format so that it increasingly resembles a conceived super league, moving away from a club being owned- officially or effectively- by its supporters and getting ever closer to the American franchise model of a sports team.<br />
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It started when they started letting in clubs who didn't win their leagues. Once upon a time, if you didn't win your league, you were consigned to the UEFA Cup. In those days, this was a much stronger competition than its Europa League successor. Bokolis wants to say that there were two years in the 1990s when <i>Serie A</i> sides met in the final, that's how strong the league was. Even though today's Europa League is a competition of 5th-7th placed teams from the big leagues, winning this earns a Champions League group stage spot- that is, if it hasn't already qualified via the relaxed standards to be described below.<br />
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A lot of (the less than) casual supporters think the Champions League starts with the group stages. Hardly, as they were playing early-stage qualifying matches while the World Cup was still ongoing. Upwards of 75 clubs participate, while 32 make it to the group stage.<br />
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Every few years, UEFA revisits the format and formulas. Invariably, it has increased the access for non-winners from the largest leagues. It used to be that teams that didn't win their domestic leagues had to at least go through some part of the qualifying stage. Soon, they started giving second-placed clubs from the highest ranked leagues direct access to the group stage. Then it was the third placed clubs sliding through.<br />
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Finally, the revisions made to this year also allow the fourth-placed club from the top four rated leagues (Spain, England, Italy, Germany) direct access to the group stage. With the other automatic group stage slots given out, 24 to 26 clubs will get automatic spots, including at least 15 clubs in the group stage that have not won their domestic leagues- some champions league, eh. The remaining 50-odd clubs, including dozens of domestic league champions, are now left to dogfight for 6 to 8 spots via multiple qualifying rounds.<br />
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It is sad but, hang on- we haven't yet gotten to the truly scandalous part.<br />
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Again, with the expansion of television (and internet) coverage to all nooks of the globe, principal support for clubs no longer comes from their respective home bases. The English top-flight has harnessed the (white) American market, as well as the Asian/Australian markets, where there is even more money available than they can milk out of the home nations. Predictably, the vast majority of fans from outside the respective home countries choose to support one of the giant clubs, rather than the random mid-level teams.<br />
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Really, how many fans of Southampton or Valladolid do you meet?<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-small;">Aside - Bokolis came to become a fan of Milan through a hatred of Maradona, just before its 20-year run of dominance. I had become a fan of Liverpool (as a child) years before, as it was the only team whose coverage filtered through to America. Because of something called the Kop, I had the misguided impression that they had the sickest fans. So, as someone who had a romantic notion of anarchy, I gravitated towards them. I didn't jump on the Liverpool bandwagon, as I didn't know of their success, but it was their success that carried them to my attention. I would up supporting giants just the same as a glory hunter.</span><br />
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This phenomenon has created an economy of scale for the biggest clubs, the ones that fit into a super league, as a disproportionate share of the incremental support has gone to them.<br />
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If the above concept doesn't register, or you don't agree that it has gone down this way, might Bokolis suggest WSHH videos- you've read too much already. There are close to 3,000 words to follow. Don't do it to yourself.<br />
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With the guaranteed and implied revenue that comes with getting to the Champions League group stage, it provides the participants with a significant budgetary advantage over clubs in the same league who didn't make the group stage. It amounts to a club buying another top-line, borderline-superstar player, and/or keeping the ones it already has, which the 16 clubs not in the Champions League cannot match. Such an advantage will ensure that it is the same rotation of clubs making the Champions League.<br />
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It is already understood that the 'big five' leagues are, perennially, virtually already decided. The <i>Bundesliga</i> has been Bayern Munich's to lose for this entire century. <i>Ligue 1</i> is PSG's to lose. Now that the Milan sides have fallen on lean times, <i>Serie A</i> is Juventus' to lose. <i>La Liga</i> is, with rare exception, won by Real Madrid or Barcelona.<br />
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From its inception/rebranding, the Premier League, the most 'competitive' league of the lot, has been a steady rotation of manchester united, Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal. The top 4 places in the table almost always fall to a group of six teams, with Liverpool and Tottenham, neither of which has won the rebranded league, added to the above.<br />
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<span style="color: #666666;">Aside- Blackburn won it in 1994-95, after finishing second the prior season, because they had Alan Shearer and, because the league hadn't fully assimilated foreign (</span><span style="color: #666666;">or Black) talent after the enablement of freer movement of players, everybody else didn't. In fact, that season was the second of four consecutive seasons where Shearer's teams finished in the top two.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;">The miracle of Leicester City winning was because, while some teams had a Jamie Vardy and some teams had a Riyad Mahrez, NO ONE had a N'golo Kanté. In fact, missing such a player is essentially why Arsenal have not won the league since they let Patrick Vieira go, and why manchester united have not won the league since Rednose retired to the luxury seats. Mourinho has realized this and is desperately trying to get Paul Pogba to play that role. Pogba did it for North Af...errr...<i>neuf trois</i> in the World Cup, but has not yet shown an inclination to consistently do it during league play.</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #666666;">Liverpool (and England) had such potential in Ox (Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain), but England lost out on him for the World Cup, as will Liverpool for this coming season.</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #666666;">While the above is certainly a tangent, it means to offer that, despite its importance, money is not the be-all and end-all- odd place for it, I know- that, despite all the money and data being thrown around, until they start allowing time-out during play, the game will hinge on humans' ability to control territory through reaction, recognition, insight and effort without (much) outside input.</span><br />
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By giving teams direct access, it frees up their summers to run around the globe playing glorified friendlies. Another tangent...<br />
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<span style="color: #666666;">Let's go in the Waybach machine to 2002, when, on a random weeknight with almost no leading buzz/heat/hype, Real Madrid and Roma played a(n inconsequential) match in the original Giants Stadium in front of 70,000 fans, Bokolis among them. Because there was no buzz until the day of the game, I thought it would be lower bowl only. The advance sales were in the low 20k range, and Bokolis only paid $25 for his upper-decker. I think parking was more.</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #666666;">The game itself was effectively a scrimmage- guys were going 75% (max)- and nobody in the crowd much minded, as this was a rare treat. It was likely on this night when European clubs fully realized the enormity of the American market. The next year, Juventus and AC Milan showed up to play the <i>Supercoppa Italiana</i>. Only about 55,000 showed up that day, but we paid NFL prices. Bokolis still can't believe how fast Maldini was at age 35.</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #666666;">Fast forward a few years- the American football scene has become more saturated, as more clubs are doing full on tours into areas of the US where there aren't so many first-generation Europeans or South Americans. They were having trouble giving tickets away- they played one of these games at the current Yankee Stadium and, having only sold about 11k tickets, were trying to give them away to sports industry personnel to fill up the stadium- as the ridiculous face value...they were charging significantly more than Premier League matches, which themselves are priced significantly higher than other leagues, to watch guys play at 75% (max) effort and not give a shit about the result.</span><br />
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To overcome such apathy, they make the games 'matter' by tagging them as 'International Champions Cup' matches. They are still playing at 75%- sometimes 80%. But, since there is allegedly something on the line, (white) Americans slowly bought in. Once they had that buy-in, they expanded the 'tournament's' reach so that any team on a tour is somehow involved. It has bloated to 18 teams.<br />
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Without looking it up, Bokolis is guessing that 16 of the 18 clubs have direct qualification- <i>quelle surprise</i>- to the group stage of the Champions League- Milan is not in it and Benfica still has to qualify.<br />
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This is important because, on top of being guaranteed the group stage money, teams like Liverpool and Tottenham don't have to prepare for a tricky qualification fixture on some eastern European (or central Asian) rockpile of a pitch. It's true that the qualifying round(s) usually turned out to be more of an inconvenience than a hazard, and that it wasn't exactly turning a big club's world upside down. But, the elimination of inconvenience is secondary to the benefit. This means they can stay on tour longer, make even more revenue and don't have to sort out transfers before they might otherwise want to.<br />
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Again, this isn't about the hardship placed on domestic champions of the smaller countries; it is about the enablement of the teams from the 'top' leagues.<br />
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One might ask, <i>why is profit important?</i> A few years back, UEFA also implemented 'financial fair play' standards. Essentially, the clubs' operating results have to be within a certain threshold; losses cannot exceed some arbitrary number. On the surface, this is done to protect all the clubs, as many, in their quest for glory, would spend outside their means, racking up debt that they cannot get out from under, even to the point of financial ruin. This was also done to prevent clubs whose owners had bottomless pockets from spending like mad and creating an 'arms race.'<br />
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It seems noble enough. In practice, however, it favors the biggest clubs, as UEFA pays them but tells everyone to operate within the same Euro threshold. Further, upon cursory review from Bokolis, each year, most of the largest clubs 'magically' come in as losing just less than threshold amount. This may be coincidence, the product of 'prudent' budget management, or some book-cooking. Bokolis can't say for sure, but my pet cynic, mocking the lack of diligence the whole while, indicates that the process by which they get just under the threshold is where the real scandal lies, and simply reinforces that entities of such size as these can get away with virtually whatever finagling they want because NOBODY wants to derail a money train. You see how pissy poor people are because they have no money- counterintuitive as it may seem, it's nothing compared to the rage that the wealthy have when they find out they aren't going to be making as much.<br />
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Here is the feedback loop: Television draws the marginal fans from outside the home town/country, who are increasingly likely to attach themselves to one of the largest clubs (some might call them <i>glory hunters</i>). These fans bring in revenue for the club, be it from merchandise or viewership. The club can then invest in improvements to its product. It gains more fans, eventually enough to go on tour so it can gain direct access to these fans. The incremental revenue allows for still more investment in its product. UEFA comes in and builds a backflow valve in the form of Champions League television revenue and FFP regulations. Armed with that revenue, those clubs can now buy more players and construct teams that can more easily overcome middling and lower sides, who now have to rely on effort, tactics and luck to compete. More likely, the already created class system is cemented.<br />
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<span style="color: #666666;">Aside- If there are doubts about whether this scheme has worked, consider the last 13 years of the European (Champion Clubs') Cup format, where 8 of the clubs to win were not 'monster' clubs. As there were never more than six or seven monsters in the competition in any given year, this would seem a plausible trend.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;">Then, consider that, with the round robin format and as the ratio of monster clubs has greatly increased, of the last 21 years of the Champions League, 20 of the winners are 'monster' clubs. The one time that an 'outsider' has won it, it was considered so Special that we still haven't heard the end of it. Not coincidentally, the losing finalists since Porto won in 2004 have also all been 'monster' clubs.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;">And, Bokolis didn't use the old G-14 to define 'monster.' Considering that Porto was part of the G-14, EVERY club to win the European cup since Red Star Belgrade in 1991 has been G-14, except for, </span><span style="color: #666666;">ironically, </span><span style="color: #666666;">Chelsea, the epitome of the modern deep-pocketed club.</span><br />
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Again, this doesn't just extend to the other clubs in the same league. It extends to teams that have won their domestic league, but have to further qualify for something called the Champions League because 15- potentially 17- group stage spots have been given to non-winners. Further, because no clubs from the same country are placed in the same group, each of those top four leagues has the opportunity to have all its clubs qualify for the next round. In fact, last season, England, with manchester united gaining access from winning the Europa League despite finishing outside the top four in the league, had <i>five</i> clubs qualify for the knockout stages.<br />
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The next question might be, <i>how are the top four leagues determined? Does UEFA wave a magic wand?</i> Effectively, but not quite. UEFA uses a formula based on club's results in European competition to determine a country coefficient. It is explained on UEFA website and on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_coefficient#Country_coefficient">Wikipedia</a> and, whereas UEFA updates when it wakes up in the morning, it is tracked and updated almost immediately <a href="https://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/data/method5/crank2019.html">here</a>.<br />
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To figure this coefficient, a team earns points based on results in European matches- two points for a win, one for a draw. It also gains bonus points, one at a time, for qualifying for certain rounds. The biggest bonus points come from qualifying for the group stage (4) and knockout stage (5) of the Champions League. All the points from all the clubs are added up, then divided by the number of clubs from that country playing in European competition, yielding a coefficient. UEFA uses the scores from the last five complete seasons to rank the countries.<br />
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For example, let's take an English side. It gets four points for being in the Champions League group stage, even though it was given a direct pass to the group stage. Assume a pedestrian three wins and a draw- seven more points- and qualification for the next round- five further points. We are up to 16 points. If you divide that by the seven teams England has in Europe, the <i>coefficient points</i> comes out to a little over two and a quarter. Multiply that by the four sides in the competition, and you get to a little over 9 <i>coefficient points</i> that are essentially gifted to the top four leagues. A view of the rankings shows that, in any given year, there will be four or five other countries, in addition to our top four countries, that earn as many as 9 coefficient points <i>in total</i>. <br />
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<i>Sure, the four points for being directly placed in the group stage are a gift, but how are the rest gifted</i>? The Champions League is set up so that the countries from the top four groups will stay away from each other. Clubs from the same country cannot be drawn in the same group. While UEFA can't fix it so, this will play out that the 16 clubs from the top four leagues will be spread out among the eight groups so that no <i>group of death</i>, with three or four clubs from the top leagues drawn into one group (i.e., Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Napoli). If such a group happens, it is because PSG is also in the group with two clubs from the top four leagues, and because an interloper manages to snag the fourth-place spot in one of the top four leagues.<br />
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Do you think UEFA would have the guts to stick all four clubs from the same country into one group? If you ask someone at UEFA, make sure they don't have anything in their mouth at the time.<br />
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Now, let's say you are Red Star Belgrade, currently of Serbia and having once won this competition while still part of Yugoslavia. Because of your country's ranking, UEFA has set it up so you will have to go through four qualifying rounds to get to the group stage. Leaving aside that any club that runs that gauntlet to qualify deserves a lot more than 4 bonus points, it does mean that there is potential for eight victories. This would be a pretty good haul if our English club managed it during the main competition. However, cynical as ever, UEFA decided that victories in qualifying rounds only carry half-value. The four points handed to the English side for automatic qualification now seems akin to a government subsidy for Apple, Verizon, General Ele- wait, <i>we already do that</i>...<br />
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While the English side is off touring in first-world footballing markets and charging first world prices for glorified scrimmages, Red Star is off in Latvia and Lithuania playing in front of crowds of less than 5,000 and 3,000 (its home matches for these ties both drew 23k and change, but Bokolis suspects that its ultras were comped). As tickets to matches in these countries don't fetch what our English side was getting in the American/Australian/Singapore/Chinese markets, Red Star's away fixtures were likely money-losing trips- all for half value, if they get a result.<br />
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As it will turn out, entrenched sides from the top four leagues will be playing winners and second-placed clubs from second-tier leagues and winners from yet smaller leagues- all of it designed so that the largest clubs stay in the competition for as long as possible, as they bring the largest television revenues.<br />
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To further indicate that it is all by design, the bonus points for progressing to the deeper rounds of the Champions League are much fewer. Clubs get no bonus for progressing to the round of 16 and one bonus point each round for progressing to the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals. Since UEFA expects that representation in those rounds will be entirely from its biggest clubs, there is no reason to award more bonus points, and run the risk that a club from a lower-ranked country could upset the apple cart.<br />
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There's your feedback loop.<br />
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UEFA's intention is for the clubs from smaller leagues to play in the Europa League. Bokolis says <i>play</i>, not compete. Clubs from the largest leagues will still have clubs in the competition. As the deepest league, this season, England will send Chelsea and Arsenal, neither of which will need any incremental spending (on players) for this competition. In fact, it is certain that they will rest several first-team players for almost every group stage matchday.<br />
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UEFA has another wrinkle to keep the biggest clubs in European competition. Instead of being sent packing, the eight third-placed sides in the group stage of the Champions League get the consolation of going into the Europa League to create a knockout tournament of 32 clubs. Of course, motivation would be a significant issue for such sides, but the clubs have two months (and a transfer window) to do something about this. One always does, as 14 of the 18 finals this century have featured a Champions League refugee, and some have featured two.<br />
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So, if PSG or a Russian or Portuguese side (or, heaven forbid, a Dutch, Belgian, Czech or- gasp- Greek side) break through at the expense of a side from the top four leagues, unless they've spit the bit, the latter can pick up the pieces in the Europa League against softer competition. A club from England or Spain has claimed the last seven, so, again, it's as UEFA wants.<br />
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There's some more of your feedback loop.<br />
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With so much going into describing the problem, Bokolis will not waste more words detailing the solution. That would presume that UEFA want to fix it.Bokolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597135316320749668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704830664546444213.post-81152701324087548352018-06-11T23:45:00.000-02:002018-11-27T16:38:37.775-02:00It doesn't take a genius to...fix baseball?Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports enlisted some genius to provide ideas on how to solve baseball's perceived 'problems.'<br />
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<a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/10-degrees-mensa-members-idea-can-solve-almost-baseballs-problems-070035170.html">https://sports.yahoo.com/10-degrees-mensa-members-idea-can-solve-almost-baseballs-problems-070035170.html</a><br />
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Passan lists Nick Elam's CV so as to demand that we deem him credible. He then explains the Elam Ending for basketball, in which the target score of leader plus 7 replaces the clock at the first whistle under 3:30 to decide a winner.<br />
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Of course, Bokolis has been saying for years that the NBA is NASCAR; they go back and forth 200 times, yet it all gets sorted out in the last four minutes, during which they play a different game than they played for the first 44. That's not to make myself out as some genius; I've been hearing similar solutions from everyone with an opinion since I was a kid.<br />
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While there are some things that Bokolis has been advocating all along, there is too much legislation for my taste. Addressing inconveniences with legislation smacks of Soviet Communism, and they will eventually legislate themselves into a corner.<br />
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The thing that makes baseball beautiful is that it is essentially the same game it has always been. That is what allows for comparative analysis of players of different eras through statistics. You cannot do this in the NBA or NFL because both of those have had multiple rules overhauls and multiple derivations from prior versions of their respective games.<br />
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In a 'Dynamic Strike Zone,' Elam advocates something similar to what umpires- with a '<i>swing the bats, boys!</i>'- were able to do before technology standardized the strike zone. As shown with the NFL and NBA above, it's better to not legislate these kinds of things and having cameras everywhere gives you more than you've bargained for.<br />
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Bokolis has always been keen on stifling the parade of relievers and making two 15-team leagues/divisions. I've never stated it here, but I've always thought there should be an 'airspace' rule on guys sliding into bases. Most of the rest of the ideas are ineffectual, however cute, and Elam concedes that he hasn't put full thought into the issue.<br />
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Bokolis maintains that you will solve the pace issues by not allowing managers to call the pitches from the dugouts, by not allowing the batter any pause for air when he takes a strike and by requiring any pitcher brought on via mid-inning pitching change to finish the inning, or die trying.<br />
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If you speed things up, batters will feel a lot worse about striking out if it happens in 30-40 seconds instead of as long as it takes to read <i>Casey at the Bat</i>.<br />
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Bokolis has no problem with shifting. If the batters refuse to hit the ball the other way, it's on them. But, if a team over-shifts, they have to stay in that exact positioning for the duration of the AB. No shuffling around after each pitch.<br />
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Ultimately, while a team game, baseball is dominated by a series of one-on-one matchups. In these cases, psychology often matters more than talent. At some point, pitchers became less confident in their stuff and so fearful of contact that they resorted to nibbling or, most notably in the case of John Franco, downright refusing to throw strikes. Granted, today's players are better at punishing 'cock-shots' than those of prior generations. This, of course, turns the battle into a hunt.<br />
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Perhaps if pitchers realized that behemoths like Stanton and Judge strike out over four times as often as they hit home runs, the pitchers could regain the comfort and confidence in the matchup, and throw with more conviction instead of alternately nibbling and trying to make the perfect pitch.<br />
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The faster they mow down those batters, the faster the game will go...and we didn't have to reinvent the game.Bokolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597135316320749668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704830664546444213.post-2260686700797611742018-06-09T04:34:00.000-02:002018-08-14T00:06:23.488-02:00The Chapel belongs in a Shrine?<br />
In the course of shirking stuff that I actually have to do, Bokolis has wandered to the minutiae of all minutiae and put together something quite pointless, but possibly fun for baseball geeks. You can say it was done For Love of the Game {rimshot}<rimshot><rimshot>.</rimshot></rimshot><br />
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After seeing this movie enough times, Bokolis was moved enough to try and conjure the stats for protagonist Billy Chapel. Of course, I first checked the Interwebs, as I was sure someone else out there was at least as demented- and far more tormented- so as to have already done this. Without going too far, I found two of note, <a href="https://lividsquid316.wordpress.com/2010/07/12/billy-chapels-career-statistics/">here</a> and <a href="http://tbtbb.blogspot.com/2011/02/career-of-billy-chapel.html">here</a>.<br />
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It was great stuff and, in reading the posts, you see that these guys wasted valuable brain cells, I mean, burned off a good deal nervous energy to chase out the demon. Bokolis didn't quite agree with the final statistics, or with some of the reasoning, so, instead of criticizing, I jumped into the rabbit hole to (allegedly) improve upon the existing. I have to acknowledge that they afforded me the luxury of not starting from scratch, which allowed me to tinker instead of concoct, and greatly reduced the amount of time spent.<br />
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More time was spent writing this gibberish.<br />
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<b>The macro</b>: Given the era in which Chapel played and the fact that I'm showing him to have pitched longer into games to justify the high decision rate, I could not make him have the ultra-low WHIPs you see from today's elite pitchers. Similarly, I wasn't going to give him the ultra-high K/BB ratio common among today's elite pitchers. I had to make him an innings eater sufficient to pack ~4100 innings into 19 years that included some abbreviated seasons, yet I did not see him as a strikeout king and the era didn't allow for it. To boot, in the homer heaven that was the Tiger Stadium right field porch, he had to be a ground ball pitcher.<br />
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Given his era and ballpark, I simply could not make Chapel Koufax/Pedro dominant. When it came down to it, I essentially took Luis Tiant and made him better, sufficient to get over 95% on the first HOF ballot. I am speculating that this is the type of pitcher the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Shaara">author</a> of the underlying book had in mind when he wrote the book.<br />
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So, the ratios of 7.3 H9, 2.5 BB9, 6.3 K9 and 2.5 K/BB are comfortably within the range of the best pitchers of the era. At almost 2900 career strikeouts, I thought I was a bit generous. Given his story, I didn't see Chapel attaining 300 wins and wanted to keep him far enough below so that it wouldn't be a carrot. Finally, I wanted to give him a top 50 winning percentage, but stay true to the line in the movie that he lost 134 games in 15 years.<br />
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<b>The micro</b>: Like the others, I granted Chapel the rookie of the year award. Unlike the others, who gave him a full first season, I thought it more realistic that Chapel would be used as a reliever and spot starter after first being called up. So, I feathered him in as a post-strike call-up, while preserving his rookie status for the 1982 season. I was uneasy about having him reach his peak so soon, as it is somewhat more unlikely that someone with 3 big years by his age 25 season would have such longevity.<br />
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Taking a cue from the movie, I made Chapel's stats more choppy from the time he claimed his shoulder issues started. 1990, '92 and '94 were comparatively pedestrian seasons, rebounding each time with terrific seasons. I give that smoking-hot masseuse the credit.<br />
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I gave Chapel the three Cy Young awards seen in the film, as well as an MVP award in 1984, when the Tigers won everything. He probably got hosed on the Cy Young in 1993. You may presume that someone else won more games, which was the prevailing of the major criteria at the time.<br />
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For the comeback from the hand injury, I ramped up the innings from the first year to the second year more dramatically than the others. It can be presumed that Chapel came back during the 1996 season, was eventually shut down, then increased the workload in 1997.<br />
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I wanted to give Chapel one solid season late in his career, but not a big year. By default, his was going to be 1998. For his final season, we are essentially fed the stats. They are incongruous with his ratios, so you have to assume that he either often pitched out of major trouble, or was the beneficiary of an inordinate number of unearned runs.<br />
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We should also keep in mind that, while the movie was depicting the prevailing time, the underlying book was written sometime before 1988. As such, even though I factor in the 1994 strike, we cannot rightfully presume the post-strike shrinking strike zone, shrinking ballparks, juiced ball and juiced players. In the author's universe, the era never changes, and George W. Bush's 1993 Texas Rangers, in whose locker room the Steroid Era jumped off (after having been hatched in the 1987 Oakland A's locker room), never happened.<br />
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I took the familiar <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/">Baseball Reference</a> format for this. For shits and giggles, I even worked in ERA+. <br />
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For each individual season, I borrowed from an actual Detroit Tigers player. Now, I should note that, in general, ERA+ is somewhat flawed in that it does not account for the declining workload for starting pitchers, as starters are no longer typically left in until they fail. I'm not sure there's a metric that considers and factors the starter finishing the 7th, 8th and/or 9th innings.<br />
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In the case of the Tigers, the basis for ERA+ also reflects that their pitching, while never dominant during Chapel's (movie) career, was putrid in the late 90s, which indirectly helps Chapel. Further, as discussed above, his stats in his final years simply reflect an aging pitcher and not a junk-baller in a hitting haven. Otherwise, he would've had the same nickel ERA as the actual Tigers of those days.<br />
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Therefore, I deemed it necessary to set the basis for ERA+ for the final three seasons as equal to the average of the bases used in 1981-1993. It might mean that 1994-96 are out of whack, but that is not enough of a concern to me.<br />
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For the career number, I weighted the season's number according to its percentage of Chapel's career innings pitched. The 152 career ERA+ puts him just under Pedro Martinez, currently behind only Kershaw among starting pitchers. Had I used the actual basis in his last three seasons, ERA+ would increase to 155, (within rounding error, but) above Pedro.<br />
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I thought about adding FIP, but I didn't want to fool around with assigning HR to each season, as that would be too random and poorly researched.<br />
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Well, have at it. Hopefully, clicking the picture will expand into something more easily viewable. If it doesn't, nyeh.<br />
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That's all the fuck I got. If someone can figure out Chapel's WAR, <strike>they need serious help</strike> are better than I am.Bokolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597135316320749668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704830664546444213.post-17595714646134938082018-02-04T20:33:00.002-02:002018-03-30T22:56:57.675-02:00Rugby for fairies...the Minny BowlOne thing that Bokolis just cannot stomach about the NFL is the way it allows for people other than players to decide the outcome. Almost on cue, we were thrown today's Liverpool-Tottenham match. The way that disaster played out, it almost conditions us for some nonsense to happen in tonight's super bowl.<br />
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Eagles (+4.5) over Patriots - The playoff season is sitting at 5-4-1 (6-4 really), meaning Bokolis must hit this game to say I've done something this playoff season. As such, I cannot cop out by offering what I'd do in real life, which is to buy two points on both sides and play Patriots -2.5 and Eagles +6.5, hoping to hit the middle while laying 3-2 odds on each side.<br />
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Even with two weeks to sit on this, Bokolis has a weird feel on this game. Similarly to how I felt about about the second Giants-Patriots matchup, the sense I have is that the Eagles will play at least as well as the Patriots in this game, but it just won't work out for them. Of course, the Giants wound up winning/covering that game, but it was as close as Wes Welker getting two hands on a pass he couldn't hold to going the other way.<br />
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After the fiasco of last year's super bowl, where the vagaries of the NFL allowed for a team that was mauled for three quarters to win the game, it is quite easy to succumb to the notion that the Patriots will find a way to scam themselves another championship.<br />
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It may indeed play out that way, but Bokolis is going to bank on the Eagles staying close regardless. I'm also asking the Eagles to keep up the effort they've put in during their home playoff games and asking Foles to continue his uptrend.Bokolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597135316320749668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704830664546444213.post-58026430857053978462018-01-22T01:11:00.001-02:002018-01-22T20:53:29.833-02:00Underdog Masks dot comJust like the last Super Bowl, the early game went almost exactly as Bokolis had envisioned it. The Jaguars roughed up the Patriots. Nonetheless, some friendly officiating and the Patriots' efficiency delivered the game to the Patriots. It sort of helped that they knew the way home a little better. When a team loses but covers for you, it's always a fond farewell.<br />
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Bokolis believed that people were sleeping on Foles, that they forgot that he once tore up the league for a season. After I posted the predictions, I surfed around long enough to find the NFL network lineup of talking ex-jocks (mostly) pick the Vikings. It gave Bokolis more confidence. When I then heard that dome teams were 0-12 when playing the conference championship outdoors, I had a hearty chuckle to myself and remembered what the Giants did to the Vikings years back...but I still didn't expect a train-run like this.<br />
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Bokolis sweeps the conference championship round and brings the playoff performance back into the black at 5-4-1. More pointedly, the underdogs are 9-1 in the playoffs.<br />
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The Eagles performance has brought the early line down to 5.5 after early indications at 7.5 and eventually opening at 6. Predicting where it will end up (7?) is likely a fruitless endeavor. It might be a better idea to corner the market for Underdog masks.<br />
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<b>UPDATE</b>: As of 1210 (UTC, that's 0710 on the east coast), the line has dropped to Patriots giving 5. It's almost obligatory to buy the Patriots down to -3 and wait/hope for the line to move back up during the two weeks.<br />
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For the uninitiated, "buying" points involves laying odds to get a more amenable point spread. On a standard play, the odds are typically such that you have to lay 110 to win 100. Each 1/2 point you buy will increase those odds by 10, and you'll typically be allowed to buy up to two points. To use the present example, buying the Patriots down to -3 would mean laying 150 to win 100 (or 3/2).<br />
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While this strategy is available for most point spreads, it is most often used when the line is at an awkward number, like anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 and from 4.5 to 5.5. Some people will also buy a -3 down to -2.5. As they say, your mileage may vary.Bokolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597135316320749668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8704830664546444213.post-21375317349286225712018-01-21T17:43:00.002-02:002018-01-22T00:23:52.176-02:00Oh-fer crying out loudIn something that NEVER happens, Bokolis took a bath in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. Atlanta didn't fire enough to match the Eagles' effort. The Titans were a (bad performance/bad-calls) throwaway, as I wouldn't go near a game like that. While I typically avoid the Steelers because they never do as I want, who knew Jacksonville would be Pittsburgh's Trap Game!<br />
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Finally, we get to the nonsensical end of the Saints-Vikings. Too many NFL playoff games are being decided on stupidity for Bokolis' taste. That's the way it seems, anyway. Because I had a buddy of mine- a real firestarter- call me (right before the final drive) the to tell me he had found himself partying amongst (strangers) a group of Vikings fans, I had to put on the reverse <i>malocchio</i> -otherwise known as an Act of Bokolis- to make sure he could keep the party going. Hey, the guy means that much to Bokolis.<br />
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Unlike an Act of God- an Act of Bokolis often gets you more than you've bargained for. An Act of God more likely would've resulted in a fiel...who are we kidding- God doesn't give a shit about football, and he doesn't give a <a href="https://psolara.blogspot.com/2012/01/are-you-ready-for-somerugby-for-fairies.html">fuck</a> about the NFL.<br />
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Now, while Bokolis had listed the line at Vikings -5 at the time of the post, the game went off at -5.5. While the Vikings humanely taking a knee on the eventual point after try made for a cash, for the purposes of this narrative, it was a push. Therefore, the 0-3-1 week puts the playoff season at 3-4-1.<br />
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Chastened, Bokolis moves on.<br />
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Jaguars (+8) over PATRIOTS - They have suckered Bokolis in with this Tom Brady hand caper. I presume they've got eyes on those pigskins and a pressure gauge handy. Actually, I want to believe the Jaguars defense will hit and harass enough to make this a dogfight, and that the Patriots ruthless all-around efficiency will merely be enough to pull them through, not pull away.<br />
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EAGLES (+3) over Vikings - Both teams lucked out last week, the Vikings to an infinitely larger degree. The Eagles caught a ball off a knee, but played defense like studs and stopped the Falcons when they had to. That is something the Vikings cannot claim, as their luck simply avoided them pissing away another playoff game. The line here is based on the subjective view of the QBs. Bokolis sees this as close to even, so I'll take the home team and the points.Bokolishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597135316320749668noreply@blogger.com0