Here's a question - did the rationale for Craig's anti-gay legislation hinge on his sexuality? I mean, I can't really see why personal hypocrisy somehow invalidates other, more substantive arguments against gay marriage (or whatever it was Craig legislated against).
Yeah, I could definitely see the Magic stealing the series if their three point shots are following and Howard plays well. Not inconceivable, given how they've played of late.
Interesting hypothesis. I think social and economic mobility definitely allows rich clubs to pluck good players from obscurity, but I'm not sure the EU is a proximate cause of this (though its policies probably helped create the conditions that allow for greater cultural and economic interaction).
Sonny -
I think that's spot-on, which begs the question: what approach do you prefer? American sports seem to have the best of both worlds, mixing a few dominant franchises (Patriots, Spurs, Yankees etc.) with any number of surprise contenders. I tend to think that European football would be more enjoyable if there was more parity, but the balance of comments here suggests most fans are pretty comfortable with the status quo.
I'm not arguing that soccer is less competitive than American sports. I'm arguing that soccer is more top-heavy than it was 10-15 years ago, which is a bad thing. I only mention baseball because small market franchises (who do get massively outspent by teams like the Yankees) have developed advanced statistical methods for player evaluation in an effort to compete with the behemoths. I'm curious to see if smaller soccer clubs follow suit.
As for the rest of your arguments, I don't really have any detailed analysis of soccer competitiveness over the past decade or so on hand, but I think it's undeniable that previously competitive clubs (Newcastle, Paris St. Germaine etc.) are no longer relevant at the top tier of European soccer, and that elite players are increasingly concentrated at a few powerhouse clubs.
Scoring isn't the only thing sports analysts look at. Perhaps soccer managers could record tackles attempted/tackles won, the accuracy of players' passes, or the likelihood of a certain player incurring a penalty. That sort of information strikes me as pretty useful to any manager.
Mark -
Fair point, but even the NFL has a salary cap to preserve some inter-league parity. That doesn't stop dominant teams from emerging, but at least it does something to help perennial bottom-feeders.
To be honest, I like the idea of injecting a little uncertainty into soccer. I mean, the media tried to portray Barca as a freakin' underdog leading up to the championship. Talk about a sport in need of some drama.
It's also worth noting that salary-capped leagues still produce some dominant teams, as well as the occasional dynasty. The NBA seems to have the best of both worlds in this respect.
I cheer for Sheffield Wednesday and Liverpool, so I hear what you're saying, but I think soccer would be a lot more interesting if the big national leagues were a bit less top-heavy. Maybe it's a cultural thing, but the thought of all these grand old clubs losing fans and revenue to franchises run by Arab sheiks and Russian petrocrats is almost too much to bear.
I think the trend towards top-heavy competition is especially noticeable on the continent. The only elite team left in the Bundesliga is Bayern Munich, and I think they're going to lose a few good players this off-season. The Dutch league has dropped off the map entirely. French clubs like Lyon or Paris St. Germaine used to be pretty good - now, not so much.
Maybe Europeans prefer a few elite clubs battling it out year after year, but a more "egalitarian" system sounds a lot more interesting.
PS - I think you're right about Newcastle - I probably shouldn't have compared them to the New York Knicks. That said, they were pretty nasty in the mid-90s, and it's a shame to see them relegated.
On a related note, I seem to remember that Souter was pilloried by conservatives because his jurisprudence was firmly rooted in respect for stare decisis, which generally ignores reading your preferred political outcomes into the law in favor of a more precedent-oriented approach. Do you think that's a fair characterization of his judicial philosophy?
On “Anonymity”
Here's a question - did the rationale for Craig's anti-gay legislation hinge on his sexuality? I mean, I can't really see why personal hypocrisy somehow invalidates other, more substantive arguments against gay marriage (or whatever it was Craig legislated against).
On “the mac mini so far”
Another Mac post? What are we, Slate Magazine?
On “Diplomacy”
Yeah, it seems Dobbs and co. aren't particularly interested in how diplomacy actually works
On “Chris’ Recipe for Post-Workout Shake”
Chris -
How the hell do I join your congregation? You sound like the hippest priest ever.
On “a reading list for fantasy enthusiasts (II)”
Different genre, Bob, but I recommend him highly. I'd start with The Man in the High Castle, particularly if you're into alternate history.
On “NBA Finals Open Thread”
Hahahaha - a forgotten classic.
"
Yeah, I could definitely see the Magic stealing the series if their three point shots are following and Howard plays well. Not inconceivable, given how they've played of late.
On “Job Opening”
Don't front, Clint. I'll end you.
On “Thoughts on the Champions League Final”
Mark -
Interesting hypothesis. I think social and economic mobility definitely allows rich clubs to pluck good players from obscurity, but I'm not sure the EU is a proximate cause of this (though its policies probably helped create the conditions that allow for greater cultural and economic interaction).
Sonny -
I think that's spot-on, which begs the question: what approach do you prefer? American sports seem to have the best of both worlds, mixing a few dominant franchises (Patriots, Spurs, Yankees etc.) with any number of surprise contenders. I tend to think that European football would be more enjoyable if there was more parity, but the balance of comments here suggests most fans are pretty comfortable with the status quo.
"
Nav -
I'm not arguing that soccer is less competitive than American sports. I'm arguing that soccer is more top-heavy than it was 10-15 years ago, which is a bad thing. I only mention baseball because small market franchises (who do get massively outspent by teams like the Yankees) have developed advanced statistical methods for player evaluation in an effort to compete with the behemoths. I'm curious to see if smaller soccer clubs follow suit.
As for the rest of your arguments, I don't really have any detailed analysis of soccer competitiveness over the past decade or so on hand, but I think it's undeniable that previously competitive clubs (Newcastle, Paris St. Germaine etc.) are no longer relevant at the top tier of European soccer, and that elite players are increasingly concentrated at a few powerhouse clubs.
On “In Defense of Figureheads”
I think that's exactly right. Mark and I actually discussed a similar point in the context of judicial activism a while back.
On “Thoughts on the Champions League Final”
Informative stuff. Thanks, sidereal!
On “As if you needed another reason to hate LA”
Did Gaye actually change any of the lyrics?
But yeah, Tyrese freakin' Gibson mangling our national anthem for a bunch of jackass Lakers fans is almost too much to bear.
On “Thoughts on the Champions League Final”
Rob -
Great article. Maybe I was too hard on Barca above.
"
rob -
Good point, though Real wasn't very competitive this year. I hear they're going after Ronaldo in the off-season, though.
"
Roberto -
Scoring isn't the only thing sports analysts look at. Perhaps soccer managers could record tackles attempted/tackles won, the accuracy of players' passes, or the likelihood of a certain player incurring a penalty. That sort of information strikes me as pretty useful to any manager.
Mark -
Fair point, but even the NFL has a salary cap to preserve some inter-league parity. That doesn't stop dominant teams from emerging, but at least it does something to help perennial bottom-feeders.
"
To be honest, I like the idea of injecting a little uncertainty into soccer. I mean, the media tried to portray Barca as a freakin' underdog leading up to the championship. Talk about a sport in need of some drama.
It's also worth noting that salary-capped leagues still produce some dominant teams, as well as the occasional dynasty. The NBA seems to have the best of both worlds in this respect.
"
Sonny -
I cheer for Sheffield Wednesday and Liverpool, so I hear what you're saying, but I think soccer would be a lot more interesting if the big national leagues were a bit less top-heavy. Maybe it's a cultural thing, but the thought of all these grand old clubs losing fans and revenue to franchises run by Arab sheiks and Russian petrocrats is almost too much to bear.
I think the trend towards top-heavy competition is especially noticeable on the continent. The only elite team left in the Bundesliga is Bayern Munich, and I think they're going to lose a few good players this off-season. The Dutch league has dropped off the map entirely. French clubs like Lyon or Paris St. Germaine used to be pretty good - now, not so much.
Maybe Europeans prefer a few elite clubs battling it out year after year, but a more "egalitarian" system sounds a lot more interesting.
PS - I think you're right about Newcastle - I probably shouldn't have compared them to the New York Knicks. That said, they were pretty nasty in the mid-90s, and it's a shame to see them relegated.
On “Mark Levin, Asshole”
err, syndicated broadcast
"
Deuce -
I can't think of any other way to describe someone who says this on a nationally televised broadcast:
http://theamericanscene.com/2009/05/22/-i-don-t-know-why-your-husband-doesn-t-put-a-gun-to-his-temple-
On “Larison on Sotomayor”
Mark -
On a related note, I seem to remember that Souter was pilloried by conservatives because his jurisprudence was firmly rooted in respect for stare decisis, which generally ignores reading your preferred political outcomes into the law in favor of a more precedent-oriented approach. Do you think that's a fair characterization of his judicial philosophy?
On “goodbye, cruel league”
To be fair, I felt the bad calls went both ways last night.
On “Torture vs. Steroids”
Seriously. When Mark Madsen is lecturing congress on torture, you know we're in trouble . . .
On “a judicious quote”
Which, I think, is a reason to oppose ideologically-charged Supreme Court candidates like Sotomayor . . .
"
Oh come on - this is a straw man. There are substantive critiques of Sotomayor out there.
*Comment archive for non-registered commenters assembled by email address as provided.