Avoiding the Drop

I remember days like this when I was a kid.  My Dad would be bustling around our house, full of nervous energy.  He would look at his watch obsessively, checking it at least twice a minute.  He would not want a lot of talk to distract him.  There would be a lot of thoughts running through his head.  You could see him working it all out in his head, the route to the tube, changing stations, how we would walk from the station and meet up with the lads to make sure we were safe in a group.

My Dad is not a big fan of West London.  He thinks it’s crowded and full of itself.  Chelsea/Hammersmith/Fulham is one of the most expensive sections of London; it’s not cheap to live, work, eat and drink there.  North London, especially near White Hart Lane, is not that way at all.  There is a distinct class  difference between Chelsea’s supporters and Spurs supporters.  It wasn’t as evident then as it is now, but it was there.

I called my Dad yesterday, as usual, for our “day before the match” discussion of tactics and potential outcomes.  After the loss to United, Dad is right back to thinking that everything will be a struggle now.  All he sees are flaws.  It’s a distinctly English condition, sadly.  I end up trying to convince him that Spurs are indeed legitimate, that they do have a chance to go to the Bridge and get 3 points.  He says he’s just hopeful for a draw.

I tell him that Chelsea is due for a bad performance.  He tells me that Spurs are due to realize who they are.  I say that even in defeat, they played 60 good minutes against United.  He tells me that Cudicini is rubbish and he can see why Chelsea essentially just gave him to Spurs.

Sometimes there is no winning with him.  It is what it is.

So when I called him this morning to see about a blow-by-blow of his day, he politely declined.  He was getting ready to walk out the door to meet Lee, his traveling partner for his “roadies”.  It’s not often these days that he travels for matches.  He can walk to the Lane from our house, and he enjoys that.  He’s well-known to most Spurs supporters, as he and Lee and a couple other of their mates have been around forever, it seems.  He told me this morning “Suddenly, I wish I had said I wouldn’t go.  I don’t want to go there and see Spurs get manhandled.”   There is no convincing him that there will be any other outcome than that.  My last words to him were “Dad, be careful and get ready to enjoy a good day.”  I hope I’m right.

There is another huge match today, the Manchester Derby.  Given the recent acrimony between the two clubs, this match has the potential to be a bit of a cracker.  Unfortunately, pre-vacation activities will cause me to miss most of it, so please have at it in the comments so I can get reactions when I’m back in time to watch Chelsea-Spurs.  Here’s the rest of the television schedule, all times EDT.

8:30 AM – Manchester United v. Manchester City – EPL – Setanta

8:30 AM – Feyernoord v. PSV Eindhoven – Eredivisie – ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

8:30 AM – VVV Venlo v. Ajax – Eredivisie – ESPN 360

9:00 AM – Wolves v. Fulham – EPL – Setanta Extra

9:00 AM – Calgliari v. Internazionale – Serie A – ESPN 360

9:00 AM – AC Milan v. Bologna – Serie A – FSC

9:30 AM – Frankfurt v. Hamburg – Bundesliga – ESPN 360

11:00 AM – Chelsea v. Tottenham Hotspur – EPL – FSC

11:00 AM – Athletic Bilbao v. Villareal – La Liga – GolTV

11:00 AM – Lens v. Lille – Ligue 1 – Setanta

1:00 PM – Real Madrid v. Xerez – La Liga – ESPN2/ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

1:00 PM – Bayer Leverkeusen v. Werder Bremen – Bundesliga – GolTV

1:00 PM – Toluca v. Atlas – Mexico – Telefutura

2:30 PM – Roma v. Fiorentina – Serie A – FSC

3:00 PM – Valencia v. Sporting Gijon – La Liga – ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

3:00 PM – Santo Andre v. Sao Paulo – Brazil – GolTV

3:00 PM – Paris St. Germain v. Lyon – Ligue 1 – Setanta

5:0o PM – Queretaro v. Club America – Mexico – Univision

5:00 PM – Puebla v. Pumas – Mexico – Fox Sports Español

5:00 PM – Harvard v. Boston University – Women’s NCAA – FSC

7:00 PM – Everton v. Blackburn Rovers – EPL – FSC (delayed broadcast)

Enjoy your Sundays everyone.  I’m back in the middle of next week.  Cheers.