Odds and Sods

How does one tip a manservant?  It is not a question most of you will encounter, unless, of course, you are a Premier League footballer.  Soccer players often opt for a game-worn jersey, a pair of shoes or a few hundreds discreetly slipped into the palm as gifts for their boot boys, but not Olivier Kapo.

Searching for an end of season gift, the Birmingham City midfielder tossed his boot-boy, 20-year-old James McPike the keys to his $60,000 Mercedes.  When told the youngster, an apprentice player earning about $600 a week, could not afford the insurance, he threw that in as well.  Kapo, who earns roughly $3 million per season, will presumably rely on his Porsche and Hummer for transportation.

Pimple-faced youth players throughout England will hope that–like prostitutes, Aston Martins and skinny jeans–obscene generosity to boot boys will become the next great footballer trend.

EPL Boot Boy Gets $60K Mercedes! (The Beautiful Game)

Here is my All Premier League Team for 2008

David James, Portsmouth (GK) He was calm, collected and competent.  Unfortunately he didn’t bring back the slicked doo.

Gael Clichy, Arsenal (DL) Good defender.  Great going forward.  Provided the width Arsenal needed.

Rio Ferdinand, Manchester United (DC) He is a phenomenal defender, when not out “merking” his pals.

Nemanja Vidic, Manchester United (DC) The brains behind Rio’s braun.

Bakary Sagna, Arsenal (DR) Consistent, confident and composed, basically everything Eboue was not.

Ashley Young, Aston Villa (ML) He managed to save some of his pace and ferocity for his on the field endeavors.

Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal (MC) Fabulous as usual.

Javier Mascherano, Liverpool (MC) He maybe the best midfield stopper in the game.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United (MR) 31 goals.  20 more than any other midfielder.  Pretty, Pretty Pretty good.

Emmanuel Adebayor, Arsenal (FC) He improved his finishing from poor to below average, but still got in position to score 24 goals.

Fernando Torres, Liverpool (FC) The difference between Liverpool and a mid-table finish.

Manchester United defeated Wigan 2-0 to win their second consecutive Premier League title.  The brace flowed fittingly for this season.  The young generation won it, with Cristiano Ronaldo deftly slotting in a penalty.  The older generation sealed it with Ryan Giggs, in his record-tying 750th appearance for United, touching in a through-ball from Rooney.

The final tally gives Man U a two point advantage, but their discrepancy from the competition was far greater.  They beat out Arsenal at scoring goals (80-74) and beat out Chelsea at keeping them out (22-26).  Though they won the title at Wigan, they really won it at home, compiling a ruthless record of 17-1-1 at Old Trafford and outscoring their opponents 47-7.

With tummy rumblings semi-mollified after a healthy dose of pepto-bismol, Arsenal and Chelsea fans would admit for a day, that perhaps United were the better club this season.  And maybe, for a day, Gary Neville running out to celebrate with the lads in a crisp, white tracksuit can be ignored.

Pundits are pushing Ferguson to fly out on a high note, but with the squad he has still developing why not wait for the fruition?

The NCAA hoped USC’s scandals would go away, but they seem to arise with alarming frequency.  Louis Johnson, a former associate of former USC Trojan basketball player O.J. Mayo, has accused Mayo of accepting approximately $30,000 in cash and assorted gifts from Rodney Guillory, an LA promoter.

The gifts, contingent on a verbal agreement that Guillory would become Mayo’s agent, a flat screen television, a cell phone, a hotel room, clothes, meals and airline tickets for friends and relatives.

ESPN alleges that Guillory worked on behalf of Bill Duffy Associates, a Northern California Sports Agency.  Guillory received an initial $200,000 from the company.  He also allegedly funded the gifts to Mayo with a credit-card from a bogus charitable organization, “The National Organization of Sickle Cell Prevention and Awareness Foundation.”

Guillory also had a previous relationship with former USC Basketball Player Jeff Tapainger, suspended for accepting illegal benefits in 2000.

USC could claim ignorance once, but after the Bush debacle there is no explanation for negligence regarding superstar athletes.  Had USC an interest in propriety, someone would have been assigned to assure the program was clean (or at least had that appearance).  At the very least, someone could have questioned the giant flat screen in his dorm room.

The NCAA and Pac-10 would never attack corruption in the football program at USC, but maybe they will find a scapegoat in the basketball one.  If the Mayo allegations are true, at least a Michigan-style penalty is appropriate.