Samuel Eto’o arrived in Tashkent as promised, to meet with Kuruvchi officials. According to the Spanish Press, the club may offer Eto’o 40m euros, over an unspecified amount of time. Though, they claim it will be the highest salary ever paid to a soccer player.
If the cost is not too prohibitive, Gareth Barry suits Arsenal perfectly.
Arsenal have an inexperienced squad. With Gilberto’s departure, The Gunners have just two players who are 28 or older, William Gallas (30) and Manuel Almunia (31). Neither is a pillar of composure. Barry is 27. Gareth Barry has been a club captain at Aston Villa, and has ten full Premier League seasons under his belt. He’s made of stern stuff. He closes the experience gap.
The Gunners need a solid defensive midfielder, with Gilberto and Mathieu Flamini leaving. Neither Diaby nor Denilson have shown they can fill that role, and it is a bit much to thrust Ramsey in so quickly. Barry instantly solves that problem. He also adds versatility because he can play on the left side of defense or midfield.
Barry is durable, which has been an issue the past couple of seasons. He has made 30 League starts in nine out of the past ten seasons, missing only in 2001-02 when he made 20. He scores the occasional goal as well, with 17 in the League the past two seasons.
I understand the qualms about the transfer fee, and the Wenger reluctance to buy high. But, in reality, one experienced and gifted player to the Arsenal squad could make the trophy-winning difference (which should be the fruition of the effort). Barry has the experience and skill level to play at Arsenal, and he fills a major hole. If Arsenal can make a Barry deal palatable they should do it.
The Pulp Culture Blog for Delware Online wrote about Kornheiser being a giant prick during a dinner at the Big Fish Grill in Rehoboth Beach.
The blog claimed that Kornheiser, upon entering the restaurant, announced that he was “too famous” to be there, demanded a corner table to hide him from non-existent fans and, when told the crabs he wanted weren’t on the menu, demanded that staff go to the fish market to get them, exclaiming “I want what I want when I want it.”
The story seemed a bit absurd, since no normal human being (even Mr. Tony) would ever behave like that, and it was. But, after double-checking, the sources amended their take. In actuality…
- TK saw that the only table available was in full view, in the front of the restaurant. He decided to come back another time. The host staff offered him a table behind the host station and he accepted. His wife may or may not have uttered the “too famous” comment.
- Fans did come up to him, and he graciously signed autographs before and after he sat down.
- He ordered a dish that was on the menu. When told they ran out of the dish, he declined an alternative, stating his salad was enough for him. The waitress, feeling bad, went to the fish market of her own initiative to get the fish for the dish.
- TK was grateful. He autographed a menu for her boyfriend. He also left a rather large tip.
No matter what type of media you write for, vet your fucking sources.
Barcelona have announced the signing of Arsenal midfielder Alexander Hleb for a potential £13.5 million.
Hleb, 27, had rumored himself out the door at Arsenal, since a double-secret ice cream meeting with Inter Milan officials in April. Though his talent was undeniable, and at times domineering, he left a mixed taste among Arsenal fans, never quite assured of the end product.
It’s an odd deal for Barcelona to make, considering they already have Andres Iniesta, Xavi, and Leo Messi who play much the same position. Hleb may be viewed as a replacement for Deco, but he lacks Deco’s superior vision, which made him so impactful for Barcelona.
Hleb’s departure likely engendered Arsenal’s decision to sign Marseilles “next-Zidane” Samir Nasri. Nasri is younger, better, and more versatile than the departing Hleb, and should, at a minimum, replicate his presence in the squad.
Convicted steroid-peddler Kirk Radomski reportedly gave receipts, from an HGH package he mailed to Roger Clemens’ home in 2002 or 2003, to federal investigators.
The shipments, which conceivably coincide with Clemens’ wife’s usage for an SI Swimsuit Issue, would support Brian McNamee’s claim of Clemens’ direct involvement in said usage. According to the New York Daily News, Radomski addressed the package to “William Roger Clemens in care of Brian McNamee.” They assert that McNamee did not sign for the package.
Without getting into all the “allegedlys,” since this story is more tired than a string of Dane Cook commercials, here is a point to ponder.
How much money does it take to run a congressional hearing? I’m not sure, but I assume that its substantial and taxpayer-funded. Clemens initiated that hearing. He then potentially perjured himself at that self-imposed hearing, necessitating the cost of a federal investigation and the costs associated with a court case stemming from it.
So, basically, while our country is in the midst of military action and mired in an economic crisis, millions of taxpayer dollars are tied up determining whether Roger Clemens is an asshole, or a lying asshole.
Apparently, Tim Lincecum’s small, wiry frame has some disadvantages as well. The Giants’ pitcher was treated last night for “flu and dehydration,” which caused him to miss his first all-star game.
I had a friend who was taken to the hospital for “dehyrdation,” he passed out drunk in a bush and was found by a jogger the next morning.
Are we not all grown adults? Who does MLB think they are fooling? He was out partying. He’s a slight fellow. He had too much to drink. It happens. It’s not so embarrassing. Why lie?
Heaven forbid we associate the purity of baseball with alcohol, except, of course, when it comes to sponsors or to pumping $9.50 brewskis for three hours into Farmer Tan-Bob and assuming that 2 1/2 innings will be long enough for him to sober up.
A.C. Milan have purchased Ronaldinho from Barcelona, for a reported £16.7m, approximately one third of the fee the Rossoneri offered last summer.
The faded Brazilian wore through both bridges and belt loops during his Barcelona trist, with his two-time player of the year form rivaled by his marathon partying sessions and by his absence from training. He drove their 2006 Champions League triumph, but, becoming a poisoned well, he engendered their subsequent demise.
For Barcelona to rebuild, they must lighten the ego load. Shedding Ronadlinho, even if it is a year too late, gives new manager Pep Guardiola the tonic start he requires and the flexibility, if intelligent, to keep Samuel Eto’o. They loved Man City’s £25.5m offer, but he was never going to go there, so why delay the obvious? The deal will kick-start backloaded Barcelona negotiations, possibly with Arsenal for Alexander Hleb and Emmanuel Adebayor.
For A.C. Milan, the deal is intriguing. Out of the Champions League, they need to return and, presumably, reload in the interim. Ronaldinho is a significant investment, but, with their stature, not crippling. The potential reward, 3-4 more seasons from the most talented player in the world, tantalizes. But, given his current state, one wonders if he will fight.
It Is What It Is speculates that the “genius” behind the Darkmane commercials may be skateboarder/snowboarder Shaun White.
The hair texture and length is similar, Darkmane left an odd “blog post” about Shaun White’s hair and if White really did die his “mane” of hair, than Darkmane, with a snowboarder’s wit, naturally flows.
You should have heeded Dane Cook’s example young red-headed one.
Los Angeles Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez will explore free agency this winter, rather than sign a pre-emptive deal with the Angels.
Rodriguez, 26, is one of the premier closers in baseball. He has 551K in 425 1/3 innings over his career, with a 2.34 ERA, a 1.100 WHIP and 184 career saves. This season, he set the record for most saves before the All-Star Break with 38.
Top-end bullpen talent remains a rare commodity. If Francisco Cordero can command four-years $46 million, we could see Rodriguez easily clear four-years $60million.
Manchester City (Yes, Manchester City) led the chase for Ronaldinho yesterday, submitting a £25.5m ($51m) bid. But, that would be absurd, so the big clubs will conspire, saving the fat one face. AC Milan offered less than half the transfer fee and £100,000 per week less in wages than Man City, but Ronaldinho really, really doesn’t want to go to there. Or, since Big Phil obviously wants to sign every former player, Chelsea may put up £18m for him.
Tottenham (In a Mirror EXCLUSIVE) think they are pulling a fast one, getting David Bentley’s biggest fan for £17m. But, Blackburn are shrewd enough to ask for cash, rather than Paul Robinson, so they can put in a £6m bid for Liverpool Reserves’ Jermaine Pennant. Arsene Wenger, sitting alone in a room watching 15-year-old French boys, gave a deep Gallic chortle.
Speaking of former Arsenal players, Roma would like to feed the beast, so they may spend €15m to pluck Julio Baptista from Real Madrid, as a replacement for Mancini who is off to Inter. Is Baptista really only 6’0” 160lbs? That can’t be right.
Arsenal also “might show an interest” in Aston Villa captain Gareth Barry, because a £17m English player really seems like a stereotypical Wenger signing. Though, if they get some money for Gilberto and can include Justin Hoyte in the deal…
