A week ago people(including me) were saying that Manchester wasn’t going to have a spectacular year. Boy were we wrong.

In case you havent heard:

Robinho from Real Madrid to Manchester City

Dimitar Berbatov from Tottenham Hotspur to Manchester United

Dr Sulaiman Al-Fahim, a man who is richer than Abromovich, takes over Man City

I constantly find it amazing how after one weekend the entire soccer landscape can be changed. We were looking all summer for the “Mega-move.” The transfer that would change the entire football world. The Man City take over is that move. On the first day of his ownership, Al-Fahim made bids on Berbatov, Robinho, David Villa, and Mario Gomez. The Berbatov bid was accepted by the Tottenham front office but not by Berbatov himself, therefore sending him to Manchester United. Meanwhile he was able to pry away Robinho from Chelsea, the club that he said 24 hours before his move he was set on. Today he has even come out and said that Manchester City is willing to offer Cristiano Ronaldo 135 million pounds to come to Manchester City. That is 270 million dollars. Talk about mega-deal. 

Al-Fahim has made this year’s goal: a Champions League birth. He is ready to do what ever it takes to get Manchester City on the next level. I can’t wait to see another global spending spree in January, the likes of which we have only seen since Abramovich at Chelsea. This man is going to completely change the game in England, in the same exact way Chelsea did. Because of Al-Fahim, the rest of the Footballing world will have to invest more money into more players, just to keep up. We will see better players, bigger moves, and more talent on the biggest stages. 

Unfortunately there will be a cost. Expect ticket prices to continue to rise as club profits fall. (Chelsea isn’t expected to turn a profit until 2010 at current track.) This game will continue to become a rich-man’s game, thus destroying its working-class roots. 

There will be both good and bad things to come, hopefully there are more goods than bads.

This week Gabe and Zac yap about the best of the Olympics, the UEFA Champions League, a racoon, and a poodle mix.

Come check out all the action!!!

Sports Shorts Episode 22

EMAIL LISTENER QUESTIONS TO sportsshorts@gmail.com!!!!!

Every two years we witness the greatest event in sports: the Olympic Games. This year’s Beijing Olympics were spectacular. Most likely the best Olympics I have ever seen. All of the moments and stories just really took hold with me this year. Phelps, Bolt, Liukin, USA Basketball, China’s domination, and much much more.

When reflecting on this years games, I can not only see a group of amazing moments in sports, but a glimpse into the human condition. A look into what makes each and every one of us so amazing. The fact that a kid with ADHD, who was picked on and bullied can become the most decorated Olympian ever. How a young man who 2 years ago was a nobody can become the fastest man on Earth. When a 35 year old woman can compete in gymnastics against girls more than half her age. The symbol of modern China entering the Birdsnest with the smallest hero of a natural disaster. An outcast who spoke out and was punished for it can be welcomed back to her sisters with open arms. Those are the stories that show all of us who we are.

Seeing Team USA enter the birds nest, I began rolling dreams in my mind of being an Olympian. I dreamed representing my country in Team Handball(my new favorite sport) for the London games, of chilling with Usain and Mikey. Catching a movie with Nastia and Shawn, what an Olympics that would be.

I will forever treasure the games of the 29th Olympiad. I will remember watching Jason Lezak in the final leg of that relay, Kobe Bryant and Lebron James lead USA to redemption, Misty May-Trainor and Kerry Walsh’s total domination, and every other moment I witnessed. After years of asterisks, shadow games, and betting scandals rocking the sports world, these Olympics renewed my love of sport. My love of the game.

Thank You Beijing for reinvigorating this love

This is the new and improved Sports Shorts site with blog fully integrated!!! This will allow you to go to one very well put together page for all your Sports Shorts needs. The podcast is cleverly put on the right for your listening pleasure. Also the store is placed on the right as well.

Today the podcast will be released after we finish recording.

Today’s topics:

Brett Favre(surprise!!!)
Olympic Preview
and Much Much More

Guest Host: Big Mac Zac!!!

It is a dark time for the Packers, although Brett Favre retired in March, Roger Goodell reinstated Favre allowing him to return to Packers Training Camp.

Although their plan to have Favre stay home and pay him $25 million dollars failed, many of the Packers are being led by Aaron Rodgers into the frozen tundras of Lambeau Field

The future hall-of-famer Favre, obcessed with the fact that his glory days may not be over, has come to training camp hoping that he can be starting quarterback, has recieved the backing of the thousands of cheeseheads who believe he can take them into the far reaches of the playoffs once again.
(Note: That was based on the scrolling text at the begining of Episode 5)

Yesterday was R-Day in Green Bay thousands of fans took to the streets welcoming Brett back to the team, but not everbody was happy. Many believe that the Packers organization will still trade Favre to the Vikings perhaps after they meet in Week 1 of the regular season. But as of right now its Favre vs. Rodgers in a “fair” competition.

FAIR COMPETITION????

Excuse me but fair usually isn’t Muhammed Ali vs. Joe Schmo or The Dream Team vs any team they ever played against. There is no way in Green Bay that a quarterback competition can be fair between Favre and Rodgers. The pure fact of the matter is that Brett Favre is either the Packers starter or the Vikings Starter. If by some miracle Brett doesn’t get the job expect a riot in Green Bay.

Unlike Green Bay, it seems that the rest of America(including the Packers locker room) is split on this topic between two schools of thought.

The School of Brett Stays and The School of Brett Goes

The Brett Stayers believe that the Packers need to dwell in the past and keep this old quarterback that may have one good year left in him. “After all Aaron Rodgers sucks because in the 7 games he’s partially played he’s only thrown one touchdown pass and even though Coach guarenteed him the starting job that doesn’t mean anything when you got Brett on the sidelines.”

The Brett Goers believe that the Packers need to look to the future of their franchise and get rid of this old quarterback that may have one good year left in him. “After all Aaron Rodgers threw one touchdown pass in the 7 games he’s partially played. Also, Coach guarenteed him the starting job and us Minnesotans are men of our word.”

The truth is, the Packers are gonna be a dissapointment this year with or without Favre this controversy has split the locker room and I don’t expect them to play as a team. They will do okay in a shallow NFC North, but the Vikings have the division in their hands already, but that doesn’t mean they will get past the first round of the playoffs.

For 235 weeks Roger Federer has been ranked as the ATP’s number 1 player in the world, a record. But ever since Rafael Nadal defeated Federer in the 5-hour mega match at Wimbledon last month the ATP computers are the only ones calling him number one. The distant cousin of the BCS Computer shares the same flaw of using mathematics to determine the ranking of competitors. But after this weekend Rafa is within 300 points of taking the last number one that Federer has to his name.
In fact the super Spaniard has been number 2 in the world for a record 158 weeks. We all know that Nadal has been superb on clay but this year he finally proved himself to be the true number one and took down Federer from his pedestal.
So now what Nadal has finally caught up to the man he’s been chasing for 3 years. Does that mean he gets to be in the Gillette commercials. Does he get to chill out with Tiger Woods, Thierry Henry, and Derek Jeter instead of the big wigs at Kia. I’m not sure, but what I am sure of is that Tennis is entering an interesting time. Nadal Vs. Federer isn’t anywhere near over, in fact both are competing in the Olympic tennis tournament and expect another big battle at the U.S. Open.

Today John Rocker, a low life pitcher from the 90’s,(didn’t really do much) decided that he wanted another 15 minutes of fame. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3241448

For those of you who do not remember Mr. Rocker, Rocker’s controversial past includes a 1999 Sports Illustrated story, where he was quoted as saying he would never play for a New York team because he didn’t want to ride a subway train “next to some queer with AIDS.” He also mocked foreigners and described an unnamed Latin teammate as a “fat monkey.” Rocker later issued a statement admitting he went too far and told ESPN that his comments made him sound like “a complete jerk.” Rocker was later suspended until May 1, 2000, and fined $20,000.

Being a Latino-American, Mr. Rocker is not one of my favorite players, but hey I have put that hate to rest…

Basically Rocker said that Bud Selig knew he had failed a drug test in 2000 and that the MLB gave him advice on how to use steroids.

Come on, are you kidding me, this is just the case of some fool who wants to be heard from again. So please America don’t listen to this shock jock without a show. He is just making stuff up just so people like me have to comment on him. If he is right I will give him some dap, but until then he has been…

BLACK LISTED (its a new thing I am starting)

In other news, there is a video making the tabloid rounds featuring Pedro Martinez dropping a chicken into a cockfight(illegal in U.S.) But the fight took place in the Dominican Republic, the land of Pedro’s birth. There it is totally legal and considered an honor to drop the chicken into the ring.

So of course our lovely friends at PETA (not the tasty animals one,) have of course clamoured for Pedro’s throat.

Come on people!!! America is all about culture!!! This is culture in the D.R, I know I have been there!!!!! My family is from there!!! Please don’t compare this to Michael Vick because I guarentee most of the Dominican players in America have participated in this sometime in the D.R.!!!!! This is no big deal so don’t over react!!! PETA needs to get over themselves and focus on other stuff like animal testing. Stay away from this, but Pamela Anderson…..you can stay right here…..

Games to watch
Kansas Vs. Texas 9pm ESPN

Every Thursday at 6:00 PM I will do the live show of Sports Shorts. You can interact with me live by sending emails to SportsShorts@gmail.com. You can listen in on the ustream.tv flash player on the Sports Shorts official website.

Also go to the shop on the front page of the Sports Shorts official website. I have some great shirts and other stuff!

This time last year Peyton Manning was doing the talk circuit. Making commercials, and shmoozing with Letterman and Leno. But that was 07, and this is 08. I clearly remember the media talking all about how Eli was inspired about his brother’s triumph, and here we are.

I have to tell you the truth, if you were to tell me 2 months ago that MY New York Giants would beat the UNDEFEATED New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, I would call you crazy. But here we are.

All year people called the Giants, inconsistent, weak, etc. But here we are.

Every week of the playoffs, the Giants were told they had no shot. Only once during the entire postseason did a Fox Sports host pick the Giants in the post season.(Thank you Terry) But here we are.

We couldn’t beat Jeff Garcia, but here we are.
We couldn’t beat Tony Romo, but here we are.
We couldn’t beat Brett Favre, but here we are.
We couldn’t beat Tom Brady, but here we are.

Undefeated was inevitable, the odds unsermountable, but here we are.

On Febuary 3rd, 2008, Eli Manning and his rag tag band made the greatest upset I have ever seen. It has finally sunk in for me. This was the most amazing thing I have ever seen.

Here we are…