What if I Collected the Premier League?

In 2003, I was single and living in a condo in Midtown Atlanta with my dog. At that time in my life, though I was pretty free generally, I had a fairly set schedule every day during the week. I'd get up around 6:45, take the dog out, and go to work. My drive was quite short, so I'd be in the office by no later than 7:45. Without a wife or girlfriend at that point, I'd go out when I wanted, I'd go to sleep when I wanted, and I'd try to get up when I wanted.

But, despite my best efforts, my dog generally would not let me sleep in too long in the morning.  So, I'd get up on Saturdays at around 7:15 or so and take her for a little walk. We'd walk to Starbucks a couple blocks away, and Clea would sit outside as I picked up my venti coffee.  

One morning -- it was probably February, but it might have been early March...it was after after college football season had ended, and it was also after the NFL had wrapped up for the year -- we got back home after our walk and I turned on the TV.  I flipped channels some before coming across Fox Soccer Channel. A live English Premier League game was on, and I stopped to watch. I had played a little soccer in college in intramurals, but I was hopelessly lost on the pitch -- I had no idea what I was doing, where I was supposed to be on the field, how difficult it is to put a shot on goal, how difficult it is to beat even the crappy keepers we were facing.  But, with very little else on TV that interested me, I started watching.

Almost immediately, I was hooked. 

I'd watched the Premier League on highlights shows in the past, to be fair. In fact, I distinctly recall watching Eric Cantona's kung-fu kick one day in 1995 on a "World Sports" show.

But, I'd never watched games live before. I started planning my Saturdays to watch games. I went to the local Barnes & Noble and found some books about the history of the game. I found one magazine called Four Four Two from England, and I bought it immediately.  In fact, I recall exactly which issue it was:

I even picked a team in those first few months. I had a sort-of friend who lived on my freshman hall in college and who then showed up in Athens unexpectedly to transfer to law school there who loved Arsenal. As a result, I immediately disliked Arsenal.  

I was trying not to like Manchester United. Everything I knew about them said I shouldn't like them.  People call them "the New York Yankees of England." That should have dissuaded me immediately. But whenever I saw them play, they were just fantastic to watch.  Great, attacking football -- swashbuckling, even.  They won games regularly.  They weren't Johnny-come-latelies either.  

Despite my efforts, I became a fan. Just another glory-hunting non-local Manchester United fan. It was cinched for me just a couple of months later.  

United went down 1-0 to Newcastle United before equalizing through Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Then, Paul Scholes scored first a great team goal and then a thundering shot from outside the box.  Ryan Giggs tucked away a rebound next, and suddenly it was 4-1 before the break.  Scholes finished his hat trick, then Ruud van Nistelrooy closed out the scoring for United by putting away a penalty won by Diego Forlan on a Titus Bramble tackle. Newcastle got a consolation in the end, but the attacking, foot-to-the-throat play had won me over. 

I could go even deeper into my backstory on English football -- I went to New York to see Man Utd. play AC Milan in 2004, I went to three games in England in 2006, I woke up at 3 AM local time in Sydney and watched games, and I still watch today and love NBC's coverage -- but all of this is a long way to introduce a trade package. Back a couple of months ago, I corresponded with Jackplumstead of the excellent blogs Pursuit of 80s, Pursuit of Red Sox, and Pursuit of Jacoby. I sent Jack a package of Red Sox cards that I think he needed. 

In return, Jack recently sent me a fantastic package of Brewers cards and a bunch of unopened packs of stickers and cards from the world of Football.  Not Gridiron. Football.

Here are a few of the highlights.  Let's start with the Manchester United cards and stickers:

Radamel Falcao came to United with a lot of promise. For years, his name would be heard every transfer window, tied to big clubs in England like ManUtd or rich clubs like Manchester City or Chelsea. When he came on loan last year, it was on eye-watering wages and for a loan fee that was crazy.  For all that money, we got to see Falcao falling over frequently. I'm glad Chelsea now have him.

Tyler Blackett played a fair amount last year out of necessity thanks to injury. I recall him costing United a game last year by giving the other team the ball back very politely. That allowed the other team to take a free kick quickly -- while United were out of position -- leading directly to a goal.  He's on loan at Celtic in Scotland this year.

Finally, there's a sticker of Chris Smalling.  Smalling is quickly becoming one of my favorite players. He's composed on the ball as a central defender and is quickly becoming a take-charge man in the defense.  Unfortunately, with Luke Shaw's terrible double-leg break at PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League today, Smalling will likely have to form a partnership now with the rotund Marcus Rojo.

There were also some great World Cup cards and stickers that Jack sent. Here are three former United players.  First, here on the bottom, is Angel di Maria. di Maria looked as happy in Manchester as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. It didn't help that someone -- probably a Scouser -- broke into his home in January.  But di Maria always wanted to be in Paris and not Manchester.  

The top two cards are far more pleasant to discuss.  First, there's Robin van Persie. van Persie was probably pushed aside a year too soon by Louis van Gaal. Okay, he definitely was let go a year too soon.  Perhaps van Gaal figured he didn't need more than one true striker on the team? I don't know.  But van Persie came over from Arsenal and provided the goals to give Sir Alex Ferguson one last league title to knock Liverpool off its f**king perch. For that, everyone loves RVP.

Then, there is Patrice Evra.  Evra was always a favorite of mine, bombing up the left sideline from his fullback position to drive attacks and provide crosses. He made 273 appearances for United before Louis van Gaal told him he could leave Manchester United. So, he did -- and got to play in the UEFA Champions League Final for Juventus.  

Jack sent a bunch more stuff, so tune in later this week (or tomorrow...not sure yet!) for more.

I promise that I won't keep telling my soccer stories.

Worlds Collide

A short post tonight to pass along an interesting factoid I heard while listening to a podcast from England.  I don't talk about it much here, but I am a big fan of soccer and of a team many folks hate: Manchester United.  I've followed United as my team for the better part of thirteen years now.  What I have found to be true is that, of American fans, all the hipster boys and girls who are too cool (for everything) love Arsenal.  The folks who want to be "true fans" and be that person who thinks they are better than you -- or, they are Cubs fans -- tend to support Liverpool.  All the trolls and the preps follow either Chelsea or Manchester City.

Anyway, I digress.  

I was listening to the most recent episode of the excellent podcast "Football Weekly" featuring the ever interesting James Richardson.  In the discussion regarding stats, Richardson brought up Billy Beane.  In particular, he mentioned that, as many people know, Billy Beane has become a big football/soccer fan.  He's now getting involved at Dutch club AZ Alkmaar in an advisory role.

He's getting involved at AZ Alkmaar because of this guy:

Robert Eenhoorn played a grand total of 37 games in the major leagues -- 20 with the Yankees and 17 with the Angels.  Eenhoorn joined Alkmaar in October as a director, and his relationships in baseball led Beane to join up as an advisor for Alkmaar.

So, at least I found that interesting.

The World's Game

I know what you're thinking.  Off Hiatus is a baseball card blog.  And, for the most part, it is.  I played baseball growing up, I have watched baseball my whole life, I have read about baseball my whole life, and I have collected baseball cards my whole life (with a 20-year lapse, of course).

In that "lapse period" though, I went to college and law school.  I got my own condo and my own dog -- R.I.P., Clea.

Clea was a shepherd/chow mix and watched over me like a hawk -- but she did it with a smile on her face!

Clea was my dog from about 1997 -- when I spent the summer with her training her while my roommates had moved out for the summer -- through 2010.  In January of 2010, the effects of being overweight and having an underactive thyroid, having Cushing's Disease, and tearing an ACL were too much for her to overcome.  The real issues were the thyroid and the Cushing's, and the treatment for either would exacerbate the problems caused by the other.  That was the real strange thing but it was her downfall and made her miserable.

Now, if you have a dog, you know how much into routine they are.  If you get up at 6:30 AM every morning for work and take the dog out first thing, don't expect to make it past about 7:00 AM on the weekends before the dog wakes you up to go outside.  That's what Clea did.  Starting somewhere around 2003, I would take Clea for a morning walk to the Starbucks a couple blocks away and I'd get coffee.  Then, we'd go home and I would flip on the TV.  That spring of 2003, I learned that I had the now-dearly-departed Fox Soccer Channel on my DirecTV that I had at the time, and I started watching the English Premier League. That's when I fell in love with the game of soccer.

That's why in 2004, I traveled to New York and visited a friend in early August -- because my friend and I were going to see the team I had adopted as my team -- Manchester United -- play against AC Milan. United had just bought American goalkeeper and New Jersey native Tim Howard from the MLS, and that helped cement my choice of Man Utd. as my team.

That's also why, in 2006, I took my first "big" trip overseas and spent 10 days at Christmastime in an around London -- to go to football games around London.  I saw Chelsea and Reading draw 2-2 at Stamford Bridge.  I saw Fulham and Charlton draw 2-2 at The Valley on my frozen 35th birthday.  And, I saw Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 at White Hart Lane in a pouring rain storm.

Reading and Chelsea come onto the pitch before their game at Stamford Bridge in 2006

Action at the Charlton goal box during their match at The Valley in 2006

Tottenham and Liverpool slog through a rain-soaked 1-0 yawner at White Hart Lane

So, for me to go out and buy some 2014 World Cup Panini Prizm World Cup Cards today, it was not a stretch.  I was looking for a Topps Archives blaster or pack or something at a nearby Target, but they did not have any.  I settled for two of those $20 unopened pack repacks and a $20 Prizm blaster.

First off, I have no idea why Panini has to put four packs of 6 cards into a blaster box size.  I guess it is to let people think that they are getting something huge and special.  It probably also helps to avoid the potential pack-searchers, I suppose.  That said, getting 24 cards in a blaster was a little bit of a let down.

Now, on the other hand, because Panini has so dadgum many different variations and inserts and colors and such in these packs, it took the entire blaster box back to list all the possible variants included in the box, and the list was in about a 4-point font.  I like inserts as much as anyone, but I honestly have no idea now as to whether the cards I got were base set, variations, or super rare short prints.  That part is a downer.

On the plus side, the cards are shiny and pretty and everything you'd expect a Prizm card to be.  Because these are FIFA-licensed cards, Panini didn't have to airbrush out any of the national team crests on the uniform tops.  Let's take a look at a few of the cards of guys whose names are recognizable to the average soccer/football fan:

Julio Cesar, Brazil's goalkeeper

Mesut Ozil of Germany and Arsenal

Pique plays for Barcelona and Spain and once played at Man U.

Little Stevie G of Liverpool and England, and no,
this is not a mini.  I just don't like him.

Xavi Hernandez, Pique's teammate at club and country

The first two cards are obviously an insert set of World Cup Stars, and Julio Cesar's looks like it is a red, white, and blue refractor.  The others are base set cards, I believe.  These are great looking cards in many respects, but they do suffer from "Toppszoominitis"...in other words, could you not zoom in so closely? I'd prefer that these cards actually were simpler -- skip all the textured background garbage and give us the green grass of Wembley or the Santiago Bernabeu or the Maracana.  It would be a better card for it.

I like these cards, but I don't think I'll chase the full set.  My curiosity here was satisfied sufficiently to not sink any more money into these.  If anyone is chasing this set, let me know and we can work something out.