Dave’s Football Blog

Australian Football and Gaelic Football can’t seem to get away from each other. AFL clubs keep sending scouts to Ireland to swipe young talent with dreams of playing professionally. The International Rules series keeps finding new life, despite being little more than an on-field brawl most years. (Collingwood boss Mick Malthouse is in as Australia’s coach this year, too.) Now AFL chief Andrew Demetriou has a brilliant plan to lure the Irish in even more — an all-Gaelic club in Sydney.

The AFL is considering a radical proposal to launch an Irish-dominated team in Sydney’s western suburbs which would perform before an international audience under the Celtic brand name.

Commission chairman Mike Fitzpatrick confirmed on Friday night the Irish option was being explored as a possible basis for the competition’s 18th team, to debut as early as 2012.

Hey, Glasgow Celtic and the Boston Celtics are all league champions this year. Why not slap the Celtic name on everything in sight? Hey, lets put a team in Tasmania and call them the Lakers… no, wait, they’re after the audience in Ireland and Great Britain. We’d have to call them the Rangers.

If nothing else, at least the GAA counties would be able to focus their disdain on one club for stealing all their young Gaelic footballers away from them. That should make everyone else in the AFL look better by comparison, right?

(Thanks, Simon!)

The obvious trouble with attempting to follow every form of football around the world is that you’re bound to miss things — especially when the rest of your life gets in the way.

I had intended to get up a little early this morning to catch the second half of the Geelong Cats v. Port Adelaide Power rematch. (Geelong won, by the way.) However, last night I got wrapped up in getting my NCAA Tournament brackets filled out and setting up that bracket pool for my college buddies, getting my shiny new Slingbox set up for remote viewing — sadly, a day too late to watch that corker between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur on my Treo while at work — and putting up FanHouse posts on the CONCACAF Champions Cup and Cristiano Ronaldo’s deadly aim.

Oh, and the girlfriend stopped by last night. Always a pleasant distraction, to be sure.

Suffice to say, I missed the AFL opener. It’s not all I miss around here. On Monday, I was going to write something about Gaelic Football for St. Patrick’s Day, which turned into St. Vincent’s Day in Dublin. That passed me by, too.

Three years ago around this time, I sat in front of my PC and thought, “What the hell am I going to write about on this blog for the next five months?” Then I shut it down, went to a sports bar and watched basketball all afternoon.

So when I wrote back in January that I wanted to shift things around a bit, this was why. Writing about the football in all its forms is fun, but I’m starting to think the origins and evolution of football is a subject better suited to a book than a blog. Maybe that’s what I should be writing. Hell, maybe half of it is already written here…

This is the day the GAA has made! Let us rejoice and be glad!

Or something.

Yes, just six months after I declared the International Rules Football series dead, the Gaelic Athletic Association has announced that it will resume talks with the AFL about reviving the series in 2008. This comes on the heels of the GAA preparing to legalize a sort of payment system for Gaelic Footballers that involves government grants — kind of like scholarships for college football players in America, but with actual cash instead of tuition and meal reimbursement.

The AFL would have to agree to a couple of things first, though. For starters, the GAA wants AFL players who get involved in fights to be suspended for AFL matches the following season. (That’s mostly Irish coach Sean Boylan talking here.) Second, the GAA wants a deal in place that would curtail the AFL’s raid on young Gaelic footballers. Given that the AFL commish Andrew Demetriou loves the cash International Rules brings in, I suspect he will agree to both these things.

Of course, fans still have issues with International Rules. Some Irish will continue to say it’s too violent, while some Aussies will say it’s just Gaelic Football with behind posts and tackling. Still, I think it’s fun to see two codes merge into something different, even if we only see it for two games a year. Besides, if you search for “International Rules Football” on Google, two things I wrote are in the top four. Why wouldn’t I be in favor of a resumption of this series?

And yes, I’m aware that picture of Jesus has nothing to with Aussie Rules or Gaelic Football. Google searches for Jesus playing either of these codes turned up squat. I considered putting a picture of Chris Judd there, but hey, he’s no messiah.

I know what you’re thinking: where’s our Carlito? Well, he’s taking the weekend off, and so am I. Tonight, I will be walking in Memphis, joining more than 100 of my closest friends (sort of) on a pub crawl down Beale Street. (Three guesses as to what football jersey I’ll be wearing tonight. First two don’t count. Here’s a hint.) Besides, I needed an excuse to use that awkward campaign moment photo, and here it is.

It’s an awkward time to leave, of course, given that the NFL free agency period begins today, and chances are the weekend will be filled with blockbuster signings and perhaps a big trade or two — to say nothing of a full slate of league ties throughout Europe, plus the NAB Cup semifinals and Super 14 throughout the Southern Hemisphere. Oh, and how could I have forgotten? It’s Week 1 of the Arena Football season. Ron Jaworski must be all a-tingle, and the boys at It’s Still Football will do their best to make you care, even if they don’t, either.

For now, though, here’s some light reading for you:

• Myron Cope lives on through WAV files. [Myronisms!]
• And YouTube tributes. [The Angry T]
• Anonymous player: The NFL is on drugs. [NFL FanHouse]
• Middlesbrough: The FA is on crack. [Reuters Soccer Blog]
• Should the AFL go 16-on-16? [World Footy News]
• Here’s a good site for gridiron strategy. [Smart Football]
• So that’s why Jon Stewart does bumpers for FSC. [Hugging Harold Reynolds]
• Winning road games in Copa Libertadores is damn hard. [BBC Football]
• Becoming an announcer in Kazakhstan is easy. [The Meaningful Collateral]
• Is someone eager for Brett Favre to go? [Deadspin]
• John Elway could use the Juande Ramos diet. [BeRecruited]
• Barry Hall, however, is doing just fine, thanks. [Fox Sports Australia]
• Is the GAA coming around on International Rules? [World Footy News]
• The KSK Gay Mafia has a new target. [Kissing Suzy Kolber]
• As does the ghost in Manuel Almunia’s house. [The Run of Play]
• Steve Nash still loves him some Spurs, ha ha. [Guardian Football]
• Jozy Altidore predicts a trip to Beijing for his team. [Goal]
• The Sons of Ben are having themselves a party. [Sons of Ben]
• Will MLS expansion mean higher player salaries? [Pitch Invasion]
• Tony Dungy gets a dig on Bill Belichick. [Shutdown Corner]
• I wouldn’t say this about Shawne Merriman to his face. [Mr. Irrelevant]
• Football enslaves us all. [Soccerlens]
• Football can also be very… artistic. [With Leather (NSFW)]
• Hey, these guys seem to like my blog. [Cold, Hard Football Facts]

That ought to hold you for now. I’ll be back on Monday. If you need some NFL free agency news, the gang at NFL FanHouse has it all covered. Enjoy your football, everyone!

Have you ever had days when even the most ordinary things seem to drive you completely batshit for no apparent reason? As you can see from this picture, Carlito knows exactly how you feel.

It has been a crazy week for football around the world, though, what with the Champions League knockout stage and the Super 14 starting, the NAB Cup well under way, and in America… the scouting combine. Oh, yes, the NFL scouting combine. There’s nothing creepy at all about young men in T-shirts and shorts being ogled by geezers with clipboards. Nothing at all.

It’s a sign that we take the NFL a little too seriously — some guys more than others — but really, where don’t they take football seriously on this planet?

Here’s a look around at some football stories around our planet this week:

• Michael David Smith has the combine covered. [NFL FanHouse]
• The Gladiator helmet has your brain covered. [Mighty MJD @ Yahoo]
• The Dolphins want to bring the Premier League to Miami. [Pitch Invasion]
• Just who is this Richard Scudamore character? [BBC Football]
• The troubled life of Gazza. [Goal]
• Trouble ahead for MLS? [ESPN Soccernet]
• Red cards ahead for swearing footballers? [The Offside]
• Is FIFA looking to rugby to help beleaguered refs? [Reuters Soccer Blog]
• Not everyone digs those ELVs. [The Rugby Blog]
• A lesson in drop punting. [Kick2Kick]
• AFL rejects plan to plunder Ireland. [Fox Sports Australia]
• Fantasy football is everywhere. [AFL Football Blog]
• Matt Walsh is watching you. [Deadspin]
• Troy Vincent may be full of shit. [Mighty MJD @ Yahoo]
• Everton waits for Michael Bradley. [Liverpool Echo]
• A primer on football in Argentina. [Pitch Invasion]
• Those UEFA Cup knockout ties look pretty good. [Reuters Soccer Blog]
• Some useful soccer news web sites. [The Offside]

That ought to hold you for a little while. In the meantime, I’ll be straightening up the house this weekend, as some fellow Carolina Railhawks supporters are coming over to watch the Carling Cup Final. Meanwhile, the Premier League, Super 14 and 6 Nations are on, while Australia will witness the A-League Grand Final and more NAB Cup preseason footy. Set your DVRs accordingly. I did.

Enjoy your football, everyone!

Yes, into everyone’s life, a little rain must fall — and if you live in North Carolina these days, the rain is not nearly as annoying as it used to be. Rain has become a symbol of hope for those yuppies in Cary who are terrified that their lawn won’t be nearly as green as their neighbors.

Meanwhile, our man Carlito stands there and wishes he could give the rain falling on him to North Carolina — or anyone else, for that matter. It’s all just a matter of perspective, really, and hopefully some of these stories from the last week or so will provide some extra perspective into your own football experience.

On with the show!

• Why Arlen Specter may not be wasting his time (or ours) with this whole Spygate investigation. (Mighty MJD)
• Canadian soccer needs an enema. (Pitch Invasion)
• So do the West Coast Eagles. (AFL Footy Blog)
• Your Super 14 preview. (SA Rugby)
• Botswana football’s “Golden Lady.” (The Offside)
• New York Giants fans better hope their team doesn’t get dynastic. (Deadspin)
• Is this the end for Ronaldo at AC Milan? (Soccer by Ives)
• Is it the start for Mourinho at Barcelona? (Reuters Soccer Blog)
• Kevin Sheedy wants to give exchange students free footy. (Fox Sports Australia)
• Is International Rules worth it for the GAA? (Setanta Sports)
• Congress to NFL: Stay out of the churches! (Techdirt)
• Philip Rivers hates Horny Werewolf Day, too. (Kissing Suzy Kolber)
• Being in a strong NFL division is important. I wonder if this applies to Champions League groups, too… (NFL FanHouse)
• Real Madrid is richer than you. (Yahoo Eurosport)
• This TJ Simers column about David Beckham got people talking this week. (LA Times)
• Becks, however, has other impacts on American soccer that we don’t see. (The Offside)
• Mike Carey talks about “The Giant Snatch.” (NFL FanHouse)
• FA to female footballers: Sorry about the ban! (Guardian Unlimited)
• Those wacky Chris Berman videos aren’t on YouTube anymore, but they’re still online. (Deadspin)

It’s an FA Cup weekend in England. Show of hands: who’s paying $16 to watch Man U v. Arsenal? Not me. I’m going to take a good look at Super 14’s opening weekend and see if these new rules really do make rugby union more fun to watch. I’ll report my discoveries on Monday. Oh, and the Champions League knockout stage begins next Tuesday. Expect a lot of coverage of that on FanHouse.

Enjoy your football, everyone!

The footballer in this photo here is one Pearce Hanley, a wee lad of 19 from a dairy farming village in County Mayo who’s currently a long way from home. He’s one of Leigh Matthew’s prized Irish recruits for the Brisbane Lions, and he’s discovering something we’ve known all along — Australian football and Gaelic football aren’t that different.

“At the start it was tough just learning how to use the ball, bouncing it and kicking it and I was struggling with that but I’ve got the hang of that now. Now we’re going into match practice and it’s just learning new rules and where to go and where not to be…

“Apart from the ball and tackling it’s not that different at all. Tactically and the way you play the game, it is nearly the same.”

Now you know why the AFL is busy making so many inroads in Ireland. The talent is there, and it already knows how to play the game. For similar reasons, USA Rugby chases after college football players who have used up their eligibility, but because the codes aren’t quite as similar, they don’t have the nearly the same impact on rugby in the U.S. as Gaelic Football players do in Australia.

It also explains why International Rules hasn’t quite kicked the bucket just yet. The Collingwood Magpies are attempting to schedule a goodwill trip to Croke Park for an International Rules match against County Dublin. It’s not quite the brutal Australia v. Ireland test matches of recent years, but it might actually do something to keep that code alive and interesting.

Then again, maybe that “goodwill” element is only a cover for Mick Malthouse as he scouts for new talent. That seems to be the only reason any AFL coach looks at Ireland these days — and boy, are they looking.

(Spotted on World Footy News)

Before we take our wide scan of the football world, our pal Carlito would like to talk to you about the importance of stretching. Even if you watch football rather than play it, the last thing you want to be is tight and inflexible. After all, you’re going to be jumping up out of your seat and raising your fists in celebration a lot*. How embarassed would you be if you pulled a hammy or felt a twinge in your knee or ankle while cheering your team’s success?

Carlito wants you to make a habit of stretching every morning when you get up — especially on game days. You’ll feel better every day for it.

* - Does not apply to Manchester United fans at Old Trafford.

And now, on with the links!

• The Eli Manning-to-David Tyree pass has a name. (Kissing Suzy Kolber)
• One lucky Giants fan sneaks in. (Deadspin)
• Tom Hicks is an idiot in two countries now. (Dallas Observer)
• Football in Colonial Africa. (Pitch Invasion)
• Footballer trafficking in modern Africa. (Guardian Unlimited)
• Is FIFA boss Sepp Blatter a racist? (The Offside)
• One last look back by a Havant & Waterlooville fan. (Hobo Tread)
• The Rochester Raging Rhinos are in real trouble. (Triangle Soccer Fanatics)
• Revenue sharing works in America, but what about England? (Pitch Invasion)
• Mankinis work for Borat, but what about New Zealand rugby fans? (We Are the Postmen)
• AFL attempts to put lipstick on pig. (Fox Sports Australia)
• Hey, did someone say pig? (Friday Metro)
• What we would have seen if the Patriots had won. (FanHouse)
• The Pats’ season ended perfectly — for the rest of America. (The Onion)
• And it couldn’t have happened to a nicer bunch of fans. (With Leather)
• Of course, there’s just as much class in Manchester. (Guardian Unlimited)
• Remembering the Munich Air Disaster. (200%)
• An awesome Fulhamerica photoshop. (Oz City)
• The sad tale of Kevin Hart. (Deadspin)
• Chiefs running back Larry Johnson was just joking. Really. (The Sporting Blog)
• But drugs are no joke for retired NFL players. (Tampa Bay Online)
• Say, is Tiki Barber on drugs? (NFL Experts Blog)
• HBO pulls the plug on Inside the NFL. (Sports by Brooks)
• What is zone blocking? (FanHouse)
• International Rules is the new General Franco. (Setanta Sports)
• A closer look at World Footy News. (AFL Footy Blog)
• Are the Buffalo Bills cheating on their hometown? (NFL Experts Blog)
• Fabio Capello will make you an offer you can’t refuse. (Pitch Invasion)
• Those damn Sepak Takraw prima donnas. (With Leather)
• It’s just easier to be a football fan. (Deadspin)

That ought to hold you for now. It’s a quiet weekend for football in America, with only the sad little exhibition that is the Pro Bowl in Hawaii. There’s a full card in Europe, though, including a Chelsea v. Liverpool match on Sunday and some Six Nations rugby action around the continent. Oh, and there’s also some Aussie Rules in Dubai, though we’re still more than a month away from the start of the AFL season. (I need to find some way to get the rest of the blogosphere talking about Aussie Rules again. The West Coast Eagles’ drug problems won’t be enough this year.)

One more thing: the Carolina Railhawks are holding tryouts this weekend. So if you’ve got some serious soccer skills and are looking for work, get yourself to the Triangle by tomorrow morning. Here’s a little something to inspire you to play…

Enjoy your football, folks.

If you don’t live in Ireland or Australia, you probably have no idea that there’s a sea change coming in world football, and the demise of International Rules Football was just the start of it all.

As you might recall, the Gaelic Athletic Association scrapped the International Rules series with the Australian Football League after on-field violence marred the 2006 series. The AFL responded by raiding the GAA for football talent — and there was quite a bit of talent willing to travel to Australia to be the next Tadhg Kennelly, in no small part because AFL players actually get paid to play. Gaelic Football is strictly an amateur code, and some footballers would rather not have to give up their day jobs to play.

The sheer number of young players leaving for Australia, however, seems to have forced the GAA’s hand.

Stars of Ireland’s two homegrown sports for men, Gaelic football and hurling, called off strike plans Thursday after reaching a deal to receive payment for the first time in the 123-year history of their amateur leagues.

Sports Minister Seamus Brennan said that, starting in January, the government would begin paying out a total of €3.5 million (US$5.2 million) annually to the top 1,900 players in the Gaelic Athletic Association.

Their level of pay will depend on how far their county-based teams advance toward the all-Ireland championships staged each September, when crowds exceeding 80,000 pack Croke Park stadium in Dublin.

Keep in mind that Gaelic Football has been an amateur endeavor for the last 123 years. It’s a staple of sport and culture and history in Ireland, but it’s being overrun by the twin forces of globalization and professionalism, and this appears to be the only way for the GAA to keep their best and brightest from giving up dreams of Croke Park for cash in hand at Madejski Stadium and Melbourne Cricket Ground. Lots of traditionalists, like Tyrone volunteer Mark Conway, fear this is the end of their game, too.

Governments, our own included, stumble around trying to energise those two concepts. As Ireland increasingly comes apart at the social seams, we crave neighbourhood renewal … community development … community cohesion … social capital … and regeneration. Government invests hugely in trying, and largely failing, to create these things and scratches around for disappearing strengths such as citizenship.

All the while, for 123 years now, we’ve had something that’s delivered these in spades, quietly; unassumingly; but unbelievably effectively. That thing is the GAA. Yet, crazily, people now want to deconstruct it. Many of us will oppose the deconstruction of this prize-of-prizes that’s made an immeasurable contribution to Irish life. Because, anachronistic as it might be at the end of 2007, we actually believe in those things. …

It’s the one key difference between them and us: they pay and we don’t. Money corrupts, distracts, shifts the focus, demolishes “place”, attacks the value system, fosters greed, replaces “we” with “me.” Once you pay people to play sport, then whatever else you’ve got, it isn’t sport.

On the one hand, he makes a very valid point about how money corrupts a sport. One need not look past the bung culture in soccer, the endless recruiting violations in NCAA football, or the ongoing steroid scandals in any sport to see how much money changes things. Hell, rugby split in two a century ago over issues like this. It’s not really a new phenomenon.

On the other hand, people need to come to terms with the fact that their football game is not a beautiful snowflake. If you’re losing your best and brightest to a pro league that’s literally on the other side of world, you have to make tough decisions about the future of your game. It’s entirely possible that the GAA would fall apart within a couple of decades if it didn’t decide to do this, and I don’t think anyone in Ireland would want that.

Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to combine local traditions and professional sport. One need not look past Athletic Bilbao in Spain to see that. If they can do it, so could the GAA. The next few years should be very interesting for Gaelic Football.

(Thanks, Sean!)

Doesn’t it look like our guy Carlito is greeting this football like he might greet a girlfriend at the airport? “Come here and give Carlito a big fat hug, you gorgeous thing!” Never mind that he’ll be kicking her around again on Saturday afternoon. In this moment, it’s nothing but love.

Speaking of Saturday, we have a Rugby World Cup final, a full day of soccer, plenty of college football and probably a few CFL games, too. Football is all over the place, and so is this collection of links for your perusal:

• Soccer is getting bigger in Harlem. (This Is American Football)
• The MyFootballClub project is spawning copycats. (The Offside)
• The Buffalo Bills are talking about games in Toronto. Uh-oh. (Sports Illustrated)
• Why England wins Rugby World Cups more than FIFA World Cups. (Who Ate All the Pies)
• Minnesota? Pfah! The Melbourne Demons are recruiting in China. (Herald Sun)
• The New England Patriots now want to spy on ticket resellers. (Techdirt)
• Is a Super Bowl in London any weirder than an All-Ireland Final in New York City? (GAA, via David Deane)
• That AFL preseason match in Dubai? It’s a NAB Cup match. (World Footy News)
• Football going global has its disadvantages. (Pitch Invasion)
• Can you beat Gianluigi Buffon? (Puma Football)
• The best American soccer player? A goalkeeper. Typical. (That’s on Point)
• The NFL Draft will be shorter next year. Good. (NFL FanHouse)
• Sven Goran Eriksson shagged your secretary until she saw God. (The Sun)
• Want to see the Rugby World Cup Final live in America? It’ll cost ya. (Das FanHaus)
• David Carr has a new nickname. (Mister Mittens)
• The NFL doesn’t like your newfangled wireless technology… (Ars Technica)
• …but it takes a lot of tech to put that yellow line on the field. (We Are the Postmen)
• Handbags in the Prawn Sandwich Brigade. (Who Ate All the Pies)
• A brief history of the soccer ball. (Soccer Ball World)
• And here’s another lamb for Roger Goodell to slaughter. (All-American Football League)

On a completely unrelated note, don’t be a cheap bastard and get Radiohead’s new album off BitTorrent. Throw ‘em a couple of quid. Trust me, it’s worth at least that much.

And whatever football you choose, enjoy the games this weekend. See you at FanHouse.