The Audacity of Dope

Being a huge English Premier League fan, I have mixed feelings about NBC Sports acquiring the US TV rights starting this upcoming season. On one hand, at least it’s not at Fox, whose production value for FSC has always been abysmal, and being part of the NBC family should help increase the exposure to the US.  However, obviously I’d prefer the rights to be owned by my company, ESPN, plus I’m a little concerned this piece above will be representative of how they cover a foreign sports league.

Concerns aside, I LOL’d.

Fresh off the Winter Olympics, ESPN.com has jump started my anticipation for the world’s next big sporting event (March Madness isn’t quite international) by posting up their Top 50 Players of the 2010 World Cup.  Peep the article for a breakdown of each player, but here’s the list:

NO.     PLAYER
1     Lionel Messi, Argentina
2     Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal
3     Wayne Rooney, England
4     Kaka, Brazil
5     Xavi, Spain
6     Didier Drogba, Ivory Coast
7     Andres Iniesta, Spain
8     Fernando Torres, Spain
9     Steven Gerrard, England
10     Michael Essien, Ghana
11     David Villa, Spain
12     Franck Ribery, France
13     Samuel Eto’o, Cameroon
14     Luis Fabiano, Brazil
15     Iker Casillas, Spain
16     Cesc Fabregas, Spain
17     Gianluigi Buffon, Italy
18     Dani Alves, Brazil
19     Nemanja Vidic, Serbia
20     Wesley Sneijder, Netherlands
21     Maicon, Brazil
22     Frank Lampard, England
23     Andrea Pirlo, Italy
24     Carlos Tevez, Argentina
25     Robin van Persie, Netherlands
26     Gonzalo Higuain, Argentina
27     Diego Forlan, Uruguay
28     Thierry Henry, France
29     Sergio Aguero, Argentina
30     Michael Ballack, Germany
31     Julio Cesar, Brazil
32     Arjen Robben, Netherlands
33     Gerard Pique, Spain
34     Miroslav Klose, Germany
35     Lucio, Brazil
36     Javier Mascherano, Argentina
37     John Terry, England
38     David Silva, Spain
39     Carles Puyol, Spain
40     Nicolas Anelka, France
41     Ashley Cole, England
42     Patrice Evra, France
43     Marek Hamsik, Slovakia
44     Karim Benzema, France
45     Yoann Gourcuff, France
46     Daniele De Rossi, Italy
47     Philipp Lahm, Germany
48     Yaya Toure, Ivory Coast
49     Giorgio Chiellini, Italy
50     Landon Donovan, United States

I’m glad to see my favorite players (van Persie, Cesc, and Didier Drogba) all well represented, but overall, I think this list is surprisingly solid.  David Silva should definitely be higher and some of the bigger names aren’t as good as they used to be, but ESPN did a pretty good job.  What do you think?

Are you kidding me?  That’s the homey too…Allez Didier!  Shout to Jacques et Allan too…

(why are EPL highlights so hard to find online?  seriously.)

If you didn’t learn the first time, just look at RvP’s finish in yesterday’s match vs. Liverpool.  Wow.  The chest control was brilliant, the one touch completely fooled Carragher, and then the finish with his ‘weaker’ right foot was still a rocket.  Bergkamp woulda been proud.  Lastly, he tops it off by brushing off his shoulder?  Aww man, phenomenal swag from RvP.

Before anyone says anything, yes, Keane’s finish was excellent too, and yes, it was still a draw that continues to reduce Arsenal’s title hopes.  Since I enjoy watching all the ‘Big 4’ play, I just want it to be a tight race and the draw keeps it close enough heading in to the new year.  LOL @ Howard Webb sending off Adebeyor for two normal fouls, meanwhile Lucas racked up about 11 fouls before getting his first booking though.  GTFOH.

I’m shocked that Liverpool couldn’t get a goal against a 10 man Arsenal team that lost Fabregas at the half.  If you’re going to be the champions, shouldn’t you take all 3 points there?