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As always things have been nonstop here. We recently had a work retreat at the Saddlebrook Resort where the likes of Pete Sampras, Jennifer Capriati and James Blake all grew up playing tennis. I took to the courts myself but sadly my performance didn’t merit the same attention as players of that caliber deserve. Halloween is really big here too so we all dressed up in costumes a couple of weekends a go and then this past weekend I moved places into a new pool house. It’s always been a dream to live in a house with a swimming pool so I’m really excited. Once we get the place straightened out I’ll post pictures! <:)
This was such a travesty of justice that Manchester United should follow Chelsea’s recent example and appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Wayne Rooney was utterly brilliant, Darren Fletcher had Deco in one pocket and Michael Ballack in the other, while Patrice Evra mocked Ashley Cole’s billing as the world’s best left-back, yet the table shows Chelsea five points clear. Lady Luck was a blue-rinsed hussy strutting down the King’s Road merrily picking visitors’ pockets.
Just how many black cats United ran over on the way into the Bridge remains unclear but they departed shaking their head at the fickleness of fate... United had so impressed. It was not simply the gutsy way Rooney, Fletcher and Evra largely bossed a game of gathering drama. It was not only the defensive determination of stand-ins such as Wes Brown and Jonny Evans, who flung themselves at shots and crosses as if the season depended on it.
It was not solely Sir Alex Ferguson’s clever tactics, flooding midfield and forcing Chelsea’s full-backs deep. Frustration bit deep into United’s soul because of the genesis and execution of Chelsea’s 76th-minute goal. This was one incident in a long season, just one minute in the 3,420 United will negotiate, but it felt so pivotal.
Challenging Cole for possession, Fletcher clearly targeted the ball but the referee, Martin Atkinson, ruled that the Scotland midfielder had fouled the Chelsea man. Fletcher raged at Atkinson, splenetically spelling out that he had made contact with ball before man. Cole had indeed reacted like a startled cat falling off the airer onto the Aga.
Dismissing all pleas, Atkinson signalled a free-kick and United retreated to form the barricades, seething with injustice. Maybe they were distracted but, for once, the rearguard let down its guard. Brown allowed himself to be wrestled down far too easily by Didier Drogba, a clear foul, but Atkinson’s vision was obscured by Joe Cole.
As Frank Lampard’s free-kick curled in, United failed to attack the ball, allowing John Terry to rise and head down, the ball clipping Nicolas Anelka on the way in. Ferguson can moan about Atkinson’s errors but his defenders should have responded more assertively to the incoming danger. It was their only mistake all afternoon against a disappointing Chelsea.
Yet if it is a sign of champions-in-waiting to pick up points while playing poorly then Ancelotti’s side look ready to end United’s three titles on the spin. Terry played well, ignoring the morning’s distressing headlines about his father’s alleged activities to stand firm in the face of the Rooney-inspired storm, again protecting a goal that has now not been breached at the Bridge for 872 minutes. The way Terry shepherded Rooney away from goal midway through the first half was a masterpiece of intelligent defending, echoing Franco Baresi at his very best.
For all Terry’s excellence, United will reflect that they need to sharpen up their finishing. Ferguson could have started Michael Owen but he clearly felt the need for security in midfield, deploying a 4-5-1 formation spearheaded by the tireless, peerless Rooney.
How the striker ended up a loser here is beyond comprehension. How England or United will fare if he ever succumbs to injury is beyond the stuff of nightmares. Constantly showing for the ball, constantly turning and taking on Terry and Ricardo Carvalho, Rooney was magnificent, even tracking back at one point to nick the ball off Drogba. The Rooney v Drogba debate was a no-contest.
Some sympathy must still exist for the Ivory Coast forward, who claimed afterwards that he sustained a nasty injury when Evans jumped up and caught him in the chest. Drogba being Drogba, he certainly rolled around, looking as if St Vitus’ Dance had got into his legs.
A streak of indiscipline did stain United’s game as the final whistle loomed. Antonio Valencia left the ground in launching into a nasty two-footed tackle on Lampard that could have broken the Chelsea midfielder’s left leg. Fletcher shredded the fair play manual by demanding that Atkinson send off Carvalho, who admittedly was flirting with expulsion with some of his challenges on Rooney.
No wonder Fletcher’s fellow Scot, Ferguson, was fuming like a faulty smoke-stack in the dugout. His plan to stifle Chelsea had so nearly worked.
Valencia kept Ashley Cole deep. On the other flank, Ryan Giggs sought to push Branislav Ivanovic back, though the Serbian was one of Ancelotti’s few successes, even testing Edwin van der Sar with an early strike.
But it was in the centre where Ferguson’s game-plan really impressed, particularly in the first half. Fletcher and Michael Carrick patrolled and destroyed, suffocating Deco and blunting the forward point of Chelsea’s diamond, while Anderson never let Michael Essien settle.
Rarely have Chelsea been pressured into so many mistakes. Ballack and Essien both gave the ball away. Lampard lifted one free-kick into the wall, then another into the Shed. Chelsea did create a great chance before the break, Anelka cutting inside Carrick to force a fine, stretching save from Van der Sar.
If the first period intrigued in a tactical, chess-like way, the second half offered more obvious entertainment and incident. The temperature began to rise, starting when Giggs sportingly stopped play after Ashley Cole and Terry collided painfully. Ferguson went spare, arguing that the initiative was lost.
A few yards away, Ancelotti was making his first move, introducing Joe Cole for the ineffectual Deco. Evans and Brown made some important clearances. When Lampard unleashed a piledriver, Brown threw himself at it.
Yet Rooney looked the likelier to score, taking a pass from Valencia after 66 minutes and curling a shot wide before then bringing a marvellous save from Petr Cech. But Rooney and his team were then kicked in the teeth by grievous misfortune. Advantage Chelsea.
By Henry Winter at Stamford Bridge
Daily Telegraph
Published: 8:30AM GMT 09 Nov 2009
Wayne Rooney was utterly brilliant, Darren Fletcher had Deco in one pocket and Michael Ballack in the other, while Patrice Evra mocked Ashley Cole’s billing as the world’s best left-back, yet the table shows Chelsea five points clear. Lady Luck was a blue-rinsed hussy strutting down the King’s Road merrily picking visitors’ pockets.
Just how many black cats United ran over on the way into the Bridge remains unclear but they departed shaking their head at the fickleness of fate... United had so impressed. It was not simply the gutsy way Rooney, Fletcher and Evra largely bossed a game of gathering drama. It was not only the defensive determination of stand-ins such as Wes Brown and Jonny Evans, who flung themselves at shots and crosses as if the season depended on it.
It was not solely Sir Alex Ferguson’s clever tactics, flooding midfield and forcing Chelsea’s full-backs deep. Frustration bit deep into United’s soul because of the genesis and execution of Chelsea’s 76th-minute goal. This was one incident in a long season, just one minute in the 3,420 United will negotiate, but it felt so pivotal.
Challenging Cole for possession, Fletcher clearly targeted the ball but the referee, Martin Atkinson, ruled that the Scotland midfielder had fouled the Chelsea man. Fletcher raged at Atkinson, splenetically spelling out that he had made contact with ball before man. Cole had indeed reacted like a startled cat falling off the airer onto the Aga.
Dismissing all pleas, Atkinson signalled a free-kick and United retreated to form the barricades, seething with injustice. Maybe they were distracted but, for once, the rearguard let down its guard. Brown allowed himself to be wrestled down far too easily by Didier Drogba, a clear foul, but Atkinson’s vision was obscured by Joe Cole.
As Frank Lampard’s free-kick curled in, United failed to attack the ball, allowing John Terry to rise and head down, the ball clipping Nicolas Anelka on the way in. Ferguson can moan about Atkinson’s errors but his defenders should have responded more assertively to the incoming danger. It was their only mistake all afternoon against a disappointing Chelsea.
Yet if it is a sign of champions-in-waiting to pick up points while playing poorly then Ancelotti’s side look ready to end United’s three titles on the spin. Terry played well, ignoring the morning’s distressing headlines about his father’s alleged activities to stand firm in the face of the Rooney-inspired storm, again protecting a goal that has now not been breached at the Bridge for 872 minutes. The way Terry shepherded Rooney away from goal midway through the first half was a masterpiece of intelligent defending, echoing Franco Baresi at his very best.
For all Terry’s excellence, United will reflect that they need to sharpen up their finishing. Ferguson could have started Michael Owen but he clearly felt the need for security in midfield, deploying a 4-5-1 formation spearheaded by the tireless, peerless Rooney.
How the striker ended up a loser here is beyond comprehension. How England or United will fare if he ever succumbs to injury is beyond the stuff of nightmares. Constantly showing for the ball, constantly turning and taking on Terry and Ricardo Carvalho, Rooney was magnificent, even tracking back at one point to nick the ball off Drogba. The Rooney v Drogba debate was a no-contest.
Some sympathy must still exist for the Ivory Coast forward, who claimed afterwards that he sustained a nasty injury when Evans jumped up and caught him in the chest. Drogba being Drogba, he certainly rolled around, looking as if St Vitus’ Dance had got into his legs.
A streak of indiscipline did stain United’s game as the final whistle loomed. Antonio Valencia left the ground in launching into a nasty two-footed tackle on Lampard that could have broken the Chelsea midfielder’s left leg. Fletcher shredded the fair play manual by demanding that Atkinson send off Carvalho, who admittedly was flirting with expulsion with some of his challenges on Rooney.
No wonder Fletcher’s fellow Scot, Ferguson, was fuming like a faulty smoke-stack in the dugout. His plan to stifle Chelsea had so nearly worked.
Valencia kept Ashley Cole deep. On the other flank, Ryan Giggs sought to push Branislav Ivanovic back, though the Serbian was one of Ancelotti’s few successes, even testing Edwin van der Sar with an early strike.
But it was in the centre where Ferguson’s game-plan really impressed, particularly in the first half. Fletcher and Michael Carrick patrolled and destroyed, suffocating Deco and blunting the forward point of Chelsea’s diamond, while Anderson never let Michael Essien settle.
Rarely have Chelsea been pressured into so many mistakes. Ballack and Essien both gave the ball away. Lampard lifted one free-kick into the wall, then another into the Shed. Chelsea did create a great chance before the break, Anelka cutting inside Carrick to force a fine, stretching save from Van der Sar.
If the first period intrigued in a tactical, chess-like way, the second half offered more obvious entertainment and incident. The temperature began to rise, starting when Giggs sportingly stopped play after Ashley Cole and Terry collided painfully. Ferguson went spare, arguing that the initiative was lost.
A few yards away, Ancelotti was making his first move, introducing Joe Cole for the ineffectual Deco. Evans and Brown made some important clearances. When Lampard unleashed a piledriver, Brown threw himself at it.
Yet Rooney looked the likelier to score, taking a pass from Valencia after 66 minutes and curling a shot wide before then bringing a marvellous save from Petr Cech. But Rooney and his team were then kicked in the teeth by grievous misfortune. Advantage Chelsea.
By Henry Winter at Stamford Bridge
Daily Telegraph
Published: 8:30AM GMT 09 Nov 2009
Finishing up moving into the new place and then pool party this afternoon - hit me up for the details ;)
It's late in the game between the New York Yankees and the Phillies.
Yankees lead 7-4 heading in to the 9th inning.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the Phillies can hold on to take it to game 7.
But the Yankees are one inning away from capturing the 27th World Series title in their illustrious history.
And now the game is in the hands of baseball's all-time master postseason closer, Mariano Rivera.
The combination of designated hitter Hideki Matsui's six-RBI night and lefty Andy Pettitte's strong work on three days' rest has New York in charge and the crowd at Yankee Stadium starting to sense the next chapter in team history, and itching to hear "Enter Sandman," Rivera's entrance music.
They got their wish with one out in the eighth, after Damaso Marte got Ryan Howard to strike out swinging.
What was turning into a blowout got a little tighter when Howard delivered a two-run homer off Pettitte in the sixth to cut the lead to four runs. Pettitte received a standing ovation from the crowd on his way off the field as Joba Chamberlain came in to relieve him with two outs in the sixth.
Yankees lead 7-4 heading in to the 9th inning.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the Phillies can hold on to take it to game 7.
But the Yankees are one inning away from capturing the 27th World Series title in their illustrious history.
And now the game is in the hands of baseball's all-time master postseason closer, Mariano Rivera.
The combination of designated hitter Hideki Matsui's six-RBI night and lefty Andy Pettitte's strong work on three days' rest has New York in charge and the crowd at Yankee Stadium starting to sense the next chapter in team history, and itching to hear "Enter Sandman," Rivera's entrance music.
They got their wish with one out in the eighth, after Damaso Marte got Ryan Howard to strike out swinging.
What was turning into a blowout got a little tighter when Howard delivered a two-run homer off Pettitte in the sixth to cut the lead to four runs. Pettitte received a standing ovation from the crowd on his way off the field as Joba Chamberlain came in to relieve him with two outs in the sixth.
For Fox News lovers (and those who don't :)
Fox News Defends Itself Against Charges of Bias by Explaining that Most of its Programming Isn't 'News' - watch this!
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| For Fox Sake! | ||||
| ||||
Fox News Defends Itself Against Charges of Bias by Explaining that Most of its Programming Isn't 'News' - watch this!
Spending the night at Saddlebrook Resort for a work retreat... Hoping to catch a game of tennis with Jennifer Capriati in the morning...
Saddlebrook is an exclusive Tampa resort with facilities for meetings, conferences, groups, families and individuals.
Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa Florida, just 30 miles north of Tampa International airport, offers an ideal and award winning resort setting with luxury accommodations and facilities for corporate events, meetings and conferences, spa getaways, family reunions, kids camp, and Florida golf and tennis vacations.
Their facilities include year round golf at one of their two Arnold Palmer Signature Courses, 45 tennis courts in every grand slam surface, a European Style Spa, and five premier dining and restaurant options. As a world renowned professional training center in both tennis and golf, train with them at the Arnold Palmer Golf Academy and for tennis enthusiasts join the ranks of such superstars as James Blake and Mardy Fish who call Saddlebrook Resort their preferred training center.
For their groups and convention guests, Saddlebrook Resort provides over 95,000 square feet of flexible meeting and function space with full catering services. In the past year they have hosted over 400 groups ranging in size from 10 to 1000 adults. Complementing their extensive group capabilities includes a dynamic Team-building Course and award winning culinary and meeting professional support team.
Resort Features
* 540 accommodations including 133 deluxe hotel rooms, 162 one-bedroom suites, 240 two-bedroom suites and 5 VIP suites
* 95,000 Square feet of versatile meeting and function space with 34 meeting rooms
* Two Arnold Palmer 18-hole signature golf courses
* European Style Full-service Spa
* 45 tennis courts in every major tournament surface
* Five acre Team Building site on property
* Half-million gallon Superpool
* Award winning catering and culinary services available
* Four outstanding restaurants
* On-site Audiovisual company and Business Center
* State-of-the-art Fitness Center
* Saddlebrook Kids Club (S’Kids Club)
* Saddlebrook Prep, a fully accredited, college preparatory school
Saddlebrook is an exclusive Tampa resort with facilities for meetings, conferences, groups, families and individuals.
Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa Florida, just 30 miles north of Tampa International airport, offers an ideal and award winning resort setting with luxury accommodations and facilities for corporate events, meetings and conferences, spa getaways, family reunions, kids camp, and Florida golf and tennis vacations.
Their facilities include year round golf at one of their two Arnold Palmer Signature Courses, 45 tennis courts in every grand slam surface, a European Style Spa, and five premier dining and restaurant options. As a world renowned professional training center in both tennis and golf, train with them at the Arnold Palmer Golf Academy and for tennis enthusiasts join the ranks of such superstars as James Blake and Mardy Fish who call Saddlebrook Resort their preferred training center.
For their groups and convention guests, Saddlebrook Resort provides over 95,000 square feet of flexible meeting and function space with full catering services. In the past year they have hosted over 400 groups ranging in size from 10 to 1000 adults. Complementing their extensive group capabilities includes a dynamic Team-building Course and award winning culinary and meeting professional support team.
Resort Features
* 540 accommodations including 133 deluxe hotel rooms, 162 one-bedroom suites, 240 two-bedroom suites and 5 VIP suites
* 95,000 Square feet of versatile meeting and function space with 34 meeting rooms
* Two Arnold Palmer 18-hole signature golf courses
* European Style Full-service Spa
* 45 tennis courts in every major tournament surface
* Five acre Team Building site on property
* Half-million gallon Superpool
* Award winning catering and culinary services available
* Four outstanding restaurants
* On-site Audiovisual company and Business Center
* State-of-the-art Fitness Center
* Saddlebrook Kids Club (S’Kids Club)
* Saddlebrook Prep, a fully accredited, college preparatory school
You know it's been a good weekend when you're driving to work smiling on a Monday morning!
This weekend had a little a bit of everything- a rock concert, pool party, college gameday, Tampa Bay Lightning game, a champagne birthday toast, Sunday lie-in followed by a football match... Hey I even got to meet Gumby!
But, best of all were the cheeky cocktails on Sunday night that made the weekend what it was. The perfect way to round off a wonderful weekend!
This weekend had a little a bit of everything- a rock concert, pool party, college gameday, Tampa Bay Lightning game, a champagne birthday toast, Sunday lie-in followed by a football match... Hey I even got to meet Gumby!
But, best of all were the cheeky cocktails on Sunday night that made the weekend what it was. The perfect way to round off a wonderful weekend!
A hockey game can turn in a second, as the Tampa Bay Lightning know all too well, and tonight, a Buffalo Sabre goal with just 17 seconds remaining to be played turned an apparent 2-1 win into an eventual 3-2 shootout loss, foiling what had been, until almost the very end, an outstanding effort by the Lightning.
The tying goal, a bad angle shot from that Sabre forward Drew Stafford sent on net from the right half-boards, worked its way through a crowd and slipped under Lightning netminder Mike Smith’s stick.
A tough goal and a tough loss.
James and Jessica checking out the game from above
LIGHTNING BOLTS: Tampa Bay went 0 – 2 on the power play…the shootout loss dropped the Bolts to 0-3 in shootouts this season…with his goal, Stamkos is now tied with Ryan Malone for the Tampa Bay lead with seven...Stamkos now has collected points in five consecutive games…Wright, Andrej Meszaros and Matt Walker each blocked three shots…the Lightning had 26 shots on net; Lecavalier led the club with four… With the 1 point earned for the shootout loss, the Lightning are now 3-3-3 with 9 points.
The tying goal, a bad angle shot from that Sabre forward Drew Stafford sent on net from the right half-boards, worked its way through a crowd and slipped under Lightning netminder Mike Smith’s stick.
A tough goal and a tough loss.
James and Jessica checking out the game from above
LIGHTNING BOLTS: Tampa Bay went 0 – 2 on the power play…the shootout loss dropped the Bolts to 0-3 in shootouts this season…with his goal, Stamkos is now tied with Ryan Malone for the Tampa Bay lead with seven...Stamkos now has collected points in five consecutive games…Wright, Andrej Meszaros and Matt Walker each blocked three shots…the Lightning had 26 shots on net; Lecavalier led the club with four… With the 1 point earned for the shootout loss, the Lightning are now 3-3-3 with 9 points.
It's not every day you get to meet Darth Vader...
Would you give yourself to the dark side?
For those of you who don't know, Darth Vader is a character from the Star Wars universe. He appears for the first time in A New Hope. Vader is the main character of the Dark Side of the Star Wars series. He appears as a 2 meter-tall man dressed in black armor and a cape. His face is covered with a mask, which has a helmet on top I guess...
Would you give yourself to the dark side?
For those of you who don't know, Darth Vader is a character from the Star Wars universe. He appears for the first time in A New Hope. Vader is the main character of the Dark Side of the Star Wars series. He appears as a 2 meter-tall man dressed in black armor and a cape. His face is covered with a mask, which has a helmet on top I guess...
The Junior Boys are back in the USA and Canada this October for the Junior Boys Halloween Tour.
You heard right too, every show (every single one) is Halloween themed,
With costume contests, prizes, videos and other ‘bits and pieces’.
The Crowbar is a great venue, and with the Junior Boys not taking to the stage until after midnight, gave us the great opportunity for a few shots of Tuaca...
It was an awesome show and even Gumby made an appearance!!!
Their music has drawn variously from disco, electro-pop, UK garage, R&B—and Frank Sinatra. They bear traces of Munich, London, Chicago, Virginia Beach, Tin Pan Alley—and yet they hail from Hamilton, Ontario. They are men of the world, but you can call them Junior Boys.
The men in question, of course, are Jeremy Greenspan and Matt Didemus, and their story is an unlikely one: two childhood friends who had no real intention of becoming professional musicians—and yet, six years after the almost accidental founding of the band, find themselves with three studio albums and a mix CD under their belts, their passports ragged after frequent touring, their press books brimming with clippings.
Their latest album Begone Dull Care is out now!
You heard right too, every show (every single one) is Halloween themed,
With costume contests, prizes, videos and other ‘bits and pieces’.
The Crowbar is a great venue, and with the Junior Boys not taking to the stage until after midnight, gave us the great opportunity for a few shots of Tuaca...
It was an awesome show and even Gumby made an appearance!!!
Their music has drawn variously from disco, electro-pop, UK garage, R&B—and Frank Sinatra. They bear traces of Munich, London, Chicago, Virginia Beach, Tin Pan Alley—and yet they hail from Hamilton, Ontario. They are men of the world, but you can call them Junior Boys.
The men in question, of course, are Jeremy Greenspan and Matt Didemus, and their story is an unlikely one: two childhood friends who had no real intention of becoming professional musicians—and yet, six years after the almost accidental founding of the band, find themselves with three studio albums and a mix CD under their belts, their passports ragged after frequent touring, their press books brimming with clippings.
Their latest album Begone Dull Care is out now!
Woke up to free NHL tickets from the Tampa Bay Times and made the front page of Metromix Tampa Bay!
Tickets are Lightning-Kings game on Nov 14th thanks TBT!!!
Tickets are Lightning-Kings game on Nov 14th thanks TBT!!!
A roasting pig, live music, and drink specials at Smoke BBQ's first Traveling Happy Hour with Metromix. Forthy got flashed!
As Metromix writes, Barbecue and fine dining might make as much sense together as eating ribs with gloves on, but where there’s Smoke – North Hyde Park’s barbecue hotspot – there’s ingenious fire.
Owner Gordon C. Davis, a revered Tampa restaurateur known for establishing Ceviche, has created a “world barbecue concept” that takes influences from southern and Texas barbecue styles, as well as Canadian, Mediterranean and Asian cuisines.
He and his smoking, char-grilling and rotisserie-ing team (including Chef Rick Knapik of Mise En Place fame) present a menu filled with surf-n-turf and veggies that ignite the palate and satisfy hearty appetites.
As Metromix writes, Barbecue and fine dining might make as much sense together as eating ribs with gloves on, but where there’s Smoke – North Hyde Park’s barbecue hotspot – there’s ingenious fire.
Owner Gordon C. Davis, a revered Tampa restaurateur known for establishing Ceviche, has created a “world barbecue concept” that takes influences from southern and Texas barbecue styles, as well as Canadian, Mediterranean and Asian cuisines.
He and his smoking, char-grilling and rotisserie-ing team (including Chef Rick Knapik of Mise En Place fame) present a menu filled with surf-n-turf and veggies that ignite the palate and satisfy hearty appetites.
I've just finished Mitch Albom's book, 'The five people you meet in heaven.' It's only a short story, but comforting nonetheless.
The following text struck a chord with me:
"You died. You were forty-seven. You were the best person any of us knew, and you died and you lost everything. And I lost everything. I lost the only woman I ever loved."
She took his hands. "No, you didn't. I was right here. And you loved me anyway.
"Lost love is still love, Eddie. It takes a different form, that's all. You can't see their smile or bring them food or tousle their hair or move them around a dance floor. But when those senses weaken, another heightens. Memory. Memory becomes your partner. You nurture it. You hold it. You dance with it.
"Life has to end," she said. "Love doesn't."
While the book is talking about the love bonded in marriage, I feel this is also true for the love in a family. In particular, the love lost when a family member passes on, which is the the reason why I wanted to share it with you.
The following text struck a chord with me:
"You died. You were forty-seven. You were the best person any of us knew, and you died and you lost everything. And I lost everything. I lost the only woman I ever loved."
She took his hands. "No, you didn't. I was right here. And you loved me anyway.
"Lost love is still love, Eddie. It takes a different form, that's all. You can't see their smile or bring them food or tousle their hair or move them around a dance floor. But when those senses weaken, another heightens. Memory. Memory becomes your partner. You nurture it. You hold it. You dance with it.
"Life has to end," she said. "Love doesn't."
While the book is talking about the love bonded in marriage, I feel this is also true for the love in a family. In particular, the love lost when a family member passes on, which is the the reason why I wanted to share it with you.
That's right folks, Forthy is off to Orlando this weekend for Halloween Horror Nights and Universal Studios - can't wait!!!Universal Orlando presents one of the world’s most elaborate Halloween celebrations with Halloween Horror Nights 16. Universal’s “scream team” researches the human psyche and its deepest fears so that Halloween Horror Nights’ guests can confront their most terrifying nightmares. All-new specially designed haunted houses, inescapable scare zones, and hundreds of street performers await those who enter fright-fest, invading Universal Orlando on select nights throughout the month of October.
Reliving some of (not all of) the finest moments of Homecomings of years gone by...
Apparently, the history of Homecoming can be traced back to when the Missouri Tigers first faced off against the Kansas Jayhawks in football in the first installment of the Border War, which is also the oldest college football rivalry west of the Mississippi River....
This annual tradition grew to engulf the United States. People, towns, high schools, colleges and (in Warrensburg's case) entire communities come together to welcome back former residents and alumni for a celebration unlike none other - as survivors of Breakfast of Champions will testify!!!
Location: Warrensburg, MO
The photo album is here
More to follow...
Apparently, the history of Homecoming can be traced back to when the Missouri Tigers first faced off against the Kansas Jayhawks in football in the first installment of the Border War, which is also the oldest college football rivalry west of the Mississippi River....
This annual tradition grew to engulf the United States. People, towns, high schools, colleges and (in Warrensburg's case) entire communities come together to welcome back former residents and alumni for a celebration unlike none other - as survivors of Breakfast of Champions will testify!!!
Location: Warrensburg, MO
The photo album is here
More to follow...
'Daily Show' Destroys CNN For Fact-Checking 'SNL' Instead Of Their Guests
On
Monday, October 12, 2009
Jon Stewart began his show last night by skewering CNN for fact-checking a "Saturday Night Live" skit in which Fred Armisen (playing Barack Obama) claimed to have done "nothing" since taking office. In this hard-hitting report, CNN found that while many of the president's initiatives have not moved forward, he has in fact done "something" since taking office. Take that, comedy show.
"While you were doing your research did you also find that sharks live in water and don't deliver candy grams... and that the majority of boxes do not have d*cks in them?" Stewart asked. He went on to show several instances of CNN guests saying spurious things and introducing made-up statistics without being asked where their numbers came from or countered with facts.
At the end of the 11-minute segment, Stewart brought in Aasif Mandvi and John Oliver to put the final nails in CNN's coffin. "They're the most professional network in the business, three times more professional. Most people agree they have 20 to 35 to 70% more facts," Mandvi claimed. Oliver countered with this: "They are goat f**kers."
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/13/daily-show-destroys-cnn-f_n_318295.html
"While you were doing your research did you also find that sharks live in water and don't deliver candy grams... and that the majority of boxes do not have d*cks in them?" Stewart asked. He went on to show several instances of CNN guests saying spurious things and introducing made-up statistics without being asked where their numbers came from or countered with facts.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| CNN Leaves It There | ||||
| ||||
At the end of the 11-minute segment, Stewart brought in Aasif Mandvi and John Oliver to put the final nails in CNN's coffin. "They're the most professional network in the business, three times more professional. Most people agree they have 20 to 35 to 70% more facts," Mandvi claimed. Oliver countered with this: "They are goat f**kers."
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/13/daily-show-destroys-cnn-f_n_318295.html
I was in poignant mood landing back in KC.
For one, fall (of my favourite seasons) was definitely in the air and that sense of the seasons changing is one I will always hold dear to my heart.
Fall Sunset through Kansas City Airport...
Coming back, once home, to so many people, so many memories stirred an emotion hard to define and describe.
No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace
As I have seen in one autumnal face.
~John Donne
For one, fall (of my favourite seasons) was definitely in the air and that sense of the seasons changing is one I will always hold dear to my heart.
Fall Sunset through Kansas City Airport...
Coming back, once home, to so many people, so many memories stirred an emotion hard to define and describe.
No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace
As I have seen in one autumnal face.
~John Donne
What a great Sunday - I got up at the break of dawn and witnessed a wonderful sunset on the way to go Hang Gliding at Wallaby Ranch.
Hang Gliding was amazing!!!
Probably the closest I'll ever feel to flying free as a bird.
Everyone there was super friendly and after a great lunch and throwing the pigskin around on the ranch (during which planes and helicopters would land and then take off again) I headed back to South Tampa to catch the dramatic end of the Liverpool Chelsea game. I was rooting for a draw, but Liverpool missed two sitters and Drogba set up Malouda to make it 2-0 to Chelsea in the dying seconds at the end...
Following on from that the Bucs had a dramatic finish against the Redskins. Kicking a late field goal when they had the chance to tie the game?? Falling short on their final possession to lose, but still exciting.
After that I found some old high school pictures and pictures from my last night in the UK back in August 2002. Happy times. I scanned them all in and uploaded them to facebook. I also found two gret pics of John I uploaded.
I cleaned out my walk-in closet, completed 3 loads of laundry, cooked lunch and dinner, gave a tour of the house to a prospective new tennant, ran a couple of miles and cleared out my old cd collection. I feel great and am really happy with the way my life is heading.
I really feel I can focus now on living life to it's fullest in Florida.
Good night :)
Hang Gliding was amazing!!!
Probably the closest I'll ever feel to flying free as a bird.
Everyone there was super friendly and after a great lunch and throwing the pigskin around on the ranch (during which planes and helicopters would land and then take off again) I headed back to South Tampa to catch the dramatic end of the Liverpool Chelsea game. I was rooting for a draw, but Liverpool missed two sitters and Drogba set up Malouda to make it 2-0 to Chelsea in the dying seconds at the end...
Following on from that the Bucs had a dramatic finish against the Redskins. Kicking a late field goal when they had the chance to tie the game?? Falling short on their final possession to lose, but still exciting.
After that I found some old high school pictures and pictures from my last night in the UK back in August 2002. Happy times. I scanned them all in and uploaded them to facebook. I also found two gret pics of John I uploaded.
I cleaned out my walk-in closet, completed 3 loads of laundry, cooked lunch and dinner, gave a tour of the house to a prospective new tennant, ran a couple of miles and cleared out my old cd collection. I feel great and am really happy with the way my life is heading.
I really feel I can focus now on living life to it's fullest in Florida.
Good night :)
Wallaby Ranch enjoys a stellar reputation as one of the best hang gliding schools in the nation and around the globe.
Numerous 'big name' hang gliding pilots recommend Wallaby Ranch as the best and safest place to learn how to fly hang gliders.
Naturally, I went to find out more...
All I can say is wow - what an experience - probably the closest you'll ever get to being a bird.
We arrived at 8am and got going pretty quickly. All the instruction takes place in the air, so the only delay is getting in the harness and then hooked up to the aerotow.
Aerotowing is a system where a hang glider is towed aloft with a specially designed ultralight towplane (a so-called 'aerotug', or 'tug', for short). Although towing hang gliders - using boats, trucks or winches - has been part of the sport since its inception, most people still think that in order to hang glide, you need a mountain to launch from.
While footlaunching and mountain flying remain an important aspect of hang gliding, the development of aerotowing in the late 80's opened up the possibility of flatland-flying and revolutionized the way hang gliding is being taught, making the sport accessible to practically anyone.
The guys at Wallaby ranch tell me that aerotow tandem instruction is by far the easiest, fastest, safest, and most enjoyable way to learn how to fly hang gliders, and it is aerotowing that gives access to the year-round excellent flying conditions in sunny Central Florida.
If you're contemplating it - do it!
It was awesome!!!
Numerous 'big name' hang gliding pilots recommend Wallaby Ranch as the best and safest place to learn how to fly hang gliders.
Naturally, I went to find out more...
All I can say is wow - what an experience - probably the closest you'll ever get to being a bird.
We arrived at 8am and got going pretty quickly. All the instruction takes place in the air, so the only delay is getting in the harness and then hooked up to the aerotow.
Aerotowing is a system where a hang glider is towed aloft with a specially designed ultralight towplane (a so-called 'aerotug', or 'tug', for short). Although towing hang gliders - using boats, trucks or winches - has been part of the sport since its inception, most people still think that in order to hang glide, you need a mountain to launch from.
While footlaunching and mountain flying remain an important aspect of hang gliding, the development of aerotowing in the late 80's opened up the possibility of flatland-flying and revolutionized the way hang gliding is being taught, making the sport accessible to practically anyone.
The guys at Wallaby ranch tell me that aerotow tandem instruction is by far the easiest, fastest, safest, and most enjoyable way to learn how to fly hang gliders, and it is aerotowing that gives access to the year-round excellent flying conditions in sunny Central Florida.
If you're contemplating it - do it!
It was awesome!!!
No better way to spend a relaxing Saturday, with a few beers watching the world go by on Treasure Island :)
So relaxing that apparently legendary Baseball slugger Babe Ruth had a winter beachfront home on Treasure Island after his retirement.
The Killers rocked the USF Sun Dome last night!!
I hadn't seen them since May, 2007 when they put on a great show at the River Market in Kansas City and didn't know what to expect as I found their last album disappointing.
Last night though, they didn't disappoint - they rocked the arena - playing classics from Hot Fuss and Sam's Town, as well as newer stuff from Day & Age.
Their reworked version of 'For Reasons Unknown' was a definite highlight - this was a great show!!
I hadn't seen them since May, 2007 when they put on a great show at the River Market in Kansas City and didn't know what to expect as I found their last album disappointing.
Last night though, they didn't disappoint - they rocked the arena - playing classics from Hot Fuss and Sam's Town, as well as newer stuff from Day & Age.
Their reworked version of 'For Reasons Unknown' was a definite highlight - this was a great show!!
What better way to mark the start of October, and more importantly Halloween season, than with a trip to Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens!
Thursday nights Howl-O-Scream offers groups of 4 tickets for just $20 each - that's a substantial saving compared to the regular $70 entrance fee!
I tagged along with the Gbar Employee Appreciation Night crew and had a great time!
This year’s nightmare is built around the House of Vayne, featuring Ms. Vayne and her deranged models who just happen to be vampires.
Howl-O-Scream features seven haunted houses, scare zones, several shows and full access to the park’s roller coasters.
Thursday nights Howl-O-Scream offers groups of 4 tickets for just $20 each - that's a substantial saving compared to the regular $70 entrance fee!
I tagged along with the Gbar Employee Appreciation Night crew and had a great time!
This year’s nightmare is built around the House of Vayne, featuring Ms. Vayne and her deranged models who just happen to be vampires.
Howl-O-Scream features seven haunted houses, scare zones, several shows and full access to the park’s roller coasters.
Back in June I joined the Four Green Fields running club and have been steadily increasing my running distance each week.
This last 10 days have been the best yet - I've covered 22.5 miles!
Running across Bayshore is an absolute joy and there are so many other beautiful areas of South Tampa too.
Tonight was beautiful, running amongst waterfront mansions in Beach Park before catching the sun starting to set off Neptune Way made this an absolute joy!
View Larger Map
This last 10 days have been the best yet - I've covered 22.5 miles!
Running across Bayshore is an absolute joy and there are so many other beautiful areas of South Tampa too.
Tonight was beautiful, running amongst waterfront mansions in Beach Park before catching the sun starting to set off Neptune Way made this an absolute joy!
View Larger Map
Watching the Chiefs-Raiders game at home Sunday, Ralph Hipp said "boy, Cassel and Haley letting the clock run out at halftime without a field goal is going to come back and kill 'em."
He had no idea how much they would need that 3 points later. That only would have meant overtime, it doesn't mean the Chiefs could have beaten the Raiders. But now he's scratching his head about KC's schedule. He thought they were handed a creampuff schedule when your team finished 2-14. Look at this:
Sunday.. at Philadelphia; October 4th.. New York Giants; October 11.. Dallas; October 18th.. at Washington, before the Chiefs come back to their own division with San Diego at the end of the month.
What is up with this murderer's row in the NFC East.. not fair!! especially to a team that hasn't found its way. Are we looking at 0-7?? Pick one of these teams the Chiefs might beat!
Key: The Raiders' JaMarcus Russell engineered a 69-yard scoring march in the final two minutes despite completing only seven of 24 passes for 109 yards in the game. Russell became only the second quarterback since the start of the 1997 season to try 20 or more passes and complete less than 30% of them but still win.
Raiders said: "I felt really good. The ball was just coming out different for me." -- Russell
Chiefs said: "When you have nine penalties, two turnovers and a couple other lapses, you're not going to win most of the time." -- Todd Haley, coach
He had no idea how much they would need that 3 points later. That only would have meant overtime, it doesn't mean the Chiefs could have beaten the Raiders. But now he's scratching his head about KC's schedule. He thought they were handed a creampuff schedule when your team finished 2-14. Look at this:
Sunday.. at Philadelphia; October 4th.. New York Giants; October 11.. Dallas; October 18th.. at Washington, before the Chiefs come back to their own division with San Diego at the end of the month.
What is up with this murderer's row in the NFC East.. not fair!! especially to a team that hasn't found its way. Are we looking at 0-7?? Pick one of these teams the Chiefs might beat!
Key: The Raiders' JaMarcus Russell engineered a 69-yard scoring march in the final two minutes despite completing only seven of 24 passes for 109 yards in the game. Russell became only the second quarterback since the start of the 1997 season to try 20 or more passes and complete less than 30% of them but still win.
Raiders said: "I felt really good. The ball was just coming out different for me." -- Russell
Chiefs said: "When you have nine penalties, two turnovers and a couple other lapses, you're not going to win most of the time." -- Todd Haley, coach
Michael Owen always wanted to win the Derby. For critics who felt the striker and racehorse owner dreamed only of Epsom, here was the ultimate in stinging, stylish ripostes. Football remains Owen’s obsession. Always a thoroughbred poacher of goals, Owen’s usefulness to Manchester United and England was thrillingly displayed here. Super-sub, super finish.
Cometh the 96th minute, cometh the man. As Mark Hughes screamed for the final whistle, as the Stretford End pleaded “attack, attack, attack’’ and Wayne Rooney hoisted another Garryowen into City’s box, Owen timed his run like a Nashwan or Mill Reef, galloping onto Ryan Giggs’ immaculate pass. Controlling the ball with outside of his right foot, Owen expertly threaded his shot past Shay Given. Welcome to Manchester.
Welcome to Mayhem. A fan ran on to the pitch, taking a whack from Craig Bellamy before being tackled by the stewards. Hughes fumed at the referee, Martin Atkinson, and the fourth official, Alan Wiley. Gary Neville celebrated with typical lack of diplomacy near the enraged away support. Carlos Tévez’s shoulders finally dropped. On the day that the Stretford End noisily revoked Tévez’s hero status, Owen was voted in as their newest idol. That famous No 7 shirt suited him...
Owen was taken to United hearts for embodying their DNA: a refusal to surrender. Sir Alex Ferguson’s side had dominated for much of this absorbing game yet City, resilience personified and inspired by the outstanding trio of Given, Nigel de Jong and Bellamy, kept fighting back, kept equalising. As the team who live closest to United, City should really know about their neighbours’ most celebrated quality. United never give up. From Nou Camp ’99 to Old Trafford ’09, injury time is their time.
Hughes moaned about Owen’s coup de grâce arriving after the four minutes had elapsed, but the additional time is always a “minimum’’.
Atkinson, whose intelligent application of the advantage rule added immeasurably to the game’s flow, had every right to extend the period to allow for City’s lengthy celebration after Bellamy made it 3-3 in the 90th minute.
For all the clock-watching frenzy, the bitter truth for Hughes is that United deserved victory. After a summer of scepticism about how they would cope without Cristiano Ronaldo, the champions have responded with the attacking brilliance of Rooney, the ageless grace and guile of Giggs, the hungry running of Patrice Evra and some authoritative midfield displays from Darren Fletcher. And Owen’s threat from the bench.
Questions persist about United’s lack of central creativity, about Rio Ferdinand’s mobility and Ben Foster’s occasional expensive lapses of judgement. All legitimate concerns. Yet United, traditionally slow out of the blocks, have still passed their major tests of the season, defeating Arsenal, Spurs and now City. “Cristiano who?’’ headlines would be premature, wrong and insulting. Ferguson’s players have simply reminded the world of the class that remained. Tévez has certainly not been missed. Every touch drew boos from the home hordes. City supporters, at their impudent, ironic best, chanted “Fergie, Fergie sign him up’’. Back came the taunt of “Fergie, Fergie ------ him off’’, a reference to how the manager reacted to Tévez’s financial demands.
To much merriment in the red corners, Tévez inadvertently set in motion the train of events leading to United’s opener. When Tévez conceded a throw-in, John O’Shea and Dimitar Berbatov worked the ball towards Rooney, who was denied by Micah Richards’s sliding challenge. Another throw-in, this time from Giggs, invited Evra to set up Rooney, whose shot sped past Given.
United were in control, City struggling to find a foothold. Wayne Bridge, England’s reserve left-back, gave the ball away so often it was almost comical. Heaven knows what Franco Baldini, Fabio Capello’s assistant, made of it. Pray that Ashley Cole stays fit? Promote Kieran Gibbs? Bridge was awful.
Similarly, Baldini can hardly have been impressed by Foster’s keeping in the 16th minute. Joleon Lescott’s modest forward pass should have been cleared, not dwelt on by Foster. Tévez pounced, rolling the ball inside to Gareth Barry, whose left foot duly punished Foster. As United’s keeper looked to the skies in frustration, the cameras rather cruelly panned to Edwin van der Sar in the stands. One bad error still cannot mask Foster’s promise.
Certain themes continued: De Jong winning the ball, Bridge losing it, Tévez shedding his few remaining friends here by clattering Ferdinand and City fans breathing defiance and humour. As the interval refreshments loomed, the visitors chorused “time for your sandwiches’’. United’s corporate classes almost choked on their prawns when Kolo Touré charged upfield in that runaway bullock way of his and set up Tévez, who was denied by the post. The Stretford End’s worst nightmare was averted.
As the Argentine walked towards the tunnel, the abuse intensified and an object was thrown at him. It missed Tévez, catching the City substitute Javier Garrido instead. The Premier League had appointed the right people to oversee this tense occasion: Atkinson and Wiley are both policemen.
The thin blue line was breached again moments into a second period that was long on time and emotion. Freed by Evra’s back-heel, Giggs wove his way into the box and lifted the ball across for Fletcher, jumping higher than Barry, to head in.
As United celebrated again, Hughes looked for the resolve in his side to shine through again. Barry now stood tall, exploiting some rare loose control by Evra to send Tévez scampering into the final third. Soon the ball was with Bellamy on the left. Soon United’s defence melted as a force. Again. Ji-sung Park and John O’Shea should have ganged up on Bellamy, at the very least shown him the line. The Welshman darted between them, arrowing towards the box before letting fly, the ball racing in past Foster. Glorious goal.
Smarting at a scoreboard showing City to be level, United stormed towards a baying Stretford End. Alert and athletic, Given kept defying them. If two saves from Berbatov headers were impressive, Given’s tip-over of a Giggs piledriver was truly magnificent. Giggs came calling again, delivering a free-kick that Fletcher nodded home with 10 minutes remaining.
Hughes’s gutsy side fought back. Again. Wright-Phillips was thwarted by Foster. Martin Petrov flashed a shot across goal. Alarmingly for Ferguson, his defence folded again, the culprit this time being Ferdinand, who inexplicably tried to scoop a pass forward. The ball was easily picked off by Petrov, who instantly sent Bellamy down the left, the Welshman racing away from Ferdinand and angling his shot past Foster.
But then came the hammer blows to City’s pride, first from Owen and then Ferguson, with his comment that this result might quieten their “noisy neighbours’’. Ferguson needn’t have bothered. For all City’s promise under Hughes, United showed they remain the big noise in Manchester. Thanks to Owen. He who laughs last, laughs loudest.
By Henry Winter at Old Trafford
Published: 10:26PM BST 20 Sep 2009
Daily Telegraph, UK
Cometh the 96th minute, cometh the man. As Mark Hughes screamed for the final whistle, as the Stretford End pleaded “attack, attack, attack’’ and Wayne Rooney hoisted another Garryowen into City’s box, Owen timed his run like a Nashwan or Mill Reef, galloping onto Ryan Giggs’ immaculate pass. Controlling the ball with outside of his right foot, Owen expertly threaded his shot past Shay Given. Welcome to Manchester.
Welcome to Mayhem. A fan ran on to the pitch, taking a whack from Craig Bellamy before being tackled by the stewards. Hughes fumed at the referee, Martin Atkinson, and the fourth official, Alan Wiley. Gary Neville celebrated with typical lack of diplomacy near the enraged away support. Carlos Tévez’s shoulders finally dropped. On the day that the Stretford End noisily revoked Tévez’s hero status, Owen was voted in as their newest idol. That famous No 7 shirt suited him...
Owen was taken to United hearts for embodying their DNA: a refusal to surrender. Sir Alex Ferguson’s side had dominated for much of this absorbing game yet City, resilience personified and inspired by the outstanding trio of Given, Nigel de Jong and Bellamy, kept fighting back, kept equalising. As the team who live closest to United, City should really know about their neighbours’ most celebrated quality. United never give up. From Nou Camp ’99 to Old Trafford ’09, injury time is their time.
Hughes moaned about Owen’s coup de grâce arriving after the four minutes had elapsed, but the additional time is always a “minimum’’.
Atkinson, whose intelligent application of the advantage rule added immeasurably to the game’s flow, had every right to extend the period to allow for City’s lengthy celebration after Bellamy made it 3-3 in the 90th minute.
For all the clock-watching frenzy, the bitter truth for Hughes is that United deserved victory. After a summer of scepticism about how they would cope without Cristiano Ronaldo, the champions have responded with the attacking brilliance of Rooney, the ageless grace and guile of Giggs, the hungry running of Patrice Evra and some authoritative midfield displays from Darren Fletcher. And Owen’s threat from the bench.
Questions persist about United’s lack of central creativity, about Rio Ferdinand’s mobility and Ben Foster’s occasional expensive lapses of judgement. All legitimate concerns. Yet United, traditionally slow out of the blocks, have still passed their major tests of the season, defeating Arsenal, Spurs and now City. “Cristiano who?’’ headlines would be premature, wrong and insulting. Ferguson’s players have simply reminded the world of the class that remained. Tévez has certainly not been missed. Every touch drew boos from the home hordes. City supporters, at their impudent, ironic best, chanted “Fergie, Fergie sign him up’’. Back came the taunt of “Fergie, Fergie ------ him off’’, a reference to how the manager reacted to Tévez’s financial demands.
To much merriment in the red corners, Tévez inadvertently set in motion the train of events leading to United’s opener. When Tévez conceded a throw-in, John O’Shea and Dimitar Berbatov worked the ball towards Rooney, who was denied by Micah Richards’s sliding challenge. Another throw-in, this time from Giggs, invited Evra to set up Rooney, whose shot sped past Given.
United were in control, City struggling to find a foothold. Wayne Bridge, England’s reserve left-back, gave the ball away so often it was almost comical. Heaven knows what Franco Baldini, Fabio Capello’s assistant, made of it. Pray that Ashley Cole stays fit? Promote Kieran Gibbs? Bridge was awful.
Similarly, Baldini can hardly have been impressed by Foster’s keeping in the 16th minute. Joleon Lescott’s modest forward pass should have been cleared, not dwelt on by Foster. Tévez pounced, rolling the ball inside to Gareth Barry, whose left foot duly punished Foster. As United’s keeper looked to the skies in frustration, the cameras rather cruelly panned to Edwin van der Sar in the stands. One bad error still cannot mask Foster’s promise.
Certain themes continued: De Jong winning the ball, Bridge losing it, Tévez shedding his few remaining friends here by clattering Ferdinand and City fans breathing defiance and humour. As the interval refreshments loomed, the visitors chorused “time for your sandwiches’’. United’s corporate classes almost choked on their prawns when Kolo Touré charged upfield in that runaway bullock way of his and set up Tévez, who was denied by the post. The Stretford End’s worst nightmare was averted.
As the Argentine walked towards the tunnel, the abuse intensified and an object was thrown at him. It missed Tévez, catching the City substitute Javier Garrido instead. The Premier League had appointed the right people to oversee this tense occasion: Atkinson and Wiley are both policemen.
The thin blue line was breached again moments into a second period that was long on time and emotion. Freed by Evra’s back-heel, Giggs wove his way into the box and lifted the ball across for Fletcher, jumping higher than Barry, to head in.
As United celebrated again, Hughes looked for the resolve in his side to shine through again. Barry now stood tall, exploiting some rare loose control by Evra to send Tévez scampering into the final third. Soon the ball was with Bellamy on the left. Soon United’s defence melted as a force. Again. Ji-sung Park and John O’Shea should have ganged up on Bellamy, at the very least shown him the line. The Welshman darted between them, arrowing towards the box before letting fly, the ball racing in past Foster. Glorious goal.
Smarting at a scoreboard showing City to be level, United stormed towards a baying Stretford End. Alert and athletic, Given kept defying them. If two saves from Berbatov headers were impressive, Given’s tip-over of a Giggs piledriver was truly magnificent. Giggs came calling again, delivering a free-kick that Fletcher nodded home with 10 minutes remaining.
Hughes’s gutsy side fought back. Again. Wright-Phillips was thwarted by Foster. Martin Petrov flashed a shot across goal. Alarmingly for Ferguson, his defence folded again, the culprit this time being Ferdinand, who inexplicably tried to scoop a pass forward. The ball was easily picked off by Petrov, who instantly sent Bellamy down the left, the Welshman racing away from Ferdinand and angling his shot past Foster.
But then came the hammer blows to City’s pride, first from Owen and then Ferguson, with his comment that this result might quieten their “noisy neighbours’’. Ferguson needn’t have bothered. For all City’s promise under Hughes, United showed they remain the big noise in Manchester. Thanks to Owen. He who laughs last, laughs loudest.
By Henry Winter at Old Trafford
Published: 10:26PM BST 20 Sep 2009
Daily Telegraph, UK
