Ties And No Playoffs? Why Do You Even Do This?

The English Premier League starts on the NBC's on August 17th. The network is going all in on bringing the game to the US public. This Jason Sudeikis piece is classic. Just classic.

Coach Lasso! You rock!

Coach - Wales? Is that a country?
Assistant - Yes and no.
Coach - How many countries are in this country?
Assistant - 4.

Good stuff Maynard.

When it comes to English football we here at PengoSports throw our support behind Hartlepool United. The Monkey Hangers (great story and the reason we became supporters of the team back in 1995) play in the 4th division, which is somehow called English League Two (Premier League; Champioship; League One; League Two; and Conference). League Two is not on American TV so we could not watch the Pools lose their opening match today 1-0 to Rochdale. 

Hey! It's a Frenchman! Hang him!

 Here's to a great season of soccer on NBC and a trip back to League One for Hartlepool!

A big shout out to Joe Paisey from the Gazette for hipin' us to this.

I Ain't Getting On No Time Machine

 

ESPN's quality 30 for 30 series will be doing a documentary on the ABA team the Spirits of St. Louis airing on October 8th. And playing for the Spirits at that time was one heck of a free Spirit named Marvin Barnes who, if not for the high life of drugs and excess that was the 70's might have gone down as one of the best players in NBA history (read more about Marvin here).

But all you really need to know (without becoming sad about a life wasted and then less sad about a life redeemed) is that Marvin Barnes once had 13 phones in his house, because he always wanting to be able to answer the phone with as little movement as possible...

Hello. Is Marvin there?
Well he has to be there! He has all those damn phones!

...And the story about the Spirits getting ready to depart on a flight that left Louisville, Ky., at 8 p.m. and would get into St. Louis at 7:56 p.m. due to a time-zone change. Upon looking at the schedule, Barnes said, "I ain't getting on no time machine,''
and rented a car for the trip. Awesome! 100% pure awesome!

When there is no time for a time machine.
It's time to rent a car.

Thanks Marvin! Continued health and sobriety to you sir.

You'll Never Walk Alone

There are moments in sport that divide. But more so, there are moments in sport that unite. Unite strata of society that, if not for sport, would have never entered each others orbit.

On June 26th in Rotterdam, Dutch side Feyenoord held their first practice of the 2013/14 season. Terminally ill supporter Rooie Marck was invited by the team to watch from field level.

Supported by his son and friends Rooie was greeted by the team and a huge Tifo, or banner, was unveiled by the club's supporters that was emblazoned with Rooie's likeness...

Rooie Marck. Feyenoord for life.
(click here for more great images)

...and the fans serenaded him with unofficial anthem of Feyenoord, You'll Never Walk Alone. 

Rooie Marck in front of his Tifo and the Feyenoord supporters.

Three day later Rooie Marck passed away.

Rest in peace Rooie Marck.
(click here for more images from his funeral)

Origin III The Decider!

 

State of Origin III. The Decider. Tonight-Wednesday morning. LIVE from Sydney on Fox Soccer (Comcast CO/Springs 125, DirecTV 619, Dish 390). 330am MDT pre-game (really. No Prime Minister change this time). 415am MDT kickoff. Watch it. Record it. Just see it.

As Queensland's Justin Hodges, predicted, "The first 20 minutes are going to be pretty brutal," he said. Both sides are going to come out and try and stamp their authority. We expect a bit of fireworks, I guess."

New South Wales has lost 7 straight series to the Maroons. They are desperate for the win. While Queensland is Queensland and want to impose their will on the Blues to make it 8 in a row.

Here's the punch up from Origin I:

Trust us. It's is the awesome!

MOZART FRICKEN JOHNSON!

Sweet pic from the 1920's of a very helpful, and user friendly, device to help the ball-retrievers on the golf courses of this great land of ours (plus the dude's first name is Mozart Johnson. MOZART FRICKEN JOHNSON! Names now days suck).

Photograph shows caddy Mozart Johnson wearing "the latest safety device for golf courses"
fashioned from wire-mesh and worn over the head and upper torso to protect
"caddies and ball-retrievers from wild golf balls".

Still going to hurt like a bitch if it hits you in the arms or bounces off the turf and nails Mozart in his "Johnson". Just saying. This contraption could use a bit of improvement. 5 of 10 Pengos!

Watching The Rugby League

Hey! What channel is the footy on?

How do you watch Rugby League on the TV and the interwebs you ask? Well, if you have Fox Soccer Plus (DirectTV - 621/Dish - 407/Comcast - A**holes) you pay $14.99 a month and just watch away. Don't have FSP? Join the club. So we have to watch replays of the English Super League on the Fox Sports step child FuelTV (Comcast - 128/DirectTV - 618/Dish - 398). Usually Mondays at 1100am and the same game again on Thursdays at 200am.

We don't get Sky Sports. We don't get shit.

And now we can watch LIVE National Rugby League action from Australia on THE NRL's web channel on Livestream.com starting with this Thursday's curtain raiser between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Sydney Roosters.

PengoSports are HUGE supporters of the Rabbitohs!

Upcoming games:

Thursday, March 7 - SL - St. Helens v Leeds 200am
Thursday, March 7 - NRL - Rabbitohs v Roosters 205 am
Monday, March 11  - SL - Warrington v St. Helens 1100am

Enjoy the games. And remember this is Rugby LEAGUE and not Union. Better game. Translates better with the sports culture of the USA. Check it out.

The Force Is With Ilya

The Force is strong it these ones,
but how do you breathe in this thing?!

Ilya Bryzgalov has a new goalie mask and it is as awesome as the "Universe" himself!

Just look at it! It's covered with Yodas and shit! And he helped the Flyer beat the Caps 4-1 in the mask's debut!

You Get To Do This When You Win

Looks fun doesn't it? Just win and you're in!
Hell. You don't even need to win it all.
It seems just your division or league will do.

Origin Decider

WATCH IT! Just WATCH IT!

State of Origin 3 is upon us. The Decider! Queensland hosting New South Wales in Rugby League AWESOMENESS at 330am on Fox Soccer Channel. Watch it LIVE. DVR it. Just watch it and tomorrow you'll finally be allowed to sit at the 'Cool Kids' table! 

The closest you're going to get to fireworks in Colorado Springs this 4th of July

It Is On! Origin 3!

State of Origin 3 is Wednesday morning. NSW v QLD. Fox Soccer Channel. 330am. Get ready!

Just a taste. 31 hours and counting...

Tour de France

Allez boys! Allez!

Saturday. 600am. 2012 Le Tour begins with the Prologue as it travels 6.1km from Liege to Liege. Not the mountain stages (hell, not even in France. Liege is in Belgium), but it's Le Tour! Always great TV. NBC Sports Network (plus some NBC tossed in here and there) with Phil Liggett & Paul Sherwen calling the action.

Hey Marconi! Which way to the Champ Elysees?

Le Tour de France runs from June 30 - July 22. Live coverage usually begins around 600am and is repeated several time throughout the day. It is more than worth a watch. Chapeau!

Erin go Bragh!

Ireland crapped out of EURO 2012 today after getting smoked 4-0 by Spain. Earlier this week they lost 3-1 to Croatia. They still have a game against Italy but are officially eliminated from advancing to the next round. Did anybody expect them to win it all? No, but Ireland just hoped to steal a game or two and make it to the knockout stage. Were the defeats surprising? No. But getting crushed is disappointing. And with all the news of riots and hooligans at EURO 2012 one would expect fans of eliminated teams, fans that spend a lot of Euros/Zloty to attend the matches in Poland, to run wild through the streets. Did they? No. Did the Irish fans get drunk? Well, they are Irish, so I would guess a few did. So what did the Irish fans do? They sang. They sang The Fields of Athenry as the game wound down. 

The Fields of Athenry
by Pete St. John
By a lonely prison wall
I heard a young girl calling
Micheal they are taking you away
For you stole Trevelyn's corn
So the young might see the morn.
Now a prison ship lies waiting in the bay.

Low lie the Fields of Athenry
Where once we watched the small free birds fly.
Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to sing
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.

By a lonely prison wall
I heard a young man calling
Nothing matters Mary when you're free,
Against the Famine and the Crown
I rebelled they ran me down
Now you must raise our child with dignity.

Low lie the Fields of Athenry
Where once we watched the small free birds fly.
Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to sing
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.

By a lonely harbor wall
She watched the last star falling
As that prison ship sailed out against the sky
Sure she'll wait and hope and pray
For her love in Botany Bay
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.

Low lie the Fields of Athenry
Where once we watched the small free birds fly.
Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to sing
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.

They sang beautifully. They sang a song about a man that was sentenced to transportation to Australia for stealing food to feed his starving family during the potato famine. How so very Irish.

The Fields of Athenry by ftw1905

To the Ireland soccer team, to the Irish soccer fans I say, thank you. Moments like this make whatever Irish I have left in me swell with pride. Moments like this make me a bit less cynical. Moments like this make me remember why I love sport. Thank you and Erin go Bragh!

ORIGIN II !!!

STATE OF ORIGIN II!!!  

Beau Scott confronts Sam Thaiday in Game 1
of the 2011 State of Origin series, Brisbane.
Creative Commons - HeavenlyDivine

Wednesday morning. Tomorrow June 13.
Fox Soccer Channel (Comcast 125/ DirecTV 619/Dish 406).
Pregame - 3:30am. Kickoff - 4:00am.

 
New South Wales v Queensland at ANZ Stadium in Sydney.

Watch it! You won't regret it! It is the AWESOME!

 

ORIGIN!!!

Beau Scott confronts Sam Thaiday in Game 1 of the 2011 State of Origin series, Brisbane.
Creative Commons - HeavenlyDivine

Rugby League time! Australian Rugby League time! The awesome that is State of Origin is upon us! New South Wales v Queensland. Brother v Brother.  Cockroaches v Cane Toads. Thanks to Russell Crowe (who strong armed the boys at FOX) the game will be shown live Wednesday morning on Fox Soccer Channel (Comcast 125/ DirecTV 619/Dish 406). Pre-game from Melbourne (which is in Victoria. This match is being played at a neutral site) begins at 330am and kickoff is at 400am. Watch it live. DVR it. Just watch it. And welcome to one of the World's most intense sporting events. 

Great speech. Shows a bit of the passion behind Origin.

Fireworks! There will be fireworks!
Creative Commons - Pierre Roudier

American Ninja Warrior

The awesome is everywhere! 

American Ninja Warrior starts tonight on G4 (Comcast 129) with brand new episodes at 700 & 800pm. NBC, yes that NBC, will air an episode Monday at 800pm. Give it some love and check it out. 

PengoSports loves Ninja Warrior! The American show is good, but if you get the chance, check out the Japanese version, Mikoto Nagano is the MAN!