What's your Futbol team? Joga Bonito

[alby]

Originally Posted by LonghornDub

As for Chelsea, comparing them to the Mavs isn't really fair. Mavs are in a salary cap league, so they built themselves from the ground up on a level playing field with everyone else. Chelsea is "new money" defined, and that's the only reason they've gone from cellar-dwellars to a top team. Plus, Abramovich is just about the sleaziest dude on the planet. I've got no respect for him or his club. I don't support Man U one bit, but I hope they destroy Chelsea every time they play. At least Man U bandwagoners have been with the team since before 2004.

Chelsea in a non-salary cap league and the Mavericks in a salary cap league has nothing to do with it being fair. They are competing against competition with the same advantages. Chelsea isn't the only one spending money, club soccer is different for me than the American sports. Being a native of Dallas, TX--I'm a huge Cowboys, Mavericks, Rangers, Stars, FC Dallas, etc fan. But, because I'm considered a foreigner when it comes to the English Premiere League or any other major soccer league around the world, I'm a bigger fan of the players than the actual clubs. I'm a huge Henry fan, so I used to follow Arsenal but now I follow Barca (big Messi fan too). I'm a huge Drogba fan, hence the Chelsea fandomship. I consider ManU like the Lakers and C. Ronaldo like Kobe, they are both deserving of their accolades but boy do I hate them. =]

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by alby

Chelsea in a non-salary cap league and the Mavericks in a salary cap league has nothing to do with it being fair. They are competing against competition with the same advantages. Chelsea isn't the only one spending money, club soccer is different for me than the American sports. Being a native of Dallas, TX--I'm a huge Cowboys, Mavericks, Rangers, Stars, FC Dallas, etc fan. But, because I'm considered a foreigner when it comes to the English Premiere League or any other major soccer league around the world, I'm a bigger fan of the players than the actual clubs. I'm a huge Henry fan, so I used to follow Arsenal but now I follow Barca (big Messi fan too). I'm a huge Drogba fan, hence the Chelsea fandomship. I consider ManU like the Lakers and C. Ronaldo like Kobe, they are both deserving of their accolades but boy do I hate them. =]

I actually didn't comment at all on the "fairness" of club soccer or of anything Chelsea has done, I just said comparing Chelsea to the Mavs as two teams who have "built themselves from the ground up" isn't fair because the two did so in very different contexts.

I just have no respect for Chelsea. It all stems from Abramovich, who, as I said, I absolutely cannot stand. I hate just about everything about him, other than the fact that he's clearly passionate about his team.

As for my team, Villa were eliminated from the UEFA Cup today after throwing out a weakened squad @ CSKA Moscow. Sad day, but now they can focus on the league and hopefully securing a top-4 finish.