Sports are returning! It’s been a long Summer but things are ramping back up now. Preseason football drama and Premier league means there are plenty of things to talk about. Let’s get to it.
- Sunderland’s thunderous return
- Dr. Tottenham…
- NSC Season update
- Micah Parsons and Trey Hendrickson trade demands
- Watch Friday morning Muay Thai!
If there’s something you want me to talk about or ask me, I have an email! Feel free to shoot other Tidbit topics to this email: esirfacelive@gmail.com
- Sunderland’s Thunderous Return
When I started playing Football Manager (around 2022), I began looking for “rebuild” challenges. One of the most commonly recommended saves was Sunderland AFC. Asking “why?”, I ended up watching ‘Sunderland ‘Til I Die’ on Netflix. Which answered my “why” in quite a depressing way.
Allegedly, the documentary that ended up inspiring Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhiney to invest in Wrexham, ‘Sunderland ‘Til I Die’ follows Sunderland AFC across 3 seasons. When you start, the team has just gotten relegated from the Premier league, and the club expresses ambitions to return to England’s top flight. However, things fall apart very fast. The owner’s refusal to invest was handicapping any efforts they made to improve the team. Thus, Sunderland ends up getting relegated down to League One, and the owner leaves the team. Two consecutive relegations in two seasons. Truly awful. The next two seasons of the documentary, are about their climb out of League One and getting back to the Championship in 2022. As a show, it offers a unique unfiltered look into some of the decisions and processes in a football club. It is worth a watch, and why I am writing this, right?
With its most recent season releasing in 2024 being about the 2022 season, we left our pals as they got promoted back to the Championship. For my American sports fans, this in it of itself is a massive achievement, but a daunting challenge. The Championship is very difficult to break out of, for many reasons, but Sunderland did it. Sunderland finished 4th in the Championship, qualifying them for the playoffs. They played Coventry City in the first round. After winning the first match 2-1, they returned home and found some late game heroics1 to send them to the playoff final in Wembley Stadium after a 3-2 aggregate win. In their promotion match, there was more drama as they rallied to win 2-1 and secure promotion.2
After 8 years, Sunderland have returned to the Premier league, and what a return it was.3 With the first matches of the season kicking off last weekend, Sunderland was tasked with West Ham United (who finished 14th in the Premier league last season). Beating them, was an achievement, but beating them 3-0 was magical. Rest assured dear reader, magic is not real. Sunderland have been busy!
Over the summer, they signed several of their players who were in on loan to long term deals. They also signed 32-year-old midfielder, Granit Xhaka from Leverkusen for €15 million. In total, Sunderland signed 21 new players for €165 million total. The largest of these deals being for Central Midfielder, Habib Diarra, for €31.5 million. The average age of their transfer targets comes in at 23.6 years old. They also lost Jobe Bellingham for €30.5 million to Dortmund. Sunderland’s total investment is the 7th most spent in the Premier league this offseason. Ahead of both Newcastle and Tottenham.4
This year, if you wanted to get into the Premier League, this is the team to follow. You are going to have highs and lows. You are not going to win the league but you are going to have a wild season. There are going to be amazing moments that will chart the course for the future of Sunderland AFC. You could witness them, and be a part of them. You can also rest easy knowing it surely is better than being a Manchester United fan.
- Dr. Tottenham…
Did you say the Premier League is back? Who played in the UEFA Super Cup again? Is Richarlison good again? Don’t worry folks, Dr. Tottenham is back in the house. For the uninitiated, Tottenham Hotspur are one of the Big 6 clubs in England. They are known for not winning trophies but last year, they bucked the trend. They won the Europa league! They also finished 17th in the Premier League. Tottenham has a real Jekyll and Hyde thing going on. Nothing could have exemplified that more than this past week.
Tottenham started off so well in the Super Cup. To be honest, it felt like Spurs played 80 perfect minutes. It really is too bad that the beautiful game is 90 minutes long. Tottenham had gotten a goal before halftime and another right at the beginning of the second half. That 2-0 lead lasted until the 85th minute, where Kang-In Lee scored for PSG.
The sad part of watching sports for so long, is you can just see when a team is falling apart. It is intangible, but you can still see it. It is like a spider-sense at this point. So, when I say, with that goal I got a sinking feeling…
Then of course, the game was tied with a stoppage time goal to send it to Penalties. Immediately, Vitinha misses for PSG. Hope restored for Tottenham, right? You wish! Van de Ven and Tel missed their PKs for Spurs, and finish handing the Super Cup to PSG.
Now, you can throw out your “Mickey Mouse trophy” arguments all you want, but to a club like Tottenham any trophy matters. That was an abysmal way to start the season. Truly soul crushing stuff. There are two separate moments where they could have sealed the game, and they squandered them both. This was a collapse, that by even Tottenham’s standards, was embarrassing. A complete collapse on the international stage.
Good thing match congestion exists, so welcome to Saturday, and Tottenham’s home game against Burnley. Where they once again looked dominant but this time, did not completely collapse. In fact, they looked stellar. Kudus looks like he is going to be a wonderful source of creativity for Spurs. Richarlison looked untouchable, he had an incredible one-touch finish to open the scoring, then a bicycle goal for his second.5
This is what is impressive about Tottenham. In two separate matches, they showed immense talent. It is just whether or not they compose themselves in the waning moments of the game. It is why they were on my “no bet” list when I was gambling. It did not matter who they were playing. It did not matter if it was home or away. You never knew what Dr. Tottenham’s diagnosis and prescription were. You were at the mercy of God. It was true gambling. It transcends managerial turnover, legendary goal scorers, and decades of time. The mythos of Tottenham, is something beyond the understanding of humanity. It is truly a curse.
All that to say, I never know what to make of a Spurs season this early on, but with them being in the Champions League, and needing to rectify last season’s premier league results, there are a lot of expectations. Tottenham usually does well under those circumstances… right?
- NSC Season Update
With 7 matches to go in the MLS Season for Nashville, and me talking this much about football, I figured I’d give an update on the local lads. Especially ’cause we are doing so damn good!
After last season, I was unsure how we would bounce back. The final Gary Smith season truly saw the “wheels fall off”. An overly defensive strategy can work but you need confidence, momentum, and a defense! Unfortunately for us, we had none of those things. In the offseason, some much needed adjustments were made. We let go of Randall Leal, Anibal Godoy, Shaq Moore, and Lukas MacNaughton, but NSC signed 13 new players. In bigger leagues, like the Bundesliga or the Premier League, you can very easily find information about prospects when they get signed. For the MLS, it is not as easy. Therefore, I struggled to make anything out of who we signed in the offseason. I knew we were taking some swings but whether we would connect on any of them was ominously looming over. In my mind, we could be right back at the bottom, or contending for playoffs. I had no idea.
It is safe to say now, our front office was doing their job. Bringing in a litany of positions and a good amount of youth, the team now works. Built around Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar, the offense feels dangerous again. There are plenty of creators and high effort players that create chances we were lacking last season. Consequently, we have won a lot more. Right now, Nashville sits at 3rd in the Eastern Conference.
If you are in Nashville and have not been to a game, you should go. I am not saying we are going to win the playoffs. Nor do I think we will win the league on points (We are in a slump and are 5 points behind Cincinnati & San Diego). What I do know, is this is your best chance to see a championship in Nashville this year. We will make the playoffs. When you make the playoffs, anything can happen. Survive and advance…
- Michah Parsons and Trey Hendrickson trade demands
From football to football, we are nearing a brand-new NFL season. With that, come contract disputes. To start, I want to be frank and clear, Micah Parsons and Trey Hendrickson could say they wanted a bazillion dollars and they would deserve it. The lesson from this past year’s Super Bowl was clear as day to me: invest in Defensive Line. To beat elite QB play, you have to be able to make their life a living hell. So, when you have a one-man defense or the NFL sack leader asking to resign with you, you pay them. You pay them whatever they need. Period, end of discussion.
However, this is the NFL baby! Lick the boot, respect the shield, and allow the billionaire to tell their most valuable employee they aren’t worth shit! We see this every year. The NFL harkens for days where they can pay their athletes 6 figures and call it a day. If the commissioner and owners could turn the clock back to before Daniel Jones’ contract with the Giants, they would in a heartbeat. Thus, it makes sense that any reasonable decision making should be abandoned for the whims and desires of the owners.
Why pay player? Player could get hurt. Why pay player? Player is old. Player is under contract! There’s nothing I need to do. Too bad!
I know Jerry Jones is getting a lot of heat (as he should), but to me the Trey Hendrickson trade demand is much worse. If Jerry Jones were smart, he could have traded Parsons last year or even trade him this year, and blow up the team. Rebuild! Try to get a new QB, Arch Manning perhaps? Keep or deal CeeDee Lamb and just commit to a rebuild.
Personally, I think this year’s Cowboys roster is an afront to God. QB Room? Dak, Joe Milton and Will Grier. So, when Dak gets hurt, have fun. Then you look at WR. Outside of CeeDee, you have George Pickens and Jalen Tolbert. They have 3 rookies at WR who could be good but that is a big ask for a team with a defending champion in their division. RB also appears to be by committee as Miles Sanders is the most veteran back. Jaydon Blue (Texas) and Phil Mafah (Clemson) are the rookies there. On defense, they are slightly more impressive but again, that is because of Micah Parsons almost exclusively.
If rebuilding is not your strategy, then you should pay Micah Parsons. It is clear that Jerry Jones never wants to rebuild because that is not “good branding”. Jerry feels like he can simultaneously win a Super Bowl, and not pay players. Thus, reasoning away Jerry’s irrationality is easy. It’s like watching a cat push a glass off the counter. All you can do is admire its tenacious stupidity.
However, the Bengals are in a much different situation. They have excellent talent all over the field. You have been to the Super Bowl with this roster. You have one piece that needs to resign, and because he is 30 you cannot pay him? Understand, this is why there are so few dynasties in American sports. We do not have owners who understand how to invest one time, for a potentially much larger gain.
Trey Hendrickson was the sole bright spot on the Bengals defense last season. Without him, the entire ship will sink. Burrow, Chase, and Higgins can only play on Offense. If anything, the Bengals should be asking Hendrickson what he thinks they need to support him on Defense. There should be a little bit more focus on youth in developing a defense. Instead, lets absolutely slaughter any title contention chances we have by eviscerating one of the league’s worst defenses. That will help you win a Super Bowl surely. I look forward to the trade requests that will pour in after the Bengals can’t stop a breeze.
- Watch Friday morning Muay Thai!
Hey! You! Are you still reading this? Thank you! Did you like my John Jones article? Do you like MMA or combat sports? Are you ever awake at 7 am on Friday morning? Well then, I have the thing for you!
ONE Championship does free fights on Friday mornings on YouTube.6 Every Friday. It is amazing. It is 90% Muay Thai fights but that is the fun. Wake up, start your morning with frenetic kicks and beautiful chaos. I am not being paid to advertise this, it is truly just a thing I enjoy that much. Either way, enjoy your life and start your day with head kicks and elbows.
Sources:
1 – https://youtu.be/uy6A-UEOg00?si=KSETwB7V4BA6Y7aG
2 – https://youtu.be/qBQkJ-3HiSc?si=G6ErkgWBfYO89XtX
3 – https://youtu.be/PPEJLi7PZ9M?si=L7SME3DgVKiDU49s
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