American looking for Premier League team to support

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PotentialFan said:
Damn, the more I read about the case, the worse it gets. Because he was acquitted, Gerrard was reimbursed £311,000 in legal fees.

How the f*** does a simple case of assault cost £311,000 in legal costs? And how can someone that wealthy be so shameless as to abuse a system designed to help those with limited financial means get adequate legal representation? :rant:

Disgusting [Poor language removed]. I'm embarrassed I ever thought highly of him.
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There defo is a god, one that has blessed him with a memorable moment so that when he is mentioned in football circles he will be remembered for that above all else. Bottling the title by his slip, utterly hilarious after his "THIS DOES NOT SLIP WE GO AGAIN" postmatch speechhuddle for the meedias.
 
PotentialFan said:
Damn, the more I read about the case, the worse it gets. Because he was acquitted, Gerrard was reimbursed £311,000 in legal fees.

How the f*** does a simple case of assault cost £311,000 in legal costs? And how can someone that wealthy be so shameless as to abuse a system designed to help those with limited financial means get adequate legal representation? :rant:

Disgusting [Poor language removed]. I'm embarrassed I ever thought highly of him.
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Glad to see you moving in the right direction. By the way, this American co-founder of this very forum, has moved this thread to the appropriate sub-forum (ie, New Signings).

If Everton are right for you, you would already know it, because when it actually boils down to it, you don't have a choice to support this club. Everton chooses you.
 
Kiwi said:
There defo is a god, one that has blessed him with a memorable moment so that when he is mentioned in football circles he will be remembered for that above all else. Bottling the title by his slip, utterly hilarious after his "THIS DOES NOT SLIP WE GO AGAIN" postmatch speechhuddle for the meedias.
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Instant Karma. Imagine.
 

Everton

Pros: We're boss. Dixie Dean. History. Boss Rarkley. Brown Shoes. Science and such.

Cons: Hibbo still hasn't scored.

All others:

Pros: every Englishman already assumes you "support" Manure or the Sh*te, so no need to explain yourself. No kitbag deal; can buy kits all over.

Cons: they're all sh*te.
 
PotentialFan said:
Well, this article has convinced me against Liverpool. Looks like they've bought off the media. It reminds me of the Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski. I know the wife of one of his former players. Krzyzewski's an abusive asshole. Yet he's bought off the media so much that people think he's a quintessential gentleman. A journalist wanted to write that Krzyzewski learned his coaching style from being an assistant to Bobby Knight, a coach who was an abusive asshole and didn't try to hide it. It was just one line in the story. But Krzyzewski's PR and legal team bullied the journalist into submission, and Krzyzewski conducted a paranoid witchhunt among his team members to find out who had spoken to the press about him.
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Sounds like Liverpool that. Their manager is media obsessed. Not in a normal way.

Martinez likes talking about football.

Rodgers likes talking about himself.

Another thing. Swerve Aston Villa. Word on the street is they are going down this season. Then at least you can say you missed that one.
 
PotentialFan said:
Something written on another forum has made me rethink my approach. It's quite daft, isn't it?

You may not be aware that, with the Premier League coming to American television, there have been pushes by clubs and the press to "choose a club", replete with guides and lists of pros and cons. I've seen them when I log into facebook, there are posts from people/pages that I don't follow in my feed, after I became a "fan" or "liked" some players I had seen in the World Cup. There have also been coupons for discounts in the club stores. Sometimes the recruitment efforts are couched in nominally independent articles similar to the Liverpool one I linked to.

Since I didn't like their listed pros and cons (being famous and/or with a good chance to win was a major recruitment point), I decided to make my own list of pros and cons.

Until I read that post, I didn't realize that, in doing so, I was falling into the trap of accepting their approach to team choosing as the best approach.

Still, I have to start somewhere, and for now, that "somewhere" is attending a game when I'm in England later this year. That forces the decision of what team to spend money on. If I'm going to spend a good deal of money on some tickets later this year, I at least hope to not support a noxious team.

My first basic criterion is that if they're assholes, they haven't manipulated everyone into thinking they're good, upstanding people. There are a ton of assholes in sports--and in the world. It's bad enough when you're an asshole and acknowledge it. It's even worse when you're an asshole and have such a good PR machine or have the media in your pocket that you come across as the good guy. Those situations are dangerous because they put you in a position where you can mistreat others, and no one will believe it. For example, Lance Armstrong is an asshole and has been for a long time. When people tried to speak out against him, he ruined their lives and careers. He was able to do this because he had crafted a perfect PR image. Same with the Duke basketball team.

My second basic criterion is that they play a fair game. That means not trying to bully the referees, minimal diving, etc.

What teams should be ruled on the basis of these two criteria alone? Please be honest.
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Liverpool. Chelsea.

United. City fast becoming.
 
PotentialFan said:
Hello! I’m posting this on a few club forums. I am an American who married a European a few years ago. My husband is more of a rugby fan but also has an interest in football/soccer. During the World Cup, I fell in love with the game and have decided to choose a Premier League team to root for. For my selected team, I will buy a basic team membership, and when my husband goes to the UK for his work later this year, we’ll spend a few extra days there, during which we’ll watch the team play, if we can get tickets.

I've done research, but more depth than breadth, so I haven’t researched many of the clubs. If you think there are other clubs worth considering, please let me know. This is what I've found out so far, which I know may not be accurate.

I would appreciate it if you correct any inaccuracies, make a case for/against certain teams, and let me know anything else that might help me make a decision.

Some of my reasons for liking or disliking a team may seem silly or stupid to you. Please don’t berate me for having those reasons. People support teams for different reasons, some of which may not be rational.

Arsenal

Pros: Like Alexis Sanchez and their new goalkeeper, David Ospina

Cons: Named after violent weapon; shirt and stadium sponsor is official airline of country with poor human rights record; current goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny made Tweet about a teammate looking like a rapist, thus perpetuating the myth that “clean cut” guys can’t be guilty of rape

Aston Villa

Pros: Americans on past and current roster; allowing Brad Guzan to develop skill and experience that will help him in international matches and continue the line of quality American goalkeepers. Developing a team of world-class outfield players takes a long time, and in the meantime we’ll continue to need good goalkeepers

Cons: Shirt sponsor is gambling company, which preys on a serious and potentially catastrophic psychological problem and may contribute to a culture of match fixing and corruption; sounds like a snooty overpriced car

Everton

Pros: Americans on past and current roster; USA World Cup performance would not have been possible if Everton hadn’t believed in Tim Howard and allowed him to develop the skill and experience needed to compete internationally; cool team nickname

Cons: Shirts, which are sold to kids, are those of alcohol company; stateside reports suggest that Tim Howard may have let the fame get to his head, like countless other famous people

Liverpool

Pros: Used to babysit for lovely family from Liverpool, whom I still keep in touch with, when the father was on a two-year project in the US, and the boy I babysat was a big Liverpool fan; impressed by Steven Gerrard’s loyalty

Cons: Use of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” seems like a misappropriation of a song originally sung to comfort a wife whose husband had just committed suicide

Manchester United

Pros: ?? Surely there are some, considering how big a following they have

Cons: Alex Ferguson, who by many accounts was a bullying asshole, is worshiped; new manager Louis van Gaal seems like an asshole too and encourages pathetic strategy of diving/flopping. (If you were wondering, the American media calls it flopping because that's the term used in basketball, so it was easier for them to use a term the viewers are already familiar with than to teach them a new term.)

Stoke City

Pros: Three Americans on current roster, more than any other team; demonstrates willingness to invest in American outfielders, thus allowing them to develop the skill and experience needed to compete internationally; pottery is a serious hobby of mine

Cons: Shirt sponsor is gambling company, which preys on a serious and potentially catastrophic psychological problem and may contribute to a culture of match fixing and corruption; attempts to get ball boys to influence outcome of game by selectively toweling balls

Tottenham

Pros: Past and current Americans on roster; allowing Brad Friedel to recover financially when he went bankrupt after spending his life savings to create a non-profit academy to teach the sport to low-income children; Benoît Assou-Ekotto is exceptionally good at turning to the left and folding his arms. (I highly recommend reading the article. It’s HILARIOUS.)

Cons: ??

Thank you!
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Magnificent arm-folding indeed! That was hilarious! I thought it was rather ridiculous for FIFA to have every single player do the same(ish) pose like that. But, now that there is a compilation, it is quite enjoyable.

Anyways, I went through a similar process two years ago before I found out I was an Everton fan my whole life. As an American, I had a few factors I looked at, although they were a bit different from yours.

1. Wanted a club with Americans on it
2. Didn't want a commonly popular club (aka Man U, Man City, RS)
3. Didn't want a club that had gambling or other dumb sponsors on the front of their shirt
4. Club that is at least in the running each year and had a good chance of never being relegated

It's tough to chose based on American players since so many of them jump around so often. It's better to have a team with a history of long-term American players that way they can always be associated with the club. Everton has a good history of Americans; Joe-Max Moore, Brian McBride, Landon Donovan, and of course Tim Howard who has just signed a 5 year deal with EFC, so he'll be around quite a while.

As far as sponsors, EFC has the longest running sponsorship deal in EPL right now and they just signed with Chang for another 3 or 4 years so the shirts will have the same basic logo for the foreseeable future as well. Chang is a beer, but most people don't realize that in the States. They just see a cool logo with elephants on it. And who doesn't like elephants. Honestly?

Lastly, it's great to have a club that has such a great rivalry with the RS. Liverpool is a wonderful city and it's fun rooting for the more upstanding and family-based team in the city. You'll see plenty of folks wearing RS shirts around, because they sell them at every Dick's Sporting Goods and Foot Locker in town, but to get an EFC shirt, you have to get it from the official store (or online store) or a few select websites.

So, those other clubs, other than RS, are fine. You just have to go with your heart! Believe me, if you go to an Everton match, either at Goodison or away, you will NOT be disappointed. The fans are wonderful.

NSNO,

Kip
 


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