Winter Transfer Deadline Day!

[the4thjuliek.livejournal.com]

So today (February 2) is the day that winter transfer window closes. And let's face it, summers transfers are way more fun and worrying.

But anyway, what are your thoughts about this window? Has your club signed someone useful (or useless)? Have they missed out on any special player that you had your eye on? Any news/hopes/dreams about summer transfers? And while we're on the subject, what were the best transfers made by your club? Any shocking ones? Ones that made you weep or cheer or laugh?

There are tissues for tears and champagne for celebration available (silly, I know.)




Something worth reading (and I agree):

How much does the January transfer deadline day matter?

To keep track of things:

The Telegraph's live thread for deadline day.

The Independent's live thread.

The Guardian's live thread.

The BBC's live thread.

Also, if you're bored, let's make this a regular FFA.

Comments

OT.

[the4thjuliek.livejournal.com]

I'm still trying to figure out how Boston won the Superbowl. Some guy caught the ball in the second half last quarter and they won? Another guy was tackled but the ball didn't fall on to the pitch? Tom Brady helped them score touchdowns? The referee was shit? (I feel you there, Americans) Gridiron football is so confusing.

Can someone explain please? Per Hugs for those who can do it in association football terms, if possible.

RE: OT.

[koyuki]

girl let me tell you. i am an american and i still don't understand american football. SigH.

Ummmm I think Seattle was leading (the scoreline was something like 24-28) and then about 1ft from the touchdown line (basically the goal), it was intercepted (so like basically a stoke player shoving himself in front of the ball and taking it from us. unsuccessful pass?) so when it's intercepted your team gets to play...because...i don't know. That's how it works.

So New England had the ball and they were able to push all the way up 100yards (which is baisclaly like 100m anyway) and then score a touchdown and win.

Also Katy Perry looked like a pokemon and/or Katniss Everdeen.

RE: OT.

[the4thjuliek.livejournal.com]

That's it? Some guy Charlie Adam-ed a Seattle player and then the team counter-attacked successfully? That's good but it's stuff we assoc. football fans see every week!

I saw the dancing sharks! And a Per Hug for you for that simple explanation:

RE: OT.

[ms-geekette.livejournal.com]

Er, an interception is a little more than a counter-attack. Basically, the other team gives away possession and can't score until they get it back. It's like giving away the ball, but not getting to touch it again, sorta. It's a bigger deal than giving away possession in football.

In cases of an interception, the team who is intercepted has to intercept it again (rarely happens) or hope the intercepted team fumbles (like dude drops the ball and they get their hands on it), stop the intercepting team with the defense (usually ends like something similar to a goal kick in football, but only the other team can receive it), or wait for the other team to score via field goal (3 pts) or touchdown (6pts + 1 kicked extra point or +2 via rushing into the end zone...so 7 or 8 pts total). Needless to say, in a close game, it can definitely make a difference - especially since it's more than one point.

Also, color me shocked that they were tied at the half. Usually by then, it's pretty obvious who is gonna win.

RE: OT.

[koyuki]

the team who is intercepted has to intercept it again (rarely happens)

did u mean:

interceptionception

RE: OT.

[the4thjuliek.livejournal.com]

Ah, I see! That's a bit easier to understand. So lose possession and you can never touch the ball until some guy drops it or emulate the entire Stoke defense and kill the other team's players to get it back. Right XD

So what was this controversial call that people are moaning about? Why is the Seattle coach being so un-Mou like and blaming himself instead of claiming a media conspiracy?

RE: OT.

[mrscrapbag.livejournal.com]

lol. i don't even bother delving into american football tbh. it's too capricious with all the stopping every minute or so. imo it's pretty much glorified wrestling with a 'ball' thrown in for good measure. lol

RE: OT.

[the4thjuliek.livejournal.com]

Lol, I'm trying to understand the game because I wanna know what the big deal is. But it's too confusing and yes, the stop-start-stop-start part and the 50 million ads are incredibly annoying.

RE: OT.

[mrscrapbag.livejournal.com]

yup. and their "world champion" title, like bitch pls.. no one cares about your super bowl outside of america. don't try competing with the world cup.

RE: OT.

[the4thjuliek.livejournal.com]

Lol, and they're so surprised to hear that the World Cup/CL gets more viewers than the Superbowl. Like hello, 900 million is the average for a WC. And this week, the City-Chelsea match has 6 times the viewership than the Superbowl (660 million apparently).

RE: OT.

[enen-chan.livejournal.com]

'world champion' - but it's mainly only americans who play american football no? at least at a professional level...

Re: OT.

[blackjedii.livejournal.com]

basically the main premise of american football is everyone gets a chance to run the ball to the other end and you have to not get smacked into on the way over there
and commercial breaks

it is not american football without paid commercial advertisements

RE: Re: OT.

[enen-chan.livejournal.com]

what i've gathered from american friends and twitter, superbowl's more about the ads than the actual football... but seriously, how many ads are they able to put into a game..? and how long are these breaks to be able to have such a big deal made out of them?

Re: OT.

[blackjedii.livejournal.com]

all I saw of the Superbowl was the OTT halftime performance

and I had no idea what was going on with it anyway because I had Roxy Music playing on YouTube

it sounded less-than-exciting though

RE: Re: OT.

[the4thjuliek.livejournal.com]

and I had no idea what was going on with it anyway because I had Roxy Music playing on YouTube

I think that's a much better option than watching Katy Perry and dancing sharks.

Re: OT.

[blackjedii.livejournal.com]

i probably don't even want to know about the sharks

the most loltastic part of it is that apparently one video was flagged as 21+ because the image on it were two topless women that had nothing whatsoever to do with the song. good times.

RE: Re: OT.

[the4thjuliek.livejournal.com]

Omg, lmao.

RE: OT.

[annoyanni.livejournal.com]

American football is weird: a bunch of guys chasing each other across a field like lunatics and stopping every five seconds. And it's really annoying when you're talking about football and some Americans are like "u mean soccer, right?". No, I mean football! Get the terms right!

We actually played American football once in my school, and no one was able to understand what we were supposed to do. And even though we played without tackling, I still managed to get run over by this one guy who was at least twenty centimeters taller and thirty kilos heavier than me. Not fun at all.

RE: OT.

[blackjedii.livejournal.com]

I like when I talk to international students I can go "football, not to be confused with football, or the other football so..."

because eff yea Aussie Rules football??
and yeah I'm used to saying football now too just b/c of who I talk to about it. It's all very confusing.

RE: OT.

[the4thjuliek.livejournal.com]

I think it's more bullyball than football. ms_geekette once linked me a game on Youtube and I watched the whole thing. I was grimacing the whole time because those guys were literally trying to kill each other.

RE: OT.

[annoyanni.livejournal.com]

I've watched a few films about American football (The Blind Side etc.) but even then I just couldn't understand what was so special about it. I mean, it's really violent, nothing really even happens, and there seem to be many scandals about the players being assholes.

RE: OT.

[the4thjuliek.livejournal.com]

Same! I watched Friday Night Lights (movie, not show though I should get around to watching the show) and it was really confusing. At some point, I was like, "Can't they just kick the ball?"

Anyway, some research firm did a study and found that an entire game of 3 hours only had like, 11 minutes of play.

RE: OT.

[ms-geekette.livejournal.com]

Rugby, RUGBY, RUBGY!



Those guys are literally trying to kill each other. I mean, American football is rough, but honestly I think football can be just as ugly at times (see Costa, Stoke, etc.)

RE: OT.

[the4thjuliek.livejournal.com]

Lmao, rugby is insane. And all those guys getting their noses bloodied and teeth broken, I can't watch it.

Yeah, football is definitely an ugly sport but the rules have become harsher over the years. It was worse in the 70's and 80's (look up the infamous Germany-France match of 1982 World Cup and you can see a shining example of the madness it was back then).

RE: OT.

[mhfromnh.livejournal.com]

I don't understand Handegg any more than you, and I grew up with people who love it.