Want to be a Co-Host on the Podcast?

 We are still looking for a new co-host for the podcast.

https://kansascity.craigslist.org/tlg/6143403173.html

Qualifications:

1. Must live in the Kansas City area
2. Must be willing to meet up at least once a month for recording sessions
3. Must have a good working knowledge of sports
4. Should have an active Facebook account (my primary means of communicating with my co-hosts)
5. NO ANONYMOUS CONTACTS!  Must introduce yourself in your initial message.
6. Serious inquiries only!  I've had too many people make initial contact then drop off the face of the planet.

Episode 232 - 2016-17 English Football Review

The English football season is now completed.  Here's what has happened:

- Chelsea won the Premier League
- Arsenal won the FA Cup
- Man United won the League Cup and Europa League

Champions League 2017-18 bound: Chelsea, Tottenham, Man City, Liverpool, Man United
Europa League bound: Arsenal, Everton

Relegated from Premier League: Hull, Middlesbrough, Sunderland
Promoted to Premier League: Newcastle, Brighton, Huddersfield

Relegated from EFL Championship: Blackburn, Wigan, Rotherham
Promoted to EFL Championship: Sheffield United, Bolton, Millwall

Relegated from EFL League 1: Port Vale, Swindon, Coventry, Chesterfield
Promoted to EFL League 1: Portsmouth, Plymouth, Doncaster, Blackpool

Relegated from EFL League 2: Hartlepool United, Leyton Orient
Promoted to EFL League 2: Lincoln City, Forest Green Rovers

Fair use: we finally found the "OUT" chords from Gaki no Tsukai, and some interesting audio from Arsenal Fan TV regarding the Gunners' performance this year.



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FA Cup SAFETY!

Arsenal 2-1 Chelski

It's about frickin' time that Mike get some safety, as he correctly picked the Gunners to win the FA Cup.

2017 FA Cup Final Prediction

Mike is still trying to get a new co-host on the podcast, and will be holding off new recordings until one is found.

In the meantime, here's Mike's FA Cup Final prediction:

Arsenal 3-0 Chelski

As angry as Mike is with one "Senor Stan," that anger will never trump the outright hatred toward the Great Satans of West London.

That said, here's an Arsenal fan who knows what it's all about - and calls out the source of Mike's anger towards Stan:

So, About That Batsu Promise Mike Made Last Year...

You may not remember this promised batsu game, but here it is:

At the end of the 2015-16 English football season, Aston Villa were relegated to the English League Championship, which Sheffield Wednesday failed to win promotion from (losing in the playoff final to Hull City).  Mike - who follows both clubs - vowed to take a batsu game if BOTH clubs did not win promotion to the Premier League in 2016-17.

The Championship season ends today.

The top two finishers - who won automatic promotion - were Newcastle United (who, like Villa, were relegated last year) and Brighton and Hove Albion (who will be playing their first year of top-flight football in the Premier League era).

The playoffs (spots 3 through 6): Reading, Wednesday, Huddersfield Town (the team of choice for one Sir Patrick Stewart), and Fulham (which gets a lot of grief on this podcast due to their being co-owned with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the lack of success for both).  Wednesday still have a 1-in-4 shot at promotion.

Villa finished 13th in the 24 team league.  Not only is that outside of the possibility for promotion, it's 2 spots lower than "Everyone's favorite high school team" Preston North End, 6 spots above their fiercest rivals Birmingham City, 8 spots above fellow past European Cup winners Nottingham Forest, and 9 above relegated former Premier League champion Blackburn Rovers.

Joining Blackburn in League 1 next year will be Wigan and Rotherham.

So, Mike takes another BATSU GAME!!! - which now makes 4 to be assigned.

Other English pro/rel news:

- The Great Blue Satans of West London are in position to win the Premier League this year, a full 4 points better than North London's Shite Half.  Arsenal are presently 6th (there that whole Senor Stan's teams not competing on the field again), behind the aforementioned Chelski, Tottenham, City, Liverpool, and the Great Red Satans of English Football.  Defending champions Leicester City are currently 9th.

- Guaranteed relegation from the Premier League is a club Mike has little love for, especially the way they "handle" matters "internally": Sunderland.  Currently in the relegation zone: the aforementioned Hull City and Middlesbrough.

- League 1 promotions: Sheffield United and Notlob - I mean Bolton - won automatic promotion; the playoff will be Scunthorpe United, Fleetwood Town, Bradford City, and Millwall (better known for its infamous hooligans than its on-the-pitch product).  Relegated to League 2: Port Vale, Swindon Town, Coventry City ("It is after all a trick question; Coventry City have never won the FA Cup."), and Chesterfield.

- Speaking of League 1, AFC Wimbledon finished their first season of third-tier football in 15th, 3 spots behind their "franchise" rivals MK Dons and 1 spot above Shaq's Northampton Town.

- League 2 promotions: Portsmouth (now fan-owned), Plymouth Argyle, and Doncaster Rovers (whose biggest fan is that One Direction guy whom Villa's Gabby Agbonlahor tackled so hard in a charity match that he threw up on the pitch).


Playoff spots: Luton Town, Exeter City, Carlisle United, and Blackpool (they of the crappy ownership that allowed this club to fall this far).

- Being relegated from this league to non-league football: Hartlepool United (as an American I look at this word and think "hart-uhl-pool" and don't get where the English come up with their pronunciation) and Leyton Orient (which said time and again they felt threatened by West Ham moving into the Olympic Stadium due to geography).

- Promoted to the League from the non-league: Lincoln City (who had a good FA Cup run this year).  The second promotion spot will be one of the following via playoff: Tranmere Rovers, Forest Green Rovers, or Dagenham and Redbridge.

- It's been recorded but not yet edited, but Mike's pick for the FA Cup Final: Arsenal over Chelski (because duh!).

Look for that podcast within the week.

Episode 231 - St. Louis NFL Lawsuit Part 3

Yes, Mike heard about St. Louis v. NFL et al.  And, yes, we will finish talking about it today.

This part is coming 2 weeks later so that everyone had the opportunity to listen to Part 1 in a timely manner.

Last week, St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and the St. Louis RSA (Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority) filed a lawsuit in Missouri state courts against the NFL and all 32 teams and the owners - because of the whole Los Angeles debacle that resulted in three NFL teams being moved in the span of 15 months.  Of the three cities that lost teams, the NFL did the dirtiest work against the Gateway City.

You can read the full 52 page legal brief for yourself at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch website.

Today, we will be sharing Mike's final thoughts, as well as the thoughts of experts on the issue.

We at WSC encourage you to send Imo's Pizza to the team's LA offices, care of Kevin Demoff (who infamously disrespected St. Louis cuisine).  The team's address is in the legal brief.

Fair use: Randy Karraker's speech at the October 2015 NFL relocation meeting in St. Louis, as well as "Senor Stan" open this and all parts of our three-part program on this matter.  All three also end with "I Can Take Anything" from Planes, Trains and Automobiles.  (Coincidentally, the scene in the movie that uses the song takes place in St. Louis.)  Starting with this episode, we also accentuate the idiocy with clips from "Bernie and Randy: the Podcast" and "Heart of the Matter."



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