Big Love. It's about a bloke in Utah married to 3 women. It finished a few months ago. I enjoyed it.

Watched Hangover 2 at the weekend. Dross. I enjoyed the first, but the less said about this one the better.

Quality miss. Whatever happened to the great goals topic? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UtxP47TYSo

I read an article which said that 14 of the 51 participants in Wrestlemania VII are now dead. Included in the list was Macho Man's ex-wife Elizabeth. I have to defend American football somewhat. It really isn't a game for the faint hearted, despite all the pads. In fact that makes it worse.

Misadventure verdict. Some interesting points from the coroner. I can't see how limiting the sale of booze under the concourse would help in the future. Policing coaches is another tricky one. His mother's comments raised an eyebrow.

I'm in the legalise camp. Only last week the US governemnt finally adjusted sentencing times for people convicted of crack vs. powder cocaine possession/dealing making them equal. Previously people caught with crack were treated far more harshly than people caught with powder. It's still not right but they are at least thinking. Unfortunately it's an easy stance for politicans, they can't lose. They come off tough on drug offenders and it makes them look good. It's a complicated issue affecting everybody. Mexico is not in good shape, and the USA are now using post September 11th anti-terror powers to go after them as departments worried about having their budgets cut need something to do.

I can indeed recommend Usha. Good food, good service, and plenty of room. I also went to the Inn at Whitewell the other week, absolutely fantastic. It's well worth a trip out there.

I wonder where the research for this article was done; LET's where are they now?

Most are young lads but there is one who's 40, and 1 who's 45.

It looks like it's curtains for Mourinho. There's no way they will beat Chelsea. If I was Mark Hughes I would be a worried man.

Fletcher's ban stands; UEFA will not overturn ref's decision. Quite right if you ask me. Next they need to hand Drogba and Ballack a healthy ban.

It's also the only thing you can use as a benchmark. Barton is a plonker, but he's done a lot less than Lee Hughes and Luke McCormick(?). Sign him up. Do you remember Le Saux attempting to stamp on Roy Keane at Ewood when hurdling him years ago? Specific examples are a bit useless. If you watch football based on the players' characters you'll never go to a game.

Rovers should sign Barton. He's exactly what we need; a young, English, box to box midfielder with an eye for goal. We should be able to get him on the cheap as well due to his status as damaged goods and the possiblity that he may end up doing bird again some day. He might be a complete n0b but most footballers are. The latest incident has brought up all his ills. He was p!ssed off and put in a stupid tackle out of frustration, plenty of players have done that. Bellamy is rated by many as the best striker we've had since Shearer yet he's been in trouble numerous times; slapping a girl in a nightclub, belting Riise with a golf club, nearly giving Bobby Robson a heart attack but the fans loved him when he was here. The national media don't care about us so Barton may give us some extra coverage.

I saw it and thought that he was taking the mick.

Amazing this. 2 short years ago he was roundly slated, me included, for ball$ing up England. He's proving why he's a good manager now, he has a certain charisma that players like which will get you places. Maybe it wasn't all his fault after all.

I have to agree that Cole is a complete idiot. His bird is well worth one (even if Cletus' theory is true), but that doesn't always suffice, especially for pampered idiot footballers. It's not like he was pulling classy chicks either; one let him carry on after he'd barfed, the other didn't care about him wearing wellies whilst on the job. Where did he find them? The local Netto? It's a sad case all around but I doubt he'll ever learn from it.

In order to develop footballers have to play in a team. Academy coaches have to have 11 players who are signed on 3 year (with 5 year option if they're deemed good enough) scholarships once they leave school. If they only signed lads who were going to make it there would be about 2 in each academy. They sign players for positions, they sign players with potential, they also sign potential stars who need a team to develop nurturing. The academy only last for 3 years, they have to go somewhere else after that or they don't get a game, the reserves is the next level, and certainly not a good barometer for being close to the first team. An academy coach will look at who he's got and think "Right, next year I need a left winger, 2 full backs, and a striker." So they go out and get the best they can whether they are currently training with the under 15's or not. Granted if John Barnes, Ashely Cole, Wes Brown, and Shearer signed he'd have 4 stars on his hands who would progress quickly. But more often than not they get decent players who can play that position but don't quite have it but will serve a role, get an experience they'll never forget, a fit bird, no real academic qualifications, and a decent non-league career at the end of it. If the academy was about developing players to make money and I was a coach, I'd sign every striker around. However, most of them would end up pants as they couldn't all play up front every game; then I'd get the sack. However the academies are supposed to bring on the team of the future, but they never do.

Based on history, and the general cynicism of the English people the first reaction is "she's after money." Hughes, Vick, et al. weren't accused by someone after money or fame. They were caught based on concrete evidence against them. Rape is a very tough one to prove, especially when a girl is allegedly seen coming out of a hotel room after been given the run through by United's new 5-a-side team. I was listening to a talk radio show here the other day. The host was on about some woman who claims to have bedded Tony Parker (San Antonio Spurs basketballer - married to Eva Longoria). The host's view was that any woman going public with such info is either after money or fame. I'm not agreeing, I just find it interesting he was talking about it the same day this kicked off. OJ's civil trial conviction has about as much weight as a gnat's bollock$. He's still not paid a penny of the judgement, and never will.

Sorry for the cynicism but she sounds like just another groupie exploited by footballers who live in their own world. I read the tabloid snippets of the event; nothing new and nothing will come of it. Whether or not the accused did anything will be lost as the girl's credibility is in tatters. Man U players should be consulting Carlton Cole! Wait until the weekend for more mud raking. I did find it funny that The Sun happened to mention that non of the WAGS were invited. I'll bet the wrath is coming from home, not Fergie, in this instance. Lathund; OJ was found not guilty.

Overall I have to say that an American is more likely do debunk the global warming/climate change theory than a European. A right leaning American is certainly more likely to deem it as hogwash. I also think that human development has some part to play in why the world's weather is topsy turvy.

It seems to be official now. Let him bring a sledgehammer with him and start from scratch. We need it.

Capello will be a good choice, if not for the fact that he can't speak to the press. The system needs fixing, but there are far too many yes men within the FA, and too many people outside wanting to get in who will play the tune rather than doing it the right way.

Team cohesion is awful. But what do you expect when the top teams have a running fued with each other; Liverpool-Man U, Liverpool-Chelsea, Man U-Arsenal (not that it matters for England as Arsenal have no-one). If you consistently pick from the top 4, which you will as invariably the better English players play for them, this state of affairs will always exist. I did find it interesting that Ferdinand, Terry, and Ashley Cole all played at the weekend, with Bridge, Joe Cole, and Lurch getting dropped.

My reasoning is that over here I have friends who are from all over; Germans, Italians, Americans, Scandanavians. Our common bond is football but they don't have the same passion for English clubs as English people do. Even my English friends over here don't get as serious. Most Americans who watch the game pick a team and cheer. Most other imports have a team, like me, from their homeland, therefore the only rivalries exist on the international stage. At home you can work with fans of many different clubs so that excitment is more intense as you have something to brag about every Monday. Another aspect of England's idiocy is the coaching/tactical inability we have. I'd wager that there are thousands of coaches working in America from England teaching Yanks how to play. For some reason we are afforded lots of credence, but it's getting harder to defend when the pinnacle puts in an effort like Wednesday. As for the England job. In no particular order I'd have Capello, Shearer with an astute coach to run training, Lippi, Mourinho, Rijkaard. I would not go near Jack Charlton; read Roy Keane's autobiography. Harry Redknapp wouldn't work either. Whoever comes in needs to start fresh and not pick media darlings, or play Lampard and Gerrard; If you have 2 good goalkeepers you can only play one, the same applies here. Hargreaves and A N Other please.

The Germans appointed Klinsmann who had no prior experience, and look what he did. As long as Shearer has a decent coach next to him he'll be fine as he'll have the repsoect of the dressing room. If were not going home grown I'd have Capello. I'd actually take anyone who can make them play as a team right now. Roll on 2010. I bother more about England than Rovers, I guess it's the familiarity and where I live.