It’s that exciting time of the year again when European football starts anew. As much as I like scouring the gossip rags for potential player transfers, it’s no substitute for the enjoyment I get watching the league unfold week by week. Sitting, from my perspective, on the wrong side of the Atlantic Ocean, I’m in the curious position of lacking a real reason to support a particular side.

When I was about 10, my father returned from a trip to England with a t-shirt, hot off the presses, commemorating an Eric Cantona-inspired league title for Manchester United. Delighted to be probably the first person in Connecticut to own that particular shirt, I became a Man United supporter then and there. The few snippets of Champions League football shown on American TV over the next few years solidified my allegiance. Oddly, the two television moments I remember are Lee Sharpe scoring with an outrageous backheel and Nicky Butt firing over the bar, the announcer declaring that it just wasn’t to be United’s night.

More advanced age saw me play a great deal of Championship Manager, particularly the 2001/2002 vintage. I naturally brought Manchester United plenty of glory, with new signings Ruud van Nistelrooy and Juan Sebastian Veron basically unbeatable (more and less like real life). But I also became fascinated with the challenge and culture of the lower leagues, and soon established favorites in each of England’s professional divisions despite not being able to spot them on a map. The old Division 1 choice was Crewe Alexandra. In D2 it was Stoke City. In D3 it was Leyton Orient. And in the Conference, Farnborough.

At this point, I consider myself more a fan of the game than any particular team. Certainly I always find a reason to support one team over another during any given match, but I’d be delighted to see Everton, Aston Villa or even Fulham somehow win the league at the expense of my old favorite MUFC. This past spring, I attended the Man Utd v Liverpool match at Old Trafford, a 4-1 drubbing Manchester’s finest that was also my first live Premier League game. Needless to say, it was an incredible experience despite the scoreline, and I was left with the feeling that many Mancunians don’t appreciate how amazing it is to have one of the world’s best teams play in their city every fortnight.

And so I follow the action mostly via television and Internet. I’ve spent many a happy Saturday lounging on my couch with ale in hand and cat curled up on my chest. I feel I have as much right as anyone to make predictions for the coming season. And why not? It’s fun (even if my predictions from last year couldn’t have been more wrong if I’d tried). So without further ado, here’s how I think they’ll finish this season in the English Premier League, with each team’s key player in brackets.

1. Chelsea [Frank Lampard]
2. Liverpool [Steven Gerrard]
3. Manchester United [Wayne Rooney]
4. Arsenal [Andrei Arshavin]
5. Tottenham [Luka Modric]
6. Manchester City [Robinho]
7. Everton [Tim Cahill]
8. Aston Villa [Ashley Young]
9. Sunderland [Darren Bent]
10. West Ham [Dean Ashton]
11. Fulham [Clint Dempsey]
12. Blackburn [Nikola Kalinić]
13. Wigan [Jason Scotland]
14. Bolton [Kevin Davies]
15. Stoke City [Rory Delap]
16. Wolves [Michael Kightly]
17. Hull City [Alvaro Negredo]
18. Portsmouth [Niko Kranjčar]
19. Birmingham City [Seb Larsson]
20. Burnley [Chris Eagles]

Champions: Chelsea

FA Cup: Arsenal

League Cup: Manchester United

Champions League: Barcelona

Disagree? Of course you do. Feel free to submit your predictions in the comments.

Another Premier League season is finally upon us after a terrific summer of Euro 2008 action. There’s also the more immediate prospect of the Olympic soccer tournament, which should feature a good number of young and old stars including Pato, Messi, Diego and Ronaldinho. Looking back at last season’s Premier League predictions, it could have been worse… just. I won’t congratulate myself for picking Man Utd to win, or Birmingham to go down. Unfortunately, that leaves me with nothing to congratulate myself for. So let’s just move on and get straight to this year’s predictions, in the same form as before. And as always, don’t keep your brilliant opinions to yourself.

1. Chelsea (Michael Essien)
2. Manchester United (Rio Ferdinand)
3. Arsenal (Cesc Fabregas)
4. Liverpool (Robbie Keane)
5. Portsmouth (Jermain Defoe)
6. Tottenham (Luka Modric)
7. Manchester City (Elano)
8. Everton (Mikel Arteta)
9. Aston Villa (Gabriel Agbonlahor)
10. West Ham (Dean Ashton)
11. Newcastle (Michael Owen)
12. Fulham (Andrew Johnson)
13. Sunderland (Kenwyne Jones)
14. Bolton (Kevin Nolan)
15. Blackburn (Roque Santa Cruz)
16. Wigan (Paul Scharner)
17. West Brom (Scott Carson)
18. Middlesbrough (Alfonso Alves)
19. Stoke City (Dave Kitson)
20. Hull (George Boateng)

I’m pretty confident in these picks, although it’ll be close between Middlesbrough and West Brom for the final relegation spot. As for Blackburn, it depends how quickly they sack Paul Ince (reports indicate that he may not last until the first game). I’m most looking forward to seeing an expansive, new-look Spurs and a classic little-and-large partnership of Crouch and Defoe. My second team, Everton, look too threadbare to compete against deeper squads with deeper pockets and it’ll be business as usual for the top four teams. However, I think an unsettled Ronaldo, an ageing goalkeeper and the lack of genuine creativity in midfield will scupper Manchester United’s chances of defending their title. The underrated Michael Essien and a hungry Chelsea will do enough to reclaim the Premier League. Agree? Disagree?

A recent 4-4-2 magazine article about marginal nations banned from FIFA piqued my interest in some fascinating cultural enclaves. It’s hard to define or draw comparisons between these places/groups of people, but football appears to be a common thread. Combined with some fascinating geography, here are four of my favorite non-state footballing nations.

Basque
As non-FIFA teams go, the Basque football team is more internationally recognized than others. According to Phil Ball’s excellent book Morbo, the Basque Country of Spain and France (so named due to its border with the Bay of Biscay) has historically been a rich source of talent for professional Spanish teams. Even now, Atletic Bilbao has a strict policy of using only Basque players, and it’s possible to construct a very impressive team from among the Basques across the world, with Mikel Arteta and Xabi Alonso at the heart of its midfield. In general, Basques can be identified by their names, which contain more of certain letters like x, z and k than Spanish names. Here’s an example of the uniform and a formidable starting XI.

Sapmi
The Sapmi football team represents the Sami or Lapp people of northern Scandanavia. Players like Morten Gamst Pedersen and Sigurd Rushfeldt are Sami, and may play for the Sapmi national team after retiring from the Norwegian national side. Mostly a reindeer-herding people, the Sami were instrumental in organizing the Viva World Cup, which they will be hosting in 2008. They won the 2006 tournament in Occitania, scoring 42 goals in 3 games.

Occitania
Defined as the regions in France, Italy and Spain where the language of Occitanian is spoken, Occitania founded its football association in 1901. However, the Occitanian national side was only created in 2004. They hosted the inaugural Viva World Cup in 2006, and have played matches against Chechnya, Northern Cyprus and neighbors Monaco. Interestingly, Eric Cantona is elligible for the national side, while the Occitanian cross is the symbol of Toulouse FC.

Tibet
The football-mad Tibetans have suffered under Chinese rule since they invaded the country in 1950. The international community’s failure to stand up for the Tibetans is reminiscient of tolerance for South Africa’s apartheid. As such, Tibet officially remains part of China and therefore has no chance of fielding its own FIFA-approved national team. A documentary called “The Forbidden Team” followed the selection, training and matches of Tibet’s first national game away against Greenland. China attempted to gazump the game by threatening to suspend trade with Denmark if it went ahead. However, the Danes allowed the game to be played and Tibet lost 4-1. Though they’ve still got no wins, every international match is a statement of independence from China. On the eve of the Tibetan selection tournament that was to determine who would represent the nation, Sonam Wangyal said:

“We are taught by our parents and everybody that you never pray for yourself, you pray for all beings in the world. All living things including the beings because that will include you. You’ll be uplifted with the beings. I just prayed that everybody gets selected.”

After seeing numerous end-of-year lists around the web, I thought it fitting to sum up my Top 5 in each category of The Cookblog. And so, without further ado, here they are:

Art

These are the best web sites and artists that I discovered during the past year.

1. Edward Gorey – I’ve posted about him before, but the maestro of macabre was my #1 artistic discovery of the past year. Meticulous pen sketches combined with a wickedly dark sense of humor make him my favorite by a country mile.
2. Rockwell Kent – Moby Dick is a terrific book (at least the first few chapters), and these illustrations are great. They capture the majesty of the ocean, the madness of Captain Ahab and the calm of an evening anchorage in attractive woodcut style.
3. Chema Madoz - There’s something about black& white photography that is just cool. The pictures on these sites juxtapose and re-imagine common elements in interesting ways, like a match set against a plank so that the grain of the wood looks like smoke. Check it out.
4. BibliOdyssey – A really fascinating site packed with high-res illustrations of esoteric old books. The quality of the images and care with which they’re chosen really sets the site apart.
   
5. OldBookIllustrations – I love old books and I love the types of illustrations on this site. On top of that, most are in the public domain, so I definitely plan on returning if I need fodder for any graphic design projects.

Food & Drink

These rate as the best beers I’ve discovered during 2007.

1. 840 IPA – An absolute classic, this well-balanced but beautifully-hopped India Pale Ale is the standard by which I now measure all others.
2. Ten Penny Ale – The perfect counterpoint to the hoppiness of an IPA, the malty, smoky Ten Penny is made in East Hartford and finds its way into the refrigerator more than any other beer.
3. Chocolate Stout – A great beer for a change of pace, this goes particularly well mixed with Saranac’s Carmel Lager or Guinness.
4. Racer 5 IPA – A tasty brew offered on tap at The Library, a bar near my brother’s apartment in Los Angeles. Nice and floral.
5. Southampton IPA – A random discovery at the local package store, this IPA with an orange label is thoroughly drinkable and always welcome.

Games

I’ve played a lot of games this year, but only a few stack up against my high standards. They are:

1. Carcassonne – Board games don’t get more classic than this. Every game is different and the social aspect makes it perfect for beginners
2. Tichu – A favorite at work and probably the best card game in the world, combining bluffing, anticipation and cooperation. It’s only $7. Get it.
3. Caylus – The opposite of Carcassonne, involving almost zero luck and total diplomacy, Caylus would be the chess of board games if chess wasn’t a board game.
4. Foosball – The only non-board game here, there have been some epic shots and games over the past few months with my work colleagues. The laws of physics bow down before our deft control and puma-like reflexes, but we’re still easily beaten by the slow roller.
5. Ticket to Ride: Europe – The chosen game at home, it’s good for two players and conjures up images of actually riding a train from Edinburgh to Athena. Also, my girlfriend and I can usual overcome our rage at losing after only a few minutes.

Literature

I haven’t had a chance to read as much as I would have liked, but these are the books that I enjoyed at least part of this past year.

1. Morbo – Phil Ball has a wonderful turn of phrase and the intensely interesting subject of Spanish soccer comes alive with his words.
2. Selected Verses of Ogden Nash – Perfect for reading to that special someone, the quirk and wit of Ogden Nash never fails to bring a smile to my face.
3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – That’s right, I’m a Harry Potter fan.
4. The Stories of Paul Bowles – Imagine my delight when I found one of my favorite books at a library book sale for 1/4 cover price.
5. The Devil Drives – A biography of Sir Richard Burton, it’s a gripping account of a man who lived in constant adventure, from India to Mecca to Ethiopia.

Music

There was some great music this year, and though I usually prefer individual tracks to full albums, these were great the whole way through.

1. Radiohead – In Rainbows – One again, Radiohead has delivered a phenomenal album packed with electronic hooks and human feeling. By far the most played this year.
   Reckoner
2. Feist – The Reminder – A great discovery, Feist has since come to prominence for her role in an iPod commercial, but the rest of the songs on her album are equally bouncy and catchy.
   I Feel It All
   
3. Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga – Vintage Spoon and no complaints from me. This is piano rock at its best.
   The Ghost of You Lingers
4. The National – Boxer – One of the most genuine bands around today, The National’s “Fake Empire” is one of the songs of the year.
   Fake Empire
5. Peter Bjorn and John – Writer’s Block – According to the Wikipedia, this was a 2006 album, but Rolling Stone put it in their best of 2007 list, so I am, too.
   Up Against the Wall

Soccer

I like to think I have a talent for spotting quality when it comes to soccer players, not that it’s difficult to tell that these five footballers are several cuts above the rest.

1. Kaka – The Brazilian is the Zidane of this generation. His seemingly-effortless skill has been winning match after match for AC Milan, including the World Club Cup and the Champions League trophy
2. Lionel Messi – The only player that can rival Kaka, Messi has been carrying one of the biggest and proudest clubs in the world on his shoulders. That he’s already made Ronaldinho dispensable is an indication of his importance to Barcelona.
3. Christiano Ronaldo – Like the two players above him, he has dragged his team to victory even when they haven’t deserved it. If he can deliver European success to Manchester United, he’ll move higher up the list.
4. Didier Drogba – His questionable temperament doesn’t take away from his qualities as a player. Powerful and intelligent on the field, he takes his team into a different class when he plays and is worth far more to Chelsea than the rubles they paid for him.
5. Daniel Alves – A marauding right fullback who has been the impetus behind Sevilla’s recent success, Alves will surely earn a move to a major club soon, where he should establish himself as the best wingback in the world.

Travel

I haven’t taken too many exotic trips this year, but these places have been welcome breaks from the usual routine at home.

1. Boston – An awesome trip up to watch the Red Sox earn a spot in the World Series still rates as one of the best days this year.
2. Los Angeles, CA – A great visit with the family for Thanksgiving was the perfect way to spend those vacation days.
3. Onset – Having returned there for every year since I was born, it’s impossible to underestimate its importance in my life.
4. Danbury – Always a relaxing and comfortable place to visit, you never know who or what you’ll find at the casa de Angela, Kathleen and Connor, but it’s always a good time.
5. New York – A weekend in NYC with John, Georgia and Co. was a ton of fun. My only regret is that it was the only one.

Web

I’ve seen a lot of websites in my 25 years on this planet, but these deserve special mention.

1. Slightly Shady SEO – The best blog about SEO in my opinion. Gives away secrets that are worth plenty, which makes me wonder how much more he knows.
2. Asobrain Games – A great place to play Carcassonne with no frills, no fuss and no fees.
3. Strange Maps – Since maps are something of a hobby for me, this site is always full of interesting things.
4. Coudal Partners – I’m still not sure what they do there, but their features, including Photoshop Layer Tennis and the Museum of Online Museums are worth regularly checking out.
5. Smashing Magazine – With their fingers firmly on the pulse of web design, this site displays great examples for study and inspiration.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my picks and I hope that 2008 has as much good material to see, read, hear and blog about. If you’ve got something to say about any of my choices, go for it!

Happy Birthday John, you magnificent bastard.

John Mayer – Kid A (Radiohead cover)

John Hartford – Indian War Whoop

Paul McCartney – Dance Tonight