The Importance of Alphonso Davies

[TGAA_Star]

21 hours ago, LeoH037 said:

man.. a bit over 2 year ago Davies was still playing in Vancouver and was likely watching Kylian Mbappe win the world cup with France during the summer... I can't for the life of me imagine it ever crossed his mind that 2 years later he would be squaring off against him for a UCL trophy... damn

Davies and Mbappe imagine them if they were on the same team but seeing them go up against each other...they are 2 of the youngest, fastest and most gifted players on the ball so it should make for some damn good football

 

But to even see Davies defend Neymar will be even better...much like how we got to see him go up against the GOAT in Messi

Edited August 21, 2020 by TGAA_Star
X

[Greatest Cockney Rip Off]

6 hours ago, Kent said:

Is that first teenage defender that played in (and won) the final? There would have to be teenage defenders on the books of past champions, just not making some sort of contribution to the win. I am curious what that contribution is. First to get a winners medal? How much does someone need to play to get one?

Yeah it must be played in and won. It was mentioned on the Totally Football show. 

[TGAA_Star]

43 minutes ago, Greatest Cockney Rip Off said:

Yeah it must be played in and won. It was mentioned on the Totally Football show. 

Phonzie already making history and he will continue to make history with Bayern but already calling Bayern to beat PSG to win the Treble

[An Observer]

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/soccer/article-shooting-star-bayerns-alphonso-davies-can-light-up-soccers-biggest/

[Greatest Cockney Rip Off]

7 hours ago, An Observer said:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/soccer/article-shooting-star-bayerns-alphonso-davies-can-light-up-soccers-biggest/

Wish I hadn’t clicked on that. Cathal Kelly is the biggest dick. Fuck him. 

[SthMelbRed]

1 hour ago, Greatest Cockney Rip Off said:

Wish I hadn’t clicked on that. Cathal Kelly is the biggest dick. **** him. 

It's a tough one to work out whether the author or the idiots commenting are more ignorant about football.

[An Observer]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2020/aug/22/alphonso-davies-bayern-munich-roadrunner-speeds-on-to-centre-stage

[Shortdutchcanuck]

1 hour ago, An Observer said:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2020/aug/22/alphonso-davies-bayern-munich-roadrunner-speeds-on-to-centre-stage

"On that chastening afternoon on the Main, Davies was an Ewok hacking away at the foot of a Scout Walker with a sharpened rock."

This is not a line you see every day in sports journalism.

[CanadianSoccerFan]

3 hours ago, Greatest Cockney Rip Off said:

Wish I hadn’t clicked on that. Cathal Kelly is the biggest dick. **** him. 

If you've read Cathal Kelly before, you won't be shocked.    He was the most hated man in Edmonton for a while after trashing the city before the 2015 WWC.

My all time favourite was from when he was covering the 2014 World Cup on the ground in Brazil where he made up a story about running into an impoverished 7 year old girl in the street.  They were unable to communicate with each other except for this telepathic spiritual awakening they collectively experienced by way of the girl pointing to a picture of Julio Cesar, who happened to be the goalkeeper for both Toronto FC and Brazil.  I remember reading it and just laughing out loud thinking "this clown has his head so far up his a$$ that he actually thinks this fantasy is plausible."

Edited August 22, 2020 by CanadianSoccerFan

[Bison44]

6 hours ago, Greatest Cockney Rip Off said:

Wish I hadn’t clicked on that. Cathal Kelly is the biggest dick. **** him. 

Thundering Jesus....now i clicked on it too. What an ass clown that guy is.  For a supposed sports journo he is about 2 years late to the Davies party.  Nice to know Kelly feels bad for Fonzie having to rep canada.  He'll never get to play in big tournies, grrr someone should tell him about WC 2026.  

[Greatest Cockney Rip Off]

11 minutes ago, Bison44 said:

Thundering Jesus....now i clicked on it too. What an ass clown that guy is.  For a supposed sports journo he is about 2 years late to the Davies party.  Nice to know Kelly feels bad for Fonzie having to rep canada.  He'll never get to play in big tournies, grrr someone should tell him about WC 2026.  

I didn’t even make it far enough in the article to read that he feels sorry for him for repoing Canada. Every piece I’ve ever read by Kelly has been pure shit. 

[Lansdude]

Cathal is a wind-up artist and actually enjoys negative reaction. He doesn't believe half the shit he writes.

[red card]

For those who don't have DAZN, it looks like it will be on Canada twitter:

 

[dyslexic nam]

13 hours ago, red card said:

For those who don't have DAZN, it looks like it will be on Canada twitter:

 

They are going to livestream the finals?  That would be awesome - just not sure I understand the logic.  Mind you, I was going to hunt down a stream anyway...

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

2 hours ago, dyslexic nam said:

They are going to livestream the finals?  That would be awesome - just not sure I understand the logic.  Mind you, I was going to hunt down a stream anyway...

BT putting it out free on their site and youtube again, if you are in the UK or have a good vpn.

[Weng]

It looks like Canada Twitter just retweeted DAZN promotion for the game.  I don’t see where it says they are going to show it on Canada’s Twitter feed.

[Kent]

I signed up for a free one month trial so I can watch the game. If you haven’t already used up the free trial you might want to consider this route.

[Free kick]

The fact that in canada i am forced to have to subscribe to a streaming service (to watch one of biggest global sporting events on the calendar) speaks volumes about the lack of business savvy and acumen of the part organizations who run this game in Europe and the UK.  Or, if its not about business & marketing ignorance,  then its about how europeans view canada’s place in the world (ie.: they view us an insignificant). 

Soccer has been the most popular game in world for more than 100 years.  And its a good thing it is because when it comes to growing their audience in order to developing their brand and grow their revenues, UEFA and the EPL are light years behind organizations like the NBA or other north americans sports league or properties.    The NBA has gaining followers by leaps and bounds around the world and in places like China.   Do you think they would have been able to achieve these gains if they would have sold their broadcast rights in China to a streaming service?  Lets get real here.  The quick pay back can often mean short term gain at the expense of long term ecomomic benefit.  

Streaming services are fine and they have a place in the market.   I have paid and used them in past.  Especailly for things like FIBA basketball.  Their quality was fine and price is fair.  But they are for niche events with a harcore following (eg.; Snooker, Darts, out of market MLS games, CPL.....etc)    In otherword, events that have a devout following whereby people will out seek their product services.  Whereas over the air services will have all kinds of people who will find your product or event.   You would never see the Masters golf or Grand slam tennis sold to on-line services.  By selling the rights to your product to streaming services, you will never grow your audience.  You will just keep what you have.  In canada, since the EPL came on air  in the early 2000’s.  As did more or less the UEFA competitions.  The growth and brand recognitions of clubs, players, and events has been phenomenal since that time.   Prior to that time,  had you mentioned the words: Man Utd, Champions league,  David Backham to someone in canada,  they would have looked at you weird.    Now they have cut their own legs off just for short term profit of going for the highest bidder irrespective of who that bidder was or how it deliverred the product.

i would be curious to see what happens the next time the rights for the US broadcasts come up for renewal.  If they go for the the highest bidder and it happens to be an on-line service service,   Then, it tells you they are just idiots.  If they stay with an over the air service with broad distribution who bid less,  then it tell your that they view canadians as insignificant.

Edited August 23, 2020 by Free kick

[toontownman]

@Free kick I think it says more about how Canadian broadcasters value the game and its growth in Canada if they arent willing to pay for it.

[Free kick]

1 hour ago, toontownman said:

@Free kick I think it says more about how Canadian broadcasters value the game and its growth in Canada if they arent willing to pay for it.

Sorry,  but i have to disagree.   Canadian broadcasters are desparate for programing.  Just look at whats on SN or TSN in mid day or weekend mornings.   But they know what they can afford to pay.    They know the canadian market.  They know how much they can get from advertisers.   If some UK service with far far better ecomonies of scale, come along and (for example) doubles the bid,  what are the the broadcasters supposed to do?    Its up to the overseas bid tenderer to say,  we can take the short term payout and kill the market.  or we can go for the longer term benefits even if it means a few mill less in the short term.

Edit:  i would add.  Without being privy to the financial details and going just by what we know in the big picture sence, we can safely conclude this:  canada is small country/market of 38 million.   If you just look at the reach and market size of that UK streaming service,  it pretty easy to conclude that they would have a massive advantage over the Canadian bidders.   Such that they could probably extend their reach in canada to things like:  the Master,  the PGA,  the final four,  the ATP, WTA...etc.   maybe even the olympics.    Hell, maybe even the NHL!    But do you see those organizations selling their canadian rights to them?  Of course not.   Because they know the longer term consequences are similar to blackouts.    Your are killing your product/brand for the benefit of Short term profit.   Its similar in a smaller scale and in slightly differnt sence to the way mining companies use to to exploit third world countries (ie.:  using payback methods as opposed to economic value).  

Edited August 23, 2020 by Free kick

[PopePouri]

None of the them picked up the Canada/USA game, so they don't seem to be that desperate (unless it's hockey).

[lamptern]

Can I say 90% audience of sport radio follower are hardcore sport fans? If yes,  UEFA must have been hesitating year by year just because they can't compete with 24hr pregame show for a hockey game in this country. 

For soccer, Canadians say: you guys are crazy....

For hockey, European say: you guys are crazy....

For footy fans in maple leaf country, that's a sad reality.

Edited August 23, 2020 by lamptern

[red card]

1 hour ago, Free kick said:

Sorry,  but i have to disagree.   Canadian broadcasters are desparate for programing.  Just look at whats on SN or TSN in mid day or weekend mornings.   But they know what they can afford to pay.    They know the canadian market.  They know how much they can get from advertisers.   If some UK service with better ecomonies of scale, come along and (for example) doubles the bid,  what are the the broadcasters supposed to do?    Its up to the overseas bid tenderer to say,  we can take the short term payout and kill the market.  or we can go for the longer term benefits even if it means a few mill less in the short term.

Edit:  i would add.  Without being privy to the financial details and going just by what we know in the big picture sence, we can safely conclude this:  canada is small country/market of 38 million.   If you just look at the reach and market size of that UK streaming service,  it pretty easy to conclude that they would have a massive advantage over the Canadian bidders.   Such that they could probably extend their reach in canada to things like:  the Master,  the PGA,  the final four,  the ATP, WTA...etc.   maybe even the olympics.    But do you see those organizations selling their canadian rights to them?  Of course not.   Because thye know the longer term consequences are similar to blackouts.   

You're fighting against trends. 65% of US subscribe to cable. 69% subscribe to streaming. In the US, Champions League has gone 75/25 live streaming with CBS All Access. Was mostly streaming under Turner. Bundesliga has gone to probably 70/30 streaming with ESPN+ just like Serie A. A chunk of EPL will now be on NBC Peacock. NBA US tv ratings have declined since 2011 but still gets good engagement because the under 40 age group keeps track online with highlights, gifs, memes and so.

In Canada, WTA has gone to DAZN. TSN did pick up about 8 events to show this year. NFL Sunday Ticket went to DAZN.

Not being on tv today in Canada means not reaching the over 50 segment. The under 30 segment is trending towards engaging with sports through clips rather than watching it live end to end.

As long there is some footy on tv (which we do via MLS, CPL, Serie A, Bundesliga, Euros, Euro Nations League, men & women WC), it's available for the traditional viewers. Hard core types & the younger set get much better coverage via streaming services. 

Given these trends, SN & TSN are losing their juicy subscriber fees since everyone paid for it even if not a sports fan. TSN had a hard time affording EPL rights since they gave a chunk of the matches to SN. SN also blew their load on hockey and own the Jays. So, they are in no position to compete for any other rights. 

 

Edited August 23, 2020 by red card

[Free kick]

1 hour ago, lamptern said:

Can I say 90% audience of sport radio follower are hardcore sport fans? If yes,  UEFA must have been hesitating year by year just because they can't compete with 24hr pregame show for a hockey game in this country. 

For soccer, Canadians say: you guys are crazy....

For hockey, European say: you guys are crazy....

For footy fans in maple leaf country, that's a sad reality.

I can see your point on this one.  And i have eluded to it in the past.  The overkill of hockey is the fault of the broadcasters and its had a “crowding out” effect on other events.  But in the bigger pucture,  i stand by the fact that its 95% fault of UEFA and epl.

Edited August 23, 2020 by Free kick

[toontownman]

@Free kick I do agree with the being priced out scenario to a point. It was the same with the BBC in the uk when sky rolled in. BBC retained match of the day (pl highlights) and some internationals. I cant believe TSN or CBC couldn't get creative with that if they wanted. I hope CBC and One Media work on a soccer night in canada show like match of the day seeing as they have it trademarked there must be interest somewhere.

Sportsnet and TSN arent likely being priced out of CPL or Vcup and national games they turned over to onesoccer. It is more they don't value soccer enough and if their viewership stats support that maybe they are justified. It's a viscous cycle though when they downplay the sport. Its night and day better in the country than 10 maybe even 5 years ago. Though. Slow progress.

Maybe if bell jumps ship from the MLS down the line and switches to the CPL things will be different!