Sweet FA

Happy FA Cup Final day!

Whether my team is in the FA Cup final or not, it is always an exciting day for a football fan. No matter what the riches in the Premier League or Champions League, the FA Cup final is still the showpiece event of the season.

I always loved the build up the week of the cup final, interviews with the players, fans with their crazy superstitions and omens. Living in the US now it's not quite the same. Usually the game is in pay per view and you maybe get a little build up an hour before the game but not a lot else.

However, this year Setanta are airing the game so there is no extra cost for subscribers. Their coverage even started at 3am Houston time with reporters inside the stadium, outside the stadium with the fans, at the team hotels, pretty anywhere around Wembley Stadium.

The thing I like about the FA Cup final is that it's still a very British occasion. Thus year is the 128th FA Cup final so we know what we're doing by now. The Superbowl in the US is less about the actual game as the years go on and more about the occasion but despite all of the pageantry surrounding the FA Cup final, it is the game itself that is the reason we're all here.

So it's Everton v Chelsea. Everton are in their first final since 1995. Chelsea won the cup two years ago.

I hope Everton win it, mainly because I like different teams to win the cup and not have the same teams winning it as has happened in recent years with Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea winning it too often.

Portsmouth's win last year was a welcome surprise so hopefully Everton can overcome the underdog tag and claim the trophy.

Short week

After the Memorial Day weekend last week week I thought this would be a short week in work but it hasn't really turned out like that.

We had Monday off and I finished early on Wednesday to watch the footy but Tuesday and Thursday both involved being caught up in the office until past 7pm despite planning on leaving around 4pm both days.

I plan on leaving a little bit early on Friday as my Wife and I are continuing our attempts at regaining our social life by going to see Jerry Seinfeld on Friday, and then a party on Saturday night. Another long weekend would be nice so we have an extra day to do the odd jobs you always seem to end up doing at the weekend.

There's also the small matter of the FA Cup final on Saturday which will be the last football game until August (possibly). I'm not a particular fan of either Everton or Chelsea but I'll be hoping Everton get the win, if only to see a new name on the trophy after the same names over the last few years (with the exception of Portsmouth's victory last year). Everton's last FA Cup win came against Manchester United in 1995 so it is long overdue.

As a United fan, if we can't win everything then I like new teams to at least win the cup so that things continue to be interesting.