World Cup Fantasy League (Spoilers Ahoy!)

Goody2Shoes · Post by **Goody2Shoes** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 9:58 am

He really, actually threw up on his shoes? Cool! I wish I had seen that, because I've done that (well, they weren't actually my shoes, but the future Mr. 2Shoes' shoes), and I woulda felt a little football (and puking) solidarity there.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 10:05 am

alexv wrote:Question from a novice: how is the amount of extra time arrived at? From watching a lot of Cup games, it seems that 3 minutes is a popular number, and for the life of me I can't see how it has any connection to the actual time during the game when the game is stopped for injuries etc. In the Portugal/Netherlands game I think 6 minutes were handed out, and that seemed utterly ridiculous. At least 10 minutes, and probably more was lost with all the nonsense. And what happens during stoppages that occur during the added time? Obviously, extra time has to stop at some point. Is the clock stopped by the ref during extra time? Extra time seems to me to be hugely important in these Cup games that seem to all be so close, and it puzzles me how cavalierly it's treated (or maybe something is going on that I have no clue about). Has a system ever been tried where a clock in the stadium is actually stopped during stoppages and then restarted when play resumes, to serve as a guide to the referee in figuring out the amount of extra time to allot?

alex, the referee is responsible for keeping track of stoppages, substitutions, injuries, red cards, etc., all of which facor into the amount of time he decides to add at the end of each half. There is no formal manner in which this time is tracked - the referee is expected to rely on his watch and good judgement (which, as we have seen, is sometimes open to question), but the fourth official must signal how many added minutes will be played. If there is additional time-wasting or injuries during stoppage time, it is not uncommon for the referee to extend the match beyond the number of minutes designated.

In the case of Portugal/Netherlands, with all of the yellow and red cards, injuries, time-wasting, etc., 6 minutes seemed wholly appropriate to me. There may have been more time wasted but I cannot recall a match where I saw more than 6-7 minutes added. Usually the referee will add 2-3 minutes. You might be able to find a few instances in Italy of refs adding on 10 minutes+ (the referees there are notoriously corrupt - see the recent scandal involving Juventus), but I've never seen it.

It's all very inexact and prone to human error and whim, which has some appeal. It's no different in my opinion from the ball/strike calls of major league umpires or fouls whistled by NBA referees.

Jackson Monk · Post by **Jackson Monk** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 11:09 am

Roland Gift

Jackson Monk · Post by **Jackson Monk** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 11:11 am

Cafu

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 11:59 am

A disgraceful dive by the Italians to win a penalty and put the Aussies out. Poor refereeing is really destroying what has been a pretty terrific World Cup.

Mechanical Grace · Post by **Mechanical Grace** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 12:00 pm

Well, I got the differential right anyway...

Now, by my calculations, my five remaining guys would have to earn about 9 points each to bring me into the top rungs of the ladder... impossible is nothing!

PlaythingOrPet · Post by **PlaythingOrPet** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 2:42 pm

Being hungover and missing the deadline on Saturday has really buggered up my team.

Watched half the Aussie game in Manchester then got the train home at half time because it was booooring . I loves me some dirty Italians.

Fishfinger king · Post by **Fishfinger king** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 5:37 pm

Great spot re Cafu and Roland Gift.

Surpised no-one's commented on the great Switzerland-Ukraine game!!

girl out of time · Post by **girl out of time** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 5:56 pm

http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/m ... ml?i=3&d=1

what a rip-off!!!!!

shameshameshame!

girl out of time · Post by **girl out of time** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 5:59 pm

an image from the past.........some wishfull thinking!

http://www.fussballportal.de/images/wm/1755043.jpg

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 6:00 pm

Linneker said it all: 'The swiss don't even want to score in aa penalty shoot out'! I was cracking up at their penalties. mnore annoying was ther fact that the Swissbores wll get people lots of points in FF for their tediously clean sheet. Out of the Cup without conceding a goal. Glad I only watched the last ew mins of this. ET was excruciating too. Disappointed Italy didn't walk it. Glad to see Australia out. They're just ugly and brutish, give me the Beautiful Game (but less diving and playacting, please!).

Tuesday could be the highlight so far and maybe of the whole thing! Give me more in the way of Sat night. Killer, edge of seat entertainment. The essence of great footie, the reason fell in love with it as a kid, why I love Man Utd, etc.!

Mechanical Grace · Post by **Mechanical Grace** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 6:02 pm

Is it horrible to say they were just so.. so.. well, you know, Swiss?

invisible Pole · Post by **invisible Pole** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 1:15 am

Italy ? Beautiful Game ??

The whole calculated, let's-score-one-goal-and-then-play-some-catenaccio attitude is making me sick.
I do hope Shevchenko and his cohorts will throw them out of the World Cup.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 6:45 am

Not to mention corruption, bribery, match-fixing.

mood swung · Post by **mood swung** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 9:38 am

As long as "beautiful game" includes some serious Ghana ass-whupping, I'm all for it.

**I was hoping for 31-0 annihilation that would leave them broken, demoralized and sobbing in their shoes. The yellow card for diving was really really ... nice.

I'm not bitter.

Mechanical Grace · Post by **Mechanical Grace** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 4:26 pm

Jeeze, the one match I miss entirely-- France beating Spain?? Fuck, I really wanted to see Spain thrash France.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 4:47 pm

Very nice goal by Zizou. What a class player! I really don't know what to expect from some of these quarterfinal match-ups. You would expect Italy to walk all over Ukraine, but they haven't exactly been a scoring machine. Will France now be inspired to give a somewhat off-form Brazil a game? Will Germany's home advanatge play a role against the Argies? Will England finally pull their head out and put in a decent performance against Portugal? I'm glad I have a few days to think over transfers. This is where it gets tricky.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 5:26 pm

Fascinating evening. Spain will never do it, will they? France found their feet at last. You'd never have expected that from their opening games. Agree the quarters will be tricky to predict, but I'd expect it to be Arg, It, Port and Braz. Germany and England as maybes if they are strong and their opposition have an off day. Germany would crap on England right now. Unless they step up the quality seriously, they won't deserve to be there. Please can Lennon start? Do the right thing for once, you boring Swedish twat.

mood swung · Post by **mood swung** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 8:09 am

I look forward to watching that (Spain/France) tomorrow night - we're taping the replay this morning, which seems like it might cause some sort of disruption in the space/time continuum. I hope not. Watched Ghana/Brazil last night and I have to admit I was pulling for Ghana after about 10 minutes, even knowing the result and wanting Conan the Barbarian style revenge. I'm just a sucker for underdogs. Which brings me to my next fun fact: RBNY (hopeless underdogs) fired their coach (Mo Johnston, yes that Mo Johnston) yesterday. Not even halfway thru the season. So, the big rumor in MLS is that Bruce Arena will be taking over that spot. Desperation makes people delusional. And I could easily convince myself that it's true.

Next round of transfers I'm thinking of going all cupcakes.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 8:16 am

mood swung wrote:NYRB (hopeless underdogs) fired their coach (Mo Johnston, yes that Mo Johnston) yesterday. Not even halfway thru the season. So, the big rumor in MLS is that Bruce Arena will be taking over that spot. Desperation makes people delusional.

Next round of transfers I'm thinking of going all cupcakes.

Until NYRB move out of Giants Stadium they are going to continue to suck. It's like a giant mausoleum for soccer matches. Arena's not getting any offers from Europe now - that's for certain - and he's a New York guy, so I could see him taking over at NYRB.

I'm considering throwing the dice and excluding any players from England (rubbish to date and I have no faith in Sven

) as well as France and Brazil (I smell a potential upset there). I also have a big fat wager on Portugal to beat England (decent odds), just to get up the Brits' noses - play money from another WC bet that came through (USA only getting one point from their group - throw rotten tomatoes at me if you would like).

mood swung · Post by **mood swung** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 8:40 am

I just don't understand the timing of this - they play tonight and Saturday and Richie Williams is gonna coach? They might as well ask me.

Anyway, congrats, big ups, etc to Sam for being #1 not just in our hearts but on our WCFF. Also to BWAP!!

For now! Watch out for the Cupcake Commotion!

invisible Pole · Post by **invisible Pole** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 11:16 am

Not sure if I should spread my transfers among all quarter-finalists or, like WSS, take some risk and select all players from, say, only three teams.
It's already giving me headache.

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 1:32 pm

Agree that the qfs are hard to call although it would be a surprise if Italy didn't win. Have a sneaky feeling for Germany to beat Argentina, and France to beat Brazil, which would leave all Europeans. Can't decide on the Eng/Port game, England have looked less than inspired but have kept three clean sheets and have scored in every game, Portugal will miss Deco. Hope England step it up if only to shut the Chelsboy up.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 1:46 pm

so lacklustre wrote:Hope England step it up if only to shut the Chelsboy up.

Mechanical Grace · Post by **Mechanical Grace** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 2:08 pm

File under: I Wouldn't Know

Cuz of, um, the betting part. Yeah. That's why.

**********

Study claims betting on Cup better than sex
Associated Press

Â
LONDON (AP) - Soccer fan Henrik Gerdin is a contented man. His team scored a late equalizer, he won a bet and his heart rate officially rose above orgasm level.

The 25-year-old Swede was part of an ongoing World Cup experiment by England's Loughborough University to test the effect that placing a bet on a game of soccer has on fans' heart rates.

"The heart rates that we have recorded throughout the first stage of the study are in line with those experienced by an individual reaching sexual climax, and in some cases greater than that," said Loughborough's Prof. Ron Maughan, whose research expertise includes nutrition of exercise performance.

The study will last as long as England remains in the World Cup and measures levels of stress - or excitement - experienced by English fans and supporters of teams playing England.

Gerdin bet 100 pounds at 20-1 on Sweden drawing 2-2 with England in their Group B match. Henrik Larsson scored a 90th minute equalizer in the June 20 encounter for a full-time score of 2-2, triggering wild celebrations by Swedish fans in the Cologne stadium - and Gerdin in the London control room.

"He was literally going crazy," said Simon Greening, an England fan also participating in the experiment. "I would have been too."

All participating fans were paid 100 pounds by gambling Web site betfair.com, sponsors of the study, and half the supporters were required to place a bet.

"It was a gut feeling," Gerdin said Tuesday of his winning bet. "I was thinking about it the whole day and just went for it." He won 2,000 pounds ($3,650).

So far, says betfair.com, the results show betting on the World Cup can be more exciting than sex, to judge by your heart rate at least.

"We knew that football fans were passionate about their team, but these results really prove that for some football is better than sex," Maughan said in a statement. "When you combine supporting your team with backing them financially, the level of excitement gets even greater."

Participants in the group stage of the World Cup had an average heart rate of 120 beats per minute. According to the American Heart Association, during orgasm a person's heart rate ranges from 90 to 145 b.p.m., with an average peak of 115 b.p.m. The average resting heart beats 70 times a minute.

Gerdin had the highest heart rate of the three study sessions with an average of 133 b.p.m., and a whopping peak of some 168 b.p.m.
All participants in the study are required to wear a heart rate monitor and fill out a questionnaire before the game, at halftime and afterward, asking them how stressed and excited they felt. Participants also give three saliva samples to measure the amount of cortisol, a hormone that is released in response to stress.

The inspiration for the study was a research paper about a higher rate of heart attacks occurring days after England's loss to Argentina on penalty kicks in the 1998 World Cup.