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November 27, 2007

Wigan Athletic FC.

Filed under: English Football Clubs — admin @ 8:48 pm

Wigan Athletic FC are also known as the Latics, which is a corruption of the word “Athletic.” Wigan has made it to the lofty reaches of the English Premier League because of the massive investment owner Dave Whelan has put into the club. The multi-millionaire is former owner of JJB Sports, a large retail sporting goods chain. Whelan played for Blackburn Rovers FC in the late 1950s and early 1960s, before a broken leg forced an early retirement. He used the compensation-money to purchase his first store, which he eventually parlayed into JJB. After making JJB Sports the biggest sports retailers in the UK, Whelan turned his attention back to football, assuming Chairmanship of Wigan in 1995. The club had only joined the Football League in 1978, and had an extremely small fan base. The first game under his reign, Wigan drew 1,452 to their old ground, Springfield Park. But that situation soon changed, as Whelan invested heavily, and Wigan rose meteorically up the leagues. The Latics made it to the Premier League in 2005, and surprised everyone by finishing 10th in 2005-06, under manager Paul Jewell. In their second Premiership season (2006-07), they avoided relegation by the thinnest of margins, beating Sheffield United away, pipping them on goal difference. Jewell was burned out by the stress, though, and stepped down. His successor, Chris Hutchings lasted only 12 games, with Wigan mired in the relegation zone. Steve Bruce was named the new manager on November 23, 2007. Bruce, who had briefly managed Wigan in 2001, before having a six-year spell at Birmingham City, will try to pull the Latics out of their 11 game winless streak. Poor league form aside, Wigan also face an uphill battle attracting fans. Their sleek park (which they moved into in 2000), home also to the Rugby team the Wigan Warriors, is often embarrasingly empty for games. They are on their way to having the worst attendance in the league again, around 18,400. There simply may be too much top-level football in the northwest of England. Manchester is just 25 miles down the road (where around 115,000 fans comprise the Manchester United/Manchester City attendance base); Liverpool is also 25 miles away (Liverpool/Everton making up about 85,000 average spectators); Bolton (22,000 or so per game) is right next door; and Blackburn (24,000) is also nearby. Plus, there are 3 second-division clubs within 50 miles of Wigan. The Latics really have their work cut out for them. The bloom is off their fairy-tale rise, fans have stopped showing up, they play in a region with a glut of football clubs, and perhaps most damning of all, most quality football players would really rather play somewhere more glamorous.

Thanks to these websites: FootballGroundsGuide[dot]co[dot]uk, and chilvers1[dot]demon[dot]co[uk] for photos; and Colours-Of-Football[dot]com for the kits.

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November 26, 2007

Negro League Baseball, 1920-1950.

Filed under: Baseball,Baseball: Negro Leagues,Hand Drawn Maps — admin @ 7:16 am

Negro Leagues map

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Denied entrance into Major League Baseball by the color barrier, black ballplayers organized leagues of their own. These were the Negro Leagues, which existed between 1920 and 1957. The primary leagues were the Negro National League (1920-31; and 1933-48); the Negro Southern League, a minor-league (1920-40); the Eastern Colored League (1923-28); and the Negro American League (1937-57). [For purposes of this map, records will only go to 1950, after which the Negro American League, the last negro league, essentially played exhibition games.]

There were many standouts in the Negro Leagues, and 34 players have been elected to the Baseball Hall Of Fame. The first five elected were Satchel Paige (the legendary right-handed pitcher); Josh Gibson (catcher, and home run king); James ”Cool Papa” Bell (center fielder, and base-stealer extroardinaire); Buck Leonard (first baseman, slugger); William “Judy” Johnson (third baseman, with a .349 lifetime batting average); and Oscar Charleston (outfielder, and slugger, with a blend of power and speed; and a .376 lifetime batting average). More information about the Negro Leagues can be found at www.blackbaseball.com, and at the Negro Leagues e-Museum @ http://www.coe.ksu.edu/nlbemuseum/, among other good sites.

Negro League baseball was characterized by fleet-footed action, and hi-jinks, ranging from tomfoolery to deadly serious one-upsmanship. There was more base-stealing than in Major League Baseball, and there was a sense of “playing to the crowd.” The teams knew the fans (particularly the significant portion of white customers) were there to see a show, and the players didn’t disappoint. An example of this was the barnstorming (traveling) club called the Indianapolis Clowns, an outfit similar to the Harlem Globetrotters. But that did not mean that Negro League baseball was an inferior product. During this era, negro baseball squads often defeated white MLB squads in exhibition games. Seasons were generally around 60 to 70 games long. There were no real standardized schedules, and teams operated on a shoe-string budget.

The Golden Age of the Negro Leagues can be seen as the period from 1933 to 1947. The Washington-Homestead Grays regularly outdrew the Major League Baseball team the Washington Senators in Griffith Park in Washington DC, as they racked up 9 straight Negro National League titles. The Chicago American Giants played in old Comiskey Park, home of the MLB team the Chicago White Sox. The Pittsburgh Crawfords played in the first entirely black-owned ball park, Greenlee Field, and traveled the country in style, in their custom-made bus. The Newark Eagles won the 1946 NNL title, under Effa Manley (the first woman owner-operator to win a championship; she became the first woman inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, in 2006). And the Kansas City Monarchs toured the continent with their state-of-the-art portable lighting system. The Kansas City Monarchs would set up shop most anywhere, playing to thousands on a nightly basis. The Monarchs began using lighting for night games in 1930, five years before MLB teams first did. The KC Monarchs ranged throughout the midwest, the upper midwest and Canada. The Monarchs ended up sending more players to Major League Baseball than any other Negro League team. Their star pitcher, Satchel Paige, made more money than most major leaguers. It was an amazing phenomenon, that only ended when blacks were finally able to play in the Major Leagues. In 1947, Jackie Robinson, of the Brooklyn Dodgers, broke the color barrier, and the Negro Leagues days were numbered. Owners saw their star talent go to the white ball clubs, with no financial compensation. By the mid 1950s, the few surviving Negro League clubs were basically playing exhibition games, and the whole era faded away under the public radar. But the legacy of the Negro Leagues cannot be overstated.

I drew the main map in 2001. I added the flanking segments in 2007. I have included the 17 most prominent Negro Leagues ball clubs.

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November 23, 2007

College Basketball. AP Top 25 Poll, November 23, 2007.

Filed under: NCAA Men's Basketball — admin @ 10:00 pm

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This is a new concept I’m trying out here. I’ve taken the latest Associated Press College Basketball Poll, and made a map out of it. The 25 top ranked school’s emblems are scaled progressively smaller, as the team rankings go down from #1 to #25.

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College Football, Mountain West Conference. 2006 Attendance Map.

Filed under: NCAA Gridiron Football,NCAA/fb-Mountain West — admin @ 7:41 am

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The Mountain West Conference (MWC) was formed in 1999, when several members of the recently expanded Western Athletic Conference decided that the conference was too big. 8 schools left , depriving the WAC of much of it’s competitive strength and history. TCU followed 4 years later. Founding members of the WAC (which was formed in 1962) that eventually became part of the Mountain West Conference were Brigham Young University, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Schools that later joined the WAC, and also moved on to the Mountain West were Colorado State (joined WAC in 1967), San Diego State (joined WAC in 1978), Air Force (joined WAC in 1980), UNLV (joined WAC in 1996), and TCU (joined WAC in 1996). So the MWC is basically the old-time WAC, plus TCU and UNLV. Only Hawaii remains in the WAC, from the earlier days of that conference. The Mountain West has it’s own TV broadcast network, the “mtn.” (the mountain). They ceased their affiliation with ESPN after that network insisted the MWC play games on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. But there have been problems. The network is unavailable on satellite TV, and totally unavailable in Dallas/Ft. Worth, the home of TCU. Both Utah schools are dissatisfied to the point of bringing in their lawyers.

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November 22, 2007

Portsmouth Football Club.

Filed under: English Football Clubs,Hand Drawn Maps — admin @ 9:51 am

Today is Thanksgiving in the USA, and I am giving thanks to the roof over my head, my family and their continued health and happiness, this old e-machine that can still (slowly) do the work I demand of it, and to the fact that my favorite sporting club is sitting in 6th place in one of the top leagues in the world. That would be plucky Portsmouth FC of the English Premier League, affectionately known as “Pompey.” Portsmouth was the traditional home base of the British Navy, all through the years of Empire, and the naval presence there is still strong. It is a very working-class town, as opposed to the more upper-middle class Southampton, 15 miles northwest. The two have one of the biggest rivalries in English football, and there was much glee in Portsmouth when Southampton FC were relegated in 2005. Pompey almost were relegated the following season, but pulled off one of the greatest escapes in Premier League history, going from 9 pts. down, to safety, in the last 10 games. They did this by virtue of two things: the return of much-loved manager Harry Redknapp earlier that season, and a cash-infusion from new ownership that allowed the wheeler-dealer Redknapp to make some crucial player acquisitions during the January transfer window. I decided on Portsmouth as my club because I love their passionate fans, and I am drawn to teams that have to struggle to keep their heads above water. Portsmouth, in their dilapidated stadium, with their working class fan base, punching above their weight, really reminded me of the soccer club I lived and died for as a youth…the Rochester Lancers of the old North American Soccer League. I later found out that Harry Redknapp had played, and coached, in the NASL, with the Seattle Sounders from 1976 to 1979. Here he met Milan Mandaric, then owner of the original San Jose Earthquakes. Harry had come up through the West Ham United system, playing midfield for the East London club from 1965-72, with 147 appearances and 7 goals. He ended his English career at Bournemouth in 1976, and then went to the US . Years later, when Mandaric decided to buy (and basically rescue and revive) Portsmouth FC (he loved how devoted the Pompey faithful were), he appointed Redknapp (who had just managed West Ham for 6 seasons) as Director of Football. Redknapp eventually became manager in 2002, guiding Pompey back to the top flight for the first time in 15 years, in 2003. So that NASL vibe I felt with Portsmouth was real.

Portsmouth FC has less cash-flow worries since Alexandre Gaydamak bought the club in 2005. Since avoiding relegation in 2005, they have been steadily improving. They finished 9th last season, just missing out on qualifying for Europe, in the UEFA Cup. Under Harry, Pompey has always played a brand attacking football, and the team has been fun to watch these last 5 seasons. Redknapp is much loved by his players, and has an avuncular style that has endeared him to the public. His acumen in the transfer market is legendary. He’s kind of like a used car salesman, but with footballers. Now with more cash at his disposal, Redknapp has been acquiring (and attracting) a higher caliber of player. Portsmouth’s defense (never a strength) has improved considerably, and they recently won an unprecedented 4 straight games on the road. The club is also improving infrastructure like it’s training facillities, and they finally put a roof over the re-built away stands. Fratton Park is still the smallest venue in the Premier League, but the club plans to build a new, state of the art stadium/commercial complex/luxury co-op development, on land reclaimed from the English Channel. Last time I checked, it was slated for a 2010 completion, but I’ll believe it when I see it. Whatever the outcome of the perpetually delayed new stadium, Portsmouth FC”s future looks bright.

Special thanks to these websites: FootballGroundGuide[dot]com[dot]uk, and Stadium Guide[dot]com for the photos, and Colours-Of-Football[dot]com for the kits.

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November 18, 2007

College Football, The Big East. Attendance Map, 2006.

Filed under: NCAA Gridiron Football,NCAA/fb-Big East — admin @ 8:56 am

The Big East Conference was founded in 1979, but did not begin playing football until 1991. Before then, it had been primarily a stage for the basketball programs of it’s constituent schools. Miami’s presence gave Big East football instant credibility, and the Hurricanes dominated, winning 9 titles in 13 years. When Miami left (along with Virginia Tech) to join the ACC in 2004, there was a gaping hole, only partially filled by the additions of Cincinnati, Louisville, and South Florida. Boston College also left to join the ACC, in 2005. In 2005, West Virginia claimed the Big East title, and won the Sugar Bowl (over Georgia), finishing #5 nationwide, in the AP poll. In 2006, Louisville won the title, which they sealed with a triple-overtime win over upstart Rutgers. Louisville went on to win the Orange Bowl (over Wake Forest), and finished #6 in the AP poll. West Virginia finished #10, and Rutgers were #12. The state school of New Jersey, Rutgers were a perennial doormat in football up until 2006. Their surprising success, along with the rise of Connecticut and South Florida as football powers, points to a promising future for Big East football.

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November 16, 2007

College Football, The ACC. Attendance Map, 2006.

Filed under: NCAA Gridiron Football,NCAA/fb-ACC — admin @ 7:53 am

The Atlantic Coast Conference was formed in June, 1953, and begun play for football that fall. The 7 founding members had left the Sothern Conference, primarily due to that conference’s ban on post-season play. Charter members were Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina, and Wake Forest. Virginia joined the following year. South Carolina opted to become an independent in 1971 (they are now in the SEC). Georgia Tech joined in 1978, and Florida State joined in 1991 (both from the old Metro Conference, a fore-runner of Conference USA). In 2004, Miami and Virginia Tech left the Big East, in a rather acrimonious fashion, and joined the ACC. A year later, Boston College followed suit. This made the ACC a 12-team conference. In 2005, the ACC began divisional play, with a Championship game played each December in Jacksonville, Florida. The Atlantic Division is made up of Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Maryland, N.C. State, and Wake Forest. The Coastal Conference is comprised of Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Miami, Virginia, North Carolina, and Duke.
With regards to the Conference Titles chart, I did not list the 3 Dixie Conference titles that Florida State won (1948-1950), as the conference was a pretty small concern. 4 of the 9 schools in it then did not field football teams. The conference, now called the USA South Athletic Conference, is in Division 3. The list shows Duke with 16 conference titles, and that is not a typo. Duke fielded some successful football teams during it’s time in the Southern Conference (1928-1952), and were champions, or co-champions, of the first 3 ACC seasons (1953-1955). Of course now, Duke focuses it’s energies on it’s huge basketball program, to the detriment of it’s sparsely attended football program. Thanks to the Midwest Collectibles website.

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November 14, 2007

England, 2nd Division: attendance update, November, 2007.

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 10:48 am

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The League Championship is the second level of football (soccer) in England. It is the 12th highest-drawing professional domestic league in the world. Last season, the league averaged 18,221 per game. However, this season attendance is down over 10% . The only non-promoted club with a significant gate increase is Wolverhampton. The West Midlands-based club, which was last in the top flight 4 seasons ago, have maintained a solid fanbase, and yet again are pushing for promotion. They sit 5th in the table, which is a promotion play-off position (first and second place win automatic promotion to the Premier League; 3rd through 6th place vie for the third promotion spot). As the season progresses, and clubs become involved in both the push for promotion spots, and in the struggle to avoid relegation (the bottom three clubs), attendances will likely increase.

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November 12, 2007

College Football, The SEC. 2006 Attendance Map.

Filed under: NCAA Gridiron Football,NCAA/fb-SEC — admin @ 5:25 pm

The Southeastern Conference (or SEC) was formed in December 1932, and began play in 1933. It was formed when 13 schools from the Southern Conferencece left to form their own conference. 10 of these schools still play in the SEC. At the end of 1991, the SEC expanded to 12 schools, with the addition of Arkansas (from the disbanded Southwest Conference), and South Carolina (who had been independent). Since 1992, the SEC has been split into 2 divisions. The Eastern Division is made up of Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt. The Western Division comprises Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi (usually referred to as “Ole Miss”), and Mississippi State. The winner of each division plays in the SEC Championship Game, held each December at the Georgia Dome, in Atlanta. Here are the biggest rivalries in the SEC. Alabama vs. Auburn (“The Iron Bowl”). Florida vs. Georgia (“The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party”). LSU vs. Arkansas (“The Battle for the Golden Boot”). Alabama vs. Tennessee (“The Third Saturday in October”). Florida vs. Tennessee (“The Third Saturday in September”). Auburn vs. Georgia (“The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry”). Thanks to the NFL Helmet Store, Midwest Collectibles, Elite Deals, CBS Sports Store, and Sports Unlimited Inc. websites.

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November 9, 2007

College Football, The Big 12. 2006 Attendance Map.

Filed under: NCAA Gridiron Football,NCAA/fb-Big 12 — admin @ 9:32 pm

The Big 12 was formed in 1994, and began play in 1996. The schools of the Big 8 joined with four Texas-based schools from the disbanded Southwest Conference. Although the Big 12 does not officially claim the history of the Big 8 as it’s own, most fans see the Big 12 as an enlarged version of the old Big 8. [The chart on this map lists total conference championships as the sum of Big 8+Big 12 Titles; and the sum of Southwest Conference+Big 12 Titles.]

Keeping with the rivalries theme of my last NCAA football map, here are the main rivalries in the Big 12. Oklahoma vs. Texas: “the Red River Shootout” (politically correct name is ”Red River Rivalry”). Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State: “the Bedlam Series.” Texas vs. Texas A&M: “the Lone Star Showdown.” Texas A&M vs. Baylor: “the Battle of the Brazos.” Kansas vs. Missouri: “the Border War” (p.c. version: “Border Showdown”). Kansas vs. Kansas State: “the Sunflower Showdown.” Five of these annual match-ups have trophies for the winner (the A&M-Baylor game doesn’t). Three more rivalries also have trophies, but aren’t big enough (I guess) to have an actual name. Thanks to the NFL Helmet Store, Elite Deals, Joes Sports, and Midwest Collectibles webites. Also thanks to All-Time Database (http://nationalchamps.net/NCAA/database/). I will do the Southeastern Conference next.

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