Fantasy Footy Back Again

Posted on August 14, 2012 by | 1 Comment

Who will be “The Don” of EPL Fantasy?

Fantasy Footy with the Woodnose crew returns. Not even going to attempt to collect money this time, so it’s all just for fun and…..the honor of being the holder for the WoodNose trophy, picture above. The trophy will be called “the Don”, as it is a sculpture of Don Quixote (gifted to the WoodNose by friend of the Nose, Number 9 himself), but there’s no denying the sculptor probably had a picture of “Don” Woodnose (Otis) wearing a strange hat, for his inspiration.

Details:
The league is called the “Woodnose League”
Use this link and you’ll be added automatically after you’ve entered the game:

http://fantasy.premierleague.com/my-leagues/69478/join/?autojoin-code=237268-69478.
You shouldn’t need the league code, but just in case here it is: 237268-69478.

→ 1 Comment

Posted in The Beautiful Game

Baltimore Bohemians Host “Bays Throwback Night”

Posted on June 15, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Check out Otis in the bottom right corner. Nice pass?

Received the note below via email. A pretty cool move by the Boh’s, honoring the Bays legacy. Obviously the history of the Bays is close to the WoodNose crew, as Poppa WoodNose was a member of  the Bays pro team, and can actually be seen in the picture above, delivering what we can only imagine was an incredible through-ball for an assist.
Hope everyone can make it out to enjoy the match.

The Baltimore Bohemians will honor the 45th anniversary of the Baltimore Bays with “Throwback Night” on Saturday June 16 during their match against the Westchester Flames.

The Bohemians, one of the newest editions to the USL Premier Development League, will wear retro gold and red kits modeled after the Bays’ original uniforms. The club is offering $2 National Bohemian drafts for this special match. The Bays were owned by Jerold Hoffberger, president of the National Brewing Company – the same company that originally manufactured Baltimore’s beloved beer.

The match is being presented in conjunction with the Free Beer Movement, an organization that attempts to convert non-soccer fans to love the beautiful game, one beer at a time.

Baltimore native and former Bays defender Joe Speca will kick out the first ball. Speca was one of only three American-born players in the NPSL at its inception in 1967 and played two seasons with his hometown club in both the NPSL and NASL. In addition to starring for the Bays, Speca also spent time at Baltimore St. Gerard’s and Baltimore Pompei, with whom he reached the final of the U.S. Open Cup in 1957. Speca was also a member of the U.S. National Team, joining the team during the 1959 Pan-American Games and World Cup qualification matches in 1960, in addition to other friendly matches.

Tickets for the 7:00pm match are available at baltimorebohemians.com or by calling 443.980.BOHS.

Please direct all media inquiries to Joe Tirabassi, the club’s Director of Marketing and Media Relations. He can be reached by phone at 443.980.BOHS or via e-mail at info@baltimorebohemians.com.

Baltimore Bohemians
baltimorebohemians.com

→ Leave a comment

Posted in The Beautiful Game

WoodNose Euro Bracket Pool – For ‘Recreational’ Purposes Only

Posted on May 24, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Show your wide-ranging knowledge of European soccer by ponying up $20 and picking winners. If you’re as good as ‘Paul the Octopus’, you’ll have a nice payout to show for it and for the right ‘tip’ the WoodNose won’t tip off the taxman. If you predict about as well as Pele, well, then, please register as many teams as you’d like.

The Link:

http://games.espn.go.com/euro-bracket-predictor/en/group?groupID=839

Group: Baltimorons
$20 to enter (due by June 8)  Brackets not paid for by June 8 will be deleted.

Payout:
1st place = 75%
2nd Place = 20%
3rd place = 5%

Three ways to pay:
1.  Put the money in the hand(s) of the WoodNose (Derek or Trevor)
2.  Send it to WoodNose County Headquarters:
17 Dovefield Road
Perry Hall, Maryland 21128
(note from Derek: “money received in mail after June 8 will be added to the pot even though the bracket will have been deleted”)
3.  Use a credit card with Paypal: send to wideworldofwood@hotmail.com

→ Leave a comment

Posted in The Beautiful Game

Thoughts on the Madchester Derby

Posted on May 1, 2012 by | 2 Comments

The officials didn't get the memo

As a United fan…awful result, and awful performance. So, what happened? Well I blame Roberto Mancini for harassing the refs all game. I blame the refs for not adding enough time to the 5 minutes they already added, until we scored. I blame Ji Sung Park for being Park Ji Sung (I believe I’m legally obligated to add the comment: “but he covers so much ground!!”). I blame Mario Balotelli for displaying his comic immaturity weeks before the United game, instead of during. I blame the Democrats and Obama for allowing gas prices to remain so high, continuing to bankroll the owners at Man City. I blame Danny Santoro because, well, he’s not going to reply and defend himself, so why not. Also I blame global warming. And Twitter.

Those items above all caused the loss. Not the decision to sit the best winger in the country (maybe) against a sketchy-at-times left back until very late in the match. Not Chris Smalling for losing his man on the goal (although, in all seriousness, it was a deftly-set, quasi-legal pick by Lescott). And certainly not the fact that the Glazers have saddled the club with such debt that United can’t compete in the market to strengthen the squad (especially in midfield) and had to resort to hiring, in mid-season desperation, their reserve team coach (although to be fair he’s been a welcome addition). Nope, none of those things caused the loss nor the severe outclassing United received this season from the likes of Wigan, Bilbao, Basel, City earlier in the year, etc.

Slightly bitter satire aside …City is just better this season. A 6-1 loss at home, and then not a single shot on goal yesterday, let alone the stroke of brilliance from Rooney required to win the derby last year. Considering the squads, it’s a bit amazing that United remains in the title race at all this late, which has certainly made it an exciting run-in and is a tribute to Sir Alex.

I do, like many others, disagree with some of the selections yesterday, but it’s hard to really question the purple-nosed septuagenarian knight. In truth, if City does wind up pulling a Greg Norman and hands the title back to United, it may well be Fergie’s best accomplishment ever, which is obviously saying something.

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Soccer, The Beautiful Game

Bull On The Beach, Champions Again

Posted on April 4, 2012 by | 2 Comments

Image

The Bull on the Beach squad represented Baltimore soccer well by winning the OC St. Patrick’s Day tournament for the second year in a row, and for the 3rd time in 4 years.

This year, it took a sudden death golazo from MVP Mike Liggins in the final to take home the silverware. Being that we might be the oldest team in the tournament and never shy away from a drink or 10 the night before the games, we probably need to talk trash now while we’re ahead, cause the kids are catching up. But, not yet – the dynasty remains for now.

→ 2 Comments

Posted in The Beautiful Game

Tagged , , ,

Tottenham v Liverpool in Baltimore, and new Trivia

Posted on March 31, 2012 by | 10 Comments
Football at the Bank

Chelsea v AC Milan in 2009 at M&T Bank drew a great sellout crowd

One of the Premier League’s top teams, and Liverpool, will be coming to Charm City this summer to play at M&T Bank Stadium. Tottenman Hotspur will face Liverpool July 28th, at 1pm in the afternoon. So yeah, it will be hot. The early game-time is unfortunate but the O’s have a game that night, and organizers wisely avoided the huge traffic crunch that surely would have been caused by the dozens of people attending that huge baseball game.

Interesting to note that Under Armour’s kit deal with Tottenham is supposed to start next season, so I imagine this could be first view of what the Baltimore-based company has come up with for Spurs. Pretty cool.

I’ve already heard a few grumbles about how many of the ’stars’ will be resting after the Euro Championships this summer, but this match is nearly a month after that final (July 1), with most teams done a week or two before that. Also, if Tottenham can hang on to 4th this season, they could be playing some very early Champions League qualifiers. They’d want to be at full strength for this preseason friendly, not to mention they may well have a new manager to impress since ‘Ave a Go ‘Arry is the favorite to lead England to an early exit via penalties this summer. And if things keep going the way they are now, who knows even ‘King Kenny’ could lose his job and Liverpool would have a new gaffer to show for as well.

Either way, it’s top class soccer, in a great stadium, in a great city. Liverpool fans…you’ll find no love for your team on this site, but a word of advice: although it is called Charm City, you really should ‘Never Walk Alone’ in certain parts of Baltimore.

WoodNose Trivia time...

Trivia:
Of all the teams currently in the the top 4 English Football Leagues (Premiership, Championship, League One, League Two), only one team is not named after an actual location/city/area (similar to, say, Corinthians of Brazil, or the excellently named Newell’s Old Boys of Argentina). Can you name that team?

→ 10 Comments

Posted in Soccer, The Beautiful Game

Tagged , , , ,

WoodNose Trivia

Posted on August 16, 2011 by | 12 Comments

WoodNose Trivia time...
Starting to post some trivia questions periodically. Maybe one day we’ll have prizes for this, but for now the first correct answer in comments wins the right to brag about themselves and annoy people.

*Name the only current English Premier League team to have never been relegated from the top flight of English football.*

→ 12 Comments

Posted in The Beautiful Game

Tagged , , ,

Nose to Nose Fantasy League

Posted on July 26, 2011 by | 1 Comment

UPDATE: For anyone that failed to get in on time for the Nose to Nose league, we have also set up a Classic league (same rules as last year – points simply accumulated throughout the year). Its free and you use same team as in Nose to Nose League. There is no wagering done. That one is just for fun and bragging rights.
Code 79963-29159
_________________________

The new Premier League season is less than 3 weeks away, and the WoodNose will once again be running a fantasy league. This year, based on popular demand, we’re going to try a slightly different format, with Head-to-Head (the Nose to Nose League). This means you’ll play against a single/different opponent each gameweek, rather than just compiling points throughout the year. This should make things a bit more interesting. There will be trash-talking, beatdowns, illegal gambling, laughs, tears in beers….etc.

Details/Instructions:

  • The site is:
    http://fantasy.premierleague.com
  • Once you have logged in and entered your team, click on the ‘Leagues’ link at the top of the page. On the Leagues page:
    1. Select the ‘Join a league’ option
    2. Choose private league
    3. Now enter the code 79963-29243 to join our league.
  • Note that you MUST join before the 1st week of games. The league will be locked after that – no late entries because the fixtures list has to be set.
  • The site is free, but if you join you’re agreeing to throw $10 into the pot to make things interesting. Just as last season: 75% to the winner, 25% to second place.
  • How the Head-to-Head works:
    Each team plays a match against another team in the league each Gameweek. The match result is based on the Gameweek score of each team minus any transfer points spent preparing for the Gameweek.
    3 points are awarded for a win and 1 point for a draw, teams are then ranked on points earned in Head-to-Head matches.
    Head-to-Head fixtures are generated at the start of the league’s first Gameweek. Once these fixtures have been generated the league is locked and teams will not be able to join or leave.
    If a Head-to-Head league has an odd number of teams then an average team will join the league to ensure each team has a fixture every Gameweek. This team will always score the Gameweek average.
    In the event of a tie between teams, the team who has most game points will be positioned higher.

Long overdue congratulations to Shawn (Cougar) Smith on his victory last season. Drinks are on him opening weekend.

Also, for those looking to play the Classic mode (straight points instead of head to head), and looking for a bigger potential payout, the Libber crew is running their league again…details below:

We will keep the entrance fee and payouts the same as last year.
Entrance Fee $50
1st Place – Total Fees less $350
2nd Place – $200
3rd Place – $100
4th Place – $50

Please make checks payable to
Matt Libber
612 S East Ave
Baltimore MD 21224

Feel free to invite your friends. The more teams the higher the payout for the winner.

CHECKS MUST BE RECEIVED BEFORE THE FIRST GAME ON AUGUST 13TH.

To register go to http://fantasy.premierleague.com/
(Please note you will be forced to register using your email address this year.)
Once you establish a team you will have the opportunity to join a league. Use the below code to join The Players Club.
Code to join this league: 5725-2760

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Soccer, The Beautiful Game

Real Madrid 0 : Barcelona 2

Posted on April 28, 2011 by | 1 Comment

After suffering through the brutally dull and cynical first half yesterday, and then the beginning of the second half, I’d decided I can no longer enjoy Barcelona. I’d written them off. Every slight foul was greeted with a reaction worthy of a broken leg, or with some play-acting about being hit in the face when in fact you were hit in the shoulder. Every time, the ref was being hounded and surrounded by 8-10 Barca players begging for cards. Cristiano Ronaldo is a player that, despite being out-of-this-galaxy gifted and more often than not supremely enjoyable to watch, is still widely derided because of all his play-acting and his consistent petulance. Yet, things were so bad yesterday that Ronaldo seemed not only reasonable but the most level-headed player out there. Another unprecedented feat pulled off by the inimitably great Barcelona, but this one was not a good one. Don’t get me wrong, Real weren’t innocent either, but Barcelona were off the charts. It was surprising, very disappointing and annoying, and it soured me just enough on the the genius of Barca that I began to pull for Real Madrid.

And then, Lionel Messi happened. Again. It’s a good measure of his ability and his magic that he was able to transcend all the non-sense and turn a cynic back into a fan that quickly (he and Xavi, to be fair). I could  do without the whining of Mascherano, or the cheating of Busquets, but much like how for every Wayne Rooney or Nemanja Vidic there has to be a John O’Shea or a Darren Gibson type to make up the squad…they can’t all be as magical as Messi and Xavi. They are enough, though, to make it worth dealing with the other crap.

Alex Ferguson’s career as a football manager has made him a knight of the realm in Great Britain, a legend forever at the biggest club in all of England and arguably the world, and it has brought him a record number of Premier League trophies and cabinets overflowing with other silverware as well. Choosing his best managerial moment thus far could be like trying to pick the best play of Michael Jordan’s (basketball) career.  To me though, if things play out as they should and it’s Barca v ManUtd in the final, and Sir Alex figures out a way to beat them with this squad, then all his past accomplishments would be no better than second best.

→ 1 Comment

Posted in The Beautiful Game

On One Field – Screening

Posted on February 19, 2011 by | Leave a comment

Everyone please check out this screening Tuesday at Slainte immediately following the Champions League matches. Friend of the Nose Craig Willinger is putting this on and 100% of the door proceeds ($10 admission) go toward the Craig Willinger Fund, which is an excellent cause. Check out his mission at http://www.cwfund.org.

Looks like an interesting movie. They will be putting together a nice raffle basket too which also goes to the CWFund.

Slainte will be extending happy hour food/drink special as well. Check out the flier below.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Soccer, The Beautiful Game

Tagged , ,