I was all excited to actually watch a full game without any hindrances. Got home, fired up the DVR, and settled in. That was about as good as it got though, as the Toffees played with little flair, imagination, or heart, losing to Spurs 2-0. I can't think of one really positive thing to say, except for that Royston Drenthe played fairly well. Best (worst) of all is that my wife is a "fan" of Tottenham and proceeded to talk trash when I told her the result.
One of the greatest things about the Premier League is the stadiums, or grounds. And not just necessarily the actual stadiums, but for me the names are so interesting. In the age of corporate sponsorship, especially in America, it's so cool that Everton played at White Hart Lane, home of Tottenham Hotspur, today. This weekend they travel to Villa Park (home of Aston Villa). Throughout the course of the season, EFC will play at venues such as Old Trafford (Manchester United), Craven Cottage (Fulham), and St. James Park (Newcastle). Of course not even the world's game is immune to corporate greed, as evidenced by Reebok Stadium (Bolton). But for every Emirates (Arsenal) you have places such as Stadium of Light (Sunderland), Stamford Bridge (Chelsea), and Anfield (Liverpool) to make you feel like you have stepped back in time to a more comfortable place. And we have Goodison Park. Always Goodison Park. Up the Toffees.
Besides the commercialism inherent in renaming a stadium "Hostess Twinkies Field" or whatever, I'm bothered by the resulting impermanence of the names. In the NBA, for example, I'm a Celtics fan. I grew up knowing they play in the Garden. Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, Larry Bird... There's a sense of history. But at this point in time, I honestly couldn't tell you where the Celtics play. I can point to it from I-93 when driving my son in town. But I can never remember what it's actually called these days. Now Craven Cottage, that's a name! :-)
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