Left field

from Photographers Blog:

Saving the Canon 400mm f2.8

By Murad Sezer

All photographers make plans to deal with possible clashes. They are ready to protect themselves and their equipment when covering a potential riot (or a May Day demonstration as I did a few days earlier). But you don’t expect to be doing that before a soccer match, or any other sports events.

While covering the May Day protests I don't carry a camera bag or a laptop. I head out with my two camera bodies, spare memory cards, a gas mask and a wireless lan transmitter attached to the camera body to file my pictures - that’s all.. It's more comfortable and easy to cover if any riots break out. But to cover a soccer match is a different story. If it's a cup final or a decisive match like last Saturday's Fenerbahce - Galatasaray Turkish Super League Super Final, we bring along much more equipment. I pack a hardcase with a laptop, 3 camera bodies, four lenses including a 400 mm f2.8 super telephoto, remote control devices to set up a camera behind the goal, network cables, a mini tripod etc. And usually we don't even think about the safety of ourselves or our equipment. Normally during half time or at the end of the game we set our cameras down and rush to file pictures from the field or in the photographers’ working room.

SLIDESHOW: SOCCER FANS GONE WILD

However, in the shadow of the season-long match-fixing scandal, tension was high before the Fenerbahce vs Galatasaray derby. Fenerbahce had to win, while a draw was enough for Galatasaray to lift the championship trophy. Remembering when fans rioted two years ago after Fenerbahce missed out on the league championships at home, all the photographers were worried about the end of this match. But I didn’t see any photographer friends take any precautionary measures. It looked like they had no plan B, but I had one. My plan B was a padlock! The game started. It was a rough-and-tumble season finale. The two teams did not score and in the five minutes of injury time I felt that the match would finish 0-0. That would mean Galatasaray would become the 2011-12 Turkish champions, which may trigger some violence by disappointed Fenerbahce fans both on and off the pitch.

from Reuters Soccer Blog:

FIFA takes agenda by scruff of the snood

There will be a lot of fashion-conscious footballers holding their breath for item “V.1.b” at the International Football Association Board’s annual meeting next month.

Forget goal-line technology and positioning of goal posts and the other very sensible items on the agenda, the one sure to get a few people rather hot under the collar is the “wearing of snoods” – those snugly neck warmers much loved by the likes of Carlos Tevez and Samir Nasri.

Soccer’s rule makers will determine whether the fluffy accessories are a safety hazard in the “Any Other Business” section submitted by FIFA.

“There may be a safety issue – if for example a player was running though on goal and an opponent grabbed his snood, that could pose a potential danger to his neck,” a FIFA spokesman was quoted as saying by the BBC.

Based on that, shouldn’t Andy Carroll’s long ponytail be quickly added to the agenda? One tug on that would also pose “a potential danger to his neck”.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has already said he thinks snoods actually protect against injury.

Players already grab each other by the shirts and shorts – the latter which could have pretty painful results too – so surely nipping at a snood is nothing that really needs discussing.

The Lineman’s NFL picks — Still backing the Pack

That was another great football weekend made all the more exciting for the Lineman by going a very respectable 3-1. Only two games this week and both look like crackers. Enjoy.

Playoffs: 5-3. Pick of the Week 1-1.

Last week: 3-1

Regular Season Record: 53-49

PICK OF THE WEEK:

Green Bay Packers (12-6) at Chicago Bears (12-5) (Line Packers minus-3.5): I backed the Pack to get to the Super Bowl when the season started and there is no reason to slip off the Green Bay bandwagon now.

The Bears and Packers have clashed 181 times since 1921 but number 182 promises something special as the NFL’s two most storied franchises renew a rivalry that is as old as the league itself.

The Lineman’s NFL picks — classics on the cards

The Lineman is only sure of one thing this weekend and that is that football fans are in for a real treat with all four games shaping up as potential classics.

It was a rough ride for home teams last weekend with only the Seattle Seahawks surviving and who says you need an elite quarterback to win in the playoffs.

Saints Drew Brees and Colts Peyton Manning will watch this weekend’s action from the couch while Jets’Mark Sanchez and Seahawks Matt Hasselbeck moved on.

Yes indeed, shaping up as another wild and wonderful weekend in the NFL.

Playoffs: 2-2. Pick of the Week 0-1.

Regular Season Record: 53-49

PICK OF THE WEEK:

The Lineman’s NFL playoff picks — Saints march on

Well, the Lineman sneaks into the playoffs with a solid but unspectacular finish to the regular season. OK, so we were not the New England Patriots of predictions but neither were we the Seattle Seahawks.

But this is the start of the real season, when things really count. Super Bowl here we come.

Regular Season Record: 53-49

Last week: 4-2. Pick of the Week: 9-8

PICK OF THE WEEK:

New Orleans Saints (11-5) at Seattle Seahawks (7-9) (Line Saints minus-10.5): Picking this one was the Big Easy. The defending Super Bowl champs roll into Seattle to face the first ever NFL team with a losing record to qualify for the post-season.

Qwest Field can be a hostile place for visitors and the Seahawks received a bit of good news on Thursday learning that banged up QB Matt Hasselbeck is fit enough to get the start.

from Reuters Soccer Blog:

Beckham’s value is his values

Harry Redknapp does not need a right-sided midfield player and, with the depth of talent regularly available on his bench, he hardly needs to bolster his squad with a three-month loan signing.

Yet he, and several other Premier League managers, are trying to secure the services of 35-year-old David Beckham.

Many observers are scratching their heads and wondering just what is the enduring appeal of a player clearly several years past his peak.

They point to the unavoidable media frenzy that will come as part of any loan deal arranged with LA Galaxy, if the American club agree to let their number one asset go again after he suffered a serious injury on his last sojourn, to AC Milan last year.

Yet Redknapp, who has seen football from all sides, knows the value -- or more to the point -- values, Beckham brings.

Having served his apprenticeship with West Ham in the penny-pinching 1960s and now overseeing players earning millions of pounds a year, Redknapp recognises that the professionalism and dedication to his art that Beckham shows could help turn some of his “nearly men” into the finished article.

"I am a great fan of his," Redknapp said.

The Lineman’s NFL picks

Big shout out to all those who came through with Christmas gift picks last week, especially the G-Man, Fine Tooner and the Bark with big wins.

But here we are in the final week of the season and the Lineman is going it alone.

At this time of year the Lineman leans towards teams that are still playing for something but then again as the Philadelphia Eagles demonstrated going down to the Vikings on Tuesday, there are no sure things this wacky NFL season.

Record: 49-47. Last week: 3-3. Pick of the Week: 8-8.

PICK OF THE WEEK:

Pittsburgh Steelers (11-4) at Cleveland Browns (5-10) (Line Steelers minus-5.5): The Steelers are playing for a first round bye, the AFC North crown and the second seed, which would guarantee them a second round home playoff date.

The Browns are playing to save coach Eric Mangini’s job. Ummmm, it seems the Steelers have a little more incentive this week.

The Lineman’s NFL picks — week 14

Tis the season, to be jolly and a 4-2 Week 13 has put the Lineman in the holiday spirit, The Lineman is also feeling pretty good about Week 14 because it looks like there are a few gifts. So in the spirit of giving, here are Week 14′s winners.

Record: 39-39.

Last week: 4-2. Pick of the Week: 6-7

PICK OF THE WEEK:

Atlanta Falcons (10-2) at Carolina Panthers (11-1) (Line Falcons minus-7.5): The Falcons share the best record in the NFL, the Panthers own the worst.

What more can you say.

Merry Christmas everyone. Take this gift and give up the 7.5. Ho Ho Ho.

The Lineman’s NFL picks — week 13

Another tough week made tougher by losing two games by a half-point each. Ouch.

If you believe in such things, this should be unlucky Week 13 but with the results last week, my luck cannot be any worse this Sunday.

Record: 35-37.

Last week: 2-4. Pick of the Week: 5-7

PICK OF THE WEEK:

Chicago Bears (8-3) at Detroit Lions (2-9) (Line Bears minus-3.5): The Bears have come out of their mid-season hibernation stringing together four straight wins, including last week’s impressive decision over the high-flying Eagles.

At the same time, the wheels have started to fall off in the Motor City following four straight losses.

The Lineman’s NFL picks — week 12

Well, a 3-3 Week 11 keeps us at .500 but we need to make a big move to get up the standings — and get ahead of Ms. Lineman who is leading by one game. Ouch.

Record: 33-33. Last week: 3-3. Pick of the Week: 4-7

PICK OF THE WEEK:

Tennessee Titans (5-5) at Houston Texans (4-6) (Line Texans minus-3.5): First off, it is difficult to back any team with a quarterback named Rusty and with Vince Young injured and in Jeff Fisher’s doghouse and backup Kerry Collins on the limp Rusty Smith will make his first career NFL start for the Titans.

Houston has the NFL’s worst pass defense and the Titans have Randy Moss, one of the league’s top wide receivers.

But Moss has just one catch in two games since the Vikings dropped the whiny wide out and the Rusty to Randy connection… well, it doesn’t sound nearly as scary as the Tom Brady or Brett Favre to Moss connection.

This game will feature two of the NFL’s top running backs and Rusty is likely to spend a good part of the game handing the ball to Chris Johnson, who sits third in the league in rushing yards (968).