Soccer Bar Review: The Brickhouse Sports Cafe

It's been a while since I've done a Soccer Bar Review.  Honestly, I'd gotten kind of turned off on doing the reviews because it didn't seem worth the effort.  Often, the places that I went to were just not really interested in being a soccer bar.  Or the places that were reviewed went out of business a few months after I posted the review.

Well, hopefully we've found a place that can surpass expectations in the Brickhouse Sports Cafe.  Located in the Village of Providence, the Brickhouse is a sports bar with a nice beer selection, lots of TVs and pretty good food.   It's a major plus that the Brickhouse has embraced the soccer community.   It has been selected by the Hunstville Chapter of the American Outlaws as its home bar, and Rocket City United can be seen there eating their pregame meals when they are at home on Saturday nights.

Since it's been so long since I've done a Soccer Bar Review, you may have forgotten the criteria that I use to produce the rating.  If so, check it out here.  I visited the Brickhouse three times to watch the UEFA Champions League Final, the recent USA v Spain friendly, and the first US match in the Gold Cup against Canada.  So, let's get down to the nitty-gritty of the review.

TVs
The Brickhouse has plenty of TVs.  The bar itself has three TV above the beer taps, and many others around the bar area.  The dining room has a TV for nearly every table.  They have a satellite TV system and get the typical soccer channels.  They are also capable of ordering pay-per-view events (like the USA at Honduras World Cup Qualifying match in '09).  


Soccer Priority
The Brickhouse is a sports bar, and so, it caters to sports fans and understands that fans can get rowdy.  I've heard chanting and singing a few games and the staff didn't bat an eye.   BTW, the bar area has really great acoustics and our chants and songs sounded really, really loud.  The USA v Canada match went head to head with Game 4 of the NBA Finals, but the priority was definitely given to the USA v Canada game.  I'd say there 70% of the TVs had the US game while the remainder was split between NBA and various baseball games.

Beer 
Soccer and beer go hand in hand.  The Brickhouse recognizes that fact and have a good selection of beers on tap including local brews Straight to Ale and Bluepants (I am a little disappointed in the lack of Guinness).  The beer is moderately priced, and there will be drink specials during all US Men's National Team games. 


Food
I've had three meals at the Brickhouse and have enjoyed all three.  I'm not a finicky eater, but they do seem to have a large selection to choose from at moderate prices.

Ambiance
The Brickhouse is a sports bar that has a pub type feel.  There is plenty of sports banners  and memorabilia (SEC banners, Huntsville Havoc jerseys, Golf photos, etc), but sadly no soccer gear on display.  That may be remedied soon as I've been told that they will be hanging an American Outlaws banner soon.  I like the fact that they focus on a set of clientele that are focused on watching the game with their pals without any gimmicks (a la skimpily clad bimbos, karaoke nights, etc).  That type of establishment suits the soccer fan nicely.


The Rating

Brickhouse: 3 and 1/2 Soccer Balls

So, all tolled the Brickhouse is a sports pub that serves the needs of soccer fans better than any other place in town.   The only thing that prevents me from rating them a full four soccer balls is the general sports bar theme with no visible recognition of soccer.  I do think the Brickhouse has the potential to turn into a terrific soccer bar if they expand their hours to include morning matches, and cater directly to the soccer fans that are willing to patronize their bar, for example, an EPL keg and eggs special.

Champions League Final Viewing: Brickhouse Sports Cafe

This year's Champions League Final between Manchester United and Barcelona is one of the most anticipated matches in recent years.  This is a perfect time to get together with fellow soccer heads to enjoy the beautiful game together.  So, where are you gonna watch it?

There is one group of dedicated fans who will be gathering at the Brickhouse Sports Cafe in Providence.  The game starts at 1PM and all are welcome to join them.  I have a family commitment that may keep me from joining them, but expect a soccer bar review of the Brickhouse next week.

World Cup: Watch Parties, Brazil 2014, and Refs Missed 4% of Calls

World Cup Finals:  Where you watching?

 
There will be new blood in the royal lineage of World Cup winners.  That, to me, is a fitting end to what I think was a terrific World Cup.  There have been so many intriguing matches, controversies, and wonder goals.   I can't wait to see what the final has in store for us.

While I'll be watching from the comfort of my living room, I've heard of two specific groups getting together to watch the match at Knucklehead's and The Stations 2.  Where are you watching the game?


Getting Excited for 2014

This World Cup isn't even over and I'm already excited for the 2014 World Cup to be held in Brazil.  I've already hit my Brazilian friends up for places to crash while I take in the matches down in the land of samba. 

World Cup Refereeing

I have one last comment to make about the refereeing at this World Cup.  You would think that with the amount of high profile gaffes committed by multiple referees in this year's tournament, FIFA would be low-key about the quality of the "men in the middle." But no, that's not their style.  FIFA's head of refereeing Jose Maria Garcia-Aranda held a press conference to tell us that after analysis of the matches in the world cup 96% of the "decisions" were correct.  Hmm, that just leaves 4% where the screwed up royally!  :)

I sympathize greatly with the referees, and that's why I fully support goal line technology, the addition of goal mouth referees, and the video review of every goal scored in big-time first division leagues and tournaments.  This is big business and big entertainment.  These changes can only help the guys with the whistles get it right.

Soccer Bar Review: The SmokeHouse Restaurant

Just in time for tomorrow's big game, here is the latest installment of our soccer bar reviews.  PWT-blog's roving restaurant reviewer, Darrell, has the low down on the Smoke House Restaurant.

Conveniently located at the north end of Bridge Street, Smoke House Restaurant was the site that we recently watched the UEFA Champions League Final. This restaurant is very spacious around the bar, which has two 52” flat screen TVs overhead on one side and two more 52” flat screen TVs on the other side. There are two additional large flat panel TVs beside the bar on a wall. There is a separate dining room with a single 42” TV. Channels available include ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, FSC, and ten or so UEFA channels. They might also purchase a PPV channel for special sporting events. The restaurant manager Chelsey Maples told me they could open early for an early match with advanced notice.

Food at the Smoke House is a bit eclectic. There is variety, including some items you would not expect. I had Frank’s Steak which came with two sides. It was excellent; I would order it again. Prices were a little on the high side. They have a kid’s menu. View the menu. I noticed 12 beer taps at the bar including Yuengling, Sam Adams, Killians Red, Boulevard Wheat, Miller, Bud, etc. In bottles, they serve Sam Adams, Corona, Heineken, Bud, Coors, etc. Other beverages include O’Douls non-
alcoholic beer, soft drinks, tea, coffee, etc.

The restaurant is a spacious open style with lots of tables and bar integrated in the floor plan.  Across from the bar is a bandstand and dance floor. I expect they play only late at night. There are three separate dinning rooms and two patio seating areas, one of which is adjacent to the bar with garage doors that open on good weather days.

The only negative comment I have is a few pesky flies were around when I was there in May.  This was probably because of the garage doors that open by the bar. This is understandable, but still annoying.

On the soccer bar scale, the Smoke House rates "3 soccer balls" mainly due to the good food, and big multiple TVs with soccer channels.

World Cup: USA v England Watching, WC Finals Goalscorers,

Where are you watching the USA v England match?

So, it's a little under two weeks away from the big match. How do you plan on watching the match?

A good buddy of mine is an American soccer geek of English descent and is hosting a few hundred of his closest friends for the match at his home. He's created a soccer pub in his basement for the match including a bar , multiple TVs, and multiple kegs of English and American brews to choose from. Too bad he lives a 13 hour drive from Huntsville.

Fortunately, Jacob at Southern Soccer has the scoop on at least one viewing party hosted by Sportspave and the International Society of Huntsville at the Station 2 at Bridgestreet. They'll be hosting viewings of each US group match and selected matches in the knockout rounds, including the semifinals and final.

Are you having/attending a watch party? Are you planning on going to a sports bar to catch the action? Or are you going to watch at home so you can scream "Gooooooooal!" and "U-S-A, U-S-A!" in the privacy of your living room?

As you know, we, at the PWT-blog, are still trying to identify a true soccer bar in the Huntsville area, and we expect to review a few more places prior to the big match. So, keep an eye out for prospective establishments.


I Scored A Goal In The World Cup Finals

Geoff Hurst, who scored three goals in the 1966 World Cup Final, is one player featured.

ESPN has an amazing web series called "I scored a goal in the FIFA World Cup finals". In it, they interview nearly every living player who scored in the World Cup finals from 1950 through 2006. It's great entertainment and an terrific history lesson.

Soccer Bar Review: Inside Out Cafe

In our on-going series to identify potential "soccer bars", friend of the PWT-blog, Darrell, who also writes the new American Soccer Announcers Exposed blog, has written up his review of the Inside Out Cafe located in Madison at 10871 County Line Road.

Just down the street from the new Rocket City United team office and soon-to-be-built practice fields is a nice quaint little restaurant/grill called the Inside Out Cafe, formerly called GameDay Grill. They call themselves “a rockin’ sports café” and they appear to be so. It has a sports bar atmosphere, bar centric and music playing and there are about 12 TVs around ranging from small to large projection screen.

Backroom at the Inside Out Cafe, prime spot for soccer watching

They have an area in the rear that the manager, Diane, told me that they could arrange tables for us to watch a game on the approx. 52” TV in that area. She even said she would be willing to open early for us, if there was a early special game that a group of us wanted to watch together. We scanned the channels and I noted they have ESPN, ESPN2, and GolTV. I was told they have ordered pay-per-view in the past and expect to do so again in the future. They also have outdoor seating, which is about to be renovated/expanded, possibly to include an outdoor TV (no promise, just a comment).

To complement viewing, they have 12 beer taps, including Guinness as well as micro brewery and American selections, and a good selection of bottled beers. They don’t serve any other kind of alcoholic drinks. They do serve soft drinks. Their food is great! I’ve eaten there many times and never had anything less than delicious. They serve all the good items to go with beer such as wings, burgers, ‘dogs, and pizza. They also have salads and even have a kids’ menu. Their service is also good.

Inside Out Cafe menu has all the good stuff

The only negative thing I can say about the place is it is a little small. But then on the other hand, how many have we pulled together for a soccer event? I’ve seen at most about 12 or so. They can definitely handle that. The only other bad quality is some of their booths. The seats are uncomfortable. But that would not be a problem for watching soccer because we would rearrange tables for viewing the game rather than sit in booths.

I rate them at 2 ½ soccer balls and not 3 soccer balls only because they do not have a soccer TV package per se.

Check it out. They’re all nice people too.

PWT-blog Changes

As you may have noticed, there have been some changes around the PWT-blog recently.

First, you'll notice a new look for the blog. A few months ago someone mentioned that the colors that I was using at the time were Auburn colors (blue and orange). That was entirely unintentional. As a recent transplant to the area (Wow! Has it been four years already?), I have no affinity for either Auburn or Alabama (Fear the Turtle!). Hence, I decided to make the colors college neutral.
You'll also notice that there is a series of link across the top of the page. One is a link to the ongoing Soccer Bar Review page where you can find the info on our quest to find the local establishment with the best "Soccer Bar Potential".

Second, you may have noticed that the frequency of my posts has decreased. When I started this blog in Feb '09, I wrote,

"PWT-blog was started to discuss the Huntsville soccer experience; from where the good pickup games may be, to playing in the local amateur leagues, following our local professionally run NPSL team, Rocket City United, and even watching our favorite first division professional leagues..."

In the attempt to recapture some of that local flavor, I have decided to focus my posts to local area soccer news only. While I enjoy posting interesting things that I come across and may still drop a few nuggets every once in a while, those types of posts have been taking up too much of my time, and you can find most of those types of things on a myriad of other soccer blogs.

On that note, the PWT-blog is always looking for contributors. If you fancy yourself a writer or are just a guy/gal who likes soccer and has something that they'd like to share, send me your ideas. I'd love to give you all an outlet to share with the Huntsville soccer community.

Soccer Bar Review: Finnegan's Irish Pub

As our quest to find the best soccer bar in the Huntsville/Madison area continues, one of the Perfectly Weighted Through Bar reviewers, Chris, checks in with a St. Patty's Day review of Finnegan's Irish Pub on South Memorial Parkway.


Many of the best soccer bars in the U.S. started as Irish- (or English-) style pubs and enhanced that identity by catering to the growing American (and constant expat) interest in soccer from other shores. It’s a match made in heaven when draught Guinness or Bass Ale meet a full slate of weekend matches on an array of flat screens from Futbol Fortress Europa.

Finnegan’s Irish Pub on South Memorial Parkway in Huntsville has the Guinness on tap, an honest-to-goodness dark, dank “who cares if it’s light outside and I’m on #6” feel, and one of the best burgers in town. It also has a substantial U-shaped bar, tables and lounge space replete with couches and coffee tables.
According to Julie the Bartender on my visit one recent afternoon, they are also about to add a “the soccer package” to their television service. All of this is promising.: Good food, good bevies, moderate soccer priority.

One thing, however, stands out as a major negative: Finnegan’s only has two (2) small screen, old fashioned tv’s. This may well add to the substantial charm of this wonderful joint, but is hardly conducive to watching big games from Europe’s biggest leagues simultaneously on a Saturday morning. Finnegan’s opens @ 11:00 am and, as of now, is not planning to open earlier on Saturday’s to accommodate soccer watching. Finally, yes Finnegan’s is a smoking joint, and the soccer crowd tends towards healthy living. Since I don’t, perhaps another tip to Finnegan’s is in order sometime soon, but probably not on a Saturday morning.

Irish eyes won't be smiling to kindly on soccer fans as Finnegan's Irish Pub only rates a "One Soccer Ball" out of four on the soccer bar potential index, despite the perfectly poured Guinness.

Soccer Bar Review: Steve McQueen's

UPDATE: Unfortunately, shortly after our trip to the place, Steve McQueen's went under. It is now called Knuckleheads Sports Pub and Restaurant. Looks like we'll have to return to review it.

Sorry this took so long to write up. I've had some family in town recently and have just gotten around to writing up my notes.
For our first potential soccer bar review, we selected Steve McQueen's Sports Pub (7407 Highway 72 West in Madison, next to DanTera Salon & Day Spa, between Nance Road and Jeff Road) to take in the USA v Holland friendly last Wednesday. Steve McQueen's has been opened for 3 months and has an impressive 68 TVs that can show up to 16 different games at one time.

The TV wall at Steve McQueen's Sports Pub.

The Pub was mostly empty with one or two people sitting at the bar when we entered at 1:30 on a Wednesday afternoon. We brought in 9 soccer fans and the staff was more than willing to cater to our group by turning on the entire wall of TVs to the game as well as several of the hanging flat-screens around the dining room.

The owner, whose name is Steve McQueen just like the famous actor, mentioned that the Pub will open in the morning for soccer games if given a heads up prior to the event. The food is decent pub fare, and the beer selection is pretty good and very reasonably priced. I had the chicken quesadilla with a pint of Olde Towne Porter.

Steve McQueen's Sports Pub from Ryan Harbaugh on Vimeo.

The atmosphere leaves something to be desired, however. There is no soccer paraphernalia, and we were actually mocked for cheering a good play by some of the patrons of the mostly empty pub. That may be more of an indication of that particular patron's ignorance, but it is still not conducive to a good soccer atmosphere. I've read online of bad service, but we did not have any problems with out server.


So, overall Steve McQueen's Sports Pub rates a "2 and a half soccer balls" out of four. Lot's of TVs and decent beer selection, but low on soccer atmosphere.

Reminders: US v Holland at Steve McQueens and RCU Ribbon Cutting

USA v Holland: Viewing at Steve McQueen's


The US will warm up for the World Cup by taking on Holland, the #3 ranked team in the world tomorrow, and I can't think of a better test for them. The last time the played the Netherlands in 2004, they had they're backsides handed to them in a 1:0 loss. The scoreline of that game certainly hides just how outplayed the US boys were outplayed that day. Let's hope the outcome does not resemble that match.

A group of US fans are also warming up for the World Cup by gathering to watch the match at Steve McQueen's Sports Pub (7407 Highway 72 West in Madison, next to DanTera Salon & Day Spa, between Nance Road and Jeff Road). Come join us, while test out the place for our first Huntsville Soccer Bar Review.


Rocket City United Ribbon Cutting

RCU head coach Desmond Armstrong and team president Andy Zorovich

RCU will host a Ribbon Cutting ceremony on Thursday at 4PM at the new RCU headquarters in the Southern Convention Services (SCS) complex at 10446 County Line Road in Madison. Following the ribbon cutting, RCU head coach Desmond Armstrong will announce player signings and discuss team development. The team will unveil the new 2010 RCU jersey and schedule. Team president Andy Zorovich will also discuss Season Ticket packages and plans for the NPSL Final Four to be held in Madison during the last week of July. Following the festivities, the club will host a social gathering complete with beverages provided by returning team sponsor Olde Towne Brewing Company.

RCU Footnotes, Joe Gaetjens, and International Friendlies

Introducing RCU Foot Notes

RCU Technical Director Desmond Armstrong

Rocket City United has introduced a new feature on their website called Foot Notes, where RCU coach Desmond Armstrong will share tips for players and coaches. Check it out.



Joe Gaetjens: Man vs Myth

Gaetjens is carried off the field after scoring the game winner for the USA over England in 1950.

Joe Gaetjens is known for scoring the lone goal in the famous 1950 USA upset of England in the World Cup, but little else is known about the man. New ESPN Soccernet writer, Leander Schaeiaeckens, has written a terrific article dispelling many of the myths that have grown over the years about the Haitian born USA forward.


US v Holland at Steve McQueen's and other International Friendlies


The US will take on the Netherlands on Wednesday afternoon. A group of international soccer fans will be meeting at Steve McQueen's on Rt 72 in Madison (used to be Indigo Joe's) to take in the game and see how SMcQ's stands up in our first Huntsville area soccer bar review. Come join us!

There are also some other juicy international matches to catch this week.

Tuesday
Brazil vs. Ireland, 2PM, FSC

Wednesday
USA vs. Netherlands, 1:30PM, ESPN2, Galavision
Argentina vs. Germany, 1:45PM, GolTV
England vs. Egypt, 2PM, FS+
Spain vs. France, 2PM, ESPN Deportes
Italy vs. Cameroon, 3:45PM, GolTV Premiere
Switzerland vs. Uruguay, 4PM, ESPN Deportes
Mexico vs. New Zealand, 10PM, Telemundo

New PWT-blog Feature: Huntsville Soccer Bar Reviews

From yesterday's post you know I've been itching more and more lately to get out of the house and to find a local establishment to enjoy my soccer viewing. After speaking with many like minded soccer aficionados, I've decided that it's time for we as a soccer community to take things into our hands. We need to demonstrate prior to the World Cup that we are a clientele worthy of being catered to.

The Richmond Arms Pub in Houston, TX. They do the soccer bar right!
Photo by Bill Olive for the Houston Chronicle.

So, the PWT-blog is going to start a feature that reviews local establishments and assigns a rating for their "soccer bar potential" and we need your help. While we may not be able to find a true soccer pub in Huntsville (like this one in New York), we should be able to identify a sports bar or pizza joint that truly respects the game and goes out of their way to cater to the soccer fan clientele. We'll try to review one bar a week leading up to the World Cup. Hopefully by then, we will have identified the best places in town to watch soccer and we'll frequent those establishments during the tournament. Hopefully, these establishments will recognize by the growth of business during the World Cup that Huntsville has a large soccer watching population and will consider hosting soccer viewing events in the future.


Wanted: Establishments and Reviewers

This is what we need now.

1. A list of potential soccer pubs. These could be bars, restaurants, or clubs that may be willing to show games.
2. We need reviewers. We're looking for soccer guys/gals to go these places and review them for their potential as a soccer bar.

Packed soccer joint watching the big screen.

Criteria: What we are judging?

Here are the criteria and categories on which to judge and some of the questions I think we should be asking.

• TVs: How many/what size? Are they HD?
• Soccer Priority: Do they carry the soccer channels (FSC, GolTV, FSE, FS+, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPN Deportes, Univision, Telemundo, etc)? Will they order special pay-per\-view soccer events? Are they willing to open their doors at 6AM to catch the afternoon matches in Europe? Are they willing to show soccer despite what other events may be on? (We'll probably need to ask the management about these things.)
• Food: Does the food taste good? (Not a major hang-up for me, but it may be for some finicky folks.) Is the food expensive?
• Beverages (Beer): Do they have a good selection of beer? On Tap? No beer!? Other beverages? Is the beer expensive?
• Other: Does the place have a good ambiance? Does the place allow singing, chanting, cheering when your team scores? Does the place allow smoking, dancing, karaoke, etc that may distract us from the games?

Having many quality beers on tap certainly wouldn't hurt!

Soccer Bar Index Rating: Is it a legit soccer pub or just a place to watch the game?

Once I receive the review from a reviewer, I will rate the establishment based on the above criteria and assign it a "soccer bar index rating" (sounds spiffy, doesn't it). The descriptions below will give you all and idea of what the rating indicates.

4 soccer balls- Bar is bona fide soccer establishment and will show any game, at any time, no matter what. Has great beer, great food, great atmosphere, etc. Since I have been searching Huntsville for years without luck, I doubt any bars will earn this rating.

3 soccer balls- Bar has soccer TV packages and will show games, has good food and beer selection.



2 soccer balls- Bar does not have soccer TV package but will show soccer if they have it on their channels, doesn't have good food/beer selection.


1 soccer ball- Bar will show soccer if it's on their channels, prioritizes other events, bad food/beer selection.


0 soccer balls- Bar will not show soccer. Crap food, crap beer.



Would you, the Huntsville soccer community, like to help with this effort?

If you would like to volunteer, send me an email at ryanogol [at] gmail [dot] com. I'll send you a review questionnaire that will guide you through what to do and ask for while reviewing an establishment for soccer bar potential.


Volunteers to meet at Steve McQueens for US vs Netherlands Next Wednesday


I think we can get a good start on this by meeting next Wednesday afternoon for a late lunch at Steve McQueen's in Madison (on 72, used to be Indigo Joes) to watch the US v Netherlands match (game starts at 1:45 PM). I've heard that SMcQs may be interested in hosting "soccer viewings". So, it will be a good place to start our little venture.

If all else fails...



If for some reason we can't find a way to identify one, I may just have to buy one of these portable blow-up pubs, blow it up in my backyard, put a keg and a big TV in it, and invite you all over!

Watching at Home vs Bar vs Stadium, Fox Soccer Plus, FoxSoccer.tv, and Jens Lehmann Clowns Around Again

With whom do you watch the game?

I've been beating the Huntsville soccer bar drum pretty loudly, lately. Maybe it's the long, cold winter we've been having. And it may be because I'm getting cabin fever while sitting alone on my couch, screaming at the TV over missed goals and terrible calls. I need a change of venue. I need a social outlet, a place where I can hang with my fellow soccer pals and shoot the bull while taking in the game.

Jesse Chula categorizes the various types of soccer viewers in his post for EPL Talk. While I suppose I qualify as a guy who lives close enough to visit the stadium during the RCU season, the NPSL season is only a few months long. So, I mostly identify with what he calls the "All Alone Football Fan".


Good news and bad news about Fox Soccer Plus, FoxSoccer.tv


I'll go with the good news first. Fox Soccer Plus will be offered as a replacement of Setanta by DirecTV beginning on March 1. The bad news? It will cost the same as Setanta, which runs $14.99 per month. As I wrote last year in my review of Huntsville soccer on TV options, I don't think the programming justifies the cost. And it looks like I'm not the only one who thinks it may not be worth it.

In related news, FoxSoccer.tv will live stream EPL matches (and maybe other leagues) beginning on March 6. They also be taking over where Setanta online presence left with pricing at $4.95 a game, $14.95 a month and $49.95 a season. Again, the question is, "Is it worth the money?" This time, I'd say maybe. It really depends on how many and which games they are going to be streaming, but $50 for a season's worth of games doesn't sound too bad.

Jens Is At It Again

Tuesday's Barcelona v. Stuttgart Champions League match had a lot of entertainment value, but not just for the soccer played. PWT-blog's favorite goalkeeper turned circus clown, Jens Lehmann, cranked up crazy again.

Jens up to more antics

First, Jens takes out a photographer. Then, he performs a flying leg drop that would make Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka proud. This is just weeks after peeing on the field and stomping an opponent.

Champion's League, FIFA Elections, and Soccer Shirts

Champs League Knockouts Today

For all sceptics and know-it-alls: How can you still doubt the AR's decision?

FC Bayern Munich scored a blatantly offside goal in last week's first leg of the Champions League knockout tie against Fiorentina, but the funny photo above from a German soccer blog, 90elf.de, shows Miroslav Klose was clearly onside! :)

BTW, I'd like to take a long lunch today and watch the rest of the Champions League games, but I don't have a soccer bar in which to watch it. Barcelona play at Stuttgart (1:30 PM FSE) and Bordeaux travel to Olympiacos (1:30 PM FSC).


FIFA Presidential Elections: What it means to the USA World Cup bid?

FIFA President Sepp Blatter will face stiff competition in the next election.

Bill Archer writes an interesting blog post on how the 2011 FIFA presidential elections could affect US Soccer and the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Uh-oh...


Wearing Soccer Shirts, Sending Messages

I was out on a family outing to the local shopping center yesterday, and we went into Marshalls to look for cheap toys for my daughter's birthday party. When lo and behold, in the Men's section, I stumbled upon two sweet DC United shirts for less than half the original price!

Now, the guys at EPLTalk try to explain just what I'll be communicating non-verbally when I wear those DC United shirts.

Searching For Soccer Bars, World Cup TV, and Atlanta Stadiums

Chattanooga Also Needs A Soccer Bar

Looks like Huntsville's not the only city in need of a soccer bar. The Chattahooligan blog is looking for a good place to watch soccer in Chattanooga. Hmm... This may be a light bulb moment!

Someone could make a fortune opening a chain of soccer bars!!! :D

ESPN Announces World Cup Broadcast Schedule

As if we didn't already know, ESPN is taking the World Cup seriously. All matches will be shown in HD, some in 3D, 12 hours of daily coverage in the first round and live coverage on ESPN mobile. They're going all out. Yesterday, they announce the broadcast schedule with 44 matches on ESPN, 10 on ESPN2, and 10 on ABC.

Atlanta Will Have 2 Soccer Stadiums

The Atlanta Beat's proposed stadium

The Atlanta Beat of the WPS has announced that it will build an 8,300 seat soccer stadium in conjunction with Kennesaw State University. The Beat are currently playing in the 5,000 seat RE/MAX Greater Atlanta Stadium built by the Atlanta Silverbacks of the USL/NASL.

Atlanta's first soccer stadium, the Re/Max

So, Atlanta will have 2 soccer stadiums within 25 miles of each other. Who says the south doesn't support soccer?

Bar of Dreams: Isn't It Time Huntsville Had A Soccer Bar?

There are two huge matches on TV this weekend (USA vs Honduras 8PM tonight on FSC and the Derby della Madonnina or Milan Derby 1:30PM Sunday on FSC), and that got me thinking about something that Huntsville is sorely lacking... a soccer bar.

In cities all around the country, soccer fans will be gathering at local establishments to watch the game on the big screen in the company of their fellow soccer fanatics. A quick search on soccerbars.com shows only one soccer bar in Alabama and that is a 6 hour drive from Huntsville. The closest official US Soccer Bar is in Atlanta, a four hour drive.

Huntsville has plenty of sports bars where they show college football, NFL, baseball and basketball, but that's not the same as a soccer bar.

So, what makes a soccer bar?

In fact, it doesn't have to be a bar at all. It can be a restaurant, a club, or a even a diner. For me, it's simple. It's a place that you know, no matter what, the match you are looking for will be shown. It doesn't have to be a place with soccer jersey's hanging in every corner or a British/Irish style Pub. The food can taste like cardboard, the beer selection can be limited, and the service could be awful. It doesn't matter, the joint just has to treat the sport with respect and before all else, show the games.

Now, I've been to several establishments around town that are happy show the games, if their basic cable/satellite sports package happens to have the channel. In fact, every four years during the World Cup, almost every bar/restaurant in town becomes a soccer bar. During those special few weeks, soccer is a national sport. It's great. The game is treated with respect, and all sports fans are into it. But that does not a real soccer bar make.

A real soccer bar will:

• Go out of their way to order every conceivable channel where soccer is shown ahead of time.
• Have multiple TVs to show all the games going on concurrently.
• Order the special pay per view events (like the African Nations Cup) and advertise all of the games it shows.
• Open at all times of the day/night in order to show the games live and will often record them and reshow them later in the day, if necessary.

An establishment that does these things will have a loyal, strong following year round, not just during a few months of the year. It's a place that soccer fans will call our own.

If you build it, they will come.

What do you think? Is there already a place like this in Huntsville? Is there anything else that you'd like to see in our soccer bar?