20230915 Raven Newsletter

Hail GFOP!

I type with fingers filled with mixed emotions. The familiar buzz of crackling anticipation one feels whenever the Premier League is set to return to our loving arms is accompanied by the numbing fear that precedes any time Everton attempt to play football. This has been a complex International Break. The football has been middling. Yet the balming wonder that there has been no Everton to darken my doorstep has been indescribably soothing, yet also depressing in its own way. Yes, I still experienced my quotient of sporting pain, voluntarily traveling to Chicago to witness Jordan Love soiling my season’s hopes for the hapless Bears in person. These are the darkest of days in which I do not know where my Everton ends and the Bears begin.

Then, to wake up this morning, and read Everton’s announcement they have signed an agreement to be sold to a Miami-based investment firm 777 Partners is the ultimate darkness. 777 began as an “investment firm” which chased litigation settlement claims. To be clear – signing an agreement is not the same as being sold – the Premier League have to approve the deal, but this is who we are now. 777 are not serious pedigreed owners who arrive with a blueprint and vision to restore the club to its traditional perch O’glory. These are bargain hunters looking to acquire and exploit distressed assets. With losses of over $534M over the past 5 years, and the Premier League about to rule on the club for breaches of Financial Fair Play, that could pretty well be Everton’s club nickname right now. The ultimate footballing distressed asset. Read this grim interview, in which the new owners – who yes, have cocaine convictions, allegations of fraud, illegal loans and failure to pay bills littered across their past – predict football is going to enter a period of “Hyper Commercialization.” Turns out, all this time, I have been cheering for a club that was already dead, with accounts so toxic, they scared off serious buyers. All that is left is for footballing buzzards to come in and pick the bones. We Everton fans have yearned for new ownership for so long. Now we live out every dark adage – “be careful what you wish for, it could come true” and “It could always be worse.” Cue Fast Car on Repeat.

2. To the Football

i. Wolves vs. Liverpool (Saturday 7.30 AM ET, USA)

Liverpool limber up early to kick off their Europa league week, unleashing their revitalized midfield of Szoboszlai and Mac Allister. Dutch talent Ryan Gravenberch might make his debut. Big Virg again missing with extended suspension. Wolves are a shadow of the side who raced into a 2-0 lead within 12 minutes to set up their biggest win of last season in this fixture. A Xerox of a Xerox.

ii. West Ham vs. Manchester City (Saturday 10 AM ET, USA)

Fourth face first! After whipping Brighton with just 22% possession, David Moyes will feel no fear as he unleashes his exquisitely synchronized counter-attacking collective upon the defending champions who have won every game without summoning top form. How Lucas Paquetá would love to show up the team who declined to take a gamble on him and jam a crowbar into Pep’s perfect start. I spent time with David Moyes this week for an interview which will air on our YouTube this morning. I realized as we were talking, his happiness might be the closest Everton fans ever come to experiencing joy whilst watching football again.

iii. Manchester United vs. Brighton (Saturday 10 AM ET, P’Cock)

A match up between wasted wads of cash and the application of brains and data. How Massive United would bite your arm off to be tiny Brighton. A club organized around a masterful front office blueprint, led by a visionary manager with an innovative, precise tactical vision. Instead, they stagger back, beset by problem after problem. Many self-inflicted. The injury list is long. Mason Mount, Raphaël Varane, and Luke Shaw among those out. Jadon Sancho and his manager are in a confusing cold war. Antony is on leave of absence in the midst of traumatic charges. The ownership sale has turned from sprint to deadwind. Defeat would be their third loss in five games. The feeling of a season teetering into the darkness.

More: Away from the ghosts: Barça prodigy Ansu Fati starts again at Brighton.

And More: Højlund is raw but loaded with potential. A worthy gamble. More on the young, fast Dane here.

iv. Tottenham vs. Sheffield United (Saturday 10 AM ET, P’Cock)

“Second Place Spurs.” The sweetest sound for Tottenham fans who have experienced unfamiliar emotions so far this season: joy and optimism. James Maddison will take to the field for the first time after his surreal yet wonderful declaration that he likes to be the “main man” even when at “a roast dinner with his family.” A flailing Richarlison’s traumas remain one dark spot on the season. The truist test of this Spurs team will be when things become tough. Next weekend’s journey into the hostile territory of the North London Derby will cast its shadow over this game. If Spurs win, this will be their best start to a season since 1965, so for now, roll on Ange Ball.

More: Tottenham extend NFL relationship until 2029.

v. Bournemouth vs. Chelsea (Sunday 9 AM ET, USA)

I am interviewing Bournemouth owner Bill Foley today. His clash of styles with Todd Boehly is fascinating. Two loud American Premier League leaders with very, very different visions.

vi. Everton vs. Arsenal (Sunday 11.30 AM ET, USA)

Is it really just 7 months since Sean Dyche arrived at Everton and announced himself with the false dawn of a 1-0 win against Arsenal? Do Everton really have four wins and one draw in their last five at home against the Gunners? Why does none of this give me hope at all? As Jim Morrison once wailed “The future is uncertain but the end is always near.”

Full slate of games and broadcast times here.

3. USMNT: An odd international break in review 🇺🇸

An odd window with a pair of friendlies against Uzbekistan and Oman – such substandard opponents, it is hard to read anything into them at all. Gregg Berhalter has returned belatedly for his second term. Fences must now be mended with both a fractious fan base and Gio Reyna, a star young player whose creativity both of these performances cried out for. The surreal reality of this week is that the United States scored 7 goals without conceding, yet somehow did not impress at all. Goalkeeper Matt Turner was player of the game in the first match. Oman were such a patsy, the four goals scored, undermined by a truly slapstick goalkeeping performance and a reckless own goal – meant the win felt like empty calories. My big takeaway is that Ricardo Pepi is defining himself as one of my favorite American footballers in this moment. His tenacity and clinicality are inspiring. The battle between him and Balogun could be a great thing. Germany and Ghana will offer a more serious test in the next window, and the healing that must happen with Gio now fit, will be perhaps the ultimate and most consequential test this team will face this year.

THIS: The highlight for me of the break was the content we created with these remarkable young players including Antonee Robinson and Matt Turner. Two of our best and brightest doing work in the Premier League.

More: Rog recaps the USMNT’s International Break immediately after the Final Whistle of USMNT vs. Oman. LISTEN HERE.

4. MILAN DERBY DELLA MADONNINA TIME (Saturday, 12 PM ET) 🇮🇹🤌🤌🤌

Inter host AC Milan in a game named for the statue of the Virgin Mary that sits atop Milan’s iconic cathedral and which, to the hyperbolic, feels like an early season title decider. Both teams have had perfect starts to the campaign. Both are propelled by young new signings. This derby has always felt like one of the most seismic – with Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah now riding with AC Milan, it now has profound American resonance. Pulisic gave an interview to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport in which he said the Derby will be the perfect place to find out which of the teams has true bona fides, as well as the depth of the reception he has received since netting twice in his first 3 games. “It was love at first sight for me too,” Pulisic said. “Especially when I saw the fans. I’ve never seen a passion like this.”

More: Pulisic’s career faces its first Milan Derby.

5. This Week at Men in Blazers Headquarters

Did we mention we’re launching a new Podcast, SUBSCRIBE TO MEN IN BLAZERS EARLY KICKOFF RIGHT HERE. We are so proud of this Podcast. One thing you can do to help, dear GFOPS, share it with your football curious friends. Because this Pod is on a different Pod feed than our regular Pods, it is like starting all over from scratch. So its success is contingent on each and every one of you subscribing, as well as your friends, and their friends and their friends’ friends. So please pass this along. And if you like what you hear from the first episode, leave a five-star review. It will help more than we can say.

ii. Some other content we’re proud of this week:

JJ Watt Interviews Vinny Kompany on Men in Blazers YouTube. A future NFL Hall of Famer interviews Burnley Manager and Premier League Legend. On our YouTube page. It sounds like some kind of fan fiction, but this is for reals. We absolutely loved this conversation between these two heroes. I adore JJ and how he has turned his passion into action, alongside his wife Kealia Watt. Vinny Kompany is an iconic player turned fascinatingly deft manager. This is a conversation about leadership, the mindset of elite athletes and talent management, and of course… Belgian Waffles. We are putting so much content on our YouTube Page right now. If you don’t already, subscribe subscribe subscribe.

iii. The First Woman to Ever Win an NCAA Men’s Soccer National Championship. WATCH THE DIGITAL SHORT.

iv. Coming up next week, it is the return of the Champions League and the return of European Nights with Rory Smith. We absolutely cannot wait to dissect the world’s premier club competition with one of football’s great minds and storytellers. Look for that on Tuesday.

Men in Blazers x Bud Light Sweepstakes - Exclusive Prizes for GFOPs 🍺

You’ve long known about the GFOPs at Bud Light’s support of the game we all love. Now, they’re giving us the chance to give away some exclusive prizes only to those of you reading this newsletter. Entering is easy: just head to budlight.com/MIB to enter for your chance to win signed gear, exclusive Bud Light merch, and more.*

6. More Football, Did Ya Say?

i. How would Messi fare in the Premier League?

ii. How Germany became so Crap at Football

iii. Aaronson brothers on different tracks to the same place

iv. Bruce Arena’s murky end. Such a sad way to limp off into obscurity

7. Happy Constitution Day 🇺🇸

This Sunday is Constitution Day. Last year, I had the honor of speaking to a newly-sworn-in American citizens in front of the actual Constitution. This is a taste of what I had to say.

8. Not Football, and all the better for it

i. Michael Rubin’s guide to winning friends and influencing people. If you wondered how that gent does his thing.

ii. This piece touches all of my guidestars. Larkin. Ted Lasso. And life. Thanks to @williamswrites who sent it in and declared me to be in the center of this Venn Diagram.

iii. The pain of supporting a hopeless team like the Detroit Lions. And what surreal feelings are conjured… when they become good. Everton fans. There is hope. Thanks to GFOP Samantha Longshore who emailed this to me.

iv. The creative challenge of showing text messages in dramas. Something I have long thought about and this piece smashes.

v. Latest New York City Nightclub obsession: Chess. My house has been a nightclub for the last 20 years and I did not know it.

vi. No Bryans allowed! At the ‘dumb’ and ‘wholesome’ Ryan Rave, everyone belongs — and everyone’s Ryan. May all of us feel this kind of comradery at least once in our lives.

vii. Japan Airlines wants travelers to stop packing suitcases and just rent clothing when they're in Japan. Save on the checked bag fee and get yourself an old Fernando Torres' J-League kit.

viii. How to make a leading (& minor I assume) entomologist's day: I Asked Leading Entomologists: ‘What’s The Smartest Bug In The World?’

Ix. Massive longread from ProPublica into the OB-GYN scandal at Columbia and accompanying Wondery pod: Exposed: Cover-Up at Columbia University. Not sure the last time I had such a physical reaction to a story, utterly horrific.

x. It’s Time to Bring Back the '90s Legal Thriller. A Few Good Men, The Firm, Double Jeopardy???? Bangers! Every single one.

xi. Musings on the three distinct cat moods: (apathy, private joy, sleepiness): The Secret to Appreciating Garfield.

xii. Where can I vote against this? British pubs to start charging more at “peak times”.

xiii. Were you aware of the "egg white omelet’s late-20th-century tyranny" or that Momofuku Noodle Bar is culpable for turning the soft egg into a "ubiquitous hipster entity”? Marian Bull explores both for Eater: Orange Is the New Yolk.

xiv. Inside the Effort to Prevent Conflict Between Humans and Elephants in Africa. Not to be a SPECIES traitor, but I'm with the Elephants on this one.

xv. Meet the guy in charge of cleaning up Burning Man. What Guus Hiddink is to Chelsea this man is to the Nevada desert.

xvi. This Song saved my week: Will Anybody Ever Love Me? By Sufjan Stevens. What Messi is to football, Sufjan is to sad music.

One last important note: My wife wrote a book. This Is So Awkward: Modern Puberty Explained. Vanessa is a health educator and she and her partner, pediatrician Cara Natterson, have dedicated their lives to exploring how everything we know about teens’ experience of modern puberty is wrong, and by knowing it and understanding it, the experience that impacts each one of our kids can actually be a joyful transformation and not a traumatic one – both for the kids themselves, and we parents. I admire her work a ton. Truth is, this is one experience everyone in the world goes through, yet no one talks about it, especially girls. Any of you who are parents will understand what I mean. Would mean the world to me if you were able to snap up an advanced copy as she sets off into the world to launch this beauty. Drop me a line at [email protected] if you have any questions on this or ANYTHING. I send you my love. Especially you Everton fans. Lord knows, we need it.

To better days ahead for all.

Big Love

Courage.

ROG

*BUD LIGHT® “MEN IN BLAZERS” SWEEPSTAKES. No Purchase Necessary. Open to US residents 21+. Begins 4/4/23 and ends 12/31/23. Multiple entry periods. See Official Rules at https://budlight.com/MIBSweeps for entry deadlines, prizes and details. Message and data rates may apply. Void where prohibited. ENJOY RESPONSIBLY. © 2023 Anheuser-Busch, Bud Light® Beer, Light Beer, St. Louis, MO