Steve Soldwedel
The Archive
Diarra-rhea of the mouth
November 16, 2009 | 6:44pmWhile the football leagues took a break this weekend to accommodate World Cup qualifying ties, tension bubbled up at the end of the match between France and Ireland.According to Irish...
ELC: What's in a name?
November 10, 2009 | 3:35pmWhat's in a name? It depends on whom you ask. For Newcastle United supporters, there is nearly nothing more sacred than our beloved Magpies, hapless as they may be ......
Islander move not a Long shot
October 5, 2009 | 2:27pmMy first hockey memory is of Wayne Gretzky hoisting his first Stanley Cup. His Edmonton Oilers had just defeated the incumbent New York Islanders, who had won the previous four...
'Great One' Quits Coyotes
September 24, 2009 | 6:42pmConspicuously absent from the Phoenix Coyotes pre-season, Wayne Gretzky's status as head coach was called into question. Well, the question has been answered; Gretzky quit today.It's been a long time...
Adjusting to Championship football
September 17, 2009 | 1:35pmThe Premier League is humming along, Chelsea and Manchester United are vying again for the top spot and Liverpool is looming at 5th in the table.Arsenal is languishing in the...
A Look at the EPL Fixture List
June 18, 2009 | 4:28pmThe Premier League season will open on August 15th and at least three things will be different (Wolverhampton, Birmingham City and Burnley instead of Newcastle United, Middlesbrough and West Bromwich...
EPL: Hello and Good-bye
May 25, 2009 | 6:43pmThe campaign is over and the chaff has been separated from the wheat in the Premier League.Gone are Newcastle, Middlesbrough and West Bromwich Albion ... just as it should be....
EPL: Round 37, The Drop et al
May 20, 2009 | 8:04pmOh, Newcastle, we hardly knew ye.It's pretty hard to summon even a semblance of objectivity when thinking that Howard Webb, a referee oft-admired for his no nonsense approach to officiating,...
EPL: Round 36, The Drop
May 14, 2009 | 5:06pmAs the Premier League season heads into Round 37, the bottom of the table finally looks a little different than it has the last few weeks.Hull City have dropped into...
Where To Now? A Bold, New Direction, or the Staus Quo?
May 13, 2009 | 5:05pmIf history is any indication, the Rangers organization will not cure what ails them.Scott Gomez was a brutal disappointment last season. The disappointment derived from his performance is the result...
EPL: The Drop, Round 35
May 4, 2009 | 2:25pmStart pouring the cement at the bottom of the table.Mathematically, there is hope. The kind of hope one prays to St. Jude to be realized. But Middlesbrough, Newcastle and West...
Losing the Series is Rangers' Best Hope
April 27, 2009 | 2:35pmIt would be a disservice to hockey, the Ranger organization and -- most importantly -- the fans if they somehow managed to defeat the Capitals in Game 7 tomorrow.In the...
A Lot to Like about Aston Villa
April 24, 2009 | 2:45pmI've got a team that I support through thick and thin, disappointed as they may make me. I'm not going to jump ship from Newcastle whether they stay up or...
EPL: Table Top and the Drop
April 23, 2009 | 12:24pmManchester United is three points clear and still has a game in hand. They're looking pretty good to tie Liverpool's record 18 top-flight championships unless the Reds can win out....
Lundqvist Worth Every Penny
April 23, 2009 | 1:43amThe Capitals are on the ropes.Yes. The 7th-seeded Rangers have taken a 3-1 series lead over 2nd-seeded Washington. They are one win away from dispatching MVP-candidate Alexander Ovechkin and a...
Time for an EPL Salary Cap?
April 21, 2009 | 1:39amWith the big four immersed in unsustainable debt and clubs below them putting themselves in hock to try and compete, the argument for fiscal responsibility and sustainability is a cogent...
EPL: Fizzy-pop is Being Poured
April 20, 2009 | 4:18pmNewcastle may have pulled off an undeserved draw against a superior Stoke City, but they couldn't stave off a superior Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. If not for Stoke's own offensive...
Rangers take 2-0 Lead into Garden
April 20, 2009 | 3:47pmThe Rangers and the Capitals are learning exactly how important a hot goalie can be come playoff time.On the positive side of the coin, the Blueshirts are reaping the rewards...
Rangers Gut it out, Get Key Win
April 16, 2009 | 1:46amThere will be tons of analysis, tons of recaps. Just not right here at this moment. More interesting is to immediately reminisce upon Brandon Dubinsky's deft move that left the...
EPL: Promotion Time
April 10, 2009 | 2:51pmEarlier this week, I talked about which clubs look poised to go down. Now, it's time to see who's ready to come up from the League Championship.With five games left...