Field of Play

Building From the Back: The 2015 EPL Season Cometh

Ladies and gentlemen it’s that time of year again. Enjoy those early Saturday mornings where you make that awkward but appropriate decision to crack open a beer before your kids are up. The English Premier League is back and continues to hold its place as the most competitive league in the world. Top to bottom there is no better collection of teams capable of knocking each other off on any given day. It may no longer boast the best teams in the world, but every game is an adrenaline charged showcase of pace and power. I am not going to give the entire rundown, but I am going to pick the Top 6 and those teams that will be cashing in their balloon payments next year.

Top Four – European Glory

1. Arsenal
This seems an odd choice given their recent run of disappointment, but I think they finally have the team to do it and more importantly, they have to be due for some good luck. The addition of Petr Cech is huge and I think they have one of the best defensive midfielders in the game in Francis Coquelin (my favorite non-Red Devil). They may have issues up front, as do most teams in the EPL this year and it’s their solid backbone that leads me to believe they will just nip #2…

2. Chelsea
Chelsea were dominant last year without looking dominant. They have done little to strengthen a side that struggled down the stretch last year. There is no more organized side in the EPL, but they rely too heavily on the finishing of jazz hands Diego Costa and I don’t think he will be able to replicate his run of decent health this year. I also wonder if there will be a greater focus on the Champions League this year as Abramovich is desperate for more European glory.

3. Manchester United
Crazy to think with all the money they have thrown around that they won’t rise any higher than third, but I just think this team is a bit short. The transfer saga around world class keeper David De Gea also disturbs me greatly. He is the only thing that kept LVG from an awkward off season still in search of European football. I love the addition of Morgan Schneiderlin to eventually take the reins from Michael Carrick who is still the most important piece of the puzzle for United. I think Memphis Dupay will provide the creative spark they have lacked and take some pressure off Sir Rooney. Either way, they will be fun to watch and I think there is a very real possibility they are the last team left in Europe making it all the way to the semi-finals. I think they are a year away as a true threat, but I hope I am wrong.

4. Manchester City
Interestingly, they have a better finisher in Sergio Aguero than the three clubs I have tabbed to beat them out, but they also have the weakest spine with an aging Kompany and Toure. It’s also hard to shake the feeling that Manuel Pellegrinni is not a ‘dead man walking.’ All in all, I just don’t get that feeling from the citizens this year.

Almost There

5. Tottenham
I feel like they are a feisty bunch and they may be putting together one of the best defenses in the EPL. Pochettino has had time to embed his philosophy of possession and attacking. They have the talent, but not enough to push for the top 4.

6. Liverpool
Yikes, I just don’t know. I feel like they shock and challenge for Top 2 or it all goes to shit and Rodgers is out before Christmas. Either way he has no clue on the defensive end, but there is enough dynamism offensively to keep them out of too much trouble. Will it be enough for a hungry fan base? The title run in 2013 may have been the worst thing to happen to crazy Mr. Rodgers.

The Bottom…

18. Aston Villa
19. Watford
20. Norwich City

It is going to be a long year for Villa who lost most of the crucial pieces to a squad that was already suspect. Everton and West Ham could struggle to stay out of the drop this year, but will ultimately survive. It will be a long year for the newly promoted sides and I think ultimately, only the exciting Bournemouth survives. Until next year, enjoy the ride.

Audible

Ryan Adams Covers 1989

I see every tweet about Natalie Prass, pinball machines, and cats, but somehow I missed the tweets that Ryan Adams is recording/covering every track from Taylor Swift’s 1989. Thankfully, Paste Magazine came to my rescue by breaking the news in their daily newsletter.

Swift, being the social juggernaut that she is, caught the news and seems excited. Stuff like this is exactly why every artist should have their own record label – or, at the very least, the freedom to do these types of things. If Adams doesn’t end up releasing this in some way I am going to be most disappointed.


  1. Tweasing = tweeting + teasing.  ↩

Short Cuts

I spent a night on ‘Mars’

What will it be like to live and work on the red planet?

To find out, I visited a Mars colony — OK, so it was a small camp near the top of a giant Hawaiian volcano.

I had no idea such a place existed. Way cool.

via Audacious Fox

O&F
Duly Noted

Raleigh to Host The American Roots Music and Arts Festival

Raleigh’s Walnut Creek Amphitheatre will host the American Roots Music and Arts Festival October 17th and 18th:

“Raleigh has an energy that celebrates the best in music, food and arts, making it the perfect place to launch the American Roots Music & Arts Festival. This incredible line-up headlined by North Carolina’s own Eric Church along with The Taste of Raleigh Food & Brews Celebration will give music fans and the Raleigh community an unforgettable experience,”says Keith Wortman, CEO of Blackbird Production Partners, LLC.

Other notable acts include: Modest Mouse, Sheryl Crow, The Roots (!!!), Willie Nelson (!!!), Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Grace Potter, and more. Tickets go on sale Monday, August 10th.

Locally Notable

‘Compton’ By Way of Raleigh

Detox may never see the light of day, but Dr. Dre is not going to drop the mic quietly. Compton: A Soundtrack arrives this Friday exclusively to Apple Music and iTunes (with a sneak peek available Thursday evening on Apple Music). Please pardon the particular excitement of Triangle and NC music fans as Raleigh’s own King Mez is one of several new or heretofore unknown artists appearing on the album:

Born Morris Wayne Ricks II, 25-year-old rapper/producer King Mez is a native of Raleigh, N.C. He’s been releasing music since 2009, and his latest album, Long Live The King, came out in 2014. An introspective and thoughtful MC, Mez has collaborated with fellow North Carolinians J. Cole and producers 9th Wonder and Khrysis. The Morgan State alum cites Nas and MF DOOM as two of his main influences.

The new (and supposedly final) album drops just in time to coincide with the release of Straight Outta Compton, a new biopic about N.W.A. Here’s to hoping the album is more magnum opus than opportunistic fluff.

Locally Notable

Triangle Food Blog: La Farm Bakery in Cary Expanding

Got word this week, and confirmed through several sources, that La Farm Bakery over in Cary is expanding into the space next to them. No word yet on a timeline or what changes the expansion might bring.

I love La Farm, but the quarters are pretty tight in there, especially on a busy day. Hopefully this expansion will allow them to increase the number of seats and make it feel a bit roomier.

On an unrelated note, it sounds like Larry’s Beans will have a retail shop in the new SkyHouse Raleigh building in Downtown Raleigh. I’m excited, but I’m not holding my breath.

O&F
Savory

Driftwood Southern Kitchen

Last night, I met up with a couple of friends at Driftwood, my first visit to the southern style kitchen in North Raleigh’s Lafayette Village. Everything about it made a great first impression: the decor, atmosphere, Wednesday night whiskey special and, of course, the menu. Undoubtedly, the brisket was the star of the table, with the ribs being a close second. I had the meatloaf, which was also very good.

As it turns out, brisket is on a bit of a come-up in the barbecue world, as chronicled in a recent feature by Jim Shahin over on First We Feast1.

Once associated solely with Texas, the meat is so commonplace that it is harder to find a barbecue restaurant in the country—even in full-blown pig territories—that hasn’t added the Lone Star icon to its menu.

If you haven’t tried brisket yet, I highly recommend it; and Driftwood’s take on it would certainly make for a nice introduction.

Quoted

Do Nothing

“The paradox of work is that many people hate their jobs, but they are considerably more miserable doing nothing.”

Quoted

Home

“North Carolina has always been a home to me, and I’m excited to come back here and play.”