Thursday, December 27, 2012
Friday, December 14, 2012
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Monday, December 3, 2012
Pretty Cool Slow Mo
Cheetahs on the Edge--Director's Cut from Gregory Wilson on Vimeo.
Cheetahs are the fastest runners on the planet. Combining the resources of National Geographic and the Cincinnati Zoo, and drawing on the skills of a Hollywood action movie crew, we documented these amazing cats in a way that’s never been done before.
Using a Phantom camera filming at 1200 frames per second while zooming beside a sprinting cheetah, the team captured every nuance of the cat’s movement as it reached top speeds of 60+ miles per hour.
The extraordinary footage that follows is a compilation of multiple runs by five cheetahs during three days of filming.
For more information about cheetah conservation, visit causeanuproar.com/
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Friday, November 30, 2012
Monday, November 26, 2012
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Monday, November 19, 2012
Friday, November 16, 2012
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Monday, November 12, 2012
Music Videos on MTV
Actually a very good answer to the question...Why doesn't MTV play music videos anymore?
This is done by the people that do www.5secondfilms.com.
Thanks for drawing this to my attention James!
This is done by the people that do www.5secondfilms.com.
Thanks for drawing this to my attention James!
Friday, November 9, 2012
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Friday, November 2, 2012
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Friday, October 26, 2012
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Monday, October 22, 2012
Friday, October 19, 2012
Sweet Pictures
These are pretty funny pictures that a haunted house in Canada posts on their websites. People make some funny faces when scared.
Pictures!
Pictures!
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Monday, October 15, 2012
Friday, October 12, 2012
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Monday, October 8, 2012
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Friday, September 28, 2012
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Friday, September 14, 2012
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Friday, September 7, 2012
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Monday, August 27, 2012
It's Monday and People are Crazy!
Obama secretly wants to destroy America! Black people can't play Monopoly nicely!
Maybe the craziest part? People will totally believe this stuff and this documentary is already on pace to be one of the highest grossing documentaries ever.
Maybe the craziest part? People will totally believe this stuff and this documentary is already on pace to be one of the highest grossing documentaries ever.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Beer Mile!
What do you do when you get 5th place in the 800 meter race at the London Olympics? You go on to bigger and better things...the BEER MILE! World record 5:09. Can Nick Symmonds do it?
Thursday, August 23, 2012
A Lil More Music
I can't believe I forgot to mention this album when I did my music post a while ago...
Fresh Espresso - Bossalona: I absolutely love this album. Psmoov is crazy talented and I believe he has had a very large influence on much of the sound of Seattle hip-hop. Speaking of Psmoov this album seems to have quite a number of songs with just him and without Rick Rude (the other half of Fresh Espresso). I believe he recorded a lot of this in his home state of Michigan. This is fun hip-hop without being pretentious. It is also interesting that during the making of this album Psmoov went clean and quite drinking and using drugs. Through his rhymes you can tell which ones were written before going clean and which ones were written after. A pretty powerful song is "Goodbye My Love," a great song about coming clean and stopping the drug use. Now this album also knows how to party, check out the tunes "Benihana" and "Goodnight Sinatra." I'll finish this like I started it...I love this album
Fresh Espresso - Bossalona: I absolutely love this album. Psmoov is crazy talented and I believe he has had a very large influence on much of the sound of Seattle hip-hop. Speaking of Psmoov this album seems to have quite a number of songs with just him and without Rick Rude (the other half of Fresh Espresso). I believe he recorded a lot of this in his home state of Michigan. This is fun hip-hop without being pretentious. It is also interesting that during the making of this album Psmoov went clean and quite drinking and using drugs. Through his rhymes you can tell which ones were written before going clean and which ones were written after. A pretty powerful song is "Goodbye My Love," a great song about coming clean and stopping the drug use. Now this album also knows how to party, check out the tunes "Benihana" and "Goodnight Sinatra." I'll finish this like I started it...I love this album
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Nick's Guest Post: 2009
2009 And Doing Fine: The Climax of TheSShH
2009 was a big year for the TheSShH. They had over 400 postings for the year. That is more than one a day! So cray! The problem with having some posts is trying to find the ones you liked best. As you can it has taken me a while to send Stefan this guest post. Here are my favorites:
Least Favorite Post:
This video no longer works, but I remember it perfectly. I know this is one of Stefan’s best friends while growing up, but I couldn’t get my head around how this guy was in the video (and still is, please see the following youtube videos).
Apparently he put Seattle on the map. Interesting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUTnaeBUsq4
And he drives a new whip now. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQVYJAlTGg4&feature=relmfu
Favorite Post:
Random Favorite:
Favorite Guest Post:
It should be noted that the comments on the post were spammed. Which, I believe is the only post that has been spammed.
Favorite Comment:
yeah i almost posted one of his videos with it but i didnt want this blog to have too many videos. I draw the limit at like 13,000 videos
May 29, 2009 7:43 AM
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Music Music...
Time to write something!
I have been meaning to do a little something about music but haven't had the time or the right 'tude to do it. At this point I think the best thing to do is to cover a number of different music stuff and just go with it.
Sol - Yours Truly: This album is absolutely fantastic. Great Seattle hip-hop, he was Macklemore's opening act for his last tour. Kid is a UW student that sounds beyond his years. The beats are also fantastic. Listen to this album and try not to like it. I would compare him to other people but I think that would just diminish his ability and sound.
Bon Iver - iTunes Sessions: A nice little EP of different versions of Bon Iver's tunes. I really wish they had done the song Perth but it is very nice anyways.
Brett Dennen - Loverboy: Brett Dennen really follows his signature sound and doesn't stray much on this. I never listen to Brett Dennen except for in the summer. I am a fan of his catchy single Comeback Kid. Frozen in Slow Motion is also a pretty sweet song.
NaS - Life if Good: NaS is pushing 40 now but still rap rap rapping. He tends to follow the same pattern, rap about the ghetto, drug dealers, cheating women and how great his first album was. You know what though? I don't care, I still like it. I will admit that I think the second half of the album is much better than the first. I think this is a real solid album and it is nice to see that he still sticks to rap and hasn't gone the way of pop rap.
When NaS focuses his writing on a story? Amazing...check out Black Bond.
Frank Ocean - channel Orange: I haven't been into R&B stuff for a while but this has some pretty good songs. Of course this album also comes with all of the drama that he came out right before it was released. This is a great step forward for the all of hip-hop and R&B. This is a good album but I'm not the one to fully appreciate it.
SBTRKT - SBTRKT: This is some interesting electro/house type stuff. I heard about them through my brother and I have rocked out to it a number of times since. I like most of the songs but some of them wear on me a little bit. It is pretty good music for the background.
Who doesn't like to wear a mask every once and a while?
Rick Ross - God Forgives, I Don't: In general I really don't like this style of hip-hop but for some reason I really like Rick Ro$$. His songs always feature that woman in the background going, "Maybach music..." (his record company) and him going "Ruh!" but I think that is just part of the charm. I don't think this album is as good as his last, "Teflon Don" but I can still rock out to it. Seriously, aren't those album names just ridiculous?
Citizen Cope - One Lovely Day: Like Brett Dennen, I only listen to Citizen Cope in the summer. I kind of forgot about him to be honest. Again, like Dennen, I find this album to be pretty average for their ability. Nothing really new in the sound but certainly not any worse. Easy to listen to in the sun.
I have been meaning to do a little something about music but haven't had the time or the right 'tude to do it. At this point I think the best thing to do is to cover a number of different music stuff and just go with it.
Sol - Yours Truly: This album is absolutely fantastic. Great Seattle hip-hop, he was Macklemore's opening act for his last tour. Kid is a UW student that sounds beyond his years. The beats are also fantastic. Listen to this album and try not to like it. I would compare him to other people but I think that would just diminish his ability and sound.
Bon Iver - iTunes Sessions: A nice little EP of different versions of Bon Iver's tunes. I really wish they had done the song Perth but it is very nice anyways.
Brett Dennen - Loverboy: Brett Dennen really follows his signature sound and doesn't stray much on this. I never listen to Brett Dennen except for in the summer. I am a fan of his catchy single Comeback Kid. Frozen in Slow Motion is also a pretty sweet song.
NaS - Life if Good: NaS is pushing 40 now but still rap rap rapping. He tends to follow the same pattern, rap about the ghetto, drug dealers, cheating women and how great his first album was. You know what though? I don't care, I still like it. I will admit that I think the second half of the album is much better than the first. I think this is a real solid album and it is nice to see that he still sticks to rap and hasn't gone the way of pop rap.
When NaS focuses his writing on a story? Amazing...check out Black Bond.
Frank Ocean - channel Orange: I haven't been into R&B stuff for a while but this has some pretty good songs. Of course this album also comes with all of the drama that he came out right before it was released. This is a great step forward for the all of hip-hop and R&B. This is a good album but I'm not the one to fully appreciate it.
SBTRKT - SBTRKT: This is some interesting electro/house type stuff. I heard about them through my brother and I have rocked out to it a number of times since. I like most of the songs but some of them wear on me a little bit. It is pretty good music for the background.
Who doesn't like to wear a mask every once and a while?
Rick Ross - God Forgives, I Don't: In general I really don't like this style of hip-hop but for some reason I really like Rick Ro$$. His songs always feature that woman in the background going, "Maybach music..." (his record company) and him going "Ruh!" but I think that is just part of the charm. I don't think this album is as good as his last, "Teflon Don" but I can still rock out to it. Seriously, aren't those album names just ridiculous?
Citizen Cope - One Lovely Day: Like Brett Dennen, I only listen to Citizen Cope in the summer. I kind of forgot about him to be honest. Again, like Dennen, I find this album to be pretty average for their ability. Nothing really new in the sound but certainly not any worse. Easy to listen to in the sun.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Friday, August 10, 2012
Nick's Guest Post: 2008
Don’t Hate on 2008
Fav Post: My first blog request. http://thesshh.blogspot.com/2008/07/step-brothers.html
Fav Post Runner Up: http://thesshh.blogspot.com/2008/08/if-stefan-can-do-it.html
Least Fav Post: http://thesshh.blogspot.com/2008/12/seattle-sports-2008.html
From what I can tell, my first comment on this blog was on the July 3rd, 2008 review of Pineapple Express. While not my favorite of the year, it is worth mentioning.
2008 was not a great year for anyone. Bear Stearns went down in March; WA MU took a poop in September. People were losing their jobs by the hundreds of thousands per month. Let’s move on to 2009. I am sure it will be a lot better.
For our future health, you turkeys!
Fav Post: My first blog request. http://thesshh.blogspot.com/2008/07/step-brothers.html
Fav Post Runner Up: http://thesshh.blogspot.com/2008/08/if-stefan-can-do-it.html
Least Fav Post: http://thesshh.blogspot.com/2008/12/seattle-sports-2008.html
From what I can tell, my first comment on this blog was on the July 3rd, 2008 review of Pineapple Express. While not my favorite of the year, it is worth mentioning.
2008 was not a great year for anyone. Bear Stearns went down in March; WA MU took a poop in September. People were losing their jobs by the hundreds of thousands per month. Let’s move on to 2009. I am sure it will be a lot better.
For our future health, you turkeys!
Monday, August 6, 2012
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Nick's Guest Post: 2007
Year 1, Err, 2007.
Fav Post: It was like a foreshadowing of things to come. http://thesshh.blogspot.com/2007/12/you-heard-it-here-first-folks.html
Least Fav Post: I don’t speak Spanish so I didn’t understand it. http://thesshh.blogspot.com/2007/09/binary-is-illest.html
After reviewing the posts of 2007, I have decided that this is going to be a fun and exciting trip down memory lane. The first thing I realized from reading the 2007 posts is how much I didn’t know half of the writers on this blog. I may have met Danny and the former writer, Nathan, once or twice. So, reading their posts allowed me to really get to know them, even though I didn’t know them.
Ok, enough of the sentimental and abstract bs. Let’s get to the review of the posts of 2007.
The initial theme of the SShH was Stefan usually giving his NFL football picks (he was so bad he gave up in Week 6) with occasional posts by the other three. One thing I noticed was when I tried to click on some of the references/links in the postings, a lot of them no longer worked. So, don’t believe when they say everything on the internet is permanent.
There were only 28 posts for 2007 and there was nothing too memorable I came across. I think 2008 will be great. To be continued…
Monday, July 23, 2012
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Kind of an interesting way to do it...
Superman
Two trailers, one voiced by Kevin Costner and one by Russell Crowe. They have the same visuals but different voice overs. In the film Kevin Costner plays Superman's adopted father while Russell Crowe plays Superman's real father. Kind of interesting...
Kevin Costner version.
Russell Crowe version.
Two trailers, one voiced by Kevin Costner and one by Russell Crowe. They have the same visuals but different voice overs. In the film Kevin Costner plays Superman's adopted father while Russell Crowe plays Superman's real father. Kind of interesting...
Kevin Costner version.
Russell Crowe version.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Intro
Hello,
My name is Nicholas Williams. The founders/writers of the TheSShH asked me to, well, begged me to put together a 5th Anniversary Special Guest Blog Series. If you didn’t already know, TheSShH has been online since September 15th, 2007. I know what you are thinking…Have I really been following these guys for 5 years? The answer is quite simple. Yes, you have.
Over the next two months you will see my posts for each year of TheSShH. My first post will be about 2007, obviously. My following posts will be then focus on 2008, then 2009, maybe 2010, definitely 2011 and if I am not bored out of mind going through old postings, 2012.
Like the original goal of TheSShH, I will be writing summaries and analysis on the themes of the writers’ postings. However, most likely I’ll become a lazy bitch and just post links to the previous posts. Just like the writers themselves.
Peace out Snitches,
Gingersnap out!
My name is Nicholas Williams. The founders/writers of the TheSShH asked me to, well, begged me to put together a 5th Anniversary Special Guest Blog Series. If you didn’t already know, TheSShH has been online since September 15th, 2007. I know what you are thinking…Have I really been following these guys for 5 years? The answer is quite simple. Yes, you have.
Over the next two months you will see my posts for each year of TheSShH. My first post will be about 2007, obviously. My following posts will be then focus on 2008, then 2009, maybe 2010, definitely 2011 and if I am not bored out of mind going through old postings, 2012.
Like the original goal of TheSShH, I will be writing summaries and analysis on the themes of the writers’ postings. However, most likely I’ll become a lazy bitch and just post links to the previous posts. Just like the writers themselves.
Peace out Snitches,
Gingersnap out!
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Monday, July 16, 2012
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Friday, July 13, 2012
Is Almost Live back?
but with a different name?
The (206)!
For fun here is an old Almost Live skit...
The (206)!
For fun here is an old Almost Live skit...
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Just Two Dudes
Enjoying each other's company listening to Gotye...
Thank you to Tanner's brother for enlightening me to this video.
Thank you to Tanner's brother for enlightening me to this video.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Monday, July 2, 2012
Friday, June 29, 2012
Punk and Horror!
Have a great weekend! Make sure you watch to the end.
Deadkill - "Oh God Help You" (Official Video) from Good to Die Records on Vimeo.
Deadkill - "Oh God Help You" (Official Video) from Good to Die Records on Vimeo.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Euro: After the Group Stage Predictions
Wow! What an exciting round of group play. I turned out to be definitely wrong about some teams and I could not be happier about it. There were some big surprises and huge letdowns (looking at you Netherlands and Russia). A few brief points then let's get to the upcoming matches...
Seriously Russia? They beat the Czech Republic 4-1 and then proceeded to tie Poland and the lose to Greece. They were the heavy favorites for this group. What isn't helping? Their post game reactions...players walking directly off the field, the manager saying he thought the team played well, and the captain, Andrei Arshavin, getting in an argument with a fan after the game saying, "The fact we didn't live up to your expectations isn't out problem. It's yours." One Russian member of parliament has proposed banning Arshavin from being able to receive any Russian company endorsements now. Ouch.
What happened Holland? Granted they were in the ultimate group of death but they should have performed much better. They just could not finish when they got near the net. I think this was their last chance to really do something as their team is aging.
Rough go Ireland. They really didn't have much in the way of hopes for this but to lose all three games and end with a goal differential of -8 is pretty bad. They knew they would lose to Spain but they were hoping to keep it together against Italy and Croatia. Speaking of Croatia, I am a little disappointed in their performance. They should have been able to beat Italy. Having your last game be a must win situation against Spain is rough. Every game is just crucial.
Quarter Finals
Czech Republic v Portugal: The Czech Republic pulled it together after getting blown out by Russia to win their next two games. They have some goal scoring ability but I think they will have a tough time with Portugal. Portugal started out against Germany looking like they were not going to be able to do much this tournament. In Game 2 against Denmark Ronaldo continued his recent streak of having trouble scoring but they won a hard fought game. Against the Netherland Ronaldo looked to be back in form and scored twice. I am still not a real believer in this team but I think they will win.
Prediction
Czech Republic 1 : Portugal 2
Germany v Greece: Germany started off game one not looking really in sync. They were able to win anyways and showed some great play in their next two games. Gomez (a traditional German name) has been a scoring machine. Germany has to be excited to be playing Greece. This should be an easier game than their last three. They should not overlook the Greeks however, as they were able to put some magic together to make it out of the group stage. This team is greatly inspired right now coming off their win against Russia and will be very ramped up for this.
Prediction
Germany 2 : Greece 0
Spain v France: Spain started off a bit shaky tying Italy 1-1. After that tie they decided to stop playing with 6 midfielders and try actually having a forward out there from the beginning of the game. Spain has it's own version of Ronaldo named Fernando Torres. He has had multiple scoring chances but has not been able to put it away. In the last game he seemed to be starting to put it together again. Spain has been completely controlling the pace of play in every game but they still don't quite look like they are fully clicking yet. Can France pull out an upset and beat Spain? Sweden certainly handled them today. I don't see them being able to pull this out.
Prediction
Spain 2 : France 1
England v Italy: England survived their first two games without one of the best strikers in the world, Wayne Rooney. In game three Rooney did his thing and scored the game winning goal. England hasn't had to play the toughest teams to get out of the group stage but they performed relatively well. They didn't deserve to beat the Ukraine but that is how the game works sometimes. Italy just squeaked through the group stage and I don't see them being able to put up a real fight against England. They were able to keep Spain to a 1-1 tie so anything is possible.
Prediction
England 1: Italy 0
Further Predictions:
Semi-Finals
Spain 2 : Portugal 1
Germany 2 : England 0
Finals
Germany 2 : Spain 1
Seriously Russia? They beat the Czech Republic 4-1 and then proceeded to tie Poland and the lose to Greece. They were the heavy favorites for this group. What isn't helping? Their post game reactions...players walking directly off the field, the manager saying he thought the team played well, and the captain, Andrei Arshavin, getting in an argument with a fan after the game saying, "The fact we didn't live up to your expectations isn't out problem. It's yours." One Russian member of parliament has proposed banning Arshavin from being able to receive any Russian company endorsements now. Ouch.
What happened Holland? Granted they were in the ultimate group of death but they should have performed much better. They just could not finish when they got near the net. I think this was their last chance to really do something as their team is aging.
Rough go Ireland. They really didn't have much in the way of hopes for this but to lose all three games and end with a goal differential of -8 is pretty bad. They knew they would lose to Spain but they were hoping to keep it together against Italy and Croatia. Speaking of Croatia, I am a little disappointed in their performance. They should have been able to beat Italy. Having your last game be a must win situation against Spain is rough. Every game is just crucial.
Quarter Finals
Czech Republic v Portugal: The Czech Republic pulled it together after getting blown out by Russia to win their next two games. They have some goal scoring ability but I think they will have a tough time with Portugal. Portugal started out against Germany looking like they were not going to be able to do much this tournament. In Game 2 against Denmark Ronaldo continued his recent streak of having trouble scoring but they won a hard fought game. Against the Netherland Ronaldo looked to be back in form and scored twice. I am still not a real believer in this team but I think they will win.
Prediction
Czech Republic 1 : Portugal 2
Germany v Greece: Germany started off game one not looking really in sync. They were able to win anyways and showed some great play in their next two games. Gomez (a traditional German name) has been a scoring machine. Germany has to be excited to be playing Greece. This should be an easier game than their last three. They should not overlook the Greeks however, as they were able to put some magic together to make it out of the group stage. This team is greatly inspired right now coming off their win against Russia and will be very ramped up for this.
Prediction
Germany 2 : Greece 0
Spain v France: Spain started off a bit shaky tying Italy 1-1. After that tie they decided to stop playing with 6 midfielders and try actually having a forward out there from the beginning of the game. Spain has it's own version of Ronaldo named Fernando Torres. He has had multiple scoring chances but has not been able to put it away. In the last game he seemed to be starting to put it together again. Spain has been completely controlling the pace of play in every game but they still don't quite look like they are fully clicking yet. Can France pull out an upset and beat Spain? Sweden certainly handled them today. I don't see them being able to pull this out.
Prediction
Spain 2 : France 1
England v Italy: England survived their first two games without one of the best strikers in the world, Wayne Rooney. In game three Rooney did his thing and scored the game winning goal. England hasn't had to play the toughest teams to get out of the group stage but they performed relatively well. They didn't deserve to beat the Ukraine but that is how the game works sometimes. Italy just squeaked through the group stage and I don't see them being able to put up a real fight against England. They were able to keep Spain to a 1-1 tie so anything is possible.
Prediction
England 1: Italy 0
Further Predictions:
Semi-Finals
Spain 2 : Portugal 1
Germany 2 : England 0
Finals
Germany 2 : Spain 1
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Friday, June 8, 2012
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Das geht ab!
I have been meaning to post this for a while...This song came out a couple of years ago and was a huge hit in Germany. I had this song stuck in my head for about a week straight.
A few things to know about this song:
The chorus is "Hei! Das geht ab! Weir feiern die ganze nacht! Die ganze...Hei! Das geht ab! Weir feiern die ganze nacht! Die ganze..."
In English that means "Hey! That is awesome/up/great! We are partying the whole night! The whole...Hey! That is awesome/up/great! We are partying the whole night! The whole..."
The groups is Frauenarzt and Manny Marc. Frauenarzt means woman doctor or OBGYN...seriously.
To the video!!
A few things to know about this song:
The chorus is "Hei! Das geht ab! Weir feiern die ganze nacht! Die ganze...Hei! Das geht ab! Weir feiern die ganze nacht! Die ganze..."
In English that means "Hey! That is awesome/up/great! We are partying the whole night! The whole...Hey! That is awesome/up/great! We are partying the whole night! The whole..."
The groups is Frauenarzt and Manny Marc. Frauenarzt means woman doctor or OBGYN...seriously.
To the video!!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Monday, June 4, 2012
That's so Euro 2012
Who wants a prediction and preview of the UEFA European Championship?
Don't know what the European Championship is? It is basically the World Cup without Brazil and Argentina.
Ugh, this is a soccer post? Yes, don't worry I will go back to posting stupid youtube videos tomorrow.
Like most of my prediction posts this will probably be completely wrong and I will have to change everything after the group stage but for now this will do.
Group A (The Kind of Random Group):
Don't know what the European Championship is? It is basically the World Cup without Brazil and Argentina.
Ugh, this is a soccer post? Yes, don't worry I will go back to posting stupid youtube videos tomorrow.
Like most of my prediction posts this will probably be completely wrong and I will have to change everything after the group stage but for now this will do.
Group A (The Kind of Random Group):
Poland (FIFA-65/UEFA-32): Poland struggles to score goals but they are also hard to score on. Having home field advantage could prove to be huge.
Russia (FIFA-11/UEFA-8): What once was a team based purely on offense they have also struggled to score goals lately. This team used to be really fun to watch but they have gotten a bit older now and their scoring has gone down. Their offense is still their best asset but it isn't what it used to be.
Greece (FIFA-14/UEFA-10): Boring soccer. All defense and then they hope to score a goal with a counter. This team could pull out some crazy surprise though (they won this thing in 2004) but I really doubt it.
Czech Republic (FIFA-26/UEFA-16): With a recent lineup change their goal total has gone down but their wins have gone up. They also have the great Petr Cech in goal.
Prediction: I feel pretty confident with Russia coming out in first place. Picking Czech Republic to finish second is going out on a limb a bit as I could also see Greece doing some damage.
Group B (The Craziest Group of Death Ever): Ever team is ranked in the top 10?
Holland (FIFA-4/UEFA-3): These dudes are good. Like really good and really fun to watch. They have one of the best collections of midfielders and strikers in the world. Holland does one thing really well, score goals.
Germany (FIFA-2/UEFA-2): Germany has gotten younger and better in the last couple of years. They are going to stay dominant for at least the next 10 years. Germany has also started playing with a more creative style that is different than they have been in the past. One thing that helps the German team, only three players on the roster don't play in the Bundesliga, these guys all know each other really well.
Portugal (FIFA-5/UEFA-4): Portugal is still lead by the breathtakingly beautiful Ronaldo, who is also extremely talented. Ronaldo now also has a better cast around him and this team can pack a punch. The team has changed its formation from being based around Ronaldo which has created more options.
Denmark (FIFA-10/UEFA-7): In any other group Denmark would definitely be considered one of the favorites. What might help them is that they have absolutely no pressure to perform as they are such underdogs. Don't overlook this team though, they are good and can score some goals.
Prediction: This is a really tough one but I think Germany will come out on top with Holland in second place. Everyone of these group matches will be really interesting and will have a huge impact on the overall outcome of the other teams. June 23rd - Germany v Holland...can't wait.
Group C (Who Wants Second Place?)
Croatia (FIFA-8/UEFA-6): Croatia's style of play is based around the counter attack. This can be extremely effective against attacking teams but with this group it might hurt them. They won't have opportunities to counter against Ireland who doesn't attack themselves. Spain controls the ball so much they might not have enough opportunities. They should be able to handle Italy though.
Rep. of Ireland (FIFA-18/UEFA-13): The Rep. of Ireland plays some of the most conservative soccer in the world. They rely on extremely good defense and winning 1-0. Seriously, in the last 24 years they have only once scored more than one goal in a game in any major Championship. Game should be close but if they fall behind early they will struggle to get back in it. This is their first time qualifying for the Euro in 24 years.
Italy (FIFA-12/UEFA-9): Italy has come limping into this tournament. Their level of play has not been very good as of late. They had an easy time qualifying for this Championship as their group was the weakest. With their first game against Spain they may start this Championship in a hole that they cannot get out of. Historically Italy always has a very resilient defense but this time around they will have to do their best to compensate for a very poor D.
Spain (FIFA-1/UEFA-1): The definite favorite to win this group. It is unfortunate that Puyol is hurt as he is the leader of the defense and also scores a fair number of goals off set plays but this team can overcome that. A really fun team to watch, they do it all, and they do it all at an exception level. They are the masters at ball possession.
Prediction: I am very confident in Spain walking away with this group. The Rep. Ireland could sneak by but I think Croatia will be able to score some goals and get second.
Group D (Not a Group of Death but a Toss-up)
Ukraine (FIFA: 50/UEFA: 28): Definitely the underdog in this group they will have to rely on the home field advantage. Their starting forward is 35 and they have lost a number of players to injury. Not good.
England (FIFA: 7/UEFA: 5): For once the British media is taking the right tone with this team...don't expect much. Wayne Rooney has been suspended the first two games, three starters have been injured in the last week and will not play, and Rio Ferdinand was not chosen for the team. Why was he not chosen? Because John Terry (defender for England) was caught yelling racial slurs at his brother, Anton Ferdinand. Safe to say, he and Terry don't get along. This leaves the team with having to start a young defender who plays backup for his club team. This team still has talent and should not be underestimated, especially as there is no real powerhouse in the group.
France (FIFA: 16/UEFA: 11): France struggled for a few years but now appears to be back in decent form with a goal scoring team. They have not lost in their last 20 matches. Their defense can be a little suspect at times, however.
Sweden (FIFA: 17/UEFA: 12): This team has recently changed its playing style to be much more creative and attacking. This has played out well for them and made them a more interesting team to watch. They also have a great forward in Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Prediction: France will come out in first place. England really could put something together but I think Sweden will emerge as the second best team. Minus the Ukraine, this really could anyway though.
Quarterfinals:
Russia v Holland
Germany v Czech Republic
Spain v Sweden
France v Croatia
Semi-Finals:
Holland v Spain: Holland get their revenge for losing the World Cup final to Spain.
Germany v Croatia
Finals:
Germany v Holland: Holland emerges victorious with a final score of 3-2.
There you have it! Go to Vegas and bet, nay, invest, all of your life savings. You're welcome.
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