New Season!

Just wanted to write a quick note to everyone today to let you all know that I am officially back from my mini-break from the Football Fan-atic site. It was a good time to take a break; I sort of despise a lot of the off-season football press, including the constant speculation about who-goes-where and the made-up stories that get play for a few days from a bored media. I also could have done without writing about the David Beckham hype for the last month. So instead I just relaxed and watched football without writing about it, catching the Gold Cup, the Copa America, the MLS, and some matches from South America. I am ready and very excited for the new European season, however, as well as the second half of an admittedly fun MLS campaign. Over the next couple of days I will be offering predictions (i.e. blind guesses) about some of the races in Europe, and I will also be making some slightly more educated predictions about where the MLS teams will finish up. Of course, we'll soon be back in the thick of it, as England's Community Shield is this weekend (Manchester United v. Chelsea) and things go from there. I hope everyone is looking forward to the new season as much as I am. Also, thanks to the readers who wrote in asking about me during the break. (All three of you.)

Finally, a note of congratulations to my good friends Matthew and Fritha, who brought fourth a new fan of Newcastle United this weekend, the beautiful Kate Elizabeth. May the Magpies win SOMETHING in the poor girl's lifetime.