Friday, July 3, 2015

FWM 2015--Third Place Match


Happy Independence Day Stateside Members!

FWM 2015All is forgiven, America. ; ) Your friendly bookie has exited his “Bereavement Phase”. He now stands ready to fall in line and stand behind “Sam’s Angels”. As noted in the previous installment, a “Grievance Interval” must be observed.

Your friendly bookie cannot watch his Fatherland fall and immediately bounce back. Far too much hope is routinely invested in those wearing the DFB Crest.

I need at least 24 hours and at least 24 replays of some sort of “You’ll Never Walk Alone Rendition” before I’m ready to move on. It’s especially hard for Germans. We have to come to terms with the fact that no more patriotism is allowed until next Summer’s football tournament. Time to pack away the flags. : ( : ( It hurts. Trust me.

At the end of the day, this team fulfilled our expectations. Krauts expect their footballers to make it to the Semi-Finals. That’s all. Win or lose, we’ll still be satisfied. Older Syndicate Members know this. I write about it every year. We need to be guaranteed the right to wave our flags about a minimum of seven times per World Championship and six times per Continental Championship.

Not too much to ask. As far as non-negotiable tacit agreements go, it’s a square deal. It’s also important to beat the French. Mission accomplished : )

We’ll get one more chance to cheer on our Mädels when they face an English Squad that just barely missed out on their Championship dream after a freak accident. Good Lord! Someone needs to give Laura Basset a hug! Poor girl. Even by English Standards that was about the unluckiest thing I’ve ever seen!

It should prove an entertaining match. Both teams remain talented and hungry. Watch it, if only because I’ve elected to invoke bookie privilege, ring the bell, and declare this one the LAST CALL FOR ALL BETS!

Yes, gentlemen. After much thoughtful deliberation, I’m calling off all bets for Sunday’s Final. So sorry. I know you want one last chance to bet on your country, but the Final should be an unforgettable experience that we all share sans thoughts of money, lines, or trivial words. Don’t worry about your friendly bookie. I’ve made my money, all of which will be coming back to you in the form of Schwag Packs. We must close the betting and enjoy a quality game.

The Penultimate Post often affords me the opportunity to discuss future Syndicate Chapters. As tempting as it is to commit myself to some tasty specials on a really cool slate of European Championship Qualifying Playoffs, I’ll have to decline.

The next Syndicate Chapter won’t commence until May 20th, 2016. Your friendly bookie returns to the Shadows until the Syndicate reconvenes. Feel free to place a bet via a personal phone call, but there will be no text.        

Get pumped for the 2016 Euros, if only because UEFA threw far too much money into the Promo that will only take 30 seconds of your time.


ODE AN DIE FREUDE!

Take another 30 seconds to watch it again:


Take 30 more seconds to check out this dude’s compilation of all of the European Championship Promos since 2000:


Lines from Euro 2016 will be complemented with a full set of lines from the “Copa America Centario.” Americans will get a chance to bet on their team next Summer too! 

We’re all together, gentlemen. That’s all that matters :

10-M has a little something to contribute before we get to the Final Line:

Reader: At what point did you accept your status as a failure?

Vicey: Well written, 10-M. Poignant too. We’ll leave it there. : ) ; )

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….

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Or will we? My “professorial parents” squandered worse chances than I could have ever hoped for. At the very least I deserve to make that comment!

Third Place Match

Deutschland vs. England

 Germany vs. England

Third place matches often prove more entertaining than the Final. Don’t believe me?

 Check out what I had to say in 2006?


…and 2010….


Good Luck to Claire Rafferty above all others.

THE LINE: Mannschaft +2 Goals.

GENTLEMEN, ENTER YOUR WAGERS