We've been talking about this for quite some time, and it finally happened: We've been picked up by the SB Nation network of blogs, which is a fantastic platform. (And no, we're not just shilling for our new bosses.)
We will still be producing the same content. The difference is that we now have better tools to accomplish all of our goals, and the community-building features will enable all of us to interact with each other much more efficiently. We'd love for you to join us.
Our new URL is:
http://www.cominghomenewcastle.com
You can view the welcome post here.
Friday, January 14, 2011
CHN Links: Friday Edition
Good morning, Toon Army. I really hate reading that the owner had to fly in just to have a meeting with the manager, even if it is just from London.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Match Preview: Newcastle vs S*nderland, Tyne-Wear Derby, Pt. 2
The Magpies are headed to the Stadium of Blight on Sunday for the derby rematch that the M*ckem Unwashed have surely been eagerly awaiting. After the utter domination they suffered at SJP they really should be looking forward to the chance for recompense, but our lads won't be looking to make it an easy day for the Unclean.
CHN Links: Thursday Edition
Good morning, Toon Army. Could Andy Carroll and Jose Enrique play this week after all? A national writer gives Carroll some advice, the two derby managers speak out about the clash, and three more names are revealed as targets for the club. All that and more after the jump.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
CHN Links: Wednesday Edition
Good morning, Toon Army. Who will be fit for the derby? Will transfers be done in time? That and more after the jump.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
CHN Links: Tuesday Edition
Good morning, Toon Army. Not included in today's transfer rumors are rumblings that Shay Given could return. There's not a single substantial report to be found. Sorry, rumor mongers.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Stevenage 3, Newcastle 1: A Collection of Reviews
Lee Ryder, Blog on the Tyne - "Anybody connected with the black and whites will be hurting like hell today after this embarrassing day in the history of Newcastle United."
Sky Sports - "The home side did not just cope with Newcastle. They pulverised them."
Paul Doyle, The Guardian - "That was in the fourth minute – and it was the last time Newcastle showed any real quality. Stevenage took control thereafter."
Ed Harrison, nufcblog.com - "It’s bad enough to be eliminated from the FA Cup by a fourth division side, but to also lose one of your best players for the next three league games is a disaster for Newcastle and will no doubt count us points in the league, and after this performance don’t anybody even think Newcastle are safe in the Premier League."
Paul Fraser, The Northern Echo - "For all Newcastle were dreadful, Stevenage were outstanding from start to finish and thoroughly deserved the lead when they earned it four minutes after half-time."
The Chronicle - "It was no fluke. In fact, at times it looked as if the home side were the Premier League outfit."
Talk of the Tyne - "Peter Winn finished well to make the scoreline 3-1, a result which haunt Newcastle supporters every year when the media roll out giant killings of previous years."
workyticket, nufcblog.org - "The Magpies started poorly, then proceeded to get worse as the game progressed, especially so in the second half when all of the real damage was done. Newcastle’s approach seemed to consist largely of lots of long balls punted into the box but with hardly any real chances created..."
Michael Richard, The Canadian Geordie - Upset about Tiote's red card and provides a video of the tackle.
The Sun - "Stevenage will see victory as revenge for FA Cup defeat against Newcastle in 1998 when a disputed Alan Shearer goal helped knock them out at the fourth-round stage."
Mike Walters, MirrorFootball - So many mixed metaphors it makes my head hurt. Where was Simon Bird?
Sky Sports - "The home side did not just cope with Newcastle. They pulverised them."
Paul Doyle, The Guardian - "That was in the fourth minute – and it was the last time Newcastle showed any real quality. Stevenage took control thereafter."
Ed Harrison, nufcblog.com - "It’s bad enough to be eliminated from the FA Cup by a fourth division side, but to also lose one of your best players for the next three league games is a disaster for Newcastle and will no doubt count us points in the league, and after this performance don’t anybody even think Newcastle are safe in the Premier League."
Paul Fraser, The Northern Echo - "For all Newcastle were dreadful, Stevenage were outstanding from start to finish and thoroughly deserved the lead when they earned it four minutes after half-time."
The Chronicle - "It was no fluke. In fact, at times it looked as if the home side were the Premier League outfit."
Talk of the Tyne - "Peter Winn finished well to make the scoreline 3-1, a result which haunt Newcastle supporters every year when the media roll out giant killings of previous years."
workyticket, nufcblog.org - "The Magpies started poorly, then proceeded to get worse as the game progressed, especially so in the second half when all of the real damage was done. Newcastle’s approach seemed to consist largely of lots of long balls punted into the box but with hardly any real chances created..."
Michael Richard, The Canadian Geordie - Upset about Tiote's red card and provides a video of the tackle.
The Sun - "Stevenage will see victory as revenge for FA Cup defeat against Newcastle in 1998 when a disputed Alan Shearer goal helped knock them out at the fourth-round stage."
Mike Walters, MirrorFootball - So many mixed metaphors it makes my head hurt. Where was Simon Bird?
Sunday, January 9, 2011
A couple of questions
Normally on the day after a match, we don't put up a links post. There are a few reasons for that, but the main one is that it usually takes all of the publications we like to link to a couple of days to post their reactions, and we like to put all of those in one place, rather than spread out over several posts. Today, though, there are a couple of things nagging at me. If you didn't watch the game against Stevenage, or you just need a reminder, here are some highlights, courtesy of CaughtOffside:
You won't see either of these things in the above video, but here are my questions:
1) Was that a Stevenage fan that punched one of his own players following the match?
2) Was Cheik Tiote's challenge deserving of a red card? (If anybody has a link to a video of this, please let me know)
You won't see either of these things in the above video, but here are my questions:
1) Was that a Stevenage fan that punched one of his own players following the match?
2) Was Cheik Tiote's challenge deserving of a red card? (If anybody has a link to a video of this, please let me know)
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Is Andy Carroll Paying for Wayne Rooney's Indiscretions?
Why is Andy Carroll a lightning rod for laughably sensationalist stories about his private life? He has made mistakes, sure, but the level of scrutiny his private life gets is past ridiculous. I am aware that footballers are subject to the whims of tabloid media, but just what has he done to deserve this? Let's take a look at his past.
Just two months ago yesterday, News of the World reported that Andy Carroll and Kevin Nolan (with whom he was living at the time) had been involved in a "drug-fuelled orgy" at Nolan's home. Of course, The Sun was more than willing to join in on the fun. Today, Jeremy Armstrong of MirrorFootball claimed that Carroll's thigh injury that has kept him out of recent matches was actually the result of binge drinking and not football-related. Let's say for the sake of argument that this story is true, right down to the anecdote about a meerkat. (A meerkat? Really?!) Armstrong relies on one witness: a drunken gambler hanging out in a casino bar. If the story was corroborated, Armstrong doesn't indicate so. Is this what qualifies as a source nowadays? On top of that, the headline is completely misleading. Skimming only through the day's headlines, as I often do when those headlines don't involve Newcastle, one would come to the conclusion that Carroll had himself ingested 30 Jagerbombs in 6 hours before injuring himself. Reading the story - and again, consider the source - He bought 30 shots for 15 people, which is sort of what rich people do. Even if you're willing to believe that Carroll wasn't injured during the Tottenham game, when Michael Dawson spent the entire climbing his back to get to crosses, you have to admit that this is a pretty flimsy story.
So why print it? The more accurate question may actually be: Why are people - journalists in particular - so eager to believe stories that are frankly unbelievable? The simple answer is probably that, as I stated above, Andy Carroll has developed quite a little reputation for himself. If you're predisposed to dislike Carroll and you squint real hard, you might find yourself nodding your head in agreement with Jeremy Armstrong. Of course he fell off a barstool! That's just the kind of guy he is.
I think there's something deeper in it, and that's the culture of following sports in today's 24 hour news cycle. We love our cult heroes, and we hate when the mask is removed and they're proven fallible. Take the case of Wayne Rooney, for instance. He's no stranger to controversy. In 2006, when he was about Carroll's age, News of the World and The Sun (sound familiar?) reported that Rooney had assaulted his then-fiancee in a nightclub. He subsequently won a settlement against the papers, (Chris Tryhorn, The Guardian) so the public was free to fall in love with him. And boy, did they, with good reason. I don't need to tell you that Rooney is a world-class player. He's a two-time PFA Footballer of the Year, and his popularity seemed to hit its zenith this last summer right before the World Cup:
The parents who named their kids Wayne before his sub-par World Cup performance were even more upset this September when more reputable sources began reporting of his affair with a prostitute. (Matthew Moore, The Telegraph)
So what does Rooney's path have to do with Carroll's? Well, for one thing, Carroll's place on England's national team has been a topic of great discussion the last few months. Fabio Capello has visions of pairing the two players together up front the next time England plays, so the comparison is very natural. (The Guardian) Here's my theory: Given Rooney's fall from grace, both on and off the field (I should mention that I don't believe myself that his play in the World Cup represents his ability as a player, but we're talking perceptions here), Carroll is being set up as an anti-hero. It's the principle of "low expectations, few disappointments." I'm not saying there is a vast conspiracy or that Carroll is above reproach. Andy Carroll is not a saint. He has been arrested for assault at least three times and has had several dust-ups with his teammates. Most people that follow football even casually are aware of his reputation - see Dan Silver of MirrorFootball's joke at Number 10 on this list. I'm not trying to pretend otherwise. I believe that, consciously or unconsciously, the tabloid media is making Carroll pay for the sins of Wayne Rooney and other heroes who have disappointed the masses when their private lives have been made public - and that's a shame.
Just two months ago yesterday, News of the World reported that Andy Carroll and Kevin Nolan (with whom he was living at the time) had been involved in a "drug-fuelled orgy" at Nolan's home. Of course, The Sun was more than willing to join in on the fun. Today, Jeremy Armstrong of MirrorFootball claimed that Carroll's thigh injury that has kept him out of recent matches was actually the result of binge drinking and not football-related. Let's say for the sake of argument that this story is true, right down to the anecdote about a meerkat. (A meerkat? Really?!) Armstrong relies on one witness: a drunken gambler hanging out in a casino bar. If the story was corroborated, Armstrong doesn't indicate so. Is this what qualifies as a source nowadays? On top of that, the headline is completely misleading. Skimming only through the day's headlines, as I often do when those headlines don't involve Newcastle, one would come to the conclusion that Carroll had himself ingested 30 Jagerbombs in 6 hours before injuring himself. Reading the story - and again, consider the source - He bought 30 shots for 15 people, which is sort of what rich people do. Even if you're willing to believe that Carroll wasn't injured during the Tottenham game, when Michael Dawson spent the entire climbing his back to get to crosses, you have to admit that this is a pretty flimsy story.
So why print it? The more accurate question may actually be: Why are people - journalists in particular - so eager to believe stories that are frankly unbelievable? The simple answer is probably that, as I stated above, Andy Carroll has developed quite a little reputation for himself. If you're predisposed to dislike Carroll and you squint real hard, you might find yourself nodding your head in agreement with Jeremy Armstrong. Of course he fell off a barstool! That's just the kind of guy he is.
I think there's something deeper in it, and that's the culture of following sports in today's 24 hour news cycle. We love our cult heroes, and we hate when the mask is removed and they're proven fallible. Take the case of Wayne Rooney, for instance. He's no stranger to controversy. In 2006, when he was about Carroll's age, News of the World and The Sun (sound familiar?) reported that Rooney had assaulted his then-fiancee in a nightclub. He subsequently won a settlement against the papers, (Chris Tryhorn, The Guardian) so the public was free to fall in love with him. And boy, did they, with good reason. I don't need to tell you that Rooney is a world-class player. He's a two-time PFA Footballer of the Year, and his popularity seemed to hit its zenith this last summer right before the World Cup:
The parents who named their kids Wayne before his sub-par World Cup performance were even more upset this September when more reputable sources began reporting of his affair with a prostitute. (Matthew Moore, The Telegraph)
So what does Rooney's path have to do with Carroll's? Well, for one thing, Carroll's place on England's national team has been a topic of great discussion the last few months. Fabio Capello has visions of pairing the two players together up front the next time England plays, so the comparison is very natural. (The Guardian) Here's my theory: Given Rooney's fall from grace, both on and off the field (I should mention that I don't believe myself that his play in the World Cup represents his ability as a player, but we're talking perceptions here), Carroll is being set up as an anti-hero. It's the principle of "low expectations, few disappointments." I'm not saying there is a vast conspiracy or that Carroll is above reproach. Andy Carroll is not a saint. He has been arrested for assault at least three times and has had several dust-ups with his teammates. Most people that follow football even casually are aware of his reputation - see Dan Silver of MirrorFootball's joke at Number 10 on this list. I'm not trying to pretend otherwise. I believe that, consciously or unconsciously, the tabloid media is making Carroll pay for the sins of Wayne Rooney and other heroes who have disappointed the masses when their private lives have been made public - and that's a shame.
CHN Links: Gameday Edition
Good morning, Toon Army. Let's let this picture tell the tale of what's to come in today's post.
"Then all of a sudden [Carroll] perked up, alert, 'like a meerkat'." - Jeremy Armstrong, MirrorFootball
Photo courtesy of @ToonArmyMIA. Tumblr link
Photo courtesy of @ToonArmyMIA. Tumblr link
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