You had to know deep down, with this idiotic sport, that things probably would turn sideways.

not idiotic to me at all. different positions call for different skill-sets and you have 10 outfield players + 1 'keeper and it's napoleon, on a hill, deploying his forces of different skill-sets (cavalry, canon, infantry, grenadiers) and telling them when and where to attack and defend and counter.

as far as the $$ - decent tournament, so far. the last playing day: took a chance on england, failed. played heavy favorite portugal against morocco and that killed the bankroll.

Spoken like a true degenerate.

Do you bet golf?

no, i don't bet hobbies

I took Deep Blue over Kasporov.

that's great. a degenerate because one bets the world cup? betting on the world cup and national leagues has been legal in europe for decades. it's a national pastime in england; pink floyd 'money'. you don't understand the sport, you lump everyone in with yourself - if you bet it, you are a degenerate? you're right, if you don't understand a sport, why bet on it?

I've bet Argentina as well at -220 to qualify (whether that's in regulation, extra time, or PKs). That's more emotion because I'd like to see Messi win a Cup. For whatever reason, I haven't been impressed watching France that last few games. Mbappe is amazing and fun but I wouldn't be surprised with Morocco winning tomorrow. I'm just a novice soccer fan though.

Degenerate isn't necessarily a pejorative. I call my buddy a f@g for wearing sandals, he calls me the same for cargo shorts.

You wear cargo shorts? What the fuck is wrong with you?

I need pockets for buttplugs and dildos.

They are using a new ball for the semifinals and the final. Seems like a bad idea...or the perfect excuse when Argentina and/or France blow it.

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Please please please please...

Also go Bomb Squad

The questions become is it just because of the World Cup that has there are so many ads for Emirates airlines and why in the world would I want to go to Dubai?

Send me on a A380 in first class and with the sparkly eyed flight attendant in the commercial and I’ll go. And fly back one-two days later.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

good play. messi was great, no doubt this tournament in mid-season has helped him stay relatively fresh. your play came through at arg -220 to advance, i'm taking france to advance at odds of -390. could be something to the rumor that the flu is going through the french camp - heard that today. bankroll at +900, going to play france to advance for $600.

good enough from france, was hoping for a more comprehensive beating. i saw that in france, a 14 y/o of morrocan descent - was killed when run over by a france fan. a group of morrocans surrounded his car, ripped his france flag off the car and the rest is a tragedy. 100 arrested in belgium...on and on and on. morocco has a good unit, but they are not in the top 4 in the world and their luck was due to expire. their manager needs to cash in and get his desired manager job at a euro club as soon as possible.

if france win on sunday, that makes 3 world cups in the past 24 years. i remember when their federation built a state of the art national football academy - clairefontaine, in response to regular national humiliations/disappointments. i believe the usa has done the same in florida, but the league here isn't strong enough to propel graduates with professional seasoning. it may come one day for the usa, need more talent leaving for europe while still in their teens.

bankroll at $1.5k, will play france on sunday. may play croatia in the 3rd place match on saturday.

France racistly took that game from Morocco.

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Successful calls:

Kyrie Irving will never win anything as a team's alpha: check
T.rubisky is a bust: check
Ben Simmons is a liability: check
The Fields Cult is dumb: double check

2013 CSFMB ROY

Wasn't all that impressed with Argentina in the tournament until the semifinal. They did have something like a 36 game unbeaten streak before the loss to Saudi Arabia, so it wasn't like they limped into the tournament. They almost blew a 2 goal lead to Australia and did blow a 2 goal lead to the Dutch. But they seemed to put it together against Croatia and fate (or FIFA, take your pick) appears to favor them.

France appears leaky on the defensive side and losing Kante to injury for this tournament could haunt the French against Messi. While I respect Messi the player I just can't cheer for him. His petulant actions during and after the Dutch game didn't help any, in my eyes. But while I will cheer for France I think Argentina takes it 2-1

I don't even get that post and I still laughed.

yeah, i can see argentina 2-1 or even 3-1. quite possible. at 35, messi is having his best ever w.c. the pressure increased and we recently saw - incredible pass for the 1-0 against holland, the toying dribble and eventual assist against the media's darling 20 y/o wonderkid CB gvardiol and croatia...great stuff. maradona stuff from the 80s. for sure this tournament being mid-season has helped him and he isn't tired and stale after a long domestic season, domestic cup & CL season. no doubt that france's defense is not italy's of 2006, i just feel that france has too many guns and i expect mbappe, greizmann and dembele to have big matches. mbappe has been quiet and is due. i believe rabiot will play and feel he's a vital cog for france.

I'll tune in on Sunday morning. Might actually wait and go to the gym to watch on treadmill for the first half. Fun run up to the Bears.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

I thought this tournament was going to be a shit show, but the play on the field has been mostly entertaining. And now we have a dream matchup for the Final.

Messi vs Mbappe!



As one of the longest running Messi fans in the entire world I am definitely rooting for Messi.

I hope my once in a lifetime dog Lionel who passed away in 2018 is watching the game up in doggie heaven as he cheers on his namesake.

That's how long I've been a Messi fan. Named my dog after him when I got him in 2005. Messi is 35 years old now so do the math. He was 17 when I discovered and started grooming him.

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Why'd you tell me to do the math and then you went ahead and did the math? You a public school teacher?

Whoa, whoa…whoa.

going to play croatia to win in regulation (+150) for $400 and also play the over (2.5, -$105) for $400. bankroll at $1.5k.

thank Christ the ass-kissing of morocco will end. if bayern sign bounou of morocco, the worst german partnership since italy was their junior partner during the war. i don't believe it for one second and i'll bet that derek rae doesn't either - but, you MUST compliment morocco and it's players at all times. hakimi, the best right back at the world cup? right. he failed miserably on one vital cross, where he had an unmarked teammate in the 6 yard box. hakimi put the cross 2 yards behind him. world-class right backs don't put that cross 2 yards behind the CF's head. expert ally wagner didn't break down that massive fail.

the referee was poor, 100% penalty for croatia not whistled, not even looked at. i hope psychologically scarred red-head infantino can add that to his "best ever world cup".

just really sick of fifa's and fox's patronage of morocco. they are decent, they are not 1982 brazil.

thanks to croatia and the over, picked up a cool $1k and on to the final. bankroll at $2.5k.

It was good to see an early Morrrocan two hand shove, cost them a goal.

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4-3-3, two questions:

1. What was your initial bankroll for the tournament?
2. Do you do anything with the Football Manager series?

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

Who cares about Morocco. It’s like Chicago fans being convinced Joe Buck hates them.

I’ve been playing Football Manager since 98 when it was still called Championship Manager and just text, although I don’t feel I need to get it new every year.

I started watching soccer during COVID shutdowns when Serie A was playing twice a week to finish their schedule and it was on ESPN+. I watched a lot of Sassuolo on replay because I liked the announcers and started understanding more. Picked up FM21 on a lark to learn the game better and loved it even though I didn't know what the fuck I was doing, and picked up FM22 cheap in April but didnt really start playing it until after my surgery this summer. Will skip FM23.

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal