Find Information About Lots of Great Topics

Last Saturday, the greatest sporting event in the world kicked off. No, I’m not talking about any strictly American sport, nor am I talking about MMA, basketball, or baseball, cricket, or any other sporting event that immediately comes to mind. Am I talking about the UEFA Champions’ League, the soccer glamour competition that ESPN and Fox Sports have created into a pretty common event in America? The answer remains no.

This is the FA Cup, a one of a kind tournament, the likes of which can’t be compared to anything that takes place in the US. This is a massive tournament that allows soccer teams of all sizes to compete equally against one another for a chance at glory.

Just how big is this tournament? It’s huge. 762 unique football teams have a chance to compete against one another, in a single elimination format that spans 14 rounds. Can you think of any other tournament like this that goes as deep as 14 rounds? I can’t.

It is entirely possible for huge upsets to happen (including teams known as “minnows” stunning bigger teams). It is entirely possible, if the 9th tier team were to survive that long, that Manchester United could travel to the equivalent of a high school team in American football. Can you imagine the New England Patriots coming to town and playing your local high school? While that is strange to American sports fans and would never happen in this country that is entirely possible in the FA Cup. Upsets are also commonplace. Two years ago, Barnsley FC (a second tier team) made it into the Final Four of the FA Cup, beating giant Liverpool on the road and then beating another giant in Chelsea at home.

The tournament always sees its share of stunners. Every time out, at least one unknown team shocks the British football world with a massive upset. Some of the more notable ones are Wimbledon FC’s upset over Burnley in 1975, and Sutton United’s major upset over Coventry City in 1989. These things happen all the time, and are sure to happen again in 2009-2010.

One of my favorite things about this tournament is the opportunity that it gives non-professionals to share the big stage with some of the best clubs in the world. There are so few situations in sports that allow people to do this, and this is what the FA Cup is all about.

The best thing I can compare it to on an American level is March Madness, only over 10 times the size. Think about the way that the 16 seeds get a chance to play behemoths like UNC, and how exciting it is for them. This brings it all to a completely new level. The possibilities are endless.

Instead of two weeks of games, it’s 10 months of them. Imagine 10 months of March Madness. We’re sure that Dick Vitale would agree when we say that it’s truly awesome!

Popularity: 2% [?]