06/07/2004 1:24:49 am

I wonder how many of the other blogs will have entries about the Euro 2004 final.

This isn't one of them.

This is more looking to the future. Greece upset the odds at 100-1 outsiders before the tournament to take the trophy home. Millwall reach the FA Cup final. Porto win the Champions League. Are we seeing a shift in the balance of power? Are other teams catching up to the so called "big-boys" because of too many games and astronomical expectations?

Will someone like South Korea, Croatia, South Africa, Cameroon, make it to the final of WC 2006? Maybe even win it?

Who knows, maybe something REALLY crazy will happen.

Like England winning it.

03/07/2004 7:33:55 pm

Have gamers become too reliant on special effects and graphics rather than gameplay?

Yesterday I was talking to my brother about new games. With every single game he wanted, and when I said "But the game might play rubbish," he used the argument, "but the graphics are great!" Is this the view of most gamers? Do people really only buy games because they look nice?

The perfect example for this is "Enter the Matrix." It's made MILLIONS for Atari, yet it's widely regarded to be rubbish. Yes, it looks nice. And yes, you can argue it only sold because it has the Matrix license. But it's still rubbish.

I agree, yes, most games that look good, play good. But the reliance on graphics to sell games these days is alarming. It's diluting the quality of the gaming industry, and that can only be a bad thing.

Can't it?

02/07/2004 8:37:49 pm

Hartlepool today announced a new kit supplier.

NIKE! How awesome is that. And the best thing of it is, my dad works in the Sunderland office. CHEAP HARTLEPOOL SHIRTS! \o/ I can't believe my luck.

So very, very pleased.

Thought you may all like to know that.

01/07/2004 7:42:17 pm

Ah, the new season. Hopes, expectations, and the usual dashing of them all before Christmas.

I can't wait for the new season to start in just over a month. Hartlepool entertain Bradford City (maybe!), who are £30m in debt and struggling to survive. Who knows, if they go out of business, we may get a nice weekend off.

Of course, after last season, expectations will be high. Losing out in the playoffs, very unluckily, if I may add, proved the doubters and the critics wrong about what we had to offer. Hopefully we can go one step better and get promoted into Division One (I refuse to conform ­).

The future looks bright for Hartlepool, and after a history of underachieving and being, quite frankly, rubbish, we're on the up.

COME ON POOLIES

01/07/2004 7:29:45 pm

Heh.

I know it's pink. It's just an experimental thing to start with.

Um, basically, this will just be a record of my life. I know you're all thrilled to be hearing that. "What?!" I hear you cry? What could possibly happen to me that would be of interest to you.

Well, nothing.

But I'm going to tell you anyway.

So there.

Edit : changed colour from pink to this rather nice shade of red.