We Are the Champions(League) My Friends! And I'll Keep on Posting Till the End!

WHAT I'M LISTENING TO: The album "9" by Damien Rice. Great CD. Heavy featuring on the songs "9 crimes", "grey room" "accidental babies" and "sleep don't weep". Also jamming out to Cake's "Comfort Eagle" song.

WHAT I'M READING: Newest issue of FourFourTwo with Becks on the cover.

WHAT I'M WATCHING: Mrs. JC and I just finished The Black Dahlia. I've flushed better shit than that. Don't waste your time. It sucks. The acting sucks like I've never seen in a big studio film. The directing sucks. The story sucks. Will probably be the worst 2006 release I watch. If somebody gives you the choice of watching it or having your genitals removed by a epileptic with rusty scissors and a bad cause of glaucoma, I'd say you really don't need your gens that bad.

The UEFA Champions League resumes tomorrow, and I'm pumped up. Thanks to the addition of Setanta Sports coupled with the coverage on ESPN2, I'll be able to watch seven of the eight games in the next two days.

For those not in the know, for shame. The Champions League is a European cup competition. You win your league, your in it the next year. Also, in the bigger leagues (England, Spain, Italy, Germany, France, etc) teams who finish in the top three or four get in.

The first stage involves 32 clubs divided into eight groups. You play each club twice (home and away) and the top two clubs after the six games advance to the knockout rounds.

Tomorrow is the beginning of the knockout rounds. Picture every game being like a Super Bowl, only actually exciting and worth watching.

Here are the games, and my predictions. I'm predicting the clubs that will advance. It's a two-legged series with aggregate goals deciding the winners. I'm not bothering with predicting both legs, just who will advance to the next round.

TUESDAY:
1. Celtic (Scotland Premier League) v. AC Milan (Italian Serie A)

MY PICK: AC Milan. Celtic are a good club, having played very well in the same group as my Man United, and I think they'll make a run for it. But Milan are just a bit too good in Europe for me to bet against them.

2. Lille (France Ligue Un) v. Manchester United (English Premier League)

MY PICK: Manchester United. I don't see Man United going all the way in 2007, but they have too much talent not to get past a good Lille side.

3. PSV Eindhoven (Dutch ErieDivisie) v. Arsenal (English Premier League)

MY PICK: Arsenal. Would pay top dollar to see Arsehole get knocked out at this stage, but I can't even fathom it happening. Too much talent out there for the Dutch leaders, who are in the middle of their own slump.

4. Real Madrid (Spanish La Liga) v. Bayern Munich (German Bundesliga)

MY PICK: Bayern Munich. Tough one to call. Bayern are having their worst season in Germany in a long time, but Madrid ain't doin' much better. They seem to have made a habit of struggling against lower table sides. It'll be a tough one, but in the end unless Madrid shape up, I see them shipping out.

WEDNESDAY
5. Barcelona (Spanish La Liga) v. Liverpool (English Premier League)

MY PICK: Barcelona. Should be the series of the round. Two great clubs. That being said, Barca are the defending champions and rolling along in Spain. Liverpool? Not as such.

6. FC Porto (Portugal) v. Chelsea (English Premier League)

MY PICK: Chelsea. Roman's billions are being spent mainly with the goal of lifting that huge trophy in May. The biggest cup that Jose Mourinhou has not brought to Stamford Bridge. I don't see them falling to the smaller side.

7. Inter Milan (Italian Serie A) v. Valencia (Spanish La Liga)

MY PICK: Valencia. Inter are top of the Italian tables, but I'm not completely sold on them advancing here. Valencia are top notch and I just got a feeling.

8. Roma (Italian Serie A) v. Lyon (French Ligue Un)

MY PICK: Lyon. They've won the French league four in a row, and are looking towards five. Yes, they've been average since December, but I think that'll change here. Can't see Roma taking this one at all.

For those lucky few, here's the TV schedule for the next three days.

TUESDAY
Lille v. Manchester United (Setanta LIVE at 2:30 pm)
PSV Eindhoven v. Arsenal (ESPN2 LIVE at 2:30 pm)
Real Madrid v. Bayern Munich (Setanta and ESPNClassic delayed at 5pm)

WEDNESDAY
Barcelona v. Liverpool (Setanta LIVE at 2:30 pm)
FC Porto v. Chelsea (ESPN2 LIVE at 2:30 pm)
Inter Milan v. Valencia (Setanta delayed at 9 pm)

THURSDAY
Celtic v. AC Milan (Setanta delayed at 3:30 pm)

Happy viewing.

Be Seeing You.