I want a promotion (playoffs)!

WHAT I'M LISTENING TO: Some Garbage actually, as I thought I was special. Plus some Death Cab for Cutie.

WHAT I'M WATCHING: The Coca Cola League Promotional Playoffs have begun, with games all through the next week. Plus, MLS of course.

WHAT I'M READING: "Bush at War" by Bob Woodward. Very good read, very interesting, and sad. Hard to believe what a great opportunity at greatness Bush had, and threw away for Iraq.

So the leagues in Europe are winding down.

It goes without saying that Manchester United have won their ninth English Premier League championship (9 out of 15 ain't too bad).

The Coca Cola Leagues are done with the regular season. Now comes the only exciting post season for me (outside of MLS, natch): the promotional playoffs! Four clubs from each league do battle, the semi-finals a two-legged affair and the final in each league a single game played at the brand new Wembley Stadium.

Always exciting. Plus, thanks to Setanta Sports, I'll get to see virtually every single second of the action across all three leagues! Here's how it is playing out:

COCA COLA LEAGUE TWO:
Shrewsbury Town v. Milton Keyes Dons
Lincoln City v. Bristol Rovers

COCA COLA LEAGUE ONE:
Yeovil Town v. Nottingham Forest
Blackpool v. Oldham Athletic

COCA COLA LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP:
Southampton v. Derby County
Wolverhampton Wolves v. West Bromwich Albion

The two winners in each league meet in the final, with the winning team going up to the next step (League Two to League One, League One to Championship, Championship to Premiership).

Part of the fun is picking a club in each level. Since I don't get to see the lower league games often enough, I don't really have a favorite club per league. So I pick one of the four to support, adding just that little bit more to the playoffs.

In League Two, I'm siding with MK Dons, just because of the hard road they've had from the heights of English football to the last rung on the league ladder. It would be nice to see them actually go up for a change.

In League One, I'm siding with Nottingham Forest. With their glorious history (champions of Europe twice in the early 1980's!), this is a side I want to see back in the EPL sometime soon. Moving up a step now would be a start. Plus, they are the club I'm managing in my World Soccer Manager 2007 computer game.

In the Championship, it's tougher. In the end, I'm siding with Southampton, just because I think they belong back up in the top level. But I wouldn't mind seeing Wolves either.

So, it's some great football excitement every day from now until next weekend, then the finals in each league over Memorial Day weekend.

Good times.

I'm going back to the games now. Hope to get a post tomorrow or Monday for Mother's Day, as it's a special day for the most special ladies on Earth.

Be seeing you.