June 13, 1956: The 1st European Cup Final

Francisco Gento with the 1956, 1957, 1958,

1959, 1960 and 1966 European Cups

June 13, 1956, 70 years ago: The Final of the 1st European Champion Clubs' Cup is held at the Parc des Princes in Paris, France.

On April 27, 1895, for the 1st time, the Champions of 2 different European soccer leagues met. It was an All-British affair, played at Tynecastle Park in Edinburgh, Scotland. The hosts, Scottish Champions Heart of Midlothian, a.k.a. "Hearts," took on the English Champions, Sunderland, from the North-East. Actually, it was an All-Scottish contest: Known as "The Team of All Talents," every one of Sunderland's players was Scottish. (The Wearside city is less than 60 miles from the England-Scotland "border.") Sunderland won, 5-3.

In 1897, the Challenge Cup was founded, competed for by teams from across the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which included not just the entirety of present-day Austria and Hungary, but all of present-day Czechia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia, and parts of present-day Poland, Ukraine, Romania and Italy. Vienna Cricket and Football Club won the 1st one. The tournament ran until 1911.

The Mitropa Cup was founded in 1927. As the name suggests -- "Mitropa" is an abbreviation of "Mitteleuropa," or "Middle Europe" -- it was played for by teams in Central Europe only. Sparta Prague won the 1st one. This tournament continued despite the rise of the European Cup and other tournaments, until 1992, when the European Cup became the Champions League.

In 1930, the Coupe des Nations was founded, held in Geneva, Switzerland, and was won by Újpest of Budapest, Hungary. But the Great Depression doomed this early effort at a continent-wide soccer championship tournament.

In 1949, with the Depression and World War II behind them, France, Spain, Portugal and Italy came together and founded the Latin Cup. Barcelona won the 1st one. This tournament did not long survive the establishment of the European Cup, being dissolved in 1957.

But the real key came in 1948, with the South American Championship of Champions, won by Vasco da Gama of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Gabriel Hanot, editor of the French sports-themed newspaper L'Equipe, wanted such a tournament for Europe.

Once again, Hungary had a major role. After beating England badly, both home and away, and reaching the Final of the 1954 World Cup, Hungary's national team was established as a power. On December 13, 1954, a small measure of revenge was taken when England's titleholders, Wolverhampton Wanderers, beat Hungary's, Honvéd of Budapest, 3-2 in Wolverhampton, outside Birmingham. "Wolves" manager Stan Cullis called his team "Champions of the World."

Since the rest of Europe was sick of hearing England brag about their teams, both club and national, especially after their pathetic performances in the 1950 and '54 World Cups, the "football associations" of the various European countries finally listened to Hanot's request for a real European championship, to be played in the 1955-56 season, by each European country's 1954-55 Champions.

Wolves did not compete in the tournament -- because they didn't win England's Football League Division One in 1954-55. Chelsea, of West London, did. But they also chose not to compete. Of the 4 British "Home Nations," only Scotland sent their Champions. With some irony, it was Hibernian, a.k.a. Hibs, Edinburg rival of Hearts, who set everything in motion 60 years earlier.

Only 16 teams competed. So there were only 4 rounds, with home-and-away legs, of this single-elimination tournament. In the Round of 16, Partisan of Belgrade, Yugoslavia, beat Sporting Clv.ube de Portugal, of Lisbon; Vörös Lobogó of Budapest, now named MTK, beat Anderlecht of Belgium; Real Madrid of Spain beat Servette of Switzerland, hosts of the 1930 Coupe des Nations; Hibernian beat Rot-Weiss Essen of West Germany; Djurgården of Stockholm, Sweden beat Gwardia Warszawa of Warsaw, Poland; Stade de Reims of France beat Aarhus of Denmark; Rapid Wien of Vienna, Austria beat PSV Eindhoven of the Netherlands; and AC Milan of Italy beat Saarbrücken, of the Saar Protectorate, a section of Germany then governed by France, but soon returned to West Germany.

In the Quarterfinals, Hibs beat Djurgården; Reims beat Vörös Lobogó; Real Madrid beat Partizan; and Milan beat Rapid. In the Semifinals, Reims beat Hibs, and Real Madrid beat Milan.

The Final was set for June 13, at the Parc des Princes in Paris. The original stadium on the site opened in 1897. This was the 2nd, opening in 1932. A 3rd was built on the site, and opened in 1972. Today, it is the home of the leading "football club" in France, Paris Saint-Germain.

The 1932-1972 version of the Parc des Princes

Reims, wearing red shirts with white sleeves like North London team Arsenal, were managed by Albert Batteux, captained by Robert Jonquet, and featured the best player in France, a son of Polish immigrants, Raymond Kopa.

Raymond Kopa, in uniform for France

at the 1958 World Cup

Real Madrid, dressed in all white, and thus known as Los Blancos and Los Merengues, were even more loaded. Manager José Villalonga could call on Captain Miguel Muñoz, and the man who may have then been the best player in the world, the Argentine forward known as El Saeta Rubia (The Blond Arrow): Alfred Di Stéfano.

Alfred Di Stéfano, in the all-whites of Real Madrid

Arthur Ellis of England, the referee at the Final of the 1950 World Cup, was chosen to officiate at this match as well. With 38,239 paying customers looking on, he blew his whistle at 8:30 PM local time -- also 8:30 PM in Madrid, 7:30 PM in London, and 2:30 PM in New York -- and the match was on.

Reims, with a lineup of all Frenchmen, didn't waste any time showing Real Madrid that they belonged on the same pitch. Michel Leblond scored just 6 minutes into the match. Jean Templin made it 2-0 in the 10th minute. But the Spanish side, all Spaniards except for Di Stéfano, were unfazed: The Arrow himself tallied in the 14th minute. Héctor Rial equalized at the half-hour, and it remained 2-2 at halftime.

Michel Hidalgo, a Normandy native with a Spanish father, gave Reims the lead shortly after the hour. But Marcos Alonzo Imaz, a centreback known as Marquitos, made it 3-3 in the 67th minute. It began to look like a replay might be necessary, until the 79th minute, when Di Stéfano made it 4-3 in Real's favor.

And so it remained when Ellis blew the final whistle. Real Madrid were the 1st true Champions of Europe, and could make a case for being the best side in the world. It would take until 1960 for an Intercontinental Cup to be founded, to be contested by the winners of the European Cup and the South American continental championship, now named the Copa Libertadores.

In 1992, the Union of European Football Associations renamed their signature tournament the UEFA Champions League, although the trophy retains the name "European Cup" (and the nickname "Ol' Big Ears," because of its large handles). In 1998, UEFA began admitting teams that had finished high in their leagues, but had not won them.

Real Madrid won the 1st 5 European Cups, and have won it more than any other team, 15 times, most recently in 2024.

Francisco "Paco" Gento played on each of those 1st 5 winners, and also on their next in 1966. He was the 1st man to play on 6 European Cup winners. He was also the last survivor of both the 1956 and 1957 European Cup winners, living until January 18, 2022.

When Real Madrid won the 2024 Champions League title, it added 4 players to Gento's formerly unique status of playing on 6 European Cup winners: Team Captain Nacho Fernández, Luka Modrić, Dani Cavajal and Toni Kroos. Kroos had won 1 with Bayern Munich, 5 with Real Madrid. The others each won all of theirs with Real Madrid.

July 25, 2000: Luís Figo's Defection Begins the "Galácticos" Era

July 25, 2000, 25 years ago: Real Madrid Club de Fútbol sign Luís Figo to a contract. This begins the team's "Galácticos" Era.

The Spanish soccer team define themselves by the UEFA Champions League, the tournament known from its 1955 establishment until 1992 as the European Cup, which is still the name of the trophy given to the winner. They won the 1st 5 in a row, from 1956 to 1960. They won it again in 1966. Then they didn't win it again until 1998. From 1966 onward, managers have been fired for not winning it, even after seasons when they won Spain's La Liga.

They won it in 2000, in large part because they had signed one of the best players from England, Liverpool FC's Steve McManaman. Inspired by this, and newly installed as the team's president, Florentino Pérez was determined to keep it. So, hearing that Figo, the most popular player for their arch-rivals, FC Barcelona, was disgruntled and wanted to leave, they paid €62 million for him.

The reaction in Catalonia was fury and a sense of betrayal: One banner at an El Clásico match between the teams read, "We hate you so much, because we loved you so much."

Pérez also signed Claude Makélélé from Spanish team Celta Vigo. He and Figo were added to a team that already included Fernando Hierro, Raúl (González), Guti (real name: José María Gutiérrez), Roberto Carlos, Fernando Morientes, Míchel Salgado, and goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

But Real were eliminated from the 2001 Champions League in the Semifinal, by Germany's Bayern Munich. So Pérez poached perhaps the best player in the world at the time, spending €73.5 million to get French midfielder Zinedine Zidane from Italian team Juventus. It worked, as Zidane led Los Blancos to win the Champions League in 2002.

But enough was never enough. Pérez shelled out €45 million to get the world's best forward, 2002 World Cup winner Ronaldo of Brazil, from Italian team Internazionale Milano. A generation later, it can now truthfully be said that Cristiano Ronaldo is not even the greatest Ronaldo to play for Real Madrid in the 21st Century.

But in 2003, Juventus knocked Real out in the Semifinals. So Pérez splashed the cash again, giving English champions Manchester United €37.5 million for the most famous (though hardly the best) player in England, David Beckham. It wasn't enough: In 2004, AS Monaco eliminated Real on penalties in the Quarterfinal. So Pérez made another entreaty to England, getting Michael Owen from Liverpool. But the injuries that curtailed Owen's career were already taking effect. The era was fizzling out, and Real did not win the Champions League again until 2014 -- although that started a run of 5 in 9 years, giving them 14, twice as many as any other team.

The Galácticos concept inspired other teams. In 2003, Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich bought West London team Chelsea FC, and spent them to glory, including buying Makélélé. The royal family of the United Arab Emirates bought Manchester City, and did the same thing. The prices of players went up, up, up. A player whose talents might have cost €5 million in 2005 would, by 2015, have cost €50 million, leading to the joke, "Did somebody forget a decimal point?"

And, of course, teams in North American sports have tried the "superteam" concept. Long before most Americans knew Real Madrid even existed (I think a majority still don't know), the New York Yankees tried it in the 1920s, the 1930s, the 1950s, the late 1970s, and the late 1990s, with great success; and kept trying it in the 2000s, with limited success. The Los Angeles Lakers have tried it over that period, with some success, but also -- particularly in 2004 and since their 2020 title -- with considerable disappointment.

It's worked in the NBA for the 2008 Boston Celtics and the 2012-13 Miami Heat, but it failed for the early 2020s Brooklyn Nets. In the NHL it worked for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1960s, the Montreal Canadiens in the 1970s, the New York Rangers briefly in 1994, and the Detroit Red Wings in the late 1990s and early 2000s; but, since then, no other team has been bold enough to try it. And in the NFL, the New England Patriots did better when they didn't try it than it did when they did.

August 2, 2014: American Soccer's Biggest Crowd

August 2, 2014, 10 years ago: The largest crowd ever to watch a soccer game in the United States of America files into Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Every Summer, the U.S. Soccer Federation works with FIFA to set up the International Champions Cup, a series of exhibition games, or "friendlies," on American soil. This time, they got one of the biggest stadiums in the world, the University of Michigan's "Big House"; the biggest sports team in the English-speaking world, Manchester United; and the biggest sports team in the Spanish-speaking world, Real Madrid.

Prior to this, the biggest crowd ever to watch a soccer game played in America was 101,799, at the Rose Bowl in the Los Angeles suburb of Pasadena, California, to watch the Gold Medal game at the Olympics in Los Angeles on August 11, 1984. On that occasion, France beat Brazil, 2-0.

This time, the crowd was 109,318. Manchester United won, 3-1. United's Ashley Young scored 2 goals in the 1st half, bracketing a penalty taken by Real's Welsh star Gareth Bale. Javier Hernández, a.k.a. Chicharito, also scored for United. Cristiano Ronaldo, formerly of United, took the pitch as a substitute for Real, but had no effect on the game.

As of the Summer of 2024, Michigan Stadium has hosted 3 of the 4 biggest crowds in American soccer history. There were 105,826 in 2016 for a 3-2 Real Madrid win over West London team Chelsea, and 101,254 in 2018 for a 4-1 Liverpool win over Manchester United.

The stadium also holds the record for the largest hockey crowd in American, and world, history. But, surprisingly, not the record for the largest college football crowd ever. That was on September 10, 2016, when 156,990 people came to the Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee to see Tennessee beat Virginia Tech, 45-24.

Francisco Gento, 1933-2022

Francisco Gento with the 1956, 1957, 1958,

1959, 1960 and 1966 European Cups

A sports legend has left us, and most Americans have never even heard of him.

Francisco Gento López was born on October 21, 1933, in Guarnizo, in Cantabria in northern Spain. Playing the position of outside left, what would now be called left midfielder or left wing, he debuted for local team Racing Santander in 1952. A flu epidemic struck them before a game with Spain's leading soccer team, Real Madrid, and he was forced into the starting lineup. He impressed them more than his own team, and he was purchased 3 days later.

After a difficult 1st season, Real Madrid's president, and namesake of their stadium, Santiago Bernabéu, was ready to sell him off. But the team's best player, Alfredo Di Stéfano, told him, "He is quick, and hits the ball like a cannon. That can't be learned. It's innate. We can teach him the rest."

Gento fulfilled Di Stéfano's faith in him. Known as La Galerna del Cantábrico (The Gale of the Cantabrian Sea), his speed and passing helped Real win 12 La Liga titles between 1954 and 1969. But the true measure of success for Madridistas is the European Cup, known since 1992 as the UEFA Champions League. They won the tournament  the 1st 5 times it was held: 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959 and 1960.

The Cup was won by Benfica of Lisbon, Portugal in 1961 and 1962; by AC Milan of Italy in 1963; and by Internazionale of Milan, a.k.a. Inter, in 1964 and 1965. Once kings of Europe ("Real" means "royal"), Real Madrid went out of the Cup in the 1st round in 1961 (to arch-rival FC Barcelona, no less), lost the Final to Benfica in 1962, in the Preliminary Round in 1963, lost the Final to Inter in 1964, and went out in the Quarterfinal in 1965.

So Real were determined to win it in 1966. With "Paco" Gento as Captain, they beat Feyenoord of Rotterdam, the Netherlands in the Preliminary Round. In the 1st Round, they beat Kilmarnock of Scotland. In the Quarterfinal, they beat Anderlecht of Belgium. In the Semifinal, they dethroned Inter. And in the Final, at Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, they beat Yugoslavian Champions Partizan Belgrade, 2-1.

(Heysel would host the European Cup Final again in 1985, with disastrous results: A wall collapse led to the deaths of 39 people, but the game went ahead anyway, and Juventus beat Liverpool, 1-0.)

It was the 6th European Cup for Real Madrid, and the 6th for Gento. To this day, he remains the only player ever to win the European Cup/Champions League 6 times.

He was named to the Spain team at the 1962 and 1966 World Cups, but not the 1964 European Championship that Spain won.

He retired in 1971, and went into coaching. In 1979, he got Palencia promoted to the 1st Division. He later became a club ambassador, and was named honorary president of the team after Di Stéfano died in 2014.

Real Madrid have now won the European Cup 13 times, more than any other team, most recently in 2018. Gento lived to see all of them. He died today, January 18, 2022, at the age of 88. He is survived by his wife Mari Luz, sons Francisco and Julio, and granddaughters Aitana and Candela.

He was the last survivor of both the 1956 and 1957 European Cup winners. With his death, there are now:

* 2 surviving players from the 1958 European Cup: José Santamaría and Juan Santisteban.

* 3 surviving players from the 1959 European Cup: Santamaría, Santisteban and Antonio Ruiz.

* 4 surviving players from the 1960 European Cup: Santamaría, Santisteban, Ruiz, and Darcy Silveira (a.k.a. Canário).

* And 7 surviving players from the 1966 European Cup: Santamaría, José Araquistáin, Enrique Pérez Díaz (a.k.a. Pachín), Manuel Sanchís Martínez, José Martínez Sánchez (a.k.a. Pirri), Fernando Serena and Amancio Amaro. 

José Antonio Reyes, 1983-2019

Someone had to be the 1st member of Arsenal's "Invincibles" to die. But I didn't expect it to happen this soon, or while he was still an active player.

José Antonio Reyes Calderón was born on September 1, 1983 in Utrera, in the Province of Sevilla (usually written as "Seville" in English-speaking countries), Spain. His parents were Romani, which is what the people popularly known as "Gypsies" prefer to call themselves. At age 10, he was signed to local soccer team Sevilla FC.

In 1999, just 16 years old, he made his senior debut, and helped them reach promotion to La Liga, Spanish soccer's 1st division. Over the next 4 seasons, he scored 22 goals for Sevilla, and helped Spain win the UEFA Under-19 European Championship.

That got the attention of North London team Arsenal, who paid £17 million for him, considered a huge sum for the time. He was 20 years old, and it seemed like he had a great future ahead of him. At first, he did, scoring 2 goals to knock Chelsea out of the 2004 FA Cup, and against them again in the Quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League, though Arsenal ended up losing. He scored key goals to save Arsenal's unbeaten Premier League season, earning them the nickname "The Invincibles." He made enough appearances in half a season to earn a Premier League winner's medal.

He kept going at the start of the 2004-05 season, scoring in each of the team's 1st 6 League games, helping them to break the record for longest unbeaten run in England's top flight, a streak that reached 49 games. He was named Premier League Player of the Month in August 2004.

But on October 20, 2004, everything changed. Arsenal went to Old Trafford to play Manchester United, with whom they had battled for League supremacy for years: One or the other had won the League every season since 1996.

But United were a dirty team, and they proved it this time: Their English players Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, and the brothers Gary and Phil Neville, and their Irish captain, Roy Keane, thought the Spanish Reyes was "soft," and targeted him, kicking him in the shins, calves, ankles. United should have been down to 8 men. Instead, the only punishments from referee Mike Riley were 1 yellow card for each of the Neville brothers.

It was a disgusting display, but it worked: Reyes spent most of the game in pain, and was completely intimidated. When Rooney made an obvious dive for a penalty in the 73rd minute, Riley awarded it instead of correctly sending Rooney off with a straight red card. Rooney would add a 2nd goal at the end, closing Arsenal's run at 49 games.

The FA should have fired Riley on the spot. Instead, he has spent the last few years in charge of Premier League referees.

The teams played again at the end of the season, in the 2005 FA Cup Final. Again, the United players kicked Reyes like crazy. Were any of them sent off? No: Reyes was for a 2nd yellow, just before the end of extra time, making him only the 2nd player in the 133-year history of the FA Cup to be sent off in the Final. But Arsenal won on penalties.

Arsenal tailed off in the League in 2005-06, but got all the way to the Champions League Final, in part because of Reyes' goals. He was used as a substitute in the Final, which Arsenal lost to Barcelona. He played for Spain in the 2006 World Cup.

And then, at the start of the next season, he asked not to be used for the Champions League qualifying match against Dinamo Zagreb, because it would have left him "cup-tied": If he were sold to another team in the CL, he could not play for them in the tournament.

Real Madrid had been "tapping him up," trying to convince him to ask for a transfer. This is illegal. Were Real punished? Of course not. Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger had a different idea: A loan swap, with each team giving the other a player to last for the rest of the season. Arsenal got Julio Baptista, and Real got Reyes. On the last day of the 2007 season, Reyes was brought on to substitute for the injured David Beckham, and scored twice against RCD Mallorca, a win that enabled Real to win the La Liga title.

Real got what they wanted out of him, and he went back to Arsenal -- for a moment. Fed up with his unwillingness to play outside Span anymore, Wenger sold him to Atlético Madrid. It made some sense for him to play there, as their stadium was named for their longtime president, Vicente Calderón -- as far as I know, no relation.

The result did not make Reyes' move look justified: He made 26 La Liga appearances, and didn't score a single goal. He was not selected for the Spain team that ended up winning UEFA Euro 2008, or the one that won the 2010 World Cup. In fact, after 2006, he never played a single game for Spain.

For 2008-09, Benfica of Lisbon, Portugal signed him on a loan deal. He wasn't with them for long, and his 2nd tenure at Atlético was considerably better. He helped them win the UEFA Europa League in 2010. In 2012, he went back to Sevilla. Under manager Unai Emery, he helped them win the Europa League 3 straight seasons: 2014, 2015 and 2016. (This is no longer possible: After the 2015-16 season, the Europa League winner qualifies for the next season's Champions League.)

In 2016, he signed with RCD Espanyol, the "other team" in Barcelona, playing just 1 season with them. After missing the 1st half of the 2017-18 season, it was clear that his career was nearing its end. He played for Córdoba, in Spain's 2nd division; for Xinjiang Tianshan, in China; and for Extremadura UD, in west-central Spain, also in the 2nd division.

On July 26, 2014, Arsenal played the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey. The Red Bulls won 1-0. Among the many Arsenal shirts I saw was a Number 9 with Reyes' name on it. One fan joked that this New Yorker -- or maybe New Jerseyan -- may have gotten confused, and thought it was another Jose Reyes, the shortstop wearing Number 7 with the Mets.

Officially, José Antonio Reyes was still playing for Extremadura, and was even expected to play today, in their league season finale. But, yesterday morning, June 1, 2019, he was driving between Utrera, his hometown, and Sevilla, when he crashed. He was only 35 years old, and was married to Noelia López, and had daughters Noelia and Triana, and son José Antonio Jr.

Extremadura announced his death, "With a shrunken soul and a broken heart." Sevilla FC announced, "We couldn't be confirming worse news," and called him "an eternal legend." Arsenal said the team was "devastated by the shocking news." Tributes poured in from former teammates, from Arsenal superstar Thierry Henry to Manchester City talisman Sergio Agüero, who played with him at Atlético.

A moment of silence was held before the UEFA Champions League Final, which Liverpool won 2-0 over Tottenham Hotspur, at the Wanda Metroplitano, the new stadium of Atlético.

"Invincible." No player on that team was so often, or so harshly, targeted to be revealed as less than that. Sadly, it has been proven untrue in a shocking way.

UPDATE: His final resting place is not publicly known.

Raymond Kopa, 1931-2017

The 1st great French soccer player -- and the greatest Polish Frenchman since Frederic Chopin -- is no longer with us. It is another reminder of the passage of time, as the heroes of the 1950s, in all walks of life, are reaching the ends of their stories.

Raymond Kopaszewski was born on October 13, 1931 (a week before Mickey Mantle) in Nœux-les-Mines, Pas-de-Calais, France. His parents were born in Germany, his grandparents in Krakow, the great city of ancient Poland. They left Germany during World War I and went to France, and the family name was shortened to Kopa when he was a boy. Like his father and grandfather before him, he became a coal miner -- at age 14. He lost a finger in a work accident.

In 1949, just 17, the midfielder was signed by SCO Angers, then in Ligue 2 (French soccer's 2nd division). By 1951, despite having grown to only 5 feet, 6 1/2 inches, he had attracted the attention of Stade de Reims, who had won the Ligue 1 title in 1949 and the Coupe de France in 1950. Kopa would help them win the league again in 1953 and 1955. Reims wore red shirts with white sleeves, reminiscent of North London club Arsenal.

In 1953, led by Kopa, Reims won the Latin Cup, a tournament for teams from France, Spain, Portugal and Italy, beating AC Milan in the Final. Reims were the only French team ever to win it. (Barcelona won it in 1949 and 1952, Benfica of Lisbon in 1950, Milan in 1951 and 1956, and Real Madrid in 1955 and 1957. It wasn't held in 1954, and by 1957 it was redundant.)

The Latin Cup, the Mitropa Cup (Central Europe except for Germany) and the European Railways Cup (Eastern Europe) were precursors to the European Champion Clubs' Cup, shortened to the European Cup and, since 1992, known as the UEFA Champions League. The 1st one was held in the 1955-56 season, and Reims got all the way to the Final, losing to Real Madrid 4-3 at the Parc des Princes in Paris.

That Madrid team already had the great Argentine forward Alfredo Di Stéfano. Through purchasing him, their president, Santiago Bernabeu had shown that he would spend whatever it took to bring the club additional glories. They had already seen him play for the France national team against Spain in Madrid in 1955, with Marca, Spain's leading sports-themed newspaper, calling him "The Little Napoleon." By 1959, they had, arguably, the 3 best players in the world: Di Stéfano, Kopa, and the great Hungarian star Ferenc Puskás -- the Napoleon of Football, the Blond Arrow and the Galloping Major.

Real Madrid won the 1st 5 European Cups, the middle 3 of these with Kopa: Defeating Florence, Italy's Fiorentina in 1957 in front of 124,000 people at their home stadium, the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu; beating Milan in 1958 at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium; beating Reims again, with the great Just Fontaine having replaced Kopa, in 1959 at the Neckarstadion in Stuttgart, Germany; and capping it in 1960, in front of 127,621 at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland, coming from an early 1-0 deficit to defeat Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3.

Kopa and Di Stéfano, with the 1957 European Cup

Kopa was selected for the France team for the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland, but they did not advance out of their group. In the 1958 edition in Sweden, he scored in France's Group Stage matches with Paraguay and Scotland. He did not score in their Group Stage match with Yugoslavia. Guess which one they lost. They won their Group, and defeated Northern Ireland in the Quarterfinal before falling to Brazil in the Semifinal. This would be France's best performance in a World Cup until winning it on home soil in 1998.

Kopa and Fontaine at the 1958 World Cup

Having won the European Cup and been the best European player at the World Cup, France Football magazine awarded Kopa the Ballon d'Or (Golden Ball) as world footballer of the year. He was the 1st French player to receive it.

He returned to Reims for the 1959-60 season, and helped them win the Ligue that year and in 1962. He remained with them through 1967. It shows the difference between Real Madrid and other European clubs of the 1950s: At Reims, Kopa is the greatest player ever; at the Bernabeu, he's simply one of many legends.

He married Christiane, the sister of an Angers teammate. He never returned to an official role in soccer after retiring as a player, moved to the French Mediterranean island of Corsica -- Napoleon Bonaparte's birthplace, somewhat appropriately -- and finally returned to Angers. He launched a successful sportswear line and wrote a memoir. In 1970, he became the 1st footballer to receive France's highest civilian honor, Le Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur.

Raymond Kopa died on the morning (overnight, our time) of March 3, 2017, in Angers, at the age of 85.

Noël Le Graët, the president of the French Football Federation, said in a statement: “The passing of Raymond Kopa plunges the federation into immense sadness. It’s a terrible loss for French football. Raymond Kopa is among the legends. He was a symbolic player and a forerunner. His career with his clubs, as with the France team, was exceptional."

Francisco Gento, still the only man to win 6 European Cups, was already the last surviving player from Los Blancos' triumph in the 1st European Cup in 1956. He is now the last survivor from their 1957 win as well.

UPDATE: Kopa's final resting place is not publicly known.

Being Greene Is Easier With Runs; Alfredo Di Stéfano, 1926-2014

I hate losing. I especially hate losing in extra innings. The Yankees did both on Friday night, against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.

Yet again, the Yankees wasted a nice start by Hiroki Kuroda. He went 7 innings, allowing just 2 runs on 3 hits and (I love these words in connection with a Yankee pitcher) no walks. And Dellin Betances pitched 2 perfect innings. Should have been good enough to win. (And, in Betances' case, to save.)

But the Yankees got only 2 runs. Ex-Oriole Brian Roberts (who was heavily booed) hit a home run in the 2nd inning, his 5th of the season. Kelly Johnson added a home run in the 3rd, his 6th. (Robinson Cano? He has 7.)

But both were solo home runs. Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver said, "The Oriole Way is pitching, defense, and three-run homers." As in, not just home runs, but with men on base. It must have ticked him off to have Gary Roenicke in his outfield: In 1979, Roenicke's first full season, he hit 25 home runs (quite a feat for someone playing his home games at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium), but only had 64 RBIs. Only 6 of the 25 homers had a man on base, and only 2 had as many as 2 on. Roenicke was nicknamed "Solo." He lasted in the major leagues until 1988, hitting 121 homers, including 3 with the Yankees in 1986.

Miguel Gonzalez otherwise shut the Yankees down. The Bronx "Bombers" were 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position. Yankee RISPfail again.

Joe Girardi sent Adam Warren out to pitch the 10th inning, when he had a choice of who to send in: Either A, leave Betances in, or B, bring in anybody but Warren. Warren pitched to 3 batters: Manny Machado doubled, Ryan Flaherty struck out, and Nick Hundley -- no relation to ex-big league catchers Randy and Todd -- singled Machado home.

Orioles 3, Yankees 2. WP: T.J. McFarland (3-2). No save. LP: Warren (1-5).

*

So the Yankees fell back to .500, at 46-46. They needed a win yesterday. Actually, they need a lot of wins the rest of the way.

Girardi sent rookie Shane Greene to the mound, and while I won't say it was easy being Greene, the kid had very good stuff. He pitched into the 8th inning, allowing no runs on 4 hits and just 2 walks, adding 9 strikeouts.

But, again, you need to give your pitchers some runs. A Mark Teixeira double in the 3rd drove home a run. In the 7th, Derek Jeter singled to drive in Johnson, and advanced to 2nd on the play at the plate. Then Jacoby Ellsbury singled Jeter home.

Given this cushion, the bullpen did the job. Yankees 3, Orioles 0. WP: Greene (2-0). SV: David Robertson (23). LP: Chris Tillman (7-5).

The Yankees close out the symbolic, though not numerical, first half of the season tonight, the Sunday night ESPN game. Chase Whitley starts for the Yankees, Kevin Gausman for the O's.

Then begins the All-Star Break. The All-Star Game will be on Tuesday night, at Target Field in Minneapolis. Derek Jeter will start at shortstop for the American League. Dellin Betances will be available for the bullpen, and Masahiro Tanaka would likely have been the AL's starting pitcher had he not gotten hurt; it's as yet unknown if he will make the trip anyway.

This will be the 3rd time the Minnesota Twins have hosted the game, and in their 3rd different ballpark: Metropolitan Stadium in 1965, and the Metrodome in 1985.

The regular schedule resumes on Friday, with an Interleague series against the Cincinnati Reds.

*

Today is the World Cup Final, between Germany and Argentina. Argentina will be playing in the shadow of perhaps their greatest all-time player having been lost.

Alfredo Stéfano Di Stéfano Laulhé was born on July 4, 1926 in Buenos Aires. Despite being a Spanish-speaking nation, Argentina's largest ethnic group, especially in the largest city and capital of Buenos Aires, is Italian, and Alfredo was in the 2nd generation of Di Stéfanos born there.

In most countries, there are 2 dominant soccer teams. It's usually either teams from the 2 largest cities, or the largest city and the capital (if it's not the same city), or the same dominant city. Although there are many clubs in Argentina with large followings, the 2 biggest are the big Buenos Aires rivals, River Plate and Boca Juniors. In 1943, just 17, Di Stéfano played his 1st senior match, as a forward for River. He won the league title with them in 1945 and 1947, as the leading scorer in 1947. That year, he also helped Argentina with the Copa América, South America's continental trophy for national sides.

In 1949, with Argentina's footballers on strike, he was loaned to Millonarios of Bogotá, Colombia. When the strike ended, he remained with Millonarios, who may have been keeping him illegally, and he remained with them through 1953. They won national championships in 1949, 1951 and 1952, and he was the country's leading scorer in the latter 2 years. Di Stéfano was 27, and the best footballer on his continent.

*

Naturally, the 2 biggest Spanish-speaking clubs on the planet -- not yet the 2 biggest clubs of any language -- both wanted him. The way things worked out, both Real Madrid and Barcelona had to deal with both Millionarios and River Plate, the latter claiming that Di Stéfano was legally still their player.

Barça appeared to have the initial edge, because they negotiated with both Millionarios and River. But they hired a Catalan living in Colombia, Joan Busquets, who worked for Millionarios' rivals, Santa Fe, and Millionarios began to balk. Then Barça tried to lowball Millonarios, and they turned down the initial offer. So Barça decided to work only with River, made a deal with them, and flew the Di Stéfano family to Barcelona, where he settled in, and even played a preseason friendly -- illegal by any measure. (And you thought Barça being corrupt was a recent development?)

The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) refused to allow the transfer based on Millonarios' refusal to go along with it. Then Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid's president, for whom their stadium would later be named, made a deal with Millonarios. Just before the 1953-54 season began, the RFEF -- which Barça and their fans always claimed in those days was controlled by the fascist allies of Spain's Real fan dictator, Francisco Franco, who hated Catalonia and everything that stood for it, including Barça -- ruled a compromise: Over the next 4 seasons, Di Stéfano would alternate between the teams: Real in 1953-54 and 1955-56, Barça in 1954-55 and 1956-57.

Barça president Marti Carreto resigned in disgrace, and the interim board made a deal with Real, giving them a sum equal to the one they'd given River, in exchange for dropping out. Di Stéfano made his Real debut on September 23, 1953, and the next month, scored 4 in a 5-0 win over Barça.

*

The rest is history. Alfredo Di Stéfano, nicknamed El Saeta Rubia -- the Blond Arrow -- became the greatest player for the greatest team in the history of the world's most popular sport. The Number 9 was Spain's leading scorer 5 times. He led them to 8 League titles in 11 seasons. When the European Cup, the tournament now known as the UEFA Champions League (the trophy kept the name "European Cup"), was started in 1955-56, he led them to wins in the 1st 5 tournaments, alongside his fellow Argentine Héctor Rial, France's Raymond Kopa, Hungary's Ferenc Puskás, and Spanish winger Francisco Gento -- now the last survivor of the 1st European Cup winners of 1956, and who would go on to captain Real's 1966 win, making him he only man to win 6 European Cups.

For his efforts, Di Stéfano was awarded the Ballon d'Or, the Golden Ball, as World Player of the Year in 1957 and 1959.

With Real Madrid's 1st 5 European Cups.

The trophy would later be redesigned.

In addition, Real's influence with FIFA, the governing body of world soccer, enabled him to get Spanish citizenship and, even though he'd already played for the national team of Argentina, become eligible for that of Spain. (Under today's rules, that wouldn't happen: No matter how many countries you start out being eligible to play for, once you play a senior match for one, you can play for no other.) Despite the presence of Di Stéfano, Spain did not qualify for the 1958 World Cup. They did qualify in 1962, and that was the only one for which he was selected, but an injury prevented him from ever playing in a World Cup match. By the 1964 European Championships (today, we would call it "Euro 64"), he was nearly 38, and not selected, but Spain won -- their last major tournament win for 44 years.

On a tour of South America in the Summer of 1963, Real Madrid went to Venezuela, and a revolutionary group kidnapped Di Stéfano at gunpoint from the Potomac Hotel in Caracas, in response to Franco's regime having executed Spanish Communist Julián Grimau 4 months earlier. Di Stéfano was released 2 days later, unharmed, and he said he was not mistreated. The next day, he was able to rejoin his teammates in Brazil, and got a standing ovation from the home fans in the match against São Paulo FC.

In 1964, he was sold to Espanyol, the "other club" in Barcelona, more of a slap to Barça than to him. He played 2 more seasons for them, and retired, although he would occasionally play in a charity match.

Alfredo Di Stefano and Bobby Charlton at a charity match

*

He went into management, starting with Spanish club Elche CF in 1967. In 1969, he took the helm of River Plate's arch-rivals, Boca Juniors, which must have been a shocking development (though not as shocking as it would have been if he'd been hired by Barcelona). He won the league title with them. 

That led Spanish club Valencia to take him back across the Atlantic, winning La Liga in 1971, but he wasn't nearly as successful with them. He bounced around Spain, plus a stop in Lisbon with Sporting Clube de Portugal, before going back to Valencia, winning the 1980 European Cup Winners' Cup, defeating North London's Arsenal on penalties. Then he went back to to where it all began, winning the 1981 Torneao Nacional with River Plate.

He managed Real Madrid from 1982 to 1984, went back to Boca in 1985, had a 3rd run with Valencia starting in 1986, and managed Real again in the 1990-91 season, before leaving management.

He married Sara Freites in 1950, and they had 6 children; Alfredo, Ignacio, Sofia, Silvana, Helena and Nanette. He remained a consultant with Real Madrid, often being brought back to welcome new superstars, "Galácticos" as the club calls them, such as Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, David Beckham, Kaká, Ronaldo the Brazilian and Cristiano Ronaldo the Portuguese.

On May 9, 2006, the 12,000-seat  Estadio Alfredo di Stéfano was dedicated in Madrid, with a friendly between Real Madrid and Stade de Reims, a rematch of the 1st European Cup Final in 1956. Real won, 6-1. The stadium now serves as the home of their reserve team, Real Madrid Castilla, and as the big club's main training facility.

Alfredo di Stéfano died of a heart attack in Madrid on July 7, 2014. He was just past his 88th birthday. As is sometimes down with legendary athletes, his coffin was displayed in the team's venue, and thousands viewed him at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu the day after his death. The following day, when Argentina played the Netherlands in the World Cup Semifinal, a minute of silence was held, and the Argentine team wore black armbands.

A friendly is scheduled for next Wednesday, in Bogotá, between Millionarios and River Plate. Apparently, 66 years later, all is forgiven.

UEFA President and Juventus legend Michel Platini said that Di Stéfano "embodied all that is magical about football." Manchester United's icon Bobby Charlton said, "I think Alfredo Di Stéfano was one of the best players I ever came across and an extremely intelligent footballer. He was somebody I really respected, having watched him from the stands at the Bernabéu and then played against him. I have many fond memories of my time with Alfredo and feel privileged to be able to call him a good friend. The footballing world has lost a great player and a great man."

Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, in attendance as a young player at the 1960 European Cup Final at Hampden Park in Glasgow, said, "He had fantastic balance and poise... He had a fantastic life, and I'm proud to have been associated with him in a small way."

Cristiano Ronaldo, the current icon of Real Madrid: "Don Alfredo leaves us, but his memory will last forever in our hearts. Legends never die."

Cristiano and Don Alfredo

Johan Cruijff, who did for Dutch club Ajax what Di Stéfano did for Madrid: "We have lost a good man and a great footballer. RIP, my friend."

Pelé, along with Di Stéfano a contender for the title of greatest player who ever lived, and who once -- perhaps as a swipe at another, Diego Maradona -- called him the greatest player ever from Argentina: "He was a trailblazer, and most of all, he was a legend of the game. God rest his soul."

Whatever an individual fan thinks of Real Madrid, Alfredo Di Stéfano was a man who elevated an entire sport, on 2 continents, and yet never acted like a superstar. He earned the world's admiration, on and off the pitch. It is sad that he has passed just as his country is about to play the World Cup Final.

Or maybe its fitting, as the world, which has already come together for the great tournament, can join as one in tribute.

UPDATE: He was laid to rest in Cementerio de la Almudena in Madrid.

*

Hours until the World Cup Final: 1, a 3:00 Eastern Time, between Germany and Argentina, at the Estadio Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Days until the Red Bulls play again: 3, this Wednesday night, at 7:00 PM, away to the Philadelphia Union, at PPL Park in Chester, Pennsylvania. This will be a "local" rivalry, known in soccer as a "derby" (and that's pronounced DAR-bee, not DUR-bee). Last night, at home at Red Bull Arena, the Red Bulls beat the Columbus Crew, 4-1.

Days until the Red Bulls next play a "derby": See the previous answer.

Days until Arsenal play again: Officially, not until the new season starts in August. Unofficially, it's this, and I'm just busting about it:

Days until the Arsenal-Red Bulls match at Red Bull Arena: 13, on Saturday, July 26. Under 2 weeks. Just 5 days after that, Red Bull Arena will also host Bayern Munich, perennially and again Champions of Germany, vs. C.D. Chivas of Guadalajara, perhaps the most legendary club of Mexico.

Days until the next Yankees-Red Sox series begins: 19, on Friday night, August 1, at 7:00 PM, at Fenway Park. Under 3 weeks.
Days until the 2014-15 Premier League season begins: 34, on Saturday, August 16, with Arsenal at home to Southeast London club Crystal Palace. Just 5 weeks.

Days until Rutgers plays football again: 46, on Thursday, August 28, away to Washington State, at CenturyLink Field, home of the NFL Champion Seattle Seahawks. (It had been listed as August 30, but was moved up.) Under 7 weeks.

Days until the U.S. national soccer team plays again: 52, on Wednesday, September 3, a friendly, away to the Czech Republic in Prague. The Czechs have given the U.S. trouble before, including a 3-0 humiliation at the 2006 World Cup. But things are different now. There's also discussions about playing Ireland away later in the year.

Days until East Brunswick High School plays football again: 53, on Thursday, September 4, home to Woodbridge. Under 8 weeks. It's on a Thursday night, rather than a Friday night, because of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.
Days until Rutgers makes its Big Ten Conference debut: 62, on Saturday, September 13, at 8:00 PM, against old enemy Penn State. Exactly 2 months.

Days until Derek Jeter's last regular-season home game (barring injury): 74, on Thursday, September 25, against the Baltimore Orioles. A little over 10 weeks.

Days until the next North London Derby between Arsenal and Tottenham: 76, on Saturday, September 27, at the Emirates Stadium.

Days until Derek Jeter's last regular-season game (barring injury): 77, on Sunday, September 28, against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Exactly 11 weeks.

Days until the Devils play again: 88. They open on Thursday, October 9, away to the Philadelphia Flyers. Under 13 weeks. They once again get screwed by Commissioner Gary Bettman and his schedulemakers, this time having to play 4 road games before their home opener, on Saturday, October 18, at 7:00 PM, vs. the San Jose Sharks.

Days until the Devils play another local rival: See the previous answer. The first game against The Scum is Tuesday night, October 21, at the Prudential Center. The first game against the Islanders is Saturday night, November 29, at the Nassau Coliseum. The Devils' last trip to Uniondale, before the Isles move to Brooklyn, is Monday night, December 15.

Days until Game 7 of the 2014 World Series -- the absolute latest you can ever again see Derek Jeter in a competitive game: 108, on Wednesday, October 29. A little over 3 months, and no more Jeter -- not as an active player, anyway.

Days until the next East Brunswick vs. Old Bridge Thanksgiving game: 137, on Thursday morning, November 27, at 10:00 AM. A little over 4 months.

Days until New York City FC make their Major League Soccer debut: Unknown, but a new MLS season usually begins on the 2nd Saturday in March, which would be March 14, 2015. That's 244 days. Just 8 months. Whether it will be a home game, and thus at the new Yankee Stadium, is yet to be determined.

Days until Alex Rodriguez is eligible to play for the Yankees again: 262 -- presuming, that is, that 2015's Opening Day is on April 1, and wouldn't it just work out that way, that A-Rod is again allowed to play a regular-season game for the Yankees on April Fool's Day? Anyway, that's a little over 8 months.

Days until the New York Islanders' last game at the Nassau Coliseum: 272, on April 11, 2015, at 7:00 PM, against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Under 9 months.

Days until the Islanders' first home game at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn: Unknown, but an NHL regular season usually begins on the 1st Friday in October, which would be October 2, 2015. That's 447 days. That's under 15 months. Or, to put it another way, "447 Sleeps Till Brooklyn." Until then, even with their 4 straight long-ago Stanley Cups, they're just a Small Club In Hempstead.

Days until Euro 2016 begins in France: 699, on Friday, June 10. Under 2 years.

Days until the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: 756, on Friday, August 5. A little over 2 years.

Days until the next World Cup begins in Russia: 1,429, on Friday June 8, 2018. Under 4 years.

50 Richest Sports Franchises

Forbes magazine -- run by Malcolm Stevenson Forbes Jr., two times a delusional conservative Presidential candidate and no times a regular guy named "Steve" -- has ranked the 50 Richest Sports Franchises in the world.

1. Manchester United, Manchester, England, UK, Soccer: $1.86 B
2. Dallas Cowboys, Arlington, Texas, USA, Football: $1.81 B
3. New York Yankees, New York, New York, USA, Baseball: $1.7 B
4. Washington Redskins, Landover, Maryland, USA, Football: $1.45 B
5. Real Madrid Club de Fútbol, Madrid, Spain, Soccer: $1.45 B
6. New England Patriots, Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA, Football: $1.37 B
7. Arsenal Football Club, London, England, UK, Soccer: $1.19 B
8. New York Giants, East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, Football: $1.18 B
9. Houston Texans, Houston, Texas, USA, Football: $1.17 B
10. New York Jets, East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, Football: $1.14 B
11. Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, Football: $1.12 B
12. Baltimore Ravens, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, Football: $1.07 B
13. Scuderia Ferrari, Maranello, Emilia-Romanga, Italy, Auto Racing: $1.07 B
14. Chicago Bears, Chicago, Illinois, USA, Football: $1.07 B
15. Denver Broncos, Denver, Colorado, USA, Football: $1.05 B
16. Indianapolis Colts, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, Football: $1.04 B
17. Carolina Panthers, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, Football: $1.04 B
18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa, Florida, USA, Football: $1.03 B
19. Fußball-Club Bayern München e.V, Munich, Bavaria, Germany, Soccer: $1.03 B
20. Green Bay Packers, Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA, Football: $1.02 B
21. Cleveland Browns, Cleveland, Ohio, USA, Football: $1.02 B
22. Miami Dolphins, Miami, Florida, USA, Football: $1.01 B
23. Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, Football: $996 M
24. Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Tennessee, USA, Football: $994 M
25. Seattle Seahawks, Seattle, Washington, USA, Football: $989 M
26. Futbol Club Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, Soccer: $975 M
27. Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City, Missouri, USA, Football: $965 M
28. New Orleans Saints, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, Football: $955 M
29. San Francisco 49ers, Santa Clara, California, USA, Football: $925 M
30. Arizona Cardinals, Glendale, Arizona, USA, Football: $919 M
31. Boston Red Sox, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, Baseball: $912 M
32. San Diego Chargers, San Diego, California, USA, Football: $907 M
33. Cincinnati Bengals, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, Football: $905 M
34. Associazione Calcio Milan, Milan, Lombardy, Italy, Soccer: $838 M
35. Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, Football: $831 M
36. Detroit Lions, Detroit, Michigan, USA, Football: $817 M
37. McLaren Racing, Woking, Surrey, England, UK, Auto Racing: $815 M
38. Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles, California, USA, Baseball: $800 M
39. Buffalo Bills, Orchard Park, New York, USA, Football: $799 M
40. St. Louis Rams, St. Louis, Missouri, USA, Football: $779 M
41. Minnesota Vikings, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, Football: $774 M
42. Chicago Cubs, Chicago, Illinois, USA, Baseball: $773 M
43. Oakland Raiders, Oakland, California, USA, Football: $758 M
44. New York Mets, New York, New York, USA, Baseball: $747 M
45. Jacksonville Jaguars, Jacksonville, Florida, USA, Football: $725 M
46. Chelsea Football Club, London, England, UK, Soccer: $658 M
47. New York Knicks, New York, New York, USA, Basketball: $655 M
48. Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles, California, USA, Basketball: $643 M
49. Juventus Football Club, Turin, Piedmont, Italy, Soccer: $628 M
50. Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, Baseball: $609 M

Now, I'm not surprised to see Man United at Number 1. Nor am I surprised at the other soccer teams -- sorry, forgot to speak English there, football clubs, that are in the Top 50: Real Madrid, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, AC Milan, Chelsea and Juventus.

But I was shocked that so many teams on the list were our football, rather than football/futbol/fussball/voetbal/calcio. Surely, clubs like Liverpool, the Glasgow giants Rangers and Celtic, Internazionale (the "other" club in Milan), AS Roma of Rome, Portugal's Benfica, and one or two other German clubs would have made the list. (And, of course, Arsenal's North London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, didn't make the list -- and their fans still think they're a "big club.")

Then I remembered: Unlike soccer, the National Football League has that revenue-sharing plan. It's what makes it possible for Green Bay -- or even its closest big city, Milwaukee -- able to compete on an even keel with New York.

That's why the NFL has locked out the players: They can afford it. Whereas, in the soccer-centric countries, all of which view socialism as something that, in moderation, works, rather than as poison the way a majority of Americans view it, they realize that, when labor benefits, management benefits, too.

No hockey teams made the list. Not the Rangers, not the new Stanley Cup winners the Boston Bruins, not even Canada's 2 biggest sports teams, the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs, neither of whom has played to an unsold seat since World War II. (Unfilled, maybe; unsold, never.) And the only basketball teams that made the list were the Knicks and Lakers -- not the Boston Celtics, not LeBron James' Miami Heat, and not the new champion Dallas Mavericks, and I suspect none of those will make the list next year, either.

Looking at the NFL teams, I saw some things that surprised me:

* The Jets ranked 6th among NFL teams. I'm not surprised that they trail the Giants (4th), but they trail the Giants by "only" $40 million. I guess sharing ownership of the new Meadowlands Stadium has been as big a boost as making it to 2 straight AFC Championship Games, every bit as much as being a "New York" team does.

* The Baltimore Ravens are 8th among NFL teams. Baltimore is not a big market, especially when you don't include the Washington, D.C. market. This is why Orioles owner Peter Angelos was adamant about Washington not getting Major League Baseball back, consistently leaving such votes as 27-1, and later as 29-1.

(Camden Yards and Nationals Park are just 37 miles apart, a little closer than Liverpool FC's Anfield and Man United's Old Trafford -- and while Baltimore and Washington don't hate each other as much as the cities of Liverpool and Manchester do, it's bad enough; some Washingtonians still blame the 1964-71 success of the Orioles for the 1971 death of the Senators.)

* The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the most valuable sports team in the State of Florida, slightly ahead of the Miami Dolphins. This is truly shocking, especially when you consider that the Dolphins not only had a 10-year head start, but have been Playoff contenders for almost their entire existence, while the Bucs have had long stretches where they've been a freaking joke franchise.

However, the Bucs -- run by the Glazer family, which also owns Man United -- have had a much better business model. Since 1997, 14 seasons, the Bucs have made the Playoffs 7 times (and just missed 2 others), reaching and winning a Super Bowl; over the same stretch, the Dolphins have done so just 6 times, and haven't once reached an AFC Championship Game. The Dolphins' last World Championship was 38 seasons ago -- during the Nixon Administration. And Dan Marino, his Mark II receivers and the Killer B's defense may have put up big statistics, but never got them a title; Brad Johnson, Mike Alstott, Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, John Lynch and the rest did win one.

* The Cleveland Browns are worth more than a billion dollars. Granted, that's less than the company that used to have that name, which Art Modell moved to Baltimore. Nevertheless, after 12 seasons, most of which have been bad for the new Browns and good for the Ravens, you would think the Ravens would be worth more than $50 million more than the Browns.

* The New Orleans Saints are worth just under $1 billion. I wonder how much they'd be worth if they hadn't won that Super Bowl; on the other hand, I wonder how much they'd be worth if they hadn't had to play a season outside their home base due to Hurricane Katrina.

* The San Diego Chargers are in the world's Top 50 Richest Sports Franchises. So are the Jacksonville Jaguars. And yet, we keep hearing about how these teams are struggling, and how they might have to move. (The Chargers, most likely, up the freeway to Los Angeles; the Jags, who knows.) In fact, all of the NFL's 32 franchises are in the Top 50. That's how much the revenue-sharing deal has helped them.

As for baseball, I don't think anyone's surprised that the top 5 teams are the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Cubs and Mets. Nor that the recently successful Phillies, who've done almost as good a job of promoting themselves as they have of playing the game, are in the overall top 50. What's surprising is that the recent financial shenanigans that have supposedly thrown the Mets and Dodgers into dire straits haven't knocked them off the list.

It's also a little surprising that the Angels aren't on the list, after all Arte Moreno has done to promote them, including changing the name from "Anaheim Angels" to "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim," and, of course, winning, making the Playoffs in 6 of the last 9 years (and having a decent shot this season of making it 7 of 10).

But how dumb are Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn? They've gotten the White Sox into the Playoffs 3 times in the last 11 years, just missed 2 others, and have won Chicago's only Pennant in the last 52 seasons, and the city's only World Series in the last 94 seasons. And not only are they behind the Cubs (in attendance, too), but they're not in the Top 50! Come on! It's not like Chicago is a small city! It's one of the 4 biggest in the country! (It was 2nd for decades, but L.A. passed it in the 1970s, and Houston is pretty close to passing it as well.)

Reinsdorf can't be that stupid, because he built the Bulls into a 6-time World Champion, and they got back to the Eastern Conference Finals this season -- the first time they've ever gotten that far without Michael Jordan.

Finally, it did not escape my notice that the top 2 teams on the list -- the only ones ahead of the Yankees -- are Manchester United and the Dallas Cowboys. These 2 are a lot alike:

* Fans are front-runners. If United ever stop winning, the true fans will jump on United's players the way Cowboy fans jump on Tony Romo every time he screws up in a big game.

* Glory-hunters -- or, the other side of the preceding coin. The joke is that everyone in Manchester actually roots for Manchester City. Or that United is the 2nd-most popular team in London. And in New York. And in Jerusalem. And in Cairo. And in Johannesburg. And in Mumbai. And in Hong Kong. And in Tokyo. And in Sydney. And in, oh yeah, Manchester.

United fans are everywhere -- like rats. Same with Cowboy fans. You've seen him: The Cowboy fan in your local Hooters or Outback Steakhouse, cheering on "his" team, when he'd probably piss his pants if he ever actually visited Dallas -- which, like Manchester, has a bit of a crime problem. Indeed, there are a lot of people in Dallas who have no use for the Cowboys, and would rather spend their energy rooting for their college's team, especially if it's the University of Texas -- or, to a lesser degree, Texas A&M, Dallas' Southern Methodist University (SMU) or Fort Worth's Texas Christian University (TCU).

* A warped sense of history. It's true that United had won a few trophies in the 1950s and '60s, but from 1967 to 1993 had never finished 1st in England's Football League First Division. But with the 1993 Premier League title -- the 2nd season the 1st division was officially known as "the Premier League" or "the Premiership" -- they've hardly stopped winning.

Talk about referees being biased for them all you want, but they have won. They finally surpassed Liverpool this year, 19 titles to 18. And Liverpool haven't finished first since 1990, a drought almost as long as United's old one. (Joke: What ship has never docked in Liverpool? The Premiership.)

As a result, United fans act like titles won before it became the Premiership don't count -- just like Cowboy fans act like NFL Championships won before it became the Super Bowl don't count. They'd better think so, or else they've got to admit that their arch-rivals, the Washington Redskins, are even with them, 5-5. Of course, the Pittsburgh Steelers have surpassed them, 6-5, and even the Green Bay Packers now only trail them 5-4 in the Super Bowl era, and lead them 13-5 overall.

* Glitz and glamor. Or "glamour." United have had their share of hard-working players over the years -- "grinders," a hockey fan would call them -- just as the Cowboys have. But they're first and foremost a team of stars, often pretty boys. Granted, no one would ever call Wayne Rooney a pretty boy (in fact, he's often called "a fat ugly Scouser," even by Liverpool fans, themselves "Scousers," and "Shrek" after the cartoon ogre), but Cristiano Ronaldo (a.k.a. "Purseboy"), and the still-there Patrice Evra and Nani fall into this category.

Granted, Roger Staubach has been a class act all his life, but he was the epitome of the Cowboys' pretty boy. And what other NFL team would have a receiver, with long blond hair, named Golden Richards? Fans of "blue-collar" teams, such as the Giants, Steelers, Packers, Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles hate the Cowboys even more for their image-is-everything attitude than for their winning. Same with Man United.

I wish there was a way for the Cowboys and United to get together. And then have aliens come and beam them up and take them away to their planet.

But why would I want to do that to a planet full of people Earth doesn't even know? Not good for international relations. And we don't yet have Captain Kirk (or Picard, or even Archer) and a starship Enterprise to protect us.

So... You might be asking, "Wait a minute, Mike, if you hate the Cowboys and United that much, why do you love the Yankees? Aren't they the same way? A cold, impersonal corporate entity with lots of glory-hunting fans, a team pretty much hated by everybody who's not a fan of theirs?"

All of those criticisms of the Yankees are fair, as they are with the Cowboys and Man U. And with the Lakers, and Real Madrid, and Barcelona, and Bayern, and Juventus.

With the Yankees, it's different. I grew up close to New York -- and, for most of my youth, the Yankees weren't winning all the time. Yes, they won Pennants when I was 7, 8, 9 and 11, and started again when I was 27. But between 11 and 27, they weren't winning. Indeed, there were times when the Yankees were terrible.

Imagine a man 10 years older than I am, who grew up a short (under an hour) train ride from Manchester, and was 8 when United won the League in 1967 and 9 when they won the 1968 European Cup. And then, despite 4 FA Cup wins, United didn't win the League again until 1993, when he would have been 34. But he didn't drop them for Manchester City, or Liverpool, or Don Revie's Leeds United, or Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest, or Arsenal under Bertie Mee, Terry Neill or George Graham.

That kind of fan deserves to be hailed as a true fan of his club. Same with me; I could have dropped the Yankees after the chaos of 1982, or the rise of the Mets from 1984 to 1990, especially after the Yankees finished last in 1990 with the owner getting suspended. But I didn't.

Here's a test: Get a United fan to name the manager before Sir Alex Ferguson -- and get a Yankee Fan to name the starting shortstop before Derek Jeter.

If the Yankee fan can't come up with the name of Tony Fernandez, you can tell him to get lost, he's not a true fan. If the United fan doesn't remember "Big Ron" Atkinson as anything other than an eminently quotable, charged-with-racism pundit, you can tell him to sod off.

Before any other sports franchise was -- before Rutgers football, before the Nets moved to New Jersey, before the Devils existed, before I knew that Arsenal did -- the Yankees were my team. I was still on the bandwagon when it was in the shop. And it was in the shop for a long time. (See "Mattingly, Don/Curse of Donnie Baseball.")

Like Arsenal fan Nick Hornby said: "Perhaps it's something you can't understand, unless you belong."

Aside from the Yankee examples above, I've been through West Virginia 80, Rutgers 7; Syracuse 52, Rutgers 3 on national TV (not that I saw it on TV, because I was there, freezing my ass off in Piscataway); Stephane Matteau turning into New York hockey's Bobby Thomson; the Devils blowing a 3-2 lead to Carolina in the last minute and a half of Game 7 and losing 4-3; and Arsenal blowing a 4-goal lead against Newcastle this past season (with help from a ref) and a pair of 2-goal leads at home against Tottenham in the last 3 seasons.

You're a real fan if you've faced a team having losses like those, compounded through the years -- and you stick with it.

If I were a Red Sox fan, and had lived through Bucky Dent, Bill Buckner and Aaron Boone, and all the little indignities in between, I'd be saying to the kids with the Red Sox caps, from Cambridge to Calabasas, "You front-running jackasses, this is the best era in our team's history, and you're ruining it for the rest of us by acting like that!"

And, yes, there are Yankee fans like that -- notice I do not capitalize the F in "fans" on this occasion.

A few years ago, I was reading an article on the Baltimore Orioles. It was a piece on their 1966 World Championship team, and it included a quote from the man who was then their clubhouse manager, who had been with the pre-1954, minor-league team with that name. He was asked to compare the 1944 International League Pennant winners with the 1966 team. He knew what it was like in harder times, even when they were at the top of the minors. He said, "Don't ask me about 'the good old days.' They weren't even lousy."

There are times when I would give anything to sit in the old Yankee Stadium again. And I wouldn't mind seeing another game in the 1938-1992 version of Rutgers Stadium. Although I have been to a Nets game at the Meadowlands Arena (whatever it was named at the time) since the Devils got out and moved into the Prudential Center, and it all came back to me, just how inadequate the "old" building was. How the building still called "the new Madison Square Garden" (now older than the "old Garden" was when it was demolished) is still more modern than the big white barn off Exit 16W.

And that's when I recall that, if given the chance to either see the 1990 Yankees at the old Stadium, or the 2011 Yankees at the new Stadium, I can say, "Been there. Done that. Got ketchup on the T-shirt."

Every real fan of a team knows who his team's other real fans are.