# 2015-16 Barclays Premier League Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 3, 2015, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-barclays-premier-league-thread/726837 "2015-08-03T01:08:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 26
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-barclays-premier-league-thread/726837/502 "2016-05-04T14:13:46Z")
> [@Thing\_Fish](#): > > [If ESPN said it, it must be true! No takebacks!](https://youtu.be/Fwnnx3mMtLk) Probably the closest you guys will ever get. šŸ˜› Congrats to Leicester. What a story! > [@NAF1138](#): > > Sure. But itā€™s Diego Costa. You think he wasnā€™t provoking Spurs? They shouldnā€™t have responded, but stillā€¦ Costa is a turd with legs. ---
**Author:** ![polar\_bear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@polar\_bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/polar_bear)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-barclays-premier-league-thread/726837/503 "2016-05-04T14:18:23Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > Costa is a turd with legs. And still Spurs managed to have at least 5 players behaving like a bigger dick on the day. Thatā€™s saying something! ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-barclays-premier-league-thread/726837/504 "2016-05-04T14:19:30Z")
> [@polar\_bear](#): > > And still Spurs managed to have at least 5 players behaving like a bigger dick on the day. Thatā€™s saying something! Youā€™re not wrong. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-barclays-premier-league-thread/726837/505 "2016-05-04T14:21:47Z")
> [@Thing\_Fish](#): > > [If ESPN said it, it must be true! No takebacks!](https://youtu.be/Fwnnx3mMtLk) > Congratulations to Leicester, they have been an amazing story. > > Fucking Chelsea can fuck right the fuck off. Flopping and cheap shots all day Iā€™m sorry, what now? Spurs were disgusting. They tried to kick Chelsea off the park. Hereā€™s a compilation of the worst ones, just to remind you: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nmKIFBdzjA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nmKIFBdzjA) > [@Thing\_Fish](#): > > , then they [celebrate a draw](https://scontent.ford1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13102616_10156960108045249_7071656830542897474_n.jpg?oh=977fe9f14b99bd5cc41c3f1f46f08652&oe=57B87B8D)like they just won the fucking World Cup. Our guys need to get better at not reacting to that shit, but doesnā€™t change the fact that theyā€™re fucking scum. And in conclusion, fuck. You have no concept of how rivalries work in football. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-barclays-premier-league-thread/726837/506 "2016-05-04T14:22:02Z")
> [@polar\_bear](#): > > And still Spurs managed to have at least 5 players behaving like a bigger dick on the day. Thatā€™s saying something! Again, if you have watched them play at all this season that isnā€™t who they are (with the exception of Alli, thatā€™s totally who he is. But he wasnā€™t even there). That says something too, I would think. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-barclays-premier-league-thread/726837/507 "2016-05-04T14:24:10Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > I know you said you like Spurs, I donā€™t know how much you watch of them. This is really really unlike this team. Itā€™s very much not how they play. Old school fans have been complaining all season about the lack of yellow cards in close games. They didnā€™t do this against Arsenal. > > I have to think it had something to do with Chelsea. Chelsea wound them up and Spurs lost it and came out looking bad. The denial is strong with this one. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-barclays-premier-league-thread/726837/508 "2016-05-04T14:26:34Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > Hey, look at that. Now that the match is over and people are talking rationallyā€¦ [Chelsea were assholes](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/05/03/cesc-fabregas-accused-of-sparking-chelsea-brawl-by-slapping-tott/). Iā€™ll remind you that that incident happened at the end of a game where Spurs had tried to kick Chelsea off the park. Youā€™re coming off as a bit of a tit, to be honest. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-barclays-premier-league-thread/726837/509 "2016-05-04T14:32:02Z")
> [@amanset](#): > > Iā€™ll remind you that that incident happened at the end of a game where Spurs had tried to kick Chelsea off the park. > > Youā€™re coming off as a bit of a tit, to be honest. Did you read the article I linked to? Because thatā€™s what the article talked about. Spurs arenā€™t blameless, but everyone acting like Chelsea were choir boys being set upon by those evil spurs players is dumb. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-barclays-premier-league-thread/726837/510 "2016-05-04T15:20:02Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > Did you read the article I linked to? Because thatā€™s what the article talked about. > > Spurs arenā€™t blameless, but everyone acting like Chelsea were choir boys being set upon by those evil spurs players is dumb. I never said Chelsea were choirboys, and i have no trouble believing that they contributed to what went on. I also have no trouble believing that they managed to get in some foul play that the cameras didnā€™t catch. I donā€™t watch every Spurs game, by any means, but i watch a decent number each season, and also watch the highlights of basically every game played by every team all year. Spurs are not a team i think of as dirty or unfair, and i like a lot of their players. I also like Mauricio Pochettino, and have done since he did such a good job with Southampton. But in a game where they needed a win to remain in the hunt for a Premier League title, and where they also held a 2-0 lead, Spurs have no excuses for not keeping their heads and playing their usual brand of football. Even if some of their fouls were the result of retaliation against Chelsea provocation, the sheer number of fouls, and the blatant and unnecessary nature of so many of them, was pretty fucking awful. It takes a real effort of will for me not to blame Chelsea for Tottenhamā€™s behavior, because i fucking HATE Chelsea. If Diego Costa were on fire at my feet, i would not piss on him. But on this occasion, thereā€™s plenty of blame to go around, and on balance, Spurs came out of that game looking worse, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-barclays-premier-league-thread/726837/511 "2016-05-04T15:32:11Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > I never said Chelsea were choirboys, and i have no trouble believing that they contributed to what went on. I also have no trouble believing that they managed to get in some foul play that the cameras didnā€™t catch. > > I donā€™t watch every Spurs game, by any means, but i watch a decent number each season, and also watch the highlights of basically every game played by every team all year. Spurs are not a team i think of as dirty or unfair, and i like a lot of their players. I also like Mauricio Pochettino, and have done since he did such a good job with Southampton. > > But in a game where they needed a win to remain in the hunt for a Premier League title, and where they also held a 2-0 lead, Spurs have no excuses for not keeping their heads and playing their usual brand of football. Even if some of their fouls were the result of retaliation against Chelsea provocation, the sheer number of fouls, and the blatant and unnecessary nature of so many of them, was pretty fucking awful. > > It takes a real effort of will for me not to blame Chelsea for Tottenhamā€™s behavior, because i fucking HATE Chelsea. If Diego Costa were on fire at my feet, i would not piss on him. But on this occasion, thereā€™s plenty of blame to go around, and on balance, Spurs came out of that game looking worse, IMO. None of what I said in my last post was directed at you mhendo. That ā€œeveryoneā€ was directed at the football commenting Internet at large. You seem to be pretty fair and neutral in this and you make some good points. No excuse. They screwed up. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-barclays-premier-league-thread/726837/512 "2016-05-04T18:01:28Z")
I dislike Spurs as much as any good football fan, but I agree that outside of the recent Chelsea match, I would not ordinarily categorize them as dirty. Leicester (diving cheats), Chelsea (with that thug Costa and assorted other whinging divers), and Stoke (the Orcs of Mordor) deserve that description far more. ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-barclays-premier-league-thread/726837/513 "2016-05-04T19:29:50Z")
No question Spursā€™ behavior was indefensible. This is just barely excusable in such a young team, but clearly Poch has some work to do as far as getting his players to keep their cool. And obviously Iā€™m biased, but I canā€™t imagine how anyone could come away from that game not seeing that Chelsea started the shitā€¦Son got fouled hard in the first minute, for Godā€™s sake. Apparently the nine yellow cards are actually a league record, so thereā€™s that :rolleyes: . Even with twelve yellows handed out, Iā€™d have to say the officials lost control big time. There were fouls by both sides early on that should have been yellow cards, and yellows later on that should have been reds. Dembeleā€™s eye poke was inexcusable and deserving of a substantial suspension. Funny to note, though, that immediately after it happened Costa turned toward the official yowling in painā€¦and holding his _other_ eye. I stand by my profanity-laced tirade. ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-barclays-premier-league-thread/726837/514 "2016-05-04T20:25:46Z")
Of course Spurs have realistically clinched a top 3 spot based on goal differential, but itā€™s kind of funny that, should we lose Sunday, we could mathematically clinch with an _Arsenal_ win later in the day. I guess we would have to send a fruit basket or something. That would also tie us on points; never in life would I wish for such an outcome, but it would add some spice to the final day of the season. ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-barclays-premier-league-thread/726837/515 "2016-05-04T20:44:35Z")
Which leads me to ask a question about BPL culture: Say that Spurs finish Sunday still three points ahead of Arsenal, but with a realistically insurmountable advantage in goal differential. Should we celebrate then, or is it the done thing to wait until the moment of actual mathematical certainty? OK, I realize that under ordinary circumstances itā€™s probably not customary to get too excited about finishing second as opposed to third, but say that the title was on the line. Whatā€™s the etiquette? ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-barclays-premier-league-thread/726837/516 "2016-05-04T21:13:57Z")
> [@Thing\_Fish](#): > > OK, I realize that under ordinary circumstances itā€™s probably not customary to get too excited about finishing second as opposed to third, but say that the title was on the line. Whatā€™s the etiquette? You donā€™t celebrate until the fat lady sings, in my opinion. Wait until all is done and done. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-barclays-premier-league-thread/726837/517 "2016-05-04T21:25:58Z")
> [@Thing\_Fish](#): > > Which leads me to ask a question about BPL culture: > > Say that Spurs finish Sunday still three points ahead of Arsenal, but with a realistically insurmountable advantage in goal differential. Should we celebrate then, or is it the done thing to wait until the moment of actual mathematical certainty? > > OK, I realize that under ordinary circumstances itā€™s probably not customary to get too excited about finishing second as opposed to third, but say that the title was on the line. Whatā€™s the etiquette? Celebrating St. Woolwich day is worth getting excited about. But we can not celebrate until itā€™s certain. I doubt I have been a Spur fan longer than you, but only when its certain seems to be the done thing. ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-barclays-premier-league-thread/726837/518 "2016-05-04T23:11:49Z")
Very well then. Let it be known that, should that scenario play out, any Spurs-related drinking and capering about I might do should be considered not as an actual celebration, but as ā€œpracticeā€ for the following weekend.šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![Subterraneanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Subterraneanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subterraneanus)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2016, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-barclays-premier-league-thread/726837/519 "2016-05-06T00:05:31Z")
I stand by my giggling. _giggles some more_ ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-barclays-premier-league-thread/726837/520 "2016-05-08T07:04:33Z")
After Leicester took care of Everton today, i watched the team receive their champions medals and the trophy. As i watched, i was reminded again of something that i hate about American sports: the fact that the first person called up during the presentation process is usually the team owner, rather than the players and the coach. The Leicester owners were there, and when the team photos were taken, the owners came in and got involved. But the main presentation ceremony was all about the team, because they, and not some billionaire looking to stroke his own ego, are the ones who actually play the fucking game. It was the same in Australia when i was growing up there: if you win the rugby or the cricket or the Aussie rules competition, the team gets presented with the trophy. US sports could pay some attention here. At the other end of the table, itā€™s looking increasingly likely that Norwich and Newcastle will join Villa in the Championship next season. Mathematically, it is still possible for one of those clubs to survive, but Sunderland is 4 points ahead of Norwich, and is one point ahead of Newcastle with a game in hand. If i were betting on the outcome, iā€™d be putting money on Sunderland to squeak through. Two points from its last two games basically guarantees Sunderlandā€™s survival, even if Newcastle wins its last game against Spurs and Norwich wins its last two against Watford and Everton. Even if Sunderland loses its two remaining games, draws are not good enough for Newcastle or Norwich to catch up; they need wins. If Newcastle goes down, the northeast will get a replacement, as Middlesbrough return to the Premier League, along with Championship winners Burnley. In the four-team playoff for the last promotion spot, i think iā€™m going to be cheering for Sheffield Wednesday. When i lived in Doncaster in the early 1990s, both Sheffield teams were in the top flight (Division 1, and then the Premier League), and it would be good to see one of them back again. On form, though, Brighton look pretty good, with 7 wins and 3 draws from their last 10 games. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-barclays-premier-league-thread/726837/521 "2016-05-08T08:59:19Z")
I wonder how Leicester will do in the Champions League. The smart money would be on them falling early. However, Atletico have reached two European Cup finals in three years playing a similar type of game and Inter and Chelsea won the whole think by playing counter attacking football, so I think they have the potential to reach far [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-barclays-premier-league-thread/726837.md?page=25) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-16-barclays-premier-league-thread/726837.md?page=27)