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Football fans, January and February probably seems like heaven. The BCS bowls and National Championship followed by the pinnacle of the pigskin: The Super Bowl.

Maybe you’re a baseball fan. The best times of year are certainly book ends for you. Many try to suppress elation when pitchers and catchers report, but most find their pastime bliss in October and early November.

Basketball and hockey fans seem to have an eternity of a season. Ask most and you’ll certainly here about June.

For me, none qualify as the best time in sports. As the title states, the best time of year is the end of May. Not because the English Premier League will be crowning a champion, but due rather to the battle at the other end of the table: the fight against relegation.

For those unfamiliar with relegation in soccer, allow me for a moment, soccer connoisseurs, to explain to those novices like me reading.

Take all levels of professional baseball for example: A, AA, AAA, and the Major League. Eliminate the whole farm system affiliations and make each team its own business entity that can hire and fire as it pleases.

The EPL replicates this idea with the Premier League (Majors), League Championship (AAA), League 1 (AA)and League 2 (A). The only difference is the top three teams get promoted at season’s end, and the bottom three teams get relegated.

So based on last season, The Washington Nationals, Seattle Mariners, and San Diego Padres would be competing this season in AAA. The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons, Louisville Bats, and Pawtucket Red Sox, all of the International League, would be playing Major League baseball in 2009.

Think of how that might change professional sports in America.

Even though I’m a basketball guy, the last few weeks of May present to us something quite unique in sports.

The majority of sports fans are average Joes, but more times than not, professional sports is a tale of nobility. The biggest, strongest, richest, and athletically gifted win the championships. Players who could not be further from who we are or the roles we have in society prevail while the ordinary begin reciting the infamous sports maxim, “there’s always next year.”

Sure we want our favorite teams to win, but since that is rarely the case, we often look for an underdog. Why? Because the underdog represents us.

Why do you think the best story come March is a Cinderella team? It’s a reflection of who we are.

Every season, The bottom the EPL becomes a perfect microcosm of middle-class America. The CEOs, like Manchester United, continually challenge for the top spot while the average employee, such as Sunderland, just wants to survive another day with the company.

The rich prosper and bask in the glory of championships and trophies. Meanwhile, the peons like me struggle to make ends meet month-to-month and are left only with delusions of grandeur.

American sports are unrealistic. If a team fails miserably, there’s no consequences. In fact, fail bad enough, and teams get rewarded with picking the new hot shot player for next season.

Not in the EPL. Finish in the bottom three and it’s a punishment. Moreover, teams won’t be bidding on top players; they’ll struggle to keep those who are good enough to be loaned to Premier league team. That’s more representative of life.

Time and again we see smaller clubs fighting for their Premiership lives by the end of May. Big clubs like Liverpool and Chelsea may feel dejected if they don’t win a championship, but smaller clubs, like Fulham last season, feel uninhibited respite when they narrowly avoid being relegated.

The joy of fans’ faces as the referee blows the final whistle exudes a feeling not often seen in sports: the feeling of accepted mediocrity only relative to those bidding adieu to the topflight football.

West Bromwich Albion, Middlesbrough, Hull City, Newcastle United, Sunderland, and Portsmouth will all be playing for the Premiership lives in the final two weeks of the 2008-2009 season.

Their respective matches are sure to be entertaining and hard fought. Fans will either sob for their club’s demise, or, for those lucky clubs who narrowly avoid the bottom three, revel in the fact that for another season, even if by only an inch, they can say that they’re competing with the best.

I’m a little guy. I love my teams, but they aren’t me; they suffer no consequences if they tank a season.

So you can have your NBA Finals, Stanley Cup, and game sevens. Take your Super Bowl Sunday and Mr. Octobers. Every year, I can’t wait for the end of May to watch the purest form of sport on display in any professional league.

Where teams are playing at their highest level until the very end. Where fans are more than proud to finish seventeenth. Where the common man takes center stage and plays with more heart and grit than a jaded, inflated payroll ever could.

What do Bruce Springsteen and The English Premier League have in common? Admittedly not much. But the Boss does have a way with words, and in honor of his much anticipated halftime performance in Super Bowl XLIII, I figured he could help me better understand the first half of the Premier League season and perhaps even what to expect.

“Waste your summer praying in vain For a savior to rise from these streets” – Thunder Road

Maybe it’s because I’m relatively new to the beautiful game or because my knowledge of it does not stretch too far out of English football, but it seems like this past summer clubs spent way too much money on new players in hopes of finding a savior.

After a solid stay at Blackburn (13 goals and 23 assists in three season), David Bentley joined Tottenham. Much was expected of the English national player after the departure of forwards Berbatov and Keane, but so far he has only produced one goal and two assists. Tottenham has been fighting off relegation since day one and currently sit sixteenth.

Irishman Robbie Keane joined Premier League power Liverpool. This move proved a little more important once it was decided that Spaniard Fernando Torres would be sitting out a great deal due to injury. Keane took a while to get situated, though, scoring his first league goal in November. He has a total of five. Though Liverpool is still sitting in the top four, Keane’s play must be leaving Reds fans yearning even more so for Torres’ return.

Champions League veteran Deco joined Chelsea from Barcelona. His three league goals may be attributed to an injury suffered early on, but he is certainly not being mentioned nearly as much.

A couple clubs, however, heard their prayers answered through summer transfers.

Andy Johnson went to Fulham from Everton and has provided some exciting goals in the post-Brian McBride era. Fulham, an annual pick for relegation, actually sits in the top half of the table at tenth.

Peter Crouch returned to Portsmouth from Liverpool. The 6’7″ Englishman has scored seven goals. Though Portsmouth sits in twelfth, they are only three points from the relegation zone. Don’t blame Crouch – Portsmouth has switched managers and also lost their best player, Jermain Defoe, to Tottenham.

Geovanni came over to newly promoted Hull City after a stint with Manchester City. The Brazilian midfielder has scored six goals and along with his club, caused early season hysteria by completing the North London sweep (Arsenal and Tottenham). Hull City has since dropped out of the European picture but still sits in ninth place.

“So when you look at me you better look hard and look twice Is that me baby or just a brilliant disguise” -Brilliant Disguise

This season has brought a few new clubs and faces to the attention of a soccer novice. Since their promotion in 2005, Wigan has finished above fourteenth place just once – their first year in the Prem – and narrowly avoided relegation in 2007.

Now they sit in seventh place thanks in large part to Egyptian transfer, Zaki, who currently has ten goals (third in the league). Wigan has seemed like such a boring team in seasons past, but now with one of the more exciting goal scorers in the league and hot on the trails of perhaps a UEFA berth, I’m going to be looking hard and twice to see if this is the new Wigan or just a disguise.

Aston Villa has climbed from a sixteenth finish in 2006 to now looking primed to take a top four finish in 2009. Former Celtic manager, Martin O’Neill, has built a convincing club since his hiring in 2006. Twenty-two year old Gabriel Agbonlahor has impressed with nine goals thus far. Aston Villa has started strong the past couple of years but then dropped off. With February around the corner, they currently reside in fourth place ahead of Arsenal and Everton.

A brilliant disguise? I think Villa and O’Neill are the real deal this year, but the last few months will certainly answer that for us. Seven of their last fourteen games will be against teams sitting in the top half of the table. They play Chelsea in February, Liverpool in March, and visit Old Trafford and defending Champion Manchester United on April 4. Villa will have a long hard look in the mirror and find out if they’re ready to challenge the top four.

“Didn’t you think I knew that you were born with the power of a locomotive able to leap tall buildings in a single bound? And your Chelsea suicide with no apparent motive you could laugh and cry in a single sound.” -For You

Chelsea without a doubt has the power of a locomotive. Ballack, Drogba, Deco, Terry, Lampard, Cech. Expectations were and are high. But supermen the Blues apparently are not. They’ve leapt the smaller clubs, but have stumbled against those taller ones. They only managed one point after two meetings with Manchester United, the last a 3-0 drubbing at Old Trafford. They’ve also dropped one match each to other powers, Arsenal and Liverpool. A single bound? The Blues are still jumping.

With Champions League still a reality for fans, they have to wonder whether this team will come together or commit a “Chelsea suicide.” Didier Drogba seems unhappy and has been quoted recently as desiring a return to a French club. And now recent reports that players are not happy with the manager, Luis Scolari, and his training sessions. Avram Grant was run out of town, but now the job he did does not look all that bad. His start was points ahead of where Scolari and Chelsea are right now. To me, with all their experience and talent, it will be up to the players to decide whether they make their fans laugh or cry by season’s end.

“Poor man wanna be rich, rich man wanna be king And a king ain’t satisfied till he rules everything” – Badlands

Manchester City desperately wants to be a big time club and qualify for European play. When purchased this summer by an Arab investment group out of Dubai, they immediately bought Robinho for £32.5m. With eleven goals in sixteen games, he’s delivered. The new owners have tried their best to acquire former FIFA player of the year, Kaka, from the Italian club AC Milan during the January transfer window. Reported offers had it at a record deal but nothing came of it.

I couldn’t agree more with Bruce on this: rich men do want to be king of something, and Man. City wants to be king of the Prem. Unfortunately money hasn’t solved their problems as they sit only four points away from the relegation zone.

“This storm’ll blow through by and by / House is on fire, Viper’s in the grass /…./ I’m gonna pray / Right now all I got’s this lonesome day / It’s alright? It’s alright? It’s alright” -Lonesome Day

The most fun I’ve had watching sports the last two years is watching teams on the verge of relegation play as if they’re lives depended on it. This year will perhaps be the most exciting, as thirteen clubs currently are within eight points of the relegation zone. I can’t even begin to explain the excitement I have for how the end of this season will play out at the bottom half than the top half.

Middleborough, Stoke City, and West Brom currently sit in the last three spots based off of goal differential. Portsmouth, Bolton, Newcastle United, Sunderland, Tottnenham and Blackburn are all within three points of the bottom three. West Ham, Hull City, Fulham and Manchester City have a little more breathing room, but not enough to exhale quite yet.

The eminent danger of relegation is there for all of these clubs. Eventually, that viper is going to strike and when it does, no amount prayers will help. For those who haven’t already heeded the warning from Bruce, all they might have come May 24 is that lonesome day and the reality of relegation.

“Well now I don’t wanna be greedy / But when it comes to love there ain’t no doubt / You just ain’t gonna get what you want / With one foot in bed and one foot out / You got to give it all or nothin’ at all” -All or Nothin’ at all

Photo by Stephen Cohen

My pick, Chelsea, may have the easiest road to pick up three points at a time. They play Aston Villa and Liverpool in February, but after that their toughest games will be Everton and Arsenal on May 9.

Along with their May 9 clash, Arsenal will have Liverpool in April and a visit to Old Trafford in May to play Manchester United. The Gunners may have the toughest road ahead of them along with more ground to make up as they sit in fifth place.

The key to the championship may be Hull City. They play Arsenal, Villa and United in the final months of the Prem. If anyone can play spoiler, the Tigers of Hull City have already proven it can be them.

It’s been an interesting season to say the least. It’s past the midway point and teams will certainly be giving it all, otherwise they may come away with nothin’ at all.

A pint for Chelsea manager Luis Scolari. In Chelsea’s 1-1 tie against Manchester United in round 4 of the Prem, he refused to blame referees even though they did not allow Chelsea one last free kick from just outside the box in stoppage time. He called them “the boss” and pointed to the masterful play of both sides. I loved the way he avoided the lure from the media. I can see why Chelsea is delighted to have him at Stamford Bridge.

A red card for Newcastle United’s Danny Guthrie. He took a frustrated swipe at Hull City’s Craig Fagan and broke his leg. The replay showed no intention to play the ball. This was truly a reprehensible display by Guthrie. View the video of the vicious kick here, with the actual play coming in at eleven seconds and the replay at thirty seconds.

A red card for the English FA who gave Guthrie a meager three game ban. This is despicable concerning the severity of the injury. FA should have grown a pair and suspended Guthrie for as long as it takes Fagan to recover and return to play. Shame on you, England FA!

A pint for Hull City and its fans. Hull City has pulled off the improbable North London sweep, beating Arsenal 2-1 and Tottenham 1-0. This is the first time in their 104-year history that Hull is competing in top-flight football. From the games I’ve watched, their fans are as passionate as any other and are enjoying the ride. They have played in all levels of English football in the past five years and now are taking on and defeating England’s best clubs. They currently hold third in the league table which means they’d qualify for the Champions League next season. And I picked them to finish in dead last.

Shunsuke Nakamura

A red card for Japan’s National Team. They have taken the authority to call up midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura for a friendly against the United Arab Emirates and a World Cup qualifying match against fellow Asian group member Uzbekistan. This may pull the magical midfielder away from his Scottish club, Celtic, as they set to take on defending champion Manchester United in the Champions League just six days after Japan’s match with Uzbekistan. Japan already holds onto second in their group and probably do not need Nakamura to beat lowly Uzbekistan who has yet to score a goal in qualifying.

Jose Mourinho

A pint for Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho. He was criticized for giving his assistant media duties after a game. The native Portuguese lashed back stating his respect comes from the fact that he is trying to learn Italian so that he may better suit the Italian media. The assistant he hired is someone with a good past with the club and also fluent in Italian. I like this move and I like that he addressed it. He’s making a concerted effort to learn a new language while managing one of the best clubs in the world – lay off the guy and be patient.

A red card for Jose Mourinho. In the same interview, he said that the AC Milan and Inter Milan derby was just “a normal game.” Ugh… give me my pint back, Jose.

A pint for Dave’s Football Blog. I’ve made this blog a regular stop. It covers everything football, from our American version to many, many versions found in the UK and Australia. This site is the Left Field of soccer for me; I learn something new every time. His analysis and writing is both entertaining and informative. His current article, “Fiscal Responsiblity,” examines the financial state of the English Premier League. Truly great stuff on this site, no matter your football preference.

A red card for Bayern Munich manager Jürgen Klinsmann. The former German striker has Germany’s most dominant and successful club (over forty German trophies) sitting in eleventh place. I can’t say that I follow Bundesliga very closely, so I don’t know if it is his blame or not. I’m red carding him regardless because he chose to take the toughest job in Germany. He stepped down as the German National coach after a third place finish in the 2006 World Cup. Now he’s trying to lead his former club but is off to a rocky start. Be careful, Jürgen; don’t tarnish your legacy because you can’t maintain the same success as a coach.

Pints all around for the Zimbabwe National Team, The Warriors. They were recently eliminated from World Cup contention. I wrote about their hopes in possibly hosting some games and also examined the impact soccer may potentially have on a politically corrupt country. Here’s to the brave team members for playing on and continuing hope during a time of turmoil.

A red card for the Senegalese fans. After Senegal was eliminated from World Cup contention, fans stormed the FA headquarters and vandalized the building, even setting fire to a bus. They were restrained with tear gas; however, many important documents were stolen and damaged.

Pints all around for the U.S. National Team! They’re doing it with defense in World Cup qualifying, giving up their first goal in four matches against Cuba this past Saturday night. The younger players are looking primed and ready to step into the spotlight, especially (Glasgow) Rangers product DeMarcus Beasely, who scored twice against Cuba (U.S. won the match 6-1). So cheers to the American squad and godspeed in the final qualifying round and finding success in South Africa come 2010! Wait a minute – bartender? Just a Pepsi for Freddy Adu, please.