champions league ties

First of all, if you are reading this and you didn't get an email about football pickem, let me know, its because I dont have your email address...

Draws are always fun. There are limitless possiblities and almost completely unpredictable.

Two groups are much softer than the rest to me, and it really just has to do with the "two seeds" or teams from the second pot in those groups. Sporting Lisbon and Werder Bremen. I'd play either of those two before I played Fiorentina or Atletico (four seeds) any day of the week. The two relatively lucky of the bigger teams were Barca and Inter. Basel Exposition? Shaktar Donetsk? They sound primed for a 4-1 thumping. Sporting and Barca cruise.

Inter may need their luck if they play anything like they did last year in CL. But you can't ask for a much easier group. Bremen, Panathinakos, and some Cyprian team starring Ephrim and Co. At least Greece has a representative, more than the Czechs can say.

And how about the Ukranians and Romanians, each sending 2 teams, not to mention the Belorussian team. The soviet bloc is well represented.

There are some tricky groups but two stand out to me. That being Liverpool's and Lyon's. If Real Madrid are the class that they think they are, then they shouldn't have any problems with either Juventus or a depleted Zenit. But these two groups I speak of are dictated by the aforementioned four seeds. All four teams, Lyon, Bayern, Steaua, and Fiorentina are tough. But Liverpool, Marseille, PSV, and Atletico...yikes.

Just quickly I'll predict.
Chelsea&Roma
Inter&Bremen
Barca&Sporting
Liverpool&PSV
Man U&Celtic
Bayern&Lyon
Arsenal&Fenerbeche
Real Madrid&Juve all to advance

Everyone's favorite AL east matchup tonight, O's Rays. And conveniently enough the rays need just one more win to ensure they have their first winning season ever.
Nothing like playing the spoiler, right Ramon?

And lastly all you crystal castles fans out there, we all remember the Black Panther video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNiL-w4fwS4

but here's my fav song's fan retort, Air War
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDbPmqKoSko&watch_response