Not much happening today, other than the City of Men taking on Crystal Palace (11:30, ESPN+) for the 2024-25 FA Cup gloUry.  As Fronk once helpfully reminded me, the Murrikan face of the Premier League (NBC studio host Rebecc-ur Lowe) is a Palace supporter.  Backing that up, she penned a nice article in the Athletic this week.  Snippet follows:

My parents divorced when I was 10 and, overnight, those long drives across London to Palace came to represent quality time with my dad. They were precious.

We had a routine. We would leave early, 10.30am on a Saturday for a 3pm kick off, and park up a stone’s throw from the ground on one of the roads that climb up from Whitehorse Lane, which backs onto the stadium. I dreamt of living in one of those houses; I’m based in California now, but I still think about that road. I’d peer in through the windows, cursing how lucky the occupants were to live this close to Palace, then on past the chip shop on the corner to the club store.

Dad would treat me to a key ring or a shirt, buy the matchday programme, and then it was up the steps to Crystals — a dingy nightclub turned function room above the Sainsbury’s supermarket at one end of the ground — to be first in the door when it opened at midday.

What a place that was. All sticky floors, brown mottled tables and nasty padded chairs. God knows what had seeped into those over the years, but we couldn’t care less. We’d order sausage, chips and beans twice — still the best pre-match meal I’ve ever had — and Dad would buy me a Coke (I was never allowed Coke) and he’d have a pint of London Pride beer.

We would digest every word of the programme while we ate, and watch the raffle. Sometimes I’d take myself off to the ladies’ because there was a window from where you could see the green of the pitch. I’d just stand there, staring: ‘Wow, what a view’. I was completely enthralled by everything Crystal Palace. It was my happy place.

Then, at around 2.15pm, we’d amble over to the Holmesdale Stand at the other end of the ground where Dad had season tickets: upper tier behind the goal. We’d watch the game, soak it all up, then drive home listening to the 606 fans’ phone-in on BBC Radio 5 Live. Those were some of the best days of my life.

Ugh, now I kind of hope they win.  But City of Men getting a trophy in this shittiest of seasons (by their standards) would also be a nice thumb in the eye for bloviating commentators (who keep trying to man-splain how much we should love the Redshite’s winning the League) everywhere.  So…I guess huzzah either way?

Notts County take on AFC Wimbledon (7:30, Paramount+, maybe CBSSN?) in the League 2 playoffs.  Notts need to overturn a 1-nil first leg, home defeat.  But ’tis the playoffs, crazier shit has happened.

All the normal Prem matchery takes place on Sunday this week (and next), so adjust your relationship with the space-time continuum accordingly.