There's gotta be a story in here somewhere

Right? I mean, right? I mean, there is still football on some level, isn't there?

You know, in times like these (the barren desert of the international break that slams us right in the face like Jintao winding up with a little white glove to challenge our resolve) I find myself checking the papers even more than I usually do. And that's an obscene amount as it is. I'm sitting here all night just plowing though news, imploring it to just throw me up something new. In case you were keeping score, this doesn't count. I mean to even say something like that just reeks of self-importance, doesn't it, Frank? Just shut your mouth and cash your check, yeah?

And no, I'm not counting Stan Kroenke, the American who continues to increase his shares in the Arsenal. I try to ignore all of the backroom bungling, posturing and scheming. Football please. Rumors, sure, I can deal with that ... but in the end, football please. I'm not gonna worry myself with share percentages, shirt sponsors and the like. Not my style. What I am going to worry myself with are the highlights of Andrei Arshavin continuing to look the part for Russia on Saturday. I am going to worry myself with Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue playing in the Ivory Coast after some 20 plus were killed in a stadium accident. I am going to worry about Emmanuel Adebayor getting some minutes for Togo and getting up to speed. I am going to take notice of Robin Van Persie notching yet again for Holland only to come off with a limp and quiet reports out of Denmark of Nicholas Bendtner coming down with a knee injury. And I'm keeping a particularly weary eye on France's fluttering form as they'll host Lithuania on Wednesday and any number of Gunners can take the pitch.

What I'm not going to worry about are stories of Cesc Fabregas saying that yes, Real Madrid tapped him up. I'm also going to ignore this inflammatory headline about Adebayor simply stating the truth ... that if Arsenal were at full-strength for the entire season, or even close to it, they'd have had to the gusto to mount an actual challenge. Ummm, duh.

So yeah, a few more days of this torture. A few more days until hometown newspapers stop combing the desert for any story they can possibly dig up and turn their attention elsewhere. Meanwhile, we sit here at Match Pricks twiddling our thumbs and simply tossing up (in the midst of Mel Brooks Movie Stills Weeks) a throaty, "man, we ain't found shit!"