For many, the football season really starts today.
    Arsene Wenger can predict -- perhaps quite correctly -- that a Euro League will be fully established within the decade, but truth is the UEFA Champions League has become that in the minds of many. While the individual national championships carry tremendous history and create passion within their countries, globally the Champions League has become the Formula One vehicle of the game.
    And though qualifying really began in early July with the minnows kayoing each other, it's big business today and tomorrow in Glasgow, Lisbon, Athens, Lyon and other points east and west across Europe. Advance and you land in the big money; lose and the Europa League isn't exactly second prize in terms of cash on call.
    It's also a big day for Fox Sports here in the USA because our network takes over coverage of the sport's biggest show -- yep, we'll argue that the Champions League actually has a tighter hold on the fans than FIFA's crown jewel, the World Cup.
    The big attraction in North America is surely the Glasgow showdown between Celtic and Arsenal. The London Gunners are the team of the moment and favorites in the tie which will finish at The Emirates Stadium on Aug. 26. But it is the Scots, not their English visitors who have actually won this competition and that rich history of rising to the biggest of occasions is what will inspire Celtic this evening (afternoon over here, of course, kickoff at 2:45 p.m.).
    Depending upon where you live, that match will be available live on a Fox regional sports network. It will be shown delayed at 5 p.m. on Fox Soccer Channel after the Sheriff-Olimpiacos game goes live at 2:45 p.m. on that platform.
    And there will be live Fox Sports Espanol coverage of Timisoara against VfB Stuttgart as well as DirecTV channels (461-466) dedicated to the other games that aren't airing live. There's a DTV Champions League Mix channel listed, too, as well as broadband coverage on the website.
    --
    Bristol City 1, Crystal Palace 0.
    Or, maybe, Bristol City 1, Crystal Palace 1.
    Perhaps not many people are going to get too exercised because referee Rob Shoebridge failed to notice that Palace had scored the equalizing goal last weekend in an English Championship match.
    Certainly not Sepp Blatter.
    Nevertheless, if you don't mind our saying it once again, FIFA's refusal to utilize the available technology to check on the legitimacy of goals, offside calls which verify or nullify goals and even dicey penalty decisions, continues to harm the game.
    Blatter has been steadfastly against using video replay, which keeps him right in line for Luddite of the Year honors. After the obvious use of TV replay helped to get things correct in that Confed Cup opener when Brazil likely would have been denied a legitimate penalty against Egypt, FIFA had the TV monitor taken away from the fourth official.
    Maybe it will take Barcelona, Manchester United or Real Madrid losing a Champions League knock out match to a blatant error, or Brazil being eliminated from the World Cup because everybody in the world but the referee has seen the ball cross the line.
    Replay will come into soccer -- even decision-makers in staid old England seems to want it, for goodness sake. The International Board, which decides on the game's rules, has a chance to get it right before South Africa 2010, but with Blatter still very much the game's major domo, don't bet on it.

    --
    It was not football at the highest level, but watching Dundee United top Hearts Monday was fun for two reasons:
    First, we grew up on the Tannadice terraces with the great DUFC teams of the late 1970's and early 1980's, when Paul Sturrock and David Narey and the rest of a great cast actually won a Scottish title. Any time the Tangerines lead the SPL is a night to celebrate. (Ok, there is this goal-difference thing which means we're actually in fourth place, but you get the point.)
    Second, old friend Derek Rae was on the scene in Dundee, starting what might be the world's most challenging commentary season. The Scot, who has earned the right to be named among the best in the business in North America, is commuting to his homeland to work matches live while continuing to call other games "live" from Bristol. That's a lot of frequent flyer miles!

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ON TV TODAY: (All times EDT)
Celtic vs Arsenal (CL)        1445     FSRNs/DTV
Sheriff vs Olympiakos (CL)        1445    FSC
Sunderland vs Chelsea        1445    Setanta
Copenhagen vs Apoel     (CL)        1445     DTV
Timosara vs Stuttgart    (CL)        1445    FSE/DTV
Sporting Lisbon vs Fiorentina     (CL)    1445    DTV
Wigan vs Wolves            1645    Setanta (SDD)
Crew vs PRI (CCL)            2000    FSC
Tigres ve San Lorenzo        2000    FSE
DC vs CD Marathon            2200    FSC