Soccer fans have passed the point where they need to defend themselves to know-nothing blowhards like Bill Plaschke. Thanks to Phil Anschutz and the miracle of satellite TV, fans in L.A. are pretty well set up. The only nagging problem is the eight-hour time difference between the U.K. and the West Coast, which means English Premier League games kick off at the crack of dawn. What to do? Head over to Lucky Baldwin's. Have a beer and an English breakfast and yell and scream. This is so obvious by now that even Plaschke has figured it out. But that's OK. He's welcome, as long as he doesn't say anything. The common complaint is that Lucky Baldwin's doesn't show much respect for American soccer — either MLS or the U.S. National Team. For that, try Alpine Village in Torrance or Ye Olde King's Head in Santa Monica. 1770 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. (626) 795-0652, luckybaldwins.com.

—Gene Maddaus