Toon Crier: Steve Harper, Danny Simpson, Cheik Tiote

Today is a slow news day for Newcastle, as you might expect. Transfer rumors should pick up toward the end of the week as we limp closer to June 1.

Newcastle

Premier League 2012-13 - Club-by-club review, 11th-20th | ESPN FC

It's nice to see a Premier League review that isn't all about Van Persie, Suarez, and Bale, even if we're smushed into a "rest of the league" article of our own. There's also this fantastic quote:

Newcastle are like a footballing pop-up store, in which every season is treated as a singular "limited time only" experience.

Steve Harper: Newcastle can bounce back after mixed season | BBC Sport

"The important thing is lessons have been learned across the board from top to bottom," Harper told BBC Newcastle. "The owner [Mike Ashley] and the chief executive [Derek Llambias] came into the training ground and said as much themselves."

That's nice. Show us.

Transfer news: Danny Simpson set to leave Newcastle in the summer | Sky Sports

Asked if he expected to leave Newcastle this summer, Simpson admitted that he would probably be on his way through the exit door.

Premier League 2012-13 review: flop of the season | guardian.co.uk
Cheik Tiote is a nominee here. We can argue about him all day long, and I'll concede his stock is down after this season, but flop of the season? Not even for Newcastle.

Other Football

Hillsborough BBC Panorama Documentary | Dailymotion
A new documentary with previously unreleased footage from Hillsborough aired last night on BBC. Check it out here before it's taken down.

Brighton apologise to Crystal Palace over excrement in dressing room | guardian.co.uk
I believe this headline speaks for itself.

Jürgen Klopp rallies neutrals to support 'special' Borussia Dortmund | The Guardian
Allow me to apologize in advance for filling this space with Champions League material this week. I love Jurgen Klopp, and this is a fantastic profile on him. Worth your while even if you're not into BVB.

Italy cries foul over penalty that helped put Milan into Champions League | guardian.co.uk
This will do little to appease critics of Serie A. Why always me?

Nike opts for clean & classic with their first England kit | SBNation.com
You say clean and classic, I say uninspired and boring.

Premier League 2012-13 review: gripe of the season | guardian.co.uk
News flash: "Only" 3% of corners resulted in goals last season, too. It sounds low until you consider that a corner is basically just a cross. How many crosses result in goals? Less than 3%. Still doesn't excuse Newcastle's troubles.

Captain's Blog: Di Canio Right To Give Players Public Short Shrift | Roker Report
I have to agree with this. Tell me you don't want to see Pardew saying similar things after this season.

Off-Topic

Teen's invention could charge your phone in 20 seconds | NBCNews.com
I just thought this was really cool, and I want one.

Self-Promotion

Newcastle United End-of-Season Roundtable, Part 1 | Coming Home Newcastle
A communal retrospective on Newcastle's 2012-13 season.

CHN Book Club: Selecting a Book | Coming Home Newcastle
Help select a book for us to discuss. After all, we've got 90 days to fill.

Tweet of the Day

ARE WE SERIOUSLY NOT MAD RIGHT NOW WHAT THE BALLS PEOPLE GET MAD

— Bradley Schlesinger (@bcschles) May 21, 2013

What's the context here? I don't know. Doesn't matter.