Are you ready for some Football?!

 

No, this isn’t a post about who’s being signed to someone’s pre-season practice squad. It’s about good ol’ European football. Last week’s UEFA Champion’s League Final between Manchester United and Chelsea was as exhilarating as they come. Whether you’re a soccer enthusiast, casual fan, or even a soccer basher, you would’ve enjoyed this final. The crowd made for an electric, albeit intense, atmosphere. If it weren’t Wednesday night at 9pm, I would’ve been in the nearest pub filling up on lager and nachos, contemplating if I should call out of work, which is a daily struggle for this guy. Both teams had a ton of individual skill on display and they created enough chances to keep it interesting all the way through to penalty kicks. Man U. dominated possession throughout the game, but Chelsea had more bite in the final third of the field. What makes this night so memorable are the guys that missed the penalty kicks; Cristiano Ronaldo, John Terry, and Nicolas Anelka. Who woulda thought it?! When you see names like that step up to the spot, you know its going to the back of the net. Right?! Ronaldo had scored 42 goals this season and is one of the best finishers in football! John Terry, the England stalwart, always maintains his IS composure! Anelka, who is also lethal around the goal, bitched and moaned his way onto a “big” squad, squandered his chance to make an impact on Chelsea’s season (positively at least). Across the board, it was a great game. The teams played positive, passionate, and attacking football. It was exponentially more entertaining than the defensive slumber parties we usually see when two of England’s “Big 4” play one another.

Hip-Hop and the City…

 

There was a story going around the interweb last week about a girl who obsessed over HBO’s famed “Sex and the City.” She didn’t just watch it. She lived it. What’s the problem you say? She was 14! Of course, now she’s a happily married Mormon woman, but this is not the issue I’m examining. This woman acknowledged that the show was the sole influence of her promiscuity, underage drinking, and other damaging, destructive behavior. My question is, why don’t shows like this generate the same controversy and animosity that hip hop music does? This girl wasn’t a product of her environment. She wasn’t subject to a poor education and unbalanced legal system. She was a product of a culture, or subculture, if you say. People (the media) are quick to point the finger at hip hop, and its artists for many of the ailments of today’s youth. But what about the role of shows in the vein of Sex and the City, The Hills, Gossip Girl, and even My Super Sweet Sixteen?! Shouldn’t they also be held accountable for promoting, condoning, glorifying, and enabling destructive, damaging, and irreverent behavior/attitudes?

The OJ Mayo Saga….

IknowUknow about the controversy surrounding OJ Mayo and his illegal gifts. I’m not surprised by that at all. What does surprise me is all the flak the NCAA is taking for this. It seems the general opinion is that Mayo is a victim. A victim of circumstance and of the NCAA’s rules, regulations, and legalities. I disagree. Yes, he was poor. Yes, he was preyed upon by numerous sleuths, leeches, and reps, but he knew the rules and he made a conscious decision to break them, repeatedly! What this exhibits is OJ’s character, or lack thereof. I’ve known poor athletes and poor people in high school and college, and none of them broke the rules/laws. They made due with what hey had. The NCAA should not be blamed for someone else’s poor decision making.

If OJ can’t handle being a poor college student (like the rest of us were), how is he going to handle turning a franchise around, leading a team, and being the face of an entire organization?!