July 09, 2006
The Finals
I know I haven't posted much lately, but I am still around. I'm not trapped under a large object, adrift at sea or finding myself in India. Just been busy with work and sort of taking things slowly in the college sports off season.
As I've mentioned before, one sporting event that I have been following closely is the World Cup. With ABC and ESPN showing all the games and with my TiVo, I've actually been able to catch at least some of every single game. TiVo is a fantastic thing! Despite the nearly record-low scoring, it has been a very good cup. Sure, there's been way too much diving (so sorry to see you take it in the ear yesterday, Portugal!) and the reffing has been inconsistent, but the play has generally been top-notch and there have been a ton of great games.
And it all ends today. In about one hour, France and Italy square off to decide the 2006 winner. Unless you have some sort of tie to The Azzurri or you still eat freedom fries, I'm going to have to assume that you are rooting for France in this one. While the Italians have doubtlessly been very good and maybe not quite as demonstrative as in years past (it's easier when you aren't losing), they are still extremely difficult to root for. I can't stand their constant whining and faking. The French started off very slowly and were easy to mock, but have been sensational since the knockout round began. Watching the rebirth of Zinedine Zidane has been incredible and add in the aggressiveness of Franck Ribery and the unmistakable talent of Thierry Henry and the French are just damn fun to watch. I mean, did you see Zidane against Brazil? The old, bald French-Algerian was killing the Brazilians at their own game. When he's playing like he can, he has complete control over the ball, the tempo, his teammates and ultimately, the game. It's just hard not to love the guy. He doesn't whine, he doesn't flail, he doesn't preen. In a game filled with prima donas like the execrable Christiano Ronaldo, Zidane is a straight-up man.
So, as I bid farewell to a fantastic tournament, I say Allez Les Bleus!
"It's just hard not to love the guy. He doesn't whine, he doesn't flail, he doesn't preen. In a game filled with prima donas like the execrable Christiano Ronaldo, Zidane is a straight-up man."
...right up until the end, huh? How the Hell can he let somebody get into his head like that? Surely he has heard all the trash talking possible over the span of his career; why cave in to it at this point? Unbelievable.
| devilbythesea wrote: |
| QUOTE:
"It's just hard not to love the guy. He doesn't whine, he doesn't flail, he doesn't preen. In a game filled with prima donas like the execrable Christiano Ronaldo, Zidane is a straight-up man." ...right up until the end, huh? How the Hell can he let somebody get into his head like that? Surely he has heard all the trash talking possible over the span of his career; why cave in to it at this point? Unbelievable. |
No shit.
Man, was that wild or what? Zidane showed a few cracks early in the game when he was diving more than I remember seeing him do before. But nothing, NOTHING, led me to believe he'd go out like that. I mean, I still at least half believed that he'd win the game for France with a goal in the overtime! He nearly had just a few minutes prior to his snap.
And then, the way he went after that guy. Never seen anything like it. He was calm and completely calculating. I don't think I've ever seen anyone use their head as a battering ram like that. The guy might just be more than a little crazy. Of course, I have to admit that as stupid and damaging as that move was, it was one of the most spectacular attacks I've ever seen in any sport. He didn't take a swing. He didn't kick. He didn't shove him or call his momma names. He walked up and slammed his bald head into the dude's chest, completely decleating the guy!
Unbelievable end.
| bluefist94 wrote: |
| Hey, Dave, ever hear any noise about a 2nd division playoff for all the teams that didn't qualify for the round of 16? How great would that be? You'd get more top-notch soccer, and they could schedule it so there aren't as many days with no games near the end of the tourney. It wouldn't be as good as the "real" 2nd round, but it would still be a lot of fun. |
That does sound like it could be fun, but I don't see it ever happening. It would be a lot more games and frankly, the teams that don't advance out of the round-robin phase probably don't deserve the extra games.
Of course, it would likely mean more money, so there's always a chance! They could play the whole thing out to figure out numbers 1-64.
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