Oh how difficult it is to be a soccer fan in the United States. Not only is there no soccer store in the entire state forcing me to either buy sub-par equipment from "sports stores" or gambling with wrong sizes ordering over the Internet, but the status of soccer in this country seems to rise and fall with the rotation of the moon. Being a soccer fan in the US is like being an abused wife, we keep coming back thinking this time things will be different.
It all started with Beckham. Being a Manchested United fan means i am also a Beckham fan. He was a great player on a great team and i was sad when he was picked up by another team.
Recently the pay cap for players in the MLS was adjusted/removed. Oh the potential. We didn't have to wait too long for the promise of things to come. In news heard 'round the world Beckham signed to play soccer in LA. Sign me up for tickets to any game where LA comes in to town. i'll pay players on our team to commit fouls just to see those set play kicks.
Where Beckham goes, so goes the media. This is what US soccer needs right now: media coverage. Not only do most Americans not realize that there is a professional soccer league in this country, but those of us who do enjoy soccer have great difficulty finding a televised game without paying for extra channels. This inevitable media frenzy surrounding Beckham cannot help but improve coverage in this country, at least for LA games.
Oh the precedent here (i know i'm using 'oh' a lot but oh how exciting this is). This opens the door to bringing other European all-stars to the MLS either for money or to play out the twilight of their careers with more game time than they would see over the pond. Can you hear us Zidane?
Soccer celebrities, better game play, all in the MLS? Could it be so? Unfortunately, for now, the answer is NO. Simultaneously, as Beckahm is coming in our own great players are all fleeing to play in Europe. They're leaving for better soccer and better pay. Beckham is making more to play for LA than most of the rest of his new team combined. This is what's needed to bring the soccer stars over but what about the home grown potential soccer stars? Why is the MLS not stepping up to keep them here?
While the MLS celebrates players like Donovan, whom were rejected from attempts to play over seas, they are losing better players like McBride. The New England Revolution, for example, had a great season last season and are now losing some key talent to European leagues. The MLS is both becoming a stepping stone league for American players and a retirement plan for European greats.
What's an American Soccer fan to do? With the two giants of American sports: football & baseball, and their little brother basketball, other sports are pushed far to the outer fringes. Even hockey has faced serious struggles through the years as their players don't have salaries close to those of the big three and frequently suffers from stereo-types and limited coverage.
The MLS is going to have to spend money if they want to improve and even survive. BIG MONEY! It's getting by right now but if it can't make it over the hump it won't survive for long. The attention and skill of Beckham will help to build up momentum but the owners and the league need to keep up that momentum. Please don't let us just roll backwards down the hill a few years from now.
Jan 20, 2007
Jan 18, 2007
The Out
Any intelligent person knows that if you are going to enter into a contract you should have some kind of an 'out'. Some kind of unique circumstance that makes the contract null and void. An exception to the normal rules if you will. A top ten out for TV personalities. No penalty if i am able to pay off the rest of my car tomorrow (like they're worried about that one). You can keep your video rental forever if you agree to never return to any of the stores in that chain ever again.
People in serious relationships (like marriage) often have a spoken 'out' as well. This 'out' usually is an agreed upon celebrity or person otherwise of unique nature that is a "free-bee" of sorts. The parties involved agree to allow the other a pass if they find themselves presented with certain opportunities in relation to agreed upon person of choice.
As time passes this amendment to the relationship contract may be updated (just like an insurance plan) as long as both parties agree to said change. My 'out' is Tina Fey.
Thursday nights are interesting nights. It all starts with the best show ever aired on TV: "My Name Is Earl". There are not many shows i will make a point of trying to catch every week (especially since the advent of DVR) but this is one of them.
Next is "The Office". i usually prepare myself something to eat or further manically tinker with the genre setting of my iPod during this half hour. The American nor the English version of this show have been able to hold my attention.
Then comes "Scrubs". My brother loves this show so it made me give it a shot recently. Now i'm hooked. Thanks for helping to waste another 1/2 hour of my night. Really, i'm not a big TV watcher but these Thursday nights kind of suck me in. i actually find myself laughing out loud while watching Earl and Scrubs (much more during Earl mind you).
Finally comes "30 Rock". This really is not a good show. My problem, however, is that Tina Fey is in it. Since she has left Saturday Night Live this is my only opportunity to see her on a weekly basis (unless i want to watch "Mean Girls" over and over... oh i can feel the brain cells choking as we speak). So i'm left with this sub-par show at the end of a rather good night of programing. What's a boy to do... and no i'm not considering altering my 'out'.
Well my significant other is clearly safe for now. My chances with Tina Fey are about the same as my chances of paying off the house by the end of this year. Yeah it could happen, but not very likely.
People in serious relationships (like marriage) often have a spoken 'out' as well. This 'out' usually is an agreed upon celebrity or person otherwise of unique nature that is a "free-bee" of sorts. The parties involved agree to allow the other a pass if they find themselves presented with certain opportunities in relation to agreed upon person of choice.
As time passes this amendment to the relationship contract may be updated (just like an insurance plan) as long as both parties agree to said change. My 'out' is Tina Fey.
Thursday nights are interesting nights. It all starts with the best show ever aired on TV: "My Name Is Earl". There are not many shows i will make a point of trying to catch every week (especially since the advent of DVR) but this is one of them.
Next is "The Office". i usually prepare myself something to eat or further manically tinker with the genre setting of my iPod during this half hour. The American nor the English version of this show have been able to hold my attention.
Then comes "Scrubs". My brother loves this show so it made me give it a shot recently. Now i'm hooked. Thanks for helping to waste another 1/2 hour of my night. Really, i'm not a big TV watcher but these Thursday nights kind of suck me in. i actually find myself laughing out loud while watching Earl and Scrubs (much more during Earl mind you).
Finally comes "30 Rock". This really is not a good show. My problem, however, is that Tina Fey is in it. Since she has left Saturday Night Live this is my only opportunity to see her on a weekly basis (unless i want to watch "Mean Girls" over and over... oh i can feel the brain cells choking as we speak). So i'm left with this sub-par show at the end of a rather good night of programing. What's a boy to do... and no i'm not considering altering my 'out'.
Well my significant other is clearly safe for now. My chances with Tina Fey are about the same as my chances of paying off the house by the end of this year. Yeah it could happen, but not very likely.
Jan 17, 2007
Guide to Swearing When You Shouldn't
Like many people i have a job where i really shouldn't swear (something about modeling good behavior for the youth of our nation, or at least the town i teach in). There are two problems with that:
a) i really like to swear
b) my job can be quite frustrating, especially since i'm not allowed to hit students (those Zen monks have it made)
So i have come up with some more socially acceptable terms which make the same point without getting you in trouble.
When you want to call someone a 'shit' or a group of people 'shits' substitute the word: TURD(s). i.e.: All right you turds, sit down. There's enough humor associated with this somewhat silly word that it won't raise many eyebrows but boy does it feel good.
When you want to say 'fuck' or 'holy fuck' you can substitute: GEESH. i.e.: Geesh! If you say this long enough and loud enough people get the point.
When you want to say 'what the fuck?' you can substitute: WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? Most of the time they understand you are frustrated with them. If they actually answer, bonus!
When you want to say 'stupid mutherfucker' you can substitute: USELESS! Possible bosses would have a tough time justifying sanctions for using the term useless in almost any context but the message is clear.
Get started with these. When you're ready for the next step, young grasshopper, the information will present itself.
a) i really like to swear
b) my job can be quite frustrating, especially since i'm not allowed to hit students (those Zen monks have it made)
So i have come up with some more socially acceptable terms which make the same point without getting you in trouble.
When you want to call someone a 'shit' or a group of people 'shits' substitute the word: TURD(s). i.e.: All right you turds, sit down. There's enough humor associated with this somewhat silly word that it won't raise many eyebrows but boy does it feel good.
When you want to say 'fuck' or 'holy fuck' you can substitute: GEESH. i.e.: Geesh! If you say this long enough and loud enough people get the point.
When you want to say 'what the fuck?' you can substitute: WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? Most of the time they understand you are frustrated with them. If they actually answer, bonus!
When you want to say 'stupid mutherfucker' you can substitute: USELESS! Possible bosses would have a tough time justifying sanctions for using the term useless in almost any context but the message is clear.
Get started with these. When you're ready for the next step, young grasshopper, the information will present itself.
Jan 14, 2007
Oh The Sites
The other day i saw two of the funniest things i have seen in a while, one in the town i work, the other in the town i live... you guess which occurred where. i apologize for the lack of pictures. If only i had one of those new fangled camera-phones or even a photographic memory (but where would i put the film?).
Number One: While driving i saw a blind man walking along the sidewalk. How did i know he was blind? He was wearing sunglasses and walking around with one of those long metal sticks that are red at the end waving in front of him. So one would assume.
Then, all of a sudden he looks up and waves to some friend driving by. There was no honk, no warning. He just looked up and waved... right on cue.
Maybe he had an amazing sense of smell. Either that or he was one of those short-distance blind people who just can't see things right in front of them
Number Two: Fresh from dropping off all those little school children comes a school bus, screeching around the corner with the bus driver gabbing away on her cell phone. And i thought those mini-van mom's were scary when on the phone.
Number One: While driving i saw a blind man walking along the sidewalk. How did i know he was blind? He was wearing sunglasses and walking around with one of those long metal sticks that are red at the end waving in front of him. So one would assume.
Then, all of a sudden he looks up and waves to some friend driving by. There was no honk, no warning. He just looked up and waved... right on cue.
Maybe he had an amazing sense of smell. Either that or he was one of those short-distance blind people who just can't see things right in front of them
Number Two: Fresh from dropping off all those little school children comes a school bus, screeching around the corner with the bus driver gabbing away on her cell phone. And i thought those mini-van mom's were scary when on the phone.
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