Of Liverpool, Torres, Mourinho, and Spurs: Why do I watch so much soccer?

I'm a fickle fan.  When I first started paying way too much attention to European soccer five years ago, thanks in large measure to my passionate dislike of my job at that time, I committed myself to Fulham Football Club.  The team had a veritable truckload of Americans on the team with Kasey Keller in goal, Brian McBride as striker and captain, along with new recruit, Clint Dempsey.  The team also picked up Eddie Johnson, who promptly lost any semblance of ability and was loaned out to a team in Wales.  Around that same time period, Liverpool dropped off a wheelbarrow of cash in Madrid to sign Fernando Torres.  I had been a big fan of El Nino since the 2006 World Cup where he scored an awesome goal or two.  Suddenly I was torn.  My favorite player or my newly picked team?  

Another thing happened at the same time.  I was introduced to the world of Jose Mourinho.  The Special One is no ordinary manager.  He is manager's manager.  If Chuck Norris had a teacher, it would be Jose Mourinho.  Mourinho is a master of the press and a master of mind games.  He manages players brilliantly.  He earned the respect of Sir Alex Ferguson, longtime manager at Manchester United.  Mourniho demanded your attention and you either love him or hate him.  He took a small Portuguese club to the pinnacle of European Club Soccer (losing Tim Howard his job as ManU keeper in the process), went to Chelsea FC and led them to the top of the Premier League, and then went to Internazionale and won the Champion's League again.  Now he is at Real Madrid and you know what?  I finally really care about Real Madrid.  Kent is a massive fan and I always wanted to care about the team, but felt like a Yankee's bandwagoner because Madrid is soccer's most expensive team.  Now, with Mourinho leading the club, I want them to win.  I'm suddenly a fan.

So, back to my fickle fandom.  I've realized that the drama and personalities are what makes the game so intriguing.  It is really this way in every sport (think NFL and Brett Favre -- we're obsessed with a 40 year old washed up QB!) but it is especially true for me and soccer.  I don't have a true team to obsess over because I don't live in Europe so I adopt personalities and drama.  I love the underdog story and the outsized personalities.  It's what makes the game interesting.  So, I'll continue to be fickle.  I'll pull for Fulham, but pay more attention to Torres.  I'll check the score of the Fulham game as I relish another insane Spurs game (what an insane team!  Does Harry Redknapp actually do anything?)  I'l feel a bit guilty, but I'll enjoy it.  

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60 Minutes or 11 Minutes: How Soccer compares to Football - WSJ

As a soccer fan, I can't tell you how many times I've had to argue that the game is as action packed as American football to my friends. While I agree that the scoring isn't quite as high, the constant movement and build up, followed by a goal is one of the best parts of the game. It wouldn't hurt if every goal counted as 6 points. In fact, the Chelsea v Sunderland game today was 7 -2, which is 49 - 14 in American football terms. None of my arguments ever seem to help those who are not inclined to give the game a chance, but I'll keep trying and the Wall Street Journal has given me a great counter argument to the "soccer is boring" argument.

Next time someone says it's boring, your response should be, "11 minutes."

11 minutes? That's how much actual playing time occurs in your average NFL game. A game will air for 3 hours. You'll see 11 minutes of play. How is that possible? Here's an excerpt:

"In other words, if you tally up everything that happens between the time the ball is snapped and the play is whistled dead by the officials, there's barely enough time to prepare a hard-boiled egg. In fact, the average telecast devotes 56% more time to showing replays.

So what do the networks do with the other 174 minutes in a typical broadcast? Not surprisingly, commercials take up about an hour. As many as 75 minutes, or about 60% of the total air time, excluding commercials, is spent on shots of players huddling, standing at the line of scrimmage or just generally milling about between snaps. In the four broadcasts The Journal studied, injured players got six more seconds of camera time than celebrating players. While the network announcers showed up on screen for just 30 seconds, shots of the head coaches and referees took up about 7% of the average show."

11 minutes or 60 minutes? Soccer wins.

WSJ Article

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The Flying Dutchman (Part 1)

Vs.

9 times out of 10, I think Davey “Squid Face” Jones and his gnarly crew win this one but let me paint the 10% scenario for you. I can just see it now, can’t you? Close your eyes and visualize with me for just a minute, I promise this is going to be fun. (I guess you can’t close your eyes, so just imagine and read on.)

“Squid Face” and the rest of his mutated “chicken of the sea” crew on the deck frantically running around in battle mode just off the shore. It’s officially on, battle time. Barrels of gun powder rolling around the gun deck, cannons firing and being reloaded rapidly. Vulgarity blasting, adrenaline pumping, pirate flag at full mass waving, this battle is epic.

Along the shore we find the Dutch national team in despair. Fort Van Basten is a blaze and in shambles. Tattered orange national team jerseys are found inside the fort: there have been casualties and some bodies are on the ground. Of the men left we find the faces Sniejder, Van der Vaart, Van Persie, Kuyt, De Jong, a young faced Huntelaar with a blank stare of absolute despair on this face, he has never seen destruction of this kind. They all look around at one another, each lacking the solution, knowing their destruction is emanate.

Explosions intensify; the end is nearing each passing moment. “Squid face” is enjoying each minute of this total devastation. He opens his telescope to bask in his destruction of a blazing Fort Van Basten and another notch on his victory belt loop. Glowing in his victory he knows it’s just a matter of time before the white flag is hosted up the pole to replace the flag. Suddenly the gates open.

On to the scene steps our unlikely hero: Ruud Van Nistelrooy. War tattered, Van Dutch or also known as the Flying Dutchman is radiating at this point. Ruud only carries a special soccer ball with the pirate logo and a red circled cross through it. He gives it a kiss, places it on the ground, (logo out of course) and takes about 8 steps back. He looks up directly at “Squid Face” one last time, then looks down at the ball and rips a rocket shot off. Of course this is the money shot; hit the main hull, sinking the Flying Dutchmen as well as Davey and the crew.

Ruud immediately like he has done so many other times extends both arms out and runs around celebrating his “golazo”. Not today “Squid Face”, not today.

So the next time you see some amateur sporting the “airplane” thank Ruud, it’s just one of his many contributions to the sport that will live on forever.

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Soccer as Art - "Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait", by Douglas Gordon

Zinedine Zidane is one of the greatest soccer players ever. Now his work is art. Yesterday I went to the Museum of Art on Campus at Brigham Young University and found perhaps the greatest portrait ever created by an artist: Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait. In fact, I'd have to say that Douglas Gordon, the artist, is a genius.

Gordon, in collaboration with Phillipe Parreno, used 17 cameras to film only Zidane during a match against Real Zaragoza. It is a haunting 90 minute movie that completely mesmerizes the viewer. There is a that comes out every so often. This portrait presents a darker Zidane who roams the field as a lonely hunter. He doesn't lash out but his creativity and focus have an intensity and brooding that both inspire and cause fear for the viewer. I can only imagine what it would be like to play against him. We see some interaction with other players in the film but the focus is entirely Zidane.

It is odd to contrast this film with what we normally see during a match because normally we follow the ball and see the entire field at a distance. The focus on one player, who probably touches the ball for only a few minutes, makes the game seem very personal and private. He is surrounded by 20 other players and thousands of fans but marks a solitary figure on the pitch. As you watch, you start to wonder if the artist is the one who created the portrait or the one on the pitch. Soccer as art. Excellence at the Brigham Young University's Museum of Art in Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait.

A five minute preview:



Go see the 90 minutes if you get a chance.

Another review.

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10 Christmas Gifts for the Soccer Fan

10) PUGG Training Goal
-
These little goals are great for indoor or outdoor use and ideal for pick up games. If you coach a team they are essential. Kids would much rather put the ball in the back of the net than try to put it between two cones.

9) Soccernomics: Why England Loses, Why Germany and Brazil Win, and Why the U.S., Japan, Australia, Turkey--and Even Iraq--Are Destined to Become the Kings of the Worlds Most Popular Sport
- I already posted about this book soccer book and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a deeper insight to the game. Simon Kuper is a great writer and he has teamed up with Stefan Szymanksi, an economics professor, give new insights into the greatest game.

8) Adidas Gazelle - These are classics.
You can't go wrong with these shoes and while some may prefer the Samba
, everyone still likes the Gazelles

7) Lionel Messi Fathead Wall Graphic - These are normally giant-sized posters that watch over you night and day. In this case, the 5'3" Messi grows to become a fairly normal 6' man.

6) Fernando Torres Home Jersey - Fernando Torres is the best striker in the world. He's also a great guy. Now if you hate Liverpool, that's understandable. If you hate El Nino, what's the matter with you? Maybe you think buying the jersey of someone who is 10 years younger than you is juvenile, in which case you should get this one for your kid.

5) Jabulani FIFA World Cup 2010 Official Match Ball - Every World Cup, Adidas comes out with a new ball and every World Cup no one seems to bother trying it out until the week before when they realize that it moves a little bit different. If you want to make the ball swerve like Mario Balotelli or Cristiano, practice for 8 hours a day and get the best ball money can buy. (Or get this one that looks the same but costs $100 less).

4) FIFA Soccer 10 They took soccer video games to the next level with this one. It is awesome. Video game Messi jukes like the real Messi. Steven Gerrard smashes the ball like the real Steven Gerrard. I'm assuming Robinho does step overs like the real Robinho too, but don't recommend finding out. Too annoying. Great commercials too.

3) UEFA Champions of Europe: Champions League History 1955-2005 I'm a Champion's League junky. It's the greatest competition in the world and this DVD gives you it's history. It will take you back to Real Madrid's glory days, remind that Red Star Belgrade were once Champion's of Europe, and finish off with Liverpool's incredible comeback victory in 2005.

2) 2010 World Cup Tickets - South Africa might be a bit dangerous but this is the first African country to host the World Cup so they will want to impress. Plus, the U.S. has a favorable draw and open's the competition against England. Just don't forget to bring a jacket because it will be winter due to the whole Earth moving around the sun at a slight tilt.

1) Tickets to the Champion's League Final in Madrid Spain at the Bernebeu home of Real Madrid. Once in a lifetime opportunity for only $3,525. Once in a lifetime! No excuses.

Stay away from:

Vuvuzela - This is a great gift for you worst enemy's children. It's a big hit with the South Africans. The rest of the world is going to want to hit the South Africans with their Vuvuzela by the end of World Cup.

David Beckham Calendar - Please don't encourage him.

Goal! - The Dream Begins Shame on you for considering it and shame on me for linking to it.

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