Why shake hands before a game?
Over the past decade or so, professional soccer leagues have made it a requirement that prior to a games kickoff, the two teams are to walk out together, address the fans in a line, and then shake hands. I always thought it was too theatrical and senseless, really.
You think you have what it takes to be a coach?
The expectations we’ve set for ourselves as a society have become unrealistic. In every aspect of our lives we demand immediate results. ”Why the hell won’t this website load faster, I’ve been waiting 8 seconds”; “why haven’t I received your text message yet? It’s been 10 seconds!” Give it a second, it’s sending a signal to space you whining parasite. The same expectations have transferred into the realm of sports. We expect coaches to have immediate results, i.e. lead a team to a championship or nothing. This is not only impossible, but ineffective.
The intangibles in sports matter more than you think
I recently watched a documentary produced by HBO called 24/7 Rangers/Flyers: Road to the Winter Classic. The intent of the documentary is to follow these two NHL teams around in their day-to-day duties showing a detailed behind the scene look at their lives. It’s a truly special opportunity to understand the life of a professional organization. Now, what I took away from the documentary might not be what HBO intended for me to take away.
What have we learned from ‘El Clasico’?
A good friend of mine recently posted his thoughts on Facebook with respect to the December 10, 2011 match between Real Madrid and Barcelona (aka El Clasico). Boy are they bang on…
Random El Clasico thoughts:
1. Messi always delivers against madrid
2. How ever good messi plays against madrid, is usually how bad ronaldo plays against barca
3. I miss when kaka used to be a relevant footballer
4. Sergio ramos is a maniac
5. If madrid has no answer for iniesta, no one does, just amazing
Winning “Ugly” in Soccer
There’s an age old adage that suggests winning ugly is still winning. However, many teams and athletes alike are obsessed with this idea of winning perfectly. Why is this?
Getting Creative on penalty kicks
It’s great to see players become more confident in trying new and creative ways to score from the penalty spot. Besides placing the ball in one of the corners, the chip shot has become the ultimate “ballsy” shot. You must be more confident than ever to attempt this shot. Not only that but you must practice this shot over and over otherwise it can end up backfiring you. However, there is a new shot that is arguably more daring and it’s called the “back flip shot.” Read more
The best player on the team is captain, right?
The Art of Trash Talking
Every sport has it. Most players have done it at one stage or another. Trash talking is part of the game. It’s a way to get into the mind of an opposing player and hopefully take him off his game. The truth though, is many players don’t know how to trash talk. Instead of a word game that goes back and forth discussing whose skills are better or weaker; players of today get into a verbal spat where they make racist and personal attacks. This is in no way trash talking.
Part II: Two footed tackles a disgrace!
In one of my most recent blogs, I talked about the danger of two footed tackles and the blemish they put on an otherwise beautiful game. Before I could even turn around, I watched one of the most anticipated games in the soccer world – Manchester Utd vs. Liverpool – turn into a reckless tackling free for all. This game had moments of pure soccer brilliance, but it didn’t matter because a few yoyo’s that lost their heads.
Arsenal’s loss in the Carling Cup = loss of confidence down the stretch
It’s only the Carling Cup but it’ll be interesting to see how Arsenal bounce back from this loss. Perhaps they are and were always more focused on the Premiership and Champions League but the smaller games against weaker opponents is where you build confidence and gain momentum to carry you down the stretch. In all fairness, Arsenal were playing without Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott. In addition, Arsene Wenger used the Carling Cup as a testing ground for players who looked as though they couldn’t grow a mustache. Read more
Missing from soccer: heart
Is it just me or is it harder and harder to get truly interested in modern day professional sports? Maybe it has something to do with the phoniness of owners and managers who don’t really care to create a winning franchise for all the right reasons. Maybe it’s the hypocrisy of the professional leagues themselves that force players to do whatever it takes to win, but they are the first to point the finger when a player is being accused of using enhancement tools, i.e. steroids. Maybe it’s the deceptiveness of players who preach about fans being everything to them, but will betray those exact same fans for another zero on the end of their contract. Or maybe, it’s all three…
Two-footed tackles: a disgrace to soccer
Two footed tackles are not only unacceptable, but they put a blemish on an otherwise beautiful game. In an ideal world, two footed tackles would result in a straight red card, followed by severe fines and suspensions. We cannot always rely on referee’s to make the correct calls as things can happen very quickly, and often too quickly to make a rational decision in a matter of seconds. The soccer organizations of the world, i.e UEFA and FIFA, need to be sending clear messages: two footed tackles will not be tolerated.