#Top 10 Champion Players Quotes

[lovedrunkheadcanons]

GTAW: Chapter 18 Notes

1. If you’re a baseball lover like myself, and want to learn more about Japan’s passion for the sport, and the differences between the American and Japanese philosophies, I’d recommend “You Gotta Have Wa: When Two Cultures Collide on the Baseball Diamond” by Robert Whiting. The two quotes above I got from this book.

But if you don’t want to do that, you can watch this 10 minute video instead.😜

A ⚾️ — Also, there’s no easy way to say this, but the only way to understand baseball is to watch a game. Multiple games, at that. You can watch complete games on YouTube or the MLB website. You can also watch instructional YouTube videos, but I can almost guarantee you’ll be left confused. There are a lot of unwritten rules in baseball and it can be difficult for a beginner to fully grasp them right off the bat (see what I did there?😉). However, I found some videos that might help as you learn.

Brief history of baseball in America (funny/dark humor)

I would also be remissed if I didn’t mention anything about The Negro League. Very important stuff, especially when explaining how baseball first came to Japan.

⭐️The different kinds of pitches.

The history of the baseball cap.

⭐️The official rules of baseball.

B ⚾️ — Major League Baseball (MLB) is the #1 pro baseball organization in the United States (and Canada). It comprises 30 teams and is divided into two leagues: the Nation League (NL), and the American League (AL).

The regular MLB season consists of 162 games a year.

The annual championship of the MLB is known as the World Series. Why it is called the World Series when it’s only held in the United States (and Canada)? Good question. I have absolutely no clue. Chalk it up to American arrogance, I guess.

The MLB is responsible for maintaining and interpreting the official rules of baseball. All international leagues, including those in Korea, Japan, Taiwan, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Venezuela, you name it, more or less adhere to the official rules of baseball as codified by the MLB. Think of baseball as a regulated good, like champagne or Swiss chocolate.

And to put money in perspective, The New York Yankees are the most valuable MLB team, worth an estimated $7.1 billion alone, which doesn’t even count the other 29 teams, many of whom also range in the billions and multi-millions.

C ⚾️ — The Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) is the #1 professional baseball organization in Japan. Locally it is called the Puro Yakyū. It comprises 12 teams and like the MLB is also divided into two leagues: The Central League (CL), and the Pacific League (PL).

The regular NPB season consists of 130 games a year.

The annual championship of the NPB is called the Japan Series, which makes sense, unlike the MLB.

The two most successful teams in NPB history are the Yomiuri Giants and the Hanshin Tigers.

D ⚾️ — The World Baseball Classic is the FIFA World Cup of baseball, though not as many countries participate. It’s only been around since 2006 and sometimes crazy drama happens and it’s awesome. Most baseball lovers (and I’m thinking specifically of snobbish Americans) consider the World Series to be the ultimate championship, not the WBC, but try telling that to the Japanese.😂

Fun fact. Team Japan were the first WBC champions in 2006 and they are this year's 2023 champions as well. Pretty neat. I watched the game. It was electric. Congratulations Japan!!!🥳🎉🎊👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

E ⚾️ — In the past it was heavily frowned upon for a Japanese player to sign with an MLB team, mainly for two reasons: One, Japanese natives didn’t like their top athletes playing away overseas. And two, it was seen as a selfish money grab. (MLB players get paid A LOT more than their international counterparts.) Although, nowadays when a Japanese player makes it to “the Bigs” it’s seen as an act of national pride, which is why Satoru has a Seattle Mariners “away” jersey (Ichiro Suzuki) and a St. Louis Cardinals “home” jersey (So Taguchi). 🇯🇵

F ⚾️ Satoru says he doesn’t have a favorite player, but when Shohei Ohtani steps onto the scene that all changes. He develops a HUGE man-crush on the guy and won’t shut up about him:

SATORU: The man is a beast, Hannah. A Beast!!!😤

HANNAH: Yes, dear, we know. You’ve said it a million times already.😒

2. Here, Satoru quotes from the Inquiry of Urga. While not a major religious text, I’d like to think Satoru is well versed in many texts. It’s also worth noting that most Japanese are not religious, but I think religion makes the plot more interesting.

3. Okashi Gaku’s “Cake in a Can.”

Overview of some Japanese vending machines. I would love having a security goat. 🐐 I pass on the bugs though.🐜🐜🐜

4. Koishikawa Kōraku-en (Garden for Taking Pleasure Later) really is located right next to the Tokyo Dome as is an amusement park.

The “Big O” Ferris wheel.

Going up inside Tokyo Tower.

The Skytree is actually twice as tall as Tokyo Tower, but I think Tokyo Tower is prettier and more romantic since it’s modeled after the Eiffel Tower, so that was my rationale.

I have no idea whether Hannah would be able to see all of Tokyo from that height, but let’s pretend. Tokyo is massive.

5. This is also a good thing to point out, but my beta reader asked me why I didn’t mention anything about sumo wrestling, since it is technically Japan’s official national sport. Long story short, sumo has been embroiled in a lot of scandals recently and is not as popular with younger audiences. That being said, sumo will never disappear from Japan and holds great cultural significance, but viewership wise, baseball is more popular than sumo. However, you can watch this short video and decide for yourself.

Here is also a brief history of sumo.

[seopandaofficial]

The Cost of Your Life is One Arrow."? Lol Quest Solution

The Cost of Your Life is One Arrow."? Lol Quest Solution: Welcome to Official Panda.I am discuses The Cost of Your Life is One Arrow."? Lol Quest Solution. And anther any Gaming related inquire please visit Official Panda.

The Cost of Your Life is One Arrow."? Lol Quest

As the weekend draws near, we're here to provide you with another reaction to today's LoLdle quote before the workweek closes. "The Cost of Your Life is One Arrow" is the quotation that we are analyzing today. Below are our recommendations and the fix. "The Cost of Your Life is One Arrow" is the quotation for today. Here are some ideas to aid in your comprehension of it.

Quotation mode is the only mode that is still operational. To respond to them, you must cite a portion of the winner. If you're experiencing difficulties with LoLdle's One Arrow Is the Price of Your Life Loldle Quote Answer. For League of Legends players, it was a challenging day as we had to select a solution to The Cost of Your Life is One Arrow.

LOLdle is a highly anticipated guessing game designed just for fans of Class of Legends. There are many game modes where you have to solve puzzles or provide answers in order to receive rewards. It will put your knowledge of the Class of Legends games and their bosses to the test.

The four active ways of engagement are sprinkle, capacity, quote, and exemplary. In the example mode, you have to figure out the boss based on the clues provided on their look, abilities, or lore. You have to figure out which top dog said the amazing phrase in the LOLdle quotation. When in the helpless state, you must determine the hero based on their distinct abilities and portrayal.

The Cost of Your Life is One Arrow."? Lol Quest Solution

 Lol Quest :: The Cost of Your Life is One Arrow."?

Answer:: Varus

Gamers are forced to make informed predictions. LoLdle is aware of how difficult it may be to remember every champion, which is why there are several champion names available. To find out who won, utilize the quotation mode. Players can solve the puzzle even if they run across problems. On May 10, 2024, The Cost of Your Life is One Arrow was released.

To overcome the complex puzzles in the game, players will need to be incredibly informed about every League of Legends champion. They must also be knowledgeable of the powers, quips, emoticons, and splash art that are connect to every unique character.

Of the four game types available in LOLdle, LOLdle Quote is one of them. You must determine the outstanding quotes from the top dog in this module. Permit me to explain how this operates.

Each day, the game will provide you with one additional quotation orally from a Haha champion. Determine which champion said this quotation. You'll make six attempts to figure out the hero, and with each attempt, you'll receive feedback base on how you respond and be inform when you're almost there.

Thank You For Visit.

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[feedmegoal]

Top 10 Most Special And Iconic Jose Mourinho Quotes

Top 10 Greatest Quotes Of Jose Mourinho Jose Mourinho, who considers himself the special one, is undoubtedly one of the most successful managers, winning domestic league titles in four of Europe’s top leagues and winning the Champions League with three different clubs, he is also widely controversial for making statements against players, clubs, referees and at times even to his own management.…

[f1]

"Charles could be right": Hamilton unsure Red Bull will be beaten before 2026 | 2023 Dutch Grand Prix

Another driver suspects Charles Leclerc may be correct in predicting Red Bull will maintain their superiority until 2026. The Ferrari driver told media including RaceFans at Zandvoort yesterday he doubts the reigning champions will be beaten until Formula 1 introduces its next new set of technical regulations in three years’ time. Lewis Hamilton backed Leclerc’s assessment, pointing out Red Bull’s substantial points lead means they can afford to begin work on the new car for 2024 earlier than their rivals can. “The fact is, they are ahead and most likely have started developing not next year’s car already months before everybody else as they’re 100, 200 points ahead in the championship. So it’s very possible that Charles could be right.” Mercedes lie second in the championship after 12 rounds but have less than half Red Bull’s tally of 503 points. “We’re working on a steep gradient trying to develop and get ourselves to close the gap,” Hamilton said. “Whether or not we can next year will be proved within that. I hope we can.” But Red Bull are not taking it for granted the margin of superiority will not be overwhelmed before new technical rules are introduced. Sergio Perez pointed out McLaren introduced an upgrade this year which vaulted them into contention for podium finishes having previously struggled to escape Q1. Perez said it is “quite early to say” Red Bull will remain on top until 2026. ”When you see the sort of jumps up teams like McLaren can do from where they were in the beginning of the season to where they are now, it only takes another team to make such an improvement. Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free “So I wouldn’t think that and we are not thinking like that. We are really working hard, we are really trying to improve race by race on all of the different areas.” McLaren’s Lando Norris also drew encouragement from the progress his team has made this year and said he doesn’t want to believe Red Bull can’t be caught over the next two seasons. “I think from where we were in the season, the expectation of the step we made to where we were I think was pretty huge,” he said. “For where are [now], it’s pretty huge in such a short period of time. “So from what I’ve seen, from what we’ve been able to do over the last season, then I don’t want to say no. I think it should be possible. “But that’s life. They’re doing a good job and everyone else is not doing a good enough job. That’s the way it is.” Bringing the F1 news from the source RaceFans strives to bring its readers news directly from the key players in Formula 1. We are able to do this thanks in part to the generous backing of our RaceFans Supporters. By contributing 1 per month or 12 per year (or the equivalent in other currencies) you can help cover the costs involved in producing original journalism: Travelling, writing, creating, hosting, contacting and developing. We have been proudly supported by our readers for over 10 years. If you enjoy our independent coverage, please consider becoming a RaceFans Supporter today. As a bonus, all our Supporters can also browse the site ad-free. Sign up or find out more via the links below: Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free 2023 Dutch Grand Prix Browse all 2023 Dutch Grand Prix articles via RaceFans - Independent Motorsport Coverage https://racefans.net/

[hello-yoori]

season 24 was a mess for my team since we got incinerated on the third day of play and basically sat out for the rest of that final season until we had to steer our ship into the vault but we did get one of the most memorable equal sun games ever and the hero of this story is jon halifax.

actually before we get there, let's start at the beginning. after becoming season 22 internet league blaseball champions, the baltimore crabs equivalently exchanged our best player michelle sportsman for jon halifax. jon pitched for the mints on the very first day of the season and promptly 8 runs in 8 innings and then 6 more on an unfortunate double slam dunk home run in the final inning to be sent to the shadows via fax machine. jon found himself back atop the mound on day 35 after leo baron gave up 12 by the fifth inning, only to be back in the shadows after giving up 10 by the sixth inning on day 41. finally after the mints middling offense failed to put any runs on the board on day 50, jon found himself on the lineup for the first time all season.

faced up against his former team, the mints struggled to get any offense going with their singular run stolen by the crabs via the tunnels. at the top of the ninth inning with two outs, our hero does the unthinkable and manages to hit a home run with equal sun in effect. wow! this game became a close one!

miraculously, the mints managed to get three quick outs in the bottom of the ninths and we prepared ourselves for the tenth inning when the game simply ended.

everyone was extremely confused that the game not only ended in a tie but the win was also awarded to the breath mints. people immediately started speculating a floating point error incorrectly calculated 0.1 + 20.2 > 20.3. not long afterwards, sibr noticed a hotfix was pushed for the game and got this great quote from one of the devs:

anyways to wrap up this story, jon was incinerated five days later. helga washington let an incineration ricochet off of her onto jon and he fucking died the very next inning and we love him for it.

looking through old screenshots and

[ID: poorly framed screenshot of a blaseball game (tacos vs wild wings, rat mason pitching for the tacos, 2 outs). the current play text: "Summers Preston hits a grand slam! 0 Unruns Scored!" /end ID]

god i love blaseball.

[sonita0526]

इस दशक के चैंपियंस प्लेयर्स के टॉप -10 कोट्स, योगेश्वर ने कहा था- हम डर के बिना डर ​​बन सकते हैं

इस दशक के चैंपियंस प्लेयर्स के टॉप -10 कोट्स, योगेश्वर ने कहा था- हम डर के बिना डर ​​बन सकते हैं

खेल डेस्क। इस दशक में भारत ने क्रिकेट के अलावा कई खेलों में उपलब्धियां हासिल कीं। 2012 लंदन ओलिंपिक में एक तरफ)मैरीकॉम कांस्यदल जीतीं, तो वहीं 2019 में पीवी सिंधु बैडमिंटन में पहली बार वर्ल्ड चैंपियंस बनीं। रानी रामपाल के नेतृत्व में भारतीय महिला हॉकी टीम टोक्यो ओलिंपिक के लिए क्वालिफाई करने में सफल रही। वहीं, दुती चंद पिछले साल एशियाई खेलों में दो रजत पदक (100 मीटर और 200 मीटर) जीती थे। हम…

[siliconchat921]

Dating App For Gym Rats

The Gym Rats Basketball app will provide everything needed for team and college coaches, media, players, parents and fans throughout an event. Need to find your next game? How about a player's next game? Need directions to your next game? Wondering where a team is from? Need to see who advanced in a bracket or where someone stands in pool play?

Well, you’re in luck, as a new app plans to hook up like-minded gym bunnies together. Dubbed the ‘Tinder for fitness fanatics’, Sweatt matches up potential mates based on their exercise habits.

Play as The Ratchelor, an eligible single rat looking for love. You'll get to know each of our 21 lovely contestants through intimate conversation. Round after round, you will choose who to eliminate, leaving only your most compatible rat suitors. Finally, at the end of your emotional journey, you will find your rat soulmate.

Get to the gym, become a rat. Band together to improve your fitness by competing in a group challenge. Enlist friends, family, teammates, colleagues, or whoever, to become gym rats. The goal is to workout more often, any activity counts.

Happy hour or a 60-minute spin class which do you choose on a busy day?

A new dating app Sweatt, might just have the solution.

Simply put, if you combined Tinder and Class Pass, youd have Sweatt. The apps algorithm matches people based on how often and when they work out, what their favorite classes or activities are, and any sort of diet preference, from raw to paleo. Users also have the option to write a short profile.

Most dating apps match users based on things in common, whether its friends, ethnicity or music. Similarly, for many people, fitness isnt just a hobby; its a lifestyle, which can be a building block toward deep emotional connection.

You don’t have to love the same kinds of fitness; someone into yoga could match well with a marathon runner simply because they understand each others priorities.

While you’d think it would be easy to meet other people at the gym, you may run into some familiar problems: people work out using headphones or while watching their phones (not very inviting), or you just see the same people every day.

Sweatt connects people you don’t see every day but who share one of your top interests.

While Sweatt presents opportunities to create real relationships, the app is ripe with gym selfies, so beware. In fact, Sweatt puts major emphasis on the importance of profile pictures with the option to post five full-size profile photos.

While the creator of the app Dan Ilani insists Sweatt isnt a hookup app, judging by the photos of the user base, some might be mistaken. This could potentially be frustrating for some people.

However, the app could help shake up the first date. Sweatt users might forgo dinner and drinks for a physical activity instead, such as hiking or taking a class together, a playful opportunity to get to know someone.

And even if the date doesnt go well, at least users won’t miss their workout.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

Read more:

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[findingtalent]

Meet Sarvadh Sathiaram – The Young Unassuming Kid That Is Taking the Chess World By Storm

Chess is a game of planning and strategy. It’s a popular indoor game worldwide and a lot of people, irrespective of their age, enjoy playing it. But only a handful of men have been able to master this amazing game and even lesser number of kids who have been able to shine. One such kid is Sarvadh and he is very unique in his own way.  

There are two different kinds of kids that play chess today. Those that do so as a pastime while few others that have quit school, quit everything else and work towards becoming a chess master. Sarvadh however doesn’t come under either category and is indeed different. He swears by the game and believes in giving every bit of his time and effort to master the game. He believes in sincere hard work and the power of perseverance. However, he doesn’t believe in quitting school for pursuing his chess goals and wants to do both.

Sarvadh’s story is indeed unique. He has been performing exceptionally well at school including winning laurels on the global stage in economics and business but at the same time has been diligently working to become a Grand Master. He is currently a Candidate Master whose race to become a Grand Master has been slowed down only by the pandemic but not definitely by his efforts, attitude or actions.  

 Sarvadh even plays golf at the Club level and is a Grade 7 pianist. When asked how he manages time to pull-off an academically rigorous IB curriculum in school full-time while preparing for his chess grand master norms, he says it is all about time management. He quotes the great writer Henry David Thoreau who once said, “It is not enough being busy… the question is what are we busy about?”. Sarvadh believes in doing things that motivates him and the things that he cares about. He believes that with a structured approach coupled with prioritization and good time management he has been able to achieve equal success in both academics and chess at the highest level without compromise. For him it is not a race to be the first or the youngest, but he wants to do things that really interest him and those that he cares about. It is about doing better than what he is today. He says in golf parlance, “It is about playing old man par”.

It is not always that you get to see a young boy make experienced senior chess masters sweat and gasp as they begin to suddenly realize how the calculated set of moves that Sarvadh made has only set them up for the inevitable loss.  

So how did all this begin?

Not wanting to waste time in video games and cartoons, Sarvadh at the age of 8 signed up for a chess summer camp at his school to “keep busy”. Little did anyone realize that the initial spark ignited at the summer camp would go on to create such a huge passion for the game that there has been no looking back. Ever since his Grade 3, for several years now, the 64 squares have become his alternate world. He loves the fact of how he can think through the consequences of every move and visualize how his plans materialize beautifully in front of his eyes as he leaves the opponent clueless and powerless.  

“Breaking into the Top 25 in the world rankings in U-12 and U-14 categories was perhaps the proudest moment for me,” exclaims Sarvadh. Equally exciting for him was his first win over a Grand master. Until then he always thought it would be impossible to defeat a Grand Master and this win only reiterated to him the fact that he just needed to believe that he could in order to achieve the same.

Some of the laurels and recognitions that embellish Sarvadh’s crown include:

Silver Medal at the World Economics Cup 2020

Global 4th in International Business at the World Future Business Leaders Competition

Top 25 in the world in U-12 and U-14 categories

Top 15 in Asia in U-12 and U-14 categories

Best Junior Player – 5th International Bodensee Open Tournament, Bregenz - May 2019

Champion – 28th Eastern Class Championship, Boston (Expert section) - April 2019

Best Player U-14 – 2nd Internationales Sill Park Schach Open, Innsbruck - Sept 2018

Champion U-11 – 8th Kandy International Open Blitz Chess Festival, Sri Lanka

1st Place U-12 – 3rd International Bodensee Open Tournament, Bregenz - May 2017

1st Place U-10 – 9th Modern School International Fide Rated Chess Tournament, Chennai - July 2016

Best Rated Player – Rating 1201-1400 - 1st SCA Rated FiIDE Rated Tournament - Oct 2015

Champion U-9 – KCG State Level Chess Tournament, Chennai, Sept 2015

1st Place U-10 – 1st KCF International FIDE Rated Tournament - Aug 2015

 Under the able guidance of his coach and mentor the Russian Grand Master Sergei Zablotskiy, Sarvadh continues to learn the various intricate nuances of the game and he continues to hone his knowledge, and technical skills to become a Grand Master. To him Sergey has not just been a coach and mentor but also a wonderful friend without whose support, guidance, and motivation, he couldn’t have come this far in this remarkable journey”

So what are his future plans?

“I will continue my pursuit for deep knowledge in my two areas of passion – chess and economics.” Sarvadh believes that with honest effort and by God’s grace he will surely achieve his goals.

One of his favorite movies is Kung Fu Panda and the famous lines by Master Oogway is “You just need to believe. You must believe” is what he goes by not just in chess but in life. Sarvadh says that to him success is doing his very best in whatever he chooses to do. He goes on the add “Some you win some you lose. You can do what is in your control – doing your best. That’s life”.

This is incredible maturity for a boy at such a young age and we wish Sarvadh clinches many more titles and recognitions in the years to come.

For latest updates about chess and Sarvadh, follow Sarvadh at Twitter, FB, LinkedIn, Instagram.

[that-soccer-guru]

Okay, I usually don't like to say specific non nwsl related stuff on this blog but I really have to.

I'm a little annoyed at every person who dismissed the Colombian bid for the women's world cup without giving it some actual thought. Including those who probably took the 2.8 score that FIFA gave the bid without taking a second look at the insulting and discriminatory reasons for it, honestly I know I'm not the only Colombian who is deeply insulted by it.

I'm not just saying this as someone who really wants to see their country be the stage for the biggest tournament in professional women's football, but as someone who truly believes that the country IS ready for this.

I understand that the Australia/NZ bid is something a lot of people want. If not for Colombia putting their hat in the ring I'd be right there with you. But, that is not a reason for dismissing the Colombian proposal.

Here's what I know. Colombia is a massive tourism hub. With carnivals, sporting events and day to day tourism, the 10 proposed cities have experience in the logistics of large events, including top of the line hospitals, hotels and transportation and great sporting facilities. Colombia has hosted Copa America and the Panamerican games on a number of times, and though they're not on the level of a world cup, I put forward that there isn't a country mentally ready to host such an event like pros on their first time.

While it is true that the federation has been less than stellar in their support for the women's league, a lot can be said about their leaps and bounds improvements in the recent years. Individual teams, monetary contributors and sponsors have campaigned to bring better conditions to the 20-team strong women's league. The federation has endeavored to fix their structural mistakes to better support the NT, and though there is still a long way to go, dismissal on the grounds of less support than the Australian federation is, honestly, fucked up.

Though Colombia didn't make the last world cup, the National Team is the most recent gold medal champion of the Panamerican games. There are Colombian players in major leagues across the world. Former NT players are ambassadors for the sport in journalism. They have coordinated signing of Colombian national players to various leagues across the world, and some of the most renown players in the NT are keystones to their league teams.

Finally, Marta Lucía Ramírez Blanco, the FIRST woman elected Vice President of the Republic, worked closely with the federation and the relevant government officers to set up a logistically sound proposal that would show the world how ready the country is. Ramon Jesurun, current vice president of CONMEBOL and head of the FCF correctly pointed out that our major cities are internationally recognized as centers of technological advancement, societal stability, and integrity. We are ready. (also, I'm very miffed, as was the FCF president and many people responsible for this bid, that FIFA would bring up "social unrest" that has been asuaged in recent years, especially considering how much social unrest Europe was in when France had its turn. But sure, their scathing words and hypocritical thoughts aren't rooted in classisim and racism at all).

Colombia isn't ready just because we want the prestige, or because Brazil dropped out and CONMEBOL needed a bid, or the time zones work out, or because we want in on the world cup. Colombia is ready because we are. We are ready to host the biggest tournament in women's football. We are ready for our players to see their country shine in women's soccer. We are ready to bring the world cup to one of the toughest regional leagues in the world of football, for ourselves and for the other South American countries with wonderful and competitive teams that want to attend this cup and give it their all. We are ready for the world to see that our country has overcome so much and our people have come out the other side with a smile on their faces and fire in their hearts.

To quote directly from the bid I know a lot of you, and honestly the asshole FIFA officials, didn't read.

In Colombia challenges within our DNA, we are used to accepting them on and overcoming them. This is the challenge of our passion, football, and together we will certainly bring the first Women’s World Cup in history to the region. Welcome to Colombia land of football, challenges and joy.

Colombia está lista

La Colombie Est Prete

Colombia is ready

[kobefan]

The Most Influential People In The Kobe Bryant Mamba Shoes Industry And Their Celebrity Dopplegangers

Kobe Bryant is arguably  among  the best basketball  gamers in the history of the game. His  numerous  awards include 5  champions, 1  organization MVP, 2  racking up titles,  and also being  called All NBA First Team 11 times. He even had both of his jersey numbers retired by the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe's  occupation  is among the most  enhanced of this  age.

Kobe Bryant was  far more than an athlete: He was a  partner and  dad, a  innovative artist, a  benefactor,  and also even a capitalist. He lived a remarkable, although not  best, life  packed with lessons on  exactly how to  stand firm,  prosper, and overcome  challenges  and also  blunders.

The Black Mamba left an  long-lasting  impact on the sport of basketball in the United States  in addition to  around the globe. Nike  recognized Kobe Bryant with Mamba Week.

The Advanced Guide To Kobe Bryant Sneakers

Kobe Bryant  footwear  have actually  ended up being  a few of the most, if not  one of the most, popular Nike  

kobe sneakers

footwear for basketball. Among all of the  trademark  tennis shoe lines that Nike basketball  needs to offer. There are several  excellent  factors that Kobe Bryant's  footwear are a top  vendor. The  high quality,  layout,  efficiency,  as well as the love for Kobe Bryant.

A big part of being a sneakerhead is the  excitement of the  quest. There are  lots of  locations to  search for Kobe Bryant shoes.  A lot of places to  search for the best Kobe Bryant sneaker made.

As  all of us know, as true sneakerheads it is impossible to  settle on what pair of shoes is truly  the very best looking Kobe Bryant  footwear. What is very  feasible to  settle on, is that if you are  using  any type of  set of Kobe basketball shoes, you are wearing one of the best basketball shoes  ever before made.

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A lot of Kobe Bryant  followers  have actually  searched for Kobe gear  rather than  simply huntting Kobe Sneakers to  reveal their love for Kobe Bryant  as well as the  ideas of the Mamba  Way of thinking. I was lucky  sufficient and got the signatured Mamba Forever Kids Kobe Bryant Shoes for my  boy  as well as Kobe  tennis shoes for myself; and  additionally got the  Tale Kobe Hoodie for my husband.

I feel  honored  finding such an  remarkable  on the internet  shop  to allow me  obtain all Kobe gear for me  as well as my family. I  can not wait to share this eagles | patriots | steelers Shopify store to you. I  understand you  like Kobe and need some  incredible Kobe Bryant  equipment to  reveal your love  and also memory.

All of us  confess that Kobe Bryant is the 10 Greatest Players in NBA  Background and he  should have the love and  regard!

The Most Common Kobe Bryant Sneakers For Sale Debate Isn't As Black And White As You Might Think

Bryant is the all-time leading scorer in Lakers franchise  background. He was  likewise the  very first guard in NBA  background to  dip into least 20  periods. His 18 All-Star  classifications are the  2nd most all time, while it is the record for most consecutive  looks as a starter. Bryant's four All-Star  Video game MVP Awards are  linked with Bob Pettit for the most in NBA  background. He  provided himself the  label Black Mamba in the mid-2000s,  and also the epithet  ended up being  extensively adopted by the  public. At the 2008  as well as 2012 Summer Olympics, he won  2 gold medals as a  participant of the U.S.  nationwide team. In 2018, he won the Academy  Honor for  Finest  Computer Animated  Brief  Movie for his 2017  movie  Precious Basketball.

The  Introduce and Rise of Black Mamba

Bryant gave himself the  label Black Mamba after  costs of  sexual offense were dismissed in 2004. Black Mamba was an alter ego created to  deal with the backlash created as a result of the  instance. In a 2015  meeting he mentioned what  motivated the name. When I step on that court, I  come to be that. I am that killer  serpent. I'm stone  cool,  guy.

The Best Advice You Could Ever Get About Kobe Bryant Custom Shoes

Ever since, he teamed with Nike to  release a youth basketball  organization called Mamba League. Shortly after he created Mamba Sports Academy and from there the Mamba  brand name well and  absolutely  removed. Nike also held Mamba Day to  recognize his  retired life in 2016 as Black Mamba  really cemented its name in association with Bryant in the minds of the people.

Mamba Mentality:  Challenging work  surpasses  ability--  every single time. Mamba  state of mind is around 4 a.m. exercises,  completing  greater than most others  and also  later confiding in the  job you  have actually  spent when it's effort to  execute. Without  factor to consider, readiness  and also  method, you're leaving the result to destiny. I  do not do  fate.

His  heritage  and also inspiration

A Trip Back In Time: How People Talked About Boys Kobe Sneakers 20 Years Ago

Kobe Bryant  functions extremely  difficult to  master what he does. He  intended to  give the torch to the  future generation by inspiring and  enlightening.

You got ta do what you  enjoy to do, Bryant said. I  like  informing  tales. I  enjoy inspiring  youngsters or  giving them with  devices that are  mosting likely to help them.

Kobe Bryant wanted to inspire the young generation of athletes  as well as showed them  just how  sporting activities can act as a microcosm  permanently  generally - the collective need to  collaborate to  accomplish a  objective, hard work, sacrifice  and also how one  ought to be able to handle both success  and also failure.

To  price quote Kobe Bryant  throughout a pre-game  interview he  stated

That's  truth mark of a  tradition -  just how it  influences the  future generation.

We can  absolutely  concur that Bryant had a  substantial impact on the  future generation  right. It's  so  depressing that he left this world  much  ahead of time, especially with his ambitious  objectives to achieve  a lot  extra. Which based on his  mindset  as well as  perseverance was  just going to be  accomplished with  even more time on this planet.

Kobe Bryant appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated no  less than 20 times (when such appearances still mattered) and became one of the rare  showing off  numbers to genuinely transcend the  sporting activities  web pages in the  United States  as well as  end up being a household name. His international popularity may have even  surpassed his standing  in your home as he became an  important figure in  boosting the sport's  worldwide profile.

Eagles | Patriots | Steelers Shopify  shop is a  prominent  sporting activities fan apparel  business learn more.  Many individuals are consumers of their  product  due to the quality  as well as  reasonable  rate of their products.  Also some  very loyal sports fans are continually  affecting others to  get their Kobe Bryant  equipment and their ever  popular Legend Kobe Bryant hoodies.

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Unlike  amazon.com, Eagles | Patriots | Steelers store is a  actual Kobe Bryant fan merchandises  shop with  special  and also  imaginative, high quality  and also  comfy Kobe Bryant shoes, Heart of a legend  safety seat covers, Kobe Bryant butterfly Mamba Forever  Coat,  Women's most love Kobe Bryant Legend  tights, 3D Kobe Bryant Mamba Forever shirts,  and also their popular Kobe Bryant phone case  and also  knapsacks for youth Kobe  followers.

Kobe Bryant has gone  ahead of time  and also  absolutely, he is one of the greatest  gamers in NBA  background.

When Kobe Bryant  and also his 13  years of age daughter, Gianna  and also 7  other individuals tragically died in a helicopter  collision outside of Los Angeles on January 26, 2020, the  globe  cried.

He is a NBA legend and  likewise Heart Of A Legend  on the planet.

[jaspersspx040]

Exactly How We  Enhanced Our Top Soccer Prediction Sites In One Week(Month, Day)

Seattle Seahawks Squeeze Past The Washington Football Team To Clinch Playoff Berth

The winners of each continental competitors contest the FIFA Club Globe Cup. As opposed to stopping play, the umpire might allow play to proceed if doing so will certainly benefit the group versus which an offense has actually been devoted. The referee might "recall" play and punish the initial offence if the anticipated benefit does not follow within "a few secs". Also if an offense is not punished due to benefit being played, the wrongdoer might still be approved for misbehavior at the next standstill of play. The umpire might punish a player's or replacement's misconduct by a care or dismissal. A 2nd yellow card in the very same video game leads to a red card, which leads to a dismissal. A player given a yellow card is said to have actually been "booked", the referee composing the gamer's name in their main note pad.

the sphere made use of in this game, a filled with air oval with a bladder consisted of in a casing usually made from natural leather. Haskins got the start, as well as threw for 295 lawns with one touchdown as well as two interceptions, because Smith was recouping from a calf injury experienced the previous week in Washington's sway the San Francisco 49ers. The final four groups vying for a championship game have actually been established. Texas A&M missed out on making the College Football Playoff despite only losing one video game during the season. Covering university sporting activities for the Early morning Information for more than a decade plus a great deal of various other things in previous lives.

Released in 2018, the Healthy and balanced Sport Index incorporates the very best available information and professional evaluation while permitting customers to tailor sport-by-sport outcomes via their own health and wellness top priorities for engagement.

It's a source to help youth sporting activities coaches develop individual development in their players.

The device aids moms and dads, kids and other stakeholders make informed decisions based on their priorities to make sporting activities a healthy and balanced as well as positive experience for youngsters.

Healthy Sporting Activity Index For the first time, the general public can determine in one area the family member advantages as well as threats of taking part in the 10 most prominent high school children as well as ladies sports.

See as.pn/ coaching to view panel conversations on the worth of trains advertising social and also emotional skills.

Oklahoma Secondary School Football: The Oklahoman's Champion, Semifinal Choices

If a player has been disregarded, no alternative can be prompted in their area as well as the gamer may not join additional play. Misbehavior might happen at any moment, and also while the offences that constitute misconduct are noted, the interpretations are wide. Particularly, the offence of "unsporting behaviour" might be used to handle the majority of events that breach the spirit of the game, even if they are not noted as specific offences.

WR DeAndre Hopkins goes in depth concerning his touchdown catch and also clarifies the value of this win for the group. LAFC eliminated the 3rd Mexican Club in the 2020 edition of the Concacaf Champions Organization as well as they will certainly attempt to finish the prominence from Liga MX groups in the competition as they head to the final to face Tigres UANL.

" We delight in that moms and dads and also loved ones will currently have the ability to see their students play in the game. QB Sam Darnold called the win "an impressive sensation." He was reliable, avoiding turnovers and also tossing the round away when under pressure. As Adam Gase said, "There was no panic." If the Jets choose to trade Darnold, this was the sort of performance that will appeal to suitors. Inquired about the Trevor Lawrence speculation, Darnold said, "It does not influence us." Russell Wilson balanced just 4.6 air backyards per effort Sunday as the Seahawks again focused on fast passes to battle Washington's strong defensive front. Per ESPN Statistics & Info, that was Wilson's cheapest standard given that the 2015 opener as well as third-lowest of his career. Wilson balanced 7.3 air backyards per attempt last week against the Jets after balancing 8.2 over the first 13 weeks, 10th-highest in the league because period.

What's the oldest football team?

The Arizona Cardinals, formed in Chicago in 1898, are the oldest team in the National Football League.

gallery Arrivals Before Giants Dec 13, 2020 Cardinals players show up to MetLife Arena prior to the Week 14 match against the Giants offered by Bose. gallery Arrivals Before Eagles Dec 20, 2020 Cardinals gamers get here to State Farm Stadium before the Week 15 match against the Eagles offered by Bose.

Much like the Big 12, I have actually improbably survived two bouts of realignment. Don't bother the 24-point blowout loss that the Combating Irish experienced in the ACC title game versus Clemson. The board offered Notre Dame approval based upon earlier sway Clemson as well as North Carolina. When the CFP option board unveiled its final rankings Sunday early morning from Grapevine, Notre Dame (10-1) got approval for the fourth and also last playoff area, simply ahead of the Aggies (8-1). Texas A&M and train Jimbo Fisher made an enthusiastic College Football Playoff instance Saturday by winning its regular season ending over Tennessee.

Several of the leading potential customers in the country have yet to introduce their destination. Saturday's scores, paired with the absence of nonconference video games this year, are mosting likely to cultivate unmatched reactions to the Playoff choices. Alabama completed 11-0 in SEC have fun with a championship win, led by Heisman candidates Najee Harris, Mac Jones and also DeVonta Smith. The University Football Playoff board showed it will never ever give Group of 5 groups like the Bearcats, Chanticleers a fair shake. Smith is attempting to become the very first WR to win the Heisman given that 1991, but he needs to beat teammates Mac Jones and Najee Harris. Military was the first team to approve a bowl quote, to the Self-reliance Dish in October, however opt-outs as well as linkups left it without an opponent. Points will remain the same for as lengthy as individuals keep imitating only the big bettingloupe.com/ leagues issue and like the kids are an adjunct.

On the 15th Sunday of the NFL's 2020 period, 33 Alabama graduates hopped on the field. As wintertime climate embed in around the country, the Chargers-Raiders competition in a dome in Las Vegas can enable unusual names such as limited end Darren Waller to bring your fantasy group to the champion round. Smith saw at least three targets in all 9 of his beginnings, yet he managed to allow under 30 yards in every one of his video games this year. Surtain might have given up a 50-yard touchdown in the 2020 SEC Championship Game, yet that was truly one of minority poor plays he had all period long. He is a physical corner that trails just Hodges-Tomlinson for the majority of forced incompletions amongst Power 5 outside corners. As you might have seen in the 2021 PFF NFL Draft Overview, Surtain's best quality is his press abilities, and also this year has actually verified that. He comes in at No. 1 among all FBS cornerbacks in press-coverage quality.

Sheriff Strategies To Proceed Search For Seekers On Xmases Day If Required.

Who is the ref who blew Saints?

These fans didn't care. Referee Bill Vinovich looks on during the NFC Championship game between the Rams and New Orleans Saints on Jan. 20.

The Rule currently express measurements with approximate metric matchings, though use royal units remains popular in English-speaking countries with a reasonably recent history of metrication, such as Britain. The ball is spherical with an area of in between 68 as well as 70 cm, a weight in the series of 410 to 450 g, as well as a stress in between 0.6 and 1.1 conventional ambiences (8.5 as well as 15.6 pounds per square inch) at sea level. In the previous the round was comprised of leather panels stitched, with a latex bladder for pressurisation but modern balls in all degrees of the game are now artificial. A game is officiated by an umpire, who has "complete authority to implement the Laws of the Game about the match to which he has actually been appointed", as well as whose decisions are final. In many high-level video games there is also a fourth authorities who helps the referee as well as might change another official must the demand arise. The fundamental equipment or kit players are needed to wear includes a t shirt, shorts, socks, shoes and sufficient shin guards.

The Pitt side protector racked up 20 total stress in his video games against Notre Dame, Clemson, Virginia Technology and also Boston College, the 4 ideal collections of deals with in the ACC this year. McNeil played 87% of his complete snaps at heads-up nose tackle this year, making his manufacturing nothing except incredible. Only one player considering that 2014 has actually produced a greater PFF grade at 0-technique than McNeil's 90.5 this period. Kinnard preserved his status as one of the leading takes on in the run game this year, raising his run-block grade from 89.1 in 2019 to 92.3 this period.

Who hasn't won a Superbowl?

There are now 12 NFL franchises that have not won a Super Bowl after the Eagles earned their first title in 2018. The Bengals, Bills, Browns, Cardinals, Chargers, Falcons, Jaguars, Lions, Panthers, Texans, Titans and Vikings have not won a Super Bowl in their history.

The Crimson Tide and Battling Irish will certainly meet for the 8th time in the background of the collection that dates back to 1973. Alabama trails, 2-5, in the previous pairings but came away with a victory in the most recent matchup between both teams at the 2013 BCS National Championship in Miami, Fla . Discover resources and possibilities to get included as well as play football. There's no Michigan-Ohio State to highlight the normal period's final complete weekend, yet high risks and negative blood aren't difficult to locate. Sun Belt commissioner Keith Gill is being a lot more proactive regarding making cases for his teams, with Coastal Carolina and Louisiana both ranked. A previous college quarterback, Coen concerns the Wildcats after 3 season with the Los Angeles Rams.

[bongaboi]

Liverpool: 2019-20 Premier League Champions

30 years of hope: my life as an ardent Liverpool fan

After three decades of near misses, slips and tears, the Merseyside team’s wait for another league title is nearly over. So what does it mean to a scouser and lifelong fan?

by Hannah Jane Parkinson

I am three years old in the photograph, hugging a plastic, flyaway football. I am seven, arriving tentatively for my first training session at a local girls’ club. I am bounding back to my mother’s car, blowing hot breath on cold hands, beaming, the salt from the artificial turf embedded in the soles of my trainers.

I am eight and glued to the television, watching teen wunderkind and my Liverpool hero, Michael Owen, score the perfect goal against Argentina in World Cup 98.

I am nine. I give up one of the few days I have to visit my father to attend my first ever match at Anfield, Liverpool FC’s famous stadium. A week later, my father dies. These two events are inextricably linked in my mind, and the guilt continues to whichever day you are reading this.

I am 10 and make my first appearance in print in a feature for the local paper, the Liverpool Echo, about girls getting into football. I am quoted as saying that all my sister cares about is boys and fashion.

Twelve years old and the fuzzy letters of “Parkinson” on the back of my shirt arch down my shoulder blades.

I am 13. Our team, known as Liverpool Feds, are approached by Liverpool FC to become their official girls’ outfit. We visit Melwood, the first team’s training ground. The full-size goals loom like scaffolding.

I am 14. My hero, Owen, makes the same move to Real Madrid that Steve McManaman made five years before him. This breaks my heart. Suddenly, all I care about is boys and fashion. Without really making a decision, I give up football. Cold winter nights are spent inside on the sofa watching Sex and the City. I discover live music and MySpace.

I am 15. I own the entire range of Clearasil products. A group of my schoolfriends and I take a night off GCSE revision to watch the 2005 European Champions League final in Istanbul; the first the club has reached since the mid-80s, and so it is forbidden not to watch. Liverpool are losing by three goals at half time. A lost cause. Minds wander to the second biology paper… But wait. Liverpool pull back to 3-3. And win on penalties. Pandemonium. We join the throng in the streets; the blaring car horns; the beer jumping, like salmon, from pint glasses; the embrace of strangers; the straining vocal cords.

I am 18 and living in Russia, watching games on my first-generation smartphone via a 2G internet connection. Each time a player goes through on goal the signal drops to endless buffering. Liverpool finish second in the league, four points behind bitter rivals Manchester United.

I am 26, we are bearing down on the title. Steven Gerrard in an impromptu on-pitch team talk, after a crucial win against the newly flush Manchester City, shouts hoarsely at his players: “This does not fucking slip now!” The next home game, Gerrard – one of the best players the club has ever seen, captain, scouser, Liverpool FC lifer – literally slips on the turf against Chelsea to concede a goal. We lose. Manchester City finish top of the league by two points.

I am 29. I am in Cuba, where the internet is heavily censored. But I manage to watch the last game of the season, which will be decisive. Liverpool finish the league with 97 points; the highest points tally ever for a team that doesn’t win the title. City win again. With 98 points. Liverpool do, however, win the Champions League – for the sixth time – after scoring four goals in a sublime semi-final comeback against Barcelona. The injured Mohamed Salah, watching on the bench, wears a T-shirt bearing the slogan “Never Give Up”. The T-shirt sells out.

I am 30. I have never witnessed my beloved Liverpool FC lift the title. Two months from now, this is going to change. As I write Liverpool have a 22-point lead at the top of the table. Of 84 points available this season, they have taken 79. Next Monday is the derby against Everton.

I want to untangle what this will mean to me – the fan who met Steven Gerrard a couple of years ago, grinning like a child; the fan who, two weeks ago, was unbelievably touched when current star Trent Alexander-Arnold recorded a video message to cheer her up during a bad time. What it means to other fans: those who witnessed the dominance of the 1980s, and the younger ones who have known only disappointment. And what it means, too, for the future of the area of Anfield itself.

It’s late February in the Flat Iron pub, one of the many dotted around Anfield. Steve Dodd, who is 49, is with his friends Dan Wynn, 26, and Gerrard Noble, 47. All from Somerset, they are having a pre-match drink before the home game against West Ham. Steve talks of the current Jürgen Klopp-assembled side as the best Liverpool side he thinks he’s ever seen.

The friends have been scouring the internet for places to stay in the city for the last home fixture of the season, but to no avail. “Rooms are going for £400 a night,” Gerrard says, his eyes widening. He and Steve are allowing themselves to get excited, but Dan, who like me has yet to experience a league title win, looks anxious and rubs his thighs. “No,” he says, “I don’t want to jinx it. Though I’ve been kicked out of various WhatsApp groups for being smug about all the results.” Steve tells me they weren’t prepared for it, this three-decade-long wait: “I just thought we’d go on winning.”

We talk about how important it is that Klopp’s politics match the club: Liverpool is a leftwing city; Liverpool is a leftwing club. At the last election, Labour retained all of its 14 MPs on Merseyside. The city has never forgiven the Tories for former chancellor Geoffrey Howe’s strategy of “managed decline”. Thatcher is a hated figure. But so is Derek Hatton, the former city council deputy leader and member of the Marxist group Militant. Last month, Italy’s rightwing politician Matteo Salvini was forced to deny that he had pulled out of a visit to Liverpool after the metropolitan region’s mayor called him a “fascist”. During several games last year, chants rang out for Jeremy Corbyn. The current prime minister conspicuously avoids visiting. As Gareth Robertson, who is a part of the immensely popular The Anfield Wrap podcast, with more than 200,000 weekly downloads in 200 countries, puts it to me: “Not only do we want a good football coach, we expect almost a political leader, someone who gets us, and our city, its values.” Humorously, there have been petitions for Liverpool to become a self-determined scouse state, and “Scouse not English” is a frequent terrace chant.

The club has a mantra: “This means more.” It pisses off other teams and is, understandably, dismissed as marketing speak. But isn’t it true? Isn’t the 127-year-old club what people think of when anyone, anywhere in the world, mentions “Liverpool”? The famous football team that plays in red – allowing for the Beatles, of course.

The city has another team, the blue of Everton. I have nothing against Everton. I consider Everton fellow scousers and too little a threat to focus animosity towards. In a way, the clubs are unruly siblings; we love and scrap in equal measure. Totally different personalities, but born of the same streets.

Four years ago, a man named Jürgen Klopp arrived on these streets. Or more accurately, he arrived in the suburb of Formby, renting the house from his managerial predecessor, Brendan Rodgers. Klopp is the football manager that even non-football fans like. He’s Ludovico Einaudi, seducing those previously uninterested in classical music. He is a man of principle; a baseball cap permanently affixed to his head, as though at any point he might be required to step up to the plate on a blindingly sunny day. Perhaps for the Boston Red Sox, owned by Liverpool FC’s American proprietor, John W Henry.

Klopp is erudite. He is proudly anti-Brexit in a city that voted 58% Remain. “For me, Brexit makes no sense at all,” he has said. He is a socialist: “I am on the left … I believe in the welfare state. I’m not privately insured. I would never vote for a party because they promised to lower the top tax rate. If there’s something I will never do in my life it is vote for the right.” He grew up in a humble village in Germany’s Black Forest, and it shows. There’s a saying in the region: “the hair in the soup”. It means focusing on even the tiniest things that can be improved.

He has the good looks of one of my favourite 1960s Russian film stars, Aleksandr Demyanenko. He hugs his players as though they were the loves of his life and he might never see them again. Journalists like him for his press-conference banter as well as his eloquence. He visits children in hospitals. He is funny. When Mario Götze, one of his star players at former club Borussia Dortmund, left for Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich, his explanation was: “He’s leaving because he’s Guardiola’s favourite. If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine. I can’t make myself shorter and learn Spanish.”

Liverpool have had many famous managers, of course. Bill Shankly (there’s a statue of him outside the ground); Bob Paisley (ditto); Kenny Dalglish. But Klopp is already being talked of as one of the best ever.

Liverpool the city has evolved from its shamefully prominent role in the slave trade – in common with other major British ports – to a place with a diverse population and a well-won reputation for being friendly and welcoming. But the tragedy and scandal of Hillsborough, in which 96 fans were crushed to death in 1989 at Sheffield Wednesday’s ground, is etched into the nation’s sporting history, and its social justice record. After a 27-year-long battle to clear the names of the Liverpool fans whose reputations were smeared, after inquests that lasted two years – the longest case heard by a jury in British legal history – a verdict of unlawful killing was returned. But, as Margaret Aspinall of the indefatigable Hillsborough Family Support Group pointed out, after David Duckenfield, police commander at the ground, was cleared of manslaughter last year, no one has yet been found accountable for those killings.

The Sun, which categorically did not report “The Truth”, as the infamous headline went, but was found to have published untruths that blamed Liverpool fans for the disaster, is a red-top pariah here. The paper is the bestselling national in print, but shifts a measly 12,000 or so copies on Merseyside. A branch of Sainsbury’s was once found to be selling copies under the counter, as though they were counterfeit cigarettes. It’s a boycott that has lasted longer than many marriages.

The socially progressive values of the club extend to it supporting an end to period poverty – free sanitary products are available in every women’s loo at Anfield. Last month, the Reds Going Green initiative saw the installation of organic machines to break down food waste into water. The club even has its own allotment, which grows food to serve to fans in the main stand. It was the first Premier League club to be officially involved with an LGBT Pride event in 2012, at the invitation of Paul Amann. Amann tells me how he set up the LGBT supporters group, Kop Outs, because: “It’s essential that our voices are heard, our presence is welcomed and respected.” The group works alongside the Spirit of Shankly supporters’ group and the Fans Supporting Foodbanks initiative and has regular meet-ups. These things mean something to me: a football fan as a girl, and now as a woman. A woman who dates other women. A woman who doesn’t want to hear homophobic chants on the terraces. Or, it goes without saying, racist ones. Jamie Carragher, ex-player and pundit, has apologised on behalf of the club for its backing of striker Luis Suárez, who was banned from playing for eight matches in 2011 for making racist comments. “We made a massive mistake,” Carragher said. “What message do you send to the world? Supporting someone being banned because he used some racist words.”

Back on the pitch, some of this season’s performances have been, quite simply, balletic. Others as powerful and muscular as a weightlifting competition. Formations as beautiful as constellations. Forward surges as though our fullbacks were plugged into the mains. Possibly the best fullbacks playing today: 21-year-old local lad Trent Alexander-Arnold (known just as Trent) and the fiery Scot Andy Robertson (Robbo) are spoken about by pundits as innovators. Gary Lineker and I text, rapturously, about the two of them.

For a football team to be consistent, for a team to win the league, it must be capable of winning in many different ways. The aesthetically pleasing playing out from the back. Lightning counter-attacks. Scraping 1-0 wins in the final minutes (and, particularly at the start of this season, we have done a lot of that. It’s something Manchester United used to do in their 90s pomp, and naturally, I hated them for it). Mindful of the trauma of The Slip, the agreed club line is “one game at a time”, said again and again, as another scouse son, Pete Burns, once sang: “like a record baby, right round, round, round… ” And my God, how many of those we’ve smashed. The current side is the first in England to hold an international treble (the Champions League; Uefa Super Cup; Fifa Club World Cup). We have not lost a home game for almost two calendar years. Shortly, we’ll no doubt break the record for the earliest title win during a season; the most points across Europe’s top five leagues.

It is, even to the neutral, extraordinary stuff. It is, even to the haters, albeit grudgingly, extraordinary stuff. In 2016, one of the greatest stories of modern football was the previously mediocre Leicester City winning a surprise title. Liverpool’s dominance this season surpasses that for drama. It is watching history in the present.

Being at a game at Anfield is like being high while ingesting nothing. The stands seem to have lungs. Though You’ll Never Walk Alone has become supremely emotional, an anthem for strength and perseverance post-Hillsborough (“walk on through the wind / walk on through the rain”) it’s a song originally from the musical Carousel. It was a standout 1963 cover version by Liverpudlian band Gerry and the Pacemakers that kicked off its adoption at Anfield. “It’s got a lot of lovely major-to-minor changes at often unexpected moments that have the effect of emotionally blindsiding you,” music journalist Pete Paphides says (although he’s a United fan, so feel free to discount everything he tells me). “But it’s also obviously very hymnal, with a chorus which invites that religious ambiguity. It was Aretha Franklin’s version that John Peel played after Hillsborough and rendered himself incapable of carrying on by virtue of doing so.”

Anfield has always been something special; players from countless teams often talk of it being the greatest ground they have ever played at. Or the most intimidating. Or the most electric. But of late, there’s an extra buoyancy. The crowd salivates.

Watching the game against West Ham, we take the lead within 10 minutes, but they quickly equalise, before going ahead. We score twice more. It is our 21st consecutive home win, setting a Premier League-era record. At the end of the game, Klopp and his players applaud the Kop end, fans’ eyes glistening with both emotion and wind chill (“walk on, through the wind… ”)

Adjacent to the stadium at the redbrick Albert pub, Clara, Tom, John – all in their 20s, students, and local – and John’s dad, David, who is 53, are cheering the last-ditch win. I repeat what I asked Steve and his friends: just how excited should we all be?

“Very fucking excited,” says John. “Very fucking excited,” Tom concurs. (Scousers use swear words as ellipses. And the speed of Liverpudlian patter matches the rat-a-tat-tat of freestyle rappers.) The Albert is floor-to-ceiling in flags; unassuming from the outside, iconic inside. Across the road at the Park – the “Established 1888” sign above its door – it is Where’s Wally? levels of rammed, entirely usual for a match day. But the mood is as disbelieving as triumphant. It hasn’t happened yet, but it already feels as though people are waiting to be shaken awake from a dream. Around the corner, posters at another fan favourite, the Sandon, advertise a huge end-of-season victory party. I grab a burger at the Kop of the Range, a kebab joint not far from a scarf stall that has seen its business rocket over the past three years.

My Uber driver, Mohamed, 35, moved to the city from Sri Lanka. A massive Salah fan, he tells me his own revenue booms when the club win a game – happier fans means higher fares. “People don’t want to spend money on a loss,” he says. “If we win, the whole mood lifts. You can feel it in the car. Though when you start driving with Uber, they tell you not to mention what football team you support. Because football means a lot to people. There are many feelings involved with football.”

It’s unsurprising to me that even back in Sri Lanka, Mohamed was a fan. Liverpool is a global behemoth. The richest club in the UK outside Manchester.

A £1.7bn valuation; £533m turnover; pre-tax profits of £42m. Matchday ticket revenues increased (thanks to a regenerated £110m main stand). Visiting the club shop, there is LFC-branded gin; babygros; even a Hello Kitty tie-in range. As Richard Haigh at consultants Brand Finance tells me, next season’s kit deal with Nike is “expected to represent the largest in history. Brands will be willing to pay to have some magic dust of LFC.” There are official stores as far afield as Dubai and Bangkok.

John W Henry has won the support of the fans for his positive handling of the club. And yet, despite this huge wealth, Anfield is the 10th most deprived neighbourhood in the country. Boarded-up houses surround the stadium. The club has not covered itself in glory in the past, accused of buying up properties in unscrupulous ways. But it is hoped that local enterprises, such as the community-run Homebaked cake shop and new housing association properties, will make the neighbourhood better.

Last week, we were knocked out of the FA Cup in a match against Chelsea. Or, as I call that fixture, Kensington versus Kensington. (In Liverpool’s “Kenny”, 98% of residents are among the most deprived 5% nationally. In London’s, residents earn three times the national average.)

In the league, there has been a blip. Last weekend we finally lost. And we lost 3-0 to, with the greatest respect, Watford; not a bad side, but a side ensconced in a relegation battle. Arsenal, who once went a whole season unbeaten (“the Invincibles”), and are keen to keep that record, tweeted from the official club account: “Phew!”

But I am not panicking. It’s possible Dan from the Flat Iron is panicking. But Klopp isn’t panicking. In typical fashion, he said the fact we played an absolutely awful game of football was “rather positive… ”

“A couple of years ago,” our hero reminds us, “I said we wanted to write our own stories and create our own history, and obviously the boys took what I said really seriously. It is so special. The numbers are incredible.” In a nod to Sir Alex Ferguson’s famous line that his greatest challenge was “knocking Liverpool right off their fucking perch”, Liverpool chief executive Peter Moore says now: “We are back on our perch.” As The Anfield Wrap’s Gareth says: “In a dream scenario, a period of dominance follows. Not so long ago that dream was just that. Now, it’s a reality that is much easier to imagine.”

Four more games. Eyes on the prize. For me, at last, 30 years in the making, eyes on the prize.

[all-about-cr7]

Round-up of the best quotes from the interview as the Seleção all-time record goalscorer also talks about Manchester United, Lionel Messi and why he refuses to focus on specific targets despite feeling there is much more to achieve.

On maintaining his level at 34 “First of all, you must have talent. Without this it will not be possible to do much. After that, talent without work is useless. Nothing falls from the sky. I would never have gotten where I did without my work ethic. We all get old. You may be healthy for a long time, but the body naturally declines; we can do nothing about it. They say I have the body of an athlete, but it's not just the physique or the training. There is the lifestyle, the nutrition, the sleep, the choice of exercises I do. About 70 percent of my life is dedicated to football. You have to be smart to last. I work on everything, physically and mentally. Even if perfection doesn't exist, I want to be a perfect player or at least what's closest to perfection. I’ll give an example. Last night was a difficult match, we met a team (Lokomotiv Moscow) who refused to play and parked the bus in front of the goal. It was hard to score. I couldn't score and was a little frustrated at the end. It's normal if you don't do what you enjoy. Most importantly, the team won. But when I got back to the locker room, I let it go. I went to dinner with friends, got home at 4 am and soaked myself in ice water before going to bed. I woke up at 10 o'clock and prepared breakfast. At 11 o'clock I went to work at the gym. If you don't have this discipline every day, you can't stay on top for 15 years. I am what I am today because I am surrounded by intelligent people who love and inspire me. Every day I learn from them. I enjoy the best of every person I know. Four or five years ago, and even more so when I became a father, I realised that I made a big mistake when I was young: I didn't like school and I didn't learn what I should have learned. But my children have ten years to learn. Today I want to learn more than ever, I want to be more educated, I want to educate, I want to read a lot, books on medicine, yoga. I watch many documentaries about the masters of this discipline and those who teach meditation. I practice for 15 or 20 minutes and it really works. We must try everything, because everywhere there are problems, everyone suffers from stress. If we can get rid of it, it's fantastic!”

Favourite goal “Seven hundred goals is an impressive amount and I'm even more proud because so few players have achieved it. The last goal is always the most important. But if you ask me to choose, I'd say the one I scored [for Real Madrid] against Juventus, the bicycle kick. It was a goal I had been trying to score for years. It happened at a crucial moment in an important game against a great team and an exceptional goalkeeper, Buffon.”

Development in England and beyond “At 19 to 20, I became aware that football is numbers, titles, records and not just the performance on the pitch. If you want to win something, you have to score. It's the most important thing in football, after your team's victory, but both are connected, so I've evolved the way I play and think football. At first, I dribbled, showed off my tricks, but I realised that was not enough. I had to score and I was lucky in Manchester to have great players around me that taught me and helped me improve. Giggs, Scholes, Van Nistelrooy, Rio Ferdinand. Alex Ferguson also taught me a lot and I realised that I had the potential to score, not just to dribble and assist. I think I'm a complete player without a real weakness. I can score with the right foot, with the left, head. I'm strong, fast. Having all this, plus a real work ethic and a healthy lifestyle, is hard to beat even at 34 and a half. Playing in England is not the same as playing in Spain or Italy. But playing in these three countries has contributed to my evolution. I would never have become what I am if I had not been someone who loves challenges and who does not hesitate to leave my comfort zone. I have great adaptability. I can switch teams, coaches or to the National Team without this being a problem for my performance. I don't think there are many players who have been champions in England, Spain and Italy during their career. Even though I have been fortunate to play in the big clubs I have done, I won there.”

Messi “A lot of people said we were fuelling each other. Facing each other so many times, as it was in Spain, has allowed us to be better, more competitive, that is the truth. At Real Madrid I felt his presence more, and I felt more pressure as well. I think it was a healthy rivalry as two club symbols. I think he said recently that he missed me competitively, but my motivation doesn't depend on others. I always want to be on top.”

On being the 6th highest goal scorer in history “If you look at it in that way, it could be a target because I'm not so far from the top. But I don't let breaking a record become an obsession. Everything I have achieved in my life has come naturally. It was the result of my efforts, never the target. If we focus on a goal to achieve, it fills our head! It’s by enjoying that we get the best things. But of course if I can I'll beat the record.”

Legacy “If it was up to me, I would play only the important games. The national team and the Champions League. These are the games that most motivate me, those that have something at stake, a difficult environment with pressure. But then you must be professional and fit every day to honour your family and the club you represent and pays you. You have to do your best every day. It's always nice when people talk about you in a complimentary way. When they say that I was the best, a fantastic player. Today I hear everything they say about me. When it's over, by the end of my career, it won't matter to me anymore, because I will disconnect from everything. It's been 15 years since I started all these sacrifices. I appreciate what I did, but I will enjoy myself even more: being with my friends, with my family, watching my children grow up. Recount my life experience. But not now. I think I can still give a lot.”

[wosouswntpride]

In an attempt to itemize the positive aspects of being removed from the United States women's national team from August 2017 through March 2019, Ali Krieger mentioned she was able to spend more time with her dog. Twice.

Yes, dogs are awesome, but those were two long years.

Krieger was a world champion, started every game in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup and was on the field for all but 10 minutes. She had appeared 98 times for the U.S. and been a stabilizing force at right back. She was still a top player in the National Women's Soccer League. She was 32 years old, reaching the final stage of her career, but nowhere near finished. And the phone did not ring.

Until it did. She was called into the team in April for a couple of friendlies and made her 99th career appearance as a starter against Belgium, playing 90 minutes in a comfortable U.S. victory. She then became one of the surprising inclusions in coach Jill Ellis' 23-player roster for the 2019 World Cup.

As the team prepared for that tournament in its three-game Send-Off Series, Krieger then joined 37 other American women - and 274 in the history of world soccer - to reach 100 caps by entering as a substitute last Thursday in a 5-0 victory against New Zealand at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

"It was really hard for me to not have a reason and then go through a two-year period without a lot of communication and just kind of, I guess, start thinking about the next steps," Krieger told reporters following the New Zealand game. "When you play at this level for a certain amount of time, then you have to shift gears a little bit without really knowing … and keeping it in the back of your mind because I always thought, the door is still cracked, and I can't lose hope with that."

Krieger, now 34, could have taken that silence as a suggestion it was time to focus on her club career with the Orlando Pride and, perhaps, what she'll want to be doing when she finishes playing for good.

She almost certainly will become a coach, having spent part of the past offseason earning the U.S. Soccer "C" license. She started a string of soccer camps last year under the label AKFC (Ali Krieger Football Camps). She is engaged to Ashlyn Harris, a goalkeeper for Orlando who serves as a backup to starter Alyssa Naeher with the USWNT.

The next chapters will come soon enough, though. Krieger was convinced she still could help the national team.

"I know how good I am, and I know my value, and I don't think anyone's going to tell me what my value is. Because I already know that," Krieger said. "I think I just needed to keep that in mind, keep training to my ability because no matter what, I'm always going to be who I am both on and off the field. And that's always taking the high road and busting my ass every single day.

"I had a very good season in the NWSL and felt very confident. I hired coaches in the offseason … and I really went every single day - and not many people saw, except the closest ones to me - and got up every single day and trained my ass off. Just wanted to stay ready."

Krieger always has been a popular player with her teammates. In 2012, when Krieger might have been at the peak of her performance, she tore an ACL in advance of the Olympic Games and was unable to participate. The national team played Colombia in its second group match in Scotland on what happened to be Krieger's birthday.

According to Caitlin Murray's book, "The National Team," winger Megan Rapinoe celebrated a goal by pulling a banner from her sock that said, "Happy B-Day Kreigy." Earlier, during the Olympic qualifying tournament, the entire team had stenciled "Liebe" - the German word for love - on the inside of their forearms, identical to a tattoo Krieger has.

"Players were constantly texting me, even if I wasn't in camp," Krieger said. "I would be wishing them luck, and they're always checking in on me, which meant the world. I try not to get emotional, because it was a really tough two years. I'm not going to lie. But without their support, I wouldn't be standing here."

Krieger may not have an enormous role for this team. Honestly, most everyone probably would prefer she isn't needed. Kelley O'Hara is the starter at right back, four years younger and closer to her peak as a player. O'Hara is also coming off a nagging ankle injury that vexed her for too long. She was sharp in the New Zealand game, though, playing 60 minutes before giving way to Krieger for the 100th cap.

"I always think of this quote - that everything will be OK in the end; if it's not OK, then it's not the end," Krieger said. "I was able to get to a point where I said, 'Look, if she needs me and the team needs me, I will be there, and I'll show up because I love my country and I love this team and the coaching staff and I'll do anything in my power to help this team win.'

"But if not, I will be front row and center cheering them on, either in France having a croissant and some wine, or being on the field or on the bench cheering the loudest that I can cheer."

The United States has one more game before departing for France, Sunday against Mexico at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. The team will open the World Cup against Thailand in Reims on June 11. Whether or not she plays, Krieger will remain an inspiration for her teammates.

"It was extremely hard for her, but her professionalism and just staying ready was keeping her in a position to get back to making the World Cup team," Rapinoe told reporters after the New Zealand game. "The league is growing, but to go from the national team to only playing in the league, it's very difficult to keep that same drive and passion and level of fitness. To keep her game where it is, is extremely difficult.

"I don't know how she did it."

[sonita0526]

दशक के ग्रेडियन प्लेयर्स के टॉप -10 कोट्स, योगेश्वर ने कहा था- हमें डर के बिना बुरा नहीं बन सकता

दशक के ग्रेडियन प्लेयर्स के टॉप -10 कोट्स, योगेश्वर ने कहा था- हमें डर के बिना बुरा नहीं बन सकता

खेल डेस्क।इस दशक में भारत ने क्रिकेट के अलावा कई खेलों में उपलब्धियां हासिल कीं। 2012 लंदन ओलिंपिक में एक तरफ)मैरीकॉम कांस्यदल जीतीं, तो वहीं 2019 में पीवी सिंधु बैडमिंटन में पहली बार वर्ल्ड चैंपियंस बनीं। रानी रामपाल के नेतृत्व में भारतीय महिला हॉकी टीम टोक्यो ओलिंपिक के लिए क्वालिफाई करने में सफल रही। वहीं, दुती चंद पिछले साल एशियाई खेलों में दो रजत पदक (100 मीटर और 200 मीटर) जीती थे। हम…

[kvjff-blog]

Joshua Ojonuba

Professor Robert Lunday

ENGL 1301

10 October 2019

The Beautiful Game

Two sprained wrists, at least four ankle sprains, couple of cuts and at least a dozen splinters: those are just some of my injuries over the last six or so years of playing competitive soccer. My injuries are on the minor side as many others suffer worse injuries that often require surgeries and months of physical therapy. Professional soccer is played by approximately two hundred and fifty million players in over two hundred countries and dependencies all around the world, making it the world's most popular sport. This does not include the millions more who play for fun, in semi pro clubs, and in amateur leagues all across the world. It would be almost impossible to imagine the amount of injuries they sustain as well as the extent of them. Seeing as the consequences and pain are so substantial, the question as to why so many people like myself play and get influenced by this sport on such a grand scale. The answer is: I don’t know, I don’t think anyone know to be fair. We all just play no matter the cost; the game is all. I remember reading an article about Ada Hegerberg, who is regarded as one of if not the best women’s soccer players alive. In the article she was asked why she even played since she had opted to sit out the women’s world cup for her country. She responded, "Playing football can be damn harsh, but every day is a fight.” reading this the first time I thought to myself, if it is as harsh as you say why not just quit playing? As I look back now I am able reflect on her statement, and I realize that we are similar. Never once while I played did I think about quitting, through the many injuries, through the long draining practices, through the failures and let downs, I fought through. Like Ada and many others I kept on going necessarily because I wanted to but more so because I had to; quitting never seemed like an option as least not one that crossed my mind.

Soccer has been a major factor in my life probably ever since I was a little baby especially after experiencing the major soccer atmosphere in Lagos, Nigeria, where I was born and raised. In fact my earliest memory of the sport was maybe in 2006 during the world cup. It was the qualification stages against Angola, and Nigeria desperately needed a win to qualify for the most famous and prestigious tournament in all of sporting history. When I was a kid in Nigeria, power outages were extremely common as Nigeria was and still is going through a power supply crisis. So it came as no surprise when suddenly in the middle of the game there was a power outage. Because this was an everyday occurrence we had a phase for it - “down nepa”, and when the lights would come back up we would yell “up nepa”. I had never witnessed a sense of community like I saw that day. As soon as the power went out, we immediately rushed out to the industrial generator out back like we always do. After about five minutes of tussling with the generator, struggling, trying to get it started, there was finally a spark visible through the window of the back room. By this time there had been a crowd formed behind us, seemingly the entire neighborhood was behind us cheering at the sight of light. Apparently we were the only household with enough gasoline to power their generator. “Ta lo fe wo ball”, my aunt said in her native Yoruba; she was asking who was ready to watch some ball or football. Which brings me to the question of why it’s called soccer in the U.S.A instead of football like it is everywhere else in the world, it’s like Americans always have to one up everyone else; anyway, I digress. Seeing as we were the only household with power and our TV was definitely not big enough for the magnitude of people that had now gathered expecting a game of soccer. Luckily one of the families in the neighborhood had a flat screen which in retrospect could not have been very big but it was definitely bigger than anything we or anyone within maybe the next three miles did. With our always reliable generator and the newly found TV, we were all ready to witness Nigeria do us proud and make it to the world cup for another year in a row. Even though the rest of the game was boring and disappointing with Nigeria losing one to zero to an admittedly much stronger and experienced squad in Angola, the moment of community and coming together is what makes it a memorable. Year after year, game after game, support poured in from all over the neighborhood. Nigeria vs. Ghana, Nigeria vs. Argentina, Nigeria vs. Brazil, Nigeria vs. Mexico, every lost seemly just as enjoyable as a win. These are the memories that I’ll keep forever, the memories of love, joy, peace and innocence during a time that would otherwise be considered bad or at the very least not ideal.

There is a famous quote that I along with numerous other soccer fans have heard that goes “you play soccer anywhere, you play soccer everywhere” the phase actually says “football” but for the purposes of this we’ll say soccer. The game is simple, right? Score and do not get scored on. The Truth is: yes, it is simple; but the difficult part is what’s left unsaid, the little things that make the game just so beautiful. The buildup, the passionate moments, the joy, the rivalries; these are all things that every fan and player all across the world can relate to. They have been numerous stories of soccer saving communities and bringing people together because as they say no matter how you’re raised or what culture you subscribe to, just like people are people soccer is soccer always. I remember reading a story about one of my favorite soccer players ever, Didier Drogba; unfortunately people from Africa are used to hearing stories of and even experiencing war or civil unrest. Even with him being from the Ivory Coast, where they had gone through extreme civil unrest, he was always representing his home country. "Come to Abidjan, Alex. You will not be disappointed.” he was quoted as saying to a reporter asking about his native country.   Civil war had been happening for five years in the ivory coast when, right after leading his nation to the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany back in October 2005, he picked up a microphone given to him by a reporter in the dressing room and, surrounded by his team-mates, he fell to his knees live on national television. He begged both fighting sides to lay down their guns and, within a week, his wish had been granted. "It was just something I did instinctively," he said. "All the players hated what was happening to our country and reaching the World Cup was the perfect emotional wave on which to ride." Didier Drogba proved exactly what I have been saying about the power and passion soccer brings into the lives of its fans. In front of everyone in the world and his native people, he got on his knees and pleaded for peace. I can’t think of any other sports that could possibly do that, five years of deadly civil war, ended just like that. As a fellow African watching this unfold on TV, this further inspired me as well as other young African kids to play.

In 2011, when I moved to Houston, I went from merely watching soccer being played to actually playing it. Besides the occasional after school sessions of just the kicking of a peeled over leathery ball, I was never able to fully experience the true essence of the sport. Because not only was it hard to find a suitable environment to play but finding a ball was also almost always impossible as well. Going into middle school I knew that although we did not have a proper team I wanted to be a soccer player, if not professional (I knew at this point I surely could not be a professional player) then at least I could be competitive within the local club or school scene. After I somehow survived three long years in middle school without a sport to play it was finally high school and I would get a chance to play. Quotes like Tony Adams’ - “Play for the name on the front of the shirt, and they will remember the name on the back” played back over and over in my head. At the time it almost seemed like making my high school JV b team was at all comparable to the years of years he spent on top of the sport.

Who is Tony Adams, you may ask? Well my dear, dear reader, Tony Adams is without a doubt the best captain arsenal football club has ever seen in all its 133 years of being a top tier team.  He was not only one of the reasons I became an arsenal fan but he influenced almost every part of my soccer career. I found myself studying almost everything he did in his prime, looking to emulate even the slightest bit of success from his greatness. I guess looking back now I think it’s clear to me that I desperately wanted to become someone better than I was. Someone more confident, more secure, maybe even just someone different than I was. I essentially tried copying every aspect of his playing style, even incorporating his celebrations as well. If I’m being honest I still sometimes have that feeling of wanting to be someone else other than myself, although not as much as I used to. Honestly I believe playing competitively really forced me to legitimately discover who I was and be comfortable as myself. That being one of many reasons why I would recommend everyone participating in some kind of sport or physical activity. Not to mention the atmosphere and relationships I created along the way.

I find that there is a certain unique sense of community with soccer that just isn’t present in any other activity on the planet, or at least not one I have participated in. Now I do not claim to be some sort of super athletic multi-sport champion but I have played my share of sports and been in quite a few communities. I have played basketball and football, been involved in concert band, art club and even science club. In my humble opinion, in terms of love and support expressed in each community they all pale in comparison to this beautiful beautiful game. In fact the only good comparison that I’ve found seems to be within the jujutsu and kickboxing community which oddly enough is less violence orientated as you would think by just taking a glance in. predictably I have been enjoying the martial arts mainly for the community to the point where it has begun to be almost a religion like soccer was and still is.

Soccer or football (as it’s more commonly called in other countries) is of course a way of life in almost every country all over the world, but more than that I would say it is a religion of sorts. The U.S. is one of the very few places soccer is not hallowed so it is perfectly understandable that some people do not understand the extent of the love people have for this sport. This is the part where I would try drawing a connection to another sport, American football or baseball maybe? Truth is I would hesitate to compare soccer worldwide to any sport as a matter of fact, not just popular American sports. In my experience American football and baseball defiantly have an extremely loyal fan base, but the fans are naturally fickle at times even sometimes changing and switching over between teams. However soccer fans, real soccer fans at least, are often born into their respective team and stay loyal all the way till death. Just like any other religion switching over to another religion (or club in this case) is highly frowned upon and potentially even dangerous. Like most all religions throughout the history mankind, intense rivalries are an ever present theme usually dependent on proximity to the rival club as well as any minor disagreements that may or may not have occur somewhere buried deep in the history of both clubs. As an arsenal fan, of course I despise our rival club, the Tottenham Hotspur, although I will admitted that there are a couple of Tottenham players I enjoy watching and sometimes even root for. I think the first time I ever thought of soccer as like a religion was when I randomly ran into a you tube video comparing Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, two players widely considered two of the best to ever play. The video creator spends the beginning portion of the video comparing both their stats for the past 12 years as well as their respected following. He then goes on for what seemed like eternity talking about sportsmanship and how well they have both individually represented the sport. Finally, at the end of the video, he comes up with the conclusion that although the two players are absolutely the best to ever lace up their boots and step onto the field, Messi is the greatest. In his words, “Messi in all his glory is the God of football, with Ronaldo sharing his glory as Jesus or Muhammad”. This seems to have stuck in my subconscious, only revealing itself now after a couple of years after going mainly unnoticed by me at the time.

Before I started writing this memoir I would have never thought that I had this much to say about soccer especially since it is not as much a part of my life as it’s been in the past. I guess in a lot of ways I have changed and evolve into what I would consider a better, more self-actualized version of myself. With that being said, I think it makes sense that soccer isn’t as important to me; it has served its purpose in my life and I’m sure it will continue to. I am forever grateful to this beautiful game and all the wonderful memoirs it brought into my life.      

 Afterword.

The honest truth is at the beginning of this memoir I was not really going to try as hard as I maybe could have. I was procrastinating, only waiting till the last minute to finish each installments that was due. I think I was thinking about it just as a class project I just had to get done instead of an interest project. After the turning in the first installment of this memoir and getting back the feedback, I began using my free time to write and combine the texts. It is amazing how much I've retained over my many years of playing and watching soccer. it was really interesting bringing back the memories and ideas I had lodged somewhere in my mind. I think by actually caring about this project and the subject, I was able to not only dive deeper but also articulate better.