#have we EVER won at football/soccer????

[djevelbl]

One of my contacts is posting a lot of venezuelan football/soccer memes on whatsapp

I don't watch sports, did we win??

[inkskinned]

the thing about some men is that they want you to remember, at all times, that you are underneath them. that with one word or look or "joke", you will stay beneath them. that even "exceptions" to the rule are not true exceptions - the commonly cited statistic that one in eight men believe they could win against serena williams.

women's gymnastics is often not seen as real gymnastics. whatever the fuck non-euclidian horrors rhythmic gymnasts are capable of, it's often tamped down as being not a sport. some of the most dominant athletes in the world are women. nobody watches women's soccer. despite years of dancing and being built like a fucking brick, men always assume they're faster and stronger than i am. you wouldn't like what happens when they are incorrect. once while drunk at a guy's house i won a held-plank challenge by a solid minute. the party was over after that - he became exceedingly violent.

what i mean is that you can be perfect, and they still think you're ... lacking, somehow. i hope you understand i'm trying to express a neutral statement when i say: taylor swift was the possibly the most patriarchy-palatable, straight-down-the-line woman we could churn out. she is white, conventionally attractive, usually pretty mild in personality. say what you will about her (and you should, she's a billionaire, she can handle it), but a few things seem to be true about her: 1. she can write a damn catchy song, and 2. the eras tour truly was a massive commercial success and was also genuinely an impressive feat of human athleticism and performance.

i don't know if she deserves the title of "woman of the year," i'm not debating that in this post. what i am saying is that she was named Woman of The Year, and then an untalented man got onstage at the golden globes and made fun of her for attending her boyfriend's football games. what i am saying is that this woman altered local economies - and her dating life is still being made into a "harmless" punchline. the camera panned, greedy, over to her downing a full glass of champagne. congratulations taylor! you are woman of the year! but you are a woman. even her.

fuck, man. write better material.

a guy gets onstage at a college graduation and despite the fact like half the crowd is made up of women, he spends a significant proportion of it warning these people - who spent possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars on their education - that they were lied to. that the "real" meaning of femininity is motherhood. that they shouldn't rest on the laurels of that education-they-paid-for but instead throw it away to kneel at a man's heel. imagine that. sweating in your godawful polyester gown (that you also had to pay for!), fresh out of 4 years of pushing yourself ever-harder: and some guy you've never met - who knows nothing about you - he reminds you this "win" is a pyrrhic one at best. you really shouldn't consider yourself that extraordinary. you're still a woman, even after years of study.

god forbid you are not a pretty woman, but if you are pretty, you must be dumb. god forbid you are not ablebodied or white or cis or straight or good at swallowing. you must be beneath a man, or else they are not a man. the equation for masculinity seems to just be: that which is not a woman or womanly (god forbid). anything "feminine" is thereby anathema. to engage in "feminine" things such as therapy, getting a hug from a friend, or crying - it is giving up ones manhood. therefore women need to be put in their place to ensure that masculinity is protected.

this is something i have struggled to explain to terfs - they are not doing the work of feminism, but rather the patriarchy. by asserting that women and men must be (on some secret level) oppositional and in conflict, they also assume that being a woman is akin to being another species. but bigotry does not stem from observational truths or clarity - that is what makes it bigotry. there was nothing in my childhood that made me fundamentally different from my brother. we are treated differently nonetheless. to assert there is some biological drive that enforces my gender role is to assert that women have a gendered role. men do not see women as equal to them not because of biological reality - but instead because the core tenant of the patriarchy is that women aren't full, realized people.

we are told from a very young age to excuse misbehavior as a single man's choice - not all men. it is not all men, just that one guy. all women are gold-digging bitches who belong in the kitchen - but if a man is mean, bigoted, or violent to you, it's just that particular guy, and that means nothing about men-as-a-whole. it is only one guy who got mad when you gently rejected him. it is only one guy who warns her this trophy is heavy, are you sure you can hold it? it is only one guy who smashes her face into the cake. it is only one guy talking into a mic about hating our bodily autonomy.

i have just found that they often wait until the moment we actually seem to be upstaging them. you sit in a meeting where you're presenting your own findings and he says get me a coffee? or you run to the end of the marathon and are about to finish first and he pushes your kids out in front of you. you win the chess game and they make some comment akin to well, you're ugly away. we can be the billionaire and get the dream life and finally fucking do it and yet! still! they have this strange, visceral urge to say well actually, if you think you're so great -

it's not one just one guy. it's one in eight.

[didalexiabreakupwitholgayet]

I know you don’t really go here but Alex Morgan playing her last ever game tonight is really getting to me. I grew up watching her and while I’m so so happy for her I’m still sad. She’s really done so much for women’s soccer and I’m just having a hard time I guess. Maybe my emotions are futile but wow. This one is hitting hard.

there are only a handful of players that have global icon status in the world of women's football, and alex morgan is certainly one of them! in fact, for a lot of spaniards, she was one of the first female references in women's football 🥹 🫶.

so in honour of her retirement, here's a selection of tweets from futfem journos talking about her impact (and some translations):

"i'm not crying… 🥹 legend. icon. pioneer. i will always feel the thorn of not having seen her play for barça."

"now we are really getting older. i don't know from what (probably from many things), but it is the farewell to something. the first female footballer's jersey i bought. the first player i followed. legend in capital letters."

"😭 visible head of a generation that won everything on and off the field. what this woman has done for women's football, for women's sport, for women is incalculable. what her name and image mean. absolute icon. thanks for EVERYTHING,@alexmorgan13"

"there is something romantic and comforting about the fact that alex morgan and marta vieira are going to retire having - along with many others - put women's football at the top. like a fairy tale with the most beautiful ending in the world."

[alexbkrieger13]

New interview with P I think 🤔

https://x.com/fcmidtjylland/status/1827964562643022255

Pernille Harder: FC Midtjylland Women's football is important, and that makes me happy

Pernille Harder, who plays for FC Bayern München on a daily basis, is from Tulstrup near Ikast, and she previously trained at FC Midtjylland. Now the world star talks about his career.

The article you can read here was part of Saturday's match program at the MCH Arena. In the second magazine of the season, we zoomed in on FC Midtjylland Women's Football on the occasion of the team playing its first ever home match at the weekend.

Pernille Harder has tried almost everything worth trying in women's football. She has won championships, cup titles, participated in Champions League finals, an EC final as captain for Denmark, and in addition she has won an award for best female soccer player in the world.

She is among the greatest in women's football, and she was born in Tulstrup by Ikast. She therefore also has a local connection to the region. For those reasons, she also sees it as an important step that FC Midtjylland has now established a women's team.

- I think it is important. In general, I think it is important that the biggest clubs in Denmark also have a women's team, and FCM is one of them. I also have an attachment to Central Jutland, and therefore it makes me happy that it has finally arrived. I may have missed a bit of involvement in women's football in the region, which is why it makes me so happy, as it gives the young girls in the region some good opportunities, believes the star player.

She says that the establishment of FC Midtjylland Women's Football can pave the way for the great talents in the region, and she sees this positively, as it was not as easy for her as a youngster.

- It was a challenge for me. It was not a given where I would play, and there was generally not much focus on it. I traveled to Aarhus every day to train, but it was not an optimal professional setup. I had to take a lot of responsibility myself, and I had to find out myself how I could get better and find the people who could make me better, remembers Pernille Harder.

However, it was not only in Aarhus that Pernille Harder trained in her young years. She was also part of FC Midtjylland.

- I had to fight to be allowed to train with the boys in the club as the only girl, and that gave me a lot, so I trained next to the setup in Aarhus, says the national team captain.

Despite the less than professional conditions, it was never an option for Pernille Harder to give up.

- I had a dream, and that's why I didn't give up. While I was in high school, it was just about developing as best as possible, and then my thought was that I just had to go to another country and play as soon as possible, so that I could get the right training and development, explains Bayern Munich - the player who moved to Sweden at a young age.

Equal opportunities are important

The undertakings in Pernille Harder's career did not come about by themselves, and she explains that the biggest challenges she had in breaking through was to develop well enough on her own, as she herself had to take matters into her own hands, contrary to the situation today, where there are far more well-equipped setups – also in women's football.

Therefore, her advice to today's female talents is also clear.

- I would advise the young girls to be curious about how to improve. Both in relation to football matters, but also in relation to creating a good environment around you, where you can make use of the people around you, states Pernille Harder.

The narrow eye of the needle that Pernille Harder broke through has meant that it now has a special meaning for her to stand up for women's football.

- For me, it is important that everyone has the same opportunities to be successful in what they do. Women's football, perhaps especially in Denmark, has not always had the prerequisites where everyone had equal opportunities to realize their potential, so it is definitely something I am passionate about. That is why it is also great to see the development that is happening now, points out the world star.

Pernille Harder today turns out for Germany's Bayern Munich, to whom she switched in the summer of 2023. The article continues below the picture.

The new development means a lot to Pernille Harder, and she believes that it will mean a lot to Danish women's football.

- I think that these initiatives within women's football, where the biggest clubs on the men's side get a women's team, can help make the Danish female footballers even better, and in this way we can perhaps get an even better national team that can perform for Denmark in the big tournaments, says the offensive player.

- My hope is that you go all-in. That you invest in it and that you go into it to develop Danish women's football. In this way, you get the best conditions for the girls.

- When I played at Chelsea, I noticed that they put a lot of effort into equalizing the teams, and they invested an incredible amount in the women's team. We felt that we were treated with great respect. I think it's a really good way to do it, to treat the two teams equally on several points, states Pernille Harder.

A full trophy cabinet and individual prizes

Pernille Harder has not only experienced adversity in her career, which has resulted in 18 trophies in addition to many individual awards, including twice as Europe's best female soccer player and seven times as Denmark's best female soccer player.

- It is clearly the titles that have given rise to the greatest experiences in my career. In addition, the final rounds with the national team have been something very special - especially in 2017, when we were in the EC final. That feeling when hard work throughout an entire season results in a gold medal is the coolest feeling, says Pernille Harder.

In 2016, as a mere 23-year-old, Pernille Harder was awarded the captaincy of the Danish national team, and this position in particular is something quite special for her.

- I think I got it then because I was a bit the star of the team, and the coach probably saw leadership potential in me. As I have grown older and gained more experience, however, I have developed a lot in relation to being a good leader. Today it is probably due to both, as I have acquired some good leadership skills.

Despite the fact that 31-year-old Pernille Harder has achieved almost everything, she continues to enjoy living from what she loves.

- I guess the only title I'm missing is the Champions League, and that would be great, but it's not like the career stands and falls with it. Now I just enjoy playing a lot of football, that I have a few years left and that I have achieved so much. However, this does not mean that I have finished striving for success, as it is still what drives me, concludes Pernille Harder, who has played over 150 international matches.

[permanentswaps]

Golden Boy

Luca’s Perspective:

Stood outside the stadium in the blazing Marseille sun, Luca Rossi mindlessly scrolled through his phone. At 23, the Italian footballer was the golden boy of l’OM. He had worked since he was a little kid to get to where he was today. Constant practices, weightlifting sessions, and specialty diets, all designed to keep him in peak athletic shape.

All that work finally paid off four years ago when he got his lucky break at OM. Since then, he rose quickly to stardom and became a household name across all of Europe.

Although the stardom was great, it came a few obligations that Luca wasn't particularly fond of. Recently, an auction offering a fan the chance to spend an afternoon with him had successfully raised 5 million euros for charity. While he wasn't sure about the idea of spending an entire day with a fan, Luca at least appreciated the fact that the proceeds were going to a meaningful cause.

“Salut Luca!” Marc's enthusiastic voice called, prompting Luca to look up.

“Hey … Marc is it? How are you?” Luca replied, still not fluent in French.

“Yup! So cool to meet you Luca, I can't believe I won,” Marc beamed.

Luca smiled back, “The pleasure's all mine. Ready for a tour of the stadium?"

The two strolled inside where Luca showed Marc the warm up facilities and the locker rooms. Marc, in awe, said, "Woauh, its so cool to see all this. I've been following l'OM since I was a little kid, but I've never actually gotten a chance to be back here before."

Exiting the locker rooms, they stepped onto the pitch. A cluster of soccer balls stood in a neat cluster. Marc walked over and tapped a ball with the outside of his foot into the middle of the pitch. Without missing a beat, he swiftly stepped to the ball and smashed it into the back of the net, much to Luca's surprise.

Marc turned back to Luca, "Oh yeah, I play with my mates for fun all the time," he said. "We're definitely not as good as you though, haha."

Eventually, Marc and Luca finished their tour of stadium and then ventured out into the city for the rest of the afternoon. Luca, ever cautious about his celebrity status, threw on sunglasses and a cap to make sure he went unnoticed. Before long, the pair found themselves at a charming little café tucked away from the bustling streets of Marseille.  

At the counter, Marc ordered a pastry and a latte before turning to Luca, "What about you, Luca? What are you in the mood for?" Luca lingered over the delectable pastries behind the glass case. "Anything catching your eye?" Marc prodded gently.

Luca shook his head with a faint smile, "No, I have a strict diet for most of the season," he said. "And even in the off-season, I don't really get to eat like that. I’ll just take an espresso."

Marc, sat down, sipping his latte. "There must be some perks to that, though. I mean, you're in great shape," he said, gesturing towards Luca.

Luca chuckled, "Oh, for sure. It's just that sometimes I wonder what it would be like to not have to worry about training, eat what I want, just hang out with friends."

"Oh, well, surely you get to hang out with friends, right?" March chirped

Luca's gaze shifted, "Well, yeah, but most of my friends are on the team. We never really get all that crazy, and we're always on the road. I feel like I've missed out on the normal experiences for guys our age."

A brief pause hung in the air before Marc, with a hint of hesitation, said, "Well, maybe I have a solution for you. Just promise not to laugh.”

Luca looked at him confused. “What if I told you we could swap lives for a bit?" Marc said.

Luca, eyebrows raised, chuckled incredulously, "Well I'd say you're crazy, Marc."

"Actually, I have a family recipe that we've passed down.” Marc explained “It lets people swap lives for a few months. I'd be happy to swap with you, Luca. It could be cool to play in the big leagues for a bit."

Luca, still skeptical, arched an eyebrow. "Swap lives? Come on, Marc, this isn't some movie plot."

But Marc persisted, and as they left the café and continued their stroll through the winding streets, Marc explained that his family had used the ritual for generations. Apparently it was meant to help the men is his family get to understand one another a bit better.

As the day unfolded, Luca found himself warming up to the crazy idea. Eventually, as the sun dipped below the horizon, Luca and Marc ambled back to Marc's apartment.

"Okay, Luca, the offer still stands." Marc said as he stood by the doorframe. "Its up to you if you want to swap."

Luca, yearning for a taste of ordinary life, agreed with a hesitant nod. The two made their way upstairs to Marc's studio apartment. It wasn't anything fancy, but he had a spectacular view right out onto the marina.

As Luca looked out the window, Marc stirred some herbs into a small glass of tonic. Handing the glass to Luca he explained, "This concoction has the right combination of herbs to facilitate the swap."

"The swap is temporary. You'll automatically switch back in two months …  unless we break the conditions of the ritual," he said.

“And how would we do that” Luca said, looking at him inquisitively.

Marc replied, “Not a chance that this will happen, but if either of us orgasms while having sex with the other one, the ritual will seal us in our new bodies forever.”

Luca hesitated for a moment before looking back at Marc and downing the tonic. Marc explained to him it would take overnight to go into effect. The two eventually bid each other goodnight as Luca ventured back to his apartment.

---

The next morning, Luca woke up to find a strand of dark hair in his eyes. "That's weird," he thought, "my hair isn't long enough for that."

As he stood up and surveyed his surroundings, the familiar setting of Marc's apartment dawned on him.Glancing at the mirror, he raised a hand to his cheek and muttered in a low voice, "Oh putain, c’est fou." The swap must have left Marc's language skills behind, he thought.

Luca hastily threw on some clothes and rushed downstairs to the neighborhood bakery. "Un pain au chocolat, s’il vous plait," he said to the woman behind the counter. He quickly took the pastry from the woman's hand. Biting into it, he savored the sweet taste of chocolate on his new tongue.

Suddenly, a series of messages from his mates interrupted Luca's chewing. "18h30?" the message read. They were inviting him to join a pick-up football match. Without hesitation, Luca messaged back, "Ça va pour moi." This could be fun, he mused. Just because he was taking a break from training in Marc's body didn't mean he didn't still want to play some football.

Later, on the pitch, Luca found himself amidst a flurry of activity as his mates showcased remarkable skills, racing around and executing swift passes. "Damn, these guys are fantastic," he thought. Marc definitely undersold them.

After the match, the group decided to continue the fun by heading to a local pub for a pint. Luca, still adjusting to Marc's friends, found himself immersed in lively banter and laughter. As the night dragged on, the pub scene transitioned into a bar crawl, with the group exploring different spots around town.

As the clock struck 3 am, the group's collective decision was unanimous – it was time for a late-night kebab. Standing on the street corner, munching on his greasy street food, Luca couldn't help but feel a sense of belonging with these newfound friends. He relished the ordinary yet extraordinary experiences that came with living in Marc's shoes.

---

As the weeks unfolded, Luca seamlessly embraced the rhythm of Marc's life. The initial hesitation and skepticism melted away, replaced by a genuine appreciation for the ordinary moments he had missed as a football star. Marc's friends, once strangers, evolved into his own circle, and the camaraderie deepened with each passing day.

During a spontaneous guys' trip to Amsterdam for the weekend, Luca found himself immersed in the city's eclectic atmosphere. The winding canals, vibrant street art, and charming cafes provided a stark contrast to the football stadiums and intense training sessions Luca was accustomed to. Encouraged by Marc's friends, he even tried his hand at flirting with some locals they met at a quaint café. The subsequent rejection, initially surprising, became a novel experience for Luca. He chuckled along with the group, realizing that charm didn't work the same way in his new body.

One night, a little over halfway through the swap, Luca found himself in a bustling bar with newfound friends. The ambiance was electric, with enthusiastic cheers and spirited discussions filling the air.

They gathered around a large screen to watch the OM match. Luca, fully integrated into Marc's life, felt a surge of excitement. The pulsating energy of the crowd in the bar mirrored the adrenaline rush he was accustomed to on the pitch.

As he watched, Luca's eyes were fixated on the familiar jersey he once wore. Marc, in Luca's body, showcased skillful dribbling down the pitch, culminating in a spectacular goal. The bar erupted into cheers, the fervor of the fans reverberating through the air.

In that moment, a subtle pang of regret tugged at Luca's heart. Witnessing his own body, now controlled by Marc, achieving such a feat stirred a complex blend of emotions. However, he swiftly shook off the fleeting sense of longing, choosing to immerse himself in the camaraderie of the cheering crowd. "Allez Luca!!!" he shouted with genuine enthusiasm, seamlessly blending into the chorus of supporters.

----

Marc’s perspective:

In the weeks following the swap, Marc embraced the rigorous training regimen that kept Luca as OM’s golden boy. The daily workouts, intense training sessions, and carefully curated diet plan became not just a routine but a source of immense satisfaction for him. Each drop of sweat, each ache in his muscles felt like a tangible achievement.

There were moments, after grueling training sessions, when Marc would find himself in front of the mirror, flexing his muscles with pride. The sculpted physique, a testament to his hard work, brought him a unique sense of fulfillment. Unlike his usual routine, Marc relished the physicality of Luca's training, finding joy in the tangible results reflected in the mirror.

The attention that came with Luca's stardom was an entirely different experience for Marc. Autograph signings, fan interactions, and photo requests became a daily occurrence. Marc found a thrill in connecting with fans and relished the adoration he received. Unlike the real Luca, who sometimes felt burdened by the spotlight, Marc reveled in the attention and recognition that came with being a football sensation.

---

As Luca lingered around the bar in Marseille watching the post-match recaps, Marc was striding off the pitch in Paris. Having secured the decisive goal, Marc found himself engulfed by the jubilation of teammates in the locker room. The atmosphere crackled with elation and camaraderie. Within the joyous celebration, Marc’s eyes locked onto his those of his teammate Andrei'.

"That goal was a game-changer, my friend," Andrei said walking up to him.

Sly eye contact evolved into a silent understanding. Marc said leaning in, “Well you know, sometimes, the best moves happen off the pitch."

As the chaos continued around them, Marc and Andrei discreetly lingered, finding themselves drawn toward the privacy of the showers. Andrei, in a low voice said, "Ready for a different kind of victory celebration?"

The two men stood face to face, before quickly embracing into a deep and passionate, kiss. They hastily peeled off one another’s kits, before turning on the showers and tracing their hands across each other’s sweaty muscles.

Andrei slowly moved behind Marc, wrapping his hands around his waist and gently kissing his shoulder. Marc, lost in the euphoria of Andrei’s touch felt himself start to get hard. Andrei smirked, slowly getting onto his knees and taking Marc’s entire 14 cm member into his mouth without breaking his gaze. It wasn’t long before Marc shot his massive load, with Andrei greedily sipping every last drop.

“Keep playing like you played tonight,” he joked “and there’s more where that came from.”

---

Seven weeks had passed by since the swap, and the novelty of living each other's lives had settled into a comfortable routine for both Luca and Marc. One evening, amidst the bustling city of Marseille, Marc's suggestion popped up on Luca's phone screen.

"How about drinks this week before we swap back?" Marc's text read.

Luca, excited to see his former self, confrimed. They settled on a cozy bar nestled in the heart of Marseille—a dimly lit haven where the hum of conversation blended with the clinking of glasses.

As they sat across from each other, a subtle tension lingered in the air, a mix of familiarity and the impending return to their respective lives. Marc, sipping on his drink, couldn't help but express his excitement, "You know, Luca, playing in the big leagues—it's something else. The energy, the crowds—it's like living a dream every time you step onto that pitch."

Leaning back, Luca smiled, "It sure is. But I think that playing with your mates might be just as intense. I’m not kidding when I say some of them probably could have gone on to the pros too.” He continued, “But I have to admit, while I like playing with your friends, I actually miss the intensity of the training and the team.”

As the night progressed, Marc, effortlessly charming, steered the conversation away from football. In a subtle shift of energy, Marc's tone became more suggestive, his eyes locking onto Luca's.

"There's something I want to explore before we switch back,” he said, biting his lip as he looked his old body up and down.

Luca knew exactly what Marc wanted. And with Marc’s newfound charismatic finesse, Luca could not resist. Eventually, the night led them back to Marc's apartment, where the air was charged with a palpable tension.

Amidst the intimate setting, Marc whispered, "I still want to swap back, but I need to know what it's like to have sex with my body."

As Marc's old body gently pressed him onto the familiar bedframe. A series of kisses followed, creating a warm sensation throughout his borrowed skin.

Meanwhile, Marc looked down at his old body with a grin. He spit into his hand before slowly sticking his finger into his old hole. Once Luca was relaxed, Marc ever so gently lined himself up and began thrusting. The strokes started out long and gentle, his strong hand firmly massaging Luca’s torso.

Marc grunts softly, “Oh yeah, how does that feel baby.”

Luca looks back up at him, helpless. “Ohhh it feels good,” he grimaces. “Just be careful, let me know when you’re getting close.”

Marc flips Luca over, positioning himself underneath his former body. Luca, now riding on top, makes eye contact with Marc, who moves to slowly tease and stroke his cock. Luca then leans down to kiss his former body.

As they embrace, Marc feels a familiar pressure build in his groin. In a split second, he thinks back over the past few weeks, the training, the fame, … the night with Andrei in Paris. As he snaps back to reality and looks back down at his muscular body, he knows his decision is made. Marc moves his hand up from Luca’s cock and slowly wraps his arms around Luca’s back. He quickly picks up the pace and holds his body down lightly as he shoots loads of cum deep into his former hole. The sensation is too much for Luca, who quickly, cums all over his former chest.

As the two come down from the glow of their orgasm, Marc smirks and says to a stunned and sad Luca, “guess I’m the golden boy now.”

[driverlando]

First of all… HAPPY 2K!! 🥹🩷 SENDING SO SO SO MUCH LOVE 🫶

I’d love to get a 💍 if I can! 😋

I think describing myself would be the hardest part… but here we go! I love listening to music, my playlists usually consist of Lana Del Rey, ABBA, along with some other mixes of artists as long as I like the song.

I’m very expressive, passionate about my interests, and sometimes a bit of a perfectionist. My friends say I’m smart (I don’t believe it lol), caring, but a bit unhinged at times. Flaws of me, I’d say that I get really petty sometimes and sassy. Also a embarrassingly big gossip lover…

I LOVE HISTORY 🗣️ !! (IT’S OVER-HATED 😔😔) If you were to ask me anything about the World Wars, Cold War, Revolutionary, French, Royal Families, etc, etc, I might be able to answer no problem. I love creative writing, classic literature, anything with meaning behind it! Even won a award and got put in a writing contest and it got put into a book for Best Young Writers (one of my proudest moments 💪 )

I love sports and grew up with football/soccer! As for getting into F1… I ordered a turtleneck and accidently got sent a McLaren shirt and became a fan ever since 😭

Not the best with this stuff… but i hope you get the gist of it! AGAIN, CONGRATS FOR THE 2K LOVE YOU SO MUCH!! 🩷🩷

THANK YOU BBY, LOVE YOUUU 🥹💘💘

I’d say lando 100% you two just FIT!! I feel like his vibrant personality would match yours (he’d basically match your freak is what I’m trying to say) he’d be the type to always compliment you and remind you that you are SO clever. you could both be that unhinged happy couple that stay together forever because your vibes are so similar that you click. he’d ask you questions related to history and you’d explain it all to him and then he’d ask some more because he can’t get enough of your voice and loves listening to you talk about something you’re SO passionate about. you could both go to football games together and have a blast too, ah it’s just perfect 💘💘

ALSO THATS SO CUTE LMAO. you were blessed with McLaren merch basically 😂

[blingblong55]

Cinnamon Girl- cpt. Price

I love making myself cry...so I figured if I have to cry..you do too <3

F!reader, but you can always ignore that. :)

This is how i think Price would react if they saw their first love again in years.

Backstory while on a small break he sees his first love, she looked as beautiful as the day they had left. There she was, picking flowers from a shop. The shop you two once went to, when you were young and in love. In your arms, the purse you had dedicated to loving. He remembered how drunk he’d get and how he would always pull you out to dance. In your beige dress and black combat boots, the ones he gave you after you had shown interest in them. He noticed how you had let your hair grow.

He definitely thought of the first kiss and how excited he felt. He was so nervous because you were the first girl to ever show interest in him. So kind and witty, he thought. That night when out and about with his team he saw you once more, in the same ol’pub you two had kissed when his favorite football team won (soccer for my American readers). Your hair was down, and you wore the same jumper he gave you. But this time you weren’t alone, a tall tan man walked hand in hand with you.

----

It was no secret this man was in love with you, but after his job had become more dangerous, he eventually let you go.

You were devasted, thinking you had done something wrong you tried to fix every aspect of yours.

At first he met other women, he thought of you. Slowly you left is mind.

But after he saw you at that shop, all those memories came back.

How every time you'd get sick, he would have to find new ways of giving you your medicine.

"Stubborn little thing aren't ya" his voice low, hinting at a chuckle

One time when he arrived at your place, he saw that you had adopted 1 new cat and 2 puppies, your argument was: "think about the ones we can't help and the ones we can..I don't want them to think I'm not nice..you never know if they spread the word to others."

He hanged from your lips like the gardens of Babylon. (ifykyk)

He couldn't be mad at you, you could break his heart a million times and a million times he would come back with every piece.

3 years after your split, you had met Reid, he was a professor at a pristine university here in London.

He taught you how to trust again, he would always find an excuse to go back to your place during work.

For Christmas he spent it with you, baking some biscuits (cookies) and some chicken.

He gave flower shopping a new meaning.

But he never came close to John Price.

While Reid was a honest man, he never came close to the love, memories and overall life you once had.

2 years into your newly single life, you stopped looking for him, never looked back once.

That was until tonight.

You were at The Holy Tavern, a pub that once held you and your pass lover.

2 year anniversary, 2 whole years of being in love. Almost 2 years.

Price spotted you as you made your way in. How your smile wouldn't leave your lips. That's when he spotted a man, taller than you and dressed for the occasion. He was about to walk away from this building, but he stopped himself. what if by some chance your eyes met and maybe by luck you'd leave with him. "Price, y'alright?" Spoke his Scott friend, he only nodded. He never let you out of his sight.

You held that mans hand, and he could only watch as that stranger kissed you and hugged you. But when he left, it was just you. So he built up his courage and made his way to you.

"one whiskey please" he ordered, that's when you met his eyes, who were already looking for yours. "John?" you softly spoke. "Hello love" "y-you're alive?" you smiled and hugged him. You apologized for hugging him and broke the contact. Leaving a respectful gap between you two.

Every year after the break up, you really did look for him. In every corner of every street. If you ever left the country, you had hopes of bumping into him. But after 2 years, you gave up. Because you knew he'd leave a clue for you.

"I sure am"

"I waited John, I really did, but I never found any clue." you felt so stupid. You have a partner now, how could you just discard him for a man who left years ago.

"I was always around, you know. When you left for Vienna, I was there. When you visited Monte Carlo I watched as you gushed with excitement at the gran prix, how you wore your favorite dress for it too."

"I'm with someone now" you tried to contain the tears.

If he was truly around, then why didn't visit? why didn't he stop you from crying at that beach? If he was there at Monte Carlo, why didn't he hug you once you broke down in tears at the pier?

"I'm aware, I'm happy for you r/n"

Lies

"I'm happy for you too John."

I'm jealous im not him

I miss us John

"Darlin'" your partner spoke up, breaking the comfortable silence between you two.

"lets get goin' my mum is ready with dinner for us."

You nodded, "I'll meet you In the car," "nonsense...I'll wait for you by the door."

He left, never acknowledging John. "He is a nice lad" prick

"He is, I better get goin' don't want to miss dinner."

"yes of course."

You two hugged, and you swore your heart ached. His cigar and cologne mixed well. His heart ached too, your arms around him, just like every summer day.

The only woman who treated him like a lover and not an affair.

The only man who treated her like his lover and not a trophy.

"I'll always watch after you love...no matter what." he whispered and let you go. For good or worse, you weren't his, but he was all yours.

There's things I wanna say to you, but I'll just let you leave Like if you hold me without hurting me You'll be the first who ever did There's things I wanna talk about, but better not to keep Like if you hold me without hurting me You'll be the first who ever did

A/N: I wanted to create a part 2 but I figured it's best to leave things between them two unsaid...yk? anyways byeee

[ramennoodlezzzao3]

Alternate reason as to why Ponyboy joined the party! If you guys want me to make this canon in my fic, it’s not entirely too late, I could add it into a different chapter if you want

My whole life I’ve been devalued, and I was fully aware of that.

Now, of course, nobody downright told me, nobody says that to a twelve year old, but I could tell it was true.

Mom was always too busy keeping Dally out of jail. She always criticized me, comparing me to my brothers if I did anything wrong. When I skipped a grade she barely said anything, she was tryin to figure out what to make for dinner because they had so many. 

They had three, two now considering the fact I wasn’t even a Curtis at this point. 

If the gang went somewhere without inviting me, and I asked about it, she would always go on a tangent along the lines of:

“Oh come on, Ponyboy! You arn’t apart of the gang, your brothers just let you hang around because it would rude not to invite you. Let them spend time with their friends without their little brother nagging them.”

I was ten when she first told me that. That’s when the insecurity started. 

One time, she was trying to bail him out of jail. I hadn’t known he was even jail at the time so I had asked her to come to my track meet. She had never yelled at me so loud and so angrily before.

I never asked her, or anyone for that matter, to go to a track meet again. I just dealt with the fact that I never had a family in the stands and when I won I wouldn’t have a family to celebrate with. I’d be the kid who won but was alone afterwards.

Dad was loved talking to Sodapop about cars and went to every single one of Darry’s football games. Dad was the one that taught Sodapop to fix cars. He was so happy to teach him but when I asked, he was always too busy.

He was always there when Two had a hangover, when Dal needed out of jail, when Johnny was beat up by his dad, when Steve was kicked out by his, when Darry got into a fight or Sodapop had a bad breakup.

But he couldn’t spare five minutes to talk to his youngest son. 

I guess that’s probably my fault. Who would want to talk to me anyways?

Darry never had time, similar to dad. He always had football practice he was hanging with friends. If I needed help on homework, I could always “Do it myself” since I had skipped a grade. If I was ever crying, I was a crybaby.

If Johnny was down, he’d take him to play football or get ice cream. He replaced one little brother for the one he actually wanted. That had stung.

A lot.

But Johnny didn’t have family, so I never said anything. I convinced myself the reason I never got any attention was because Johnny needed it more. So I let him have it. Even if that meant I lost my brother because of it.

Two-bit was always nice to me. I always thought he was the only one who liked me. But that was quickly thrown out the window when I overheard him complaining to dad about beating a babysitter.

I turned down every offer to go anywhere with him after that. I joined tons of free activities at school to keep myself there so h wouldn’t have to babysit. 

I joined the arts club and got really good at drawing and actually enjoyed it a lot. I joined the book club where we all pick a book and read it. We can talk about it when we join again. I joined the fight team, the basketball team, the soccer team, and I kept doing track.

The teachers praised me on how many clubs and teams I joined and always commented on how my family must be proud…they didn’t even know.

I also joined Drama and got any role I wanted, I just had to ask for it. I got Hamilton I the play “Hamilton” and I got Bert in the Mary Poppins musical. My class,ages insisted it was because I was a “Pretty Boy” but I didn’t believe that.

Which is a perfect segway into the next person; Steve. He’s always made fun of me and always told me I was a tag-a-long. Until my mother confirmed what he was saying, I’d always roll my eyes, now I look down and whisper “I know” only loud enough for me to hear.

He would mercilessly make fun of my height and weight. 

“You’re too fat for how short you are”

 “You eat too much, you’re gonna be all chubby when you grow up!”

And everyone laughs. They don’t even try to stop him. Not Darry, not Sodapop. Soda only tried stopping the rude comments after mom and dad died, and I don’t know why.

Dally is self explanatory. He hates me, similar to Steve, and it’s clear. He hates everyone in the world but the gang and I wasn’t apart of the gang. Johnny was the only one he genuinely loved.

He always looked disappointed when I’d go to the drive-ins with them, so I’d make excuses as to why I couldn’t go after I agreed. He’d have a grin on his face when he’d find out it’d only be him and Johnny, or only him and the gang, or only him and Two-bit.

And Sodapop? Sodapop was nicest to me, even more than Two-Bit. He’d invite me places with him and Steve, he’d drive me places after he had gotten his license, he slept in my bed when I’d gotten nightmares.

All it took was for one singular “Shut up! God, you’re so annoying!” To have my one person, my one wall come tumbling down and left in a pile of ash and bricks.

I should have known he didn’t mean it, I should have known he was just having a bad day. But I was thirteen, and growing up how I did, you never think rationally. I asked to stop sharing a room after that too, and Soda happily agreed.

At least Steve couldn’t bug me about that anymore.

Annoying. Brat. Tag-a-long. Stupid. Loud.

Those words rang in my head all the time and they are what kept me in my room almost everyday.

So, I really have no idea why, but I did something insane. I joined a different group. A different gang. The Party.

Sure, I’ve known everyone in the gang since I was still in diapers, we grew up together, but that’s the problem. I’ve known them my entire life they have only known me for, what? Eight years? Ten years?

Sure, that’s a lot, but when they don’t like you it becomes a lot shorter.

They wouldn’t care if I made my own friends. They wouldn’t care who they were. They wouldn’t care that I took off the dog-tag necklace mom got us all when the gang was complete. They wouldn’t care if I got new brothers and new brother figures. 

They wouldn’t care.

But to my shock, they did.

[umbra-vulpes]

Alegraves’ Daily Life Headcanons Vol.3

*To celebrate our beloved Shadow Company Commander Phillip Graves is back in business, here are some more Alegraves' daily life headcanons, they are all based on my previous headcanons settings, to catch up, click the links below:

If you are all catch-up, let's go!

__________________________________________________________

•Graves have reading glasses, Alejandro finds that it is pretty sexy but still won’t hesitate to laugh at it.

•Graves loves fishing, he uses a lot of fishing terms and slang (like hook, line, and sinker), Rudy is his fishing buddy, while Alejandro tags along sometimes if he feels like it, although Alejandro is a bit short-tempered fishing. Graves also enjoys fishing alone, it clears up his mind.

•Alejandro teaches Graves how to dance in Mexican ways, which Graves finds super sexy, in return Graves teaches him how to dance in southern cowboy style, and Alejandro thinks it’s adorable.

•They have multiple inner jokes that only two of them know what is the meaning behind it. It is usually just some stupid phase or thing that they have seen or done together.

•When Alejandro is rambling in Spanish that Graves can’t follow, Graves will start to use difficult English words to respond back, Alejandro rolls his eyes at Graves every time but will slow down and repeat what he said for Graves.

•Graves knows how to play guitar back when he was 17 or 18 years old. Learned it just because it looks cool, girls like it and fit that American boy style. Can play a few songs or two. And his voice is actually pretty good for singing country songs.

•Both of them love to watch baseball, while Graves also loves to watch American football, and Alejandro loves soccer (that’s the real football! Said Alejandro). They are now crazy fans of it, just casual weekend watching with beer and snacks.

•Both remember each other orders from different restaurants they usually ordered from. They sometimes will bring each other food to the other one's workplace surprisingly.

•Graves is surprisingly good at technology for his age as his company always uses advanced and newest technology but he doesn’t like social media at all. He has a Facebook account but has never ever used it since the early 2010s, which has some old pictures from his marine days.

•They both love cowboy hats and boots, they have serval custom-made cowboy hats and boots at home. Graves even has a custom-made belt that has the Shadow company logo as the belt buckle.

•Both are Rodeo enthusiasts, Going to at least one big Rodeo every year is their tradition, Both have participle in some amateur bull riding competitions and had won some awards.

[hils79]

Hils Watches The King's Avatar - Ep 33

My son won his first one on one game! I am so proud of him!

LOL Baozi's game was over in like 2 minutes. This is all going too well considering Ye Xiu isn't there. I am worried about Tang Rou

This is legit what I'm like during the game segments which is why I always forget to liveblog

I think they need to stop listening to Wei Chen's advice. I am tickled that esports apparently has a yellow card/red card system like football (soccer for the Amercians) does

Okay, this is bullshit. They pulled Ye Xiu right before a game. They know time is critical. But they've just left him waiting in a room. Like if you think his ID is fake you pull him, verify it, and send him back. Surely it doesn't take this long?

Why the fuck have they sent this guy to tell him? He has nothing to do with Ye Xiu or his team.

Oh what the fuck! Right, I'm confused about what caused this. Is it because he was using his brother's ID when he was playing for Excellent Era?

Uh...what relationship? Also I'm pretty sure you're the one who got him banned and I don't see how it gets worse than that

So Ye Xiu is banned and if Tang Rou loses she's going to retire. EVERYTHING IS TERRIBLE

Yep there we go. She lost in the first round. Can't have the only woman on the team being too cocky

Wait, what? Is she even on the team? I don't remember ever seeing her playing or training with them. What is happening?

I was half-hoping she was going to be unexpectedly awesome but nope she got killed immediately. Why DIDN'T they send Wu Chen?

Oh that's right! I forgot Wei Chen thinks Wu Chen betrayed them. That's why he sent Chen Guo as their launcher instead of him. Still bloody stupid though. Even if he lost on purpose he'd have been better than her.

Yes, drinking several days ago was definitely the reason they did so badly and not all the other stuff

God, is he still there?

[altschmerzes]

I do follow hockey, but definitely not enough for this thing with Thierry because all I’m coming up with is Fleury and I don’t think he’s from Montreal and I don’t think he played there either so can you explain? Google informed me that Carey Price exists which like yes thank you google I am aware

LOREAUX. YES. WHEEZE. THANK YOU.

just- okay. bear with me for a moment here where i wax on a bit about the huge potential for A Big Interesting Internal Landscape in thierry zoreaux, a canadian goalie from montréal. (if i get anything wrong in the process forgive me, this is all off the dome based on My Personal Experience And Perspective as a longtime sports fan. also it got.... long lmaooo sorry for that. i simply think goalies are fascinating and thierry specifically has such an interesting context for Being A Goalie. also no season 3 spoilers in here!.)

you're correct that fleury isn't from mtl, no! he's from another city in the province, and he never played for the habs. and you're also right, carey price does exist sldkfjs and he's CONSTANTLY on my mind when i think about thierry and about the role of goalies in sports that have them - whenever there's a team sport that has One person who is uniquely different and has a radically different role (goalie, pitcher) compared to the rest of the team (whose roles are pretty similar even if they're first baseman, outfielder, midfielder, fullback) there's gonna be a Lot going on there. goalies have a reputation for being Really Fucking Weird. like. those guys are Odd and everyone knows it. (pitchers are the same way. known for superstitions, habits, Generally Being An Absolute Oddball.) they have a different kind of attention, a different kind of pressure. at the end of the day it always is going to come down to them on their own, in one way or another. goalie characters in sports fiction obsess me because of all the Baggage and all of the Stuff that goes into Being A Goalie and man. that was enough to make thierry really compelling to me, as the goalie we see the most of. and then specifically being a goalie From Montréal? ohohohohoho.

i watch football/soccer a lot these days and have for a couple years but i've been a hockey fan for much longer and i can't help see things through that pov sometimes, and as soon as they intro'd a character from mtl, my background as a habs fan perked right up. a goalie from mtl. that was the first hockey team i ever followed and boy does it have mountains of history that make it a fascinating team to follow/learn about/think about especially as a narrative background/parallel/foil/whatever.

obviously thierry's a soccer player, he's a soccer goalie, but in the words of someone i spoke to yesterday, "hockey suffocates every other sport in this country." it's always around, always present. your average torontonian can probably name the last year the leafs won the cup even if they hate sports. the canadian viewership numbers during playoffs is nuts. i've seen a few percentages come up - in the 70s-80s. i also have had some fun daydream thoughts about thierry being a multi-sport player growing up. there's a hockey player i can think of who pretty much got all the way to the point of draft eligibility before deciding whether he was gonna play hockey or baseball. that's a headcanon i have about thierry too, that he spent a while playing hockey when he was younger and was pretty damn good at it, probably could've gone pro, but decided to stick with soccer in the long term because he liked it more.

anyways, so. the sport is huge, it's unavoidable, and one of the biggest teams is the canadiens. especially if you live in mtl. it's hard to overstate the extent to which they are an institution, practically a religion. and one of the things that's important to understand about the context of thierry specifically rather than if like- if any other player had grown up in québéc, is that the habs have an...... intense history with goalies. like a VERY specifically intense history with goalies. they've had some of the biggest names in hockey goaltending history in their nets and the combination of the team's history, the goalies who've been there, and the media market of montréal means that being the habs goalie is one of the most heavily scrutinized, highly public roles in the sport.

the whole...... sports fabric of montréal is steeped in goalies. jaques plante, patrick roy, carey price. so many more enormous names, names everyone who's into hockey knows immediately, names that left permanent marks on not only the habs and mtl but on the sport as a whole. every year the league awards the best goalie of the regular season the vezina trophy, named for georges vézina, who played his entire career for the canadiens. (these days, the likes of sam montembeault. québéc born and raised goalie who now plays in the habs organization, heir apparent to carey price's net. monty, with goalie masks depicting jaques plante and the torch that is literally passed every year at the beginning of the habs season at their first home game, that is mentioned in the motto in their dressing room, inside the collars of their jerseys. it's a quote from a poem about the first world war - to you from falling hands we throw the torch be yours to hold it high.)

for thierry this would've been just.... all around him. when i think of him i think of him growing up in a habs watching household, because most families are in one way or another in that region, and having this idea of like. the role of a goalie. the pressure of being a goalie, watching particularly the way that carey price, one of the best goalies who's ever played, was completely wasted by the catastrophic mismanagement of the habs during his prime. i think all the time of this screencap from either the behind the scenes videos the habs produced for PR stuff or some feature on tv or documentary thing, a shot of carey price with his iconic thousand yard stare, the subtitles from the voiceover saying if he could score, he would play alone. i have to think that'd do something to a person, you know. seeing how important the goalie is, how revered and respected they can be, and that it can still not make a difference in the end. not enough of one. there will still be people who hate you because you're not the guy who came before you, because you can't just do it all yourself. and then choosing to be one anyway.

so you know. you're thierry zoreaux. you grow up in montréal. you can't avoid the habs if you tried, it's baked into the city. it's in the air. and you're a goalie. it doesn't matter whether you play hockey or soccer, the role of a goalie is a different thing, a unique experience. you are involved in everything, and you are alone. you are so, so visible, and so, so overlooked. you never appear on the goal sheets, but some media outlet will blame you for every loss. you're a little weird, a little wired. a little in your head, a little in another world. your teammates adore you but everyone knows there's something about you that's different, that sets you apart. every one of them sees it as their job to protect you, but at the end of the day, none of them can help you do what you do.

also, as an aside, i checked his wiki page real quick, and have learned the actor is jewish and sees his character that way too to which i say: ONE OF US. ONE OF US. ONE OF US. also i am about to write fic about this IMMEDIATELY. thierry zoreaux, quebecois goalie and jewish king. i've always been a little extra attached to him - minor character enjoyer that i am and enthralled by the potential in him, and also just finding him. very funny, and his actor a delight in his scenes. i love him and i need to write way more about him Right Now. it just occurred to me earlier, when i made that first post about him, and realized the line i'd jotted down wasn't half as good if you didn't have the story that exists around him in my mind, around his role and his experiences and cultural context about his role. and well! here we are now.

[harrison-abbott]

My uncle John died yesterday. He had a stroke last week and he lost his ability to speak, and he ended up immobile on a bed and he passed away yesterday morning.

I still can’t really believe he’s gone. And that I’ll never speak to him again. I last saw him back in April when he came over for my mother’s birthday. And he was just his usual clever, humorous self. We talked about books. He’s a big reader and we spoke about authors we both liked. And he travelled a lot, also like me, so we went over the countries we’d both been to.

Now, I’ll never be able to speak to him about writers again, or hear his travel stories. And I regret not keeping in touch with him as much as I could have whilst he was still alive.

Because he was a great talker. He had a huge knowledge range, within lots of fields. Music and film, as well as books, theatre, so many things. It was like speaking to an encyclopaedia: he knew that quantity of information.

I can’t say he was an angel all the time. There are many stories of aggression and rudeness, profanity. He could be very unpleasant. And he bullied my mother a lot. But when you think about such things, now that he’d dead, you tend to realise that the good bits with him are more important.

My mother is currently distraught and she hasn’t been able to sleep coherently since the stroke occurred last week. And, no wonder. So, yeah: John did bully her a lot in her life. But there was a dark family history there that wasn’t either of their fault. It was the fault of their parents. I won’t go into the stories just now. But, basically, John and my mother fell out for a number of years over said dark historical issues. Despite that, they reconciled over the last five years or so. And John would visit the house and they would speak.

So at least he didn’t die without them ever reconciling. It would have been worse if the grudge between them had never been resolved.

When I was in Aberdeen, I studied at University of Aberdeen, and John was a lecturer at Robert Gordon University, in the same city. So we hooked up now and then to chat. And one time, Hibs were playing Hearts, the arch rival soccer team: and it was on TV so we met up to watch it in town.

The game was complete trash; and the football quality was awful. But, John cheered it up, because he kept taking the piss out of it. It should have been miserable because we were both Hibs fans. And Hearts won the game 1 – 0. With the only quality in the game being this 40 yard strike from one of their players, when it was a Home Hibs game that Hibs really should have won. Depressing. But, John lightened it up because he only made fun of it, and it made me realise how trivial it was as well.

And we quickly lost interest in the soccer anyway and resorted to talking about books. We went over American literature. And he told me about novels which I should read. At that point I didn’t know many people who were interested in literature at all, so it was refreshing to speak on a level of mutual intrigue.

I’ll miss my uncle a great deal. As will many people who knew him. R.I.P. John Linklater. 1952 – 2024.

[didalexiabreakupwitholgayet]

Hi there! I'm a longtime USWNT fan, and I'm new to your blog. But I have to comment on this Brazil/Colombia dirty soccer stereotype.

I don't think it's a Europeans vs. non-European thing but I just think those types of tricks are accepted in the CONMBEOL countries because of the men's game. USWNT fans complain whenever we have to play Colombia and hope that our players don't end up seriously injured.

This is an old incident, but did you ever hear of the sucker punch to Abby Wambach by a Colombian player? You should Google it. And during the Gold Cup this year, Alex Morgan got into some beef with the Colombian players. That was actually pretty funny.

Brazil isn't as bad but they do dive a lot and waste time too. I guess because we play them so often we are used to it. So don't take it personal. That's just how they play!

ayyy, this sucker punch is wild! 🫣

again, this just goes to show that there are different ways of playing football around the world and you have to adapt accordingly. but getting sucker punched is absolutely unacceptable!

but also, this european vs. non-european dichotomy is so odd to me because europe is not a country! and in spain, we only recently got success and have been in the shadow of the rest of the world powers for so long. this was our very first olympics! and i've been a women's football fan for a long time and for most of my life the most dominant team has been the uswnt by far, like not even close, and they are a non-european team. and in the very first world cup i ever watched (2011) japan won it.

but if we are going to generalise, in my experience, european teams and definitely european fans are rather insecure when it comes to the uswnt. not the opposite! 🤷‍♀️

[blackswaneuroparedux]

From my point of view, what's beautiful in the sport is that you don't need to know too much about tactics or anything to see. If you find something beautiful, you don't need to be an expert to know it. It's like ballet… The reason it was nicknamed 'ginga' was that normally, when we'd play against a European team…back then, the European teams were very tough and physical. They were big, and defensively solid... There were some in Brazil who thought we should make that our football culture. We would say, 'We want to dance. We want to ginga. Football is not about fighting to the death. You have to play beautifully.' And so we did, and that's the reason that Brazil created more of a show, more of a ballet… The ambition should always be to play an elegant game.

- Pelé (Edson Arantes do Nascimento)

Pelé was born on Oct. 23, 1940, his father was a professional soccer player in their native Brazil. Pelé — who was given his nickname by childhood friends because of the way he mispronounced his favourite soccer player goalkeeper Bilé  - honed his craft playing futsal (or indoor soccer) in Bauru, the region within São Paulo, where Pelé grew up.

In 1956, at only the age of 15, Pelé tried out for the Santos FC professional club near São Paulo. He soon signed a contract with the team and made his professional debut on Sept. 7, 1956. In the Brazilian press, Pelé was instantly hailed as a star, with the forward leading the league in scoring as a 16-year-old in 1957. The following year, Pelé joined the Brazilian national team for the 1958 World Cup, delivering a performance that would make him a global star and earn him the nickname “O Rei,” or “The King.”

Pelé’s dominance continued through the Sixties as his Santos team won six championships in the Brazilian league over the course of that decade, while Brazil also won the World Cup in 1962 and 1970, with Pelé winning the Golden Ball for best player at the latter tournament. In his 19 seasons at Santos, spanning from 1956 to 1974 and roughly 660 games, Pelé scored a record-shattering 643 goals.

In 1975, Pelé helped ignite interest in “the Beautiful Game” - a phrase he in part popularised for the sport, inspired by his own majestic style of play — in the U.S., a country seemingly culturally impervious to soccer’s charms: The American team failed to even qualify for the World Cup between 1954 to 1986. Following nearly two decades at Santos and a brief retirement, Pelé signed with the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League.

Pelé’s mere presence helped the Cosmos reach record attendances, and the sport itself gained public awareness otherwise unheard of stateside. He spent three years with the Cosmos, culminating in a Soccer Bowl championship with the Cosmos in 1977. That same year, Pelé played his final game as a pro as the Cosmos hosted his former longtime team, Santos, for an exhibition match at a sold-out Giants Stadium, with Pelé playing for both teams during the game. In the near half-century following his retirement, Pelé became one of soccer’s greatest ambassadors, continuing his push to keep the “Beautiful Game” on the forefront of the world stage. He starred in soccer-related movies — 1981’s Escape to Victory and 1986’s Hotshot — and teamed with Brazilian musician Sergio Mendes on the soundtrack to a 1977 documentary about his life. He received an honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth as well as every other possible soccer-related accolade, from the FIFA Order of Merit to the FIFA Player of the Century to a spot on TIme’s 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century list.

The debate over his status as the all-time No.1 is almost unresolvable, with Lionel Messi the only player to match him in Ballon d'Or awards, and the Argentine and Cristiano Ronaldo also leading him in the all-time goal race. But you can judge Pelé’s greatness by what his footballing peers - legendary players in their own time. “The best player ever? Pelé. (Lionel) Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are both great players with specific qualities, but Pelé was better.” said Alfredo Di Stefano, the late and great Argentine star for Real Madrid. Ferenc Puskas, the legendary Hungarian footballer disagreed, “The greatest player in history was Di Stefano. I refuse to classify Pelé as a player. He was above that.” For Franz Beckenbauer, he said of Pelé “He is the most complete player I ever saw.”Rarely do the Germans see eye to eye with the Dutch such is their footballing rivalry, but for the late great Johann Cruyff, “Pelé was the only footballer who surpassed the boundaries of logic.”.

Even Ronaldo, the only player on the same level as Lionel Messi in the modern game, put the debate to rest when he declared, “Pelé is the greatest player in football history, and there will only be one Pelé in the world.”

RIP King Pelé (1940-2022)

[iwritewthwine]

Hey, you!

author's note: hey...I know this seems weird, knowing that I still have Run to you in progress and don't worry I am still writing it. This is just a random drabble I got an idea from Hoshi's Instagram story with the baby sparrow. This has no plot. Or well maybe little plot? Idk? It's just random. If you can tell I wrote this on a whim and you guessed it, wine, usually I check my work before I post it but if there miss-errors that's just because I missed it from the wine impairment. Enjoy, and now back to writing Run to you

Title: Hey, you!

Pairing: Kwon Soonyoung x fem reader

Genre: fluff, crack, angst(?)

Tropes: university students, student athlete, strangers to lover, damsel hoshi, strong female lead, modern fairy-tale, crush on wonwoo

Synopsis: he is a damsel in distress or what it may have seemed like and you were just passing by, happened to rescue him from his distress. Turns out, you're saving him more often you thought.

Warnings: nothing too drastic, a couple of swear words, peer pressure, bullying, Wonwoo is kind of an ass (I'm sorry don't hate me. I feel bad but it's for content), gender mistreatment

Word count: 6 k

Growing up, you always knew you weren't the princess type. Despite wondering and dreaming about being a princess, with butterflies and birds fawning at you and a charming prince coming to sweep you off of your feet. Well, yeah none of that ever happens, because even though you weren't quite the tomboy you did play a lot of excruciating sports. Football (soccer), football (aka American football), tennis, and a black belt in taekwondo. And with all those sports, you were also very spoken on ideals and opinions, standing up to bullies and helping people who needed it. This is where we are right now in your third year of University with a major in communications, at a sports game. Who is playing? The University women's football (soccer) team and you were in the middle of the action as a defender— currently playing as a left wing-back, dribbling the ball as you look for a teammate that seems appropriately open. Lobbing the ball across the pitch to an available teammate, rushing forward, and defending the other team's player from getting the ball. Eyes glued at the ball as it comes flying back toward your side of the pitch again, the ball soaring through and you knew this is a chance. Rushing near the goal and jumping in the air as you headed the ball into the back of the net for a goal. The score was a mere one to nil. For the full 90 minutes of the game, your team was in full-on defense mode, defending and keeping the ball in possession from the other team, keeping it one to nil.

“Y/n, that was great, so great. I could have been a little tighter toward the 70th minute and there were a couple of times you could have scored another goal but it was good. That header goal was amazing. The people around me were startled but I didn’t care.” He smiled widely, handing you your towel to wipe off the sweat slowly dripping down from your hairline and a bottle of water. “Tonight. At Seokmin’s place. There is a party. And since the team just won, let’s celebrate.” Seungkwan’s hands fisted into a ball, thrown in the air with a whoosh. Shoving the bottled water in his hand from acting too dramatic as he appears to do that a lot. Draping the towel around your neck and walking off with your duffel bag, Seungkwan trails behind you. “Ya, Y/n come on. You don’t have to drink. Just hang out a bit, have fun a bit, and make some new friends. Seokmin also mentioned that Wonwoo is going to be there.” Seungkwan’s eyebrows rose suggestively as your cheeks flushed at Wonwoo’s name. You have had a crush on Wonwoo for the longest time, you passed him in the University library quite a bit, only exchanging bows and stares and the occasional “hello”. He was so handsome and built, and also played for the men's soccer team and you always get butterflies when you see him from afar. However you never really made a move on Wonwoo, afraid that he might not like you in return and afraid that he might not like a type of girl who isn’t feminine. Seungkwan noticed your blushing cheeks, his grin widening as he shoves his shoulder against you. “So? Let’s go to that party and blow Jeon Wonwoo’s mind.” Linking his arm into yours as you both stride out of the soccer field and to your shared apartment. 

At the apartment, after showering, you stared at the reflection, not knowing what to wear to a party. You didn’t really own anything per se “pretty” and whatever you called pretty wasn’t pretty in other people’s eyes aka Seungkwan. As on cue, Seungkwan walks into your room, his head tilted as he stares at you, still in your bathrobe even though you finished showering like 30 minutes ago. 

“Well? What are you going to wear?” He asks. Stepping over to your closet and staring at the hanging clothes, scanning for anything, anything that will get you to stand out. “Hmm.” He hums, arms crossed over his chest. A quick glimpse at you and then back to your closet. “Oh, oh, oh,” he exclaimed. Shuffling your clothes around as he pulls out a couple of hangers with clothes hung on them. “I got it and you will look amazing and people will be like “oh mah gawd, is that Y/n? She looks so damn amazing and sexy and wow those curves” and then Wonwoo will fall head over heels for you and then the both of you will become the it couple on campus.” Seungkwan claps his hands together, shoving the hangers in front of you with haste. “Go and change. We don’t have all night!” 

Trying on the outfits that Seungkwan gave you, there were a few you don’t even remember buying, and some you wore at least once or twice and just hung them back inside of your closet and forgot about it. Stepping out of the bathroom and walking back into your room, Seungkwan’s jaw dropped at the sight of you. “Don’t even!” You protest. Feeling how tight the dress was around the curve of your waist and the hem of the skirt rolling up against your thighs. “I haven’t worn this in, I don’t know, months, also I think I gained weight, it’s tight around my waist.” You struggle to fix the dress around your waist and keep the dress from rolling up past your thighs.

“Shut up, you didn’t gain weight. Maybe muscles from soccer but you look fine. Also sexy too. Wonwoo is definitely going to have a mouth drop moment. He will definitely be seeing you.” Seungkwan walks over to your closet and grabs a light cardigan, handing it over to you in case you did feel insecure about the dress. He wouldn’t let you feel insecure about your body or the outfit, he was your best friend and he most of the time took good care of you.

Seokmin’s party was in full swing, there were a lot of people, and a few had brief encounters at the University library or just somewhere on campus. There was also the men’s soccer team that was present, despite Wonwoo being in the team. It always irks you that the men's team gets more attention and privilege from the University and people, while women’s teams are always in the shadows. It isn’t fair and quite sexist. Which is why your major is communication, the dream to reach out and inform the World that women are powerful and leaders. Seungkwan had already abandoned you, to which he said he wouldn’t and to help you get Jeon Wonwoo to converse with you. With a soda in your hand, you stare around the place, scanning for anyone that you know. Seungkwan was talking to the host of the party, Seokmin. You knew him from one of your classes and he has a sweet personality. Still scanning around, as you begin to feel a bit claustrophobic, soda in hand you step outside to the backyard. Taking a deep breath in and out, clutching tight to your soda with your eyes shut. Parties with a lot of people still give you anxiety, it was weird though, because with soccer games you were just fine— probably because soccer makes you feel good, it distracts you and with parties, it was just, well parties, having fun with people and interacting and introducing yourself to them. All of that made you anxious and a little panicky. Taking a soft sip of your soda, tilting your head upwards to look at the stars in the darkened sky. It was twinkling and bright, softly sighing and taking another sip of your soda when something pricked your ears at the sound of a groan. Curious at whatever that was, you made your way in an attempt to to know where that groan is coming from. Eyes widened at the sight, a small stature man, surrounded by a mob of people, either they are his friends or they are a bunch of bullies. Unsure of what it is, you make your way over with your shoulders and head held up high, placing your soda can on a nearby table. “Hey, you! Assholes! Want to pick on someone your own size, come and get me you fuckers, let’s see you get beat by a woman! I ain’t afraid of you asshats!” You shouted at the mob of people, hands in a fist and raised in the air as you stepped closer to the group and eyes glaring with flame as they scurry away, leaving the small stature man all by himself. He was swaying side to side, obviously drunk. Walking up to him, you steady him with your hands clasped around his biceps and they were pretty firm. “Hey, are you alright?” Tilting your head to the side to make eye contact with him, he had some beautiful eyes and the cutest button nose, and his cheeks were definitely flushed from whatever alcohol he was drinking. “I’m Y/n. Are you okay?” Softly smiling at him, his body sways side to side, eyes blinking to adjust his vision as he stares at you with widened eyes and mouth agape.

“Uh…Soonyoung. I am Soonyoung. I’m fine. Those guys are my teammates on the soccer team. I don’t really play. I’m more of the water boy but yeah.” He shrugs his shoulders softly, and your heart tugs at what he said. It was rude of them to pick on the water boy, as a water boy is still partially part of the team. 

“Nice to meet you Soonyoung and that is awfully rude. If they continue to be rude to you, you should just become the girls’ water person. We aren’t rude and will welcome you with open arms.” Chuckling at the thought of the women’s soccer team being more considerate and nice. “Let me get you some water.” Linking your arm with his’ as you escort Soonyoung inside, finding your way to the kitchen and grabbing a bottle of water from a cooler to help him get sober. “Here you go.” Soonyoung took the bottle of water from you, taking a long sip as water dripped down the corner of his lips. He let out a soft exhale, hands gripping the water bottle. Finding him quite, well adorable. It was weird because it was Wonwoo that made you get butterflies, but with soonyoung, who you barely knew just literally 5 minutes ago is making you feel some sort of things you cannot comprehend. “Uhm, well, it’s nice meeting you Soonyoung.” The inevitable awkward silence flew in between the two of you, trying to think of something to say. A thought appeared in your head, or it was more of an idea. “Whenever I'm tipsy, I always go for tacos to sober me up and I am craving for some tacos right now. Do you want to go with me?” Soonyoung blinks his eyelids softly, his eyelashes brushing against his skin and his lips jutted out. He was cute in this form, his head slightly hung low and bobbing, his cheeks flushed from the alcohol, softly grinning at the possibility of meeting someone so cute. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” mumbling the words out, Soonyoung tilted his head up, shaking his head with his hands waving in front of him. 

“I want to. I like tacos. I like you.” Soonyoung blinks again, trying to adjust his vision so he could clearly see you and not in a form of a blurred blob. Cheeks blushing at what he said, and a little confused if he meant it or it was the alcohol talking. Whatever it could have been, you shrug it off for now.

A dozen tacos settled on two trays, along with two large cups filled with Sprite, sitting side by side with Soonyoung in the seat booth. You try your best to not make eye contact with him as your meeting with him is still fairly new and unconventional. Taking a taco into your hand and stuffing yourself to avoid conversation, glancing to the side to see that Soonyoung has done the same. His cheeks all puffed out like a cute little chipmunk. Stifling back a giggle, you continue to eat the taco in your hands. Some awkward silence of eating tacos later, sipping on your Sprite as you contemplate on what to say to him. “How long have you been the waterboy for the men's soccer team?” Feeling stupid for asking such a question but it was the only known topic that made you feel confident. Soonyoung chewed on his tacos, his head turning to meet you, and gosh he really does have pretty eyes.

“Since freshman year actually. A lot of my friends are on the team and I'm not really great at sports so I volunteered to be the water boy and now I'm still in that position.” He shrugged his shoulders, taking another taco into his hands. “And, the guys before, they are also on the soccer team. They do pick on me but it's fine. They are kind of harmless and I am accustomed to it now.” Taking a bite of his taco, a soft up turn of his mouth into a smile. Your heart sinks at the mention of the team still picking on him, so what if he’s the team’s waterboy? A waterboy is still a team player and sufficient to the team. Huffing aloud, you slam your palms on top of the table, getting Soonyoung’s attention as he turns to face you with confusion in his expression and mouth chewing on the taco. 

“Excuse my language and manner but that is fucking messed up. So what if you’re the waterboy, it gives it no damn excuse to pick on you. Like what? Just because they’re stronger and play for the team they can just pick on someone who stands on the sideline, handing out water so they can stay hydrated, taking care of them. Preposterous! Ridiculous! Fucking asses!” Groaning loudly, brows scrunched up and nostrils flaring at the thoughts of people being stupidly rude, unknowingly as your hands tighten into a fist. Turning your body around as you face Soonyoung head on, minding his own business while munching on his taco, he glances sideways to meet you. Almost choking on his taco, he took his cup of Sprite to help with not choking. “If those players are picking on you again or remotely being asshats, send me a message straight away and I will run over to kick their asses.” Taking your phone out from your jacket pocket, unlocking it and finding your number in the contacts. “This is my number. May I?” Soonyoung stared at the half eaten taco in his hand, softly setting it down and wiping his hands and fingers clean with the napkin. Taking out his own phone and handing it over to you as you dialed in your own number into his phone, handing it back to him afterwards. “There. That’s my number.” Smiling at him with a slight tilt in your head, Soonyoung gulps softly, his eyes widening at you watching him. He never had a girl give him a number before or asked for his number. Wasn’t that what guys usually do though? Asking for a girl’s number and not the other way around? Whatever it is, he likes it and his heart pounding at how cute your eyes form into a crescent shape when you smile, and little dimples visible on your cheeks. 

The next day after soccer practice, you were walking out of the women’s training field by yourself since Seungkwan had a study date in the University library with Seokmin. The women’s training field and your dorm wasn’t that far, and you always enjoyed the walk with the slight wind breeze that accompanied. While passing the men’s training field, you slowed your pace, turning your head lightly to peek over the fence. At first your eyes trained on him, Wonwoo, he was really built and tall despite wearing sweats that covered him up. Running around the field, dribbling the ball and passing it along to his teammates, it seemed like any ordinary training session be whatever kind of gender. Well, the equipment was obviously different, a little more newer than the women’s training equipment. Still watching them practice from the fence line, when you noticed a couple of people walking over to the side and your eyes immediately trained on him, Soonyoung, he was there for their practice and in his hands looked like bottled waters and a box container, probably some snacks of some kind. Can’t tell what is going on as you're further away, and can’t make out the movements on the mouth, however one person was laughing from their head being thrown backwards. Wonwoo made his way over to the group, surrounding Soonyoung and even from afar you could see the wide smile that he usually has on his face. The guys were leaning forward towards him, their lips in a tantalize smirk. If only you could hear what they were saying. One of the guys took the box container from Soonyoung’s hand, opened it up and inside were tea sandwiches or onigiri (it was far you couldn’t see much). Taking one into their hand and a light nibble as they chuckled, placing the tea sandwich or onigiri back inside of the box container. Another person of the group turned towards Wonwoo, nodding their head in a kind of signal. Wonwoo steps up to Soonyoung, his arms crossed over chest and his facial expression deadpan as he looks at him. Something felt off, the way Wonwoo was acting towards Soonyoung and the way his lips pouted in a frown. Fingers clenching the fence tightly, and huffing profoundly at the sight, to think that Jeon Wonwoo is the person you liked. If he’s going to be an ass then you have no choice but to be an ass to him. Letting go of the fence as you power walk to the entrance of the field. Dropping your duffel bag at the side, storming forward with rage burning in your eyes. “Hey, you jerks!” You shouted, hands clenched in fists, cracking your knuckles softly as you walked over to them. “Even if he’s just the waterboy doesn’t give you any rights to bully him. I could tell that he has a better mindset than you jerks.” Voice ringing loud, the group of guys turned to meet you, confused and annoyed by your presence. 

“Why don’t you just leave here. This is for grown men, not for women on their cycle crying out just because of their hormones.” One of the guys said, sneering to himself and then looking at the others as they stifled a chuckle. 

Highly offended, and highly sexist, the audacity of these kinds of people representing the University’s soccer team. Rolling back your eyes and a tilt of the head, you stuck out your tongue lightly, tapping your foot against the turf grass. Taking a minute to exhale and inhale before you do anything too drastic, like punch them in the throat or their ball sack. “Oh, thanks for the friendly reminder for me to check my cycle. Maybe  you should check if you’re on your cycle too? Don’t men have their daily cycles too? Moods constantly shifting?” You sarcastically say, shrugging your shoulders as you bite back your tongue from saying anything more sinister. Eyes scanning over the group and your gaze reaches Wonwoo, who had stepped a little further back, his head slightly hung. Was he really participating with these clowns or is there something deeper that makes him swivel to their idiotic ploy? Then your gaze met Soonyoung, his head not hanging low as like Wonwoo, he was staring back at you with a soft smile and that made your heart fluctuate intensely. “Back up or you’re going to have to tell the local medical assistants that a woman beat you up. And I will and I can.” Readying your stance in a taekwondo position, hands tightly balled up with your thumbs tucked on the inside. Tentatively taking a step closer and swinging a high jab in their direction. The guys took a step back, glowering at you with hatred. “Fuck you” they said and walked away. As for Wonwoo, he stood in his spot for a second longer, gazing up at you with an unknown expression then walked away with nothing to say. Lowering your arms down to your side, taking in a deep breath, you watch Wonwoo’s retreating form and wonder what is going on his head. The man that you had a crush on during your first year of University, you even attended all of his games, fell in love with the way he was laser focused and that made you try out for the women’s soccer team. Knowing that you and him have the same activity and that maybe one day, he will notice you, offer to play soccer with him and the two of you end up as a power dynamic soccer couple. Only now it’s different. Turning yourself around, your heart still racing at Soonyoung’s presence, walking up to him sheepishly, because well, you offered to beat up some bullies for him and weren’t sure if what you did made Soonyoung scared of you. “Uhm…you,” taking another deep breath to calm yourself. “Are you okay? Sorry for what you saw and heard there. I was walking back from practice and noticed the men’s team practicing and, yeah.” Softly biting down on your bottom lip, gazing down at your shoes and the turf.

“I’m fine. I told you, it’s part of my job as the waterboy. The players hassle me here and there, I’m not really affected by it.” Soonyoung shrugged, lowering his body as he tilted his head to the side, trying to get a look at you. “Are you okay?” He asks. Taking a step closer to you with his head still at an angle and trying to meet your gaze.

“I am fine!” Eyes still fixed on your shoes when you see Soonyoung’s face below you, his mouth in a smile and his eyes sparkling and bright. Blinking at his sudden appearance, giving you a fright as your heart leaped out of your chest. Jumping slightly from seeing him, Soonyoung laughed at your action, stepping back and straightening himself. Slowly glancing up at him and seeing that he was still laughing, you glower at him with lips pouted. Seeing your lips, he walked over, cupping his hands on your cheeks and imitating your pouted lips on himself. Gulping softly at how close he was and his hands against your cheeks, and thank god they were covering your cheeks because they were definitely blushing and hoping that he can’t feel how warm it has gotten. “Hey.” Startling Soonyoung at your sudden choice of word, he let go of your cheeks, and picked up the box container that he had bought for his teammates. 

“Sandwich?” He offers you, glancing in the box and finally seeing the cute little tea sandwiches in them, varying in different types. Nodding your head at his question and taking a sandwich into your hand to munch on, as you were getting hungry from practice. “I guess I should have known I got picked on with these sandwiches but they are delicious and I just wanted to share them with my friends.”

Eyes widened at what he said, friends? He still thinks of those people as friends? They are basically bullies and he calls them friends? Even Wonwoo— you weren’t sure if Wonwoo did bully Soonyoung, he didn’t really do much, but he still in a way took part. Softly chewing on your sandwich, placing a hand on top of Soonyoung’s arm. “Those guys aren’t your friends if they treat you like that every single chance they get. Real friends only do that occasionally and know when to stop when things get out of hand. That did not seem like the case. If I didn’t interfere they could have done something worse. Does…” About to say something about Wonwoo to Soonyoung, you stop yourself and finish off the sandwich in your hand, to keep your mouth busy with something and not saying anything unnecessary.

Soonyoung placed the box container in your hands, taking one out for himself. “You can have the rest. I’m glad you like the sandwiches as much as I do. And thanks for everything. You probably think it’s weird but I like it. A girl rescuing a boy. And not to mention that the girl is beautiful. It gives the classic fairytale a good spin.” Coughing softly on your sandwich, Soonyoung looks at you startled, taking one of the bottle water he also brought and unscrewing the cap as he hands it to you. Quickly taking the water bottle and drinking down the water, getting a little splash down from the corner of your lips. Soonyoung clears his throat, he couldn’t keep his eyes away from you as you also made him feel light and his heart also leaping out of his chest. “You good?” He asks. Watching you put up an OK symbol with your fingers. Closing the cap on the bottle water, his eyes scanning your lips as he closes the distance between the both of you, his thumb softly pressing against the corner of your lips as he wipes the water about to drip from there. Taking a step backwards to give you space after. 

Gently you pat your mouth after, making sure nothing else is there for him to do that again and even though you liked it, it was awkward. “Thanks. I should probably get to my apartment.” Closing up the box container, you shuffle away from him, heading towards your duffle bag that you dropped by the entrance. Picking it up and hurrying yourself out of the field and out of Soonyoung’s presence. “What is wrong with you?” You muttered lowly, shutting your eyes tight and hands gripping the handle of your duffle bag.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with you but it’s kind of cute. Are you perhaps shy? And to think I was shy in front of you because you rescued me but after processing what happened, I kind of want you to rescue me again.” Lifting your head up, staring in shock at Soonyoung beside you, mouth agape and wanting to say something but nothing but air comes out. “Can I walk you to your apartment? It might be close to my place and the sun is setting. It’s cliche but you are alone and I don’t want anything happening to you too.” Mouth still agape, you were for sure your cheeks were bright red by now and your heart beating rapidly, ready to run out of you and run far far away. 

“Mm, yeah. I don’t mind. And you know, I already said it earlier but I do have a black belt in taekwondo. I think I can take care of myself if something were to happen. It’s you that should be careful.” Regaining your composure, glimpsing at Soonyoung beside you as he keeps up with your pace. Still in shock that he heard what you said and what he said after. Cute? Telling someone that they are cute after helping them from a rough situation? When you were younger and situations like what happened to Soonyoung happened, the other person would call you weird and that they didn’t need your help and for you to go back and play with dolls and dress-up. It’s why you end up playing sports, when you help others and are ridiculed for it. Sports were a distraction in a way, to keep your patiences at bay and you didn’t care if people called you beautiful or cute or gorgeous. However now, hearing it from Soonyoung, it felt different, like you don’t want to hide anymore. The walk to your apartment did take quite some time, and Soonyoung even noticed how far it was from the practice field. “Well, this is my apartment. Thank you for walking with me.”

“It’s no problem. It actually is close to my apartment anyways, I didn’t realize it until we passed that donut shop on 23rd street and fyi, I usually buy the cronuts not the donuts from there.” Soonyoung walked you up to your door, wanting to make sure that you got inside safe. Climbing up the stairs to get to your floor, the setting sun illuminates directly in your path giving your hair and body a type of golden glow. Soonyoung stares unblinking at you, watching you get the key out of your bag to unlock the door. He turns around to face the parking lot and the street, calming himself down slightly, he turns back around, leaning his back against the railing as he watches you opening the door to your apartment. “Well, I made it to my place safe and sound…” Standing with the door to your apartment open, frozen at seeing the sunlight glowing against Soonyoung’s back and the slight wind breeze rushing through his hair. He looked so ethereal and handsome just standing in front of the sun’s lights. A chirp catches your attention as two tiny sparrows fly by, one landing on the railing next to him and the other gently landing on top of his shoulder. Having noticed the tiny toes on his shoulder, Soonyoung turned his head softly to look at the sparrow. Quietly chirping and fluffing its feathers, the other sparrow on the railing flies up and lands on top of Soonyoung’s head. Unfazed, he stood perfectly still for the two sparrows, and upon how beautiful and bizarre this whole situation was, you took out your phone slowly from your pocket. Snapping a few photos of and a couple of videos, all while holding your breath to frighten the sparrows. Soonyoung saw your phone pointing at him, softly whistling a random tune for the sparrows with a light smile. 

“Mr and Mrs Sparrow, how was your day? Going back to your nest you say? I do hope your nest is warm and comfortable and somewhere safe. Do you have eggs in your nest? Oh, I see, still incubating them. They will become strong sparrows too.” Soonyoung spoke to the sparrows, as you recorded his shenanigans, holding in your laughter and trying not to burst out loud. As you carefully step closer, to film the sparrows and Soonyoung closer. Noticing you walking closer to him, Soonyoung turned his head towards the sparrow on his shoulder. “There’s this girl. She is very beautiful and strong and I don’t think she likes being strong and beautiful because it’s intimidating to others and I think she’s afraid she will get rejected by them. But I like it. I like her a lot. Mr Sparrow is Mrs Sparrow beautiful and strong to you?” He asks the sparrow on top of his shoulder as the sparrow chirps at him like it was talking back to him. “Oh really? Mrs Sparrow is strong and beautiful just like this girl? And what should she do to feel accepted? Uh huh, yeah, oh, I see, go on a date with me you say? I do agree with you but she might not want to…uh huh, I guess I will just to see then should I?” Soonyoung turned to look at you, your phone still aiming at him and still filming him talking to the sparrows. Stopping the record button, you set the phone back in your pocket. “Time to get to your nest you guys. Go.” A quick soft whistle, the sparrows fly off of his head and shoulder. He walks over to you, wanting to just run inside of your apartment but you don’t and just wait for him to be in front of you. 

“That is very impressive. Sparrows don’t usually land on people because they are skittish and know that humans are scary. They must have really liked you.” Staring at him as you make your breathing light and soft, not wanting to make yourself seem nervous. “I can send you the photos if you like. They actually look really good with the sun’s lighting and everything.” Laughing softly to defuse the nervousness inside of your body and mind. Looking unfazed and completely different to how he usually looks, he was in a way looking very smolder and hot, it was different from when you rescued him. He was all cute and bubbly, even when he was talking to the sparrows he looked so beautiful, something looked different and you weren’t sure on how to act. “Good night then Soonyoung.” Stepping back and towards the opening of your door, Soonyoung reaches out and takes your wrist into his hand, pulling you back towards him. 

“You don’t want to know what the sparrows told me?” He looked at you with an intensity in his gaze, it was incredibly sexy and a part of you wished to see the adorable side of him again because that side didn’t make you feel all sorts of things. “The sparrows said I should follow my heart. And my heart really wants to know where we go from here. I want to know more about you, I want you to rescue me again and I want to rescue you too.” The playful smile on Soonyoung’s face returns, his hand still gripping your wrist as he loosen it, sliding his palm down to meet your own. Intertwining his fingers with yours. “May I? Y/n.” His fingers were soft on your own, glancing down at them and how it molded nicely with your own fingers. 

Of all the things that you want to happen in your life, this wasn’t even close to one of them and currently it is the one thing you really want right now. The crush you had on Wonwoo, dissipating before you and the newfound interest in Soonyoung blooming within you. You might have met him in the most unconventional matter, rescuing him from mean bullies and that feeling of rescuing him started out as just standing up to people who uses torture for pleasure, especially one is intoxicated. After the rescue today, and having chatted the night before while binge eating on tacos, the rescue made your heart swell for Soonyoung and wanting to keep him as close to you as possible even if you were the one initiating the fight. “You aren’t scared of me?” Feeling stupid for asking such a question but it was the one thing that you needed to know, that someone isn’t going to be afraid of you just because you are strong and can fight. Soonyoung shook his head with a soft chuckle. Pulling you closer to him, his knees softly bumping into your thighs. 

“Why would I be scared of you when you literally rescued me twice.” He shook his head again, displeased with you that you would even ask such a question. “You being strong and can fight is what makes you attractive.”

sucking in a deep breath, your eyes getting misty from his choice of words, with your fingers still clasp in with his’ as you think of what to say to him. “You aren’t joking are you?” Again another stupid question that makes you question yourself on why you even think about what to say when it’s just going to come out stupid. Soonyoung huffed out, clearly tired of your questions and self doubt. “Let me show you then” he whispers as he closes in on you, his lips pressing against your own. His lips were soft and for some odd reason it smelt like strawberries, for one it wasn’t you because your chapstick scent were the unscented ones. Lightly shuffling your feet closer, and moving your linked hand with Soonyoung’s hand to the side as you keep your lips against his’, continuing to kiss him with fervor. A light moan escaping your lips, Soonyoung pulls away, a soft smile on his mouth as he pushes you inside of your apartment and closes the door after him. Pulling you back into his embrace, letting his forehead rest against your own. “I guess you aren’t joking.” Chuckling softly, he brushes the tip of his nose against yours. 

“Nope. When I want to joke I will and this, with you, I’m not joking. I really like you Y/n.” 

Your heart fastening as he speaks, mouth slightly agape with his forehead still resting on your own. You were spiraling, but a good kind of spiraling. “I like you too, Soonyoung. Beyond what I could ever imagine. And I will rescue you again if I have to.” Adding that last part for laughs, and getting a soft peck to your lips from Soonyoung as he smiles at you. “I cannot wait,” he says, taking your lips back into his. Moving your hands up his chest as you softly push him towards the couch in the living room, getting him to fall back on the cushion. Grinning mischievously at him, sitting down upon his lap with your legs capturing his hips and arms flailing around his neck. Softly pressing down against his crotch, you find your lips against his neck, kissing and sucking at the skin between his neck and his clavicle. Soonyoung’s hands moving over to your hips, grasping you tightly in his hands. “I like this.” You muttered against his skin. “Me too” Soonyoung says after, one hand of his sliding up your back.

[kaicrose]

How Black athletes are negatively Represented and mistreated by the media.

Black athletes both men and women, have been negatively represented and mistreated by the media for as long as people of color have been able to play sports without segregation. From Football, soccer, tennis and baseball just to name a few  black athletes have been victims from the media. My first example of this is when Jackie Robison became the first African American to play in the MLB in the modern era. This was in 1947 which was before the Civil rights movement. Robison had faced many death threats to his family and to himself and was even threatened by opposing teams just based on skin color. According to Andscape.com “Baseball writers were far more comfortable dressing up in blackface and speaking in black dialect during their skits at their annual banquet than in writing about racism. They used racial pejoratives and stereotypes in print and in conversation. Shirley Povich, who was one of the relatively few mainstream sportswriters who advocated for blacks in baseball, was asked why so few white sportswriters called for the end of the color line. “I’m afraid the sportswriters were like the club owners,” he said. “They thought separate was better.” Obviously in today's world we have moved past segregation in sports and as a country but I think this is a great example to start with to show that this has been around for a while. 

In 2018 Lebron James had a 17 minute interview alongside Kevin Durant with ESPN. According to an article from NPR.com “James discussed family, personal growth and the challenges that come with being black and a public figure in America — including his reaction to the racial slur that was graffitied on his Los Angeles home last May. He also discussed politics and President Trump”. So clearly lebron is speaking out about things that have happened to him recently that were hateful and he was also talking about how president trump had said some questionable and shocking things he had said. In the interview Lebron stated "The No. 1 job in America, the appointed person is someone who doesn't understand the people," the athlete said at one point during the interview, adding that some of the president's comments are "laughable and scary." As we see here Lebron James who is one of the biggest Black athletes on the planet and maybe of all time is practicing his 1st amendment right. Laura Ingrahm from fox news had some rude things to say about lebron like that he was barely “intelligible”, and “ungrammatical.” She then finishes the segment by saying "It's always unwise to seek political advice from someone who gets paid $100 million a year to bounce a ball," she said. "Keep the political comments to yourselves. ... Shut up and dribble." This obviously challenged Lebrons intelligence as a black man and the comment of shut up and drip in my opinion had some racist undertones. Laura Ingrahm had actually gotten called out for her comments on defending Drew Brees a couple years ago as Drew brees made his politcal commets public. Laura had nothing to say about Brees. Drew Brees is also a white man.   

Here is the link to her speaking-https://youtu.be/AlHuaOIvRLY?si=QDFA1kN4EUTbCBtW 

Respone about Drew Brees - https://youtu.be/ege-lfF-TIA?si=hUmO7Zg8mLLArvIL

Serena Williams is one of greatest Tennis players ever to play the sport. If you have watched any sports news channel the last 15 years odds are you have seen a headline of Serna dealing with racism abuse online. She has also dealt with issues involving the French Open on what she could and can’t wear. In 2012 a man named David Leonard who was the chair of the department of critical culture, gender, and race studies at Washington State University decided to record tweets and comments after she had won her 5th Wimbledon title. Some of the awful things that he found during this process where things such as “Serena Williams look like a man with tits, it's only when she wears weave she looks female tbh, what a HENCH BOLD GORILLA!,” “I don't see how in the hell men find Serena Williams attractive?! She looks like a male gorilla in a dress, just saying!”. Not only is she being called a gorilla which is already messed up and racist on its own there are comments on the way she looks saying she looks like a  “Male” . David Lenord also states “The racism that underlies the characterizations of her as hypersexual, aggressive, and animalistic also means that when she dares to express frustration, she's stamped with the infamous "angry black woman" stereotype.” If we are being honest we do not see this type of hate towards white women in the sport and this is a prime example of mistreatment from the media and sexism is also demonstrated. 

In 2020 the UEFA Euros took place. It was England Vs. Italy. This is one of the largest soccer tournaments on the planet. The Game ended up going to penalties as the result of the game ended up in a draw. 3 out of the 5 people who took the penalties were black. All 3 of them unfortunately missed their penalties. There was already a stereotype online that black soccer players are not good at penalties. The problem with online racism and hate towards black soccer players in media is so bad when was watching it live I already knew that the young men Marcus Rashford, 23, Jadon Sancho, 21, and Bukayo Saka, 19, where going to be victims of mistreatment and to be negatively represented by the media. The abuse online was getting so bad that the government was getting involved. Fans that were caught making abusive comments towards the players were facing bans from stadiums and games for the rest of their lives. Marcus Rashford had released a statement saying "I can take critique of my performance all day long... but I will never apologize for who I am and where I came from,". Comments that were made about the players stemmed from fans calling them monkeys and other racial slurs like the N word. Along with these comments there was plenty of talk about how black people are not good at penalties and this is an example of black athletes being negatively represented.  

Here is a video of the Penalty shootout- https://youtu.be/QwvV06FvXbg?si=soHNWeBsENqieMwc 

Black athletes are subjected to negative representation by the media and are often mistreated as well. I hope this Blog has informed you of moments where black athletes have been treated negatively. Things have gotten a lot better since when Jackie Robinson was around and I hope to continue to see improvements in the treatment and representation of black athletes. 

Works Cited

Desmond-Harris, Jenée. “Serena Williams Is Constantly the Target of Disgusting Racist and Sexist Attacks.” Vox, 11 Mar. 2015, www.vox.com/2015/3/11/8189679/serena-williams-indian-wells-racism. 

England’s Black Players Face Racial Abuse after Euro 2020 Defeat | Reuters, www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-pm-johnson-condemns-racist-abuse-england-soccer-team-2021-07-12/. Accessed 1 May 2024. 

Lamb, Chris. “The White Media Missed the Significance of Jackie Robinson.” Andscape, Andscape, 22 Feb. 2021, andscape.com/features/the-white-media-missed-the-significance-of-jackie-robinson/. 

“Shut up and Dribble- (Full Video).” YouTube, 23 Feb. 2018, youtu.be/AlHuaOIvRLY?si=QDFA1kN4EUTbCBtW. Sullivan, Emily. “Laura Ingraham Told Lebron James to Shut up and Dribble; He Went to the Hoop.” NPR, NPR, 19 Feb. 2018, www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/02/19/587097707/laura-ingraham-told-lebron-james-to-shutup-and-dribble-he-went-to-the-hoop.