Day -639. WorldCup2018
I realise it takes a lot to impress me, or to put it better I don't get wow-ed easily. It may be my older age, older than when I was a young boy or teenager who thought anything that Gary Shaw or Diego Maradona did was pure magic. Yes, I am talking football. It would take too much insight to delve into what impresses the other me, the person outside football.
My lack of enthusiasm for a wow factor which seems to hit other people could also be down to the overload of information on so many forms of media telling me what I should be impressed by. I decided for myself that Brazil 1982 were beautiful to watch, or that a Maradona move was breathtaking. Now I'm told that Lionel Messi should be adored as a football god. Debatable. Or that Paul Pogba is the greatest Frenchman to walk this planet since Michel Platini. Don't make me laugh.
And, on a slightly different note, I hear, and read about, a two day debate about what England manager Sam Allardyce said about Wayne Rooney, that he can't control what position he plays on the pitch. Uproar! English newspapers and social media went into overdrive. How dare he say that? Has he lost control already? Really, hands up anybody else who thinks that that off the cuff, backhanded compliment of Rooney's talent wasn't really that shocking. Thankfully, Rooney agreed and said it wasn't a big deal. Even though I occasionally doubt the decisions of football players off the pitch I do give them a big virtual pat on the back when they come out and say, "what's all the fuss about"?
I was thinking about this media's need for sensationalism and big stories twice today. On my way home a breaking news story came on the radio. What's this, I wondered, as I realised from the newscaster's happy tone that it was good news. The "FANTASTIC" news (in capitals because the lady on the radio put so much stress on the word that it sounded like it was in caps) that we were to be amazed by was that for the first time in over 20 years more than 3 million people had attended Toronto Blue Jays home games. Interesting news, sure, and a sign that the team is doing well. But how is that going to do anything to help the sort of struggling team make this year's playoffs. How many fans really care? I do not think I am exaggerating this lady's tone when she seemed to expect there to be dancing in the streets tonight.
The other thing big news today was from the opening round of Champions League matches. Barcelona beat Celtic 7-0. That's a big score and doesn't happen between two professional European teams very often. But hold the praise and ooh and ah parade for Barca. They played a team that plays in the same league as Hearts. Hearts, who a few weeks ago were beaten at home by Birkirkara, of Malta. I'm sure Barca were amazing. But surely whenever they want to they should be able to dismantle a team that wasn't much better than Hearts last season. Don't get me wrong. Barca, in full flight, are a joy to watch; football truly at its best, but I'll wait to see what happens in the semifinals when Messi can't break down Athletico Madrid's defence. Figure them and Fernando Torres out, and I'll be impressed.
Back to Birkirkara and Hearts, there's a story that impresses me. And maybe I'm biased but watching Malta's Carmel Busutill weave through the West German to score that goal created a never to be forgotten impression that didn't need tweets and posts to tell me how great it was.
I realise it takes a lot to impress me, or to put it better I don't get wow-ed easily. It may be my older age, older than when I was a young boy or teenager who thought anything that Gary Shaw or Diego Maradona did was pure magic. Yes, I am talking football. It would take too much insight to delve into what impresses the other me, the person outside football.
My lack of enthusiasm for a wow factor which seems to hit other people could also be down to the overload of information on so many forms of media telling me what I should be impressed by. I decided for myself that Brazil 1982 were beautiful to watch, or that a Maradona move was breathtaking. Now I'm told that Lionel Messi should be adored as a football god. Debatable. Or that Paul Pogba is the greatest Frenchman to walk this planet since Michel Platini. Don't make me laugh.
And, on a slightly different note, I hear, and read about, a two day debate about what England manager Sam Allardyce said about Wayne Rooney, that he can't control what position he plays on the pitch. Uproar! English newspapers and social media went into overdrive. How dare he say that? Has he lost control already? Really, hands up anybody else who thinks that that off the cuff, backhanded compliment of Rooney's talent wasn't really that shocking. Thankfully, Rooney agreed and said it wasn't a big deal. Even though I occasionally doubt the decisions of football players off the pitch I do give them a big virtual pat on the back when they come out and say, "what's all the fuss about"?
I was thinking about this media's need for sensationalism and big stories twice today. On my way home a breaking news story came on the radio. What's this, I wondered, as I realised from the newscaster's happy tone that it was good news. The "FANTASTIC" news (in capitals because the lady on the radio put so much stress on the word that it sounded like it was in caps) that we were to be amazed by was that for the first time in over 20 years more than 3 million people had attended Toronto Blue Jays home games. Interesting news, sure, and a sign that the team is doing well. But how is that going to do anything to help the sort of struggling team make this year's playoffs. How many fans really care? I do not think I am exaggerating this lady's tone when she seemed to expect there to be dancing in the streets tonight.
The other thing big news today was from the opening round of Champions League matches. Barcelona beat Celtic 7-0. That's a big score and doesn't happen between two professional European teams very often. But hold the praise and ooh and ah parade for Barca. They played a team that plays in the same league as Hearts. Hearts, who a few weeks ago were beaten at home by Birkirkara, of Malta. I'm sure Barca were amazing. But surely whenever they want to they should be able to dismantle a team that wasn't much better than Hearts last season. Don't get me wrong. Barca, in full flight, are a joy to watch; football truly at its best, but I'll wait to see what happens in the semifinals when Messi can't break down Athletico Madrid's defence. Figure them and Fernando Torres out, and I'll be impressed.
Back to Birkirkara and Hearts, there's a story that impresses me. And maybe I'm biased but watching Malta's Carmel Busutill weave through the West German to score that goal created a never to be forgotten impression that didn't need tweets and posts to tell me how great it was.
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