Day -528. WorldCup2018
I thought of the story of Ronald Opus this morning as I was watching Everton-Southampton. The tale of how Ronald Opus died is an urban legend made famous in the opening of the film Magnolia. Mr. Opus jumped off the roof of a ten story building, intending to commit suicide. As he passed a ninth floor window a man holding a shotgun and arguing with his wife let off a shot which passed through the glass, hit Mr. Opus and killed him before he hit the ground. Was it murder or suicide? There are a few more twists to the story and reasons for why it was told. Google will give you the long version.
What made me remember this was nowhere near as intense as the Ronald Opus story but is probably an entertaining insight into how my mind works when I watch football. Early in the match, Southampton were on the attack. A cross from the right wing reached Jay Rodriguez, completely unmarked right in front of the Everton goal. He scored but very obviously used his hands. An intentional handball which should have meant a yellow card, sometimes even a red. However, Rodriguez was also offside but he probably didn't know it as he punched the ball into the net. The referee had to make a quick decision. Should he still book Rodriguez for trying to gain an unsportsmanlike advantage, or could he decide that the play was dead the moment the assistant referee flagged for offside and therefore whatever happened after that didn't matter? But he should have also considered that the centre forward did not know he was offside when he "scored"?
The referee didn't book him, which is probably correct by the rules. I wouldn't have been surprised if he did yellow card him. Intent to commit a crime existed. Circumstances after the intent started were all that stopped the infringement from happening within the play.
(This is where I feel compelled to add a p.s. that I really don't take my football that seriously. Tongue in cheek is a good phrase right now. Below is another silly example of how I see things. I call it ironic art for my simple brain)
I thought of the story of Ronald Opus this morning as I was watching Everton-Southampton. The tale of how Ronald Opus died is an urban legend made famous in the opening of the film Magnolia. Mr. Opus jumped off the roof of a ten story building, intending to commit suicide. As he passed a ninth floor window a man holding a shotgun and arguing with his wife let off a shot which passed through the glass, hit Mr. Opus and killed him before he hit the ground. Was it murder or suicide? There are a few more twists to the story and reasons for why it was told. Google will give you the long version.
What made me remember this was nowhere near as intense as the Ronald Opus story but is probably an entertaining insight into how my mind works when I watch football. Early in the match, Southampton were on the attack. A cross from the right wing reached Jay Rodriguez, completely unmarked right in front of the Everton goal. He scored but very obviously used his hands. An intentional handball which should have meant a yellow card, sometimes even a red. However, Rodriguez was also offside but he probably didn't know it as he punched the ball into the net. The referee had to make a quick decision. Should he still book Rodriguez for trying to gain an unsportsmanlike advantage, or could he decide that the play was dead the moment the assistant referee flagged for offside and therefore whatever happened after that didn't matter? But he should have also considered that the centre forward did not know he was offside when he "scored"?
The referee didn't book him, which is probably correct by the rules. I wouldn't have been surprised if he did yellow card him. Intent to commit a crime existed. Circumstances after the intent started were all that stopped the infringement from happening within the play.
(This is where I feel compelled to add a p.s. that I really don't take my football that seriously. Tongue in cheek is a good phrase right now. Below is another silly example of how I see things. I call it ironic art for my simple brain)
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