What’s Inside a Soccer Ball?
Men, suits and ceremonial procedures.
That’s right, Europe’s footballing boardroom views the world’s most popular sport, played outside on grass, as a business. And the sport’s most important trophy for club teams was officially handed-over to its newest host city for the title game: Milan. The four teams that qualified for the Champions League semi-final learned their fate with their next opponent via a lottery drawing today.
Manchester City is the underdog in this high-stakes semi-final, despite its brand awareness. However, don’t completely count out the lone British club. Anything can happen in this sport, especially in the Champions League in the year 2016/two days ago.
(Cough-cough Atlético Madrid beating Barcelona)
Four teams have the chance to earn something supremely life-changing:
Victory gelato in Milan!
Plus, that pretty cool, legacy-defining Champions League trophy.
This Iceberg Will Never Melt
This day offers an everlastingly chilly reminder to us all…
On April 14th, 1912, the RMS Titanic famously hit an iceberg in the frigid North Atlantic. The initial contact did not instantly doom the ship of all ships, but did introduce one of the most infamous slow-deaths in modern memory. Just as you are about to say the names, James Cameron, Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio (all Oscar winners), rightly and wrongly, are immediately associated with this historic journey and tragedy.
On the one hand, we should know the names of those who perished and those who survived before recalling any thematic treatment. The RMS Titanic was a real ship and it really hit an iceberg and this mightiest of vessels slowly disappeared beneath an icy surface.
On the other hand, one can wonder if we would remember this disaster if not for Mr. Cameron’s cinematic masterpiece that captured the essence of early 20th century adventurism, innovation, optimism for a supremely bright future and the full-weight of “class structure” and how it shaped society. Would you? In a way, Titanic serves as a, yes, vehicle (driven by a powerful love story) for honoring everything that fateful trip represented as the epic ship battled waves and icy currents towards that magically opportunistic place called America.
Today, on April 14th, we should pay our respects and learn about at least one of the victims. What was their story? Why did they board the RMS Titanic bound for America? Was there a passenger who we, personally, can relate to?
This small tribute will ensure the hearts of all those brave men, women and children will go on for eternity.
It’s as Hard as 1-2-3
How do clubs like Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Real Madrid consistently remain as a few of the top performing clubs in the world?
Where to begin: Players, coaches, tactics, history, stadiums/infrastructure, determination, experience, youth, money and passionate fan bases. These attributes certainly help in distinguishing the best soccer clubs from their league and continental challengers. However, the “it” factor for these players, it can be argued, is their rejection of the famed Allen Iverson Principle that slams showing up to practice and singularly promotes showing up for the game.
“…Not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game like it’s my last. Not the game, we talking ’bout practice, man. I mean, how silly is that? We’re talking about practice.”
–Allen Iverson
The timelessness of the old adage, “Practice makes perfect” reminds us that beginner’s luck runs out and that there is someone better out there. We must always remain dedicated and proactive with our craft and passions.
Certainly, Bayern Munich players know how to juggle a soccer ball. They’ll throw in tricks here and there for fun and for bragging rights among their teammates. Unsurprisingly, juggling a soccer ball between four players can present a bit of a challenge.
Now, add two more soccer balls into Route 1’s path and it becomes a worthy TV-interrupting zigzagging high-speed chase.
Soccer players, at the top of their game, burnishing their skill-set while preparing for the decisive Champions League quarterfinal match at Benfica illustrates the importance of practice. Plus, the Bayern Quattro on the pitch (Audi is a club sponsor) reveals the day-to-day mentality that helped the German giants defeat Benfica and qualify for the Champions League semifinal (opponent to be determined Friday morning). Each day is an opportunity to improve.
I’m talking about practice.
The same practice that leads to championships.
P.S. Of course Bayern Munich has a Biergarten at their practice facility. Add that to the list.
Literary Literalness
Words have a way of taking on a life of their own, grasping the pen or keystrokes from the writer and venturing off into far and away tangents with no rescue line back to the original point in the first place. This, of course, begs the question of what was attempting to be answered in this evolving collection of increasingly obscure sentences? Where is the clarity, the weapon of choice for wordsmiths to make simple of the mysteries around us that results in before unknown and, therefore, profound revelations?
Let me take a second pass at this.
A scene from the upcoming film Genius starring Colin Firth, Jude Law, Nicole Kidman and Laura Linney captures the contentious, even torturous, relationship between writer and editor.
The process for great writers is often unconventional. Bottling the inspiration for the next great American novel is impossible to predict and anticipate. It happens when it happens for that patient, and ironically persistent, author. In rare circumstances, a finished product, after dozens of scratch-outs, edits and Whiskey splotches, upends the literary world.
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby comes to mind.
Fun Fact: Speaking of the late great Mr. Fitzgerald, Max Perkins (portrayed by Colin Firth) was his editor.
Returning to the clip above, Jude Law plays author Thomas Wolfe in what looks like a fascinating journey back to an age of literary giants in the early 20th century. Set for a June 10th release date, Genius is based on National Book Award winner Max Perkins: Editor of Genius.
Get ready to engage in another book vs. movie debate with notes of your own…
or edits, if you will.
Jimmy's Daily Planet 