Blog Archives
The Super Two-Step
The Carolina Panthers or the Denver Broncos?
“The Dab” or the old school high-five?
Dannon Oikos Triple Zero yogurt or Papa John’s pizza?
Super Bowl 50 features a young gun trying to make a name for himself in the NFL’s biggest game and a veteran cementing his legacy as one of the best quarterbacks in league history. The game should be great, with plenty of dynamic play makers. On that note, for Buckeye fans, Sunday’s Super Bowl will feature 5 players between the Panthers and the Broncos:
- Corey Brown (WR, Panthers)
- Ted Ginn, Jr. (WR, Panthers)
- Andrew Norwell (OL, Panthers)
- Kurt Coleman (S, Panthers)
- Bradley Roby (CB, Broncos)
- Jeff Heuerman (TE, Broncos, Injured)
Buckeye Nation is still in a bit of shock at how the 2015 season did not culminate in a shower of golden confetti and the school’s second straight national championship. Speaking as a Buckeye fan, that Michigan State loss at home…it still hurts. However, seeing former Buckeyes attempt to pull of a Santonio Holmes Super Bowl 43 performance will be a lot of fun to watch.
Which has better agility:
A panther or a bronco?
A Sky Full of Super Stars
It’s time to take a break from “Throwback Thursday” and engage in a “Throwforward Thursday.”
The day before the highly-anticipated release of their new album “A Head Full of Dreams,” Coldplay was treated to quite the opening act:
Super Bowl 50 will feature Coldplay as its halftime musical performer, offering fans an entertaining break from football…and commercials.
However, the Halftime Show is an awkward setting for any band. The excitement of the people on the field has to be almost manufactured through network choreography to ensure a great show (and visual cutaways) for the millions of television watchers (and advertisers). This doesn’t always allow for genuine reactions to the set or band in the purest sense.
With that being said, make no mistake about it, Coldplay can rock a stadium with the best of them.
Don’t believe me?
Turning the clocks forward, Super Bowl 50’s viewers will experience life in technicolor.
No Lions in Paris
(EPA)
Dutch tourism to France may be at an all-time low next summer.
The Netherlands soccer team suffered a devastating 3-2 loss today against the Czech Republic, who were not very kind visitors in the Amsterdam Arena. Missed opportunities for goals throughout 93 minutes, porous defending in the back and Robin van Persie’s miscalculation that resulted in an own goal sealed their fate.
It should be noted van Persie did score against the Czech Republic, along with Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.
Since the Dutch were hanging by a thread of hope and a prayer (a must-win game and Iceland victory) before kickoff, the odds against their qualifying for the playoff to then qualify to the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament in France were very high.
Still, the Oranje players and dedicated fans (myself included) had faith in an epic turnaround.
Despite injuries to key players (including, but not limited to Arjen Robben, Jasper Cillessen and much of its defense), it was expected that the Netherlands would be able to control its games and earn enough wins and ties to book its ticket to France in the summer of 2016.
They didn’t.
“…Netherlands finished fourth in the group and failed to qualify for the European Championships for the first time since 1984…”
–Tom Webber, Goal.com
Great teams in all sports experience injury woes that can paralyze their chances at grand success. Some of these teams manage to squeeze out wins, even when the odds were all against them. Even though the Dutch have had their pitfalls throughout its history (internal turmoil, lack of motivation), they have also had moments of glory and the best kinds of shock-and-awe. Just last summer, the Dutch finished third in the World Cup.
And this is where this defeat stings the most.
The expectations were and are sky high for this squad, as in a championship-level altitude. Some of the best players in the world are on this team. Let’s take a closer look with their age in parenthesis:
- Arjen Robben (31)
- Wesley Sneijder (31)
- Robin van Persie (32)
- Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (32)
- Rafael van der Vaart (32)
The fact is those listed above, a golden generation in their own right, have world-class talent, pace and vision. Age has not slowed them down. However, the reason for listing the aforementioned players who define the explosive and creative offense identity of the Dutch is to acknowledge that this was the last UEFA Euro tournament they could have competed for within their peak years.
As a tried-and-true Dutch fan for more than 15 years, it’s painful to even concede this reality.
The final score today was a disqualifying loss, but the opportunity to play for and potentially win a defining European championship was the real loss and it was (and is) gut-wrenching.
There are many questions to be answered in the coming days, weeks, months:
- Is head coach Danny Blind to blame when he had such a limited, bleak chance of success?
- Who will be the head coach for the 2018 World Cup qualifying?
- What players listed above will be leading the Dutch towards the next World Cup in Russia?
- Aside from Daley Blind, can the Netherlands find high-quality defenders?
- How quickly can this team fix its problems and return to playing world-class soccer/Total Football?
Fortunately, the KNVB’s current golden generation has a proficiency for answering its harshest critics every couple of years. They have one more chance lift a trophy to solidify their golden Oranje legacy.
From Russia, with love of strength and the World Cup trophy, 2018 is the mission of a lifetime.
Jimmy's Daily Planet 