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Will Qatar Shine in 2022?
There has been quite a heated debate centered on the 2022 World Cup and whether or not “the beautiful game” can still be played and enjoyed beautifully in 100 + degree Summer heat? Qatar is the host nation (thus far) and is comfortably situated in the desert sands and unrelentingly scorching sun of the Middle East.
Once again, the most obvious and asked question: Why would the World Cup, the most important soccer tournament in the world with the best nations and players, ever be held in the Middle East when soccer/football/futbol is played outside?
Answer: Money.
The answer is literally money.
The FIFA Secretary General, Frenchman Jerome Valcke, recently noted that the 2022 World Cup will be played, ”between Nov. 15 and Jan. 15 at the latest.”
Is this a good change for the sport and its most important tournament?
Important note: I have traveled to Doha, Qatar and it was wonderful to visit. The hotel was top-notch with an unforgettable indoor pool reminiscent of a palace. The city’s skyscrapers shine magnificently in the sun and the night sky as a visual portal into the future of what cities will aspire to become throughout the still young 21st century. The best word to describe the city and country now and in the future is new. The buildings are new, the hotels are new and the future to be seen and visited by the world will be new.
But soccer is old. Pubs that smell of beer, fish and chips and varying degrees of heartache and jubilation are filled with men and women, young and old, telling stories of that goal or the save to their children or grandchildren or even a perfect stranger. Framed pictures of cherished moments, colorful scarves and jerseys with legendary last names hang on walls. The pub, in and of itself, it just as much a club as the soccer club its patrons cheer so passionately for during the week and on those perfect Saturdays afternoons.
The sport is old. The love is old. The traditions are old. The stadiums are old. And the stadiums that aren’t old in appearance are old in spirit. The passion is old, but vibrant and palpable.
Walks along narrow, crooked neighborhood streets in the cold rain on the way to the game matter. Trekking up a hill or across a field in Germany to a match at sunset with fans of both nations is an incredible feeling. Walking around a historic city square with men, women and children proudly sporting their nation’s colors and singing their respective anthems matters as it sends chills down one’s spine.
Atmosphere matters. Being surrounded by history, unforgettable stories and memories is significant and something to be treasured, celebrated and honored. Culture is special and is earned with scars, suspense and success.
Make no mistake: the stadiums and amenities in Qatar will be spectacular and luxurious and the host nation will spare no expense.
Except on the things that cannot be bought.
ABC Has Dialed Up a Winner
“Two phone lines. What is this? The White House?”
Through the combination of preplanned, intentional and serendipitous circumstances and choices in life, ranging from picking a college to asking our future loved one on a date one Friday night to pausing on a page that featured a particular style of house seen in an issue of Midwestern Living, we find ourselves living where we do for a myriad of reasons. It really is fascinating to ponder at just how mysterious life can be sometimes.
That is, until you meet the neighbors.
On last night’s episode of “The Goldbergs,” Adam’s Tron bike (looked legit) lured the new neighbor Chad Kremp (aka-his new best friend) over to the side of the street that takes a more direct tone to dealing with your everyday events, like trying to talk down your moron son who is holding on for dear life while he sits stuck in a tree he voluntarily climbed.
You may be asking yourself “what the hell?”
Excuse me, “what the h-word?”
The Kremp family was proper, soft spoken and not akin to the Goldbergs style of parenting and general living practices. The dynamic of the Goldbergs and the Kremps represented the complete opposite sides of any spectrum, humorously of course. From sibling rumblings to different styles of clothes to the audible distinction between shouting and whispering, the road in between their houses might as well have been the Amazon River (Don’t go in the water…).
In the midst of a completely casual/”non forced” indoor BBQ, Beverly could not restrain herself with polite whispers after Barry and Erica were wrestling on the floor in front of their guests (and relentlessly hopeful BFF’s) because of a disclosed voice recording telling all of Erica’s crush on a certain Kremp who heard it to his surprise. In the heat of the moment, Beverly let loose “the” word.
Yes, that word.
And, in a word (literally), the BBQ was over. The families retreated to their corners…well, houses.
At this point, any form of reconciliation seemed nearly impossible. Not even Beverly’s walking/stalking in an absolutely glowing florescent track/speed walking suit could bring the Goldbergs and the Kremps back together. What could possibly bring these two polar opposites together?
When Virginia (Mrs. Kremp) was at the bakery counter in the local grocery store, who was allowing herself to be taken by the baker (the real Mr. Kremp by the way!) for an awful tasting pastry, Beverly popped in to save the day with a very public recount of the infamous “birthday cake fiasco.”
Not only did Mrs. Kremp get a fresh pastry as a result, but she also took a deep breath after this surprisingly helpful and friendly encounter with her more boisterous neighbor. But it seems like everyone on both sides of the street took a much needed deep breath.
Best friends reunited to continue filming their very own “Tron” and “Star Wars” sagas, siblings decided to take 5-minutes off from fighting to help each other out and Murray and Charles Kremp finally committed to doing something they liked together sans wives.
It was one of those rare, special family moments we’ve all shared where everything seems to click.
Despite the fact that crossing the Amazon River (or neighborhood street) can be treacherous, it’s important to remember that nothing worthwhile is easy. The good things is life take time and effort. Plus, it always helps to look at things from the other person’s perspective. In other words, it’s beneficial to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes.
Just ask Beverly, she walker-stalked Mrs. Kremp for two hours before she caught up to her!
“Nothing’s Gonna Stop us Now” by Jefferson Starship played at the end of the show. For those of us who grew up during some part of the ’80s, the following video was likely the first thing that popped into our heads (real and plastic)…
So, for a great time, just dial 976-
Just kidding! I meant tune into “The Goldbergs” at 9:00 p.m. on ABC Tuesday nights to travel back to the ’80s for a totally rad time!
P.S. Who else remembers the one phone line in the house? It was a simpler time…
Forever Yours
I’m quite flashy on the outside and at your disposal with a permanent knowledge of information you’ll need to know for the future. I am dressed top to bottom in the exact right colors. In fact, I’m a very sharp dresser. Although, to be completely honest, I did not dress myself. Still, I look good!
Summer has been very relaxing for me, though ultimately uneventful. However, when Fall rolls around, that is when my world will get really exciting. From this point on, everything will happen at a blistering pace. I’ll know where I’m sitting just minutes before kickoff. There are countless variables in the air and once the flow of the day starts, it’s anyone’s guess as to what could transpire next. I hear the band playing, see the sun shining and feel the warmth of a late September afternoon. Though I’m still felling chilly.
Life is good. In fact, OH-
It’s a long hike to the seats, but what a view! C-Deck is high up, but I can literally see everything on the field below. Without a doubt, this will be a glorious event. Today is what I’ve been waiting for all Summer. Luckily, this is just the beginning.
While I was hopeful I’d see the whole game, I suppose that was me being far too optimistic. Once the small popcorn ran out, my view was severely impaired. The time came when I had to go “below deck.” That’s my code for under the seat. I’ll likely remain here only until the game is over. Then, hopefully, my shelf life will soon begin.
Oh, I’m a souvenir cup from an Ohio State football game…and this is my story.
There is not always a guarantee that I’ll be picked up and taken home, but like my countless plastic brothers and sisters, I prayed before the game that my new friend would see me as more than just a medium Pepsi. I have so much more to offer!
The game ends and the Buckeyes dominated, which is what I gathered from all the cheering. Another great start to the season.
Will she pick me up? Please, please, please! There’s nothing I can do at this point but to sit here with my Scarlet and Grey shield, my trusty 2013 Schedule perfectly labeled and pray. This is the moment of truth. This is it. The next few seconds will change my life forever for better or worse…
She takes a quick “selfie” with the field in the background and a couple other pictures with her friends she met for the game. They were all in a celebratory mood. One step, two steps, three steps. She started her descent down C-Deck. A drip of leftover condensation rolled down my face. A few steps down the stairs, she turned her head and peered over her right shoulder. Thinking to herself, she debates whether or not she needs another cup. After all, last weekend she went to Target and bought lots of colored plastic cups for the school year. Technically, she was all set. After she took an exhaling breath, she gingerly made her way back towards her seat, reached down in the aisle and…
Yes! Yes! Yes! I successfully pulled off one of the most unthinkable things at the end of an OSU football game: a girl picked me up!
The rest of the day was a blur, a magical, life-altering blur.
Throughout the next several years, she and I were together during thick and thin, like that 10-page essay that was written in one evening and one really long night/early morning and when she spent a couple weeks on her couch after she sprained her ankle while she watched movies and television shows of past and present. Through everything, we were together. Despite sitting on a shelf most of the time, I somehow managed to stay on the shelf year after year. Even after slightly fading from those water and soap-soaked adventures in the dish washer, I survived. Every time.
The most special moments for me happened after she got married and had a child. Incredibly, during the need vs. want throwing away fest with her husband early on in her marriage, I stayed. Other precious items were thrown out, but I kept my spot on her shelf.
Back to her son. When she mixed some orange Tang for him in her trusty souvenir cup (me) one Tuesday after picking him up from school, she paused with a nostalgic smile. Turning the cup, it brought back memories of that day when she told all her friends she had gotten engaged the night before on a lake underneath the starry night in her hometown.
She nearly cried.
She then handed the cup to her son, now 5. As he drank it, she continued to reminisce about that weekend and how special it was for her. That game was one of those moments in life she’ll never forget. She’ll remember and cherish everything that was part of it…everything.
Then, as her son was was raising me higher and higher, some song lyrics popped into her head.
Summer’s heat or winter’s cold
The seasons pass the years will roll
Time and change will surely (truly) show
How firm thy friendship…OHIO!
She hugged her son and said “I love you.”
Talk about a Buckeye win for the ages.
Jimmy's Daily Planet 