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Crafting a Role Model
Ohio State’s Aaron Craft is everything that’s great about college basketball. Scratch that: Ohio State’s Aaron Craft is everything that’s great about basketball in general.
In the age of showboating, multimillion dollar contracts, vulgar trash talking and tattoos, Craft is a pleasant and welcomed anomaly from the days of John Wooden, as ESPN’s Rick Reilly put it recently. He hustles, bustles and flexes his muscles on the hardwood and in the classroom for athletic and academic records every single student dreams of having (at Ohio State and around the country) and every single parent hopes to see their child achieve.
He’s a role model. Not just for young kids running around and cheering in Buckeye jerseys with #4 stitched in Scarlet and Gray, but also for his classmates and contemporaries and their parents alike. His effort is as relentless as his honesty in post-game interviews, which underscores the metaphorical significance of sports to life.
In Craft’s case, it’s basketball.
You won’t win every game or ace every test, but you need to prepare as if you will and should. In college basketball, there are only 40 minutes. That’s it. Craft is a prime example of an athlete (and student) who wants the opportunity to win and excel and will do whatever he has to in order to earn those opportunities. Not a guarantee at victory, but the opportunity for victory, just as in life.
If you’ve watched him carefully throughout the past 4 years, he’s undeniably one of the most opportunistic basketball players around, which is what separates him from the rest.
As The Ohio State Buckeyes prepare to battle the Dayton Flyers in Buffalo, New York today, everyone in Scarlet and Gray will need to rise to the level of their relentless senior point guard if they want the opportunity to continue a journey towards repeating a championship moment in Buckeye history from the days of short shorts and $.10 popcorn.
If this were a movie, it might be called, The Human Rubik’s Cube Rises.
Golfing in Brazil
Nike (click the image for a larger view)
4 years ago, the Americans paraded around South Africa in a beauty pageant sash. This year, it’s a golf shirt/polo shirt (whichever you prefer). I want to offer a special congratulations to the entire Creative Department for the USMNT Soccer Jerseys and Uniforms at Nike for (again) successfully implementing that rare business plan centered on the premise of designing bland/unimaginative/terrible-looking jerseys that will sell like the complete opposite of something that sells like crazy.
With the biggest window for American commerce to soccer (which only presents itself every 4 years, mind you), Nike has again managed to design the most confusingly bizarre, plain-looking jerseys with the best colors and creative opportunities at their fingertips in red, white and blue, coupled with America’s amazingly inspiring history.
Nike has the vivid colors of red and blue at their disposal and they chose all white. The jerseys don’t need to be loud, but there are infinite possibilities regarding attractive color combinations and sharp designs for a quintessential American look that projects belief, talent and relentless heart (the collar should, without question, be blue by the way).
Is this uniform supposed to symbolize the vanilla and often predictable and mundane ball movement of the USMNT players on the field? If so, then maybe this uniform works.
Where is the creativity from the red and white striped-“Waldo” jerseys?
The premiere of the 2014 World Cup jerseys/uniforms for the United States could not have demonstrated less creativity or fewer instances of inspiring imagination on the part of Nike.
Interestingly, Nike has proven that simplicity can certainly work (see the new oranje Dutch 2014 World Cup jersey/uniform), but it has also proven the opposite (see the American 2014 World Cup jersey/uniform).
Nike had 4 years…4 years. It’s almost unbelievable.
Usually the terms “cash cow” and “soccer” don’t joyfully collide in the United States…and sadly, after this recent jersey/uniform reveal, they still won’t.
Yes, heat will be at least some issue and white is the best color to combat heat. But that’s no excuse for what Nike ultimately and willfully designed. Plus, the heat will not be the determining factor for the USMNT in Brazil. It just won’t. A darker jersey will not prevent them or be the deciding reason for why the USMNT may not progress out of their very difficult group.
Where’s Waldo?
Hopefully in Brazil this summer!
P.S. I had a jersey idea about a year and a half ago…
More Proof the ’80s are Coming Back
The U.S. Men’s Hockey Team will play against their neighbors from the north in Canada later today (noon, ET) in the semifinals of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. The United States has already defeated Russia in the group stage that ended in a thrilling shootout victory. Especially since Finland knocked Russia out cold with a 3-1 win the other day (some may want to place a GPS tracker on those players…), this match-up between the Americans and the Canadians will be elevated to another level.
The stakes are high with a spot against Sweden in the championship game, plus bragging rights between these two great nations, as well as between players on various NHL teams, are on the line (technically, the blue line).
Canada is traditionally considered the better hockey nation. So, how can the United States rally together to shock the world again this Winter Olympics?
I’m glad you asked (different opponent, but still the underdog).
Go Team USA!
Conceivably the Best 2-Nil Lead in Fußball
Important Disclosure: I (and many, many other fans) were unable to watch and/or record the Bayern Munich v. Arsenal game yesterday because it was not featured on Fox Soccer, but rather on Fox Sports 2. This channel, unfortunately, is pay-per-view. It’s one thing for a Bundesliga match to be pay-per-view, but a Champions League clash between two giant clubs when past tournament matches have been shown for free?
Not cool Fox Soccer…not cool.
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A question was asked in “The Relentless Journey of a Champion” regarding whether or not remaining on 4th and even 5th gear would be sustainable and ultimately rewarding for Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich squad heading into its Champions League clash with Arsenal at Emirates Stadium? This game also came after a German Cup match and a Bundesliga match (both solid victories with its top talent) just this past week.
The answer?
Yes.
It appears to be just that simple.
Even without the dynamic services of the injured Franck Ribéry and Xherdan Shaqiri, plus the recovering manager in the middle Bastian Schweinsteiger, Bayern Munich did not miss a beat as they handled a flurry of dangerous offensive opportunities from the Gunners throughout the first half and then absolutely dominated Arsenal in the second half for a convincing 2-nil victory with stunning goals from Toni Kroos and Thomas Müller (or so I read).
This win was also the first for Pep in Emirates Stadium.
A relieved and joyful check for the Munich manager.
It does need to be stated that there was a shockingly surreal occurrence with two missed penalties by a devastated player from each team in Mesut Özil and David Alaba (a fast right arm and a pesky left post), a red card for the Arsenal goalkeeper minutes before halftime, a few yellow cards and a sidewinder beauty tucked inside the top near post from Bayern’s Toni Kroos.
(Fortunately, somebody posted a free highlight video on YouTube yesterday evening)
What does this all prove?
It’s validation that “Pep’s Boys” (just made that up!) are intelligently and relentlessly preparing, working and reacting the right way in their weekly training sessions and during the all-important games. The team’s that think too much on-and-off the field tend to think a lot after the game about what went wrong.
When you can trust everything you’re doing, that’s one hell of an advantage over any opponent, regardless of the venue. Bayern Munich is playing its brand of fußballing chess and are moving themselves and their opponents with direct force, as well as with a passive aggressive nature that is paying big dividends at the right moments.
Plus, they are quite good at imitating the checkers move of jumping their opponent’s back line with an overwhelming effect when that moment presents itself.
Some could argue that’s a championship advantage.
When Arsenal travels to Allianz Arena in Munich on March 11th for the second leg, expect nothing short of a top-shelf lineup and effort from “Pep’s Boys.”
Anything less wouldn’t qualify as a championship effort.
Jimmy's Daily Planet 