And So It Ends...

Today the Men's World Cup ends. 

I has sad.

This has been the pinnacle of sport. Unlike the ADHD schedule of the Olympics, where you bounce from sport to sport, here you have multiple games of the same sport, played at the highest level. What's more, this Cup has been joyous. It has been dramatic (and controversial). It has featured the greatest player to ever play the game doing things at 39 that defy age and belief. It has seen tiny Cape Verde push the two finalists to the brink. It has seen fans scream and laugh and cry. Yesterday's 3rd place match - typically a desultory, listless affair between teams upset they aren't in the Final - was the most insane, entertaining game you could hope for. 

At a time when we feel more divided and angry at each other than ever, due to the unique attributes of Trump and the schisms that the social media algorithms exploit, this World Cup has been a beacon of joy and wonder. 

I am sad it's ending. I am grateful I was able to watch so much of it. 

A Shame

 Martin Longman writes about his lifelong love of soccer and how shameful the last 48 hours have been for US Soccer. The first four games of the World Cup were really joyful, as those of us who love the USMNT saw them play with creativity, verve and passion. This was the "Beautiful Game" in a red, white and blue jersey.

The red card for Flo Balogun was a terrible decision. However, as soon as Trump horned in on the issue, it became something different. He is universally reviled around the world and the only president who would embrace the culture of corruption that surrounds FIFA. When he worked to overturn the suspension, that outraged not just Belgium, but the whole football world. America went from a gracious host nation and a wonderful spirited side to the Ugly American bullies who don't play by the same rules as everyone else.

The first half especially of last night's game was an embarrassing display of timidity and nerves. This was not the same team that we had seen in the previous games. To be fair, it was not the same Belgium team that seemed to struggle to start games and waited until the second half to try and put away teams. They came out firing; we came out misfiring. 

In just the same way that the only game the Knicks lost during the NBA Finals was when that bloated narcissist interjected him into the story, so, too, did the USMNT deflate when he squatted his fat ass on their heads. 

They were most likely to lose against Belgium, who are a very good team. It was the WAY they lost that leaves ashes in your mouth, and I have to think that Trump's meddling completely fucked up the vibes. 

Everything He Touches...

 Donald Trump ruined the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. He insisted on making the whole damned thing about himself and his fragile ego, so he created that tacky, partisan laughably inept spectacle on the Mall. He hijacked the normal, bipartisan group created to celebrate the event and made it an ode to his corruption and narcissism.

And he wasn't done.

He apparently made a mafioso type phone call to fellow mobster Gianni Infantino to get FIFA to overturn the red card suspension of Flo Balogun, the US' leading goal scorer in the World Cup. This World Cup has been a miracle of goodwill and unbelievable games. Last night's England-Mexico match was mind blowing, but maybe not as mind blowing as the Cabo Verde- Argentina match. And then Norway beats Brazil. It's just been awesome. 

Martin Longman argues that Mauricio Pochettino should bench Balogun to honor the spirit of fair play. I understand the sentiment, though it seems a little odd at this level, as opposed to youth or scholastic sports. What's more, FIFA is corrupt as hell, so this is hardly out of the ordinary for them. 

Here's a few OTHER aspects of FIFA not exactly standing with moral clarity and fair play:

- Morocco's captain will stand trial for rape soon. He's still playing and Morocco are possible finalists.
- Ghana has a player facing rape charges, too. He's played until they were knocked out.
- FIFA has suspended other red cards during the World Cup, including one for Christiano Ronaldo. 

If I were Pochettino, I might not start Balogun but leave open the possibility of bringing him on in the second half if needed. On the other hand, Pochettino, Balogun and the USMNT have not done anything wrong. 

Trump and Infantino did. Maybe. 

This Cup finals has been glorious. Rights as it reached a crescendo of wonder and awe - Cape Verde, Norway, England at Azteca - Trump sticks his porcine snout in and tarnishes it. 

Freddie The German

 The World Cup is off to a great start, with compelling victories, heroic losses, honest draws. However, the star of the Cup so far is not Messi, Mbappe or Yamal; it's a German tourist who has won over the country and social media. During his travels - which are mostly narrations of food he has eaten and normal American shit that he's done - he has earned the attention of sports teams and American stars. JJ Watt hooked him up with a hotel room and a bunch of swag, including a signed jersey.

There are a few things about Freddie that have people embracing him. 

First, he blanks out his face (or rather covers it with his favorite player Renaldo's). Anyone else - any American - would likely be seeking to grab those fifteen minutes of fame. They would be trying to seize their monetized moment, like the Hawk Tuah girl. This guy is just looking to have a blast and largely succeeding.

Second, I think Freddie is seeing us the way we would like to be seen. America is going through some shit right now. Trump turning the White House into a trailer park is just deeply shameful. Our politics - especially online - has degenerated to Trump's level of invective nastiness. Lies and insults shape our public discourse.

But Freddie is simply reminding us that BBQ tastes great. That Buc-ees are both hilarious and impressive. That this really is a beautiful country and that most Americans are really nice. 

People are good. A person - some more than others - can be bad, but people are generally good and most of the damage they do to the world comes from fear, pain or ignorance. This World Cup is already full of moments like Freddie's that remind us that the best way to live is with open hearts and open arms. 

What A Lovely Evening

 Last night, we saw the best half of soccer that a USMNT has probably ever played - given the stage. 

We also saw them start to chisel Trump's name off the Kennedy Center.

Small victories, maybe, but we will take what we can.

Super Bowl Sunday

 As the Team I Hate The Most vies with the Seattle Seahawks for the championship, my miserable, wretched, cursed team decided that they should take one of their most controversial decisions from last year's draft and have it explode in their face. Meanwhile, a co-owner of the Giants is in the Epstein Files, less as a pervert and more as an enabler. 

Even the Olympics are now so riddled with professionals that it saps what used to be so compelling about amateurs competing when anything could happen. 

Meanwhile, my phone keeps telling me I need to get on FanDuels or Kalshi and become a degenerate gambler.

Olympics

 I went into these games with low expectations and enthusiasm, because unlike twenty years ago, our sports viewing options are so much more varied. It used to be that the Olympics were unique and the only opportunity to see something besides the Big Three sports.

Still, the games have been compelling. What I've loved have been things like the two moments the other day, where Pommel Horse Guy helped the US win Bronze and then the US women's rugby team won as time expired for their Bronze. I love that we are celebrating Bronze medals, especially in sports that we don't dominate. If we took Bronze in basket ball, that's a disappointment, but when it's rugby? Awesome!

Sports Suck

 I have a small gig as the Atlanta Falcons analyst for Draftek. That means I have to pay attention to their games, their roster, their salary cap and divine what they plan to do as a franchise adding personnel to win games.

Last night, Atlanta shocked the world by drafting Michael Penix, Jr. after spending a massive amount of money to add Kirk Cousins as QB1. They used the 8th overall pick on a guy who is going to be QB3 to start the year. In other words, they used scarce resources - money is Cousins' case and a top-10 pick in Penix's case - to fill one position, while leaving other positions wanting.

As someone who both cares about this and spends way too much time thinking about it, it was one of those gut punches that takes the air out of you. This is Atlanta, the 28-3 team. They keep finding new and horrible ways to disappoint their fans.

I'm going to quit writing for Draftek because I simply can't justify making myself feel bad for something I don't have to feel bad about.

Weird Times

 There are two stories that are not political that I think testify to the weirdness of the age we live in - where "information" is abundant but unreliable.

The first is the Kate Middleton saga. It is, of course, very sad when a young mother has to confront a cancer diagnosis. There is a superficial plausibility that they wanted to take time in order to tell their kids, in order not to upset them, though there is no good time for that conversation with young children. More astonishing is that "the Firm" so bungling the media approach to this. The photoshopped picture, the complete absence until yesterday...who thought that was a good idea? Into this void, every conspiracy theory expanded. 

The second is the Shohei Ohtani gambling story. Ohtani is one of the most bankable stars in all of sports and his interpreter (perhaps) racked up huge gambling debts and money from Ohtani's account was used to pay it off. At first, Ohtani said he was helping a dear friend out, then he switched his story to one where his friend stole from him, which strains credulity.

In both cases, we have a hamfisted series of public statements though for different reasons. Ohtani commented too soon and the Royal Family not soon enough. The absence of even a cursory statement from Middleton created a set of conditions where people could fill in their own plausible and implausible theories. Ohtani committed to one story (I paid my friends debts) which became a problem because he may have violated baseball's rules and California law in doing so, so he switched his story.

There is a particular type of moral scold who is wagging their censorious finger at everyone who advanced theories about Middleton, under the guise of "she deserves privacy". Does she? Isn't she a public servant employed at the taxpayer's expense? We freaked out when the Secretary of Defense was out of commission and incommunicado for a few days, and while the Princess of Wales is considerably less important than the SecDef, it's still a public position and there were months of this rather than days.

What's more, it's increasingly harder to understand what "deserves" or "should" means anymore. There are lots of things that "should" happen, but they simply won't.  Middleton should've been able to say that she had surgery and that complications ensued that will require more treatment until she had a chance to talk to her kids. She didn't do that and - as a public figure - speculation bloomed. Did she "deserve" that? No, probably not. Is anyone - and I mean ANYONE - surprised that it happened? Similarly, baseball's rules are VERY clear about gambling. Does Ohtani deserve to be suspended for helping a friend? No, but he likely broke a sacrosanct rule and what did he actually expect?

I hope Ms Middleton makes a full recovery and enjoys a long healthy life watching her children grow up. I hope Shohei Ohtani does not get the Pete Rose/Shoeless Joe treatment, even if he does get a lengthy suspension. I also hope that the people who are responsible for public relations can learn something from this ridiculousness. 

Red Cards

 Saturday was the final of the Rugby World Cup. The quarterfinals of this World Cup featured some of the best games I've ever seen. The heartbreaking quarter between Ireland and New Zealand was the best game I've ever seen. 

Yesterday, South Africa beat New Zealand by a single point, after the All Black captain was sent off for a red card that wasn't even initially called a foul. That meant that for all but about 15 of the 80 minutes, the All Blacks played 14 against 15. Now, it was probably a red card by the letter of the law, as it was a hit to the head with no attempt at "mitigation." However, he barely had time to drop his level a foot or so in order to mitigate it. Meanwhile, there were similar blows to the head by Springboks that weren't called.

Yes, I was rooting for New Zealand, BUT basically millions of people tuned in to watch a referee determine the World Cup. 

Bleh. Everyone deserved better.

The NFL Is Back

 It is now time to let 65 some men almost a 1,000 miles away ruin my Sundays all fall.

Fundamentally Broken

 I have been concerned for some time now about college athletics, and those concerns are now largely shared by others. The recent evisceration of the PAC 12 has drawn the attention of people like Jon Chait who note the failure of "market based" libertarianism to create a good solution to what has become a strictly money-making enterprise surrounding football and basketball.

The ridiculous move of schools like Washington and Oregon into the Big-10 creates an obvious problem for, you know, students. As Chait noted, the myth of college athletics was the solve surviving example of the amateur ideal in athletics that was formerly typified by the Olympics and rugby. As those two sports admitted professionals, the pressure on American college sports - at least the ones on television a lot - grew until it created a self-justifying monster of a profit incentive.

As we well know, the best paid "public official" in almost every state is a college coach. The four best paid college coaches, Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, Dabo Sweeney and Lincoln Riley will make over $10,000,000 this year. 

Let's take a moment to consider how many high school teachers or college professors or student education initiatives we could fund with that obscene amount of money.

Regardless "market forces" require paying coaches millions of dollars from the funds of nominal educational institutions so that they don't go somewhere else. This has been broken for years. Kudos to the following states whose highest paid public official is not a coach: Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, New York (!), Delaware, the Dakotas, Nevada, Montana and Alaska. (In four of those states, NY, the Dakotas and Nevada it's the med school dean). 

Now quick, name a powerhouse athletic program from those states. In fact, it's hockey in Maine, Mass and the Dakotas. So if you're a college hockey coach...screw you.

A few years back, college athletes were allowed to profit off their likeness, which again only really helped a handful of football and basketball players.

It should be obvious that the overwhelming majority of college athletes are not playing football and basketball, especially at a level that would bring them money. In football, in particular though it does apply a little bit to basketball, college sports are de facto minor leagues for the NFL and NBA. For other sports like MLB and MLS, players are just as often identified in high school and there are developmental teams and leagues to train them.

So, basketball and football have warped the entire structure of college athletics to create three super leagues. For the volleyball player, the wrestler or the tennis player how in the living hell are you supposed to travel across country to play multiple games and still remain a credible student. Sure, if you're playing football at Alabama or women's basketball at UConn, you might have a shot at making the pros (but that shot is pretty damned small unless you're a star). If you're a swimmer, there's almost no remunerative future for you in swimming. You are in college for the education and swimming was your ticket into a better school.

Recently, the Supreme Court ended affirmative action for racial minorities. Yet college admissions is hopelessly warped by certain schools privileging athletes (and, yes, legacies) over the "best students" whatever that means. 

At this point, the NCAA is such a festering pustule of a joke that it needs to be replaced with an entity - almost certainly governmental - that protects college athletes from the exploitation by the football and basketball profit-driven decision making of people who self-evidently don't give a flying fuck about education. 

Hell, we should probably sever the relationship between the semi-pro sports of basketball, football and perhaps baseball from education entirely. You could still affiliate with the school and athletes could take certain classes, I guess, but the idea that Oregon is going to somehow win a national championship in football by moving to the Big10 is stupid. It's all about the money and the money is poisoning sports.

I coach a team that does not produce college athletes (though I think my son could've wrestled DIII), and that makes me unique at what is supposed to be an elite academic boarding school. The football team has sent kids to Wisconsin and Stanford, lacrosse and hockey funnel kids to the Ivies and ACC schools. We did this because we did this. In other words, we didn't decide to become a clearing house for athletes, we saw that a top lax player could go to Harvard, which allowed us to say we sent X number of kids to Harvard.

However, I really do think that my wrestlers learn important things by competing in sports. It's part of character education that is a model going back to British boarding schools. You played sports to learn about hard work, teamwork, sportsmanship and leadership. Now, you play sports to get into a better school (and sportsmanship be damned). 

How is that educational? How is that augmenting the life of the mind? What the hell is the point here?

The Jersey

 Yesterday in the wee small hours, the US Women's National team crashed out of the World Cup. It was a tough road this year, as they played pretty uninspired ball in the group stage, which led to a second place finish. This led them to face a Swedish team in the round of 16 that was ranked 3rd in the world (the US is ranked 1).

While I was not awake to see it, apparently, the US played their best game of the tournament, dominating possession and creating all the meaningful chances during the first 90 minutes and again during extra time. They could not get past the Swedish goalkeeper and so it went to penalties. There, three Americans missed the goal mouth, including Megan Rapinoe. The Swedes seventh PK went over the line by millimeters.

What followed next is repugnant. The usual suspects in the US cheered on the American defeat. They labelled a team with numerous gay members an embarrassment. Stars like Rapinoe have been outspoken in support of Black Lives Matter, equal pay and the fair treatment of LGBTQ folks.

This led "patriotic real 'Muricans" to cheer on the defeat.

First, I doubt very much that most of those cheering the defeat know much about soccer or give two shits about the team except to hate on them.

This, however, distills the problem facing America today. Some Americans are cheering on the defeat of other Americans - in a sporting event, not an election - because they disagree with them. That's repugnant.

You cheer the jersey, and for those who say that the players "disrespected" the jersey by taking a knee (something done before most soccer/football matches around the world). These players dedicated their whole lives to wearing that jersey. Rapinoe had an absolutely terrible tournament, but she has left the jersey in a better place for her having worn it.

Jesus, get a grip.

This Is Awesome

 Lionel Messi has a very strong case to be the best soccer player of all time. He has won league and European championships, the Ballon d'Or seven times and recently added a World Cup title. He's 36 years old and decided to head to semi-retirement in Major League Soccer. He seems like a genuinely good guy who turned down millions from the Saudis to come and energize the MLS.

Last night, he made his debut for Inter Miami and won the game in stoppage time with a perfectly placed free kick.

What was so awesome about was not the consummate skill that he's shown for decades of playing in Spain and France.

It was the celebration. These games shouldn't mean anything to someone who's won everything the game can throw at him. 

Still joyous.

Damar Hamlin

 Last night saw one of those awful moments on live television, when Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field. While everyone loves to play online doctor, several actual doctors say that it certainly looked like commotio cordis - a rare event when someone's heart is hit at the precise millisecond that interrupts a person's heart beat. The hit Hamlin took wasn't especially vicious, it was simply at the exact wrong time in the exact wrong place.

Needless to say, this inspired the worst and the best in people.

Noted Righist troll, Charlie Kirk, led a phalanx of anti-vax idiots to propose that Hamlin's cardiac arrest was because of vaccines. NFL players are screened by EKG as part of their physicals. There is no evidence that vaccines cause any sort of cardiac problems, though there is evidence that actual Covid does. Regardless of the evidence, the troll army storms full bore into any event, any circumstance with their axes ready to gring.

Meanwhile, among real people, Hamlin had a Go-Fund me for a charity he runs that gives toys to underprivileged kids. He had hoped to raise $2,500. Since last night, he has raised over $3,000,000 from ordinary people who just wanted to help. 

Hamlin is in stable but critical condition, as one would expect after having his heart stopped. Back in 2021, Christian Eriksen, one of the best soccer players in the world, suffered a cardiac arrest on the field at the Euros. Similarly to Hamlin, CPR was administered and AED was used to get his heart started again. Eriksen made a full recovery and with the help of a pacemaker played in the World Cup last month. Hopefully, Hamlin makes a full recovery and is able to decide for himself where his future lies.

GOAT

 Yesterday saw perhaps the greatest single game in the history of any sport, by one of the greatest athletes of all time. The debate between Pele, Maradona and Messi can never be settled, since they played in three different eras. But the Messi-Ronaldo debate is done and dusted. Ronaldo's peevishness certainly diminished his luster, too.

To have  World Cup final - with the compelling narrative of the greatest player of his era versus the defending champs and the greatest player of the next era - would have been enough. Argentina's second goal was such a piece of brilliance, the parade seemed on in Buenos Aires. But Argentina struggles to finish games and France had a brilliant 90 seconds to tie it. 

When Messi put them back ahead in extra time...and then France tied it again...and then Martinez made one of the greatest saves in World Cup history...and then penalties...Holy crap.

It certainly helped my blood pressure that I wanted Messi to finally etch his name in the pantheons of greats to lift the World Cup, but I wasn't Argentinian.

Freaking Out A Little Right Now

 Under two hours until US v Iran. My yardstick for this World Cup was to advance out of the group. A win and nothing else does that. This is a damned good team, but one that does not score goals with needed regularity. Can they find the two goals they might need to move on?

Sports And Politics

 I don't really have any insights into this, but it was striking to me the last few days how much athletes and athletics are intertwining with politics on the global stage.

Obviously, we have the corrupt and illogical staging of the World Cup beginning next week in Qatar. From the moment it was announced until the moment they hand out the trophy, there has been a strong sense of WTF and disgust. Some of this naturally falls on FIFA, who make the Gambino Crime Family blush, but Qatar is apparently doubling down on being a shitty host and telling people not to protest. Good luck with that. I predict that at some point there will be large scale arrests during the Cup, either from drunken fans or LGBT protests. Well played FIFA

We also have numerous instances of Iranian teams refusing to sing their national anthem. I guess that constitutes a form of protest (as opposed to not knowing the words). There will be some interesting overlap with the Iranian men's team playing the US, England and Wales in the group stage of the World Cup. There's a fair amount of obvious bad blood between Iran and the US and UK. How will THAT play out against the simmering unrest in Iran will be interesting, too.

Meanwhile, on the subject of national anthems, Hong Kong's rugby team played the "wrong" anthem.

I guess to try and tie it together, the world in 2022 remains a brittle, fragile, angry, damaged place. Democracies are certainly dealing with this, but authoritarian regimes cannot by definition be flexible with their population. Sports elicits emotions in us that are hard to control. When they meet it could get combustible.

Tua Tagovailoa

 Last Sunday, Miami Dolphins Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion. I'm not a neurologist; I wasn't there; I saw it on television after the fact. But that was a concussion. He hit his head. Stood up and shook the "cobwebs" out of his head, took a few steps and stumbled forward. Looking at that, it was plainly obvious that he had a concussion.

The Dolphins medical staff let him back in the game after passing a concussion protocol.

Then, four days later, he suffered another concussion in a Thursday night game that was so severe he entered "fencer's pose" where his fingers curled up and his arms went rigid. It was scary and disturbing to see. After going to the hospital, he was released and flew back to Miami with his team.

The NFL Players Association is furious, as are outside watchers. What we know about concussions has exploded in the past few years. We know how dangerous accumulated concussions can be. We know how repeated concussions - especially those close together - can create long lasting cognitive and psychological issues. Junior Seau killed himself because of brain damage he received playing football.

The defense of "he passed the protocols" isn't a defense; it's an indictment of the protocols.

The NFL better get its shit together before someone dies on the field.

The Point Of College

 Biden's recent (popular) decision to cancel some student debt seemed to dance around a bigger question: what is college for?

Obviously, one answer is to provide some sort of vetting and training for professions and professional schools. You want to be a doctor? Pass organic chemistry and do well on your MCATs. You'll need a good undergraduate program for that.

"Job training" however would seem to be a low priority. You hear all the time that people responsible for hiring people directly out of college want generalists and people who did well in school, almost regardless of their major. Sure, a STEM major...blah blah blah. But investment banks hire English majors who they think can...think.

There are excellent vocational colleges and community colleges, where you go to learn a craft or job skill, and we should support them. We should also support the X-ray technicians and IT support personnel with decent societal benefits like universal single payer health insurance, but whatever. Different post.

All of this is what I thought should be the proper role of college in society, but I was wrong.

It was to pay a handful of football coaches an obscene amount of money.