Beautiful game. You either know or you don’t. (Eh, sorry DiFei. At least you’ve got a reason for blurting brain broke blabber in the Halls.)
Peak thrill in soccer exists in the split second before the act occurs. It is a contest of visualization and actuation, and eventually execution. As a fan, as a player, it’s a cascading wall of integers. An actuary table of probability. Performed on a stage by the best athletes in the world, in a coliseum ringed by rabid fanatics whose mortal souls rise and fall with a bouncing ball.
I will say this ... there's something about having an IPA at a Wings and Rings, while they have a Premier League game on the majority of their screens, that somehow gives me the nice vibe that I've been transported to a pub in London. Although, with enough IPA, the match broadcasters can lull you into a sleepy trance. It can also be entrancing to watch the match and wonder if anyone will score -- it is beautifully dramatic in that aspect, and that coming from someone who never played soccer in his life.
I remember taking my son, "the kid who just started playing organized baseball at 13," to an FC match at Nippert. Tickets were free, from one of my wife's work colleagues. I had been to Nippert for several UC football games in the past, but had never heard that place so loud, so continuously, as that FC game. Drums beating, face paint, colored smoke canisters going off, constant songs and chants ... it was almost as it the whole place was preparing to go to war, circa 1300, rather than rooting on the home club. It was definitely an exciting, charged atmosphere, so I can only imagine what TQL is like currently.
Never thought I'd see the day, though, where a pro soccer club would outdraw baseball's first professional franchise. That's a testament to the effort FC has put in, and the lack thereof of the "where else ya gonna go?" crew.
Although I never played soccer while growing up, I worked one summer as an equipment manager for the Cincinnati Comets, a pro team coached by Dr Capuro. I primarily drove them around and they played at Nippert stadium. It was an interesting experience being around a diverse group of players. There were older former pros from Argentina, Brazil, and Germany, and a group of upcoming stars from Costa Rica. I was amazed how well they played together as a team even though a few didn't even speak English. Nippert had astroturf at the time and I recall the bad burns they had after games. There were never more than 200 people at the games, but I enjoyed watching their skills and learning about their cultures. I think a key reason soccer has become popular is that anyone can play it. Only baseball is an option for those who mature late and are 5'4 and 110 lb going into high school. (That's why I joined a rock band). I also think soccer has replaced baseball for group outings because concession prices are more reasonable.
Although I always liked Robin Trower, I liked it better when he was with Procul Harum. They are still one of my all-time favorites, partially due to having both piano and organ, and I played keyboards in my bands. They should definitely be in RHOF.
My relative indifference to soccer as a paying fan has always been a personal mystery. Like every red-blooded American boy, I tried all the sports around me with enthusiasm even if I had success at only one (golf) as a young man. Soccer was just getting off the ground back in the day and it had no popular support in my local world.
Now, it is the undisputed king of planet Earth (except for the NFL, of course). I continue to try to watch the big games (World Cup/Premier/Champions/etc.) but after about 20-30 minutes of 0-0, I am looking for the remote. As a result, the new millionaires on the pitch will get rich without my support. Best of luck to them!
Now, the important part. Imbiber Dave has turned me to the New Pornographers! Once I got past laughing at the name (a little brazen, don’t you think?), I spun a few at Amazon Music and will agree, I have been clueless for years. I’m thinking I might even have an indie pop metamorphosis. Yes, that’s a stretch but stranger things have happened so who knows?
As for Robin, he was the closest I ever got to reliving the Hendrix experience. His best song, Too Rolling Stoned, brings back memories that can never be told to the grandchildren. But when played on the car stereo with only one listener, the clock spins backwards!
Bridge Of Sighs was one of my favorite albums from the 70's - decided to revisit it a few years ago and was astounded how well it stood up and how well it still serves as road music on a summer day. Here's a great interview with RT at 77 from last year in which he discusses his strongest influences and the sole time he saw Hendrix perform - still going strong now after 26 albums and includes a very tasty and timeless track from his latest offering.
Geez, what’s with all the anti soccer talk? Cincinnati is a huge soccer town. The local Fortune 500 companies recruit people from all over the world. Lots of them show up religiously every week to play together. It’s a game that unites people.
I played for 28 years in the Over 30, then Over 40 leagues. Then I ruined a knee. On any given Sunday you’d compete with or against guys from every continent. Friendships and community happen. We all drank beer together after the match. One of the teams I played on had Mexican factory workers, business professionals and an orthopedic surgeon. No one cared about such things, we were just soccer players and a team--and sports fans. Unless you try to play, you don’t understand the skill and teamwork required.
Yes, no one likes a 0-0 tie---boring! Don’t tell me some MLB & NFL games aren’t boring at times too. I watch highlights of the MLB & NFL games vs. wasting hours watching all the stupid TV adds, which take up as much time as the games. I do watch most playoff football in it’s entirety. I also watch the full Bengals games--now that we have a team.
If you haven’t yet, go to an FCC game and focus on the speed, skills and teamwork. Guys can pass a soccer ball with the same precision and accuracy as a Joe Burrow pass--with their feet. They can dribble and juke opponents as well as any NFL RB. It’s the world’s favorite sport for good reasons.
I am 66.5 years old. You brought back some great memories. Always been an NL guy. When I first got interested in MLB I latched onto the the Dodgers. Just because they were the best. Koufax and Drysdale et al. Somehow my dad got tickets to the first game of the 1965 World Series. We lived in Iowa so made the drive to the Twin Cities. Alas, my idol Koufax did not pitch the opening game cuz it was Yom Kippur. My Dodgers lost. I recall sitting in front of the black and white TV watching the All Star Game. It was magical. What great memories. Thanks, pal.
Soccer. Let's see. Love watching the World Cup and the Olympics. If I still lived near Cincinnati, I'd probably eventually get to a game. My one experience playing was when I joined a league. Maybe 10 years old. The 'coach' put me on defense, told me this was my position, and to stay there. I watched the entire game from there, and I believe the ball got within 30 yards of me a few times. No thanks. Soccer may be hot right now, but when the baseball and football teams are competitive... we'll see. Oh yeah. Robin Trower is one bad mammajamma!
Agree on wanting to see Aaron Judge. An incredible talent. However, also agree on lamenting the demise of the American League/National League rivalry. The All Star game was a highlight of the summer because you were rooting for YOUR league and had a chance to see great players from the other league.
"CL3 didn’t get to drive a Bentley around the 275 loop by picking lots of scratch-off ticket winners." No, but he did make the wise decision to be born a direct heir to CL & CL2. Which by no means diminishes his acumen (see Phil C across town at club de base), but he was was gonna get the Bentley whether or not the soccer gig panned out.
Meantime, having been to the FC game earlier this week, they really do have a beautiful venue, impassioned fans, and a quality product on the field. But at the end of the day it's still... soccer. It's fun, but I can't get too worked up - win, lose or draw. I went to Ohio State when the football team was meh and the synchronized swimming team was winning national titles. It's nice, right? But at the end of the day, what's the football team doing?
I agree interleague has dulled the shine on AL teams. And the new schedule model will diminish it further. That said, Judge is one of those guys. I gotta think getting there early for BP would yield lot of opportunities to nab a ball.
Re: F de C de C .... I hate to say I told ya so...just kidding, I LOVE to say it....I told ya so. 😉
Love the fact that Apple and MLS have allowed local radio broadcasts to be synched to the streaming video for home games…
Tommy T and the Cowboy synched to the MLB broadcast? Think the MLB would have a clue to try something like that???
I am a big fan of Lalo and their Mexi-Pad Thai. yum.
Beautiful game. You either know or you don’t. (Eh, sorry DiFei. At least you’ve got a reason for blurting brain broke blabber in the Halls.)
Peak thrill in soccer exists in the split second before the act occurs. It is a contest of visualization and actuation, and eventually execution. As a fan, as a player, it’s a cascading wall of integers. An actuary table of probability. Performed on a stage by the best athletes in the world, in a coliseum ringed by rabid fanatics whose mortal souls rise and fall with a bouncing ball.
I never thought I'd say this but if I had an offer of Reds tickets or FC,I'd take the FC (unless the Reds tickets were diamond seats. )
I will say this ... there's something about having an IPA at a Wings and Rings, while they have a Premier League game on the majority of their screens, that somehow gives me the nice vibe that I've been transported to a pub in London. Although, with enough IPA, the match broadcasters can lull you into a sleepy trance. It can also be entrancing to watch the match and wonder if anyone will score -- it is beautifully dramatic in that aspect, and that coming from someone who never played soccer in his life.
I remember taking my son, "the kid who just started playing organized baseball at 13," to an FC match at Nippert. Tickets were free, from one of my wife's work colleagues. I had been to Nippert for several UC football games in the past, but had never heard that place so loud, so continuously, as that FC game. Drums beating, face paint, colored smoke canisters going off, constant songs and chants ... it was almost as it the whole place was preparing to go to war, circa 1300, rather than rooting on the home club. It was definitely an exciting, charged atmosphere, so I can only imagine what TQL is like currently.
Never thought I'd see the day, though, where a pro soccer club would outdraw baseball's first professional franchise. That's a testament to the effort FC has put in, and the lack thereof of the "where else ya gonna go?" crew.
Things I’d rather do than watch soccer..in no particular order
- watch paint dry
- watch grass grow
- gouge my eyes out with a spoon
- have a root canal without novocaine
- watch a continuous loop of Scots commercials while simultaneously being repeatedly kicked in the 🥜sack
Sorry JP😬😉
Although I never played soccer while growing up, I worked one summer as an equipment manager for the Cincinnati Comets, a pro team coached by Dr Capuro. I primarily drove them around and they played at Nippert stadium. It was an interesting experience being around a diverse group of players. There were older former pros from Argentina, Brazil, and Germany, and a group of upcoming stars from Costa Rica. I was amazed how well they played together as a team even though a few didn't even speak English. Nippert had astroturf at the time and I recall the bad burns they had after games. There were never more than 200 people at the games, but I enjoyed watching their skills and learning about their cultures. I think a key reason soccer has become popular is that anyone can play it. Only baseball is an option for those who mature late and are 5'4 and 110 lb going into high school. (That's why I joined a rock band). I also think soccer has replaced baseball for group outings because concession prices are more reasonable.
Although I always liked Robin Trower, I liked it better when he was with Procul Harum. They are still one of my all-time favorites, partially due to having both piano and organ, and I played keyboards in my bands. They should definitely be in RHOF.
My relative indifference to soccer as a paying fan has always been a personal mystery. Like every red-blooded American boy, I tried all the sports around me with enthusiasm even if I had success at only one (golf) as a young man. Soccer was just getting off the ground back in the day and it had no popular support in my local world.
Now, it is the undisputed king of planet Earth (except for the NFL, of course). I continue to try to watch the big games (World Cup/Premier/Champions/etc.) but after about 20-30 minutes of 0-0, I am looking for the remote. As a result, the new millionaires on the pitch will get rich without my support. Best of luck to them!
Now, the important part. Imbiber Dave has turned me to the New Pornographers! Once I got past laughing at the name (a little brazen, don’t you think?), I spun a few at Amazon Music and will agree, I have been clueless for years. I’m thinking I might even have an indie pop metamorphosis. Yes, that’s a stretch but stranger things have happened so who knows?
As for Robin, he was the closest I ever got to reliving the Hendrix experience. His best song, Too Rolling Stoned, brings back memories that can never be told to the grandchildren. But when played on the car stereo with only one listener, the clock spins backwards!
Does Johnny Thinwallet have anything that’s tripled in value in 5 years?
Bridge Of Sighs was one of my favorite albums from the 70's - decided to revisit it a few years ago and was astounded how well it stood up and how well it still serves as road music on a summer day. Here's a great interview with RT at 77 from last year in which he discusses his strongest influences and the sole time he saw Hendrix perform - still going strong now after 26 albums and includes a very tasty and timeless track from his latest offering.
https://www.goldminemag.com/interviews/robin-trower-talks-about-hendrix-impact-on-his-guitar-playing-the-weakness-of-rock-hall-more
Geez, what’s with all the anti soccer talk? Cincinnati is a huge soccer town. The local Fortune 500 companies recruit people from all over the world. Lots of them show up religiously every week to play together. It’s a game that unites people.
I played for 28 years in the Over 30, then Over 40 leagues. Then I ruined a knee. On any given Sunday you’d compete with or against guys from every continent. Friendships and community happen. We all drank beer together after the match. One of the teams I played on had Mexican factory workers, business professionals and an orthopedic surgeon. No one cared about such things, we were just soccer players and a team--and sports fans. Unless you try to play, you don’t understand the skill and teamwork required.
Yes, no one likes a 0-0 tie---boring! Don’t tell me some MLB & NFL games aren’t boring at times too. I watch highlights of the MLB & NFL games vs. wasting hours watching all the stupid TV adds, which take up as much time as the games. I do watch most playoff football in it’s entirety. I also watch the full Bengals games--now that we have a team.
If you haven’t yet, go to an FCC game and focus on the speed, skills and teamwork. Guys can pass a soccer ball with the same precision and accuracy as a Joe Burrow pass--with their feet. They can dribble and juke opponents as well as any NFL RB. It’s the world’s favorite sport for good reasons.
I am 66.5 years old. You brought back some great memories. Always been an NL guy. When I first got interested in MLB I latched onto the the Dodgers. Just because they were the best. Koufax and Drysdale et al. Somehow my dad got tickets to the first game of the 1965 World Series. We lived in Iowa so made the drive to the Twin Cities. Alas, my idol Koufax did not pitch the opening game cuz it was Yom Kippur. My Dodgers lost. I recall sitting in front of the black and white TV watching the All Star Game. It was magical. What great memories. Thanks, pal.
Soccer. Let's see. Love watching the World Cup and the Olympics. If I still lived near Cincinnati, I'd probably eventually get to a game. My one experience playing was when I joined a league. Maybe 10 years old. The 'coach' put me on defense, told me this was my position, and to stay there. I watched the entire game from there, and I believe the ball got within 30 yards of me a few times. No thanks. Soccer may be hot right now, but when the baseball and football teams are competitive... we'll see. Oh yeah. Robin Trower is one bad mammajamma!
Agree on wanting to see Aaron Judge. An incredible talent. However, also agree on lamenting the demise of the American League/National League rivalry. The All Star game was a highlight of the summer because you were rooting for YOUR league and had a chance to see great players from the other league.
Finally, excellent choice for today’s tune!,
"CL3 didn’t get to drive a Bentley around the 275 loop by picking lots of scratch-off ticket winners." No, but he did make the wise decision to be born a direct heir to CL & CL2. Which by no means diminishes his acumen (see Phil C across town at club de base), but he was was gonna get the Bentley whether or not the soccer gig panned out.
Meantime, having been to the FC game earlier this week, they really do have a beautiful venue, impassioned fans, and a quality product on the field. But at the end of the day it's still... soccer. It's fun, but I can't get too worked up - win, lose or draw. I went to Ohio State when the football team was meh and the synchronized swimming team was winning national titles. It's nice, right? But at the end of the day, what's the football team doing?
I agree interleague has dulled the shine on AL teams. And the new schedule model will diminish it further. That said, Judge is one of those guys. I gotta think getting there early for BP would yield lot of opportunities to nab a ball.