Love and Sports

Love and sports have a lot in common.

For example, it is more fun to celebrate winning a championship with teammates than by yourself. Look at tennis players, all they can do is fall to the ground and hold their head when they win. But if you look at team celebrations, you have a big dogpile with guys flying in and leaping onto the pile. When something goes well in life, it is nice to share that with friends and family but it is even that much more special to share it with the one, THE ONE, person that you truly care about. Of course, THAT pileup would probably be much more enjoyable!

Another thing that they have in common is that no matter how well you play, you don't always get the result that you want. You can have your plan in place and execute it to a "t", even have the game of your life but you can still come up short on the scoreboard.

Sometimes you play your best but your teammates let you down or aren't following the game plan. Even worse, they are on the same game plan but just can't get the proper rhythm necessary for victory. (Johnny Drama: "VICTORY!!")

Which brings me to my personal anecdote: I have a great match up but it's almost as if halfway through the game we switch between XFL, NFL and college rules each play without anyone notifying my head coach. There is no action; just reaction and questions. I'm at the line, waving my hands and calling audibles just like Mr. Manning but my receivers can't hear me in the noisy dome (figures, my team is always on the road!) and the play clock ticks down quickly. But that's the thing about sports: the competition, the adrenaline, the preparation and the game itself. No matter the sport, each game is different in some way and even if you face a similar situation, the outcome could be radically different. I mean, who says that they aren't interested but then leaves her friends after 12:30 am to meet up with yours truly by herself at a bar that is out of her way, not even close to her path of travel between point A (outing with friends) and point B (her house) to spend some time together talking?!? I mean, I could understand if I owed her money or something, but c'mon! Does anyone have an explanation about this?

Speaking of sports, the WNBA All-Star game is coming to D.C. this summer. I know, I know that it doesn't have the same flare as say the MLB All-Star game (in San Fran this year, NY in 08 and St. Louie in 09) but it does highlight the best players and characters in a league. I encourage people to show up and I think that they will be pleasantly surprised with the quality of play. There are some other developments on the local sports landscape that I think will surprise a lot of people (more to come in an upcoming entry).

Speaking of quality of play, Becks was never considered the best player in the world or even in his own country. He is an amazing footballer but not the best or even the most fit. I think the U.S. equivalent would be A-Rod: a very strong player and great for highlights but isn't going to win championships by himself. Both players have a high Q rating which directly leads to their increased salaries over comparable players with the same skill set. Obviously, Becks raises the MLS's profile on the national and international sports scene but he is on decline as a soccer player. The sad thing about the MLS that no one has mentioned the substandard quality of play; that an over-the-hill, above average player from Europe will easily be one of the top players in this "minor" league as long as he keeps his focus on the field. I don't expect for the media to pick up on this as they are just happy to bask in his glow and sell papers & magazines.