Sport Icons of the Americas: Pele, Ali, and Jordan

 Sport Icons of the Americas

            Zlatan Ibrahimovic gave an interview that caused him to trend on Twitter. The tall Swedish soccer player gave his opinion on athletes and their role in society. In particular, he mentioned the likes of Lebron James. Zlatan’s take was along the lines that he is not a fan of athletes gaining status and using it to get into politics. To quickly summarize, stick to sports, or what they are good at.

            Zlatan can voice his opinion, he is known to have very strong views, usually of himself, but this one he jumps into something he knows very little about. This is not to say that Zlatan is wrong or said something offensive. In fact, I believe that he stated what he said based on his personal professional career. One where he has built himself up and has avoided (so far) to be pulled into arenas he isn’t familiar with. It is one thing to say that Zlatan avoids politics and another to say that others should as well. In doing so he puts himself into a historically naïve category. One where people with the luxury of saying they stay out of politics can and do so for their personal and most likely financial reasons.

            I wouldn’t condemn Zlatan as purposely aiding the oppressor, but when people are not informed like in this particular situation, it doesn’t help the oppressed at all. The “white moderates” as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. put it in his writings. I also do not take Zlatan’s comments, not just this one, but overall, with any bearing. However, his interview did make me think about the athletes across the Atlantic from the likes of Zlatan and their view in politics.

            To focus on the Americas I picked three athletes. The criteria I chose was simple, they have or had to be black, successful in their sport and a global icon. In other words, the GOATs (Greatest Of All Time) of their respected sports. And the very last but not least one was that they had to be from the Americas, aka the New World. Pele, Muhammad Ali, and Michael Jordan were the three athletes that I have been thinking about as of late in the topic of sport and politics.

            Pele is the only player to this date to have won three World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970) and is in most if not all conversations of being one of the best soccer players ever! Muhammad Ali was one of the best boxers not just of his times, but ever to set foot into a ring. Michael Jordan, the six-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls is the standard when it comes to discussions and heated debates on who is the best basketball player ever.

            These three athletes played different sports and in somewhat a similar time, from the 1950s to the early to mid-90s. All three have left their mark and not just in their sport, but on a global stage and that is where my interest and analysis comes in. For those who have studied each athlete in a biographical manner or race and sport may have a gist of where my generalizations come from. Pele literally represented Brazil at an international sporting event. In a new Netflix documentary about the Brazilian soccer star juxtaposes Pele’s playing career and how the government of brazil went from a democracy into a military dictatorship.

            Pele was an already well-known global icon when Brazil was overtaken by a military coup. Which is why I think he was spared from any serious repercussion from the military government. In fact, they used Pele as a model for national unity and Brazilian prowess after the 1970 triumph in Mexico. There are pictures of Medici holding the word cup trophy along side the men’s national team. Brazil has had and still has a racist history with slavery and keeping their black citizens as second class. However, to paraphrase Gilberto Freyre, observed that Brazil had treated their black population better than their neighbors up north after taking a visit to the United States. Not sure if that was an attempt to critique the United States or use them as a way to defend his native country of any sins, but all I know is that it does not look good either way. That is where the next two athletes come from.

            Muhammed Ali and Michael Jordan were born in the United States. Their status in American sports has cemented these two as legends of their sport era. That is where the similarities end. Their talent on the court and in the ring were remarkable, but what they did outside is what differentiates these two Americans. Muhammad Ali was very outspoken especially against the United States invasion of Vietnam and its treatment on Black Americans. Ali avoided the draft on the implications that it was immoral and due to his religion. This caused a rebuttal from the authorities that stripped him of his rights to box in the United States. However, Ali continued on his chosen path and never backed down.

            Michael Jordan was silent for the most part when it came to off the court issues. One thing he did was capitalize on his name and image creating the Air Jordan brand making him into one of the richest athletes ever. One could argue that at the time it was after the civil rights movement, what more was there to fight. Yet, that would not be an honest analysis. Jordan’s teammate, Craig Hodges, continued to fight for representation and fair treatment on the Black community in the US. Hodges attempted to get Jordan to speak out as people would listen to him. But Republicans buy shoes too, right?

            Pele, Muhammad Ali, and Michael Jordan all had GOAT worthy sporting careers that propelled them to become global icons. Outside of sports each of them was different. One could argue that Pele and Michael Jordan may have had more in common than Ali. The comparison isn’t to tarnish or rank these athletes, but to understand how they lived their lives outside of sport because sports are just part of it. Pele played soccer and helped establish Brazil as a soccer nation even though his nation was overtaken by a military dictatorship. Muhammad Ali was just a boxer, yet he was drafted to fight in a war he did not want to for a country that did not see him as a citizen. Michael Jordan established himself as one of the most marketable brands ever.

            They were black athletes that were in different situations and responded differently to survive or challenge the status quo. Zlatan has no idea what it is to be black, quite frankly neither do I, but analyzing these three American athletes reveals the challenges they had to face outside of sports. Therefore, how can one stay out of it if they are smack in the middle of it? Michael Jordan was able to get rich in a nation that condemned the likes of Muhammad Ali for speaking out against it. That same nation supported military dictatorship coups all across Latin America that prompted suppression and obedience in society where the people of Brazil looked to Pele as a form of human validation, hope, and pride.

LA Sports Trade of the 20th Century

 

Stadium and Politics: LA’s mega trade

Los Angeles is no stranger to blockbuster sport trades. Jared Goff for Matthew Stafford being the most recent trade to have occurred in Tinseltown. One could argue that it comes with the territory for representing the city. It has to be a big splash or don’t do it at all. The trade I am talking about occurred about fifty years ago and it involves all sort of non-athlete players. How Walter O’Malley and Los Angeles got a stadium for the Dodgers.

            Dodger Stadium sits on top of Chavez Ravine looking down at Los Angeles. The “myth” as Andy McCue puts it in his article Barrio, Bulldozers, and Baseball The Destruction of Chavez Ravine is that families who wore mostly Mexican American were removed for the construction of a baseball stadium. McCue argues that both occurred, but that not necessarily in a direct manner as the city removed tenants in 1953 and the Walter O’Malley did not show interest in LA until 1957. Therefore, creating this myth that was amplified due to the images of officers removing residents that made it to the papers.

            There are quite a few players from different arenas that I want to introduce before I address the “myth.” Let us commence with the two Californian republicans that somehow are still used as positive and negative connotations depending on context. Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. At the time Richard Nixon was Vice President and Ronald Reagan was union president of the Screen Actors Guild. The issue here was Public Housing. The incumbent mayor of LA, Fletcher Bowron a liberal republican, was in favor of public housing and had eleven sights in the city on his agenda. His adversary, Norris Poulson also republican, opposed public housing claiming it was a waste of money and socialism in disguise.

            Ronald Reagan supported Fletcher Bowron. However, in the 1953 mayoral election, Norris Poulson unseated Bowron. Nixon supported a measure for the city to get out of its contract for public housing. By 1953 after court rulings and political maneuvering the community was destroyed. The land was sold to the city for $1,279,000 under the condition that it would be for “public purpose.” Walter O’Malley did not have an interest in relocating his Brooklyn Baseball team until 1957. The gap suggests that it was political turmoil not Walter O’Malley and the Dodgers who removed the residents from their homes.

            Moving on from the political figures and their positions, we can focus on the trade between the city of Los Angeles and Walter O’Malley. LA gave the O’Malley 315 acres in Chavez Ravine in exchange for the minor league ballpark, Wrigley Field and its nine-acre plot. The city also threw in $4.74 million in land preparation for the stadium site and in exchange, O’Malley would build an invisible youth center.

            BUT WAIT! THERE IS MORE! Like all blockbuster trades there has to be some drama. Not all Angelenos were in favor of this move and enough signatures were gathered for a referendum. Prop B would be on the ballot in June for the people to decide. A ‘yes’ vote would approve of the move. Spoiler, it passed. It required some campaigning from stars such as Lucille Ball and Ronald Reagan who took part in the “Dodgerthon.”

            Fun fact to take away from here. Ronald Reagan flipped ideology when it came to welfare assistance programs. As Governor of California, he became a strict narc on welfare in the state and even challenged Nixon—president at the time—on his Family Assistance Program on combating poverty in the country. The fake cowboy really made Nixon seem liberal here, wild.

            Now back to the trade, who won? Yes, residents did get displaced, but the Dodgers won the World Series in 2020. And if the Mexican American population still had some resentment, the team did sign a young pitcher named Fernando Valenzuela who turned out to be a stud and swayed the hearts of the community the stadium displaced. So, a tie? All kidding aside the complexity is the point of it. There are so many angles that it is difficult to point to just one. Sports have a way of shaping the culture around a community. Give it time and it will continuously evolve.

            Finally, to address the “myth.” McCue argued that the time lapse was evidence that the image of a woman being removed by officers enhanced a sentiment that necessarily may not have been genuine. He further argues that the Arechiga family who were one of last few families to hold out till the end were not necessarily poor and had properties across the city that had living tenants. My answer to the “myth” is that the evidence presented is accurate and well thought out to an extent. Yes, Walter O’Malley’s decision to relocate his ball club did not cause the city of LA to displace residents from their homes. But if one of McCue’s arguments is that the Arechiga family were not some dirt poor Angelenos be forced to leave their only home, then it can be argued that the rich white owner benefitted from the system while it hindered a Mexican American family.

            My intent is not to get a movement to hate a team or forcing people to learn the history before supporting a team. It just isn’t that simple. Which ever way a person may think about this trade is up to them, I just wanted to bring it up since LA sports trades were a thing this week. To end it by taking a full quote from Benjamin Lisle’s book Modern Coliseum, “’It is not morally or legally right for a government agency to condemn private land, take it away from the property owner through Eminent Domain proceedings, then turn around and give it to a private person or corporation for private gain,’ –councilman Edward Roybal.”

The FloridaLympics

 

The Florida Olympics

            The summer Tokyo Olympics are set to go as planned at the moment. Which plan is that? I do not know either. Just like most people who spent way too much time online I came across the idea that Florida could possibly step in to host the summer Olympic games. Granted that has no merit and bear with me I am trying to make a point here.

            There is a pandemic going on which has revealed a lot about those in power. The grossly incompetence is obvious by how nations are handling or ignoring the situation. However, what it also has revealed is that the old ways were just as bad. Which makes sense given to how inadequately prepared the world was when confronted with this virus. This failure of the world can be seen through the lens of the Olympic games.

            Full disclosure I love sports. I dabble a bit in sport history, but I enjoy watching sports, reading about them, and when it was of the time before participated in them. The Olympics are special and fascinating topic to study, both ancient and modern games. My studies were shaped by professors who are experts in the field and emphasized the importance the games along with the short comings of the Olympic legacy.

            The modern games are the Florida Olympics. The games were supposed to be held in 2020, but due to the pandemic they were eventually postponed. But even prior to pandemic the games were not necessarily without scandal. Hosting the games are expensive and the International Olympic Committee is not free from bribery scandals when it comes to awarding a city the games. Andrew Zimbalist breaks down the economic components of the games really well in Tokyo 2020 and Its Postponement: An economic Prognosis. To summarize, Zimbalist reiterates what is already well known, the myth of economic prosperity of the Olympics.

            A few key interesting takeaways from Zimbalist’s work come to no true surprise other than the magnitude on how expensive the city and country have to spend just to prepare for the games. The 2013 estimates from the government of audit board had the cost at $7.43 billion and increased to $13.43 billion in three years. That is the cost that excluded building a new stadium that had an estimate cost of $2.4 billion. A study from the University of Oxford found that the average cost overrun since 1976 is 252%. I know, I had to look up “cost overrun” just to make sure my mind was blown proportionally only to realize this is a lunatic amount. If that isn’t enough add in that the IOC moved the marathon to a different city without consulting the governor and the head of the Tokyo Organizing Committee resigned due to a bribe paid to the IOC in the range of $2.3 million in 2013.

            But hey, this isn’t Florida, right? I sincerely do not mean to bash on the state of Florida and only tend to use its American societal connotation as a comparison to the leadership and accepted practices of the Olympic Game preparations and bidding process. I do not know what or if the games will happen in 2021. I am not sure if I even care if they do or do not. My heart goes out to the people of Japan and the athletes around the world who have trained and worked so hard only to be screwed over again.

(below is the link for the Zimbalist’s paper)

https://olympicstudies.org/tokyo-2020-and-its-postponement-economic-prognosis/

Stafford for Goff Investment

 

LA Rams

The GameStop of Football

 

            The Los Angeles Rams finally got an answer at the quarterback position. Jared Goff along with two first-round draft picks and a third-round pick were traded to the Detroit Lions in exchange for Matthew Stafford. There is no surprise that a trade happened. The surprise might stem from the draft picks the Rams traded away, but not on the fact that they needed someone else under center for the next season. As a Rams fan who like most fans around the country tend to have an unwavering support of players on their favorite franchise. I for sure fall under that category.

            To clarify, I did not believe that Jared Goff was the next Joe Montana, but I watched this past season gutted every snap he took. Before the thumb injury it was obvious to me that Goff was terrible. If I, a sit on the couch eating pizza and chips fan, can see this than I have no doubt McVay and the rest of the team’s coaching staff were well aware of their quarterback situation throughout the season.

            Goff is heading to Detroit and Stafford is coming to Los Angeles. The obvious is that Stafford is a better quarterback than Goff. The issue the Rams have was that they had a contract that no team would be willing to take on a simple player for player trade. The Rams pulled it off with Detroit. Yes, they pulled it off.

            As previously mentioned, I am a Rams fan and my bias will always show. The view of some sport radio and shows I have listened to break it all down on who won the trade, how much the future may impact the Rams or the Lions and the usual stuff that follows a blockbuster trade. Some say the Rams lost because they gave up so much for a soon to be 33-year-old quarterback who has on resume not really accomplished much. In fact, if one lays out a few select stats Goff can easily be portrayed as the better player. I do not care.

            I am excited that the Rams have a new quarterback! I can’t say that I have had an interest Stafford but like most fans around the league I know of him. A good quarterback with a really bad team. One of the knocks is that the Rams have no first-round draft picks until 2024 and I do not share the same sentiment. I have seen this franchise go from Kurt Warner to Marc Bulger to Sam Bradford to Jared Goff. Having Matthew Stafford for a couple seasons is not that bad. To address the draft picks, the Rams have disappointed on the offensive side when it comes to picking young talent. I am still furious that the front office thought Tavon Austin was better than DeAndre Hopkins.

            I am in support of this all-in win now approach. I am aware the team in the future may be limited on their moves, but I am fine with that. I lived through the Jeff Fisher era. I will be fine. I may regret having this thought process, it may attribute to the GameStonks movement in me where I disregard for the conventional wisdom and caution. TO THE MOON!

Leeds United v. Pep Guardiola: Money in coaching

             Leeds United hosted Manchester City today to a 1-1 draw. Pep Guardiola's team was dominant in the first 20 minutes where I suspected that Leeds was out of there depth and based on their playing style would easily let in 3 more goals. However, Leeds did not break from their playing philosophy. Bielsa's coaching style was well demonstrated on the field today. I don't want to merely summarize the match as mostly anyone reading this can find others much more qualified for that. My interest lies more in the typical nostalgia factor of they don't make them like that anymore. 

            There is no surprise that Manchester City have a significant economic backing from their ownership group. The back four are one of the most expensive back lines in football. That is where I want to focus on, the money. No, this isn't the usual money is destroying the game and brings a disadvantage to other teams and blah blah blah. The emphasis on the money is how it has changed or can change coaching and managing a soccer team. The two managers for this game. Pep Guardiola and Marcelo Bielsa are two masterminds in the footballing world. Pep a genius and Bielsa "el loco." 

            The game was entertaining to watch, but it was difficult not to notice the way the teams were built. Guardiola has almost all the resources available to him while Bielsa is on the opposite end. Both teams are built in mind with their coach's approach to the game. Just one has unlimited amounts of cash or it seems that way while the other is a team recently promoted from the second division. To be fair, Leeds United did spend this off season. Their goal scorer tonight, Rodrigo was purchased for his services from the Spanish side Valencia for quite the price tag, breaking a club record.

            This in no shape or form am I suggesting that one coach is better than the other or one side has an unfair advantage. My focus here is on the coaching or the approach to coaching a team with the influence of large amounts of money. Bielsa is carrying what I would consider the traditional approach where a coach has a team and must develop the players and team philosophy to complete their goals. Bielsa has revitalized the like of Kalvin Phillips in the central midfield role. This is not to say that Guardiola has not or can't do the same, which he has in the past. The issue is that now, Pep can turn to money to attempt for a quick fix for his side. In no way is that wrong or foul play, but today we saw that Mendy may not be the answer for Manchester City at left back. Full disclosure I watch Leeds United more than I watch Manchester City and could be wrong on my player analysis. Mendy could have just had a bad game and the pouring rain did not help either. Yet, for an expensive backline I would expect better from all four defenders. 

            The issue with money is that Bielsa is forced to coach players and their roles more intensely than Guardiola due to not sharing the same deep financial pockets. I see that Bielsa is a coach from the Sir Alex Ferguson era where one must make their team and players better with reliance on team chemistry and individual growth from certain core players year to year and game to game. I am not naïve to state that Manchester United did not spend massively on players during Ferguson's time in charge, but he didn't have the same approach as the other coaches who wanted to find a finish polish player every transfer market. Guardiola is an excellent coach with a huge budget or not. However, I sense that coaches are looking for the quick fixes which makes sense with the amount of pressure and limited time they have to turn a team around and get results. I wonder if that is one of the issues causing Manchester City's sluggish start that has carried over from last season. 

            I rate both coaches in the upper echelons of coaching. One clearly has financial resources while the other must rely much more heavily on his coaching philosophy. Which makes sense when Bielsa has stated that Leeds only know how to play one way. This is no ding at the teams with money at their disposal, it would be foolish for a coach to have that resource and not utilize it properly. I just wonder if that is being used as a primary method to fix a team further reducing the coaching role requiring to coach than to a manager trying to fit and control new star recruits for their team to function.   

California Law v. NCAA Policy

           California is giving the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) a headache. The state senate and assembly passed their own versions of the Fair Pay to Play Act. If the legislation passes, it still needs to have minor details between the two bodies of government worked out, would allow for college athletes to monetize their image and likeliness through a third party. This would mean that college athletes would be able or protected by California state law to hire an agent. An athlete could essentially be paid to be in local commercials or received payments for their autograph at a signing event.

            This doesn’t sit well with the NCAA and its policy of amateurism. All student-athletes are amateurs and therefore cannot receive any form of monetary payment. However, college football and basketball tend to resemble professional sports rather than a local or regional sporting event. The president of the NCAA has issued a warning that if the law passes the not-for-profit organization would ban all schools from California. UCLA, USC, Stanford, and Cal are a few of the big-name schools that would face a dilemma. Whether to follow state law or the NCAA’s policy. The state of California also has other schools that participate in division I sports such as Cal State Fullerton (Baseball) and San Diego State. This would place plenty of schools in a bind.

            The Fair Pay to Play Act, if passed, would not go into effect until January 1, 2023. However, the NCAA is prepared to challenge California’s law in court. Most likely through a federal court on the notion of interstate trade and commerce. The legal battle will be an interesting one to follow, but it might end up being settled if the NCAA changes its policies before the law goes into effect.

            One of the threats that the NCAA states it will issue is banning schools from participating in Bowl Games or playoffs. Which is a serious threat as many schools will miss out on monetary gains. One of the possible implications would be that high school prospects would opt out from joining schools in California and that high-quality coaches would not take a job as they would be barred from any NCAA championship.

            BUT! What about the students’ perspective?  The assumption that student athletes would avoid USC, UCLA, Stanford, and Cal because they would not be NCAA playoff eligible seems to miss a few key points. Lets not forget that the current trend among college football athletes is to sit out on bowl games as they are deemed to be too much of a high risk especially for athletes that are prospects to be drafted in the early rounds of the NFL draft. The second point is that making money tends to be a huge motivator. Mallory Pugh left UCLA’s women’s soccer program to go pro and get paid! Why do something for free when one can get paid to do it?

            This is in no way to diminish the spirit of the sport, especially in the older fan community. There is something admirable about playing a sport just to play. However, NCAA football and basketball players do not play just to play. They are amateurs by name only. I play soccer on the weekends and no one who reads this knew that. That’s amateur. I would want to see the law go into effect and be curious to see if top high school prospects actually prefer to attend the universities in California. The schools will still have athletics, granted they may turn local and regional due to being barred from the NCAA, but I am a strong believer that college sports in California will not vanish once or if the law is passed.

            A top prospect would play less games, travel shorter distances for away games, and has the opportunity to get paid. Those conditions seem to favor the student-athlete. The law would affect all student athletes in California so that would mean that tennis players, volleyball, swim, track and field, and other sports would be eligible to pursue the same economic gains without being banned or punished by the NCAA. Football and basketball players will most likely generate a higher price tag, but that’s just the free market working out right?

            The law will challenge and force the hand of other states as well as the NCAA to act and define the role and limitations of collegiate athletes. If a student-athlete opts to play for free and just accept a scholarship then great, their choice. But, that choice should not limit the options of other college athletes from pursuing their liberty and happiness.

"The Life of J.Z." by Jay-Z

     The National Football League's commissioner, Rodger Goodell, met with Jay-Z , one of the most successful rappers of all-time and a hip-hop mogul. The two had a joint media session in the Roc Nation's office building in New York. The general public has taken notice or is most likely aware that the NFL has had an image problem for quite some time. Starting from the withheld concussion information to the players' protest. Colin Kaepernick is rightly given the credit on starting the dialogue by sitting and then kneeling during the national anthem that is traditionally played before a sporting event.

     Kaepernick's protest was to raise awareness on police brutality and the inequality that exists in the country. It was spun and turned into a debate about the flag and symbolism rather than addressing the real physical impact a bullet has on human flesh. There is so much to unpack and unravel from that. However, that is not the main purpose for what is to be discussed today. That is not to imply that the words of the President and many others who lack or have a very limited knowledge of sport history should be ignored and not properly addressed.

     The focus is on Jay-Z. He partnered with the NFL to develop the NFL's social-justice initiatives by creating a place and space for players to speak out on issues and the Super Bowl halftime show. I don't want to be a skeptic, but I have a sense that the latter is what Roc Nation will be more heavily concerned with. After all Jay-Z is a smart businessman and why wouldn't you want your entertainment company to have an exclusive inside access pass to one of the country's most watched sporting event? To clarify, the focus on Jay-Z is not to excuse the multiple times the NFL has botched on social and health issues or make Roger Goodell the good guy here. The thesis is to understand some of the backlash Jay-Z has received due in part of this partnership deal.

     There are quite a few ways to go about this. The method I chose was to examine a few words that Jay-Z said that left me scratching my head. Especially since it came from someone who has utilized his platform pretty well when it has come to social issues. The quote in full below. Granted there is more to the media session, but this caught my eye.

“I think that we forget that Colin’s whole thing was to bring attention to social injustice, correct?” Jay-Z said during the press conference. “So, in that case, this is a success; this is the next thing. ’Cause there’s two parts of protesting. You go outside and you protest, and then the company or the individual says, ‘I hear you. What do we do next?’ So, for me, it was like, action, actionable item, what are we going to do with it? Everyone heard and we hear what you’re saying, and everybody knows I agree with what you’re saying. So what are we going to do? So we should, millions of millions of people, and all we get stuck on [is] Colin not having a job. I think we’re past kneeling. I think it’s time for action.”
   The first part that I question is Jay-Z stating that one protests an "individual or company." That right there says a few things and Jay-Z unknowingly undermines Kaepernick. Colin Kaepernick was not protesting an individual (President 45?) or a company (NFL). He was protesting police brutality and inequality which Kaepernick said from the very beginning when reporters asked him why he took a knee. 

      From my understanding the majority of protest are intended and aimed at government institutions for failing their citizens. Which is a social structure problem not an NFL or individual issue. In that context, Jay-Z has shifted the systemic problems Kaepernick wanted to bring up into the forefront of national conversation towards a solution.  A solution that two companies will attempt to solve. To be fair, Jay-Z did not say that this partnership will solve institutional racism that exist in the country. 

     That follows my second problem with what Jay-Z said. Which was that he implemented "we" as in millions of people were stuck on Colin Kaepernick not having a job. That plays into the hands of the NFL when it comes to their public image of the league blackballing the former Quarterback. Jay-Z fails to see that Kaepernick used his platform to speak out on social issues and lost his job for it. The NFL is a company that exist within a much larger structure. That structure is the US economy that is more of a pro-enterprise market than a free market. Enterprises have been given more rights and leniency than individual Americans. That is the excuse that has allowed for laws and practices to strip Black Americans from their rights, land, and jobs. That is were I think Jay-Z fails to understand the history of racism in America. 

     I believe that Jay-Z has well intentions in his partnership with the NFL, it will certainly benefit his company. However, this is a business to business partnership and the bottom line is to make as much money as possible. This is similar to the outrage I sometimes read about people calling Hollywood or other sectors of the entertainment industry as hypocrites. Yes, the entertainment industry may have liberal and progressive views, but their main thrust is to entertain not get the Democratic candidate in the Colorado senate race elected. 

     This is my guess in why part of the backlash Jay-Z has encountered the last few days. There may be a lot more to it, but by entering this partnership Jay-Z is not thinking about Kaepernick or else he would have had him take some part in this. It is very early to predict the future with how this will turn out. The financial details have not been disclosed and Jay-Z has not had any time to demonstrate his work and vision in this project. All I know is that the structures will limit and social justice progress. 

Using Drugs to Enhance Performance is Cheating

          

          Swimming is not really known for having bad boys or drama outside of the pool. Speaking as someone who views sports and consumes most information from living in the United States, I don’t hear much from the sport. Michael Phelps and the Summer Olympic games are the only reason, for the most part, that my curiosity is peaked about what is going on in swimming. Yet, the reason I dedicated a brief space and time for swimming has nothing to do with either.

            Sun Yang, a swimmer from China, won gold in the 400m freestyle event in the championships in South Korea. Sun was caught using a performance enhancement drug (PED). He tested positive for a banned stimulant, trimetazidine, in 2014. Mack Horton, an Australian swimmer and Olympic gold medalist from Rio, was not happy with the result and did not stand on the podium along side his competitor. Horton took silver in the race but was clearly upset that he lost to someone who he has called a cheat in the past.

            The drama further escalated as some swimmers sided with Horton’s action on not shaking hands or posing pictures with Sun Yang. Sun was not happy and stated that it was unfortunate.

            This is some high-level drama considering I don’t necessarily follow swimming and tend to be associated with the masses who only care about the sport every four years. The reason this story piqued my interest was because of the view on drugs within the sport by athletes. I am in the camp where I think that athletes should be allowed to use PEDs, but in a regulated and safe manner. I am aware that my view is not widely accepted as the ethical pathway, but I do have reasons at the structural level of sport that shape my view. However, that debate shall be revisited at another time.

            The significant aspect of this event outside of the pool shares the view on how swimmers view their competitors who used PEDs. They are cheaters. They broke the rules and therefore are cheaters, simple. I do not disagree with Mack Horton’s camp and think he is right to complain. The reason I bring this up because it is fascinating to see who the athletes view PED users. Granted their reaction is not a real surprise as I doubt anyone enjoys losing a competition to someone who did not contest fairly, but that the protest from Horton is a moment in sport history that should be remembered for the larger debate. 

Quick Notes on 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games

In exactly one year from today the Tokyo 2020 summer Olympic games will commence. There will be a few events that will start before the opening ceremony on July 24, 2020. The Olympic medals that will be awarded in 2020 were revealed today at the capitol of Japan. The medals are unique in how the precious medals were obtained. There will be a decent amount of recycled material used in the medals and the gold, silver, and bronze obtained from public donations from mobile phones were utilized. Not to be confused, the public donation of recycled mobile phones does not account for all of the precious medals used. But it is a sign on how Japan wants to design the Olympic games to the world.

The international sporting event is a time when the host city and most of the time the nation can demonstrate to the world who they are and what they represent. That is no secret, but it works to a certain extent. Tokyo is planning on having robots in the image of the Tokyo 2020 mascot at events greeting people. This creative sport political image shaping is a reason behind host cities and nations seek the opportunity to host the Olympic games. The Olympic games are awarded to a host city, but the nation also provides a lot of input and influence over the campaign.

This is an example of sports being about nationalism and political. At its core value the Olympic games are about competition and human pursuit of excellence, but the human factor is a reason why the topics of nationalism and politics are inescapable. The Olympics will focus on the winners that stand on the podium, but one should keep in mind that the winner’s nations national anthem will be played as they step up to receive their medals. This is the reason why there is an anti-Olympic movement. Politics are decisive and perspective based. Nationalism is not necessarily a negative ingredient as it does make sporting events much more fun especially if one knows the history of the nations and can conjure up historical events to create a mental rivalry. The more basic one is that of supporting one’s nation and excited at the sight of winning and be associated with that nation.

However, the reason politics cannot be ignored and tends to be the more divisive measure is due to a few reasons. The main reason is money. The Olympics are a fun and exciting sporting event that momentarily unites people from all over the world in one place to share common values and interest. Yet, hosting the games is a very expensive burden that tends to fall onto the locals. Whatever the billions of dollars that one will read or watch on television during the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games, beware that 70% of cost will be covered or was paid for by the taxpayer. Which is how this great sporting event gets political and unavoidable. When money is being spent that belongs to the taxpayer two essential questions should be prompted. Do the games bring economic growth to the host city? What happens after the games are over? To keep it brief, no and the city residents are left with a large portion of the bill.

The Olympics are fun and entertaining to watch. I will be watching the games and keeping track on all the athletic events as possible. One should beware that there will be protesting and instead of moaning and complaining that sports and politics do not mix or that this is not the right place or time understand that sports as never stood alone in a vacuum from the rest of society and that is a reason why sports are fundamental to human society.

The Sun has not Yet set on the Old Empire

The Sun has not Yet set on the Old Empire

            The UEFA Champions league and the Europa League will be contested by four English club teams. Liverpool versus Tottenham for the champions league match and Arsenal against Chelsea for the Europa League. An astonishing feat for a league that has not had recent success in the Champions league. The last English team to win it was in the 2011-12 edition when Chelsea defeated Bayern Munich in a penalty shootout. Manchester United was the last English club to win the Europa League fairly recent as the red devils lifted the trophy in the 2016-17 season. Having all four teams be from one league in Europe is an impressive accomplishment that I can remember. The most recent kind of dominance in Europe by one league that comes to mind is during the 2013 to 2016 span when both European competitions were won by teams from La Liga. This will guarantee that the English premier league will secure a similar kind of dominance in Europe.

            It will come to know surprise to those who share the game watching experience with me that I am not too big on the English side as being thee best league, or top five in international competition. However, their recent run in Russia during the 2018 World Cup was an entertaining run and one worth acknowledging their great performance. This adds to it as I will concede that the English have gained traction in getting things right that past couple of years. Now for those who think I take the contrarian route in disliking the English have it quite wrong. I do not go against them simply because they are popular and well marketed league, hats off to them for it. My view has always been that I did not see the same thing that the fans of their respective teams saw in them. For example, I did go for the English national side during their run in the world cup because I enjoy a good underdog and redemption story like most fans. But, that is how I have always seen them.

            Now that that clarification is out of the way, back to the English being good in football. The Europa league will be contested by two sides that really did not look so great for the majority of their domestic campaigns. Chelsea brought in Mauricio Sarri to take the club to the next level and potentially challenge for the title. That did not go as planned. The Sarri ball side finished 3^rd in the league but it did seem as if the team regressed from the previous year and limped their way into third as neither of the other teams really wanted it either.

            Arsenal can be seen in a more positive and forgiving manner as the side was managed by a new coach in Unai Emery. Arsenal were and are currently in a rebuilding phase and at times showed the grit and resilience that was lacking under Arsene Wenger’s last few seasons in charged. Emery has given the Gunner’s faithful some hope for the club, if the board fully commits and gets behind their new manager, and confidence that he is the right man to lead the team back in the right direction.

            Both teams had their issue in their domestic campaigns, but little of that was visible during their European cup competition. Not sure if this is as impressive of an accolade given that both clubs are much more financially off then the rest of the teams that compete in Europe, but both Arsenal and Chelsea are teams that began their campaigns in the actual group stage of the tournament. Which has not been the case for the last six tournaments where at least one has been from the Champions league tournament. Now both teams could potentially be in the Champions league next year depending on the outcome in Baku.

            Liverpool and Tottenham will play in Madrid for the Champions League final. Liverpool just finished the league in second pushing Manchester City to a record run only to fall short off them by a point. Liverpool under Klopp is not really a surprise as I think most footballing fans will be aware on what kind of team Liverpool has become under the German manager. If Liverpool win on June 1^st they will become the third most successful club in the competition. They will go from 5 trophies to 6 placing them on clear of Bayern Munich who have 5 and one shy of second place AC Milan.

            Tottenham will have an opportunity to win their Champions league trophy and award Pochettino his first title with the club as well. The Argentine manager has done a phenomenal job guiding the club to their current position without any new signings this season. The club has transformed into a well playing side that has challenged the top clubs in England and Europe.

            Liverpool are heavy favorites, but Tottenham are not a club to be overlooked. Chelsea may have a great side compared to Arsenal based on player for player comparison by position, but Arsenal did not reach the final by accident. Tottenham will be without an inform Henry Kane who will most likely be available but will be a surprise if he starts. Liverpool at the moment look like the side that has not faults other than the mental fatigue that can be attributed from a hectic domestic season. Arsenal seem the weakest of the side simply because their defense is still awful and in desperate need of an upgrade over the summer. This season belongs to the English as their teams have demonstrated that they can play among the very best and have gifted us with two exciting finals that I will definitely watch.

My 2 way too early matches to be excited about-MLS

     The Major League Soccer (MLS) regular season schedule was recently released for the 2019 season. It is never too early to get excited for upcoming matches. I apologies for the click bate as it says 2 matches, but what I really mean is two teams I am curious to see play against the LA Galaxy. Of course the local derby between the Galaxy and LAFC is one to mark down. However, I have singled out these two teams, San Jose Earthquakes and Columbus Crew, for the back stories.

San Jose Earthquakes vs LA Galaxy
 
     The LA Galaxy will play San Jose Earthquakes twice this season, the first one away and two weeks later the second game will be played at Dignity Health Sports Park-the same stadium, but with a new name-in Carson, California. The main reason why this match up interests me is because of the two coaches in charge of the teams. Matias Almeyda will take charge of the San Jose team and attempt to make a bottom of the table team into a competitive team that can shows some life. On the other end we have Guillermo Barros Schelotto who will be tasked with rebuilding a Galaxy team that has been struggling since the departure of Bruce Arena two seasons ago.

     The California Clasico is always an intense match up between these two teams who are not too found of each other. The background of both coaches already enhances the story line. Matias Almeyda, started and finished his playing career with River Plate. Almeyda also started his coaching career with the Argentine giants. Guillermo Barros Schelotto's affiliation is with River Plate's cross town rivals, Boca Juniors. Barros Schelotto played and managed the Bueno Aires based club. I am not sure what the relationship between the two managers is and I would doubt they have a grudge or some sort of resentment for one another, but that leads to the second reason why this mini series should be circled. The back story of these two coaches adds an element to the rivalry, but they are also two coaches that are good at what they do. Almeyda had plenty of success in Mexico with las Chivas de Guadalajara. Almeyda implemented an attacking mindset at the club, he will definitely face challenges replicating that success in San Jose.

     Barros Schelotto is more organized and is a pragmatic coach who manages his team with what he has to achieve success. Which is a good fit that he landed the LA Galaxy job. In his press conference, Schelotto stated that he wants his team to attack, which isn't a bad idea except he might soon realize his defense is a mess. It is too early to accurately analyze how the two teams will be set up and play, I mean preseason has yet to commence, but if both these coaches are properly backed and given time I can see this match up as being one of the fun ones to watch. I am a strong proponent of bringing South American coaching ideology to the MLS. 

LA Galaxy vs Columbus Crew

     The LA Galaxy will visit the Columbus Crew on May 8 for the only match up between these two clubs. I circled this match for the same reason I did the previous one, the coaches. This one is not necessarily Caleb Porter, the Columbus Crew head coach, versus Guillermo Barros Schelotto, but more in the realm of Porter against the LA Galaxy organization. The Galaxy hired a new general manager, Dennis Te Kloese, to take charge in rebuilding the club and restoring it to it's glory days.There were credible rumors that the LA Galaxy were looking to hire Caleb Porter for the job. Te Kloese, Porter, and Chris Klein, the president of the LA Galaxy, were spotted sitting together at a Laker game.

     From what I read it turned out that Porter turned down the offer to accept a better offer with the Columbus Crew. I am not blaming Porter for accepting a better contract, at the end of the day everyone needs to get that bread. What I am baffled by all of this is how it left the power structure for the LA Galaxy. I am not one hundred percent sure, but I doubt Caleb Porter was Te Kloese preferred candidate for the coaching vacancy. If Porter was hired it would feel as if hiring Te Kloese was pointless and the responsibility should fall on Klein. However, at the end of the mini saga I think it all worked out for all parties involved. The match up will have Caleb Porter facing the LA Galaxy while Guillermo Barros Schelotto will be playing against the club where he achieved great success as a player winning the MLS Cup and MVP award. It will be fascinating to see the reception Barros Schelotto will get when he returns to Columbus as the Galaxy's head coach. 

   

La Liga Standings Reflection

End of the Year Standings for La Liga

              La Liga is on its two week winter break and now is an exceptional time to look and reflect on the current league standings for the 2018-19 season. La Liga has been highly competitive as FC Barcelona and Real Madrid have already suffered multiple loses. The top 4 doesn’t appear how it normally does in the past few seasons.

The Top 4

              The top four teams in order from first to fourth are FC Barcelona (37pts), Atletico Madrid (34), Sevilla (32), and Real Madrid (29). Real Madrid has played one game less than the three teams that currently sit above them in the table due to their participation in the FIFA Club world cup. Real Madrid won the international club tournament. Which is a nice moral boost to a team that is not doing well in the league especially by their standards. The galacticos have already lost 5 times this season, last season the team suffered 6 loses and finished third. And in the previous two seasons before that Real Madrid didn’t even reach 5 losses in each of their league campaigns. Based on these numbers, if Real Madrid wants to seriously compete for the league title, they will have to go on a near perfect run in the second half of the season.

              FC Barcelona just acquired Jeison Murillo on loan from league rivals Valencia CF. The defender will compete and fill in the defensive duties due to injuries from Samuel Umtiti and Thomas Vermaelen. Vermaelen has been hurt since he joined the Catalan club. For the very high standards that is expected from Barcelona I would say that they aren’t playing at their best and have issues as well. Messi is phenomenal and Demebele is performing productive performances even with the hiccups off the pitch. Sitting at the top of the table while their arch rivals are in 4^th is a nice holiday gift Barcelona can give to their fans.

              Atletico Madrid are in second place and are quietly performing better as the season progress. Los colchoneros have only lost once this season in La Liga by the hands of Celta de Vigo. Atletico drew against Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, but that should not be a real surprise as Atletico Madrid have the most ties (7) among the top 4 teams. Which is a reason why they are in 2^nd instead of 1^st during the break. To me, they are the most credible challengers to Barcelona for the league title.

              Sevilla are in 3^rd and play a style that is attack minded and score goals. The Andalusian side has 30 goals scored as a team, second only to Barcelona’s 48. The team is well balanced and coached well. If Real Madrid continues to struggle, they will finish not only behind Barcelona and Atletico, but to Sevilla as well.

Relegation Battle

              The bottom of the table of La Liga is not too much of a surprise as newly promoted from the Segunda (second division), are holders of the last two places in the table. Huesca sits at the bottom of the table with 8 points and Rayo Vallecano is in 19^th with 13 points. Those two club will need a good run of games in the second half of the season with a few other factors to get out of the relegation zone.

              The surprise this season, in a shocker rather than impressive, is Villareal in 18^th with 15 points. They are in 18^th and final position that sends a team to the Segunda. Last season Villareal finished 5^th earning a spot in the Europa League competition. They do have a game in hand and are only one point away from safety. The team above Villareal is Athletic Bilbao. The Basque team is one of three teams to have never been relegated to the second division. The other two are FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. However, unlike the two heavy weights, Athletic Bilbao has not had the same success and has been accustomed to playing for survival in the last season. Bilbao is a side that normally fights for a top 5 finish, but has been giving their fans anxiety as they have bobbled around the relegation zone this current and last season instead of chasing for a spot in a European competition.

My Favorites

              Valencia CF jumped from 15^th to 8^th on their last game before the winter break. Los che have 10 draws, 10! They are tied with Athletic Bilbao for the most ties this season, and Bilbao is in a relegation battle. The difference is that Valencia has 4 wins and only 3 loses. They have less defeats than the teams above them except for the top 3 teams. Last season the team performed well securing the 4^th and final UEFA Champions League position with games to spare. This year has been average in almost every aspect. Hopefully in the second half of the season Marcelino’s side perform a lot better.

              Real Betis is a fun team to watch. I am not necessarily a fan of the team but do enjoy watching them play and have followed their captain, Joaquin, from his younger days when he was marked as the next golden boy for Spain. Their coach, Quique Setien, coaches his side to play an intelligent attacking style. His philosophical approach to the game can be described as the opposite of Diego Simeone from Atletico Madrid. Betis defeated Barcelona at the Camp Nou which put Setien in an exclusive category. He has defeated both FC Barcelona and Real Madrid at their stadiums. Real Betis defeated Real Madrid last season, they have yet to play in the 2018-19 campaign. Real Betis currently sit in 6th place, same position they finished last season. The way this season has gone Betis could push for a UEFA Champions League position. 

Saturday Soccer Thoughts

Saturday Soccer Thoughts #1 (12/22/18)

               I watch too much soccer, which is not a real thing, but based on how many hours and my effort to plan my daily life around to watch football matches I needed a way to outwardly express some thoughts on what I just witnessed. Why? The main reason, pretty much the only reason, is that I do not have enough friends to talk about how passionate I am about soccer without potentially losing the limited number of human contacts I already possess.

              Arsenal defeated Burnley by a two goal margin, 3-1. Unai Emery’s men won the match after previously losing two consecutive to Southampton and Tottenham. Burnley was not happy with the match officiating but the creativeness of this Arsenal side was too match either way. My takeaway was that Mesut Ozil played the full match and was effective. Speculation around the London based club that Emery did not see Ozil in his plans, but it seems that those speculations have been put to rest for the moment, after all he started the German against a smaller club, no disrespect to Burnley.

              Crystal Palace shocked the football world by defeating Manchester City 3 goals to 2. Townsend with the goal of the year, it was a beautifully struck volley that gave the City goalkeeper no chance on reaching the well struck ball. This means that Liverpool now have a 4 point lead against Manchester City. Chelsea also experienced a set back with a 0-1 defeat to Leicester City.

              Manchester United scored 5 goals in the teams first match since the firing of Jose Mourinho. Cardiff City is not necessarily a premier league powerhouse, so one should not raise the expectations too high over the 5-1 result, but it is a free feeling that United fans and players should enjoy.

In La Liga, Real Betis drew against Eibar which will keep the Andalusia club in the Europa League position for now. Atheltico Madrid won their match against Espanyol to keep the pressure on FC Barcelona. The Catalan club also won their match against Celta de Vigo, 2-0, with goals from Dembele and Messi. Real Madrid where across the globe in the FIFA Club World Cup final against Al-Ain. Real Madrid came out victorious winning the tournament with a final score of 4-1.

              Bayern Munich defeated Frankfurt 3-0 to close the gap to 6 points on Borussia Dortmund who were also victorious from their Friday night match. Dortmund defeated Borussia Monchengladbach in a 1^st vs 2^nd place teams. The defeat drops Monchengladbach to 3^rd place in the Bundesliga and Bayern Munich moves up into second. RB Leipzig won 3-2 to keep pace with the top 3 clubs. Fortuna Dusseldorf have won their third league game in a row and are steadily moving away from the relegation zone.

 In the Serie A Inter Milan earned a point away from home against Chievo Verona, 1-1. Napoli won their match. AC Milan lost to Fiorentina by a score of 1-0, which could see Milan fall out of a European position if AS Roma defeat Juventus later on today in their match. Lazio won their match which makes them the sole possessor of the 4^th and final spot for the UEFA champions league group stage.

Let them Leeave

Opinion 

     The myth that stadiums will bring economic prosperity is just that, a myth. The local economy doesn't generate profits, in fact, if the local government gave subsidies to the team owner to build or upgrade the stadium the city participated in cooperate welfare. The ticket sales and all the profits that go along with a team's stadium is meant to profit the owner not the city.

     I do not have an issue with taxpayers knowingly and willfully participating in helping out via public funds to build a sports stadium. The issue I have is that most owner's at the professional sports level demand assistance to fiance the stadium where their team will play and the owner will profit. In the majority of the cases the public does not get a say when city councils decide on making the subsidies available. 

     Team owners who are heavily in the business world understand that the amount of funding they receive from the city does amount to local economic prosperity. Any report or finding that claims to find any growth usually is focused on the stadium and not local business where the substitution effect is the reason for the economic 'growth'. The substitution effect is an explanation of what would happen if the stadium was not there, for the most part the money would still be circulating, but instead of going to the stadium it would go to other businesses. The point is that 'growth' is not an accurate way to describe stadium prosperity.

    If the city wants a team so be it. Plenty of people enjoy sports for leisure and a way to unwind after a long day from work. However, these hard working people should not be threatened by team owners when it comes to their beloved hometown team. Owners of a team will threaten to leave is the city does not provide some sort of public funding assistance, a hand out. This normally shifts in favor of the team owner and fans become angry at the city for allowing their sports team to leave. 

    The team owners are seen as the positive good guy while the city becomes this negative bureaucratic entity that hates the people. This is a simple con job by the team owner using the emotion of fear to get what they want. The people, for the most part, do not know that the funding the city provides to the team owner is their own tax dollars. 

    Which I will say this to all the fan bases in the world and urban developers, let them leave! Take their bluff, force them to find another town that will put up with their traffic jams and closed road due to hosting events. Let them leave to find another city that will give them handouts. An excellent example is the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). The people voted to deny the city from giving over 100 million dollars to the Charger's owner for a new stadium.

     The owner then decided his bluff was called and forced a move to Carson, California where the team shares a 27,000 capacity stadium with the LA Galaxy professional soccer team. I am not advocating for people to hate their teams or for city's to prevent construction projects on stadiums. All I ask for is transparency for the people of the city.        

        

Arsenal is in top 4 hands

     Arsenal lost their first two games of the season against Sarri's Chelsea and Pep's Manchester City, two teams that are in realistic contentions to win the league this season. Since those two defeats Arsenal has won 7 straight matches in all competitions, they went undefeated for the month of September. Arsenal are in good hands.

     I had a few friends, Arsenal supporters, ask me about Unai Emery. I responded with a stereotypical safe answer "That he is a good coach and will play more structured than his predecessor, Wenger. To expect more emphasis on wins and points over style." I was asked, I am assuming, because most of my inner soccer circles know that I support the Spanish club Valencia, and wondered who Emery really was. I reassured them that he is good coach that can work within limits and punch above his team's weight every season.

     A quick Recap on Emery's career, he started coaching Almeria who he took to the first division in Spain and finished in the top 10 the following season. Valencia hired him as the club needed fresh ideas and a coach that would not burden their already dire financial situation. In his four seasons leading the helm in Valencia Emery finished 3rd three times following a 6th place finished in his first season.

     Why does this matter? Because there a similarities that might bring hope to Arsenal fans. Take a historical note for some context, when Emery was in charge of Valencia for those four years (2008-2012) it was during Pep's dominance with Barcelona and Real Madrid's acquisition of Cristiano Ronaldo. This means that Emery with a cash restricted budget and forced to sell players such as David Villa, David Silva, and Mata guided Los Che to win the "other league"- the Spanish Media dubbed the 3rd place team as the "other winner" due to Barcelona and Real Madrid's dominance.

     The similarities I see with Arsenal are clearly mental fabrications with the only focal point being Unai Emery, but humor me. The English Premier league at the moment has two really good sides in Pep's Manchester City and Klopp's Liverpool, with Sarri at Chelsea having a really good start to the season as well. But the first two are the one's who have had time to mold their team and anything less than winning the league will be considered a failure. Where does this leave Arsenal? Well to Emery, in a very familiar situation.

     I am not disregarding Emery's other past work, in fact he replicated his understanding of coaching in La Liga when he returned from a horrible Stint in Russia to lead Sevilla to Europa League dominance while finishing in the top 5 in two of his three full seasons in charge. His time at Paris Saint-Germain is what probably exposed him to the rest of the footballing community that didn't follow La Liga aside from Barcelona and Real Madrid. I considered his time at PSG as an enigma due to the ridiculous expectations of a club attempting to splash their way to a Champions league with no real soccer foundation to sustain it.

    Arsenal will definitely not go undefeated for the rest of the year, but I wont be surprised if they can clinch a top 4 finish. At the start of the season, I was excited for the English Premier league more than usual due to the top 6 teams' managers. Pep at Manchester City, Klopp at Liverpool, Sarri at Chelsea, Pochettino at Tottenham, and Mourinho at Manchester United. In my mind Emery at Arsenal was the biggest improvement in relative terms as I consider him a top manager.

     Unai Emery doesn't have the budget restrictions at Arsenal he has had in Spain or the over the top expectations implemented at PSG. He acquired two young center midfielders that fit his approach to the game. Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi, who will work hard in the midfield of the pitch and that is what Emery wants. Emery is meticulous in his approach to managing the game and expects his team to work just as hard. With this approach Arsenal may not be the same free flowing stylistic team most fans associate with the badge, but they will be in the top 4 competing every year Emery is in charge.

    I know this may not be good enough for some Arsenal fans, but believe me when I say, it is better to have a ship navigated by a captain that can complete the voyage than a captain that will sink that ship to the depths of the ocean pretending to know where shore lies. Still not good enough? (Please see Manchester United.)         

The Old Trafford woes continue

     Manchester United and the Spanish side Valencia finished in a 0-0 draw. The red devils hosted the match, which their bus happen to be late arriving to, at Old Trafford. Either side could have taken 3 points, but at the end of the match a draw was what both teams could muster and deservedly so. Valencia in the first half attacked down the left flank with the Guedes and Gaya connection, but wasted plenty of crosses and build up play for the majority of the match.

     Manchester United did not have a clear idea when it came to the attack, relying heavily on the long ball. Their most dangerous moments seemed to come via dead ball, whether it be from a corner or free kick. Pogba did what he could to deliver dangerous and effective passes, but the team as a whole seemed out of sync. So much that I forgot Alexis Sanchez was on the pitch.

     Neto, the Valencia goalkeeper had a decent night with a few saves for the night. I enjoy the center back pairing between the Argentine, Garay, and the Brazilian, Paulista. I think when fit that is the best defensive pairing for Los Che. Garay was solid winning long balls in the air and putting his body in front of the ball to prevent any Manchester United player shot from reaching his Keeper.

     Gaya, the left back, had an excellent game on both ends. Completed his defensive duties as well as timing his runs forward effectively overlapping Guedes where the two seem to play well off one another. Guedes had a mediocre game for his standards. From what I saw last year, this looked like Guedes has some preseason rust on him still, but was the most threatening player on the pitch for both teams when it came to attack in open play.

     As a whole the Valencia side were much better in the build up attack and noticeably had a plan on moving the ball forward and attempted to control the midfield via passing than using the long ball approach. But, overall the team was wasteful in the final aspect of the attack. plenty of crosses from beautiful build up wasted. However, this Valencia side looked better than the way they started this season's campaign. If this can build off this performance moving forward they can easily challenge for a spot in the knockout stages of the UEFA  Champions League tournament. At the end of the day a point at Old Trafford is not a bad result even given how poor the home side's  form as been. 

What the Heck is a UEFA Nations League?

     Yesterday the first games of the UEFA Nations league kicked off. Gareth Bale scored a stunning goal for Wales as they dominated a an Irish side that was not at their best. The UEFA Nations league is a new international soccer (football) tournament with a format that seems simple enough, but complications quickly follow when attempting to address qualifications for the Euro 2020. The 55 teams and members of the UEFA confederation are split into four leagues, A, B, C, and D. 

      

      League A and B both have 12 teams that are divided into 4 groups of 3 national teams. League C is made up of 15 teams that are broken down into 3 groups of 4 teams and 1 group of 3 teams. And League D is made up of 4 groups that consists of 4 teams in each. The teams were placed in each league based on their UEFA rankings. For example, the top 12 teams are in League A and the next 12 teams are in League B and so forth. 

     There will be teams that are promoted and other teams that will be relegated. The last teams in League A get relegated to B, the last placed teams in B get relegated to C, while the top teams in League B, C, and D will get promoted to the respective leagues above them. In League C the worst 3rd placed team will be relegated to League D. Each team will play their opponents in their group twice, home and away. 

League Finals is a 4 team knockout tournament that consists of 2 semifinal games, a 3rd place game and a Final to determine 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place. 

 

    Jonathan Wilson presents perhaps a better explanation than myself as I attempt to really communicate at a simplistic level.

Teams are in the current groups and leagues, but the positions teams are in their group is random as most teams have not played a game. Teams in promotion and relegation spots are not concrete. 

 

League A
Group 1	Group 2	Group 3	Group 4
France	Belgium	Portugal	Spain	Qualify to League Finals
Germany	Switzerland	Italy	England
Netherlands	Iceland	Poland	Croatia	Relegated to B
League B
Group 1	Group 2	Group 3	Group 4
Ukraine	Russia	Austria	Wales	Promoted to A
Slovakia	Sweden	Bosnia & Herzegovina	Denmark
Czech Republic	Turkey	Northern Ireland	Republic of Ireland	Relegated to C
League C
Group 1	Group 2	Group 3	Group 4
Scotland	Hungary	Norway	Romania	Promoted to B
Albania	Greece	Bulgaria	Serbia
Israel	Finland	Slovenia	Montenegro	Possible Relegation to D
	Estonia	Cyprus	Lithuania	Relegated to D
League D
Group 1	Group 2	Group 3	Group 4
Georgia	Belarus	Azerbaijan	Macedonia	Promoted to C
Latvia	Luxembourg	Faroe Islands	Armenia
Andorra	Moldova	Malta	Liechtenstein
Kazakhstan	San Marino	Kosovo	Gibraltar