Pardon me if I get a little philosophical on y'all here today. But I'm here to talk about a very big part of my life. Winning commemorative championship t-shirts. I am playing in the YWCO Men's Competitive Division Indoor Soccer Final tonight, more affectionately known at YWCOMCDISF, and once again a t-shirt is on the line. Now playing for t-shirts is nothing new to the sporting landscape. Ever since participation trophies became uncool we have been receiving them for our victorious achievements. But back when I was a youngin' I didn't really care about a XXL Long Sleeve T-shirt that still doesn't fit me (Yes I have tried on the ones still hanging in my closet.) But ever since college and my involvement of intramural sports I think winning that t-shirt has had a whole new meaning in my life.
See in game of life we all play to win. We want more money, more power, more prestige. Sure at work we can "win" and get a raise or a more impressive title. In school we can get an A on a test or a report card, and sure you can brag about it, but then you just look like a self-anointed conceded weenie. I think what we all really want is for someone to tell us how awesome we are. This is why championship t-shirts are so great. After working hard all season, shrugging off the annoying freshman who don't know the rules, the meat heads who rage out the whole game and the over-the-hill washed up "wily" veterans, you get proof of your victories. You get to walk around town or campus, strutting a championship t-shirt. Because you are a champion, and you want the bag boy to know you can beat him at (insert your sport here).
I know this all sounds silly but I also bet you are sitting there agreeing with me. There are so few things in our life that we are rewarded for so bluntly as, "Here is a t-shirt for being awesome!" How great would that be in other aspects of life.
Boss: "Son, along with your raise, I want you to wear this t-shirt that tells everyone else how much more money you make than them."
Yes. Please.
Isn't this the basic satisfaction behind our effort. You know who says "why are you trying so hard, it's only for a t-shirt"? Losers. Losers who don't have a wardrobe filled with championship shirts and could flaunt there athletic dominance on all days ending in "y". Now I agree there are people who take winning to an extreme and I do not condone their actions. Heck, I have uttered the phrase it's only for a t-shirt. But this is normally in reference to someone who is already losing or falls into one of the categories I mentioned previously. We all know they aren't winning that t-shirt and we don't want to represent us winners in a negative light.
So tonight I go for another t-shirt. Each shirt gets added to the collection, but you wear each one with pride. You do not associate one shirt with the championship of another, even if they have the same design. You proudly correct people when they say "Oh, that's right you won 4v4 volleyball" by replying "Well yes I did, but this is for 6v6 volleyball." Booyah. That's right I'm awesome at volleyball no matter how many people are playing! Tonight holds special significance as it will be a new design that I have not yet captured, the one that has remained elusive in previous attempts. Tonight I make my conquest. Tonight I am a champion.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
One to Remember
(To the tune of Mexican Hat Dance)
You dance, you dance, you dance. SUAREZ!
Around a Manchester hack. SUAREZ!
You dance, you dance, you dance. SUAREZ!
And lay off to Dirk for a tap! SUAREZ!
Yes, I made that up. Yes I expect the Kop to be singing it next week. Okay the second part may not be true but the Anfield faithful will be certainly be singing the Uruguaryan's strikers name in some form as long as he's wearing red. On a day when Dirk Kuyt took home the match ball with his three goal performance it would only seem appropriate if Luis Suarez wrapped it up with a bow and placed it on his mantle.
In a season full of ups and downs this is one day to feel very good about being a Liverpool supporter. It was a beautiful day for a derby match and as usual, Anfield was out in full throat to welcome the Red Devils of Manchester United. As so many of these matches tend to do, the game got off on the attacking foot with each team steaming into every tackle and throwing caution to the wind for the first fifteen minutes. It was Liverpool who I'm sure to some spectators and Sir Alec's surprise seemed to have the upper hand on the title contenders for the next half hour.
Liverpool looked poised to strike early as Raul Meireles (easily Liverpool's player of the second half of the season) was marauding into the United box at will and Suarez and Kuyt were threatening from the wings. But it wasn't until a piece of genius from Liverpool's new man broke the deadlock. In an encore to last week's Houdini like escape in the box versus West Ham, Suarez once again turned a defender within the penalty area, and then proceeded to dance his way around two more helpless United defensemen before sealing his move with a nutmeg of Van Der Sar that fell on Kuyt's foot for a sitter.
Liverpool fans only had to wait five minutes to see the Anfield Road goal bulge again. This time as United's Portuguese playmaker, Nani set up another goal, only this time for the wrong team as Kuyt was "johnny-on-the-spot" and headed Nani's wayward clearance past a bewildered Van Der Sar for his second of the match.
The minutes leading up to the halftime break provided the usual physical flair that so often accompanies this matchup and each team exchanged red-card worthy tackles only to be shown compassion from the match official and shown a yellow instead. Nani provided the drama with a flop drop and roll that was merely a week late or else surely would have won an Oscar.
United looked to step on the gas in the opening minutes of the second half but never truly threatened Pepe Reina's goal. The game fell into a rhythmic ebb and flow that saw no real action except for the everworking Kuyt and Suarez creating half chances at will. Kuyt's final goal came on another expertly delivered Suarez free kick that saw the normally surehanded Van Der Sar spill the ball back into his fellow countrymans path. Three goals from about twelve yards. Not a bad day for Liverpool's forgotten striker.
A late goal from Hernandez for United did little to spoil the day for Liverpool as record signing Andy Carroll made his debut for the final eighteen minutes of action and promptly won first ball in the air he saw. It was a very happy belated birthday indeed for Kenny Daglish as he can celebrate his 60th birthday with the satisfaction of knocking off his old arch rival and bringing his club back to the brinks of respectability... if even for just a day.
You dance, you dance, you dance. SUAREZ!
Around a Manchester hack. SUAREZ!
You dance, you dance, you dance. SUAREZ!
And lay off to Dirk for a tap! SUAREZ!
Yes, I made that up. Yes I expect the Kop to be singing it next week. Okay the second part may not be true but the Anfield faithful will be certainly be singing the Uruguaryan's strikers name in some form as long as he's wearing red. On a day when Dirk Kuyt took home the match ball with his three goal performance it would only seem appropriate if Luis Suarez wrapped it up with a bow and placed it on his mantle.
In a season full of ups and downs this is one day to feel very good about being a Liverpool supporter. It was a beautiful day for a derby match and as usual, Anfield was out in full throat to welcome the Red Devils of Manchester United. As so many of these matches tend to do, the game got off on the attacking foot with each team steaming into every tackle and throwing caution to the wind for the first fifteen minutes. It was Liverpool who I'm sure to some spectators and Sir Alec's surprise seemed to have the upper hand on the title contenders for the next half hour.
Liverpool looked poised to strike early as Raul Meireles (easily Liverpool's player of the second half of the season) was marauding into the United box at will and Suarez and Kuyt were threatening from the wings. But it wasn't until a piece of genius from Liverpool's new man broke the deadlock. In an encore to last week's Houdini like escape in the box versus West Ham, Suarez once again turned a defender within the penalty area, and then proceeded to dance his way around two more helpless United defensemen before sealing his move with a nutmeg of Van Der Sar that fell on Kuyt's foot for a sitter.
Liverpool fans only had to wait five minutes to see the Anfield Road goal bulge again. This time as United's Portuguese playmaker, Nani set up another goal, only this time for the wrong team as Kuyt was "johnny-on-the-spot" and headed Nani's wayward clearance past a bewildered Van Der Sar for his second of the match.
The minutes leading up to the halftime break provided the usual physical flair that so often accompanies this matchup and each team exchanged red-card worthy tackles only to be shown compassion from the match official and shown a yellow instead. Nani provided the drama with a flop drop and roll that was merely a week late or else surely would have won an Oscar.
United looked to step on the gas in the opening minutes of the second half but never truly threatened Pepe Reina's goal. The game fell into a rhythmic ebb and flow that saw no real action except for the everworking Kuyt and Suarez creating half chances at will. Kuyt's final goal came on another expertly delivered Suarez free kick that saw the normally surehanded Van Der Sar spill the ball back into his fellow countrymans path. Three goals from about twelve yards. Not a bad day for Liverpool's forgotten striker.
A late goal from Hernandez for United did little to spoil the day for Liverpool as record signing Andy Carroll made his debut for the final eighteen minutes of action and promptly won first ball in the air he saw. It was a very happy belated birthday indeed for Kenny Daglish as he can celebrate his 60th birthday with the satisfaction of knocking off his old arch rival and bringing his club back to the brinks of respectability... if even for just a day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)