Well, as you probably have read over and over again, Italy won the Cup. Yes, I confess, I had the wrong score. And yet, I take some small comfort in thinking how close to being correct I really was! It could have easily been 2 - 1 France. But a salute to Italy for their victory.
I can't close this without commenting on the Zidane situation briefly. I'm not sure at this time what was said to Zidane to cause him to explode the way that he did. It couldn't have been just harmless banter, however. Despite what Materazzi of Italy claims, there is no doubt that he DOES know what a terrorist is (give me a break...does he think that anyone believes him that he doesn't know???), and he wouldn't be one to avoid insulting another player in any way possible if it could win his team the Cup. And Zidane wouldn't have gone off, possibly costing his team the cup and himself his reputation, unless Materazzi said something so heinous to Zidane that he couldn't let it go.
Zidane's mother has been sick. If Materazzi had insulted Zizou's mother and sister, then it would explain the outburst. Nonetheless, it doesn't excuse the outburst. Zidane is a pro, who has been penalized for just such an attack in the past. Did he really think he wouldn't get penalized in the World Cup? Maybe the answer was that in the heat of the moment, he just wasn't thinking at all. And because of that, France may have missed out on a golden opportunity to send Zizou out as a hero, with a second star on their uniform.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Les Bleus Making Me Look Good!
Okay everyone. This is getting weird. My picks for the semifinals of the World Cup? Exactly right! I mean exactly!!! Take a look at the previous post and see.
I picked Italy to win in overtime over Germany. What happened? Italy scores two goals at the end of OT to beat Germany 2 - 0. I also picked France to beat Portugal in regular time, which they did 1 - 0. I'm not saying that I'm perfect or that I can predict the future, but pretty good guesses, eh?
Will my finals pick come true? Who knows? Remember, I said France 2 - 1 over Italy.
On a side note, let's hear it for Zizou! Proof positive that old guys can show the younger ones how it's done.
My wife is of Sicilian ancestry, so she can play both sides of the field. If Italy wins, she can be happy because of her Italian blood. If France wins, she can be happy because of her French birth. However, I told her that if I catch her voting for Italy, she's sleeping on the couch. I won't really make her do that, but you get the picture. ;-)
In the end, I really am cheering for France. They have had a lot of grief there lately, and it would be nice for the people to have something to cheer about for a change.
ALLEZ LES BLEUS!!! ALLEZ ZIZOU! ALLEZ THURAM! ALLEZ HENRY! ALLEZ RIBARY! ETC., ETC., ETC.
I picked Italy to win in overtime over Germany. What happened? Italy scores two goals at the end of OT to beat Germany 2 - 0. I also picked France to beat Portugal in regular time, which they did 1 - 0. I'm not saying that I'm perfect or that I can predict the future, but pretty good guesses, eh?
Will my finals pick come true? Who knows? Remember, I said France 2 - 1 over Italy.
On a side note, let's hear it for Zizou! Proof positive that old guys can show the younger ones how it's done.
My wife is of Sicilian ancestry, so she can play both sides of the field. If Italy wins, she can be happy because of her Italian blood. If France wins, she can be happy because of her French birth. However, I told her that if I catch her voting for Italy, she's sleeping on the couch. I won't really make her do that, but you get the picture. ;-)
In the end, I really am cheering for France. They have had a lot of grief there lately, and it would be nice for the people to have something to cheer about for a change.
ALLEZ LES BLEUS!!! ALLEZ ZIZOU! ALLEZ THURAM! ALLEZ HENRY! ALLEZ RIBARY! ETC., ETC., ETC.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Wrong Score...Right Result
Well...I was wrong. I freely admit that. My guess about the quarterfinals of the World Cup was wrong.
I predicted a final score of 3 - 1. It was, in fact, 1 - 0. But unlike the vast majority of those who thought to predict the results of this match...I was right...simply, plainly, clearly...RIGHT!!!
OK, so gloating isn't the most becoming image. Still, when I look at the predictions on ESPN.com, SI.com, MSNBC.com, etc., etc., and see how many so-called experts predicted an easy victory for Brazil, my arm aches with patting myself on the back.
Yes..I predicted a France victory, against so many others' guesses. Not to gloat more, but according to my fantasy picks on ESPN.com, even though I did rather poorly in the group stage, I have predicted every single winner in the knockout stages up to this point. Yes, I even predicted a Portugal victory over England, as well as a German victory and an Italian victory. What does this mean? Absolutely nothing. I don't gamble. But boy...if I did!
Nonetheless, I just want to say how awesome Zinedine Zidane was. His elegance on a football field is nothing short of artistry. Ever since I saw the man play on television in 1998, I have been amazed at his ability to pass, control, fake, and see out of the back of his head. He is the premier soccer player of his generation, bar none. At age 34, in today's match he made Ronaldo and Ronaldinho look ancient. I also have a new player to support: Ribery. Now that he has his nerves under control, he has been nothing but trouble for other teams. His speed, his energy, and his drive make him a joy to watch. Keep it up, monsieur.
So what will happen in the semis? Well, I'm not changing horses now. Here's my guess:
Italy upsets the home town heroes Germany in overtime, and France defeats Portugal in regular time, setting up a rematch from the European Cup of 2000, France vs. Italy. And in the finals? Who else? France defeats Italy 2 - 1, with Zizou holding the trophy up high as the champion that he is. Will I be right? I don't know...but I sure hope so...ALLEZ LES BLEUS!!!
I predicted a final score of 3 - 1. It was, in fact, 1 - 0. But unlike the vast majority of those who thought to predict the results of this match...I was right...simply, plainly, clearly...RIGHT!!!
OK, so gloating isn't the most becoming image. Still, when I look at the predictions on ESPN.com, SI.com, MSNBC.com, etc., etc., and see how many so-called experts predicted an easy victory for Brazil, my arm aches with patting myself on the back.
Yes..I predicted a France victory, against so many others' guesses. Not to gloat more, but according to my fantasy picks on ESPN.com, even though I did rather poorly in the group stage, I have predicted every single winner in the knockout stages up to this point. Yes, I even predicted a Portugal victory over England, as well as a German victory and an Italian victory. What does this mean? Absolutely nothing. I don't gamble. But boy...if I did!
Nonetheless, I just want to say how awesome Zinedine Zidane was. His elegance on a football field is nothing short of artistry. Ever since I saw the man play on television in 1998, I have been amazed at his ability to pass, control, fake, and see out of the back of his head. He is the premier soccer player of his generation, bar none. At age 34, in today's match he made Ronaldo and Ronaldinho look ancient. I also have a new player to support: Ribery. Now that he has his nerves under control, he has been nothing but trouble for other teams. His speed, his energy, and his drive make him a joy to watch. Keep it up, monsieur.
So what will happen in the semis? Well, I'm not changing horses now. Here's my guess:
Italy upsets the home town heroes Germany in overtime, and France defeats Portugal in regular time, setting up a rematch from the European Cup of 2000, France vs. Italy. And in the finals? Who else? France defeats Italy 2 - 1, with Zizou holding the trophy up high as the champion that he is. Will I be right? I don't know...but I sure hope so...ALLEZ LES BLEUS!!!
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