Must Be Football Season....

I'm starting to feel human again. So I thought I'd humour myself by posting some of my favourite things about football. Self-gratuitousness follows:



It's that time of year when good friends become enemies, my favourite football players become my employees, and I have to explain to my boss why I'm checking football news during the work day. It's already been a hoot. I set up the league, fixed the draft so I get to pick first, and they didn;t even bother to bitch about that. Instead I get Georgie complaining that it's too quarterback-heavy and anybody that drafts below #5 is fucked, and Brother Barry complaining that it's too complicated. So I told Georgie to not be an idiot and scroll down the screen, I added just as many points for defensive plays as I did offense (that shut him up) and I told Brother Barry that he's Mr. Play-The-Points-Guy, he's just pissed cuz he's gonna have to work harder. He'll get over it...




The Spanish league has the best players, but the English Premier League has the best plays, like Wayne Rooney's overhead kick from last year that had the whole world talking about it for a week. I went into the market a few days later and one of the foreign boys who knows me saw me coming and just yelled "Did you see that kick?" and I knew exactly what he was talking about. At least once a season, if not more, you get a play like that that just totally blows people's minds, but living in the U.S. requires finding foreigners to discuss and celebrate it with. Fortunately, I know where to find them now. There's a lot of foreigners in my new apartments building, Arabs, a few Greeks, I doubt I'll be watching soccer alone for much longer. :)



The characters on Real Madrid are growing on me, and to see them all on the pitch together again makes me feel like a giggly schoolgirl. Especially these two: Marcelo and Karim Benzema. Marcelo is the most animated character on the field, kind of like Brett Favre was, he's just a joy to watch play. His gestures, mannerisms and facial expressions show exactly what he's thinking, and usually, what he's thinking is something hysterically funny. He's been known to steal other players shirts and put them on pretending he's them, start play fights on the sidelines and spit water at his teammates. When he gets others involved, it's the Real Madrid comedy show.


Karim Benzema is probably my favourite player on the team because he's the underdog who always has to prove himself and always does. Fans and media are quick to jump on him when he's not doing well (lack of confidence, questioned ability), but he always finds a way to fight back to the top of his game. He's kind of low-key, quiet, and I don't think that helps him much, but when he scores, he knows damn well she's shutting them all up.





The Pack is back. My Super-Bowl winning team returns looking for a repeat, and with most of the same players, which is uncommon in the NFL. Not that I'm not thrilled about last year's win, but it was the same day as Grampa's funeral, so there's always going to be that downside to this victory. Having another Super Bowl that I can fully enjoy, especially with it most likely being my last year in the U.S., would be a great send-off and a win I could relish in for life.




I never had a hot quarterback until Aaron Rodgers came along. Most American-football players are ugly, but quarterbacks tend to run along the cute side, though my Browns and Packers were never among the recipients. We had Bernie Kosar and Brett Favre, neither of which made for great eye-candy. Along comes Aaron Rodgers and I'm in love. See that rainbow? Even God thinks he's gorgeous...



























But Mesut Ozil's got him beat. This kid makes me drool all over myself, all the way down to my private parts. He would be my favourite player on Real Madrid, he really is that good, but because I just love to look at him so much, I can't justify making him my favourite player based solely on that. Stalking him upon my entrance to Europe has crossed my mind, but because I'm sane, I can never get to far with it. What a shame.