#Tweetsfrommyweekaway

I spent a week without updating Twitter, or, really, this blog. So I just took five minutes and recapped the week on Twitter, and I see a second bird over here that I think I can nail with the same stone. THWAK!

• This is the week where I start regretting my car's AC is broken.
• Sea Bear vs. Grizzly Shark? I gotta go with Grizzly Shark.
• Who knew sake could freeze? 
• Five guys fires don't need ketchup, vinegar or anything. They are inherently perfect. 
• The problem with the cliffhanger to Legion #2 is that it's the same cliffhanger as Legion #1. 
• Flash 2 had the same problem. 
• Damn, this is the best barbecued chicken I've ever made.

And, of course: 

• GOOOOOOOOAAAALLLLLL! #tweetsfrommyweekaway

Rob
 

Random, Non-Hockey-Related Thoughts on Tonight's Hockey Game

• The idea that the Stanley Cup takes its time arriving at the stadium is flat-out weird.
• One thing I like about Chicago? They advertise Lemonheads, my favorite candy of all time, on their boards.
• I missed the announcers, but more importantly, the camera crew, from MSG. This camera moved in and out and round and round so much that I had a hard time keeping track of the puck. I felt like I was getting a mild case of motion sickness -- and I say that as a fan of The Blair Witch Project and the first season of Homicide. It's like these guys were getting paid by the zoom.  
• I'm looking forward to seeing some World Cup matches, since presumably I'm not too old to see a soccer ball in motion.
• And finally, one hockey-related thought: It felt to me like the Flyers were consistently outplayed in this series, though that may be because we don't get Versus, and so I couldn't actually watch any games where they won.

Rob

World Cup!

Congratulations to Italy, 2006 World Cup winners! (And incidentally, the team Kathy was rooting for.)

I was rooting for France -- mostly on the strength of Zindine Zedane's play in earlier games. Not to discount the contributions of the other players (Henry and Ribery are amazing too), but some of Zedane's moves, along with the announcement of his retirement after the tournament, really grabbed me and made me a fan.

And then Zidane head-butted Marco Materazzi in a graphic display of poor sportsmanship. He was sent off with a red card, ending his career on a sour note.

I don't know at all what this guy is like. I didn't follow soccer before a couple of weeks ago. But out of everyone, he was the guy I was rooting for, and for him to pull a stunt like that? I was stunned. It was like he was possessed. I can't imagine what would make a guy jeopardize so much good will with ony 10 minutes to go in his career.

I continued to root for France after that -- after all, it's not like they flew off the handle as a team -- but I can't say I'm sorry that Italy won. Zedane let his team down with that head-butt, and I don't doubt that he'll regret it for a long time to come.

What a waste.

Rob

Overheard at the World Cup

An announcer describing play during the Brazil/France match said:

"Ball circulation is fantastic on both sides."

Now cough.

Rob

Sports? Me?

I'm not really sure how I got started watching the World Cup -- okay, that's not true, I started watching the Angola/Portugal match, because whenever a team faces their colonial oppressors on an international stage for the first time, it sounds like good TV. But I don't know why I've kept watching, me being not a sports person at all.

But this Australia/Italy game that I just watched (thanx Tivo!)... whoa. The Italians lost a man about halfway through due to a red card (which I take to be a really bad foul), although the announcers seemed to think it wasn't merited. Essentially, they had an 11-10 power play for 50 minutes of the game. And yet they never really pressed the advantage. While they seemed to have control most of the time, they weren't ferociously attacking. Which is a shame, because I was rooting for them.

And then, at the absolute last moment, an Italian player trips over an Aussie, causing a foul. Looking at the replays, it looks more like he steped over him and then decided to fall, to be honest. One slo-mo shot even showed him with what I'd call an excited smile as he dropped. But the refs call the foul, and Italy gets a penalty kick. Which, since things are tied 0-0, could decide the game.

And it does. Goes right in. So one guy's brainstorm to take a dive when the opportunity presents itself gets Italy into the final 8.

As much as I wanted Australia to win, my inner con man says that's pretty cool.

Rob