Another immigration document arrives. The police in the UK have sent their certificate that says I have kept my nose clean for the first 30 years of my life. Many many many thanks to building management for just ramming it in my mail box, despite the 'printed material inside' warning. It's going to have to spend a day or three under a pile of chemistry textbooks. It's nice to see I don't show up on their computer!!
...too much sometimes. A 1-1 draw today was not so bad. On another day, they would have won 2-0 with something to spare. Yes, the goal conceded by Green was not very good - but I conceded one far worse than that on Tuesday night - and will probably see him replaced by David James, but the USA rarely looked like scoring; quite something with Glen Johnson and old man Carragher in the back four. A football forum I read and post in, which is usually the epitome of thoughtful and considered is full today of 'that was terrible/appalling/expletive deleted. When did England ever steamroller a team in the first match of a World Cup? Have people forgotten 1990, 2002, or 2006 which were bloody appalling! They were better than the French yesterday, who were dire and who we could easily beat in a potential quarter-final.
Teamwise: England have a collection of bloody useless wingers, and someone who can cross a ball is needed. Rooney was marked out of the game and the Lampard was anonymous. Defence was OK given the lack of pace or ability on the ball on show. I'd rather see Crouch than Heskey; yes he set up a goal, but did you ever really think he was going to score in that 1-on-1? Crouch is less mobile, and possibly less good in the air despite being taller, but his record shows he can put the ball in the net.
Watching experience: the regular Saturday morning venue was, unbelievably, so full that there was a queue outside at 10:20am, more than two hours before kickoff. After nine months of trekking down there (it's a 45 minute trip from where I live) to be able to pick my/our spot without any difficulty, it was a bit of a shock to see 30 people in a queue and the inside full of the ENG-GER-LUND crowd. A quick alteration of plans and watching at someone else's place was not so bad after all, and the walk back into town was agreeable given the severely nice day.
Just what is the point of the Daily Mail? To peddle bile-filled unconcealed racism, it seems, if you follow the link here. I don't know what school of thought is worse: that someone in the editorial staff saw fit to air a point of view that died out with TV's Love Thy Neighbour, or that it's deliberately planted to provoke responses. Or that eating disorders are funny as well.
Given the Mail's historical editorial stances, I'm not surprised. Depressed and saddened, yes. But not surprised.
Yes, it's a lame pun, and I'm thinking from a deflated point of view rather than a heavy defeat. The Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup with a 4-3 overtime win in Philadelphia to win the best-of-seven series 4-2. For a third year in a row the final was won in the opposition's barn, which was surprising given how weakly Chicago had played in the two previous games in Philadelphia.
Patrick Kane's winner was greeted with silence in the arena, primarily because he was the only person in the building to see the puck had gone in. Only when he was wheeling away like David Pleat on skates and running down the ice to meet his goalie was it obvious what had happened. Game highlights can be seen below.
If truth be told, goalie Michael Leighton saves that shot 95 times out of 100. But such are the margins of winning what is an awesome looking trophy; lets not forget Philadelphia finished 18th out of 30 on a points basis and only qualified for the playoffs in a game 82 shootout where the Rangers inexplicably chose Olli Jokinen as one of the shooters.
Chicago have been the best all-round team in the league this year - yes, Washington scored a shed load of goals but have no defence or goalie to speak of - and for the Flyers to win would have been a travesty of sporting justice. Such things happen, but it's better when they don't. Chicago went on a run during the season of nine consecutive wins where they scored four or more goals, demonstrating their credentials as the number one. Captain JonathanT oews led by example, and though he had a quiet final series, the three rounds before that he demonstrated he was worthy of winning the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP. World Junior gold, World senior gold, Olympic gold (and a goal in the final), Conn Smythe winner and Stanley Cup champion. At the age of 22. Whither now for him?
Yes, they have spotty goaltending, but in Keith, Seabrook, Toews, Hossa, Sharp and Kane they have a lot of talent, with numerous backup players like Ladd, Byfuglien, Bolland, Brouwer, Versteeg, Madden, Campbell and Hjalmarsson. The team won't be the same next year as Kane, Keith and Toews are due large pay rises with new contracts and the current roster will bust the salary cap by conservatively several million dollars, so some players will have to move on (from a Flames point of view, Versteeg or Sharp turning up at the Saddledome would be nice). But until then, they should enjoy the moment.
Thirty-something former research chemist pondering important matters, including (but not limited to) Bradford City FC, the Calgary Flames, chemistry, immigration, films, Canada Post, beer, movies, gin, broken ankles, running, beer league goalkeeping, the obscene price of cheese in Canada, how crap Peter Taylor was, crashes in the price of oil, and other iniquities of life, the universe and everything.
