no chip
I don't follow sports -- any sports -- not even a little.
Still, I couldn't help reading about the unfortunate Danish soccer player who, during one of the recent World Cup games, deflected the ball into his own team's goal, scoring a crucial point for the opposing team.
Which, in turn, made me think of that most infamous of all auto-goals, when, during 1994 World Cup play, Colombian soccer player Andrés Escobar knocked the ball into the wrong goal, resulting in the elimination of Colombia's team from the tournament.
And, ten days later, resulting also in the elimination of Escobar himself, executed outside a Medellín bar by a killer (presumably hired by drug lords who'd lost bets on the match) who shot Escobar 12 times, shouting "Goal!" as he fired each bullet.
In other words, things could be worse. Much, much worse.
What auto-goals (real or metaphorical) have you been scoring lately?
Or, to pose a somewhat less fraught question, do you follow sports? and if so, which ones?
21 comments:
There was that nice moment in 1986 where the Mets dribbled a ball through Bill Buckner's legs...Red Sox fans did not, though, execute him.
@magpie: Somehow, I'd managed to forget all about that. And I think I even watched that game on tv.
But I lost all interest in the Red Sox once they managed to undo the Curse of the Bambino. As my grandfather used to say, "Don't vote for winners. It only encourages them."
"Dont vote for winners, that only encourages them". That quote had me literally laughing out loud. I needed that, thanks.
I don't follow sports. Never have, probably never will. I'd rather PLAY then watch.
Anyway, thanks for the laugh.
I have not even read your post yet. I am too freaked out. I just bought, like 25 minutes ago, that exact same bottle of "no chip" nail stuff.
@jill: Coincidence? I think not.
(cue satanic laughter)
Auto-goals...Hmmm. I volunteered to be a part of "Media Day" at work. That means weeks of build-up to a morning full of disappointment (um, for our management anyway...for me, it means not sitting at my desk for 2 hours). It was foolish to volunteer, but when I think of the other people I work with representing us to the outside world, I just shudder.
Also, I love your grandfather's quote!
I don't care about sports. Some Swedes were trying to engage me in a discussion of the soccer thing going on and I was like, look, I simply do not give a shit. And they were AGHAST.
I care about the Olympics otherwise I am no sports follower. I cared about the World Cup when it coincided with my Bar Finals but otherwise not so much. However I am loving the football in Lego http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/video/2010/jun/14/world-cup-2010-england-usa-brick
I am embarrassed to admit I watch Indy car racing. Not Nascar, just Indy car.
I'm an NFL fanatic. We plan things around football games, watch NFL network and our daughter's middle name was chosen in honor of our favorite team.
Auto-goals... not recent ones, but I immediately thought of my entire romantic trajectory during college - one long effed-up auto-goal from start to finish.
@Antropologa - That's awesome. :)Poor Aghast Europeans.
@Elizabeth - Mine was in the military... but I was completely devoted to one long effed-up auto-goal too, though in all honesty I don't think I can call any of it "romantic". In fact, in an effort to stop the "do the same thing, expect a different result"-type insanity, I threw myself into total, purposeful celibacy (kicking some beautiful, flight-suit wearing babes to the curb in the process... sigh) that lasted for three years. And while I love my husband and kids, those were THE three most peaceful, enjoyable, stress-free of my life to date.
But recently? I think finding out that between the life we've led (and that I've championed to others) and my apparently poor coping mechanisms, I have quite literally stressed myself out of the ability to carry a child, as my adrenals are now too fried to provide the progesterone required. Working on repairing that... but DAMN IT. Guess I should have listened when that therapist I saw in my teens told me that being addicted to drama in my life would bite me in the ass. Or uterus, as the case may be.
@Sarah: Careful with the Europeans, there are quite a bunch reading here...
@Niobe: I never imagined you wearing nail polish... Again, what do I know?!
Aren't we all kicking our ankles all the time? Mine are chronically bleeding, lately for health problems that I've got as a result of being a perpetual teenager!
I'm only reading this and not sitting in front of a mindless boring NZ vs. Slovakia match because I'm eating breakfast. I'm a soccer-holic, and I watch pretty much every match of the cup so it's a month in front of the tv for me! I even have a post brewing about my life around world cups including the Escobar incident of which you speak (came vs. the US so I was of course watching. They wore black armbands in their next match vs. Brazil in his honor). (Actually, I don't think the Danish headball own goal -- which deflected off another Dane before redirecting into the goal -- was nearly as bad as the English goalkeeper somehow letting go of a shot right in the chest and watching it dribble into the net for a US score last Saturday. And I immediately said to my husband, "They may crucify him in the press, but at least he's not from a country where they'll kill him when he gets home.")
Due to sleep dep, I've done some marvelous own goals lately: putting the stamp in the wrong place on a set of TY notes is among the least of them.
Not much into watching sports, though I have been a player of many in my lifetime. I was a pretty good riflewoman in my adolescence, and I'm loading my metaphorical gun to defend against assaults lobbied at me for the apparent auto-goal I just committed at work. No good deed goes unpunished.
Tash, so true about the English goalkeeper. I couldn't help but cringe watching that play (and all the replays). Also I couldn't help thinking later what a lousy way to miss out on a win.
So yeah, I follow soccer. I've been enjoying watching this World Cup.
I have a couple sporting events I enjoy watching. The NCAA basketball tournament, aka March Madness, is big fun for me. As is the Tour de France, the Olympics, and the college world series (which is next weekend). My daughter is 12 and has been playing softball for the last couple years, so I started watching the college softball world series as well. Love to see the female athletes playing team sports - the WNBA is fun to watch as well.
The only sports I really follow are college basketball and a little hockey.
Honestly, can't think of any auto-goals lately.
I love your accidental hearts. Went straight to my soul.
The only sport I really follow -- since I was a kid -- is figure skating. I don't even follow that quite as rabidly as I once did.
Did you notice how whiney the USA team was after they lost to Ghana? I think they had this attitude like, oh, we've got this little African country's team, and then they got whooped. Touche!!
It sucks that I'm staring down not having my own kids, but my life does not suck. I wish I could tell my emotions that and not get so stuck in all the grief.
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