Posted by: Alan Black on: June 23, 2009
Momentous times for Iran, last week they were eliminated from participating in the soccer World Cup Finals in South Africa in 2010. During their fateful last game, several of the nation’s players wore rebel green armbands in solidarity with their compatriots fighting in the streets. Soccer in Iran is more popular than politics and revolution. [...]
Posted by: Alan Black on: June 15, 2009
Immigrant. The old country is Scotland. And the old American story, yeah, yeah, yeah, we all came from somewhere else. But when do you actually become an American, for an immigrant when does the tipping point occur? Well, glad to say it happened to me last week in Chicago.
The United States was playing in [...]
Posted by: Alan Black on: April 9, 2009
Soccer is really a game of magic mushrooms. There are trails everywhere. The rampant ball, the running players, the long outstetched hands on a save. A riot of colors, flying boots, combustible explosions of happiness. Terrible comedowns, fear of the clock, time running out. The dark sinister man in yellow blowing a loud whistle, the [...]
Posted by: Alan Black on: March 28, 2009
Scotland and Holland, two similarly small countries, one is flat, one full of mountains. The Dutch have pretty flowers, the Scottish have sharp spiky things called thistles. The Romans conquered Holland, they left Scotland out of the Empire. Flushing toilets came to Scotland last year.
In footballing terms, Holland are far superior. Why? They have a [...]
Posted by: Alan Black on: July 21, 2008
Senator Obama,
The Afghans don’t want Americans marching around their mountains, throwing pigskin shaped missiles at their huts. It’s all wrong, and it has to do with the shape of your American balls. Have the B52 drop millions of soccer balls on the Northwest Frontier and soon the enemy will be organizing teams, a league, be [...]
Posted by: Alan Black on: June 15, 2008
I went to a MLS game on Saturday, a clash between the San Jose Earthquakes and the LA Galaxy, with the brightest star in the universe, the supernova David Beckham in shorts. Most in the huge crowd were there to see him, and he was quite effective in leaving the impression that he will retire [...]
