A Good Sports Movie is Like a Designer Handbag.

A good sports movie is like a designer handbag. Each scene needs to be stitched together ever-so-seamlessly in order for the movie to flow naturally. While designer handbags are stitched with silvery thread, a good sports movie must be sewed up with quotable lines that are both unique and of high quality. They must also have a central theme, and aggressively stray from the plague of too many morals of the story, just as a purse should not have both zebra stripes and rainbow polka dots on it at the same time. And while you want there to be a moral of the story, you also want to avoid any cheesy lines that can make the underlying emotion in the scene seem false. Similarly, you want to avoid the knock-off Gucci bags in Chinatown, seeing that it will never be able to give you the satisfaction that the original can.

Although there is more than one bag or purse that fits this criteria, everyone has a favorite. Some people just simply like Juicy over Prada, with no rhyme or reason to it. As for me, I have simply always loved the movie, Coach Carter, directed by a Mr. Thomas Carter. While I love the movie for its brief shirtless scenes of Channing Tatum, I watch Coach Carter instead of Google-imaging Channing Tatum because of the knockout quotes that steadily stream from the screen.

"I came to coach basketball players, and you became students. I came to teach boys, and you became men." ~Coach Carter

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." ~Timo Cruz


These are just a few of my favorite quotes from Coach Carter, the moments when I get a chill from just from watching someone else say these words. Unlike a designer handbag, a good sports movie can have a lasting impact on you that can change the way you think about things. If there are any other sports movie quotes that inspire you, I'd love to hear them! And if you haven't seen Coach Carter before, I strongly encourage you to buy it on Netflix or Demand; it's much better than a designer handbag, and much less expensive.

Soccer Girl Probs

"Those who can celebrate Cinco de Drinko today, go drink your faces off....however, God be with those who have a game tomorrow #SGP."

After our annual pre-pre-preseason soccer meeting, one of my friends showed me a twitter account called @SoccerGirlProblems. With 93,600 followers, you know that her tweets must be hilarious, relatable, and under 140 characters. The account stemmed from a popular YouTube video called, "Sh*t Soccer Girls Say". In just under five and a half minutes, these girls are able to say all of the things that every soccer player has thought at some point or another. I would put this video right up there with the YouTube sensation, Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen or Jenna Marbles's videos. 

@SoccerGirlProblems is able to hit you on all electronic fronts... accessible on twitter, YouTube, and even on http://www.ourgamemagazine.com/?p=7057 . With so much to say, they need all the web-based outlets they can get. I would really recommend watching the videos linked above and checking out their blog and twitter account. If you're in the mood for a quick laugh, check 'em out!

The Benedict Arnold of the Twenty-first Century

Although its a name I can barely get my lips to mouth, a sore subject that I rarely like to bring up, I think it's time to talk about LeBron. Now nearing the end of the NBA season, there are a few things that no Cavaliers fan likes to bring up. With a term well-known to most Cleveland sports fans, this was a"rebuilding year" for our hometown Cavaliers.

So instead of succumbing to the disappointment of a weak season without LeBron, many Cavaliers fans have switched their focus to watching the Heat. As avid as we all once were in cheering for LeBron's victory, we now are just as avidly cheering against him, if not more so. LeBron has made himself, at least in the eyes of many Cleveland-ers, the Benedict Arnold of the Twenty-first Century.

I'm sure you reading this have heard of the many LeBron jersey campfires that ensued "The Decision" broadcasted by ESPN. In the video below, another fan finds a small hometown victory in the Mavericks victory over the Heat. In what little ways we can keep ourselves sane as Cavaliers fans, we find the glass half-full when LeBron is defeated after his betrayal of Cleveland.

Crazy Fan Reaction

The Silence of the National Anthem

I think my favorite part of a soccer game would be the National Anthem played at the beginning. Although it's mostly considered the one part of a two hour activity that could be cut in order to get us home before 10 on a school night, I would like to disagree.

No, I don't think that a girls highschool soccer game in Northeast Ohio is played in order to honor one's country. And I don't pretend to take it that seriously. However, I think the National Anthem serves a purpose each time its played as the men take their caps off. For me, it pumps me up. Standing there with my team, staring at the flag and humming under my breath, I silently prepare for my game. It gives me those 90 seconds to think for myself, without the constant stream of voices from my coaches, teammates, and parents. Its the time I take to breathe. In 90 seconds, I look ahead at the next 80 minutes of soccer I have to play, and think, I can do this.

So clearly, to me the National Anthem is not about the quality of song. Whether its a tape recording or the entire Cleveland Orchestra strumming along, I think regardless. And so, when a singer tries to make the National Anthem about them, I get annoyed. At the championship March Madness game between Kansas and Kentucky, The Fray sang the National Anthem for two college basketball teams, their coaches and staff, and a completely sold out arena. When I watched this video (linked below), I was floored by their confidence to think that they could rewrite the National Anthem, a song sung since 1889, and somehow think they could make it better. Although I am a huge fan of The Fray, I was definitely disappointed by their over-complication of a song beautiful for its simplicity. At best, I would call this a mosquito-like distraction to an otherwise exciting game.

The Fray National Anthem

It's Been A While.

Hi everyone! Like the title implies, it's definitely been a while since the last time I posted. Now that we're half way through the spring, there's a lot that I need to catch you up on! This winter, as you might have assumed, was incredibly dull and sport-free. There were no lamentable snow storms, no noteworthy UFO sightings, and the Cavaliers never upset the Heat. With all this free time I had, you might've guessed that I spent most of my time of YouTube: to-date the greatest cure for boredom. After hours of clicking on related videos, I stumbled upon a video that I thought you all might like to see...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKMllY6jHp0

When I showed my friends this video, half of them thought it was film-edited, while the other half found it believable. Being one to hope for semi-miracles, I chose to argue for its authenticity. Evan Longoria must have heard the ball coming, and reached out his hand quick enough to catch it! But the debate continues... email or comment your opinions!!

And as for catching you up on whats been going on these past few months, I guess you'll just have to wait for my next blog post. Which, fingers crossed, should be ready for reading by next weekend. Happy Spring,

Goo

Hi Again!

Hello everybody! I just wanted to apologize for taking so long to post again, I know its been a long long long long long long long long long time (and I’m sure still longer than the amount of time it took you to read that).

The soccer season is over by now, and since starting in July, I would say a 4 month season was plenty. However, despite all the complaining I did about the long practices and endless conditioning, my time has never been as well spent as it was during this season. Monday through Saturday I spent with my team, out on the fields working on drills and running and headers and crosses and running and corners and free kicks, and did I mention running? Back in July we welcomed in the new freshmen after saying goodbye to the old seniors, and rebuilt our happy, misfit, and sometimes dysfunctional family.

In previous years people have said that our coach, Stan, was like the second Uncle of the family. For a long time he was the authoritative leader that was not to be crossed, and even, although we hate to admit, feared by the team. But this year, he listened to what we had to say and what we wanted to change, and went above and beyond to make it happen for us. And in return, we recognized that although some may disagree with his coaching style, none can say that he is not dedicated to each and every one of us as players.

And this year was fun. We were winning, and somehow balancing working hard with having a good time in both our games and practices. With an undefeated record by the end of the season and a conference championship, we were excited and happy and pumped for the play offs.

There are many reasons that I wish our season hadn’t ended as early as it did. Yes, I wanted to win states. And badly. But also, I wanted that for my teammates and coaches as well. Although I probably wouldn’t have admitted it then, I loved spending all of my time with my crazy soccer family. Some of the seniors being a few of my closest friends, I’m sad to be past the last game I’ll get to play with them. But I look back on this season and see an amazing run, with so many high points that they almost completely hide the disappointing lows.

And don’t worry readers. Because next year, we’ll be back.

This Is It.

Since I started high school in 2009, this time of year has meant one thing: play offs. Like the pumpkin pie to my Thanksgiving or the Santa Clause to my Christmas (for those of you who are Jewish or simply don’t practice Christianity, please bare with me for a moment. I urge you to come up with a similar comparison, whether it be with dreidels, jack-o-lanterns, or tooth fairies!), Play offs is the creamy nougat center of my 3 Musketeers Bar (too far?).

            Today we played our first game of the tournament, and are thankfully moving onward. With the beginning of a hopefully long road ahead of us, I couldn’t think of any better way to start it than some pump up music. Here are the top five songs I listen to when getting ready for the play offs. Feel free to agree, disagree, or give back any suggestions you might have. Some of my stuff’s a bit outdated, but has kept me going all the same. To the first steps of a long awaited journey! (And no, I’m not afraid to admit that I feel like Odysseus or even Forest Gump right now. “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.”)

1.     Forever- Drake ft. Lil Wayne, Kanye West, and Eminem

2.     I Put on for My City by Young Jeezy ft. Kanye West

3.     Lose Yourself- Eminem

4.     Zombie Nation- Kenkraft 400

5.     Can’t Be Touched- Roy Jones Jr.