Three Quick Non-Euro Thoughts

Many in the sports world may expect the next few days to showcase three dominant performances: the Lakers in the NBA Finals, Rafael Nadal at the French Open and Big Brown in the Belmont Stakes.

I expect the Lakers to win the title in six games, though I will be rooting, begrudgingly, for the Celtics. I like KG too much to let my feelings for Boston sports fans turn me against this team, and I genuinely feel that Kobe Bryant is one of the most unlikeable athletes in all of sports. This notion that he has changed in the last year from a brat to a team player is laughable. I'll leave it at that. Unfortunately, I still expect L.A. to close the deal at home in less than two weeks. Hope I'm wrong.

As for Nadal, the man is a beast on the red stuff. Not only do people not beat him at Roland Garros, it's usually not even close. I think he beats Federer on Sunday for his third consecutive title in Paris. Again, I hope I'm wrong.

Finally we come to the anticipated dominance that I think will not happen. As much as I would like to see Big Brown the horse (not the connections, I don't care much for them) win the first Triple Crown in 30 years, I think that the rail and the bad hoof and the karma are going against him. It does surprise me that everyone is talking about this race in such absolutes. Do I think he has a shot? Of course, I won't be shocked if he wins. But I think that he's going to be forced into a bad position early on the rail, and that the hoof problem and running a grueling race against fresher, better horses than he saw in the Preakness are going to catch up with him. He's still an outstanding horse, but I just don't think it's in the stars on Saturday. 1. Casino Drive 2. Denis of Cork 3. Big Brown

Back to the topic at hand soon....

Then and Now

My last delving into international soccer came two summers ago, in a stuffy hostel room in San Sebastian, Spain. It was here that I watched the Italy-France final, the culmination of a month-long privilege I had to follow the World Cup as I backpacked across Europe. I remember where I was when Maxi Rodriguez scored this goal (in a friend's friend's cousin's Berlin apartment, with a guy who was nursing a glass of red wine and didn't seem to really care about the game), Joe Cole scored this one (didn't actually see it, the one time they decided to switch over to coverage of the meaningless Paraguay-Trinidad and Tobago game in the Vienna ice cream shop where I watched, Cole hit his 40-yard beauty), and Marco Materazzi managed to put a bulls-eye on his sternum by saying something about Zinedine Zidane's sis.

But that was two summers ago, and now it is time for the next major international tournament (no disrespect to the African Cup of Nations, but it ain't quadrennial and it ain't televised). Maxi Rodriguez won't be there (not from a European country), Joe Cole won't be there (not from a nation who qualified...more on this later), and Zinedine Zidane has hung up his international boots. Yes, friends, it is Euro 2008, and it is upon us. Three weeks and sixteen teams to determine the champion of Europe. Every game on an ESPN channel. Every kickoff at a time of day when the sun is actually shining in the western hemisphere. There's a lot to like about this one, boys and girls. Don't like baseball? Sick of Lakers-Celtics even though the series has yet to begin? Bored with stories about NFL players beating burglars with bedposts? Well then, Euro 08 just might be the tonic you need to get through the long, sweltering summer.

Since I don't follow club soccer with anything resembling regularity, I'm not going to react to the Euro matches on this blog as if I'm an expert. I watched the Champions League Final, I watched a few other times, but for the most part, I have been on sabbatical since my summer in Europe. This blog will be for random thoughts, analysis of the game, and perhaps the occasional entertaining tidbit. It's not going to be like the Final Four, where I know (or think I know) every tendency of every player on every roster. I will familiarize myself as best I can, and hope to provide some insight along the way. Before we get to the games on Saturday, I'll provide some random thoughts, an invitation to join me in a March Madness-style pool, and a prediction or two. Bring friends, bring opinions, and bring the heat. Join me, please.