The Toll of Being a Fan

I woke up this morning after a fitful night of sleep. I dreamt that the New England Revolution had lost the MLS Cup final, and their coach, Steve Nicol, was asking me what happened. Apparently, I had somehow made my way to the pitch, and (mis)guided the team to a terrible loss. I woke up agitated, and upset.

The game didn't start until 3:30PM, and throughout the day (a rainy day here in New England), the Sunday sports focus was on the Jets/Patriots game (which I didn't watch). The MLS Cup, the championship of American soccer, was a footnote. It felt like I was the only one who had access to some important secret.

The game started lopsided. The Houston Dynamo took shot after shot on the New England Revolution goal. New England looked ineffective. But somehow, after the twentieth minute, the Revs began to pass better. They started to look good. The Revs began to carry the play. I started to get hopeful. At the half, the game scoreless, I was feeling somewhat confident about us scoring. But alas, the second half was scoreless too. Both teams had chances; both teams began to falter to fatigue.

The MLS has a thirty minute "non-golden goal" overtime. By now it's supper time, and I had a fitful dinner while watching the match. I had to break away to clear the table, and help Mia get ready for bed. When I got back to the game, both teams had scored (Taylor Twellman for the Revs, Brian Ching for the Dynamo), but the match was headed into the penalty kick phase. If I had ulcers, they would have started acting up then.

Ultimately, the Revolution lost. Our goalie, Matt Reis, made a save, but we missed twice. The announcers said to give New England credit, but I was a flustered sore loser. I wanted to cry. I didn't want credit. I wanted an MLS Cup victory.

It takes a toll when your team is almost good enough. Climbing the mountain is hard every year, especially when you don't make it all the way to top. I know I'll be able to get past this game, but right now my heart is still heavy; I'm still filled with a mild despair. But I know that each of these championship losses is going to make that first championship taste that much sweeter.

Congratulations, Dynamo! Go Revs!

The Big Games

Tomorrow, the New England Revolution will be playing the D.C. United (at D.C.) in the Eastern Conference final of the MLS. The New England team has been a regular presence in the playoffs, but the team has not broken through to a championship. A win tomorrow will put New England in the final for the second time in as many seasons. The game will be broadcast at 4PM on ESPN2. Go Revs!

The other big game tomorrow is probably more familiar to the rest of the nation. The New England Patriots will be facing the undefeated Indianapolis Colts at Foxboro, in Week 9 of the NFL. The Colts have always found ways to lose against the Patriots, and I relish the thought of another New England victory. This game will be broadcast at 8PM on NBC. Go Pats!

A Book A Week?

Scott Smith of Minnesota is reading one book a week this year. In this his 42nd week, he's tackling Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson. Yes, I have this book, gathering dust on my bookshelf. Mr. Smith is going to try to read it in a week. Hats off!

I'll be watching how he does at the end of the year. So far, I've only read six books this year. Ugh. Let's see if I can rally in these last few months.

Baseball Predictions

I'm still reeling from the Yankees early exit! In the ALCS, I like the Detroit Tigers over the Oakland A's, but in truth, I could root for either team.

In the NLCS, I like the New York Mets over the St. Louis Cardinals. As I write this, Detroit is up 3 to 0 in Game 1.

Ze Frank

Oh man, the show with zefrank is some of the funniest stuff I've seen on the Internet. Be sure to check out the popular shows, but I'm busting a gut just going through his archive. Awesome, racers!

And the Rockets Red Glare

The national anthem of the United States was conceived on this day in 1814. Francis Scott Key's lyrics were originally a poem. The song was declared our anthem in 1931.

I love this song, quite possibly because I associate it with sports, and high patriotism. When I'm listening to it, I'm usually watching the World Series, or the Super Bowl, or the Olympics. When the song is sung right, it can make me feel chills. When the song is sung really right, it can make me cry. The song is dynamic, emotional, and evocative. I'm proud that it's America's anthem.

When I learned that today was the anniversary of the creation of this song, I read what Wiki had to say about the song. In the article, it stated that "Whitney Houston's rendition at Super Bowl XXV is often considered one of the best performances of the song." Really?

I managed to find a WAV recording of this version on the Web, but I was also quite surprised to see a complete video of this rendition on YouTube. Searching for the national anthem on YouTube produced a long list of fascinating variations. Here are four that strike the right notes to me. Enjoy!

Steven Tyler (World Series, 2004) - The front man for Aerosmith kicks out a version during Game 1 of my favorite World Series (at Fenway Park, Boston). He does it without instruments, and his unique voice and style shine through. A super delivery.

Destiny's Child (NBA All-Star Game, 2006) - Houston natives Destiny's Child perform a harmonized version of the anthem, and it's wonderful. Lots of texture in this variation. These three women add a touch of sex appeal to this song, and it works.

Marvin Gaye (NBA All-Star Game, 1983) - NPR reported that Marvin Gaye took the anthem to a new level in 1983. And when you watch it, you will agree. This is a quiet, instrospective arrangement. Fantastic.

Whitney Houston (Super Bowl, 1991) - Wiki was right. This is the definitive cut of the song. On the biggest stage, at the biggest game, Whitney delivers. She belts each high note out of Tampa Stadium. She's accompanied by the Florida Orchestra (conducted by Jahja Ling), but it does not overwhelm the power of her beautiful voice, singing this beautiful song. It's perfect.

Signage

On my way out of the house to pick up some take-out, my mother grabbed my arm, and offered to pay for it. She handed me her credit card.

Me: "What?"
Mom: "They'll take it."
Me: "I don't know, Mom."
Mom: "It's OK." And then she also gave me $40 in cash. "Just in case."

As I was leaving my house, I showed this loot to my wife. She shrugged, and said, "Try it. They probably won't even look at the credit card."

And she was right. At the restaurant, I handed my Mom's credit card. The charge went through. And when it came time to sign, I hesitated for a step, then signed my name. My name!

Tonight, while reading a humorous article on Zug (courtesy of Find the Boots), I stumbled upon Zug's hilarious "pranks" involving credit card signatures. It's a very funny article, and I'm now ready to borrow my wife's credit card when the mood strikes (just kidding!).