"The Car Committed Suicide"

Yes, I know, my jetta is not a bmw...

too bad I had to find out the hard way. i mean, its not like i didn't know my v-dub isn't even close to being what a beemer is, but i liked being naive about it. i liked thinking that i was behind the wheel of a beautifully engineered german machine that people revered as well as envied (i think those two words mean sorta the same thing, but oh well, im stickin to it). being in my own world was a good feeling.

what's even worse is that it was being driven by a person who has a 3-Series! it was like, "hey, look what i can do!" and then realizing "oh wait, this isn't like my car"

next thing you know, we're pulled over on the grass, poppin the hood, standing outside on the hottest day of the year, and just blankly staring at the guts of my imaginary beast. clearly, the car isnt a beast...more like an over-pampered pitbull. kinda disappointing, i know.

just when i thought my problems couldn't get any worse, i look down I-287 and see a big green roadsign looking right back at me..."fuck, its parsippany!" Damn, i'm oh for two in this place! Reason number 4925786 why i hate New Jersey.

i find a Shell Gas Station and this Malu dude named Thomas...

Me: "can you fix her"
Thomas: "yes"
Me: "Price range?"
Thomas: "Daddy's credit card will do"

8 Hours later...car is towed to VW. you'd think the professionals would be, well, more professional. So i decided to let them handle it, thinking that they'd cut me a break...

VW Asshole: "looked it over"
Me: "how much we lookin at?"
VW: "i own your soul"

...douchebags

Thomas: "ah, you're back"

So yea, i got eff'd...badly. Total damage, including 2 tow charges, diagnostic fees by the nazis, and the vet bills to perform surgery on the pitbull...$1,100

Parsippany, New Jersey...the place where fun goes to die!

GOL!!!

"Barca! (clap, clap clap) - Barca! (clap, clap clap)"

Yea, i was sitting in Giants Stadium, but it sure didn't feel like it. Looking around and across the field to the other side of the stadium, all i saw were signs, banners and flags of Spain and FC Barcelona floating in a sea of Maroon and Blue. Behind me, the pounding sound of drums and bull-horns set the tempo for the entire night. If I had taken a video of my surroundings, anybody would have mistaken New Jersey for a crazed soccer town in Latin America or Spain.

Witnessing this event made me appreciate European soccer even more than I already do. I realized that soccer/futbol is more than just a sport. Its a culture, and for some, as ridiculous it may sound, a way of life. From the sound of it, you're probably envisioning a stadium packed with latin americans, but in reality, this was one of the most diverse sporting events I've ever been to. It united people from many different heritages, all in hopes to witness some of the greatest players in the world take the field and play an amazing game...

...and the fans got what they wanted. Before this night, I constantly backed-up US Soccer and said that Americans are fast-approaching the European skill level.. I knew they had some work to do, but never did I imagine this type of result. 3-0 in the 28th Minute. 4-1 at Halftime. 6-2 at Full Time...Barcelona handled the RedBulls with ease. Domination was an understatement. Not to mention, the Spaniards no longer have Ronaldinho, and they're next best player Messi was a no show.

'Gol' after 'Gol', the stadium rocked, fans went crazy, and the bull-horns seemed to be the least of the noise. I've never experienced such an event like this - it left me speechless and in awe of everything and everyone around me. Amazing!

Now I understand why Futbol is considered the "Beautiful Game"

"you 'member, 'member??"

things i'll never get out of my head as a result of this weekend:

1. pineapple jokes
2. george lopez
3. witnessing "grown men" constantly singing 'pocket full of sunshine'
4. "ohwuohwuwhoa" (C Minus!)

That's pretty much what you get when you bring together 7 fools, a minivan, an 8hour drive (each way) and neighboring hotel rooms.

After gettin spanked by almost every team in the tournament, i guess you have to find the silver lining somewhere to make yourself feel better...our method of consolation - Halal Popeyes!

C 'eh' N 'eh' D 'eh'

In an attempt to recreate the semi, only not so much successful '06 Tournament in Toronto, I'm road-trippin all the way up to Canada Land  for the weekend, yet again.

See, year after year, tournament after tournament, loss after loss, we all come with the overly confident "nothing's gonna stop us 'cause we're from New York and nobody can beat us at our own game" approach.  Clearly, that hasn't worked since 2003.  Quite frankly, I'm just tired of all that nonsense.  Losing, pointing fingers, re-structuring the team...over and over again.  When every new plan the team comes up with has failed, what's next?

Hell, I wasn't even gonna play in the tournament until the very last moment.  Yea, I had my doubts and said to myself "why would I wanna travel up to Toronto just to lose again?"  After being convinced by almost everyone on the team, I decided to sign up.  At first I regretted the decision because I thought that everything will turn out to be the same.  The politics, lack of participation and the wasted time at every Friday night practice.  But, somehow, things seemed different this time around.  I couldn't quite point my finger on it.  Maybe it was the fact that "Coach Caaaarter" had come back from 'retirement', or that older players decided to step-down and take one for the team.  Whatever the case may be, things started to look good.  As far as I'm concerned, everything that occurred during the previous 5 years is done with.  Needing to prove myself over and over, getting disrespected by the two who I admired the most, and finally still needing to fight my case to even be considered NY A-Squad material - all of that is in the burner, out the window, 6 feet under...however you wanna phrase it.

This is why I'm setting a different mentality for myself.  To me, it's just another game.  Another day on the blacktop with my best friends, playing the game because we love it.  Not to win or lose, not for bragging rights, not for un-doing the 5 year drought...none of that.  This is for fun, for teamwork, and for the one chance to say that we played the tournament of our lives - regardless of the outcome.