UEFA Champion's League

 A million Liverpool fans caused a sea of Red. 

Wednesday saw the most amazing comeback on a football...er....soccer field.  Liverpool came from three goals down to beat AC Milan in the final of the UEFA Champion's League.  I have never seen anything as incredible as what I witnessed Wednesday afternoon. 

Most of you have no idea what the Champions League is so let me give you a little rundown.  Think NBA Playoffs for European soccer.  Each country in Europe has a league.  England has the Premiership, Spain has La Liga, etc.  For the Champions League each country receives 2, 3 or 4 bids into this prestigious event.  Two teams for smaller countries (Scotland); up to four (England, Italy, Spain). 

I always make sure to set up shop in front of a tv every year for the final of this tournament because it's always a great game.  Being a Manchester United fan it was hard to see their bitter rivals playing.  Liverpool, who finished fifth in England this year, won't even get a chance to play in the tournament next year (remember they have to finish in the top four). 

Istanbul, Turkey.  75,000 fans.  Three-quarters of the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Liverpool red vs AC Milan, the best team in the world.  Less than one minute into the game Milan is up 1-0.  Two more goals before halftime and the romp was on.  Think again.  Second half starts, Liverpool makes a couple changes, a key substitution (Hamann for Finnan) and off they went.  Within a six minute period, Liverpool scored three goals and the 55,000 Liverpool fans in the stadium went absolutely ballistic.  Steven Gerrard, 'Pools captain, scored on a great header, Vladimir Smicer rifled a 25 foot shot into the corner of goal and Xabi Alonso made a penalty after Gerrard was dragged down by a defender in the box. 

How AC Milans defense could let three goals by them in a six minute span is beyond me.  They have three of the best defenders in the world.  Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Nesta and Jaap Stam, who actually won the title back in 1999 with Man United(another story for another time). 

The game finished 3-3 after 90 minutes.  They played two 15 minute halves to determine a winner but nothing was accomplished, except for Liverpool keeper Jerzy Dudek saving the game for the Reds in the dying minutes of the second overtime period.  Andriy Shevchenko, World Footballer of the Year (aka MVP for the entire world of soccer), had not one, but two shots from point blank range and Dudek rejected both of them. 

It came down to penalty kicks and Dudek saved Andrea Pirlo and Shevchenko to give Liverpool its first UEFA Champions League title in 24 years.  How great was this game?  How often do you see a European football game become an Instant Classic on ESPN Classic?  Exactly.  Never.  Greatest game in the history of European football and I can say I witnessed it.  Just amazing. 

 Need a good view, do you?

My Top Eight Moments of the Champions League final. 

1.  Steven Gerrard's header to give Liverpool a lifeline at 3-1.

2.  Xabi Alonso's penalty to tie the game up (actually saved by Milan keeper Dida, but Alonso stuck it in the back of the net on the rebound).

3.  Dudek saving Shevchenko twice in the dying moments of the game. 

4.  Hearing ESPN's commentator Tommy Smyth going absolutely crazy, screaming out 'THIS IS THE MOST AMAZING GAME I HAVE EVER SEEN!!!' after 'Pool tied it up.

5.  Dudek saving Pirlo's and Shevchenko's penalty kicks in the shootout. 

6.  Watching Jamie Carragher, cramping up in the last 15 minute half, make a fantastic sliding tackle.

7.  Seeing Gerrard lift the trophy for the only team he has ever cheered or played for (Forget a move to Chelsea...he's staying Red).

8.  Hearing the Liverpool fans chant their anthem 'You'll Never Walk Alone.'

Read all about the game at the BBC's football site (Victory Seen By A Million).

 

 

John's completely lost his Rocker

 Just looks like a goon, doesn't he?

Every sports fan in America remembers John Rocker.  While playing for the Atlanta Braves back in 1999, Rocker made some wonderful comments in an interview with Sports Illustrated about immigrants, gays and every other person in this country who is not white.  Let me refresh your memory.   

Saying he could 'never' play for a New York team, Rocker said "Imagine having to take the Number 7 train to the ballpark next to some kid with purple hair, next to some queer with AIDS right next to some dude who just got out of prison for the fourth time right next to some 20-year-old mom with four kids. It's depressing."  

Top notch John, top notch.  He wasn't done.  There was much more.  He also said 'The biggest thing I don't like about New York are the foreigners. I'm not a very big fan of foreigners. You can walk an entire block in Times Square and not hear anybody speaking English. Asians and Koreans and Vietnamese and Indians and Russians and Spanish people and everything up there. How the hell did they get in this country?'  

Rocker has recently compared himself to Hank Aaron and Jackie Robinson.  "I've taken a lot of crap from a lot of people," Rocker told ESPN. “Probably more than anybody in the history of this sport. I know Hank and Jackie took a good deal of crap, but I guarantee it wasn't for six years. I just keep thinking: How much am I supposed to take?"  

In 1947, Jackie Robinson was the first black baseball player to play professionally.  Hank Aaron passed Babe Ruth's homerun record while getting death threats and receiving shoe boxes full of racist-filled letters of hate.  Does Rocker realize that Aaron and Robinson didn't deserve ANY of the hate brought onto them?  All they did was play the sport they love.  On the other hand, Rocker is just a complete idiot who seems to think he is God's gift and has the right to say whatever comes to his mind.   

Fast forward to May 3 of this year.  Rocker, pitching for the Long Island Ducks (a crappy minor league team), gave up two runs on two hits and two walks in one-third of an inning.  For those of you who don't know baseball, one-third of an inning means he got ONE PERSON OUT.  In other words, he sucks.  While leaving the field, Dave Macken, a fan of the opposing team said 'It's a long way from Atlanta!'  Rocker snapped back 'I'm still a millionaire and you're still a piece of ____ (fill in the blank).   

Top Eight Reasons to watch a little league game instead of watching John Rocker pitch:

1.  Some of these kids actually have talent, where as John Rocker has none.

2.  These kids won't spout off at fans. 

3.  Brats are only $2 compared to $4 at a major league game.

4.  Little leaguers don't have a pure hatred for foreigners.

5.  Little leaguers don't have a pure hatred for gays. 

6.  Little leaguers don't have a pure hatred for New Yorkers.

7.  The love of the game.

8.  I just hate John Rocker.  Isn't that enough of a reason right there?