Sunday, December 28, 2008

How I've Missed You

Oh Blog, Oh Blog.. I have not forsaken thee. And I have missed you so over these last two weeks. Often I've felt the urge, but the unfortunate lack of cheap internet access in the middle of the ocean has prevented us from meeting.

Alas, we shall become good friends again, I swear. And I promise to release my prose upon your beautiful white story board as much as possible this week.

That being said, I've had a bug itching me the last two weeks. I believe it is the lovely itch of my first Viewpoint article the week we get back.

Time to draft. Obviously this will be lacking in quotes as I haven't interviewed anyone yet, but I just want to try out the source material and see how it rolls.

In How Soccer Explains the World, the famous American journalist Franklin Foer crafts a strikingly cognizant argument about how soccer explains globalization and many of the worlds developing issues.

O.K., maybe he was stretching a bit at times. But in honesty, there was a lot of truth in what Foer had to say -- notably on the subject of athletic rivalry. One of the most polarized of these rivalries he presents is the one between the two major athletic clubs in Glasgow, Scotland -- and the two most dominant clubs in Scottish soccer -- Celtic and Rangers.

The history of these clubs dates back centuries, and like many good rivalries it all began with religion -- Celtic is the Catholic side and Rangers are Protestant.

But the unwavering and remarkable passion of their supporters is so much more than most Americans could imagine. Even to the point of killing supporters of the other club in the name of their own.

Many would say, "this is madness". I would say, this is passion, this is sport. At least the way it should be.

For all that people make of the rivalry between State and Carolina, it still is fairly tame. I can name very few people who do not have at least a handful of friends at both Duke and Chapel Hill.

And that is the problem. This basketball season, do not shake a Tarheel's hand. Grab it and throw him to the ground. Sound like you mean when you tell Hansborough and Carolina to go to hell. Be a fan and physically intimidate anyone who would dare insult the name of North Carolina State Univerity.

Do not view it as unwarranted harrassment. After all, they were the ones who chose to support a bastard of a University. Give them hell for it. And in the name of Jimmy Valvano and all that is good, make those unworthy State students who wear Carolina attire feel like they themselves have sold their souls to the devil.

Show some passion for your school, go harass a Carolina fan.

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O.K., maybe a little overdramatic I think. It may have to be a work in progress as it definitely is not solid enough yet to pass for Technician gold.

Now though I think I will go finish my set list on guitar hero (Wii for Christmas).. yea..

No worries though my dear blog, I shall return soon.

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