should I play or should I no?

(that was a play on words,(Clash) or maybe a pun, or maybe I'm trying to be punny)

I come to you faithful readers today with a heavy heart. As the sun cracks the horizon like a can of cheap beer, so we descend upon the second leg of the quarterfinals of Europe's most prestigious Cup competition, the UEFA Champions League. (alright yanks!, it's time for the real final 4 to begin,..EEwwww, you cheeky bastard.) Why the reason for the heavy heart, you ask? All this football beaming straight into your living room from another continent, a lovely woman by your side to take it all in with you, what's not to like? Well, I need to let you all in on a little secret. As most of you know, I played indoor soccer in the Fall of 2006 and suffered a career ending knee injury. Leading up to that inaugural season the lads could often been seen training at the park 1, maybe even 2 days a week. Benton "tough" Edwards as a strong defensive midfielder, Shaun "the rock" Stidham, as the Peter Crouch-esque tall center forward, to name a few. (whatever happened to that goalie of ours?) There's a few things that most of you don't realize about that tumultuous first season. 1. Man were we bad. One time we were awarded 3 points for a win due to a team not showing up, jubilent with the result we agreed to scrimage another team just for fun, we lost, big. So we loose even when we win. 2. I was being scouted by an English Soccer Academy. They offered (in secret) to take me over to Europe and allow me to train with London side, West Ham United. They saw my fitness and heading ability as 2 strong points, and wanted to develop those strengths. Well, as stated, we all know what happened next. Pop! (that pop noise was the deconstruction of hopes, dreams, aspirations, and relationships with scouts.) So like I've said, as the quarterfinals dissolve into the semi-finals, and the semi's into the final, I'll remain stateside, wife, satellite dish, and student loan debt in hand, continuing to rue the chance that I once hand of European Glory. Someone once spoke of a comeback, I've myself haven't heard that rumor yet. I'll leave you with a visual signature of myself in a different life, or, well at least pre December 2006. Cheers!

the reds go marching on, on, on!