Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

We will not go back.

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

You know it’s bad when the Project 2025 people have to create training videos on “How To Be Normal”.

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

You would normally have to try pretty hard to self-incriminate this badly.

Republican speaker of the house Mike Johnson is the bland and smiling face of evil.

Let’s not be the monsters we hate.

75% of people clapping liked the show!

Republicans: slavery is when you own me. freedom is when I own you.

Their boy Ron is an empty plastic cup that will never know pudding.

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

Rupert, come get your orange boy, you petrified old dinosaur turd.

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

The fundamental promise of conservatism all over the world is a return to an idealized past that never existed.

Nothing says ‘pro-life’ like letting children go hungry.

Jack Smith: “Why did you start campaigning in the middle of my investigation?!”

“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.”

Conservatism: there are people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

Dear legacy media: you are not here to influence outcomes and policies you find desirable.

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

This chaos was totally avoidable.

Narcissists are always shocked to discover other people have agency.

You are here: Home / Sports / El Clásico Open Thread

El Clásico Open Thread

by | 32 Comments

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Sorry for the lengthy absence. I’ll have some additional points for discussion tomorrow on several football (i.e. soccer) issues tomorrow, but right now have at it regarding what may be the most legendary rivalry in sports.

Both teams are coming off disappointing mid-week Champions League semifinals. Will Barça keep its recent run against Real Madrid going or will the Merengues emerge victorious at the Nou Camp?

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32Comments

  1. 1.

    Violet

    I don’t watch much soccer outside of the World Cup, but in the past month or so I’ve seen headlines of two young soccer players on European teams having heart attacks. The first was a player from somewhere in West Africa (I think) who played on a European team and had a heart attack on the pitch and was in intensive care in the hospital. The second was in the last week or so and this player died on the pitch.

    Most fit young men don’t die of heart attacks. Is there a drug problem or something else going on in professional soccer? Or is it just coincidence?

  8. 8.

    dollared

    Tough call here. If I were Guardiola, I’d put my 1A squad out here and save Xavi and Iniesta for Tuesday. They aren’t gonna catch Madrid.

  12. 12.

    SST

    ESPN bought rights to broadcast La Liga games so that on the day of El Clasico, they can show… Jon Gruden’s QB camp.

    Or World’s Strongest Man on ESPN2.

    Special.

  14. 14.

    Amir Khalid

    @Violet:
    Bolton Wanderers midielder Fabrice Muamba, the first player you mentioned, is out of hospital and looks to make a full recovery. There is hope he might even resume playing football before the year is out. Udinese midfielder Piermario Morosini appears to be one of the unfortunate cases that slipped through one of the most rigorous prevention programs in sports: in Italy, all registered participants in sports undergo heart screenings twice a year. A friend of Morosini’s (and fellow footballer) said that if that still couldn’t catch Morosini’s case, then nothing could have.

  15. 15.

    Amir Khalid

    @Violet:
    Further to my reply:
    Cardiac arrest in fit young athletes — both Muamba and Morosini were in their twenties — is not common, but also not unheard of and not unique to football. In the 30 years since Italy introduced that heart screening program for athletes, they’ve cut down the occurrence by some 90%.

  26. 26.

    Tripad

    Given the economic state of Spain and most of the clubs, I’d wager a talent exodus from La Liga is on the horizon.

  27. 27.

    Wyrm1

    @SST:

    ESPN doesn’t have the over the air rights to the game in the US, Gol TV does, but is allowed to show it streaming. I am sure they would be showing it on ESPN2 if they could.

  28. 28.

    Violet

    @Amir Khalid:
    Thanks for the info. Sorry I’m so late back to the thread–I got called away. I know young folks can have heart problems that go undetected but it seemed kind of coincidental that two happened so close to each other. I’m glad the first guy is getting better.

  29. 29.

    dollared

    Well, it’s all moot. How long has it been since Barca lost two matches in a row? Tuesday will be very, very interesting.

  30. 30.

    D-boy

    I must say that this was the first soccer game i watched in its entirety and I enjoyed it completely. I suppose the massive amounts of beer and pizza I consumed watching it had no impact on my enjoyment of it either

  31. 31.

    Chet

    OT, but the Chisox’ Phil Humber pitched the 21st perfect game in modern major-league history vs. Seattle today.

    (Well the 21st according to the record book. The 22nd, says this Tiger fan.)

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