Burn-E

So FIFA's President, Sepp Blatter, is calling for the Football Taskforce 2014 to come up with a superior alternative to the "tragedy of penalty shootouts."

What do you think?

My thoughts:

In no other major ball or puck based sport does a tied score lead to a finals scenario where players get a free shot at the goal. We don't put the football on the opposing team's 20 yard line and give each team 5 shots at getting a field goal or touchdown in the Superbowl. We don't line each team's five best foul shooters up in basketball and give them each a shot at making a basket for the final game of the NBA finals. In baseball we don't line up the home run hitters and see how many home runs they can hit against a pitcher in the World Series. We don't put the five best puck handlers on the line and do a shoot out - at least not in NHL play for the Stanley cup though they do in regular play and they do have shootouts in International including the Olympics and lower league play in the US and Canada).

It's less concerning to see a team win a regular season game through a shoot out in hockey. But to watch an underdog that has played magnificently lose in the Stanley Cup finals because the other team had a better line of shooters, something doesn't quit sit right. And that's why they don't do it in hockey.

At least that is what Blatter is saying in the case of football. He doesn't think it's right.

So, should they go into a second and third overtime for football (soccer)? It's hard to say. There is something gut wrenching and yet fascinating to watch exhausted goalies and kickers stand man to man and try to be the hero rather than the goat. As a goalie in youth football, I always hated having to take on a penalty kick, especially when it was one of my own teammates who caused the penalty. I wound up being the goat if I didn't block the goal, not the teammate who made the stupid mistake.

But in the case of football, how long would the game go if we let it run into multiple overtimes rather than going to the shootout after an initial overtime? Does the shootout offer a dramatic ending rather than an exhausted and deflating finish? Would eliminating the shootout change the strategic play of the game where some teams ultimately play out the clock in an effort to get to the shootout phase in hopes of a better result?

Me, I love the shootout. It's a dramatic finish to the game. And it truly pits a skilled goalie against great kickers. I can't say I've ever felt regret that a team like Italy won over France in the World Cup or that Brazil beat Italy. Or that the USA defeated China in the 1999 Women's FIFA World Cup or Japan beat the USA in 2011.

You wouldn't have moments like these:



Or this:



So how would you change it - or should FIFA just tell Blatter to leave well enough alone?

Got wheels sitting in your garage, basement, under your deck, shed and the wife, girlfriend, mother is giving you grief for turning her house (look face it, the house is hers, you're lucky to get the garage or the basement to yourself) into Sanford and Son's junkyard?

Have I got a deal for you. You have wheels, that match the photo below, I want those wheels. I don't need a set - in fact I just want one or two wheels.



Maybe you destroyed one thanks to a curb (or tree if you live in Florida) that jumped out and bit your car. It was totally not your fault but you've decided as a result to go another direction. Maybe you want to be like Matt and Gabe and all the other cool kids who are making stance a noun in the Volvo owner's dictionary.

I have cash, you have a UPS store or USPS office nearby. I send you money over Paypalz and you send me the wheels. Wife, girlfriend is happy fixes a nice meal for you and offers a night of sexiness. Maybe you're smart and spend a little bit of the money on her rather than feeding your Volvo addiction. If it's Mom, she doesn't kick you out of the house but instead offers to do your laundry for you. Win win win situation.

Looking for 1 or 2 decent shape OEM 18x8 BBS Nebulas. If you've got some sitting around gathering dust and wondering what to do with them - drop me a PM and hit me up.

Found this on an ad on eBay. Nice looking low mileage coupe. See the black knob just below the HU and to the right of the Hazards button? What is it? Button for a sub woofer? - none present in the trunk that I can see. Never seen this before. I'm guessing it's not OEM because nothing shows up in the 98 accessory catalog.



Based on the VIN tag on the door it's a US destined car.

Only in Chicago and only in Cicero. The continuity of corruption in this township stretches from Al Capone to Betty Loren-Maltese to today. The State just needs to come in and take over all of the public infrastructure just like they do with public schools in the Chicago Public School system and then reset the power structure.

Guess whose playbook Blagojevich followed with his efforts as a Governor? That's right, Betty's handbook for keeping the citizens happy while you rob them blind. There are so many pols like these two in the Chicago area.