Monthly Archives: May 2012

WWRvPD?

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Will he sign a new Arsenal contract? Won’t he sign a new Arsenal contract? Who knows? And with a quarter of his (Robin’s) priestly vows fulfilled, we may not know for a while. Everybody and their long lost uncle are speculating on what Robin will do, claim to have some sort of inside scoop, reading tea leaves and body language to state their case, etc. This piece is much more introspective, reflective and soul searching. Objectively, what would you do if you were in Robin’s shoes?

I can only imagine Robin is sitting in the Dutch camp, thankful he doesn’t have to play with Nigel de Jong every day (you know what I mean – playing football on the same pitch), wondering what sort of fried delectable Andre Santos is munching on at this very moment.

But, seriously, what would you do if you were Robin? The way I see it there are three choices:

  • Sign a new contract
  • Do nothing and see out his existing contract
  • Force his way out of the team this summer

The amount of money he can make elsewhere is insane (the reports from MC and Russia are about Monopoly money salaries). And who among us wouldn’t be tempted? Don’t get me wrong, what Arsenal are (supposedly) offering would be more than enough for most of us and be a tidy sum to collect each and every week, but what would you do if you could get more? Imagine your own current job situation. You’re happy, you work with people you like, you make a good living – but somebody comes along and offers you double the amount you are currently making. You’d be crazy not to consider the offer (and possibly crazy not accept it).

I actually had this very situation happen to me. I run my own business and do well for myself, but a company in Arizona offered me easily 2X what I was making on my own. I eventually said no, but it took a tremendous amount of soul searching to make that decision. I made the decision because I run my own company, I love being in Austin (Arizona? Really?), I love the lifestyle running my own company affords me and my wife is established in her profession here in Austin as well. Tough decision, but I don’t regret if for a minute.

I suspect Robin, especially being the competitive person he is, is doing much the same right now. Of course I want him to stay at Arsenal, but I wouldn’t begrudge him the decision to move on from Arsenal if he does so.

What would you do if you were in Robin’s shoes? Take the poll and leave comments below.

Arsenal Player Ratings v. Norwich – Collective Epic Fail Edition

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It feels like a slap to the face, a punch to the gut, a kick to the balls, a razorblade colonoscopy, a barbed wire catheterization. Call it what you want, it was incredibly fucking painful. There aren’t enough water bottles in the world to capture the frustration that Arsene must have felt during this game.

Which brings me to another point. After the game, Arsene said: “We have to analyse the reasons why we were not sharp enough in the first half. There is no obvious reason because we prepared normally as we always do, but maybe subconsciously [we thought] we would win it.”

I could pull quotes from him after about ten games this season that say something along the same lines. In a number of the games we’ve lost this season, Arsene seems as utterly surprised at the way the team played as do I. Which raises a question for me (actually, a number of questions) – between Arsene prepping the team and the team playing the game, where do things turn to shit? Is it the players being complacent? Is it Arsene not really preparing the team as well as he thought he did? Is it the other team simply playing harder because it’s Arsenal? I don’t know.

And where the hell was the midfield today? I was honestly surprised not to see them playing a game of hopscotch in the middle of the park (or maybe that’s exactly what we saw). But seriously, where the hell were they?

But the reality is at the beginning of the game (and even with ten minutes left in the game), we were completely in control of our 3rd-place destiny. Now? Not so much. It’s very possible we could even finish in 5th place this year (which is where I thought we’d end up at the end of the season based on comments I made about 4 games ago). We are now reliant on other teams losing – team names I’d rather not mention so as not to sully this blog.

Any way you look at today, it was en epic fail of epic proportions epically. (Presumably) this was Pat Rice’s last home game, Arsene’s 900th game and our last home game of the season.

For me, 4 players do not make it onto the epic fail list – RvP, Ox, Koscielny and Benayoun.

For me, this is the one picture that sums up today’s game.

 

Best Political Ad Ever

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Let me make it clear this post is not an endorsement of Roland Sledge for Texas Railroad Commissioner. However, where else but Texas can you hear a candidate talk about peeing on an electric fence in his political ad?

I’m not really sure what Rod Blagojevich has anything to do with the Texas Railroad Commission and Texas politics, but that’s probably due to my child-like innocence and naivete.

If I’ve learned anything from this ad it’s that I shouldn’t pee on an electric fence. Nothing else.