What we’re thinking, what we’re watching, what’s coming on the blog today and the RASNoD (Random American Soccer Name of the Day). Setting up your day in soccer …
Birthday of note: Franco Baresi played slightly before my time, but when he retired from AC Milan (the only club he’d ever represented) at the end of the 1996-97 campaign, you could still see visages of the player that would eventually be voted Milan’s player of the century. Playing predominantly as a sweeper, he amassed 532 appearances in 20 Serie A seasons, winning six scudetti, three Champions Leagues, and one World Cup. Today, he turns 52, remaining Italy’s retort to those trumpeting the primacy of Franz Beckenbauer.
Ahead on the blog today*: Panic! At The Disco’s time has passed, but Panic! In MLS it’s just starting. Our Panic Quotient drops today.
RASNoD (Random American Soccer Name of the Day): Robert “Bob” Bradley … because random doesn’t necessarily mean obscure.
PST background noise while blogging today: I never liked Heroes when it was on TV. I didn’t get it. Now (given a couple of months in Oregon with more time than I know what to do with), I’ve got the show looping via Netflix. I finally feel like I get it. Before I’d been looking at this like it was a TV show, but it’s really not. It’s something much more simplistic, and it’s own way, much more entertaining. Regardless, I’m all in. As I type this, Kristen Bell (pictured) just shocked somebody into a coma.
What we should be watching on TV: Europa League hands out a trophy today, with Atlético Madrid facing Athletic Bilbao. For Athletic Club, this is the game they’ve been planning for for months, de-prioritizing league to prepare for this event. Atlético, however, have been trying to strike a balance between their Champions League hopes and European glory. If there’s one advantage they have, it’s Radamel Falcao, who is looking for his second straight Europa title. (Game starts at 2:45 p.m. Eastern, GolTV.)
We’ll leave you with this: We’re seeing some speculation that England’s Olympics boss Stuart Pearce may have been swayed by David Beckham’s Saturday performance. Apparently, Beckham may have been so bad that he played his way off of Team GB? Surely Pearce can’t be so swayed be on smash-and-grab, right? Right?!?
