World Cup

Finally, something non-UC related!  Let's talk World Cup.  The first week is over and all have played their first matches.  What have we learned this week:

1. No matter how good you are on paper, it doesn't necessarily translate to the field.  e.g.  Spain.
2. Even if you have great skill, show a little dignity and not take dives like a wimp.  e.g.  Portugal (Ronaldo) and Uruguay (Suarez).  I will be rooting against these teams and players and hoping for some really good hacks requiring substitutions.
3. Even if you are not that good, you can still have some pride.  e.g.  North Korea.  They don't take dives and even if they get hacked, they don't embellish and get right back up.  They don't take unnecessary fouls and play like real men.  Can't believe I'm saying it, but hats off to them and I'll be rooting for them this year.
4. Speed is a huge benefit.  e.g.  South Korea.  They may not be the most talented, but these guys can cover ground like no other team out there.
5. Soft goals still count, but don't necessarily make you feel good.  Who cares, you don't count goals, you count points.  e.g. USA and Netherlands (let's be honest, you didn't need help from Denmark, but it still counts)
6. A ton of ties makes for interesting second and third games, as many teams still have a shot to move onto single elimination.  Only one real upset (sorry Spain), so the cards still look stacked for the top 5 or 6 teams.
7. DVR is a gift from the gods.  Being off work, recovering from these past surgeries has definitely made it easier to watch the games.  I haven't missed a minute of a game yet and based on my expected recovery, I could actually see every single game:  That would top my previous viewing from 1994 where I saw 62.5 of the 64 matches.  I guess you have to have goals, right?

Here's to another great week of football and 16 fantastic games.