Primitive Information

But what a month it was.

The perfect summary for World Cup 2006

Sure, this wasn’t the greatest World Cup ever, but it was still a monthlong football-fest with the best players in the world going head to head, and it only happens once every four years. And it was the first time I was able to more or less drop everything and watch it, and the first time I had someone watching it with me who cared about it (and knew more about the teams and players) than I did. (At least at first…) I was rooting for France and for long stretches of the game they played better, but what the hell — Italy was deserving (although no one deserves to win or lose on PK’s).
And it wouldn’t be right to close my Cup coverage without thanking Germany again — the team and the country — for providing excitement and atmosphere. The good vibes continued in the third-place game, where the host team easily took care of the villainous Portuguese.

So my folks are in town and we had a few local friends over — “San Martians” as Tina calls them — to watch the final and sample some of the mole I made from my friend Pat’s Mexican cookbook.

My dad gets to know Q

Andrew and Melissa

Stacy (wearing the uniform of the enemy) and Steve

So from now on, I plan to write about poetry here — which is, after all, what this blog is supposed to be about. I’ll do short reviews of the giant stack of small press books that I have on my bookshelf, and post some of the Oulipo-like assignments and results that Andrew Neuendorf and I have been working on. (Well, maybe I will write about baseball a little bit, and of course I’ll keep posting about Cat Claw Cove…)

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As we near the end of this World Cup, I just wanted to reflect on some of the things I’ve been thankful for (or annoyed by) this summer. First, a brief nod to Zidane and France for dismissing the dreaded Portugese…

Is it too late to jump on the bandwagon?

As for what’s annoying, you really have to read some of the obnoxious, pitiful whining from this man

One (German) word for you: schadenfreude

in the aftermath of an admittedly less-than-stirring French win yesterday. To me, it’s poetic justice that France won a PK against Portugal, the diving-est, dirtiest team in the tournament, and that the ref (apparently the same one who butchered U.S.-Italy?) was having none of their antics on the other side. In the end, Portugal was undone by their inability to leave off the flopping and just play soccer, as Italy had done so beautifully the day before. They still had numerous chances to tie it, as the French went into a defensive shell that marks them as clear underdogs in the final on Sunday.

But the fact that they’re there at all is one thing I’m thankful for.

I’m also thankful for Univision, which provided a much-needed alternative to the droll commentary on ESPN etc. Gooooooooool!

I’m annoyed by this (you can read more about it here)

Get up! Get up!

I’m thankful for an exciting German side and Jürgen Klinsmann, even though they went down to a superior Italian team. In that same vein, gracious thanks to Ghana, Mexico, Ecuador, and yes, even the U.S., for providing moments of high excitement and promise for the future.

Needless to say I’m annoyed with FIFA and the plethora of red and yellow cards, dubiously culminating in their shameful decision to suspend Torsten Frings for a love-swipe after the Argentina quarterfinal. Overall, the reffing has been — I was going to type “fair” — let’s just say it hasn’t changed the outcome of any of the games from the quarterfinals on (with the possible exception of the above-mentioned, but that was FIFA, not an individual ref). Prior to that I can think of no less than three matches that I saw that were hugely altered by outright gaffes or over-reactions: Italy-U.S. (no need to say more); Italy-Australia (total dive for the PK); and of course the Dutch-Portugal bloodbath. Then there was the Rooney incident and of course, the double-yellow/no red in Croatia-Australia, which I didn’t see. (All of which led one blogger to ask, “which was the worst refereed game you saw?” Frankly, I can’t decide.) I’m not even counting U.S-Ghana here, which feels like small potatoes compared to some of these.

Bottom line: I’m all for cracking down, but FIFA needs to get its shit together sooner and give the refs (and players) time to adjust. Let’s face it: The officiating was a fiasco. The refs were calling every little nudge and touch early on, which led to dives, which led to chaos (see Dutch-Portugal, above). A side-effect was great players like Zidane and Deco having to sit out important games from accumulation of yellows. Finally the worst of the refs seem to have been weeded out, and the teams are playing soccer, but it took till the semis to figure this shit out? Please.

But I’d like to end this penultimate World Cup Rant with a few really great things I’m thankful for: the life and nature here at Cat Claw Cove

Right outside the kitchen window

Playing with Q down by the river

He’s the one in the water

and last but certainly not least, a great girlfriend to watch and enjoy and rant about the games with

Big smile on Cat Claw Road

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On a day when my favorite hockey player of all time

Picture of class

announced his retirement from the Detroit Red Wings, and my favorite basketball player

Big Ben

signed with another team, I woke up this morning with a feeling that Germany was going down to Italy, and sure enough…

Can’t tell you how much it kills me to post this photo

At least it was a well-fought game. All credit to Italy. They’re absolute nails on defense. Every time Germany built an attack, it got broken up. I knew as the game went on that it would have to be decided by a bang-bang play, and sure enough, it was. There was absolutely nothing anyone could’ve done on that first Italian goal. It seemed to me that the only time Germany really looked dangerous was when Klose was working magic in the box area; once he wore out, they never mounted a serious threat. Italy at least played fussball today and left off the flopping, for the most part. The brilliant ref was giving no love on that b.s. and they eventually caught on and just played.

I don’t know how anyone’s going to score against Italy in the final. Once France dispenses with Portugal tomorrow (please, God), it may take one of Henry’s near-offsides breaks to get through that super-organized Italian defense. So for now, I just took a long walk with Q., diluted my bitterness with the reflection that at least the game wasn’t decided on PK’s, and pondered the wonderful career of Steve Yzerman, captain of the Red Wings for almost as long as I’ve been alive (that link is a great article about him, by the way, from ESPN).

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I haven’t seen the so-called punch or slap or whatever it was, but Frings has just been suspended by FIFA from the Germany-Italy semi.

Thanks, FIFA

They went back and reviewed video of the melee after the Argentina match and hit him with a 2-game dismissal, with the 2nd game suspended for now. Ugghhhh. I really hate this kind of thing. Really, really do. I hated it during the NBA playoffs (when numerous players got whacked for a key game during heated series after the league reviewed video footage post-event) and I’m absolutely stunned by this. FIFA just ripped out the guts of the German midfield for something that broke out after a game? I’m sorry, but unless Frings pulled out a club and cold-cocked someone, fine him, write it off to the heat of the moment (a key phrase around Cat Claw Cove these days), don’t ruin the tone of the next game. Well I’ve overstepped my break by about 10 minutes, time to get back to work…

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I dreamed last night that I was in a blood feud with Cristiano Ronaldo, only it was carried out on the hockey rink, not the soccer pitch. Perhaps my lingering hatred is fueled by the bitter Davies rant in the aftermath of English defeat yesterday. Perhaps it’s a leftover from my childhood, when slick, weasely bastards like this

James Spader as the jerk in Pretty in Pink

ruled the hallways at school with a smug aloofness, knowing that everything they did or said would be excused because of their money and the way they looked and dressed.

What, me bitter?

But that’s what’s so compelling about the World Cup — it makes guys you’ve never heard of three weeks ago into enemies or heroes. I’ve written plenty about the former; on to the latter category.

Zidane (or “Zi-da-ney,” as I had been calling, much to Tina’s amusement), is obviously someone familiar to soccer fans from his heroics in the 1998 Cup and Euro play. He’s clearly become one of the major stories of this tournament, and he dominated play against Brazil last night in what was probably the best game I’ve seen so far. I’m sorry for Brazil and their fans but let’s face it, they never did play well this time. Now I’m rooting for France and Germany to meet in the final, where I see Germany eeking out a close win. But please, no more games decided by penalty kicks!

We went to Austin to see Scott and Farid read last night and it was fantastic. I hope to write something about Farid’s book, which is really beautiful. Here are some pictures of the evening:

Susan and Tina, looking like two models from a Robert Palmer video

Farid and admirers before the reading

Waylon and Keaton with Peggy and the Pez Tina gave them

Scott reading from his f-ing mss

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This image says it all:

Would you like some fries with that?

I thought the call was a little harsh, especially with Ronaldo “I can’t show my face again in England” running in to whine about the stomp, which the ref hadn’t even seen. Why show red here? You’ve got a nice, tight, evenly played match, a little chippy, true, but neither team had earned or deserved this kind of advantage. If anything, I was getting exasperated with all the Portugese flopping, even after being a man up, which should have earned them at least a yellow or two.

England, a little like the U.S. team against Italy (and to a lesser extent, against Ghana), finally started playing after they were down a man. This was the best ball I’d seen from them all tournament. Crouch, where was this the whole time? The big guy was rushing into the box, challenging for balls, dropping F-bombs, and generally making a one-man nuisance of himself for the last 40 minutes or so. Too little, too late. C’est la vie.

And with that, I look forward to France handing another under-achieving team, Brazil, an early exit as well. After that, we’re headed up to Austin to buy some coffee and see our friends Farid Matuk and Scott Pierce read for Effing and Skanky Possum at 12th St. Books… Here’s a quick remark from the WC Crew:

From Dan Greenspan:

I guess it’s back to the Viking occupation for the Berzerker (Wayne Rooney) and his gang of merry loons. Not a day goes by when I don’t have the urge to crush a portuguese man’s balls myself, but self-control is what keeps us Americans out of costly foreign entanglements. I saw things about the way that you did, David. I do feel bad for England. They played hard and down. But Portugal was still reeling from the effects of shitbomb officiating in their previous match, so much credit is due on both sides. It was an interesting one to watch, though it leaves me without a team to root for. I guess I’ll have to play the DNA card and throw my support to France… at least for the next 3 hours before the stage is set for the most predictible semi-final imaginable.
Jogo feio você bastardos franceses!!!!

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This morning as I took a little run with Q. through the backroads of Cat Claw Cove, I was thinking that we’re finally into the part of the tournament where the big, heavyweight teams, who’ve dominated their groups and advanced through at least one elimination round, are playing each other. And it’s so hard to predict who’s really stronger until they face off. I thought that Germany and Argentina looked like the strongest teams left in the tournament, and it’s only a shame they had to play each other in the quarters. I was only hoping they’d be able to settle it fair and square and not have it decided by some flop or bad call. And kudos all around, really… I’m not sure who the ref was, but he called a really great game. They should helicopter him around Germany for the rest of the Cup and let him do every match from here on out. It came down to PK’s of course, after Klose came up with a great goal to tie it in the 80th minute. Then Tina and I sat on the edge of our couch while we watched this:

Lehmann shuts the door on Argentina

Tina was very upset, as Argentina had become her adopted team for the tournament. But Germany’s mine, so I was thrilled. My theory is that we’ve each got (had) one team that we really liked and that was playing very well, and one “trainwreck” team that we couldn’t help rooting for even though they’re uneven. My trainwreck team is England, hers is Brazil. And now I’m starting to believe more than ever in the all-old-Euro semis, as Germany have gotten through, along with these guys:

Oops, that’s Luca Brazi, not Luca Toni

They played better today, not so much flopping, and Toni’s starting to come to life. But I still want them whacked. And I’m hoping the hosts can do it Tuesday in Dortmund.

Brazil looks ripe again… As long as they insist on going with the “old” lineup, there’s just no pop to their game. France is the last team to beat them in the World Cup (as I’m sure we’ll hear 500 times before tomorrow’s game). My least-favorite other team remaining, besides Brazil, is Portugal, so I’m hoping England can put something together and send them away. Till tomorrow, however, we’ll have to be satisfied with news about the WAGs…

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