NOTE
It's been one of those weeks in sports where I was once again reminded of the hundreds of contingencies that dictate whether a team advances to the next round or a fighter gets his hand raised in victory. Momentum shifts, veteran experience, injuries, substitutions, ejections, home crowds, etc. That's just a handful of factors from the endless list of sporting circumstances that are always working in balanced harmony. Oftentimes, we can see most of the factors being played out in real-time. We see tactical changes from coaches or new bits of technique from the competitors. Nonetheless, there is no denying the intangible factors that sometimes determine athletic competitions. Last week had three great examples of this: Tanner Boser desperately and successfully fighting for his career in the UFC by stopping OSP, Switzerland making a historic comeback in 15 minutes against tournament favorite's France, and Sweden's red card which led to the invigoration of the Ukrainian side in OT. All three of these sporting events went nothing like I predicted they would. There were some absolutely insane underdog stories that found hope and victory through intangible factors that are still hard to pinpoint. It's that feeling of being humbled and being impressed by underdog stories that keep us all coming back to the games. People like to pick apart sports as simply another form of escapism. We've all met those people. What they don't see or haven't opened themselves up to, is the fact that sports will forever be one of the most honest interpretations of the human experience. There's winning, there's losing, there's happiness, there's heartbreak, and, at the end of the day, we have zero fucking idea why it all unfolded the way it did.
EUROS 2020
I was so wrong but, then again, who wasn't. As soon as I added Germany and Portugal to my final four, they both crashed out in games where they should've won. Also, I just didn't pay attention to how the brackets were broken up and my final four weren't even feasible, so whatever. I still believe that Spain's victory over Croatia is a mirage. England looks sharper up top and that could make things very interesting. Without De Bruyne and Hazard, I don't see Belgium being as dangerous as before. What I'm saying here is that this tournament is way beyond me at this point. It's wide open for anybody to take (although Italy is a wagon right now). My new final four is: Spain, England, Denmark, Italy.
NBA PLAYOFFS
I don't even want to really write about my Bucks anymore. I'm not sure if I'm giving them good luck or bad luck at this point. I predicted it would be a seven-game series because Trae Young is truly a monster. Then, he gets hurt and it looks like the Bucks will cruise to the finals. Then, Giannis's knee gets hyperextended and everything looks open again. We will see who is healthy to play for game six but I really don't know what to expect anymore from this series. Just hope those deer finally make that last step. On the other hand, the Suns and Clippers series went exactly as I expected. It's great to see CP3 and Booker with their tickets punched to the finals.
COPA AMERICA 2021
The quarter-finals are finally here for this competition and, despite being as underwhelming as ever, Colombia still has a shot to win it all. We play against Uruguay and I'm strangely feeling confident. Their defense isn't as solid as in years past and I have only seen one game out of Suarez and Cavani that truly impressed me. Also, I just love the heartbreak that comes with getting my hopes up for the national team. Brazil vs. Chile will be a really exciting game. Chileans come out to kill whenever they play in these knockout games for La Rojita and Brazilians are known to crack under that sort of intensity. I still think Brazil goes through because of their experience in the back and great set plays, but still, don't count out an upset from the reigning champs. Peru vs. Paraguay will most likely be the best game of the competition so far. Both squads are starting to showcase their new crops of talent and there are some really exciting players on both sides. It will be a classic South American match with hard tackles and impressive individual plays. Argentina should roll over Ecuador although that all depends on which version of the little genius comes to play.