Cliff Huxtable. Qatar Boycott. Home Field Advantage. Stanley Cup. Alpharetta Nice.

The Greatest Television Dad.  Maybe The U.S.A. Gets the World Cup After All.   The War at Azteca.  Let’s Go to a 7th Game.  Not Roswell.

From the old days of Fat Albert to the sitcom called The Cosby Show, worldwide fans of Bill Cosby admired his wit and humor.  He was an incredibly funny standup comic with his ability to bring stories to life. As the patriarch of The Cosby Show, his portrayal of a loving and caring father, blended with his great supporting cast, was a must watch.  He now is going through a very alarming trial, charged with raping a former Temple University employee.  He says that any sexual encounters were consensual and admits providing Quaaludes to women as they were the ‘flavor of the month’ party drug back in the day.  Serious charges and conviction will see him live out his last years of life in prison.  Hopefully, the truth comes out very soon and at this point whether he is found innocent or guilty, this is a very sad time for a man who was both respected and admired.

It is downtown Atlanta 2010 and a watch party is being held for the announcement of what countries are awarded the 2018 and 2022 World Cup.  Most of us are convinced that the U.S. is a slam dunk for the 2022 tournament until the announcement is made that Qatar, one of the tiny Gulf State countries, has beat out the U.S. and has been awarded the tournament.  We are all stunned and shocked and then over the last few years the debacle of soccer’s organizing body, FIFA, plays out that there was plenty of money exchanging hands to persuade FIFA’s members to choose Qatar.  The choice of Qatar as World Cup host was not only controversial…even in 2010 it was a big risk.  FIFA inspectors warned of the tremendous heat risk to players and fans which forced FIFA to move the tournament from the usual summertime to the late fall of 2022.  Security analysts categorized Qatar as a high security risk and this was before we had heard of ISIS.  So blend the new boycott from neighboring Arab states, the risk assessment now including ISIS, and the fact that the tournament has to be moved to the fall…..does this add up to the U.S.A. hosting the World Cup for the first time since 1994?

The Patriots at Foxboro, The Yankees at (the old) Yankee Stadium, and the old New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.  The dynamics of having home field (court) advantage comes in all shapes and sizes.  From the number of fans to the noise level some teams use their home-field advantage way better than others.  Later tonight, in a World Cup qualifier, the United States takes on their arch-rival, Mexico, in Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium.  Always a daunting task for any team visiting the Azteca, the U.S. will try to improve on their qualifying matches at this hallowed stadium, having played twelve qualifying matches there and winning only once.  The Azteca, built back in 1966, holds more than 100,000 fanatical fans who show up two hours before game time to cheer their national team with special, but not so friendly taunting, of the Americans.  The stadium, even at 8:30pm EDT tonight, will be warm and due to Azteca being completing enclosed, has little circulation.  Dovetail that with the stadium’s altitude at 7,200 feet and you understand why the Mexicans, in World Cup qualifying games, have lost only twice in the Azteca in 49 games.  Whether you watch soccer or not, take a look in to what usually is a very competitive war.

I only watch hockey during the Stanley Cup finals.  I have always been a Penguins fan but I am hoping the Nashville Predators prevail tonight and send the finals to a seventh and deciding game.

Have you been to downtown Alpharetta lately?  The area is exploding with both commercial and residential construction and it looks like Alpharetta’s chieftains got this right with controlled covenants, plenty of parking, and the right mix of development.  It is NOT Canton Street in downtown Roswell and that is a good thing.

Adios, have a Funday Sunday and all the best to the USA tonight in Mexico City!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6 thoughts on “Cliff Huxtable. Qatar Boycott. Home Field Advantage. Stanley Cup. Alpharetta Nice.”

  1. I was a fan of the Cosby show. It was a hit even in my home country. I admired and respected the guy, especially when he evolved to a social critic traveling the country and offering his “tough talk” and pushing his audiences to take personal responsibility in social matters from high rates of incarceration and crime to single-parent homes and lack of education, etc….
    Can you imagine being in the audience listening to his “tough talk” and now this !!!!!! what a disappointment …

    1. True that. Disappointing and shocking BUT it is a jury trial so let’s see what happens. No matter what “if it looks like a duck and walks like a duck…..”

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