Thought we'd gone missing again?

Yes, it's another overdue blog post from your friends at the OC. But considering only three people read and write this blog, does it really matter?

Actually, one of your contributors at the OC is going to get a shot at writing a UEFA Champions League blog, so consider this a test run of a test run. Yes, this is another soccer blog and y'all better like it. (Also, it'd be nice if either of you can come up with a better headline that Corner Kicks. Because lets face it, it's quite dweeby.
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Corner Kicks

MSG Plus is proud to present for the first time in its history Europe's premier soccer club competition, the UEFA Champions League as we kickoff our wall-to-wall coverage on Aug. 18.

For those who have enjoyed the Champions League in previous years, you're in for a treat every Tuesday on MSG Plus. For the first time in this country, the Champions League will be broadcasted in sterling High Definition, bringing you closer to the action more than ever before.

For those who have never fancied soccer, you’re missing out on something that transcends pure fandom – something that has to be witnessed to truly appreciate
why the beautiful game means so much to so many around the world. Indeed, soccer is called the beautiful game because there is an artistic element and skill on the pitch that would make Van Gogh and Picasso stand up and clap in appreciation. Take a glance at some of these breathtaking goals from last season’s competition and try to argue.

And for the world’s best players to be taken seriously, they must perform in European competition. The true icons of the game – the Cristiano Ronaldos, the Lionel Messis, and the Steven Gerrards have all proven beyond a shadow of a doubt why they are considered the world’s best players by producing fabulous performances when their clubs needed it the most.

But the appeal of the Champions League doesn’t just end with what’s on the field of the play. The atmosphere at these games is second to none. Have a look and a listen the final whistle from the 2005 Champions League Semifinal between Liverpool and Chelsea as victorious Liverpool fans sing their anthem, “You’ll Never Walk Alone” at the end of the game.

Naturally, it is that passion generated by the supporters that fuel some of the questions heading into this competition. Will Barcelona defend “Ol’ Big Ears” and become the first team to successfully defend the Champions League crown? Can Real Madrid finally get out of the quarterfinal stage of the tournament after spending nearly $304 million dollars on five players, including a world-record transfer fee for Ronaldo? Or will the English clubs prove to be the masters of Europe again? We’ll all see soon enough.

This blog will be your guide throughout the tournament, starting from the draw for the playoff qualifying round, all the way to final in Madrid on May 22, 2010. We'll be profiling anything and everything you wanted to know about the Champions League, but were afraid to ask, as well as giving you insight on the teams, the players, the coaches and rabid fans across Europe. So sit back, relax, and make MSG Plus your viewing home on Tuesdays at 2:30 p.m.

Stop Exploiting Michael Jackson!

As I was walking through the city of New York, I noticed something interesting today. No, it wasn't the sun, which was making its first appearance in the city for the first time in two months. A homeless man with this sign -- Stop the Exploitation of Michael Jackson.


Look, I liked MJ's music. Well, I did until he went off the deep end and became, to borrow from a Dos Equis commercial's tag line, "the most interesting man in the world." Although, instead of being interesting for the right reasons, he became a bizarre cult figure -- pet monkey, building an amusement park in his backyard, mangaling his face, marrying Elvis' daughter, literally turning black to white, having a child with a really ugly chick (or at least paying her off to say that it's his kid), naming the kid Blanket and putting him in a freaking burqua and, not to forget, multiple child molestation charges. I'm still not sure if Mike is dead or if he got beemed up to the Enterprise or something.

Now he's dead and we worship the guy again because he's dead. Admittedly, this was expected to happen. Hell, I'm a huge Nirvana fan and I know that if Kurt Cobain didn't shoot himself, Nirvana wouldn't have nearly the following it does now. But lets not forget that this Jacko at the end of his life was simply insane. He wasn't a saint by any means. We should respect his professional work, some of the very best pop music that changed it forever. He isn't Gandhi or Mother Theresa, though. So please, stop exploiting Michael Jackson.