Agree completely. It’s definitely a huge passing and he’ll be greatly missed. But part of me was mourning him c1998 when it was clear his lifestyle had taking a huge toll on his physical health. He’s kinda like Gazza and George Best in that regard. It’s still quite sad. Like those two, he never lost his ability to be super personable, but the Diego we all admired died a long time ago.
He created his brilliance, worked for it. It's his to respect or not, IMO. But I think he made the most of it, as translated to results. I don't see Argentina winning 1994 even with him there the whole way. I'll say that I can't imagine that coke is a PED. That's FIFA moralizing, like the NFL does with weed. I'll never try powda, but I'm sure the energy boost is offset by bad decisionmaking. He won a World Cup, reached another final, took a team that hadn't won jack to two Scudetti and a UEFA Cup, managed his country's national team, and became a legend in two nations. I don't know how much more he could have accomplished on the pitch if he'd stayed clean. At some point, most people are going to start enjoying the fruits of their labor. He just chose the wrong substance. He's not built like CR7 or Balotelli or anyone like that. Without superhuman efforts to stay in shape, he was always going to be fat one day, and probably dangerously so.
I would recommend the great Asif Kapadia documentary from last year to help understand Maradona. This was a kid that was born and raised in a truly horrible slum. At fifteen when he was signed by Argentinos Jrs, he became the economic salvation of his family of seven. Just imagine that pressure at fifteen years old. Basically from then on he also became increasingly famous to such a degree that he couldn't do the most normal things kids and young adults do. This would mess with anyone's head. Some other turns of fate in his life also explain to some degree how he lost his way. Going to Napoli at that moment in history was probably the worst place he could wind up. Anyway I came away with a much kinder view of him and in many ways what a tragedy his life was.
The guy was coked out of his gourd within a year of joining Napoli until the end of his playing days. I suppose it’s possible (but doubtful) that cocaine or something equally destructive in the long term would have been a crutch to allow him to perform better in light of the enormous pressure placed on him. But we’ll never know if he made the most of it. He even admitted as much. The guy is indisputably a top 3 player of all time and he’s arguably the best. But he wasn’t clean during any point of the greatest 5-6 years of his career. I don’t think had the sort of body type that would age well in the game, but he probably had a lot more greatness in him during his peak and in the 6 years that followed from 90-96. Like you said, it was his to do with as he wished, but it’s possible he could have been the greatest ever by some distance had he not been caught up in things to the extent he was. Regardless, with 20 years of hard living piling up by the early 00s, it seemed like a matter of time. It’s something of a miracle he made it to 60.
This is such a loaded post. The guy is arguably among the two best players who walked this earth. He had his flaws and acknowledged that more than once, let's wait for his burial before piling up. Let's celebrate his genius, brilliance and unbelievable talents.
To be clear, it was Italian football that first suspended him for cocaine use. FIFA extended it towards any sanctioned FA league around the world. While you can view it as moralizing, it was probably also a way to force him to get treatment. Pretty sure Napoli also knew of his addiction but ignored it until it became out of hand as he started missing the few practices he was contracted to show up for ... and the team started suffering for it.
You know 2020 is brutal when it takes Darth Vader. Darth Vader actor from original Star Wars trilogy, Dave Prowse, dies at 85 https://www.yahoo.com/huffpost/david-prowse-ddarth-vader-star-wars-085934877.html
Messi with a cracker to the top corner & a salute to Diego This is an amazing tribute celebration https://t.co/etqiaCeDzA— Michael Allardyce (@mikedyce) November 29, 2020
2020 curse goes on.....Former Senegal star Papa Bouba Diop passed at age 42. FIFA is saddened to learn of the passing of Senegal legend Papa Bouba Diop. Once a World Cup hero, always a World Cup hero. pic.twitter.com/akUJoPxCal— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) November 29, 2020
Surreal homage.... Biden hires all-female senior communications team, names Neera Tanden director of OMB https://t.co/3o9kYJS8Wp— David Stirling (@dwstirl) November 29, 2020
Did you notice the similarites between the two goals? Messi was wearing the same Newells jersey that Maradona had.
Maybe someone meant to post this clip De Maradona a Messi: dos zurdazos calcados, una celebración para la historia... pic.twitter.com/4ZpoNQWrlT— moisESPN (@moillorens) November 29, 2020
Thanks @chaski . I posted the wrong clip........... I keep wondering what @superdave can't see....lol
I passed their 50Q test 9 times and did the backroom mock game and all that. Never got on. They really didnt need me.
I believe Dan Loney was on Jeopardy. He said (I think on Twitter) that he lost badly, third out of three, that kind of thing. And he's a pretty smart guy, at least for a Galaxy fan. edit to add: a tweet from Dan Loney in which he mentions losing on Jeopardy in 1994. 207653622983557120 is not a valid tweet id
Knowing stuff is one thing. Recalling it on demand in a matter of seconds (and before the person beside you does it) is a different and not totally related skill. I can easily imagine someone who's extremely informed on one topic or subtopic. But these folks who do well on as wide a range as you get in Jeopardy... I can't help but think they're missing out on something. Women, sports, cars... something's probably missing.
not only that, but the timing with the buzzer looks tricky. How many times have you seen someone going nuts with the clicker to no avail? Talk about frustration. You do all the hard stuff ( get on the show) yet get beat because you can’t answer the questions. To your point, it’s one thing to miss out, but it’s another to be oblivious to pop culture or general knowledge of semi current events even if it isn’t in your wheelhouse of interests. some of it is generational. I don’t expect people to know the name of Justin Beibers first album. I do expect them to be able to answer a question about Peyton manning formerly playing for the colts and winning a super bowl with Denver given simple clues.
I don't watch enough to have seen that. Agreed. Waay too many people out there like that. Nor do I. In fact, that's the sort of thing that should be forgotten by anyone who does know it... He also won one with the Colts in 2006. Over the Bears. On a rainy day. That's not my wheelhouse, but it's part of culture, and we should knwo these things.