All These Places Have Their Moments

Sports probably mean too much.

In a world that has always been filled with genocide, famine, and strife, we give too much attention and money to these events that ultimately pale in comparison to many of the more pressing concerns in our world. This does not mean, however, that sports are meaningless. Many times they mean too much, but sometimes they can mean just enough.

There's something special about a sport and franchise that can cause a group of "Scousers" from Northwest England to stand together and sing showtunes from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel.

It might be easy to dismiss that Liverpool, and football in general, occupies a much more prominent place in the lives of its fans around the world, but each time Liverpool supporters sing that song before a match, they remember. Each singing of "You'll Never Walk Alone" reminds them of the 96 Liverpool supporters who died in the Hillsbrough Stadium Disaster in 1989. They remember that this team meant something to their father, it meant something to their aunt, it will mean something to their children. It is a glue that binds generations.
It's not just confined to a corner of Northwest England though. If a 23 year old in Texas can support the Reds, so can 73 year old in Riyadh, or a 15 year old in Vienna. Tomorrow, each one of those supporters will have their collective gaze focused on Athens where Liverpool will attempt to capture their 6th European Cup. After winning in Rome in 1977, London in 1978, Paris in 1981, Rome again in 1984, and Istanbul in 2005, the Reds will take to the Olympic Stadium pitch aiming to add a Greek feather to their cap.

Standing in their way is one of the two franchises that currently have more European Cups than Liverpool, AC Milan. Milan, as you will remember from my earlier posts, faced Liverpool in 2005's Final, which is a consensus choice as the greatest final in the 51 year history of the Champions League. If you need a refresher, here's a quick recap:
I would love to have a drama-filled Final that rivals the fireworks of '05, but I just don't think my heart can take being down 0-3 to Milan again, and I didn't even watch the '05 Final live. Milan is still lead by the brilliance of Kaka and Clarence Seedorf as well as by the defensive presence of Skipper Paolo Maldini and his countryman, Alessandro Nesta. If the Reds are to bring home number 6 it will be no easy task, but the truly important things rarely are.

Notes: The match will air tomorrow on ESPN2 beginning at 1 p.m. central. Please, and I repeat, please do not call me or send me any text messages with score updates or commentary whether it be congratulatory or derisive. I have the game Tivo'ed at a friend's house and I am waiting to enjoy the match once my duties have ended for the day. I'm not joking about this. I will find you and punch you. Even you, Mom.