Cotter’s Corner

So, I haven't updated in a while so I thought I would keep everyone up on what was happening in the world of Soccer and old guys trying to act young.

We had our first "real" scrimmage on Monday this week dressed in our spiffy new uniforms and everything. The coaches split the team up into two groups. One group that is primarily defense and one that is primarily offense and let us have at it for three thirty minute periods.

We defensive people really did well for ourselves. We ultimately lost to the offensive guys, but only by 7-5. We didn't take an ass whipping or anything – we held up.

As for me, my body is slowly but surely getting more used to the idea of moving around. The soreness I experience after practice goes away in a day or so now and doesn't last for the entire week. Which is amazing, in and of itself. I'm wearing some pretty good shoes that I finally dropped some insoles into (cleats have NO padding on the bottom, so if you are playing on a hard field you might as well be barefoot on concrete). The insoles were a life saver! I had no "hot spots" on the bottoms of my feet and actually my legs felt better as the game went on instead of the other way around. Probably has something to do with my arches getting the support they need.

Soccer is a lot of fun to play. I've really, really been enjoying it. Work has been pretty crazy lately here too, but this is a soccer update, not a work update.

Lastly I'll tell you that we are playing a hispanic team this Saturday in our first "real" game. No, I don't consider playing the girls a real game, it was more of a scrimmage. So, we're going to have a real test of how crappy we are – and I can't wait! We don't know much about this team, so they could all have been playing together for years and completely destroy us – or they could suck just like we do. Time will tell I suppose.

I'll put up pictures as soon as I can since I know everyone enjoys seeing fatty doing something physical.

So, Monday night we played the U-18 girls team that our part-time coach really coaches. We arrived at about ten 'til six and the girls were warming up on the field with drills. Let it suffice to say that every guy on our team thought we were going to have our asses handed to us. We all stretched and cowered and wondered how we would explain this defeat to our friends.

Then we started.

In the first ten seconds of time we kicked off, passed the ball outside and downfield and scored on a cross.  We scored again about two minuts later.

Let it suffice to say this was quite a shock. Of course, I wasn't playing at this point. My shin splints were making me miserable just standing there. So, I was on the sideline while all the important stuff happened in the beginning. I was waiting for a chance to sub out in a defensive position where my lack of mobility wouldn't be quite so detrimental to my team.

At long-last I jumped in and proved how pitifully slow I was. It was nearly pathetic, but I kept at it and by the second 15-minute period my shins were just constantly hurting and didn't really hurt more when I ran on them, so I just stayed out.  I couldn't cut well, but eventually with the help of angles of attack I was able to keep up with anyone who tried to test me. Thankfully, that wasn't often.

It was an absolute blast. And while it would be poor sportsmanship to say we kicked little girl ass all over the field on Monday, I'll say it anyway. They were talkin smack to us a little, so, it was all in good fun. They want a rematch in a few weeks, so we'll see what fun that brings. 

In lots of ways. I’m going to regret posting this here, but, I’m doing it anyway. Since common sense sometimes escapes me.

I’ve joined an adult soccer league.

I know, I know.

Our first practice was Saturday. I had an absolute blast. I had to leave the practice a little early since the parents were coming to the house for Ellery’s birthday, but, it was still a great experience while I was able to attend. There was a LOT of turnout. Probably 14 people showed up, which exceeded my expectations. Some were in good shape, while others (like me) were just hanging in there.

I can also freely admit that I am sore beyond all reason today (more than yesterday). But, it’s a good kind of pain. We drilled and then scrimmaged for a while, the scrimmaging was the best part – I even managed to grab one turn over while playing. Which I consider a massive success.

And the best news? All that running around and craziness had no effect on my foot. I was completely pain-free. So, I guess this means that I am going to keep doing it. After work today I plan on stopping and buying a few soccer balls to practice with and some cleats.

Our first match is against a group of 15 year old girls and I have NO DOUBT they are going to annihilate us.

Overall a nice weekend. Man does time FLY BY on the damn weekends and then creep slowly past you on the weekdays. Probably has something to do with work….

Anyways, so I had to relay this funny story. You see, we have these completely KICK ASS neighbors now that are from Scotland. They are fantastic people who believe in all the same things that we believe in with regard to raising their kids (as opposed to the total lack of parenting from the previous neighbors who, thankfully, moved away). So anyways, they are Scottish right? And they speak with a (GASP!) Scottish accent. Yeah I know, you probably knew that – but it’s important to the story. You also need to know that they say our last name (Cotter) as Cotta – again, Scottish accent. Get it? Cotter – Cotta. Try saying it to yourself a few times. So, we were talking to them about the name that we have settled on for our new little family member. Ellery. And they said that they had a name suggestion. Tara. Tara Cotta. Anyways, I laughed for a while. Good stuff man, really cracked me up.

And why is it that people from the UK are so DAMNED witty. Seriously? Do they teach that in the schools there? Is it something to do with the tons of rain and lack of sun that makes people witty?

My friend Mike McLain sent me some pictures of our mutual friend Wally Fetla, who was visiting El Paso this weekend. Man, I can’t get over how they look sorta different/sorta the same. It’s really pretty funny. But really great pictures, they look great. Sadly my friend Wally lost his Dad recently. We all used to call him “Big Wally”. He was a great guy. Seriously. Just an all-around nice guy that you didn’t mind hanging around. Used to see him a lot since Wally’s mom used to cut my hair when I was in high school. What’s even more tragic is that I couldn’t muster the guts to call him and tell him how sorry I was for his loss. It’s just odd to not talk to someone in like nineteen years and then call him out of the blue about his Dad. I couldn’t get passed that and totally wussed on calling him. I’m a shitty friend. One day (hopefully soon) I will tell him. I’d want someone to get over themselves and tell me if something bad happened to my Dad. Must be a better friend. Even if I haven’t heard from him in a bazillion years. That isn’t the point.

Anyways, didn’t mean to bring myself down – was just sort of following that thought there.

I need to email my friend Matt back too. Matt is the awesome sports writer guy that I used to hang out with in high school/college. Matt and I have stayed in touch over the years (kinda like Mike and I have as well). He’s a great dude too. I think it’s cool how all my really close friends in high school turned out to be quality people. Matt is also the person responsible for my love of boxing. He got me into it in high school and I pretty much followed it ever since. I used to watch with my grandfather, but Matt was the one who would put on the gloves with me and we’d spar in his garage (no face hitting!!!!!).

“Mayorga made the biggest mistake of his life by talking the way he has from the beginning of this promotion. He definitely got under my skin but he certainly did not get in my head. He doesn’t realize that he’s made it worse for himself and on Saturday night, he is going to know what I am talking about.” – Oscar De La Hoya

Fight fans have been hearing for months how Ricardo Mayorga was going to hurt Oscar De La Hoya in the ring with his punches and outside of the ring with his endless streams of insults and put-downs.

Saturday night the verbal insults came to an end along with the hopes of Mayorga to put an end to the career of De La Hoya.

De La Hoya was clearly ready for the fight and looked to be in excellent shape despite being out of the ring for over a year and a half. De La Hoya weighed in looking fit and determined. The war of words had gotten under his skin, but not into his head. The MGM Grand in Las Vegas was rejoicing with chants of “Oscar, Oscar, Oscar!” as De La Hoya pummeled the vulgar, rude, overmatched Mayorga into submission. Fans witnessed a display of De La Hoya talent unseen since his early career fights. The one-time southpaw had a ferocious left-hook in his suitcase and unpacked it just in time to connect with Mayorga’s empty skull. It was a fantastic display of puncher versus boxer as the fight started off with De La Hoya dropping Mayorga to the canvas after only one minute. Fans inside the packed Las Vegas venue swooned with ecstasy as good versus evil played out on the sin-city stage.

By the end of the fifth round as the hopelessly overmatched Mayorga resorted to hitting De La Hoya behind the head in an attempt to gain some ground in the fight, Jay Nady warned him sternly and fans could see the end coming. The sixth round came and the hopes of the proud man who was all to happy to show us how he loves drinking beer and smoking cigarettes, came to an end. Oscar wobbled him with yet another left hook and, sensing the end was nigh, De La Hoya ruthlessly swung lefts and rights in a furious attempt to end the fight. Jay Nady mercifully stepped in and saved Mayorga from even more humiliation as the “Golden Boy” reclaimed any dignity that he had surrendered in the many press conferences leading up to this fight.

De La Hoyas performance will long be remembered and this fight was in many ways a perfect showcase for his enduring talents. Anyone who doubts De La Hoyas pedigree should have their head examined. With all apologies to Evander Holyfield, Oscar is the “Real Deal”.

Well, this was a big weekend in boxing. Kostya Tszyu who used to hold one sort of a championship belt or another for the past ten years now sits with no belt and no trainer. He let his trainer go (they had been together since 1992) after failing to answer the bell in the 12th round of the past weekends match. I saw the match and I didn’t hear Kostya complaining loudly then that his trainer quit the fight. But, in the world of boxing – where nothing is ever as easy as yes or no – the old-timer Tszyu is now blaming his trainer for quitting on him and says he would have never quit of his own free will. Of course, the fact that all of this flies in the face of what he said in the immediate post-fight interviews, is not what you should be thinking about here. Ugh. What a load of crap. KT needs to get his head out of his ass and decide if this is REALLY what he wants to do anymore. He got a WHIPPING at the hands of Ricky Hatton who pressured Tszyu the entire fight. And if you saw any of those post-fight comments from him, you saw that Tszyu was obviously suffering from a mild concussion. His speech was slow and slurred and his thought processes hindered by the brutal 11 rounds of power punches that were delivered to him in that ring.

I hope he retires. He was a great fighter, who had his time. Just like Roy Jones Jr. Some time, some place – someone will beat you. Time removes skills, speed and determination from all of those who would be a champion in the sport of boxing. Some people just need to learn that.