Chelsea FC – Life after Drogba

Very few will be able to forget the fusion of strength and skill Didier Drogba has displayed in his career at Chelsea FC. He joined the club in 2004. It did not take him long to become a known face of the field. The supporters of Chelsea were delighted to discover a center forward with ball following ability and near perfect finish. Drogba did not disappoint his fans. He did his job fairly well and continued scoring goals. In return the supports voted his as the greatest ever player of Chelsea.

However, like every good thing the career of Drogba at Chelsea has also come to an end. Currently the striker is playing for Shanghai Shenhua. Without the strength of Drogba the attacking line of Chelsea appeared to be weak. Many thought with fright that the loss will never be recovered.

Former coach Mourinho expressed his concern over Drogba transfer and said that the life after the striker’s departure will be tough for the club.

Despite the speculations, the club has shown both strength and determination to stay at the top no matter what. The team has been adorned with fresh talents.  Victor Moses is one of the new faces of the club. This winger has drawn the attention of the crowd with his speed. With this 21 year old in the team, there will be many surprises stored for the oppositions.

Cesar Azpilicueta is another new addition to the club. This right back has suffered a steady stream of injuries at the beginning of his career. Yet, he recovered and proved his worth in the field. And now this 22 year old is a part one of the greatest clubs of EPL.

This young Brazilian is a vital addition to the team. The attacking midfielder is known as Oscar to his fans. He looks a bit like Kaka and plays a lot like him too. The soccer skill of this midfielder has given rise to many comparisons with the fellow teammate. Like a true Brazilian, this youngster has displayed the ability to pass the ball to the teammates along with a perfect vision. His shots are not only powerful, they are accurate too. Oscar is undoubtedly a midfielder to watch out for.

Thorgan Hazard used to play for FC Lens. This 19 year old can both play as a winger and a midfielder. Currently he is on loan and playing for Zulte Waregem. It will be interesting to watch his return to the club.

Eden Hazard is the big brother of Thorgan. Like the younger brother Eden also plays as both winger and attacking midfielder. This young talent is well known for his speed. He also considered to be a creative midfielder. His pace is his greatest asset. But, he can change a game with his ability to dribble a ball. His fierce attacking can be a nightmare for opposition’s defense lineup. The soccer skill of this young Belgian has led to comparisons with the soccer giants like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The above mentioned names are all new signings of the club. Whether the new talents live up to the expectations of the supporters will be a thing to watch. Players like Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and John Terry are there and still in good form. Yet, it is important to cultivate new talents and create stars which Chelsea has done too many times in the past. 

Violence in Sports: Reverting Back to Roman Times and the famous Gladiators

We have come into the “me first” era and it doesn’t seem to be a fad that is going away anytime soon. The “me first” attitude had once been reserved to describe a child in his (or hers) terrible two’s.  Unfortunately, this attitude is now also prevalent in middle-aged and older ones. 

If you just take a look at drivers on the freeway, it is no wonder we’re not all dead. You are certainly taking your life into your own hands crawling into your tin can and driving on the pavement.  The car seat belt might just be your best friend, which brings us to the sport of race car driving. 

Would you say that is a violent sport? Perhaps more so dangerous rather than violent.  Although, when a car wreck happens on the track, that seems to gain more attention than the drag racing itself. This goes hand in hand with Dale Earnhardt Jr’s recent comment wondering if fans are really bloodthirsty.

That CNN article quoting Earnhardt alluded to society reverting back to Roman times and the famous Gladiators.  It certainly was a lot of bloodshed back then for the amusement of the surrounding spectators.  It has been noted that the birth of several of today’s popular sports were attributed to their ancestral Gladiator games, namely football, wrestling, and boxing.  

Most die-hard fans are offended by such comments, but even history books in high school classrooms mention this point. There is no denying the many similarities. For several years, we have witnessed many serious injuries occurring, some resulting in death, due to the fierceness of such sports. Football has been amongst the top of that list.

The violence doesn’t have to take place out on the playing ground or field.  We have had our share of news stories involving many people losing their lives being crushed in the grandstands while watching soccer games or other popular field games. It truly makes avid fans wonder if it is really safe to risk their life to go cheer on their favorite team.

On the other hand, you can take a sport such as tennis and make the statement that sports are not violent. Unless you are John McEnroe throwing the occasional tennis racquet, tennis is pretty tame. There was one very unfortunate mishap that occurred to one young golf player. Disappointed about his performance on the greens, he threw his golf club at a bench only to have the golf club bounce back and hit his neck in a spot that instantly killed him.  The probability of that happening was so slim, yet his anger and dismay cost him his life in that disastrous accident.

Did I forget to mention video games? While not exactly a sport, its violence is over the top. There is nothing innocent  about the constant exposure to such games while sitting on the couch using a joystick to bludgeon someone to death on the screen. Even video game enthusiasts have commented, to some degree, a love of video games demands a love of violence. With the popularity of video games, many have let themselves become desensitized to such ferocious acts. It certainly was a sign when video games had to have ratings, some even being x-rated for blood, guts and sex.

So what do we do? Violence has always existed. It is just more intense now. One method to tackle the problem has been implemented. There is a common thread now existing in elementary schools. The theme of being a “peace builder” has been adopted as a shared mantra amongst campuses. These children will be tomorrow’s adults. Train them while they are young. We can only hope that they will be productive citizens in society when they become adults.

Citations:

• Gladiator photo credit

Attached Images:

•  License: Creative Commons image source 

Dee Adams is a freelance writer from San Diego, Cailf. who majored in Public Administration. She enjoys writing about topics including sports, health and good living. 

Manchester United - The Latest Buzz

Who’s staying and who’s not is always a big question in the EPL. With the blink of an eye the stars change their jerseys. Last time Van Persie’s transfer made the headlines. This time it’s the big boss who is making everyone wonder. Yes, the news of Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement has got all the soccer critics and Man Utd fans wonder the same question – who is the rightful successor of the legend.

Sir Alex Ferguson has taken over the job of Man Utd manager in 1986, 6^th November. Twenty six years have passed ever since. Sir Ferguson has not only managed to become the longest serving manager of Man Utd, he has become the greatest manager of all time. With 12 league titles, two European Cups and an array of silver wares under his belt, Sir Ferguson has not left any place to doubt his superiority.

Now, the biggest question is who will take over the job of Sir Ferguson. It is of little doubt that whoever becomes the next manager of the Red Devils is up for a tough challenge. Some shoes are too difficult to fill in and filling Sir Ferguson’s shoes will definitely prove to be a trying task.

Sir Ferguson has always shied away from discussing his retirement with the media. However, according to latest buzz, the discussion of a worthy successor of Sir Ferguson is on the process. So, who will the fortunate soul be?

Numerous names come to mind. It is no doubt that the next manager will have to have experience and proven track record. What will be interesting to watch is whether the club appoints someone young to manage the team or find someone with years of experience to handle the task of managing one of the greatest teams of English Premier League? Maybe it is an old player of the club who had the opportunity of rubbing shoulders with Sir Ferguson.

Replacing Sir Ferguson seems to be an impossible task. Is there really anyone who can match the master? The future will tell the tale. Millions of fans of Man Utd is holding their breath and crossing their fingers. While it is not possible to replace Sir Ferguson and take over the legacy, there is hope of creating new legacy with faces.

However, nothing is confirmed yet. There is still time and Sir Ferguson still has got offer the fans some more time. True, it will not be the same without the chief watching from the sideline. Yet there is always place for changes.

What may bother the fans of Man Utd is the waning number of familiar faces. Paul Scholes has already announced his retirement once. But, he had come out of the retirement to keep Sir Ferguson’s request. Whether he remains after the chief’s retirement is a matter of question. Ryan Giggs is another player who hasn’t been replaced yet.

However, there are talents everywhere and Sir Ferguson is on the role to build yet another team by picking up new talent like Van Persie. How the club copes without the presence of the chief and the old faces is a matter of question. Only time can give an answer to that.