Diego Armando Maradona 1960 - 2020

Sad ... and even sadder that his passing is creating a windfall of legal crap ... the guy can not even leave us and not create a problem!

But it is sad for Argentina, and the "need" that many countries have for "heroes" and Maradona does fit the bill, as an editorial comment of how much the game means to so many people in a country where so much has gone wrong, and is still ruled by a "junta" of sorts of rich people that still control the economy and everything else. The one person that meant so much for them, is gone.

I got to see, in Brazil, around 1963 or 1964, Pele play an exhibition in Araraquara (state of Sao Paulo), and I suppose that when the time comes he will cause a similar situation to that of Maradona, and I might even shed a tear, because I know, and remember, how valuable he was to ALL of the game in Brazil, and how the radio (at the time) loved to try and explain to you all the little foot tricks and moments on the pitch, and our town had 2 stations running the game, just to give you how important it was for everyone! I can't imagine it being any less important in Argentina.

Today, the age of commercialism and TV, you can barely see the games because some other network controls it, and in the end, soccer in America is not going to improve its stature because of it ... no one hears any of it, no one knows it exists, and if you ask who the 4 semifinalists are in MLS ... I doubt most people can name one or two teams. Let's see ... Sounders, the Crew and Revolution ... don't remember the 4th team! 

A good footballer, but it is strange that people love to talk about his "hand" when in those days, there was more cheating going on with hands than we can shake a finger at and there were not as many referees as there are today ... not to mention that television controls the game a lot more now than ever ... and this is the part that FIFA hates the most ... they want the TV money but they hate what it brings ... but in those days, people hit Pele's ankles left and right to take him out of the game ... and they did the same thing with Maradona and many others ... and here we complain about a hand ... when in those days it was all about how many times you could get around with a hand and the referee did not see it, because he was in your opposite side!

Today, with TV, this is impossible! But in those days ... now you know why FIFA is not wanting VAR or anything like it ... it takes their "cheating" and acquisition of all the moneys away from them ... and hopefully will end up making them all redundant ... I think FIFA is on its last legs and might not last out another decade!