If you’ve ever really wondered about the agony of defeat, here’s Boubacar “Copa” Barry to show you what it looks like. The guy had played a fine game, only to watch one of his defenders give away a foul in the penalty box in extra time today. And that means a penalty kick, which is decidedly to the striker’s advantage. All Barry can do is guess and hope. He guessed, but his hopes were not met. So, in the final moments of stoppage time, the Ivory Coast gave up a goal that meant Greece would advance and the guys in green would go home.
This was a great “What just happened here?” shot they got of Barry through the back of his net.
Much better than Luis Suarez’s biting of Giorgio Chiellini.
So I’ve got my SEO taken care of for today, right there. Excellent.
Today I swam 2,500 yards, which is almost a mile-and-a-half. I did it in sets of 500s, because let’s not think I’m so ambitious here. This let me set a baseline time, which is good because I have something to think about in the water now, as I narrowly chip away at that with each set.
I won’t tell you what the time is, because it is excruciatingly slow.
Let’s just say this, on the wall there are large signs for pool and NCAA records. I walked over to look at the 500-yard freestyle record. It turns out that the guy that holds the pool record in the 500 also holds the pool record in the 1,000. If he was swimming his 1,000 at his record pace, he would be finishing up about the time I was starting my last 100 yards in a 500-yard swim.
So, you, see, excruciatingly slow.
A guy jumped into the lane next to mine near the end of my swim. I didn’t speak with him, but everything about him just screamed swimmer. He was backstroking down the lane faster than I can freestyle it. And he could backstroke about three times and be at his turn. It was a beautiful thing, watching the guy swim was like watching a ballerina do her warmups. They are just easy because they’ve spent countless hours making it look effortless.
Whereas I would like to take about 15 percent off of my 500 time, putting me in line with the pool record in the 1,000.
I counted the championship banners hanging from the rafters tonight. I’ve previously counted the names of Olympians stenciled into the wall. Serious, serious athletes have been in that lane. The rest of us are just in their way.
Later in the evening my buddy, Murphy, and I ran a 5K. You never know what you’ll get when you invite someone to go for a jog. I thought about that after the fact. That guy is fit, and he played flanker in high school football. And now I’m going to run with him? We had a nice jog and a nice chat and I was able to keep up.
Take that, anonymous swimmer in the next lane.
Things to read … all headline links edition … because I’m a slow reader, too.
Have to go see it … Coca-Cola mural in Opelika could be over 100 years old
‘No-fly list’ process unconstitutional, US district judge decides
A tedious SEO headline, to be sure. I wish this story was in the American media … Also, the story buries that President Bush costs more. Taxpayers will spend $944,000 to support Bill Clinton’s lifestyle in 2014 as he claims he and Hillary are not ‘out of touch’ because they ‘talk to people in our town’
Go back to high school and blame your civics teacher. A third of Americans can’t name any First Amendment rights
Someone at Slate thought “Ya know, we have to remind people we’re Slate!” Looney Tunes Cartoons Were More Brutal Than You May Remember
I wonder how often this happens. Veteran believes he sees his image in Berman D-Day exhibit
Score one for city hall. Kansas Boy Forced to Remove Little Free Library From His Yard
For my reaction, see Boubacar Barry, above.
