Puyol Stretchered Off?

The first of four upcoming El Classico's didn't stir much media attention. Jose Mourinho's side were able to stifle Barcelona with a late penalty, but the 1-1 draw did little to narrow the Catalan's 8 point advantage. What did catch our attention was the stretchering off of Carles Puyol. Usually known for his relentless commitment and all-or-nothing style we were surprised to see him carried off for what seemed like a minor hamstring injury. Now we know footballers are very delicate and expensive these days and every precaution needs to be taken, but to see the Catalan's "lionheart" stretchered off and then comfortably WALK from the sideline to the bench is infuriating. Would you ever see Graeme Souness, Stuart Pearce, or Andoni Giocoechea willingly stretchered off? Not a chance. These men took pride in being the world's toughest athletes. Broken limbs, bloody noses, or tired legs, there was nothing that could get these players off the pitch.
Carles stop the act, either walk off the field or join Busquets in his shameful Oscar-diving performances. So Soft.












(Photos via DailyLife and DailyMail)

D.Rose, Chi-town's Protege

The windy city has been blessed with another homegrown talent, their current Point Guard out Derrick Rose. Drafted 1st overall pick out of University of Memphis in 2008, The Bulls' #1 has been making a name for himself and igniting fire in the hearts of all chi-town fans. For his first season in the NBA, Derrick was attributed the highest recognition by being elected Rookie of the Year confirming the hope and aspiration the Bulls franchise installed in him. At 6ft3, 190lbs the 22 year old has already began his ascent in the Bulls record book. A splendid combination of heart, talent and skills; Derrick Rose promises to be an influential figure in the NBA. Assists, Steals, Dunks, Threes; Great players make great plays!

Preview: Cam'Ron & Vado - Gunz n´ Butta Snippets

April proves to be a strong month for the Harlem based Dipset. After the recent drop of Jim Jones's Capo, its Cam'ron and [his new protege] Vado's turn to release their heavily anticipated album. Gunz n' Butta marks the return of Cam and allows us to get a closer look at the lyrical talent that Vado brings to the table. With tracks such as Stop It 5, Speakin In Tungs & Hey Muma [tracks 11 through 13], the uptown duo demonstrate how anticipated their collaboration really is since all three of the tracks had previously hit [the airways and] the streets on a series of mixtapes. Vado proves to be a great addition to Cam's experience and clever flow that sometimes leaves us yearning for lyrical evolution. But contrary to certain [need to hang it up] hip-hop veterans [Memphis Bleek to put a face on the title] Cam still catches our attention and has us eagerly awaiting the Diplomat reunion project. Dipset!

Adidas Introduces the new Chelsea FC Home Kit

Regardless of the devastating loss, brought upon by [Italian] tactical mistakes, Chelsea had something to smile about today. Adidas released their campaign for the 2011-12 season with a new kit demonstrating a [yet to be seen in real life] happy group of stars such as DROGBA, LAMPARD, TERRY and some Spanish cat [torrres; note the lack of capitals for the lack of respect] celebrating a yet to be earned trophy. Though Adidas has a lot to prove with their main rivals Nike and Umbro stepping up their games, we are looking to forwad to what their rivalry is going to bring out of the game. What are your thoughts?

(Via Soccerbible)

Donald Trump You're Fired

We hate to promote ignorance on Balance, but this is too important and outrageous to pass up. Reality TV superstar and American businessman, Donald Trump, has been flooding headlines and news reports with his take on the birther (non)issue. Reporters had finally stopped covering the topic and we believed things had finally subsided when somehow between his supposed presidential candidacy and ridiculous toupee Trump managed to resurface the issue. Frankly, this is an obvious marketing scheme devised by Trump to increase ratings for his television show, but what we find most frustrating is the media's decision to cover it. In the midst of a budget crisis and dwindling economy, don't we have something better to talk about than a certificate of live birth? The state of our country shouldn't be covered like a political reality TV show. Give us real news not some drunk political rhetoric that nobody cares about. CNN and Trump you should be FIRED!

(Photo via CNN)

CL Quarter-Finals Wrap-up

Wayne Rooney managed to restrain his scouse-self and avoided all cameras after scoring the lone goal against Chelsea. The all english fixture appears to be the only contested match left as Inter, Shakhtar, and Spurs were all thumped by their opposing sides. Lennon got 'sick' and Crouchy was sent off while Adebayor and Co. tormented the Spurs defense. Stankovic's incredible midfield volley wasn't enough as Inter were stunned 5-2 at the San Siro by an inspired Schalke side. And of course Barca were at it again putting up five against Shakhtar. Not much Balance in these matches, but plenty of quality. The incredible come back is begging in all of these fixtures, who will make it happen?

( Photo via SoccerBible)

Neymar, the next Brazilian star?

On Wednesday, [the king] Pele's former club Santos faced Chilean club Colo Colo in the Libertadores Cup. The Brazilian, leaders of their group came out on top, and though the game was filled with technical and individual skills mirroring the 'joga bonito' mentality, it was also marked by an unusually high number of red cards.Five players were sent off, three from the Santos side and two from Colo Colo. The first sending off came following an outstanding display of control and individual pro es from Brazilian [up and coming] star Neymar. After having picked up a first yellow card for thought-less gesture on his adversary, Neymar picked up a second yellow for wearing a cut out mask of his own face in celebration of Santo's third goal.

The talented teenager who has been in the scope of many European big clubs, unfortunately demonstrated that though he has a lot of promise, he may not yet be ready for a move to Europe. After putting his team up 3-0, his T.O. [Terrell OWENS]'esque antics almost cost his team the match as Santos went on to win the match 3-2. As a fan of football and of the colorful technical aspect Neymar brings to the game, I hope he will learn from this incident and focus more on the game rather the side distractions finding the perfect Balance to fulfill the expectation we have of him.

When the Whistle Blows - Mitchell Brothers

'Mate just cause you wear a red shirt doesn't make you a Liverpool fan.' This track from the Mitchell Brothers is a Balance all time favorite, football focused lyrics for the ultimate classic.

Lights Out On Porto Party

The best way to shut down any party is to cut the power off and force everyone out. That's exactly what Portugese side S.L. Benfica did after losing 2-1 and the league to bitter rivals FC Porto. In the midst of the Porto celebration all power was cut from the Stadium of Light and the sprinkler system turned on. Apparently Benfica had no intention of helping Porto celebrate their fifth Portuguese Liga victory since 2005. But like all season long no one could stop the Porto side and their party. (Hit the Jump for the video)

Modern Football - Snoods, Tights, and Pink Boots

According to the 2009/2010 FIFA Laws of the Game handbook, a player is required to have the following equipment in order to participate in a match:

• a jersey or shirt with sleeves – if undergarments are worn, the colour of the
sleeve must be the same main colour as the sleeve of the jersey or shirt.
• shorts – if undershorts are worn, they must be of the same main colour as
the shorts
• stockings
• shinguards
• footwear

Today the terms of this regulation has been under great dispute. The game of football no longer includes the classic jersey, shorts, and stockings ensemble. Players today step onto the pitch in snoods, tights, and even pink boots. Spectators and managers all over the world are beginning to question the direction of the game and these antics, their claim "the game is getting soft." These doubters may be right, today's game has an abundance of fairies (Exhibit A: Manchester United), but luckily we have players like Franck "Quasimoto" Ribery and Bastian "the Ultimate German" Schweinsteiger to save us and our beautiful game. Highlighted under shinguards of Law 4, the rule explicitly states players must wear proper shin protection.



The two Bayern stars have opted to bypass this rule, not to provide an extra layer of protection, but to show the rugged, physical, and hard aspect of the game still exists. Bastien and Franck don't wear shinguards and don't back-out of challenges because they play the game how it should be played, full of passion and endless commitment. The modern game is changing, player wages are outlandish and coaches are unfairly sacked, but subtleties like Franck's and Bastien's fearless approach to the game will keep the foundations of our game intact and at least prevent the game of football from breaking.



(via FIFA)