MONSTER MASH

Here is my crew.

We may have finished the season 1-6, but I would still call it a success. That is because the point of putting this team together was for these boys to have fun outside of school and make some memories.

One cannot win every game or every title. However, one can always have fun when one plays with one's friends and give one's all.

Until next season!

PROFILES IN COURAGE

This season for the Monster Mash Arbor futsal team has been a challenging one. We played in the Competitive Division with "Classic" teams who play together year-round, and the skill of these other teams led to some lop-sided losses. 

However another key contributor to our losses was limited players. This is a function of other commitments, vacation, etc, and was totally understandable. That is not to say that having a limited squad was not painful though. 

On the second to last game, our scarcity of players was particularly pronounced as we had only five players- the minimum needed to field a team-versus the other team's 10 players. This meant that our guys had to play all 48 minutes with no breaks or substitutions. 

In my experience, the team with more substitutions often beats the team with more skills, and our game that day was no exception. Yes, we did go on to lose, but not before our guys fought like hell and gave everything they had. There was blood. There was sweat, and there were even a few tears. At no point did our guys give up or stop fighting, and that was the true lesson of the day. It is easy to be bold and not capitulate when victory seems possible. It is another thing altogether to play like that when defeat seems all but assured. I hope these boys carry this lesson with them and remember that life is full of ups and downs. We cannot control the outcome of events. However, that does not mean that we cannot control how we react to those circumstances and that we give up. 

Courage apparently comes in all sizes!

WHEN I ROOT, I ROOT FOR THE TIMBERS

This past weekend the Portland Timbers won their first trophy in the forty year history of the club - the Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup, or Championship.

The Timbers first joined MLS five years ago. For the most part, their performances could be described in two words during that time - underwhelming or disappointing. They had only made the playoffs once until this season, and they were often known for folding in critical moments in games big and small alike. Despite that, the people of Portland have been ardent supporters, even earning the city the nickname "Soccer City USA." That is why this season feels like such a vindication of the city's passion for this team and for the sport.

The Timbers' coach Caleb Porter is the chief reason for the team's turnaround. He helped lead them to the playoffs twice in three seasons. His understanding of tactics and his decision to play a style of football that made the most of his players' talents were critical for the team's on field success and for maintaining the interest and devotion of the fan base.

On Sunday all of his and the team's hard work was rewarded as they triumphed over the Columbus Crew in the Final. The game was not pretty, but the Timbers scored early and then defended like some of the best sides in Europe (Think Chelsea or the Italian national team). It is not the kind of free-flowing, attacking soccer they played much of the season, but it was pragmatic and ultimately successful.

The team was greeted by thousands of fans yesterday at the airport when they returned home yesterday.

Today, the city's streets were lined with thousands more spectators during an open air bus ride by the team. Never mind that the weather was dreadful with downpours all day, the Timbers' supporters were not going to miss out on this occasion.

Forty years is a long time to wait, but I have a feeling that this team will be hoisting the Cup again much sooner than that. As the club's saying goes, Rose City 'til I die (RCTID)! Go Timbers!

LOSING ONE'S RELIGION

Last week, another terrible act of terror took place in California. New evidence suggests that this was due to Islamic extremists who were acting on behalf of the religious fundamentalist organization ISIS.

Far too often, religious extremism has wreaked havoc in world history. There have been countless wars, massacres, and barbaric acts in the name of one god or another. It is enough to make one question whether religion is a force for good or evil in this world.

What would a world without religion look like? Well, there would be one less thing to divide us and force us into separate camps with intolerant world views. I am certain that this would not solve all of our problems, but might it be a start?

We will never know the answer because far too many people around the globe espouse deep-seated religious principles. I hope that they can come to understand that what is right for them may not be right for the rest of us and that violence is never the answer. Until then, we will see more bloodshed in the name of gods. May those gods forgive these believers because I certainly will never forgive them.

SPOTLIGHT

Recently, I saw the new film "Spotlight" that chronicles the true story of the priest sex abuse scandal and the cover up by the Archdiocese of Boston. The cast is shown above. The movie was very well done and illustrates how powerful institutions can cause serious damage, especially when they go unchallenged. Moreover, the movie captures the power of the free press to expose wrongdoing and to effect change.

The title of the film is taken from the name of a special investigations unit of the Boston Globe newspaper. The editor of the Spotlight team during the early 2000s when this movie takes place is man called Walter "Robby" Robinson. Like the majority of his team, Robby was educated in the Catholic Church, and he still holds the Church in high esteem despite no longer actively practicing his faith. That is because of how intertwined the Church is in the his life and in the lives of so many people from the Boston community. Eventually, the wrongdoings and harm caused by the Church compel Robby and the rest of his team to expose the Church's sins, and we all know how the story ends.

As a lapsed Catholic, I was inspired by this film every bit as much as I was disgusted by the actions of the sick pedophile priests and the Church leadership who covered for them.

To put things in perspective, many people were recently up in arms about how Volkswagen falsified emissions data for its fleet of diesel cars. Many people will never buy a Volkswagen again.

If the Church were a corporation, would we still be patronizing it? How could one? Now obviously a car maker and a religious organization are not the same thing. However, emissions falsifications are also not the same thing as child rape.

There are many reasons why I will not return to the Church, but no reason is more important than the harms done to the meekest of the flock by the Church hierarchy. As a former altar boy, I realize that I easily could have been one of the victims. That I was not a victim has more to do with chance than the grace of God.