World soccer champs preview

First of all, it's properly called soccer because soccer is short for association football, as opposed to Rugby football. Rugby and its descendants are just as much football as soccer is. The etymology of the words is clear, so any suggestion that soccer is somehow "more football" than rugby or American football is an innovation. When it comes to language, we here at this blog don't take kindly to innovations.

As for the tournament, here's our official preview. Some people are going to kick a ball around, it's going to be boring as hell, and we don't care.

A parting hockey thought

So, this is the new-look Maple Leafs team. Like The Star told us way back in November 2008:

Brian Burke, after being introduced as the 13th general manager of the Maple Leafs, promised that his team – and it is very much that now – will evolve into a pull-no-punches, in-your-face squad, an approach reflective of the guy now calling the shots.

"We require, as a team, proper levels of pugnacity, testosterone, truculence and belligerence. That's how our teams play," said Burke.

That's a funny word, truculence. Let's see what the dictionary says:

truculent (comparative more truculent, superlative most truculent)
1. Of things or persons that are cruel or savage
2. Deadly or destructive.
3. Defiant or uncompromising.
4. (hockey) 0-5-1.

The new Leafs? Same as the old Leafs.