Random Sunday musings

 It's another slate-gray morning here in our December Without Snow, perfect for a mug-a-joe in my favorite Civil War receptacle (Remember the Iron Brigade!), and a few idle thoughts about a busy Saturday in sports. And as every Blobophile knows, when it comes to idle thoughts, none are more idle than mine.

("You got that right," you're saying)

Anyway, on with the show, as they say ...

* Morocco is my new favorite soccer side.

Not just because the Moroccos shocked the world again yesterday, beating favored Portugal 1-0 to become the first African nation (and first Arab nation) to reach a World Cup semifinal. It's because of the gutsy way they played shorthanded the last few minutes of injury time and still hung the W. It's because the reason they were playing shorthanded was because of a completely bogus red card meted out to Walid Cheddira.

It's because they hung the W despite playing without two injured starters, and despite losing their center-back in the 57th minute. 

Also, their counterattack is splendid and daring and a joy to watch.

Also, their goalkeeper, Yassine Bounou, is splendid and daring and a joy to watch.

And, finally: Their nickname is the Atlas Lions. 

How do you not love that?

* In other World Cup news, defending champion France served up more heartbreak for England, beating the Brits 2-1 in a game in which English star Harry Kane missed a penalty kick. Because, you know, it's England, so of course he did.

And because the Blob's mind tends to follow its own weird path, and because (as you might have guessed) I'm a Civil War nerd from way back, I wondered something.

When the Yankees broke up Pickett's Charge on the third day at Gettysburg, some of them chanted "Fredericksburg! Fredericksburg!", a mocking reference to the Confederates own repulse of the Union Army's multiple assaults on Marye's Heights seven months earlier.

Well ... centuries ago, the French were routed by English longbowmen at Agincourt.

So you suppose the French chanted "Agincourt! Agincourt!" after yesterday's win?

OK. So, nah.

* Indiana lost by 14 to No. 10 Arizona in Las Vegas last night, which suggested a few things to the Blob.

1. Indiana misses stellar freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino at the point. The Hoosiers just aren't the same team without him.

2. Getting down 19 to a team that can shoot threes and rebound and defend as well as Arizona does is not a terrific strategy.

3. Whittling that deficit to three with 11 or so minutes to play showed Indiana has some gumption in its belly, especially on a night when it got outrebounded by 10 and missed 40 of 69 shots.

4. Miller Kopp, on the other hand, can shoot the rock. I suspect he might have worked on it a bit during the summer.

5. Arizona is a lot better team than its No. 10 ranking suggests. I mean, the Wildcats are good.

* Last but not least, Army rallied to beat Navy 20-17 in two overtimes in the annual rivalry game that best exemplifies what college football used to be and no longer is. 

Actual students (and future leaders of our military) gettin' after one another in a grudge match that goes back 123 years. And which for the most part doesn't involve carpetbagging coaches and rent-a-stud players seeking only to improve their draft status.

Who knew?