Cote d'Ivoire

Not What I Had Expected

Well there is not much that I can really say here to make myself feel any better.  Yesterday’s game reminds me a bit of a prizefight where the heavy weight champ gets knocked around a little bit early on and never really recovers, and in this case gets plain KO’d in the end.  The Elephants never really recovered from what was a fluke goal at the twenty minute mark, and Egypt like a good underdog just kept sending in wave after wave of attacks.  Couple this with a strong defensive presence and you have yourself a champion looking for a second straight tournament victory.   I have to admit I am feeling strangely odd about the whole thing.  When this tournament started I was so stoked to watch and post all the Ivory Coast happenings from the tournament, but as the tournament kicked off so did my job, leaving a man who bought a telesud subscription and planned his schedule around the ANC, with more work than I had time and little coverage on the ANC.  For this mess I have to apologize, but am thankful that the likes of Daryl and company have given this tournament the exhaustive coverage it deserves.  What this whole situation has done though is made me come to a strange realization; did the lack of normal TV coverage effect my viewing and now final feeling toward the Elephants and the ANC? 

It is a strange questions that when posed sounds an awful lot like an old philosophy question.  But I keep asking myself why am I not more upset after the loss, why have I not lost sleep over this loss like I have with past Azzuri and AC Milan (my calico passions) losses?  It is because this tournament never really had the chance it deserved in my eyes because of lack of convenience.  I could not DVR it, I could not listen, the news was always second hand, and the games felt more or less like a simulation than the real thing.  This method of delivery did not ignite my passion and left in somewhat of a void in terms of feelings and posts.  As I wrap up my odd ranting I would like to step down before the third place match.  First and foremost, because I hate third place matches they are glorified friendlies with an often poorer atmosphere, secondly because I truly feel deprived of something special.  That something for me was a final that I craved, IC vs. Ghana, and as I sit here feeling like a failed blogger and even worser failed Elephants fan.  I would like to sign off and ask if no one is reading am I really signing off…?  I will continue to blog over the offside.com AC Milan blog, and continue to rant about and love Didier Drogba until he one days wear the Rossoneri, but until then my Elephant days are numbered.