Jeebus, how time flies when…you alternate between taking naps and sweating like a Black man in an Alabama court.

Oh, and my office in downtown Raleigh shut down at 3p yesterday, and they forbade anyone from going in over the weekend.  Seems like some organized violence is going down.

You watch, THIS is how the Rooskies, Birchers, and uber allies will try to fix 2020 for Herr Fuhrer.  I don’t think it will work, but it sickens me to watch them try.  Thank fuck this overgrown child has not 10% the strategic capacity of Nixon.

In Lesser News, Leo Messi is showing his usual amount of self-awareness.  One can find the cabal running Barca clownish, and still recognize that Messi is part of the problem and has been for some time.

No club can carry that massive salary and ego, for a 33-year old that refuses to play defense, even in training.  He’s a less shitty version of what Wayne Rooney turned into, a circus sideshow.  Sure, still technically gifted.  But in the modern game, at the highest levels?  NOT ENOUGH.

God, though.  The prickly pear personality of failed Everton manager Ronald Koeman trying to put that fractured shambles back together?  Going to be a long couple seasons for the Catalans.

In happier news?  My Toffees look poised to add erstwhile World Cup hero Him-ez, on reasonable wages, even.  I’d be terrified about signing another famous dude at his age (29), if not for the specific history he has with Don Carlo.  So, I will try cautious optimism.

Keep safe, healthy, and marginally sane.

***

Balls Notes

So, you know I HAD to weigh in on the Messi saga.

Here are my dos centavos:

Bartomeu is absolutely to blame for this entire fiasco. He has been bringing in players Real Madrid Galáctico style without any thought as to how they would fit the team or the system.  He has also handicapped his managers by not giving them any say into player acquisition decisions.  Finally,  he’s made managers scapegoats for his bad decisions.

Messi has seen this and had been working to convince Bartomeu of doing things differently.  Two things happened this week that convinced Messi nothing would change: 1) They told Luis Suarez to fuck off.  And 2) Koeman told him his status as Barça God was gone.

This was bad because: 1) Luis Suarez is Messi’s best friend and 2) You don’t tell God he’s not God.

Teh Hippo is a bit incorrect in that he expects Messi to play defense and run.  Messi hasn’t done that for five years and he barely did it when he was in his youth.

What Messi does is draw people to him and create spaces for others.  He doesn’t need to run to do that.  The team succeeded when he was surrounded by players that were able to take advantage of that.  This team can’t do that.

Besides,  the reason that Barça lost La Liga and lost to Bayern 8-2 is that their defense was ATROCIOUS.  The focus of Bartomeu was to get defenders that could score,  not defenders that could,  you know,  DEFEND.

I firmly believe that Messi made the right move.  What was supposed to happen was that Xavi would take over the team,  eventually phase Messi out from the field and onto the coaches’ bench or the front office, and bring back the Barça style of high pressure and quick possession

You know,  the style that Bayern just won the treble with.

The fans agree with me.  There have been demonstrations in Barcelona demanding Bartomeu resign. They want Bartomeu to resign,  Messi to stay, and Xavi to coach.

But Bartomeu’s a stubborn bastard and won’t resign.  Koeman will get a year as coach and then a new Board will be voted in,  Xavi will come in and coach,  and the good times will return as the roster is overhauled.

Without Messi.