Week in the Knees

(you knew that pun was coming at some fucking point)

Oct 11, 2024

Hello, my friends.

It might be an international break for your favorite footy clubs, but that doesn’t always spare you from me barfing something into your inbox.

Seven years ago Sunday, my friend Carlo passed away. In ‘05, he had glimpsed me into the world of Liverpool Football and I knew enough to say, “this means I am a Liverpool fan.” That was almost exactly where my fandom ended, too.

When he passed, I decided to watch the rest of that season’s LFC matches because he wouldn’t get to. I googled, “Liverpool bar Brooklyn” and figured out it was maybe about 300 yards from my front door.

It’s kind of hard for me to think of a more random decision that has had such a crazy impact on my life.

I’ve made a barful of frenemies. I’ve gotten a red closet. I’ve founded an Official Liverpool Supporters Club with some of those friends. At the Dutch company I used to work for, I was known as “Soccer Guy” because when the guy behind me was on Zoom calls, everyone could see my second monitor which always had a game on it. I befriended a random dude in my current company on Microsoft Teams entirely because his fantasy team name was “Konate by Nature.” “Konate” ended up gifting me a signed Jordan Henderson jersey the last time he was in town. And two Saturdays ago, I got to meet LFC legend Lucas Leiva while customizing a pair of Air Force Ones. (He offered to sign them. I asked him to sign the box … AITA?)

I’m not always the rosiest of guys. In fact, I’m generally a pretty worst case guy. (probably owed in large part to my being absolutely stuck in an advertising career I hate and have spent 24 years trying to sabotage my way out of. Efforts continue to not work. It somehow manages to make me perfectly not promotable but indispensable. An awful limbo.)

But Footy Colby is downright mature. Maybe it’s because I really came to it later in life, but I take losses in stride. I enjoy the journey. I take time to “imagine being us.” I savor the bonds and the relationships and the opportunities. Love blowing some Brit or Argentine’s mind when I drawl out something nearly intelligent about the Beautiful Game.

But this week and this International Break kind of challenge that. The absolute worst Colby is Emotionally Involved in the Baseball Playoffs Colby. Followed closely by Texas Football Fan Colby. And then the doomed dreadmeister of USMNT Colby.

Tomorrow gives us my (formerly) beloved, top ranked Texas Longhorns facing those vermin from Oklahoma at 3:30 and Game 5 of the American League Divisional Series with my constantly beloved Cleveland Guardians hosting those shitheads from Detroit. A big, big day for 2 of my 5 tattoos. And then also, Poch makes his debut as the head man for the USMNT at 9PM.

Feeding two wolves over here and shit.