Blog #5

For my possible informative essay topics, I was thinking about discussing the origin of the two shoes, Adidas and Puma.  Two brothers both were planning to make shoes together, as they split up from one brother supporting the Nazi party less than the other brother.  After the two brothers split, each made their own shoe company; Adidas and Puma.  A very big rivalry was between the two, with even ending their lives buried in the same cemeteries, resting on opposite sides.

My other possible idea for what to write about would be, coincidentally enough, how Nike originated.  The first Nike running shoe was made on a waffle maker, and was worn by Steve Prefontaine, who was an Olympic runner.  Before Prefontaine ran for the Olympics, he ran for Oregon, where he got his first pair of Nikes, and originated the Nike Swoosh in 1972.  Those who are football fans know that Oregon has over 80 jerseys approximately, all because Nike was started there.

I find both of the topics to be interesting, as I look forward to researching and finding more and more about it.  I know a pretty good amount about each one of these topics, but as a writer I will be learning more about the information myself as well!

Blog #4

The game of soccer has much more to it than just shooting a ball into a net.  Two opposing teams, 11 players on each team, first set up a formation.  Out of the 11 players on the field, there is guaranteed to be a goalie, leaving 10 other players.  How do they set up?  A very newly popular formation is 4-2-3-1: a goalie, which isn't mentioned because it is a given, four defenders, 2 defensive mids, 3 attacking mids, and 1 target player. The goalie typically is a taller person, giving them a bigger wingspan to stretch their arms out for more reach on the goal.  The defenders are typically the faster people, that might not have as much skill, but are more strong and ambitious.  The midfielders are the track runners of soccer.  They have to go back and forth from offense to defense, and have good ball skills as well.  And the forwards, or target players are the skilled players that typically score the goals for the team.

When playing soccer, unless the teams are highly unbalanced, an average soccer score is about 3-1, or 3-2.  A game is 90 minutes long, consisting of two 45 minute long halves, so soccer teams must take any opportunity they get to score, as you don't score every other minute like you do in basketball.  Coaches study which formations would lead to the most success, and what will shred apart defenses.

The rules that are in soccer would be hand balls, off sides, penalty kicks, out of bounds, fouls, red cards and yellow cards, and a few others.  Soccer is a game used with your feet, and a hand ball is not permitted.  Off sides comes into consideration when an offensive player is behind the last defender on the opposing team and the ball is played to he or she while they're still off sides.  Penalty kicks occur when a foul or hand ball is committed in the box.  Out of bounds is self-explanatory: the ball cannot go out of bounds.  However, the person possessing the ball can go out of bounds, and half of the ball itself has to be in bounds.  Red cards are committed when players get a second yellow card, or a very dangerous play that is judged by the refs.

There is a lot more to the game of soccer, as it is just more than kicking the ball into the net.  It is the most internationally played game in the world.  It is known as "the beautiful game," but also when the whistle by the refs is blown, it is called chaos. Quite a paradox, right?