Random linkage:

- 30 Rock has officially been renewed.
- What your girlfriend's celebrity crush says about you.
- And the 2007 Name of the Year is...
- Human Giant debuts tomorrow on MTV. I have my DVR set.
- Alex's Brooks Brothers tuxedo purchase is looking like a mistake.
- The best soccer goal celebrations.
- The Freakonomics gang notes the huge disparity in generic drug prices
- Bowlers know cool tricks.
- The 2008 M3 is officially out, and it officially makes me drool.
- The new Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera makes beautiful music.
- Proof that it doesn't matter how you sign your credit card receipts.
- Make this fat guy run a marathon.
- When the kiss cam goes horribly, horribly wrong.

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Phil Ball as expected offers the best recap of the Barcelona-Real Madrid clasico from a few weeks ago. My favorite part is the description of Real Madrid midfielder Guti:

He never seems to have quite recovered from his early days of fame in the late 1990's, when he discovered that his new girlfriend was in fact a transvestite. Not that one wishes to be transvestist in any way, but it did take Guti an alarmingly long time to find out.

I've been toying with a Barcelona-themed rant for quite some time, so here are my thoughts on the somewhat disappointing season so far (don't worry, I expect you to ignore this):

1. Injuries have been a major problem, with both Eto'o and Messi missing huge chunks of time at the end of 2006 before more recently returning, albeit not in time to rescue Barcelona's Champions League campaign. Still, Barca did reasonably well with Gudjohnsen and Saviola deputizing for Eto'o and Giuly playing in Messi's place. After a slow start, Ronaldinho caught fire for a few months and was able to provide some of the goal-scoring punch in Eto'o and Messi's absence. But the real downturn in play came largely when teams began to use the Valencia strategy of blatantly sitting back, soaking up Barca's pressure, and then looking to counterattack against the shaky defense.
   
2. While they have destroyed inferior opponents all season long, they have show a continued inability to play at their best in big matches. Even last season their only great big-game performance came in the first Real Madrid game. The win at Chelsea and the Champions League final vs. Arsenal were comebacks aided by opponent red cards, and this season they've been dismal against the best teams. They were wrecked 3-0 in the European Supercup by Sevilla, managed only 1 point from the two Chelsea Champions League games, fell 1-0 in the World Club Championships to an inferior Internacional team, lost badly away to Real Madrid, lost twice to Valencia, and of course faltered badly at home in the opening leg of their Champions League exit against Liverpool (and were somewhat fortunate to win the away leg 1-0). Their most memorable big-game performance this year was the 3-3 draw at home against Real, which was a moral victory given Real were trailing in the standings, but still hardly a resounding performance. They do deserve credit for coming back from their 1-0 loss at home in the King's Cup vs. Zaragoza, but realistically they should never have lost the first game anyway.
   
3. The defense, which last year proved many of its critics wrong thanks to strong seasons from both Puyol and Rafa Marquez, has been the team's Achilles heel. Marquez has been absolutely miserable in central defense, though he's been comparably decent at times as a defensive midfielder. Still, Thuram has been much better and has justifiably taken his place in recent matches. Puyol has been tireless as always, but his bull in a China shop style doesn't always compensate for his occasional inability to anticipate the play. The wing defenders have arguably been even worse, with Belletti and Sylvinho each struggling with injuries and proving liabilities on the counterattack. Zambrotta has slowly adjusted to Spain since coming over from Juventus, while Van Bronckhorst has been perhaps the most consistent wingback. The one bright spot has been keeper Victor Valdes, who has played very well after a shaky 05/06.
4. Perhaps the breakout star of the season has been Andres Iniesta, the baby-faced midfielder with the receding hairline, who has emerged after playing as a utility player the past few seasons and found his way into the Spanish national team (even scoring some big goals vs. England and Iceland). For Barcelona he has played all over the park, but mostly has taken over as Deco's attacking midfield partner, with Xavi becoming more of a rotation player but still seeing a lot of time and playing relatively well. Deco has been perhaps a step below the all-world level he played at last year, but the diminutive Iniesta's steady play--whether it's controlling the ball in midfield, jinking past defenders and providing service to the forwards, or popping up and scoring goals himself--probably have made him the team's most valuable player this season.
   
5. One of the team's strengths in recent years has been its continuity; coach Frank Rijkaard has kept players happy, while the players bought into squad rotations and winning kept mouths shut. Beginning with Ronaldinho's signing before the 03/04 season and then the subsequent purchase of Deco and Eto'o the following summer, the team has been relatively stable, with only minor personnel changes each offseason. However, Eto'o's curious refusal to enter a game a month ago as a substitute marked the first sign of real internal strife, as he subsequently called out Rijkaard and Ronaldinho for their lack of support. Word is that he was lashing out at perceived preferential treatment given to Ronaldinho by the club, and while publicly everyone has kissed and made up, it's unclear where Eto'o really stands and whether he'll look to leave this summer.
   

In any case, for all their disappointment they are still atop the Spanish league and in the semifinals of the King's Cup. Two trophies seem well within reach, which would be a pretty respectable haul, especially given the inherent difficulty of defending the Champions League. Still, a third successive league title seems imminent more for the lack of true competition than Barcelona's own dominance; Real and Valencia have never found their stride, while upstart Sevilla looks to have run out of gas, though they're still within striking distance. Messi and Eto'o have been on fire of late, so I'm optimistic the season will end on a high note.

The real challenge may be in the summer, when the question of who will stay and who will go must be answered. A central defender and top-notch holding midfielder would be welcome additions, as would another wingback such as Sevilla's Daniel Alves. Ronaldinho seems likely to stay despite continued interest from AC Milan, while Rijkaard could also be tempted by a big-money offer from Milan. Eto'o probably is the most likely big name to leave, which is a shame. Barcelona's attacking style of play is based largely on the interchangeability of its players, aided by the fact that most of them have played together for more two or three years. While each may have unique skills, a good first touch, the willingness to push forward, and a pass-first mentality is common to each (long gone are the days of Rivaldo blasting 35 yard shots every chance he had). Eto'o is the team's only pure goalscorer, but besides that all-important trait he can also switch out into Ronaldinho's position on the flank and he has an unusual willingness to track back and play defense for a player of his goal-scoring talents. He's as good a goal-scorer as there is, but he's also the perfect type of player for Barcelona's style. Players who combine his finishing with the team pedigree to mesh with Barcelona's system are rare and not surprisingly expensive; Thierry Henry is the only obvious name that comes to mind. Stay tuned.