Blogcritics Author: Alessandro Nicolo

Euro 2008: Led By a Strong Man, Spain Triumphs

Alessandro Nicolo — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 05:37:05 EDT

Marcos Senna emerges as Spain's best player.
“Yeah runnin’ down a dream that never would come to meWorkin’ on a mystery, goin’ wherever it leadsRunnin’ down a dream.”-Tom Petty"Franco who?"-Luis AragonesWhen we measure a team’s title victory we have to take into consideration the entire tournament in question, and at Euro 2008, Spain was the...

Euro 2008: Germany Squeaks By Turkey

Alessandro Nicolo — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:24:49 EDT

Turkey's journey ends but not without leaving an impression.
The mark of a great team is one that can get outplayed and still prevail. Today, Germany was obliterated in the first half by what amounted to a Turkish B-side but still managed to stand firm. "All" they needed was a goal in the final minute of play to put away a massively resilient Turkish squad. Some could argue that Turkey deserved a...

Euro 2008: Viva Espana

Alessandro Nicolo — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:13:36 EDT

Spain earns much more than a victory over Italy.
I wasn't going to discuss the Spain vs. Italy match up because, to be honest, I didn't see a story in it like Russia and Turkey. Italy wins enough and Spain, well, how many underachieving stories can one spin?Yesterday, it was a matchup of two great Latin soccer sides butting heads. One (Spain) was running on all cylinders, the other (Italy)...

Euro 2008: From Russia with Love

Alessandro Nicolo — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 19:39:35 EDT

Russia joins Turkey as an unlikely semi-finalist.
Dear Holland,We waited for you in Gorky Park, but you did not show up. So we went to Euro 2008. Sorry we spanked you. And it must be difficult accepting defeat since our coach is Dutch. Nevertheless, we invite you back to Gorky Park to celebrate with our beautiful Russian tennis players and vodka. No hard feelings?Love,...

Euro 2008: A Remarkable Run For Turkey

Alessandro Nicolo — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 22:10:29 EDT

Depleted and without most of its squad, Turkey looks to shake the football gods.
In 2004, an ancient culture with Athens at its cultural center shocked the soccer world. Four years later, Turkey - home to the former Ottoman Empire with Istanbul serving as its spiritual center – is threatening to create yet another sublime moment for a nation. For you connoisseurs of history, the irony is that Turkey and Greece are not the...

Companies Must Cultivate Creative Talent with Care

Alessandro Nicolo — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:12:09 EDT

Here's some advice on how to handle writers.
The communications department is no longer considered just another bullpen of flaky slackers. Companies now see value-added dollar signs in them. Writers are in huge demand these days and a Golden Age may be upon us. It’s no exaggeration to assert that writers drive the progress of civilization. Without our skills, how can ideas be...

Euro 2008: Now the Real Fun Begins

Alessandro Nicolo — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:48:36 EDT

Sizing up the quarter-final match ups at Euro 2008
Sizing up the quarter-final match ups at Euro 2008...Turkey vs. CroatiaTurkish Delight:Turkey pulled one of the all-time great comebacks at this tournament by scoring three unanswered goals in 15 minutes (who said soccer is offensively challenged?) to beat the under-whelming Czech Republic 3-2 in group play and secure a spot in the quarterfinals...

Euro 2008: Soccer Scenes From An Italian Grocery Store

Alessandro Nicolo — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:54:41 EDT

Euro 2008 unites all soccer fans.l
Lunch time.Naturally, I'm hungry and head straight to my favourite Italian eatery nestled in the heart of Montreal's Little Italy.Actually, it's a family run grocery store that happens to serve lunch. All meals are prepared daily. Lunch in a restaurant can run you $15 and up these days. Not here. For less than $9 I get a slice of pizza...

Euro 2008: A Brief Review So Far

Alessandro Nicolo — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:32:11 EDT

Spain soars, Italy crashes...
Alrighty, we’ve gone a full turn at Euro 2008. After one game for each side in the books, what have we learned?Nothing. It’s only one game. It’s difficult to judge teams based on a single game. But that won’t stop us from at least discussing what's happened so far. Here are some rambling thoughts:Group A:Portugal 2 ...

The Detroit Red Wings Win The Stanley Cup

Alessandro Nicolo — Thu, 5 Jun 2008 01:07:47 EDT

And Shatter A Misguided Myth In The Process
Can we all stop it now?The Detroit Red Wings captured their 11th Stanley Cup (only Montreal with 24 and Toronto with 13 have more) with a 3-2 victory over the determined Pittsburgh Penguins finishing them off four games to two. But the Wings won more than just the Cup. They put an end to an irritating discussion that’s been littering the...