The Devil Is In The Detail

I think we all have an optimum way of working. Some folks like to work in complete silence. Some folks like to work on their own. Some folks like to work in an open plan office space. Some folks like to work in the mornings. Some folks like to whistle while they work. That annoys me. Some folks don’t like to work.

Personally, I enjoy working. I made it my mission when I was a fresh faced but spotty boy from Leeds at school to work in something I loved and enjoyed. I saw my parents work so hard, such long hours, doing work that they didn’t particularly enjoy to give me and my sister a good start in life. I don’t like the fact that they had to, but I am eternally grateful. So I made it my mission to do something I enjoy and that something was sport. Football would be the ideal thing, but sport would keep me motivated to work and to work hard for the long forty-plus year slog we all have to make.

When I was young, I pretty much found my optimum way of working. If it was something I was not interested in, I just did enough to reach the next level. My mum showed me my school reports a month or so ago and it was hilarious to read the comments which are as appropriate now as they were twenty years ago. If it was something I was interested in or could tailor to football such as a random poem or story in English, I excelled.

The other thing I noticed when I was young was that I had a tendency to work best under pressure. That usually meant doing work at the very last minute. In some ways I am incredibly organised and meticulous. In other ways, I only produce my best when the pressure is on. During my working life, the same has always applied. I have always sort the high tempo intensity that brings the best out of me and it is what I enjoy.

In terms of working environment, I am not one to particularly revel in working in silence or on my own. Give me an airport, a room full of people, loud noise and music, all kinds of disturbances, and I am able to find my own silence and solitude in my head to work. I am reasonably fortunate to be able to do that. Given the travel and the hectic lifestyle I have often led, it has been the only way to progress.

I was always a nighthawk and still am. I generally produce my best late at night. Maybe it is another case leaving things until the last minute, I am not sure, but it is something I have always enjoyed. Whether I had to write an essay through the night, research and analyse football matches, or general stuff, the night has always been my friend. I sit here right now at 4.30am writing this blog and I am enjoying every moment. If you are reading this any time before 6am, then I apologise and hope you can go back to sleep.

My other place of great thought and contemplation is the loo. I kid you not. Instead of a magazine, try take a problem or issue to the loo next time, and give it some rational thought. It is amazing what you can come up with sometimes on the throne.

Not everything works for all people. HJ is an early bird and gets more done in the first few hours of the day than I get done before 3pm. My way is certainly not the best way, that I am sure. But it works for me. The devil is in the detail and working out our optimum way to work or live is pretty important for me.

May The Best Man Win

I have mentioned before in previous blogs about a habit of mine calling the next fight – UFC or Boxing – that I am attending or watching as being the best fight of the year. I guess it is a way of justifying it to myself, especially if I am paying to travel and attend. I prefer to think of it more as me being positive and looking forward to the next great fight.

The last fight I went to, that was not the case which is rare for me. David Haye v Audley Harrison turned into something of a farce. You can never predict the outcome of a fight with massive confidence, there are so many factors which can affect the outcome. However, that was one which turned out to be a farce and which it should not have been a surprise, I still expected more from the fight.

The most surprising thing that night however was not the fight itself. It was the show and the hugely poor quality of it. I have been to quite a number of fights in recent years and this not only had an embarrassingly poor undercard, but the production and show itself was awful. Not only were there no big screens in the arena, but there was no music between fights, no entertainment, no nothing. It smacked of being a cheap production and along with garbage fights, the night was a let down for me. You can never be sure of entertaining fights, but the least a promoter can do is put on a show and entertain fans.

The other downside that night was being sat around a bunch of muppets. I joke around as much as the next person, but these kids were really out of order with poor tasting jokes and various racist comments. I was embarrassed to be there with HJ and my parents.

So off the back of that pretty poor experience, tonight is the night of redemption. Tonight is Juan Manuel Marquez against Michael Katsidis. The only downside tonight is not being able to watch Arthur Abraham and Carl Froch, but I can deal with that. This fight has all the makings of a fight of the year – in fact I will go on record now and claim that this will be one of the top three fights this year. The styles are fabulous and this will be a brawl. I am supporting Katsidis tonight for two reasons. Firstly, as there are so many Mexican fans around and attending, that the Aussies will be outnumbered. Even during the Ashes, I can be impartial enough to cheer an Aussie on. And secondly, after the sad death of his brother recently, this fight easily could have been postponed, but he decided to fight. Credit to the guy. I like Marquez too however so I cannot really lose tonight, all I ask for is a cracking fight, and I am 99% sure they will deliver. And even if it does not, we’ll get some music, glitz and glamour just to entertain us a fraction if all else fails. Marquez to win in the 9th round for me.

Men, Women and Other Drugs

I suspect curious creatures exist on all planets. I hazard a guess at other planets, but I know for a fact that there is many a curious creature on planet earth. There have been plenty of random curiosities in recent weeks and I want to share them with other folks to see whether it is just me or others think the same.

I will start with trousers. Trousers or pants, depending on where you come from. Why do some guys feel the need to wear them around their thighs and fully displaying their boxer shorts? I can understand some fashion though I am far from being a fashion king I have to confess. This one however is too far. I do not want to see other guys’ butts. In fact, I don’t think anybody does. It cannot be comfortable and I just don’t think it looks good. All I see is guys constantly pulling them up to the preferred level and genuinely becoming a distraction. Slightly upsetting but curious.

I shall move on to the fairer sex for my next curious observation. I always enjoy people watching and I have noticed one curious feature this week. I have noticed before but none more so than New York this week. Women rarely look at men in the streets. Nope, instead, they spend their time by glancing and analysing other women. They are checking out what they are wearing and what bag they are carrying. I find it funny but very random. There are not many men who look at other men, and certainly not many who analyse and check out what they are wearing. In New York, every woman is checking what designer somebody is wearing and where they have been shopping. Curious and interesting.

Another curiosity I picked up on this week was wifi on aeroplanes. What an ingenious idea. Unfortunately, it is not available on the plane I am currently sitting on, but it does exist on many internal flights within North America. What does exist on this plane is live television. Granted, it costs $6 but on a six hour flight, it is totally worth the money. I am watching my second Champions League game, and I am happy. Curious but happy.

One of my favourite North American establishments to wine, dine and watch sport is ESPN Zone. They have them scattered around the US, and I have been to the ones in NYC and Las Vegas on several occasions. They have great food, good beers, and millions of television screens showing all kinds of sports. It has always been one of the things I have loved about Vegas. I was gutted to discover in Times Square this week that they have closed down – all bar two in LA and Anaheim. They have closed due to the economic downturn apparently. Now, I am not there every week, but when I am there, they are absolutely rammed full of people, and with a $10 per hour spending requirement, folks spent good money. I am stunned that they have closed down. Stunned, and curious.

The Incredible Sulk

I always look forward to the weekends but I was looking forward to this one more than most. The arrival of the weekend meant the end of a pretty tough week at Chez Esteva/Burns. The highlight of the week was losing two laptops last Saturday night. My work laptop and a personal one. I left them accidentally in the cinema on Saturday night like the true muppet I am, and they were gone when I went back to get them.

Police reports, watching CCTV footage, posting ads on local websites, contacting lost and found, the cinema – you name it, I did the lot last week and whoever has my laptops does not wish to return them. I have reluctantly accepted it now and I am resigned to the fact that they are gone. I genuinely do not care in the slightest about the cost, but the documents and photos are the most valuable loss. Website work, book work, wedding work, real work, photos, personal stuff.....all gone. I am not one to flaunt my emotions too easily, but I have been well and truly gutted with this one.

So to put it mildly, I have been experiencing one major sulk this last week. I am known to sulk every so often, but it doesn’t get me down for too long and I am able to display my bouncebackability. This one however has been one major sulk, an incredible one. The truth is, my emotions have been mixed. From denial, to disbelief to anger. Fortunately for the little hooded punk at the supermarket who pushed in front of me in the queue last Sunday, I was not quite at the anger stage.

To make matters worse, virtually everything else has gone wrong this week. Friday night gone, we arrived in Liverpool after a two hour flight delay only to find I had left my paper part of my driving license in Switzerland. No hire car for you sir. On the other hand, here’s a £150 taxi bill back to Leeds sir, and sleep well.

Bets have gone against me, my team has been going against me, work has been going against me, and the number of times I have found myself caught in torrential rain this week is beyond a joke. I dropped a yogurt at the checkout in the supermarket which splattered everywhere. What can you do other than suck it up and plug on.

I think I am just about over wanting to beat people up now. Having gotten some good exercise over the week and watched some boxing, my pent up anger has been released somewhat. Having spent the weekend with loved ones, and a pretty cool trip coming up this next ten days, this is just what the doctor ordered to remedy the incredible sulk. Reasonable Rob is returning.

Blessing in Disguise

I have written one or two blog posts previously discussing the life of an athlete and how it is so easy to forget the hardships they go through and the short careers they have. This hit home more than ever this week when Real Madrid midfielder Ruben de la Red was forced to retire due to his heart condition.

25-years-old and on the fringes of a fantastic career. I have always had a soft spot for him as player – great technique and rather than suffering when leaving Real Madrid and seeing his career plummet like it does to so many kids when they leave Real, he fought his way back to the top with Getafe and returned to Real and the first team squad. I genuinely think he could have pushed to reach the Spain squad in the coming years.

Two years ago almost to the very day, he collapsed on the pitch in a cup match – similar to what we have seen to other players who have passed away. Thankfully, he recovered, but after two years of tests, doctors have told him it is not safe for him to return to the game.

Absolutely brutal in so many ways but no question that it is for the best. It seems to be a growing trend of heart issues being the cause of serious health issues or death among athletes – De la Red is one of the lucky ones who has survived it and can live a good life. Real have offered him a job at the club, and he will likely go on and become a coach.

It reminds me of Brentford manager Andy Scott. He had to quite the game in his late twenties due to a heart problem. I was fortunate enough to spend quite a lot of time with Andy during my time at Brentford, and I could not fail to be impressed by him. He had a decent career stolen from him overnight, and he responded by preparing meticulously and becoming an excellent manager. I have no doubt in my mind that Andy will eventually manage at a higher level – either with Brentford or elsewhere. I hope and pray De la Red can find something similar.

The $64 Million Dollar Question

A friend of mine put me in an awful quandary this weekend just gone. He asked me a question – the kind of question no man should be subjected to. It is Bon Jovi’s last concert ever….in New Jersey. It just so happens that on the same night, it is the last UFC ever also, the Brock Lesnar v Cain Velasquez rematch fight. Neither will happen ever again. No more Bon Jovi, no more UFC. There are millions of Bon Jovi fans out there, most of which deny or refuse to admit it. You know who you are. As one of the fast growing sports in the world, the UFC is becoming a hugely successful sport. They do not really combine however, I am possibly the only person on the planet to love both of them. They both start at the same time, and they are held in different continents. It wasn’t mentioned, but I suppose the UFC were banned from showing that last one on PPV also. Which do I decide?

I go for the UFC. I have seen plenty of both of them, but I have all the Bon Jovi CD’s just as I have most of the UFC fights on DVD also. The one difference is that you never know what is going to happen in a UFC fight. I know how a Bon Jovi concert is going to go and that is part of the reason why I enjoy them so much. There are other bands I enjoy, while the UFC would leave a fairly major gap for me. It is a tough call but I edge UFC in this instance.

Awful question, but it got me randomly thinking. I think one of the things I enjoy most about the UFC is the unpredictability of the outcome. It is far more unpredictable than Boxing for example. We have a running joke in our household as I describe every fight that is coming up as the best fight in years somehow ignoring the fact that I said it last month, or last week in some instances. I consider myself to be a half full kind of guy rather than half empty, but this is a different concept.

One of the things which I constantly search for in life is potential. In so many different aspects of everyday life, I am analysing things and trying to work out the potential of something. Potential is different to the half full principle – I am not hoping something may work out, I am weighing everything up and deciding whether something is worth pursuing and putting effort into to reach the end goal.

My approach to so many UFC events is excitement. I am excited for the unpredictability and the potential of some great fights – entertainment-wise and technically. The UFC ten days ago fulfilled all of that and more, and while my analysis of the fights was grossly incorrect, I was right in my feel that the potential of this event was huge.

Work and business is a prime example. I am always thinking of ways to develop myself. Ideas that may just work and require time and effort to develop. Some do, and some do not. I am fortunate enough to have a talented partner in crime who I can bounce ideas off and help me further understand the potential of an idea or thought. I can have all the thoughts in the world, but similar to betting, absorb different opinions and views, and then make the decisions. Potential is exciting. Just like a bet though, just because there is potential in something, it may not always be the right decision to go for it. I have millions of ideas coming into my head all the time, not all of them turn out to be worth pursuing or of any value, but I give them all consideration, analyse the potential and pursue or discard as appropriate.

Potential can manifest itself in many different ways. I saw potential in my cousin’s son being an Evertonian despite pretending to support Manchester United and Cristiano Ronaldo. One trip to Wembley and a Marouane Fellaini wig later, and he was converted to a blue. Perhaps that one is somewhat tenuous but I’m grabbing on to it.

Football and sport is one area which I keenly follow potential. I love nothing more than to follow young talented players and see their development. It is certainly an area which I plan to become more involved with in the future, as well as coaching. I have a good relationship with Ray Hall at the Everton Academy – I know just how proud he is when one of his Academy players makes the breakthrough to the first team. It must be a huge buzz to see a Wayne Rooney or Jack Rodwell come through the ranks and become a major star.

I guess a key element in all things potential is the ability to envision the future and forward think. Unquestionably there will always be factors along the way which can affect the development of some potential, but if harnessed in the right way and with a large spoonful of hard work, passion and dedication, that potential has every chance of succeeding. Some ideas are just not meant to happen, some players just do not get the lucky breaks they deserve, and some cousins may not have an Uncle Rob to take them to Everton games, but giving potential a shot can do no harm.

I have taken a couple of risks/chances in recent years by leaving excellent jobs. Following which, I have had a number of ideas and projects which I have worked on. I am not the only one. There seem to be a number of people I know who have done something similar and decided to take the plunge. It may seem ridiculous to some in this economy, but I think it is all about realising the potential of one’s ideas and abilities. Now, if you do not have the ideas and abilities, then you’re in a tricky situation. However, I genuinely believe that so many people I know have the potential to be successful and to make their own way through life. Inevitably there is a degree of risk in anything like this that the potential will not grow into existence, but one thing is for sure – it won’t if you leave it sat on the shelf.

An Englishman in LA

Another month of fun and games. Winter has crept upon on us pretty sneakily in October. Some would say Autumn has arrived, I would say Winter is upon us. That is not a negative, I don’t mind either of them. But the bitter cold has arrived in Switzerland, and I’m faced with the reality of some cold feet in bed warming themselves on me which I love.

My latest escapade took me to California last weekend. I seem to be making a habit of these kinds of trips at this kind of year – maybe I subconsciously suffer from a mid-Autumn crisis. Caught up with an old mate, and took in two fantastic sporting events. I have been lucky this month with sporting events as each and every game/ fight I have seen has been pretty darn entertaining. That does not always happen, especially being an Everton fan.

My partner in crime was unable to join me on this one. No trips are the same without HJ. This time, I travelled with a new travel buddy, a cuddly Mexican with warm feet. No HJ, but a pretty good replacement I must admit. Tolerant is another good adjective to describe him as he patiently accompanied me to random stores trying to find a gift for HJ. 5 Bloomingdales, 4 Macys, 3 Nordstroms, 2 Saks and a partridge in a pear tree later, we ended up in Victoria Secret and La Perla.

I am in Los Angeles, nobody here knows me. Yet for some reason, whenever I enter lingerie stores or sections, everybody else seems to leave the vicinity, the staff focus their attentions on me, and the spotlight is firmly zooming in on my every movement. I wander around for a while trying act cool, but they almost always approach me wanting to help this lost puppy on his mission. They ask me questions, they want to help me. I stutter. I stammer: I can feel my forehead starting to sweat. I ask a few questions out of politeness, but I am desperately attempting to escape the conversation and their attentions as quickly as possible. One more lap of the store, and I make my exit. Mission failed.

I cannot quite explain it. None of this stuff embarrasses me. I am no shrinking violet, let’s put it that way. But the whole scene just seems to make me uncomfortable. I have bought various gifts for HJ over the last five years, and have yet to nail this lingerie business. Back to the drawing board.

I ended up bringing home three t-shirts – Marc by Marc Jacobs, Jcrew by Jcrew and Nike by Nike. I was happy with all three, but I somehow cannot help but feel I failed on this one. I am determined to get this right, and I have a couple more good opportunities on my travels in the next two months to succeed in this battle for Christmas. Losing weight was easier than this but I will not be beaten.

It Takes Two Baby

In most countries, football events and statistics are measured in single actions. Tackles, dribbles, shots are all events recorded in games. In one or two other countries, they have a different concept. The duel. Effectively statistics are recorded in for both players – the tackle and the tackled for example.

I’m working on a project right now involving this kind of stuff. It won’t particularly interest most people but it got me randomly thinking about the whole idea.

You take a shot, and somebody saves it. You tackle and recover the ball, somebody loses the ball. You winner a header, somebody loses a header. All duals where somebody wins and somebody loses.

It makes a lot of sense really. Most of events in our lives are duel. There are certainly individual actions in life (there is a joke there somewhere), but so many things we do are duels. Decisions and actions we take so often have an impact on other people.

You accept a job, somebody else doesn’t get the role. You throw litter on the floor, somebody picks it up. You make a joke, somebody smiles. You make an inappropriate comment, it hurts somebody’s feelings. So much of what we do has an impact on other people.

I have a spontaneous side – I do some random stuff sometimes without too much thought. I also often think too much sometimes about how other people will feel if I say of do something. The outcome of the duel. I don’t particularly consider it a negative, though it can either weigh on my mind or possibly affect my decision making, which I do not overly like. I also do not like stumbling across people who do not give any thought at all to the outcome of their duels. They are not hard to find and I don’t give them too much time any more.

I guess a certain somebody has made me more aware of this and maybe I’m getting old. We are also surrounded by a group of special friends who are incredibly thoughtful and sensitive. Some have even decided to use the post office now to pay bills. I know I have worked with stats for some years now but I am far from an expert. I would guess that a rather large percentage of what we do and say affects somebody else. I introduce you to the duel.

Answers On A Postcard

Sometimes, some days, I have more questions than answers. Some days, everything seems as it should. Questions get raised, I have the answers. Today, I have the questions and I would welcome any answers.

I am watching Real Madrid v AC Milan this evening. Did anybody else see the fan run on the pitch in the first minute? He slips on the grass just around the halfway line, and allows the steward to catch him, who promptly kicks him and takes him down. Is that allowed even? Fair enough, it was wrong of the fan, but it was pretty unnecessary of the steward.

I went for a run this evening. Before running, I felt I needed something to snack on so I had a bag of crisps and a small piece if chocolate. I ran strong, just over 8km in 47 minutes and felt very good. Why did I need to eat crap before the race, making me feel guilty for eating it and thus running longer and faster? Would I have run the same if I had a cereal bar instead?

So, today we had the revelation that Wayne Rooney wants to leave Man Utd. I was pretty surprised to be honest at just how fractured the situation seems to be. I cannot remember a player under Sir Alex, a world class player at that, want to leave the club at the peak of his game. The word peak may be debatable based on this season, but you know what I mean. I have met Rooney a couple of times, and I have to say I am not his biggest fan as a person. And nope, it is nothing to do with him leaving Everton – that £30m was essential. So, where does he go from here? I would be amazed if it was Chelsea or Man City, and do Real need him? My guess is Real sign him, and Higuain makes way.

I was at a thoroughly enjoyable Merseyside derby on Sunday. A deserved win for my boys and I was proud of them. Liverpool are really struggling right now and all jokes aside, I do actually feel sorry for Roy Hodgson. He had limited money to spend in the summer in a difficult situation. I accept his signings have not turned out to be successes just yet, but at the same time, I think it is grossly unfair to judge signings when it is still October. Fernando Torres has not been fit for six months and is a shadow of his former self. Hodgson inherited a number of players who were unhappy such as Mascherano and Aquilani and had to be shipped out. The whole situation was far from perfect, and I can’t quite understand the reaction of some of the fans. Would anybody else have done better? Who will Liverpool attract that can improve things? I say stick, not twist.

I was on the receiving end of a pretty blatant fib last weekend and it wasn’t the only one I’ve heard recently. I was in a hotel that I go to fairly regularly, and the lady on reception said that the lift was out of order. It has literally been out of order for the past six months. I don’t really care to be honest, as I am perfectly fine taking the stairs. However, when I made a joke remark about it not working a single time I had been in the last few months, she said it had been working fine. It was a fib, and unnecessary. There are some times when one just needs to hold one’s hand up and accept it. As said, far from major, but why did she need to fib to me?

I read a headline on BBC’s website today – ‘French strikers step up pressure’. Isn’t Laurent Blanc muttering to himself ‘If only’??

A 20-year-old American Football college player was paralysed this weekend after a tackle he made went badly wrong. My heart goes out to Eric LeGrand and I hope he can somehow make a recovery. There was a horrendous collision in the NFL also this weekend with DeSean Jackson coming off worst in a sickening clash. I won’t post links, but you will find both on youtube if you wish. The question of concussions and injuries like this have been hotly debated in the last 18 months in NFL. The NFL have now decided to suspend players committing such tackles. I agree with it, but why does it take such horrific injuries to happen before taking such action? This is nothing new.

Mohave Mirage

It is 3.30pm and I am in the Mohave Desert. I have been walking for days, it feels like weeks, months, years. Little food, little water, I do not really know who I am any more. I don’t feel like my old self, don’t look like my old self. It is an out of body experience that is hard to describe unless you have experienced it yourself. I’m emotional but numb, physically and mentally. I can’t talk. There is nobody to talk to, and I don’t have the energy to talk even if I could. I haven’t seen anybody for miles, nothing living anyhow, I haven’t seen any sign of life or any landmarks or anything. Is there any end to this journey….wait. What can I see in the distance? There’s a building. An old dusty old building. I get closer, I see a sign. The signs says ‘We sell Boddingtons here – barrels and barrels in stock!’ The first sign of life I have seen for miles and they sell my favourite beer. I pinch myself, I am awake. I cannot believe this. If this is the way I leave this world, let the last mouthful I take be a gulp of room temperature Boddingtons. Heck, it could be even be cold, I’d take that after being out in 45c degrees heat for so long. I break into what feels like a sprint but I know deep down it is only a jog. The pub is drawing ever closer and I can see the door only metres away. I stop and pause, can this really be happening. I rub my eyes and re-open them. The pub….the pub is now miles away in the distance. It is getting further and further away.

Me and my girl run once or twice week together. We need to do more, and sometimes run separately if our schedules do not suit. We have one particularly route that we do every so often – our apartment, to Lutry and then back along the lake to Ouchy. It is approximately 9km, and it can be shortened or extended depending on whether HJ feels like Paula Radcliffe, and whether I feel like Hicham El Guerrouj. The first 3km is reasonably pleasant, a fair amount of it is a slow downhill run which breaks my sensitive body into the run slowly. I can deal with that. From around 5-8km, we run along the longest road in the world. The Mohave Desert. We run along the road until we reach a set of traffic lights eventually and we turn left at that point and down to the lake. When I run, I look for milestones and landmarks, it keeps me motivated. On this long stretch of small inclines and bumps, there are four sets of traffic lights. I am struggling at this point and I hope and pray that each and every one of them is the final one, which means the run is almost over and there is light at the end of the tunnel. Disappointment comes with each traffic light which does not signal the left turn. Then, we run round a corner and see the lights. The lights. I see them now. This time, the lights do not disappear in the distance. There is life back in these old heavy legs of mine, and I can see the lights.

Nobody said getting in shape was easy and nobody said running was pleasant. Well, maybe they did, but it wasn’t Robert Christian Esteva. Still, the end point is very enjoyable. Sitting there, having accomplished a reasonably solid run, is a great feeling. It is that final sip of Boddingtons, that is just so sweet after the trials and tribulations to get to that stage. I will be making more regular visits to the Mohave in the coming weeks – don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.