¡Hola!
The previous Sunday I hit publish on issue #10 then went straight out to go to the Estadio Monumental to watch the biggest rivalry in club football - the Buenos Aires derby between River Plate and Boca Juniors.
To understand the history of this intense derby, and how its 2018 incarnation as the Copa Libertadores1 final became the “biggest game of all time” and “the final to end all finals”2, I recommend watching this superb video. 🔥
Now I’d like to say it was the best match ever and make my football fan friends jelly… However, while the pre-match atmosphere was really electrifying 🤩, the match itself was quite meh. Of course the best talent goes to Europe very quickly, so even with prolific Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani on the pitch, it’s to be expected quality-wise.
But the main reason my expectations weren’t matched is actually tied to why the picture above is all red and white…
Since 10 June 2013, away fans have been banned from attending stadiums in Argentina. 😐
So for all the talk of “insanity” and “danger”, we found it to be quite family-friendly 🤷♂️ Just like with European football, I envy those who were old enough to go see it two decades ago…
🕳 Random Rabbit Hole
The Colours of Boca Juniors
Take the storytelling elements of this one with a grain of 🧂.
Boca Juniors was founded in the working class barrio of La Boca in 1905 and quickly gained a name for themselves as a division 2 team. In 1906, while playing a rival team with a similar uniform to theirs (black and white stripes), they agreed that only the winning team could keep the colour scheme.
Boca lost and so had to find new colours. They decided the flag of the next ship entering the port would determine their future colours… The freighter Drottning Sophia, hailing from Sweden, came into port and thus their famous blue and yellow uniform design was born.
Fun fact: River Plate was also founded in the La Boca neighbourhood, and in fact 4 years earlier than Boca Juniors.
💡 Critical Thinking
Fallacies – False Dilemma
A False Dilemma (a.k.a. False Dichotomy or False Binary) is the rhetorical fallacy of presenting only two choices, outcomes or sides to an argument as the only possibilities, when more are available.
When someone asks you an either/or question, it's natural to choose an answer without considering whether the question itself make sense. This fallacy takes advantage of this natural tendency of ours and is routinely used by politicians.
You’re offered a “choice” between two options, one of which is transparently undesirable compared to the other. This is done so you’ll pick the more desirable option which supports their point.
For example, many governments use the famous “either you’re with us or against us” to deflect any (even well-placed) criticism of their policies.
🎶 Music & Art
Doing a twofer of new tunes this week…
Spanish
Thanks to one of my manyyy Uber drivers these past 2 weeks for this one:
Russian
And thanks to a new Ruski friend I met at my fave parrilla3 for this:
😈 Devil’s Word of the Week
Club, n. – An association of men for purposes of drunkenness, gluttony, unholy hilarity, murder, sacrilege and the slandering of mothers, wives and sisters.
For this definition I am indebted to several estimable ladies who have the best means of information, their husbands being members of several clubs.
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Thanks for reading!
Prince 🦊
South America’s Champion’s League
(that was not to be) 👀
grill, steakhouse