SKETCHES OF SPAIN

Over the years of watching sports, I have been lucky to see some of the greatest athletes at work.  I was lucky to see the tail end of Roberto Clemente's career and I have been able to watch Derek Jeter. I have seen Magic Johnson change the face of basketball and then Michael Jordan take it to another stratosphere. Watching Wayne Gretzky on a hockey rink was seeing someone do things on ice that ordinary people could not do on solid ground.  Seeing Walter Payton and Barry Sanders slash and run their way through teams was breathtaking.

When I was younger, I used to go watch the New York Cosmos and I was able to watch a soccer legend by the name of Pele play the game. I became a fan of the sport and I have been lucky to watch many a soccer talent plying their craft. After watching Pele, I thought I would not see anything like him again until Lionel Messi came along.

If you have not watched a FC Barcelona soccer match, do yourself a favor and sit down and watch one of their games. This Barcelona team is like a great jazz band. They improvise and play off each like jazz musicians jamming on stage. One takes the lead while the rest follow and then the next player steps in at the right time to take the lead. They do this without missing a beat. It is amazing to watch. Soccer fan or not, if you like sports, this FC Barcelona team is a team for the ages. They will make you say, "Did you see that?" on a number of occassions. I like to say that this Barcelona team allows the other team to borrow the ball a few times before they take it back to start their next improvisational song.

Leading this band is Messi, the Miles Davis of soccer and this 2012-2013 team is producing a Sketches of Spain type jazz album.

Lionel Messi is having a year that is going to go down in the record books. Messi is one goal short of Gerd Muller's 1972 record of 85 goals for goal and country. Messi could become the first player to ever win the FIFA Player of the Year Award 4 times. Messi has scored 21 goals for FC Barcelona in their first 14 games this season. FC Barcelona is currently in first place in the Spanish League with a record of 13-0-1. Here is the most astounding statistic, Messi is only 25 and he probably won't reach his prime until at least 29.