Manchester City: Unbelievable Comeback or QPR Choke?

I know this game was a couple days ago, I felt I needed to write about it. What a crazy finish to an unbelievable game. Who would have thought we would see 2 goals in stoppage time. You rarely ever see 1 goal never mind 2. It took every bit of the 44 years, 93 minutes and 20 seconds for Manchester City to end the agony of being the No. 2 team in a town where traditionally only one has ever really mattered. Manchester City has always been the little sister to the world soccer power, Manchester United. And yet again they were almost placed in that same spot. Until that epoch-defining moment when Sergio Aguero slashed through the QPR penalty area, collected Mario Balotelli’s layoff, sidestepped a defender and buried the ball in the back of the net, United were still the Lords of Manchester as well as champions of all they surveyed in English soccer. With 2 goals in stoppage time, Man. City was able to take the upper hand over United and take over a city for the first time in 44 years.

Now, as I have looked at this game, I have been questioning whether this was just a once in a lifetime comeback or just another choke job by the opposing team. And of course I believe it has elements of both. You can’t ever have a great comeback without the choking of another team. It’s like the peanut butter without the jelly, it just doesn’t work out. Although QPR may have been a man down, to let up 2 goals in stoppage time is just unacceptable. They had only let up 1 goal throughout the entire game! But I look at what Man. City did as extremely impressive and I do look at it as an unbelievable comeback. They were able to use there one man advantage and take control of the game. They were aggressive, physical, and it seemed as if the Man. City players realized, well jeez we can’t lose another title to United. In 125 nerve-shredding seconds, Mancini’s (Man. City Coach) men displayed the other Manchester’s patented ability to snatch the miraculous from the jaws of the impossible.

The best part of it all was the way that the Manchester United players, coaches and fans reacted after learning of the improbable comeback, and learning that the trophy had been taken from one end of Manchester to the other. The United faithful reacted to the last five breath-stopping minutes at the Etihad as if they had been nutted by the Man. City players one by one. After Aguero’s strike hit the back of the net, Sir Alex’s (Man U. Coach) face deflated like a hot air balloon (only redder, saggier and with more hot air).

It was an unbelievable ending to a day, Mother’s Day, that always has great sporting events. Who would have thought a soccer game would have provided so many sports fans with so much excitement and glee.

The Best 25 Nicknames in Sports: 5-1

5) Eldrick “Tiger” Woods

For the longest time, I was very unaware that Tiger Woods’ real name wasn’t Tiger. I mean Eldrick, get the heck out of here with that, I had no clue. Apparently, he was “nicknamed Tiger after a Vietnamese soldier and friend of his father, Vuong Dang Phong, to whom his father had also given that nickname.” Really, Tiger is the perfect nickname for him. He was legendary for hunting down opponents on the final day and securing the win. “Sunday Tiger” was as ferocious as they came. Until the sex scandal hit, Tiger was the best athlete in the world.

4) Dale Earnhardt “The Intimidator”

He is the one and only. The greatest in NASCAR history and one of the most well known athletes ever. Earnhardt was an aggressive, no-nonsense driver. Frankly, I was intimidated by the mustache alone. “The Intimidator” will always be a recognizable figure in sports and will always be known for how great a driver he was. He would drive through you if he could, and he didn’t take any crap from anyone. Every racer got a little afraid when they saw that black, #3 in their rear view.

3) George Herman “Babe” Ruth

The most well known baseball player in the history of the sport, Babe Ruth is a legend. He has had an abundance of nicknames such as,  The Great Bambino, The Sultan of Swat, and The Colossus of Clout. The alternate nicknames may eve be better than his true nickname, Babe. Ruth is as iconic as they come and as I said everyone knows who he is.

2) Earvin “Magic” Johnson

There is only one “Magic,” and that’s the way it should be. A majority of people who are just sports fans and are not huge into basketball, may even think that Johnson’s actual first name is Magic. It just fit him. His personality, his lifestyle, and the way he played the game of basketball. Check out the video above ad you will truly see that the nickname was perfect for him. The way he played was just “Magic”.

1) Willie Mays “The Say Hey Kid”

Here’s the story on how he got his nickname:

“You see a guy, you say, ‘Hey, man. Say hey, man,’ ” Mays said. “Ted was the ‘Splinter’. Joe was ‘Joltin’ Joe’. Stan was ‘The Man’. I guess I hit a few home runs, and they said there goes the ‘Say Hey Kid.’ ”

Mays credits sportswriter Jimmy Cannon with creating the nickname. Other sources trace it to sportswriter Barney Kremenko.”

Mays is known as one of, if not, the greatest baseball player to ever play. Known for his famous over the shoulder catch at the Polo Grounds in 1954. He could hit, field, and was a fan favorite for everybody. It doesn’t really describe his actual game in any way, so not in that regard. But it seemed to reflect the personality he brought to baseball, so it always seemed like the perfect nickname for Mays. I mean how is this not the greatest nickname of all time, “The Say Hey Kid”, is unique, creative and it fits, it’s a perfect nickname.