February 19, 2013 | 11:51 am

Valentine’s Day, Teenagers, Co-Parenting & a New Sheriff

Posted by Ilana Angel

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I had a lovely Valentine’s Day.  The Englishman and I spent the evening with the kids and had a wonderful dinner.  I got the most wonderful cards, flowers, chocolate, and gifts.  I love Valentine’s Day and to share it with the people I love was very special.  I know it is full of commercial gimmicks and there is an element of forcing love, but I don’t care.  I love the day and like to celebrate it.  This year I even celebrated it twice.

On the weekend the Englishman and I celebrated on our own.  I have really fabulous Twitter followers and asked them what they thought would be a good gift for our first Valentine’s Day together.  I decided on a couples massage and at their suggestion, opted to have it at the house rather than a spa.  I have never done a house call for massage and was nervous about what to expect and what the Englishman would think.

I had the Englishman wait in the bedroom while the ladies set up in the living room.  They moved the furniture, set up tables, lit candles, put on music, scattered rose petals, poured us a drink, and it was fabulous.  The massage was perfect and the entire experience was wonderful. The massage therapists were funny, kind, talented, and professional.  The best part was that when it was done, we didn’t need to go anywhere.

It was a wonderful experience and I’m so glad I got to share it with my love.  I wouldn’t have thought to do it on my own and I thank all my friends on Twitter who made the suggestion.  I got a lot of good ideas and now have a list of special things that I look forward to sharing with my Englishman.  He is a remarkable man and I am blessed to have him as not only my boyfriend, but my best friend.  I am a very lucky girl.

One of the best things about my Englishman is how he is as a father.  He is very close with his daughters and I admire him and the role he plays in their lives.  I have been raising my son on my own and even when I was in relationships, I was with men who had no experience being a parent, so even though I had a partner, I was still on my own.  With this relationship I get the benefits of a seasoned professional to help me.

Raising a baby is a piece of cake compared to raising a teenager.  I have a very close relationship with my son, but as he gets older and prepares to start his adult life, rather than let him spread his wings, I am holding on tighter.  I can’t quite wrap my head around the fact that he is 17 years old and next year he will be on his own, away at school.  That denial is causing some friction and it makes me stressed and sad.

The Englishman is teaching me to give my son a little more rope and in giving him more freedom, I am actually freeing myself.  I am learning that in taking care of myself, I am allowing my baby to grow up and take care of himself. It has been hard and I struggle with it on a daily basis, but I am trying and can see the benefits of this new strategy.  Loving this man makes me better, makes me happy, and has changed who I am as a mother.

The Englishman and are both divorced and while he has daughters and me a son, our parenting is as different as it is the same.  We are both hands on parents with open communication with the kids, but he is much calmer than I am.  I am learning how to be calm and while there have been epic failures, I am trying so my son appreciates the effort.  In the end both my son and I love and trust this man, which has been my dream.

I have never co-parented my son with his father.  We don’t have a relationship, our exchanges are only about our child, and are usually heated. We cannot get to a good place and it is a shame.  In the Englishman I have found a partner whose opinion I value and trust.  I trust this man with not only my heart, but with my child’s heart.  We both love him, and his children, and he is now the go to man in our home.

I call my Englishman on a daily basis to run things by him.  If my son wants something from me, he will occasionally call the Englishman to get back up.  Additionally, if he asks for something and does not like my answer, he tells me to call the Englishman to make sure he is happy with my answer.  It is all rather entertaining.  By entertaining of course I mean it is both comforting and annoying.  There is a new Sheriff in town.

I am opinionated and independent, but when it comes to my relationship, I like my man to take the lead.  We don’t live together, but he is the man of the house and I like that.  For the first time in my life as a mother I have real back up and it is fabulous.  As a single mother the scariest part of dating is introducing who you date to your children.  You never know if it will be a fit, and in the end your children decide.

My son is perfect, 17 years old, has his own car, a busy social life, a heavy workload at school, pressure of college approaching, girls, friendships, self image, and work to worry about.  I am a terrific mom and I am proud of the man I have raised, but having a partner is a real blessing. Raising a good man is easier when you are dating a good man.  Knowing and loving these two men is an honor and inspires me to keep the faith.

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February 18, 2013 | 3:45 pm

Melissa McCarthy, Rex Reed & Identity Thief

Posted by Ilana Angel

Melissa McCarthy is a beautiful woman. She is cute, funny, talented, charming, and entertaining.  She makes me laugh out loud and I would love to sit next to her on a plane.  Sidebar:  Do you know which celebrity you’d want to sit next to on a plane?  My top choice would be Russell Brand. 

Back to Melissa, I like her in movies and on television, but I also like her in interviews.  She seems like a cool chick and while I am aware she does not have the body of a model, I don’t really pay attention to her size.  I don’t think her weight has any impact on how funny she is.  She is just funny.

Rex Reed is a film critic who I quite frankly thought had passed away.  I remember him from a million years ago and thought he was old and bitter then, so imagine my surprise to learn that not only is he not dead, he is now older and more bitter.  It turns out Rex Reed is also a complete douchebag.

In his review of McCarthy’s latest film Identity Thief, he referred to her as “tractor sized” and a “female hippo”.  In defending his review, he said something stupid about losing friends to obesity and not using fat as humor while referring to Melissa McCarthy as Melissa Manchester.  Such an idiot.

Rex Reed should retire his opinion.  He makes no sense and rather than continue to humiliate himself, he should simply go away quietly.  That said, I went to see Identity Thief this weekend to support Ms. McCarthy and also because I thought the trailers looked funny.  I was totally wrong.

Turns out the trailers are not that funny and this is truly a horrible film.  A total waste of time and money. There was nothing funny or even remotely entertaining.  It was dark, mean, violent, and just dumb.  The acting was horrible, the story was ridiculous, and the evening was wasted.

I am in a movie picking competition with my boyfriend.  We take turns picking out movies and keep a running score of who picks the winners and who picks the losers.  I was ahead by one, and since I chose this piece of crap, we are now even.  I have lost my movie picking bragging rights.

This movie was garbage and while Rex Reed’s comments about Ms. McCarthy are offensive and idiotic, he was right about the movie being bad.  This is not a family movie and kids should not go.  The movie is crap, Reed is an asshole, and I can’t brag about picking good movies.  Damn you Identity Thief!

Important to note that many people in the theater were laughing but we couldn't tell if they thought it was funny, or simply felt uncomfortable enough to cause spontanious laughter.  We looked around in amazement because there was nothing funny happening but people laughed. Very strange. 

I don’t regret going to see it really because I wanted to support McCarthy’s talent.  I am also a huge fan of Jason Bateman, so I gave them a shot. In the end I am glad that I supported her, I do think the movie is crap, I definitely think Reed is a douchelord, and I am very annoyed.

The Englishman and I have different tastes in movies, but we appreciate well made films so we go with an open mind, hoping we have picked a winner not a dud.  My Englishman is making fun of my selection and he is funnier than the movie.  It is now his pick and he wants payback so I am keeping the faith.

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February 15, 2013 | 8:19 am

Love, Health, Clarity, Faith, God, Justin Bieber & Twitter

Posted by Ilana Angel

I have been thinking about love a lot lately.  I think love is grand and I am blessed to have people in my life that I love, in addition to having them love me back.  Not all of them love me back of course, George Clooney, but I am indeed loved and very grateful.  Love is special and comes in many forms. I love different things and different people differently.  In the past week I have really tried to take a step back from living my life to take a look at my life.  Am I doing all I can to be happy, healthy, and whole?  I have been so wrapped up in the chaos of my daily routine that I have missed things.

Life can be frantic and when you are raising a child, working, in a relationship, and trying to simply get through each day, you lose sight of the beauty that each day brings.  I realized this week that I have taken my son, my boyfriend, and myself for granted.  It is time for me to slow down. I want to be clearer in my love.  I say I love you many, many times during the day but I rarely stop to look the person in the eye and say I love you from an authentic place.  It is not enough to throw out an I love you as a routine response.  If I love you, I want you to know I really mean it.

I know a woman through Twitter and I learned this week that she is struggling through a health scare.  She is a remarkable woman and she is scared.  I wanted to comfort her and so I told her I would keep her in my prayers, but I also told her I loved her.  In telling this woman I have never met that I loved her, I was overcome with clarity.  I really do love her.  She is an inspiration to me as a mother and a woman, and I want her to be healthy.  I want her to know that I love and value her very much.

I am a seeker of many things.  I strive to have clarity on my life and that comes through in my faith.  I achieve clarify by listening to my breathing. When things are moving quickly I try to stop and pay attention to the air going into my lungs. Try it.  If you take a moment to listen you will perhaps appreciate what a gift it is to take a deep breath and know your body is working well.  It may not be the best looking body, but thank God it works and I am so happy to be healthy and able to love from a place of clarity.

Faith is different for everyone.  Even if you share a religion with someone, you may not approach faith the same way.   I believe in God and I turn to him to guide me in faith, but I also believe in myself, and it is through faith in my own self, that I am able to wake up each day and strive harder to have a good life.  Some days it’s just a blessing to make it to bedtime, but more often than not I am working hard to make my life full and to provide my son with a life full of love, compassion, health, and understanding.

After I spoke with my Twitter friend I checked to see if God was on Twitter.  I’m not sure why I checked, but I thought if God were there, I could send him a tweet to pray for my friend.  There were a few different accounts that mentioned God, but one in particular caught my eye. @TheTweetofGod has almost 400K followers.  The account has sent out 8000 tweets and many of them are silly or funny.  It is not a particularly inspirational or religious account, but it is coming from a Twitter God.

I saw that even with so many followers, they were only following one person. Before I checked who it was I guessed who it might be. The Pope? Jesus? Moses?  Who in the vast world of Twitter would God choose to follow?  Well, it was none other than Justin Bieber.  God follows Justin Bieber.  I started to laugh because it put it all into perspective for me.  God is great, faith is personal, and in the end you cannot argue with the power of Justin Bieber.  I am now following Justin Bieber and God on Twitter.

Perhaps the key to living a full and happy life is to not take it all so seriously. How much money we have, how much we weigh, the car we drive, or the house we own does not matter as much as the love we give and receive.  I am blessed in many ways and if I remember to take a moment to listen to my breathing instead of losing my breath by rushing through life, I will be fine. Find love, be healthy, seek clarity, trust in God, and when all else fails, listen to a Justin Bieber record, breathe deeply, and focus on keeping the faith.

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February 14, 2013 | 8:41 am

A New Kind of Valentine’s Day

Posted by Ilana Angel

I know Valentine’s Day is a commercial holiday that really means nothing and is overrated, but I also know that I love it and it matters to me. I am a romantic and I love everything about love.  This Valentine’s Day marks my first with my Englishman.  Important to note that the Englishman does not think Valentine’s Day is a big deal.  This should be interesting.

When I was a kid I remember we would get cards at school and it was exciting.  My son went to a Jewish Day School so he never celebrated Valentine’s Day at school, but I always gave him a card, some candy, and a small gift.  He is my Valentine but last night told me he is not that into Valentine’s Day.  And so it begins.  Is he over it because he is a man?

I know a lot of women who don’t like Valentine’s Day, and to be honest, most of them are single.  Even when I was single I loved Valentine’s Day.  I would always do something special for me and my son to celebrate love.  I would buy him those candy necklaces and he would eat it throughout his dinner and thought it was so cool to have candy with dinner. It was our thing.

I told the Englishman that we did not need to exchange gifts.  I then told him we could max out gifts at a certain price.  I then told him we could make gifts.  I then suggested we just do cards.  I was trying to take the pressure off of our first Valentine’s Day because the truth is I feel loved by him everyday.  In the end he just thought I was bossy and said to stop.

He thought I was bossy before my suggestions, so no worries there.  It got me to thinking about Valentine’s Day and presents.  There is pressure of course, but why?  Does the gesture of a gift not matter more than the actual gift?  Does it matter if you get a piece of jewelry or a crock pot? Do flowers express love more than a new vacuum cleaner?

I was alone for a long time before my Englishman and to be honest with you, having him is the real gift.  I love him.  He is my everything and I remember what Valentine’s Day is like without a romantic love, and it was lonely.  I am not ashamed to say that I would long for the Valentine’s Day when I would be in love and now that it is here, the gift does not matter.

I get cards in the mail for no reason, chocolates at the end of a long day, and surprise flowers all the time, so Valentine’s Day is not about those things anymore.  Instead of a day where I long for love, it is now a day where I am grateful for the love I have found.  I feel lucky and blessed to have this man in my life and today is a day to marvel at my good fortune.

I still love this day and just because it is a new kind of Valentine’s Day for me, it still matters and I will buy cards and gifts because I love it.  Even if I get a spatula or toilet plunger from the Englishman, I will be happy. First off, it is a gift from the man who loves me, and second, it will make for a brilliant blog.  There is no losing in the situation.  It is all good.

My overall view of love has changed in knowing the Englishman.  Things that I valued as important in a relationship have all been chipped away to discover that at the core, love is very simple and does not need to be complicated or difficult.  I am a different mother, friend, and woman because of this man and that is a gift you cannot buy, but are blessed to receive.

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone.  I wish you health, happiness, and love. If you are in love, embrace your partner and remember what it was like without them.  If you are alone but searching for love, believe in love and it will come.  If you are alone and not looking for love, enjoy the peace that comes with loving yourself.  Love is grand and I am keeping the faith.

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February 13, 2013 | 7:15 am

Rest in Peace Robert Angel

Posted by Ilana Angel

It is the anniversary of my father passing away.  It has been many years but I still can’t believe he is gone.  I miss him everyday and feel the loss in ways that hurt deep in my heart.  He was a great father and while our relationship had ups and downs, he was my hero and always loved and protected me.

I see a lot of my Dad in my son.  They have many things in common and share a lot of the same tastes and mannerisms, so it is a blessing that I get to see glimpses of my Dad in my boy.  They had a very close relationship when my son was young and it hurts that my Dad was taken away so quickly.

I have many memories of my Dad with my son and I cherish them, as does my baby.  I have pictures of my Dad throughout my house and on rare occasions when I am feeling strong, I watch old home movies and listen to his voice. I close my eyes and get wrapped up in his laugh.  He was wonderful.

I am going to go to Temple this morning and say a prayer for my Dad, light a candle in his memory, and take my son out for dinner so we can talk about Grandpa Bob and keep his memory alive.  I want my son to know all about his Grandpa and tonight will be a lovely moment for us to share. They say time heals all wounds, but I don't think that is true.  I miss my Dad more now than ever before.  I want him to see my son become a man.  I want him to see me in love with a wonderful Englishman.  I want him to share in my successes.  I want him back.  I want my Father here with us.

Rest in Peace Robert Angel.  You are loved and missed.  Thank you for watching over me and guiding me in the right direction. I think of you daily, speak of you constantly, and see all the very best parts of you in your Grandson.  You are my guardian angel and I am keeping the faith.

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February 5, 2013 | 8:39 am

Temple Hopping, Rabbi Shopping & Faith Meditation

Posted by Ilana Angel

I love going to temple.  It makes me happy from the inside out.  I always feel comfortable when I am sitting in shul and while I have yet to find a temple that I really, really love, I hop from temple to temple hoping I find a place that feels like the perfect fit.  Actually, I’m not hoping I find it because I know I will, I am simply wandering around knowing I am going to get where I need to be.  The process has been interesting and enlightening.

Last Shabbat my friend Jonathan invited me to his temple for Friday night services.  I had never been, and adore Jonathan and his wife, so I made the schlep from the valley to Brentwood to spend the evening at Nashuva.  I had heard a lot about Rabbi Naomi Levy and am surprised that in all my hopping had never made it to her services.  I found Jonathan in the first row, so there I was front and center to check out another service.

Nashuva’s temple is actually a church.  They meet on the first Friday of each month at the Bentwood Presbyterian Church. They are a tight and connected congregation that has no actual temple, so they meet in a church.  I have a close relationship to God and feel his presence with me wherever I am, but there is something about being in a house of worship that feels great to me. I felt very happy to be in a church saying Jewish prayers.

Religion is what rips the world apart and for God to have one faith worshiping in the home of another is something that I think must give him joy.  Faith is personal and the subject of God can offend in terms of writing about him, but I don’t care.  I am happy to share that I believe in God, know that he believes in me, and while I feel him with me everyday, I felt God close as I sat in church saying the Shmah with Rabbi Levy.

The actual services were very inclusionary.  It does not matter what level of Judaism you practice, you will feel comfortable there.  I did not feel it was too Jewish, or not Jewish enough.  I am a Conservative Jew that leads a rather Reform Jewish life, and I enjoyed the service very much.  It was very musical and the Rabbi has a beautiful voice, which I must say is unusual in my temple travels.  This Rabbi can sing, and she does.

There is a great band that really rocks.  The music was wonderful, the service was warm, and the sermon was interesting.  I really enjoyed the experience.  You can tell they are a tight bunch and everyone seems to know everyone else, but as a newcomer, I was embraced.  There were no looks of “Who is that?”, but rather lots of looks of “We’re glad you finally made it.” I was happy I went to Brentwood at this point, but then it happened.

I am not always sure what exactly it is I am searching for in terms of my faith.  I am not searching for faith, just for a place in which I can worship in an environment where I feel I am Jewish enough.  In the middle of services at Nashuva I had a moment of such pure faith that I started to cry.  Rabbi Levy turns down the lights, and in the darkness leads her congregation in a meditation.  It was the most remarkable temple experience.

She led us through deep breathing and in listening to my breath I felt peace. She shared how we can talk to God and share with him what we want, need, fear, and worry about.  It was a simple thing that has impacted me in a really profound way.  I have never done a meditation at temple and while I thought it was odd for a split second, in the end it was truly special and I found myself feeling real love for a Rabbi I had never met.

It might not be for everyone, and that is okay because my obligation is to myself, and for me it was lovely.  There was an Oneg after that was warm and welcoming and I enjoyed the evening more than I thought I would.  I am invited to services often because people are attached to their temples and want to share, but this was the first time I went to a service as a stranger and left feeling that it was actually my temple.

I will go to service at Nashuva again and hope to meet with Rabbi Levy one on one because I think she may have some of the answers I am seeking.  I was introduced to her after the services and when I extended my hand to shake hers, she leaned in to hug me and once again I thought I would cry. My life has become rather complicated lately, for a lot of really great reasons, and her hugging me was a kindness that I really needed.

Faith is personal and one never knows what will speak to them in terms of prayer and belief.  For me I just want to feel safe.  It is a simple desire but one I have spent a very long time looking for.  It was never about a Rabbi, a temple, or a congregation.  It has always been about God, so it was a pleasant surprise that when I least expected it, I felt him close.  My life is blessed and in the end my goal is to always focus on keeping the faith.

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January 31, 2013 | 6:08 pm

Motherhood, Womanhood, Brandi Glanville & Me

Posted by Ilana Angel

There are a lot of people talking about Brandi Glanville and her new tell all book.  I have read the book and I laughed out loud and also felt her pain and distress.  People are talking about it, which is good.  What troubles me is that people are saying that she has compromised her children by writing such an honest look at her life.  I want to jump in the ring and say that I don't think she has done anything wrong.

Being a mother is my greatest accomplishment, brings me the greatest joy, and defines who I am as a human being.  I have written honest and raw articles about my struggles with marriage, divorce, fertility, dating, love, loss, and heartbreak.  Am I a bad mother for sharing?  No.  When one has a platform to share experiences that can enlighten, help, entertain, or inspire dialogue, then are we not obligated to do so?

I was 25 years old when I got married, 30 when I had my baby and got divorced.  I was so focused on being a good mother that I forgot I was a woman.  I woke up one day to discover I was 43 years old and not sure what I was supposed to do.  I was by myself, raising a boy to be a man, and there was no man in sight.  I was alone and scared when I got divorced but I raised my son, and conquered my fear, but was still alone.

Brandi is not hurting her children by telling the truth. Brandi protects her children with the truth. If they were to read all the crap that has been written about her life by other people, including the whores who banged her husband and ruined her family, that would be hurtful.  Brandi is being a mother and a woman and the transition from being married to single would be easier if women allowed themselves to be both.

People are hell bent on making this woman feel bad about her book and that is unfortunate.  Brandi Glanville is a great mother, a good human being, and my friend.  She is providing for her children and how she does that is none of our business.  I share my truth everyday and my son, who is now 17, is proud of me.  He may be embarrassed on occasion but it is not because of things I have written in my columns.

My teenage son is sometimes mortified by my wanting to hug or kiss him in public, but he is never embarrassed when I share a story about my life and our struggles and triumphs as a family.  I have never claimed to be perfect, have made a lot of mistakes along the way, but I am a wonderful mother and all my choices are made with my son in mind.  Brandi is the same way with her boys so let's cut the woman a little slack.

I have had moments of worry when it comes to my blog and my son. Am I breaking a confidence?  Am I sharing too much? Will he understand?  I worry that he will never fully comprehend the sacrifices, challenges and fears I have faced raising him on my own.  All mothers, regardless of their relationship status, have the same worries.  That is how motherhood works.  I can only pray that I am doing it right.

For every difficulty I want him to one day understand, I want him to remember the good things more, and I know he will.  Our life is full of laughter, trust, respect, joy, secrets, jokes, and memories.   My blog, while certainly important, does not define our life together.  Brandi’s remarkable young boys have a life with their mother that is wonderful and she is their focus, not her book.  They are children not critics.

I look at my son and know I have done my job and done it well.  He loves and respects me not only because I am his mother, but because I have earned his love and respect.  He will one day make mistakes with his own children and some of those mistakes will be the same ones I made.  Life is funny like that.  My son will also be able to go back through my blogs long after I am gone and read the story of our life together.

I am proud of Brandi for being brave and I am proud of myself for being brave.  In the end the only one who can judge my motherhood is my son and he  shows me everyday that I am doing a good job.  Instead of judging Brandi for her book, people need to just read it and applaud the strength it took to share her truth.  In the end both Brandi and me are blessed because in our keeping it real, we are able to keep the faith.

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January 23, 2013 | 7:55 am

Chelsea Football vs. 49ers Football

Posted by Ilana Angel

I was at a bar last weekend where everyone was a San Francisco 49ers fan. When San Francisco won the game to get them into the Super Bowl, people went nuts.  I saw grown men crying for joy and it was fascinating.  While I like the Super Bowl, I watch more for the commercials than the game, and I don’t really know anything about the 49ers other than a bar in Santa Barbara made a fortune off the drunken joy that their win brought last weekend.

When it comes to Chelsea football, or soccer, I am invested in not only the game, but the players.  While I am still angry my beloved Roberto Di Matteo was fired for no reason, I believe in the Blues and I love to watch them play.  Dating an Englishman has given me my newfound love for soccer and his unbridled love for Chelsea hs been passed on.  By passed on of course I mean there was no other option in terms supporting a team.

My Englishman has loved Chelsea since he was a little boy and he knows their history like the back of his hand.  My Dad was a Manchester United fan and while my boyfriend respects the memory of my father and knows he was a wonderful man, when it comes to football, there is no other choice and my loyalty to the team of my father is a thing of the past.  We are officially Chelsea people and I now support a different kind of football even though I often call it soccer not football.

American football has a lot of great things about it, but soccer is truly where it is at, for a lot of reasons.  For example, lets talk about uniforms. You can watch men in a bunch of gear that allows only the occasional glimpse of a nice tight ass, or can see legs that are so beautiful you want them wrapped around you.   The legs of an English footballer are chiseled works of art. Plus in soccer, shirts are often removed for no apparent reason.

I like the chanting of the crowd in English football, but I also like the cheerleaders in American football.   According to the Englishman, English football does not require “artificial support” because the crowd is good all on their own.  When it comes to cheering on the crowd there is nothing like a group of Chelsea followers.  I know every team thinks their fans are the best, and I agree that all football fans are amazing and carry a team, but the songs of Chelsea are awesome.

I rely a lot of my son and the Englishman to explain the rules of English football to me, but just because I don’t get the game, does not mean I don’t love it as they do.  From Torres and Hazard to Terry and Lampard, I care about these men in blue.  In learning about the team my favorite Chelsea player is legend Gianfranco Zola.  I love everything about this man and how he played the game.  He was classy both on and off the pitch.

Not all footballers are classy, which is also very entertaining.  Reading about the pesonal lives of some players is like a soap opera.  From drunken brawls to sleeping with each others wives, there are a lot of thugs and bad boys in football.  The more I watch and learn about them, the more I realize I like a bit of a thug.  If a bad boy is your thing, I guarantee you will fall in love with an English footballer or two.

Watching these men, who have played since they were little boys, is exciting. English football is full of history and stories.  There are even fairytales in the game and it is those games that make this sport so much fun.  Last year Chelsea won the FA Cup, which us fans knew they would, and it was magic. This year Bradford City is headed to the League Cup finals and it is remarkable.  They are more than just the underdog, they are unbelievable.

There are different levels in English football, with the Premiership being the top rung.  Bradford City is in the fourth level and yet they are about to play against Swansea, a Premiere League team in the League final.  I had hoped they would play against Chelsea, but we got knocked out last weekend so now I am free to pull for the boys of Bradford City.  They play to a few thousand people each game and now they will be at Wembley.

Wembley seats 90,000 people so can you imagine what that will be like for Bradford City?  Amazing!  I want them to win for every kid who plays soccer and dreams of being a professional player.  I also want them to win because if they do, shirts will come off. I am routing for Chelsea always, Bradford City in their League Cup final, and the 49ers in the Super Bowl. Whether you support football or soccer, embrace your team and keep the faith.

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