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My Suarez Knee

by Marissa Blackman

The weather is historically cold, and ironically it's almost just as cold in this classroom- the very classroom that was unbearably balmy regardless of the weather at the beginning of the semester. 

I don't mean to sound geriatric, but this unrelenting coldness is really making my knee ache. (Pause. Let me make eye contact with the teacher. Now a long glance at the projector screen. I've been "taking notes" for a little too long) 

 Less than a year ago, my knee wouldn't be hurting this way. (I just tuned back into the lecture. The teacher is very far off topic, and this tangent seems to be a long one. A few more minutes of "note taking" won't impact my grade. I promise I really am a diligent student!)

It was about this time last year when I started falling for him- Luis Suarez. Crazy, right? I've never been a Liverpool supporter but ever since the riveting mini series Being Liverpool I haphazardly keep up with the club. Back then, Suarez was the man. Yes, he bit Brana, one of my beloved Chelsea boys, but that was the past. At the time, he was the top goalscorer in the league despite serving a humongous ban at the beginning of the season. With every time that Suarez hit the back of the net, the whole Ivanovic incident slipped farther and farther away from memory.

It seemed that he had really changed. At least he was making lots of goals. Then, the were the adorable videos and all those goals he dedicated to his kids and dogs. By the time the World Cup came, I was rooting for him. I wanted to see him have a good tournament and prove that he'd really changed.

That's how I hurt my knee. I was all alone watching the England v. Uruguay match. I was completely neutral as far as the result, but the fact that I was alone meant that I could unabashedly yell and commentate as much as I wanted. Of course, I wanted to see El Pistolero score. When he finally did, I celebrated...a little too hard. My knee and the hardwood floor got very acquainted that day.

I'm still not sure exactly how I did it. Maybe that power slide was a bit much. I was too embarrassed to tell anyone, so just limped back to the couch and watched the rest of the game.

Now, every time I feel a twinge of pain in my knee, I think of Suarez. It wasn't even that good of a goal, but, rest assured, I will always remember it.

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