You, my dear, are a gem and I am glad to have you among my readers!

You know, when Hitzfeld first left, I felt it was time, that things had grown stale and he had had his glory. His name made me think of the Ottoman Empire; and like it, things just sort of wasted away with Hitzfeld. I guess that’s what watching Bremen win the double will do to you. So when Bayern’s board was forced to throw Magath over the side last season, and Hitzfeld debuted with an 0-3 drubbing at Nuremburg of all places, my feeling was that catastrophe was in the air. I actually had the internal conversation as to whether the Kaiser might actually have to come to the sideline *one more time*. But, we got about what we deserved in the end last season. I guess what I’m trying to say in a roundabout way, is that this season sort of restored my respect for Ottmar Hitzfeld to a place it had been in the past, but a place it was not when he first left. I guess you can argue most coaches could win the Bundesliga given that roster..but I do think the particular dominance of this season can be traced to some degree, to the coach.

Oliver Kahn–proud to the end. Ray Hudson made a passing comment that was right on the mark–something to the effect that Kahn was an arrogant SOB because he had to be. There just was no other way to be who he was, and not also be that. I guess there is the occasional humble superstar. But that wasn’t Oliver Kahn. Let’s hope the cartoonish version of Kahn doesn’t overshadow the player that he was as he is remembered in the years to come. The amazing thing to consider though, is that he will probably still be regarded as second to Sepp Maier in Bayern lore. But for any Americans reading, I suppose that is like being the Mickey Mantle to Babe Ruth. I believe the testimonial is scheduled for September 1st, and at that time, I’ll write my personal essay–my particular experience in a particular Oliver Kahn moment, perhaps his greatest, and pretty high on my list too!