FanNation - The Republic of Sport

There are two types of Spaniards - Raul haters and Raul believers.  There is no middle ground.

The haters say he is too old.  The haters say that he is a brown-noser who really hasn't the skill or the right to wear Juanito's #7.  The haters call him a picaro - a cherry-picker - the guy that takes credit for the work of others; whose only skill is to hang around the 6-yard box and wait for something to drop in front of him.  The haters say that he routinely keeps better and younger players out of the lineup by befriending them first and then out-politicking them when it comes time to make the game-day roster.  The haters say that he conspires against new signings, most recently of course the rumor being that he conspired against David Villa.  Some even go so far as to say that he politicked his way into the #7 jersey to begin with; that he should have never been given the chance in the first place.

Losing at Deportivo - blame Raul.  No scoring - blame Raul.  No strong lineup - blame Raul.

Please, haters, do the rest of us a favor and shut up.  You are beginning to sound stupid.  Not one of the other strikers in this, or any, league has to tolerate the abuse this man takes just because he wears the number 7 on his back.  No one from Barcelona thinks that Leo Messi should be Maradona because he wears the 10.  Raul, however, wears that number well.  He honors that number every single day. 

2 goals and 2 assists, in one game, in a league where even the last-place team can put a hurting on you if you don't pay attention.  Routinely, after every goal, the celebration centered around not just the scorer - Robben, Higuain, Raul times two or Rafa times three - but also the Captain.  Whether it was his brilliant through pass to Rafa or his constant presence in front of Gijon's net, Raul brought the thunder when all the haters rained down on him just like they always do with their cutesy and flippant remarks; the "real" Raul, Raul Tamudo is better, the Seleccion was better off without him, or, he hasn't the stamina anymore and is destined to fail. 

For at least another week - again - shut up, The Captain has spoken.

Not one team in La Liga would not kill themselves for a carbon copy of Raul.  Not one.  He is the culmination of a lifetime dedicated to soccer and to Real Madrid.  Savvy, quick and eager to defend the crest emblazoned upon his jersey - there are few coaches who would not love to have him on their team and those who say they wouldn't want him are lying.  During the Euro there was a lot of criticism aimed at Luis Aragones for not calling Raul up but the big secret that no one wanted to talk about was that Raul was not called up because despite their greatness on the field - there are a lot of young and talented Spanish players who do not like sitting next to a living legend.  It is really hard to shine when you are lined up next to the gold standard of Spanish soccer.  No names needed here but everyone of the 35 million Spaniards in Spain and probably another 35 million around the world know exactly what I am writing about.  Aragones might not ever admit it but not picking Raul was a policy decision, not a soccer decision.

That is all behind us so again - haters - shut up, The Captain has spoken. 

It is a true shame that Spain, a country that is divided in so many ways, cannot appreciate the absolute national treasure that wears the number 7 for Real Madrid.  More than likely some will mock him more and more as his time as a starter begins to fade.  But for right now, this week, all they can do is keep quiet.

The Captain, #7, has once again silenced all of his critics.  This silence is music to my ears.