Pri-Maradona

The head coach of the Argentina national team, Diego Maradona, was let go yesterday before he was given a chance to resign. Argentina had high hopes in the World Cup, especially having the best player in the world, Lionel Messi. They made it to the knock out rounds but lost to a very good Germany team. It wasn't just losing to Germany, they were disgraced 4-0; Messi did not score one goal for the entire tournament. Maradona and Messi seemed to not get along.

The Argentine Football Association offered Maradona an extension 'til 2014 with a stipulation to gut the rest of his coaching staff. He wouldn't comply, so they let him go. Despite his little coaching experience, Maradona is a national hero in Argentina for leading the country, as a player, to a World Cup victory. He also is quite the character; battled addictions, and endearing himself to the general populace. I found myself rooting for Argentina, not because of Messi, or how the team played, but because there was a large man, in a suit, with luxurious hair, yelling like a lunatic on the sideline.

Fun characters add to the drama of sports. Whether it be Maradona in soccer, or the new Cincinnati Bengal, Terrell Owens. TO joined forces yesterday with his counterpart, Chad Ochocinco. Both receivers play the game to entertain the fans. They almost seemed to compete with each other every time they scored a touchdown, one-upping with the celebrations. This summer, they have been competing against each other for better reality show ratings.

Now they'll be competing for Carson Palmer's affection. Can the team survive with two playmakers begging for the ball on every down? I do think Carson Palmer and Marvin Lewis have the ability to keep this volatile situation from combusting. They have done a pretty decent job at keeping Ochocinco from bringing down the team. And that man is certifiable. He legally changed his name to Ochocinco. That says it all right there.

Manny "being Manny" Ramirez, Ochocinco and TO, Stephon "Starbury" Marbury, to name a few, are all interesting characters to follow in the drama known as sports. All like to keep us at the edge of our seats, waiting to see what they'll do or say next to display their crazy. It's what separates them from us, makes them seem more like characters acting out roles, and less like real people.

But they are real. Real crazy. And it seems the crazier they are,in sports or Hollywood, the more successful they become. We talk about the troubles of celebrities and athletes more than the good. Plenty have their own charities, but you need to research to find them. You simply need to turn on the TV or go to CNN.com's homepage to see the crazies. We want to hear about people doing worse than us, not better. It makes us feel better about ourselves to know that even though these athletes and celebs are rich and famous, we don't need the medication or therapy they do to be sane.