BatiGol Weekly 115: Summertime blues

It’s been 12 years since I was in high school, but I still hate this time of year. Late August means it’s time to quit the summer job, get a haircut, and prepare your body and soul for another punishing year of classes. It doesn’t help that in Texas, where I grew up, it’s still routinely 105° F (40° C) at this time of year, so not only do you have to go back to school, but you have to do it in the punishing heat.

Except for one year. One year, the air conditioning broke just before we were supposed to return, and school was delayed for a few days because not having AC when it’s that hot out can be lethal. Since classes were supposed to start on a Wednesday, the administration figured it made more sense to just begin the following Monday and give the maintenance guys plenty of time to get everything fixed up.

But you know what? That brief reprieve wasn’t fun at all. It happened before I could drive, so I couldn’t really leave the house to enjoy my extended break. The nearest bus stop was about a mile away and up a really steep hill (public transit in Austin is really bad), so I was stuck at home with nothing to do and nowhere to go. I killed time reading and playing computer games and messing with the cats, but I was so, so bored that I thought I was going to die. I didn’t want to go back to school, but I’d gotten myself ready to do it, and having it delayed made the waiting even worse.

And that’s a little bit how I feel now, waiting for Fiorentina to begin playing again. It’s just an extra week. It’s not that long. Watching the Viola is something I do for fun rather than because it’s federally mandated, obviously, but I’m seized by the same sense of wilting. All I want to do is lie on the couch instead of researching players or reading about the club’s history or actually, like, doing my job or anything. Fortunately, the cure is attainable: Fiorentina host Chievo Verona on Sunday, and I’m so goddamn ready for them to be back.

Latest news

Fiorentina signed West Ham midfielder Edimilson Fernandes, and we got the straight dope on him from Andrew Jones, Managing Editor of Brace the Hammer.

We know it took a lot of effort for Pantaleo Corvino not to sign Sidy Sarr as rumors suggested he might, and we want to thank the DS for not adding to the logjam in midfield.

A bunch of youth prospects left the club on loan at the same time. Here is where you can catch up on them.

Fiorentina’s match against Sampdoria was canceled due to the collapse of a bridge in Genoa.

Cheese gone? Cheese gone.

Lorenzo Venuti, meanwhile, returned to Serie B with Lecce for the year.

We also saw a couple of underwhelming Uruguayans move to Cosenza on loan, but we’re not as excited about them as we are about Venuti.

Just before the window slammed shut, Corvino managed to sign RB Salzburg striker Gabriel Bocchio on loan with an option to buy. The 18-year-old Brazilian will play with the Primavera, but could be a keeper.

You want jersey numbers? We’ve got your jersey numbers right here, pal.

Must read

After a pretty good mercato, the Viola roster quite simply has too many players.

That said, if Corvino wants to reinforce the squad, there’s no shortage of talented players who are out of contract right now.

Hesanka put up a fan post that’s a bit like MiQ’s from five years ago. Feel free to jump in there and introduce yourself to your fellow commenters; it really builds up the community a bit more when you know the other folks here a little bit.

Comment of the week

Mike-R knows me distressingly well.

That’s it for this week, folks.