My Team\ Luiz Helio Alves de Oliveira\

They said my team would never be the same. The same?! But which same team, exactly? After all, my team has been unbeatable so many times, in so many eras... that I don't even know which "same" they're referring to. They said, countless times, that my team would be relegated, that it would play in the second division, and that we, the peerless and envied Nation, would live only in our glorious past. Tsk tsk tsk... very well, from what I understand, the past is history, and it perpetuates itself through time. And certainly, it shouldn't be erased from memory so easily, especially when it comes to great human achievements. And what achievements the heroes of this century-old institution have accomplished! And what heroes! Pirillo, Leônidas, Valido, Dida, Zizinho, Zico & co., and so many others.

This isn't the complete truth. We are proud of our past, yes. But we also have faith and joy in our present. And hope, a lot of hope, for our future. After all, we don't abandon our team or pretend we don't care about football when it's on the brink of collapse, like the poor, suffering "rainbow" fans do with their mere mortal teams. Our feeling—or as they say, our flanatism—is so intense that it's precisely during the greatest storms that we embrace it with "Race, Love, and Passion" and restore it to its rightful place: the Olympus of great champions.

They also said that not only my team, but the entire club—the beloved and victorious CRF—would (good grief!) close its doors. False and demented doomsday prophets! They should know (in fact, they know very well) that a giant can fall asleep, but never die. And assuming the impossible, if such a tragedy were to occur, even those idiots who wished for such a spell would bitterly regret it when faced with such profound sorrow that would engulf this country. Due to a lack of productivity, the trade balance would plummet, we would have mass layoffs, and Brazil's risk would soar. Who would invest in a country that had allowed its greatest sporting and cultural symbol to succumb? In addition to many other social ills that would certainly increase without the existence of my team, our team, the Nation's team. Even the greatest Temple would have to close its gates forever. Has anyone ever imagined the Maracanã without my team's dances and the spectacles of its Magnetics? Unimaginable! Therefore, may these angry, tantan, swept away, and frustrated "rainbows" stop spouting so much nonsense and being so ominous. For their own good, because what would become of them if my team didn't exist? Let them recognize, then, that my team is special and different from all the others. There's no point in coming up with these ridiculous "conspiracy theories" that supposedly help my team. There's such a strong and positive energy in favor of my team that the Universe itself ends up conspiring in its favor. That's why many even think God is truly a Red-Black fan. It's no wonder their headquarters are on the hallowed and beautiful grounds of Gávea, under the watchful eye and blessings of the Redeemer. Could this be why Saint Jude Thaddeus and countless other Saints protect it so much? I think so.

Fla RJ present at the classification party

And behold, contrary to all the supra-irrational logic of the "rainbows", my team, living up to the cycle of cosmic palpitation that is always renewed within it, rose again through a fantastic, apotheotic and victorious odyssey lived by its heroic warriors: Bruno, Diego, Lomba, Léo Moura, Luisinho, Fábio Luciano, Angelim, Arroz, Marlon, Thiago Sales, Juan, Egídio, Cristian, Rômulo, Jailton, Toró, Léo Medeiros, Colace, Íbson, Renato Augusto, Roger, Kaike, Leonardo, Obina, Paulo Ségio, Maxi and Souza, all under the paternal command of the "General of Good" Joel Natalino Santana with his magical golden clipboard.

Congratulations to My Team for yet another glorious and fascinating achievement that has brought immense happiness to me and all 40 million red-and-black brothers. This happened because MY TEAM was born to win. That's the end of it.

Oh yes, MY TEAM, OUR TEAM, THE NATION'S BELOVED TEAM, is the first and only FLAMENGO REGATTA CLUB. The Biggest and Most Beloved in the World. Modesty aside.

PS: This column is dedicated to everyone who makes Flamengo a winning club.

PS2: In the photo that illustrates the text is our "big boss" from Fla RJ, Edmilson Lani. The Espírito Santo native is a lucky guy and went to Maracanã to get the classification. Thanks, man!

PS3: Meanwhile, in a beautiful and festive province of Bahia, our "little Maracanan" was at the house of our friend Paulo César (a Flamengo fan, radio host, communist, and other "ists"), where also attended the enthusiastic Flamengo fans Gaspar Júnior, Rosembergue, Hélder Andrade, Joelson "Hans Donner," Manel, Dobinha, Yves Mota (my nephew who at 13 is already a fervent Flamengo fan), Hélder Júnior (a pleasant surprise from an intelligent Flamengo young reader who, unbeknownst to me, had been following the column for some time on the official CRF website), and other friends who celebrated with us that typical Bahian off-season Carnival. And on the 13th, we will have the official launch party for Flamengo Juazeiro at the Estação Nordeste space. As they say around here, it's going to be a blast!!!

There's more next week. SRN and until then, God willing!