From the first time Andrea Pirlo put on the Juventus jersey this season, special things happened.
And I'm not just talking special things every now and then. Basically every single time Juventus played Pirlo was absolutely magic. Even better than Harry Potter magic, folks. The best of the best.
I mean, we all knew what kind of legendary maestro Pirlo was when he wore a Milan jersey, but when it came to sporting the bianconero, it was like a complete rebirth. "He's 32! He's done! Why else would Milan let him go?!" people seemingly screamed from in front of their laptops as the news broke that Juventus snapped up the .
Their loss. Our gain. Take a bow, Andrea.
Whether it was those classic over-the-top lobs to a sprinting Stephan Lichtsteiner down the right wing or a perfectly placed through ball to a teammate making a run towards goal, Pirlo's class on the field matched the awesomeness of his hair. Pirlo's passing prowess made number-crunching stat geeks like yours truly turn WhoScored.com's website into a virtual shrine to what we were seeing done on the field. No joke, people. If they set records for page views on Juventus-related topics, you know who to blame. Guilty as charged.
Any coincidence that the year Pirlo has arguably his best season ever, the team he plays for wins the Scudetto? I don't think so. That's how important he was. Beyond the goals, the assists, the beautiful passes on a weekly basis. His impact went beyond just the sheer numbers. He not only changed Juve's number of league titles, but also the way they played as a team. And for that, we thank you, Jon Bon Pirlo.
That's about enough of me blabbering. Just sit back and enjoy.