The beautiful game
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Amazing article written by Sean Wilsey on NGC titled "The Beautiful Game" ...
There are many beautiful things about being an American fan of men's World Cup soccer - foremost among them is ignorance. The community in which you were raised did not gather around the television set every 4 years for a solid breathless month. Your country has never won. You can pick whatever team you like best and root for it without shame or fear of reprisal. You have not been indoctrinated into unwanted-yet-inescapable tribal allegiances by your soccer-crazed countrymen. You are an amateur, in the purest sense of the word. So with the World Cup taking place next month in Germany - and the World Cup is the only true international sporting even on the planet (no, the Olympics , with their overwhelming clutter of boutique athletics, do not matter in the same way) - you can expect to spend the month in paradise.
Thats what I do. The world of the World Cup is the one I want to line in. I cannot resist its United Nations - like pageantry and high-mindedness, the apolitical display of national characteristics, the revelation of deep human flaws and unexpected greatness, the fact that entire nations walk off the job or wake up at 3 a.m. to watch men kick a ball.
There are countries that have truly multiracial squads - France, England and the United States - while other teams are entirely blond or Asian or Latin American. A Slovakian tire salesman, an Italian Cop, or a German concert pianist - having passed the official fitness tests- will moonlight as refree.
There are irritating fans; USA ! USA ! USA ! (Blessedly few). There are children who hold hands with each player as he walks onto the field. National anthems play. Men paint themselves their national colors and cry openly at defeat. An announcer shouts "GOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLL ! GOL , GOL, GOL ! " on the Spanish language channel you're watching. (Its often the only way you can see the game live.) There are two back-to-back 45 minute segments without commercials.
To quote the book every traveling athlete finds in his hotel room: "Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven." Or as they say "Are you Ready? Ready to cheer the players to victory, marvel at their fitness, speed, and skills, urging them to win every tackle for the ball, ready to explode at a powerful shot ? Ready for the excitement of flying wingers, overlapping backs, curling corners, slick one-two passing and goals scored with panache? Ready for another moment in a fantasy world?"
I am Ready.
Archived in: Soccer World Cup US Germany Italy Argentina Portugal
There are many beautiful things about being an American fan of men's World Cup soccer - foremost among them is ignorance. The community in which you were raised did not gather around the television set every 4 years for a solid breathless month. Your country has never won. You can pick whatever team you like best and root for it without shame or fear of reprisal. You have not been indoctrinated into unwanted-yet-inescapable tribal allegiances by your soccer-crazed countrymen. You are an amateur, in the purest sense of the word. So with the World Cup taking place next month in Germany - and the World Cup is the only true international sporting even on the planet (no, the Olympics , with their overwhelming clutter of boutique athletics, do not matter in the same way) - you can expect to spend the month in paradise.
Thats what I do. The world of the World Cup is the one I want to line in. I cannot resist its United Nations - like pageantry and high-mindedness, the apolitical display of national characteristics, the revelation of deep human flaws and unexpected greatness, the fact that entire nations walk off the job or wake up at 3 a.m. to watch men kick a ball.
There are countries that have truly multiracial squads - France, England and the United States - while other teams are entirely blond or Asian or Latin American. A Slovakian tire salesman, an Italian Cop, or a German concert pianist - having passed the official fitness tests- will moonlight as refree.
There are irritating fans; USA ! USA ! USA ! (Blessedly few). There are children who hold hands with each player as he walks onto the field. National anthems play. Men paint themselves their national colors and cry openly at defeat. An announcer shouts "GOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLL ! GOL , GOL, GOL ! " on the Spanish language channel you're watching. (Its often the only way you can see the game live.) There are two back-to-back 45 minute segments without commercials.
To quote the book every traveling athlete finds in his hotel room: "Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven." Or as they say "Are you Ready? Ready to cheer the players to victory, marvel at their fitness, speed, and skills, urging them to win every tackle for the ball, ready to explode at a powerful shot ? Ready for the excitement of flying wingers, overlapping backs, curling corners, slick one-two passing and goals scored with panache? Ready for another moment in a fantasy world?"
I am Ready.
Archived in: Soccer World Cup US Germany Italy Argentina Portugal
Posted by Rajesh @ 10:19 PM; PERMALINK,
