One Game Changes Everything

Okay, it has been awhile since I last posted, and I also realize the World Cup is now a week/week and a half old, but the FEVER is getting to me, so I had to blog. Also, I hope former Language Arts teachers don't read my blog so they don't see the run-on sentence and overuse of commas I just used.

So, as previously stated, I do have World Cup FEVER and I'm not afraid to admit it. Soccer is called "the beautiful game" and really it is. It is fun to watch how the players move across the field, and very few sports happenings (other than Hawkeye touchdowns/dunks/etc.) are more exciting than a goal or a really good save. What I love about soccer the most though is the passion. Don't get me wrong, you will see plenty of passion out of me and other Hawkeye crazies come Sept. 1, but there is something more about the passion of the World Cup. It is a NATIONAL thing. The pride these countries have in their players is outstanding. Elections have been delayed, governments shut down, jumbo televisions or other accomodations made to help watch, and even (in England) a service set up to help you with your "call-in-sick-excuse" for work. It almost makes me ashamed that we don't support our boys as much. A poll done by WHO-TV in Des Moines had over 45% (don't remember the exact number) of people who responded they "Just don't care." I do find it silly to delay important business, but it almost looks like we don't have any pride in our country when compared to Brazil, England, even the smaller African countries like Ghana. We get behind the Olympics every four years with near 24 hour coverage by NBC and everyone knows what is going on...why not the World Cup? Because, this may shock people, THE WORLD CUP IS BIGGER THAN THE OLYMPICS. It is one sport, not multiple stupid sports like synchronized swimming, that has long been the worldwide pasttime and draws huge crowds and viewership (I don't have numbers to compare to the Olympics, but something tells me they are close). When France won in 1998, a HUGE party broke out in Paris...and I MEAN HUGE!!!! You don't see that when the French basketball team wins a medal in the Olympics. It truly is a Game that Changes Everything (as the ESPN commericals say).

Now why the disinterest in America? One, we've never been very good- until recently. We made the "Elite 8" in 2002 and though we aren't doing well now in 2006, we have the talent at all positions to contend. Second, we claim its boring. I love baseball, but baseball can be boring too. They only score a few runs a game. What is different than a few goals a game? There is always action taking place too- movement- not so in football where a play happens then you have the play clock wound and a bunch of time standing around. Third, we don't understand some of the rules. Okay, I can't argue this one. I HATE offsides. If I'm faster than you, I'm sorry. I don't want to delay myself until the ball is played forward. I've been told it is to eliminate cherry-picking. Well basketball doesn't have an offsides rule and yes cherry-picking may happen occasionally, but as kinda one of the "unwritten" rules you just don't do it often. Another reason I've been told is to help out the goalie. Well, why not make the goal a little smaller to help the goalie. Plus, that is the most exciting part...a one on one with a great save by a goalie.

Oh well, I still enjoy the games and am pumped for the U.S vs. Italy game here in about a half hour. We need this one bad, so without a better cheer (we need to come up with a cool soccer chant) USA! USA! USA! USA!