Image courtesy of Bloomberg
OK, I was going to post GP’s continuing saga on the stadium, but it’s the weekend, and most check out, have fun, as it should be, so I’ll save his “Fealty” piece for Mon.
Also, the World Cup literally kicked off in Mexico City yesterday, and what a spectacle! Here’s Mana with a surprise appearance. For you 80s rockers, I definitely recommend Mana/Jaguares and Heroes de Silenco esp if you wanna score a few easy points with the hot mamies [see what I did there?]
I must admit, I do not watch fútbol. It seems like a full-time job. Got a million players on a million teams all across the globe, and most of the great teams are in European time-zones. I’m also American, so I innately disdain ties, flopping while simultaneously craving something more violent. Or as Whitman exclaims,
“I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world.”
In HS it was usually the immigrants who played soccer. Us “real” athletes played football, baseball, basketball and wrestled. Soccer, Tennis, Badminton, even swimming and track were for ‘those’ guys; it’s a rather stupid attitude to hold, but hey, HS is nothing but one dumb idea after another.
However, all this changed in World Cup ’94 in Pasadena. A young virile Butch used to frequent Old Town Pasadena quite a bit, picking off drunk girls bar-hopping like a lion in the Serengeti. Hey, I was sloshed myself, so game on! No swiping necessary.
Anyways, World Cup hit Pasadena, and it was NUTS. I was too poor to travel, but the world cup brought Barcelona, Paris, Rio de Janeiro…to provincial moi. It was quite an eye-opener. It was also pure unadulterated euphoria. An international celebration with everyone draped in their flags, hanging off lampposts, singing their foreign songs! Contrast that to the present with masked Gestapo patrolling cities.
Ever since, I loved watching World Cup [not really soccer]. I think I know enough of it now to really enjoy it without being an expert on formations, managers, etc. It’s an acquired taste, I must admit. It doesn’t lend itself to ESPN Highlight reel clips. In many ways, it’s more like a ballet – or more accurately, ballet blended with hockey – where the tension builds over time like a volcano with sudden monumental eruptions. If you’re in a room of diehards, you can FEEL the tension – the anticipation – the dread – and if a gooooooaaaalll is scored – the ecstasy! God help fans when it goes to penalties. Very few sports can match the World Cup in drama and catharsis.
I also learned what a MAJOR deal it is internationally. I knew a Vietnamese guy whose little village slept in hammocks. They only had one TV in the whole village, and they all huddled to watch the World Cup around it at ungodly hours.
I frequented an English pub. The owner was literally one of the chefs for the Queen of England. St George crosses everywhere. Well, for World Cup, and ONLY World Cup, he’d open up his pub at 6am! I love Bangers and Mash, but never had them with eggs and coffee!
Canada, U.S. and Mexico host The World Cup this time around. It’s once every 4 years. I know the matches are mostly during day time, but if you can, do yourself a favor and hit a ‘soccer’ dive to watch it. Even if you’re not into soccer or are just a casual, I highly recommend it as an experience. If you’re lucky, you’ll run into some drunk Brits and Germans who start chanting their songs. And if you’re REALLY lucky, you’ll cross one of these!
U.S.A! U.S.A!