Futbol...the cure for what ails ya
One can't help but be amazed by the World Cup's ability to do just about anything. It brings the world to a stand still, it brings us all together, and brings joy to billions around the world. Whether your team wins or loses, you cannot deny the benefits to your overall wellbeing brought on by the inevitable feelings of euphoria from the experience of it all.
I'm amazed that even in a country like Canada, where soccer is hardly on the radar screen, one can go to any pub during the World Cup and be part of the experience...meeting total strangers, yet acting like best friends for 90 minutes, even if they are rooting for opposing teams...it's amazing.
In one place, it didn't even matter that the Oilers were playing their game 4 of the hockey finals, all the TV's (except a small one in the corner) had the World Cup on, and not even live games, but re-runs.
I only wish there was some way to more evenly distribute this feeling across the world. Some nations simply never make it to the big show, and their supporters will never know the feeling. Although I feel for them, I personally have no such issue as I am a supporter of the greatest soccer power to ever play the game...Croatia of course...who never miss the World Cup. But, for the sake of the non-perennial soccer nations, FIFA should consider designating one wild-card spot...going to one nation each World Cup, decided by a lottery or a committee perhaps, and not based on soccer ability (help them hire some ringers so they don't get embarassed). Maybe a nation that's had a particularly rough time in the last little while, and could use some good news and fun. C'mon FIFA you can spare 1 out of the 32 spots...just ask Brazil to sit the next one out...they could use a break from hogging all those tropies.
posted by Desiderius1979 @ 3:17 PM
9 Comments:
A quick pet-peeve: Although I generally like the "The Metro" (free mini newspaper), it should not be reporting sports anymore. Everyday this week, their reports on the World Cup have been incorrect. Basically, if you want to know what did not happen in the World Cup, then consult the Metro. Scores and tons of other information is reported incorrectly, and the analysis section is a joke. Who ever writes it has never even seen a soccer game (ok, so they are not a fan), but at least be competent enough to get the basic facts right. That's just simple research, not rocket-science.
They gotta come out with a better trophy for the World Cup too. What they have now is really unworthy and sad.
I don't expect a Stanley Cup calibre trophy, but something more along the lines of the Vince Lombardi trophy is realistic.
You can't tell me you think that the Vince Lombardi one is better than the World Cup? No way. It's just a football on top of an elongated pyramid type stand.
I used to think like you. At first glance the World Cup trophy does seem insignificant given the enormity of the event/sport it represents, but I think that's the beauty of it. Soccer is the ultimate everyman's sport, simple and graceful. It does not need fancy gimmicks and elaborate trophies to emphasize its stature as the universal sport it is. The current trophy embodies that simplicity and all that soccer represents, so I think it's very appropriate and should remain as is.
Whoa, scizofrenic post! First you say that the Vince Lombardi trophy is simplistic then you say that the beauty of the World Cup trophy is its simplicity!
I like the Vince Lombardi because of its mirror shine and I dislike the WC trophy because it's tiny(it'll fit in a girls purse, come on!) and it looks like it's been painted by gold colored paint from Zellers. Zing!
The simplicity of the World Cup works because soccer itself is pure and simple...it's appropriate. American football is anything but pure and simple. It's overly complicated and made to be bigger than it is, and ultimately kinda pointless...so the simplicity of its trophy is not and appropriate representation.
Well, ok, I can start talking out of my ass too: The World Cup is anything but simple. The host country has to prepare for the influx of millions of people, transportation woes, car rentals, accomodations, lost man hours at work, new security systems against hooliganism, terrorism. Then there's more for the body as it has to build/renovate/prepare stadiums, training facilities, make all the schedules, sell tickets, fight scalpers ETC ETC. There's also the media with 1,000 cameras at every match, trucks beaming satellite signals into orbit, press credentials for thousands of journalists, interpreters, translators, WHORES(!) ETC ETC.
If it was in fact simple, then why wouldn't they announce who's hosting the World Cup the month before? Or even the year before?
And for all that they present a little trophy that looks like it's been wrapped in gold tin foil? Bah
You misunderstood. When I said "World Cup" I was referring to the trophy, not the event. The event has grown elaborate, but the cup/trophy and the game of soccer remain simple...so they complement each other well.
I need to clarify another point...my comment about "the greatest soccer power to ever play the game...Croatia of course". Yes, Croatia was eliminated from the World Cup when they failed to beat Australia, and tied instead. Although the national team will not be winning the cup, my comment is still valid. Half of the Aussie team had players of Croatian heritage, including the goalie and the captain. So, by "soccer power" I meant "soccer player factory". In fact, the quality of our exports is superior to the product we keep for the domestic market, and even more so than the quality of imports we accept...case in point, the Croatian captain (Niko Kovac) is German-born. Talk about resource mis-management.
Another World Cup thought: Yesterday while watching the Croatia-Aussie game at the pub, I was surprised at the number of loud Aussie supporters. But something was fishy. They didn't look Aussie, or talk Aussie. In fact, the only real Aussies were sitting at my table with me, as we drank, mocked each other and enjoyed the game together.
My table mates (total strangers btw)had pro-Aussie cheers which differed from the almost hateful cheers of some others in the pub. For the others it was not that they liked Australia, but that they really wanted bad things to happen to the Croatian team. They cheared fouls and injuries. I later found out the haters were Albanian, and were cursing the Croat team because they had money on the Aussies. A simple $100 bet inspired such rage against a nation that didn't do anything to them. Then I thought of my "lottery world cup spot" idea. These Albanians have had it rough. Albania will never qualify for the world cup on skill alone, and the tiny nation has had a rough time lately, both the locals as well as their ex-patriots apparently...I mean if a $100 means that much to you, you're not that well off. So, to bring that nation a little joy, I nominate Albania for the first ever wild card World Cup entry! FIFA are you listening?
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