The World Cup sure has been wonderful to watch. I’ve loved all of it, though, I’d be hard pressed to clearly explain offsides. The broadcasters show replays of goals that have been taken back and the commentators say, “Oh yes, that’s clearly offsides,” and I have no idea what they’re referring to. It’s the equivalent of the infield fly rule in baseball or the tackle eligible receiver in football. It’s taken me years to understand these rules, and I have to relearn them each time the season starts.
I’ve really enjoyed the fans that have travelled to the US to support their teams and what they they’re enjoying about the US. Many have commented about large portion sizes in the restaurants and the huge variety of food available in the grocery stores. People new to the US can quickly see why Americans are so large. We become immune to it, but I suspect anyone from abroad can walk down one of our cereal aisles and be bewildered by the many options we have to eat sugar for breakfast.
Today online I saw that one of the Norwegian players got off the plane in Norway carrying a stuffed raccoon drinking a bottle of gin. It’s something you’d see sold at a strange store on a remote interstate exit and you wonder who would buy that other than a drunk crowd of fraternity boys. Well, apparently, international soccer stars buy them while they’re shopping in Dallas. For some kid in Norway, watching their heroes come home from the US, they’ve got to wonder what goes in the USA that their players come home with stuffed raccoons drinking gin. “What happens over there?” they must wonder. “Who are those people?” Well, we Americans don’t buy such things very much, but we do make them for people to bring home and tell their friends “you won’t believe what I bought in the US!”
Now, for those that think that soccer is boring, they’re right most of the time. It can be terribly boring. Any game that ends after ninety minutes of play with a score of one to nothing or two to one is going to be a boring game, but when the scoring happens, it’s as thrilling as any moment in sports. Precise passes punctuated with balls kicked incredibly hard past a goal defended by an above average sized and very athletic guy. And the celebrations in the stadium and video feeds from back home of streets full of people exploding in celebration are also as good as any celebrations in sports, maybe even the best. It’s hard not to smile.
I’ll miss the World Cup when it’s over. I’ve developed a greater appreciation for the game, a big appreciation for the soccer fans who have traveled from across the globe to support their teams and a deep pride and satisfaction knowing that people from all corners of the world can come to the USA and leave amazed by our grocery stores, portion sizes, and bring home a stuffed, boozing raccoon to remember it all. God bless America.
I’m Cam Marston, and I’m just tryin’ to Keep It Real.
