World Cup Pretty Cool.

So despite practically everyone I know badmouthing soccer/the World Cup, I ran across it whilst flipping channels over the weekend and opted to check it out. It happened to be England vs Equador, so I got to see David Beckham in action. And you know what? It was actually pretty exciting!

First of all, from what I can tell, it’s a balls-out sport. Those guys run nonstop for like, 90 minutes, and there’s actually a good bit of (aggressive) contact between opposing players. Secondly, the whole crowd was singing songs in unison (half of them bald and shirtless), creating a unique and spirited atmosphere. Third, when someone finally does score, it’s electrifying. Beckham happened to be the hero of the day. He scored the only goal of the game and immediately began throwing up afterwards because he was so hot, dehydrated, and tired. And sport just isn’t sport until the players start throwing their guts up repeatedly during play! (Something you miss out on if you keep up with the Bulls, or for instance, the golf channel.)

Anyhoo, I would definitely watch it again. I think Americans tend to be of the more ‘instant gratification’ variety, what with basketball and football being so popular here, where teams score all the time. But, I think there’s something to be said for a sport with heightened suspense, where every single point is hard-won.

Plus, it’s kind of cool to see an entire country rally behind their team. It seems to be a real source of national pride for everyone but us. We don’t really have that here....except maybe periodically for the Olympics. But, it’s not like we follow those people all year or anything. They show up on-site at the Olympics, and we root for them by default.

So, at least I won’t be so quick to dismiss the World Cup, even if soccer isn't so popular here and even if the American team sucked. I think it’s kind of neat, from time to time, to allow ourselves to get carried away by something outside our comfort zones.

And tossing one’s cookies on the field doesn’t hurt, either.