The NBA championship was just on, I watched none of it. The
Stanley Cup finals was just on, I watched none of it. The World
Cup is on; I have not been able to stop watching it. I don’t know
what has come upon me, but is it possible that soccer is actually
becoming my second favorite sport (football is tops for you slower
people). Maybe it is just because soccer is a fad.
With the World Cup on, soccer reaches its pinnacle of attention in the
United States, but after the tournament, soccer will once again
disappear into the dark realm with other sports such as lacrosse and
badminton. However, for me I have told myself numerous times this
is not a fad, I am truly starting to love this sport.
For one thing, I am one guy who does not follow fads. I am the
guy who still buys the same generic blue Levi's. Its not that I
do not
have the money to buy those popular designer jeans, it is just I do not
have the stupidity to throw out hundreds of dollars for jeans that look
pre-worn. So with this soccer craze right now, I am not one to
fall into the fad. I am not watching the World Cup because
everyone else is watching; I am watching it because I am truly enjoying
the sport. I mean it is no football (American football), but it
is pretty darn exciting. Did anyone see that forty yard
goal by Joe Cole (of England, for those who did not know), that was
pretty awesome. An awesome goal is like an awesome touchdown
catch.
The only difference, after the score, the soccer player gets to do
excessive celebration without a penalty. Imagine! Chad
Johnson scoring a soccer goal, the celebration would probably be the
funniest spectacle in sports. Not that it matters, but Chad
Johnson says soccer is his second sport.
The reason for soccer’s unpopularity in America is simple; the United
States is not the best. Soccer is the one major sport where the best
professionals choose to play outside the country. The MLS
is slowly gaining recognition as a quality league, but its quality is
still far inferior than any European league. Americans have
trouble with not being the best. Why do more Americans watch the
Summer Olympics instead of the Winter Olympics? The Americans
dominate at the Summer Olympics. The event that does gain the
most attention in the Winter Olympics is women’s figure skating because
that is always an event where the Americans are
competitive. Let’s face it, Americans are stubborn.
We have to be the best, and in the land of soccer, we are not the
best. Some may argue, what about hockey? Yes, the US does
not produce the best hockey talent, but it has the best league in the
world.
What is my point? Simple: the World Cup is soccer's fifteen
minutes of fame in America. After the World Cup, soccer becomes
almost a foreign word where it is almost always use to describe mothers
with minivans. And with that I think it’s a total shame.
After watching the World Cup, the sport is truly impressive to
watch. My favorite reason to watch soccer: no commercials
and the clock continues to run. It is so nice to be able to
watch with no interruptions and even with an injury the clock
runs. Yes, I still have problems with the referees, but the
same can be said for football. I mean giving a yellow card is
almost the same as defensive pass interference. It always seems
to be subjective judgment of the referee.
After the World Cup, I will turn my tides back to football. I
will also face a predicament. Will I continue to
watch soccer? I saw the commercials about purchasing the Fox
Sports Soccer Channel. By buying the channel, a person gains
access to some of the best European soccer. If purchased, I would
have the opportunity to watch Ronaldinho for FC Barcelona, not just for
Brazil and many other soccer stars play for their club team. But,
then reality quickly hits me. Am I really going to pay an extra
monthly fee to watch soccer? I cannot fathom doing it.
Anyways football season is quickly coming
and I will have no time for this other form of football. I, along
with millions of others, will forget about soccer. I have fallen
into the trap that I have tried so hard to avoid. I have fallen
into this fad. I hate fads, but yet I am participating in
one. I so much wanted to be a true soccer fan, but I know in my
heart once this tournament ends, I will once again forget about the
game. Soccer is a great sport, but with no dominant presence in
the United States, I know I along with majority of this country, will
have no desire to watch it on a regular basis. Our country
thrives itself at being the best. And in the land of soccer, we
are not. But when it comes to football (the American football),
our country truly dominates. And maybe that is the reason why I
love football so much. Soccer may be those designer jeans with
holes, but football is those blue Levi’s jeans, which will continue to
be popular for years to come. I promised myself I would not fall
into any fads. I have always despised those people. But
with myself already have been sucked into this fad, I will at least
watch the rest of the tournament. And when this fad ends, I will
once again go back to my football loving ways and put on a good, old
pair of Levi’s!
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