OK, the obvious answer is that soccer is a popular sport, it is of course the most popular sport in the world. Fair enough. I don't know enough about the game to have an opinion on it but I know for the rest of the world "football" is like hockey in Canada: You don't have to appreciate it to acknowledge it's importance
Fans follow their pro soccer teams, they are heavily invested them, both financially and emotionally, it becomes a big part of the fabric of their lives. But The World Cup is not a pro soccer event. There are no "pro" teams playing. These are national teams, the players from one country forming a team to play in the tournament
There are parallels to the Olympics. I know there are pro players on these world cup teams, I have no idea if there are amateur players. I know in the recent Olympic winter games, there were probably no amateur skaters on the Canadian team and if there were, I doubt if they got much ice time. When you get to the level of the Olympics or the World Cup, these are not amateur sports. Now only are the players and coaches professionals, millions and millions of dollars are poured into these teams, both from governments and private sponsors, whether covertly or not
So we have soccer fever here in Toronto. Understandable. But there is something else going on as well
All the bars in the ethnic communities are packed when that particular country's team is playing. Flags of all kinds are fluttering as cars zoom past. Blogs and radio phone in shows are glutted with people either crying or cheering as their country fails or succeeds ...
Let's put the brakes on right here
Their country? Hmm. A bunch of guys born in their country (many of whom may work for sports teams in other countries) are playing in a soccer tournament. A sports tournament. Yes, they are "playing for country" but what they are doing is playing a sport .. they're not fighting a war, they're not uniting to rebuild after a natural disaster, they're not even injecting money into the country's infrastructure. In fact, they are probably taking the money out
So what the hell is the big deal? Enjoy the sports tournament as a tournament but people for god's sake, put it into perspective. It is very much like the Olympics. All this crap about how my country was "defined" by the games ... seriously? Canada, the second largest country on earth, home to tens of millions of people, is defined by people playing hockey? Or bobsledding? If that's so, we would be a very sad country and I know that not to be so
What I hear a lot is the term "national pride" Now I find that in general to be a rather distasteful term, for all its connotations of superiority. I find it particularly puzzling and distasteful when that pride is incurred by a bunch of guys running around a soccer pitch. Is this the best you can do? Is this all your country is? People playing a game?
It's just a freaking game
Am I over reacting. I know that most people are just enjoying the games and that enjoyment may be enhanced by the fact that your country's name is on the jerseys. Hey, everyone likes to root for the home team. Fair enough.
But I'm seeing and hearing a lot of stuff that makes me do the Vulcan eyebrow raise. Some people are really getting caught up in the nationalism of this thing, they really are equating what happens on the pitch with their national pride. Let me tell you, if the only thing about your country that gives you pride, or a sense of identity, is how they play a certain sport .. you may need a more dynamic country. Or, more importantly, you need a stronger sense of self.
In 1969 Honduras and El Salvador took this national pride over football thing to the extreme. They actually fought a war over it. A war. Lasting about four days. OK, there were other issues at foot, like immigration and disputed territories but the violence was actually sparked by a soccer game. Seriously. Give your fucking head a shake. People dying over soccer ...
So viva Italia, go USA, roust roust Germany .. whatever it may be. Enjoy the game. I've been in crowded bars, with hundreds of strangers, all suddenly unified by watching a single event. It can be exhilarating. But is that event really important enough to unify a country? Is the country so weak and fractured it can be unified by a ball going into a net?
As I stated, I'm not a soccer fan so I won't be watching. But I did watch some of the Olympic hockey and I enjoyed it very much. But I didn't wave a flag and I didn't scream racial epithets at the Americans. I just enjoyed a sporting event
Why can't it just be as simple as that
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