Dutch meet Brazil
I’ve tried to be good and refrain from too much commentary on the World Cup. Sorry, but I just have to vent a bit. I’ve been in a state of shock since the Dutch beat the Brazilians today. Don’t get me wrong, the Netherlands plays some great football, but Brazil is always a safe choice to go all the way to the finals. This Cup has had some strange twists. I have some wonderful Brazilian friends and I send all of you my condolences. But, I have to admit a bit of pride. Ik ben Nederlands op de Zijde van mijn moeder (I’m Dutch on my mother’s side).
Now, here is my dilemma. Of the countries remaining, I love them all. I have close friends in all of them. I would sincerely be thrilled for any of them to win. Can’t they just all win? A good case can be made that they are all winners for having made it this far. Indeed, just to make it to the tournament after two years of elimination rounds is elite status in itself.
I find it hilarious to see some of my Latino friends changing their Facebook profile photo almost daily with the colors or flags of the countries they want to win. I just saw a German flag pop up on a Salvadoran’s page today. That must mean he wants Germany to beat Argentina so that Spain won’t have to face Argentina, or something like that. A German friend’s profile had a German flag painted on her cheek. Today, a new photo showed off the German flag colors as hair extensions. I don’t usually have much time to read the status updates of over 1200 FaceBook friends, but I confess that I’m addicted to seeing the pain, the anguish, the joy and elation of fans in response to their teams.
Look, the USA has the Super Bowl, March Madness, the World Series and all of that. This is the moment for the rest of the world to go crazy.
Here’s one of my greatest World Cup moments of 2010. A friend was in attendance for a Royals vs. Cardinals games here at the K on the same Saturday that the USA played Ghana in the World Cup. When KC plays St. Louis, our stadium overflows with excited fans. That day, my friend reported that he was amazed how many baseball fans were watching the World Cup on their smart phones. Additionally, the Cup game was being broadcast on the TV monitors in the concession areas of the stadium. When the US scored, he said you could actually hear a small roar in the stadium. No way that would have happened 20 years ago. A faint hope burns in my heart.
Can’t they Just All Win?
Dutch meet Brazil
I’ve tried to be good and refrain from too much commentary on the World Cup. Sorry, but I just have to vent a bit. I’ve been in a state of shock since the Dutch beat the Brazilians today. Don’t get me wrong, the Netherlands plays some great football, but Brazil is always a safe choice to go all the way to the finals. This Cup has had some strange twists. I have some wonderful Brazilian friends and I send all of you my condolences. But, I have to admit a bit of pride. Ik ben Nederlands op de Zijde van mijn moeder (I’m Dutch on my mother’s side).
Now, here is my dilemma. Of the countries remaining, I love them all. I have close friends in all of them. I would sincerely be thrilled for any of them to win. Can’t they just all win? A good case can be made that they are all winners for having made it this far. Indeed, just to make it to the tournament after two years of elimination rounds is elite status in itself.
I find it hilarious to see some of my Latino friends changing their Facebook profile photo almost daily with the colors or flags of the countries they want to win. I just saw a German flag pop up on a Salvadoran’s page today. That must mean he wants Germany to beat Argentina so that Spain won’t have to face Argentina, or something like that. A German friend’s profile had a German flag painted on her cheek. Today, a new photo showed off the German flag colors as hair extensions. I don’t usually have much time to read the status updates of over 1200 FaceBook friends, but I confess that I’m addicted to seeing the pain, the anguish, the joy and elation of fans in response to their teams.
Look, the USA has the Super Bowl, March Madness, the World Series and all of that. This is the moment for the rest of the world to go crazy.
Here’s one of my greatest World Cup moments of 2010. A friend was in attendance for a Royals vs. Cardinals games here at the K on the same Saturday that the USA played Ghana in the World Cup. When KC plays St. Louis, our stadium overflows with excited fans. That day, my friend reported that he was amazed how many baseball fans were watching the World Cup on their smart phones. Additionally, the Cup game was being broadcast on the TV monitors in the concession areas of the stadium. When the US scored, he said you could actually hear a small roar in the stadium. No way that would have happened 20 years ago. A faint hope burns in my heart.