Man what an a$$hole. Like the majority of countries like England, France, Germany, Italy etc don't have technology or high standards of living. Look at Japan for example, the most technically advanced nation in the World - they love football as it is. Over 70% of the World loves football. And do you know why? Because since we could stand and walk most of us have kicked a ball sometime in our lives and that's all you need to play (even tin cans or balls of socks like the kids in the poorest slums of Rio) Football's beauty is in it's simplicity to play and complexity to master.
I sense the real reason he feels like that about football is because the Americans didn't invent it. And I sincierly apologise for any offense caused by the following here (because this is certainly not my intention)
American culture is different. American sports are either in bursts of fast and furious action with regular breaks (Gridiron, Hockey and Basketball) or long affairs like baseball. American sports are typically played at breakneck speed with physicallity and high scores.
Because the American people in my estimation are high tempo type people. American society demands things fast and furious.
You only have to look at the Simpsons' episode where a "soccer" and I hate using that word - match comes to Springfield and the Mexican commentator is all excited at the passing play while the American is falling asleep.
Also the majority of "soccer" grr fans are female in America - the womens game is vastly more popular (the FIFA Women's World Cup sold out every arena) and more people proudly carry "Chastain" on their backs than they do "Adu" or "Donovan" So the game has the stygma of being percieved as a girls and kids' sport while the "macho" tough "jocks" go and get the tar kicked out of them on the gridiron through high-school and beyond.
American males are proud of their masculinity (as we males the world over are) and to them I believe the model of masculinity is to prove yourself in physical combat - that you are faster,better or stronger than the next guy.
A young kid in the US dreams of a gamewinning TD in the Superbowl, or belting a fastball out of Yankee stadium in the deciding game of the World Series.
(Baseball is the one US sport that I will never watch - Ice Hockey, NFL Basketball and wrestling sure - but not baseball. I hardly watch Cricket!
Now in the streets of England, football is percieved as the domain of the man (although a lot more women than ever before enjoy the game) In fact in England, football is to many people - everything. Witness the national hysteria over Wayne Rooney's foot.
Following football is seen as macho (probably as a result of the hardmen and viciousness of the game in the past, the hardness of the ball etc) An attatchment and devotion to your team is viewed as sacrosanct.
Even now that the game is played by flouncing, diving overpaid and overexposed popstars for the most part.
And a young English kid will likely dream of lifting the FA Cup or scoring a Hat-trick in the World Cup Final. Typically that's because the British way of life is generally slower and more serene, football can be viewed as a giant game of chess with moves and countermoves played out - with bursts of individual or team brilliance thrown in.
Football is more than a game to those of us who love it - it's a culture, a religion - a vibrant, living, breathing undescribable entity that links us all (football fans) world wide regardless of the colour of our skin, or the language we speak. And every four years the creme of the world game comes together to decide who is the absolute best. And the majority of us fans come together and watch, and bask in that aura that Football - and the FIFA World Cup in particular provides. And even those whose nations failed to make the final 32, gather to watch.
From a delapidated shack in the African desert where a whole village gathers round a flickering tv to the mega million pound skyscraper in Japan where the game is viewed in high definition plasma technology.
From the favellas of Brazil - to the highstreets of England.
Regardless of wealth or other material factors - all of us equal : As fans of the beautiful game.
And that is why we love football. You can't explain it fully - you just have to feel it.
Mike
. And they air them free for those that have Rogers network, which is like pretty much almost everyone who has a tv.
