Friday, June 09, 2006

The World Cup

I'm not a big sports fan, but I do know the World Cup begins today, 9 AM our time and it's taking place in Germany this time around. How I wish the United States were more into soccer -- err, excuse me -- FOOTBALL like the rest of the world. It's such an exciting event that not even the Olympics can get to the level of passion that the fans show. So many countries and cultures crazy about one thing -- except us in the States. We're crazy about American football, baseball, basketball and to some extent hockey. The Canadians are the only ones who love hockey too and baseball seems to be loved by Puerto Ricans and the Japanese.

It was so cool living in Thailand where football was the number one sport. People played it all the time in fields and soccer pitches were the norm -- you won't see many baseball diamonds. The influences were everywhere, especially in advertising. The Superbowl was something you could only see on a special cable channel and there was no fanfare around it at all. I liked being in an environment that virtually ignored all sports that America has held in such high esteem and who put football at the top, like the rest of the world.

So I'll watch a bit of the Cup this year and be a part of the world, rather than isolated like an island.

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