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The World Cup and I

First....I'm American. Football is played with that goofy shaped ball by guys with gobs of padding and helmets and what-not on them so that they look like modern-day gladiators. This American version of football is still in my blood and I will always love it....but I've grown to love 'football' as well. Here is my journey:

Kids didn't play soccer when I was a kid. We did it in Gym class at school and aside from the rare transplant from overseas, we all thought it was a rather foolish game. Why kick the damn ball when you can pick it up and run with it? Besides, kicking it was a whole lot harder than it seemed. Mostly we spent 45 minutes kicking the ball at each other with the hope, as school kids sometimes have, of striking some vital organ or drawing blood.

Advance many years later and I'm on a business trip to Scotland whereby, on my very first day, I wrecked my rental car in one of those freakishly dangerous roundabouts. While waiting for the rental company to pick up the car, I watched the only channel that my hotel TV provided which consisted of the very best of Manchester United...over and over again.

This is when I realized what soccer (let me call it football from here on out) was all about. These guys were GOOD!!! These guys were doing things with their feet that I didn't think was possible. They actually PASSED the ball to each other....they actually had a PLAN!!

Now advance to four years ago...the last world cup. I wasn't really an avid football fan yet but I remembered my time in Scotland so I watched when I could. The crowds were freakin INSANE!!! I live around New York City where people say the some of the most insane fans reside. Well....they have nothing on Football fans. I don't think they stop screaming, singing or chanting for a full 90 MINUTES!!

Finally...this year. I was looking forward to the World Cup this year and although it took me a bit to realize that my TV wasn't crapping out and making this insane BUZZING sound...I'm loving it. I see almost none of the games live because South Africa is on about the complete OPPOSITE of the world from the US....but I'm still loving it.

So here are my fav teams and why:

US - Hey...its my country so I'm a fan!!
Chile - SG Mona is a fan and my wife has informed me that she would leave me for ANY of the Chilean players
Italy - Always loved Italy...so why not love their football team
Spain - Because they are so scary good!!
Brazil - They are scary good as well...but they also show plenty of film of Brazilian girls dancing in the stands!!