And like that, ... He's gone.

Brazil: 3 - USA: 2
In the aftermath of the game the discussion quickly switched from: how, on earth, can you lose a game in which you are ahead 2:0 at half-time?. To: Will Soccer now become more popular in the US?

Allow me to quickly answer this fascinating question: No!

As a big Soccer fan myself I truly believe that no single event will ever change the status Soccer holds in the US, not even winning the World Cup. In one or two more days, the main topic in Sport Media will seamlessly switch to: Baseball, NFL training camps, NBA trades and much more of the "regular stuff". Soccer will be back to the 38 second window also known as ESPN Deportes. (BTW, why do all Deportes segment have to be read in a thick Hispanic accent? to me it sounds they try very hard to emphasis it. could be wrong though...).

The reason Soccer is so popular all around the world, is simple: it is the sport of choice to play (or no other choice) for kids and teens. You don't need a fancy court and a jumping ball, nor do you need net and racquets or other equipment. all you need is small clear piece of land and something that resemble a ball. Same as it used to be here with baseball: grab a 'stick' and a ball and we got a game.
Today most kids and teens don't face that issue, most schools and parks are fully equipped to accommodate any Sport you desire, so the mass follow the local traditional Sport and years later become a fan.

Only through years of early introduction to Soccer combined with world level success can eventually Soccer plant itself in the 'top 5' or whatever its called today.

On the other hand Soccer is not going away any time soon, enough immigration from Soccer loving countries combined with somewhat decent base in schools will make sure the little popularity it has will not be diminished.

It is what it is, what it is...


And as a treat to the one or two readers that actually stumble to this blog and even made it this far, here is the finest goal ever scored. (and no this is not debatable).

"Get in the hole"

As we are now smack in the middle of summer, a season that beside the heat (at least where I live) is the worst sport season, unless you're a big baseball fan (which I'm not) you have very few options to choose from. the NFL is still few months away, the NBA and NHL already ended, same with the major European soccer leagues.

The only event I'm looking for is the occasional Formula One races, and usually they end very early in the morning, and in my continues task to entertain myself I found myself flipping the old TV to NBC and watched few minutes of US Open Golf here and there. I must say I was able to learn and reaffirm several points (all very subjective, I'm sure):

Watching Golf is boring, it might be different if I was an enthusiast golfer, but as a very, very casual golfer, I just find myself yawning in front of the TV. I'm not familiar with most of the players, I have no idea what are their strength and weaknesses, and don't have a clue how to really judge a particular hole. At one point I looked at Yahoo tracker and I don't think I recognized more than 10% of the players who made the cut.

I'm pretty sure that even if you are an enthusiast golfer and a huge fan of it, it must be excruciating to actually attend a golf competition as fan. the rounds are very long, from any given point you can't see more than one small part of a hole or two and usually you can probably only see the ball either launch or land. or you can just seat 7 hours in the stands (galleries???) around a certain green and watch putt-putt golf. I'm sure heavy drinking must be involved, which lead me to my next point.

What is it with those stupid "get in the hole" shouts. it seemed as if on any shot of any golfer we'll hear someone shouting "get in the hole". Is it funny? does his buddies are enjoying it? does he really think the ball will get in the hole when teeing off a par 5 hole, or shooting a 'safe' shot back to the fairway? I wonder...

And then there is Tiger Woods. probably (or so it seems) half the field is following him exclusively, regardless of the score or his position. I'm pretty sure most of them can't see shit and are basically feeding of the cheers and woos of the crowd more fortunate than them that can actually see something. not exactly my idea of how to spend a nice Saturday / Sunday afternoon.

Personally, I never understood how someone can be a fan of anyone competing in an individual competition (I'm having hard time categorizing Golf as a Sport). To me, by definition, a fan is someone who supports and and wish success upon. Tiger fans I ask you: Do you rally get a satisfied feeling when he wins another tournament? I'm pretty much sure he doesn't care about you. I admire how Federer is playing Tennis, I can be amazed watching Ayrton Senna driving a race car, my jaws dropped when I saw Hussein Bolt runs the 100m and 200m in the Olympics, but being a fan? I don't get it.

And my last point: is Golf even a Sport? to keep it short: no!
It's a competition, a high skilled one for sure. but walking around hitting golf ball is not a Sport in my book.
next time they can either tackle each other, block each other or at least run from hole to hole (while improving their score if they get there first) I promise I will review it again.


As for the coverage, I think it is actually pretty good. not too many commercial breaks, the scene looks great on an HDTV and the announcers are talking at my level. But do they really have to whisper all the time, even when they are obviously away from all the action?




















"Obviously you're not a golfer."

“You can't handle the truth!”

If you're anything like me, you love sports.
Like anyone else I have my sports and my favorite teams, but when it comes down to it, put me in front of good competition and you got me hooked.
I like watching sports on TV, I really enjoy attending games, and I also like to talk about, read about, post about and now I'll try to blog about it.

But in recent years I am too often find myself amazed and upset with players, stars, coaches, owners, referees, fans and most of all the media, and their continues effort to ruin my fun and enjoyment.
Stupidity, corruption and most of all greed are constantly diluting our experience as fans.

In this blog, I will try to share all those things that bothers me, and maybe find others who feel the same way. I hope this blog will be a platform for a dialogue and you're comments are always welcomed. Also, if anyone want to contribute please email me.