Sports-Monkey in the making…
With the Pittsburgh Steelers in the #1 seed playoff spot this year, it is time for me to reveal my ugly little secret.
It all began innocently enough: I started watching the Steelers because my husband has been a fan since his childhood, and as I’ve never followed sports, it was natural for me to align with my better half. Over the last two years, I have absorbed a little of the team’s rich history and become familiar with the players. I can’t watch just any football game, but if the Steelers are playing, I’ll be paying attention. Often, I prefer to watch with the sound turned down, or even off. The announcers of any major sporting event drive me insane. It’s like having some busybody stranger talk non-stop in your ear while you’re trying to watch. (Just try reading the closed captioning sometime; you’ll be amazed at the inane babble.)
So, the events of a few days ago took me quite by surprise. I was flipping channels when I happened to land on ESPN. There were highlights on, and since I’ve strangely acquired a taste for Chris Berman’s Fastest Three Minutes in Television halftime show (hey, why spend an entire Sunday watching 4 football games when you can catch all the big moments?), I paused to watch a few clips. Five minutes later I was thinking “well, that’s a good point but without TO I hope the Eagles have come up with some new moves to compensate for….wait a minute, what am I doing!?”
I’d been watching the shiny-suit brigade babble on about players who weren’t even on my team! And there are still 24 days until the Super Bowl.
Put the pedal to the metal …
After watching a clever insurance commercial recently (with the sound off) I had an idea about how older drivers on the NASCAR circuit could use their age to their advantage. They should drive with their left turn signal on for the entire race. Boy, would that piss off the good ole boys.
Football’s whippin’ boy no more …
Considering the United States’ embarrassing last place finish in the 1998 World Cup held in France, it is no wonder that so many people were predicting a similar fate this year. After all, the team lost all three of its group games last time around—finishing last of the 32 teams that participated.
Personally I think there are huge differences between the 1998 and the 2002 teams. Starting with the manager. Bruce Arena is an excellent motivator, and a proven winner. Not to take anything away from Steve Sampson. The players are the ones who didn’t come through in France, and there were reports of players arguing with one another. This team works well together, and the veteran players are accepting their roles, letting the younger players get their shot.
However, I don’t really believe all of the negative comments made about the U.S. team have to do with the poor showing in 1998, or a perceived weakness in a sport where the U.S. are ranked 13th—only one lower than England! Instead, I think a good portion of it comes from the satisfaction the rest of the world gets knowing there is something they do better than the Americans. And for the most part, I think it is as justified a reason as any. I can intensely dislike a team in any sport simply because they win too often. Why shouldn’t the rest of the world revel in the United State’s football mediocrity?
Maybe it is because we ain’t mediocre no more, baby! The United States registered one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history by beating Group D favorite Portugal, 3-2. The victory sets up an exciting match with co-host South Korea on Monday, June 10.
Sure makes me wish I could have gone to Japan with a certain someone. Even if the U.S. games are all in South Korea. 