I sat down to do my morning hour of Polish exercises, but somehow I can't quite settle down my mind. Too much football coverage. And somewhere in there Dennis and Catriona are still celebrating Germany's incredible 7-1 triumph over Brazil.
How did that song go, back in 2006? Vier-und-fünfzig....
My theory has always been that the textbook accuracy and solidarity of the DFB can beat any ordinary workaday team but is no match for creative brilliance as displayed by Italy at its best or, er, Brazil, for example...
Update: Yes, I know. I haven't mentioned German football here in years. It's because I married a non-football person, and watching football with a non-football person made me so irrationally angry, I realized I'd have to give up watching it. I wish the same could be said for all the post-match wife-beaters out there, and meanwhile I am only mentioning this to point out that when and if you marry, you really do have to give up hobbies that create friction between you and spouse. Spouse before football--unless football is your core value, in which case you had better marry another football fan, preferably one who supports the same teams.
Update 2 (over an hour later): Still fatally distracted. "Mit dem Herz in der Hand und der Leidershaft im Bein, werden wir Weltmeister sein!" I expect a very rude email from Polish Pretend Son soon. Well, what can I do? You can't change your team after you pick it. It's football law, and I picked mine in 2006. "Wir haben nicht die höchste Spielkultur. Sind nicht gerade filigran..." Woot, woot!
10 comments:
I am rooting for Argentina. Not because I care, because I don't watch soccer, but because taking some kind of interest is the only thing that allows my husband and I to talk to each other these days! He's suddenly gotten quite crazy about it. But it's really no surprise -- he loves sports and sports statistics, and there's no sport he can't get into. Me, I find it dull as toast, but that's okay.
Because the American team went farther than England this World Cup, I feel no shame calling the sport soccer, and I also feel no shame saying it is one of my core values, so whoever I marry doesn't have to *like* soccer, but they better be okay with me watching soccer, getting angry or elated about soccer in turn, and updating them about every game, knowing they don't really care, but needing to share it with someone.
Germany is my team, as Germany was where my love of soccer was born, so I am THRILLED.
Hmm. Well, the rest of the football-playing world calls it some variation of football (in Poland it is literally "leg ball"), so you're still outnumbered.
Many people do have football as a core value. I think that's fine as long as nobody gets beaten up during or after the game. Football violence, domestic and other, is a big, big problem in the UK.
"Many people do have football as a core value."
And this is something I will never understand, whether or not by "football" we mean European football, Australian Rules Football, gridiron or rugby. There are old ladies in Australia for whom following Aussie Rules is akin to following a religion.
Is there a form of football that originates in Canada, or do they play gridiron and European football only? Although I guess hockey eclipses all else?
Yes, but those who speak British English are the only ones who foam at the mouth (really-- I've heard some citizens of the UK be very rude and angry about it) about Americans saying 'soccer.' And back when America's team was a bit of a joke, I suppose they had a right to poke fun at us. But England did so poorly this World Cup, and considering we now have some of the best players in the world (in particular Tim Howard) I think they should probably just keep their regional criticisms to themselves. ;)
I like it so much that you like our team so much! Yay, German team! :) :) Wooohooo! Argentina, go packing.
(And don't they have such cute players?)
I agree with Sheila that football is dull as toast most of the time, but not during world (or European) championships!
Here in the US, there are people who call it "un-American," "a sissy sport," etc. Ann Coulter had a really awful piece where she suggested it was only worthy of being played by kindergarteners because no one ever gets hurt and there are no stars and no drama. Which suggests to me she has only ever seen unscored kindergarten soccer!
But the fact is, soccer is getting popular in America finally, and I don't mind a bit. Beats American football, which is the worst sport ever, IMO.
I like it very much that you like our team so much! Yay, German team! Woooohoooo! :) :) Argentina, go packing.
(And aren't they cute, our players?)
Normally, I agree with Sheila that Football is dull as toast, but not during a world cup!
We have a game a lot like American football called Canadian football. Our league is called the CFL. The rules are somewhat different, but I have no idea what they are. We were a hockey playing family.
An ICE hockey playing family. In the UK, hockey means field hockey, which I grew up thinking was as much a girls' only sport as ringette. But no.
I like the "up"ward trend of the blog this week. ;)
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