2nd post of the Day? Football Roots

I was just dwelling on how much football draws my attention today and how different it is compared to just a few years ago. I blame it all on Howard. My cousin grew up playing footall and I didn’t. In 2005, we started to go to a few SJ Quakes games down at Spartan Stadium. For someone who didn’t care much about football, the enthusiasm of the supporters (which I think continues to be what I love the most about this sport) really draws you in. I am not a soccer fan – I am a FOOTBALL fan.

And then there is the realization that this is the world’s sport. So many people on this globe play football at such a high level – with national leagues in every corner of the earth. The language of international football has no need for translation. I am sad to admit that I was part of the ignorant American sports fan population that laughed off "soccer". Not any more. The continuous play is great (unlike the stop-and-go of that “other” game that is mis-named as football).

The only thing that I think can be improved is the diving that one witnesses on the field. If you are really hurt, fine. But don’t flop around on the ground like you are about to croak to get a penalty call. Popping up magically and continue playing right away blows your cover. JUST PLAY.

UEFA, FIFA, World Cup, Champions League, CONCACAF, Super Liga, MLS Cup, Premier League, Serie A – it is all starting to make sense now (which is scary!) I wonder how much it would cost to make a trip to South Africa for a couple of weeks in 2010?