You hear every year about how many millions of dollars of damage March Madness does to the US economy due to lost productivity. I wonder how much this morning’s USA World Cup match cost? We were broadcasting the game at work in our all hands meeting room, and I can genuinely say the walls in my office shook when Team USA scored the winning/only goal. Apparently we care a lot about soccer in this country.
I don’t want to be a prick about it, but I do think it’s interesting how many people are catching the trendy strain of World Cup Fever. I myself am trying to decide how much I care. Right now, honestly, not much, but I may be coming around. Here’s why…
The World Cup is the biggest sporting championship tournament in the world, so even if it’s not a big deal in America, I’m always glad to see us represent well on the world stage. More importantly, I’m thinking about donating the part of my sports brain that cares about the Olympics to the World Cup. Every four years I get less and less interested in the Olympics, and they’re becoming insanely overrun with commercial interests. To me it’s like the Olympics are turning into pro sports, which are far less interesting to me than college sports.
I’ll take March Madness with its integrity and diversity and the “cinderella story” factor over Kobe and the Lakers any day. I’m thinking maybe the World Cup is analogous to college sports. Lots of regional loyalties and delusions of grandeur. Lots of teams I’ve never heard of. And best of all, this time we’re the cinderella story. So while I doubt most American sports fans will remember Landon Donovan a year from now, right now, that dude is a legend. And I find myself hoping that I remember.
USA!! USA!! USA!!
