The World is Watching (most of the world at least)

Every four years, for two weeks, the most incredible sporting tournament in the WORLD causes the WORLD to pretty much shut down. Everyone except for the U.S. that is. The World Cup only happens every four years and it is kinda a big deal. There are certain countries that will have national holidays on the days in which their team is playing to ensure that everybody can have a seat in front of their television or radio or laptop or tablet or smartphone or smoke signals so they can tune in and show pride for their nation. For gods sake there are children being born in Brazil everyday being named Neymar just because it is World Cup time.

For some reason though, our very prideful country, just tosses this incredible spectacle to the side like it is the fourth game of the MLB season. Heck the fourth game of the MLB season might get more attention in some parts of the country than the World Cup. It is a travesty that people in our country don't respect or care for the game of soccer. I have been playing my whole life, so I am a little biased on the matter, but still if you sit down with an open mind and watch the beauty of everything you will not be disappointed. The main argument is that the game is boring and slow. Uhmmmm excuse me? "America's Pastime" is probably the most boring and slow game ever created. Did you know that in the average three and a half hour baseball game there is only about 12 minutes of in-play action? That's right. America's game is 12 minutes of balls and strikes with a hit here and there and one diving catch a game that will surely be on sportscenters top ten the next day. Along with seven other plays that look EXACTLY the same. The other three hours and eighteen minutes are shots of managers chewing gum, players spitting in the dirt and Nomar Garciapperra fixing his damn batting gloves while Jerry Remy and Don Orsillio talk about the guy in row 18 eating a footlong hotdog.

I know it may seem like I am just trashing baseball, which I kinda need to do to make my point, but I like baseball. I thoroughly enjoy watching it. I just can't help but think while watching it, how can people think soccer is boring and find this exciting? It doesn't make sense. Hell three commercial breaks in baseball add up to more time than actual baseball action. Do you know how many commercial breaks there are in soccer? Probably two to three and those don't occur until after 45 minutes of non-stop soccer, which is followed by another 45 minutes of non-stop soccer.

People's main argument about soccer is that everybody flops. "Oh why would I want to watch a bunch of dumb Europeans prance around until somebody taps their shin and cries for five minutes before getting up and sprinting like nothing happened" Valid point. However, I find that aspect hilarious. I can't wait for them to flip up the replay to guess how bad of a flop it is. It is normally really, really bad and pretty damn funny.

Basically, what I am saying is, if you don't like soccer, fine don't watch the premier league and all that jazz. But if you aren't watching the World Cup, I don't respect you as a sports fan. Wars have ceased in the past because the World Cup was happening. Tell me the last time any fiasco in the U.S. stopped because the Yankees and Red Sox were playing a game 7 in the ALCS.

There is not unity there. I studied abroad in Australia and almost every U.S. kid loved the fact that they were from from the states. The Australian's would have their own Aussie chants and the U.S. kids would interrupt chanting "USA, USA, USA." We love ourselves and our country but can't support it on the biggest sports stage known to man kind? I put it above the Olympics for the sheer fact that most people plan their day around the World Cup. With the Olympics you just kinda put it on when you have the time and hope to god it won't be ribbon dancing between Belgium and Russia (which will be an incredible soccer game in the group stages fyi). This has been heralded as the best team that we have had in years and it is time it gets some recognition and support.

To prove my point about soccer actually being exciting and fun to watch, go look up our game versus Algeria from the last cup. Watch it, in its entirety, and then try to tell me soccer is boring. Then, if you STILL aren't convinced and don't want to watch the World Cup, let your USA pride get you to watch with motivation from this: I BELIEVEEEE.....

....In all honesty though we are in the group of death and will probably lose in the group stages so you really won't have to watch much. But come onnnnnn, watch at least one game for the country you love!