Sis, I don't know how it is on your side of the world, but World Cup Fever is at an all-time high here in Germany. First because Germany has a pretty good chance at making it to the top.
Anyway, luckily, here in Germany, all the games are covered on public TV -- public TV is paid for by the people. Each one has to pay an amount, called a gez here -- something like Euro 18 every month if you have a house or apartment, which means pretty much everyone. Before it used to be paid only by anyone who had access to media -- like a television or a radio, or even a computer.
So back to the World Cup. I couldn't believe how rough and tumble football was. Okay, I am not an expert, but I do know that people can get pretty hurt from the things these players are doing. I am thinking if a normal person was out there running full speed with a ball and someone puts a leg in front of him -- basically, you know, like the thing we used to do in elementary school, when we put out a leg to trip someone, and laughed when they did trip -- the other person could get pretty hurt. Or when someone stands right behind another who is currently jumping high -- meaning obviously that they land on the other person and completely lose their balance and fall on their backs -- and this, from some really high jumps -- that could mean a real ouchy. (I remember they used to call it "sahod" in the Philippines-- translating to "scoop" in English). But that seems to be pretty much what football playing is all about -- and this at the World Cup.
Until I saw how Germany played vs France, then I knew it could in fact be a gentleman's game (They do call rugby as hooligans playing like gentlemen and football as gentlemen playing like hooligans ). Here in this game, everything was pretty orderly, the players were dribbling the ball nicely, passing nicely, heading in goals nicely, saving nicely and correctly and there was not too much pushing and pulling and clawing and desperate kicking and tripping and diving. I am not saying that all South American teams play that rough and tumble way -- Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay -- hmmm, wait a minute... Could it be that some teams are more evolved? Playing the game a longer time, perfecting the moves, but it ain't fun playing only with each other, so you have to let the other kids in.
The crazy thing is, you can see every little move now on high-definition television, so for every foul or almost foul or red card or yellow card, there is an instant replay in slow high def motion. And you see the culprit and his devious plans. Like, say, a player biting on another player's shoulder or a player running full tilt and with a little jump, planting a knee into the middle of another player's back, or a player belly-flopping and diving wildly even as the other player just scratches his head. And the referee who is supposed to penalize evil pats his hand. What lesson does one learn? Could it be that "one can get away with anything even when everything can be played back and checked in slow motion"? How can you solve this problem? -- Maybe whenever there is an iffy decision, then they can check out the playbacks -- but then that would be just about everything and the game would go on forever, so scratch that.
Another realization is that I actually enjoyed the rough and tumble football loads more than the orderly football. I liked watching the players cry their hearts out like little lost boys when they lost and wholeheartedly dancing together, kneeling and pointing fingers up to their God, leaping and jumping over each other for joy, dancing and hugging and tightly embracing and kissing, yes, even kissing, when they scored a goal. Wow, the depths of their emotion! Those are the moments you remember, but then, when I look back, I think about those times when they were playing and maybe unwittingly (?) seemed to be out to physically hurt the other team's players, and there are, in fact, bruises and broken bones, even blood at times. Is this something one should enjoy? Pretty much reminds you of the arena/colosseum times when the gladiators are out in front of city crowds to fight each other to the death for the entertainment of all. And yes, during those times, the crowds roared and enjoyed the blood and gore and egged on the gladiators to greater glory.
It seems to me also that football reveals the character of a nation. Which one gets things done in a disciplined, orderly, mannered way, and which gets it done in a haphazard, not following all the rules, even desperate, sacrificing it all, way. I hate stereotypes but football style does seem to play out these stereotypes.
I am also pretty much impressed at the dedication and athleticism of these football players -- aside from their wonderful abs, of course! To reach this level, they must have trained forever -- lived, slept, ate football, given up a lot. You can see this passion and hunger in each of the player's faces. I am worried every time they fall if they would get up, but they always seem to do so -- although, once in a while, with a little acting, it looks like.
Anyway, I am out of my depth here. Just some ruminations on football and the World Cup from an observer. Looking forward to Brazil vs Germany. Chaos vs Clockwork? Emotion vs Precision? Pure joy vs Fulfilled Expectation?
And my final lesson, Football is like life. Here you can fill in all your cliches...
Anyway, luckily, here in Germany, all the games are covered on public TV -- public TV is paid for by the people. Each one has to pay an amount, called a gez here -- something like Euro 18 every month if you have a house or apartment, which means pretty much everyone. Before it used to be paid only by anyone who had access to media -- like a television or a radio, or even a computer.
So back to the World Cup. I couldn't believe how rough and tumble football was. Okay, I am not an expert, but I do know that people can get pretty hurt from the things these players are doing. I am thinking if a normal person was out there running full speed with a ball and someone puts a leg in front of him -- basically, you know, like the thing we used to do in elementary school, when we put out a leg to trip someone, and laughed when they did trip -- the other person could get pretty hurt. Or when someone stands right behind another who is currently jumping high -- meaning obviously that they land on the other person and completely lose their balance and fall on their backs -- and this, from some really high jumps -- that could mean a real ouchy. (I remember they used to call it "sahod" in the Philippines-- translating to "scoop" in English). But that seems to be pretty much what football playing is all about -- and this at the World Cup.
Until I saw how Germany played vs France, then I knew it could in fact be a gentleman's game (They do call rugby as hooligans playing like gentlemen and football as gentlemen playing like hooligans ). Here in this game, everything was pretty orderly, the players were dribbling the ball nicely, passing nicely, heading in goals nicely, saving nicely and correctly and there was not too much pushing and pulling and clawing and desperate kicking and tripping and diving. I am not saying that all South American teams play that rough and tumble way -- Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay -- hmmm, wait a minute... Could it be that some teams are more evolved? Playing the game a longer time, perfecting the moves, but it ain't fun playing only with each other, so you have to let the other kids in.
The crazy thing is, you can see every little move now on high-definition television, so for every foul or almost foul or red card or yellow card, there is an instant replay in slow high def motion. And you see the culprit and his devious plans. Like, say, a player biting on another player's shoulder or a player running full tilt and with a little jump, planting a knee into the middle of another player's back, or a player belly-flopping and diving wildly even as the other player just scratches his head. And the referee who is supposed to penalize evil pats his hand. What lesson does one learn? Could it be that "one can get away with anything even when everything can be played back and checked in slow motion"? How can you solve this problem? -- Maybe whenever there is an iffy decision, then they can check out the playbacks -- but then that would be just about everything and the game would go on forever, so scratch that.
Another realization is that I actually enjoyed the rough and tumble football loads more than the orderly football. I liked watching the players cry their hearts out like little lost boys when they lost and wholeheartedly dancing together, kneeling and pointing fingers up to their God, leaping and jumping over each other for joy, dancing and hugging and tightly embracing and kissing, yes, even kissing, when they scored a goal. Wow, the depths of their emotion! Those are the moments you remember, but then, when I look back, I think about those times when they were playing and maybe unwittingly (?) seemed to be out to physically hurt the other team's players, and there are, in fact, bruises and broken bones, even blood at times. Is this something one should enjoy? Pretty much reminds you of the arena/colosseum times when the gladiators are out in front of city crowds to fight each other to the death for the entertainment of all. And yes, during those times, the crowds roared and enjoyed the blood and gore and egged on the gladiators to greater glory.
It seems to me also that football reveals the character of a nation. Which one gets things done in a disciplined, orderly, mannered way, and which gets it done in a haphazard, not following all the rules, even desperate, sacrificing it all, way. I hate stereotypes but football style does seem to play out these stereotypes.
I am also pretty much impressed at the dedication and athleticism of these football players -- aside from their wonderful abs, of course! To reach this level, they must have trained forever -- lived, slept, ate football, given up a lot. You can see this passion and hunger in each of the player's faces. I am worried every time they fall if they would get up, but they always seem to do so -- although, once in a while, with a little acting, it looks like.
Anyway, I am out of my depth here. Just some ruminations on football and the World Cup from an observer. Looking forward to Brazil vs Germany. Chaos vs Clockwork? Emotion vs Precision? Pure joy vs Fulfilled Expectation?
And my final lesson, Football is like life. Here you can fill in all your cliches...
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