The world cup is everywhere. You turn on anything
and there is something about the matches, players, fans, etc. It really is unavoidable.
And you know what? That is awesome! The pride, the patriotism, the athleticism —
it is truly a beautiful thing.
That being said, there is also so much negativity
from folks that it is frustrating. And that my friends, is what I will be
discussing today. It may not be an example of how I am living my life like
Laura Bush, but then again it might just be. No one is a bigger supporter of all
things U-S-A than the Bush family. Never has there been an event where our
athletes are on the world stage that the Bush family has not supported. Even
when they are not in attendance, their support can be felt and known. Just
another reason I love that family, especially Mrs. Bush.
A problem is, as unfortunate as it may be, soccer
has never been as big in the USA as around the world. And when people don’t
understand it, they judge. Those that haven’t taken the time to study and learn
the game, miss just how beautiful the sport is. It is fast moving, it is
non-stop, it is exciting, it is fluid, it is beautiful.
Like any event that doesn’t happen every year, such
as the Olympics, there will be bandwagon jumpers. While I dislike bandwagon-ers
very much, they don’t bother me as much when it comes to people uniting for one
thing — their country. I was a soccer fan in high school, but that doesn’t make
me think any less of someone that really is just watching because it is the World
Cup. I say, welcome! I still don’t know everything there is to know about the
sport, but I will watch and I will celebrate the sport. It may not be something
I watch regularly like baseball, but I will gladly take the judgment from
others when I do. Bring it!
The old joke is how watching soccer is like watching
paint dry. I get that. Sometimes no one scores in 90 minutes and a tie is Ok.
It happens, but watching the struggle in those 90 minutes can be quite entertaining.
How is watching soccer more boring than a NASCAR race? A race may give you the
opportunity for a wreck, but soccer gives you the opportunity for a goal.
Plus, very few sports have participants more
athletic than a soccer player. The pure strength, endurance, grace and health
demonstrated via soccer players makes all other sports’ athletes suffer by
comparison. And easy on the eyes to boot. Thank you soccer for David Beckham
and Cristiano Ronaldo for their perfect faces, body, hair — well you get the
point. To watch soccer players is to watch some of the most well-trained and conditioned
athletes out there. They may not look like weight lifters or anything, but they
are rock solid and more athletic than most. To run for 90 minutes, you almost
have to be pure muscle. And take it from a distance runner, enjoy those orange
slices at the half since every marathoner loves to see the orange stop at a
race.
The point of this is not about how hot soccer
players are (that is just an added bonus my friends), it is about either
supporting the sport or shutting the hell up. You don’t like soccer, that is
your choice, but just stop talking about it. I don’t like basketball, but do
you see me talking about it? Nope. Just because I don’t enjoy it doesn’t mean
any one else cares. How selfish would I be to think my opinion on the matter
will change anyone’s mind? And who knows, someday I may learn to love it given
the chance. Have you given soccer a chance? Have you really studied it? Have
you looked past your negative thoughts, and the ones others push on you, to
watch it? If you have and you still don’t like it, I applaud you for trying.
Just keep it to yourself.
So as the world prepares for their teams to take the
field, I ask you to be nice. If you don’t care for the game itself, support the
patriotism, athletes, and your fellow man that wait four years for this event.
See the beauty in the event as a whole. Avoid the negativity from friends and
the news, and focus on the beauty. Focus on seeing the love from athletes,
coaches, families and fans uniting for one thing — to win that cup. I can’t
wait! And maybe, just maybe, find myself a soccer player. What would Laura Bush
do?
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