The World Cup and the Kick in the Groin by Alex Paramo
Alex Paramo
The World Cup just wrapped up and the probabiliuty that half the world was watching at one point or another is very impressive indeed. But what does that say about our world? Outside the U.S. and just about everywhere in the world Soccer, Futbol, Football is King. In some most countries no other sport even comes close.
Sports and Nationalism
In an interesting article in the Chronicle of Higher Education, the author, David P. Barash, examines the possibility that our natural wiring for group participation is manipulated by sports and sports marketers. Additionally, Barash posits, the same vulnerabilities that are exploited for a sense of national identity are one and the same.
Low Expectations as the World Awakens by Joseph J. García
Time to live beyond the limits of what is expected
Time to go beyond the mental barriers erected
Detach yourself from the limited vision
Decisions decisions, Oh, theres never time time to remonstrate
Forget about Hollywood’s romantic love and the Amerikan family life
The picket fence only denigrates leading to internal strife
The ability to think beyond the Amerikan dream
Are but like reems and reems of printed laws that only scream
But contain flaws in the human cause, that lead national liberations
Now is but the fermentation
Of too much drug induced castration
Take a longer stroll to an adventurous fate?
Escape the future, escape the past
Work beyond the standard Amerikan mad dash
Too much time spent on the bottom less pit of the 401k
When health insurance, retirement, social security
Are programmed to secure their pilfering ways
Greasing walls streets thugs
Heeps of pandering manure never taint Madoffs’ scapegoating mates
Believe there are no chances to take
Yes, no chances for the billionaire few
But, the vacuums vortex
Is what’s at hand
The “Global Political Awakening” is making demands
Players, outside the World Cup stands
Kick tear gas canisters for future goals
The Cup but provides momentary spoils
As the Awakening releases our collective souls
Yet as we in states live by our low expectations
The world resounds by the growing reveberations
As final match brings forth the storms of consternation
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As the U.S. born son of two Colombian immigrants I have certain benefits come World Cup time, I get to root for two teams: “The Yanks” and “Los Cafeteros.” The issue of immigration is crucial to any sports conversation because, as in Major League Baseball and especially in the National Basketball Association we have seen the influx of many players from other countries. In these sports a player can play for any team regardless of where he was born or even where he resides. In the Olympics, all notions of amateur have been thrown out the window. The Olympics are now accepted as a show-case for pro athletes while filling the coffers of the International Olympic Committee and serving as publicity for pro leagues.
U.S. Men’s Soccer
The U.S. displayed remarkable resiliency at the World Cup. They were immediately cast as underdogs when placed in the group of death and given a daunting traveling schedule. I rooted for them loud and proud! Despite their success and my affinity for the team, I am a bit troubled by Landon Donovan‘s exclusion from the team and the bigger question it brings up: should players with little if any connections to the U.S. be permitted to play on the National team? Should a player like John Brooks, who has never even lived in the U.S. be chosen over say a Landon Donovan, still one of the best U.S. players, who has committed his life to the U.S. program?
Flag Waving
As a kid I would would follow the NY Mets, NY Jets and NY Knicks not only because I am a born and raised NYer but because for the most part the ‘core’ of the team would stay in-tact from season to season. That consistency on the roster(s) allowed me to identify them and with them in the context of wins and losses. I felt like I could feel their suffering doing a bad season and partake in the celebration(s) with them during team triumphs. Heck, in my mind, I was part of the team! Of course these days yesterdays villain (Boston Red Sox Roger Clemens) becomes today’s hero (New York Yankees Roger Clemens). Which leads us back to Landon Donovan and the German Invasion.
Xenophobia
Now of course my sentiments are not born out of Xenophobia because, as I stated above, my parents are immigrants to this great country. The idea of the U.S. as a country that welcomes people from all corners of the world is paramount to my identity as an American. Many Native North Americans welcomed the first European settlers and helped them get, well, settled and I still believe in that welcoming spirit. My sentiments regarding the U.S. Soccer program coach Jürgen Klinsmann‘s decision of taking 5 German nationals over Landon Donovan and other home-grown players stem from my desire to identify with my national team. I respect Klinsman as a coach but disagree with his decision.
The Final Frontier
The World Cup represents the final frontier, the last bastion of true ‘fandom’ where we root for our team based upon a shared national experience. Of course there is a commercial aspect to it but unlike pro sports or the Olympics, it does not dominate the essence of the tournament. This current World Cup tourney united Americans from Queens, NY, Kearny NJ, Chicago, Il, Seattle, Topeka, Los Angeles, Honolulu and Anchorage. Should we include Berlin and Munich? Where do we draw the line? It is a complicated issue that deserves examination and solutions. Does being German born and raised make those players any less American and/or disqualify them from the U.S. national team? Perhaps a 5 to 10 year residency requirement should be enacted by the U.S. Soccer Federation. Isn’t the whole point of the program to create a strong program in the states?
Beating Belgium
Would Donovan have helped the U.S. squad defeat the Belgium team yesterday? Of course we will never know but one thing I do know is that I would have preferred to watch Landon Donovan yesterday because I would’ve recognized him, been familiar with his style of play and felt like I had been in the trenches with him over the past 12 years. In the video Andres Cantor, Mr. ‘Goooool’, calls the play and describes Donovan as the greatest U.S. Soccer player of all-time.
Curated by Mary Ann Gilbreth, Ed.D., Department of Teacher Education, Educational Leadership and Policy, at the University of New Mexico. This collections includes the work of her students from several of her Reading Methods Classes, promoting cultural diversity in the classroom.
Sports and Nationalism
countries. In these sports a player can play for any team regardless of where he was born or even where he resides. In the 
