Seth's Info

I’ve been watching the World Cup matches consistently and have been forming some thoughts on the goods and bads of the whole affair. Overall it’s been very entertaining and some big matchups are forming in the brackets (e.g. Germany-Argentina and France-Brazil). The US had an early departure after a pretty dismal performance -- they just never got things going. Most people probably don’t have the time or interest to watch, but right now I have that luxury (in fact, it’s kept me sane this past week). FIFA has a good web site with lots of interesting features here.

Goods

1. No commercials during play: While the world cup is as commercialized as any American sport, at least ESPN has the decency to provide continuous coverage for each of the 45 minute halves. In soccer the clock just keeps running, which means no timeouts or excessive attention to off-the-field activity.

2. Quality of Play: World Cup soccer is continuous and dynamic, but it can also get pretty boring. On the other hand, things can get exciting real fast, and there have been some amazing goals scored. Almost all of the players in the Cup are skilled professionals in the international arena, which means that the soccer is at its best. It is hard to appreciate the ball handling skills of these players, but even the average players can do things with the ball that amaze. They are also highly motivated since winning the World Cup for your country is considered soccer’s greatest prize.

3. No sideline interviews or “human interest” stories: I’ve long been unimpressed with the “sideline” interview so common in American football, particularly the halftime coach interview (they are often painful to watch, honestly). The World Cup has none of that, and aside from a little color commentary from the announcers, little is revealed about the player’s personal lives or interests. The focus is almost entirely on the players’ skills and the game at hand.

4. Fans: The fans at the games are colorful and energetic, almost to a fault. The singing makes for a particularly festive atmosphere, even though you can never tell what they are saying.

Others

1. Overdramatic players: Anyone who watches a World Cup game can’t help but notice the great effort that players make to communicate great pain and injury every time they fall to the ground. Clutching of feet, ankles, knees, and the head after incidental contact is common, and easy to see on the instant replay. 9 out of 10 times they are ready to get up and keep playing, without a scratch or limp to be seen. This has always been one of my biggest problems with the game – it makes the players look like wimps, and leads to unnecessary fouls and cards from the referee (see below). If you want to see real pain and suffering, just watch an episode of America’s Funniest Videos.

2. Referees and Yellow Cards: One of the hot topics this Cup has been the record number of yellow and red cards given out by referees (cards are given for flagrant fouls and unsportsmanlike conduct). I don’t for a second envy any referee (in any sport), it’s a tough and thankless job where nobody thinks you’re doing things right. That being said, there have been some pretty poor calls and poorly officiated games where the referees have been instrumental in the outcome of the game. The threshold for cards has been set pretty low, and players with 2 yellow cards have to leave the game and miss the next game. It’s a tough price to pay for aggressive play. In the end, I imagine the best teams will make it through to the final, and the refs will stay on top of things.


I am hanging in there, but it has been a very long week for Jenny and me. My blood counts are low again, and I just don’t feel that well. I’ll try to post again this weekend, we haven’t made any definitive plans for the 4th yet and I’m not sure what we’re doing or where we’ll be next week.

Hope you are all staying dry and cool,

Seth