Going Sane for Soccer
I could always go crazy for soccer, but I think there are plenty of fans of the sport who would crowd me out of my attempt to go insane for the game. Instead, I am finally going sane for soccer. And instantly, as a true fan of the sport, I must immediately apologize to the rest of the world, because I meant football.
Of course, at this point, anyone who ever heard me on the radio, way back when, or ever read one of my newspaper columns, or online ravings, or even just a long time associate, is wondering how I can include the words "sane" and "soccer" in the same sentence. There, now I've gone and done it, twice now.
Yes, soccer, I mean football.
Via the addition of grey hairs, and far fewer hairs overall, Mother Nature is telling me I am getting older, perhaps a little wiser. I could be one of those folks who gets set in their ways and cheer for the same teams, same sports and eat the same breakfast until that final buzzer of life sounds, but not me. I still love the teams I have always loved, and the sports I have always followed. There is room in my heart for more, and I think I am starting to see what the rest of the planet sees in the game.
Blame my kids on this one, maybe share some of that with my wife as well. Between the three of them, they all earned eight varsity letters playing the sport. The U.S. Soccer teams have aided in the cause, as I have enjoyed the amazing intensity of International competition. Heck, even the local MLS (which stands for Major League Soccer, not initials for some kind of disease) squad, the Colorado Rapids won their first ever league championship last year. The entire family sat around and watched that match.
Honestly, the match was a bit sloppy, very physical and something felt a bit off as far as my expectations. After witnessing a number of World Cup matches, the MLS Championship didn't quite hit the entertainment mark. Sure, some solid players there, including some with experience on the bigger stages of the sport. I needed something more.
Going back to my eldest son, he loved the game from the moment he put on his boots and stepped onto the pitch. For the non-football savy, it is another way to say "cleats". He did the research, talked to coaches, some with their own International resumes and tracked down English Premiere League competitions on television. For a decade now, I have heard the exploits of the Liverpool Football Club Reds. Or LFC for short. I jumped in at the start of the season, have read more history books than I care to admit about the sport and the team over the last several weeks, and that's that.
I am going sane for soccer. Sorry. Football.
Of course, at this point, anyone who ever heard me on the radio, way back when, or ever read one of my newspaper columns, or online ravings, or even just a long time associate, is wondering how I can include the words "sane" and "soccer" in the same sentence. There, now I've gone and done it, twice now.
Yes, soccer, I mean football.
Via the addition of grey hairs, and far fewer hairs overall, Mother Nature is telling me I am getting older, perhaps a little wiser. I could be one of those folks who gets set in their ways and cheer for the same teams, same sports and eat the same breakfast until that final buzzer of life sounds, but not me. I still love the teams I have always loved, and the sports I have always followed. There is room in my heart for more, and I think I am starting to see what the rest of the planet sees in the game.
Blame my kids on this one, maybe share some of that with my wife as well. Between the three of them, they all earned eight varsity letters playing the sport. The U.S. Soccer teams have aided in the cause, as I have enjoyed the amazing intensity of International competition. Heck, even the local MLS (which stands for Major League Soccer, not initials for some kind of disease) squad, the Colorado Rapids won their first ever league championship last year. The entire family sat around and watched that match.
Honestly, the match was a bit sloppy, very physical and something felt a bit off as far as my expectations. After witnessing a number of World Cup matches, the MLS Championship didn't quite hit the entertainment mark. Sure, some solid players there, including some with experience on the bigger stages of the sport. I needed something more.
Going back to my eldest son, he loved the game from the moment he put on his boots and stepped onto the pitch. For the non-football savy, it is another way to say "cleats". He did the research, talked to coaches, some with their own International resumes and tracked down English Premiere League competitions on television. For a decade now, I have heard the exploits of the Liverpool Football Club Reds. Or LFC for short. I jumped in at the start of the season, have read more history books than I care to admit about the sport and the team over the last several weeks, and that's that.
I am going sane for soccer. Sorry. Football.
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