I have a problem and it’s a problem as old as life itself –
balancing work and a family.
After spending eight plus hours at the FSC studios doing
nothing but watching, speaking, directing and producing football, my American
wife gets her fashionable knickers in a right old twist when at the end of the
day after fighting through Los Angeles, Westside traffic, I wearily trudge
through my front door, peck her on the cheek, kiss the nipper and ask for the
TV remote. Without looking at the devil’s tool, I punch in a set of numbers and
up pops nirvana, football, 24 hours a day.
To be fair, she doesn’t complain. She knows it’s my job or
that’s what I tell her as I sheepishly explain that the FA Cup is the oldest,
most historic knockout competition in the world and that Mansfield Town versus
Middlesbrough is ‘must see TV’.
“Seriously, Mansfield Town can pull off the shock of the
round. This is a ‘can’t miss’ match,” I explain. The eye roll that follows lets
me know that soccer speak will only take me so far.
“Look,” she says, “I’ll come and watch you drag your sorry
carcass around a pitch for two hours. I’ll watch you on the TV. I’ll even go
online to read your ramblings but after four years, I still don’t understand
this addiction you have and I’ll tell you and anyone who cares to read why.”
Personally, I’m not sure I’m ready for this but according to
an American women (my wife) the following are the reasons why they don’t ‘get’
a sport I’ve been in love with my whole life…
“Courtney, here. Let me just start by saying that I love
sports. I grew up in New England so I am no stranger to the thrill of victory
nor the agony of defeat. I’ve celebrated the Celtics dynasty of the 80’s and
early 90’s. Cried on more than one occasion about a Yankees victory and remember
way back when the Patriots nearly perfect season was 1-13 (or something like
that).
I would LOVE for soccer to be a big deal in America. I feel
for Nick every time someone on TV, the Internet or the radio makes a crack
about soccer being the most boring game in the world. I don’t think it’s the
most boring but I see where there are some problems.
Okay, my thoughts in no particular order…and I know this
will seem unsophisticated but here it goes:
There’s so many of them (matches). They always seem to be on (English/Spanish/Italian,
Euros/World Cup/Whatever!). And it always seems as though it is some big
qualifier for something. Then I ask, “So that’s it? Are they are out? It’s
over?” The answer is invariably a complicated explanation of who needs to win
and lose for the match to have really decided anything. I need
higher stakes to care more about the game. It’s the same reason I have no
interest in baseball or basketball until the post season. Unless it’s the Red
Sox or Celtics…scratch that. Only if the Red Sox are playing the Yankees!
Ties are acceptable – no sudden death? This makes me crazy and it’s related to my previous
point about the match not really being that important. If I have invested
90-plus minutes in the game and asked enough questions to care about the teams
playing, including some info about the coaches and players and then it ends in
a TIE?!?!? What? No good. I want some serious, thrilling do or die action to a
victory.
Low scores. I know
this makes me appear to be an ignorant American who can’t appreciate the
attraction of this ‘beautiful game’ of yours…but it just seems to drag on and
on. Up and down the pitch. Over and over. I want the stakes to be dynamic.
“Yes, they’re winning!!” – “Noooooo, they’re losing!!” – I want adrenaline and
missed attempts on goal don’t do it for me.
They just go on and on with no climactic set up of action. No downs, no tip offs, no changing of pitchers, no
field goals, no stolen bases... There just don’t seem to be varied
opportunities to score points or significantly affect the team’s advantage. I
don’t doubt that they exist – I just don’t see them.
I know it’s the most popular spectator sport in the
world...I respect that and I’m sure I’d enjoy the sport if I had grown up with
it and understood all the intricacies. But I didn’t and I don’t. I wish I did.
Or maybe what I really wish, if I’m going to dream, is that they’d change the
game and take some of my comments into consideration. Not likely.
Let the persecution begin…
(and Nick, I hope you appreciate my writing your article
tonight!)
Yes I do Courtney...
I had originally planned to pontificate endlessly about the
magic and unpredictability of the FA Cup today. The trouble is this - since
1996 only Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United have won the FA Cup
and after this years 4th round, nothing looks like changing. So
that’s the motivation for this piece. I came home and told the wife the FA Cup
was predictable which led to the response you’ve just read.
So the question has to be this.
Will American women ever get the game (I know it doesn’t
matter but we have to humor them eh!)…who knows but one thing is for sure and
it’s something men have said since time began. ‘Can’t live with them, can’t
live without them’.
Until then, grab me a beer Court, there’s a match I’ve just
got to watch
American women will begin (and have begun) to love the game when their sons and daughters, then husbands and wives grow up inside the game. It is happening now. More generations, more lives, more interest, more understanding. I can't wait!
Got a kick out of this article. I normally hit the foxsoccer blogs and sometimes post there but, true to msn/fox form, technical difficulties prevent that this morning.
Wanted to comment first, I thought the article was amusing because I, like you, have a woman whom, I understand, puts up with my soccer habit - but only just. She will occasionally accompany me to my local for a big match, or to collect me after I watch Arsenal on a given Sat. or Sun. morning.
She often watches a bit. She understands the game (in the way that I understand Italian is a language. I can order wine, find the bathroom, get on my train on time. But that's it - the basics.) She prefers Serie A, because as she has informed me, they are all so good looking. And, thankfully foxsoccer's coverage is better than most b/c one gets close-ups and face shots.
Some of our wife's points remind me of some discussion I've had. Props to her for jumping in and "helping" you.
And, finally, I'd like to apologise on behalf of the adolescents, juveniles, and other jerks who are lambasting you on the foxsoccer blog. These are the fools who clearly miss the intellectual points of the game, have likely NEVER had a woman, and otherwise argue merely for the sake of arguing. Like dogs that bark because they are bored; or don't know what else to do - they bark but they don't understand why.
Stats, tactics, debate, these are all fine things. But not one of those nitwits have ever, I'd wager, had the opportunity or ability to write a sports column, blog, or show. One last com
Great article. My wife feels the same way. However, after 12 years of marriage, she prefers to watch the EPL with me (ONLY MAN U!! she loves Ronaldo). We grew in Houston, Tx where there is only one kind of football. So when I started playing soccer at 6 years old (1979), my friends thought I was nuts. But, I grew up playing baseball in the spring/summer and soccer in the fall/winter.
When I met my wife the only sport she watched was the Super Bowl. Now, she watches the World Cup, the FA Cup, and the Champions League. Even if Man U isn't playing, she likes to see how good the other teams are and we compare them to Man U.
Nick, be patient. She'll come around. It's only 4 years man.
As an American female that enjoys soccer, I get very frustrated when the preimer matches are not televised. Like today's FA Cup game with Aresenal and Man U. I prefer to watch soccer any day over American football.
this might be off topic, but Mr Webseter is watching a FA game for a team that has mostly part timers while he refuses to acknoweldge the importance of the African Nations Cup, a tournament has some of of the best players in the world and many of these African players play in the EPL, how about the Ivory Coast players are worth over 150 million euros combined
I need to talk to your wife, and get her head in the game.
It does not take much for a woman to get another women interested in football. Sometimes its seen as too masculine, too male, too male ego.
It has very little to do with the scores, a game is a game afterall, how many points are there in Fishing, but its still a huge sport.
I'd like to know however, what you had to do to get your wife to agree to call your son ' London '
I have an even better example of american women not "getting" it.
I love football, and try to watch it as often as I can - it drives my wife mad. A couple of times I made her sit through a few national team games (I am from Yugoslavia/Serbia & Montenegro/Serbia), hoping that my passion for the team playing might rub off. Not a chance... Not even for her "adopted country."
I figured, maybe since national team games were mostly rubbish I'd try with Champions league - didn't work. Tried Premier league, Italian, Spanish... Nothing...She just simply doesn't care.
Crazy thing is - she played football (soccer:) for over eight years. She only quit after blowing out her knee in college. However - can't stand watching it, and according to her none of her teammates ever watched it on tv. Crazy...
She loves her Packers - grew up in Green Bay - but will not watch "other" football. And this might be the "key" - growing up with it.
We both grew up with football, just a differend kind... I learned to love the Packers and "her" football, she won't give "ours" a chance... Just doesn't care...
Ive never really thought about it like that as far as her take on ties at the end... I am american myself, and from middle america (Oklahoma) i've played just about all sports growing up and through highschool. basketball, football and soccer..i hate baseball....to me thats a sport i wish would die, its 2 people playing catch and every once in a while a fat out of shape over 30 year old walks and catches a ball.....yay yay...let me hold back my excitement...haha. but yeah i do feel the need for no draws, if every soccer game had to have a winner and i dont mean extra time, cause these guys dont need that every night, but i say 90 minutes if that doesnt settle it, its time for penalties...then we might have it right for americans, they dont want to pay the money, parking, drinks and food, drag the family out and walk home going well... nil-nil...but wasnt it exciting...penalties at the end, get the fans into it at the end of a boring game, and everyone walks away happy accept for the team who were trying to play for a draw (holding the ball, kick backs to the goalkeep etc.)
