I was recently introduced to Bill Simmons Podcast on itunes. If you haven't heard, he doesn't just talk about Basketball. He has recently been talking about what is considered the biggest sporting event in the world that is happening in 1 week (eek!!!) the FIFA 2010 World Cup. Over the last year, I found myself falling deeper and deeper into the world of Soccer. So in 1 week, what is arguably the greatest world sporting event is going to take place. Fans and countries all over the world wait 4 years for another chance at the World Cup. It funny thing is in the United States, there doesn't seem to be that much hype about it. I was a bbq this weekend, and myself and my boyfriend were the only two remotely excited about it, or knew much about it. I've been mapping out a schedule of games, and times and trying to figure out how I'm going to get to watch some of the matches during the day. All over the world, things stop when a match is on. That is all a whole country will focus on for 90 minutes. So this Podcast was with an English journalist who write for ESPN covering world soccer events and news. It was great to hear a global perspective on the world cup. More interesting was hear that the rest of the world, especially global press don't even think the US has a chance at the Cup. I think this particular podcast really got me thinking about global media and, using the world cup as an example, has a completely different view of the world than we do. I think its fascinating to see how we are represented in the global press just with soccer. I can't imagine how the world perceives us on other issues. In any event, the FIFA 2010 WORLD CUP starts this Friday June 11th. If you are looking for one of the greatest match ups this century watch the USA vs. England match June 12th and 2pm. GO USA! And remember, don't shoot until you see the whites of their eyes.
If you've never read it, check out the original book FEVER PITCH...mighty fine! We may be on the road Saturday, which would mean I miss USA v. England, but the Cup is a lot of fun...I'll be watching the opening match Friday w/ hosts S. Africa for sure!
ReplyDeleteBill Simmons is by far one of the best Boston sports writers, if not the best sports writer in America because of his upbeat ideologies and his funny antics. He really connects with the audience and that his observations are very sincere. Even though he is 100&% a Boston fan, he is not afraid to say what he is feeling towards Boston or other rival states (NY, LA). The World Cup will be one of the more memorable events because it only occurs once every 4 years and that the hype that surrounds the World Cup is tremendous because it affects the world, unlike most other sports. If you are interested in Bill Simmon's Podcast's, you should also check out Rick Reiley's pages as well, you can find his work on ESPN.com
ReplyDeleteGO USAA