Never before have I lived through such SOCCER FEVER. Growing up I was entirely ignorant of soccer. Later it seemed to be a sport only played on the grounds of elite private schools. And I never paid attention to it, though in general I'm not much into watching sports, to know that it has become INTERNATIONAL.
This summer, however, I could not ignore soccer. It seemed everyone else was obsessed with watching the FIFA/ World Cup wherever I went. Streets were blocked off - usually streets that had bars and restaurants with televised programs. Even libraries had the opportunity for fans to watch the games and scream and yell. Local stores were jammed up with team support products - keychains, little soccer balls, whatnot.
So I watched a few games and was relieved to realize I could follow it and understand it better than I ever have "American Football." I came away with the idea that soccer is more popular than the Olympics, that these events include teams that come from countries that seem to barely participate in the Olympics.
After a month of almost daily exposure to soccer, I must say that I am also relieved that it's over.
There is so much more to do in summer than watch televised programing.
