The World Cup!

The World Cup has once again proven that it’s the best sporting spectacle in the world. And it really doesn’t even compare to anything else. It dwarfs ALL American sports, including the NFL Super Bowl. Dwarfs the Cricket World Cup. Dwarfs the Rugby World Cup.

Despite the ridiculous ticket costs and FIFA being the griftiest of grifters, it appears most games during the group stage have been sold out. Even the likes of Jordan v Algeria. And the atmosphere’s in the stadiums have been excellent. But it’s outside the stadiums that I wanted to make mention of.

While the results on the field didn’t go well for the Scottish National Team, the Tartan Army has won the hearts of all Americans, especially in Boston. Their mere presence at Red Sox games created the best atmosphere that has ever existed in an MLB game. It’s not an overstatement. In general, American sports don’t have the traditional songs or raucous atmospheres that are created in other parts of the world at sporting events. They sang for their players, most notably John McGinn (Super John McGinn!). They turned Fenway Park and every other place where their presence was, into a karaoke bar singing the likes of The Proclaimers, I’m Gonna Be (500 miles) on repeat! They also drank Sam Adams out of Sam Adams…they drank everything but the Bud Light. Do you know how bad Bud Light has to be for the Scots to not drink it!?

I wanted to end this short little blog with these thoughts. It’s clear that our country is still pretty damn cool. All the major cities that have hosted matches have been nothing but welcoming to people from all over the world. Lawrence, Kansas was the home base for Algeria. The community fell in love with the team. The Scots were welcomed by Bostonians and Miamians. It’s rather clear to me that the people of this country can indeed get along with people of different ethnicities, different color, different religions, different from us. The people that try to divide us are currently in charge of our country. I think that we are smart enough to understand that. The World Cup is about love and community. Not hate and dividing.