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(P2) Philosophical
Soccer, Cycling, and the Prospect of World Peace
Granted, I may be a bit different, but I recorded and watched at least portions of all 32 World Cup games, and I wasn't alone. Millions, perhaps a billion people worldwide also watched what Brazilians call "The Beautiful Game." I learned that years ago Nicaragua and El Salvador stopped their war to watch. This time, the civil war in Ivory Coast ceased firing at least as long as their team was playing. North Korea actually urged its citizens to root for South Korea.
Something there is about futbol that captures the hearts and minds. If only we could interest our own sports fans to tune in. I went to a sports bar to watch Mexico play Argentina. The game wasn't on any of its many TV's. At JC Penney's, I attempted to engage a Mexican-American man in discussion of Mexico's passionate play, and he said that, instead, he had watched NASCAR. There is something about Most Americans that (with the possible exception of something like Olympic figure skating) won't cross borders for sports. Is it provincialism? Are we so geographically and culturally removed from the other continents that we couldn't care less, and, worse still, are so many xenophobic? Do we have a President who, before invading Iraq, had visited only Mexico? (That was a purely rhetorical question.) Are our children so juiced on the speed and violence of video games that attaching their attention spans to 90 minute games of strategy and beauty holds little or no allure?
And what of the Tour d' France? I recorded each day's stage race. I suffered as Floyd Landis went from first place to eleventh after "hitting the wall" in the Alps. How incredibly inspiring when, after being written off by everyone but himself, Landis somehow performed one of the greatest feats in sports history by marshalling the impossible physical and emotional reserves which carried him totally up and away from the pack the next day!
All of this not only unites the world but reflects great credit upon Americans. How proud I was to be an American the day the U.S. soccer team, a man down, inspirationally tied eventual World Cup champion Italy! For the most part, however, the papers and pundits reported that the Americans had been losers in the World Cup.
I used to propose that the government support every American citizen with a 6 month travel allowance, tax breaks, and anything short of force to encourage travel abroad as a way of overcoming rampant xenophobia. Of course this idea is impractical. Face it, politicians would prefer suicidal tax breaks during time of war. So, ok. How about at least expecting our leaders to get amped up over the most major international competitions and encourage (by example) our citizens to participate in the excitement with the rest of the world.
Comment Here on any of the above or below and read the comments of others too. Log in as "Other" if you like, but please be sure to sign some facsimile of your name. Or email me at edcoletti@sbcglobal.net.
(P3) Poetical
The Art of Baseball Poetry
by Mike Shannon
A baseball poem should be high and tight
As a fastball on a hitter's night,
Sharp
As a line drive off the tarp,
Lazy as a high fly ball
Fungoed to a pitcher near the wall--
A baseball poem should be artless
As a rookie's heart.
Ball poems should be tossed around
Before returning to the mound,
Felt, and scuffed, and squeezed
Until the proper grip is found,
And caught in the pocket, if you please,
To furnish the diamond that old popping sound,
Ball poems should be tossed around
Before returning to the mound.
A baseball poem should be yellow at night:
Not trite.
For year-round lifelong love
The broken laces of a fielder's glove.
For joy
Calisthenics in the Arizona sun and a bird dog in the bushes.
A baseball poem should be
Poetry.
