Just..a good article. Not only because it makes fun of Balboa..it's just a good WC/soccer article. (Pretty sure the guy is British.. go figure)
BALBOA--BEING THERE::
Morton Hull: Do you realize that more people will be watching you tonight, than all those who have seen theater plays in the last forty years?
Chance the Gardener: Why?
Yesterday, I wrote a post in reference to one M. Balboa. Since then, my mail box has been flooded with emails. Most were eager to marvel at how refreshingly well-trained ESPN's customer service reps are. But a couple wrote with frustration about the allegedly juvenile campaign launched by Frank on this site that has become championed across the web, against Balboa, an athlete previously best known for a mis-hit overhead kick. On the eve of one of the biggest games in American soccer history, I wanted to respond to these individuals and a couple of their questions.
First, for all those worried about the prospect of seeing a grown man lose his job -- sleep easy. Frank has graciously assured us that if ESPN do ditch Balboa, a spot will be found for him on the New Republic summer intern program. Second, to those who compared Frank's campaign akin to a bunch of fourth graders attempting to aggravate a substitute geography teacher to the point of breakdown, I would urge you to think again. Because I think the ESPN commentator issue is a symbol of something bigger -- a prism through which you can glimpse the development of a deep and widespread love of soccer in this country -- and corporate America's willingness to recognize and adapt to it.
I was born in Liverpool and have been in this country for the last four World Cups. The first conveniently happened to be here. Sadly, FIFA's attempt to fibrillate the nation's love of soccer failed miserably. Major cities were packed full of foreigners but the event had as much impact on the American national sporting consciousness as the Republican Convention had on New York City's voting record.
1998 and Team USA's implosion set the cause back even further. Steve Sampson's feuding, hapless, and generally unlikable squad made being a soccer fan in America feel like being shipwrecked a la Tom Hanks in that film where he talks to the Volleyball. Things changed in 2002 and the magical game against Portugal, which encouraged the eager and well intentioned to reach for a Zagats and find Brazilian restaurants in Queens at which they could make-believe they were in the know. Soccer gained an outsider cool, mainly among the unathletic and uncoordinated whose enthusiasm and good nature far outstripped their knowledge and analysis of the game. Like American Football's pioneering European Kickers of the Jan Steneurd ("I vill go and kick ze touchdown") variety -- they were just pleased to be on the team even if they did not fully understand the basics of the game.
Something magical has happened to us though in 2006. Despite the proliferation of nay-saying articles in the run up to kick off of "The World Eagerly Awaits, But Americans Could Not Care Less" variety and in spite of the Czech debacle, a break through has been made: bars in every major city are packed on game day, columns like Hirshey's Deadspin riff (is he the thinking man's George Vescey?) show signs of vibrant home-grown soccer analysis, and major outlets have repetitive front page coverage of every game. And all of these great strides are taking place even though America has yet to produce its first truly world class player.
So, close your eyes for a second and put yourself in the mindset of the legions of casual American sports fans tuning in to soccer for the first time -- those individuals who, for instance, are watching TEAM USA but who have not yet bought the How Football Explains the World. This is their moment. ESPN has taken the remarkable step of airing all the games. On HD no less. So they look fabulous. Which brings us back to Balboa, a man who could be presented as Exhibit A proof that heading a soccer ball can be hazardous to your health. All the casual viewer needs is a voice that is intelligent and accessible. But instead you get Balboa, a man that even corporate strategist charged with devising a way to ensure that America continued to only care about sports that allowed regular heavy doses of commercial breaks could invent in a laboratory -- one part Homer Simpson, two parts Chance the Gardner with a dash of George Bush. The World Cup deserves better, the medium term growth of soccer in this country via a sustained interest and continued growth of television ratings and the advertising revenue that brings will depend on it, and best of all, you Americans can do better. Read this blog. Read Deadspin. Read the Times blog.
So, if after reading this, your efforts to enjoy the tension of the American game are thoroughly violated by the Iron Man's yammering, do what I do when England play. Forget the strategy of turning down the sound and streaming in BBC commentary via the web. Face your fear. Turn down the television's contrast so the screen goes black, and listen -- really think about what Balboa is saying. Write it down, and lets discuss it, and the repercussions it holds for the long term development of soccer and the money in the sport in this country, whatever the result at the end of the game.
--Roger Bennett
