1

Real fans hate people like me. It’s ok. I become a soccer — sorry, the real football — fan once every four years, when World Cup. (Not a grammatical error. Do I really need to say more?)

It’s not hard to explain the why. I quite like soccer. It’s beautiful. The running. The kicking. The perfect geometric lines. The drama. I just don’t love it enough to either play it or follow any team year-round, you know?

Once every four years — perfect.

(I feel the same way about the Olympics.)

I even love the nationalism. It’s the good sort, you know? Cheering for your national team, for your athletic youth. Appreciating their skill. Crazy with joy when they win; crying with millions of other people when they lose.

And there are no real consequences — nationally speaking — to losing. You feel bad for a while, you shit-talk the guys you love before, you explain passionately why they would have won the game if they had played the way you think they should have played… and then you move on to the next thing.

We should settle all international conflicts with sports, you know? After all, we kind of invented them to channel war/fighting energy into something more positive.

2

I watch the games — real fans hate this — chiefly in the background or through highlights. I don’t have the time or the patience to watch a full match. (I can rarely watch a full movie in one go either, unless I’m sick or trapped on a plane). 

I make exceptions for big drama. Like in 2020, when Morocco was on fire? Watched almost every game. Cried for a few minutes when they got knocked out. (Ok, I didn’t, but I was sad.)

3

Happy fact: AI will not replace soccer players.

Fun mind game: If you asked a world-class soccer player — or a wanna-be world-class soccer player practicing footwork in a school yard — if they would rather play soccer or watch AI play soccer, what do you think they would say?

Fun mind game 2: If you asked a world-class soccer player — or that passionate kid — if they want to use AI to play better, what do you think they would say?

Yeah. I agree.

Say less.

4

Sports don’t always bring out the most in us, of course. Sports-motivated riots suck, of course, humanity at its uncontrolled, mob-mentality worst.

When we figure out how to channel that passion into good, always, we’re gonna win the being human game.

Don’t dis. It might happen.

5

Memory from when my son was seven or eight and briefly really into soccer, and I couldn’t really walk or stand: We’d put up some goal posts, and I’d stand there supporting myself on a hockey stick and and a garden rake, being a really terrible goalie while he was a terrific striker.

He doesn’t remember.

I do.

6

Of my three kids, one did MMA for a while and was a bit of a gym rat, one got a black belt in Tang Soo Do, and one loves all the sports, especially, right now, football, rugby and basketball, and is now spending much of his time at Eau Claire Plaza with friends, watching all of Team Canada’s group stage games. He’s not really into soccer these days… but he’s loving the World Cup.

I totally understand.

7

I also really loved Ted Lasso, by the way. Loved it.

8

I’ve just finished watching a bunch of highlights, including Egypt versus Belgium and England versus Uruguay. 

And Scotland versus Haiti, OMG, the Scottish fans.

I think… if you don’t understand why people get so passionate over sport, you don’t understand people.

So you should try.

At least once every four years.

Now excuse me… there’s a Team Canada game at Eau Claire on Thursday, and I’ve gotta get ready for it.

Come join?

xoxo

Jane