Go Sports!

You guys know I don’t know anything about sports. It’s become something of a running joke among my blogmates. I think I’ve become more and more ignorant of sports as I’ve gotten older because I don’t have anyone around to force me to participate, and I wasn’t conditioned to care on my own. The only thing I sort of keep up with is baseball because my dad and I watched it when I was younger.

Anyway. Apparently this really big sporting event is starting? And it’s the sporting event that makes most Americans look about as ignorant as I am when it comes to sports? Something to do with football?

I’m posting this because I want to know: are PB readers into the World Cup? Do you have any tips for those ignoramuses among us? I’ve checked out the Pandagon guide to sounding like you know stuff about soccer. Any other tips?

Photo by Asthenia // Flickr // CC

Shani

Latest posts by Shani (see all)

  • quadmoniker

    I don’t understand it, but I hope everyone’s team does good. What I’m into, shanio, is super muscular dude’s running around in shorts. Sorry, that’s sexist. But let’s be honest here.

    • shani-o

      There are some good looking men on the SA team, gotta say. And I simultaneously acknowledge that they human beings with thoughts and feelings and who are good at their profession.

      • quadmoniker

        exactly. i’m going to blame evolution on how much i enjoy watching their competition.

      • lsn

        There are some pretty good-looking men on all the teams.

        I would like to think I’m not totally shallow… but I have just spent 20 minutes going through photos on the “Non-Football Fan’s Guide to the World Cup” at http://sarkastic.livejournal.com/446372.html

        OK, and laughing myself silly at some of the comments. Honestly I had no idea that so many world-class footballers had done model shoots.

        Other than that my only contribution to furthering knowledge is that offside is very difficult to explain, the word “goal” has more syllables than you’d think possible and the Italians are cheating diving bastards. No, not still bitter over Australia’s exit in 2006!

  • l.

    go watch a game at a world cup friendly bar. I dare you not to get swept up in the excitement!

  • Dara

    I know nothing about soccer, but am following the guidance of the Likability Rankings (based on awesomeness of team name and goofiness of player hairstyles) to figure out who to root for.

  • My advice is, if you’re interested, just watch a game or two. It’s pretty easy to pick up what’s going on. It helps that there aren’t constant time-outs and commercials, so you can really watch continuous play.

    And yeah, soccer players are hotties.

  • I’m Mexican. I’m most definitely into it. First got swept up into it with the ’94 World Cup.

    As far as knowing something, it’s not too difficult. You just have to understand the structure/point system of group play.

  • Paula

    People love to hate on TNR, but their Goal post blog is cute in small doses: http://www.tnr.com/blogs/world-cup

    This Duke site ain’t bad: http://blogs-dev.oit.duke.edu/wcwp/

    And American fan site w/ academic leanings: http://thesearchingcross.blogspot.com/

    There’s always Deadspin, although obv it’s obligated to have more humor than actual analysis.

    A serious take: http://worldcupcsr.wordpress.com/

    But no doubt the largest and most serious soccer fan-base in the US intertoobz is @ BigSoccer. If you don’t know anything about the game and/or the various players and tourneys it might be best to get an intro @ other sites before wandering in there.

    PRI’s “the World” has some nice pieces for us n00bs: http://www.theworld.org/2010/06/02/soccer-world-cup-2010/

  • Paula

    whoops. too many links. sorry.

    • nah. you’re good. took a second to approve it.

      thanks for the links.

  • Pingback: Friday Random Ten: Around the World Cup. « PostBourgie()

  • msl

    Here’s my strategy for following the World Cup:
    – First hope the U.S. team does not embarrass itself before they are eliminated.
    – Then, once they are eliminated (sorry, guys, but it’s inevitable) pick another team or teams to root for. I like to do it by national style. YMMV, but teams that are known for an aggressive, attacking style and stylistic flair are the most fun to watch. That means Brazil (if they choose not to be lazy), Spain, South Korea and the Dutch, primarily. Also pick by favorite players: Magical Leonel Messi and Argentina, Samuel Eto’o and Cameroon, etc.
    – Find villains to root against. The Italians have a rep as whining divers who don’t like to score. I, personally, hope they go down in flames. Everyone seems to hate Portugal, and their star is a preening goof. It is also possible to hate Brazil, as they’ve grown complacent, lazy and entitled. Arbitrary but passionately-held opinions are what makes sports fun.
    – Pay attention to meta-narratives. Will totally-nuts coach Diego Maradona sink battleship Argentina? Will Christiano Ronaldo spend more time on his hair than on scoring for Portugal? Will sports reporters stop complaining about the vuvuzelas?

    My money is on Spain for the win, btw. Fernando Torres is super-cute, Pedro is going to make a name for himself, and Xavi is Mr. Awesome. Spain is known for being a great team that is somehow cursed in international play, so it will be a big deal if they win.

  • I am all in it. World Cup cheering for Ghana. I have nvr been soo gun ho about sporting event till this!!

    • “gung ho”