So I promised a friend I would not write about sports on my blog. But my birthday is around the corner so I am gifting myself. (When did gift become a verb? Around the time impact did?) In any case, nothing about the world of HispanicLatinos specifically but three thoughts that do have some social relevance:
The San Antonio Spurs should be America’s Team. Forget the Dallas Cowboys and the rest of professional sports, with colleges not far behind. Has there been a group of players that so personifies the word team? And so embodies athleticism? And does not embarrass anyone? And allows itself to be coached? That does not use Jesus Christ as a football?
But, of course, the Spurs will never be America’s Team. Not because they are a small market. In an age of egotistical, craven show-offs, the Spurs are your Daddy’s Oldsmobile. And I say thank goodness for that. If we ever get our senses back as a country, it will be because we as one nation decide to return to, and fall back on, teamwork. But when Congress cannot act together to stave off another fiscal crisis, it hardly seems that the rest of the country will ever team up to do the right thing either. (Team can be used as a verb, by the way.) The most selfish football player ever – Terrell Owens – represented more of the country than most people would admit willingly. And he is now out of a job while the Spurs go on winning. I mixed a football orange with a basketball apple, I know, but you get my drift.
Speaking of drift, the world of fútbol-soccer is moving in the direction of technology to fix the outrageous mistakes that referees have made of late in highly visible matches. The most egregious is when a ball makes it past the goal line – in some cases by much as a foot! – and is disallowed. This must be fixed. But not with technology. No. No. No. Add more refs to the officiating team but not instant replay. The proponents of instant replay reside most vociferously within the world of advertising. Like the clowns in college football that want a playoff with as many as five more games on which to advertise. If play is stopped in fútbol-soccer for replays, how soon will it be that we will have to endure another inane beer commercial or those idiotic ads from Capitol One?
One of the game’s beauties is that it flows uninterruptedly except for a brief halftime and, of course, when Italian fans – among them the irriducibili of Lazio – throw lit flares onto the field. (The irriducibili are so loyal to their team that they cannot be reduced – even unto nothingness, get it?) But FIFA, soccer-fútbol’s governing body, already is testing high-tech replay. No! Put two more refs on either side of the field and see how that goes for a couple of years. If that does not work, draft a modern-day Magna Carta for all of the world’s confederations to sign: High-tech gadgetry only for the goal line in exchange for no commercials of any kind.
My third thought is about poor Bastian Schweinsteiger – can you get more German? – who on Saturday failed to convert a penalty kick for the real Super Bowl of the world: The Champions League. Playing for Bayern Munich in Bayern Munich’s own stadium, Schweinsteiger blew a penalty kick that cost his team the world title. I was rooting for Chelsea (re: Spanish stars Juan Mata and Fernando Torres) but when Schweinsteiger missed, his stricken face turned piercing, haunting. But such is the stomach-wrenching passion fútbol-soccer wrings out of humankind. With the Eurocup starting in two weeks – a series of 31 games of which probably 20 will be seen by more people than the Super Bowl – Schweinsteiger will have a chance to redeem himself. I hope he does. But he could end up playing against Spain. I will cheer against him and the Germans then. On Saturday, though, his suffering was so real as to merit genuine compassion from any human being.
That was fun. I enjoyed my gift, which I hope has an impact on my team of readers.
Feel free to forward these blogs adapted from previous writings, with additional thoughts published invariably in between.