Those of you who know me, know I'm not very into sports. And that's probably the understatement of the century. I have no clue what's going on in the NBA finals, who's playing in the Superbowl, and I don't even understand what the World Series is. But, I'm absolutely obsessed with the World Cup.
By obsessed I mean...I watch as many games as I can (definitely every single Brazil game, and as many of the others as my schedule permits); I keep track of who won each round (I used to have a chart pinned to my office wall; this year, I downloaded the handy iPhone app...I like it, but it's not the same); and definitely by the quarter-finals, I have more than one horse in the race, and am enthusiastically cheering for or against whoever is playing. Another thing-- watching soccer with me is incredibly irritating. Especially if you're not as into soccer as, say, the average Brazilian. I have been known to throw things at the TV during a bad play, and there's definitely a lot of screaming going on. Needless to say, World Cup summers are my favorite.
I can actually remember every single World Cup I've been alive for (with the exception of the 1982 World Cup, but as I was only about 4 months old at the time, I think I get a pass). In 1986, I remember my parents dressing me up in a Brazil uniform and cheering with my little sister (who did not possess a cool Brazil soccer uniform like me, and instead wore my dad's local team's jersey). I remember watching all the games with my dad. In 1990, I got my first introduction to watching more than one team. I was in Mexico staying with friends, and we watched both Mexico and Brazil games. In 1994, my family was relocating the U.S. during the World Cup, which was also in the U.S. My dad, baby sister and I arrived in Memphis on the 4th of July, and the U.S. was playing Brazil that same day. I remember watching the game in our temporary rental house with my family, and thinking it was a very apropos game (Brazil won, and went on to win the World Cup later that month). My family actually moved into our new house before our furniture arrived...and all we had in the house was a mattress each, a TV hooked up to ESPN so we could watch the World Cup, and five plastic chairs (my baby sister would just crawl around, usually wearing a jersey from whatever team we were rooting against as a mock diaper). Ah, 1998. The year Brazil lost to France in the finals, in France, 3-0. It was devastating. I was in Brazil for the summer...and I don't like to think about that day. In 2002, it was the summer after my freshman year of college. The games were at ungodly hours of the day, and I remember my grandpa, who was in Memphis for the summer, waking us up at 5 a.m. to watch. It was worth it too...Brazil won again.
I have to say 2006, though, is by far my favorite World Cup to date. Even though Brazil lost. I was in New York, and other than the years I was in Brazil, it's probably the year where there was most enthusiasm for the World Cup. As in, I could go to a bar and there would be actual other people there watching, too! It's also the year I started dating my better half. He's a World Cup enthusiast himself, and so we started watching games together and eventually, started dating. We joke that our first date was the World Cup finals. He'd asked me where I was watching, and when I said I had no plans, he invited me to watch with him, and to bring friends. I brought my roommate, my two sisters and my cousin who was in town...so he met practically my entire family in one fell swoop.
I feel as if exciting things just happen to me in World Cup years. I mean, look at this year-- my life has done a complete 180 from last year.
So yay, World Cup year! Now, excuse me...I have to go prepare. Brazil plays at 2:30 today.
