Skip to main content

Don't Call them Bandwagon-er's!

It's hard to believe that only a few years ago the game of soccer seemed nothing short of a call into the wind for majority of American sports fans. But judging by the fact that nearly every bar in downtown Iowa City was over capacity, bursting at the seams with people standing on tables and chairs just to watch the World Cup, I think the tide has turned when it comes to American soccer fans (finally).

Some may think this plethora of new found fandom is nothing but a stint of bandwagon-ers. But I don't think that's the case, especially when it comes to a team that's essentially dripping red, white, and blue. When I think of jumping on the bandwagon, I envision a closet full of NBA jerseys, stacked chronologically from most recent championship winner…or any team that LeBron plays for. See, Bandwagon-er's usually identify with a single player, or a team that 'might be good' this year. But for the World Cup, American's don't identify with a single player, they identify with the fact that a single team is representing our great country (One Nation One Team). We, as a country, rally behind our representations, and those who represent us on a national level. Whether it's at the olympics in unheard of sports, or around a team of incredibly talented and humbled men as they kick a ball around in hopes of becoming the next American heroes, we support those who wear the Red, White, and Blue. 

We look for things to believe in, something to bring a splash of color to our black and white news cycle, we look for things we can put our hope into. The United States Mens National Team gave us something bigger to believe in, they gave us hope for a next round, another day off work, and more importantly, these men gave us a reason to be excited. With tragedy, controversy, and unrest constantly flooding the headlines, the USMNT took over, as they shocked the world by escaping the 'group of death' and advancing to elimination play. Even after a heartbreaking loss against Belgium, the USMNT stood tall, and stayed humble through the loss; something not every team can claim. 

Working at Donnelly's, which was recently voted the #1 place in Iowa to watch World Cup action, I can personally tell you that the crowds of people that filled our tiny bar knew what they were talking about when it came to the game, the players, and the history of US soccer. What was even more profound, was that these knowledgable fans didn't hesitate to explain the game to newcomers. In fact, they were thrilled to give a detailed explanation of the twisted idea of 'offsides', or 'extra time', because they genuinely wanted people to enjoy what they were watching. 

The USMNT may not have brought home the World Cup, but they didn't leave their fans empty handed. These men brought people together from all walks- of- life. In a matter of a few weeks, this team unified a nation behind a sport that few previously cared about. They ignited FIFA-fever through American society, hopefully lighting a fuse that will burn until the 2018 World Cup (do I smell a USA comeback?)

So, call them bandwagon-er's all you want, but to me, supporting the USA won't ever be anything but patriotic. 
b e l I e ve

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Olympic Rings and Emotional Things: What is it about the Olympics that make us ugly cry over sports and athletes we've never heard of?

I'm sitting here on a Wednesday afternoon where, from my couch,  I am transfixed by the multicast view of the Olympics. A quadrant of screens take up the TV where a medal ceremony, men's basketball, skateboarding and a women's soccer game are all happening at the same time. Now, I've always been someone with a love of sports - and it wouldn't be out of the ordinary for me to watch multiple events at the same time, or maybe even grab a stealth peak of the ESPN app to check the score while at a wedding...but to have a quad screen up with multiple sports - even for me, that seems excessive. It got me thinking, what is it about the Olympics that continually captures my attention so fully I can not simply fathom picking ONE of these events to watch? The simple and most obvious answer is that it's fun to watch the world's best athletes compete against each other. You get the super teams, the living legends, the hometown heroes, the underdogs, the record holders - ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Amster...dam(n), that was fun.

I have recently found myself double checking my memories- making sure things really happened, that I actually did the things I think I did, and saw the things I swear I saw, because with all this adventure going on in my life nothing seems real any more; like it's one big dream that I don't want to wake up from. It's a good thing I always carry my Nikon around with me to back up my illusive memories- for proof that my life is actually as exciting as my thoughts tend to illustrate. For the past two days, I found myself in Amsterdam . The best part is, I was able to explore the fascinating place with my friends who flew in from Rome, Florence and London. It was such a glorious feeling to have Katie in my arms, to chow down with Lindsay and Maria, and to do stupid things with Mallory and Heidi- all while being in a foreign (seriously, so foreign) land. Before I landed in the city of canals, I knew very little about it. I suppose research would have been a standard idea, bu...
Post a Comment
Read more

American Idiot

It's like Green Day once said, "I don't want to be an American Idiot". That stupid song has taken over every thought I've had whilst in this foreign land. You see, even though they speak English here, the accents are so thick I often find myself just nodding in agreement followed by a polite giggle after the third time of asking for clarification. For instance when I was at the FINE Wines store (sorry mom and dad), I couldn't understand the cashier and gave up asking the desperate "sorry, what?". Ironically, the only thing I did understand was when he handed me the receipt and under his breath said, "sign your life away here"…he was utterly shocked when I finally heard what he said. Then we briskly left the building, arms full of wine and imminent ragrets  (thats my creed though). But other than being the definition of an American idiot and continuously being told, "Oh, you're American.."(still haven't come up with a cl...
Post a Comment
Read more