I've never really been a fan of soccer (football). Not because I didn't like the sport, probably more because I didn't have much exposure to it in the States.
I mean, come on, MLS soccer is played on ESPN "The Ocho", or maybe there is an MLS channel that I skip by with my TV remote. I honestly wouldn't know. My only real exposure was college soccer teams that my sister played on. Those were fun, but that was only because it was my sister, not because you got to see kickass Pele's or raw emotion.
I have no idea what cosmically lined up for me, but how in the world did I end up in THE NETHERLANDS during the WORLD CUP and the Dutch National Team plays in the World Cup FINALS? Not only have I been exposed to football, I've been dipped in it. It is all around you here. You are hoisted up, and let down gently into the sea of Orange and when you are pulled back up, you are different. The fan loyalty is unlike anything I have ever experienced. The players are like rock stars, actually, much more famous than Dutch Rock Stars (because Dutch music is HORRIBLE!) and the Dutch know what Player is dating who and for how long and whether she is nice or not. It really is, as Nate has always said, like reality TV in a way.
Not only have I been exposed to the fan side of football, I've also jumped head first into the sport side of it too. The past two weeks, for work, I have been writing and negotiating European Footballer contracts - in French, Spanish and for UK Footballers. I have been living and breathing football for two weeks and I think my feelings about football are changing. There is an intense emotion that is tied to this sport and it is transferable.
The Dutch lost to Spain 0-1 in the finals, but the Dutch handled the loss with class. In fact, each person that I spoke to about it said they felt the best team won and there probably should have been more red cards handed to the Dutch. Tuesday, Amsterdam welcomed the Dutch National Team home with a crowd of 200,000 people. We watched the "welcome home" at work, and two of my coworkers had tears in their eyes as they covered their mouths to hide their emotions. The train schedule changed for the day to accommodate the festivities. It was a big deal.
Maybe it is human to latch on to what is around you, or maybe football really is a sport that unites cities, towns, villages, Countries and all of their people. In the US, there are so many different professional sports that you don't assume that your neighbor feels the same as you about NFL or MLB or NASCAR. But here, no matter who you are, what you do, how much you make, what kind of bike you ride, how many children you have or where you live...on World Cup match days, you come together, united, and for 90 minutes, nothing else matters.
I am so humbled and honored to have been here during the World Cup 2010 and to have been a Dutch fan for such a monumental event. I hope I never forget what football fever feels like.
This video isn't from the 2010 World Cup, but it is a reminder of why I've grown to like the sport and the emotion and that I am really, really looking forward to 2014.
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