Monday, June 19, 2006
Just Say No
The other day I was minding my own business when I encountered an article about the Republicans pushing a Constitutional Amendment banning desecration of the flag. My counter-will raised up, as it is wont to do, and I decided to embark upon my own little treasonous protest to this madness - I would metaphorically burn a flag by watching the World Cup match between the U.S. and Italy and root for the Italians.
Here's the problem: I like soccer now.
Futbol.
It reminds me of the insidious nature of drugs, how one hit of the wrong stuff at the wrong time can kill you - ask the friends and family of Len Bias. I've seen bits of futbol matches played as I was surfing channels and never did it capture my interest, but this time I was actually focused on the game. This time I had a rooting interest in the outcome of the game. This time I was vested in futbol, and futbol took over. Futbol told me to look for a pick-up game on campus. Futbol told me to lose about 40 pounds so I could actually play with the Koreans and Africans on campus. Futbol told me to be ready to school my son in the sport whenever he shows up on the scene (first things first - need a wife, obviously). Futbol went from some silly thing that the rest of the world obsessed over to becoming my own obsession.
Futbol hasn't replaced football as my drug of choice, but it's making a strong bid at #2.
This is why you don't mess with drugs - second-hand, contact highs are worlds apart from when you take that deep drag on your own, when you run that white line yourself, when you send that toxin running through your own veins and the visions of purple haze are all your own. Futbol is a relatively innocuous addiction. Crack kills.
Just say no.
Here's the problem: I like soccer now.
Futbol.
It reminds me of the insidious nature of drugs, how one hit of the wrong stuff at the wrong time can kill you - ask the friends and family of Len Bias. I've seen bits of futbol matches played as I was surfing channels and never did it capture my interest, but this time I was actually focused on the game. This time I had a rooting interest in the outcome of the game. This time I was vested in futbol, and futbol took over. Futbol told me to look for a pick-up game on campus. Futbol told me to lose about 40 pounds so I could actually play with the Koreans and Africans on campus. Futbol told me to be ready to school my son in the sport whenever he shows up on the scene (first things first - need a wife, obviously). Futbol went from some silly thing that the rest of the world obsessed over to becoming my own obsession.
Futbol hasn't replaced football as my drug of choice, but it's making a strong bid at #2.
This is why you don't mess with drugs - second-hand, contact highs are worlds apart from when you take that deep drag on your own, when you run that white line yourself, when you send that toxin running through your own veins and the visions of purple haze are all your own. Futbol is a relatively innocuous addiction. Crack kills.
Just say no.
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No doubt - I'm actually looking for a Ghana jersey, but needless to say, they aren't exactly the easiest to find. I'm going to wear my dashiki to work Thursday - it'll stretch the term "business casual" about as far as it can be stretched, but I will indeed be rooting for Ghana.
Loud and proud.