Reflecting on World Cup, Wimbledon, and sports in general

One of the jobs I sandwiched between my teaching gigs was sportswriting and editing. To understand just what that meant to me at the time, you'd have to know that my dream job as I approached graduation from college was to be Sports Information Director at the University of Delaware. I had done stat work for the college radio station in both football and basketball, and I thought being the SID would be as close to perfect as I could get. But those jobs were and are scarce, and I found myself teaching - coaching lacrosse satisfied my sports hunger during those first years. When I found myself sitting around at home, waiting for my first child to be born, the opportunity arose to become a sports writer for a small local weekly and my ten-plus years as a sports journalist began. I schlepped my kids to countless games and learned to ask intelligent questions about soccer, cross-country, and wrestling, as well as gaining more knowledge of my beloved field hockey, lacrosse, football, basketball, baseball, and track and field. For a while, I even subscribed to The Sporting News.

As my kids grew, we were a full-bore sports family. I stood at countless soccer, lacrosse, and baseball games, then later at cross country and track meets. I love to watch people who love to play and get a thrill out of "my" teams winning. I've been a huge Phillies fan for over 30 years and find myself looking forward to every Olympics, winter and summer, for the pageantry as well as the competition.

And I really get the World Cup, having been in the UK the last time it was played. I was excited that the American team qualified and really enjoyed watching them play. But I have to confess that I was actually kind of glad that Ghana defeated them, not because there is anything inherently unlikeable about the American squad or its coach, but because it means so much more to other countries. It's not like the 1980 ice hockey squad - a bunch of amateur college kids playing against the Soviet machine; most (if not all) of the U.S. soccer team players are pros and many play in Europe. It reminds me a little of the basketball Dream Team - I never really liked that whole concept, frankly. And I am SO sick of American fans behaving so badly in international events. I really hate the constant chants of "U.S.A! U.S.A.!" whenever any American is competing in any sport. Seriously, folks, you had NOTHING to do with the little gymnast or water polo player accomplishing anything.

Also, my son-in-law has a soft spot for Ghana, having spent some time there. And Ofebia Quist-Arcton, an NPR reporter who is a Ghanaian and usually is covering much more serious events, was delightfully excited when she reported on the victory and what it meant to her country.

We Americans do American football, baseball, and basketball pretty damn well - we can enjoy soccer without feeling like we have to be a world power in that, too.

Is it wrong to love Wimbledon primarily for upsets? I somehow feel that it puts me in league with people who go to car races and are disappointed if no one crashes. I love it when the big names are pushed to the edge (Roger Federer) or occasionally defeated by a relative unknown (Venus Williams). And that marathon match was one of the most fascinating things I have ever seen. I remember watching the fortnight back in the Evert-Navratilova, Connors-McEnroe days and hearing Chris Evert talking about the ladies in the locker room drawing baths for the players. I particularly love the announcers: "Ad-VAHN-tage, Miss Nav rah ti LOV ah." And I thought it was funny that the married women were, at least early in my memory, called by their husband's names: I believe Chris was known on the scoreboard during her first marriage as "Mrs. J. Lloyd."

Finally, I am shocked, SHOCKED to hear that Lenny Dykstra took steroids. Really, weren't we all just so impressed how he developed those muscles through off-season hard work? I'm wondering what other names are going to trickle out now. Hate to think the whole decade of the 90s will carry the stain.

Oh, and it turns out there is a huge gambling scandal in sumo wrestling. Just saying.