Last weekend I met a white American blonde man enthusiastically watching the English Barclaycard Premiership at Virunga Sports pub at the famous MTN Center in Nyarutarama. I was stunned by his rare passion for soccer since I knew that the Americans for US are unacquainted and less synonymous with soccer. I was almost right because he confessed to me in a conversation that he had just developed the interest. At age of 40, I almost died of laughter. It is understood that the arrival of the England golden boy David Beckham in the MLS has registered an enormous impact on Americans including this new friend of mine. Well, our conversation that unexpectedly stretched revealed to me interesting facts about the US sports fraternity. There is a reason why Americans are disillusioned with what the rest of the world calls football. In addition to being a low-sometimes-no-scoring game, soccer lacks the level of aggression that so defines the American culture. The methodical focus and relative politeness of soccer makes matches monotone to American-breed sports senses. Absent in soccer are the pretentious--even brass--players who know that part of the game involves putting on a good show for the viewing audience and sponsors. In football, cheerleaders and sometimes marching bands help maintain the pep for slow-moving games. In soccer, cheering and spontaneous sing-a-longs are solely fan driven. Also fan-driven is the sea of national pride displayed by each country and the camaraderie between teams and their players. In America, being from the same country rarely equates to unity between the States. Football is a competition not an opportunity to fraternize. More interesting than the first hour and ten minutes of a soccer match are the fans and sometimes, the commercials. More interesting in the first hour and ten minutes of a football game is the game. In many ways, the international soccer audience is very much like the brands that support them--self-promoting. In America, name brands plaster everything mobile and stationary but individuals tend to drive promotions through word of mouth. In an ad overdosed society, it takes much more to garner viewer attention and ultimately consumer loyalty than the “Because I said so,” approach so prominent in American sports—especially football. Soccer seems to carry an infectious, “Because we said so,” free-for-all. E-mail: ensekanabo@gmail.com
