Triviality of World Cup

By Steve Paterno

June 16, 2010 — Throughout this World Cup, every team already played at least a game or two in the first round of the tournament. It has been exciting thus far. One hear commentators every now and then, refereeing to each of those games as World Cup Finals. Heck! Those ain’t World Cup Finals. There is only one World Cup Finals to be played by the last two teams standing, who will be battling for the championship crown. Not even the host country will probably reach to that level—only two—I mean two teams will make it to the finals, since the road to the finals is rough.

Apparently, they have no American commentators for the World Cup. The USA television networks outsourced their commentatorship jobs to the British and people with funny accents. This is another sign that USA economy is not yet recovering, as the hirings are still outsourced overseas at alarming rate. Where is President Barack Obama in all these messed? He should not just penalize the British Petroleum (BP) for oil spill, but he must also deny tax exemptions to the USA television networks, which outsourced their jobs overseas. President Obama must also summon the Homeland Security to check the immigration status of Team USA players at the World Cup. This is to ensure that the USA Soccer never outsourced Team USA to foreign players.

It is actually for the first time the World Cup is played in the continent of Africa. The host people never failed to impress as they welcome World Cup into the continent. They swung in traditional and colorful style, swamping with vuvuzela trumpet like the trambling of African Elephants. To those who are alien to African culture, they thought the trumpets are annoying. They put on ear plugs to avoid the aestheticism of vuvuzela. The Black French players, who most of whom have affinity to Africa and its culture, surprisingly, found excuse for their poor performance during this World Cup. They blamed the sound of the trumpet as a factor that contributed to their poor performances.

Keeping with African tradition, the South African team, Bafana-Bafana, mistook the game of soccer for traditional dancing entertainment, usually performed at the pleasure of the guests. As they were beaten at the pitch on the game of soccer, they where like, “what! We thought we were only to entertain them.” Let the FIFA give South Africa a slack. There is no Africa without traditional music and dance. Let South Africa back to the pitch to showcase their soccer skills—that is if they have any.

What is wrong with FIFA in this World Cup? Does FIFA ban the golf carts off the fields? Now, injured players are cramped and carried out on the stretchers. This will definitely increase the severity of the injuries of players. Let the soccer fans say loudly, ‘bring, the golf carts back, FIFA!’ Or FIFA does not want Football to be linked to golf? Is it because of Tiger Woods or it is just that the Great Republic of South Africa does not have enough golf carts to be deployed in the fields.

Speaking of FIFA, what is the deal with ranking the teams with random numbers, which have no meaning to the fans and players alike. The mighty Brazil is said to be ranked first, and yet they pit Brazil against the People Republic of Korea (a euphemism for Communist North Korea), which ranked the last. (Where is fairness here? FIFA should learn to play fair, at least that is what we are taught from childhood). One would have expected that if FIFA ranking has any meaning, Brazil would have bulldozed North Korea 104-0. That is, because North Korea is said to be ranked number 105, whatever that means.

And them crazy communist North Koreans: it is reported that their President was actually the one calling the plays, not the coach. Not only that, North Korea actually hired Chinese entertainers to act as fans for the North Korean games. Now, this create yet another doubt. Who knows if those players dubbed as North Korean players are actually North Koreans. Instead of screening those players for drugs, FIFA should test them to recite the North Korean national anthems.

The most disturbing thing about the North Korean communist dictatorship is that the regime denied the North Korean people to cheer for their alleged team at the World Cup. The reason is: the people of North Korea could not travel out of the country to watch the team play; have no televisions to watch the games; and did not know that there is World Cup being played—Expensive price to pay for lack of freedom. Can people at least be allowed their God given freedom! Damned, dictators of this world!!!

Let everyone enjoy the World Cup, with utmost freedom.

Steve Paterno is the author of The Rev. Fr. Saturnino Lohure, A Romain Catholic Priest Turned Rebel. He can be reached at [email protected]