New Year's Resolution: Blog

Back by popular demand, the blog is up and running. This post is about a love of my life that I unintentionally left by the wayside, ignored but not forgotten--a bright fire of yesteryear that appeared to have degenerated into cold dark embers. Yet deep inside, unknown to anyone, there burned a deep loyalty, a yearning--a passion suppressed by circumstance that was reawakened on my trip last August to Argentina. What is this love, you ask, so powerful that years of neglect only led to an eruption of heartfelt blog-declaration of allegiance? Glad you asked--it's The Beautiful . . . Game--the most popular sport on the planet--a pastime, hobby of (some would say) spiritual dimensions and astrological proportions. A game that is in many way an analogy of life, and one that people from all races, societies, cultures, and economic backgrounds can and do share. In English, it's football, in Spanish--futbol, in Italian--calcio, Portugese--futebol, German, fussball, and to those of us Americans who grew up eating sliced oranges during half times, it's soccer.

My first day in Argentina, after a red-eye flight across half the planet, I went straight from the airport in my white Fiat rental car to a neighborhood in Buenos Aires called Lanus, arriving just in time to watch one of the greatest rivalries of South America: the Classico between Lanus and Banfield. Words are inadequate to describe the emotion, the enthusiasm, the sheer passion of the fans, so maybe a video will help provide a sliver of the atmosphere:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNhrvZVFNLM

Here are some highlights from the game I attended:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkWBVUdBVd0

It was a nail-biter, and while Lanus didn't win, at least no one died.

I was already hyped about soccer because of the World Cup, but this trip just put me over the top.

Here are some highlights from the World Cup:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBD9h0jUq3w

P.S.: In what other sport do you get commentating like this:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS6Np-g_h5w

So, what I am going to do about it? Play, of course... (to be continued)