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Behind The Scoreboard
By Claude Vinson ‘Futbol’ and more sports First
let me say that I sincerely hope that your July 4th celebrations were
safe, satisfying and relaxing. This is being penned prior to our annual
(ninth) Water Gun War, but if previous years are any indications, I am
sure that it will be a soaking good time. There
were top level sports activities going on before, during and after the
celebrated day. As popular as the American style of football has become
in the last couple of decades, it pales in comparison to the world
style of football (often pronounced “futbol” on the international
scene), commonly known as soccer. For whatever myriad reasons, soccer
has begun to pique the interest of many on the American stage and it
has drawn embracers from all ages and gender groups. The
FIFA (Federation of International Football Associations, I think) World
Cup tournament, which has been going on for weeks now and is scheduled
to end on July 11 in Durban, South Africa, saw our U.S team put out
after reaching the field of 16, a pinnacle place which they had not
enjoyed for about 80 years. The Americans tried hard to make an
impression in a sport which has been the number one athletic activity
worldwide for eons. Their run was halted, oddly
enough, by the same team which eliminated them from competition in the
last World Cup, Ghana. The game was marred by some suspect calls from
the officiating crew which did not set well with most Americans. Unlike
our football, there is only one official in the center of the field
(the head referee). The other six are all on the sidelines. The
Ghanaians won by a single point (2-1). In all
sporting activities there always seems to be an emerging hero and in
the World Cup games it was Landon Donovan when they played Algeria.
Aside from the heroes, there are also amusing asides which add to the
different stages of the sports. For instance during the recent NBA
draft, one draftee relating to the vast TV audience remarked how poor
his family had been and how courageous his mother had been through it
all and that he had already bought her a house. And
of course, you all know of the meteoric rise to dominance in the tennis
world by the Williams sisters and what it has meant to their family.
Serena just won her fourth Wimbledon championship and 13th Grand Slam.
Sister Venus (who was ranked number two) was also in the tournament but
did not reach the finals. If one studied Venus’ countenance during her
match, one could clearly see that the verve and drive were not
reflected. Methinks (as they say in England that she is just trying to
give baby sister a chance to catch up). Of all
the attendant stories surrounding the sports world there is one that is
particularly amusing and gratifying. When I was in England the first
time, everyone played the “football pools” in the papers. One could win
a fortune by betting pennies. There was a 60-year-old “char woman” who
had worked for the same three building apartment complex for over 30
years. She put seven pennies on her picks and won 86,000 pounds
sterling. At that time the rate of exchange was approximately three
dollars (U.S.) to the pound One would probably
think that the lady would have retired to her favorite country side and
lived a life of luxury thereafter, and one would be wrong. She bought
the apartment complex and would you believe this? She continued to be
the “char woman.” Isn’t the world of sports wonderful?
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