On the way to the post office, I passed various Italian flags, as well as a corner where the Italian tricolor was painted on the sidewalk. On the way back, I even saw a truck with the colors, though I don't think that was related to the World Cup. More flags were other places around the neighborhood.
The local sports station* was not really into the game, more excited let's say about David Wright's great first round in the Home Run Derby (since they carry over runs into the second round this year, he managed to get to the finale, though his second two rounds were lackluster). David is the young clutch third baseman on the NY Mets, part of the short/third duo of the future. The other, Jose Reyes, also got to the All Star Game, but will not play because of stitches in his batting hand because of being spiked on a headfirst slide into first base. Not a good idea, unless there is a tag play. Likewise, it was not wise when he tried to do a headfirst slide while pitch running in game after being hurt.
Soccer, of course, is popular world sport ... known most places as "football." The game brings out multitudes, which let out their emotional and nationalistic energy that make fans in this country look like wankers. I still find the game boring ... basketball isn't too exciting after awhile (monotonous), but low scoring games mostly involving running and kicking a ball makes that look downright riveting. At least, golf sometimes has scenic views. The game still has the national flavor, though I wonder what the appeal is for international games (think Fever Pitch about an Arsenal fan), besides Footballers' Wives.
Also, it is a team game, where the players have to work together, each with a certain role. That is always a good metaphor. Thus, the stupidity and selfishness of the French star's head-butt, though clearly something was behind it. The paper today suggests it was a racial slur with a slam against his sick mother mixed in. Still, you can't do that with the game on the line. It is akin to a Knicks finals game a few years back, back when it was a credible team, where one of those asinine fights led to an on court melee. And, in the NBA, you get off the bench like that, you are automatically suspended. Unlike baseball, they mean business. Still, he won the Golden Boot, the "most valuable player" award. Anyway, they did get to the finals, and the French probably felt it was a matter of pride or something.
While on the subject of sports, let me toss in that I find those SNY (Mets station, which unlike the Yankee opposite number, is on my Dish Network) commercials cute. They involve a guy with a television set playing the station as a head. One does wonder ... there is one scene with him drinking coffee ... how does that work? Still, you have him in a cab, the driver going an out of the way route because an interesting game on ... "ok, let me out ... relax, freak, relax!" My favorite might be him painting the toes (with the interlocking NY symbol) of a sexy Yankee fan and his girlfriend comes home catching him in the act. The girlfriend is also cute and has a Mets patch on her jacket (or shirt) ... a little reminder to us of whom she represents. And, the TV head guy coaxes her to join them on the couch, reminding her that SNY cannot just support one team.
Maybe, I'm just being a slave to the tube, but some commercials are just amusing to watch.
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* Though on various levels its a fine job to pay attention to sports for a living, it must be hard sometimes for the hosts to keep fielding all those calls that re-hash the same thing over and over, sometimes in stupid ways. And, a few do sound a bit bored a times. Like, I went to a Lewis Black appearance at Barnes and Nobles (big turnout, long but workable line for book signing), and it must be hard to do so many of these appearances, including signing all those books. Given Black's thing, how he keeps his voice after all that screaming also is a bit tough to figure out. Btw, this is his movie year -- he spoke of being in four.
Anyway, one dream of many callers is that Dontrielle Willis, the young pitching phenomenon of the Florida Marlins who is pretty wicked with the bat (shades of Babe Ruth, though not a home run hitter -- hit a grand slam off a Met though), will somehow wind up on the Mets. Why the Marlins, team payroll (literally) probably less than the single annual salary of more than one Yankee player (Mussina, Johnson, etc.), would trade the guy is unclear. The team is in one of those rebuilding periods, but they have an amazing class of potential there. They can very well be a credible wild card threat next year. And, why in the heck would they send him to a competitor in their own division?
It is amusing when trade proposals involving dross for good talent are suggested as if just playing in NY (aside from silly people like Greg Maddux who chose not to go and others like more than one pitcher on the White Sox who couldn't handle it) alone was reason for them to come here. The DW noises are just silly. Still, there was a story today of a guy who traded up to a house, starting with a paper clip.
So, anything is possible, I guess.