The difficulty in fully appreciating the event, and soccer in general, is the eerie, underlying soap opera screenplay. After consulting with a couple of my European friends about the amount of injury embellishment used by the players, I have been assured that it is used "all the time man". I have a problem with that. There seems to be a lack of dignity involved. Having watched six of the first nine games I still can't get used to guys dropping as if they had been shot in the chest with a Ruger when someone brushes their shoulder or collapsing like they've had a knee tendon severed with a hatchet when someone whispers in their ear. I'm used to seeing unsportsmanlike conduct penalties when injuries are faked. It's not that I don't think that they get injured from time to time, after all, this is nearly a sport. The aim of this point of view is best encapsulated by the fact that most injuries occur as a result of kicks to the shins, padded shins. Meanwhile, my sports heroes lose seven teeth and miss only three game minutes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfJx1L71DUU&feature=related).
I suppose I could even look past the 'art of the dive' and the slow motion shots of grown men grimacing and writhing terribly in the pain due to their non-existent pain, after all, they are looking for a competitive advantage like all athletes.
I often hear about the passion of the players and fans. Perhaps there is something to that or perhaps the passion is misplaced. I guess my problems with the sport are petty and base because of I'm uncomfortable when the men who compete are wearing socks that are longer than their pants (it's a better look for roller girls) or when the sweaty combatants exchange their game worn shirts after the match. Besides the apparel, I was under the impression that going by one name was reserved for eccentric, female, pop-music stars like Cher, Madonna, and Bono, yet soccer stars like Ronaldino and Kaka seem to be pretty cool with it. I guess I really don't get it, that's not the kind of passion I understand. I think most men, most women who like a man's man, and maybe even men who like men who they think are women are with me on this one.
Maybe I have misunderstood the different factions. I mean, some fans sing club songs in unison whilst joining hands while another group of the same fans throw urine bombs at opposing fan bases. It should be noted that I'm not disrespecting soccer, I'm simply making fun of those who play it.
