the World Cup has started, but I can't watch it

[gusl]

I woke up this morning at 6am, by accident (or so I think). So I decided to get up to watch Brazil vs Turkey. Because of licensing laws, no Cambridge bars were open to show it. So I drove around Somerville looking for a place to watch it. Well, despite what you may hear, Somerville is not a Braziltown. There were no street parties to watch the game, and I got most of my information from a French radio station. I couldn't decided if it was Quebecois or Haitian. Shame on American radio! At work I was told the game wasn't worth it anyway.

During the day I closed my fixed telephone account. I hardly use it anyway. When it rings, it's usually telemarketing.

I decided that I am calling an immigration lawyer so I can understand my situation in case I lose or change jobs. As far as I know, I could be illegal as soon as I lost the job.

Finally, I had my new fiddle favorably appraised at the old-time jam, right before making my second trip to Somerville (also unsuccessful) to buy a TV... but it had no antenna! and I'm not getting cable. So I'm probably getting that $60, 9" screen kind from Radio Shack... just to watch the Cup, of course.

Comments

Braziltown

[gonzolawyer.livejournal.com]

If you want Braziltown you have to go to Framingham.

Peamasii and I watched a lot of the games in '98 on lunch hours when we were working in South Boston. If you go to a real Irish bar, they're likely to be showing the games, and not every game is going to be Ireland so you stand a fair chance at seeing Brazil.

I was commenting the other day with Jess about why Americans don't get into World Cup or soccer in general. I came up with two reasons. One is the low attention span. The other is the crass nationalism of many Americans - they can't stand not being #1 at something so they convince themselves that soccer is worthless. I'd be glad to be wrong about this, but I can't think of any other reasons why Americans would frown upon soccer.

Re: Braziltown

[gustavolacerda.livejournal.com]

Well, I certainly know American individuals who aren't nationalistic in that way, but don't like soccer anyway. Like most good things, soccer is an acquired taste.... and it's more easily acquired when you are surrounded by it. So, I guess it's a positive feedback loop. It would take a critical mass of soccer culture for the game to start growing into the mainstream, like it is in most of the world.
How did you learn to appreciate it?

Where in Framingham would you recommend? I might do that on Saturday.

Re: Braziltown

[gonzolawyer.livejournal.com]

Of course there are people who don't fit the generalization. There are some people who just hate sports altogether. And I know people who are very individualistic, sometimes even objectivists, who like pro football. Me, I'm opposed to American professional sports because the teams are getting all kinds of free rides which the taxpayers have to pay for. I'd have no problem if it was like the old days where athletes made money because people paid to see them. But now we pay for these stupid assholes through taxes.

I didn't appreciate soccer as a kid. But that was because I wasn't given the choice by my parents whether I wanted to play soccer or American football. They decided for me that I couldn't play American football because I'd break a bone. In the town I grew up in, football was the main sport; so I resented soccer because I was only playing it because I had no choice to play football. Now I can look at each a little more objectively. Soccer is an acquired taste, but I liken it to chess in that both are slow moving but if you drop your guard for a moment you'll get squashed by the opponent. With American football or basketball, there is so much scoring that you can afford to make 30 mistakes and still win the game.

As for Framingham, I didn't exactly hang out with the Brazilians so I can't tell you where to go. I just happen to have information that Framingham is the Braziltown of Massachusetts (Taunton is more Portuguese) since I did a lot of campaigning in Framingham last year. Best bet would be to ask Ninjalawyer, he knows the town very well.