British Days: World Cup Fever

Last year England was caught in the grip of World Cup fever--and it was intense. Wherever I went in London people were displaying their patriotism. English flags hung from the windows of homes, many people wore the English soccer jersey, countless flags flew on cars and on game day many people draped the beloved English flag over their shoulders. Wherever I went in England I couldn't escape World Cup fever.

From an outsiders perspective during the World Cup in England people are expected to put aside whatever differences they have and support England. There's nothing comparable to it in the United States. The closest sporting event we have that approximates the intensity of the World Cup is the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl is a huge event in the U. S. Out of the three major professional championships played in the U. S. (the other two are the World Series and the NBA Championship) the Super Bowl is easily the most recognizable and the biggest of the three. This is because the Super Bowl has morphed into something more than just a championship--it is a cultural event. The Super Bowl is hyped up long before gameday. Fans not only eagerly debate what two teams will be playing each other on that special day in January but they also plan where they're going to watch the Super Bowl, what they'll eat when watching it and what they'll be wearing during it. Advertisers in the U. S. have latched on to the Super Bowl as a way of showing their new commercials, many of which try very hard to be clever and funny, and sometimes a big deal is made over some of these commercials. Commentators are now almost expected to critique these commercials. And any American knows how much of a big deal the Super Bowl half-time show is, one of the most important things during the Super Bowl. Usually some big name entertainer such as The Rolling Stones or Paul McCartney play their music to millions. In comparision to all this it would almost seem inevitable any other championship in the world would pale in comparision.

But the World Cup is a bigger event. The Super Bowl lacks the intense patriotism fans bring to the World Cup. The mere thought of the World Cup being unpatriotic to the English would be unthinkable. When I went to the pub to watch England's first match against Paraguay with my housemates we were lost in a sea of red and white (the colors of the English flag). We had gotten to the pub an hour early so we could find a seat and get something to eat. When we entered we realized we weren't going to find anywhere to sit for awhile; the place was packed. Everybody in there was ready for England to take on Paraguay, and they were going to support England all the way. When the English soccer team took the field the pub was filled with a loud chorus. It said one thing: England!I have never seen patriotism this intense before, and it is hard for me to think Americans would get as patriotic about something, especially a sporting event. This is for several reasons. Americans like their sports homegrown. We typically aren't very supportive of a sport that hasn't been bred on American soil. This is why we love baseball, basketball and American football so much. These three sports are played in other countries, but it has only been recently that we have considered two of these sports--baseball and basketball--as being international. This year was the first year of the World Baseball Classic, a baseball international competition. But most Americans didn't get patriotic about it, and this is a sport that is supposed to be the American past time! Most Americans were disinterested. Also, there was some controversy about it in the U. S. George Steinberner made it known he didn't want his players involved in it out of fear they would get hurt and wouldn't be able to play for the Yankees. Also, there is a deep cultural divide in the U. S. which makes it hard for Americans to support something with an one for all attitude.

The comparisions and contrasts of the attitudes that Americans and the English have toward sports is interesting because these attitudes reveal some major differences between the two countries. Soccer isn't that big in the U. S. and many Americans are disinterested in the sport. There's a deep rooted bias against it in America. Some people are so disinterested in the sport they openly express their dislike of it. I remember one time when I told my dad I wanted to play soccer he replied why the heck do you want to play that; and his attitude has always been of dislike toward the sport. But in England soccer is a big deal; it's so embedded in the culture the idea of not supporting England in the World Cup--and I suspect any other international soccer competition-- is almost unthinkable. To illustrate my point after England had defeated Paraguay one of the housemates told me he wasn't leaving the homestay if the U. S. and England played each other in the World Cup. World Cup fever in England was so intense he feared for his safety--and he had good reason to.