Jumping on the EPL and La Liga

Bandwagoning. That is what I am doing. It has been a long road from the days where I agreed with Jim Rome's take on soccer, to now, where I am thinking of switching to DirecTV because they have Fox Soccer Channel HD. I play FIFA World Cup 10 more than NCAA Football 11. Lots more. Things have changed.




So, I suppose the final step is to watch the big time soccer leagues. It is the perfect time. I no longer have school (graduated). I no longer work Saturdays (cuz I am awesome). I have the means (more awesome).

Well, I am not awesome enough to wake up at 6 am for Manchester City v Tottenham. I was up early enough to catch defending EPL champs Chelsea drop 6 goals on West Brom at Albion. As I type this I am watching Bolton v Fulham. Later tonight is a match between LA Galaxy and Red Bull New York. Tomorrow is a big match between Arsenal and Liverpool. I am excited about all of these.

The big question I ask my self is this: "How long will this last?"

My Answer: "I dunno."

Really I don't know. Will I be willing to watch Bolton v Wolverhampton over Michigan v Purdue?

Really? They are the same thing. So it might just depends on which is more exciting.

The same thing?! you ask. Yes. The same thing.

One of the ways that I fell into soccer is that I have a much larger capacity for subtlety now than I ever did before. I explain that by citing my age and its accompanying maturity. 'I can drink black coffee and I can watch soccer. I am mature.'

Or something like that.

That or pretentious.

Whichever.

Back to the lower tier football vs lower tier soccer comment :

That newly found capacity for subtlety that comes with age has been combined with and understanding of the game. I understand it and can appreciate it. Voila! 

The same thing happened to me when I was eight years old or whatever. I could appreciate basketball--  so I started following it. Same with football. 1995 was when I watched a whole season of NFL football. 1994 was my first for basketball. It was when I stopped saying things like "Why don't they just go dunk it?" and "Why don't they just throw it deep all the time?" and began appreciating the strategy and the reasoning behind the actions (along with dunks and long bombs).

So it was about 2002 during that US run in the World Cup that I finally stopped saying things like "Why don't they just score more?" and began to try to understand how they try to score, what was involved, what was risky, what was safe etc.

So that is why I can enjoy a crappy college team vs another one: I can find something to enjoy in what they are doing.

So maybe it is jumping on the 2010 WC bandwagon, or maybe it is just me liking another sport after maturing a little.

Whichever. I like me some soccer and that is that.

Now maybe I have to pick a team or something ...