JayeL says hello

Did you all see Robbie Keane somersault in front of all the Irish flags with the messages on them after he scored the goal that levelled Ireland and Germany today? What a moment. I was on the phones in work, looking for Hastings Sports Centre. DéiseGirl was typing “Ireland – An Obituary” over on “Muddling Along!”, but let’s not go there. I had the radio commentary on in one ear, and being less trouble to send across the planet than television pictures I was hearing the action before seeing it. So when everyone else in work was holding each other waiting for the cue to roar in appreciation for Kevin Kilbane’s wonderful equaliser, I was sat back in my seat frustrated at it going wide. I heard “Niall Quinn……GOOOOOOAAAALL!!!” on the radio, jumped up and inadvertently roared into my headset at the poor bewildered caller. But because of the few seconds time difference, I got a few looks til the ball went in on the screen and GOOOOOOAAAALL!!! Everyone stood up and cheered, team leaders running around the floor trying to get everyone to sit back down and calm ourselves. We receive calls from the UK, who are ignorant of Ireland’s World Cup campaign to say the least. A roar down the phone wasn’t appreciated. Ah well, I’d do the same again.

The World Cup isn’t a story in the US. I was reading about it in the Irish Times. Apparently “soccer” is seen as girly and a bit “safe”. Because prancing around a “field” in tights is fair more dangerous, don’t you see? The fact that the ladies team won the wimmin’s World Cup hasn’t helped football’s case. It’s a bit indicitive of America in general really. Baseball is only played in Japan and Cuba, it’s played a little in Canada too but that’s it. American Football is played in…..er…..America. And they’re the two biggest sports there. I think it’s a conspiracy. I mean, take the Olympics for example. When you see your local hero and your flag on the screen showing the competitors, you feel a little proud. But then you look up and see the stars and stripes and realise it’s the Super States of the USA and that oh-shit-we-haven’t-a-hope-against-them feeling ensues. And generally it’s true. The well-toned, brute force of the land of the free trundles over it’s competition and we’re left wondering why we bother.

So perhaps it’s in everyone’s interest that the US stay minnows in the World Cup. In what other well-known sport can the US get whipped by Ireland? In what other sport can the US take on the world and…..lose? In what other sport can the giants of the game change every four years? International football and Formula One motor-racing are about the only two big sports where the US doesn’t dominate. I always find it strange to see “United States” on a group table alongside all the other countries and think of the US as a country just like any other one. They have a goalie (named Brad), forwards, defenders, strikers, a manager, a kit, a football association logo on the strip and a following of supporters painted in the colours of their flag. They don’t fade into the background but then again they don’t stand out. The World Cup is the only place in the world where you get to see the US act like any other hopeful contender for victory.

This may sound like an anti-American rant, but it ain’t. I’m actually delighted for the Yanks after they shocked the world and bet Portugal today. I love to see a team pounce on unsuspecting, alledgedly superior opposition. Hopefully we’ll do the same if we get out of our group. Oh wait, I forgot to hope we beat Saudi Arabia. You know, that kingdom that whips criminals? Who ironically got the whipping of their lives by Germany 8-0? Anyway, hopefully Ireland will whip etc. etc.

I went out with the “team” from work on Friday night, drunk well into double figures of pints and spent 26 minutes on the phone to Icequeen. More to follow in the next episode of “JayeL – Do the shite thing”……..

j