Living in Hartford, CT I thought I knew what it was like to live in a city, but coming to New York is something entirely different. New York is home to so many different cultures and things to do that it is hard to wrap your head around. In the first week of the ESPN internship all of the interns met together every day for training and we were given the opportunity to get to know one another as well as train for the work ahead of us. The topic on everyone’s mind seemed to be the upcoming Euro Cup, which draws viewers from every corner of the globe. Most every child is thrust into playing soccer, or football, as our non-American friends insist we call it, at some point in their life. Some of us only play a year or two in a recreational town league where our favorite part is the orange wedges at half time, but others develop a true love for the sport.
I myself worshiped renowned backs like Danny Alves and Gerard Pique as I played a back or defender position. My sophomore year of high school, our team was left without a keeper, or goalie for those of you less soccer inclined, and I was graciously volunteered by my teammates because of how tall I was. My role models evolved into players like Casillas, Joe Hart, and other famous brick walls and net minders as I remained in this position throughout my high school career.
Now obviously the Euro Cup isn’t quite as big of a deal as the World Cup but these tournaments are far more than simple soccer games between countries. In this day and age the pride and sheer bliss that comes with your nation’s striker beautifully finishing a crossover or a header into the back of the opposing teams net is unparalleled. The world is in a dark place financially as citizens in countries like Greece, Italy, and many others struggle to make ends meet. But you can absolutely bet that fans of those countries forget their every financial worry when players like Di Natale or Karagounis put one in the back of the net to the sound of a stadium full of screaming fans. I thought I knew what it was like to love a sport more than anything, but the roar of Madison Square Garden when the Knicks and Rangers played or when the Yanks played at home seemed laughable in comparison. In the U.S. many of us grow up watching multiple sports and thus our allegiances and hopes are divided, but in other countries their is only soccer. When your team loses in the quarterfinals, there is no "well hockey starts in a month so I'll just focus on that" in soccer. It is the end all to be all. The first time I went to a Barcelona vs Madrid game in Barcelona I realized that the sport meant so much more than simple soccer. It was the manifestation of history and every single person stopped what they were doing to cheer on their team. Nothing made you look quite like an outsider like not watching the futbol game that day, or saying soccer for that matter.
Regardless, soccer is a way for people to escape their everyday troubles and align themselves with something great, with something perennial. 50 years down the road, people will talk about how their country triumphed against all odds to win the World Cup or the Euro Cup. They will know exactly where they were and who they were with when they were watching it. How they accidentally threw that nice vase they used to have in the TV room after the referee missed that off sides call. How everyone hugged and cheered and was so horse and hung over the next day but everyone at work the next day was exactly the same from the same revelry.
One of the coolest things about working at ESPN is that I feel like I’m in the thick of it. We are a hub for millions of fans seeking for information, replays, and actually watching the games themselves. The new ESPN FC website is a veritable Holy Land for those who follow soccer religiously. The WatchESPN link from this site extends soccer fandom even farther than we ever thought imaginable.
Check out a few of these links to relive the greatness.
