This is wonderful, it's like being at a party where everybody's having fun but they're all talking a different language, one you barely know. It reminds me a little of the Marmite thread, though not quite as colorful.

I'm probably a little more familiar with The Game than many Americans, as I referee youth matches (under 12 -- I can't keep up with the big kids!) Sadly, in the States, the old "live or die with your team" allegiances and rivalries have become less meaningful, with players hopping from team to team in search of bigger bucks, and the hell with the fans. It's not what it was when I was a kid. But then again, what is?

I think the Women's World Cup final in Los Angeles had some of the excitement that is seen elsewhere in the world, and I think that's because of all the young soccer players coming up in this country. Still, there is something scary about the level of fanaticism of some football fans in Europe and Latin America: didn't somebody shoot the guy who missed the penalty kick in World Cup '94?

Cannabis, eh? Maybe then we should have a Hawaiian team...!

Aloha,
Mark