- Sep 22, 2013
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The 1982 World Cup (international soccer) was symbolic for the modern age of globalization-idealism and political diplomacy too because it saw the symbolic successes of breakout forward-soccer star Paolo Rossi (champion of Italy who outshined favorites Brazil and Germany to bring Italy into the international spotlight after 50 years).
Does sports remind you of purgatory (in this age of competitive capitalism)?
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Americans love sports and like to think of modern-day athletes as akin to gladiators from Ancient Rome. Americans watch major sports event on TV including the Olympics, the Super Bowl, and the NCAA basketball tournament. Americans are successful in many sports in the international arena and shine therefore in the Olympics, but soccer never really became as popular in America as it did in the rest of the world. In fact, the World Cup soccer tournament is iconic to sports fans around the world but is not nearly as popular in America (even though the U.S. women's national soccer team has won the women's World Cup!). Soccer stars remain 'gladiators' in the hearts/minds of sports fans from other parts of the world.
A World Cup fan can tell you that in 2006, Italy won the World Cup under the great play of stars like Francesco Totti (midfielder). This Italy-victory was a great achievement and many soccer fans in Italy joined the stars in celebrating the momentous win. Italy defeated France in the final, and Totti carried the trophy!
After four years, it was Spain's turn to hoist the World Cup trophy in 2010. This time, it was Spain's balanced midfielder David Villa who carried his team to soccer glory. Spain captured its first-ever World Cup title and they did it nicely, as Villa procedurally helped Spain get past many mighty opponents in very tight 1-0 margin games...
Americans are not fans of soccer, but Italians love soccer. In fact, the France-Italy rivalry in soccer is quite symbolic to many World Cup and international soccer fans. Italy is a rich country with interesting people, terrific cuisine, and extraordinary ruins from the grand Roman Empire from ancient times. When you visit Italy and walk into the Colosseum, you realize the grandeur of public pageantry during the Roman Empire and the great gladiatorial 'games.'
In 1982, it was the unusual breakout Italian soccer star Paolo Rossi who helped carry his nation to a shocking underdog victory in the World Cup. In 1982, there were multiple talented teams and many soccer critics believed powerhouse Brazil would simply walk-away with the trophy, but Rossi shocked all fans/spectators by outshining the likes of Brazil's Socrates and Zico and helping Italy grab its first World Cup title in the modern era. This made Paolo Rossi a 'fanfare legend.' Many Italian soccer fans wonder why no one's ever made a movie about the 1982 World Cup!
All sports represent peaceful competition that promotes diplomacy between nations and people. However, terrorism has scarred our sense of sports-storytelling. We now worry about the invasion of unseen forces seeking to subvert even the most pedestrian of peaceful social activities such as public sports(!). The modern world is therefore 'sullied' by our fears of unanticipated anarchy...
As U.S. President Donald Trump (a former capitalism-baron) took the field during the NCAA football championship game, fans and spectators wondered how closely modern-day politicians would follow the lives and dreams of professional athletes. Sports and media were hallmarks of modern consumerism and therefore drew the attention of populism-minded savvy politicians such as Donald Trump. Was Trump a fan of the iconic 1982 World Cup? Did Trump cheer for the U.S. women's national soccer team as they won the World Cup in 2015?
An athlete is expected to delight fans/audiences while maintaining composure, integrity, and health! An athlete may feel the weight of peer-pressure and the demand to succeed and may therefore decide to take dangerous illegal performance-enhancing steroids. This may hurt the athlete's long-term health but it can certainly gain him/her short-term successes! Athletes are therefore like new age gladiators trying to balance sports glories with society scruples. That's why many compare sports to war...
A beautiful mermaid named Mara was watching the 2018 World Cup in Russia and witnessed the strong national team from France march its way to victory. This was France's second World Cup title. Mara wondered if soccer fans in Italy would reminisce about Italy's glorious win over France in the 2006 World Cup or Paolo Rossi's electrifying win for Italy over Goliath-like Brazil and machine-like West Germany in the 1982 World Cup. Mara concluded that sports was somehow...metaphysical. Was sports, however, also 'spiritually-haunted' (in terms of the lingering shadow of terrorism and steroids)?
GOD: Sports has changed the way we think of negotiation/diplomacy.
SATAN: The PyeongChang Olympics saw an alliance between North/South Korea.
GOD: The terrorism at the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics haunted everyone.
SATAN: After 9/11, the world was cognizant of anti-globalization sentiments.
GOD: Yes, the destruction of the World Trade Center was horrifying...
SATAN: The 1982 World Cup was very symbolic and unusual.
GOD: Yes, Brazil and Germany were favorites, but Rossi's Italy stood out!
SATAN: The 1982 World Cup reminded people of how sports reflected globalization.
GOD: Yes, Italy's underdog victory thrilled audiences and represented diplomacy.
SATAN: Sports is therefore like war...
GOD: Let's hope sports is like peace(!).
SATAN: Unfortunately, many athletes resort to illegal steroids for success.
GOD: I wonder if President Trump will talk about competitive diplomacy in the Senate.
SATAN: Yes, everyone wants to win...even in the diplomacy game!
GOD: Trump should contrast Paolo Rossi from Benito Mussolini...
SATAN: The eerie Harlot of Babylon arrives soon and draws the world away from diplomacy.
====
Does sports remind you of purgatory (in this age of competitive capitalism)?
====
Americans love sports and like to think of modern-day athletes as akin to gladiators from Ancient Rome. Americans watch major sports event on TV including the Olympics, the Super Bowl, and the NCAA basketball tournament. Americans are successful in many sports in the international arena and shine therefore in the Olympics, but soccer never really became as popular in America as it did in the rest of the world. In fact, the World Cup soccer tournament is iconic to sports fans around the world but is not nearly as popular in America (even though the U.S. women's national soccer team has won the women's World Cup!). Soccer stars remain 'gladiators' in the hearts/minds of sports fans from other parts of the world.
A World Cup fan can tell you that in 2006, Italy won the World Cup under the great play of stars like Francesco Totti (midfielder). This Italy-victory was a great achievement and many soccer fans in Italy joined the stars in celebrating the momentous win. Italy defeated France in the final, and Totti carried the trophy!
After four years, it was Spain's turn to hoist the World Cup trophy in 2010. This time, it was Spain's balanced midfielder David Villa who carried his team to soccer glory. Spain captured its first-ever World Cup title and they did it nicely, as Villa procedurally helped Spain get past many mighty opponents in very tight 1-0 margin games...
Americans are not fans of soccer, but Italians love soccer. In fact, the France-Italy rivalry in soccer is quite symbolic to many World Cup and international soccer fans. Italy is a rich country with interesting people, terrific cuisine, and extraordinary ruins from the grand Roman Empire from ancient times. When you visit Italy and walk into the Colosseum, you realize the grandeur of public pageantry during the Roman Empire and the great gladiatorial 'games.'
In 1982, it was the unusual breakout Italian soccer star Paolo Rossi who helped carry his nation to a shocking underdog victory in the World Cup. In 1982, there were multiple talented teams and many soccer critics believed powerhouse Brazil would simply walk-away with the trophy, but Rossi shocked all fans/spectators by outshining the likes of Brazil's Socrates and Zico and helping Italy grab its first World Cup title in the modern era. This made Paolo Rossi a 'fanfare legend.' Many Italian soccer fans wonder why no one's ever made a movie about the 1982 World Cup!
All sports represent peaceful competition that promotes diplomacy between nations and people. However, terrorism has scarred our sense of sports-storytelling. We now worry about the invasion of unseen forces seeking to subvert even the most pedestrian of peaceful social activities such as public sports(!). The modern world is therefore 'sullied' by our fears of unanticipated anarchy...
As U.S. President Donald Trump (a former capitalism-baron) took the field during the NCAA football championship game, fans and spectators wondered how closely modern-day politicians would follow the lives and dreams of professional athletes. Sports and media were hallmarks of modern consumerism and therefore drew the attention of populism-minded savvy politicians such as Donald Trump. Was Trump a fan of the iconic 1982 World Cup? Did Trump cheer for the U.S. women's national soccer team as they won the World Cup in 2015?
An athlete is expected to delight fans/audiences while maintaining composure, integrity, and health! An athlete may feel the weight of peer-pressure and the demand to succeed and may therefore decide to take dangerous illegal performance-enhancing steroids. This may hurt the athlete's long-term health but it can certainly gain him/her short-term successes! Athletes are therefore like new age gladiators trying to balance sports glories with society scruples. That's why many compare sports to war...
A beautiful mermaid named Mara was watching the 2018 World Cup in Russia and witnessed the strong national team from France march its way to victory. This was France's second World Cup title. Mara wondered if soccer fans in Italy would reminisce about Italy's glorious win over France in the 2006 World Cup or Paolo Rossi's electrifying win for Italy over Goliath-like Brazil and machine-like West Germany in the 1982 World Cup. Mara concluded that sports was somehow...metaphysical. Was sports, however, also 'spiritually-haunted' (in terms of the lingering shadow of terrorism and steroids)?
GOD: Sports has changed the way we think of negotiation/diplomacy.
SATAN: The PyeongChang Olympics saw an alliance between North/South Korea.
GOD: The terrorism at the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics haunted everyone.
SATAN: After 9/11, the world was cognizant of anti-globalization sentiments.
GOD: Yes, the destruction of the World Trade Center was horrifying...
SATAN: The 1982 World Cup was very symbolic and unusual.
GOD: Yes, Brazil and Germany were favorites, but Rossi's Italy stood out!
SATAN: The 1982 World Cup reminded people of how sports reflected globalization.
GOD: Yes, Italy's underdog victory thrilled audiences and represented diplomacy.
SATAN: Sports is therefore like war...
GOD: Let's hope sports is like peace(!).
SATAN: Unfortunately, many athletes resort to illegal steroids for success.
GOD: I wonder if President Trump will talk about competitive diplomacy in the Senate.
SATAN: Yes, everyone wants to win...even in the diplomacy game!
GOD: Trump should contrast Paolo Rossi from Benito Mussolini...
SATAN: The eerie Harlot of Babylon arrives soon and draws the world away from diplomacy.
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