Something Just Occurred To Me…
I just got an email which finished with “Go Giants!” The Super Bowl is today, isn’t it? I don’t even know who’s playing. The Giants, apparently, versus…the Patriots.
I haven’t been a fan of the NFL for about two decades, but I’m usually slightly more attentive than this.
Coincidentally, I was watching a different kind of football this afternoon. We went for a walk on the beach, where there were at least a dozen games of soccer ongoing. Most were informal, but some were the equivalent of little league back in Canada. They don’t have any grass fields (that I’ve seen), so they play on the beach.
Then tonight we got a drink and watched a depleted Ghana squad beat Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations. I was glad to see the host nation make it through to the semi-finals.
Morocco got ousted in the group phase, so the locals seem to be pulling for neighbouring Tunisia. They face an uphill battle against Cameroon tomorrow.
February 3rd, 2008 at 2:16 pm
As someone who is closer to South Africa than the rest of us in Canada, do you have any feeling about the current progress for the 2010 World Cup?
February 4th, 2008 at 12:56 am
Darren: The Giants defeated all odds and won. DId you watch it?
February 4th, 2008 at 2:21 am
tyfn: So, on a big scale, I have mixed feelings about these big sporting events, particularly in developing nations. I’ve seen reasonable-looking arguments for and against them. South Africa has so much poverty, and has spent so much on the World Cup–I’d find it hard to justify hosting there.
On the other hand, it’s the first time that Africa’s hosted the World Cup, and will be a huge psychological boost to the continent.
More practically, I have some relatives in South Africa, and they report that there are serious power outages and their phone doesn’t work a couple of days a week. This can’t be helping venue construction and other preparation for the World Cup.
Brian: Good to hear. At least I’ll know now. I probably would have watched back in Canada, but it would have been hard work to find it here, methinks.
February 4th, 2008 at 6:32 am
Brian: I just went looking for highlights of the Super Bowl, and the only spot that seems to have them is:
http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d8067fb1d
Sadly, they don’t seem to want to play on my MacBook.