Did you know the World Cup starts tomorrow? Sportstalk radio does. One day before the tournament begins, the local boys whose job is to cover the world of American sports with blabber-iffic goodness decided it was time to give soccer a little love.
Most of that love takes the form of ignorance, unfortunately. General sports shows talk soccer so rarely that even the soccer-inclined among their ranks are out of touch and uninformed. There's a lot to know to cover soccer properly, and when the most insightful thing a typical American sportstalk host can say is "Brazil is really good", it's clear that soccer still has a long way to go.
Interest is first, the knowledge clearly second. Tennis, a sport with a long history as second-tier in the United States, is hardly "bigger" than soccer, yet the loudmouths (said with love) on the radio can often sound reasonably intelligent about the French Open, Wimbledon, or whatever big event is drawing attention in the world of rackets and fuzzy green balls. If I were so inclined, I could get angry about the lack of respect soccer gets from these people.
But I'm not angry. In fact, listening to local radio this morning chuckling at the naivety, I'm just happy to hear the interest. Sure, they didn't know anything (one host was adamant that the "g" in "Drogba" was silent), and the gambling aspects of the tournament appeal to them more than game itself, but the World Cup clearly draws in the ultra-casual soccer fan, and that can only be a good thing. They hyped the excitement of the World Cup. They briefly talked about U.S. chances (and to be fair, their assessment was under-informed but just as valid as any). They managed to attract a few callers on the subject, and while the callers were hardly any more knowledgeable than the hosts, there was clearly a strong undercurrent of interest.
If the U.S. beats England on Saturday (something all of them said they don't think can happen), they'll be all over it on Monday. They'll get a lot wrong, and they might completely overplay the significance or miss what it means completely. Right now, with soccer's place in the greater sports world still just a blip every four years, it really doesn't matter. Eventually these types will need to get with the program or will fade away, replaced by younger voices who include soccer in their total sports experience. Not yet, but probably soon.
Dumb guys talking soccer on the radio in drivetime is a serious indication of the game's place in American sports culture. The reach and impact of the sport is directly proportional to the amount of uninformed people, both host and callers, talking about the game in respectful tones. It might make you want to pull your hair out, but some talk is better than no talk.
I'm curious about how the World Cup has been covered by the sportstalk loudmouths in your town - share you stories in the comments.
