The whole world is allegedly going football-crazy, football-mad. I'm really trying to join in as well, trying to enter into the spirit of the thing, enjoy the sense of occasion and generally get 'world cup fever'. The problem is, that no matter how much I spend time with those most afflicted with the most virulent strains, and no matter how much I seek to expose myself directly to the source of the infection; to this fever at least, I appear to be peculiarly immune.
I thought that watching "Ing-er-land's" opening game against Paraguay might do the trick. Alas no. Whereas I have been known to leap from my chair screaming at televised sport; England limping home 1-0 left me coldly noting that even that one goal was an own-goal not a real one. Even the sight of the disgraceful refereeing decisions failed to illicit much response, and the final whistle came as a great relief. Yes - there was the relief that England had held onto their flukey lead until the death; but much more pressing was the relief that I no longer had to sit watching this dull spectacle in the hope of some excitement.
I'll stick with it for a few more matches. It has to get better than this.
What gets me is that my two bastions of things worth listening to - church sermons & Radio 4 have both descended into the sickness unto death which is 'world cup fever'. Over the weekend I was inflicted to comments on, allusions to and parallels with the world cup from both the pulpit & the radio. In all seriousness, I don't care and it's not relevant. If I wanted to follow the world cup I'd tune into Five Live.
ReplyDeleteBah humbug. As I recall you, thathideousman, once said " football is a substitute for people who lack a fully functioning personality" and yet as I read I see you too have been infected with this dreadful malady.
There is still hope, do not give in to the dark desires- rather pick up a book, do some gardening, go back up the hills, talk a length with your wife. If you need a listening ear -phone me - I'll draw you away from the living death which is watching men kick a ball around a field and claiming that is useful. Turn from football and all its works - that way lie dragons.
I've just read the published version of a Ph.D. from the univertsity of Poppleton which claims that the writer of Ecclesiastes slipped into the deapths of meaninglessness after watching and wasting too much time with the Middle Eastern BCE league matches. This in itself is a self referentially incoherent action, but I tell you of it for your own good. I can only warn you.
I'm happy to report that my boredom with all things 'world-cup' has only increased since I wrote that post on Saturday.
ReplyDeleteI have however, genuinely tried to be interested in this. I didn't 'bah-humbug' in principle, as you seem to have done. However, the hype was strating to bore me before the first kick of the first game..
As for my plans for next week? While the world-cup builds to a scintilating climax, I'll be in the mountains.
Having met Mark I refute the suggestion that he has any principles whatsoever.
ReplyDeleteI stand duly corrected
ReplyDeleteTo paraphrase Groucho Marx - I do have principles, but if you don't like them I have others.
ReplyDelete