Ever have one of those days where you wish you could issue someone a red card in real life?

Earlier on in the World Cup we posted about our disappointment with the way some players dramatize and over-exaggerate their injuries during play. Today I feel it is appropriate to call out one of the things I greatly admired about the players in this World Cup.

In one of the matches, when a red card was delivered and a player was forced to leave the field, it was truly inspiring to see the look of hurt and sadness on the remaining players from BOTH squads.

I was impressed that even though it came to their advantage, the opposing players still empathized with the anguish of their fellow sportsman. None of the players who make it to the world stage to play would enjoy being sent off early, despite whether the ejection is merited or not.

After observing this in one match, I watched the players’ faces a bit more closely in later matches and every time a red card was served, I saw the same reaction. Unlike the grimace that shows up after a player dives, I believe this empathetic anguish was true emotion.

Bravo to the the world of soccer (football) for once again showing us how naturally we humans can unite with one another!

I’ve often wondered what it is about the sport which makes it so popular.

Is it the team play? Is it the length of the game? The fact that a hero can be made with a single play? Perhaps it is just because anyone can play with little or no required sports equipment?

Why do you think soccer is so popular?

Watching World Cup Soccer reminded me of a question I’ve had about how teammates who do not share a common language communicate on the field.

When one team has players who do not share a common language, how do they communicate on the field? In the World Cup, I imagine it is less of an issue, since the players on each team are from the same country. However, in most professional leagues each team is made up of players from all over the world.

If David Beckham gets hired by AC Milan, does he need to take Italian language as part of his contract? Even if players do try to pick up the native tongue of the country where they are to play, in the heat of the game do they still have issues with using the newly learned language?  When you have more than a few different “native tongues” on one team, does the team try to use a common language? Is there some abbreviated set of terms that teams learn to simplify communication?

The possible solutions are endless, but do you know what solutions are actually used?

When kids start playing soccer, it is about being tough. You get hit, you get up, you play on. Your teammates, friends, and family support you for being tough and focused.

Yet somehow, by the time you make it to being a professional player you feel that falling to the ground grimacing and wailing at the slightest hit (and sometimes as no hit at all!) is proper behavior.

What happened?

Where along the line did the admiration switch from the tough players to those who whine the most? Is it because crying and faking gets more calls, more calls means more wins, and more wins means more money?

(2) Out of the entire world’s male population from the ages 18 – 35, a certain unknown percentage of men will have “long hair” on their heads, according to our definition.

Given (1) and (2), would you estimate that the percentage of male professional soccer players in the world with “long hair” on their heads is greater than the overall percentage of men (age 18 – 35) with “long hair” on their heads?

If so, why? If not, why not?

As I sat happily watching the matches this afternoon, I found myself longing for a Spanish-speaking channel broadcasting the games. In my opinion, the energy, flair, excitement and clear passion for the game with which Spanish-speaking commentators approach the game is just so much more captivating than any of the English-speaking commentators I’ve heard. Perhaps I’m watching the wrong channels, but for me, I always enjoy the game a lot more when I get to watch it with Spanish commentary.

Somehow, while I am here in India it’s not likely that I’ll be able to satisfy that desire.

By way of comparison, think about how big a room you would need if you were to have a party for 87 people at your house. Or how many toilets you would need. Or how much food. It’s pretty staggering to think that Wembley Stadium can comfortably seat 90,000 – and that doesn’t include all the staff working the match either!

Wife: Do you really have to watch the football now?

Husband: Yes … and if I could only get the stupid channel tuned in, I could watch it.

Wife: Did you remember to adjust the antenna on the roof?

Husband: (Sighs loudly) Yes!

Wife: Well, Emma and James just told me that they have it coming on perfectly next door. Are you sure you tuned the antenna in the right direction?

Husband: (in a loud voice) Yes!

Wife: Do you maybe just want to double-check? It would only take a minute to pop up to the roof and see.

Husband: I told you, I’ve already tuned it properly.

Unfortunately, and perhaps unsurprisingly, the husband never did get the match tuned in properly that night.

When I used to ride the trains to London every day for work (not in a ‘hopping onto an empty freight-train’ sort of way; just as a commuter), I used to suffer a similar experience. It would be winter on a jam-packed train. As people warmed up after waiting on the train platform, the carriage would heat up and often get rather steamy. As the discomfort levels began to rise, everyone would glance around at each other, all eyes saying the same thing: would someone please volunteer to open a window! Yet no one moved until at last, bordering on a heat stroke or at the point of feinting, some brave soul would ask for the window to be opened.

I am not sure why we suffer poor climate control in travel situations. I’m no different. I suffer along with the rest. Why? Why?! I’ve sat in stifling conditions on trains, buses, cabs and in planes. (To be fair to marine travel, I don’t think I have ever really suffered much climate discomfort on boats, but then again, I’ve never used a boat as a mass transit mode of daily commuting.)

That is why I always inform new visitors to my car (well, people I have not driven before) that I believe in democracy for the people when it comes to climate control in cars and trains. If anyone is too hot or too cold, please just ask for more air conditioning, a window opened or for more heat, respectively. I am always happy to accommodate. As I can’t stand when everyone suffers for no real reason, I certainly don’t want to create that atmosphere in Bing-a-bell (my car.) And I also make frequent climate satisfaction checks: ‘Everybody warm enough back there? Would anyone like more heat?’ These simple gestures help ensure that everyone arrives at our destination happy and as minimally disturbed as possible by the travel.

I would also like to suggest that we, as society, make a firm commitment to break out of our reclusive shells and, when the train carriage gets too warm, or the car pool too steamy, that we take action and ask for a window to be opened. Or we could even open the window ourselves!