The 2010 World Cup

We are all soccer (football to everyone else in the world) for the next month. Much like the rest of America, I find soccer to be a relatively boring and uninteresting sport to watch and follow. But, like the Olympics, this event only comes once every four years and it is nearly impossible to ignore. Quite frankly, however, I become excited once the very first game begins (South Africa, the host country, squares off against Mexico in about an hour). This is not about one state versus another, but nation against nation. How can any true American not want to blow away France or Mexico? It is not so much the quality of play that I pay attention to, but whether we, as a nation, are victorious. To be quite honest, the games are full of such tension and drama, and the degree of passion that is exhibited on each player's face as they fight for their country is virtually impossible not to be attracted to. Thus, it is no wonder that the first day of the 2010 World Cup is "Today's Big Thing."

Now, what are the United States' chances you may ask? Well, we will find out at 2:30 P.M. ET on Saturday. If the Red, White, and Blue can perform well against the Brits, traditionally one of the stronger countries in the field, that certainly bodes well for the rest of pool play and the tournament. They will need good runs and goals from Landon Donovan, and Tim Howard needs to be on top of his game in net. The game truly comes and goes with Howard. He is regarded as one of the best keepers in the world, and if he plays well the US can hang with pretty much everybody.

In addition to "Today's Big Thing," I'd also like to introduce you to another aspect of my blog. It's what I call my "Fearless Prediction." Today's prediction is: Jamie Moyer does not last more than 4 innings against the Red Sox tonight. In my next post, I will comment on how the prediction went.