What I Learned On Steem This Week - World Cup Edition

I’ve been out of online life for the last few days due to unexpected travel and when I came back to my typical Steem routine I was very surprised at what I learned. Not only had I missed it, especially the interaction with people from all over the world, but I was struck by the radical difference in attitude and interests between the people I read and interact with online and those I had met IRL.

Source (https://pixabay.com)

Nothing brought this home more than the World Cup. I have never followed soccer, although I have played it in gym class and just for fun at the local park, but I am in no way knowledgeable about the finer points of soccer.

I have followed American football as a rabid fan for years, including having season tickets for my hometown team. I’ve also played and followed baseball all my life and have framed and autographed pictures of some of my baseball heros hanging on my wall. But the only soccer player, sorry, footballer, I know by name is David Beckham.

When I returned to my world of Steem, World Cup fever was in full swing. So I decided to tune in and watch a few matches. The first thing that struck me was the sheer athleticism. The combination of stamina and reflexes was pretty incredible to me. The difference between these men racing full out down the field, dressed only in jerseys and shorts to the American football dudes with their helmets and pads was striking.

Source (https://pixabay.com)

The second thing that struck me was the speed of the game. I watched these guys run and kick and give their all for 45 minutes without a break! And then come back for another 45 minutes with only a short rest period. In American football the players are switched out completely every time the ball changes hands. There are frequent time outs, and the entire game is made up of 4 quarters each 15 minutes in duration.

Yet an American football game often lasts over 2 hours. That’s how much time is taken up with timeouts and rest periods throughout the game. So, yes, I was suitably awed at the sheer endurance of the World Cup players.

In American football a pass, thrown from the hands of one player into the hands of another is guaranteed to bring the crowd to their feet. But I watched soccer players move the ball down field with just their feet and their heads! How can you control a ball with a head butt? I couldn’t believe what I was seeing as I watched that happen over and over - passing the ball and even scoring goals with a well timed head bump.

But what really showed me the difference between American sports and the World Cup matches were the people. You see in the U.S., you root for the home team and know every guy on the team. But move to another state, and no one knows “your” guys. No one knows their strengths and weaknesses or even the position they play.

Source (https://pixabay.com)

Yet on Steem I discovered that people all over the world knew the top teams. This was a world event, not a provincial local faceoff. Yes, the old stadium in Cleveland could hold 80,000 people, and the playoffs draw a few million watchers, but what I discovered about the World Cup was millions of people around the globe were incredibly involved in the fortunes of teams that weren’t even from their country.

During the quarter finals on Saturday and I found myself totally immersed in the rapid action. Yes, the scores in soccer are low, compared to football or baseball, but the action leading to those scores is intense. As the Russian-Croatia match went into overtime, I was on the edge of my seat, watching with bated breath to see what would happen next.

And unlike American football I found I had no one to celebrate with. No American friends on Facebook talking about the fantastic play just completed, no phone calls that began with a breathless voice saying “did you see that play?”.

But I had my fellow Steemians to share in the excitement. From every corner of the globe I watched the messages stream in on Discord. And now I am looking forward with great anticipation to the semi-finals and of course the final game. I will be in Discord rooting for my favored teams, and trading comments within the Steem universe. A universe far more diverse and far larger than the what I’ve been used to as a sports fan.

So this week Steem has introduced me to something the rest of the world has known for eons - the competitive world of international soccer play. Of course it doesn’t hurt that a team requirement seems to be the players must be good looking, with some of them just drop dead gorgeous. Sorry guys, as a female I just had to point out that added attraction.

The only problem I have is picking a favorite team. France or Belgium? Croatia or England? I just can’t choose!!! But I guess that way I won’t be disappointed no matter who wins, and I know the play will be intense, the pace furious, and the total experience just awesome.

Thank you world!