I have never liked soccer. Not one bit. Too many dives and players splashing around on the ground like a fish out of water.
My recent trip to Spain however, during the World Cup, has changed my perspective on the "World's most popular sport." I don't know what it was exactly, I'd like to guess in fact that it wasn't the actual sport of soccer that won me over.
Rather, it was the people. Celebrating in the streets of Madrid after a quarterfinal victory over Paraguay, and then on the beach of Malaga after Spain beat Germany in the semifinals, I fell in love with soccer. Not for the skill of the players, which became more apparent with every game I watched, and definitely not for the yellow and red cards, for which, I still say the majority of fouls are faked, but for the people.
For the impact of the game on the people, and now, the impact of the game on me. If you'd like to read about my entire trip and World Cup experience, check out my sports column for the Chatham-Kent Daily Post: Ole Espana - My World Cup Experience
