I do not know much about sports but Galeano’s work was a fun read. The writing is playful yet authoritative so it made the book easier to read. Anywho, I wanted to bring some aspects about how spectator sports like soccer are similar to the act of war in some ways, from the technical layout of the game, the politics associated with it, and its romanticization.
What I found most interesting was the comparison of soccer to actual warfare from pages 17-23 because it makes complete sense. Wars have been romanticized for as long as I remember (even with the fallouts of WW1 and the Vietnam war) as with key figures being iconified in history. Political decisions obviously depended on who won and who did not and who would gain territory; soccer players and those betting on them would decide who would rise to fame and receive money while the losers become more invisible. With soccer matches being romanticized and representing pride and dignity, countries began to use their teams to promote nationalism and economic endeavours, as with gaining new territory and building an army, down to the matching outfits. Just like Jon said, soccer can be a whole course, because even though I do not know how to play soccer or the teams, the game itself is a far-reaching phenomenon that can be used in reference to most in life.
In another realm of popular culture, I also found it intriguing that the poorer folks in Latin America appropriated soccer from the upper-class English rather than vice versa that brought the game to the continent. I automatically assumed soccer came from Latin America because of how fused it is with everyday life but I was wrong. The game also emphasizes a few themes like machismo and opportunity. At the beginning of Galeano’s book, he notes how it is every young man’s dream to rise up the ranks, become famous, woo every woman and become wealthy through soccer while also including that a lot of players in Latin America reference the soccer ball as a woman because it is loyal (21). A lot of things to unpack there. The woman in both senses is objectified figuratively and literally and feeds into the narrative of manliness. This narrative also serves to gatekeep women from playing soccer or being paid equally if they do. And to bring it back to the war comparison, women were expected prizes when men came back from war successful or participated in tournaments. Soccer’s chauvinistic roots live on.
My question for the class: what do you associate soccer with?
Hey there!
A really great post- I found it fascinating how you compared football with war, with respect to romanticization and the political nature of the game. As someone who also does not know much about sports as well (seems like a common theme in this class haha), I would I associate football, or spectator sports in general, heavily with national identity and nationalism. Of course club football is extensively popular, don’t get me wrong, but from the World cup to international matches, I feel like there is quite a strong ‘identity’ component embedded in the sports’ popularity. People are diehard fans of their club, or their team, and that affinity towards people you don’t personally know seems to stem from a sense of pride for how they represent your support…
Hi Ayla,
For me as a queer person, I associate sports with masculinity, which is part of the reason I find them very off-putting. But honestly, who can blame me? I don’t think I belong in those spaces and hence why I really struggled as a kid. Hence, I think it is important to evaluate that within sports so that people don’t go through the same thing I did
Hello Ayla,
I enjoyed reading your passage. I often think about the role that romanticized, fantastical lifestyles accessible to young children in poverty and the slim chances of someone being good enough to actually becoming a professional soccer player. When I think of soccer I think of my childhood! I played soccer from first grade until I was in seventh grade which is quite a long time now that I think about it. The rigid style let me get a lot of strong emotions out and use that energy on the field. Unfortunately I assumed that I didn’t have to communicate and figure out my problems just because I could manage my rage. Eventually when I stopped playing soccer and started theatre I was able to find more socialization and open discussion about life events happening. A lot of the time in soccer there wasn’t space to talk about yourself, just training so that you can win.