The US is a contender for the 2022 Cup. That would put me at a spry 42 years of age, with enough disposable income to buy tickets to a game or two and, if all goes according to plan, kids that will be old enough to remember going.
A World Cup hosted by the US would be hugely successful for soccer in the world, as far as profits go, and in the USA it would further elevate the sport despite its lack of “TV time-outs.” Plus, with the decision being announced tomorrow, I would have 12 years to perfect my patriotic body make-up and face paint that would surely be captured by the television cameras. Oh, to be broadcast for all the world to see!
Yep, it would be something, all right.
But I’ve been forced into using hopeful “would”s and not certain “will”s in my writing as the once ironclad US bid has faltered a bit and has slipped into third after Qatar and Australia . Australia I can understand, although the time difference would suck, but the tiny desert nation of Qatar , hosting a sporting event in the middle of summer? The absurdity of it is mind-boggling.
I, however, will not be too disappointed when the Cup is given to the oil-rich, bribe-happy, Qatari people because of one thing. They can build way-cool stadiums. (I’ve seen the word “stadia” used more than “stadiums,” but I’m not stooping to peer pressure. Plus, stadia looks silly.) If you haven’t seen the list of to-be-built stadiums, they are amazing, and I can’t wait to see them become a reality. Because oil tycoons can do what they want, the stadiums offer things that don’t make any sense, like air-conditioning for an outdoor stadium and the ability to be deconstructed and shipped to third world countries. I can hear ‘em now, “I think we’re gonna need a bigger boat.”
One is built on a man-made island that requires boat taxis to get to.
Another is shaped like a giant seashell.
Anyways, here’s the full list… each one more spectacular than the next.
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