Author: James McNally

Lost In My Football Obsession

Well, that is partially true. But I’ve been feeling incredibly run-down most of this month, and not too excited about updating here. We’ve had the hottest summer in memory and I’ve just been sapped of energy. I also might be sick. Think I’ll see the doctor next week if nothing improves.

As for the footie obsession, I found an amazing free online game called HatTrick, where thousands of teams compete against each other every week. It’s a tech geek’s paradise, too, because there are all sorts of plugins and statistics to help you get the jump on the other guy. I also picked up a copy of Football Manager 2005 on eBay. It’s almost impossible to find here (where it’s called World Soccer Manager 2005) but is hugely popular in the UK, where it outsells most other PC games by a wide margin. It also has a robust online community who contribute patches, skins, and roster updates to keep the game as realistic as possible. Both of these games have been instrumental in my ongoing education about the “beautiful game”, as has the excellent series History of Football: The Beautiful Game, narrated by the supercool Terence Stamp.

Cynical? Unfeeling? Jaded?

I just realized that, unlike every other blogger on earth, I didn’t post yesterday about the bombings in London. In fact, my post last night might have seemed purposely callous, seeing as how I dissed the English Premier League. That was not my intention by a mile.

But I wonder why I didn’t leap immediately behind the controls of my blog and start writing about how I was shocked, saddened, etc. etc. I think I felt vaguely like I’d be hitchhiking on other people’s misery, just like in 2001. Of course I’m miserable about the tragedy. I have family there (who are all ok, thank God). But I guess I’m just a little jaded by how the media (and here I include the so-called “blogosphere”) jump all over each new horror and make us look and look and look. It’s kind of gruesome, actually.

I’ll more than likely not be commenting further on this. Like most Londoners, I’ll be trying to live my life without caving in to fear or morbid fascination with violence. Sorry if that sounds self-righteous.

Futbol!

Last weekend, on a whim, I picked up a book with the rather interesting title How Soccer Explains The World. After finishing the book in one day, I’m starting to grow in my appreciation for the Beautiful Game. I’ve always liked football (soccer to North Americans), but found a lot of the competitions and leagues and teams confusing. I’ve preferred to follow the World Cup every four years. But I must admit I find the fact that the game is played in almost every corner of the earth completely fascinating. And the book, by journalist Franklin Foer, uses all the controversies of the game (racism, fascism, corruption) as well as its transcendent joy to talk about wider issues of globalization and nationalism.

So, since the weekend, I’ve picked up the latest issue of World Soccer magazine, added a dozen or so websites to my bookmarks, and ordered a heap of books to help explain this World Cup world to me. I’m also about halfway through Nick Hornby’s love letter to Arsenal, Fever Pitch, which I’ve owned for several years but not yet read.

I’m actually not that fond of the English Premiership teams, so my newfound enthusiasm will have only limited value when conversing with my Manchester-mad father-in-law, but it’s a beginning. After reading Foer’s book, and remembering my own time in the city, I think my new love is FC Barcelona.

Can’t wait for the World Cup next year. Check out their comprehensive web site.

P.S. One of the more interesting sites I’ve come across is for the Mondiali Antirazzisti (the Antiracist World Cup), which is a tournament of 192 amateur teams (men, women, and mixed) from all over the world that is played in Montecchio, Italy. It began yesterday. What an amazing event.

Pride and Remembrance 5K 2005 Pledges

Next Saturday, Brooke and I are running the Pride and Remembrance 5K for the third year in a row. This is one of our favourite races since it’s part of Pride Week here in Toronto and there is a real community feeling to the event. This year’s fundraising beneficiaries are the 519 Church St. Community Centre and the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives. Please consider sponsoring me by clicking on this link.