I like soccer, but it hasn’t always been that way.
As a kid, I used to hate it. Played it when I was in second grade, thought it was boring, quit, and never looked back. It was a lot of running for nothing, a lot of standing in the pouring rain, and a lot of unnecessary shots to the head. It just wasn’t my thing.
As a teenager, I got back into soccer by watching the World Cup. At first it was a nice segue to my afternoon nap, but after a while I actually began to watch the games.
Played at its highest level, soccer was compelling. As is the case with most spectator sports, I found myself rooting for one team over the other in spite of my initial inhibitions about the game. Before long, I could sit through a full 90 minutes without falling asleep.
At this point in my life, I am by no means a hardcore soccer fan. I don’t go out of my way to attend games in person, and given the choice between watching baseball, basketball, football, hockey, or soccer, I’d still choose the former four before I took the latter.
But I don’t hate the game anymore, and that’s progress. The same kind of progress has yet to be attained by millions of America...
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