The whole thing seemed to be less an expression of genuine fandom and more like an elaborate piece of performance art. Didn't we fight a war so you guys wouldn't have to take cues on how to behave from London? It should come as no surprise that the situation is particularly heinous in New York City. This is a town where artisanal toast is now a thing. So of course there's a peculiar species of fan here whose passion for soccer seems to be less about 22 men chasing a ball up and down a field and more about its intellectual and cosmopolitan qualities. Never mind that no other sport is so linked to the working class. For these fans, rooting for an English soccer team is a highbrow pursuit and a mark of sophistication, like going to a Wes Anderson movie or owning a New Yorker subscription.
But it is important to be fair and look for some redeeming qualities (these fans below seem okay):
Soccer in this country has been the sport of expensive private schools in the past, but I'd wish we'd had fans like them.
ReplyDeleteNo you don't (not English soccer fans anyway). Soccer is a game for gentlemen, watched by hooligans. Rugby is a game for hooligans, watched by gentlemen.
DeleteThe Stars and Stripes--long may they wave! Or bounce.
ReplyDelete