Why I’m rooting for Brazil in the World Cup
First of all, sorry for the extensive footnotes in this post (and likely throughout my writing). I’m a huge David Foster Wallace fan and I think I understand his use of the footnote/endnote tool as a way to relate tangential points without interrupting the flow of the primary exposition. Anyways, to the meat of this post.
Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a passionate, die-hard fan of NBA basketball, to the extent that I know or care little about other sports. I’m a fan of the technique, the athleticism, and the artwork that are all inherent in such a high-skill environment (1).
So, when it came time for me to pick a team to root for during the Cup (which I’m going to with 5 of my best buddies from high school, something I’m infinitely excited about), I was initially wary. A die-hard fan like myself understands the issues related to team fandom, mostly concerning the concept of a “bandwagon” supporter who roots for whichever team is most likely to be successful, not a team that they truly care about and would support through thick and thin (2).
In thinking about who to support, I thought about my own love for basketball— why I love the sport, who I choose to root for, and how I relate to the game. I think sport is beautiful, and at its finest transcends a game into an art form (read some more of my thoughts about that here, when I quote Werner Herzog). I’m always partial to players that enhance this view— people like Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Pau Gasol, Steve Nash, Jason Kidd— who with their mastery of technique turn sports into something beautiful (3). I realized that I’ve subsconsciously rooted for Brazil the last couple of World Cups because of this— their flair for the game, their bravado, their willingness to experiment and have fun and just play beautifully. This is obviously a widely recognized fact— Nike’s last World Cup ad campaign revolved around promoting this style of play— Joga bonito— play beautiful. Watch one of these clips and see if you don’t feel like dancing or clapping your hands (seriously, watch them. They are awesome.). It means so much more than sports. It’s art.
And that is why I’m rooting for Brazil in the World Cup.
1. I firmly believe that basketball players are the most skilled athletes in terms of combination of athletic ability and talent. Perhaps I’m a little biased in this view considering I’ve played basketball since I was 8, but bear with me.
2. Picking a sports team is really like choosing a wife. It’s someone you love, whose flaws you acknowledge and choose to overlook or cope with, and decide to support no matter what the present circumstances are. Philandering and cheating are not acceptable.
3. It’s the same reason I root for Roger Federer whenever I watch tennis. It’s also why I will never quite love players like Lebron James or Rafael Nadal, who rely on their brute force and physical dominance to excel at the sport. Awesome in its own right, but never quite beautiful.
