The Beautiful Game or Just Winning?

I recently read the article, "The Beautiful Game: What Soccer Means to the World." I have enjoyed following the World Cup over the last three or four times it has been held, and I am most interested this year. Not so much because I am a die-hard soccer fan, I'm not. I have become interested because of the international and cultural values of the game. I started watching maybe 16 years ago because I was entranced at the national connectedness other nations have with their teams. I have enjoyed from World Cup to World Cup seeing national pride and "party" atmosphere in the stands. In the Sports Illustrated article they took three countries and highlighted them loosely by introducing the star of those teams. They showcased the Ivory Coast, Brazil, and the United States. I was particularly interested in the discussion of Brazil. In the days of Pele, Brazil's World Cup teams were described as playing "the Beautiful Game." An interviewee in the article states that Brazil used to play with style, but now they play ugly to win games. And that seems to be the contention among Brazilian fans. They want to play the beautiful game but win also which does not seem to be the way the game is played anymore. A Brazilian fan says, "Do you know this word utopia? The Beautiful Game is a fantasy. Spain plays it, but they won't win. Brazil and Italy: that's ugly soccer, and they'll reach the semifinals."

I believe that we have seen this in all aspects of sports, well, American sports that is. In baseball, it has become more about power pitches and hitting home runs. In basketball it is the fastbreaks and dunks. The NFL, a high powered passing game for instant gratification. While I would agree with the argument that sports is not the most important thing in life, I would make the argument that sports reflect a certain aspect of our societies. We have moved away from living meaningful lives of "style" with grace and beliefs, and moved into lives of the now and "high powered" instant gratification.

I hope the teams that play next week and up to the championship on July 11, who play with grace and style, are rewarded with wins and recognition. I hope we see a return of the Beautiful Game.