What We Could Have Been

What We Could Have Been

by: Vidda Grubin

 Are there still soccer fans in North America who believe in McFranchise League Soccer?

Seriously?!? Who are the mouth breathers hanging out in stadiums and jersey/scarf adorned soccer dens watching the latest rich guy, marketing genius version of…

WE (a handful of greedy, ego-maniacs) TOOK OVER YOUR (generational & wide-eyed newbie soccer players, fans, parents, kids, coaches, referees) GROWING AND BEAUTIFUL SPORT AT THE PRECISE MOMENT WE REALIZED IT (soccer in North America) WAS ON THE VERGE OF ORGANICALLY, FROM THE ROOTS UP, BECOMING A BEHEMOTH POPULATED BY HUNDREDS/THOUSANDS OF UNIQUE CLUBS SUPPORTED BY MILLIONS OF PASSIONATE PARTICIPANTS AND SUPPORTERS.

WE (a handful of greedy ego-maniacs) HAVE OVERSEEN THE REVERSAL OF GRASS-ROOTS TRENDS, A REDUCTION IN YOUTH PARTICIPATION, THE CHOKING-OFF (soccer don’s version of erotic asphyxiation) OF WHAT SO OBVIOUSLY WOULD HAVE BECOME, IN TIME, A NORTH AMERICA-WIDE MULTI-TIERED OPEN PYRAMID OF AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL SOCCER CLUBS, THEIR PLAYERS AND FANS COMPETING YEAR ROUND FOR GLORY AND THE DREAM OF GREATNESS BASED ON SUCCESS ON THE FIELD, BETWEEN THE LINES.

As all of us (soccer fans here in North America) recently watched millions of UK and European football fans tell their greedy, egotistical owners to fuck-all-the-way-off to Toledo and then to fuck-off more to the left or right, depending on your travel direction, and jump the fuck into Lake Fucking Erie, some of us (soccer fans here in North America) continue to swallow the impotent ejaculate of well paid marketing pricks and red-haired, goatee wearing McFranchise lackeys.

I miss my sport. I miss the beautiful game and what it was quickly becoming in North America: millions of us as the creators of thousands of unique clubs in competition, but as one, united in the energy, beauty and unfolding mystery of shared glory and agony every Saturday afternoon.

I would gladly trade the last 25 years and McFranchise soccer for the promise of what we were quickly becoming not long ago.