The USA Just Doesn't Get It.

Let's take a break from our recent tragedy, and talk about something happy and good.

Like World Cup Soccer.

While I was on vacation at my brother's place in Oregon, I slept on the family room futon, and frequently woke up to the sound of the TV being clicked on at 6 or 7 a.m.

It was my brother Jeff, local sociologist and sports maniac, clicking on the tube to watch World Cup Soccer.

My brother's sports addiction is quite bad. I swear the guy would watch just about anything if there was a tournament for it, like some obscure sport like bloody knuckles.

But by the middle of the week, I was hooked on soccer myself. I started wondering why people in the US take no interest, while the rest of the world treats soccer like it's more important than life and death itself.

You see, you have to sit down and watch a game, then watch another one, and another one, and see the stark-raving mania of the fans, and it gets in you.

It's not just the beauty and pace of the sport itself, the it's absolutely crazy fans that are fun to watch.

My brother said that while the British sing "God Save The Queen" during their rallies for the team, the Swedes are much less well, formal. They sing a little tune that basically translates to "We've traveled a long way. We're here, and we're drunk."

That's just plain funny.

Then there's the soccer players themselves. It's fun to see how different people from different countries look. It's somehow comforting to see that even with the globalization of business that include a McDonald's and Starbucks in every country, we haven't all been homogenized to look alike. It's also fun to try and pronounce the exotic names of the players from Namibia. Or better yet, hear the announcers try to do it.

And let's just face it, David Beckham is just plain HOT.

This morning, the team of my country of birth, Brazil, plays against Ghana. I can't wait to see them play, and hopefully win.

At any rate, we don't have the coolest flag, Brazil does.

And by the way, it's actually spelled "Brasil".

Viva' Brasil!