June 27, 2002 \u00e2\u20ac\u201d In a current television commercial, the main character ends up flat on his back in the middle of a crowded sidewalk. He is motionless.<\/p>\n
Another man takes the guy’s arm and sees that he’s wearing a bracelet, kind of like a medical I.D. tag. He flips it over and finds the image of a soccer ball.<\/p>\n
“It’s all right,” the man announces to the growing crowd. “He just needs some football.”<\/p>\n
Lately, I can relate. I’ve been leading a double-life: journalist by day, junkie by night. I’ve been a World Cup fan in America.<\/p>\n
It’s been a lonely, nocturnal existence. Japan and South Korea are the tournament hosts this year. And while you are reading this story today, it is probably already tomorrow in Tokyo.<\/p>\n
Game times in Georgia have been 2:30 a.m., 5 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. Not exactly prime time.<\/p>\n
But I’ve tried to stay up, or wake up, for many of them. During daylight hours, I walk around like a zombie, my eyes glazed over like soccer balls.<\/p>\n
I know there are others out there like me. Friends of mine in New York, and even Atlanta, tell me about late-night and early-morning trips to bars for World Cup watching. Throngs of fans have gathered to watch matches at Major League Soccer stadiums throughout the country. And despite their early-morning starts, the games are drawing a record amount of viewers on television.<\/p>\n
But in Gainesville, I often feel like I’m going at this all alone. Bars close before game time. And if they didn’t, I doubt crowds would gather for the games, anyway. Gainesville is the Poultry Capital of the World. I’m not sure where the soccer capital is, but I have a feeling it’s a long way from here.<\/p>\n
Tuesday in South Korea, millions and millions of soccer fans took to the streets to watch their countrymen play. I watch matches in my living room, joined only by a bottle of beer and a box of Golden Grahams. At halftime, I step onto my porch — and get serenaded by a chorus of crickets.<\/p>\n
I thought about turning my house into an after-hours speak-easy for local soccer fans. But I couldn’t figure out how to advertise it without getting arrested. Maybe I’ll start a self-help group to help those afflicted deal with their World Cup addictions.<\/p>\n
There are sure to be some withdrawal symptoms after Sunday morning’s championship match between Brazil and Germany.<\/p>\n
It’s nice to know, though, that there are others who have it worse than me. Franklin McIntosh, director of the Lanier Soccer Association, has not missed a match. That means since May 31, he’s seen 62.<\/p>\n
“To me, it’s something very special,” said McIntosh, 38, a former professional soccer player originally from football-friendly West Bromwich, England. “But I’m extremely tired right now. It only happens once every four years, so I like to experience it live.”<\/p>\n
Often, McIntosh would watch the matches straight through the morning — from 2:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. — and then head off to work, not to return home again until after 10 p.m. Then it’s a quick nap before another night tuned in to ESPN.<\/p>\n
“It just depends on how good the middle (5 a.m.) game is,” explained McIntosh. “If the middle game is a real good game, I will watch it. If it’s not, I will tape it and watch it later on in the evening. I’ll watch the 2:30 game, go take a quick nap, and get up for the 7:30 game.”<\/p>\n
For most matches, McIntosh, like me, watched alone at home. But when England played, he headed down to the Rose & Crown pub in Buckhead.<\/p>\n
“They stayed open extra late,” McIntosh said. “The atmosphere was just unreal. But it only happened for England.”<\/p>\n
I have a confession to make. I’ve been a bad, bad American. Last Friday, I stayed up to watch the quarterfinal match between England and Brazil. After England was eliminated, I went to bed at 4:30 a.m. … and set my alarm to sound 2.5 hours later.<\/p>\n
I needed to be up in time for the U.S.-Germany match at 7:30 a.m. This was a history-making match and there was no way I was going to miss it. The Americans hadn’t been in the final eight since 1930. They have never made it to a final four.<\/p>\n
Now, one of the perks of my profession is that I rarely have to wake up to an alarm. A sports writer’s workday starts late, and ends much later. So sleeping in is not a problem.<\/p>\n
Perhaps, then, my lack of practice in clock-programming explains why on Friday I set my alarm for 7 p.m. instead of 7 a.m. Perhaps it explains why I slept through the entire dadgum match.<\/p>\n
The U.S. lost 1-0, but that didn’t ease my pain. Now I must wait — at least four more years — to watch the Americans play in the World Cup again.<\/p>\n
Maybe in 2006 I won’t feel like such a loner. Maybe this year’s U.S. run has brought some more fans into the World Cup fold.<\/p>\n
Last Friday, after I finally woke up, I was pleased to find soccer a topic of discussion on the basketball courts at the Family Life Center. That hadn’t happened before. It hasn’t happened since, either. And likely won’t for at least four more years.<\/p>\n
But I’m still talking about the World Cup. I was talking about it Tuesday morning after I watched Germany defeat South Korea. I was talking about it Wednesday morning after I watched Brazil take down Turkey.<\/p>\n
And now, I know at least one other person whom I can talk about it with. But even McIntosh is growing weary late in this late-night World Cup.<\/p>\n
“I still had a good time watching the matches, but it just seemed more of a job to get up and watch the games,” McIntosh said. “I am so tired right now, it’s unbelievable. I don’t want the Cup to end, but at the same time, I’m ready for it to end.”<\/p>\n
Just two more matches to go, Franklin.<\/p>\n
I’ll be up for both of them. Right now, though, I need a nap.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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