For Those in Rio Going to the World Cup Final

I know the Final is not until a week from tomorrow.  But if you are going to that game (or the semi-final games between Argentina and the Netherlands or Germany and Brazil), then all I ask of you is this one little favor:

Fans are encouraged to show this sign to the TV camera. It does not matter which country you are rooting for or where you live.

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The Women’s World Cup

I spent my afternoon watching the women’s World Cup Final between the United States and Japan.  And although the United States didn’t win, our women have nothing to be ashamed of.  There’s something to be said about motivation.  The Japanese team was motivated from the Fukushima earthquake and nuclear reactor.  A similar thing happened in 1980 when the US hockey team was motivated by the failure of the Jimmy Carter presidency.

There were two things about the World Cup that bothered me.  The first thing is that overtime wasn’t sudden death.  The US scored the first goal in overtime.  In most other sports, the first team that scores wins.  There isn’t much scoring in soccer, so the first goal is that much more important.  The second thing that disturbed me was the game ending on penalty kicks.  Spending two hours playing soccer only to have a game end on penalty kicks is wrong (especially in a final game of a tournament.)

The NHL has a shootout to end tie games in the regular season.  But even they realize that a shootout is no way to determine who gets to hoist the Stanley Cup.  If Game 7 of the World Series was to be tied after nine innings, they would go to extra innings.  They wouldn’t resort to a home run derby to determine a championship.

Soccer would be more popular in the United States if it had a sudden-death format with whomever scoring first would win.  It would also help if they kept playing until somebody scored.

Birthday Weekend

Sunday will be my 37th birthday.  The original plan was for me to head down to Washington this weekend and spend time with my parents and with my daughter.  My parents surprised me by coming up and bringing Patricia with them.  The only problem was that they forgot I had moved two months ago and this was their first time up since the move.

There is plenty to do in Washington, DC.  There isn’t much to do here in Vernon, NJ.  I am close to Mountain Creek Water Park (not to be confused with Mountain Creek Ski Resort, even though it’s at the same place).  Part of the Appalachian Trail runs through Vernon, but I am not much of a hiker.  I’ll probably take Patricia to the water park tomorrow, though it’s supposed to be rainy with thunderstorms.

I am not sure about Sunday.  My parents will probably take me home for breakfast.  I’ll probably end up watching the World Cup Final between Spain and the Netherlands.  I would like to thank FIFA for holding the Final on my birthday.   Hopefully the next time it’s on my birthday, the United States will be playing.

Monday and Tuesday will be long work days.  I will be in campaign mode from Wednesday through next Sunday.  I need to get out in the public while people know who I am.  I need the name “Ahmnodt Heare” to resonate in the minds of voters in the same way that voters’ children’s names resonate in their mind.

The World Cup and my Campaign

My primary campaign stop today will be watching the World Cup in a local bar.  Many people reading this will wonder why watching soccer (or football for people outside of the US and Canada) wondering how the World Cup can be part of a presidential campaign.  the reason is simple:  It ties in with my Affordable Entertainment Awareness campaign, which is a cornerstone of my platform.

While getting World Cup tickets, flying to South Africa, and getting hotel accommodations cost a lot of money, the price of watching it on TV at home costs zero dollars and zero cents (plus applicable taxes).  I will be watching it at a local bar.  The price of the two beers and a burger will be the same whether the bar was showing the World Cup, Oprah Winfrey, or nothing at all.  In many places, this will not cost much.

Going to a movie can cost an arm and a leg if one brings a date.  Two tickets, two large soft drinks, and two large popcorns or candies can cost $50.  And unlike sporting events that are shown live on television, movies take a long time from the time it is shown in theaters to the time it is shown at home.

I will not be campaigning during the game.  I will campaign before the game and after the game.  If the USA wins, people will be more receptive to my campaign.  GO USA!

Watching the World Cup on TV costs less than going to the movies.

P.S. For those of you in South Africa who are going to the US-Ghana game, this is suggested reading.

For the World Cuppers

Soccer (or Football for those not in the United States or Canada) is the most popular sport in the world.  It is the most popular sport in countries that don’t call it “soccer.”  If you are going one of the games the United States games (either against Slovenia on Friday or Algeria on the 23rd, and you are in the lower level where the TV cameras can see you, then I need a favor from you.   Please (with sugar on top) hold up a sign like the one below:

Please make sure the sign is visible for the TV cameras!

If you’re going to one of the games but will be in a seat that the television cameras will not see, then please give the sign to somebody who will be near the front row.  Tell the person that I will work to improve relations between the United States and I will not exile William Shatner or Celine Dion there.

What is in it for you?  You will be famous for showing support for a candidate for office in another country.  It could lead to interviews with the major news stations in the United States.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!