This is what I've named the mysterious illness which struck me down with little warning late on Tuesday, because it started as just a fever so severe that it masked any other symptoms. It's an extremely corny thing to do and I apologize; it won't happen again. Blame it on the fever. As I hovered on the edge of delirium Wednesday, popping Ibuprofen whenever my temperature started edging past 103, I considered how tragic it would be to shuffle off this mortal coil a mere two weeks before the start of World Cup. My co-bloggers have since assured me that they would have written a chant in my honor, which is, I suppose, the best one can hope for.
Anyway, I couldn't blog, what with the not being able to sit up without the room spinning round and the concentrating on not dying (at least not till July) and all that. But now it's only two weeks till the tournament and we've got lots of other countries to tell you about! We're going to do our best! Of course, we never intended for a pretty move to be a place for up-to-the-minute news and stats--lots of other people do that far better than we do. But while we're sticking with our quirky personal observations, purely subjective reportage, and occasional flights of fancy, here are a few more great places you should be checking out for your World Cup needs.
World Cup Blog, originating here in Portland, has a different writer blogging each of the 32 countries.
Derek linked yesterday to Guardian podcasts and their main World Cup page is here.
If you're a local fan, you are already reading timberlog (or you should be!). But if, like me, you've picked Trinidad and Tobago for your Cinderella story of the tournament, you'll want to stop in even if you aren't one of the Rose City faithful, because you can read occasional updates from former Timber and Trinidad and Tobago international Brent Sancho as we lead up to the World Cup.
And for you novices, who are gearing up for your first-time bout with World Cup fever:
Official FIFA site--your one-stop place for all the basic info on teams, dates, matches, more
A very basic primer for those of you who feel that soccer lingo is a foreign language
A far more extensive Soccer 101 Glossary
Rest assured that no matter how much soccer watching you do and lingo you learn, you will still argue about the offside rule.
Now I'm off to soothe my sore throat with some chamomile tea. I hope I have a voice for the Timbers game next weekend--I have already frightened one caller tonight with my scary creaky vocal cords and now I'm reduced to utter silence. I feel like Harpo Marx, who was always my favorite, but I didn't want to be him. Somebody buy me a little horn.
3 comments:
Great post, thanks especially for the World Cup blog link. Cool stuff.
Sorry to hear you aren't feeling well. Hope you're feeling better soon!
Novices and newbies should also get the June issue of National Geographic. The cover is titled: "Why the World Loves Soccer". Even the map is about the game.
More good writing and great photos are on the NG website. Click on "The Beautiful Game: Why Soccer Rules the World"
Imagine how excited I was when the magazine arrived at my house last weekend. It was as if I had been nice and Santa Claus came to the house seven months early dressed as a letter carrier.
Ooh, I just got a look at the National Geographic tonight. Very nice--and a good preview of the Thinking Fan book, but worth it even if you have the book for the fantastic photos and yes, of course, the nifty map.
Ghost Dog--thanks, glad you liked the WC blog; I always hope when I'm pointing to links like that that I'm not telling everybody something they already know.
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