https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fandom-doesn-t-require-an-id-card--7163121But I just do not care. I never did. I never had a rooting interest in a team. I never found myself wrapped up in the spectacle, the pageantry or the national hype of the event.
The U.S. team, made up primarily of players I’d never heard of before the start of the tournament, faced off against Belgium, another team I knew next to nothing about.There was some hype about a U.S. player being red-carded the match before and thus being ineligible to play against the Belgian team, but that decision was reversed by the sport’s governing body.
I don’t care how it happened or who made it happen. I only know when decisions like that are reversed, there’s going to be an equal amount of happiness and anger depending on the outcome.]]>enSportsCopyright Steven Bortsteinhttps://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/f25e35612312d1e660bebba3e5cdd078.jpghttps://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fandom-doesn-t-require-an-id-card--7163121Thu, 09 Jul 2026 07:22:08 +0000Steven BortsteinSteven Bortsteinfeeds@spreaker.comI’d like to think of myself as a relatively intelligent consumer of sporting events. If the game has an interest to me — of any kind — I’ll give it a look when it’s presented to me. But I just do not care. I never did. I never had a rooting interest...But I just do not care. I never did. I never had a rooting interest in a team. I never found myself wrapped up in the spectacle, the pageantry or the national hype of the event.
The U.S. team, made up primarily of players I’d never heard of before the start of the tournament, faced off against Belgium, another team I knew next to nothing about.There was some hype about a U.S. player being red-carded the match before and thus being ineligible to play against the Belgian team, but that decision was reversed by the sport’s governing body.
I don’t care how it happened or who made it happen. I only know when decisions like that are reversed, there’s going to be an equal amount of happiness and anger depending on the outcome.]]>falseepisodichttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/america-s-part-time-fascination-with-the-world-cup--72882647https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72882647Thu, 09 Jul 2026 07:21:37 +0000Steven BortsteinAnd for all the hype around watching the underdog U.S. men’s soccer team try to create history by winning the World Cup for the first time in nearly a century, it’s important to note that no Canadian NHL team has won the Stanley Cup in more than 30...540falsefull