Someone Had a Come to Pele Moment

As a lover of all sorts of non-traditional past times that aren't very popular in this country (road racing, soccer, progressive rock, reasoned political discourse), I always secretly believe that all anybody else needs to share my enthusiasm is to be exposed to something. And, hey, it worked on at least one guy. A sportswriter for the Baltimore Sun proclaims: Can a 41-year-old American male raised on football, basketball and baseball suddenly learn to love soccer?

Sure, one can. One just did.

One has just spent more time watching soccer in the past month than he had, collectively, in his entire life - and, with no warning and no preparation, suddenly gets what everyone has been talking about. Well, not everything. But the wall definitely is down.

I have crossed over. I like this sport - that's a notch below "I love this game," the slogan of my preferred sport, but I'm willing. I want to see more of it, at the highest level. I want to see where it might go in this country if a truce can somehow be declared and tensions eased between the fanatics and the haters. I may watch a Major League Soccer game. Better yet, I may attend one.

Hey, welcome to the club!