June 16th - Day 10

ACCOUNTABILITY

This is going to turn into a picture book pretty quickly. Because I KNOW that if you were writing this blog, you would do the same thing that I am. And that is to not waste (I hate to say it, but its true) all your time on the computer instead of living the life that is only a few steps outside the front door of my hotel.

This river public-viewing scene is only a few hundred yards from our hotel in Frankfurt. There are thousands of people hanging out there everyday enjoying the games under the watchful eye of the authorities whose ratio is about 2-1. That translates to two of them for every one of us.

The weather is perfect. The girl to guy ratio favors the girls by a lot (I’m writing my embassy about that!), and the beverages are going down way to easily (maybe it’s because somebody else is buying).

I’m writing this as the Angola vs. Mexico game is in progress, but what the heck happened to Serbia & Montenegro today? I had them going to the second round instead of Holland. I did try to bet my photographer (who is now known as Baby Bruce) that Serbia would finish the game with less than 11 men (which is a sucker’s bet if there ever was one), but he wouldn’t bite…so I smacked him in the back of the head.

Holland looks legit, but Argentina looks unbeatable by anybody except the Brazilians. Tomorrow I take an hour and a half train ride to Kaiserslautern to watch the U.S. get dismantled by Italy. I would say something more positive about the U.S., but Bruce Arena is still in charge and all the little pep talks in the world aren’t going to help us break down the most impenetrable defense in the world.

I did enjoy an entire afternoon basking in the sun aboard a floating café as we took in the matches. I sat next to Dr.Jordan Metzl from New York City (who did play college soccer) and his dad who had just gotten into town from the States. While dad dozed off in the chair behind me, Jordan weighed in on the U.S. chances against the three-time World Cup Champs.

Are you making your dad foot the bill for this trip?

Actually, no. I am.

What are your thoughts on the U.S vs Italy game tomorrow?

I’d like to think that the U.S. could pull off a good result against Italy, but I’m not terribly optimistic, but I’m hopeful. I think we got tremendously outplayed and out-coached in the first game. I’m just happy to be here, but I don’t expect us to win. I’m predicting 2-1 Italy.

Jordan’s dad...

Is this the highlight of your trip so far?

This is great. The huge television screen in the middle of the river is very unusual. I like the atmosphere, you could feel it when we got off the plane.

Who’s going to party harder, you or your sons?

They’re trying to get rid of me (sort of laughs).

If they ditch you will you feel bad about it?

No, then I’d think I taught them the right thing.

For now, Baby Bruce and I are going to head out for the night, probably until dawn, to check out the “sights.”

Tomorrow: Is Bruce truly as bad as I think he is.