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There are some things in life you won’t understand until you see it with your own eyes.  Such is the case with futbol, soccer, or you know that sport that 95% of the world feverishly obsesses about while Americans are content with their football, baseball, basketball, and LPGA tours ;)

As much China historically has been known to be an isolationist culture, American Sports is somewhat built the same way.  Monetarily and purely for global capitalistic reasons, baseball has grown into Asian countries, as well as South American countries while basketball is steadily gaining popularity in terms of the vast professional European leagues and the intense competition/beatdowns “Team USA” have recently suffered in international competitions.  Americans on the other hand are slow to adopt outside sports into their mainstream staple of “big 3″ sports.  However in stepping outside the New World bubble, and looking outward one can agree that soccer is the world’s leading sport.  Does this mean all of a sudden yours truly has gone “hooliganistic” and embraced futbol-known-as-football-or-futbol-but-with-round-balls-instead-of-oblong-pigskins as his favorite sport and in true fandom beserker rage started bellowing choruses of “Ole Ole Ole Ole?”.  No.  It just means I have a new found respect and understanding for the sport.

I say this because recently I took a trip to both Italy and Germany to visit family and along the way was caught up in Eurocup 2008 mania (I have an “official” Puma Italia futbol jersey to prove it).  We’ve always known soccer rules outside of North America and arguably their fans are crazier, more psychotic, more dedicated, and possibly more homicidal, but I never truly understood why.  Until I set foot into Frankfurt, Germany last weekend.

You see in the U.S. I can personally vouch that sports are not life determining for all, but they are important and true fans take to heart in supporting their team and rooting them on through thick or thin.  If you’ve never sat in the metal stands of a high school football game in Texas on a Friday night, or tailgated your way through a Saturday afternoon of collegiate football, or lounged on your sofa during a lazy Sunday afternoon watching the NFL, then you don’t know the excitement Americans experience when it comes to their favorite sports.  However herein lies the difference between American football, and World futbol.

American football entails a league of 32 different professional teams representing 32 different cities, or 119 different universities throughout the country.  So while each fan base stakes their claim as the best, most die hard fans in the nation, it still comes down to you hitch your wagon to a city and/or university.  Whereas in futbol/soccer whether its in the World Cup or the Eurocup, your team is a whole freaking nation.  Those fans you see who are more hardcore than their Western contemporaries can afford to be so because you have a whole nation backing one team as opposed to the whole population of Green Bay, Wisconsin (and any possible bandwagoners) backing one franchise representing only one city.  Our biggest stage is the Super Bowl by all rights its own American holiday, and truth be told the whole nation watches the Super Bowl, but unless its your city/franchise thats playing, you’re only watching it because its the Super Bowl (and for the commercials).

Aside from soccer club teams, and Olympics that occur every 4 years, its just apples and oranges when you are comparing futbol to football.  Americans are fervent fans in their own right, but rarely does the opportunity arise for the whole country to stand behind one single team representing the United States of America (again ignoring the every 4 years Olympic hoopla) whereas for soccer, their fans are galvanized by the flag of their teams representing that very country. It’s just two different scenarios that are really barely comparable.

For instance last weekend while I was in Germany, there happened to be a Euro Cup match between Turkey and Croatia.  I didn’t think it was too big of a deal, but apparently the whole city of Frankfurt was in lock down mode (businesses closing early and no one out and about in the streets) because everyone was either going to be in a bar or at home watching the game.  I didn’t think it was strange the streets of Frankfurt were empty at 7pm because similar circumstances occur here in West Texas in small towns the night of any high school football games.  On the other hand I thought it was strange because it was Turkey vs. Croatia and I was in Germany…  not Turkey…  or Croatia.    However my uncle informed me that the reason everyone will be busy watching the game is because:

A) There are lots of Croatians and/or Turkish denizens in Frankfurt (I saw more Turkish flags in my area).

B) All of Germany will be watching because the winner of this match next plays Germany.

Now I am hardcore as they come I’d like to think when there’s any inkling of a game involving the Cowboys, Spurs, or Red Raiders, but I don’t think I’ve ever tuned into a game between two other teams of whom the winner might be next playing my favorite team, much less a whole country shutting down early for the night just to watch two potential opponents of which neither team is named Germany or Deutschland.  I have to say, now THAT’S hardcore.

If soccer was as big in the U.S. outside of the OC and their patented “soccer moms”, then maybe we’d see such insane fanatic support in the next World Cup for the boys wearing “Old Glory” on their jerseys, but for now I’m content to knowing and experiencing something different that confirms the vastness and distinctiveness that sports offer.  I mean what more can you say about how hardcore a sport is when they had pay-per-view just to see David Beckham’s physical when he was traded from Manchester United to Real Madrid?!

Somewhere deep in the crevasses of the NBA headquarters in New York City, the bowels of the Disney Corporation the parent company of ABC/ESPN, old stinking rich white men in suits yearning for a dream NBA Finals match-up, have all collectively had a potential super-ratings orgasm.

Just like the picture above speaks volumes, this Finals will be a star-studded cast of a combined 4 All-Stars, two sure Hall of Famers, one Hall of Fame coach, and one coach who stumbled into an unbelievably fortuitous situation (not unlike the pimply 90 lb kid who stumbled into the girl’s locker room).  So instead of a potential yawn fest that might have culminated with broadcast executives taking murder/suicide pacts to offset the pain of low Finals ratings yet again brought upon by the San Antonio Spurs and/or the Detroit Pistons, you have the rejuvenated Los Angeles Lakers and the equally wide-eyed Boston Celtics.

The Western Conference Finals were eerily similar to the first round between the Spurs and the Suns only that the Spurs were on the opposite spectrum.  Some signs were two game 1s werein the visiting team lost a 20+ spread only to give the game away, losing another big lead to ultimately lose a close game, failing to win two games at home, and of course even though both teams were evenly heatedly matched, the series never went beyond 5 games.  If I sound a little bitter, that’s because I am.  No need to mince words, in a series where the Spurs could easily be up 4-1 (if you allow me to pretend they could have won games 1, 4 and 5) due to a variety of reasons like not blowing a  20 point lead in game 1,  getting the right call from the officials in game 4, and not blowing a 17 point lead in game 5 as well as contain Black Mamba in the 4th.  However thats just all what-ifs, and there is no excuse.  The Spurs in the past had to navigate through a tough Western Conference getting beat up along the way just to make it to the Finals, so past championships proved worth the trial whence they beat up on their opponents handily (with the exception of Detroit in 05 when it went 7 games).  If they were to make it this year, there would be little doubt they like the Lakers now would be the favorites to win even if they don’t have homecourt advantage.  Having to go through a buzzsaw through the likes of the Phoenix Suns, New Orleans Hornets, and the Lakers is only a testament to how difficult the road was.  The Lakers equally with the exception of Denver had to finish off contenders like the Utah Jazz and the Spurs for the right to meet the Celtics.

If the Celtics win the title, it means they definitely deserve it mainly due to the fact that they peaked at the right time, disposing of a very good Pistons and an even better Lakers team.  It also means even though they struggled to take out the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers, I personally think their quality of opponents pale in comparison to the Lakers.  Upon closer inspection it may bode well for the Celtics that they struggled with a below .500 playoff team, another that had only one true offensive threat in LeBron James because maybe that was enough for them to take themselves seriously and not think that their cakewalk through the regular season would be sufficient in the playoffs.  That remains to be seen.

LA will be a hard-pressed to lose this as it’s been suspected and now beyond doubt that Kobe Bryant is on a mission and his supporting cast is talented enough to take them to another title.  Against the Spurs I was able to see up close how deep the Lakers are as their entire 2nd unit has grown throughout these playoffs and their youth and energy could give the Celtics trouble against their starters even.

As for my favorite team, it is back to the drawing board.  With their head coach signed for an extension through 2012 the same year Tim Duncan’s expires, it is possible both will retire at the same time or simply leave the team.  Tony Parker and Manu Giniboli are here for at least another year, with Parker extended through 2010 while Ginobili’s might be up a bit sooner I am not sure.  The point is, the core will still be together with the team’s main concern to reload the bench and tap into all those stockpiled picks they keep in Europe and D-Leagues.  Nevertheless, Gregg Popavich had a good point in saying if the team had won it all this year, no one would expect them to change much but because they lost many are pointing to needed changes.  In my opinion, had the Spurs won it this year, they would have had made changes regardless due to seeing up close what areas they were exposed during the playoffs.

Objectively I see the Spurs being a viable contender for the next 2-4 years as long as the core stays healthy and the right pieces are surrounding them.  Unlike the Suns or the Dallas Mavericks, the Spurs will not have to overhaul their roster or mindset/philosophy completely.  Much like the pundits say, I believe an athletic wing and another athletic forward/center will do wonders for this squad.  Of course they have been winning for years without on overly athletic 2-guard or pivot, relying on good ol’ hard-nosed defense, experience and chemistry.  If anything truthfully the Spurs like any team with hopes of a title, just need luck.  Luck that there are no debilitating injuries, the right bounce of the ball, or even the right call.

Although the players and coach might not admit it, I believe that the Spurs are always out to prove themselves to everyone.  Even though they may always comment that they don’t care what anyone thinks, they do things the way they want to and that winning is the only thing on their minds, this organization respects the game and its fans and it only makes sense that they care how they are perceived in history.  When they won their first title in 1999, many including Phil Jackson claimed that title should have an asterick due to the shortened season because of the lock-out (though I guarantee if it were Jackson who had that title in ‘99 to give him 10 total rings, he wouldn’t say a word about astericks).  So the Spurs had a cloud hanging over them and whispers that they can’t win a title in a full NBA season up until the 2003 season when they finally won a 2nd title.  However soon after more excuses were made when the Spurs hoisted the O’Brien trophy last summer and more criticism flowed saying that San Antonio cannot win in even years, nor repeat/defend a title thus laying more claims that this is not a dynasty.

As I mentioned before, even if the organization does not publicly say it, I feel personally that this team has too much respect for the game thusly it only makes sense that they take such comments to drive them to excel even more and strive to put away criticism and entrench themselves in NBA lore.  However when you take a step back and look, many will see the difficulty of repeating a championship (only further strengthening the argument that a truly great team will overcome such obstacles and weakening the Spur’s position), and the aforementioned amount of fortune ultimately needed to gain this goal.

It also stands to say that when your critics are talking heads of journalists who don’t play all 82 regular season games and possibly 16-28 postseason games; or former players turned “analysts” who (unless their names are Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, or Shaquille O’Neal to name a few ) never won multiple titles much less one, San Antonio should be (and are I’m sure) proud of their accomplishments thus far and just ignore all those jealous over-the-hill/no talents.   But if it helps, such criticism should be one helluva rallying cry.

Seeya next season =)

Lakers in 4.