Maybe it's a cultural thing, but... I really don't "get" the appeal of football (or soccer to the uninitiated people from North America).  OK, it's a fun game to go out and play in the empty lot around the corner, but the fervor and passion it generates among the fans blows me away.  These people will drop EVERYTHING to watch a game.

Case in point.... I have a friend staying at my place right now.  This friend came running into the house last night just before the Barcelona-Manchester game started... bang, down on the sofa, and was totally glued to the TV for 2 hours... jumping up and down at every missed goal, and getting annoyed or worked up over referee calls and the various player's actions.  I sat there shaking my head and laughing.

I just cannot get into football... all these grown men tripping over butterflies (I can't see anything else out there that throws them so violently to the ground), and then rolling around in apparent agony until they realize the ref hasn't noticed... zip they are back up and sprinting for the ball and looking for another butterfly to trip over.. or maybe an errant blade of grass.  Another thing I noticed from the game... water has absolutely astounding restorative and healing properties.  It didn't happen in the game last night, but in other games I've been subjected to by friends, some poor baby of a player would trip and fall... thrash about as if he had broken his leg... the coach (or someone) would run up, pour a little bottled water on the player and shazam, like magic he was "cured" of his life threatening injuries and back in the game.

Maybe that is where my total lack of interest in this game comes from... a "professional" game consists mainly of grown men acting like preschoolers, tripping and falling to get some attention.