Foreign Policy Blogs

World Cup Day 25: More Rest. So. Boring.

I don’t think I’m an especially good relaxer. I like being near the ocean but find it unappealing and nearly impossible just to relax on the beach. many people find the idea of doing nothing completely appealing. I find it horrible. I need something to read, something to write, something to DO.

It’s another day off in the World Cup, and I’m glad the off days are almost over. Tomorrow the semifinals start, and amen to that. I know you all await my inevitably wrong predictions, so I’ll make it simple:

Uruguay 0-3 Netherlands — Is this a prediction borne of resentment of Uruguay cheating their way to the final four of global football? Sure it is.  Do I actually believe that God, karma, or fate punishes malfeasance? No. I do not. But the Dutch also happen to be better than the Uruguayans, especially when La Celeste will be missing Luis Suarez, the cheatingest of all the cheaters. I hope the Uruguyans also suffer festering sores.

Germany 3-1 Spain — I’ve learned my lesson about predicting against Germany, even if what sounds like the awesomest nickname of all time, Die Mannschaft, actually just means “The Team.” Do I prefer Spain’s style of play? You bet. Do I even remotely trust my heart as a predictive mechanism? Not a chance.

Should you run to your local bookmaker and vote the complete opposite of everything I have written here? I think we both know the answer to that.

 

Author

Derek Catsam

Derek Catsam is a Professor of history and Kathlyn Cosper Dunagan Professor in the Humanities at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. He is also Senior Research Associate at Rhodes University. Derek writes about race and politics in the United States and Africa, sports, and terrorism. He is currently working on books on bus boycotts in the United States and South Africa in the 1940s and 1950s and on the 1981 South African Springbok rugby team's tour to the US. He is the author of three books, dozens of scholarly articles and reviews, and has published widely on current affairs in African, American, and European publications. He has lived, worked, and travelled extensively throughout southern Africa. He writes about politics, sports, travel, pop culture, and just about anything else that comes to mind.

Areas of Focus:
Africa; Zimbabwe; South Africa; Apartheid

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