« May 2006 | Main | July 2006 »
June 30, 2006
Meanwhile, back in the U.S.A.
There have been those in the Bay Area media—yeah, Ray Ratto, I'm talking to you—who have cast aspersions on the intentions of the Oakland A's ownership group with regards to their interest in the Earthquakes.
That should all end today with the publication of Rick Hurd's Inside Baseball column in the Contra Costa Times, in which he reports on Billy Beane's raves for the World Cup.
The A's GM is quoted as saying that the World Cup is, "Without question the best sporting event I've ever witnessed."
If that was the end of it, it might be easy to dismiss Beane's observation as mere PR. But reading the whole article, it's clear that Beane gets it, echoing words that have left the lips of many soccer fans in an effort to explain the game to newcomers.
"You can't watch a soccer game like you're watching a USC football game, where you expect Reggie Bush to score three touchdowns in the first half," he said. "There's a lot more to the game than that, lots of things that go into trying to score a goal. The more you watch it, the more you anticipate the few goals that will be scored, and it makes those few goals that much more exciting."
Beane had company with him on the trip, including Lew Wolff himself and A's president Michael Crowley. Now, he sounds like someone hungry for his next soccer experience.
"Sat right in the middle of the crowd," Beane said of his experience. "Did the unique chants, everything. I'm telling you, it was really an experience."
All we need is a stadium, gentleman, and that whole world is yours to work in. Let's go for it!
Posted by Jay at 04:56 PM | Comments (3)