The Weak Ender: America!

How close was FIFA to losing a generation of U.S. soccer fans this week? Good lord, I could have seen the U.S. folding its team if Sam's Army had been denied another victory because of a disallowed goal.

Even the referees that give the Steelers all of the calls thought that was excessive.

Here is something that has bugged me. Americans need to chill the f-out when it comes to trying to change the rules of soccer. Could the game be more exciting? Yes. Is offseason stupid and seemingly impossible to define? Of course. But please stop trying to change the rules of the game.

I have a friend who always wants to change soccer's rules. Endless substitutions. Wider goals. Please stop. Americans pay attention to soccer once every couple of years (or at least I do), so stop pretending like you know everything. I follow soccer about as much as I follow swimming. But you don't see me trying to 'fix' swimming by adding electric eels.

Any columnist who pens a "my ways to fix soccer" needs to block a penalty kick while his hands are behind his head.

Any Google search will show that there are endless, "ways to make soccer cool."

Soccer is never going to be cool. It is what it is. But if you think that Wednesday's game needed any sort of fixing, then maybe you were not watching the same thing as me.

For the amount of effort I put into watching soccer, the game is fine. And on July 11, I will not think about it for another few years. So leave it be.

AND FINALLY

And I do have to say one other thing. A 'friend' on Facebook gets so upset about Lakers flags, status updates on Team USA soccer and other such trivial pursuits that many of us have.

I understand that the Lakers' title did not cure cancer. I know that the Angels win over the Dodgers (5 games to 1 if you are counting) did not stop an oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. Nor did Team USA win erase all of the anxiety over 9/11.

But if you cannot stop to savor the small victories that life hands you, then why do you bother to get out of bed in the morning?

Let's go America.