Today is June 9, 2006… a moment 4 years in the making. All-important questions will be answered. Will Zidane’s return to the French team pay off? Will the US step up to the plate? Will Italy not choke in a round of penalty shots? Will Mexico surprise us all with a team filled with up and coming new talent? Will Beckham sport a new hairdo or a new shade of lipstick? Will Ronaldo stop being a crybaby? Will Brazil take home the World Cup as expected?

Finally, we don’t have to read about Brangelina’s baby or Tom Cruise going nuts in some TV show. We don’t care about the war in Iraq or Osama Bin Laden. Who cares if Miami or Dallas wins the NBA Finals? The NBA will have to take a back seat to the most important sporting event of the world. Reschedule games to fit our needs!

All clocks have stopped; fans from all over the world anxiously anticipate the World Cup. People will laugh, people will cry, people will suffer and one, only one, people will become world champions.

Enjoy this opportunity and make the most of it. This is the time to make new friends and enemies. This is the time to tell that coworker you can’t stand that he’s a dumbass just because he roots for another team. He won’t mind. Don’t worry; someone will be calling you a dumbass pretty soon, too. It’s an opportunity to practice patience, because you know more about the game than your team’s coach does, obviously. This is when you realize who your friends are. They’ll understand if you don’t return their phone calls until after July 9^th.

So, tell your bosses you will need more time to finish what you started since you’ve been scouting the Internet for news and scores all day. Tell your lover you need a “break” for a whole month. Tell your family there are NO emergencies whatsoever. They’ll understand. If they don’t, you do not need them in the first place.

Remember, all World Cup conversations and discussions override any other mindless rambling going on anywhere, period.

Finally, the World Cup, Germany 2006!

Enjoy