… Greatest Show is near
EVERY four years, for one month, Planet Earth is taken on a journey of ifs and buts, fortunes and misfortunes, joy and agony, frustration and celebration –  regarded as the World’s Greatest Showpiece Event, the Greatest Show on Earth, etc, etc, etc … and as the saying in dialect goes ‘it rung de karnah’. From June 11th to July 11th billions of Television viewers around the Globe will be glued to TV sets, wherever they could be found, with great hopes and expectations while the entertainers of the Beautiful Game present the exciting spectacle, captivating the mindset of the global population.
No other sport attracts and shares such magnitude of passionate Universal attention like the People’s game. An estimated viewership of over 40 billion people, half of the world’s population will watch the 64 matches to be played in 10 venues of the former Apartheid country, South Africa.
The 19th Edition of the quadrennial Event will be staged in the Continent of Africa for the first time and while the great Nelson Mandela and his compatriots prepare to welcome the qualifying 31 nations, who will join them to challenge for the most coveted Cup, the daily arguments, discussions, speculations and predictions are paramount among those who hold the People’s game close to their hearts. Indeed, the World Cup fever has begun to penetrate and spread across the Universe like no other sport could.
TV rights and mega merchandising account for the bulk of the huge financial gains accrued from the month-long event, but not only for the benefit of the world-governing body for football. People around the globe, legally and illegally, will be cashing in as well or as they would say in local tongue ‘eat ah food’. All business-minded people will be creating ways to ‘piggy back’ on the tremendous marketing value of the event, teams and players.
Yet again production at work will be affected, especially here in our zone of the world since the games will be played during normal working hours. Already the fans have made plans to facilitate viewing which will see the 48 preliminary group matches, in the first fifteen days of competition, starting as early as 07:30 h Caribbean time on most days. It is a known fact that some people, or fanatics for use of an apt description, believe or think that football is more important than Life or Death. We here in the Region are also blessed with such mindsets when it comes to this particular time.
The records will show that only 11 countries in the rich history of the Journey to World Cup Glory have contested the decisive finale for the ultimate and most prestigious prize in World football. To date, since it’s inception in 1930, only seven nations have tasted and celebrated victory, while the other four have failed in their attempts over the 18 editions contested thus far.
The fantastic history of the World Cup is colourful and at times painful for some. The journey to the Summit never stops to astonish, full of memories and realities – a feast for the eyes that are afforded a glimpse of football artistry and a joy for the bodies executing the artistic skills. The dream and aspiration of every footballer is to win the World Cup, while even appearing at the finals is of mega-satisfaction. It is the platform for some of the Greatest Football ever seen and played by some of the greatest players ever known.
It was on this stage in Sweden in 1958 and at the tender age of 17, the Greatest and the Undisputed King of them all –Edson  Arantes do Nascimento, more worldly known as King Pele – announced his arrival and inspired Brazil to its first of five World Cup titles, the most by any country. The King is the only player to appear on three World Cup-winning teams (’58, ’62 and ’70).
At the end of the journey there is just a solitary Champion, together with their nation and global supporters the victors celebrate the thrill and joy of victory, while the losers along with their supporters ponder the anguish and agony of defeat.
How has the Beautiful game evolved and blossomed into the Greatest Showpiece of Sporting Events? Get ready to consume the real facts as we recapture the glorious and memorable moments of the Beautiful game and highlight the events of 2010 as of today and daily until the Champions are crowned.