Fourth of July

The similarities to the Fourth of July in the US to the Boca Juniors game revealed the stark contrast to our primary sense of nationalism compared to their identity to their team. The game servedd as the illustrsation of the "the epicentre of national sporting ulture and served to shape identities and meanging for Argentines" found in Soccer & Society (Gaffney 164). The community of the game, eating asado/dinner before hand, the decorations on cars or throughout the neighborhood, as well as the friendly exchanges between fans headed to the stadium, whether they were friends or not, all reminded me of the community that takes place surrounding the Fourth. There was even their version of hot dogs being sold! There are meals shared between family and friends, decorations, and greetings to strangers recognizing the holiday in the US. The variety of sizes, versions, and constant display of the Boca club flag reminded me of the inundation of flags in the US, wherever you are, on the Fourth. The distinct blue and gold was on necklaces, faces, clothes, hats, and accessories. Red, white and blue on cookies, hats, crazy sunglasses, sparklers, and beads cannot be escaped for almost the whole week leading up to the Fourth. The songs of the Boca Juniors can be compared to the various patriotic anthems heard on boats, decks, and radios in the US on the Fourth. The most obvious connection between the two forms of identity was in the incredible display of fire works before the game began. It most closely resembles the most notorious past time of the Fourth, watching the fire works. All of these factors I observed at the game kept bringing the fourth of July to the forefront of my mind because of the similarities. The exhuberance and vibrant experience (Gaffney 160) described to be found at a soccer game can also be found in the United States on the fourth of July. Though there are differences in magnitude of many factors, including the celebration through colors, accessories, song, and cheers in support of central institution, people express their identity more universally than I initially understood. It is only what they identify themselves most closely with that changes.

Team Affiliation

Here in Argentina you are born into a soccer team, you are a fan because your parents or grandparents support that team. Your favorite colors as a kid are formed through your exposure to “your” team. You grow up in the club participating in a variety of activities, meeting friends, and discussing the team. Form a very young age you develop loyalty, to the point that you are more of a proud sworn enemy of the rival team than you are a fan of your own. This has become so much the trend that there are people willing for their team to lose if it would prevent the success of their rival.
In the US you are devoted to two sets of teams, professional and collegiate. This extends also to individual sports and creates factions among fans many times over. There is a lost sense of community because the priority of their devotion varies for each fan. The primary influence of choosing allegiance to a team is the geographic location. You choose a team based on the city you live in, near, or have lived in the longest time. For me, both of my parents were born and grew up in the New England area. They are both Red Sox fans, but my brothers and I are Braves fans. We choose our city over the city and team of our parents. Though the soccer teams in Argentina were originally divided by neighborhood, there is much less emphasis on the location today. The intense generation pressure is seen more as a tradition and not a result of location.
As people move around the US, it is not uncommon for them to adopt a new team in a new location. This would be unheard of in Argentina. Argentines do not change affiliations based on winning seasons, player changes, coaching changes or player behavior. You are a part of that club. This reflects the entertainment aspect of sports in the US versus the community found in the soccer clubs in South America. Most people are driven to support a team because they have access to seeing them live, in the company of friends, and as social entertainment. For Argentina, it is a community in serious support of their soccer team that binds them together.

Why Soccer is not popular in the US

Money speaks. Ultimately I believe that the US cannot compete in the world in soccer because there is not enough money pumped into it. People in the US are motivated by the reward of fame and fortune, so in order to really get people to support and live in the soccer mindset there needs to be money there. Soccer is known to be a poor sport. All you need is some kind of ball and you have a game. Part of what kids grow up thinking about it how to prove to others that they can “make it”. They want to look back one day and be able to say, “I told you so”. Soccer does not provide the opportunity to do that in the US. We are not lacking skill, physical build, or athleticism. We are lacking someone to follow. Just as Argentina had Hugo Porta to elevate rugby and make it popular, we need someone from the US to do the same. They just have to be good enough for the country to take pride in their play, even if that play is somewhere else. We are a country full of bandwagon fans. We can cheer for the team with the handsome quarter back, retiring coach, or all-star breaking records. Loyalty can be won by creating something to get behind. This is even greater when there is a story of the “American Dream”. People are not given the chance for reward from soccer here on US soil so it has to be abroad.
FIFA and Nike, Adidas, or another soccer supplying company would have to help bring the fanaticism of the sport to the US by providing the capital. There are ways to try to raise interest but it is uncertain whether not the momentum would be sustainable. One would be to host the World Cup, which would bring recognition and a first hand view of the world’s passion for the sport. The other would be endorsement to the American players to get them in the US media and public eye as a celebrity, even if they are playing for a European or South American team. Even with all of this I do not think soccer will ever have the hold in the US that it has in other parts of the world. It does that the potential to make money in the US. And it is all about the money in the US.

Tango as an Identity

On a taxi ride I asked the taxi driver if he was a native Argentine and porteno,(city resident of Buenos Aires). He responded that he was, and that of course he knew tango. His answer was affirmative and supported in his mind by the ability to dance the tango. This raised an interesting thought in the importance of tango in the minds of citizen or the global importance they believe it holds. Tango is what Argentina is known for around the world, and therefore feels that in order to legitimize their claim they must be able to dance it. Tango is not the foundation for identity because everyone goes tangoing all the time, or that they are all amazing dancers. Argentines want to have pride in their country in what the world sees them as contributing. They want to be a part of what others recognize them for. Tango is a chance for anyone, regardless of political views, social status, profession, or even football affiliation, to be able to be Argentine and be a part of that pride. It is the element across all other divisions for the whole to belong. This uniting factor was evident in Monte Video, Uruguay at the Buddy Bears Exhibit. This is the UN project where each of the 144 countries who are members of the UN have painted a bear about 6 feet tall. Argentina’s bear has a cameo of Gardel in the front center. Of the things Argentina could have communicated with the bear, it chose to fortify their claim to tango. Pride and identity is determined by what the world sees them worth. For Argentina, being able to tango is a way for a citizen to be sure they are Argentine. The dance doesn’t care about beliefs, social status, profession, neighborhood, football team or political ideas. Argentina’s tango, just like the attitude of the people, is often nostalgic, sultry, and longing for something more as a country and on the dance floor.