Catching World Cup Fever?
For many people in the world the principal sign of ‘globalization’ has been the appearance of American brands in their lives, with Coca Cola and McDonalds usually in the vanguard. With the exception of the automobile industry, the invasion of foreign brands has been much less visible in the U.S. We have been the exporters of products, delivery systems and branding which have been adopted directly, or mimicked, throughout the world. The impact of other cultures on our own country has largely come though the assimilation of the waves of immigrants ever since our great nation was founded.
But what of soccer – or more specifically the World Cup? This quadrennial event has been celebrated with passion for decades around the globe with barely a flicker of interest back home. Even World Cups have been held in the U.S. the impact has been little more than that of a freak show. Our attention was briefly captured before we went back to our normal pastimes.