No one, it seems, is enamored with the 2022 World Cup, at least, no one I know. No one sounds really excited about it.
Not even Wired868.
Do the math. Just weeks ago, at the end of July, we were three months, three weeks, three days, three hours, three minutes and three seconds away from the opening whistle. Game 1: Senegal v Netherlands on the morning of November 21.
As usual, Bobby and I walked and talked non-stop all the way from Cane Farm Junction to the Eddie Hart Savannah. And back. And, of course, in between ida AND returnin the middle of Go AND returnwe completed the usual ten fast laps.
But not once did the topic of Qatar 2022 come up.
Bobby, let’s not forget, is a football fanatic. And a World Cup encyclopedia.
“Just for the good old days,” he sometimes corrects me. “That was when the World Cup was mostly about using football skills to get the better of your opponents, not just to improve your position.”
Brazilian striker Ronaldo (centre) passes the Norwegian back four of Havard Flo (back right), Dan Eggen (far left), Kjetil Rekdal (second from left) and Oyvind Leonhardsen during the 1998 World Cup.
(Copyright AFP 2014/ Georges Gobet)
“Things have changed drastically,” he adds. “These days, it’s almost never about winning, it’s about not losing. Which is crap! That is probably why there is little or no interest.”
“I’m organizing,” he promised in April, “to put my thoughts in black and white.”
“For Wired868?” I had asked.
“Let’s cross that bridge when we get there.”
But during Monday’s walk, the subject of Qatar 2022 did not come up once.
Maybe it’s just that two more years of Covid have worn everyone out and nowadays nobody has time or energy for anything but survival issues.
Perhaps it is the failure of Angus Eve’s teams, who promised much but delivered little.
Or maybe normalization à la Hadad has definitely sucked the life out of T&T football and the World Cup now only provokes a long, sour kick.
Perhaps this is completely off the mark. Maybe it’s just that, after August 1st, we just weren’t in the mood to talk seriously.
On Wednesday, we spent a long time talking about Kamla’s Emancipation Day speech. In typical UNC swagger, she thoroughly embarrassed herself. And with typical UNC nonchalance, she let down everyone who expected an apology.
(Parliament Copyright Office 2021)
It will begin, declared KPB, hahahahahahahahahahahaa tin factory in Trinidad hahahahahahahahahahaha if it is done hahahahahahahahahahaha prime minister again.
Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
She didn’t say it in words, but she might as well start drilling fuh oil on the east coast. Or she could set up an industrial estate in Point Lisas as well.
Or it could even incorporate the two islands, Trinidad and Tobago, into a single political entity. Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
To tell yuh truth, we laugh our bellies. And when we remember some of the stupid things that Wade Mark says in Parliament, but never dares to repeat outside, we laugh even more.
Maybe we were hoping for more of the same fun this week. But the policy did not yield results. Just deadly serious weekend stuff.
Bobby had to fill me in. I no longer have the task of watching junk news, especially on weekends.
There were heated clashes that David Abdullah had with Minister of Public Services Marvin Gonzales over the events at WASA. Gonzales, he said, did not get to the heart of the attack. He simply wanted to damage the credibility of the MIA political leader by reminding the world of his connection with the KBB.
Bobby: But far from over. I bet UNC bounces before the day is out.
Correct! The 8am News reported Roodal Moonilal promising to provide information about a contractor who made $2 million from WASA by providing water by truck. And Abdullah was reported as saying the minister had his facts wrong about his tenure in the Partnership Government.
Stay tuned.
So what did Bobby and I talk about? About Nicholas Paul won three medals and Trinidad and Tobago won three gold medals, including one in the relay. And I bet Bobby will be all over the media this week reminding people about 10 gold medals by 2024.
Another Nicholas, Pooran and his pathetic band of West Indian Hara-Christians (STAND) naturally forced their way into the conversation. According to Bobby, the captain – long for excuses but short on ideas – says the same thing before and after every game; only the order changes.
bobby: And no change with the coach, no Phil but empty You learn nothing from listening to any of them.
ME: I am much more concerned with what the coaches have to say – batting, bowling and heading – before, after and between matches. Not for the media, er, for the players.
(Copyright Daniel Prentice/ Wired868)
Deh makes no impression. Be it WI batting or bowling, it is the same thing that the players do in every game; to borrow your observation, only the order changes.
What do you think of Jason Holder’s opening and hitting at #3?
Bobby: I just wonder who makes the decisions.
ME: Tink is possible is not Pooran?
Bobby: I don’t know what to think. Do you think things will improve between now and Australia in mid October?
ME: Well, if yuh arksing mih if I feel we will beat New Zealand, my answer is emphatically no.
(Copyright Daniel Prentice/ Wired868)
And if yuh ask mih if I feel we can beat Scotland, Ireland and Zimbabwe in the group stage, I say we can. But I don’t put my head on any block.
Bobby: Neither me.
I: But even if we manage to qualify for the Super 12, we won’t go any further. Ah, of course it does!
I came home on Monday morning, I realized that from Cricket World Cup to Football World Cup is a natural event. But it just didn’t happen.
Not once from Cane Farm Junction to EHS and back this morning did the subject of Qatar 2022 come up.
Luxembourg midfielder Danel Sinani (right) tries to contain France midfielder Paul Pogba during the 2018 World Cup qualifying action at Municipal Stadium in Toulouse, France on September 3, 2017.
(Copyright Franck Fife/AFP 2018/Wired868)
