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This picture has nothing to do with the World Cup. However, I have been working at the same restaurant for 12 years, so this year marks my fourth World Cup as a respected member of the Loup coalition. And yet, I have very few memories associated with work and the Cup. All of my memories of the Cup are from different places. In 2002, the Cup was played in Japan and South Korea and it would have been not only my first World Cup in New York, but also my first summer in New York. It was a great summer and a great Cup. I guess the French won that year, but getting there was the fun part. The games that year were aired in New York at 2am, 4am, and 7am. As a 20 something in New York, that schedule could not have been more perfect. I remember getting up for the 7am games with my buddy Pete who was still in the city. We would make huge Breakfast Sandwiches and watch the 7 am games. The 2am games were usually watched at a bar, and the 4am games were the after party. We spend many sleepless nights watching those games, marveling at the Koreans all in red slightly dazed from being awake for so long and in such altered states.
The next Cup was in 2006. I was working that summer on Cape Cod, and the Cup was the last thing on anyones mind. The Cape is a great place to get away. You can go there and forget about the rest of the world, quite literally. We didn't have a working television. I think I was living in the garage that summer and I spent the majority of that June painting the ceiling of The Sand Bar. The only game I actually remember watching was the final in which Zidane head-butted one of the Italians and got ejected, essentially losing the game for France. I watched that game with the band Pela who was on their way to play their least attended show (which became a much publicized show since they had a band rule that stated, if there were more band members than audience, they would play in their underwear. That happened). Even that game was pretty boring, and it was in the middle of a beautiful day. We could have been at the beach or something, but instead, the five of us were in the lower deck of the Lighthouse Inn by ourselves watching the game. If that Cup taught me anything, it's that Cape Codders don't care about the World Cup. Not the way New York does anyway. I mean, let's face it, New York has a bit more diversity and so there are people from every country represented in the World Cup living in New York. Not that I am watching a lot of games at the Ghanian bar, but if I wanted to, I certainly could.
I was back in New York for the 2010 World Cup. I watched a bunch of games that year with my buddy Mikey before he, too, moved out of New York. I really liked the Russian team that year, but they never really had a chance and the Spanish ended up beating the Dutch in the final. I had never had anything against the Dutch team, but that final game they played poorly and took it out on the Spanish by playing dirty. I didn't like that. I liked the Spanish team, with their artistic style and the passes that were of laser beam precision. In fact, one of these pictures was heavily influenced by that Cup. T&J #20 was all about the Cup. Well, as much as this picture is about the Cup, but when I colored in the drawing, I made all of the central characters from various teams. Brazil, Netherlands, Spain, even South Africa were all represented. It's amazing to think that four years ago Tim and I were only working on #20. We are now almost to 100! I am currently working on #97 simultaneously while writing this blog. A lot can change in four years, and this time is no different. Almost every aspect of my life changed within the past four years. The only real constant is that I am still at the restaurant. And yet, I have only watched one game there so far. But, you will be happy to know that our dish washing crew brought it upon themselves to rig up the ultimate World Cup viewing station. Located directly over the dishwasher, they have hooked up an HDTV with speakers (hung by plastic bags). It's quite a system and the resolution looks great! If you want to stop by for the USA vs Portugal game on Sunday, I'll have it on at the bar, but for you more adventurous diners, it'll be on in the kitchen!
This picture has nothing to do with the World Cup. However, I have been working at the same restaurant for 12 years, so this year marks my fourth World Cup as a respected member of the Loup coalition. And yet, I have very few memories associated with work and the Cup. All of my memories of the Cup are from different places. In 2002, the Cup was played in Japan and South Korea and it would have been not only my first World Cup in New York, but also my first summer in New York. It was a great summer and a great Cup. I guess the French won that year, but getting there was the fun part. The games that year were aired in New York at 2am, 4am, and 7am. As a 20 something in New York, that schedule could not have been more perfect. I remember getting up for the 7am games with my buddy Pete who was still in the city. We would make huge Breakfast Sandwiches and watch the 7 am games. The 2am games were usually watched at a bar, and the 4am games were the after party. We spend many sleepless nights watching those games, marveling at the Koreans all in red slightly dazed from being awake for so long and in such altered states.
The next Cup was in 2006. I was working that summer on Cape Cod, and the Cup was the last thing on anyones mind. The Cape is a great place to get away. You can go there and forget about the rest of the world, quite literally. We didn't have a working television. I think I was living in the garage that summer and I spent the majority of that June painting the ceiling of The Sand Bar. The only game I actually remember watching was the final in which Zidane head-butted one of the Italians and got ejected, essentially losing the game for France. I watched that game with the band Pela who was on their way to play their least attended show (which became a much publicized show since they had a band rule that stated, if there were more band members than audience, they would play in their underwear. That happened). Even that game was pretty boring, and it was in the middle of a beautiful day. We could have been at the beach or something, but instead, the five of us were in the lower deck of the Lighthouse Inn by ourselves watching the game. If that Cup taught me anything, it's that Cape Codders don't care about the World Cup. Not the way New York does anyway. I mean, let's face it, New York has a bit more diversity and so there are people from every country represented in the World Cup living in New York. Not that I am watching a lot of games at the Ghanian bar, but if I wanted to, I certainly could.
I was back in New York for the 2010 World Cup. I watched a bunch of games that year with my buddy Mikey before he, too, moved out of New York. I really liked the Russian team that year, but they never really had a chance and the Spanish ended up beating the Dutch in the final. I had never had anything against the Dutch team, but that final game they played poorly and took it out on the Spanish by playing dirty. I didn't like that. I liked the Spanish team, with their artistic style and the passes that were of laser beam precision. In fact, one of these pictures was heavily influenced by that Cup. T&J #20 was all about the Cup. Well, as much as this picture is about the Cup, but when I colored in the drawing, I made all of the central characters from various teams. Brazil, Netherlands, Spain, even South Africa were all represented. It's amazing to think that four years ago Tim and I were only working on #20. We are now almost to 100! I am currently working on #97 simultaneously while writing this blog. A lot can change in four years, and this time is no different. Almost every aspect of my life changed within the past four years. The only real constant is that I am still at the restaurant. And yet, I have only watched one game there so far. But, you will be happy to know that our dish washing crew brought it upon themselves to rig up the ultimate World Cup viewing station. Located directly over the dishwasher, they have hooked up an HDTV with speakers (hung by plastic bags). It's quite a system and the resolution looks great! If you want to stop by for the USA vs Portugal game on Sunday, I'll have it on at the bar, but for you more adventurous diners, it'll be on in the kitchen!
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