I am a hypocrite.
I really don't want to be. I want to not have anything to do with the World Cup in Qatar, starting next week. It goes against everything I stand against politically.
But I know I'll be watching.
Granted I'm no where near as "hyped" as the kids say (or used to say, I'm not sure they actually say that anymore) as I have been at previous tournaments.
My peak of "hypedness" has to be the run up to the 2006 tournament where from 50 days out I can up with a fact related to the number of days until the World Cup started and emailed it to my Girlfriend at the time. Yes I am that sad/obsessed.
And that's my problem. I'm genuinely addicted to the World Cup.
The lack of enthusiasm from other quarters has definitely had an effect though.
Barring a chat I had re England's previous performances at major tournaments and the Quiz I do with my 8 year old on the walk to school. I don't think I've thought much about this year's tournament.
I keep wondering whether the timing of the tournament in general has played a part in my partial apathy? Slap bang in the middle of a season, a season in which my own team is currently preforming so badly domestically.
Maybe. That's probably played a part too.
For me, I always say this. Generally when people say to me during a tournament, "Why are you staying in to watch that? England aren't even playing..." The World Cup doesn't come around that often, it's every four years.
For context, my kids were a 3 year old/toddler and twins that were a week old, at the beginning of the last tournament. I was doing a different job (in fact I've only ever had one job that has spanned two tournaments) and the World was genuinely a different place.
I had a stroke (actually two) at the beginning of this year. While they actually turned out to be relatively minor in terms of side effects, with hindsight I sometimes think, I genuinely could have died.
And not to trivialise a very serious matter, Russia 2018 could have been my "last tournament", as it was for the likes of Maradona and Paolo Rossi.
In the same way that this could be the one and only tournament for the some players called up to their national teams. I do wonder how they must feel about this all? In your prime and called up to represent your country in the pinnacle of the sport that you love (I'm not having any of that Champions League rubbish), and it's sullied due to the fact that FIFA sold out and decided to host it in a murderous regime, in the desert, in the middle of Winter.
What if you were say, Ricky Lambert or Daniel Sturridge, and this was 2014?
Anyway I'm not making any more excuses. I shall be watching and I perfectly understand, in fact respect those with a genuine love for the World Cup, who are more principled than me, and have come out and said they won't be consuming any of this year's tournament.
I just know I can't.
