Soccer Wars?
Submitted by Robert Daeley on Fri, 2006-06-09 14:14.
So much for that Bono-narrated advert about everything shutting down for the World Cup. ;)
LA Times: Germans Tighten Cup Security
BERLIN — The World Cup opened in Germany today as security forces prepared for potential threats from terrorism, racial attacks, hooligan violence and neo-Nazi rallies aimed at rousing the past and spoiling the nation’s image before a global audience.
The month-long soccer tournament will be played in 12 cities, creating a massive security grid of hundreds of thousands of police officers, surveillance equipment, bomb-sniffing dogs, intelligence operatives, fighter jets and the other anti-terror tactics of a post-Sept. 11 world.
Of course, that advert is a bit on the rose-colored-glasses side of things:
Washington Post: The Soccer Wars
The World Cup is coming, which means a flurry of desperate attempts by tournament promoters to excite Americans about an event that electrifies the rest of the world. This year is no different. ESPN, which will broadcast most of the games in the United States, is airing a series of ads with members of the rock band U2. In one, Bono says that the World Cup “closes the schools, closes the shops, closes a city and stops a war.”…
Does the World Cup really put a stop to war? Does soccer, known for its dangerously rowdy fans, have the conflict-reducing powers that ESPN and U2 proclaim? To be charitable to the World Cup, which this year will be held in Germany starting June 9, the evidence is mixed. It is undeniable that soccer has the power to unite — but its power to divide should not be underestimated.