I certainly never expected to see the Azzurri hoist the cup for the second time in my life (and first in my adult life). So, the victory was sweet, even if I was on the wrong side of the Atlantic to take part in the post-game celebrations. Luckily, friends filled my in box this morning with photos of the revelry, like the one above, in Turin.
Meanwhile, my son watched the game in his Italy replica onesie and because I'm a bit superstitious when it comes to sports, every four years I'm going to have to make sure he has some azzurro gear in just his size.
Although I never felt conflicted about which team to support, I cherish my memory of trying to order a beer at the Stade de France during a Paris St. Germaine match (because the bartender was proof that the American myth about the rude French is just that, a myth). So, I wasn't happy to see the French lose, being a fan of that country and its team. That is, until Zinedine Zidane's shameful head butt, which resulted in the 34-year-old being sent off. Now, I still love the country and the food, but I have a whole lot less respect for one famed (and thankfully retired) Bleu footballer.
So ended a glorious career is a pitiful moment of frustration and temper. Amazingly, Zizou, as the French call him, was still honored by the media as the player of the tournament. That such a poor sport is heralded in this way is an embarassment.
Besides the victory, the best thing about the World Cup final in America is that it (hopefully) signals an end to columnists and TV commentators blathering on about their dislike of the beautiful game. Apparently they're so bored by the sports they claim to love that they've got the time and inclination to try and convince us that the entire world outside U.S. is wrong when it comes to soccer.
Tell that to the more than 1 billion people that watched the final.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
