Don't tread on me.

Frankly, I don't care what you think.

Call me whatever you please. A poser. A tool. A bandwagon fan. Doesn't matter to me.


Why do I bring this up? Because I'm cheering like hell for the US Soccer team tomorrow against Algeria. And, honestly, six years ago, I'm not sure I'd even care. I have no shame in saying I was the stereotypical American soccer hater. Not enough scoring. Too big a field. Flopping (And the NBA is my favorite sport. What a hypocrite). Boring. Too many foreign players. The list was an endless streaming pile of ignorant, blind trash.

Which is why the way my soccer cherry was popped is even more embarrassing. I have everything I have to credit my soccer love to FIFA 10.

Yes, a video game. (Queue this clip)

I learned a lot from my growing FIFA 10 addiction. I learned the little things that make soccer so great. That just because a game is 1-0 doesn't mean there isn't any action. Watching an entire soccer game and watching the potential build up to said scoring chances is almost as exhilarating as watching Messi chip one out from 25 yards. (OK, maybe it's not as exciting as that. But it's still pretty exciting). My eyes opened to what a truly beautiful game soccer is and can be if you keep your eyes open. Don't look at a 0-0 tie and declare soccer a "joke" (that was the constant Facebook/twitter message that has been going around). Did you actually watch the game? Did you see how the defenses played, or how the crosses were, or what the midfield did to control the ball? Or did the goalies have a remarkable game. Did someone hit post? Twice? There's a lot to watch and a lot to entertain if you look at the game with the right mind, you can realize what you've been missing this whole time.

So I'll be watching tomorrow. Like I did last week and the week before that. I'll be watching Landon Donovan put perfect crosses on the toes of Jozy Altidore (Or sadly, Maurice Edu). I'll be watching Michael Bradley control the midfield and define how you make an impact on a game without scoring (But when he does, it's awesome). I'll watch Tim Howard take no crap from anyone as he continues to vault up the list of greatest goalies in the world (By the way, has Howard entered your "Athletes I Don't Want to Meet in a Dark Alley" List yet? Because he's entered my top three.) I'll watch Altidore use his combination of speed, strength and youth to put one in the back of the net (hopefully).

I am by no means a soccer expert. I squeal wildly at simple plays while my soccer friends scoff in disgust, as if I'm laughing at the wrong part in The Hangover. I still don't know the difference between a 4-4-2 and a 4-2-2-1. But that's OK. I'm enjoying a new sport. It's fun to enjoy new things. I'll be watching tomorrow morning, eyes glued to my TV as this US team has the chance to pull of the story of the decade.

If you don't want to watch, well the College World Series is on ESPN2 I think.