I actually debated whether this post belonged in Sports, Politics, or Marketing but settled on this post. Despite having played on a soccer (football to non-Americans) youth team in my younger days, my main goal throughout the local World Cup activities has been to stay as far away from Boston Stadium (actually Gillette Stadium and temporarily renamed.) I live about 20 minutes from the stadium and I imagine that traffic congestion is crazy on game days. However, there has been a powerful example of marketing going on since the event started. Scotland is playing here and they brought along thousands of fans and their Tartan Army which is a team of bagpipers in kilts. All of these folks have generated amazing goodwill from the press and the Massachusetts and Rhode Island citizenry with their actions since arriving here. The Tartan Army has visited both Boston Childrens Hospital and Hasbro Childrens Hospital (in Providence) to perform and also make a sizable cash donation to them. Scottish fans in Boston have caused the bars to run out of beer but have been model tourists, even cleaning up after themselves, unlike the typical drinkers in these bars. There was also a Scottish fellow who walked across the U.S. in a kilt to raise money for a charitable cause. He ended his journey in Boston and had nothing but praise for the greetings and goodwill that he received from Americans throughout his journey. The mutual goodwill has gotten to the point where the radical mayor of Boston, no fan of whites and especially of whites of European descent, has agreed to become a sister city with Glasgow. You can bet, that when the Scottish team plays next (might be today), the local fans will all be rooting for them, no matter the team they play. I have full confidence that this feeling of goodwill will last well beyond the World Cup and would not be surprised that Scotland gets a mini-boom in tourism from Americans now much more interested in its people. It has been and continues to be a case study in successful branding, as unintentional as it may have been. A fantastic performance.
I went to Glasgow once for business. Out of the airport in Lockerbie, I got in a cab with a Glaswegian cabbie and gave him my hotel in Glasgow. We struck up a conversation and I simply could not understand a word he was saying in his deep Scottish brogue. I was actually getting concerned that he would think that I was insulting him or not paying attention because I was having trouble keeping up my side of the conversation as I was not sure what exactly was being talked about at the time. Towards the end of the ride, I got a little better at understanding him and he told me in no uncertain terms that I absolutely had to have haggis, eggs and black pudding for breakfast the next day to truly experience Glasgow. So, I did. The eggs and haggis were fine; the black pudding not so much. Black pudding is one of only two foods that I will not eat again. I still remember the awful aftertaste of blood sausage. I did not realize that haggis is banned in the USA, but it was in the news as a sidelight that the Scots here were surprised that they could not find any.
Whenever they come down to London there is rarely any trouble, they even took after the Japanese and cleared up after themselves. Apparently the people of Boston thought THEY could drink until the Scots turned up (and soon to be followed by the English).
In Boston, Irish Americans were considered to be the drinkers of note, especially around St. Patrick's Day. The Scots put that reputation to the test.
I have no idea. I think driving on the wrong side of the road has something to do with it. Unfortunately, everyone says the Scots are going to lose to Brazil. It'll take a miracle. Imagine if it happens, though, Scotland would drink 10X more for a week.
FL is a total weather nightmare right now. They'll sweat to death! Glasgow is cold and rainy, here it's hot, humid and rainy. June and July are the worst months. The Brazilians are probably used to this kind of weather.
Is Scotland now out, or do they still continue to the next round? I believe that the USA team has been surprising people and is moving forward to the next round.
Well, it looks like some controversy has stirred up in the games. Folarin Balogun, the star USA player, was given a red card in the last game which means that he would not be able to play in tonight's game against Belgium. The FIFA overruled the ref in the game, for the first time ever, and changed the penalty from the game suspension to some sort of probation period. The red card given was supposedly controversial in that many felt that the infraction did not warrant a red card and the FIFA decision to overrule is quite controversial. Belgium appealed and lost. I also heard that with the return of Balogun, Belgium went from being the favorite in tonight's match to being the underdog now. Anybody have any thoughts on all of this?
The thing is, it was extremely harsh. Since Belgium's appeal failed, I say let him play. BUT... even though the Belgians are the underdogs now, there are so many people hating on America on X that they're refusing to support the US team anymore because of the incident. It's ridiculous.
Well, the tempest in the teapot is over. Belgium beat the U.S. and that is that. Whatever interest the U.S. public had in these games is now greatly diminished, of course. Back to baseball, U.S. football, etc.