A new book that I was going to put on the summer reading list, Franklin Foer's, "How Soccer Explains the World: An unlikely theory of Globalization," is worth checking out. Foer (recalls that) Thomas Friedman writes (as some of you read, or will read this summer), "the inexorable integration of markets, nation-states and technologies to a degree never witnessed before -- in a way that is enabling individuals, corporations and nation-states to reach around the world farther, faster, deeper and cheaper than ever before."
Foer writes, "As a soccer fan I understood exactly what he meant......"
motherjones.com/politics/2004/08/how-soccer-explains-world
As a hockey fan, a fan of the Western Conference Champion Chicago Blackhawks, I do to.
The NHL is a global league. From 2008 statistics, 52.0 per cent of the NHL is Canadian
born, followed by 19.9 per cent American, 6.9 per cent Czech, 5.9 per cent Swedish and 4.4 per cent Finnish. The NHL is down to only 3.5 per cent Russian-born players, a figure that doesn't include Ukranians, Latvians and Kazakhs.
//www.fromtherink.com/2008/11/26/673622/the-nhl-by-nationality-52The Blackhawks had members of three nation's Olympic teams skate in Vancouver this winter (Canada, U.S. and Slovakia). And rookie goaltender Antti Niemi is from Finland, the small Nordic country that boasts 13 percent of the league's goalies.
What does this all mean? Not much. Except it gave me reason to post this commercial with Blackhawk Slovakian Star Marian Hossa that I really like. And the knowledge that if the Hawks win the Stanley Cup this year -- for the first time since 1961 when there was far less Globalization in the NHL -- Chicago really will be World Champions.
No comments:
Post a Comment