A Different Kind of Fireworks: Celebrate the Summer of Soccer
Like it or not, this truly is The Summer of Soccer.
As we pause in the United States to celebrate our nation’s birthday, we have a unique opportunity to join a bigger celebration, one that transcends division and inspires connection among billions of fans worldwide: The 2026 World Cup.
For the next two weeks, the global stage belongs to the beautiful game, right here in our own backyard.
To keep the ball rolling, here’s a mashup of media that captures the beauty, fellowship, fun, and fierce challenge of the greatest championship in sports. ⚽
2000-Year-Old Roman Theater Hosts World Cup Watch Party | Kottke.org
Fulfilling the purpose for which it was built almost 2000 years ago, football fans packed the Roman Theatre of Amman to watch the Jordan v Algeria World Cup match.🏛️
Zlatan & Henry Juggle Ball in Fox World Cup Studio | Times Now World
Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thierry Henry turned the Fox Sports World Cup studio into a skills clinic. Watch these legends trading tricks in formal attire like they never retired. The best studio moment of the tournament! 🦁
Pep Guardiola Unpacks Lionel Messi's Tactical Brilliance | Amazon Prime Video Sports
A legendary coach Pep Guardiola explores Lionel Messi's remarkable intelligence and spatial awareness. A beautiful introduction to the geometry and decision-making process top players trust to influence the flow and result of a match. 📐
The Long Walk: How to Take the Perfect Penalty | FIFA Documentary
“A ball, a player, a goalkeeper, a net. It’s football distilled down to its essence.” Kicking a stationary ball into a goal from a spot only 12 yards out sounds like a pretty easy task for the world's best players. With penalty shoot-outs, however, nothing is that simple. 🥅
Monty Python: The Philosophers’ Football Match | Open Culture
Revisit a classic Monty Python skit. The event is a soccer match at the 1972 Munich Olympics, pitting German philosophers against Greek philosophers. On the one side, the Germans — Hegel, Nietzsche, Kant, Marx and, um, Franz Beckenbauer. On the other side, Archimedes, Socrates, Plato and the rest of the gang. The referee? Confucius. Of course.😉
Here are books, media, and music influencing my coaching:
- 10 Good Books on my Kindle | July 2026 | Brian Cooke
- "You Are Already Infinite" | In loving memory of Robert A.F. "Bob" Thurman (1941–2026) via Baba Ram Dass (2026) on YouTube
- Yusef's Mood | Yusef Lateef (1957) via YouTube (Remastered 2025)
- Philadelphia Freedom | Elton John (1975) via YouTube
- Back on the Chain Gang | Pretenders (1982) via YouTube
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Read. Think. Lead to Serve.
Let's GO! 🚀
