After a long awaited 4 years this years 2010 FIFA World Cup, held in South Africa, was far from a disappointment. The tournament ended with a 116th minute goal by Spain’s Andres Iniesta to give his team a 1-0 win and their first ever World Cup title. There were plenty of exciting moments along the way that are definitely worth remembering and i had the privilege of experiencing many of those moments at the Nike World Cup Headquarters at The Ricardo Montalban Theatre in Hollywood.
Each game I attended at the space was a unique and special experience. As I approached the theatre for each game my eyes and ears were met by a sea of super fans lined up and down the block. Flags were waving, Horns were blaring, whistles were whistling, and hundreds of people were screaming and chanting while being ushered into the space.
At each match I met great people from countries all around the world; Spain, Netherlands, Paraguay, Germany, Mexico, Brazil. The energy and enthusiasm of the fans was unparallelled by any other sporting experience i have has since the Giants won the Superbowl. The weight of each countries pride was evident in the faces of its fans.
Once Inside fans were privy to experience the matches in a truly unique and engaging way. The entire theater was taken over by Nike. Each Nations flag was hung high above the theatre, Nike Soccer jerseys were fitted to block letters on the wall spelling out “Write Your Future” The main lobby area was converted into a bar where they gave away an unlimited supply of San Miguel beer, one of my faves, and occasionally tequila. For the non alcoholic drinkers who attended the far side of the bar free coffee, espresso and tons of complimentary bottled waters and energy drinks. And if the the free beverages weren’t enough each game had free food!!
Inside, the set up was perfect. A packed theatre filled with enthusiastic super fans screaming dressed in there country colors and faces painted waving flags. Watching any sporting event on a 30 foot screen just makes every single game epic. If the seats you wanted were already occupied by drunk raging fans and you were part of the lucky few you to work for the media, be an invited guest of Nillz or so happened to know Emily then you had the option of sitting in the lounge sections towards the rear of the theatre.
There was nothing better than watching everyone forget about their daily problems, put aside their differences and just agree on something as simple as kicking a ball into the back of a net. And even if it was just for a couple weeks, this simple game of soccer showed us that there is hope for all of us in life, as individuals and as a country. Big shout outs go to my World Cup 20X crew who atteneded the matches with me: Tamara Dhia, Tony Flohr, Neran Dhas, Peter Benedicto, Jenilee Reyes, TK Nyguen, Mark Chinapen and the lovely Emily Shin. And a big shout out to NIKE for creating a great cultural and brand experience.
PS: NIKE_ I really hope you guys do something similar for the upcoming 2011 NBA Playoff Finals featuring the Lakers and the Heat!!!
Pictures Courtesy of http://www.blinkofaniproductions.com & http://tkofthewildboyz.blogspot.com
