Recently, we ran across this video clip from an Italian Serie D football match, and it struck a chord with us here at The18.
Over the past months, we've run stories covering (among other topics) corruption within FIFA, protests in Brazil surrounding World Cup 2014, foul play and biting from international superstars...heck, even companies cutting down rainforest to garner attention heading into World Cup 2014. So, it was refreshing to see a pure act of fair play, as oftentimes the "beautiful game" can seem anything but fair.
Now, don't get us wrong. There's plenty of sappy videos floating around on YouTube showing moments of such supposed, heartbreaking fairness in fútbol that we will all immediately break down and weep like Bronco's running back Knowshon Moreno listening to the National Anthem. (If you haven't seen that clip, stop what you are doing - which we presume is reading this sentence - and watch it immediately.)
However, what stands out about this video is its circumstance. The match depicted is one played in March 2014 between A.S.D. Fersina Perginese and Unione Sportiva Dro in Italy's Serie D. This is not exactly a widely followed league outside of the region and, indeed, the crowd heard in the audio track sounds much like the one we heard at our child's soccer match last Sunday. That is to say, as if it's comprised of around 10-20 extreme loyalists who may or may not be related to the players (but, in either case, are very vocal with their sideline advice). The quality of the video mirrors its circumstance as well, but its grainy and amateurish quality just lends to the authenticity of the moment we witness.
So, it stands to reason that none of the players are expecting widespread attention for their good deeds on the field. Rather, they seem motivated by a more noble trait, which some of the more old-fashioned among us might describe as "integrity." And in a world where it often seems like this quality can be hard to find, especially in the actions of those we lionize as celebrity atheletes, this is occasion to celebrate. Check it out.
