Speaking of soccer, as you know I started really becoming a fan when we moved here in 2018. But besides just watching games, I never did much exploring of history or tactics etc etc. Changed that over the last few troubled months.

Took everyone's advice and read @jonawils Inverting the Pyramid. Then immediately read his Barcelona book which was excellent and lead to the what is now, in retrospect, hilarious revelations of my abject ignorance.

As in: "Huh, the coach of Manchester City and the new Tottenham coach have some kind of a history or something?"

Which, to my best approximation, is like being a Roman walking into the debate over who should get command of the Mithridatic War and being unaware Marius and Sulla had some history

One thing that struck me is the whole debate between "idealists" (be beautiful and entertaining and try to win) vs. "pragmatists" (just win). Because I've never encountered that debate in the culture of any American sport in my lifetime.

Idealists don't exist in Americas. All American athletes, coaches, and fans in every sport are pragmatists. To the point where it didn't even occur to me one could think about sports in any other way.

Games are played to win. Anyone who tried to seriously argue aesthetics was even in the same galaxy as getting-the-win would be laughed out of every living room, bar, and playground from Boston to San Francisco.