![]() That said, like all things soccer, there is something poetically beautiful about the non-drama of the kick off. In effect, the kick off in soccer is so undramatic that the ball can be kicked in any direction, even backwards, to start the game. And while a build up of play can move quickly-we’ve all seen goals scored in the first minute-and the first pass might be rather clever, almost always, it’s a pass that leads to another pass… It’s what the rest of the game will be. While you can make the theoretical argument that the kickoff in soccer can be a kick in the goal, that would be such a wild exception, that it’s not worth considering here. Like every other pitch, the start is a moment of drama. Similarly, in tennis, the first serve is simply a routine but of the game, but tennis also provides a bit of drama. The serve might be a fault it might be returned it might be an ace. Again, the first touch is part of the game, with no predetermined outcome. The batter might take a ball or strike but they almost might start the game with a base hit or homerun the first time the ball is engaged. Hell, the batter may get hit by the ball. ![]() Not only do you know who is on offense and defense, but the first action is exactly what will be going on throughout the game: a pitcher will throw a ball to a catcher, and the batter will try to hit it. That said, while some people claim to find baseball boring, every pitch is a drama with an unknown, but possibly explosive, outcome. In a way, baseball “kicks off” in a way similar to soccer. The opening act is a regular and routine part of the game. Will the ball stay in play? Will the receiver fumble it? Will there be a long return? While recent rule changes have somewhat muted the drama of the kick off, it remains a movement of tension. We don’t know the outcome. In football, while we know which team has possession, the opening kick off (well, each kick off) itself is a moment of drama. No one is sure who will have possession, and the start itself is a battle. Moreover, it’s not a “normal” part of the remainder of the game. Paralleling basketball, hockey’s face off gives the audience the drama of discovering who will have possession. And while there will be more face-offs during the game, they do not reflect what we normally think of as the game itself. Indeed, for awhile, it was the only sport for which I didn’t mind missing the opening. Think about it: in basketball, you have a jump ball. When I first began watching soccer in earnest, I recall thinking that, of all sports, soccer has the least dramatic start. Of the many aspects of soccer that I spend too much time thinking about (or, more likely, far more time than others), the kick off at the beginning of the game never fails to provide me with an opportunity to drift off into my own head.
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