Holiday Message 2024

Back in Prost Amerika days (read: up until this summer), and before that when I was running Windy City Soccer (RIP, 2007-2017), I would write a holiday message. You can view the last three messages on what is our de facto archive.

In 1967, Our World, the first live multinational, multi-satellite broadcast aired. National broadcasters from 14 countries participated and ten more countries broadcasted the event which drew a worldwide audience somewhere between 400-700 million. If you are wondering, the US participant was NET (which is now known as PBS) and their contribution was coverage from the Glassboro Summit Conference from New Jersey talking about  the impact of television on a global scale.

Of course, the most famous segment of the broadcast came from The Beatles with their latest tune, “All You Need is Love”. It was a song that eventually became the anthem for the “Flower Power” philosophy as well as being a message that could be understood by everyone. Despite later criticisms of the song’s lyrics being “overly simplistic” or “hopelessly naive”, the song still has a lot of staying power. It was included in the movie “Love Actually” in 2003. (A real Christmas movie unlike “Die Hard”!)

At the start of that movie, Hugh Grant’s character reflects:

“Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion’s starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don’t see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it’s not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it’s always there – fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge – they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling you’ll find that love actually is all around.”

As for my visuals when I get gloomy about the state of the world, there are plenty. There are the planes flying into either O’Hare or Midway Airports in Chicago, the crowd at a soccer game or any sporting event, even the sight of big cats at a zoo or in the wild on various media (hence this year’s photo). As Christmas nears, there are always the lights that illuminate the night wherever you go.

It’s all too easy to get gloomy with the state of the world these days–and easier still to dread the next four years. Yet, love is indeed being expressed in places as well. Whether that be love for country (despite who’s running it or going to run it), love for club, love for sport, and especially love for family.

It is said that the news does not report when the sun is shining (though that is false at times). Well, there are times that the sun does shine and it is healthy to seek it out once in a while. I’ve realized a common theme in message is to seek the light to get out of the darkness. While darkness does exist, there are always those who will strive to seek the light.

What keeps many a sports fan going is the belief that one day their team will be triumphant. Florida Panthers fans who have stood by the team through thick and thin for the 30 years of the team’s existence were finally rewarded with the Stanley Cup like the St. Louis Blues (2019) and the Washington Capitals (2018) before them. There’s Leicester City once again from 2016. Could it be Forest’s time once again by some miracle? Who knows? Bayer Leverkusen finally had their joy winning the Bundesliga this past May ending Bayern Munich’s 11-year run at the top. (Maybe the Fire even make the playoffs under Gregg Berhalter in 2025 or the Red Stars win more home games the lose them?) God only knows.

“God Only Knows” by the Beach Boys was the song that closed “Love Actually” and with the scene of loved ones reunited at Heathrow and was the song that formally introduced BBC Music (with Brian Wilson as one of the artists in the music video).

God only knows what I would be without soccer and all the things that give me joy. (Apologies in advance to those who do not believe in a deity.) Things look gloomy now and seem like the darkness is going on forever. However, we are past the Winter Solstice and the days in the Northern Hemisphere start to get longer now thru June. Even during the rainy season, there are days of sun to allow for going out to get basic necessities. Always seek the light!

May you have a safe and healthy holiday season and we hope to see you at the other end of New Year’s Day.