Soccer: More Than a Game

ESPN has been celebrating its 30th anniversary by airing independent films, once a week, since October of last year. While these films differ in the topics they cover, ultimately, they all share in the fact that they forever altered the sports landscape, in one way or another.

The films featured in 30 For 30 are nothing like ESPN’s films of the past - their goal is not to get to smiles and ultimately tears, but rather to highlight the many events over the past 30 years that have greatly influenced the sports world today. I have seen a number of these films and haven’t been disappointed yet, though one of the latest installments of the series, The Two Escobars, blew me away.

ESPN did a brilliant job at scheduling these films, as The Two Escobars premiered in the midst of the 2010 World Cup taking place in South Africa. Even the U.S. goes crazy for soccer every four years. The Two Escobars tells the graphic story of how mixing drug lords and sports teams can be devastating, not only to the team but to the entire country. With cocaine money as its fuel, soccer exploded in Colombia.



This film highlights the rise (and fall) of the Colombian national soccer team. It follows Pablo Escobar, perhaps the most infamous drug dealer ever and his association with the Colombian soccer scene. I had no idea how personally involved he was, nor was I aware of the effect that drug money played on the soccer world in Colombia. Sure, one would assume that it played a role (after all, Colombia is notorious for being the worlds frontrunner of cocaine) but it not only was important to the sport, it literally transformed the soccer landscape in South America.

Along with telling the unbelievable life story of Pablo Escobar, this film showcases Andres Escobar - who captained the Colombian national soccer team during its peak. Andres was one of the most beloved figures in his country; he was a polite and friendly family man who seemed to get along with everyone. He was healthy, he had money, and he had a family -- in essence, he was playing with house money and he knew it. Rather than the athletes of today, who seem to be spoiled rotten, he was all too aware of how good he had it and acted accordingly. Andres never made headlines with scandals with women or drugs, the only things you could write about him were positive. That was until one unforgiving cross in the 1994 World Cup. He accidentally scored an own goal, that not only cost his country the match, but also spelled the end of their tournament. Even for a man like him, that was a fateful mistake.

I’m sure you have heard the clichés of how, in South America, soccer (futbol) is life and death, and to Andres Escobar - it was. Shortly after returning home to Colombia, Andres was shot and killed by fellow countrymen for his error. The fact that it was an honest mistake and that he, wanted his Colombian team to succeed more than anyone meant nothing to his killers. It is rumored that Colombian drug lords wagered (and lost) millions on that game - perhaps that is what spelled his fate. Sometimes, “I’m sorry” isn’t good enough.

If you thought the world was already crazy about soccer, watch this film -- you will walk away with a completely different view. While soccer is just another sport here in America, it is the sport in Colombia, as is the case in most countries around the globe. This film is but a piece of the puzzle that is ESPN’s 30 For 30. So, next time you are flipping through the channels and see one of these segments, watch it. You might just come away with a different view on sports and perhaps even the world altogether.