Editor’s note: Welcome to another segment of “Beat the Press with Emily Rooney,” now a regular Contrarian Boston feature. Today, we dive into the arrival of World Cup soccer in Boston and how it has divided us all into two camps — those who can’t contain their excitement about the games and the carnival atmosphere surrounding them, and the rest of us waiting for football season to begin.
Emily Rooney was joined by Media Nation’s Dan Kennedy, a jou0rnalism professor at Northeastern University, The Boston Globe’s Lylah M. Alphonse, editor of Globe Rhode Island and Globe New Hampshire, and Scott Van Voorhis, editor and founder of Contrarian Boston.
And thanks to Tonia Magras, principal owner of Hull Bay Productions, who produced today’s piece. Tonia was the supervising producer for “Beat the Press” when it was on GBH and is the principal owner of Hull Bay Productions.
If you would rather use a different platform, you can also watch “Beat the Press with Emily Rooney” on Contrarian Boston’s YouTube channel
Emily Rooney: So moving on to a lighter subject, there are two camps of people, those interested in World Cup soccer and those not. Those that are would like to see the game in person. But as we all know, the tickets are going for like $1,000 per person. Then there are the proposed watch parties, big screens for big crowds, but FIFA wants to regulate that too, to an extent. I don't see how it would hurt their bottom line. I don't see how they can regulate this. Lylah, I'm going to start with you because you have a much better handle on this. But I was reading a lot about this. They're even trying to regulate, you know, company watch parties and, and decide whether if you're a paid employee, can you be watching FIFA while you're getting paid by the company? I mean, it's just like How are they possibly going to get their arms around this?
Lylah Alphonse: [00:24:15.13] I think it's impossible to get your arms fully around it. Some of the rules make sense. If a business already shows sports and is not charging a separate entry fee and is not promoting the World Cup coverage using FIFA's actual logos, then they can show it, which means that if you go to Buffalo Wild Wings, you can still watch it. If you go to your local sports bar, you can still watch it. But if you want to set up a big screen in the middle of town square and invite everyone in town, then you need a license because you're broadcasting it. You're broadcasting it in a new way to a group that might otherwise have purchased a ticket or might otherwise have accessed it. So same reason why I can't just start playing a Disney movie in the middle of town square. There are licensing— same reason the local high school can't just put on a Broadway musical because they like it. They still have to buy the license to it. So that's one thing. And that's a pretty established business practice. What I think is a lot harder is that they've delayed issuing those licenses for a lot of places, which means you still need time to organize it. [00:25:25.16] - People still need time to plan and to actually get there, and they've made that a lot harder. I don't think they can do anything about me turning it on at home and inviting my entire family over. But then again, they already have my money if I'm turning it on at home. So So that's the, that's the too long didn't read version of all of that. [00:25:46.04]
Emily Rooney: Dan, I would love to see somebody defy this big time and see what would happen. I mean, like, I was speaking to a friend this week who bought tickets to the Paraguay game in LA. She was supposed to get the tickets in, uh, in, excuse me, in April, and then they said, oh, we'll have them in May. And then this week they told her, well, we're not sure about where you're going to be sitting or if you're even going to be sitting with the person that you bought the ticket with, and you'll get notification of your tickets 3 days in advance. I mean, this thing is a fiasco. And never mind parking and the traveling. And by the way, I had no sympathy with those Summer Street people where they're shutting down the road. They shut down the roads in the Back Bay every other day for something. So we adjust.
Dan Kennedy: [00:26:27.13] - Speaker 5 They do. They do. Yeah. You know, well, you started off by saying that there were two categories of people, and I'm definitely in the second category. I mean, what if they gave a watch party and nobody came? Yeah, that would be fine with me. You know, aside from the fact that millions and millions of people love soccer, and that's fine, whatever you love, you love. FIFA is just such a miserable organization. And, and the fact that they've come in here and are dictating to us how you shall and shall not watch is just absolutely It's just appalling. They should set up a big screen in Medford Square. Maybe I'd go down and watch that just to register my defiance. [00:27:13.09] -
Emily Rooney: Exactly. [00:27:13.14] - Speaker 1 That's what I think. All right, Scott, last take.
Scott Van Voorhis: [00:27:16.13] - Speaker 3 Yeah, it strikes me as similar to the experience cities have with the Olympics. I mean, it's a lot of arrogance. They come out of town, they demand everything, and it becomes really, you know, a logistical nightmare.
Emily Rooney: I was in favor of the Olympics.
Scott Van Voorhis: It seems like it's really rubbed people the wrong way in terms of local officials and other— everybody else has been waiting, left waiting on important decisions. But the FIFA— [00:27:44.15]
Emily Rooney: Which camp are you in? You care about soccer? [00:27:47.00] - Speaker 3 You don't?
Scott Van Voorhis: Not— I mean, I don't really. Yeah, no, it's hard. I mean, I watch basketball and football and, you know, but it's just— it's not that it's not interesting. It's just— it's just I don't have the time for it.
Emily Rooney: {00:28:01.20] So it's not interesting.
Lylah Alphonse: [00:28:02.23] - All right, all right. It's a missed opportunity to market it towards all of the parents and the kids in youth soccer. It's the fastest-growing sport. I know that age group, I mean, they're the ones who want the watch party. Like, let them have it. [00:28:17.14]
Emily Rooney: Exactly.
Dan Kennedy: My wife teaches elementary school and she says that the kids she teaches are totally into the World Cup. [00:28:24.06]
Emily Rooney: That's wonderful. Good. And they should have big watch parties with big— in Medford
