Stephen Brunt: Long term legacy of this World Cup and the death of sports talk radio
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
So, Kirsten Price from the Historic Wall Center. We go coast to coast here, Blake. We welcome in one of the keenest eyes in Canadian sports, author, columnist from Woody Point, Newfoundland. He's got a place in Woody Point, Newfoundland, and every morning he goes out catching. Not fishing, because fishing would mean some days you're unsuccessful, but Stephen Brunt is always successful. Thank you for joining us after a morning catching. Salmon today, was it?
Yeah, no Atlantic salmon out here on the, on the fly. It's, uh, it's, it's, we're having a decent season and, uh, yeah, I released a nice fish this morning. And, um, and even when you don't, I'm standing on a river in the middle of Gros Morne national park and one of the beautiful, most beautiful places in Canada, like no bad days there. Right.
I defer to my fly fishing king here. I fish off a boat. I feel like I'm the cheap version of you. You're playing double A here. Exactly. You're playing at the gnat. Steve's playing at run.
That's right. That's right. the North American soccer project here. Now that all three host nations are finished at the world cup. And of course, Mexico is already won over the last frontier commercially for the world's game is the USA and Canada. Every, both sides got to the knockout round. Both sides won a knockout stage game. Both sides lost by three goals in the round of 16. And yet you look at the scenes and the celebration of this sport and In our country, I'm not sure how much you've caught of Vancouver, both Jackpool Plaza down at the Watch Party, TSN, but Granville Street, the Fan Fest out at the P&E, but also on the streets of America, which caught me a little bit by surprise.
Seattle and Gaga.
Dallas, Houston, Seattle. I was there on the weekend and the way they just absolutely went crazy for this tournament and this event. Give me your update. How is the soccer project doing in North America after this tournament?
Yeah, and I will say I was home in Toronto for those Canada-Bosnia games. So I did get to see a little bit of this firsthand, which was a spectacular experience in a lot of ways. And one that I – look, I never thought in my lifetime I'd see a World Cup game in Canada. In a World Cup game in Canada, that seemed impossible when they put in the bid originally. I thought – I remember when people started talking about Canada as a host. They're delusional. We can't qualify for the World Cup, really. We're going to host it. But you think of where things have come – I was thinking, I thought a lot about it. I covered the 94 World Cup, USA 94. That was the first one I covered. And the difference between then and now in the United States is... I'm not sure people have processed quite how much has changed in that.
I know that's a long stretch of time, but in 94... The games were – you know, games played in NFL stadiums in front of people from far away who came to watch their team and in front of Americans who were kind of curious. But it wasn't like – Yeah, it wasn't like there was a, you know, like when Ireland played Italy in New York, right, that was a scene for sure. But it was all people rooting for Ireland or rooting for Italy. I saw Brazil play Sweden in the Pontiac Silverdome, which was a, you know, it just felt odd, right? Everything about it, it felt like something had descended from somewhere else and dropped into the middle of America. But there was no real engagement. And, you know, that World Cup obviously spawned MLS.
the American men's national team, even though they, they sucked last night. You know, they have been to the quarterfinals and the world cup. And I have been on the, you know, I've been on the road and other world cups where in it, where there are American Germany and in Japan, Korea, where there are American soccer fans on the road, American soccer culture. It's a specific thing. It's, but it's real. It's not, You know, it's not that kind of cargo cult, let's imitate what they do in England or Italy.
How did Stephen Brunt describe the World Cup atmosphere in North America?
It's its own thing. And, you know, what you've seen now is...
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:03–4:02
2
How did Stephen Brunt describe the World Cup atmosphere in North America?
4:02–9:37
3
What historical changes in U.S. soccer did Brunt compare to 1994?
9:37–17:01
4
How has increased soccer media exposure fueled fandom and discourse?
17:01–20:28
5
What commercial and participation impacts could the World Cup have in Canada?
20:28–24:57
Speakers
3 identifiedMore from Sekeres & Price Show
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