What effect is the World Cup having in your town?

[Mudcat]

TORONTO

I'm surprised how little effect. Although there is no Canadian team, Toronto is a very multicultural city and I would expect the various communities to go nuts for the respective homelands. We have Italians, Greeks, Brazilians, Koreans, Portugese, Croatians - hell, we've got everything.

But nothing much doing so far. There are quite a few flags on cars, although not as many as I would expect. I have yet to encounter a big impromptu celebration after a big win with groups standing at the roadside with their flags and cars honking.

I'm sure things will pick up but so far, very quiet.

[pjesnik24]

In my town (Sarajevo) there is a large TV in every single bar, and all of those bars are full of people betting, drinking beer and chearing for their favourites. I can only imagine how it will be when the second round starts!
I have one very important exam tomorrow, but after that I will also be unconsies (probably wrong spelling) till the end of WC!

[acw]

None.
Life as usual. That is why I like it here.
People bet any football match regardless of it being a WC match or not.

[Willie Bee]

None. A 1-light town in Central Texas? I doubt anyone will even mention it down at the old barber shop Saturday when I stop in for a buzz job and to pick up the latest gossip from the three barbers on duty.

[JoshW]

Couple bars have decent turnouts, but really since is on during the day, most people can't watch it. I have been watching at least one game a day.

No doubt it is talked about much more than Hockey.

[McBa1n]

In Danbury, CT - we have about 25k 'legal' Brazillian born people and probably 20-25k illegals living there.
The Main Street got shut down for about an hour since everyone was out celebrating and parading and having fun after Brazil won the other day.
There's also a major amount of Ecuadorians - same thing happens with them, but they confine off the main drag and nothing gets impacted really.

It sure beats having games on during the day compared to the last cup - people were getting woken up by cars driving around honking their horns all early early morning after Brazil wins heh.

Overall - I can't see a much cooler place to be than here for the Cup (in the US, that is). Every nation is represented pretty heavily and the bars are always packed. It's a great soccer town (for the US, that is)

[tacomax]

Lots of England fans about yesterday.

[Mudcat]

In Toronto, I am seeing an increase in the number of cars with flags even since I started this thread yesterday. When I was out and about today, I think I saw more flags of Denmark than anything else.

I'm sure the bars - paricularly those in the ethnic neighbourhoods - are doing a booming business but I'm not much of a bar-goer.

[tacomax]

You sure they were Denmark flags? They haven't qualified for the World Cup.

[Mudcat]

By god, you're right. They were St. George's Crosses of England. Got my colors reversed.

Maybe the post immediately prior to where I said Denmark, with the heading about England fans and the 50 or so St. George's crosses should have given me that mental nudge I needed.

Brain fart.

[Illusion]

95% of the people in my town don't even know what the World Cup is.