The State We're In, 12 June 2010. Against the backdrop of the World Cup, we present stories of how the game has changed people’s lives: a transsexual in Australia starts playing football with women and causes a huge controversy, but scores a huge political victory; and a former professional talks about the moment when the opposing goalkeeper collapsed and he chose to help him rather than score. And one man explains why the beautiful game is so beautiful… off the field.
Photo: A South African football fan blasts on his vuvuzela, Soweto.
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Switching teams
Martine Delaney was once Martin Delaney, an elite soccer player in Tasmania, Australia. After becoming a woman, she began playing again, with women. It became a media circus, but Martine ended up scoring a huge political victory.
Fighting and faith
Barry Braden used to be a violent criminal. Now he competes in mixed martial arts, or MMA. Its critics call it barbaric and dangerous. But for Barry, MMA is a matter of life, and faith.
A sporting tale
English footballer Nathan Blake was playing in his first professional championship game in front of thousands back in 1999. He had a glorious chance to score a goal. But then he noticed that the opposing goalie had collapsed. So Nathan decided to help him instead of trying to score. He tells Jonathan what that moment means to him all these years later.
The beautiful game: commentary
For columnist John Doyle, the magic of the World Cup boils down to a moment on a Berlin street in the middle of the night, when he saw two people sleeping peacefully on a sidewalk. His commentary was adapted from his new book The World Is a Ball.
Beijing housing blues
Younger Beijingers who want to get married, start a family and settle down face a lot of pressure to buy a home. But there simply aren’t enough. And those that are available are horribly expensive. Marije Vlaskamp tells Jonathan how young couples are coping with the impossibilities facing them.
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Thank you for the inspiring interview with Nathan Blake today. Blessings forever on his honorable and righteous act! It surely does redeem my sense of hope in the world.
I loved the story about Cristine and the Spanish soccer (football) fans. I am a Canadian living in Spain and he so captured the mood here during the World Cup. It is so much more than the game itself. I wish I could find a written transcript.
notsospanish.wordpress.com
Roasalind, Hank, Rea: thanks so much for the kind words. We were aiming to show how the 'beautiful game' can change the way we treat each other, and by extension, how athletic competition can do so as well. Glad the show found its mark with you all. Greg, Editor TSWI
I caught the show this morning (The Stater We're In)
It was a good show - I'm like you Jonathan, I never was enthusiastic about football or soccer,
but I was in the Marching Band in High School so I did attend all the games. In the off - season
we played soccer. I just love Radio Netherlands shows they often present ideas that are so
far off the American media horizon.
It just occurred to me, that if we had had Dutch Petroleum instead of British Petroleum, then the whole
Gulf of Mexico eco-catastrophe might have been avoided. I think that everybody involved with the BP oil drilling should be fired, and that we should ask for Dutch Engineers to take over ! -- HH
I caught your broadcast by chance and was instantly hooked when I discovered a like minded soul in the presenter. I too, am not really interested in soccer or the World Cup. However, I love radio and this presentation was one of the very best programs I've heard in recent times. It was so well paced, thoughtful and completely engaging from beginning to end. In fact I found myself so enchanted and amused by the story of Christine and her soccer fans that at dinner I tried to tell anyone who would listen about it. If nothing else the program at least made me consider the impact of such games on so many people. Not all of that, I know from research, has been, or will be, good but it is certainly not all bad either.
Congratulations to your presenter. I will listen again.
Rosalind
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