Approaching our third week in the World Cup, U.S. soccer fans are hoping for a win against Belgium during the Round of 16 and we’re also hoping by the end of this tournament we all still have jobs!
Over the last three weeks, lots of rules have been broken by U.S. soccer fans.
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Kimmy Bunting at work - "Out of dress code today at work!
Don't care!!! USA Baby!!!" |
For starters – almost every single one of us has been breaking work dress code. Are you supposed to wear button ups and but just happened to wear your away jersey instead? Oh that American flag scarf around your neck…it’s keeping me warm! (Despite it being in the high-80s/low-90s all week long.) Headbands and bandanas – there is nothing in the dress code about not being able to bedazzle some accessories. The first game of the tournament I had puzzled looks about my American flag scarf all day at work and victory was made when my co-worker Patrick said to me “I know why you’re wearing that scarf and I LOVE it.”
But Jurgen Klinsmann said I could take off – Prior to the final game the United State had in the “group of death,” every single American knew we needed as much support possible to root on the Yanks. That’s why U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann penned a personal "get out of work free" letter that he encouraged bosses to sign. I saw this letter on nearly everyone’s Facebook last Thursday morning. Whether the note worked or note, I’m sure there were a lot of “sick” Americans that day at roughly 10 a.m. in the morning. Cough, cough.
We use personal and vacation days – U.S. soccer fans know the World Cup is coming every four years so what do they need to do? Save up personal and vacation time! Luckily for us, Brazil is only an hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time so the later games ARE doable being able to go to work and leave an hour early or start early to leave at 3 p.m. instead of 4 p.m. But these noon games are a killer. Like I said on my June 26th Facebook, “(Amanda Piccirilli) thinks if you didn't take a personal, vacation or sick day at work today you're not American. Ok fine, just take a realllllly long lunch break today, I'll accept that. One Nation. One Team.” Live a little people – take the day off and head down to
Fado Irish Pub in Philadelphia and hang with the rest of the American Outlaws. It will be the best decision of your life…
Being clever with work monitors – Work monitors clearly depict who the soccer fans are around the office. Employees are staring at their work computers, looking in the bottom or top right hand corner because that is where the ESPNwatch App is minimized as their Excel spreadsheets and Word documents float over the middle of the screen with easy ability to maximize in case management walks by. You can also tell who fans are because while they are staring at their screens, they’re not typing. Their eyeballs are about to pop out of their heads, beads of sweat trickle over their brow and silent jolts of excitement happen by pumping their fist or kicking their legs. As a fellow soccer fan, don’t be the douche in the office and rat out the guy who is living his glory of the World Cup in the office. Trust me, they don’t want to be working, they’d rather be at home or in a bar with hundreds of individuals who actually care. Unfortunately, that presentation is due tomorrow and we have no other choice.
So like I said, the last three weeks have been rough for us soccer fans, but we’re still surviving and we’re still taking the risk that our bosses won’t catch us watching games at work or we’re maybe a tad out of dress code. However on the other hand, maybe our bosses are secretly soccer fans too like my friend Joey who received an emailing saying "All, If you finish up everything need to get done for today, please feel
free to watch the game whether it be here or elsewhere" or maybe YOUR boss is sitting in their office watching the greatest stage of soccer and chanting to themselves “I believe that we will win!”
I hate Mondays just as much as anyone else. Weekends go too fast and work weeks go too slow. So that is why I’m starting Motivation Monday here on Take Your Pic – a way to keep myself motivated to accomplish my weekly goals and a way to help everyone else be accountable for theirs.
