Tele Santana

I came to the game late, in 1977, while attending school at UMR. I was a North County (St. Louis) guy as far as my classmates knew, so that meant I knew how to play soccer. Soon I was playing intramural soccer and even practicing with the Club team at Rolla (before they had a school team but needed warm bodies for practice). The World Cup in 1978 didn’t register on my radar screen however. I was killing time at McDonnell Douglas that summer, working in a room literally lined with tinfoil, and hadn’t gotten involved in the Adult leagues in St. Louis yet.

That changed dramatically by the time 1982 came around. It didn’t hurt that the German League (Bundislega) was the primary foreign game available on TV in St. Louis. Having been born in Munich, Germany (I’m an Army brat, one of my proudest legacies) that meant I had also become a Bayern Munich fan. Its a toss up as to whether I favored Paul Breitner or Karl-Heinz Rumminegge most.

So what’s the point Ole? Well, Tele Santana is no longer with us. Tim Vickery of the BBC offers some background on The Coach and reading his tribute brought all of those memories rushing back. Man I love this game. Only music has come as close to being what ties everything together for me. There’s a downside to this story though. As much as I enjoyed the games, I don’t think I really appreciated them for what they were. With players like Bryan Robson, Zico, Socrates (ah, Socrates), Kevin Keegan, Rossi, Platini and more.

So who can put it into perspective for me? Do you have a story to share with us about 1982? While we’re waiting, here’s a taste of July 1982, #5 on the charts, “Let It Whip” by The Dazz Band