Short People at a Tall Man's Game

Colombia is futbol country. Across Bogotá, the football pitches are usually crowded, while the few basketball courts often sit empty - except when they're being used to play football.

There are a few exceptions, such as the Parque Nacional, Parque La Florida and El Salitre on Sundays. And, on my way home this evening; I passed thru Tercer Milenio Park and came upon this scene:

On Sundays, Tercer Milenio seems to be transformed into Ecuadorean territory, probably because

many Ecuadorean immigrants live in the poor neighborhoods around it. And it was moving and startling to see dozens of boys, girls, men and women playing basketball. Women played in long dresses. They played three games simultaeneously on the same court, banging into each other. They played badly and without rules - but very enthusiastically. This was the real spirit of sports, and something which millionares like Lebron James and Cristian Ronaldo could never equal.

Go figger: What cultural happenstance moves these uniformly short people, of Quechua indigenous ancestry, to play a tall North American man's game.

Whyever it is, I found it heartwarming, and for a little while it cleared away my despair about the state of our world.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

Canine Tejo!

'This is how you play tejo, boy.'

During our bike tours, we usually stop for a tejo match. Today, this young couple had brought their dog, a your and lively creature. The dog chased the tejo, which is a heavy iron disk, but naturally could not grab it. Each time a mecha exploded, the dog ran outside - but then soon returned.

Here you go!

'Go get it, boy!'

I'm gonna catch me a tejo yet!

 By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

The New Parque La Concordia

The new Parque La Concordia.

Parque La Concordia is one of Bogotá's tiny parks which residents of other neighborhoods have never heard of, but which probably provide more recreation per square meter than do Bogotá's famed parks: Simon Bolivar and el Parque Nacional.

The park under construction, which seemed endless.

So, it was a real blow to the neighborhood when the park was closed early last year for renovation,
and particularly when the work stretched on from the planned 5 months to almost a year. (Did the contractor milk it for profit?) That was especially true since the park was already perfectly useful.

But, out of the long wait and 2.4-billion pesos spent, at least we did get an improved park: The football/basketball pitch was resurfaced, a new futbolito pitch was added, as was a small skate park and even a workout area for bodybuilders.

There is no special section for pot smokers, another traditionally popular activity in the park, but they will make it for themselves.

Boys on BMX bikes enjoy the skatepark.

BMX biking down stairs.

Skating, too.

A nice place for dogs.

How long will the exercise machines last?

Future soccer stars at work.

Reading in the park.

That's one way to descend the stairs.

Swingin' fun.

Not just for kids. Adults on the exercise machines.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

Surprise! Suprise! Football is Sexist

Still all about James Rodriguez in El Espectador.

The sports industry is sexist. Everybody knows that. Football, basketball, American football, boxing...usually, we don't even consider the female versions of these - if they even exist.

The Womens' World Cup gets just a mention in El Tiempo.

That's particularly clear right now. The run-up to the Copa America, to be played in Chile, is receiving non-stop coverage in Colombian media: Who are the contenders? How's training going? How will Messi do? Who's twisted his ankle? And, for good measure, a feature on James Rodriguez's childhood. It's endless.

And Copa America hasn't even started yet.

Meanwhile, pushed into the corner of El Tiempo's sports page, is a small article about the women's side: Colombia managed to tie Mexico today, in the Women's World Cup tournament taking place in Canada.

Of course, a few women are featured by the sports journalists: A Colombian sports broadcast today dwelled endlessly, with generous videos, about a supposed plan by Venezuelan women to remove their clothing if their country's team does well in the Copa.

As for the Women's World Cup, which has has only existed since 1991, if Colombia wins, will anybody notice? Who knows, for example, who the reigning champion is? It's Japan, of all countries.

Also, in the women's cup's favor is the fact that, as far as I know, the FIFA corruption scandal hasn't touched the women's side. There's an easy explanation for that, of course - there's lots less money in it. Check out the FIFA women's sports page, which shows teams playing in fields resembling those of a mid.aized American high school.


By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

The Most Important Thing in Bogotá...

This afternoon, the most important thing in Bogotá was a bunch of multimillionares, only one of whom is Colombian, kicking an inflated bag around a field in Europe.

With crisis in crime, pollution, transport, violence...you name it, just go figger.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

Colombia Qualifies for the 'Other' World Cup

Colombia's Women's Team: On their way to the Olympics and the World Cup, in case you didn't notice. (Photo: El Tiempo)

Even as Colombia continues to feel the glow from its run in the football World Cup, and the country's self-esteem seems to be pegged to James Rodriguez's performance for Real Madrid, Colombia's qualifying for the Women's World Cup, to be held next year in Canada, received scant attention.

The women qualified by finishing second, after Brazil, in the Copa America, played in Ecuador. At the same time, they also qualified for the Olympics and Panamerican Games.

This is the second time the Colombia women have qualified, and in at least one sense it's a greater achievement than the men's qualifying, since there are places for far fewer teams (but fewer nations field women's teams). Colombia may stand a better chance at winning the women's cup, since the field appears more open than on the men's side, where a few elite teams dominate. In women's international soccer Brazil and Germany also do well, but Norway, Japan and the United States have all won women's cups, and even China and Canada have placed high.

A big boost for Colombian and Latin American women's soccer would be the creation of professional leagues. Women's leagues do exist in Europe, and one is struggling to survive in the U.S., but they receive minimal attention.

While a few Colombian women athletes have become heroines, it's perhaps a sad commentary that the greatest attention women athletes have received recently was for the supposedly suggestive colors of the women's cycling team's uniform.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

Physical Activities Fair in La Nacho

In the National University, students are known more for getting their exercise by hurling objects at the police. But today they were instead doing aerobics and gymnastics in the Plaza del Ché, itself a common site of political protests. What would Ché Guevara think of all this?

Bull-riding under Ché's gaze.

This was the first time I'd seen anybody fencing in Colombia.

Here comes the inflatable shark!

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

The Dark Side of Jamesmania

A vendor in Paloquemao Market celebrates the success of millionaire athlete James Rodriguez.

Of all the things which might obsess a nation, one of the last I'd have expected would by the hiring of a Colombian football player by a team in Spain.

While we were obsessing with James Rodriguez...
drought-killed cattle in northern Colombia.

James' shirts fly off the hangars in Spain.

James Rodriguez is undoubtedly a talented football player and seems to be a nice guy. He's also become fabulously wealthy by playing a sport which many others play for fun. Banker Luis Carlos Sarmiento and beer brewer Alejandro Santo Domingo, Colombia's richest men, made their money by decades of getting up early, negotiating deals, hiring employees and analyzing budgets (and, sure, probably exploiting more than a few people along the way) - but they probably receive more resentment and jealousy than admiration from other Colombians.

Rodriguez undoubtedly worked hard, too. But he became rich and famous doing something fun, thanks to lots of inborn ability. And he gets showered with admiration, rather than jealousy.

Colombian footballer Juan Guillermo Cuadrado signing
t-shirts for Colombian children he has helped.

And, while the media and public have been obsessing over Rodriguez's ball-kicking ability, other things have happened in Colombia: There's a terrible drought in parts of the country; El Chocó has been wracked by poverty and violence; A new study found high levels of malnutrition in impoverished Colombian kids; Guerrilla bombings are spilling oil; a mine disaster in El Cauca killed seven people...and on and on.

But that's been eclipsed by Rodriguez. Is Rodriguez's ball-kicking ability really more important than any of that?

A football jersey from James Rodriguez's
foundation Colombia Somos Todos.

Spanish newspapers have questioned whether Rodriguez is really worth 80 million euros, just because he played well in a few World Cup games. They should also ask whether it's ethical for a Spanish company to spend a fortune on a single athlete while millions of Spaniards are unemployed, homeless and hungry.

Colombians should ask whether Rodriguez, a young man who hardly needs millions to survive, will send part of his fortune home to help the needy. I found this ugly list of five ways Rodriguez might spend his money, including buying luxury cars and big mansions. Helping others was last on the list. The Colombian business publication Portfolio has an equally ugly article suggesting that Rodriguez buy a luxury car or a mansion, and pointing out that he'll earn 2 million pesos per hour, more than triple Colombia's monthly minimum wage. Rodriguez's annual salary is greater than Bogotá's planned investment to clean up the Rio Bogotá. How many displaced or sick people could Rodriguez help? Or, will he instead follow in the footsteps of team mate Cristian Ronaldo and spent his fortune collecting luxury automobiles?

Hopefully not. In 2011, Rodriguez created the 'Colombia Somos Todos' foundation. That's a good start. Now that he's earning close to $1 million a month and will surely rake in much more by endorsing things like athletic shoes and deodorant, let's hope he does good with his fortune.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

The Match in Egipto

A celebrar!

I happened to be in the hardscrabble Egipto neighborhood above La Candelaria this afternoon when Colombia won its match against Uruguay. The celebration was loud and predictable. 

Sport is fun, but I'm getting a bit tired of this obsession over which set of millionaires can kick a ball more times between some goalposts. After all, there just might be some more important things going on in the world...

The Egipto neighborhood, for example, high rates of violence, poverty and malnutrition. But that's all forgotten today.

In Egipto's traditional fruit and vegetable market, the vendors are glued to a TV set.

In an informal restaurant set up on a sidewalk, patrons celebrate Colombia's victory.

Young men wave flags on an Egipto street by La Circunvular.

This park off of La Circunvular was pretty desolate, except for a few kids skateboarding.

Waving the flag.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours