Futbol in sthe Park

Bogotá has been transmitting the soccer World Cup on big screens in several public parks, including Parque de la Independencia, in these photos. And folks have been turning out to watch - even in the rain.

I also saw a presence of police - or, at least, city crowd minders. That might be a good thing for Colombia's next victory, assuming there is one. After all, during the celebrations over Colombia's 3-0 trampling of Greece on Saturday 10 people were killed.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

When is a Victory not a Victory?

Millonarios has probably been the most successful of Bogotá's major league futbol teams (despite its 8 - 0 crushing by Real Madrid this week).

But some of those victories came in years when the league was drug saturated, and many players and referees bribed.

Now, Millonarios' owners have proposed 'giving back' the team's titles from 1987 and '88, two of the most drug-tainted years, when the team belonged to drug barons.

Millionarios' gesture is a positive one. But, back then, much of the league was financed and threatened by cocaine interests. Should the league just erase those years from its history books?

On the other hand, if Millonarios' loss to Real Madrid is any portent, maybe the team would be better off holding on to its trophies.


By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours