What? I am an Arsenal Fan Now?
3/13/2026
For those who don't watch much soccer, Arsenal are a professional soccer team based in North London, and they play in the Engligh Premier League. This is a group of 20 teams at the top of the English Football League system.
For those who are fans of the other North London team, my apologies. If you read this post fully you will see that I have nothing against the Tottenham Hotspurs. Indeed, I hope they get out of their current quandary and get back to their glory days.
I only started watching Premier League games a few years ago. I did grow up playing soccer, albeit not as much as cricket. (See previous post to read about my love for Test Match Cricket). We didn't have TV and didn't get out much, so until I came to the US I didn't get to watch much soccer. My earliest memories of watching soccer are from the time I went with some friends to watch a video of the 1982 World Cup final game. Some company in Coimbatore was kind enough to show us at their office, on a small TV. I still remember the winning goal scored by the Italians led by Paolo Rossi against Rummenigge's Germany.
Ever since that I have been a fan of the World Cups. Every four years I enjoy spending a month watching as many games as I can. Sadly, I am not so enthused about this year's games, and also made a deliberate decision not to watch the 2022 games, but that's a whole different story. Indeed, you might wonder why anyone would even enjoy sports in times like these. Is it a way of escaping reality? That's a fair question and you may even be right. I do keep up with the news, even if only through Substack or Youtube posts from trusted sources. I think it is important to not allow oneself to get overwhelmed by the bad news. To the extent we are enjoying sports to protect our mental health and not out of laziness or to avoid dealing with the problems it can be helpful.
The next finals in 1986 had some bittersweet memories for me. I was going to College in Chennai (then called Madras) and during the summer I was visiting my grandparents in Ernakulam. My grandpa was in the hospital and the “Maradona games” were going on in Mexico City, made infamous by the “Hand of God” episode. I was watching soccer at a neighbor's home, in between spending time by his bedside. I was feeling guilty about it too. My beloved Thatha passed away not long after, and he was only 64. He was a great man, and in retrospect, I think he would have wanted me to enjoy the games.
The next two finals I watched in Pasadena, CA. I was a graduate student at CalTech. I don't remember much of the 1990 World Cup except I watched it in Keck House. But the 1994 games in Los Angeles provided me with some great memories. I was able to watch Argentina play Romania and Cameroon play Sweden. Yes, in those days it was possible to watch a World Cup game on a grad student salary! It was great to watch Maradona go against Georghe Hagi's Romania, albeit a Maradona that was past his peak. I also distinctly remember the booming shot by Dahlin to get Sweden past the evergreen Roger Milla and the Cameroon team. I was in the area behind the goal and it was some shot.
After Brazil won the final game people were out in the streets near the Rose Bowl and I was able to get up close to Cobi Jones, the American soccer player, and remember being amazed at how small he seemed in person. Brazil became one of my favorite teams after that World Cup.
That summer I came to DC to work at Howard and have been here ever since. During the 1998 games I was in Berkeley attending a workshop at MSRI (now SLmath Institute). I remember watching Zidane's France beating Brazil in the final game, at a bar on Telegraph Ave. The next five World Cup finals, from 2002 to 2018, I watched with friends and family, either at home or in bars in DC. I have been lucky enough to get to watch the games in which Team USA played, some of them with Nicole, wearing the team colors and all that.
That is also the first time I could think about a team as “my team.” And, dear reader, thanks for indulging me so far. In case you were wondering, this article is indeed about Arsenal and this is where that story starts. You see, soccer is not such a big sport in India, although we really wish it were. In fact, India has not even got to the final stage of the qualifying process, let alone play in a World Cup. They qualified by default for the 1950 World Cup but didn't play in it. So I tend to support countries that appeal to me in some ways. Apart from the US team, I have rooted for Brazil and the African teams and if neither are playing, often the team that is the underdog. I have also supported France recently because I want the experiment in diversity that is the French soccer team, to succeed.
For that same reason, I have been supporting the England team since the 2014 World Cup. I watched them lose to Croatia in 2018 along other England supporters in a place called WunderGartenDC in the NOMA neighborhood. I wanted Bukayo Saka and co to succeed. I also liked what Gareth Southgate was doing, especially during the Black Lives Matter movement. He seemed to me the expression of all that is good about the English.
I was especially fond of Bukayo Saka, for the joy with which he played, and also his ever smiling attitude.
Now you could see where this story is going. But wait, there is still a twist. Until just a few years ago, I was adamant that commercial or club sport was a symptom of all that is wrong with our capitalistic world. The enormous sums of money being paid for players of just a few sports and the corruption and decadence that always comes with wealth without limits made it unappealing for me. I had stopped watching NFL, NBA etc., for the most part.
It was during this time that Todd Drumm joined our department. He was a big Premier League fan, Arsenal in particular. He told me about getting drawn to them after reading Nick Hornsby's “Fever Pitch.” He had traveled to England to check out some of the stadia. He also had the excellent excuse of his son playing in the high school soccer team. We used to have debates about the pros and cons of club soccer versus international soccer. He made the excellent point about international soccer inflaming nationalistic, jingoistic tendencies. On the other hand in club soccer people adopt foreigner players as one of their own and the players get to play with people from all over the world.
I was still unconvinced, especially considering how middle eastern autocracies and American investors were using English soccer for their own purposes. Until last year, I would watch Premier League games very occasionally. I still don't watch games involving Manchester City and Newcastle (although I might make an exception for the upcoming City vs Arsenal showdowns). But after following Arteta, Rice, Saka, and more recently Eze and Madueke, I started rooting for them more and more. I maybe wrong but they seem to be rather exemplary characters. Very devoted to the game, working extremely hard, always minding their manners but also determined and strong-willed. Saka and his “Bible brothers” seem to be devout Christians as well, albeit not in an ostentatious way but as genuine followers of Jesus. I also like how Arteta combines the positional, pass oriented Spanish style of play with the English style of direct, physical play. Contrary to what people say, I don't find them boring at all. Maybe more because I am a fan, but I find my heart rate rising and butterflies fluttering in my stomach when the game is tight. The owners of Arsenal also seem to be a decent lot, although I have to admit it is hard to tell these days. It is also more and more clear that the best quality soccer is to be found in Club soccer, not in international competitions. Nevertheless, international competitions do have their own charm, and occasionally you get to see some very good soccer as well.
So there you are. All of a sudden I find myself to be an Arsenal fan. And if you are one, please let me know! Maybe we will get to watch a few games together. I have my fingers firmly crossed for the Quadruple to finally happen.