So the World Cup is a mere 9 days 10 hours and 44 minutes away and I am a little bit excited.
Last World Cup I was stuck cheering for England’s half-baked football team because of my cursed heritage, but this year things are different. This year I’m married to a Dutch girl. So the tables are turned, and I’m cheering for the Oranje this time around and it’s going to be a much better World Cup.
But here’s my dilemma. You see, last World Cup I desired more than anything to buy an England team jersey. One of the official FIFA jerseys that the players wear because, if you’re honest with yourself, you will see that these shirts are things of beauty. Really, they are—they’re very nicely designed and put together. Well this time around, that desire is similarly strong but directed at my new and forever team: the Netherlands national football team.
So I bought a Netherlands jersey and it cost me and arm and a leg but I swore I’d use my birthday money to pay for it—just have to wait until October to pay off that debt. But, hey, it’s the World Cup. Anything is possible. My dilemma though, the one which I referred to earlier, is one of practicality. If you’re unfamiliar with the sport of soccer football then you might not know that the Dutch national colour is bright stinkin’ orange. It’s an awesome colour and looks wicked cool on the field, but is it a practical colour to own? My beautiful wife, for example, despite being Dutch hates it and may or may not go out in public with me while I’m wearing the jersey. She is a traitor to her homeland but that’s besides the point.
The thing is, I can buy the Dutch Away jersey which is white with stripes the colours of the Dutch flag but it’s hardly the same thing. I mean, it’s still a Dutch jersey and it’s much more practically coloured for more regular daily use and wearability but it isn’t the Oranje! Is it?
Dear Blogosphere, please weigh in with your advice. Is my homeland-hating wife right and the orange is just too much, a waste of my hardly-earned future money? Or is it silly to buy a Dutch jersey that isn’t in their traditional, well-known and well-loved bright orange? Help me, dear readers, you’re my only hope.
Be bold be strong. Wear the Orange with Pride.
too bad that the dutchies also have a history of biting it right when the opportunity presents itself. too many head cases
. but, nevertheless – go Oranje or go home. (or in this case both at the same time)
Remember the pumpkin jacket when making this choice. Could the orange jersey meet the same fate?
All I mean to say is, when you spend the income of a small nation on a piece of clothing…should it be something you want to wear for more than a couple weeks?
Dude! Nice.
Where did you pick up the jersey?
If you’re going to rock the Dutch colours then it has to be orange (Maria, come on).
If it makes you feel better I have a similar dilemma with my bright yellow Brasil jersey!
Oranje. Alleen maar oranje!
Mostly I just tease him.
So I say orange…but being of a different complexion it really matches my skin…hahaha….and yes I’m all over Holland this cup!
Does anyone else think that the guy in the tiger shirt looks a little bit like bono?
I got the jersey from Sport Chek. I tried to find it cheaper online but all the stores either didn’t have stock, the right size, or charged an arm and a leg in shipping from the US.
And, Mants, that guy does look a lot like Bono from that era when Bono wore hats like that!
Hating the homeland is the mark of a true Dutch person. The “Dutch” who love it are those claiming heritage from afar. So Maria is expressing true Dutch spirit.
TRAITOR. The St. George’s cross glares at you.
So I’m a bit late on this one but I thought I should let you know that Skylar came very close to purchasing a bight orange Dutch jersey in Lebanon. It was probably half the price of yours, but he didn’t end up going for it… And he’s Dutch… But hey, even if you only wear it around football season, if you’ve decided to dedicate the rest of your fifa world cups to the Dutch then you’ll get a lot of wear out of that jersey over the years of your life. Rock on in orange Keith!