stryker

For starters, I believe the 2011 World Cup in Germany was the best yet. Venues, crowds, and above all, the competition was spectacular. The 2015 edition in Canada should build upon that. So that leaves 2019? Where will FIFA take the premier women's tournament? Thisis all speculation and I've heard nothing about even a potential bid, but my guess is the 2019 Women's World Cup will go to either Brazil or Australia. Given that there's much more parity in the women's game compared to what there once was (I recall the 1999 World Cup in the U.S. when it seemed the like the competitors were the USA, Norway, China, and everybody else was more or less fodder for those teams though Brazil and Germany were rapidly improving), and FIFA has yet to take the World Cup to South America, perhaps Brazil could be in line to host after Canada. Marta will still likely be a fixture for Brazil and there will be no shortage of state-of-the-art stadiums considering Brazil will have hosted the 2014 World Cup, the Olympics, and Copa America. Then again, perhaps Brazil might say that those three events are enough for one decade though the women's tournament doesn't require what men's tournament does. It would be something to see the famed Maracana host the final.

Then there's Australia. The Aussies have an improving women's team, they have the stadiums, so I say why not. FIFA has yet to go Down Under and perhaps they'd view Australia as a sort of testing ground before eventually awarding the country the men's edition.

Any thoughts?

Came across an article on Around The Rings where the president of the European Olympic Committees, Patrick Hickey, has said that progress is being made towards a European Games. It would make sense. Every other major continent has one. Why not Europe?

So what's the first Olympics that you remember, and I mean remember by actually seeing coverage on TV or hearing on radio? I was 5 when I caught bits of the 1984 L.A. Games on my parents' new TV. I distinctly remember Mary Decker falling in I think it was the 400m? As far as actually following the Olympics, I recall the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary where I watched multi[ple events (I was 9 at the time). I actually remember seeing the medal count at one point in the Dallas Morning News and then asking my father why the U.S. had only one bronze medal when a bunch of other countries had more gold and silver medals.