Historian studies soccer wars

By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writer

When Michael Allen boarded a plane last week for South Korea, he was already bracing for what could be in store for him — everything from rowdy displays of outrageous hooliganism to riotous outpourings of nationalistic fervor.

Michael Allen said explosive soccer games, like the one between Argentina and England, bring out the best in play — and the worst in fans.

But Allen's interest comes not because of the sport itself, but because it's one of the newest areas of academic interest, a growing research field called "sports and nationalism."

"I approached this initially as a scholar of nationalism," said Allen before leaving for Seoul, where the opening match will be held tomorrow. "Much of my work is on East Asian nationalism, particularly Korean nationalism and Korea-Japan relations historically and today, and I'm interested in sports as a social and cultural phenomenon."

Allen maintains that rivalries and even hatred between countries are not played out in the Olympics as much as they are on the international soccer field. For instance, the bad blood between Argentina and England — stemming from the war in the Falklands — is expected to make for an explosive game between the two.

"Games like that bring out all of the best in soccer play and sometimes all of the worst in soccer fans," Allen said.

Soccer has become embedded in the national culture of many countries and allows them to go to war on the soccer field rather than shooting at each other, said Allen. While it appears brutal to the world, it's a way of resolving disputes and settling old scores.

"They don't bother with ceremony in the World Cup," he says. "The idea is: 'Let's get down to the field of battle.' "

While Allen sees the Olympics as a kind of "secular religion," he sees the World Cup as a way for nations to face off against each other with their best "warriors" under a semblance of rules.

"Despite the hopes of Olympic and World Cup organizers that big sporting events will bring people together as citizens of the world," said Allen, "you participate in them as members of a country. And while they talk about cooperation and transcending barriers, they're based on competition, so there's inherent tension."

For the course he teaches on nationalism and globalization, Allen explores the chauvinistic pride created by sporting events, just as he explores multinational financial institutions and separatist movements.

"I'm looking at the kinds of messages delivered by an event like this," he said.

With longtime rivals South Korea and Japan serving as co-hosts of the event, the ceremonial occasions will give them "a chance to say something about themselves to the world," he said.

That will be much the same way the Olympics were used by the United States this year to deliver the message of national pain after Sept. 11.

"The message delivered by the U.S. was a clear one and a highly nationalistic one, with the tattered flag from Ground Zero. It's the kind of message not usually part of the Olympics."

Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8013.