I am not a big soccer fan. Sorry, football. But I noticed how everyone was talking about England and how they were shocked when they lost.

Granted that it was a great match, but didn’t they have a self-goal? Didn’t the highest paid player David “Posh Spice’s husband” Beckham miss a penalty kick? Didn’t he miss one earlier?

The English media elevates their teams and players to the highest levels. Case in point - Tim Henman. Any time he reaches the quarters of a Grand Slam, the talk starts. There is in fact a Henmania at Wimbledon every year.

Another case in point - the cricket team. Teams like Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka have won the World Cup, but England has not. In fact, I can’t remember the last time England won a significant tournament. This is after the fact that their domestic cricket structure is probably the most well-developed.

Is all the hype and hoopla around the English teams and players worth it?