What happens when you give 14 self-confessed nerds three months of intensive and professional football training and then have them play a leading national league team?
Australian television network SBS is running an eight-week series focussing on a group of “self-confessed nerds” and complete football novices who will be turned “from mice into men” with the goal of playing one of the country’s strongest clubs, the Melbourne Victory. I’m not quite sure what to make of this. Knowing the Australian reputation for machismo, I wonder if this is just an excuse for sadists to watch these poor kids get knocked around. Even the nod to “winning isn’t everything” seems like a subtle dig, since the site reads “winning isn’t everything to Nerds FC” (emphasis mine).
Let’s hope this is a positive experience for them and not something akin to schoolyard bullying. Maybe the “nerds” can teach the professional players something about robotics or circuit boards or naval history. You know, for the period AFTER age and/or injuries take their toll and the pros have to find something else to do.
UPDATE: The Global Game reports on a similar project happening in Malaysia, with a show called MyTeam. And I guess we could also mention Football Icon, which aired in Britain a while back. How do we feel about all these “regular guy” football shows?
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There has been a similar show in Denmark for the past couple of years. There it’s called FC Zulu and apparently they even played an international match against a team of Swedish “nerds.” How very strange.
That show was the BEST FUCKING EXPERIENCE I HAVE EVER um EXPERIENCED. It’s the most awesome tv show ever.
Incidentally the format for Nerds FC was indeed bought from the Danes.
Happy to report that a second series of Nerds FC is in production and should be airing soon.
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