But, Reconciling me to Life in the Modern World,

I have just watched watched (on the 27", ultra high definition monitor of my only slightly out-of-date Apple computer) the eight-minute recap of the opening match (between Saudi Arabia and Russia) of the 2018 FIFA World Cup tournament--with glimpses of Putin and the Potentate of Saudi Arabia sitting fairly close to one another in the stands.  Even though I don't (as an American) care a lot about what I call soccer, I must acknowledge that the players are excitingly young, masculine, good-looking and wonderfully skillful--and I cannot fail to recognize that, to the rest of the world, the World Cup is the Biggest Deal there is.