Huzzah, Soccer Is Back! Um... Did It Ever Leave?

Ah, the return of the European soccer (Fußball) season where in Germany the Bundesliga soccer federation runs the show. Like most worldwide soccer federations, German Bundesliga teams rise and fall amongst different tiers depending on their win/loss record-- the three teams with the best records get "promoted" to the next tier; the bottom 3 get "relegated" to the lower tier. The main difference between the tiers is money-- the upper tiers get a bigger piece of the massive TV contract pie, and from there have the wherewithal to wheel and deal to get the top players; the lower leagues (there are 4 total tiers) make do with the comparitive table scraps, and are mainly supported by their fan bases, an occasional televised game and some sort of allowance from the league offices. The big news in town is that after being in the Bundesliga 2 (second tier) for a long, long time, the storied FC Nürnberg (Fußball Club Nürnberg) team finished 3rd in the final standings last season, and gets to play with the big boys this season-- a VERY big deal here.

My problem lies with the fact that I really don't think there's been an actual offseason-- soccer is always on the tube, and some of these squads play literally year-round, either touring around for money, or in "test matches" (basically games that do not impact their league rankings) with upper or lower teams from home and abroad. I mean, I love watching Aussie Rules football and auto racing, but I need a break from those once in a while too. But Soccer is king here, and these folks just can't get enough. That being said, I do plan on catching a game or 2 this season, though I may just go to the neighboring town of Fürth to watch their 2nd tier squad play-- it's a pleasant bike ride, the ticket prices are more reasonable, and the stadium is cozy (about 15,000 capacity-- and half of those "seats" are in the standing only area). The best part? The team is owned by the same guy that owns Playmobil toys, so the stadium is called, appropriately, Playmobil Stadium.