Recently I was tipped off to a project that I think lives at an interesting crossroads of sport and culture. Before the reveal, a little background:

I don’t think many people would argue with the notion that ESPN (along with Nike) define sports culture in this country from a general standpoint. In other words, for the general sports fan (as opposed to say, the hardcore cricket, rugby, lacrosse, etc. niche fan) how we think about, consume and talk about sports is guided by ESPN and Nike. Now, really ESPN is just four letters and Nike is a nifty logo and a pair of sneakers originally made on a waffle iron. It’s really the people who work for and on behalf of these two entities that shape our sports culture. And those are some very talented, savvy and clued in people.

Now somewhere in between the general sports fan and the niche sports fan (in this country) lies the soccer fan. I could write 50 posts about soccer in this country but I’m going to focus on one particular aspect of the culture of American sports here. What’s the difference between a mass sport and a niche sport in this country? It’s when the shorthand of a sport begins to infiltrate the general cultural understanding. When someone at work ‘hits a home run’ or when getting something done is a ‘slam dunk’ then you know a sport has a cultural foothold.  Soccer hasn’t really reached that point in this country. We’re still talking about how big soccer is at the youth level and making jokes that every soccer match ends 1-0.

But the folks over at ESPN (and the agencies that work for them), who will broadcasting next summer’s FIFA World Cup, have this understanding. They realize that simply shouting ‘hey everybody, time to watch soccer!’ isn’t going to get it done. They’re taking a different approach. I give you…

The Group of Death!

Now, to any soccer fan, the phrase “Group of Death” brings with it immediate recognition (soccer novices, see definition here).  Basically, when the FIFA World Cup draw is made (this Friday, December 4, live on ESPN) one of the eight groups of four teams is deemed the most difficult by the pundits and given the sobriquet “The Group of Death.” It’s part of the sport’s shorthand.

ESPN has dug deep into the culture of soccer to take the sport into the culture of America in a brilliant way. The Group of Death is a heavy metal rock band that stylistically is patterned on the soccer notion of The Group of Death. Now, this could have been done poorly, a ham fisted effort that understood neither soccer nor the musical sub-genre of Death Metal. But this isn’t you or me, this is the ESPN machine of sporting culture genius.  With a nod to Spinal Tap, check out these Group of Death album covers. They deftly weave soccer iconography and nomenclature with that of Metallica or Megadeth.

Of course a backstory for the band has been created as well:

The Group has developed a reputation for its unique recording style, which demands that the band members fully immerse themselves in a football environment, recording on natural grass and making sure every album is at least 90 minutes long. Over the years, they have released fourteen albums including Win, Lose or Death, You’ve Been Black-Carded, and the most recent release, Heart Stoppage Time.

And what does any self-respecting hard rock act need? A concert t-shirt! The Group of Death’s tee features the stops they’ve made since 1958, touring the globe every four years and hitting the countries which were included in that years World Cup Group of Death. In 2006 they toured Italy, Ghana, the Czech Republic and the United States.

Ok, at this point we’ve gone beyond a quick joke thrown out over drinks and moved into the realm of seriousness. How serious? Well this Friday, after the 2010 FIFA World Cup draw, the Group of Death (the band) will play an actual gig at legendary New York City soccer bar Nevada Smith’s.

Now we’re talking transmedia-cultural zeitgeist-word of mouth generating buzz!

Where does all this lead? Ultimately I don’t know if people who have no interest in soccer are going to start tuning in. But what it does do, it puts phrases like Group of Death on the table in this country. The next time your new business team is pitching against three arch rivals – it’s the Group of Death. When some reality show gets down to the final four contestants – it’s the Group of Death.  When the U.S., as a culture, becomes comfortable with the language and traditions of global soccer, rather than trying to create our own ersatz version, then we’ll start to truly embrace the sport.

My hats off to ESPN and the wizards behind the curtain who understand this.  I hope I’ll see some of you Friday at the gig. I’ll be the guy with the Dutch national team cap and the Black Sabbath t-shirt.