You’re a good man, Bob Bradley
By Eric Beard
Today, along with his wife Lindsay, Bob Bradley joined the thousands of mourners in Cairo’s Sphinx Square to express his sympathy to the victims and families affected by the clash between rival fans of Al-Ahly and Al-Masry in the Egyptian city of Port Said. (the two are pictured above, via @Radwancfc) Egypt has just experienced a national tragedy, an unspeakable day that will be remembered by Egyptians for decades and decades to come. Dozens and dozens of young men have been left dead. Beyond that, over one-thousand have been left injured from the riot that occurred. 1000. A number like that sounds like sheer hyperbole, but now we are left with a very real, yet ineffable sadness for fans, Egyptians, and any human being with an ounce of emotional capacity.
Bradley, the former coach of the United States Men’s National team, is now based in Cairo serving as Egypt’s manager. Despite being American, Bradley has been accepted by the Egyptian people, and the feeling is mutual. From day one, Bob Bradley wanted to connect with Egyptians. He turned down living in a bourgeois gated-community because wanted to immerse himself in Egyptian culture and understand how the Egyptian people think. This evening, Bradley conducted a heartfelt interview with the Egyptian media. He mentioned that he’s not thinking about his job or what comes next; rather, his thoughts lie with those grieving for the lives that were lost.
Bradley proclaimed that the Egyptian people “must be strong. They must always feel hope for the future and realize to accomplish great things for Egypt, as a country and again as a football team, the strength comes from the unity of all the people.”
Bob, you’re a decent guy. *salutes*
