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CNN Live Sunday
Baghdad Football
Aired September 28, 2003 - 10:52 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: As Americans sit down in front of the tube for some Sunday football, there are some Iraqi children who may be doing the same thing. American troops are giving them a lesson on the gridiron. For Iraqis, football is soccer, so a totally new experience. CNN's Michael Holmes reports from Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): About as incongruous a sight as one could imagine. This is no Midwest elementary school and these are not tryouts for the football team.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Saints, Saints, Saints.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Colts, Colts, Colts.
HOLMES: At a run down stadium in Baghdad a group of Iraqi kids learning the finer points of American football. NFL merchandise has likely never seen a stranger setting.
"This is a sign of friendship," says Sahd (ph). "It's fun." But has he ever even seen American football?
UNIDENTIFIED BOY: No.
HOLMES: American troops regularly have what they call kids days out for the orphans, but this particular day is the result of some intense rivalry between New Orleans Saints fan Colonel Ted Cox, that's him being left behind by a young running back, and Indianapolis Colts supporter Captain David Seiter.
CAPT. DAVID SEITER, U.S. ARMY: We are certainly not trying to make this the national sport of Iraq. We wanted to expose them to something new. This is a great opportunity for them. I did tell the Colts, though, I'd be scouting for their 2013 season. I'm hoping that something pans out today.
HOLMES: At times winning hearts and minds took over from winning first downs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: America, America, America. All right. Democracy, democracy, democracy.
HOLMES: The cynics will say, and many have said, that events like this are just media events, PR days to show the American occupation forces in a positive light. But those organizing this day say that's not the case. They say this is more than just a photo op, more than just a morning of American football for the cameras.
COL. TED COX, U.S. ARMY: We feed them today, we're going to play with them. They're going to not only do basic football skills, but we're going to do some relay races. And we'll just have a good time. Again, if somebody thinks this is a shallow exercise, it's not.
HOLMES: There were a series of clinics, a promising receiver there, but a planned match was called off because of Baghdad's still withering heat. No risk of that Sunday when the real and slightly larger Saints and Colts play indoors in New Orleans.
Michael Holmes, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 28, 2003 - 10:52 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: As Americans sit down in front of the tube for some Sunday football, there are some Iraqi children who may be doing the same thing. American troops are giving them a lesson on the gridiron. For Iraqis, football is soccer, so a totally new experience. CNN's Michael Holmes reports from Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): About as incongruous a sight as one could imagine. This is no Midwest elementary school and these are not tryouts for the football team.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Saints, Saints, Saints.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Colts, Colts, Colts.
HOLMES: At a run down stadium in Baghdad a group of Iraqi kids learning the finer points of American football. NFL merchandise has likely never seen a stranger setting.
"This is a sign of friendship," says Sahd (ph). "It's fun." But has he ever even seen American football?
UNIDENTIFIED BOY: No.
HOLMES: American troops regularly have what they call kids days out for the orphans, but this particular day is the result of some intense rivalry between New Orleans Saints fan Colonel Ted Cox, that's him being left behind by a young running back, and Indianapolis Colts supporter Captain David Seiter.
CAPT. DAVID SEITER, U.S. ARMY: We are certainly not trying to make this the national sport of Iraq. We wanted to expose them to something new. This is a great opportunity for them. I did tell the Colts, though, I'd be scouting for their 2013 season. I'm hoping that something pans out today.
HOLMES: At times winning hearts and minds took over from winning first downs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: America, America, America. All right. Democracy, democracy, democracy.
HOLMES: The cynics will say, and many have said, that events like this are just media events, PR days to show the American occupation forces in a positive light. But those organizing this day say that's not the case. They say this is more than just a photo op, more than just a morning of American football for the cameras.
COL. TED COX, U.S. ARMY: We feed them today, we're going to play with them. They're going to not only do basic football skills, but we're going to do some relay races. And we'll just have a good time. Again, if somebody thinks this is a shallow exercise, it's not.
HOLMES: There were a series of clinics, a promising receiver there, but a planned match was called off because of Baghdad's still withering heat. No risk of that Sunday when the real and slightly larger Saints and Colts play indoors in New Orleans.
Michael Holmes, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
