Bafana Bafana

The world's best sporting event is just a day away, and I for one can't consume enough information on the Greatest Show on Earth, the crowning glory of a veritable sports orgy this summer. The Lakers-Celtics showdown in the NBA Finals features the league's two most storied franchises while the NHL just finished with a Blackhawks run to its first Stanley Cup title in 49 years. Those two events alone would be enough to make any sports fan giddy. Add in a throwback baseball season chock full of young stars (including the stunning debut of Steven Strasburg), a Wimbledon where Rafa Nadal has a chance to officially wrestle the world's best player title from Roger Federer, Tiger's return to the glorious backdrop of Pebble Beach for the US Open, and Lance Armstrong's attempt to recapture the glory with his own team at the Tour de France, and it's enough to cause sports fans to pull an Andy Samburg. And the World Cup is probably more important than all those other events combined. Make no mistake, the World Cup is the best sporting showcase ever. To put it in perspective, FIFA estimated that approximately 715 million people watched the World Cup Final in 2006, or roughly 11% of the entire world's population (compare that this past year's record setting Super Bowl, which attracted 106 million viewers). It's safe to say there's nothing that gets the world together like the World Cup.

For those looking to get caught up on things quickly, Grant Wahl is spearheading some great coverage at SI.com, including this table-setter for the tournament. The website has a preview written for each team and some individual stars, a quick run-down of prior World Cup results, and appears to be a go-to for coverage throughout the World Cup. For those looking to delve in a little deeper on the US team in particular, this article is a fantastic read on the mercurial Clint Dempsey, while Stars and Gripes is holding down the fort on American tactical strategy. And, of course, there's always the soccer WAGS (wives and girlfriends) to keep the fashionable/celebrity set interested. For what other sporting event would this be an actual headline? To round out the coverage, here's a schedule to bookmark for the tournament, a fantasy game to play (feel free to join Veterans F.C. with the code 472419-107280), and for the overly dedicated, a tremendous soccer podcast to listen to throughout the Cup (it's $4.99 for a month subscription, but these guys bring it each day making it well worth it).

And I'd be remiss if I didn't include some of the epic adverts that accompany the World Cup every four years. Nike's contribution is jaw-droppingly good:


Not to be outdone, Addidas has contributed a nice tongue-in-cheek effort featuring the Star Wars Cantina (with cameos from Snoop Dog, Beckham and the Daft Punk duo)


So get ready to get your ears blasted off by vuvuzelas, throw your hands up in disgrace at the ref's whistle, cheer maniacally for your country's goals, and hold up a pint in their honor after the match. And if you feel like feeling some chills before things officially kick-off, you might want to check out this feature ESPN is running focusing on living players that have scored a goal in the World Cup Final. The one featuring Marco Materazzi, the recipient of the more than famous headbutt from Zinadine Zidane, is riveting.