Man’s best friend plays soccer

Airbud, 1997
Written September 2004

Soccer is a known sport in foreign countries, especially in South America where it originated. Annually, several countries would send their representatives to compete with those of other countries in ‘kicking balls’ game. The committees are very strict to follow the standardized rules and regulations. Though, never in any rules of American soccer had a dog being forbidden from playing.

The story of Airbud which is a Walt Disney film implies that even dogs could play soccer. Of course, this is quite improbable since dogs are nothing but… dogs. They’re domestic animals and they’re man’s best friend. Thus, aside from it’s hard to train dogs as a player, it is difficult for them to play because they are small (compared to human players). Their natural characteristics of being small can be seen as an advantage for the competing team… or not. LOL. How in the hell could someone train a dog to pass a ball to a teammate? Well, first of all, how can he be able to distinguish a teammate from an opponent? Sigh.

Buddy, contrary to what people think, is not an ordinary dog. He may seem too vulnerable but he is such a profitable pup. Many were impressed by his ability to play and become famous in the world of soccer.

Buddy, a well-breed dog by a young man named Josh (Kevin Zegers) of Fernville, once played for America. The movie states that Buddy have won several intervillage soccer competition which made him famous and an asset to the world cup team of the USA.

The plot of the story is quite simple and highly predictable. But, truly, it is interesting. Having a dog as a lead character is a bit rare in the movie industry nowadays. I would take huge effort to direct a non-human cast. It was proven in the ‘sneak peek’ to how the movie was done. Extreme effort was shown among the crews and staff. That, fortunately, was paid off by having 4.5 million videos sold all over the USA alone.

What I really like in the story is the way the story shifted from ‘cute and funny’ genre into a more serious love story. Talk about dogs having romantic scenes together while watching TV! I also like the presence of the antagonists who were also hilarious with their dumbness in the latter part of the story. And also, I would like to have the magic whistle that lets other dogs… I mean all sorts of dogs… come together in an instant. That is just so interesting. Not to mention Josh’s relationship with a migrant woman… uhm… it was romantically humorous. ^__^

Dogs are truly fascinating. Some people believed that dogs can be trained and develop certain abilities that exceed present human expectations. Scientists say that animals have functional brains though smaller than ours. In the recent researches, dogs are proven to be able to sniff certain chemicals that are hazardous to human health. They can detect bombs, pirated discs, and even cancer. They can act as a doctor and could do CPR. They can detect if you have high blood sugar with a single sniff. Nevertheless, they could be a companion and a savior. This present conclusions prove that dogs have a powerful brain backed by amazing senses. They have the ability to retain in their memory what they are taught to do. This ability varies from different animals, depending on the size and capacity of their brains. Wow. Ever heard of the dog that effectively uses the bathroom, flushes the toilet, knows how to switch on the light and other appliances, and knows how to give you a massage after work? Well, it’s true. As they say, only in the Philippines. =P

Dogs, like all other animals need proper care and genuine love. This is the first step to properly communicate with them. They must understand that their owners would do them no harm.