Why America Loves Erling Haaland

Big, kinda goofy guys have long been popular. Big, kinda goofy animals too.

Erling Haaland of Norway. Photo courtesy Sky Sports

Erling Haaland, the Norwegian World Cup team’s big, blond, moon-faced striker, has become an American darling practically overnight.

It’s not so much that he only a couple of goals behind global superstars like Lionel Messi and Kilyan Mbappe in the “golden boot” race — though that’s no small feat — as it is his unlikely bulk for a “futbol” star and his playful demeanor.

His own social media posts have delighted even casual Amrican soccer fans, but the mainstream media has caught on quickly, with profiles appearing in outlets as different from NBC News, which typically ignores sporting events to which it doesn’t have telecast rights, to The Wall Street Journal.

Today, as Norway prepares to play England in a 5 p.m. quarter-final match, The Washington Post had Haaland on its front page.

“Americans have been delighted by this enormous character who scores goals with a robotic precision but is funny and does not take himself seriously off the field,” the Post article said.

It went on to note that even American football players love him, reporting that “former NFL player Julian Edelman compared Haaland to Rob Gronkowski, a similar physical freak of nature who starred for the New England Patriots as a tight end — and is known for his outgoing, fun-loving personality.”

“That dude’s full European Gronk,” Edelman said. “He’s European Gen Z Gronk.”

And there’s the key, I believe.

We Americans have long had a thing for oversized, imposing performers who who have a comic streak and are nimble, light on their feet.

The first time I saw Haaland play in this World Cup, I posted on Facebook that he was “the Hoss Cartwright of futbol.”

Dan Blocker as Hoss Cartwright.

Hoss, played by actor Dan Blocker, was the middle son the long-running Western series Bonanza. He was a “gentle giant,” a man who spoke softly and didn’t even need a big stick if he got angry. Hoss was also, in case you’ve forgotten, Ben Cartwright’s son by a Scandinavian women named Inga.

Yes, we’ve long loved super-sized but genial characters, from Hoss to Baby Huey, from Babe Ruth to “Refrigerator” Perry, from Rosey Grier to Jackie Gleason, from John Goodman to Big Bird, from Andre the Giant to Bullwinkle J. Moose.

Detail from antique Bullwinkle wrist watch poster. Photo by Noel Holston

Haaland is just the latest.