Ronaldo's Raucous 'Presentation'

In this country, when a team in a professional sport brings in a new player, namely a high-profile player, there is the customary press conference to introduce said player to the media and to the public. Usually it's done without much fanfare and you watch the local news later that night to catch a glimpse. In soccer, it's different, especially when it comes to the big clubs. The picture above is of Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, home of Real Madrid in the Spanish league. What you see there isn't a crowd assembling for a game. This crowd is there for a "presentation" of the team's newest star, Cristiano Ronaldo. It's nothing more than an introduction, yet people packed a stadium to see. I guess I can compare it to the Laker parade that ended with a rally at the Coliseum recently, but never before have I ever seen such a spectacle for a player simply joining a team. There really is no American equivalent.