Whether you like it or not, World Cup fever has taken over so you might as well sit back and enjoy the ride. This piece was being penned Tuesday afternoon, when the United States was in the midst of the first knockout round stage against Belgium. Many of those so overtaken by World Cup Fever were using the mantra “No waffles ‘til Wednesday,” in light of America’s opponent.

I’ll be the first to admit that I have not been quite as engulfed by World Cup fever as some of my brethren in the world of sports. Not that I don’t wish the best for all USA teams in any type of endeavour, it’s just that it’s hard for me personally to become so excited over an event that occurs just once every four years.

But I may not be the norm in this case, if you look at some recent facts and figures. Millions of people are watching on giant screens or office computers, at bars and public gatherings in parks and stadiums. In North Texas on Tuesday, fans in patriotic gear headed to the air-conditioned home of the Dallas Cowboys for a World Cup soccer watching party.

Parking and admission were free Tuesday afternoon at climate-controlled AT&T Stadium, which boasts massive video screens and can seat 100,000. Fans wearing red, white and blue and waving U.S. flags began to gather outside the venue in Arlington more than two hours before the start of the game.

The Cowboys said the roof of the stadium would be closed and the air conditioning on thanks to the fact that forecasters expected temperatures in the 90s on Tuesday in the Dallas area.

But the heat didn’t stop the masses from gathering to cheer on the Red, White and Blue.

Also, Facebook has passed the 1 billion mark in World Cup interactions the company announced on Monday.

The company said Monday the milestone was reached over the weekend. No other single event has generated this much activity on Facebook in the history of the social media site.