Meet the Chief World Cup Watchers getting $50K to cheer for every match in a Times Square fishbowl
They’re just here to kick it.Two die-hard soccer fans are living the dream — they’re getting paid $50,000 to watch all 106 single World Cup games.But the catch is that they have to do it in a glass cube in the middle of Times Square.“It makes you appreciate zoo and aquarium animals more,” said Kevin Okoto, 26, of Jacksonville, Florida.Okoto and Austin Franklin have already cried, laughed and gritted their teeth through over 75 matches, each one of which they’ve watched from inside a mancave snowglobe in the Crossroads of the World that allows tourists to gaze upon their every move.The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is part of a Fox One and Indeed partnership that called on fútbol fanatics to formally apply on the job board site along with a brief video showcasing why they should get paid just to sit on a couch, eat snacks and enjoy the sport in the makeshift living room.The duo emerged as the clear Chief World Cup Watchers — both with enviable social media followings and a fearlessness about being constantly surveilled despite spending countless hours in the middle of the tourist hub.“It really has just gotten to the point where I feel like I’m watching TV in my living room and watching.This is my living room!” said Franklin, 29, of Dartmouth, Massachusetts.
The Chiefs, who were strangers before they became coworkers, are not only paid to simply enjoy every second of the games, but have been visited by celebrities like Broadway’s Jeff Sullivan and actor Jerry O’Connell.Their favorite part, however, has been interacting with the thousands of fans from across the globe that have congregated in Times Square for countless celebrations over the past few weeks.“I had a really cool experience where literally thousands of Brazil fans were walking by and I jumped in the crowd with them and started talking to a random person, asking ‘Where are you all going?’ and he said, ‘Times Square, why don’t you come with us!'” recalled Franklin.“S...