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| Soccer Scolds |
| 2010-06-22 |
| "Maria" @ "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" Trumwill at Hit Coffee has a good post up today about the obnoxious 'soccer scolds' who keep trying to bully us stubborn, backwards Americans into embracing the global game, soccer. And how us stubborn, backwards Americans just refuse to play along, despite a massive public relations campaign that even pulls out the daisy cutter of propaganda ploys, the charge of “racism' (lobbed at us by the sort of pwecious people who listen to NPR — as if any of them are actually fans of any sport) because we don't want to hold hands and sing “We are the World' while watching a sport that is beloved by our moral superiors, European socialists and Third Worlders.... The soccer scolds don't understand that American football is something that grew up organically, out of a specific culture, at a specific time and place. That doesn't make it either superior or inferior to soccer, it just makes it our game. Those hundred-year-old chants and ancient rivalries serve the same purpose as all other cultural traditions: they build valuable social capital. Or maybe the soccer scolds do understand. Maybe it's just one other aspect of the Kulturkampf attack on American exceptionalism. No wonder NPR has taken up the desperate cry that football must be replaced by soccer.... We're Americans. We play football. Our ultimate sports accolade is winning something called the Lombardi Trophy, not the World Cup. And to paraphrase the great Vince, come September in the United States of America, football isn't everything — it's the only thing. |
| Posted by:Mike |
| #9 this may be a first: Kansan agreeing with Mizzou about anything. |
| Posted by: bman 2010-06-22 23:45 |
| #8 But his honor was insulted. His sacred honor! 2 games have just pissed me off. The obvious US game where players were just getting mugged and the goal was called off. Its point one: the officiating system flat blows; Irish can you hear me? One official makes all the calls and is not obligated to even state why, and the chickenshit statement from FIFA who punted the issue. Number 2 was Chile/Swiss. Normal jockey for position stuff in the box on a free kick, Chile player was getting his position then the Swiss player throws his hands over his nose and fakes an injury. Card on the Chile player misses the next game; Point two is as far as I know there is no penalty for obstructing the game. Mizzou, I'm liking Uruguay. The talent to score, but the ball control is what caught my attention. Few turnovers, good teammate awareness. The US needs to stop playing from behind; actually flat out winning this next game vs. Algeria would be nice. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2010-06-22 15:49 |
| #7 Ed, tell us how you really feel. |
| Posted by: Parabellum 2010-06-22 15:07 |
| #6 What a backstabbing cocksucker to ambush an unsuspecting player to do nothing but gravely injure him when the two are not even in play and the victim's defenses are down. Must be muslim or French. Or both. That a knob gobbler such as Zidane is even allowed to glimpse grass anymore speaks volumes of the pussified nature of those who run the sport and the low life troglodyte fans who glorify him. They wouldn't know sport if it came up to them in steel cleats and kicked them in the crotch. |
| Posted by: ed 2010-06-22 14:10 |
| #5 Soccer viewship, what, doubled in the first game? Americans like winners. American are winning. And if, they beat Algeria tomorrow, I look around, and go - "broken field running." Who is the favorite at this point? I posted a long essay on this on another site, but I will say here - if we win tomorrow, I won't be shocked if we make the Final Four. |
| Posted by: Mizzou Mafia 2010-06-22 14:10 |
| #4 Meterball has two close relatives - hockey and basketball. Hockey is everything soccer wants to be without the prissy boy flopping which especially dominates the Euro style. NBA basketball has been so bad with flopping they now have to call fouls for it. I blame the influx of European players. FIFA is the establishment. Meterball is only so popular worldwide because every country produces short people. Hows that? Besides we are a bit occupied with the ugly game of government, and maybe with all the crackpot shit going on in the world, maybe its a good thing Americans are not entranced by this bullcrap foux religion marketing ploy. That being said, I am enjoying the cup play in spite of the boringly anticipated bad reffing for many games (there are many good refs as well, they are the ones we don't hear about which is most of the time) but I also have much experience with the game. Watched the CONCACF buildup. Here is how it breaks down, a play I like to call "The Greek Bailout". Greece's first game, a ball is played into the box. I see the goalie rightly think the ball was going to be headed and attempts a block to where the ball would have gone had it been headed. The casual once every 4 years viewer, since we are luckily not inundated with nothing but futbol futbol futbol all year long, just sees the goalie jump out the way of the ball like an idiot. And thank goodness for Alexi Lalas in the commentary. Ed, this is for you http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUjFRKWk6gQ&feature=related |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2010-06-22 13:20 |
| #3 Hmmm so Highlander says he doesn't want to disparage American sports, only Americans: for the instant gratification that so characterizes Americans And what characterizes the Scots? Getting their ass kicked by the English. Perfect soccer analogy. |
| Posted by: regular joe 2010-06-22 11:46 |
| #2 I good running stiff arm will take care of them. If not, a power hit that flips them 270º surely will. |
| Posted by: ed 2010-06-22 10:57 |
| #1 On the other hand, I like soccer. It is a sport where the need for instant gratification that so characterizes Americans will probably not be satisfied, since a goal requires intense and continuous effort, variations, and, for want of a better term, art. And where a tie has meaning. Also, it is interesting to see the US compete in the only sport that is truly international. It is similar to baseball in some ways -- little things finally adding up to scores. Being a soccer enthusiast does not mean that one disparages baseball or football or basketball, or even hockey. It merely means that one appreciates its different skills and stragegies. |
| Posted by: Highlander 2010-06-22 10:33 |