World Cup Football 2010

[DolfanBob]

Real quick.
What does it take to be qualified as a sport ?

[JeffM]

I don't bash on sports Jeffee...I just say that I dont' care for them...

Here's my current list:

Basketball
Baseball
Soccer
Rugby
NFL Football
Most College football.

Now, I could spit out the reasons why I don't like them, but then you would call it bashing.  It's my opinion.  I realize other people like other sports, and that's just fine with me.  Just don't try to get me interested in them by jamming them down my throat (not saying anybody does that, but I have had people attempt it on me).

Now, here's my opinion, which I have every right to express....

It's the longsuffering American soccer fans in particular who get to put up with referendums and pronouncements on our sport.  Idiots like Jim Rome and Frank DeFord have dedicated much of their media careers to cultivating their own soccer-hating fanbase.  I watched these goobers and many others in the sports media who systematically denigrated, disrespected, and attempted to emasculate our American men's team after our women won the Women's World Cup..... ignoring the fact that competitive women's soccer is a relatively recent phenomenon, void of the history and tradition the American men have had to overcome to become more and more competitive on the world stage.    

I doubt this thread was created to give non-soccer fans yet another chance to tell us how much they dislike the sport or how much they like hockey or baseball or football or auto racing or rugby or golf or ?

I scored some tix to go to a Chicago Blackhawks/ Vancouver Canucks game a few years back and was amazed to see what appeared to be a staged fight before the game even began.  In my opinion, why go to an NHL game when there's pro wrestling.  I guess I'd find it more interesting if ice hockey were played on a 110 x 75 yard field.... again, my opinion.  And somebody else may like indoor soccer played on a hockey rink with a score of 9-7 but I find it kinda pointless... somebody else may like the idea of giving 6 points for a goal, 3 points for hitting the crossbar, 1 point for kicking the ball over the post, and give us lots and lots of timeouts and yard markers, stats with rushing and passing yards, completed passes, etc... but I am grateful that MLS Commissioner Don Garber decided to cater to fans who really like the sport and not to the folks who want to tinker with the rules, bring in OT and shootouts, widen the goals, etc... and the Seattle Sounders are averaging over 36,000 fans per game this season....

I grew up with the Kansas City Royals and George Brett... the Dallas Cowboys and Roger Staubach... TU basketball with Nolan and Tubby.... the Oklahoma Sooners and Barry Switzer.... and yes, the Tulsa Roughnecks and Charlie Mitchell...

After the 1950 World Cup and up until 1990, the US couldn't even qualify for it.  In '90, we looked out of our league and the games were played mostly on our end of the field --- had to watch the games on Univision that year.... in '94, we had some success, and I got to watch Germany-Spain and Germany-Belgium... Jurgen Klinsmann was amazing... so were the Jaeger shots supplied by some of the German fans afterwards.... in '98, the talent level was higher but the team was worse...

Every four years, the USA team is a little more talented... it's just a matter of watching how each team pulls together, or falls apart.... if you hate 0-0 games, then you should be rooting for the US, since we can't seem to shut anybody out these days.... England was pretty bad this morning, we were  bad in the first half, inspired in the second... the good news for USA is that if they can put together entire games on the level of that second half performance today, they can play with anybody....

[guido911]

Now, here's my opinion, which I have every right to express....

And that I have every right to not give a smile about.

[JeffM]

And that I have every right to not give a smile about.

Ditto.

There's also an ignore button which could work really well for you... hint, hint...

[GG]

USA is the first team in this years World Cup to get a 3-2 tie. 

[guido911]

A little O/T, but relevant nevertheless:

[RecycleMichael]

Because I have been recovering from illness, I have had the opportunity to watch most of the matches that have been televised. I wanted to share my observations...

The game at this level is very physical. Players smash and kick each other for loose balls and balls in the air. The players also use their head to direct balls, often at such a speed that must hurt.

One goal changes the whole game. A team is totally able to waste time kicking theball backwards and across the field with no intent other than waste time. This part of the game is almost unwatchable.

The referees have tremendous power. What is allowed in one game, might be a foul or even a yellow card in another game.

The players whine about everything. Every touch has them facing the referees with their hands outstretched calling for a foul. If they are called for a foul, they rush the referee and scream at them that they are wrong. The players also should be considered actors. Even a simple touch by an opponent has them rolling on the ground holding their legs and writhing in a show of pain.

It is entertaining. At times the footwork and speed is brilliant. The goalies have been supermen flying around the box making save after save. The crowds are rabid (minus the horns) and the announcers not afraid to criticize the coaching, the players or the referees.

It will be great if the USA team wins on Wednesday and advances. That plus another win or two will make many casual Americans into soccer hooligans that even England would be proud of.   

[DolfanBob]

Yes !!!!!!!!! We advance.

[JeffM]

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!

Last minute escape.... Houdini would be proud.... 

[nathanm]

Wow, that was quite a finish...

[JeffM]

"Memories, like the corner of my mind...."



World Cup Quote of the Day:

French daily Le Parisien on the French national team:
"Having the worst team in the World Cup was already unbearable. Having the most stupid is just intolerable."

GO USA!

[JeffM]

U.S.-England: Most-Watched FIFA World Cup First-Round Match and Most-Viewed United States Match Since 1994

http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/06/13/usa-vs-england-most-watched-fifa-world-cup-first-round-match-and-most-viewed-united-states-match-since-1994/53968

The U.S.-England match ranks as the highest-rated World Cup game on the ESPN networks for 19 of the 56 metered markets, including: Atlanta, Birmingham, Boston, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Greenville, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Memphis, Miami, New Orleans, Norfolk, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Providence, Sacramento, Salt Lake City and Tulsa.

[JeffM]

Another horrible call after Germany went up 2-0, England got one back... then the ball clearly went over the line after hitting the crossbar and England ties it... no call, no goal... FIFA needs to approve some sort of instant replay option and move into the 21st century with the rest of us....

[Hoss]

I know this post is mainly off-topic, but then again, it really isn't, as it's titled:

"Gandalf goes to the World Cup"

I laughed for a few minutes at this.

[HazMatCFO]

Hitler Hears the Vuvuzelas

By the way, the movie Der Untergang or Downfall in it's USA release is labeled from which this clip and the other Hitler clips come from is damn good. I bought it off Amazon.com and recommend it highly.