tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11250715.post115093040828513148..comments2024-03-26T09:25:02.198-04:00Comments on Hey Jenny Slater.: 5,700,000,000 people, while perhaps somewhat less right than the other 300 million, can't be wrong per se.Astronaut Mike Dexterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01498197770701096363noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11250715.post-1151210660878128272006-06-25T00:44:00.000-04:002006-06-25T00:44:00.000-04:00Oh, yeah, and hooray for boobies. Especially forei...Oh, yeah, and hooray for boobies. Especially foreign ones.Wes Wolfehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06549148529701278476noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11250715.post-1151210582203055272006-06-25T00:43:00.000-04:002006-06-25T00:43:00.000-04:00Speaking of CFB, it's a hell of a lot easier watch...Speaking of CFB, it's a hell of a lot easier watching a low scoring game. The US-Ghana match made me physically hurt. However, watching the Bama-UT game on TV and the Cotton Bowl in person (which some national jagoff called the most boring game ever) had my attention from beginning to end. After all, a 5-yard run means a hell of a lot more when it's tied or you're down by three. Getting the ball over the middle of the field means shit in soccer when some jacked-up African playing for more money than he's seen in his life does an amazing sliding tackle, takes the ball and humiliates your keeper.<BR/><BR/>And hooray for field goals, so even inept offenses can score. Yay.Wes Wolfehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06549148529701278476noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11250715.post-1151038821352187852006-06-23T01:00:00.000-04:002006-06-23T01:00:00.000-04:00Oh, and Bruce Arena reminds me of a bad high schoo...Oh, and Bruce Arena reminds me of a bad high school football coach, beer gut and all. The man has unintentional comedy written all over him.Nicolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09062799595408709354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11250715.post-1151038782951801182006-06-23T00:59:00.000-04:002006-06-23T00:59:00.000-04:00Kanu - "The Thinking Fans Guide To the World Cup" ...Kanu - "The Thinking Fans Guide To the World Cup" is must read, regardless. The essay on Brazil is brilliant.Nicolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09062799595408709354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11250715.post-1151015265091638832006-06-22T18:27:00.000-04:002006-06-22T18:27:00.000-04:00Lately the big excus... eh, topic on sports talk r...Lately the big excus... eh, topic on sports talk radio stations is how all the best young American athletes are all steered toward Football, Baseball and Basketball. And in a way I can see that, it probably is somewhat true. I mean, have you actually seen DaMarcus Beasley, Landon Donovan or Claudio Reyna? I think I could break all three over my knee... at the same time. But I digress.....<BR/><BR/>My main problem with US soccer is our lack of a real league. Oh we have one, but it sucks. Bigtime. Partly because the world stars know it sucks. If we could just steal a Beckham or Ronaldinho or two (pay whatever it takes, even if they are overrated like Beckham, the name's still important) more would likely follow and we'd get better. But for now MLS will continue to suck partly because world class players avoid it like the plague, so our national teams will continue to suck as well. The few Americans who have gone to Europe usually struggle or are just mediocre at best. McBride is about the only one we have who is actually respected by World soccer fans and his teammates at Fulham in the English Premier League, which is by far my favorite and the most fun League to watch IMO. Check out the Chelsea's and Manchester United's and Arsenal's and Liverpool's on Fox Soccer Channel sometime next season. Great clubs, world stars, fans always singing, terrific league. I also like their promotion and relegation incentives...<BR/><BR/>The last step to help our national team(s) is to pull an England and hire a real coach, no matter the nationality. Bruce Arena is a joke. Some of our best players were either on the bench, or playing out of position for much of the world cup. Sure, shitty refs didn't help our cause, but it was pretty lost to begin with, especially right out of the gate like that. England hired a Swede, I suggest we hire a Spaniard or something. Anything's better than a fat, clueless New York Yankee if ya ask me......Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11250715.post-1151005225319955282006-06-22T15:40:00.000-04:002006-06-22T15:40:00.000-04:00Doug-I'm watching Brasil-Japan on UNivision, where...Doug-<BR/><BR/>I'm watching Brasil-Japan on UNivision, where you can really hear the crowd noise better than on Disney.<BR/><BR/>31st minute, and Japans fans are singing something Japanese at the top of their lungs to the tune of "Go West".<BR/><BR/>I just thought that you needed to know that.Next time anyone says shit to you about PSB, you can use this as ammo.Kanuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02959256951835399304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11250715.post-1151000387939599582006-06-22T14:19:00.000-04:002006-06-22T14:19:00.000-04:00Doug- thanks for the link update, but there is a h...Doug- thanks for the link update, but there is a html page break at the end that is preventing the link from working and depriving our good man Ben of women hotter than the one that is already hurting him...<BR/><BR/>Next time you are in Borders, pick up that book <I>Thinking Man's Guide To The World Cup</I> and read the foreward and the introduction - a few pages each, they touch on the feelings you are articulating in this post about the most compelling bit not neccessarily being on the field.Kanuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02959256951835399304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11250715.post-1150997741342450112006-06-22T13:35:00.000-04:002006-06-22T13:35:00.000-04:00I'm getting into Drew Carey's coverage on the Trav...I'm getting into Drew Carey's coverage on the Travel Channel- The Sporting Life.<BR/><BR/>He snags a media pass and goes to the games to photograph them. For fun, and for himself. He's obviously a soccer enthusiast, but mainly just talks about going to the games, talks to the fans, and about photographing the match. Not so much about the standings or scores.<BR/><BR/>Just a guy who gets to be immensely involved with one of his passions. <BR/><BR/>Oh, and beer is often involved.zombie rotten mcdonaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10601960953323752278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11250715.post-1150992942683330332006-06-22T12:15:00.000-04:002006-06-22T12:15:00.000-04:00The Brazil fan is so hot, it hurts.The Brazil fan is so hot, it hurts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11250715.post-1150954585758234082006-06-22T01:36:00.000-04:002006-06-22T01:36:00.000-04:00I started to leave a comment on here in response a...I started to leave a comment on here in response and addition to your thoughts on why Americans hate soccer, but it got kind of long and so I just put it up as a post on my site. Feel free to come look.<BR/><BR/>cutesports.blogspot.comNicolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09062799595408709354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11250715.post-1150946610324965432006-06-21T23:23:00.000-04:002006-06-21T23:23:00.000-04:00I did catch your comment about the soccer-chant us...I did catch your comment about the soccer-chant usage of the Pets tunes -- the Pet Shop Boys, ironically enough, being yet another thing the rest of the world loves but that the United States mostly just doesn't seem to get. (Their new album, by the way, hits the U.S. next Tuesday, and don't think I haven't already ordered my special-edition copy.)Astronaut Mike Dexterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01498197770701096363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11250715.post-1150944398886568392006-06-21T22:46:00.000-04:002006-06-21T22:46:00.000-04:00Excellent writeup D, very well said.I really respe...Excellent writeup D, very well said.<BR/><BR/>I really respect your position - it seems that Americans try hard to fit into one of two camps: the <I>soccer rules and if you don't agree then you are just a simpleton who doesn't get it</I> or the <I>football rules! sissy soccer sucks balls!</I> camp. It seems that most casual Americans, when exposed to soccer, feel compelled for one reason to define themselves as a member of one of these groups. But not D Gizzle.<BR/><BR/>I appreciate that you aren't afraid to carve out a place in the middle, essentially that you don't care for the game but find yourself strangely drawn to many of the things surrounding it, like the insane passion of the fans and the 32 flavors of beautiful women who are actually INTO the sport, not just there to see and be seen (like those FSU bimboes, for example).<BR/><BR/>I hope you caught my long-overdue FYI about one of the most widely used soccer chants in the world being the tune "Go West" by the Pet Shop Boys - at least that is something (its after your comment over at DAB).<BR/><BR/>Oh, and that was Swindle - waaaaayyy too eloquent to be the words of Kanu. But if you want my words on why you should be on Univision, then go here:<BR/><BR/>http://dodgyatbest.blogspot.com/2006/06/why-you-should-watch-world_114995503869931184.html<BR/><BR/>If there are any public viewings in B'ham, or you get hipped to a footy pub where lots of people congregate to watch matches, then I recommend that you go check it out if you don't have any other plans - GREAT place to meet women, and the easiest part is done for you - what to say to start a conversation. Just say something, anything, and be blown away by their interest, knowledge, passion, and of course beauty (but beware of the Euro-mullet having boyfriend as well).Kanuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02959256951835399304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11250715.post-1150941086495084752006-06-21T21:51:00.000-04:002006-06-21T21:51:00.000-04:00I fell in love with the World Cup for all the reas...I fell in love with the World Cup for all the reasons you mention back in the 90s and the Cup was in the US but I was in Ireland working with real football fans. The entire country would shut down. Even though my American bred business instincts said we should be working our asses off, I'd find a pub in the middle of the afternoon in Dublin and watch Ireland battle whoever to a nil-nil result. What I find exciting about the game is being with people who are excited about the game. <BR/><BR/>I was in the "sports" bar at the Taj Majal Hotel in New Delhi last weekend. Mexico vs Iran. It was me, a group of 30 or so folks of unknown origin, 5 Indians and the staff working. I have to be on the side of the Mexico since they're from North America in the same way I'm always for the ACC (Terps), NFC (Redskins) and the American League (Orioles). They're enemies during the season but brothers in the post season. It became obvious within the 1st 20 minutes the 30 folks were all Iranian (that and the Iranian flags painted on their faces only noticed later). It was fascinating to watch the rise and fall in their emotions as Iran tied but ultimately lost to Mexico. They were a great crowd who obviously loved the game. The Indian bartender was amazed there were so many Iranians in Delhi well enough his bar.<BR/><BR/>For all the reasons you mention I go to Redskins, Ravens, Terps, Navy, Nationals, Orioles, Wizards and Capitals games on a regular basis. I've been to 1 DC United game (or match I guess) and have no plans to got to another.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com