I'm pissed about the soccer loss, and this is a rant.

not at all, hank, not at all

 

Because I find it amusing how every four years, the small group of soccer folks in this country try so, so, so hard to foist upon us this idea that somehow the U.S. is on the verge of embracing soccer.  And then people like me, who find it to be absolutely non-compelling as sport, are called unsophisticated and xenophobic.  

It's just amusing, is all.

 

How, exactly, is the World Cup being foisted upon you?

By this thread? By coverage in the newspaper? By it being televised? All of the above?

 

Yeah, but you have the best hockey team (OLY notwithstanding) and, by the way, your baseball team beat our nine.

Damn this stinks.

 

Re-read my post. I never said the WC was being foisted upon anyone.

 

Foist away. I could give two shits about soccer or the USAMNT but I acutally watched some of the action over the weekend and I'll probably watch next weekend too. We're seeing a sport played at its highest level, with some interesting subplots. I'll watch that.

Of course, once it's over I probably won't go out of my way to watch another soccer game for four years.

 

Rephrasing then...

How, exactly, is "the small group of soccer folks in this country"  foisting "this idea that somehow the U.S. is on the verge of embracing soccer" upon you?

 

AND WE CAN'T EVEN WIN THAT!!!!

Japan has won it both times (1999 and 2003).

Yeah, we haven't played in it (for obvious reasons), but still...

 

Which leaves me sitting here thinking: What was the last great American triumph in international competition?

This year's Olympic team was middling at best, the US couldn't do much in the World Baseball Classic (or whatever the hell it was called) and don't even get me started on USA basketball.

I seriously think you've got to go back to the Dream Team in '92 or, for an upset, the Miracle on Ice.

Not to say I expected the US to win the World Cup this year, but showing some heart would be nice.

 

I'd say the 2000 Olympic baseball team gold medal. Were there minor leaguers on that team?

 

Yeah, that was the first year pros were used in the Olympics. But even then we were considered underdogs to Cuba.

 

Which leads me to this question:

Why do so many of you seem so pissed off when the US doesn't dominate or at least play very well at some world sporting event?

What is the real significance of these things? It's sports. It's supposed to be fun...it's not the end of the world.
Maybe I'm too jaded, but I can't get angry or even mildly pissed off at the outcome of any sporting event.