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

Just got back from a four-day getaway. Here's my take on the U.S.' ass-whuppin'.

My brother and I watching a game like that is like pouring gun powder on a burning house. One of us was bound to blow up. But at halftime, we agreed that the reason we hadn't blown up was because the team's performance was fucking embarrassing. We were too ashamed to get pissed. 11 players on the field and only Reyna acted like he knew what was at stake. The Czechs outclassed us in every single fucking aspect of that game.

Last night, my brother and I watched the tape from the 1990 World Cup when Czechoslovakia beat us 5-1. That American team showed more heart, grit and creativity than today's performance. And that says a lot.

 

Few things ...
1) Arena does not need to replaced. The US was overmatched. The performance after falling behind worries me, but it's behind me. Just fucking show up against italy.

2) 'on a day like this' - you root for the usa because you're an american. you root for the yankees, you're either rooting for an insignia or mercenaries. sheffield? shit, didn't give a fuck about him 10 years ago when he was on the [x team here], but now that he's on my team, i care! i've lost my passion for most sports. like stories - grimsley? love it! nft draft? exciting! college football saturdays? nice.
but teams? eh.
im objective because of what i do (the last team i truly loved was the lakers with shaq and kobe, only because the lakers were my first favorite sports team dating back to my kiddie days. sorry, but i can't get goose bumps rooting for devean george and smush parker. like them? sure. passionately follow them? no.) but as someone else said - not when it comes to usa soccer. on the world's stage, we just shit our pants. that's an embarrassment. if you travel to the czech republic next month, the commoner there may know a few things about the US - new york, hollywood, and the world cup. maybe michael jordan. jason grimsley? ha! albert pujols? yeah, right.

this may make no sense. im drunk.

3) the soccer bashers can keep on keepin' on. i dont care. i gloss over their worthless posts. 2back, i think you should do the same. dont waste your time.

 

I'm with Zizzer -- why do soccer fans need to "sell it" to non-soccer fans? You either like it or you don't. Nothing wrong with that.

I care not a whit about the World Cup, but I think it's cool that a billion other people do.

 

When it comes to sports and preferences for entertainment, my attitude is, you like what you like and there's no need to convince others to like it with you.  If you like soccer, fine.  I don't.  Fine.  You may not like something I like.  I don't care.  I don't have the need to validate my preferences through others' approval.

What bothers me is the amazing double standard that takes place in the media.  When commentators/columnists talk about hockey's lack of popularity in America, the most common response is making fun of the NHL for finishing lower than bass fishing in the TV ratings.  When it's about soccer's lack of popularity, it's a whine-fest about why Americans can't get with soccer, how we must be less sophisticated than the rest of the world and how there must be something wrong with us because we're the only country that doesn't embrace it.  

 

and people coming on soccer threads and talking about how they don't like it...

 

I don't get that same feeling at all.  I don't ever hear a "whine-fest" about why Americans don't follow soccer.  Frankly, I think your true soccer fan has given up on that and taken the approach you mentioned.  Your first graph is absolutely correct in that sense.  Like I said, I don't need to sell you on the game.  If you don't like it, that's cool - but by the same token, don't come on here and tell me that it's crap.

It's the growing ESPN bastardization of sports that possibly takes that to the level you speak of - that's because with the exception of a few things here and there, I don't watch that shite network anymore - anyone who can take a Yankees/Red Sox series in early June and act like it's game seven of the World Series needs to face the business end of a .44.

 

Which England match did you watch Saturday? I'm not saying the Brits don't have some talent, but...

Any team that blames the heat when it's 84 degrees out has at least one weakness.

 

It wasn't so much the heat as the humidity.

 

England WAS absolutely scintillating ... for about 3 minutes, until it got on the board.

Then it pulled in the wagons.

 

Absolute, unadorned bullshit. I haven't heard a bit of that all month. I have read lots of "quit shoving soccer down my throat" posts from the same two or three people on the board, though.

You're fighting an enemy that doesn't exist. I love soccer; I couldn't give three shits if you like it or not, but enough with the "I'm a victim of the soccer elitists!" crap.

 

This must mean no American will ever buy a DVD set on the 2006 World Cup.

 

I'll buy a DVD with all the goals of the tournament. Those are good keepsakes.