This is undoubtedly a direct result of your threat to post about soccer. Consider that problem a mere warning shot across your bow. If you actually follow through ... "Unleash hell."
BTW, is there any lamer call in sports than "GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!!" ?? I'd rather spend a weekend Clockwork Orange-style listening to Steven A. Smith argue with Lou Holtz.
I hope USA does well enough to piss off the real soccer-watching countries, but not well enough to actually get people interested in seeing more of that damn travesty of a sport.
And if I hear it called "football" even once, I'm going to flip out.
The greatest part about the World Cup is that it generates interest in the sport of football to the United States. Well, that and the fact that Rome and all of his idiot clones will have to be subjected to its coverage. Half the people that hate soccer only feel that way because Rome told them to.
Actually, I hate soccer because it's stupid. The same reason I hate Rome.
You're obviously in the other half.
You're going to flip out if they call soccer "football", a game where using your feet to kick a ball is the means of playing said sport?
Nice.
well if you're gonna use that logic, then it should be fine to call basketball "handball", or tennis "racquetball".
That's all well and good, biakabutuka, except that when "Football" was "invented" here in the United States, a sport already existed with the same name. So for someone to get pissed about people calling a sport it's proper name, well, that's just absurd. So it's not fine to call basketball "handball" or tennis "raquetball", those aren't their proper names. Quit oversimplifying already.
What do we call baseball then? How bout cricket? Questions to ponder.
Soccer is only relevant when the Irish National Team is playing. No Ireland. No interest. Someone please explain to me how every qualifying year Ireland ends up in some bracket of death with France or Holland or Portugal. Every (bleeping) time, a bracket that assures they can't make it. Hence, World Cup = Nothing.
Still those World Cup commercials about the Ivory Coast are pretty damn cool. U2 in the background. Sweet.
Wait... U2 is an Irish band. By association they are involved with the world cup. Maybe I can get behind this thing after all. However, rattle and hum must be played in its entirety, at skull crushing volumes, during every game. Otherwise I'm going to go outside and do something active rather than sit on my ass and watch a bunch of dudes in short pants run around a park for 2 hours.
All the celtic nations got screwed. Scotland's out too. This robs us of endless "Maaaaaaaggggic Gooowaaaaalll!" references from So I Married an Axe Murderer.
just out of curiosity, how do you "hate" a sport? I mean, I hated steamed carrots as a kid, but that was becuase I HAD to eat them. If you think soccer is boring, or you don't understand it, just don't watch it. Besides, it's June: the Red Wings are at home; the Pistons are at home; Baseball is still 6,834,587 games away from the playoffs...what the hell else is Brian going to blog about, and this is coming from a soccer fan!
As a side note, it always amuses me when people will say that soccer is boring, then turn around and say baseball is the greatest sport ever.
I must be easily entertained then or something, because I enjoy soccer, baseball, and yes, even curling.
it is called soccer in america. period. i don't care what body parts are used, or what sport came first. calling soccer "football" in america is simply incorrect. if you disagree with that, your argument isn't with me, but with the language... good luck.
and yes, soccer is more boring to watch than baseball, but not quite as boring to watch as golf.
You do realize that the World Cup is being played in Germany right? Which, when last I consulted a globe, is just barely outside the borders of the United States. So while it may be called soccer here, (and yes I do call it soccer) they call it football there. So if Badger Tracker happens to hear it called football during some sort of coverage, and subsequently "flips out", well, then it's his beef with the language, not mine. I don't have a problem with it being called either.
Brian has plenty to blog about. If nothing else, he can tell us all about the "Ty Conklin Stickhandling Clinic" scheduled for July 7-13 somewhere FAR, FAR away from Edmonton.
Tony, ouch! Low blow there. Albeit a funny one. Did anyone else have a Noah Ruden/Reilly Olson GLI flashback when that happened?
BTW, I think if the US wins the World Cup, the rest of the world should officially have to start calling it soccer.
God that sport bores me.
Brian, thanks for the Ronaldinho vid. I showed that and the one on BnB to my wife and she now finally understands what the hell those soccer commercials are all about.
I for one look forward to WC coverage on this blog.
LOL, I didn't understand those nike commercials until yesterday when I read this blog. Good work, Brian!
Since in language meaning is dependent on the intent of the speaker and has no concrete connection to the referrent in question, what the sport should "properly" be called is definitely not dependent on the country in which the words are spoken.
Brian has plenty to blog about. If nothing else, he can tell us all about the "Ty Conklin Stickhandling Clinic" scheduled for July 7-13 somewhere FAR, FAR away from Edmonton.
Tony, I thought we were friends. Now I come to find out I have to firebomb your house. It's a sad day all around.
Soccer haters: Lo siento, but this I must do.
"Friends? I'll show you friends!"
-Becky Slater
All in good knife-turning fun. And a firebombing would pretty much wrap up the totally random bizarre 24 hours I've had. Which reminds me, I have some blogging to do.
Brian, maybe you can help... I'm trying to manufacture some (artificial) interest in this world cup thing... I've read that the U.S. is ranked #10 in the world, and that they are in a very tough first round bracket... but I can't seem to find anywhere that actually officially ranks the teams.
Are we underdogs to Italy, Ghana, AND Czech Republic?
As a college football fan, I need to know the rankings, so I can know who the underdog is :).
Much obliged.
nevermind, found my own answer...
i guess the us is ranked #4, with the wacky czechs at #2...
http://www.fifa.com/en/mens/stat...tatistics/
index
wow, i feel like such a soccer fan right now... i think i'll go fer a pint at the pub.
Don't forget to punch the guy next to you at the pub wearing the Ghana jersey. Then you'll be a real soccer fan.
Overturning a double decker bus and lighting it on fire will also qualify you as a soccer fan. (England only)
Just to fan the flames (hmmm ... an inferno breaking out in the stadium ... now THAT would make soccer interesting), I'll point out that the rest of the world called that abortion of a sport "soccer" long before Americans did, and long before anyone called it "football." So if soccer snobs (a plateau as enviable as the one inhabited by McDonald's snobs or Dan Brown snobs) want to get technical, they're the ones who aren't using the original name.
I only know that because I've spent entirely too much time in a sports newsroom, not because I choose to have that information occupy space in my brain.
Anyone else see that Simpsons episode when the Continental Soccer Association played in Springfield? Awesome.
What's the over/under on the number of times ESPN shows random soccer players (this would be all soccer players to me) intercut with Shakira shaking her ass, all set to "Hips Don't Lie." 50? 150?
Actually, I think I just thought of a reason to watch the World Cup. Sign me up!
Those FIFA rankings are straight stank whack, BTW. There is no way the US is the fourth or fifth best team in the world. They're in a tough group and the Czechs and Wo-- Italians are favored to come out of it. Even Ghana is no pushover.
Soccer= NBA on Grass
A buch of loafers who play hard for about 5 minutes every game. And then cry about every little thing to the refs.
gnrgoblue, the term "soccer" wasn't introduced until the 1880's, up until then it was always called football. So I'm not sure where you're getting that info from but it's contradictory to what I've learned.
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