Or something like that. That headline certainly makes as much sense as this deranged PC-rant from National Progressive Radio by way of the ancient leftist publication The Nation: “Why the Far Right Hates Soccer,” by Dave Zirin. Just when you think the lunatic fringe can’t get any nuttier, along comes this:
Every World Cup, it arrives like clockwork. As sure as the ultimate soccer spectacle brings guaranteed adrenaline and agony to fans across the United States, it also drives the right-wing noise machine utterly insane.
“It doesn’t matter how you try to sell it to us,” yipped the Prom King of new right, Glenn Beck. “It doesn’t matter how many celebrities you get, it doesn’t matter how many bars open early, it doesn’t matter how many beer commercials they run, we don’t want the World Cup, we don’t like the World Cup, we don’t like soccer, we want nothing to do with it.”
That darn right-wing noise machine, upset over a little thing like lethal soccer riots! But you know — you just know — it goes deeper than that, and we all have a sense of where this is heading, don’t we:
Dear Lord, where do we begin? First of all, I always find it amusing when folks like Beck say, “We don’t like soccer” when it is by far the most popular youth sport in the United States. It’s like saying, “You know what else American kids hate? Ice cream!” Young people love soccer not because of some kind of commie-nazi plot conjured by Saul Alinsky to sap us of our precious juices, but because it’s – heaven forefend – fun.
Among adults, the sport is also growing because people from Latin America, Africa, and the West Indies have brought their love of the beautiful game to an increasingly multicultural United States. As sports journalist Simon Kuper wrote very adroitly in his book Soccer Against the Enemy, “When we say Americans don’t play soccer we are thinking of the big white people who live in the suburbs. Tens of millions of Hispanic Americans [and other nationalities] do play, and watch and read about soccer.” In other words, Beck rejects soccer because his idealized “real America” – in all its monochromatic glory – rejects it as well. To be clear, I know a lot of folks who can’t stand soccer. It’s simply a matter of taste. But for Beck it’s a lot more than, “Gee. It’s kind of boring.” Instead it’s, “Look out whitey! Felipe Melo’s gonna get your mama!”
And there you have it: you hate soccer because you’re a racist.
Isn’t time to red-card the left for their constant yammering about imaginary racism? We’ve been hearing from the multi-culti left that soccer is the popular youth sport in America for more than three decades — big deal: it’s cheap and basically nobody gets hurt playing it — and yet that alleged popularity has never translated into meaningful audiences as the professional level. Even the vaunted World Cup — talk about a hotbed of nationalism and nativism! — draws mostly yawns on these shores.
Further, Zirin’s argument that American resistance to soccer is racist in origin is just plain stupid: international football is traditionally dominated by the European powerhouses — Germany, Italy, Holland, France, England — and the Brazilians and Argentines. When plucky little Cameroon does better than expected the world cheers. Mostly, though, the charming Third World teams are ground to powder under the mechanized onslaught of the Teutons or the agile ball-handling (so to speak — what kind of stupid game doesn’t let you use your hands?) of the South Americans.
None of this stops Zirin, in full high dudgeon at his peroration:
But maybe this isn’t just sports as avatar for their racism and imperial arrogance. Maybe their hysteria lies in something far more shallow. Maybe the real reason they lose their collective minds is simply because the USA tends to get their asses handed to them each and every World Cup. After all, as G. Gordon [Liddy] asked, “Whatever happened to American exceptionalism?” When it comes to the World Cup, the exceptional is found elsewhere. Could Beck, Liddy, and company just have soccer-envy? Is it possible that if the USA was favored to win the World Cup, Beck himself would be in the streets with his own solid gold vuvuzela? I feel that to ask the question is to answer it. In fact, this is as good a reason as any to hope for a mighty run by the US team. It would be high comedy to see Beck and Friends caught in a vice between their patriotic fervor and their nativist fear.
Amazing.
Hey, Dave — I’ve got your nativism right here:
Play ball!
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241 Comments
'soccer is the preferred sport for terrorists worldwide'…
As yet another 'right wing' radio host- Rush Limbaugh- famously opined. When the Sendoro Luminoso (Shining Path) guerillas in Peru held the compound captive the US/Peruvian SpecOps teams waited until they were playing soccer to attack.
Successfully too, we might add.
Soccer in the US is huge- to kids under 12. After that it's popularity declines rapidly. It is the number one source of head injuries to children, as well. Just needing a ball and a field, it is the pentultimate 'people's game'- which is why the socialists love it so much. No rugged individualism here- but it's about the team. Nothing wrong with that, mind you.
But a game with zero to zero outcome deemed a success is guaranteed to never be a hit here. We like to WIN…
We get all fired up about national pride for the Olympics, for sports we wouldn't dream of playing ourselves, but for the World Cup it's a controversy. Why is that? I think people on the right don't like the sport because we're not that good at it. I think people on the left like it for the same reason. Instead of bashing the sport or preaching it like it's the greatest thing ever we shoulld support our team and give them the motivation to shock the world and win this thing. I'll admit that I'm a little biased because I played soccer for 15 years of my life. I love the game. I won't preach the wonderful aspects of the sport, but if you can't support the US team then shut the hell up.
Glen Beck doesn't speak for me. I love soccer and so does my son. My husband turned me onto the game 30 odd years ago. Soccer has become more popular here since I watched my first World Cup game. And Zirin can put a cork in it. Most Americans don't like soccer because they don't understand it. But, it has nothing to do with racism. What word coins the -ism that is the leftists who hate themselves? That's the important question.
Soccer is really only fun to play. It's not all that fun to watch.
Sorry, Dave Zirin, you missed the mark. And you're a vapid little boy, too.
Zirin is a progressive. On Oct. 13, 2009, Rush Limbaugh denied saying what Zirin, and others, had quoted him saying: "Slavery built the South. I'm not saying we should bring it back; I'm just saying it had its merits. For one thing, the streets were safer after dark."
Rush asked for a retraction and Zirin took down the offending quote and wrote on his site, "Rush insists he did not say it. We will take him at his word until we get hard evidence to the contrary."
Where is the evidence, Mr. Zirin?
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Oh no – I am a very conservative guy and I like soccer. I didn't get the memo that all us far right nutjobs aren't supposed to like it. Does that mean I am the one enlightened conservative who isn't entirely ignorant about culture and society?
That said, I prefer baseball.
I am so conflicted.
No! I hate soccer because of all those Saturday mornings I froze the family jewels off watching the kid play! I hope I get to be a racist too!
It's way more fun to play than watch. Too old to play!
Someone needs to tell the idiot Zinn how few of those soccer kids go on to play soccer professionally. Most of them go into football, basketball or yes, baseball. Wanna know why Zinn? Because they PAY the best for your efforts. Look this way-Baseball has the hot stove league. Football has the NFL draft. Baketball has some of the most recognizable names on te planet(Jordan,Shaq,Kobie). What does soccer have? Next to NOTHING comparable. So what-the World Cup is played every 4 years-any other sport have there championship every 4 years? Even the World series of Poker is played every year. While Im not a soccer hater, it doesnt come close to the other sports-even the NHL is better.
I love soccer. And, YES, soccer is the actual name for the game. Just ask the Scots. Football is the dumbed down name for the game because it is played with your feet.
LOL, It is easy to explain why Americans dont like Soccer in general, the game allows ties!!! That is why Hockey never really took off here either I believe, it allows tie games. Americans, whatever the creed or color, likes winners and losers. We cheer for Winners, sympathize with the losers, and secretly root for underdogs. I also would opine, since I am not a big sports person (my Son is the Jock ;0)), that baseball is more more individualistic game. With the Stats and stuff, it is very meritorious for individual effort, whereas soccer, football, and hockey are group oriented. (group-think progressive/socialist connections for another to work on) ;0)
The recent US vs. UK match clearly illustrate why Americans hate soccer.
A tie?! In a real sport you would have overtime or extra innings or sudden death or pistols at ten paces to make sure you have a clear winner. A tie is like kissing your sister; it doesn't feel right no matter how much tongue she uses.
this weekend we had a big crosstown rivalry, we had the sox come into wrigleyville. and while the games were lackluster, as both teams are racing to the bottom of thier leagues standings. we have never had the kind of holligans we see in europe every year. sure we do have an ocasional drunken ass make a fool of himself, but no fires, riots, roudyness, just good old fasioned fun time watching america's pastime. sure soccer interesting, but americans love our stop and go sports. those soccer guys don't have plays, or innings, they just play, and play, and play and play. americans need pitching changes, and timeouts, that is when we get a beer, or hit the loo, or flip the burgers on the grill.
No, it's because soccer is (a) as boring as watching paint dry, and (b) favored by Europeans and similar riffraff.
i am not a hawks fan, but go hawks, they brought home the cup!!
I don't get upset when the world doesn't embrace our football. In fact, I have cringed every year that the NFL has played a game in London. It's novelty – the Brits don't have a vested interest in it, where as we have Pop Warner, high school, the NCAA and NFL. It's more of a cultural phenom here than there.
So what if a Patriots/Buccaneers game sells out Wembley once? If the Bucs of this year played two preseason and eight home games there, NO ONE would go. Even if the Patriots, Colts or Saints played there, it could be a struggle to gain interest.
If an American loves soccer? That's fine. Everyone has different interests, but it's never going to have the appeal here that it does in Europe or South America.
The only reason why that idiot for The Nation wrote what he wrote was to brow-beat anyone who embraces more traditionally-American sports than something loved in the "global community". He probably thinks we're citizens of the world, too.
Zirin's pile of words amounts to little more than the typical mental ma$turb@tion one would find on MMfA, KOS, or HuffPo. I expect that swill from uneducated posters of said sites but not by those charged with actually writing something to draw readership. Why would anyone want to read leftist pseudo-intellectual pablum fantasizing about what hasn't happen and never will?
And I call B.S. on those that use the excuse that Americans dislike soccer because they don't understand it – that's just lazy. There's an offense and a defense, and the objective of the game is to out-score the other team. Plenty of us like it and I don't fault those who aren't engaged by it any more than I would fault someone for disliking the NBA, or gasp baseball.
I watched a few matches over the weekend. Never having been a rabid fan I must say I enjoyed it aside from the incessant buzzing. Those vuvuzelas have got to go.
I think that ultimately interest in a sport has to be cultivated over time. When I was growing up we had baseball, football, basketball, and tennis. I am interested in those, but not soccer. If I had grown up with soccer I probably would be interested. All the psychological analysis is silly. It has nothing to do with racism, or not using the hands or allowing ties or that the US isn't very good at it. We just haven't had much experience with it and so aren't that interested.
It's just subjective preferences. Put away your psych books.
What an idiot this guy is. For starters, the "white" suburbs are precisely where soccer is popular in this country. And it is the most popular youth sport largely because any spaz can run up and down a field and that makes liberal parents feel good. Elsewhere it is the sport of warriors, but here it is more about participation than it is skill development and winning so regardless of how many play it the talent pool for international competition is exceedingly small. American girls excel on the world stage because the aspects of soccer here that would turn off talented and competitive male athletes do not affect them similarly. And I hasten to add that the reason soccer is held in such low regard here has much to do with idiots like the author as well as the "everyone's a winner" mentality of lefties which has enveloped the sport as it does the fact that many find it boring.
I understand it. It's a sport. Rules aren't top secret nor is it not fun to see a great sportsman play any game they are great at. Why does it have to be an either/or? Can you not appreciate that kid pitching like an old pro just as much as a soccer player slippin one past the dog pile at the net and scoring?
I'm older so of course I don't have the same background with soccer as with other sports more associated with America like baseball and football. I played for a few years on a city league so I understand and appreciate the "team" aspect of the game. Actually though as for a spectator sport I like baseball's slower pace, and football's cold snuggle under the blanket wintery games….purely from the stands. But I can enjoy them all.
If nationalism is brought up of course baseball….an offshoot of cricket….is THE American sport. We were a British colony, not a Spanish or French or Portugese colony, so naturally all things "historical" will gravitate to British things and in Britian, at least at the time, cricket was king. My heart lies with baseball because like so many American kids, "The Sandlot" was the story of my summer life for years. Just neighborhood kids hanging out playin flies and grounders till enough of us showed up to play a game.
Again, why does it have to be an either/or proposition? Are we allowed to like all sports, to applaud and revere all champions in every arena? I vote yes to that one. There is no sport I've ever seen that I could not appreciate the athleticism and skill of good players. None. Zip. Nada.
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Mr, Walsh! For the longest time, I really thought I liked soccer. I've played it since I was very young. And I'm a little further right than John Birch. Now I know, however, that because of my political tendancies, arrogance and racism, that being middle aged and white, I can't like the game……according to the ever so pompous, elitist, blinder wearing, over-educated, arrogant, narrow minded buffon, Dave. I'll be sure to follow every word that Dave utters from now on……..
“Whatever happened to American exceptionalism?”
I believe American exceptionalism is alive and well right under your nose: Most of us don't like soccer and we aren't going to play it or watch it.
That would make us exceptional, now wouldn't it?
The NHL is the anti-soccer. Non-stop action, grace, skill, power, speed and the most down-to-earth athletes in all of professional sports. The Stanley Cup playoffs are the most grueling, emotional and exciting of all championship tournaments.
And to peteee…
I am a gigantic Red Wings fan and… meh. Congrats, I guess. Nice job stealing Scotty Bowman too.
Seriously, Enjoy it. Having the Cup makes summer ten times better. I have spent $15 for a single bottle of IPA, but the best beer I ever tasted was some Molson Canadian I shared with five people that came out of the supreme chalice. Oh and let me take this opportunity to say…
GO WINGS!
Not really sure what baseball, soccer, hockey, football, etc. have to do with politics. I am a conservative. I listen to Rush, Beck, Hannity and agree with almost everything they say. I read Drudge and Breitbart (obviously). I love soccer. I would rather watch a world cup finals match or any WC game in which the US is playing over ANY other sporting event, even the Superbowl…and yes I am a big fan of the NFL and might even be a bigger fan of MLB. For whatever reason, soccer hasn't caught on in the US like it has in other countries, although that is changing. However, I seriously doubt it will ever compare to the NFL or MLB in terms of popularity in this country and I honestly couldn't care less. It won't diminish the game one bit in my mind. In keeping with the conservative way, if you don't enjoy it then don't watch it. Regarding "what kind of stupid game doesn’t let you use your hands?" Lame argument dude. Do you feel the same way about hockey, lacrosse, golf, tennis, NASCAR, etc.??
[...] » Why the Far Left Hates Baseball – Big Journalism [...]
Soccer is a great sport – I have no problem with that. I played it for years – until I was old enough for the REAL football.
Speaking of football, I think the main reason "American Football" isn't popular internationally is because it has "American" in it's name. Not simply because the world "hates America" but because any sport that is known by a particular country's name (any country – could you see "Mexican Basketball" catching on in the US?) won't acheive high popularity outside of that country. Football is stuck until it changes it's name outside the US.
All our best athletes play in the NFL – not MLS. Our best soccer players play in Europe.
That is why we aren't good at soccer – America's best athletes play football American style.
I always thought the socialists prefer soccer because they can't catch?
[...] Why the Far Left Hates Baseball [...]
I played soccer for a couple years as a kid, mostly because my parents didn't want to fork over the cash to buy football equipment. It's not only boring to watch, it's boring to play, unless you're either a forward or a goalie. I get sleepy just thinking about it.
I don't think it's got anything to do with politics at all. I think its because we already have our own version of the sport football, and it rocks.
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People can choose to enjoy it or not, the only thing political I see here is the left inventing yet another reason to call their political opponents racists.
Racist is a code word they use to tell their foot soldiers unleash the hate on a particular person, group or organization. It no longer has anything to do with race.
I must be a racist because hockey bores me to death too.
Of course, if you're actually at the game, it makes a lot more sense than watching on TV.
I feel your pain.
Why does the rest of the world even give a damn if the average American likes soccer or not? I've never hear a baseball fan whine that the average Frenchman doesn't give a hoot about baseball.
When I was traveling Italy a few years back, an Italian who was a rabid soccer fan had to admit to me that the Europeans just don't get baseball, it's too boring he told me. I almost died of laughter after he told me that. Not that baseball isn't often times boring, (by the way, it's my favorite sport) but these guys think a sport where a 2-0 final is considered a blowout and is really nothing more than a bunch of grown men jogging around a field for 90 minutes is somehow the pinnacle of excitement.
I must admit however, I find the World Cup to be the most enjoyable international competition and for one month every four years I am a bandwagon fan of the sport.
I make no secret of my affection for the NY Mets.
You should check out curling. If it ends in a tie, they play a game of chess to determine the winner. And if that's a stalemate, they break out the logging axes.
Good point, being European in nature is enough reason to ignore it.
There's a reason the best and the brightest come to America, to get the heck away from those people.
I liked the game they played in London a couple of years ago, I thought it was great, especially the way the crowds booed when one team started taking the knee to run out the clock.
The best comment I heard was from a reporter at NPR who went to London for the game. He asked various Brits their opinion of American football. One taxi driver said he liked the action, but asked why do they have to stop and discuss it all the time?
I don't think the rest of the world cares as much as American lefties do. And with them I've never gotten the sense that they actually care about soccer as much as they're putting on the same hollow posturing that makes idiots rave about a foreign film no matter how crappy and self-indulgent it is. It just makes them feel better about themselves.
Seems like a pretty simple idea to me. If you have a net with some guy standing in front of, that's where the ball goes.
Soccer is a sport for socialists. You're not allowed to use your best tools (your hands). You never manage to accomplish much (another 0-0 tie). A tie is considered a victory, of sorts…
Thanks for the info. I thought not liking soccer meant I was a homophobe. (That is a joke.)
Agreed, you guys on the right need to come up with some sort of manual for those of us deserting the left. I had no idea I was supposed to be a racist because soccer bores me.
Help us out here, will ya?
As a former soccer mom, I think soccer has been sabotaged by the parents of the under 12s. Just my opinion. If we taught soccer as they do in Europe, with little formal competition but lots of training, training, training, I think we'd be more competitive as older players. To see little tykes pushed beyond their interest and ability is a crime. And I'm a competitive person, don't get me wrong. I loved it when my nephew did well and his team won. I just think that if kids were taught the basics first and played in the little three on three and five on five training games, they'd have much more fun. Those were some of my nephew's greatest memories – the fun and camaraderie and friendships he had on the PLAYING field as a youngster.
I think you can use your hands in all those sports…
Glenn Beck was saying Americans don't care to WATCH soccer on TV – not that millions of American kids with their "soccer moms" (& dads) don't enjoy the game. Big difference.
Millions of Americans play volleyball in highschool gym class, but there's another sport we don't particularly care to get excited about on TV.
That's only part right. They can't catch, they run/throw like girls, don't like getting hit cause it hurts too much, can't field, can't swing a bat, can't get their scarves dirty, it's too corporate, and the list goes on and on. But the biggest problem that libs have with other sports is… I think they can't order double mochachino latte's at most sporting events.
The best and fastest growing sport in America is Lacrosse. As Nativist as it gets. A combination of basket ball, and hockey and as physical as football. A little Lib secret … Until a decade or so ago, it was the property of the Ivy league colleges, prep schools and other Liberal bastions. Now more mainstream.
Soccer is for pre-middle school. Something for the kids to do while mom's read Harlequin Romances on the sidelines.
Nothing against succor; I hope the US team does well, but one question, where are all those great soccer movies?
I can only think of one: Victory A John Huston film about WWII Allied prisoners, including one lone American, beating a bunch of socialists—known Nazis, at their own rigged game.
It's sad when people like Zirin and even Beck have to politicize sports. Beck, WE DO LIKE SOCCER. Zirin, just because someone on the right doesn't like a sport doesn't mean they are imperialist racists. I too prefer baseball, and it goes deeper than patriotism. It's just a great game.
Any idiot here or elsewhere that responds "Who cares about soccer" but spends the time to post their apathy on a website does care. The fact is, we have more soccer fans here in America than in any European country (in total). So think about that.
Let's work on this a little. First, the manual has been published already. Just read Cloward and Piven's work and the God-like Saul's work….then just do the opposite. : -)
Second, and more importantly, you can't simply be bored, you MUST HATE!!!! if you are to fit the liberal template. HE HE HE …
I'm sorry, I got the impression this article was all about politics & soccer. All I'm saying is leave the politics out of it. I don't enjoy hockey (for the same reason phthalablu stated about most Americans and soccer), but I don't go around bashing it.
I really can't remember the "race" issue in football as much, didn't follow it as closely as baseball, but oh boy, I REMEMBER baseball…
remember the Negro leagues?
remember when Aaron was about to beat the Babe's record? Not only was the record gonna fall, but to a black guy? Aaron is still one of my all time favs but even in his career…recent times by baseball standards, his color was as much a "freak out" factor as was the fact that ANYONE would or could beat the Babe!
So yeh racism was HUGE.
Robinson, signed in 1919, beat everyone, even Owens, to break the "color barrier" of major sports.
Well, it's actually considered a tie.
If you ask me, the author of the piece that this post criticizes was simply looking for any reason to call Beck a racist. And according to the left he is, because they're definition of racist is anyone who disagrees with them.
This post was simply pointing out how stupid it was, and Walsh is correct, it's stupid.
The only time I mix politics and sports is when I use sports as a metaphor to explain the insanity of the left. No matter what the democratic party and individual democratic politicians do, the left still loves them. It's like rooting for their favorite sports team, wrong or right, that's their team. It's irrational.
I guess I'm just a wishy-washy Moderate, because I think both baseball and soccer are incredibly boring. I try, I seriously TRY to watch soccer. I just cant. It is so boring. Nothing better than a day at Wrigley with some friends and cold beer…but it's because of the friends and cold beer…the game itself is boring and basically just an excuse to go hang out at Wrigley.
If there is a game that needs to catch on in America more, it is Rugby! Leagues are springing up all over. You get the constant running of soccer (trust me on this one, I was out running stairs with my team at 7am this morning to get ready for a 7's match this saturday) and the full contact of football.
Conservatives hate watch the grass grow almost as much as liberals hate watching paint dry. Both are about as boring as soccer and baseball.
Just an observation … no country that plays gridiron (American) football has ever been conquered by another nation. I think that is what really has Zirin's panties in a knot. A strong America clearlly does not fit into his agenda.
There was definitely racism in American sports, just as there were in all aspects of American society, as well as rest of the world. Most countries are still horribly racist. America is the one place where we have the personal freedom to over come racism. And if you ask me we have come a long way in my life time.
back in the mid 1970's when I was in high school (maybe Jr. high, it was a Jr./Sr/ high school) there was one African American family in the school district. And guess what some one thought was a good idea. Dress up in a special costume with the words "soul cheerleader" on the back. The gave her a small stuffed pig to pull on a leash, and some hokey speech with a pre-rap era kind of poem, that was so racist I was ready to walk out. That would never happen today.
If you ask me, modern sports are the best example of free markets, individual opportunity and capitalism. That's why there are so many minorities excelling in sports. Because its all about results. Team owners couldn't care less about race, they want to win, so they want to hire the best.
It will if the anointed one gives amnesty to the horde of illegal aliens.
if soccer is so popular they need to start a pro league and clean up on the cash. oh yea they have tried that it didnt work.i wouldnt pay 5 bucks to see a (o to o ) tie in any sport.
I am a great fan of "American" football, baseball, basketball, swimming, tennis, and US women's soccer. However, I get a greater thrill watching a high school football or baseball game. It seems the kids are out doing their best for the pure sport of it. Pony league and legion ball are also both great to watch and coach. Little league is a pure blast to coach. Soccer. Not so much. Guess that makes me a racist. I can live with that. Even though I do enjoy watching Argentina and Brazil play football(soccer). They are classic teams. It must be the years I ran around South America that won me over.
Michel, your title is a little absurdist; but try this on for size:
WHY DOES THE LEFT HATE NASCAR?
Yep, naked bigotry.To Lefties, NASCAR is a sport supported by people they hold in utter contempt, regarding them as rednecked, racist, inbred, illiterate, slack-jawed yokels. Never mind that it is the most popular spectator sport in America- to a Lefty, *that* sort of American doesn't count.
Sounds like this Zirin liberal will always find a way to trash the US and the American people. We don't like to get out asses handed to us, so we don't even want to play soccer. BTW, since we apparently suck at soccer, that destroys the myth of American exceptionalism.
What Zirin is really saying: The liberals have to remind Americans of their inherent racism for supposedly choosing baseball or football over soccer. In fact, liberals are angry that baseball is the national pastime because soccer is more popular elsewhere in the world. Apparently, American people need to hate baseball because it's American. Instead, they need to love soccer because it's more worldly, meaning, not American.
I agree about the vuvuzelas. I tried to watch the US match and couldn't take more than a few minutes at a time. The incessant buzzing was annoying and painful.
You are a fast study! See how easily that "racist" tag rolls off the tounge? A little less bored and a lot more Hate, however. Just wanting to be helpful.
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His pro-soccer agenda?
Years ago a co-worker's son excelled in soccer so much so that he was invited to be on an international traveling team for the summer when he was ten or eleven. I went to work at another company and lost contact with his mother, but I did hear of him again. He was a very successful first string kicker at a SEC college. He turned down soccer scholarships and was a walk on for football.
"We get all fired up about national pride for the Olympics"
Watch the pronouns, buddy. I started ignoring the Olympics back when I discovered that the US rep was ignoring the professionals playing for the USSR but putting all the US atheletes under a microscope. I took a look one time after that, looking for the fencing competition, and turned the TV off when I saw the news media were doing a bounce around medley instead of covering the darn events.
I agree with most of your points except about the lack of individualism. Some of the best players in the games history have been extreme individuals.
NFL regular season games can also end in a tie. Its not fun, but it happens.
Are you kidding, I'm from the left. We created this. I know exactly what it is. If a leftist is debating some one, and the other guy is winning, you call the racist. It's that simple.
See, what we were doing is changing the premise of the debate we're losing to why are you such a racist. Nothing more, that's all there is too it.
NASCAR without hands would be a demolition derby, I believe.
There's another reason people who prefer liberty over state control don't like soccer. Soccer is a sport where you are not allowed to use your hands. If there's one thing that makes us human, it's the use of our hands. We can grasp tools – something which led directly to the increase in intelligence. So you can say that soccer does not allow use of the hands and places the athlete in the unnatural position of purposely surpressing his/her most valuable physical human attribute.
I can see why this may be popular in socialist states, dictatorships and American leftist but in a culture which values liberty it's something very hard to identify with.
maybe so- but it's hard for soccer to be anything other than what it is- a game for peasants- and elevating it cannot help it escape it's very humble roots. Good exercise for well-supervised youngsters, that's about it…
You gotta be kidding me!
Soccer is a joke. It is the pinnacle of progressive ideology. Where achieving a TIE is A-OK! For God-sakes even the Canadiens hate to get a tie in hockey, but it's still ok to them which is flat out goofy.
WE PLAY TO WIN!
If you are not playing to win, then what the hell are you doing????
"You know, it just wouldn't feel right if the kids had to experience losing…." What a bunch of lefty-feel good- BS that only drags our kids down.
Tell me something….Why do they riot at soccer (errr futbol) matches??? Because it is the ultimate in anarchaos!! All for All for ALL for ?????
Do they even know what they are doing???
At least at American Football they perform quite the same or as often. Except in Detroit….and Philly….and LA….and….
I also got a problem with any game where it's a good thing to fall on the ground and act like you've been grievously injured.
the best players in ANY game will be individualists…
I usually enjoy watching the World Cup, but the constant hum of those horns took all the enjoyment out of it for me. I couldn't even watch more than a few minutes at a time of the US match.
I ran track and field for all of my junior high, high school, and college careers, but I don't get snarky with people because they don't like it except maybe in the Olympics. It's just the way it is. People have other sports interests in this culture, and I have to admit, if we're talking about American football or soccer (Euro futbol), I know which one I'll pick every time. I just find good ole college and pro football to be more exciting than two team of guys running around a field who may not even achieve a win. Heck, I like LaCrosse better than soccer; they get to whack each other with sticks …
I did some research(google) and found out that Major League Baseball has "Hispanic" players which was shocking to say the least. I guess I'm not going to be watching that sport anymore. I'm going to back to google to see if there are any "Hispanic players in the NFL, if there is just one I'l be done with that too geesh these Hispanics think they can come here and play on our sports leagues and we are just gonna take it? ….we are? we actually welcome it? and we have been doing this for a while? even white america accepts it?…….Oh…..well then Me gusta MLB! I guess were just not that into you, soccer.
I agree with you. I'd watch soccer before NASCAR, but even NASCAR offers better career opportunities than soccer.
At one time, not so long ago, college football allowed for ties. I remember attending a tie game when I was in high school. The rule got changed to sudden death OT after that.
I don't think they can anymore.
You apparently just don't get the nuances Ed. It's "complicated". 8^)
Um…you can tie in NFL football too…
It isn't common but it is part of the game…just like soccer and hockey.
Learn the sport please.
the rule was changed for the post season only.
[...] Path) guerillas in Peru held the compound captive the US/ Peruvian … Original post: » Why the Far Left Hates Baseball – Big Journalism Share [...]
you must hate basketball. At least the bill lambier days anyways…
Antonio Bandaras' Zorro.
Don Diego de la Vega: Do you know how to use that thing [sword]?
Alejandro Murrieta: Yes. The pointy end goes into the other man.
I like basketball very much, but only college basketball, pro ball is dull as dirt. But I must be leaguist because I generally only closely follow my alma mater's league in their hoops adventures. Is leaguist like being racist?
After two years of working for the Peace Corps in central america I'm fairly sure that soccer is just a strange game played by poor countries. Why you may ask? Because when I priced it out, outfitting my village for baseball costs as much as a clean water system. Who wouldn't pick the water?
`That being said, I ended up learning rugby so i could teach it to them – Because its cheap – and because we started a flag version, it doesn't culturally carry any of the gender bias that soccer does (in many latin countries if you're a soccer playing girl you're assumed lesbian or butch at the very least).
I posted this in an above response too: NFL allows ties…one happened two years ago.
It isn't common but it happens…so Americans DO like sports with ties…
was that the stallone film? I remember he was in a movie of a similar premise. Hulu has some good documentaries – the one about the guys traveling to meet diego mardona was very good.
Yeah I keep posting that NFL allows ties…I'm surprised how few people seem to know this.
Why do (American) leftists only care about soccer every four years? I'm an American and registered Republican who follows the (mostly mis-)fortunes of Coventry City of the English Championship. However, I accept that redneck George Orwell's belief that international sport(s) leads only to tension and bitterness, an eccentric view in the light of Dynamo Moscow's famous match with Chelsea celebrating V-E Day. See, what a stupid ignorant American I am!
I don't hate soccer or fans of soccer I just wouldn't invest time or money in watching it. I fear the soccer mom mentality that left youth baseball a shell of its self 20 years ago. I will always cringe and fell cheated when you see a youth game without winners or losers just participants. Just like our liberal leaders, no winners.
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