Ah yes, the "Football" argument spanning an ocean....or
Oceans.....
1-people think differently. I hate cabbage. Other's don't.
If this was Northern Ireland, we'd be disagreeing over our
taste in cabbage for generations, killing thousands.....
2-Football (American "Soccer") is the most popular sport
in the world. That is because it is the cheapest to play.
Thusly, supporters of Football a) follow the herd b) are too
cheap to play real games that require infrastructure and
equipment and finally c). Complexity is a mark of higher
civilization, no? I think certain reputed fan behavior at
certain types of "sporting matches" is evidence of that...
If this sounds like I'm slapping down snooty Soccer fans, well,
maybe. But then, Americans take Their "Football" seriously.....
That's enough to support the Sex-to-Brains play on words
of an earlier post, as far as I'm concerned...
As for the American ascendancy in the world vs Britain's
whining jealousy regarding their decayed/lost empire...well,
the bigger you are the harder you fall, no? Spiteful, they
who take the innocent down with them...
As a Canadian, I can smugly justify the previous statements,
in that I play ice hockey, the most technical/expense requiring
team sport, I hardly take it as seriously as Enion's useless
underlings, my nation has never had and never will have an
empire of any sort, and when my people disagree over their
taste in vegetables, the government steps into the crisis and
legislates and end to ALL vegetables, just so Everybody is
Equally offended...ah...true egalitarianism!
Have I dealt with the subject line yet?
Regards,
Brad Brunet on holidays...
RD: I cannot resist picking up both the gauntlets you have thrown down here,
Brad.
1) Football (soccer to Americans) may be popular because it is cheap. It
doesn't need sophisticated armour plate or titanium sticks. This is a GOOD
thing. It makes football accessible to the poorest people in the poorest
countries. All you need is a ball of any kind, and anything that will serve
as a pair of goalposts: trees, dustbins, screwed-up clothes, traffic cones,
chalk marks etc. Many players of the most successful football nation on
earth (Brazil) learned their trade kicking a ball barefoot around beaches
and streets. As a kid, I played with my schoolmates with a tiny plastic
ball on a tarmac pitch with goals only 3 feet wide. THAT called for skill
to score, altho we did at least have shoes!
One of the beauties of football is that ANY kid of any nation, rich or poor,
can aspire to play at the top level if he is good enough. You don't have to
have money to buy the equipment. Sure you can buy designer boots, but they
won't make you play any better if you haven't got talent to start with.
I find the idea that because a game is more expensive and/or complicated it
is better, ridiculous, arrogant and offensive.
Kids (of all ages!) play football on the streets, on the beaches and in any
open space of the world because they ENJOY it. THAT is the mark of a good
game, NOT how much it costs or how expensive it is. Finally, professional
football is viewed by a world-wide TV audience bigger - by a huge distance -
than any sport America (including Canada) has to offer. The most popular
game on the planet is also the best!
I wonder if Brad's viewpoint is influenced by sour grapes - after all Canada
has never even qualified for the World Cup, has it? There is only ONE
World Cup!
Regarding the empire/world domination question, I am puzzled. I find it
very hard to figure out how Britain gave away not just one empire (which
became the USA) but two (including the Indian subcontinent, most of Africa
and lots of other bits). Could it be that once upon a time, British
politicians actually had a social conscience?
I am currently working on an alternative history, where Britain never lost
or gave away a single one of her colonial possessions, conquered Europe
(which had united in protest at Britain's colonial supremacy) and Asia
(because it was there), established a benevolent but firm world government,
and went on to colonise the stars.
Richard.
···
----- Original Message -----
From: "BBrunet" <ditletang@canada.com>
Cc: <mepbmlist@yahoogroups.com>; <mepbmlist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, July 30, 2001 7:55 AM
Subject: Re: [mepbmlist] Define Boring
__________________________________________________________
Get your FREE personalized e-mail at http://www.canada.com
Middle Earth PBM List - Middle Earth and Harlequin Games
To Unsubscribe:www.egroups.com
http://www.MiddleEarthGames.com
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
