Bryant Gumbel...On The World Cup

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Finally tonight, a few words about World Cup soccer.

Please spare me the stifled yawns and typical American gripes about how boring the sport can be.

For God's sake, we're a nation that venerates 1 - 0 baseball games, watches cars make endless left turns, and televise people playing poker and dominoes.

Now I confess that I don't know a corner kick from a free kick, I don't get the logic of why they call offsides, and I think the whole yellow card/red card thing is a little melodramatic.

But these Cup games are athletic, intense, passionate and driven by a blend of patriotism and nationalism that is real and not commercial.

In short, these games offer everything the Olympics claim and try to sell every four years.

You think the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry is intense or Michigan and Ohio State?
How about the emotional and historic implications of a match-up between Germany and Poland, or the stakes involved for players from Iran or Croatia, or how spirits are lifted when a nation like Ghana wins or tiny Togo even tries.

Yes I know that in soccer they score about as much as Ann Coulter makes sense and yes I know that they act like drama queens whenever they are fouled, but if you haven't watched any of the World Cup matches from Germany, you should try it. You won't be disappointed.

And after years of repeating the standard American denials, you might have to admit that the rest of the world is on to something.

And that's our show for this evening.....

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Good commentary on last night's show.

I happen to be one of those Americans. However, I'm consistent.

I don't like baseball, NASCAR, or televised poker (and fucking dominoes).

That show will repeat 'till next Wednesday. It had a VERYYY good story on how coal fired plant pollution has been causing asthma in children for years and how the Bush administration was instrumental in changing laws already on the books to help the energy company get out of hot water and relaxing restrictions.

The shit is soooo fucking evil.

Only women don't understand the offside rule.

fact.

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Originally Posted by Proper Bo

Only women don't understand the offside rule.

fact.

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Hmm don't see too many women working the lines , you may be right .

On one of the latest matches of last seasons EPL there was a lines(wo)man who looked like a 12 year old girl.

I'd swear Bryant Gumbel is Canadian, what with his self depreciating humour and mannerism . What he said was true still a shame the USA does not do better on this world stage, as it will be buried on the back pages of the paper when their out .

europe would die in cring if the us won, but then again if they did..... things cuold get interesting next time around

The rest of the world could care less if the US finds the World Cup interesting.

Part of the problem is the no time outs lest the referee calls it , no time for commercials in this grand game . Wont work for the American networks , now if they split it in to 4 quarters .......... :lol:


I'm going to run and hide ! ;)

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Originally Posted by manker

The rest of the world could care less if the US finds the World Cup interesting.

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That makes sense, just like we, for the most part, don't care about the World Cup.

It kinda works out.

HAY BUT WE CANT WAIT4 THENEX YANKES/SOX GAME OR LAP 3564 IN THENEX NASCARR RACES11!!OMG!1!LOL11!

:dry:

don't forget they own european tv :commercial break comming up if they win: