Pretty Good (Notes)

Re: Mr. Donnelly’s take on the Brazilians (Hate Them ‘Cause They’re Pretty): I didn’t play soccer growing up in Ireland but I’ve spent some time there (love the place) as well as in front of the TV watching some soccer.  And I have to say, if you want to watch some working-class football in the World Cup, watch the Australians.  BOR-ING!  (Except for that guy Viduka who looks working-class but plays pretty, like a dancing bear.)  You can't watch the Irish national team, because, ahem, it didn't make it.  Complaining about Ronaldhino, who so clearly loves the game and by the way who also so clearly plays hard, is crazy.  Plus, if you’ve spent any time in an Irish pub and a Brazilian restaurant during a soccer match (or, for that matter, any other time), you know where the action is.  You don’t get to the top of the pile by being only pretty.  Beautiful, maybe. 

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Based on the early games and a few fairly wild guesses, the final results:
1.    Brazil
2.    Argentina
3.    France
4.    Czech Republic
5.    Germany
6.    Netherlands
7.    Spain
8.    Portugal

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Oh, Say, Can You Hear?  Most boneheaded bit in a lot of boneheaded broadcasting was ESPN’s obviously predetermined decision to go to an advert during the Czech Republic’s national anthem prior to the game.  That’s just so u(nappealin)gly American.  Most boneheaded comment came following the Australia-Japan match, when whoever it was exclaimed, “First goal by an Australian in a World Cup final!”  Er, the final is July 9.  The same guy later made this boner: “Australia is joyous while the frustration falls to Australia.”  Er, something like that. 

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This has been an amazing week for sports.  I know because I came down with a case of World Cup fever, literally, and have been lying around in front of the television.  Three world-cup games a day beginning at 6am, plus the awesome French Open final between the weirdly amazing Mallorcan Rafa Nadal and the simply amazing Swiss dude Roger Federer, plus the potentially amazing Dodgers and their wunderkinds (double A rookie Matt Kemp already setting records – first major leaguer EVER to hit six home runs in his first 13 games, or something like that), plus the NBA finals --  do the Germans know about Nowitski?!  (A visiting friend from Berlin says no.)  Plus, the Stanley Cup, even though nobody around here cares. And although I would have much preferred that Barbaro was running for the Triple Crown in the Belmont, I was almost thankful it was skippable.  Here’s hoping that the U.S. Open, which begins Thursday, doesn’t get too interesting, like Tiger and Phil in a playoff or something.  Is it any wonder that Americans aren’t watching as much of the World Cup as the rest of the world?

-- Tom Christie

Comments

[David]

the competition is often called the world cup finals, referring to the whole competition, not the final game.

wouldn't expect an american to know this though.

[Evan]

Nice patronizing comment, David. The announcer (that was Shep Messing, I believe) obviously meant to say "finals" but he said "final", so Tom's point stands.

ESPN has improved I think, but still too many intrusive graphics. I'm glad that they've started showing the teams walk out and the anthems for both teams.

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