If Everyone Wants To Invade Now, That's Fine

I'm guessing your (missing) link is about the Nil, Nil article?
The cheek of those men.

Whoops, yes. Fixed, thanks Anne.

I'm with ya all the way. Ninety minutes of nothing? Hmph!!!

And how 'bout that Rooney? I was mesmerized yesterday afternoon.

I'm shocked, I (and most of the world) have been watching this game for years. I didn't realise just how stupid it was. I'm off to watch the curling.

Actually think it's a great article. It demonstrates everything that is wrong with America and it's attitude. Except I don't THINK that's what it's supposed to convey.

I'd love to hear their opinion about rugby.

Ohh and "Whole blocks of game time transpire during which absolutely nothing happens." is laughable.

Has he watched the NFL recently?

Anyway, I refuse to pay any attention to people who spout forth about topics they, obviously, know nothing about, and can't even be bothered to research properly. What the hell is a "goaltender"? A bid by companies to install new goals??

Gordon, you just made a grand sweeping statement because you're annoyed at the gall of someone else's grand sweeping statements.

I know that you might be a little pissed off at the article, as I am, and as I expect all football fans are, including the enormous number of people in the States who love the game. Goaltender is a common term over here - not their lack of research.

It's a deliberately provocative op-ed piece, that's all. Not the damnation of an entire country.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, (even the perpetrators of that little call to arms) but there are times when your strong-armed jabs at America the nation border on the sort of soap-box simplicity that really gets my goat.

I say this as someone who still reads your blog, frequently enjoys your sidebar links, and considers the few-years old reciprocal reading relationship a very good thing. Just sometimes, mate, your comments make me frown...and then think very deeply about what exactly it is that makes me do so.

That's the most ridiculously un-researched, nonsensical pile of twaddle I've read since 'there are WMD's in Iraq'.

And I believe Gordon was taking a swipe at AMERICA, where I'd agree with him, as opposed to AMERICANS, where I'd agree with you, Stuart. Americans are on the whole great people, America is on the whole a big mess, imho.

To throw a different perspective on things, and nodding at Gordon's bit about the NFL, if an article on American Football written in the same style appeared in the UK, how would you feel about it?

I have a funny feeling that regardless of the level of venom in the piece (and the article I linked to is pretty venomous) it would be read as or defended as a light-hearted jab at the yanks and their sports, not an indicator of how judgemental the UK has become.

Matt, with all due respect, I think you're wrong. I think Gordon was rather taking a swipe at both. America doesn't have an attitude that we keep in a zoo, or on a prairie. To say "what's wrong with America and it's [sic] attitude" basically means the country's inhabitants.

Its a comments about football, by a journalist that drew a short straw. Imagine if i wrote a peice about 'cheese rolling', or 'competition level morriss dancing', or even cricket.

Well anything for that matter, as I cant really join two whatsits in a thigamabob.

Truly hilarious. Do you think this is a parody, or for real? I honestly can?t tell. If it?s serious, it?s about the worst case of sour grapes I?ve ever seen. Either way, it?s brilliant.

Something tells me Frank and Richard don't look very hot in shorts.

They're just jealous.

Rugby is very fun to play
:-) Watch the ears though - tape round the head just in case.

Hmmm.

The article takes a swipe at soccer in such a way as insulting the fans and the nations that support it (including America) the same way you (K+S) say thet Gordon has taken a swipe at America. The article basically says if you watch soccer you're an idiot, because the game is pointless, and the reason America rules the world is because they don't like stupid games like soccer.

The thing is, whilst this just may annoy Americans who like the game they can just dismiss it as a deliberately provocative op-ed, to the rest of the world, this just seems to perpetuate the attitudes Americans seem to have globally. Which is one of self importance, self righteousness and a hourlier than thou, we're better than you and don't need you attitude.

Which obviously is not true. I've been to America loads now (on individual trips I probably top Stu) and know this is false. You have a lot of awesome people, and a smaller bunch of people trying their damnedest to make sure that the pervading attitude of America outside the country is that it is filled with people like Frank and Richard of afore mentioned article. (I think their is a whole swash of people in the middle who wouldn't have this attitude, but the government and media organisations are trying their hardest to push them the wrong way, but that's another story)

Gordon's reaction, is mirrored in the outside worlds view of America and growing. The problem is not Americans or America or what not, but idiots who write crap like this in a internet enabled world, and manage to make it look like this is the American attitude. Partly because the more people write crap like this, the more this becomes the American attitude.

Right now looking outside in, I would hate America and Americans if I hadn't travelled their and if I didn't know so many awesome Americans to know this isn't the case.

I don't think it's about Gordon's reaction being right or wrong, or even about Gordon taking a swipe at Americans. I think it's sad that America is letting dickheads shape the world view on America, and leaving it up the fantastic people in the country like Krissa and her posse to actually try show that Americans are actually not like the attitude that is presented to the rest of the world.

Anyway I don't know where I was going with that stream of conciousness, but I was just trying to say, is that Gordon, even if he was having a swipe, was probably having a swipe at the people that send out this message (like the article) and getting Krissa and the rest of Americans caught in the cross fire.

I don't know what the solution is, but it's sad that such a great country manages to so badly present it's good points and so well present it's bad.

Adr

p.s. I reckon that in a broadsheet here, any similar look at NFL would have a lot more anaylising of the actual sport itself and why they see failings in the sport rather than criticise the game because i'ts played with your hands.

What an absoultely horrid article by those guys - what they need is a good walloping, until they bleat like tortured donkeys! ;-)