Random rants

[greybeta]

I dunno, I'm bored so I'm going to randomly rant a bunch of stuff. If it feels like it applies to you, then yes, I am complaining about you. I have no qualms about admitting this.

Deluge of Harry Potter
Complaining, even jokingly, about the deluge of Harry Potter articles and blog posts, is still complaining. If you weren't complaining about Harry Potter, you wouldn't mention Harry Potter at all.

It's okay to complain
Recognize you were complaining and move on. No, I did not miss the humorous note of your post. But you had a serious tone in your post and I merely reflected it. If you can't take in what you dish out, you're not going to like me.

Everyone likes you pointing out mistakes...except their own
This is a phenomenon with sports teams. People love it when analysts criticize other teams, but they can't stand their own teams being criticized. That's purely emotional, not rational, and that's perfectly okay! Just expect me to point out your irrationality.

Major League Soccer
When Major League Soccer is bringing in an over-the-hill star to attract attention, that's the a very bad sign. Does anyone remember the North American Soccer League bringing the greatest soccer player ever in Pele? The NASL folded shortly thereafter. I assume MLS is better equipped to prevent that after Beckham turns out to be a dud, but they really should change the name to Minor League Soccer.

Barry Bonds
Steroids or no steroids, setting the all-time home run record is an achievement. Bonds has incredible hand-eye coordination with a great sense of the strike zone. PEDs help you none on that regard.

Vick
Wild prediction: As part of the NFL's new clampdown policy, Vick will be put on "voluntary suspension" for a year.

Basketball fixing
So recently an NBA referee was charged with fixing games in order to help bookies with mob connections. Wow, now the fans can really say the refs are fixing the game!

Comments

[culculhen.livejournal.com]

I've alway liked America. Now I like you guys even more for taking beckham and his wife off our hands. Good luck with them. They're the European versions of Paris Hilton But at least he has some talent, but thats compensated bu the fact that his wife became famous with the spice girls. (Meaning that they're just as talentless as Jailbird Hilton on average)...

Although it's only fair you took them after you guys dumped madonna in England...

[greybeta.livejournal.com]

Beckham for Madonna? Sounds like the Alchemy's Law of Equivalent Exchange at work here! ^_^

Beckham & Football

[meopta.livejournal.com]

Dude, I not only remember Pele, I watched NASL before Pele came. I is old.

I said for ages that MLS wouldn't be dumb enough to bring Beckham over. I was shocked they were. HOWever, having said that - America is a different America than we were when we went nuts over Pele. I have to grudgingly admit that Beckham might be worth the insane budget amounts. MLS wasn't getting any traction on it's own, despite improvements in our international showings, so it needed media coverage. Beckham brings cameras. Paris is laying low, Lindsey & Nicole are going up the river, Britney is bottoming - perfect time for Posh to befriend the paparazzi. Where go the cameras, so goes America's attention span.

This time the stunt casting might work. People who Never talked football to me are asking about Becks.

Re: Beckham & Football

[greybeta.livejournal.com]

Are you British or something? You keep referring to soccer as "football". You don't refer to football as American football now, do you?

The Beckham acquisition is a move of desperation, IMHO. The thing is that the popular American sports like gridiron football, baseball, and basketball have a stop and go pace that Americans prefer. Soccer's freeflowing style is contrary to the taste of the American public.

I guess TPTB at MLS are willing to take the gamble to try to change the tastes of the American public. The problem is that the American public, like most, is notoriously fickle.

Re: Beckham & Football

[meopta.livejournal.com]

I'm just stubborn. I refuse to admit the NFL exists. And it was introduced to me by non-europeans so it wasn't 'soccer' for a long time. And actually, yea, when forced to face the NFL I often do call it American football - have done since I was a tyke. I don't really talk sports to people that don't know I mean "futbol" when I say football.

Oh yea, it's totally a whore move. but that's my point - MLS was getting no action at all despite playing better overall than we had in a while. Plus, we're still importing a lot of troubled players because players of skill AND low attitude can get paid elsewhere. So yea, total agreement, it's red dress in the bar with with Becks.

I disgree that the US prefers the whole stop and go thing - we liked Big Scores because it's Easy To Understand. So tossing some celebrity and drama in could make it easier for the masses. Did you really think NASCAR would own the world? And yea. we're fickle - but with all the (cough) soccer leagues for the peewees, it's a good time to push.

Re: Beckham & Football

[greybeta.livejournal.com]

Baseball doesn't have Big Scores and yet it well liked in American culture. Not as much as football or basketball, but baseball is still one of the Big Three.

My theory on soccer is that Americans don't like tie scores and they don't like flopping, of which there is a lot of in soccer. Did you ever watch that Simpsons episode where soccer comes to Springfield? That episode captured it perfectly.

Re: Beckham & Football

[meopta.livejournal.com]

It's hanging on via the Apple Pie factor, but as soon as the other two came on.....

I didn't see the Simpson's ep - but I was trading "OMG the drama!!" emails during the World Cup with friends in several nations. We decided to award Italy the Lifelong Achievement Golden Snorkel award. That was worse acting than a telenovella.