World Cup

[Zanchief]

Anyone following. I don't really care about Soccer at all, but I've decided to follow the US this year. Go America! I like the idea that they aren't very good and everyone wants them to lose and they're doing well.

Great game against Portugal on Sunday.

So do any of you have european ancestry that is only really important during obscure drinking holidays and international tournaments?

[Reynaldo]

I watched the Portugal game but probably won't watch any more unless they get to the next round. It was decent fun but the opportunity cost wasn't great enough vs doing something else.

I hope America does well and it's fun to see all the little-man syndrome of the other countries hating on us for no other reason other than they want to stick it to the man, which makes every win that much more sweet/comical.

But yeah, won't care again until 2018 about soccer after this is done.

[brinstar]

IDGAF

[10sun]

Anyone following. I don't really care about Soccer at all, but I've decided to follow the US this year. Go America! I like the idea that they aren't very good and everyone wants them to lose and they're doing well.

Great game against Portugal on Sunday.

So do any of you have european ancestry that is only really important during obscure drinking holidays and international tournaments?

Dutch, Irish, & Polish... I can't wait for The Netherlands to crush Mexico on Sunday, but other than that... just cool to chill with relatives when we visit one another (then it is a drinking holiday?).

[Menelvir]

The World Cup is my favorite sporting event bar none.

I like the international feel, the camaraderie, the green vastness of the pitch, the crowd breaking into anthems, the way the pace of the game can change at any given moment.

I probably have European ancestry, but I've never given it much thought -- always been more interested in where I'm going than where I'm from.

[brinstar]

I like the international feel, the camaraderie, the green vastness of the pitch, the crowd breaking into anthems, the way the pace of the game can change at any given moment

the disastrous austerity measures enforced in order to afford glitzy multimillion dollar stadium facilities, the state-sanctioned brutalization of fans outside the complex, the blatant racism proudly on display by fans at the games, the spike in sex trafficking and underage prostitution

sure what's not to love

[Jay]

The US team is actually not that bad Zan.

I'm rooting for Mexico though. I'm not a true soccer fan or anything, I just have a Brazilian coworker who hates the Mexican team for taking the gold medal and I want them to take the Cup too just to rub it in his face.

[Zanchief]

Some of these aren't really fair, Brin. You put a bunch of people together and people will do terrible things, especially in a cesspool like Rio.

[Zanchief]

The US team is actually not that bad Zan.

Yep, and they don't seem to dive and whine quite as much as the other teams too, so that makes them less detestable.

[Drem]

I like the international feel, the camaraderie, the green vastness of the pitch, the crowd breaking into anthems, the way the pace of the game can change at any given moment

the disastrous austerity measures enforced in order to afford glitzy multimillion dollar stadium facilities, the state-sanctioned brutalization of fans outside the complex, the blatant racism proudly on display by fans at the games, the spike in sex trafficking and underage prostitution

sure what's not to love

still better than eggball

[brinstar]

Some of these aren't really fair, Brin. You put a bunch of people together and people will do terrible things, especially in a cesspool like Rio.

fair point, that shit happens at any major sporting event

i just have a hard time letting OMG TEH GLORY OF SPR0T gloss over it

[Arlos]

As for the sex trade, remember that prostitution is legal in Brazil. Obviously children being involved is heinous, but ordinary prostitution ramping up, I don't see that as a problem, to be honest. Also, I don't think it's soccer specific. You'd have exactly the same sort of things going on if they had the Olympics, say.

-Arlos

[brinstar]

a) i intentionally chose the phrase "sex trafficking" because its definition excludes legitimate sex work; i am aware of the distinction

b) see above for previous comparison of this event and other such events

[Jay]

As for the sex trade, remember that prostitution is legal in Brazil. Obviously children being involved is heinous, but ordinary prostitution ramping up, I don't see that as a problem, to be honest. Also, I don't think it's soccer specific. You'd have exactly the same sort of things going on if they had the Olympics, say.

-Arlos

Everything in Brazil is soccer specific Arlos.

[Menelvir]

the disastrous austerity measures enforced in order to afford glitzy multimillion dollar stadium facilities, the state-sanctioned brutalization of fans outside the complex, the blatant racism proudly on display by fans at the games, the spike in sex trafficking and underage prostitution

sure what's not to love

Oh, drat, I somehow overlooked all of that. I withdraw my previous statement.

[Jay]

http://www.clarionledger.com/story/opin ... /11372137/

Someone who shares a similar opinion to Brin =P

[Arlos]

Not to mention this guy. How they got Mindia to sit down for an interview, I am not sure...







Here's someone basically MST3king that video:

[brinstar]

http://www.clarionledger.com/story/opinion/columnists/2014/06/25/coulter-growing-interest-soccer-sign-nations-moral-decay/11372137/

Someone who shares a similar opinion to Brin =P

fuck that skeletal bitch

[Gaazy]

Lol oh for crying out loud alex, do you have a bright side to anything? Everything with you has some kind of ridiculous political underbelly it seems like. A soccer game is twnfold more interesting than, say, one of your homosexual softball outings, im sure sir

If you dont like soccer, fine, dont watch it, but why blame it on some ridiculous random theory like child sex trafficking hahaha

[Reynaldo]

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand back to not caring.

[brinstar]

Lol oh for crying out loud alex, do you have a bright side to anything? Everything with you has some kind of ridiculous political underbelly it seems like. A soccer game is twnfold more interesting than, say, one of your homosexual softball outings, im sure sir

If you dont like soccer, fine, dont watch it, but why blame it on some ridiculous random theory like child sex trafficking hahaha

dude the game itself is great, it's that all that other crap comes along with it. think about stuff in life once in a while ;\

also let me ask you this - are you going to give a shit about it now that USA got blasted out of the elimination round? or are you even gonna bother watching the rest?

[Jay]

Aaaaand I no longer give a shit after Robben flopped to take the win from Mexico.

[Arlos]

And then there are situations that look like flops to begin with but are really as bad as the guy makes them seem. See: Neymar getting his vertebrae broken by a flying knee into the small of his back. Ow.

[brinstar]

yea it sucks he got jacked like that but there were 50ish fouls in that game and only like 3 of them weren't heinous flops

[Jay]

The World Cup is the only event where various countries from around the world compete and the US is the classiest of the bunch lol