I give in. Here's a damn EURO thread for sillyness, gossip, speculation, and important educational videos to get you people prepared for your visit. First out is a teacher (coach) talking about the joys of working with her students (players).
Welp. That was more bizarre than I expected. Yes, Euro2013 will be... just like reindeer everywhere. Meanwhile tonight's the big lottery, to be broadcast live on TV4 and Eurosport from Göteborg, starting at 18.30. According to this preview at svenskfotboll.se, Steffi Jones will be there. Of course the preview also says that Germany and France will be the top seeds of groups C and D respectively, so I'm expecting to see, not Steffi Jones herself, but someone who is really really close to Steffi Jones, in some pertinent qualities, but who is simply not quite Steffi Jones. (Sadly, I can't really think of who that might be.) Sigh, svenskfotboll. I put this in Team Sweden, but here's a link to Caroline Seger and Lisa Dahlkvist attempting to make an ad for tonight's event. Apparently they never did manage to do a clean take, or at least, I can't find a finished product. Jaha, here's a link to one more video of potential educational nerdly interest... a not-too-long clip in which a representative from each participating Scandinavian country is interviewed. You get to hear Swedish spoken with every other Scandinavian accent! (Oh, well, okay, not Faroese.)
Saskia Bartusiak? Oh wait - that was just an unsubstantiated rumour. Though a simultaenously hilarious and frightening one.
Mmmm... though both technically classified as 'defenders', I put it to you that the gulf between Bartusiak and Jones is wide indeed, in all other respects. One could argue that B and C and D are also all 'letters', but I maintain that there is an essential difference between B and C, and C and D. Especially when one of them doesn't exist at all. Mind you, I still can't really think of someone who is simultaneously more Steffish and less Bartusiastic.
And here's an educational point: the Faeroe Isles are not Scandinavian. Nor is Iceland. Nor Finland. Hey, and looking at Wiki, they even point out that the locals don't like that sort of conceptual confusion . "Sometimes the term Scandinavia is also taken to include Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and Finland, on account of their historical association with the Scandinavian countries. Such usage, however, may be considered inaccurate in the area itself, where the term Nordic countries instead refers to this broader group." "May be considered inaccurate"? We need Raindeer Girl to make a video.
Technically they are not, but the people and languages of those islands most certainly ARE. [They was polulated from Scandinavia, mainly Norway, and have not changed ethinicity or language to any large degree]
Right, must save language and toilet paper comments for later as they've started, and I've already gone wrong by starting by watching TV4, out of some misguided sense of loyalty. But they've lost me by playing a commercial over a nice little retrospective of Euros past. Eurosport it is! Does Solna really look like this tourist video? Looks oddly just like Stockholm. Oh my. Is this really a coming trend in men's neck ties?
Swedish players and coaches and assorted media types doing their best to insist that their group is plenty tough-- and it is, with Denmark, Finland, and Italy-- but they can't quite hide the fact that they're rather pleased. Coulda been worse.
More than spooky... downright peculiar, I'd say. Is that really a reindeer squatting behind a Christmas tree?
I am satisfied with the 3 groups , I think they are more or less similar there ain't a hard group...... However I realize that I don't know a lot bout scandinavian countries......for example what is considered the scandinavian derby SWE ~NOR? SWE~DAN? DAN~NOR? or all three against FIN ?
Sorry for setting you up, there, debzy... I suppose I should point out that even svenskfotboll.se avoids the (apparently) touchy word 'Scandinavian' in favor of 'Nordic' or 'the North'. My bad! Since the thread was established with an eye toward education of 'you people'... ... I will dare to hypothesize, at this point, that the 'locals' appreciate precise use of language.
Perhaps the thread title should be changed to "elks, damp and mold everywhere"? The 90 year-old arena Örjans vall in Halmstad, one of this summer's venues, has been slapped about by the health and safety people after an inspection: mold, damp and filthy toilets was the verdict. (Sounds like they'd have got a low score on the Damalldog index.) The local authority has been handed a plan of action to follow and a deadline of March 1. More details at the website of local newspaper Hallandsposten. Also on the website, you can see some pics of elks in the 'hood and a story about how a walk with the dog was interrupted by an elk attack. My favourite part was about the family who didn't dare go into their garden after it'd been taken over by elks. Police were called, but couldn't do anything about it because the elks weren't exhibiting any aggressive behaviour . (Isn't it strange how you can almost feel Bonnie's rifle hand twitch?)
Yep, moldy damp toilets would absolutely put them in the minus column. And though I have no personal experience with the place, I can't say I'm confident that the snack stand will help pull up their grades. People spoiled by the grilled sausages and good beer in other countries venues are, I expect, going to find this Euro a disappointment in that respect. Well, that family clearly hadn't paid its protection fee to the local Moose Mob.
....okay, maybe I repped the song too soon. Not a fan of the bridge. Otherwise, though: fun! Melikes overall.
I dont know. I miss the good old national team songs. With Pia rocking the guitar like Jimi, Sweden could have a kick ass euro football anthem.
Well, true, that would have been fun. A reprise/remix of 'Vi är tjejer, vi är bäst', perhaps? Sundhage could be the first person probably to participate in two team songs, once as player once as coach... (I will not link to it, because their jeans are so 1987 it might cause sanity loss to the unwary.)
You dont have to. I will Scandinavia wins this one,since they showed more enthusiasm I dont think our ladies have ever done one,but our mens team might give your ladies a run for their money or hair style......or ear protectors.
Here's a public google calendar for the Euros. Handy for anyone, but especially those of you who, like me, occasionally find yourself vexed by the UEFA site.