Frank DeFord is a moron: more proof

[ChelseaMatt]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/frank_deford/10/19/viewpoint/index.html

The relevant quote is below:

"the other hand, does our soccer team dare win the World Cup next summer? They could, you know. They're in the top 10 in international rankings, and unlike virtually every other country in the world, because soccer isn't a life-and-death situation here, there's no great pressure on our guys.

But the team must think about the welfare of our nation. Most everybody already hates us so much for being so big and pushy. If we, who don't care a fig about soccer, actually won the World Cup from everybody who cares about it desperately, the United States would then be totally despised. We'd be the Klingons. We'd never get anybody in any of our coalitions ever again."

The scary thing is that he's probably serious. He actually thinks that our success in soccer could hurt our nation as a whole. This is truly a new low for him.

[Parmigiano]

This is nothing new. It's been a public joke at least since our good 2002 showing that we'd better not get too good at this sport, lest the world hate us even more.

After Japorea, in DC journalism circles at least, the joke was that's what the concern about soccer was at the State Department.

So DeFord may or may not be a moron, but this only shows that he's either a plagiarist or lacking in original thought.

[dban]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/frank_deford/10/19/viewpoint/index.html

The relevant quote is below:

"the other hand, does our soccer team dare win the World Cup next summer? They could, you know. They're in the top 10 in international rankings, and unlike virtually every other country in the world, because soccer isn't a life-and-death situation here, there's no great pressure on our guys.

But the team must think about the welfare of our nation. Most everybody already hates us so much for being so big and pushy. If we, who don't care a fig about soccer, actually won the World Cup from everybody who cares about it desperately, the United States would then be totally despised. We'd be the Klingons. We'd never get anybody in any of our coalitions ever again."

The scary thing is that he's probably serious. He actually thinks that our success in soccer could hurt our nation as a whole. This is truly a new low for him.

I think it's tongue in check from Deford but I tend to agree with him, if we won (which is very, very, very unlikely), we'd be despised for it, such is the foreign relations climate these days. Do I care that we'd be despised, absolutely not.

[Chowderhead]

The thing is, that parodical argument is old, tired, unoriginal. Much like Defored himself. His screenplay to the Roger Bannister movie on ESPN had so many self-serving lines that praised America's optimism and energy that it made me sick. He's an idiot.

[texasoccer]

Despite his previous ignorant soccer rantings, I believe dban has it right -- he said this with tongue planted squarely in cheek. That said, DeFord is not a convert to soccer fandom, he's simply doing what most Americans who are ignorant of soccer would do: supporting the team if it's winning on an international stage. The perspective has less to do with appreciation for the sport and more to do with a big "here's mud in your eye" to those Eurosnobs who actually care about this sport on a day-to-day basis. I'm still undecided if I want that type of convert on our bandwagon. We'll have to wait and see.

[aloisius]

I honestly don’t know why most of you here hate deford.

I quit like reading most of his columns. He sometimes has some fun with the fact that most Americans, unlike the rest of the world, don’t care about soccer. I find that he isn’t too serious about it, he doesn’t have any deep hatred of soccer. He just finds it to be a funny game and that most Americans ignore it.

The same is true for Europeans and baseball.

I do remember him writing that he was never touched by a sports event as he was by a soccer game.

It was the England-Cameroon wc qf 90, he watched it in Cameroon and got into the emotions the people there were going through.

[tab5g]

I am actually in the camp that thinks that more non-Americans might actually start to like the US a little bit more if the US were to somehow win a World Cup.

Or I would at least hope that more Hispanics living in the US would start to shift their futbol allegiance toward the US and away from their ancestral homelands.

Everyone likes a winner.

Is there anyone else in this camp with me?

[Bajoro]

tab5g: I am proud to be in your camp.

[Zathras]

I am actually in the camp that thinks that more non-Americans might actually start to like the US a little bit more if the US were to somehow win a World Cup.

Never happen, sorry.

Or I would at least hope that more Hispanics living in the US would start to shift their futbol allegiance toward the US and away from their ancestral homelands.

Everyone likes a winner.

I think we'd pick up some of the younger generation, but for many others it would just increase the size of the scalp when/if they DO beat us.

And I think we're getting more and more of the younger generation as it is. At the Honduras game in the Gold Cup I remember seeing a small girl cheering in the stands. She was wearing a Honduras shirt (dressed by her parents) but she was chanting "USA! USA!" That's what we need to work on.

[aloisius]

Everyone likes a winner.



Americans like a winner. Most Europeans hate them

[Martin Fischer]

I think the piece is kind of funny.

[bostonsoccermdl]

he's simply doing what most Americans who are ignorant of soccer would do: supporting the team if it's winning on an international stage. .

True, but dont forget the other example of taking the FIFA top 10 as gospel. :D

[Shackleton]

I am actually in the camp that thinks that more non-Americans might actually start to like the US a little bit more if the US were to somehow win a World Cup.

Or I would at least hope that more Hispanics living in the US would start to shift their futbol allegiance toward the US and away from their ancestral homelands.

Everyone likes a winner.

Is there anyone else in this camp with me?

It all depends on how it happens. You can win with courage and class, or you can be the beneficiary of a referee. A lot of times, it's how you play, not the result. No way to tell what the reaction would be.

[Metrogo]

I am actually in the camp that thinks that more non-Americans might actually start to like the US a little bit more if the US were to somehow win a World Cup.


Everyone likes a winner.

Is there anyone else in this camp with me?

I'm sorry to say I'm not. Everyone does NOT like a winner. It would be different if people in this country cared for the game at this level like in other countries, but we don't, and what Deford says is basically true. I mean, part of what pisses the Mexicans off so much is that our coutnry doesn't care about the national team so much, and we beat them anyway.

ChelseaMatt, chill out about the part about coalitions. I think he was kidding, but the rest of it is probably true. He's a smart guy.

[soulman]

I am actually in the camp that thinks that more non-Americans might actually start to like the US a little bit more if the US were to somehow win a World Cup.

Or I would at least hope that more Hispanics living in the US would start to shift their futbol allegiance toward the US and away from their ancestral homelands.

Everyone likes a winner.

Is there anyone else in this camp with me?

As someone who is very interested/concerned with international politics, your theory is very interesting, and may hold some meret. The traditional thinking is that if we won the WC, we'd be HATED for taking THEIR (who ever they are) Cup. Another way of looking at it might be the rest of the world looking at us and saying "Maybe they (US) now want to play in our sand lot, so maybe we begin letting them in in other arenas." Interesante...

[aloisius]

Most people here find it cute that Americans are trying. Nobody takes you seriously though.

I don’t know what the reaction would be if you rgot really good.

[Metrogo]

Most people here find it cute that Americans are trying. Nobody takes you seriously though.

I don’t know what the reaction would be if you rgot really good.

I'm sure the Portuguese find it absolutely adorable.

[Red Card]

Frank DeFord's stupidity is best exemplified by his refusal to appreciate what cardio-pulmonary sports like soccer and cross-country can do to help children with cystic fibrosis. His own daughter died from CF and as a result he is some sort of chairman for a CF charity. Yet he does not see the benefit of cardio-pulmonary sports. Just tell the moron to do a search for "soccer cystic fibrosis" before he insults our sport. Here is one sample article:
http://www.stlouischildrens.org/default.aspx?tabid=109&acn=view&aid=1930

[Metrogo]

Frank DeFord's stupidity is best exemplified by his refusal to appreciate what cardio-pulmonary sports like soccer and cross-country can do to help children with cystic fibrosis. His own daughter died from CF and as a result he is some sort of chairman for a CF charity. Yet he does not see the benefit of cardio-pulmonary sports. Just tell the moron to do a search for "soccer cystic fibrosis" before he insults our sport. Here is one sample article:
http://www.stlouischildrens.org/default.aspx?tabid=109&acn=view&aid=1930

Huh?

[FabFiveFigo]

For someone who thinks that no one cares about soccer, he sure writes about it a lot.