Dan Loney
23 Jun 2006, 10:50 AM
I was going to title this post "Dont Tread On *squish*," but I'm still in pain.
No, I'm not being hyperbolic. I screwed up my neck with lousy posture at computer terminals and bar stools due to stress over the US game. I'm the anti-McBride, in other words.
First full day of watching games now that my main interest has gone the way of lawn darts. It's too early to spoil, otherwise I would.
I went with Ukraine-Tunisia as my "main" game this morning. Shep Messing is ranting on the referee calling so many fouls (shut up, that's not a spoiler) - I think a good part of that is residual from the Merk-hate from yesterday. Said Merk-hate I totally endorse, naturally. Worst dentist since Olivier in "Marathon Man."
Here's the amount of emotional interest I've put into the game. I have a Dynamo Kiev jersey around somewhere, which I got because I loved the Start FC story told in "Dynamo" by Andy Dougan. But, I read in "Football Against the Enemy" by Simon Kuper that Dynamo Kiev is one of the most mobbed-up teams in the world. So I'm basically neutral.
And it's weird now cheering for that chimerical beast, "good soccer." Yesterday, the idea that someone would cheer for the better team to win was treason. And it is to the millions who anguish for Ukraine or Tunisia as much as you did for your country's team. I would never tell an Actual Ukrainian Fan that drivel about Simon Kuper choosing my cheering interest, unless I wanted to look up at the ceiling seeing stars and thinking "I deserved that."
Speaking of Shep Messing - he's gotten better during this tournament. A good portion of the ESPN announcers have. Or else my mind has turned into tapioca and I can't tell good from bad anymore. If I had been an announcer yesterday instead of Marcelo Balboa, I would have been fired and sparked an international incident by saying the United States needed to have a Nuremburg rally.
Speaking of neutrality, I'm looking forward to Korea-Switzerland. I think Switzerland is the only team going in with the tiebreaker advantage that will not advance. And let's face it, it would be better television if Korea went through in second place to face Spain. Of course, if Togo knocks out France, then both Korea and Switzerland go through. It's not going to happen, but it would be wonderful. I love France, I love good soccer, but I love comedy more.
No, I'm not being hyperbolic. I screwed up my neck with lousy posture at computer terminals and bar stools due to stress over the US game. I'm the anti-McBride, in other words.
First full day of watching games now that my main interest has gone the way of lawn darts. It's too early to spoil, otherwise I would.
I went with Ukraine-Tunisia as my "main" game this morning. Shep Messing is ranting on the referee calling so many fouls (shut up, that's not a spoiler) - I think a good part of that is residual from the Merk-hate from yesterday. Said Merk-hate I totally endorse, naturally. Worst dentist since Olivier in "Marathon Man."
Here's the amount of emotional interest I've put into the game. I have a Dynamo Kiev jersey around somewhere, which I got because I loved the Start FC story told in "Dynamo" by Andy Dougan. But, I read in "Football Against the Enemy" by Simon Kuper that Dynamo Kiev is one of the most mobbed-up teams in the world. So I'm basically neutral.
And it's weird now cheering for that chimerical beast, "good soccer." Yesterday, the idea that someone would cheer for the better team to win was treason. And it is to the millions who anguish for Ukraine or Tunisia as much as you did for your country's team. I would never tell an Actual Ukrainian Fan that drivel about Simon Kuper choosing my cheering interest, unless I wanted to look up at the ceiling seeing stars and thinking "I deserved that."
Speaking of Shep Messing - he's gotten better during this tournament. A good portion of the ESPN announcers have. Or else my mind has turned into tapioca and I can't tell good from bad anymore. If I had been an announcer yesterday instead of Marcelo Balboa, I would have been fired and sparked an international incident by saying the United States needed to have a Nuremburg rally.
Speaking of neutrality, I'm looking forward to Korea-Switzerland. I think Switzerland is the only team going in with the tiebreaker advantage that will not advance. And let's face it, it would be better television if Korea went through in second place to face Spain. Of course, if Togo knocks out France, then both Korea and Switzerland go through. It's not going to happen, but it would be wonderful. I love France, I love good soccer, but I love comedy more.