Deford article about Spiceboy

[fatmaradona]

Shocked--that's how I feel after reading a good soccer article by Frank Deford.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/frank_deford/news/2003/04/30/viewpoint/

if this is already up-then my fault

[galperin]

I don't believe it.

Deford wrote a positive article about soccer.

Pigs are flying all over the world.

Hell is freezing over.

[USsupport]

heard this on NPR and I couldn't believe the glowing praise DeFord gave to Beckham.

[Stan Collins]

Actually, he did it with Baggio back in 1994. It's not new. It would be intersting to see how he reconciles those "soccer is inferior" articles with these, but do't count on hearing it soon.

[skipshady]

Originally posted by Stan Collins
Actually, he did it with Baggio back in 1994. It's not new. It would be intersting to see how he reconciles those "soccer is inferior" articles with these, but do't count on hearing it soon. Devil's Advocate says "Let's put it this way. I don't like Van Halen's music. I think heavy metal is crap. It is devoid of subtlety, soul, or anything else that makes music listenable. But that Eddie Van Halen sure is great on the guitar. He can work magic with those fingers. Nonetheless, the music he makes is pure, unadulterated crap. You see, I can hate something but appreciate its pracitioners as artists."

[soccernutter]

Deford
Is it fair to say that, for all time -- not even Babe Ruth and his home run -- there has never been an athlete so identified with a single play as has Beckham with his free kick?


Um, Roberto Carlos...but, of course, he's not English. :rolleyes:

Once again, Deford shows his ignorance.

[Stan Collins]

skip,

Actually, you're completely right (and that happens to be almost exactly how I feel about Eddie Van Halen versus at least 'hard rock in the 1980s' if not metal in general ;-) ).

It's just that I'd pay to see Deford, a writer as snivelingly obsequious to those he's praising while being as grossly dismissive of those he isn't, draw that fine a distinction between the two.


nutter,

Actually, it's not ignorance. It's hyperbole. I can't make you a guarantee, but it wouldn't shock me to see Deford, in one of his 'praise' articles, make a similar claim about Carlos.

In general, Deford is definitely not above, in different columns, making the claim that two different players were the best in the world at the very same skill. It's not that he doesn't know he contradicts himself, as much as it's that he doesn't [/i]care[/i].


To provide some insight into the person, I was once watching a documentary on impressionist art, narrated by the seemingly strangely-placed Deford. But it wasn't strange at all. I would bet Deford knows his art, and was more than just a good reader in that sense. He certainly considers himself more an art critic than a sports commenator.

And art is a world where it's perfectly acceptable to make the same seemingly mutually exclusive claims about two different artists. Two artists, on different days, can each represent the most perfect exposition of some emotion or subject ever witnessed. (I happen to agree with it to an extent, but cannot even explain it myself.)

And while sports has its artistic side, at the end of the day, the two are different ebcause there are 'real' empirical winners and losers in the sports world. Therefore, mutually exclusive claims are far less permissible. You can argue that Camberlain was 'as good as Jordan', or you could make the subtle argument that 'each was better for his own era' but it strikes a dissonant chord when you claim tht both were 'the best.'

Sometimes I think soccer is a subject for scorn and not praise from him because he's viewed as effete enough already, and praising soccer might lose him too much credibility.