the 1 thing the USA has to do to get soccer popular in the US.....

[Naco]

Originally posted by BrianCappellieri


Never mentioned anything about Landon Donovan and never said anything about the "attractiveness" of atheletes.

I realize that, but you said something along the lines of 'the general public only cares about athletic ability' and I was just pointing out that his looks are half the reason Donovan is where he is today.

Sean

[BrianCappellieri]

No, I didn't. I was saying how atheletes aren't stars because of their nationality or race but because of their athletic ability.

Donovan would still be a star if he was uglier than Chad Deering. He just wouldn't have all the teenie-bopper/nsync groupies obsessed with him.

[soccerfan220]

this is the funnist thred I've ever read

[Naco]

soccerfan- That is the sickest sense of humor I've ever seen.

Sean

[lion]

Originally posted by BrianCappellieri


That's because he is in a sense. He accomplished much more than Gretzsky and Montana.

I just hate to see people still thinking this way and trying to bring race into everything. Talking and thinking like this doesn't help.

For every major sport you'll find super stars of different races.

1. Whether Jordan accomplished much more than Gretzky or Montana did is not as clear-cut as you posit it to be.

2. If there is a racial undercurrent to a particular topic/issue, then shoving the racial aspect of it under the carpet in such a matter-of-fact manner defeats the purpose of attempting to conduct an objective discussion (regardless of whether it is politically correct or not).

[sanariot]

Originally posted by lion


Brian,

Some generalizations, like it or not, have some truth in them. Black athletes are glorified in society -- by ordinary people and the media -- far more than are white athletes.
I guess that's why Doug Williams is seen as the superior quarterback to Joe Namath. They both won the same number of Super Bowls.



It may be difficult to swallow but it is a truism, controversial as it may be, that black superstar athletes (like Jordan or Woods) are revered much more by society (read "whites") than are correspondingly brilliant white athletes like Gretzky or Montana. There is a dichotomy here -- racially inflammatory, maybe -- that cannot be denied. I thought they were ALL seen as greats in their sports, my bad.

[lion]

Originally posted by Astorian

I guess that's why Doug Williams is seen as the superior quarterback to Joe Namath. They both won the same number of Super Bowls.




Joe Namath became a legend in the late 1960's and the early 1970's -- things have changed now nearly a generation later (more than 30 years later).

Now if another Joe Namath (white, obviously) comes by, he probably will not attain the same stature in society that the original Joe Namath had.

[BrianCappellieri]

Would Dan Marino be any more famous if he were black?

[sanariot]

Originally posted by BrianCappellieri


That's because he is in a sense. He accomplished much more than Gretzsky and Montana.

I just hate to see people still thinking this way and trying to bring race into everything. Talking and thinking like this doesn't help.

For every major sport you'll find super stars of different races.

Exactly.

I guess soccer is the most popular sport in the world because Pele is black right? Maradona, Puskas et. al can't even be compared to him because they're white boys, correct? Man, you better tell Adidas that they're wasting their money on Beckham, when they should be paying Anelka that money.

[lion]

Originally posted by BrianCappellieri
Would Dan Marino be any more famous if he were black?

Quite possibly. In fact, it might well be the case that a black Dan Marino (with equivalent performances) might become more famous and glamorized than his white counterpart is.

[sanariot]

Originally posted by BrianCappellieri
Would Dan Marino be any more famous if he were black?

No, but I bet Peyton Manning would be.

[lion]

Originally posted by Astorian


Exactly.

I guess soccer is the most popular sport in the world because Pele is black right? Maradona, Puskas et. al can't even be compared to him because they're white boys, correct? Man, you better tell Adidas that they're wasting their money on Beckham, when they should be paying Anelka that money.


No, the deification of black athletes vis-a-vis their white counterparts is a much more pronounced phenomenon in the US than it is in the rest of the world.

[sanariot]

Originally posted by lion


Quite possibly. In fact, it might well be the case that a black Dan Marino (with equivalent performances) might become more famous and glamorized than his white counterpart is.

Hello, Warren Moon on line one for you.

[norfcath]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by toot86
Its not a bad thing.. Its just When you have a White Superstar it makes the sport kinda boring.. Vinilla.. ..

All the popular sports in the USA have black STars..



By the way have you ever seen a BLack Itailian?

I [/QUOTE

Frank Bruno, boxer from Italy. May have been the European champion at one time, not too long ago.

[sanariot]

Originally posted by lion



No, the deification of black athletes vis-a-vis their white counterparts is a much more pronounced phenomenon in the US than it is in the rest of the world.

I see, that's why hockey is more popular than golf, because hockey has only had one black player reach the pinnacle of the sport (Grant Fuhr, shut up with your five Stanley Cup rings, Jarome Iginla, your scoring title means nothing, Willie O'Ree, you made your debut for the Bruins in the '60's but there were dozens of black golfers out there, that's why golf is more popular than hockey today, nothing to do with you.)

[lion]

Originally posted by Astorian


Hello, Warren Moon on line one for you.


Does Warren Moon have as many NFL passing records as does Dan Marino?

The answer is no.

That is why it is not a fair comparison.

[sanariot]

Originally posted by lion



No, the deification of black athletes vis-a-vis their white counterparts is a much more pronounced phenomenon in the US than it is in the rest of the world.

That explains why Pele could draw 78,000 to his finale at Giants Stadium,but it doesn't explain why Tab, Claudio, Landon etc. were seen as the saviors of US Soccer while Lassiter, Cobi, Eddie Johnson etc. were seen as "hopefuls".

[sanariot]

Originally posted by lion



Does Warren Moon have as many NFL passing records as does Dan Marino?

The answer is no.

That is why it is not a fair comparison.

Does Dan Marino Have as many NFL titles as does Doug Williams?

The answer is no.

That is why it is not a fair comparison.

[lion]

Originally posted by Astorian


That explains why Pele could draw 78,000 to his finale at Giants Stadium,but it doesn't explain why Tab, Claudio, Landon etc. were seen as the saviors of US Soccer while Lassiter, Cobi, Eddie Johnson etc. were seen as "hopefuls".


Lassiter, Cobi, etc. are not that great players. Wait till a really talented black player (Freddy Adu might be one) comes to the forefront in the MLS. Then you will see ...

[lion]

Originally posted by Astorian


Does Dan Marino Have as many NFL titles as does Doug Williams?

The answer is no.

That is why it is not a fair comparison.

Doug Williams was in the limelight for a much shorter period of time than Dan Marino was. And Williams does not have as many records as does Marino. These two facts collectively outweigh the effects of Williams' having won one Super Bowl.