Join Now
The grapes could not be more sour for MLSTalk
Tags cuauhtemoc blanco, mexico, united states
Oh how I love the smell of crackpot ethnographic posturing in the morning.
Today, it's none other than Kartik Krishnaiyer playing the part of soccer's Bernard Lewis with his post, entitled, "Mexican Qualification for South Africa Borders on Illegitimate."
Far be it from me to defend Mexico much, but that is complete nonsense. Mexico qualified for the World Cup because they fired an incompetent letch of a coach and replaced him with an experienced, talented countryman who was able to rally the troops and get them back to the level they typically play at.
As I have said time and time again. If you're going to accuse a major sporting body of rank corruption, it really helps if you present a single scintilla of evidence to go with the claims. Isn't MLS and the *Talk network of sites ostensibly a major and serious player in the coverage of soccer in the United States. They do that reputation a disservice when they just throw accusations out there like that without any evidence. Is it the worst offense against writing that I have seen this year? Uh no. Not even close. But let me put it this way, there is no way nonsense like this would end up on the flagship EPLTalk site, one which I read every day. I expect better, frankly.
Kartik throws so much shit up against the wall that it's hard to unravel the legitimate points from the nonsense. So far I agree with this:
Oh those dishonest and sneaky Mexicans. I don't even know where to start here. First of all, lots of teams in soccer dive. Italy dives. England dives. Spain dives. Americans dive. EVERYONE dives. It's not culture that encourages soccer players to dive, it's bad refereeing and a lack of a serious disincentive to do so. The problems aren't cultural, they're technical.
OMG! An MLSTalk article says that American soccer needs to be like England! I can't believe it. That theory has never been postulated before. Allow me to pause to reel my tongue off the floor as I recover from the shock of this news.
Thank you.
I guess there is something about lots of goals and attacking flair that American fans just will not stand for. Entertainment? Not for us, Americans. Give us generic, honest white-guys pounding the ball up and down route 1. That's the recipe to selling this game! "Give me Wolynec or give me death," I say.
Do you want to know what contradicts our "national fabric?" It's incompetence, not Mexicans. It's not the "condition of being Mexican" that makes Blanco dive, it's the fact referees and an inflexible rulebook practically begs him and other players to do so.
You want to fix diving - fix the rulebook. Sure Blanco is a jerk, but Blanco is a jerk not because he's Mexican, but because the rulebook and feckless referees allow him to be. Further, discrediting this gibberish of an article is its complete ignorance of Blanco's biggest issue - his continued propensity to violence on and off the field. If you want to hang Blanco for something, hang him for that, not diving.
It does no one any good to go around blaming unsporting play on the national character of Mexicans. Athletes are athletes and thus they will try and gain an edge, whether it's through stealing signs, flopping in the lane, or gouging in the pile after a fumble. It's up to our rulemakers and sports leadership to ensure that they make the risk/reward formula ensure players think twice before cheating.
Muttering on about how cheating in inherent in the character of Mexicans and all the other "Latins"* does no one any good whatsoever.
*And I use "Latin" in the traditional English commentator way, which can be defined as any player:
Today, it's none other than Kartik Krishnaiyer playing the part of soccer's Bernard Lewis with his post, entitled, "Mexican Qualification for South Africa Borders on Illegitimate."
Quote:
Few will recall that Mexico’s passage to the Hexagonal and success in the Hex owed itself largely to unsporting play, and the failure of CONCACAF’s officials to fairly referee games in the qualifying cycle.
Quote:
When it was all said and done, Mexico ended tied for second with Jamaica but won passage to the Hex on goal difference. CONCACAF can be questioned for this, because from an economic standpoint, Jack Warner and his allies probably preferred a Mexican team that is solid attendance draw in both qualifying and Gold Cup to a Jamaican side which represents a small, anglicized Caribbean Island. (Although it should be noted that Warner’s original election as head of CONCACAF was backed by Jamaica and not Mexico, but then again Sepp Blatter was originally backed as FIFA President by England.)
Mexico constantly getting calls was a combination of the cheating nature of Blanco and company, simple economic considerations, and the intimidation officials feel at Azteca. It also could have been due to the number of Latin officials that were assigned to Mexico’s games against non-Spanish speaking countries. CONCACAF without Mexico, is in terms of power like Oceania was before Australia left. The prospect of Mexico being eliminated at an early stage of qualifying must have shook Jack Warner tremendously.
Mexico constantly getting calls was a combination of the cheating nature of Blanco and company, simple economic considerations, and the intimidation officials feel at Azteca. It also could have been due to the number of Latin officials that were assigned to Mexico’s games against non-Spanish speaking countries. CONCACAF without Mexico, is in terms of power like Oceania was before Australia left. The prospect of Mexico being eliminated at an early stage of qualifying must have shook Jack Warner tremendously.
Kartik throws so much shit up against the wall that it's hard to unravel the legitimate points from the nonsense. So far I agree with this:
- Concacaf refs are bad
- Blanco is unsporting
- Refs can be easily intimidated by crowd at Azteca
Quote:
When the English codified the rules for Football, little did they imagine that unsporting cheats like Blanco would eventually reign supreme in the sport. Nor did they imagine that the entire culture around Mexican Football would take on an encouragement, and even congratulation for cheating. It seems that in some cultures, dynamic play is encouraged, while in Mexican Football, putting one past the official is rewarded.
Quote:
The behavior of Blanco and other Mexican players has a dramatic affect on potential fans in the US: we are a culture that encourages hard work and rewards effort. Our players, for the most part do not dive and do not attempt to coax the match officials into making calls. We are an honest people, and with our triumph in the Hex, and honest culture has one over a dishonest one (Mexican Football).
Much like the English, who for years played about the most honest brand of football imaginable, staying true to the roots of the game, a foreign invasion of players, begins to undermine the integrity of what MLS (or USL) can or should be. It’s not just the integrity of the game that gets hurt, but the willingness of average American sports fans to understand and appreciate it. Obviously, foreign players must be brought stateside to grow the game and culture of the game. But dishonest players like Blanco, undermine the cause. The Marufo incident just serves to further that perception.
The Mexican style of Football, best exemplified by Blanco, will never sell among middle class or working class American families. What’s worse is MLS, led by its marketing arm SUM has a vested interest in promoting El Tri and selling Mexico’s side to the American public. It has been said that MLS thrives largely due to the Mexican National Team: while this may be a slight exaggeration, it is not totally off base.
Much like the English, who for years played about the most honest brand of football imaginable, staying true to the roots of the game, a foreign invasion of players, begins to undermine the integrity of what MLS (or USL) can or should be. It’s not just the integrity of the game that gets hurt, but the willingness of average American sports fans to understand and appreciate it. Obviously, foreign players must be brought stateside to grow the game and culture of the game. But dishonest players like Blanco, undermine the cause. The Marufo incident just serves to further that perception.
The Mexican style of Football, best exemplified by Blanco, will never sell among middle class or working class American families. What’s worse is MLS, led by its marketing arm SUM has a vested interest in promoting El Tri and selling Mexico’s side to the American public. It has been said that MLS thrives largely due to the Mexican National Team: while this may be a slight exaggeration, it is not totally off base.
Thank you.
I guess there is something about lots of goals and attacking flair that American fans just will not stand for. Entertainment? Not for us, Americans. Give us generic, honest white-guys pounding the ball up and down route 1. That's the recipe to selling this game! "Give me Wolynec or give me death," I say.
Quote:
American football fans should reject the enemy within that encourages the FMF and SUM to continue to develop the sport in a way that contradicts our national fabric. Supporting players like Blanco, and his cheating ways only serves to undermine the vast potential the sport enjoys at home.
You want to fix diving - fix the rulebook. Sure Blanco is a jerk, but Blanco is a jerk not because he's Mexican, but because the rulebook and feckless referees allow him to be. Further, discrediting this gibberish of an article is its complete ignorance of Blanco's biggest issue - his continued propensity to violence on and off the field. If you want to hang Blanco for something, hang him for that, not diving.
It does no one any good to go around blaming unsporting play on the national character of Mexicans. Athletes are athletes and thus they will try and gain an edge, whether it's through stealing signs, flopping in the lane, or gouging in the pile after a fumble. It's up to our rulemakers and sports leadership to ensure that they make the risk/reward formula ensure players think twice before cheating.
Muttering on about how cheating in inherent in the character of Mexicans and all the other "Latins"* does no one any good whatsoever.
*And I use "Latin" in the traditional English commentator way, which can be defined as any player:
- Whose name ends in a vowel
- Who has ever had a tan
- Who is from anywhere outside of England, Scotland, Scandinavia, or Germany
Share
Post a Comment
Total Comments 15
Comments
-
Gee, Aaron. Thanks for reminding me of MLSR and their "exposee", or however it is you spell that damn word.Posted 19 Oct 2009 at 12:55 PM by Timon19 
-
I'll say it again, Aaron. Rebutting lunatics like Kartik Krishnayer or Jim Inhofe lends them credibility that they don't deserve.Posted 19 Oct 2009 at 01:07 PM by Q*bert Jones III 
-
Did they ever do Part II of that?Posted 19 Oct 2009 at 01:46 PM by Dan Loney
-
Isn't KK supposed to be a contributor to that site full of scummy vermin, as well? Or am I getting it wrong?
Posted 19 Oct 2009 at 04:11 PM by Timon19
-
What about Soccer House?Posted 19 Oct 2009 at 04:31 PM by Mike Gray
-
Only in their own minds. They're just Big Soccer posters who had the sense to buy a good domain name and developed some passable SEO skills.Quote:"Isn't MLS Soccer News Topics and the *Talk network of sites ostensibly a major and serious player in the coverage of soccer in the United States."
Posted 20 Oct 2009 at 08:57 AM by monster
-
And actually, I've been asked to set the record straight. The current bag (bought by the players in South Africa) is Louis Vitton, not Gucci.Quote:Originally Posted by Timon19
Gee, Aaron. Thanks for reminding me of MLSR and their "exposee", or however it is you spell that damn word.Posted 20 Oct 2009 at 09:01 AM by AndyMead
-
Well, I make typos that can't be spotted by spellcheck, either.Quote:We are an honest people, and with our triumph in the Hex, and honest culture has one over a dishonest one (Mexican Football).
Besides, it's nice to know that we can finally unwind, relax, and judge people on whether or not they can pass the paper bag test.
MLSTalk - it's national AND social!
Reading the whole thing. Reading the comments. May not do anything else this week. Including sleep and eat.Posted 20 Oct 2009 at 03:13 PM by Dan Loney
-
This post has stolen my soul.
"Well done, Sir Horton! A codified set of rules for the game of football!"Quote:When the English codified the rules for Football, little did they imagine that unsporting cheats like Blanco would eventually reign supreme in the sport. Nor did they imagine that the entire culture around Mexican Football would take on an encouragement, and even congratulation for cheating.
"Hold on a moment, Sir Nigel...what if these rules cause Mexican football to adopt a culture of cheating?"
"By Jove, Sir Horton, hadn't thought of that. Best to forget the whole business and get back to the fox huntin', what?"
"Pip pip cheerio!"
I'm unclear on this - you're saying they tripped over one another, or something?Quote:Nor should anyone forget the cries of pain two Mexican players who tripped over one another attempted to demonstrate when they tripped over one another in Honduran 18’ drawing a frivolous PK, earlier in qualifying.
Theoretically - and I'm the last guy to tell someone to cheer against the Fire - but wouldn't the superior cultural honesty of Brian McBride balance this out?Quote:Blanco makes me and should make all those who believe in the integrity of the sport want to cheer against the Chicago Fire.
If Blanco is such an evil force, shouldn't he have won more trophies in MLS by now? And by more, I mean, any.Quote:The shirtgate scandal where Blanco handed Jair Marufo his jersey after Marufo had given the Fire, Mexican like officials treatment versus Columbus earlier this year should have come as no surprise to those watch football throughout this region.
Hi. I'd point out everything that's wrong with this, but I'm being kicked to death by Nobby Stiles and Vinnie Jones.Quote:Much like the English, who for years played about the most honest brand of football imaginable, staying true to the roots of the game, a foreign invasion of players, begins to undermine the integrity of what MLS (or USL) can or should be.
Although I'm glad finally someone has the courage to speak out against immigrants playing soccer.
This isn't any more inherently obvious than the idea that a foreign "invasion" is undermining MLS' precious bodily fluids, of course.Quote:Obviously, foreign players must be brought stateside to grow the game and culture of the game.
This was such a pure and pleasant league before that serpent Blanco spoiled our Eden.Quote:But dishonest players like Blanco, undermine the cause. The Marufo incident just serves to further that perception.
I'd respond to this in more detail, but Roger Clemens came over and asked me to stick a needle in his ass.Quote:The behavior of Blanco and other Mexican players has a dramatic affect on potential fans in the US: we are a culture that encourages hard work and rewards effort.
No words. They should have sent a poet.Quote:Our players, for the most part do not dive and do not attempt to coax the match officials into making calls.
Where to begin.Quote:The Mexican style of Football, best exemplified by Blanco, will never sell among middle class or working class American families. What’s worse is MLS, led by its marketing arm SUM has a vested interest in promoting El Tri and selling Mexico’s side to the American public. It has been said that MLS thrives largely due to the Mexican National Team: while this may be a slight exaggeration, it is not totally off base.
MLS/SUM also has a vested interest in those ubiquitous club tours from Spain, Italy and England.
Mexico's national team has a pre-existing base in this country. Some of that fan base aren't just immigrants, they are legal and bonafide Americans. Some are even middle- or working-class.
By and large, American fans who support Mexico tend to have Mexican ancestry, but we're not disqualifying citizenship based on ancestry, are we?
Even if we are - SUM isn't promoting the Mexican team to neutrals, they're filling a demand in the marketplace. If it's about promoting Mexican soccer, where's the MWNT tour?
"The enemy within." I am very happy and comfortable with referring to fellow fans like that.Quote:American football fans should reject the enemy within that encourages the FMF and SUM to continue to develop the sport in a way that contradicts our national fabric. Supporting players like Blanco, and his cheating ways only serves to undermine the vast potential the sport enjoys at home.
Can you imagine, by the way, what this guy's reaction would be if a Mexican team were to operate a club team in MLS?
God forbid one comes to that conclusion!Quote:This post is not meant to take away from Mexico’s stellar play of late.
For my next trick, I will dive into the comments. I have high hopes.Posted 20 Oct 2009 at 04:16 PM by Dan Loney
Updated 20 Oct 2009 at 09:55 PM by Dan Loney -
Bill Laimbeer stopping by MLSTalk.Quote:Diving is killing the beautiful game just like the flop is destroying basketball.
I wish there was a quick way to convey audible laughter on my part. Like, an acronym, or something.Quote:Kartik, I appreciate the journalistic integrity if nothing else.
Happened all the time, except when it didn't.Quote:I pretty much watched every game during this CONCACAF qualifying and I can tell you that any team that played against mexico in some way got screwed unless it was a game that revenues enough money that the outcome wouldn’t have mattered. Like the first USA vs Mexico game, the El Salvador Vs Mexico game in El Salvador and a few others.
See, now this is something we can all agree on.Quote:I will say this also, that Blanco is a piece of crap! He beats his wife, doesn’t pay child support, is a bad sportsmen, just an all around piece of crap that somehow seems to be praised in his country like a god. Its sad….
Well, that makes it all better. Anyone else care to speculate why a Sounders fan forgets to mention Ljungberg and Le Toux?Quote:I chose Seattle Sounders FC at the start of the season. Even though they don’t play so beautifully most of the time, I do enjoy their grit. All of it comes from the American players (Jaqua, Levesque, Keller, et al). HOWEVER, I cannot stand Fredy Montero. There, I said it. He dives all the time. It’s a disgrace. He rolls around on the ground. Even though he leads the team in goals, I would honestly prefer if he were not on the team. Montero is Columbian, not Mexican.
Well, the important thing is that he's safe.Quote:I am safe in speaking for all Canadian soccer fans reading this article as well. You have strong support from Canada for what you have written here. It may have been hard for you to write this, but you’ve told the truth and we give you many salutes from north of the border.
For those of you DO remember that offside call, it wasn't anywhere near this egregious. It was a call that had huge consequences, but any game picked at random will have a more obvious blown call.Quote:Thanks! Canada has been as we all know eliminated from the last two Gold Cups on what can only be described as terrible calls, bordering on fixed calls. I should point out to those who may feel I am not objective that the US was the benificiary of one of those calls, which is among the worst referee mistakes any of us have ever seen.
The fact that a CONCACAF official did not realize you could not be offsides on a back pass still blows my mind two and a half years later!
By the way, don't you hate it when bloggers comment in their own comment threads? LAME
Truer words etc. etc. Some of the reactions around here when the US plays Mexico are along the lines of "Well, Ronald Reagan's contras killed my father, but on the other hand, F*** MEXICO."Quote:In fact, most other Spanish speaking countries in CONCACAF DETEST Mexico so if anything, having non-Mexican referees would go against El Tri.
Yeah, but unless Donovan found somewhere to wash his hands, I'd probably just wanna wave at him, too, y'know?Quote:I try to like Mexico but just when I’ve warmed to them they remind me of their paranoia, triumphalism, cheating, hot-headedness and the kind of dishonesty that dwells on Donovan’s taking a piss in the corner of an empty stadium while overlooking their players consistent refusal to shake hands after having lost.
Yes, how dare you ruin our conversation about Mexican cultural inferiority with incivility.Quote:I stand behind what I said and will not accept any foul language from you or anyone else.
In the words of the Small Faces, it's all too beautiful.Quote:Spelling an grammatical errors aside, you’re out and out wrong on this.
Fine, I know that it's semantics in the same way that "Semitic" is, but it's very funny that somehow Italy no longer qualifies as "Latin."Quote:With the exception of Brazil, there has never been a legitimate Latin World Champion; without the hand of God, Latin football would already have been exposed as the farce that it is. Put any Latin team, again save Brazil, into a match against England – use a German or Italian ref – and watch them get absolutely anhialated by superior teamwork and discipline.
One of these things is not like the other....Quote:Guys on clubs that matter, like Arsenal, Tottenham, Barcelona, West Ham and Shakhtar.
I admit it, I laughed.Quote:FAIL just like the whore of a mother that failed in that abortion that created you..
Can't we just agree that Mexicans are a despicable people? Why the rudeness?Quote:Why can’t we all just get along? This discussion should focus on how we can better the game, instead, of hurling insults.
Yes, who'd have imagined a long article denoucing an ethnic culture would be motivated by ethnic or cultural feelings.Quote:I admire your courage in publishing such a piece. The above comments that claim your comments where motivated by ethnic or cultural feelings are shameful. Those that know you even from online contact only, should know you have feelings of goodwill towards all men
I know how you feel. You wouldn't BELIEVE the flak I got when I wrote my controversial blog post, "It's Elizabeth Smart's Own Fault For Dressing Like a Cocktease."Quote:Boy, part of me now wishes I had never posted this. I did not foresee so much hatred and petty name calling coming from it.
What the ******** does that even mean?Quote:But I do accept responsibility for my words and the content.
Okay, only a couple of things can happen here. I'm pretty sure what follows isn't going to make people go "Ohhhh, NOW I understand," like that sketch Michael O'Donoghue had about how the concentration camp guard had a really, really GOOD REASON for the Holocaust.Quote:Thus, here is a short digest of what I was thinking:
So, that leaves two options. One, the abject apology. Two, he says something that makes it worse. Let's see which one Kartik goes with.
Okay, so, both Mexico and the US benefit from official bias, but they cheat and we don't? This isn't Burger King, you can't have it both ways. (You know what I mean.)Quote:The US as well often benefits within CONCACAF from favorable, English speaking officials. Both benefit from reputation as well.
As far as the game in the US, if players like Blanco, et al are the examples of the sport that are to be put forward, the game is doomed to failure stateside. We like our sportsman too be virtuous, not cheats.
And the hell we don't like cheaters. We watch cheaters every damned week. The World Series might have A-Roid against a guy who tried to get pregnant over the winter, and that will be a ratings explogasm.
In the words of the Gospel of Luke, horseshit. Pretending that cheating didn't exist before continental snakes taught the art of deception to doe-eyed Anglo-Saxons is laughable. EDIT - remember, HACKING IS CHEATING JUST AS MUCH AS DIVING IS.Quote:But it wasn’t always that way- the current generation of English footballers began imitating the “cosmopolitan” continental footballers about ten years ago and now dive as much as anyone else.
Oh...he chose a third way. Insanity.Quote:I don’t want to see the US team, a multi ethnic cornucopia, and cosmopolitan at its core (although it is still a bit too white and suburban for me) go down that same route.
Yeah, if there's one thing that burns my balls about the USMNT, it's how white Altidore, Bocanegra, Howard and Onyewu are. Why do Bornstein and Ching have to be such WASPs? Why do guys like DeMerit, Bradley and Spector get their club jobs because of their suburban upbringing? Why are we allowing kids from rich families like Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan to hold the national team back from greatness?
Handy rule of thumb - when you're saying "I'm part American Indian," you're pretty much saying "My great-granddad was a rapist." Hope this helps.Quote:well jeff if you must know im comanchee, cherokee, irish, scottish, brittish, french, german, and italian heritage.
I'll be honest. This isn't the first time I've given this post and comment thread a standing ovation, and by God I know it won't be the last. I'm gonna get that comment tattooed on me so I don't forget it, like the guy in "Memento."Quote:Kartik, you did nothing wrong. you just expressed an oppion and the haters attacked you for it. Mexican is not a race so you are not a racist. i applaud you for standing your ground. hispanics are a race not Mexicans.
It did in fact cross my mind that some of these guys might be trolls. But, they can't ALL be trolls, can they?Quote:if you wanna talk racism look at chivas guadlupee
...can they?Quote:It is the Mexican fans who choose Cobi Jones and Gooch as villians because they happened to be black and this scary.
...no, really, I mean...some of this has to be sincere posting from real people, right?Quote:No one in the States wants to call Mexico on its tradtion of terrible sportsmanship. You have. You have also, perhaps unwittingly, called attention to Mexico’s tradition of hostility towards dissent and criticism. Factual, educated assertions on this thread that don’t cheerlead for Mexico have been give the thumbs down. That’s the dirty little secret and it goes beyond Mexico: Either you express a spirit of awed advocacy or you’re a racist; and while you’re expected to laud the inherent poetry of the Latin game, you can’t praise Anglo-Saxon sporting culture.
Good night, everybody!Quote:The key difference is that the US players don’t dive and simulate to get the calls. So they are not trying to knowlingly decieve the officials.Posted 20 Oct 2009 at 06:08 PM by Dan Loney
Updated 20 Oct 2009 at 09:51 PM by Dan Loney (I SPOTTED some TYPOS, and so I'm CORRECTING them. SEE HOW THIS WORKS?!)
|
Post a Comment
|
Total Trackbacks 0
