BTW, I looked forever on the net trying to find the quote you are referring to where he snubbed Canada, I didnt find any. I saw that he said Canada wasnt interested in him, but I never saw a snub. perhaps one of the haters can find us the link
this is interesting: http://www.goal.com/en-us/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=312456 seems Owen's older bro (who was born in England) played for Canada at the youth level. So is he a traitor also? he wasnt born in Canada, but played for Canada.
There's no link - it was broadcast on national television on Rogers Sportsnet around 1999 or 2000 (it may have still been CTV Sportnet at the time) on SoccerCentral. Those of us who have followed the Canadian National team & local pro soccer in Toronto for years all remember it well.
I think a lot of this has to do with our passion for the national team that has struggled to live up to expectations for too many years. Owen is a great soccer player and no one is disputing that. The main issue is that he is a product of the Canadian Soccer Association and we need him and others with his skill to represent us if we want to get out of our 90th ranking. When Brett Hull left...I nor any of my friends gave a crap because we had enough equal talent to replace him with. In Hargreaves case, we don't have an excess of talent to just let him walk away without a fight. Jono's case is a bit different becauase he left at a much younger age and made it clear that he wanted to play for Neatherlands. I'm not happy with the decision but I hope he does well for the country that took him in and molded him into the player he is today. Hargraves is a jerk-off because he jerked us around and deep down we really want someone with his talent to join our squad. Especially because England could replace him much easier then our Nats would beable to
No, totally wrong as a few others have already pointed out. It's bad enough that you are trying to justify Hargreaves decision on the basis of what other players have decided to do, it is even worse that you don't even have your facts remotely straight. Please do some research before you start accusing people on this forum of being hypocrites.
Any "bittnerness" on my part passed a long time ago....I go over his decision shortly after it happened. I would be annoyed if he was signed by TFC but I would hardly be burning my tickets or anything like that. The only thing that is annoying as narduch has mentioned, is when people try to defend Hargreaves' decision (or chuck out insults at those who condemn it) on the basis of incorrect facts, which is what we are seeing a lot of in this thread.
Yes he is and that's a point of contention among some France supporters. Personally, i feel uneasy about the ordeal. Though now that history has run it's course i couldn't imagine him not scoring that goal in Euro 2000. But really, he probably should have played for Argentina. I also feel France tries to pinch too many players that really are not French. Gonzalo Higuain was courted by Domenech and that's plain wrong. The guy is Argentine thru and thru and just happened to be born in France.
If Hargreaves did say that quote (link anyone) about just happening to be born in Canada then I have lost respect for him but I still dont condemn his decision to play for England. de Guzman was born n raised in Canada...whoc ares if the Netherlands 'molded' him, he has no parental lineage there so I think he's more of a traitor than Hargreaves.
And, who interviewed Hargreaves? Was it Canadian, or British media? If the actual interviewer was from British media, then, of course, Hargreaves would respond as he did, in consideration of the British fans... Golly, would he say "Oh, I'm Canadian. I just happen to have British parents." AS IF! But if the situation were the other way around (leaving England to play in Canada), I'm sure he would metion how he enjoyed and appreciated his Canadian upbringing... It's all standard athlete responses. As such, I really don't take media interviews to heart... Often interviewees are led to some of the responses we've seen... To ask about his background is irrelevant to his skill. I can understand why athletes sometimes respond the way they do.
Ask, and it shall be given: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/6234501.stm http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/story/2006/12/19/owen-hargreaves.html
He turned his back on canada, from that point on he should be ignored. And he doesn't want anything to do with us anyway, so we should treat him the same way. The arguments used to defend him make no sense. My family is exactly the same as his was with the exception, that i was actually not born in Canada. I will never understand how he makes the comments he does or his actions. If he isn't a canadian who is? I'm proud of my hertiage and homeland, but i am now a canadian. We came here for a better life and to make this our home. At what point do you become canadian? I love my heritage but could never do what he did. The bigger problem is the lack of national pride by canadians. As a pround canadian, i cannot understand any of the arguments in support of him. National team should not be chosen on world ranking or where you dad or grandfather or great grandfather is from. I really hope JDG2 doesn't follow a similar path. If you want to play in the world cup, make your natioanl team better, don't look for a free ride. If either of these guys hurt their leg, when they we young and weren't playing football, they would be walking around Canada, raising their kids, talking with canadian accents and using canadian passports. Without football they would be canadians. Although i'm sure O.H. would be telling his kids "you were born here and will be raised here but you aren't canadian, your english ... remember that son!" He is and always will be a scumbag, in my eyes.
All of the Heargaves appologists dissapoint me. It's so plainly clear that he has disrespected Canada. It's sad because he has had chances to "make things right" and do the "honourable" thing, but he doesn't choose to do so. He lacks class. If he likes it or not he IS a Canadian national. Just not a very good one. I guess it's not good enough for him and his fake British accent. P.s. I wonder what his parents actually think of his attitude?
So-called "Canadians" disrespect Canada every day. Littering, running stoplights and stop signs, jaywalking, use of inappropriate language in front of children, butting in line at Tim Horton's, politicians' personal agendas, political apathy (failing to vote, yet complaining about the government), residing in Barabdos to avoid paying Canadian taxes (why should we cheer for Eugene Melnyk's Senators?), etc. And, the above are things that people do consciously. I will easily dismiss something an athlete has said hastily in an interview well before any of the above.
My dad was actually ticketed for jaywalking a number of years ago... But yes, jaywalking... Especially those people that jaywalk while opposing cars are supposed to have the advanced green to be able to turn left... I never jaywalk in front of children. I don't want to be a bad example -- Like my dad.
Anyone who jaywalks or swears in front of kids is disrespecting Canada? Man they should just take my citizenship away from me, I must disrespect this country at least 5 times a day according to your logic. LOL...some people are just ........
Firstly, the beginning comments are ridiculous. Secondly, why would you assume that what OH said in his interview was said with haste? It doesn't seem like it to me. Has he ever appologized to Canadians for his comments? He has essentially written of his "Canadian status/citizenship" as a technicality. That's insulting. Furthermore, this anti Canadian stance of his has gone way beyond simply choosing to play for England over Canada. A "classy" position for him to have takne would have been a statement along the lines of "Because of my family's background, i can play for England and i am doing so because it will benefit my developement as a soccer player. sorry CSA, but this is better for me." Hell, it seems like the OBVIOUS stance to take. But instead he is saying that even though he was born in Canada, he ISN'T s Canadian, but is an Englishman who happened to be born here becuase of his parents. yeah. real nice.
No one mentioned that the Austrailian National team suited up 3 players of Czech desent in the World Cup. Camaronesi's family is Italian, after World War II a lot of Italians fled to South America (mainly Brazil and Argentina) to avoid persecution from being aligned w/Nazi Germany.
Being Canadian is about being good, polite, and respected. "I don't know Jimmy, Sally, or Suzy from Canada, although I'm certain they're really really nice." My point is that Hargreaves' response to British media is being taken too seriously by a lot of people. I, like Hargreaves, happened to be born in Canada. It's a statement. It's a fact. What's wrong with it? Some people happen to be born in an elevator. When such people tell the story about being born in an elevator, I don't think they're intentionally trying to disrespect the elevator. People do worse things than answer a pointed interview question.
without trying to use or make up facts about his youth or what he said about Canadian soccer there is the simple idea that England's team is much better than Canada's. Given the opportunity who would rather play for a team that only plays a few friendlies and small international tournements over a team with more exposure and the chance to play in the World Cup and Euro Cup consistantly?