I think it's key you read it in context. He was commenting on people thinking he was German. People basing their arguement soley on that quote are just being f*cking petty.
whatever. He chose to take an anti-Canadian stance and clearly has nothing nice to say about our country. I'm not English, but i'm also not one of those people who cares if National teams consist of players solely born in that country. I don't see why English people would dislike him if he remained a "proud Canadian." Haven't people heard of dual citizenship? I am a dual citizen, and i am not ashamed of either of my nationalities. I embrace both. Personally, I feel screwed over by him as a (Canadian) soccer fan and i don't like him.
How can you play for a country that you've never even lived in????? the facts are he was born and raised in canada, left at 16 for germany, and has never lived in the UK. it's not like he was born here then moved back to england when he was 3 or 4. he came up through the CSA system. but thats all in the past, nothing we can do. we can force him to play for us and a wouldn't want him to come play for us. we dont need people that dont want to be here. so he can go to manchester, sip tea, and pretend to be a brit all he wants.
Hey, I agree that he would have been great for Canadian Soccer, and I, too, am disappointed with his decision. I just think it's ridiculous that people talk about him as if he just invaded Iraq.
For someone who has never lived in England, how the hell did he come up with his British accent? What a fake.
Who? People who love their country, obviously. That's what playing for your country is all about. Also I'm not sure what your first sentence is in aid of or who it is referring to.
THANK YOU! That's a healthy position. Also, I don't think i'm being overly critical of him. My criticisms are fair. But i'd still boo him. boo the hell out of him.
What's so wrong about what he said? It's true. Born in Canada to a British family, moved away in his teens.
Nobody is basing their argument solely on that quote, it's just another example that people point to as why they dislike Hargreaves. Many who disliked Hargreaves disliked him long before hearing that. And the context doesn't really change anything - there was no reason for him to add that final line "It just happened to be in Canada" - and it is tough to reconcile that line with those people who claim that Hargreaves is a "proud Canadian". No context in the world is going to make that line sound good.
It just hurts to see a Canadian turning his back on his country, after growing up in the system, to bring glory to another country. Hargreaves could've been a key piece to the puzzle to bring Canada back to the World Cup.
whoregreaves could play for who he wants; but since he turned his back on the country that he grew up in, learned the game in, stated publicly he wants to play for Canada; but then switched his mind - to me he is a traitor. He had the chance to help build the game in Canada around him; but he took the easy way, the easy money - for that, I have no respect for him.
I can't help myself... I have ZERO respect for OH. And, as an aside, I have very little respect for Canadians who enjoy every bit of the freedom and opportunity that this country provides for them, but then come out to the stadium and cheer against Canada in favour of their "homeland," which they have been to for a total of 8 days once on a family trip in grade 7. You're from Brampton, you idiots.... *cough* sorry... Anyway, back to OH. This is part of a post I made last summer. It sums up my feeling on our geographically confused friend: Here's the link to the thread I made the original post in: https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?p=7923130#post7923130 There is discussion about the "I'm going to play for Canada" comment.
Seriously people, read the quote, and don't read what you want to read into it, read what it actually says, word for word :"I think some people don't realise that. They think I'm half-German or something, but I'm not. I was brought up by a British family. It just happened to be in Canada." what gets people wrong is the "just" word he throws in there. that's what rubs people the wrong way. but he didnt obviously mean it as an insult to Canada, he meant it in the same way that when we get pulled over by the cops "I just didn't see the red light officer" now, put yourself in his situation. Actually, many of you are in similar situations, I have seen many people on here who are 2nd generation Canadians, and are clearly proud of their ethnicity and show it off, and consider themselves not Canadians, but (insert nationality)-Canadians. are you saying they shouldn't play for their respective homelands if they have the chance? (ie Italy, Spain, Latin American countries)
The kid grew up in Calgary. In my opinion, and others here, he's talking out of his ass. OH chose England over Canada. I don't agree with the choice, but I acknowledge that it was his to make. However, he shouldn't expect (or more to the point his supporters shouldn't expect) Canadians, especially the few of us that are passionate about the Canadian national team, to then embrace him for it. You like him. Fine. Why can't you understand why we don't? It isn't that complicated and it has NOTHING to do with jealously. And if he ever appeared at BMO I suspect that you would be shocked and deeply offended by the very mean things that would be said by those of us in section 113.
If only those old farts in the CSA had two brains cells between them to bang together and create a thought with.....
It's not a question of "liking" him (to me). It's simply more a question of not reading more into his choice than needed and not put more emotional attachment to his choice than needed. I look at it without emotion. He had a choice between X countries to play for. He did lean toward playing for Canada for a while, but ultimately changed his mind. People do that kind of stuff all the time. I suppose you look at all half the hockey players on the German, Italy, etc. national teams as traitors to Canada as well? After all, quite a few of them are Canadian, but because of their heritage they qualify to play for another country and do. I will concede that they would probably never make our national squad, but that really isn't the point. Unless you feel that someone is only a "traitor" if they could have improved a given sports program and didn't? Cheers!
I couldnt care less if you hate him, I just don't like you to flame someone for comments that have been distorted and taken out of context. So you don't like him, that's fine, you don't have to call him a whore and go on endlessly like narduch has
i'd boo the crap out of hargreaves also. i couldn't care less how british he THINKS he is. i am a 1st generation canadian as well or according to owen's logic, an italian who just so happened to be born in canada. although if i had a choice to earn my living making millions in europe compared to barely a hundred thousand here in the MLS that's obviously a no-brainer. but regardless of how crap my NT is, on the national level, it's canadian red or nothing. all hargreaves is is a gloryhunting kunt and that seems to be getting overlooked in this thread.
But he only lived here till he was 15, and was raised in the British style. If he had of been raised by a regular Canadian family and not a british one (his father played in the prem remember), do you really think he would of been driven to play soccer as he has been? Now we could argue nature over nurture, but without his family history, do you really think he would have put as much effort into it? he lived here till he was 15, that is 1 year into high school, his formative years still lay ahead of him, he hardly has a connection to this country at all, unlike his detractors. He's almost lived in Germany for as long as he did in Canada, and unlike his time in Canada, he was mature and knew what was happening and exactly what nation pride was (unlike a child).
as in a family that has atleast spent a bit of time in Canada and has adjusted to the culture, whereas his family obviously didn't. I know for a fact that no one here can say there identity and their national pride was fully developed by the time they were 15. Or for that matter, anything about your personality at 15 years old that was fully developed besides your love of recess.
You know, I've seen this argument played out many times, on many boards, from many, many different viewpoints. But this may be... No. This is the dumbest position - pro or con - I have ever seen any one poster take on the issue of Owen Hargreaves.