As if the 2-0 win over Spain wasn't good enough, Jim Rome started off his show, which directly followed ESPN's coverage of the Nats match, by saying "Soccer Rules. Don't say I didn't tell ya". Please tell me someone recorded that.
Can we please enjoy the day without any threads or comments about Jim Rome? Close the thread. This is our day to celebrate. Let all the soccer haters join Jay Mariotti in hell. Go UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sarcasm. Dude is and always will be an a**! What do you expect from someone that is 4'6" with oreo cookie crumbs on his face!
It was definitely in response to the match, and yes, it was sarcasm, but it was desperate sarcasm that really said, "I can't say anything bad about that match" His voice was vulnerable, lacking his typical arrogance. It was definitely not a loud, exaggerated "SOCCER RULES". He might as well have chuckled "that was pretty cool"...his voice communicated the same thing. Clearly, the entire ESPN office watched the game in their studios as you can hear genuine excitement in the voice of their commentators...I've been watching the channel following the match and am repeatedly hearing this enthusiasm. Jim Rome's comment was a glorious moment of watching him "eat it", it was like an 80's movie in which the school bully is left behind as the school carries away the bully's longtime victim on their shoulders. Jim Rome followed the match like the rest of the ESPN studio and, like everyone else, he was enthralled by it.
I'd prefer Colin Cowherd to eat crow tomorrow morning. His inbox probably exploded after the match. If USA wins this on a 3rd miracle (Though I think we've over extended our miracle/tourney quota of 1/2), Rome will be forced to confront this situation and I will love to watch him squirm.
He was being sarcastic but at least he didn't outright diss the sport and team. He couldn't. They just shocked Spain!
The nats win over Spain was the lead topic on "Pardon the Interruption" and boths analysts gave the match + Nats nothing but love. Host Michael Raymond Wilbon actually had some good analysis about the significance of this win.
I watched it again on tape, and Rome was sarcastic in the manner that, he acted like he knew USA could do well all along, and win against the best. Another words he always thinks that the USMNT sucks, and that they would loss this game. So now it's his way of giving the USMNT credit.