1. DUDE??????????????????????????? THE 1988-92 ERA DETROIT PISTONS ANYONE? Seriously man, if you want to blame the Knicks for playing Defense, fine, but spend at least 10 seconds realizing that their style was very much an outgrowth of the Pistons smacking the Lakers around in the NBA finals, not to mention the entire league. They were around first, and were entirely more dirty than the Knicks. And Oak's policy was that if you come into the paint, you better bring it, because he was there to take the charge- even if it meant killing you to do it. How is that any different than Tony Adams? Or Roy Keane? He was physical, not dirty the way Laimbeer was, not dirty the way Rodman was (it got worse as time went on). And don't even get me started on PJ Brown... 2. Agree w/ everything else. The guy is a d!ck, and is clearly trying to blame the US for something like buying the company that made his favorite brand of cat food and changing the recipe. Zero mention of the fact that Italy has been throwing matches for well over 50 years. Is that not the evidence of a cynical approach to the game, of a win at all costs approach? People willing to CHEAT to win is a lot more loathsome than those being defensive about it. And, why is it everytime that Brazil doesn't win 6-0 they start jumping off of bridges about how it's the end of jogo bonito and the dawn of the "8-1-1 formation and win on PKs" era of soccer? And, speaking of fooking which, didn't Brazil just WIN the confederations cup, playing attacking soccer? One damn libertadores game goes to sh!t and it's on us for ruining a country that's been playing for 100 years? Wasn't Maradona trying to win at all costs when he put the ball in the net with his hand in a World Cup? Hello? Also, note that our team doesn't play that way. We are far less cynical and defensive than our surrounding concacaf neighbors (guats leap to mind, among others), and I would argue than half of the teams in England. If our cultural influence is so overwhelming, why is it that our soccer culture doesn't exhibit the traits suggested to be consuming Brazil? Surely, this monster of capitalism would have eaten us first, no? I think he's just upset because the FBI asked him to throw out all of his Cat Stevens records.
He needs to look at his own freaking country. They have a website devoted specifically to keep clubs afloat. Its called clubsincrisis.com. Does anyone remember how Bradford a former Prem club only 4 years ago almost folded? If he wants to fingeerpoint about the decline in Brazillian football, do not blame the U.S. Blame people like Roman Abromovich who throw competitive balance out of whack. It's the case everywhere, there are a few superclubs which suck up all the cash, and leave smaller clubs fighting for their life. If you want better football, make sure all teams have good players, and stop blaming us for everything wrong with the world.
"In a country whose income distribution is among the most unfair in the world, the import of US-style consumer culture has further emphasized the brutal division between a few haves and the vast majority of have-nots." Hey, this isn't original. Marx wrote it about England long ago. It's this guy's turn to dream. Kick him aside and get on with football.
[Johnny Most] Laimbeer is a hack. He is a pure and simple hack and it's outrageous that he's allowed to get away with it. Bill Laimbeer is the dirtiest player in the league.[/Johnny Most]
This guy has it nailed. I happen to know for a fact that 67.9876% of Brazilian footballers, and 53.2476% of the general Brazilian population wake up every morning thinking to themselves, "hmmmmm, how can I be more like an American today?"
LOL, you wouldn't be too far off there though. Seriously. The US does after all export a lot of culture.
Ah, so if we export our pedestrian, flairless football (NCAA, lower USL divisions, Kansas City Wizards) to other countries the US will win a World Cup by DUMBING DOWN the rest of the Football World. It's diabolically brilliant! At least the author didn't claim that the US made Brazilian football worse by existing and causing severe concentric circle of "Non-Footballing culture" Radiation throughout the Entire Western Hemisphere, causing all South American football to decline.
As I said earlier, the article is nonsense. However, Iplayedforchelsea's joke actually has a bit of truth in it. People have role models and people and things they aspire to. The US exports a lot of these ideas. Again, the article is nonsense, the joke that the other poster made however is not without a bit of unintentional truth.
I'd say that that stuff is more imported than exported. You don't export stuff that people don't buy. Semantics, really.
You called it, IP4C. How can Americans export culture to Brazil? No Americans speak Portuguese except for Mormon missionaries and maybe Zack Thornton learned a little. (Disclaimer: Eu hablo Portunol muito bien.)
I know a tad of Portuguese: I am currently downing my 5th Miller Lite Cerveja I learned that in Lisboa
Well, as he pointed out, it's a question of semantics. You have corporate exports (Coca-Cola etc.) but the cultural stuff is mostly imported (TV), but also exported (movies). Anyways, the point is, that whether people realize it or not kids do think "I want to be like so and so". Some of those "so-and-so"s are American role-models, some are Brazilian, some are European, etc. etc.
Roman is using Chelsea F.C. to launder "his" money......wasn't he selling home made dolls out of a one bedroom Moscow apartment when he met Boris Yeltsin ?.....then all of a sudden he owns all the oil in Siberia.....or is it Serbia...?....never can get it straight between them...
ach, ombak...brazilian in washington....we have changed already our opinions in thread about confedcup.... concerning USA is blamed for decline in brazilian football....I would not blame USA...I would "blame" brazilian who can voluntary and let themself to export from USA...just joking here araund....I think people decide to go and to play in the USA because they WANT....we German use to "import" many good players as well...even Americans..like Cherundulo.. we tried to get Landon,but he did not let himself to "import" from us.. and I know many Americans would be happy to be "imported" from England, Germany, Spain or Italy.....and even some German even they are proud of their nationality don´t have problem to "import" themself to USA...like Nowitzky for basketball....soccer players can decide themself today in which country they want to play...money play very important role in their choose.. it is natural.... so conclusion is i would not blame USA for the decline in brazilian footbal or soccer. ... your bltleo
Where will our cultural imperialism end ?!?! We are like parasites of the face of globe. We have corrupted everything. Now this. Is there nothing sacred left anymore? At the moment I am feeling so badly about myself right about now.
don´t feel so badly..we all are capitalists ....everyone thinks only of their own benefit...this is natural....even every nation like Germany or USA think of their benefit.....and even german or american soccer and their players thinks just on their benefit.... soccer player today don´t play because they only like it, but because they can earn a lot of money...especially in England, Germany etc. i don´t think americans or germans have corrupted anything... we just are a bit selfish..but every of us thinks just of himself/herself ....this is normal... bltleo
Say what ?!?! Eu falo o portugues, nao muito bem, mas Eu posso falar y nao sou Mormon nem sou Zach Thornton. I can speak Portugues, not really well but I can speak it. And I'm not Mormon nor am I Zach Thorton. I'm just a Brutha from da hood, from East Baltimore. I get your point. I just had to mess with ya. There might be a bit more of us than you think that don't fall into one of those two illustrious categories but your point is well noted. Commerce and ca$h speak for themselves. Supply and demand, baby. After reading that quote, the author convinced me: The US sucks. I'm leaving the first chance I get.
y'all don't worry. when you start to see a little success, people start to hate. if you can handle success it's like water off a duck's back. if not, you get pissed and start attacking cameramen.
That's pretty much how it reads to me, too. If the guy does any free-lancing, there's about a 95.4567% likelihood that this is exactly what happened.