Good job living in England and stubbornly refusing to give up the word “soccer.” Way to keep it real! USA USA USA!
I got in the habit of saying “football” when French was my primary languages (“football” being French for “football”) and my American friends would use it in the lazy code-switcher’s Franglais we used with each other.
Coming to China, it seemed stupid to switch back to a word that nobody uses here and most people don’t understand. Chinese English learners are noticeably less knowledgeable about regional dialects that Brits, if you can believe it. I get sick of explaining my Americanisms sometimes, and sometimes it’s easier to just say the British word that I know people understand to begin with. In any case, I feel like an asshole when we are having an in-depth discussion about things and I’m the only one who keeps using this bizarre word nobody else uses. When I get back to America, I’ll probably switch back to soccer for that very reason.
Fuck it. I’ve got too many languages and cultures floating around in my head. I don’t even know where I am or who I’m talking to these days. Sorry if I can’t please ya with this one.
I too find the kazoos annoying in the TV coverage–though somewhat less so now that I know what they are. When I tried to watch the Confederations Cup I thought at first it was just appallingly bad broadcast engineering.
But I think I basically agree with even sven. This is South Africa’s World Cup. This is what South Africans do at football games, apparently. Whether those of us watching the broadcasts in other places are annoyed shouldn’t be anyone’s main concern. It’s not about us.
Tailgating at American football games (and certain other sporting events and concerts) is most certainly a cultural expression. Some fans do indeed consider an indispensable part of the experience and tradition. It’s too bad if your local crew can’t do it without leaving a bunch of trash on the ground.
I watched the World Cup a bit out of idle curiousity. But there was the horrible buzzing noise, I thought the channel was fucked up and turned to another channel. You can have your vuvuzelas, and your soccer. I need neither.
It is their choice. For approximately 3 1/2 more weeks they can annoy everybody with their ridiculous horns. They absolutely have that right.
Fortunately for the rest of the world, they will never get to host another World Cup if they want to take that position. The players can’t stand it, the announcers can’t stand it, and everybody who isn’t blowing one of the horns can’t stand it. It’s a classic case of a few ruining it for everybody else, and in this case they are ruining the first world Cup ever hosted in Africa.
Thank God we need only “respect their culture” for a few more weeks, then never again.
What nonsense. If you go to a place expecting loud music you have no right to demand that they turn it down. If I go to a soccer game I have the right to watch a soccer game, not have someone blow into a horn loud enough to cause permanent hearing damage.
One is integral to the experience, and one is ancillary to it.
Now you’re just being stupid, and intentionally so. And all this over a ridiculous horn that is causing people to raise legitimate complaints.
Oh, You, you, you–this all what YOU did and what YOU would do. Who made you arbiter for the rest of the world’s behavior? The horns are rude. I honestly wouldn’t mind them if they did at goal scoring or something freakish happened on the field (sorry, pitch) or when the refs make a bad call. But it’s constant. It is better, but it’s a constant drone that is unnerving after a bit when you’re watching on TV–as is most of the world.
You might wish to consider that some people express an opinion (a gripe even) without making a statement as a spokesperson for the human race. I do not like soccer. The TV has soccer on because another member of this household likes and watches soccer. The noise is annoying. The OP mentioned the noise was a factor preventing enjoyment. I concur.
Whether any other human being on this planet likes what I have to say about it, it’s my opinion. MY opinion. I don’t care whether you like it or not. So there.
(By the way, I was content to let your remarks about my other post pass, on the grounds that you have a right to your opinion, too. It just appears you don’t really enjoy other people stating opinions without it becoming Vox Populi.)
You really have no idea what a silly twat you’re coming off as. I give you one guess what the sport of kicking a ball around is most commonly known as IN SOUTH AFRICA. Let’s see how much attention you paid, what was the name of the stadium where the first game of this tournament was played?
You are SO amazing! Now why don’t you STFU in all those languages and cultures.
She was responding to Dio’s remarks about her use of the word “football.” And her point was that she was going along with the prevailing usage.
In some cases, it’s the American’s insistence on retaining his own native usage which becomes the weird affectation.
Yes, Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg, next door to the South African Football Association.
Happy Poster’s link was interesting to me in that, while discussing widespread loathing for the vuvuzela, it also highlighted the European fans who have taken up the thing, and the sale of “1.5 million vuvuzelas in Europe since October.” :eek:
What the hell – I’ll field this one with a google-free educated guess:
They’re both formations, probably listing the number of backfield, midfield and foward players. If you’re playing with a lead, move an extra player to the backfield for a more defensive structure. If you’re behind, have the extra man take more of an offensive role.
Wrong. It is the World Cup being hosted in South Africa. It belongs to the world. The world is competing, the world is watching, and it is a world event. South Africa is merely the host. If South Africans want to play their horns at South African matches then so be it, but they have no business showing up to the Italy/Paraguay match blowing on their fucking kazoos for two hours with no intention whatsoever in actually watching the sport.
South Africans have no concept of what it means to be a good host. The goal of hosting (whether it be a dinner party or a world event) is to make your guests comfortable and provide them with a good time. Hosting is not about the host, it is about the guests. If the host has a good time at the expense of the guests then the host has failed miserably.
Of course it is South Africans that are really hurt the most for this. From this point forward South African soccer will be known for one thing: fans who like to play with cheap, annoying children’s noisemakers. It will never matter how well a South African team plays, or whether a great player comes from that nation. Nope. From now on South African soccer = childish annoying wankers. South Africa will never get another World Cup. And the rest of Africa should be pissed too, because frankly this shit is going to seriously harm the chances of another sub-Saharan nation hosting the Cup, whether that is fair or not.
People say the same thing about sushi and frankly most of the sushi eaten in this country is little more than raw fish… you know like Gollum eats.
I have a problem with a game where all the players routinely engage in melodramatic contortions of pain whenever they get hipchecked. What kind of lesson does that teach?
Good luck on understanding soccer, its one merit is that the low scoring means that even the world cup doesn’t take 5 minutes to cover on sports center.
Only four countries have ever gotten to host a second World Cup, and all four of them got their first way back when the only possible venues were Europe or South and Central America. Well, except for Mexico, which got its second just 16 years after its first because the Colombian economy collapsed after it won the hosting vote and Mexico was the only eligible nation which could afford to put together a hosting bid in 4 years.
The odds of South Africa getting another World Cup in our lifetimes are slim to nonexistent, vavuzelas or no.
Well, she is pious git, but her adoption of the word football only makes sense given she’s overseas. Americans blithering on about soccer overseas when everyone says football is tedious.
Anyway, the idea of thousands of Scots on bagpipes was amusing, but I have to say although the bloody V horns should be banned, I give them credit for this (from the arty):
She was responding to Dio’s remarks about her use of the word “football.” And her point was that she was going along with the prevailing usage.