What is it about soccer that so often generates violence among the fans? Egypt is the latest example, and while it may be the political unrest that was the real causal factor, the soccer match ignited the situation (pun intended). No Super Bowl, no matter how bitter the rivalry, would lead to what seems to be fairly frequent at soccer matches.
It's just one more thing about that sport I don't get. Maybe if I'd played soccer as a kid I would be more interested in it as a spectator sport now, but they hadn't invented it yet. It's the only game that moves slower than baseball. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. At least in hockey they fight on a regular basis. In soccer they flop.
"Ow! He hurt me! Make him stop!"
For the home schoolers out there and others interested by things scientific...
Optical Illusion
Today was dedicated to sermon prep.
I have a minor in Hebrew from my seminary work and remember almost nothing from all those classes. Most of my Greek dates back to college classes and for some reason that language stuck in my head. Why?
It certainly helps that many Greek words form the root for our English vocab, but the difference in my retention is night and day. Weird.
But I'm glad it worked out that way. I've heard/read others say/write that there's something especially vivid, dynamic about reading the NT text in its original language. It seems more potent, and in many cases is, due to the power of Greek's verb system.
All of that to say I had fun today.
And FWIW, my dad taught himself a pretty decent command of NT Greek. It can be done, especially with the tools now available.
I'm shopping the internet for an early-'60 Chevy Nova. I won't buy one now but I'm learning about what's out there and what's a reasonable price to pay so I know a good deal when the time comes. I want bone stock, which is part of the problem. Those cars weigh just barely over 2,000 lbs. but Chevy designed all their cars from that period so that almost all of their engines could be dropped into any of their cars. Somebody looking for a relatively inexpensive beast can drop a performance-enhanced 350 V8 in a Nova to replace the small 6 cyl., make a few other minor modifications and have a legitimate hot rod. When he decides to sell it, as many apparently do, he asks $15k to $25k.
So when I'm scanning eBay or Craig's List for early Nova's I first look at the asking price. If it's anything under $6k I look at the picture. And that's where it gets almost funny. A lot of owners are taking their little 6 cyl. 3-speed stick and putting on Kragar mag wheels so it looks like they've got that beast. They could get whooped by a Toyota Tercel but they look bad to the bone.
See: poseur.
It's my own fault. I knowingly violated my conscience and did that which I knew was wrong. There's no justification and my recompense is deserved.
I shopped at Walmart.
Last week I bought a cooler for the trailer so I could build the lower cabinets around it and get the dimensions correct. I honestly don't know what came over me, but I went to the sporting goods section at Walmart and got one made by Igloo. After thinking about it and talking it over with Pam we agreed it was too big, held far more than we need, and encroached on more valuable cabinet space. So, as punishment for my sins, today I took it back for a refund.
I knew better than to be surprised, because I had it coming. Never mind that it's Walmart.
Somebody had stuck a UPC symbol from another product on the cooler, so it didn't match my receipt, so she didn't believe I was bringing back what I'd purchased.
Uhm...my receipt says "cooler," this here's a cooler, and that UPC isn't for a cooler. Does it suggest there might be a problem somewhere else when you pull a UPC sticker off a product that doesn't match that product?
I went back to the far corner of the store and brought up another, identical cooler so she could scan that UPC and see that it matched what was on my receipt.
Thirty minutes to return a stinking cooler!
Walmart carries smaller coolers that would fit the space better, but NO WAY am I getting it there. I've learned my lesson and will return to the straight and narrow.
6 comments:
You bought a Chinese-made trailer kit from Harbor Freight but you won't buy a cooler from Wal-Mart?!
Hope you remembered to put the paper bag over your head before leaving the car, so you wouldn't be recognized...
Craig, Craig, Craig...
1) Soccer holds roots back to 2nd/3rd century BC China, but the modern game was regulated in the mid-19th century. So, unless you truly are THAT old...
2) I think you need to watch a match with someone who is informed that can hold your hand through the delicate intricacies that make it the most played, watched, and loved sport in the world.
3) Football is a game that, more that any other, is tied in directly with the community. Teams (almost everywhere but in the US) don't have nicknames, but are simply known by the town/city/village/slum they represent. When Manchester Utd and Chelsea play on Sunday (11am EST on FOX) it isn't simply two teams...it is the pride of swanky, metropolitan London vs the (formerly) industrial north west. This is why people are so passionate about their clubs - it is an extension of who they are, and this, in some places - especially where social unrest is prevalent - can lead to riots, clashes, etc. It's not the fault of the sport, it's the loyalty that comes with being a part of a club.
Sorry...I just can't stand by while you badmouth the beautiful game.
Yeah, I forgot the paper bag, and those plastic bags get sucked right up your nostrils. DAMHIK
Jim, re. soccer - I didn't know that bit about representing your 'hood. That does make beating the #@%& out of each other perfectly sensible. But I would like to watch a game - OK part of a game - with someone who could explain the strategy and tactics that are invisible to me. Just looks like guys kicking the ball from one end to the other and back. Maybe someday we'll sit down with some good coffee and you can school me.
If your "streets" are dirt and there are chickens and goats on them, chances are high that soccer is your favorite sport. That's not a knock on soccer or it's fans, but an insight into the soccer world. I think that soccer's appeal in a given country is in inverse proportion to the degree of political stability, the degree to which laws apply equally to all citizens, and the predictability of daily life in general. Of course there are exceptions, but it's true enough to be some kind of rule-of-thumb.
Compared to other sports, soccer is rarely appreciated by casual fans who have never played it.
Mike H.
I played soccer and then coached a 11/12 year old team team for two years. You can learn the strategy of this football game just as you may have learned the strategies used in American football. You're on the right track: sitting with someone who has played the game watching a game on TV (with a DVR so you can reqind periodically) would really teach you the game. CYB
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