Soccer stupid

Error of Logic · Post by **Error of Logic** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 12:37 pm

Welcome to the EoL complainathon.

My countrymen have always, for as long as I can remember, been stupid about soccer, especially when the European or World Championships come rolling around again. People who wouldn't even bother to say hello to strangers on the street are suddenly driving around honking horns at all hours and yelling how "we're gonna win"/"we've won" some contest or other.
As time passes and I understand more about the world, it only seems to get worse - dumber. In this same time, companies suddenly start blaring about how they're big supporters of our national team. I can't go anywhere without seeing people wearing bright orange things, or seeing bright orange stuff in shop windows. Yes, I know it's smart advertising; "you like football, we have football-related stuff, so come buy at our place". Nice move. Except it's all so pathetically eager and strained.

Still, par for the course for advertising, I shan't gripe about it too much. Opportunism is a major part of the industry.

Which probably explains the next item.
Most weekdays, I pass a lingerie store. I've told you guys about it before; remember how I laughed at that ridiculous 'push it up'-slogan? They have shiny new pictures of lingerie- or unclad girls there most months and right now, they have a humdinger. Imagine a pretty-looking girl, nice figure, hair 'freshly mussed'. Item of clothing; one fuzzy boa, nothing else. Boa draped so as to conceal what you'd call the interesting bits, but it looks plenty suggestive. Boa colored in orange, red, white and blue, if memory serves. Slogan: 'We support our boys'.
...
Somewhere, someone is making money out of writing up innuendo-laden schlock like this. Yeah, nice idea: combining the "I see nearly-naked chick"-shutdown reflex of the brain with the whole "We are all part of the big soccer pack"-shutdown reflex.
Real nice. -_- No, I'm not about to stop being sarcastic yet.

Here's the final kicker.
During intermissions in the soccer competitions, one Dutch T.V.-channel is offering some entertainment. The program is called 'Hot shots', and it's basically girls in underwear trying to score penalties against each other.
"You like football. You like semi-nude chicks. Watch our show. Turn off your brain completely."

It's not about sports anymore, like before, not even about *shudder* national pride. It's not even about enjoying the look of the beguine. To me, it really looks like it's about making people stupid so they'll buy, watch, whatever.
Awaiting your rebuttal.

Jay042 · Post by **Jay042** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 12:53 pm

No debate from here. I'm in Dallas, Texas, and we are in the middle of the NBA playoffs between the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat. The greed and oppurtunism abounding from the games is downright sickening.

And we don't have the semi naked chicks either!

Imperial_Magician · Post by **Imperial_Magician** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 12:59 pm

I in Alberta, Canada and we have the hockey playoffs going on right now, I haven't seen any naked chicks yet but the obviousness of how the stores suck up to fans is so blantant it's repulsive

Swordsman3003 · Post by **Swordsman3003** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 1:02 pm

Not being one who follows any sports at all, I don't really notice it.

Awkwardschoolgirl · Post by **Awkwardschoolgirl** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 1:20 pm

I don't notice things like that either... All I know is that my dad loves soccer and he's draped our door in the England flag, put up little England flags in our window and wears his England soccer jersey around everywhere he can, he also has a teddy bear who watches the game with him wearing a white skirt with a red cross on it (the England flag). My brother went to a party the other night with the England flag draped across his shoulders. Also, my dad had three of those car window flag things he's got two up now but he lost the other one. It's all in good fun. I'm not a sports fan but my dad sort of sucks me into it by encouraging me to wear my England jersey and stuff... *shrug*

PS Yes my dad is from England.

Error of Logic · Post by **Error of Logic** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 1:37 pm

That's alright, then. Your dad isn't using mixed commercial concepts to ram his wares down people's throat, after all, right? He's just having fun ...

Indigo Violent · Post by **Indigo Violent** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 2:18 pm

My aunt phoned my mother the other night and said, "I can't stand it. I'm the only person in Edmonton who doesn't give a shit about the fucking Oilers."
Much as, a couple years ago, Vancouver got to the playoffs. It was the only time in my life I actually wanted to be taught math, since that would mean my teacher would stop yammering about the Canucks.
Edit: It wasn't Vancouver, it was Calgary. There are still too many damn Canucks fans around here.

Foolosophy · Post by **Foolosophy** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 3:23 pm

I feel your pain...I live in Germany. And here the situation has gone absolutely overboard. Not only do you see lots of flags etc. with our national colours (something you don't see here very often at all - probably due to inherited "our ancestors were the nazis"-guilt - and not because we don't have plenty of patr-idiots over here) but they started to put either football references and/or the black, red and gold on almost every article of merchandise one could fathom to buy...bottled water, kleenex, hazlenut spread, sweets of all kinds, bathroom rugs, underwear and shirts...you name it.

Recently they caught a politician glueing football stickers to an collectors album instead of paying attention to the ongoing debate about unemployment benefit ...

Even at university you are constantly confronted (even by some lecturers) with the newest results and it is hard to find a pub/club where you can enjoy a few drinks without having to watch football on a big screen tv.

And thats just the tip of the iceberg, as much as I want it to be over, I really dread the upcoming quarter-/half-/finals, especially should Germany or Turkey advance.

Edit (on the topic of ads): the best-selling german yellow press "newspaper",the Bildzeitung, has recently run a huge ad on the title page (or to be more exact: instead of the title page) in which they promoted a "football package" they were offering in cooperation with a big food discounter. The package consisted of 6 bottles of beer, a small bag of peanut chips ( a snack apparently referred to as "peanut doodles" in the USA) and a "flag of Germany" for less than 1€.

Awkwardschoolgirl · Post by **Awkwardschoolgirl** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 3:25 pm

*pounces and welcome rapes* Yeeessss!!! Third in a row!! *hands everyone a pair of black lace panties*

RavenxDrake · Post by **RavenxDrake** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 3:30 pm

You think THAT'S bad, you should be in NC for the ACC Tourney time...

We've got Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, NC State, & ECU all within, what, a 3 hour drive of each other?! And you want to talk crass comercialism, talk to me about College teams where the players NEVER SEE A DIME of what they're making for thier respective schools(which, for the ACC, is something like a Billion dollars a year in total). Yeah, sure, "We put it all back into the school program". Right.

Lictor · Post by **Lictor** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 3:51 pm

I think the sheer amount of stuff that the national flags get stamped on to try and sell products is a bit over the top. However I generally like the whole world cup atmosphere and supporting the national team and showing a bit of national pride for a change.
Ahem:-

It's coming home
It's coming home
It's coming
Football's coming home

Three lions on a shirt
Jules Rimet still gleaming
No more years of hurt
No more need for dreaming

Foolosophy · Post by **Foolosophy** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 3:58 pm

I just think they should add a football flag themed toilet paper to the mix and even I might consider buying it...

Aeridus · Post by **Aeridus** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 5:33 pm

I don't watch sports or even play sports that much.

Bowling and maybe basketball are my only half-decent sports. I'm good at aiming, but I'm a pacifist, I'd only shoot inanimate objects.

ManaUser · Post by **ManaUser** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 5:42 pm

You know, being obsessed with sports has always been one of those things I associated with stereotypical dumb Americans (uh, no offense if you like sports), but I've gradually come to realize it's even worse in Europe. Different sport, of course, but I can't remember any sport here getting quiet as out of hand as you guys describe.

Putaro · Post by **Putaro** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 5:49 pm

Well, it's worldwide. I just dropped my daughter off at day care here in Tokyo and one of the moms (who is Australian) was chanting "Australia, Australia" to lord Australia's win over all the Japanese moms. I told her that Americans had better sports than soccer and we have our own world championships where we don't bother to invite anyone else. All she could come up with was "Well, we have Aussie Rules Football".

USA USA USA USA!

Indigo Violent · Post by **Indigo Violent** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 5:58 pm

aeridus wrote:I don't watch sports or even play sports that much. Bowling and maybe basketball are my only half-decent sports.

Since grade 10 about the only sports I've taken part in are surfing, cycling and rock-climbing. Who needs opponents or teammates?

Kingofthemorlocks · Post by **Kingofthemorlocks** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 8:03 pm

MANCHESTER UNITED WOOOOO!

IF YOU AREN'T A MANC, YOU'RE A WANK!

Eh.

I'm over it.

It's the only English Football team I know.

I'm just in it for the hooliganism.

JohnnyTwoEyes · Post by **JohnnyTwoEyes** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 8:20 pm

I used to love soccer. I was a member of an undefeated soccer team!

... in the first grade. Sports have kinda gone down hill for me since then. There is one thing I love, though, and that is a good baseball fight. Sure, you get fights in hockey and the like, but baseball fights are rare, unexpected, and often brutal brawls between entire teams. It's sweet.

WangyJohn · Post by **WangyJohn** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 9:40 am

We don't have that problem, as we're not in the contest this year (either), and in Ice-Hockey, we stopped getting our hopes up.

Lictor · Post by **Lictor** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 10:40 am

Although football is really the only sport I follow I will show support for a national team/sports person. Also, while I generally see no one sport as better than another per se.

putaro wrote:........ I told her that Americans had better sports than soccer...........

Like what?

putaro wrote:........ and we have our own world championships where we don't bother to invite anyone else............

Is this because you'd probably get beaten?