[Roger -Dot- Lee(Admin)]

Originally posted by Rick and Roll
OK, lots of corrections here (I am a big sports fan) -

I'm terribly sorry to hear that. I like sports, but I prefer a good game to any particular team (except when it involves the merciless humiliation of the Pittsburg Steelers, but that's something between myself and my brother's ex wife and has little to do with the sport itself).

The only game we play that the rest of the world does not play is what we call football. Every other game I can think of is world played.

Actually, that's not entirely correct. Granted, it's predominant here, but there ARE teams in other parts of the world (Europe springs to mind).

I remember seeing a VERY good game between a team from somewhere in Germany (Bonn, I believe) and Barcelona. Very well played. They'd likely get creamed by an average NFL team, but it was still well played.

This is what I am saying - Players, media, almost everyone says "World champs". It's offensive. It gives the U.S. a black eye.

Ah yes. Sports reporters. Players. The cream of the American Intellectual scene. Let's not forget the 1978 UGA Graduates who think that the Dawgs got ripped off for the "World Championship" because they choked on one game a few years back. Or perhaps the 1965 Tennessee grads who actually believe they don't look like clowns in their orange, screaming "We're gonna kill 'em".

We?

But back to "professional" sports (and I use both of those terms very reluctantly here as the participants are rarely professional and even more rarely sportsmanlike): I remember being dragged unwillingly to a NY Yankme's game against the Boston *Sox. We were up in the nosebleed section in the house that Ruth built (snort) and there was a fairly vocal cheerleader, complete with statistics pad and decked head to toe in Yankme colors. After their crushing 2-1 defeat (yes, it was a real yawner. Even the players were bored), said cheerleader said "We'll get them next time".

We?

Not once did I see her (yes, her) out there scratching her private parts and spitting for 7 figures/year. Of course, she likely WOULD have been had she not been prevented from playing because she's a girl.

The extra 250 lbs she was carrying around on her 5'2" frame not withstanding.

The point to this? I'll let the reader figure that out.

Even the seven team indoor soccer league the Baltimore Blast has won twice in a row - they say it! Although the teams have players from all over the world, they are not "world champions".

When Tashkent fields a team in the league, or perhaps when the "Kozhevnikovo Blizzard" come into town, then you might have an argument.

Your knowledge of hockey is not correct. The Hockey World Championships are much more prestigious than the Olympics.

Yes, I like boxing. Every once in a while you get lucky and a hockey game breaks out. See my earlier statement on "Professional" and "Sportsmanship".

And once you present a convincing argument to me that this is a local to the US phenomenon, I will gladly ascede the point.

Once I stop laughing, of course.

Canada has won it twice in a row. Most NHL hockey players are Canadian, but Europeans make up over 1/4 of the rosters (a close second). Same with baseball - 1/3 of players are from Latin America.

Sounds awfully worldly to me.

The Russians are not that good anymore since the breakup of the Soviet Union. Their teams are diluted, and countries like the Czech Republic are dominant.

This may well be true. It's been many years since I've followed international hockey. I tend to prefer more energetic games. Like Rugby, or Buzkashi.

Of course this year, no one is playing NHL hockey

That does indeed suck. About the only thing that will stop this sort of nonsense permanently is for the fans (the real losers here) to boycott the next few year's festivities. After a couple of years where the owners have to pay the players but the people don't show up, they'll likely get the point.

The Stanley Cup is so named because of the history of the sport. All of the major awards for teams and players are named after founding members. That's the only reason for it. Trust me - they call themselves world champs too.

Goody for them. I'll give them all cookies when I see them.

Any finally, my youngest plays soccer - it's because the leagues are well organized. He only playes 12 games and then forgets about it the rest of the year.

This is how sports SHOULD be.

It's contact, believe me.

I'm sorry, I guess I need to re-adjust my Ronco-Matic Sarcasm Notification System. Seems my klaxons are out of sync with my rotating beacons and waving orange and green spotted flags.

And it's riddled with the same crap other youth sports have - overbearing parents, obnoxious kids, and a winning at any cost mentality.

Yeah, I was at the store shortly after I got released from Cingular, when this hairy overweight troglodyte import with a boston accent was berating his kid for screwing up at a soccer game or something. I'm assuming it was soccer because of the uniform, shorts, and grass stains. He musta been about 9 or so. Apologies were getting the kid nowhere. Since I was already in a foul mood, I decided that I'd fuck with the old man's head. Talking to the kid, in a nice cheery voice, I asked him how much "Fun" these "Games" were supposed to be, and how great it was to have a dad that loved him no matter what happened, etc. etc. Pops didn't like that one bit, but I was feeling like enough of an asshole that I followed him around and kept poking at the both of them.

I don't know if I got my point across (considering the intelligence level that I discerned from them), but I certainly felt better. If nothing else, it shut them both up.

Yes, it was mean spirited. I was in a foul mood and didn't like the way that that hairy, stench trailing knuckledragger was going off at the kid. I'm like that sometimes. Especially since I had my cane on me at the time.

But I don't see the soccer mom thing. I take offense to the whole soccer view - he just likes to run around, that's all.

Isn't that what it's ALL supposed to be about? Couldn't tell by some of the idiots I've seen. I will admit, though, that it doesn't seem to be as viscious here as it was in California.

Most of the time, anyway.

And look at lacrosse (huge in these parts). Tons of contact, often brutal - but played by preppies and snobby kids mostly. It's not what it seems.

Oh, I LOVE watching Lacrosse. A very exciting game. I've never seen a game up close and personal, though, so I can't comment to the players or fans. I'll imagine they're no different though.

I too, love billiards - would like a match....but no betting please.

You're on. I don't play for money. Ever. I refuse to get involved in a game where money is involved in conjunction with beer and chunks of wood that can be used as weaponry at any time. Most I'll ever bet is bragging rights.