World Cup and Colonialism

[The Beatles]

Portugal beat former colony Angola the other day.

England beat former British colony Trinidad and Tobago today.

There's still a bit of a colonialistic air about the results, if not the play itself...

(On a brigher note, Italy beat Ghana, which was not a former colony of it.)


Of course, ESPN happily tells me that the Yankees are playing the Indians today in some American sport or other, so the problem is not restricted to Europe...

[Gen. Volkov]

And both teams are primarily Puerto Rican. (That's a joke) But really, the Indians/Yankees game holds little signiifcance in terms of history, just to Yankees and Indians fans. Considering I hate both teams, I'll not be watching. Really I'm just waiting for football season, cause it looks like my Cubbies(Chicago Cubs) are not gonna make it this year. A pox on the curse of the Bambino! Goat Curse is WAY worse. Last time the Cubs won the World Series, people were still thinking airplanes were a novelty! Seriously, in 2 years, it will have been exactly 100 years since the Cubs won. 50 some since they were last even AT the World Series.

[Devari]

You didn't get the joke?

And, yes, I agree that it is rather interesting.

[Gen. Volkov]

*laughs*. I got the joke, and made my own.

[ScarTheCursed]

And both teams are primarily Puerto Rican. (That's a joke) But really, the Indians/Yankees game holds little signiifcance in terms of history, just to Yankees and Indians fans. Considering I hate both teams, I'll not be watching. Really I'm just waiting for football season, cause it looks like my Cubbies(Chicago Cubs) are not gonna make it this year. A pox on the curse of the Bambino! Goat Curse is WAY worse. Last time the Cubs won the World Series, people were still thinking airplanes were a novelty! Seriously, in 2 years, it will have been exactly 100 years since the Cubs won. 50 some since they were last even AT the World Series.

heh i was sitting behind the guy that grabbed the ball....poor cubs lost because of that (the whole incident (last year i believe?)was horrible i love teh cubz)

[Gen. Volkov]

You were? DUDE! You should have shoved him onto the field! They had that game in the bag! He KNOCKED the PLAYERS hand away to get that ball. It was a couple years ago, but it still pisses me off. Cause Wood got hurt during next year's training, and they haven't been the same since. That was like there one chance for the next 5 years. I love the Cubs as well.

[Nuclear Raunch]

I know it bothers you guys, but I think the 2 curses have been some of the best things to ever happen to baseball. Particularly the Cubs', especially in light of their little fiasco a couple years ago.

For those that don't know, the "Goat Curse" is a legend about a Greek guy that bought 2 tickets for a Cubs World Series (baseballs championship gamegame back in 1945. The tickets were for him and his goat, but the owner of the Cubs had them kicked out because the goat stunk. The Greek guy (can't remember his name) got mad and placed a curse on the Cubs saying they wouldn't win another World Series. From then on they would go from abysmal, to almost-good-but-choke-at-the-end, and back to abysmal.

In 2003 the Cubs were playing the Marlins in the NLCS (if they win they play in the World Series) in a best of 7 series, up 3 games to 2, winning this game 3-0 really close to the end of the game and a Marlin hit a foul ball close to the wall seperating the stands from the field. One of the Cubs players runs back there and is just about to catch it for an out when a fan reached out and tried to catch the ball. He didn't catch it, but he did knock the ball into the stands so the Cubs player could not catch it. The best part was that the umpire (referee) did not see it so he couldn't call fan interference.

Anyway the cubs self-destructed after that, pitcher started screwing up, they got an error from their SS who led all of baseball in touches per error etc... losing the game and the series. The sad part was the fan that tried to catch the ball was a life-long Cubs fan and a season ticket holder for years. He had to be escorted out, couldn't go to work, had death threats, thousands of people telling him he broke Chicago's heart, couldn't even go to work for months after that. it just became a mess. His name is (Bartman) is now synonymous for fan interference, had multiple talk show offers that he declined, was given a bunch of stuff by fans of the Marlins and fans of the White Sox. He donated all of that to charity though.

Scar you're famous Seriously though, how far back were you?

[Gen. Volkov]

That catch would have put the game away too. I think it was actually a home run. And the dude had been bringing the goat to alot of games before that, and the owner finally got fed up with him, especially the goat droppings.

And you aren't a cubs fan, are you Nuke? You bugger.

[The Beatles]

So riddle me this. Why is it called "World Series" if nobody outside of North America is even remotely interested in it? I first heard the term here a year ago. It seems that only the US and your northern protectorate, Canada, participate...

[Nuclear Raunch]

I'm an A's fan. So instead of lamenting my teams failures I lament all my teams good players-that they shipped off because they owners to cheap to keep anyone. It wouldn't have ended the game because Gonzales muffed the double play right after that, which meant they would have had at least 1 more out had he caught the ball. It hurt in terms of gameplay, but much more so psychologically.

Well since few people outside North America are remotely interested, and few people inside North America are remotely interested I suppose they just consider that the entire world is equally (dis)interested in it, hence the name World Series. Honestly I don't know why that crap's on TV, it's horrid. The games are fun to go to though, plenty of things to see. Especially a college team on $1 beer night.

[Gen. Volkov]

Actually the Japanese are quite taken with baseball. I think it's just hubris that has them calling it the World Series, though for now, professional american baseball players are the best in the world.

And why do you think the Cubs are so abysmal"? We ship off all our great players too. Greg Maddux? He was originally a Cub. Is one again, now that his arm is gone. But I more like to watch the games live than on TV. And yeah, the double play would have ended it, but he miffed. And they snowballed into one of the most spectacular crashes they've yet done. Hehe. A's. When's the last time they won the World Series?

[Nuclear Raunch]

Oakland swept S.F. in the "Bay Series" in '89. Easily remembered because the earthquake hit during game 3. I dunno man, I think overall Oak has lost more talent from free agency/trade due to lack of funds than any other team. Their farm system is excellent, so they can keep a low payroll and field a competitive team, but not a team good enough to go all the way. Oh yeah, and for whatever reason they always start the regular season cold and finish as one of the hottest teams in baseball.

BTW over the last 20 years a third of the Rookie of the Year honors went to an Oakland rookie.

[Gen. Volkov]

So nearly two decades.. wow. Sucky.

Really, I think alot of teams lose good players to trades and stuff, or lack of funds. Cept the damn Braves. And the damn Yankees. They always end up with the good players.

As to Rookie of the Year... sure, I believe it. Didn't Bonds start out in Oakland?

[Nuclear Raunch]

Nah he started in Pittsburgh. ROY honors in last 20 years have gone to Ben Grieve, Hudson Street, Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco, Miguel Tejada and 1-2 more I can't remember right now.

I never thought I'd see the day when a Cubs fan was making fun of the A's for their drought

Err, how did a thread about the WC get on baseball?

[Gen. Volkov]

It started out that way. The first post, Beatles mentioned baseball.

*laughs*. The Cubs are in a black hole. They will never win the World Series again. So I make fun of other teams because they actually have a chance. When the RED SOX win it, and you still haven't, you know it's just not gonna get any better, though really even before the Red Sox won it, the Cubs already had the longest drought in baseball history. Until a couple years ago, the Cubs hadn't won a singe postseason GAME, let alone a series of games. At least the Red Sox would make it to the playoffs and win some.