Old Random Thoughts Thread or OT Chit Chat Thread :)
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Post Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 5:38 am 
 

hey giorgio!

yes that was a fantastic win by Italy there. two supreme pieces of skill creating two great goals.

i sincerely hope its a italy -v- france final as portugal do not deserve to be there and i think france will beat them as zidane is on fire and showing how good a player he really is.

yes, i have been to the grand canyon too, even trekked down to the bottom as well which was cool.

san francisco is one of my all-time favorite places to visit and alcatraz is just the most amazing place to see!

Al


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Post Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 6:34 am 
 

killjoy32 wrote:san francisco is one of my all-time favorite places to visit and alcatraz is just the most amazing place to see!

Al


Definitely, Al!!
SF is simply beautiful!!
And I've enjoyed the Painted Desert: astonishing!!


About France and Zidane ... I agree with you.
And I'm a little bit "scared": France is on-fire.
Even if it seems absurd, it was better to play against Brasil, IMO.

But ... Italy is playing well. And France has not yet beaten Portugal ...

We'll see on sunday! :D

Have a nice day
Giorgio


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Post Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:27 pm 
 

What happened to Brazil?  

(World Cup action receives just about as much coverage as cock fighting in the US.)

Mark   8)


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Post Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 1:13 pm 
 

Switching a discussion of Montana from the other thread to this one.....

Montana is enormous and beautiful, as is most of the US.  The wildlife and the contrasts in scenery (mountains down to plains) is striking, as is a spectacle like Glacier National Park.

Of course, being a resident of the Pacific Northwest...we are a bit snobby about our own region....which adds the Pacific Ocean to the mountains, plains, glaciers, wildlife list that Montana boasts....and toss in a lot of really good Asian restaurants.

Mark   8)


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Post Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 1:54 pm 
 

MShipley88 wrote:What happened to Brazil?  


Are you kidding ???
:lol:

  

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Post Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 2:58 pm 
 

MShipley88 wrote:What happened to Brazil?  

(World Cup action receives just about as much coverage as cock fighting in the US.)

Mark   8)


brazil were turned over by france and a master-class performance by a certain Zinedine Zidane, who made the brazilian stars look ordinary.

portugal v france just about to kick off.

Al


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Post Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 4:13 pm 
 

le Rahib wrote:
Are you kidding ???
:lol:


No.

As more and more Mexicans move north, maybe we'll develop an adult male audience that cares about World Cup soccer.  At the moment, I think it airs somewhere on cable...possibly the Obscure Spanish Language Network.

Yesterday, as I watched BBC World News, there was a scrolling line at the bottom of the screen that mentioned Italian soccer players being upset at a German news article that described Italians as lazy and greasy.  It reminded me that the World Cup was still going on.  I am not an avid media-watcher, and that is the only news I have heard about the World Cup since the American team lost.

Keep in mind, the guys on this site are a sampling of American intellectuals of various sorts.  The average American has never heard of the World Cup and (if asked) would speculate that it must be some sort of NBA Slam Dunk trophy...or possibly a new size of drink at 7-11 stores.

Now...the big professional cock fighting story is....

Mark   8)


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Post Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 6:00 pm 
 

So it'll be Italy vs the old guys.

Viva Roma!

  

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Post Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 8:08 pm 
 

MShipley88 wrote:
No.

As more and more Mexicans move north, maybe we'll develop an adult male audience that cares about World Cup soccer.  At the moment, I think it airs somewhere on cable...possibly the Obscure Spanish Language Network.

Yesterday, as I watched BBC World News, there was a scrolling line at the bottom of the screen that mentioned Italian soccer players being upset at a German news article that described Italians as lazy and greasy.  It reminded me that the World Cup was still going on.  I am not an avid media-watcher, and that is the only news I have heard about the World Cup since the American team lost.

Keep in mind, the guys on this site are a sampling of American intellectuals of various sorts.  The average American has never heard of the World Cup and (if asked) would speculate that it must be some sort of NBA Slam Dunk trophy...or possibly a new size of drink at 7-11 stores.

Now...the big professional cock fighting story is....

Mark   8)


         And today's game is precisely why the World Cup will NEVER be watched by more than a handful of Americans...most of them with roots in Europe or elsewhere at that...
    A semi-final decided by a PENALTY KICK!!!  Imagine your favorite American sport, at the end of regulation the score is tied. That's like a basketball conference final being decided by a free throw shooting contest, or a baseball game being decided by a home run derby, or a football game being decided by a field goal kicking contest.   Add to that the amount of 0-0 and 1-0 games we got these last few weeks, and I can confidently report that soccer has no chance of ever existing as more than an afterthought in the sports viewing of Americans.  Not that the entire rest of the world cares what we think.... :P

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Post Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 8:10 pm 
 

Badmike wrote:
         And today's game is precisely why the World Cup will NEVER be watched by more than a handful of Americans...most of them with roots in Europe or elsewhere at that...
    A semi-final decided by a PENALTY KICK!!!  Imagine your favorite American sport, at the end of regulation the score is tied. That's like a basketball conference final being decided by a free throw shooting contest, or a baseball game being decided by a home run derby, or a football game being decided by a field goal kicking contest.   Add to that the amount of 0-0 and 1-0 games we got these last few weeks, and I can confidently report that soccer has no chance of ever existing as more than an afterthought in the sports viewing of Americans.  Not that the entire rest of the world cares what we think.... :P

Mike B .


The problem is that it happens all the time in pro football. I despise sudden death overtime. Now I am no fan of college football overtime rules but they are better than sudden death. I think it should be full quarters or let them end in ties  :x


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Post Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 8:36 pm 
 

Marlith wrote:I think it should be full quarters or let them end in ties  :x

Germany and Italy vs. France in the final of the World Cup.

Now that would be worth seeing! :D

  

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Post Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 8:37 pm 
 

Marlith wrote:
The problem is that it happens all the time in pro football. I despise sudden death overtime. Now I am no fan of college football overtime rules but they are better than sudden death. I think it should be full quarters or let them end in ties  :x


    Actually I enjoy sudden death OT.  The statistics consistently show that whoever has the ball first in OT has no advantage.  But I would have no problem with playing quarters until there was a winner, I would love to eliminate ties entirely (not that many problems with that in pro football, I think there is maybe one tie every couple of years at the most).
    I guess the point I was trying to make is that in soccer (and hockey to an extent) the entire game is played as a TEAM sport, and suddenly at the end it reverts to a ONE ON ONE sport to decide the entire outcome.  At least in sudden death OT both teams are out there on the field at the finish, likewise in basketball and baseball (where play goes on forever until a winner emerges).  A similar finish in basketball would have both teams picking their best free throw shooter to make the best out of ten shots, and I can't tell you the level of anger and annoyance that would result in from the fan level.
 But as I said this is from an American standpoint, where the saying "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing" is quoted (or misquoted) from the minute you play your first pee wee football game.

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Post Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 9:03 pm 
 

MShipley88 wrote:At the moment, I think it airs somewhere on cable...possibly the Obscure Spanish Language Network.

No, not really ... all 63 games of the tournament have been/will be on ABC, ESPN, or ESPN2, and each one has been shown live. The coverage has certainly been there, it's just that Billy Bob NASCAR Fan still sees it as "22 foreigners in shorts."

But, as stated before, it's not like the world of international soccer really cares that much about whether the 'Mercans "get it" or not — they've got a vibrant, growing, healthy sport with or without us.

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Post Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 11:00 pm 
 

Yeah, I've been watching it on ESPN replays (about 8 hours after the live version; been too busy to watch during the day).

The France/Portugal semifinal was exhilarating.  :D

  

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Post Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 11:29 pm 
 

Xaxaxe wrote:No, not really ... all 63 games of the tournament have been/will be on ABC, ESPN, or ESPN2, and each one has been shown live. The coverage has certainly been there, it's just that Billy Bob NASCAR Fan still sees it as "22 foreigners in shorts."

But, as stated before, it's not like the world of international soccer really cares that much about whether the 'Mercans "get it" or not — they've got a vibrant, growing, healthy sport with or without us.


So do the NASCAR fans.


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Post Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 11:29 pm 
 

Who won between France and Portugal?


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Post Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 11:35 pm 
 

MShipley88 wrote:Who won between France and Portugal?


France!!


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Post Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2006 12:54 am 
 

Blackmoor wrote:
France!!


a very deserved france. portugal are cheating little feckers and didnt deserve to grace the final with their presence.

the final should be a representation of the world two best teams. portugal are ok at best. if there was a rule where a team could be cited for cheating, they would have been banned out of competition months ago.

my one final say on them is that Christian Ronaldo has a VERY interesting season ahead at Manchester United, thats for sure. if he isnt the most hated player in english football in the season to come, i will be amazed.

he is gonna be scrutinised now like nothing youve ever seen.

Al


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