Even football is shite in America

[Celeste]

Originally posted by Andrew WK:
  Anyone else been reading Irvine Welsh's reports from America?
 

anyone read his book Porno? that's on my list

[mankie]

Originally posted by G.Love:
 

 The US is ranked 10th in FIFA' National team ranking, pretty good for a bunch of girls.  Which raises the question to Mankie or Mar-WK:
 
 What would you consider a successful showing for the US in the upcoming Confederations Cup, besides winning it all?
 
 [/b]

I didn't say your team was bad...it's just not a very exciting game the way it's played over here.
 
 If your boys team won something then maybe Americans would start watching them, like they do with your girls. We all know Americans can only watch their country compete if they win...as American coverage of the Olympics demonstrates everytime.

[G.Love]

Originally posted by mankie:
  I didn't say your team was bad...it's just not a very exciting game the way it's played over here.
 
 If your boys team won something then maybe Americans would start watching them, like they do with your girls. We all know Americans can only watch their country compete if they win...as American coverage of the Olympics demonstrates everytime.

Coverage of the Olympics is based on ratings and when the US has a competitor in almost every sport, then of course the networks are going to filter it down to only the ones that we win.
 
 As far as your comment on European football, to my knowledge Europe has two distinct styles based on Western and Eastern Europe. Germany, Poland, Greece, etc play tough, physical defense with counterattacks, whereas, Spain, France, etc play more of an offense minded fineese game.  
 Where does the UK fit in? and how is the US different?

[G.Love]

Originally posted by mankie:
  No country can beat the yanks at friendly fire though...you lot have a lock on that one.
 

I think British Intelligence could give us a run for our money - just ask STAKEKNIFE
 
 http://www.guardian.co.uk/Northern_Ireland/Story/0,2763,954620,00.html

[mankie]

Originally posted by G.Love:
   

Originally posted by mankie:
  No country can beat the yanks at friendly fire though...you lot have a lock on that one.
 

I think British Intelligence could give us a run for our money - just ask STAKEKNIFE
 
  http://www.guardian.co.uk/Northern_Ireland/Story/0,2763,954620,00.html [/b]

huh?
 
 I don't see the relevance between the story and friendly fire.

[G.Love]

Originally posted by mankie:
 
 I don't see the relevance between the story and friendly fire.

If the British undercover agent Stakeknife was truly Scappaticci, of the many persons he killed, a good number murdered were British informers.  That included kills on other agents in the British security network that were ordered necessary to protect his identity.
 
 Seems more ruthless of a gov't to kill its own premeditatedly, versus blaming scared 20 year olds with their fingers on the trigger.
 But of course Stakeknife is all speculation at this point.

[markie]

And the inferrence I take from stakeknife is that if it was real Scappattichi was in place to make sure the IRA didnt organise an event that resulted in a massive loss of life or the assasination of the queen or a head of state.
 
 But the way intelligence was realeased on stakeknife brings the whole thing into doubt. If it was true I expect that there would have been sackings, resignation and murders by now.

[mankie]

Friendly fire is when you shoot your own by "accident", none of the kills this stakeknife character did were by accident. If the story is in fact, true.

[G.Love]

I just read that the courts ruled in his favor to force the government to comment on the claim that he was Stakeknife.  So I would say that it is not true because of the fact that he wants to pursue it in court.
 
 By mistake or on purpose, it is still killing your own.

[Tom Cashel]

It's hockey or NOTHING, you fuckwits.