tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post681790686911284554..comments2023-11-02T03:56:06.817-04:00Comments on FeinsteinOnTheBrink: FIFA could be more of a mess than the NCAA – who knew?Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10418812412651310398noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-38898621652640785552010-06-30T07:11:32.871-04:002010-06-30T07:11:32.871-04:00Yesterday's Japan-Paraguay game ended in PKs. ...Yesterday's Japan-Paraguay game ended in PKs. Before that we were treated to 120 minutes of tedium with no scoring and few chances. Even I, a guy who normally loves watching soccer, especially World Cup, was bored to death. <br /><br />As the overtime periods went on, play got slower and sloppier, and you couldn't wait for someone to put us all out of our misery. Alas, no one on the pitch stepped up. Can you imagine having to watch anymore of that game? Thank God (FIFA, that is) for the PKs!Frankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10582493383068585814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-12308398018359171542010-06-29T14:17:11.412-04:002010-06-29T14:17:11.412-04:00I'm not a huge soccer fan, but I've seen e...I'm not a huge soccer fan, but I've seen enough to wonder how a field (excuse me, pitch) can be effectively patrolled by one referee. High school basketball games have three, major league baseball has four (and what, six for playoffs?), plus the use of replay on home runs, the NFL has about six - plus the guys with the replay booth, etc. Sure there are the linesmen, but they don't have the same authority as the referee, who is expected to see everything, from all angles, throughout the seemingly endless game (sorry, I mean match). John's right. It makes the sport look stupid and keeps people like me what I am...a casual, rather than rabid, fan.Tom Hawleynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-45471127700800989522010-06-29T12:11:34.531-04:002010-06-29T12:11:34.531-04:00'Around The Horn' seems appropriate punish...'Around The Horn' seems appropriate punishment for Blatter's foolishness. <br /><br />What did your readers do that was so awful that you would put up video from 'Washington Post Live'?Jeremyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10019925360757042114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-47355442335066937782010-06-29T11:30:18.942-04:002010-06-29T11:30:18.942-04:00Lalas played soccer. Lalas was sacked by soccer. L...Lalas played soccer. Lalas was sacked by soccer. Lalas became an entertainer. It is important to differentiate self promotion & entertainment from meaningful & insighful analysis.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-66131996944426202162010-06-29T11:01:28.195-04:002010-06-29T11:01:28.195-04:00John, I agree with everything in your piece. It&#...John, I agree with everything in your piece. It's why I don't take soccer, the World Cup or FIFA seriously. As Americans we really have no standing in the sport. It's my view that the rest of the world will only react negatively to any efforts we would make to foster change because they just don't care what we think. That's fine with me. I'll take baseball, our football and golf.petecardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-58019165194435231382010-06-29T09:00:29.762-04:002010-06-29T09:00:29.762-04:008:28 anonymous - 1st of all, Lalas IS in a positio...8:28 anonymous - 1st of all, Lalas IS in a position to be an expert for soccer, as he's played at the top level. And secondly, its a sad argument that 'the better teams won' so bad calls don't matter. Sports isn't great because the 'better' team always wins.Timnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-42053632853612937452010-06-29T08:56:48.736-04:002010-06-29T08:56:48.736-04:00FIFA and ESPN a match made in heaven. Both looking...FIFA and ESPN a match made in heaven. Both looking to "gin" up controversy, for financial gain. Reminds me of my late grandmother's old saying, "It's the pot calling the kettle, black"Rick Krebshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02455824039524230156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-51149531623687263152010-06-29T08:28:40.802-04:002010-06-29T08:28:40.802-04:00Sudden death overtime, how's that working out ...Sudden death overtime, how's that working out in American football (coin flip decides a playoff game) ? Football is about balance, it's rules designed to prevent one team getting an advantage over the other. <br />In Sunday's matches, did the better team win ? <br />And, please Alexi Lalas, Mike Tirico and Chris Fowler as football experts... oh please... it's like Kornheiser commenting on bicycling.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-20810525751067133532010-06-28T21:28:58.731-04:002010-06-28T21:28:58.731-04:00Well, I don't understand why they don't us...Well, I don't understand why they don't use some sort of goal line technology. That Lampard goal should definitly have counted!<br /><br />But I'm not ready to agree to replay in other instances in soccer. While the Tevez goal was a clear offside call that wasn't made, other's would never be so obvious and may require lots of time in the replay booth. One of the beauties of soccer is the constant motion. There is always something going on. That may be hard for the American sports fan to understand, particularly the fan of baseball, where they clear and reset the field every 3rd out, or the fan of football, where the players cuddle up...er...huddle up every 15 seconds or so, or the fan of basketball, where the players take a break and sit down and relax every 4 minutes of so in order that we fans can watch a commercial! I better stop here...I'm beginning to sound as cynical as John.<br /><br />One other thing though, to Dana's point about having players come off the field if they receive medical attention, that's already the rule. They must come off the field and can not come back on until the ref gives them permission. Now that permission only seems to come after 10 seconds or so, when it should probably be closer to 5 minutes, as you suggest.Frankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10582493383068585814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-49738345280773650332010-06-28T19:56:55.249-04:002010-06-28T19:56:55.249-04:00Ha - FIFA responded and is getting involved in the...Ha - FIFA responded and is getting involved in the replay game......its now said to want to outlaw replays on the big screens inside the stadiums after yesterday action!! What a joke. Next, they will lobby ESPN and for the right price, hell, ESPN may agree....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-68433438009809886982010-06-28T18:23:00.010-04:002010-06-28T18:23:00.010-04:00Your contention that the "golden goal" w...Your contention that the "golden goal" was the old rule is partially true at best. The golden goal was only in existence at FIFA events from 1996 until 2004. It was abolished after Euro 2004.<br /><br />For most of soccer's history, extra time has been as it is now: two full 15-minute periods.John Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03167982369392920262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-49010201488267909682010-06-28T16:58:26.840-04:002010-06-28T16:58:26.840-04:00Absolutely right about replay. Diving could be sto...Absolutely right about replay. Diving could be stopped with a simple rule change: if you require medical attention on the pitch (soccer term, nudge, nudge) you have to come out of the game. Maybe not for the entire game, if the team is willing to play short for five minutes or so, but if you substitute for him, he's gone.Dana Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01350344882342624735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-4984517707988886512010-06-28T16:22:07.618-04:002010-06-28T16:22:07.618-04:00Rory - thanks for the catch.
FOTB StaffRory - thanks for the catch.<br /><br />FOTB StaffFOTB Staff_noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-980010523927297374.post-11220490758773308802010-06-28T15:38:58.168-04:002010-06-28T15:38:58.168-04:00In the United States the biggest difference betwee...In the United States the biggest difference between FIFA and the NCAA is people actually care about the NCAA! <br /><br />That being said FIFA is quite likely to get "sudden death" in the form of one of the referees being murdered in the name of "soccer passion". Watch it will happen.Gordonnoreply@blogger.com