Comments on: Sure It Means Something http://onthepitch.org/2006/08/06/sure-it-means-something/ Thoughts on Youth Soccer from a Soccer Dad, Fan, Coach and Administrator Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:47:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: human http://onthepitch.org/2006/08/06/sure-it-means-something/comment-page-1/#comment-3133 human Tue, 08 Aug 2006 19:01:07 +0000 http://onthepitch.org/2006/08/06/sure-it-means-something/#comment-3133 Wow, I just did some googling and I'm completely misremembering dates and conflating things, unless she took her shirt off other times. I was way past junior high in 1999. :-) Wow, I just did some googling and I’m completely misremembering dates and conflating things, unless she took her shirt off other times. I was way past junior high in 1999. :-)

]]> By: Soccer Dad http://onthepitch.org/2006/08/06/sure-it-means-something/comment-page-1/#comment-3131 Soccer Dad Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:48:04 +0000 http://onthepitch.org/2006/08/06/sure-it-means-something/#comment-3131 Agree 100% - It was a great moment. There's something karmic about the success of the women's national team compared to our men's team. (/me gently closes the cover on that can...) I'm actually messing around with a post delving into youth teams and Co-ed vs gender segregated (something Footie Girl talked about a weke or two ago). I'm hope you'll have lots to add! Agree 100% – It was a great moment. There’s something karmic about the success of the women’s national team compared to our men’s team. (/me gently closes the cover on that can…)

I’m actually messing around with a post delving into youth teams and Co-ed vs gender segregated (something Footie Girl talked about a weke or two ago). I’m hope you’ll have lots to add!

]]> By: human http://onthepitch.org/2006/08/06/sure-it-means-something/comment-page-1/#comment-3130 human Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:40:28 +0000 http://onthepitch.org/2006/08/06/sure-it-means-something/#comment-3130 I've heard that joke before, as have we all - but I loved Brandi for celebrating that way, because she "sold it" as Marcelo Needs-a-Haircut would say. What I mean is that she made it seem completely natural and normal for a woman to do something - taking her shirt off to celebrate a goal - that was seen by the entire world as an exclusively male prerogative. This was around the time that I was in 7th grade and wanted to play soccer in the World Cup... the Men's World Cup. No supposedly-lesser all-women teams for me. (They didn't exist in my town anyway; I had to play with boys if I played at all.) At that time in my life I was just starting to run up against the boundaries men draw around women's lives, but Brandi was carrying on with her life as if they didn't exist. I'll never forget that and I'll always love her for it. I’ve heard that joke before, as have we all – but I loved Brandi for celebrating that way, because she “sold it” as Marcelo Needs-a-Haircut would say. What I mean is that she made it seem completely natural and normal for a woman to do something – taking her shirt off to celebrate a goal – that was seen by the entire world as an exclusively male prerogative. This was around the time that I was in 7th grade and wanted to play soccer in the World Cup… the Men’s World Cup. No supposedly-lesser all-women teams for me. (They didn’t exist in my town anyway; I had to play with boys if I played at all.) At that time in my life I was just starting to run up against the boundaries men draw around women’s lives, but Brandi was carrying on with her life as if they didn’t exist. I’ll never forget that and I’ll always love her for it.

]]> By: Soccer Dad http://onthepitch.org/2006/08/06/sure-it-means-something/comment-page-1/#comment-3128 Soccer Dad Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:18:21 +0000 http://onthepitch.org/2006/08/06/sure-it-means-something/#comment-3128 I was impressed with how many blue shirts I saw in the crowd - I think that's great. Nothing says MLS has to have some monopoly over US fans. I missed most of the commentary - I have 4 kids, it was dinner time, it was a weekend, they were, um, energetic. I just watched the game with the volume down low drowned out by the mayhem that surrounded me :) I like Eric Wynalda as a studio commentator, but you just knew he'd start to call more games since his studio stint seemed to be well received by folks. I don't think his demeanor and style fit with play by play. As for Dave O not getting the concept of transfer fees - color me shocked :) /me resists with every fiber of his being a snappy comeback about Brandi, shirts, and attracting more soccer fans :) Seriously though I still have never understood why people got SO freaked out about it after they won - I mean she was wearing something that was 2 inches away from a tank top - it wasn't like it was a bikini. Sheesh people. I was impressed with how many blue shirts I saw in the crowd – I think that’s great. Nothing says MLS has to have some monopoly over US fans.

I missed most of the commentary – I have 4 kids, it was dinner time, it was a weekend, they were, um, energetic. I just watched the game with the volume down low drowned out by the mayhem that surrounded me :)

I like Eric Wynalda as a studio commentator, but you just knew he’d start to call more games since his studio stint seemed to be well received by folks. I don’t think his demeanor and style fit with play by play. As for Dave O not getting the concept of transfer fees – color me shocked :)

/me resists with every fiber of his being a snappy comeback about Brandi, shirts, and attracting more soccer fans :) Seriously though I still have never understood why people got SO freaked out about it after they won – I mean she was wearing something that was 2 inches away from a tank top – it wasn’t like it was a bikini. Sheesh people.

]]> By: human http://onthepitch.org/2006/08/06/sure-it-means-something/comment-page-1/#comment-3125 human Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:10:46 +0000 http://onthepitch.org/2006/08/06/sure-it-means-something/#comment-3125 I enjoyed watching that game. I tried to get some people to come over to watch with me but that didn't work out; guess I should ask sooner than the afternoon of... still, it was pretty cool. This point about the crowd's allegiance shifting is a really interesting one. For me there was no question I'd root for the MLS team; however, there was a bit of cognitive dissonance involved going against Shevchenko and Ballack and all the rest. Also, what's with Ballack's new haircut??? He needs to grow it back the way it was pronto! The announcing was painful, did you find this also? There was Eric Wynalda trying to explain the concept of transfer fees to Dave O'Brien, and O'Brien <i>not getting it</i>, and then there was Eric Wynalda bragging about how cool it was to be hanging out at a bar with Michael Ballack (and me unsuccessfully trying to telepathically beam SHUT UP ERIC SHUT UP ERIC YOU ARE AN EMBARRASSMENT TO ALL AMERICANS at him) and then... Brandi Chastain (with her shirt on) was interviewing the coaches in the middle of the game, while they were supposed to be, you know, coaching? Just... oy. But, other than that, it was a good game. :-) I enjoyed watching that game. I tried to get some people to come over to watch with me but that didn’t work out; guess I should ask sooner than the afternoon of… still, it was pretty cool. This point about the crowd’s allegiance shifting is a really interesting one. For me there was no question I’d root for the MLS team; however, there was a bit of cognitive dissonance involved going against Shevchenko and Ballack and all the rest. Also, what’s with Ballack’s new haircut??? He needs to grow it back the way it was pronto!

The announcing was painful, did you find this also? There was Eric Wynalda trying to explain the concept of transfer fees to Dave O’Brien, and O’Brien not getting it, and then there was Eric Wynalda bragging about how cool it was to be hanging out at a bar with Michael Ballack (and me unsuccessfully trying to telepathically beam SHUT UP ERIC SHUT UP ERIC YOU ARE AN EMBARRASSMENT TO ALL AMERICANS at him) and then… Brandi Chastain (with her shirt on) was interviewing the coaches in the middle of the game, while they were supposed to be, you know, coaching? Just… oy.

But, other than that, it was a good game. :-)

]]> By: Jason http://onthepitch.org/2006/08/06/sure-it-means-something/comment-page-1/#comment-3089 Jason Mon, 07 Aug 2006 11:16:29 +0000 http://onthepitch.org/2006/08/06/sure-it-means-something/#comment-3089 Great post Soccer Dad! It is a step in the right direction and many more need to be taken for MLS. Unfortunately, we Americans are spoiled with having 3 of the Top Sports Properties in the World with EPL being the 4th. I could not agree with you more that, "it's how we played the game". MLS players must consistently do this to grab fans attention. Unfortunatley, we really missed out by proving this on the big stage (World Cup). However, the All-Star match is a step in the right direction - even if small its a good step. Ciao, Jason Great post Soccer Dad! It is a step in the right direction and many more need to be taken for MLS. Unfortunately, we Americans are spoiled with having 3 of the Top Sports Properties in the World with EPL being the 4th.

I could not agree with you more that, “it’s how we played the game”. MLS players must consistently do this to grab fans attention. Unfortunatley, we really missed out by proving this on the big stage (World Cup). However, the All-Star match is a step in the right direction – even if small its a good step.

Ciao,

Jason

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