So any success the US team has going forward has a big huge asterisk attached. And Mexico is out, dang it -- I so wanted Trump to have to hand over the trophy to them.
I don’t think he’d much fancy handing it to England - or any other European team. By the looks of things he wouldn’t mind handing the trophy to Argentina.
Once the tournament is over, and the cup has gone home (wherever that home is), then FIFA won't need to butter Trump up to try and do the best for fans and teams. They can safely go "you fell for that peace prize gag? Ha Ha. Loser!".
There is one potential path to reclaiming some dignity: Pochettino could choose not to play Balogun.
Having stayed up until 4am watching England v Mexico, I won't be watching the USA v Belgium game live, but if Balogun does play, I expect a lot of boos every time I touches the ball and perhaps one or two skipped handshakes.
Once the tournament is over, and the cup has gone home (wherever that home is), then FIFA won't need to butter Trump up to try and do the best for fans and teams. They can safely go "you fell for that peace prize gag? Ha Ha. Loser!".
I have actually wondered if they'll keep the peace-prize going post-2026.
So any success the US team has going forward has a big huge asterisk attached. And Mexico is out, dang it -- I so wanted Trump to have to hand over the trophy to them.
I wonder what the Venn overlap is between Americans who a) like soccer, and b) are amenable to having their opinion of Trump improved because he intervened to help the US team.
There is one potential path to reclaiming some dignity: Pochettino could choose not to play Balogun.
Having stayed up until 4am watching England v Mexico, I won't be watching the USA v Belgium game live, but if Balogun does play, I expect a lot of boos every time I touches the ball and perhaps one or two skipped handshakes.
I think it's important to emphasize here that Balogun himself accepted his red card calmly and with dignity. He thinks the red was unfair (and I'm inclined to agree with him), but he accepted it calmly. I think it would be unfortunate if the (reasonable) disapproval of FIFA's choices and smoky backroom deals were transferred to Balogun.
So any success the US team has going forward has a big huge asterisk attached. And Mexico is out, dang it -- I so wanted Trump to have to hand over the trophy to them.
I wonder what the Venn overlap is between Americans who a) like soccer, and b) are amenable to having their opinion of Trump improved because he intervened to help the US team.
Well, they include - at least - Hakeem Jeffries (there was no need for him to issue a statement in support, but he did anyway).
Balogun was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Yoruba Nigerian parents. This made Balogun a US citizen. His parents were living in London, and visited New York when his mother was seven months pregnant with him. Airline staff did not allow her to board the family’s return flight to London due to safety concerns over the advanced state of her pregnancy, and Balogun was subsequently born in New York. He returned to the United Kingdom with his parents when he was two months old and grew up in London.
If Trump had had his way, and had his arguments on birthright citizenship prevailed in the Supreme Court, Balogun’s citizenship would have been nullified, or at least in question, and he would not have been eligible to play for the US at all. So we’re all supposed to be grateful that Trump bullied FIFA into letting Balogun play rather than being furious that Trump tried to strip Balogun and thousands like him of citizenship.
But I’m sure the irony is lost on Trump and his disciples.
Balogun was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Yoruba Nigerian parents. This made Balogun a US citizen. His parents were living in London, and visited New York when his mother was seven months pregnant with him. Airline staff did not allow her to board the family’s return flight to London due to safety concerns over the advanced state of her pregnancy, and Balogun was subsequently born in New York. He returned to the United Kingdom with his parents when he was two months old and grew up in London.
If Trump had had his way, and had his arguments on birthright citizenship prevailed in the Supreme Court, Balogun’s citizenship would have been nullified, or at least in question, and he would not have been eligible to play for the US at all. So we’re all supposed to be grateful that Trump bullied FIFA into letting Balogun play rather than being furious that Trump tried to strip Balogun and thousands like him of citizenship.
But I’m sure the irony is lost on Trump and his disciples.
File under "You couldn't make it up". Where Trump is concerned, that file is getting well and truly stuffed to the gills.
I don't know how anyone could ever have held the belief that Tr*mp wouldn't soil the World Cup in some way.
I think the question was always just how many ways would he soil it.
I don't think the number of soilings matters as much as the fact that his meddling always compromises the core integrity of the thing he's tampering with.
'He could take a giant dump in the cup (Is the trophy a cup? It should be.) and still get a 25% approval rating from US voters.'
Sadly the trophy is more of a giant golden dildo than a cup. Hmmmn....
Trump is now bragging about how he's supposedly gotten Wal-Mart to lower their prices, including 15% on ground beef, and a few items of summer junk-food.
This has been one of my biggest worries going into the midterms, that combined with lower gas prices, Trump can use gimmicky interventionism to portray himself as the man directly putting money back into everybody's pocket.
Trump is now bragging about how he's supposedly gotten Wal-Mart to lower their prices, including 15% on ground beef, and a few items of summer junk-food.
This has been one of my biggest worries going into the midterms, that combined with lower gas prices, Trump can use gimmicky interventionism to portray himself as the man directly putting money back into everybody's pocket.
He could take a giant dump in the cup (Is the trophy a cup? It should be.) and still get a 25% approval rating from US voters.
I'm only half-joking when I say that, everything else being equal, I would actually be MORE inclined to vote for a politician who did just as you describe.
Does any other shipmate think Trump is now doomed? He can mess with the economy, the constitution, insult other countries, but .... DONT FUCK WITH OUR FOOTBALL!!!
Does any other shipmate think Trump is now doomed? He can mess with the economy, the constitution, insult other countries, but .... DONT FUCK WITH OUR FOOTBALL!!!
Does any other shipmate think Trump is now doomed? He can mess with the economy, the constitution, insult other countries, but .... DONT FUCK WITH OUR FOOTBALL!!!
No. The people who like him will like his intervention. It's the dump in the cup thing, or indeed the "grab by the pussy" thing.
Never seen how the school bully is cheered on by his mates? Same dynamic.
I have been debating internally whether to post this. My fear is that it may upset or anger US shipmates. It is only some of the comments below the song by people who are clearly US citizens and who also clearly get what she is expressing that have persuaded me to do so. It is the Marsh Family's rewriting of the Star Spangled Banner and slight reinterpretation of the tune to fit. Their lyrics also appear below the youtube, and are themselves followed by their explanation.
I have been debating internally whether to post this. My fear is that it may upset or anger US shipmates. It is only some of the comments below the song by people who are clearly US citizens and who also clearly get what she is expressing that have persuaded me to do so. It is the Marsh Family's rewriting of the Star Spangled Banner and slight reinterpretation of the tune to fit. Their lyrics also appear below the youtube, and are themselves followed by their explanation.
Accidentally posted this another thread. For those who don’t know The Marsh Family do comedy parody songs. Kind of like Randy Rainbow but not show tune heavy and with less flair
Does any other shipmate think Trump is now doomed? He can mess with the economy, the constitution, insult other countries, but .... DONT FUCK WITH OUR FOOTBALL!!!
He didn't do anything to football. He fucked with soccer.
I sometimes joke that I'm in exile from South Wales because I can't sing and can't play rugby.
Well, I can sing better than I can play rugby 🏉 but that didn't stop me getting booted off the choir.
I also used to joke about US teams always winning the World Series because they are the only country that takes part in that game that looks like rounders.
But then it was explained to me, possibly by @Ruth here on Ship why the World Series is called the World Series even though only the US takes part. I can't remember the reason but I remember there was one.
I sometimes joke that I'm in exile from South Wales because I can't sing and can't play rugby.
Conversely, I can sing and play(ed) rugby, which may or may not be indicative of my Welsh Methodist forebears. My grandfather's grandfather was a bard, and his chair is in the possession of my eldest uncle, but I eye it covetously as the eldest man of my generation.
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Bestest biggliest World Cup
Having stayed up until 4am watching England v Mexico, I won't be watching the USA v Belgium game live, but if Balogun does play, I expect a lot of boos every time I touches the ball and perhaps one or two skipped handshakes.
I have actually wondered if they'll keep the peace-prize going post-2026.
I wonder what the Venn overlap is between Americans who a) like soccer, and b) are amenable to having their opinion of Trump improved because he intervened to help the US team.
I think it's important to emphasize here that Balogun himself accepted his red card calmly and with dignity. He thinks the red was unfair (and I'm inclined to agree with him), but he accepted it calmly. I think it would be unfortunate if the (reasonable) disapproval of FIFA's choices and smoky backroom deals were transferred to Balogun.
Well, they include - at least - Hakeem Jeffries (there was no need for him to issue a statement in support, but he did anyway).
If Trump had had his way, and had his arguments on birthright citizenship prevailed in the Supreme Court, Balogun’s citizenship would have been nullified, or at least in question, and he would not have been eligible to play for the US at all. So we’re all supposed to be grateful that Trump bullied FIFA into letting Balogun play rather than being furious that Trump tried to strip Balogun and thousands like him of citizenship.
But I’m sure the irony is lost on Trump and his disciples.
I don't think the number of soilings matters as much as the fact that his meddling always compromises the core integrity of the thing he's tampering with.
He could just pocket one of the medals again.
A never-Trump former Republican strategist wrote a book titled Everything Trump Touches Dies.
Sadly the trophy is more of a giant golden dildo than a cup. Hmmmn....
This has been one of my biggest worries going into the midterms, that combined with lower gas prices, Trump can use gimmicky interventionism to portray himself as the man directly putting money back into everybody's pocket.
I am with you @stetson. Ho Hum.
I do not see anything that suggest this is permanent.
250 items will have reduced prices. 250? Where did they get that number? I wonder.
Me thinks even with the markdowns Walmart will be making money.
I'm only half-joking when I say that, everything else being equal, I would actually be MORE inclined to vote for a politician who did just as you describe.
Who does "OUR" refer to there?
No. The people who like him will like his intervention. It's the dump in the cup thing, or indeed the "grab by the pussy" thing.
Never seen how the school bully is cheered on by his mates? Same dynamic.
I have been debating internally whether to post this. My fear is that it may upset or anger US shipmates. It is only some of the comments below the song by people who are clearly US citizens and who also clearly get what she is expressing that have persuaded me to do so. It is the Marsh Family's rewriting of the Star Spangled Banner and slight reinterpretation of the tune to fit. Their lyrics also appear below the youtube, and are themselves followed by their explanation.
I forgot to mention that I rarely, if ever, read the comments on any YouTube video. Too many racists and other evil trolls out there...
Accidentally posted this another thread. For those who don’t know The Marsh Family do comedy parody songs. Kind of like Randy Rainbow but not show tune heavy and with less flair
As to flair, it needs to be borne in mind that they're amateurs, not professionals!
He didn't do anything to football. He fucked with soccer.
I'll get me coat.
What football are we talking about? Gaelic Football? Rugby Football? Australian Rules Football?
I understand there is also an American variety ...
Whatever the case, and joking aside, I only wish other Trump interventions were as short lived and derisory as this one.
Happy birthday USA and goodbye from the World Cup.
You can always win the Baseball World Series ...
Now, I will get me coat ...
Thank you, my team has done that the last two years and has the best record in baseball right now.
What? That soccer is football?
😉
Well, I can sing better than I can play rugby 🏉 but that didn't stop me getting booted off the choir.
I also used to joke about US teams always winning the World Series because they are the only country that takes part in that game that looks like rounders.
But then it was explained to me, possibly by @Ruth here on Ship why the World Series is called the World Series even though only the US takes part. I can't remember the reason but I remember there was one.
Conversely, I can sing and play(ed) rugby, which may or may not be indicative of my Welsh Methodist forebears. My grandfather's grandfather was a bard, and his chair is in the possession of my eldest uncle, but I eye it covetously as the eldest man of my generation.