Insult, injury

Girls and boys, this week marks the beginning of the 2006 World Cup in Germany -- for those of you not in the know, it's a 4-year event that roughly equates to the soccer-specific Olympics.

Allow me to jump on the soapbox for 10 seconds here: Soccer is cool (see previous posts), in large part because it is a global game. It's a language you can speak with anyone else on the globe (virtually, excepting the good ol' USA, where the game is followed in pockets, but certainly doesn't enjoy the rampant popularity of American Football...) With the exception of this fine nation, the world basically stops for a month every 4 years and unites under the banner of football. What else in the world does that?

This is what makes my heart beat when I think of the game. This is what gives me goosebumps. This global camaraderie is what makes the game, the beautiful game.

So when John sends me this (pardon me) completly ignorant and bigoted article our very own St. Paul Pioneer Press chose to publish, I nearly fainted. Then threw up. Then considered starting a lynch mob.

Here are some things I really just cannot get my brain around here:
1) How completely ignorant is this writer? He starts his article by essentially professing his hatred of immigrants, legal or otherwise. And I'm wondering: He's probably not 100% native amercan (though that IS an assumption on my part), so I wonder how HE got here... did some crazy alien space ship drop him off in a pod at birth? Or is it more likely that his ancestors were also immigrants who brought their own traditions and passions and culture that was eventually woven into the fabric of this nation? Dumbass.
2) So you don't like soccer. OK, well, it's America, land of free choice (and I know, free speech). But that doesn't mean that ESPN is going to stop televising the biggest sporting event ON THE GLOBE (he can't argue with me there, the most people on the planet watch this one) because this red-neck idiot would rather watch golf. This is also America, land of capitalism -- and ESPN is probably not airing World Cup for charity -- duh, you moron, they are doing it because people watch, and when people watch, advertising sells, and sold advertising means $$$. Figure it out, buddy. You're the minority here.
3) When did free speech in this country begin to equate with the right to insult anyone you do not agree with? I'm all for voicing your opinion (believe me, this blog wouldn't exist otherwise), but you don't need to slander others to do that ... do you?

I have never been so insulted that it physically took me time and effort to read an entire article. I can only hope that other soccer supporters, soccer bloggers, and maybe even the casual observers will stand up, take note, and make their voices heard on this.
I thought I lived in a society that embraced the fact that our planet was growing smaller. Maybe Tom Powers will get the hint (or at least exit using that pod he was dropped here in.)