karajorma wrote:Taristin wrote:Really, why does every thread about sports degenerate into an "America Sucks because..." thread..I'm sick of it. Don't like the US? Whoop-de-doo. Keep the annoying f#####g arrogance to yourselves. please.
Because americans f**king start it.

If we want to talk about the ashes why do americans feel the need to butt in at all?
Don't like cricket. Leave the thread and go discuss something else.
The only reason I posted in this thread in the first place was because I had no idea what "ashes" was referring to. I then remarked on the strangeness of receiving ashes as a prize, which even you cricket fans have to admit is just a little on the weird side. What I don't understand is why every mention of American sports immediately denigrates into outright bashing by non-Americans. I may say that cricket is downright weird, or that soccer (and yes, I'll keep using that term, thank you very much

) bores me to death, but it's all in fun. The other side, however, seems determined to treat even the slightest mention of American sports with utter disdain. Why not leave well enough alone? We have our sports, you have yours, and, for future reference, I don't give a damn how many countries play soccer. Last time I checked, there's a hell of a lot more people than just Americans playing baseball (see Latin America, Japan, Australia), hockey (besides Canadians, of course, there's a great deal of Eastern Europe and Russia), basketball (the Argentinian team won the gold medal at the last Olympics), and even American football (last time I checked, its popularity is growing in Germany. Or how about lacrosse, which was invented by Native Americans but seems to be pretty popular elsewhere? So, as it turns out, "our" sports really aren't just ours.
Kieto, have you even seen any of the sports to which you are referring? I dare you to watch a professional hockey game and compare it to that strange thing which is field hockey (the only part of which is good are the short skirts that the girls wear

). Girly? Tell that to a defender who enjoys bashing people into the boards with enough force to break their ribs. Football "armored rugby"? Hardly. It actually has organization, tactics, strategy, and play-calling, whereas rugby seems to be "tackle the guy with the ball." Consider, also, that football players get knocked out cold even with all of the pads they're wearing. They can experience forces of 20-30 Gs with each collision. Try telling me that's girly. I'd also like you to head to the streets of Queens and tell streetball players that basketball is for girls, or start an argument with a guy who can crush 500-foot home runs. You might consider getting a good insurance policy before doing any of these things.
