11/23/24
November 30, 2009
Irish Keane to be Given Extra World Cup Spot: After being controversially knocked out of World Cup Qualifying and denied a replay by FIFA, the Republic of Ireland have now asked for an extra spot at the 2010 World Cup. Costa Rica watch with interest and their lawyers on speed dial after they were knocked out by Uruguay on an offside goal.
posted by Mr Bismarck to soccer at 02:44 PM - 32 comments
Hmnnn, that sure sounds a lot like a froggy opinion.
When such a referees supported game deciding - overtly cheating move favoring the home team occurs ... aside from the lingering bad smell of a home team "fix" decision, it greatly diminishes the competitive aspect of the beautiful game and thereby rational folks' interest in the rest of the tournament.
Therefore, if only for economic self interest, the result of the game should be thrown out and replayed but with TH advance red-carded and off the pitch for the redone game.
Otherwise ... who gives a crap about the rest of the tournament ... knowing that kind of crap can be repeated, again and again, nearly at will.
Video replay is long overdue to protect the sport not only from its "liars and bad actors" but also to ensure the future safety of the referees themselves.
This is purely and simply a no brainer ... FIFA absolutely should set aside the game result, give T Henry a red card for his self celebatory cheating and redo the game without him on the pitch for this and perhaps the rest of the games should France go through after the rematch.
posted by Plaintruth at 05:51 PM on November 30, 2009
Replaying the game would open the door to endless efforts to replay games. I can understand why FIFA will never do that.
posted by rcade at 06:01 PM on November 30, 2009
Therefore, if only for economic self interest, the result of the game should be thrown out and replayed but with TH advance red-carded and off the pitch for the redone game.
Hmmm, that sure sounds like a drunk Irishman's opinion.
posted by grum@work at 06:28 PM on November 30, 2009
Its a sober opinion, I assure you. You ought to try it sometime.
posted by Plaintruth at 07:03 PM on November 30, 2009
Replaying the game would open the door to endless efforts to replay games. I can understand why FIFA will never do that.
While I understand and even partially empathize with your opinion, I think the long term effect of not setting aside this highly visible hideous result AND at the same time, not making wholesale rule changes to incorporate video replay accomodations for professional and other high level play is far worse for football/soccer.
Sharing this long term referee's opinion ... I also believe the monarchal status of the center refs also needs adjustment as they spend much too significant portions of game time wth their backs to huge portions of the pitch and off ball play. The touch line assistant refs, if properly qualified should have a more proportionate influence and in some cases, the final say.
posted by Plaintruth at 07:26 PM on November 30, 2009
Its a sober opinion, I assure you. You ought to try it sometime.
Since I don't drink, it's pretty much the only kind of opinion I have. I was just returning the slur you made at the beginning of your first post.
While I understand and even partially empathize with your opinion, I think the long term effect of not setting aside this highly visible hideous result AND at the same time, not making wholesale rule changes to incorporate video replay accomodations for professional and other high level play is far worse for football/soccer.
The international world of football seemed to get by with the previous flagrant-hand-ball-that-led-to-a-goal-in-a-major-World-Cup-game. I'm not sure why this (lesser) version is so much more important.
posted by grum@work at 10:21 PM on November 30, 2009
In the world where football is governed by FIFA, the actual no-brainer is that the outcome will not change, and Ireland (and Costa Rica) will sit out the World Cup.
The interesting question then becomes what happens in South Africa to prevent the outcome hinging on dodgy decisions. There's not really enough time to put a review/replay system in place, or give the touchline officials more power, given that we're near the end or midway through most domestic seasons, and FIFA is notoriously conservative about implementing rule changes at the top level until they've been tested further down. What may happen is a tacit devolution of power, which brings a controversy of its own.
posted by etagloh at 10:27 PM on November 30, 2009
Usually disgruntled fans are the ones who won't let it go.
Yeah, they got screwed out of watching their team in the World Cup.
That being said, I can't comprehend replaying a game due to a missed/blown call. I'd still like to replay Holland's 1994 match versus Brazil, Romario was offsides, I swear.
posted by tselson at 11:55 PM on November 30, 2009
This type of cheating would never occur in the future if I could just conjure up the money for this soccer academy I have been trying to start, which soccer academy will be based on the principles of superior conditioning and tactics and exemplary sportsmanship and fair play.
posted by holden at 12:19 AM on December 01, 2009
Dammit holden, I hope you are willing to accept the blame for that summons.
posted by BoKnows at 12:25 AM on December 01, 2009
"Frog" a slur? Really? Now there's a topic that could bear some contestable discussion. The term "Frog", as undiplomatic as it may seem, is a Jack-Londonesque era unit of Americana's sports lexicon as any other (without including its role in a radio sports transmission first).
Some sports historical context of its use for better or worse:
Story line from the world heavy championship bout between Jack Dempsey and Georges Capentier at Boyle's Thirty Acres in Jersey City- At the conclusion of the bout "From ringside, all French ships at sea received this cabled flash: Your Frog flattened in fourth" for a new high in international diplomacy" http://www.fighttoys.com/Dempsey-Carpentier%20ticket.htm
It's a term that had been oft exploited by the likes of journalistic luminaries such as H.L. Mencken:
Transcript: James Wright on the Poetic Prose of H. L. Mencken ... http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/21055
"Like my old favorite: we had, back in the '20s and the '30s, the journalist H. L. Mencken. And the beauty of Mencken lies in his obtruding a certain tone of voice, a spectacular tone of voice, on occasions where we least expect it.
Mencken wrote the sports article reporting this event, and he says: By the third round, the gallant frog was a mass of bruises from McBurney's point to the bulge of the pental escarpment. And yet today the opposing theory is held by members of the fourth estate throughout these states, from the right reverend Warren Gamaliel Harding, seated on his alabaster throne, to the lonely socialist in Lebenworth and Marxists fleeing from the Pollack's eye, to the meanest Slovak sweating in the bowels of the Earth."
posted by Plaintruth at 02:24 AM on December 01, 2009
Yeah, see, Grum? Some people used that word once, so it's fine and not a racial slur at all, right?
Plaintruth, there's nothing to discuss about the term "frog":
4. (often initial capital letter) Slang: Disparaging and Offensive. a French person or a person of French descent. [Dictionary.com]
The FAI are now officially the laughing stock of world football. How would a 33 team tournament work? Why should they be admitted on video evidence and not, say, Costa Rica? It's not even as though the Henry goal cost Ireland their place in the World Cup finals - it cost them the chance to face a penalty shootout which they may or may not have won.
The only things FIFA might do as a result of Henry's misbehaviour are: 1) bring in two extra officials on the goal-lines (as they have experimented with in the Europa League this year with - I've heard - some success), 2) Ban Henry for a game or maybe two of the finals, and/or 3) change the qualification system to abandon the play-offs altogether as there is simply too much at stake for it to be decided over two legs, or to have the weight of that put on one referee.
Knowing Blatter, he may just suggest making Henry play the group stages wearing nothing but a mankini and leave it at that.
posted by JJ at 05:23 AM on December 01, 2009
"Frog" a slur? Really? Now there's a topic that could bear some contestable discussion.
You gotta be kidding. It's as much a slur as calling an Irishman a Mick.
posted by rcade at 09:17 AM on December 01, 2009
How would a 33 team tournament work? Why should they be admitted on video evidence and not, say, Costa Rica?
And while we're on the subject, Australia should be awarded the 1998 World Cup on a countback. We were ripped off in qualifying and the very next time we played eventual champions France (Confederations Cup), we beat them. So, Messieurs Henry and Zidane, hand it over!
Also, Holland should have won in 1978 when the whole gig was fixed by the Argentine junta.
posted by owlhouse at 09:43 AM on December 01, 2009
"Frog" a slur? Really? Now there's a topic that could bear some contestable discussion.
Umm. Try saying that anywhere in the province of Qubec. But not if you want to keep your teeth.
posted by fabulon7 at 09:57 AM on December 01, 2009
The Irish rugby team beat the South Africans at the weekend - does that mean we get the World Cup?
I hit this shot at Winged Foot. If Monty had done the same, he'd have won the US Open. Do I get the cup?
If your aunt had balls, would she be your uncle?
Well... yes. Yes, she would. Bad example.
posted by JJ at 10:09 AM on December 01, 2009
This just in from the Have Some Sense Desk:
But that's still not enough for Liam Brady who wants to quibble with the way Blatter handled the request. It wasn't nice of the nasty men to laugh at Ireland.
posted by JJ at 10:14 AM on December 01, 2009
So, Brady thinks Ireland deserves credit for handling their disappointment so well. What exactly would handling it badly look like?
posted by bperk at 10:34 AM on December 01, 2009
Maybe a little something like this:
posted by JJ at 11:34 AM on December 01, 2009
"Frog" a slur? Really? Now there's a topic that could bear some contestable discussion.
You gotta be kidding. It's as much a slur as calling an Irishman a Mick.
Hilarious. Thanks rcade.
I wonder how my amphibian buds feel about all this hostile sensitivity confusion back in the pond.
posted by Plaintruth at 11:35 AM on December 01, 2009
33
This English folk punk star whom likes to sing trad looks more like a Parisian sommelier anti-snob than a Tom Connors to me. Despite his obvious tragic beverage issues, I'll admit he's more talented than 99% of the sober population though.
Maybe a little something like this:
http://www.flickrholic.org/images/Shane-McGowan.jpg
posted by Plaintruth at 12:12 PM on December 01, 2009
Hilarious. Thanks rcade.
Thanks for what? You look like an idiot telling the rest of the world that a slur is not a slur. People have been insulting the French by calling them frogs forever. It's kind of a mild slur -- the Henry goal's been called the "hand of frog" in media accounts -- but to argue it's not a slur at all is blinkered.
posted by rcade at 12:41 PM on December 01, 2009
This English folk punk star whom likes to sing trad looks more like a Parisian sommelier anti-snob than a Tom Connors to me.
I like that you try to shake off the complaints of ethnic slurs by swapping Shane McGowan's ethnicity around like it makes a difference which island he's from and then saying he looks like a snooty Frenchman. Well played, sir.
posted by yerfatma at 01:00 PM on December 01, 2009
Graciously observant yerfatma. I think I've had enough fun'n with the PC geniuses for now, good sports that they believe themselves to be. Adieu.
posted by Plaintruth at 01:11 PM on December 01, 2009
I think the whole idea of asking could we(being Ireland) could be team 33 is ridiculous. But its just as ridiculous for Blatter to bring it up in that fashion at a press conference. All of Ireland knows the FAI are morons. They've just proven that fact to the world.
What we all should really be whining about is bloody Ritchie McCaw getting player of the year when he's been out for half of it, and BOD has played brilliantly in every game.
posted by Fence at 02:13 PM on December 01, 2009
I think I've had enough fun'n with the PC geniuses for now
Ah, you were the light of truth that explained why we were all upside down about Ronan Tynan. Keep fighting that good fight.
"The truth, Binkley, is that you look like a carrot."
posted by yerfatma at 02:20 PM on December 01, 2009
He can take his funnin' someplace else. It's tiresome when people troll for negative attention.
posted by rcade at 02:47 PM on December 01, 2009
Sportsfilter: No funnin'
posted by yerfatma at 03:02 PM on December 01, 2009
Why does every post have to degenerate into name-calling and accusations of racial slurs? Can't we keep this sort of thing to the locker room or the countless Washington Redskins threads?
posted by Goyoucolts at 04:09 PM on December 01, 2009
What we all should really be whining about is bloody Ritchie McCaw getting player of the year when he's been out for half of it, and BOD has played brilliantly in every game.
You had me at:
"What we all should really be whining about is bloody Ritchie McCaw".
posted by owlhouse at 06:22 PM on December 01, 2009
Even though I spelt his name wrong owlhouse :)
posted by Fence at 01:46 PM on December 02, 2009
I thought the whining surely had to end after they were denied a replay of the match. Not so lucky apparently. I'm hoping that they will not get an extra slot and they will finally move on. Usually disgruntled fans are the ones who won't let it go.