11/05/24
October 26, 2003
Soccer, a sport of terrorists?: Apparently, Fred J. Harlan of New Castle, PA thinks so. I say we take Fred's argument to task and send him into the field. Anyone else have examples of soccer related letters to the editor gone bad?
posted by jasonspaceman to soccer at 09:31 PM - 22 comments
And of course, the responses to Fred J. Harlan's of New Castle letter.
posted by jasonspaceman at 09:34 PM on October 26, 2003
That guy HAS to be kidding... Even if he is, what an asshole.
posted by StarFucker at 10:14 PM on October 26, 2003
Whatever your opinion on soccer, I think we can all agree that New Castle Brown Ale is a great beer. Or maybe we can't. I guess I don't really know. (I vote satire)
posted by dirigibleman at 10:41 PM on October 26, 2003
Actually, I think that whole Pittsburgh Live website is a satire. Fred Harlan is really wfrazerjr's nom de plume.
posted by billsaysthis at 10:49 PM on October 26, 2003
If soccer is the sport of terrorists, then badminton is the sport of murderers.
posted by eddydamascene at 01:02 AM on October 27, 2003
After reading some of the discussions in the Steelers forum, I retract my satire vote. Also I grew up near New Castle and remember a vocal, disturbingly large minority of people are like this guy. I still say New Castle is a good beer, though.
posted by dirigibleman at 03:25 AM on October 27, 2003
If Fred Harlan is wfrazerj, Heidi Bifulco (check the responses page) has to be StarFucker. Newkie Brown is a nice beer, but the hangovers it provides makes me steer well clear nowadays. At my university they used to have a friday night special where you could get bottles of Newkie brown for £1 (0.70 cents).
posted by BigCalm at 03:40 AM on October 27, 2003
Actually, I thought it was hilarious. This guy is 10 years out of date. Remember when the USA hosted the World Cup in 1994? The media was full of soccer-bashing articles like this one. These days, it's extremely rare. Even avowed soccer-haters seem to have acknowleged that the sport is here to stay.
posted by salmacis at 05:09 AM on October 27, 2003
Join the rest of the world, America. It's not too late ...
posted by walrus at 06:03 AM on October 27, 2003
I have known Fred J. Harlan for many, many years. He and I have spent long hours together mailing out the newsletters of the John Birch Society , stumping for our political candidates of choice and talking about the good old days. Anyone suggesting Harlan's views on women's soccer and sports in general and its insidious spread through America are overwrought and out-of-lockstep with the times is fooling himself. Wake up! Do you not understand that while the women of America are trying to score goals or bust the J, they cannot achieve their true goals — pregnancy and barefootedness? That while they are running across fields or courts, they cannot be running to the store for our six-packs? This country needs its women in the crucial areas they have so recently shunned — the kitchens, the bathrooms, the bedrooms — and preferably cleaning them. It's obvious that these people are terrorists, probably Black Handers or rogue Basque operatives. They must be found and forced to watch the WNBA immediately. Otherwise, the America we all know and love could fall into the hands of foreigners and become Communist, Socialist, or — god forbid — France.
posted by wfrazerjr at 08:22 AM on October 27, 2003
As an aside, I have recently rediscovered the wonder that is Newcastle Brown Ale on draught at a couple of wonderfully open-minded local restaurants. In my part of the country (zoom out for full effect), an import usually means they have Killian's. Yes, I know, I know ... Colorado. Anyhow, I have been sharing this nectar with my barmates, who all react as if they are about to sip bear piss — until they taste it. Then they have the barkeep pull one of their own. Beer drinkers of the world, unite behind a tall frosty mug of Newkie! Unless they have McEwan's ... and then all bets are off.
posted by wfrazerjr at 08:30 AM on October 27, 2003
For those who have noticed that the second two links in the first paragraph of my first post don't work, just read the addresses. After I put it up on preview, I thought it might not be so hot for those sites to be logged into your web-surfing history.
posted by wfrazerjr at 08:37 AM on October 27, 2003
I liked this reply "It was refreshing to read Fred Harlan's letter to the editor. As the "global elitists" attempt to tear all parts of our "Western European culture" away from us, such as Christmas, the Ten Commandments, the family unit, why should sports be any different? If you can replace an American game with one that is not, you have come one step closer to the fragmentation of our society." Surely football is pretty definitely a part of "Western European Culture"?
posted by dng at 09:20 AM on October 27, 2003
The guy totally failed to mention Osama. Another thumbs up for Newcastle Brown, which the bigger-beer-snob-than-I friends I was drinking with Friday night were wondering why I was bothering with.
posted by taupe at 09:21 AM on October 27, 2003
I concur on New Castle beer, but unfortunately folks from New Castle, PA are more likely to drink shite like Iron City ;) Oh, and the author of the Pittsburgh Live article is an asshat. (Like dirigibleman I am from the New Castle area)
posted by scully at 09:52 AM on October 27, 2003
Big Calm, surely you think i could write a better letter to the editor than THAT one...
posted by StarFucker at 11:49 AM on October 27, 2003
SportsFilter: Finding asshats everywhere New Castle Beer is served!
posted by billsaysthis at 12:44 PM on October 27, 2003
Never had New Castle before. Now I am going to have to try it!
posted by jasonspaceman at 12:56 PM on October 27, 2003
My apologies SF. I kid because I love.
posted by BigCalm at 02:16 PM on October 27, 2003
Beerfi: We drink because we love.
posted by garfield at 02:51 PM on October 27, 2003
or the Newcastle-goggled corollary: Beerfi: We love because we drink.
posted by wfrazerjr at 03:51 PM on October 27, 2003
You know, he's got a point. [ducks] I was kidding!