[lit-ideas] Re: Conscious after the fact?/Una paloma blanca
- From: David Ritchie <ritchierd@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2008 22:42:31 -0700
On Jun 29, 2008, at 4:47 PM, Donal McEvoy wrote:
Re David's post:- I didn't find it ugly (that was SpainvItaly as
ground down by Italy), am unsure about the Ballack thing (though
think it is the kind of thing _he_ would do), and thought Senna was
a powerhouse. The headbutt thing was Silva being stupid but the
German leant in and they mutually locked horns first - the ref was
right to let it go as six of one etc. and on the de minimis principle.
The best team of the tournament won and (your own team winning
aside) that's always the best thing. (Possible counter-example:-
England _if they were the best in '66_ for Alf's wingless wonders
lead to copycat 4-4-2 defensiveness that spilled over until a
glorious Brazil showed how it should be done four years later; and
some Italian teams too, but then they can make defending an art form).
Well the goal was pretty much as I used to score goals...ho hum, how
normal...and by "ugly" I didn't mean Spain vs Italy ugly...I was
applying the standard that had developed through this rather
wonderful tournament. Too high a standard, perhaps?
My eyes saw at least three moments when, instead of trying to head
the ball, Spanish players tried to head his opponent's head. I don't
know if you go far back enough on this list to know that I used to
play and, in my final seasons, I averaged a goal a game. I joke
about today's goal; I never scored anything like that. But I knew
professional players and heard tales of how South Americans
approached fouls with drills. Here's how to fall. Here's how to
head butt someone and make it look like you were going for the ball.
The reason Ballack was so out of control is that he plays the outer
edge of what is allowed and he was incensed that players were getting
away with things that are far from what is allowed; he was a cheat
trying to "out" more serious cheats to an Italian ref! Talk about a
lost cause.
[To keep within Lit-Ideas guidelines, insert some ref to ethical
dilemmas here].
I agree that the Spaniards were good in earlier games and I'm pleased
that Germany didn't squeak through; they weren't much of a team. I'm
sorry the Dutch couldn't carry their form through the whole
tournament. I didn't see enough of the Russians to know whether I
liked them. The outcome is much better than the last World Cup, which
was horrible. I just hope that head butting your opponent and
disguising this, will not become next year's example of how to win.
David Ritchie,
Portland, Oregon
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