.@NowWithAlex @mmfa Because obviously there was zero global interest in the World Cup before Obama's Kenyan legions started promoting it.
— billmon (@billmon1) June 26, 2014
So, if I understand this correctly, the US lost its game to Germany, but we’re going on to the next round anyway, because we actually survived the Group of Death, per Spenser Hall at SB Nation:
… HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A TEAM SO THOROUGHLY TROUNCE THEIR OWN DEATH SENTENCE AFTER MAN-FROG-TOADSTOOL SEPP BLATTER RIGGED THE LOTTERY AND GAVE US THE WORST DRAW IN RECENT HISTORY? DID YOU EVER SEE ANYONE SHRUG OFF PERENNIAL FOES GHANA, NOTORIOUSLY COMPETENT PORTUGAL, AND THE LEGENDARY MANNSCHAFT OF BIG BAD GERMANY WITH SUCH EASE? DID YOU SEE US SURVIVE PLAYING A ROSTER OF HALF-GERMAN REPLACEMENT PARTS AND STRIVING MLS PLAYERS? DID YOU SEE JURGEN KLINSMANN SEWING YOU AN IMMACULATE BALLGOWN FROM OLD SOCKS AND A SHREDDED UPS PACKAGE? IT LOOKS BEAUTIFUL AND YOU CAN’T EVEN TELL WHAT IT’S MADE OF. THAT’S JUST HOW GOOD HE IS…
MORE IMPORTANTLY LET’S GO THROUGH ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HERE AT THIS PARTY BUT AREN’T. OH LOOK, HERE’S PREVIOUS WORLD CUP WINNER ITALY. OH, LOOK, THE COUNTRY THAT INVENTED THE GAME, ENGLAND. WE’RE ABOUT TO EAT ALL THIS DELICIOUS SHRIMP COCKTAIL WITHOUT YOU. WELL I’LL BE TIKI-TAKA’D, IF THIS ISN’T THE SPOT RESERVED FOR SPAIN. WE HOPE Y’ALL WERE ALLERGIC TO SHRIMP BECAUSE WE’RE GOING TO GIVE COLOMBIA AND GREECE ALL OF YOURS, AND SKIM A LITTLE EXTRA FOR OURSELVES ON THE SIDE, BECAUSE THE DOORMAN SAID OUR NAME WASN’T ON THE LIST AND AHAHAHAHAHAHHHAA WE’RE IN THE VIP DRINKING CHAMPAGNE ON YOUR TAB…
THE POINT IS THAT THE UNITED STATES WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE. WE WON. WE LOST. WE DREW. AND IN THE END WE DID NOT DIE, AND NOW MOVE INTO THE KNOCKOUT ROUNDS WHERE ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. YOU CAN TRY TO MOCK SURVIVAL ALL YOU WANT BUT IT’S THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN HERE….
He seems pleased!
(Hey, President Obama watched the game on Air Force One, and he wasn’t even using his Blackberry under the table… )
***********
Apart from celebrating, what’s on the agenda for the evening?
dmsilev
Someone _really_ should consider switching to decaf.
Raven
He’s drunk.
OzarkHillbilly
@Raven: Deservedly so.
Hawes
Group of Death?
Killed it.
WaterGirl
I cannot get myself to read that much text in ALL CAPS. Should I just assume the shorter version is “Yay, team!!” ?
Amir Khalid
The USA did beat Ghana, true; but it only drew with Portugal (which is basically CR7 + 10) and lost to Germany, the only title contender in the group. It’s daft to claim that the USA shrugged off the latter two. Whoever wrote this wasn’t sober.
Gorgon Zola
I must say, I do not understand the outrage over Matt Lauer’s interview question put to GM CEO Mary Barra. Given the context — which he clearly spelled out in the question itself — I think the question was relevant (and frankly, a softball which Barra handled nicely). Can reasonable people disagree over this or am I a douche-nozzle? (Both could be true.) Atrios dubbed Lauer the Worst Person In the World for this, which makes me think I’m missing something profound. It can’t be that “he never would have asked a man such a question.” Given the context I think he would have–I think he should have. I don’t really know Lauer so maybe he has a history?
Citizen_X
That’s some fine trolling from Hall, but yikes, LAY OFF THE JESUS CAPS FERCHRISSAKE.
Stan Gable
@Hawes:
Or snuck through with an open head wound and one harm hanging on by a tendon, but whatever.
Liquid
I saw someone comment something like “There are Germans lying all over the field. It looks like WWII out there.”
TaMara (BHF)
@WaterGirl: Yes.
It is also nice to see that Obama Derangement Syndrome is alive and well. Media also seems to be openly mocking Boner’s lawsuit announcement.
Citizen_X
I’d say that’s also some fine trolling from Ablow, but he probably really is that stupid/crazy.
ranchandsyrup
Making pho tonight with a backup of lettuce wraps if i screw up the pho.
Violet
@WaterGirl: Yes. Yes, you should.
@Gorgon Zola: No one ever asks men in positions of power or running for office if their job does or would interfere with them being a good dad. Women often get those questions. Either always ask the men the same thing or stop asking the women.
burnspbesq
I don’t expect it to happen, but given that nobody else in our quarter of the draw has exactly blown up in the group stage, why can’t we make the semifinals? And if by some happenstance, either Mexico or Costa Rica are our semifinal opposition, well, we can handle either of them. We couldn’t possibly have gotten a better draw.
WaterGirl
President Obama has legions? Hey, why wasn’t I invited?!!?
Morzer
Sometimes I really do suspect that Fox News is slacking on its research. The first world cup tournament was in 1930, before Obama was even born!
Spenser Hall writes like someone who deserves to be remembered for using all caps.
JPL
@Gorgon Zola: I don’t watch the Today show often enough to know if Matt asks the same question to men. He tried to explain it in a text but that didn’t answer my question.
Hal
I was hoping the Supreme Court would issue their Hobby Lobby decision today. DOMA and the ACA decision came out last, so maybe this won’t be so bad either. It’s amazing to me the number of people who think this only applies to a handful of Christian led companies, and see no long term danger in opening the flood gates on people using their personal religious beliefs in decisions that affect their employees.
Josie
I’m making shrimp in red curry sauce (with no backup). Hope I didn’t get it too hot. I do that sometimes.
chopper
LOUD NOISES!
WaterGirl
@Hal: I truly hope I’m wrong about this, but my gut feeling is that this decision is going to stink about as much as citizens united. So I’m not particularly anxious to get the ruling.
burnspbesq
SkyBet is currently quoting 7:2 odds for the US to beat Belgium. That’s worth 20 bucks.
shelley
Simple supper for me tonight. A nice BLT.
Elmo
@JPL:
Even if he does sometimes ask a similar question of a man, the question is still fraught, not newsworthy, potentially highly insulting, and stupid.
History exists. It can’t be ignored. And in the context of history – not ancient history by any means – it’s just a dumb, dumb, dumb question to ask a female CEO.
Violet
@JPL: Lauer does not ask the same question of men. He said it was due to a statement she made about being judged by her kids on being a good mom. So what? Just don’t ask the question. How is it relevant to GM and their recall problems and corporate culture issues? It’s not and if the CEO were male he would not get that question EVEN if he’d mentioned being a dad in a previous interview.
srv
Freedom fighters have to go to Putin for freedom:
Ken
@WaterGirl: Either that or TIMECUBE.
Elmo
@Josie:
Want my address so you can ship it all to me if you get it wrong? I’m happy to help.
Patrick
@Citizen_X:
I don’t know who Mr Ablow is. However, the World Cup was awarded to Brazil in October of 2007. This would be fifteen (15) months before Obama even took office. I assume Mr Ablow thinks the world respected and thought so much of this unknown senator from Illinois, that they decided then to make sure that the USA would do well enough in the Cup 7 years later to divert attention from…
From what exactly? The only “scandals” we have are in FoxNews imagination such as the never-ending Benghazi garbage that nobody else cares about.
I guess the bigger question is; why isn’t Mr Ablow excited that the US advanced in a very difficult group???
scav
Oh deah, was the draw itself photoshopped by Obama and/or Bengazi time lords?
Anne Laurie
@Gorgon Zola:
Well, Lauer wouldn’t have “asked a man the same question”, because (white) men don’t get hired as scapegoats and then defended as being really good fathers instead.
The original question made sense, but Lauer’s subsequent pushing — So, do your kids actually love you, or are you just a failed luzer??? — probably did bring up memories of the way he supposedly shivved Ann Curry, which got enough attention that even I heard about it. “Matt Lauer has a problem with women in professional roles” is certainly a thing…
Elmo
@Elmo:
To follow up on my own comment, I think Lauer’s defense is more than a little disingenuous, and it puts me in mind of the people like Limbaugh who want to use the N word because it’s in rap music.
That sort of wide-eyed innocent “What? I hear the word on the radio all the time, I didn’t know it was offensive!”
Or “Liberals called President Bush a monkey too!”
That sort of thing.
MomSense
@Josie:
ok, yum. I’m on my way over!
@WaterGirl:
Every time I wait for the Supreme Court to issue an opinion, I curse all the people who ever said that that there is no difference between Democrats and Republicans (Gore and Bush).
Alito and Roberts have made a difference–and not in a good way.
PurpleGirl
I once told someone to stop yelling at me in his e-mails. He asked a surprised “what do you mean.” I told him, all caps means you’re yelling. Then he said “but I’m not a typist and have trouble changing to caps for sentences.” I told him, in that case, just type in lower case, and just use periods to differentiate the sentences. All caps is hard to read and lower case is easier. But stop yelling at me. He’s probably still using all caps. (I only had to deal with him when I was a building representative to the Board of Directors of my Co-op.)
Bobby Thomson
Since this is an open thread, the Republicans have narrowed the site for their 2016 convention to Cleveland or Dallas.
Democrats are continuing to
lead onexplore all of the six cities who applied: Cleveland, Columbus, Brooklyn, Phoenix, Birmingham, and Philadelphia.Brooklyn (which is basically just NYC) and Philadelphia are convention-ready but don’t offer much in terms of pushing the electoral envelope. Birmingham would be a total in-your-face move but the city has almost no hotels and is unsufferable in the summer. Phoenix would be a good electoral move but there are several good reasons not to go there. If the Republicans don’t pick Cleveland we should snatch it up. Otherwise, as much as I hate Ohio State, Columbus is the best choice.
Josie
@Elmo:
and Momsense: Sorry – my son just checked it and said it is fine. With him around, I don’t ever have leftovers.
Oh, and I don’t know if anyone saw it, but a week or two ago I was looking for a recipe to use Thai red peppers from the garden. I researched everything on the internet (more or less) and found this delicious one for a thick yummy sriracha. We have been putting it on everything and just love it.
http://whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/sriracha-recipe-chili-garlic-hot-sauce/
Elizabelle
Could we have a thread on Howard Baker? Anyone else interested there?
He was a good man, and his passing deserves as much notice as any idiotic Grover Norquist tweet.
big ole hound
@Anne Laurie: Totally agree. Matt Lauer is totally unwatchable by other men which is why he is restricted to morning shows surrounded by gals and he acts like their pimp or something. I don’t know why but he just a sneaky, offensive version of a con man.
WaterGirl
@MomSense: Yep. Anyone who believes there is no difference between Democrats and Republicans
is an idiothas not thought it through.Citizen_X
@Patrick:
Glenn Beck’s favorite psychiatrist. That should tell you all you need to know.
That’s becoming my go-to reply to anti-soccer trolls. “Oh, something good happens for America, and you hate it? Fuck you.”
Eric U.
OT: debt collectors were hounding my mother over a few thousand she supposedly owed the hospital. The hospital was billing for less than $100, but it turned out they actually owed her money and so that is settled and they are sending the balance. Is there any point in approaching the hospital to get them to cancel the debt collection activity?
Matt Lauer is well known to be a dirtbag. I wonder if Atrios shouldn’t retire him to the hall of fame like he has with some others. I’m sure he’s been the worst person in the world more than once
WaterGirl
@Josie: I have a friend who is crazy about the stuff. I would type the name, but autocorrect insists on changing it to “smirch”, so forget that! Just forwarded the link to my friend. Thanks for sharing it.
Patrick
@Citizen_X:
I know of no other country in the world, where some fanatical extremists will claim the World Cup is designed as a distraction to help that country’s leader. Only in America will some right-winger root for us to lose because a win might somehow help Obama. Pathetic and sad.
Eric U.
@Patrick: why do wingnuts hate America?
Gorgon Zola
@Violet: Thanks Violet but I disagree. I would have asked it, if a dude CEO had said in an earlier interview, “My kids told me they’re going to hold me accountable for one job and that is being a dad.” Maybe a man would never have said that, so …
Josie
@WaterGirl: I’m glad someone can use it. I had never tasted it until my son came to live with me. He convinced me to grow the Thai red chilis and I was somewhat overwhelmed by my success. Once I made this recipe, I was hooked. I will plant more in the fall. We are in a frost free zone most of the time, so I am hoping that they will live a long time like the serranos do.
scav
@Citizen_X: These people marriages are imperiled by the opportunity of others getting legally hitched. Apparently their very sports-affiliation and team-love are similarly imperiled by there being visible viable alternatives. There’s that land of liberty and individualism we recognize.
Gorgon Zola
@JPL: It didn’t? Seemed pretty straightforward to me. As I said to Violet, maybe a man in that position has never made a comment like the one that led to the question in the first place. (And by maybe, I mean almost certainly not) That’s not on Lauer though, is it?
pseudonymous in nc
@burnspbesq:
I’ve been watching the World Cup since ’82 (and probably ’78, though that’s hazy) and I can’t remember a team win all its first-round matches and still be as unimpressive as Belgium.
Gorgon Zola
@Elmo:It was kind of puff profile anyway–how much of it was going to be newsworthy?
M
*snicker*
Higgs Boson's Mate
@Stan Gable:
‘Tis but a flesh wound. Have at you!
gnomedad
I resist calling wingnut bloviating “stupid” when it is actually cynical or shameless, but this using he running for the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.
Higgs Boson's Mate
@M:
Am I the only sick bastard who immediately thought of “He would have an enormous schwanzstucker,”?
SiubhanDuinne
@Elizabelle:
I agree with you, Elizabelle. I remember Howard Baker as one of the “good” Republicans, from back when that wasn’t a laugh-out-loud oxymoron.
He and my ex-husband were members of the same fraternity, and Ken was always incredibly proud to have that link with Brother Baker (not that they ever met AFAIK).
Mildly interesting, too, that Baker twice married into legendary GOP families: he married, first, the daughter of Everett Dirksen, and after his first wife died he married Alf Landon’s daughter.
gnomedad
@M:
It’s twue, it’s twue!
SiubhanDuinne
FYWP
Morzer
@Eric U.:
Why do wingnuts hate America?
Because America stole their country.
gene108
@Amir Khalid:
We should of could of won that game…..really we could have…we were leading until the last 30 seconds of stoppage time…
I do not follow the international leagues very closely or even the MLS, at the moment.
Who does the USA have that are clearly better players than what Portugal fielded?
We have no international superstars like CR7, but we also have nobody in the elite football leagues anywhere and bunch of our guys are playing in MLS, which still is not considered a top league.
Morzer
@gene108:
Tim Howard plays for Everton in the Premier League.
Violet
@Gorgon Zola: What her kids think of her performance as mom is irrelevant to anything the public needs to know about GM. She never would have been asked it if she were male and it was stupid of Lauer to bring it up. Her performance as mom, as judged by her kids, is relevant only to her family.
gnomedad
@gnomedad:
FY autocorrect. One more time:
I resist calling wingnut bloviating “stupid” when it is actually cynical or shameless, but this is in the running for the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.
Belafon
@Gorgon Zola: no, men don’t get asked that question.
WaterGirl
@gnomedad: I could tell that sentence had been struck by autocorrect, but I hadn’t been able to make out what you were trying to say in the second half of the last sentence. Thanks for clarifying.
WaterGirl
@Gorgon Zola: I didn’t read the article, but if it was a puff piece, maybe it was a puff piece as a result of how Matt Lauer views women?
Trollhattan
@Citizen_X:
What, it’s not Krauthamer, the Leathery Angel of Death(tm)?
jayjaybear
@Patrick: Remember when Chicago lost the Olympics? The right-wing media were all practically ejaculating over Obama not getting what he wanted.
JPL
@Elmo: I’ve been away for a few minutes but I think you are correct. The only questions I’ve heard addressed to men, were how they are good providers who still have time to attend their children’s basketball or soccer games. Aw!..
Men write about their families in books also but that is looked upon as a good thing.
Bobby Thomson
@Elizabelle: hadn’t heard. He and his wife were conservative but not insane. The Senate would be much better with them in it.
Higgs Boson's Mate
@Gorgon Zola:
It’s a bullshit question to me because it seems to absolve working fathers from the responsibility to play an active part in raising their children. Has anyone ever asked a male CEO if he thought that he could still be a good father?
Roger Moore
@JPL:
The essential point is that men are still assumed to be providers first and last. If they do anything to help out in the home, it’s considered going above and beyond what’s expected. If a woman does anything outside the home, her commitment as a mother is questioned.
GHayduke (formerly lojasmo)
@Eric U.:
is there any point in approaching the hospital to get them to cancel the debt collection activity?
Heliopause
Honestly, this all-caps rant is simply pathetic. Why don’t all these phonies who discover the existence of soccer every four years try to demonstrate just a jot and tittle of dignity.
Mnemosyne
@Eric U.:
Yes. It may help prevent the current collections company from selling the bad debt to another collections company and harassing her ad infinitum.
WaterGirl
@Roger Moore: Don’t get me started on men who say they are “babysitting” tonight.
Patrick
@jayjaybear:
I almost threw up when I saw that. And yet, the MSM treats these anti-American folks as patriots. It’s galling to say the least.
I realize some Illinois locals were against the Olympics, because of NIMBY etc. That’s understandable. But the conservatives were happy just because they saw it a loss for America as good, since that meant a loss for Obama. I never thought I would see the day…
JPL
@WaterGirl: haha.. I would love to ask Matt Lauer on the air whether or not he ever babysat for his children.
gene108
@Morzer:
Okay, we have one player in the EPL. How does that make us much more talented than Portugal at ever other position, except the one C. Rinaldo plays?
WaterGirl
@Patrick: I felt like you did, disgusted that they would be rooting against America.
After while, though, I ended up being sort of relieved that Chicago didn’t get the olympics. I think we would have seen some domestic terrorism at the games just to make the President look bad.
Roger Moore
@WaterGirl:
It wouldn’t be the first time, either.
PurpleGirl
@Mnemosyne: Also it will be reflected in her credit rating and, Eric, you want to check that and make sure the information used for any rating now is correct.
schrodinger's cat
The rancid right wing and their media enablers are sick. They can take something as innocuous as soccer and turn that into a political football.
ETA: And I say this as someone who is not even a big fan of soccer.
Shana
@WaterGirl: Me too. You can’t babysit your own children. That’s called “being a parent.”
kc
Not soccer.
Paul in KY
@WaterGirl: More like ‘YEEEEEHHHAHAHAAAA we’re in the knockout stage BITCHEZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’.
Something closer to that.
David Koch
yes