Disrespect of weaker Football nations. [Archive]

steveaki13

12th October 2012, 22:12

This may not interest anyone else, but I need to have a rant.

I have just watched England beat San Marino 5-0 and I am fed up with people critising these so called minnows.

I have heard countless tv and radio experts call San Marino a Joke and say they shouldn't play in the world cup.

This is not correct. Any country in the world should be entitle to enter the world cup.

Fair enough critise UEFAs format and say they should pre qualify, but dont critise the players who proudly represent there country, and afterall they onlly have 33,000 and only probably 8 or 9,000 are men of a right age.

I thought tonight San Marino played well and were very committed, while England struggled to break them down.

Also people keep saying they are the worst team in world football. er.... not really, they are only joint bottom of FIFAs rankings because they play in a very strong region. They are behind Tonga & American Samoa who lose to other small islands like Vanuatu 15-0+ who then lose 3-0 to New Zealand or whatever.

So really there is alot of disrespect for these small nations and it was summed up by Southgate at the end of ITVs coverage, he stated "Whos next The Dog & Duck".

Thats is really nasty and it annoys me.

Well done to San Marino and Andorra who only lost 3-0 in Netherlands. A decent effort.

Lousada

12th October 2012, 22:37

It's sort of the same as a non-league team playing a premiership squad in the FA Cup. People always appear to enjoy that.

Well done to San Marino and Andorra who only lost 3-0 in Netherlands. A decent effort.
Whatever. In case of a tie in points, results against the last team of the poule are dropped. So 1-0, 2-0 or 10-0, doesn't make a difference. That shows in the attitude of the players in these kind of matches.

Rollo

12th October 2012, 23:16

We get a lot of this in the Pacific when teams like New Zealand (who still do) and Australia (who used to play) in Oceania thump the island nations by double digit scores.
I think that the solution possibly lies in aggregating teams in some cases. The West Indies play as a single team in cricket, so why the heck not? An "All-Oceania" team might be a good idea.

anthonyvop

13th October 2012, 03:44

For the USA pretty much every other country is weaker in football...........And respect has to be earned. So get a team together and line up against our Super Bowl Champs and earn some respect.

Robinho

13th October 2012, 05:34

That's not football, any game where the ball spends most of its time in peoples hands should not be called football. We are of course discussing Association Football, which is actually played by other countries

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

Ranger

13th October 2012, 07:47

AndyRAC

13th October 2012, 11:56

Ah football, but which one are we talking about? ;)

Association Football, Rugby Football, Aussie Rules, Gaelic, American....???? And as correctly stated above, Soccer isn't an American term, it was used by the English, to distinguish it from Rugby in the 19th century.

Rollo

13th October 2012, 12:15

Ah football, but which one are we talking about? ;)

Association Football. This was established in the first post:

This may not interest anyone else, but I need to have a rant.
I have just watched England beat San Marino 5-0 and I am fed up with people critising these so called minnows.
I have heard countless tv and radio experts call San Marino a Joke and say they shouldn't play in the world cup.
This is not correct. Any country in the world should be entitle to enter the world cup.
Fair enough critise UEFAs

Sometimes in English, we start sentences with dependent clauses; the context of the clause should be obvious by the end of the thought. It's also the same with paragraphs and forum posts.

America can call their thing football if they like. America has invented all sorts of sports that no-one else wants to play.

steveaki13

13th October 2012, 12:19

Soccer & Rugger were the order of the day in the 19th century.

Comedic example

"What an absolutely spiffing day, lets go for a jolly good game of Rugger, after all those blighters who play soccer are nothing but absolute Cads and Bounders. Pip Pip"

Starter

13th October 2012, 15:05

America can call their thing football if they like. America has invented all sorts of sports that no-one else wants to play.
Oh, you mean like cricket?

:D
[/*:m:2zg4vj2r]

wedge

13th October 2012, 16:32

Starter

13th October 2012, 17:54

I think you'll find cricket was invented in Tudor England, not in America like you appear to suggest ;)

The sad thing about cricket is we invented it, its now played all a round the world and we are rarely the best at it. :(
I know where it was invented. That was in response to this : " America has invented all sorts of sports that no-one else wants to play."

There are few sports, invented anywhere, that aren't played in many places these globalized days.

steveaki13

13th October 2012, 18:34

I would take issue with Wedge. San Marino probably only have 8,000 men to choose from. Thats like England playing a village, how can you expect in 8,000 right aged man, there to be a similar level to England of 50 odd million.

Its the same that with China's population if everyone had access to training and football they would be the best in world along with India.

Its natural that large population means larger chance of developing a wider pool of natural talent.

I think people are too quick to moan at people playing for there country. As I said, if you want UEFA to change its format fair enough.

Starter

13th October 2012, 20:08

Not sure what that's got to do with cricket as its played in many places around the world with 19 countries taking part in its World Cup. American football was the best example of a sport where its huge in its country of origin but hasn't caught on like other sports elsewhere.
American football is just as widely played worldwide as cricket and is the most watched and followed sport at home. Can the same be said of cricket?

.Football is probably the biggest sport worldwide and nothing comes close in terms of popularity.
Agree. It beats the next most popular world wide by a pretty good margin.

Mark

13th October 2012, 20:12

American football is played elsewhere but the difference is that with Cricket the emphasis is very much on international completion. I'm not aware of any American Football World Cup.

Starter

13th October 2012, 23:18

As Mark said, Cricket has a world cup and stretches multiple continents with its participation. Cricket is huge in India, Pakistan, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, West Indies, Sri Lanka and of course Great Britain to name a few. It stretches to other countries to including much of Asia and many of the African countries. American Football hardly gets a mention here and is usually a channel filler in the middle of the night. I don't doubt it is played in many countries but the only country where it is mainstream primarily is America. Basketball and Baseball have travelled and I would say have been more successful, but again they are minority sports in comparison to Football and Rugby.
I'll buy football in first, just as I said, but believe basketball beats rugby for second. There are pro basketball leagues all over the world.

tfp

13th October 2012, 23:52

tfp

13th October 2012, 23:56

All seriousness though, Aki makes a good point. I think its more down to the ignorance of the presenters, if that coverage is watched by other people in other countries then it probably comes across that us british people are ignorant, thanks to the arrogance of a couple of tv presenters. Also why do the teams need to field their best players? Maybe they should give the reserves a game and another chance at an england cap.

janvanvurpa

14th October 2012, 03:19

For the USA pretty much every other country is weaker in football...........And respect has to be earned. So get a team together and line up against our Super Bowl Champs and earn some respect.

Fortunately nobody else in the world cares what a bunch of guys do in bursts of whatever for 2.3 seconds (before they're exhausted) at a stretch and then stand in a circle groping themselves and each other. And by extension nobody cares if one country calls it football when it mostly sits idle in the grass, they know what they mean.

And they aren't "ours' , or more accurately "yours", respect towards their work, as short as it is, cannot be appropriated just by being obnoxious in absentia

janvanvurpa

14th October 2012, 03:33

I would take issue with Wedge. San Marino probably only have 8,000 men to choose from. Thats like England playing a village, how can you expect in 8,000 right aged man, there to be a similar level to England of 50 odd million.

'ang on 'ere, guv! 'ew you think you are calling all them odd?

a little quirky maybe but all 50 million aren't odd.

Just 'arf 'em.

Rollo

14th October 2012, 08:18

I'll buy football in first, just as I said, but believe basketball beats rugby for second. There are pro basketball leagues all over the world.

The Rugby World Cup probably had a worldwide audience only behind the FIFA World Cup, the Olympics and Le Tour. The 2011 Rugby World Cup had 20 nations compete in the final tournament.

I can't even tell you where or who won the last FIBA World Cup because that's how little impression it's made.

cali

14th October 2012, 10:28

San Marino get well deserved criticism.

In an era of globalisation and great spread of knowledge and education San Marino have made little progression and still a bunch of part timers.

There nations and associations where they feel happy with what they've got and are happy just to turn and play and there are those who will use their experience and learn from it. San Marino are the former but we've seen nations ignorantly regarded as easy opponents.

Take for instance Eastern European nations. Slovakia.

How about South America. They don't do group qualifiers but instead have a mini league and that has spread the wealth of knowledge eg. Marcelo Bielsa, Argentine coach, coached Chile who now retain 3 centre backs and attacking full backs.
Please do not compare Slovakia to San Marino (49,035 km2 vs 61.2 km2, 5,5 mil vs 34 000 inhabitants). That shows that you do not know nothing about geography nor european sports. For a small country like Slovakia they are actually great sporting nation, especially in team sports. Actually they have been great for a very long period.

cali

14th October 2012, 10:33

I'll buy football in first, just as I said, but believe basketball beats rugby for second. There are pro basketball leagues all over the world.
Agreed, rugby is too far in the bottom in terms of popularity. Problably volleyball and handball are very close to basketball. Basketball is very popular in USA, but volleyball and handball tend to beat them in most European countries.

cali

14th October 2012, 10:36

I can't even tell you where or who won the last FIBA World Cup because that's how little impression it's made.
That's because basketball not very popular in UK ;) You have football, rugby and cricket and basketball rarely gets any attention.

donKey jote

14th October 2012, 10:51

You think Basketball is bigger than Rugby worldwide lol??!! I would suggest you look into that. ;)

why, have you looked into it? :p

Rollo

14th October 2012, 13:16

why, have you looked into it? :p

I did.

It's staggering to think that while RWC 2011 is likely to be a "Stadium of Four Million" here in New Zealand, it will also be a "Stadium of Four Billion" as what promises to be a record TV audience tunes in to the action.
The figure is a reflection of a tournament that has enjoyed phenomenal growth since its debut in 1987 in New Zealand and is now firmly established as one of the world's top five sporting events.
Official RWC 2011 Site - Taking RWC 2011 to an audience of 4 billion (http://www.rwc2011.irb.com/destinationnewzealand/news/newsid=2036054.html)

The Rugby World Cup is the world’s third largest event if you look at it in terms of viewership and attendance.
England's 2015 Rugby World Cup tries to learn the lessons of London's glorious 2012 Olympic Games - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/england/9484678/Englands-2015-Rugby-World-Cup-tries-to-learn-the-lessons-of-Londons-glorious-2012-Olympic-Games.html)

Starter

14th October 2012, 14:48

The Rugby World Cup is the world’s third largest event if you look at it in terms of viewership and attendance.
England's 2015 Rugby World Cup tries to learn the lessons of London's glorious 2012 Olympic Games - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/england/9484678/Englands-2015-Rugby-World-Cup-tries-to-learn-the-lessons-of-Londons-glorious-2012-Olympic-Games.html)

The Indy 500 dwarfs all other auto racing events in terms of attendance. But when you throw in the rest of the season, not so much. You've forgotten how many games there are in a season. What I am saying is that if you tally up the in person attendance and viewership for a year, then basketball beats rugby.

donKey jote

14th October 2012, 16:01

I did.

I was asking henners about "You think Basketball is bigger than Rugby worldwide lol??!! I would suggest you look into that.". He doesn't mention audience of a single (not even yearly) event :)

find Rugby in any other list, and it's usually well behind Soccer, Cricket, Basketball or even sometimes table-tennis :p
Most Popular Sports Lists Combined (http://www.topendsports.com/world/lists/popular-sport/analysis.htm)

wedge

14th October 2012, 16:23

Please do not compare Slovakia to San Marino (49,035 km2 vs 61.2 km2, 5,5 mil vs 34 000 inhabitants). That shows that you do not know nothing about geography nor european sports. For a small country like Slovakia they are actually great sporting nation, especially in team sports. Actually they have been great for a very long period.

I haven't read my post again.

I said there are nations who are happy to turn turn up and those who improve. San Marino the former and Slovakia the latter - perhaps should have explicitly stated this but then I used the example of South American football.

All seriousness though, Aki makes a good point. I think its more down to the ignorance of the presenters, if that coverage is watched by other people in other countries then it probably comes across that us british people are ignorant, thanks to the arrogance of a couple of tv presenters. Also why do the teams need to field their best players? Maybe they should give the reserves a game and another chance at an england cap.

Which is why I'm a huge fan of Michael Cox's Zonal Marking and his articles across the interweb, not to mention South American expert Tim Vickery.

People love to mention how the Beeb's footie coverage is superior but when it comes to European/International footie (bar Waddle) Hansen, Shearer et al are a bunch of jokers too concerned about their golf handicaps.

Tom English: 'The level of punditry is patronising and insulting' - Sport - Scotsman.com (http://www.scotsman.com/sport/tom-english-the-level-of-punditry-is-patronising-and-insulting-1-813206)

donKey jote

14th October 2012, 17:01

I could obviously end up eating my hat here with Basketball and American Football suddenly being reported on our national news here today however :p

The UK isn't worldwide. Germany and Spain report Basketball regularly, for example. :)
As for American football... :dozey: :p

donKey jote

14th October 2012, 17:24

I know you know. You implied it though :)

I will maintain that Rugby is more popular than Basketball in a worldwide sense.[...] I could obviously end up eating my hat here with Basketball and American Football suddenly being reported on our national news here today however :p

donKey jote

14th October 2012, 17:32

That's how it came across so yes, I'm bored too :)

donKey jote

14th October 2012, 17:33

(Watching skydiving at the moment, almost as bad as cricket !) :dozey: :p

Lousada

14th October 2012, 22:52

I will maintain that Rugby is more popular than Basketball in a worldwide sense. You could have the whole of China playing dominoes with figures dwarfing every other sport but it wouldn't make it more popular purely based on participation levels IMO. Lets not forget that attendance is also not the whole picture. I could obviously end up eating my hat here with Basketball and American Football suddenly being reported on our national news here today however :p

Anyway this is a pointless debate really for me as I don't follow rugby, football, or most other sports and shouldn't really be arguing it lol. I wish you all well :)

In a worldwide sense Volleyball and Basketball have over 200 member nations while Rugby only has half of that. According to the Rugby federation there are 5 million registered players world wide, half of them English*. According to the Volleyball association they have 35 million registered players worldwide. I couldn't find the exact basketball numbers at the moment but they won't be much lower than that.

* Source: http://www.irb.com/mm/Document/NewsMedia/MediaZone/02/04/22/88/2042288_PDF.pdf

Big Ben

15th October 2012, 07:37

Look at Liechtenstein. They pulled a 2-2 against Portugal a few years ago at home and then made them sweat for the win in the away match after leading at half time. Small country teams are not as small as they used to be. The make big/average team work harder for their wins nowadays.

Mark

15th October 2012, 08:33

We can all agree it's better than golf.

J4MIE

15th October 2012, 20:54

Have you tried golf Mark? :D

The only thing I can confirm is that Scotland are rubbish at football ;)

dj_bytedisaster

16th October 2012, 14:41

Since this thread has forked into two distinct topics, I'll try to add my two currency units to both.

Football vs. Baseball, American Football and other ways to make yourself look like a tool ;)

Pretty much every sport - team sports in particular - other than football have a more or less insular importance. Baseball for instance is probably not even a niche sport over here and except for her majesty's former Empire you won't find too many nations in Europe, who get the point of playing something that looks vaguely like baseball, but is played with boat paddles instead of bats. Rugby is mildly popular but not universally and American Football ist still a niche sport, too. There were efforts to establish it in the late nineties, but it never took off really, since people watch their children play, if they want to see violent tackles and if we want a brawl, we just head to the pub and get ourselves hogwashly bladdered.

Which leads to the second topic. The very fact that micro states like San Marino, Tonga or Vanuatu even bother to be members of FIFA and UEFA etc shows how popular football is on a global state. I'm pretty sure that the only reasons for Vatican City's not having a football team is that the average age of its inhabitants is 190 and they're all too busy diddling little boys behind the altar.
I don't like it, when people get all cocky and arrogant about the smaller nations. I hate it when German media get all arrogant, speculating whether the result will be double digit or not, when we're up against San Marino, Andorra etc. It was a real "up yours"-moment, when the mighty German team barely scraped to a misreable 2-1 against a Faroer Islands a few years back. I like the little teams. I especially like their Chutzpa, knowing that they'll get their backside whooped and they still come back for more, proud to represent their nation. And besides, the games against them might be Football's equivalent of shooting fish in a barrel, but it's a welcome change from games where two big teams cancel each other out for 90 minutes and the whole thing ends in a measly 1-0 after a lucky free kick.

Malbec

23rd October 2012, 17:12

I don't like it, when people get all cocky and arrogant about the smaller nations. I hate it when German media get all arrogant, speculating whether the result will be double digit or not, when we're up against San Marino, Andorra etc. It was a real "up yours"-moment, when the mighty German team barely scraped to a misreable 2-1 against a Faroer Islands a few years back. I like the little teams. I especially like their Chutzpa, knowing that they'll get their backside whooped and they still come back for more, proud to represent their nation. And besides, the games against them might be Football's equivalent of shooting fish in a barrel, but it's a welcome change from games where two big teams cancel each other out for 90 minutes and the whole thing ends in a measly 1-0 after a lucky free kick.

I don't like that kind of arrogance either but its understandable when facing a country with a total population less than one of Britain's smaller towns with no professional football league and an all amateur national team. Its less understandable in the world cup finals playing against countries that have qualified legitimately yet thats exactly the attitude the British press showed when England goes up against, say, the USA in the last world cup. With that arrogance comes complacency both in the team and back home in the media. Its pretty embarrassing when such teams then show up England's many flaws for all to see...

Rudy Tamasz

24th October 2012, 08:22

Sport would be dull without dark horses who periodically kick heavyhitters' a$$es.

Belarus has BATE playing in the Champions' League. They come from a small town with about 50,000 people living in there. The whole Belarus isn't that large either. Nevertheless, BATE successively crushed Lille and Bayer this season. Last night the dream faded, though. Valencia - BATE 3 - 0.

wedge

29th October 2012, 15:08

Its less understandable in the world cup finals playing against countries that have qualified legitimately yet thats exactly the attitude the British press showed when England goes up against, say, the USA in the last world cup. With that arrogance comes complacency both in the team and back home in the media. Its pretty embarrassing when such teams then show up England's many flaws for all to see...

I wouldn't call it arrogance. More like hacks nothing better to do inbetween England games than whip up a frenzy and high expectations based on silly things like FIFA rankings and marketability of the EPL.

Tazio

2nd November 2012, 05:41

Sorry for the intrusion; in an amature sport dominated internationally by Ameican women:

At 17-1-1 the # 6 ranked SDSU women will host what amounts to a tune-up for the NCAA Championship Tournament. The Lady Aztecs are a fair bet to receive a #1 seed for the National Championship Tournament.https://media.utsandiego.com/img/photos/2012/10/17/Jurado_Megan_25693473_r620x349.JPG?75d51d0aea2efce 5189afce216053cbc530c46a8

The Mountain West tournament opens Wednesday at the SDSU Sports Deck with a pair of quarterfinals. The Aztecs get a bye to Friday’s semifinals, when they’ll host UNLV or Fresno State at 7 p.m. The final is Sunday at 1 p.m.

The NCAA seedings are announced Monday afternoon. They traditionally are influenced heavily by RPI (ratings percentage index), and the No. 5 Aztecs, Friesen insists, are “legitimately in the conversation for a No. 1 seed if we can win both games this week.”
No. 6 SDSU charts new course in women's soccer | UTSanDiego.com (http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/oct/30/no-6-sdsu-charts-new-course-womens-soccer/)

"Go Aztecs".................. :mad: "Fear The Spear" :p :

donKey jote

2nd November 2012, 17:58

Wow, one-legged woman's football !! :up:

Tazio

3rd November 2012, 20:06

Aztecs Earn 3-0 Win Over UNLV in MW Semifinals - San Diego State University Official Athletic Site (http://goaztecs.cstv.com/sports/w-soccer/recaps/110312aad.html)

SAN DIEGO -- Top-seeded and No. 6/9/6 San Diego State blanked No. 4 seed UNLV, 3-0, in the semifinal round of the 2012 Mountain West Women's Soccer Championship on Friday night at SDSU Sports Deck. With the victory, the Aztecs run their unbeaten streak to 12 and now face second-seeded New Mexico on Sunday with the tournament title on the line.
.. :s ailor: v v :facelick:
http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/sdsu/sports/w-soccer/auto_action/8265375.jpeg

SDSU Month: Aztec for Life Video Spot - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BBUht6xs1Q&feature=related)

SDSU Dance Team Fight Song 2011 - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdYocNos2Sw&NR=1&feature=endscreen)

loowisham

4th November 2012, 15:36

Is this a joke?

loowisham

4th November 2012, 15:46

That report is so off that I am surprised that Mastercard allowed to have their name associated ith it. 2.5 million registered players in England? So what about Scotland and Wales? It has England as having more Rugby players than any other country. It is no wonder there is an asterix. If all the players in New Zealand amounts to 150,000 and England has 2.5 million that number alone illustrates that the or implies that per capita the English are not very good at playing Rugby.

Tazio

4th November 2012, 20:36

Guess which country has won twice as many Olympic gold medals in Rugby than any other country. Here is a clue; the country with the second most is France :dozey:

Rollo

4th November 2012, 21:51

Guess which country has won twice as many Olympic gold medals in Rugby than any other country. Here is a clue; the country with the second most is France :dozey:

I could be wrong about this but IIRC the first Olympics to allow professional sportspeople in, was the 1972 Munich games.
Only the United States and France sent Rugby teams to Antwerp in '20 and only Romania joined them in Paris in '24 because the "bigger" nations were ineligible to field players who were paid sportspeople.

The Australasian side of 1908 happened before the advent of even minor professionalism in Australia and New Zealand and even then, the only two teams which bothered to show up were Australasia and Great Britain.

Tazio

4th November 2012, 22:39

The sport debuted at the 1900 Paris games where the gold medal was won by the host nation. It was subsequently featured at the London games in 1908, the Antwerp games in 1920 and the Paris games in 1924. The United States is the most successful nation in Olympic rugby tournaments, having won the gold medal in both 1920 and 1924; France has the most medals, one gold (in 1900) and two silvers (in 1920 and 1924).

During the final between France and the United States at Colombes Stadium, French fans booed and hissed the American team for the remainder of the game after star player Adolphe Jauréguy was flattened by a hard tackle two minutes after the opening whistle, leaving him unconscious with blood pouring down his face and having to be carried off the field on a stretcher. In the second half, French fans threw bottles and rocks onto the field and at American players and officials, wild brawls broke out in the stands, U.S. reserve Gideon Nelson was knocked unconscious after being hit in the face by a walking stick, and French fans invaded the pitch at the final whistle, leaving the French team, aided by the police, to protect the Americans. At the medal ceremony, The Star Spangled Banner was drowned out by the booing and hissing of French fans, and the American team had to be escorted to their locker room under police protection. Just sayin' ;)

Tazio

4th November 2012, 22:49

I could be wrong about this but IIRC the first Olympics to allow professional sportspeople in, was the 1972 Munich games.
Not exactly. I remember a bunch of college kids knocking off the so called Russian amatures at Lake Placid that all just happened to be Military Officers, that were paid to practice, and tour playing hockey and beating NHL teams. What's that Semi pro? ;)

Rollo

4th November 2012, 23:54

Not exactly. I remember a bunch of college kids knocking off the so called Russian amatures at Lake Placid that all just happened to be Military Officers, that were paid to practice, and tour playing hockey and beating NHL teams. What's that Semi pro? ;)

It's also 1980... 8 years after 1972. :D

Tazio

5th November 2012, 00:10

It's also 1980... 8 years after 1972. :D

However Hockey was a different beast

the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, on Friday, February 22. The United States team, made up of amateur and collegiate players and led by coach Herb Brooks, defeated the Soviet team, who had won nearly every world championship and Olympic tournament since 1954

•1972:
•Canada refuses to send a team, having withdrawn from international hockey to protest the definition of amateur athletes. International hockey is restricted to amateur athletes, but the Canadians argue that the Soviets and other eastern bloc teams are amateur in name only.
•After winning the gold medal, the Soviets play a team of Canadian NHL stars in an exhibition series several months later. Shocked by the excellence of the Soviet players, the Canadians win the series by the margin of a single goal in the final game.
•1976:
•Sweden joins the Canadian boycott, also protesting the use of sham "amateurs' by eastern bloc countries.
•1980:
•The Miracle on Ice becomes one of the defining moments in American sports history. An unheralded Team USA closes the tournament by beating the Soviets 4-3 and Finland 4-2 to win the gold medal.
•1988:
•As the amateur era draws to a close in most international sports, the Olympics are opened to professional hockey players. But the top professionals remain unavailable due to a conflict with the NHL schedule.
http://proicehockey.about.com/od/olympichockey/a/olympictimeline.htm

What they really did was allow athletes to accept commercial endorsements. Pro teams didn't send their players. You need to get your facts straight. Team sports had more involved rules:

Back in 1989, FIBA decided to allow professional basketball players to compete in the Olympic Games, and that decision ended up changing the game of basketball forever.
http://www.hoopsworld.com/top-5-nba-olympic-teams/
I was there I lived it! Nice try though :D

Tazio

5th November 2012, 01:00

The San Diego State women's soccer team beat New Mexico State 2-0 to win the Mountain West Conference Tournament on Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012 at SDSU

https://media.utsandiego.com/img/photos/2012/11/04/kc_sdsu325534x002_t1024x1024.jpg?aea15f5d27ce117b6 89d348371c3d3d99aac86b3

Totally Kicks Ass Dude :)

Tazio

6th November 2012, 03:40

The long awaited NCAA Championship brackets are set. My money is on Stanford but someone out of the ACC could surprise.

2012 Division I Women's Soccer Tournament - NCAA.com (http://www.ncaa.com/interactive-bracket/soccer-women/d1)

Tazio

7th November 2012, 18:39

SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State women's soccer team moved up to No. 4 in the final regular season National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll. The ranking is now the highest ever achieved by an Aztec women's soccer squad, bettering the previous high of No. 6 accomplished on Oct. 16.

The Aztecs return to action on Saturday as they play host to Cal State Northridge in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The contest is scheduled for a 7 p.m. PT start at SDSU Sports Deck.
SDSU Women's Soccer Ranked No. 4 in NSCAA Poll - San Diego State University Official Athletic Site (http://goaztecs.cstv.com/sports/w-soccer/spec-rel/110612aae.html)

"The Sports Deck" is a rather unique pitch. Due to the constant expansion of the College, academic as well as athletic (I can hardly recognize it from my days in attendance) It is placed on the top of a large parking structure.

Tazio

8th November 2012, 18:36

- SDSU is now 19-1-1, which marks the best win percentage (.929) in the NCAA this season. The 19 wins also tie for the most in program history, matching the 1998 NCAA Tournament squad.

- In the most recent Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), San Diego State leads the Mountain West with an RPI of 2. The only other MW teams in the top 100 are UNLV (71) and New Mexico (77). In the national rankings, the Aztecs moved up two spots to No. 4 in the final regular season National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll.

- The Aztecs carry a season-long 13-game unbeaten streak into their first round NCAA Tournament contest, which is just three games shy of the program's longest in a single season (2009). Even more impressive is SDSU's current unblemished 12-0-0 mark at SDSU Sports Deck. At home, the Aztecs have tallied 10 shutouts and allowed just three goals.

- On the season, Megan Jurado leads SDSU with 14 goals and nine assists for a team-high 37 points. The senior's 14 goals and 37 points each rank second most in school history for a single season. In the NCAA rankings, Jurado is tied for fourth with seven game-winning goals this season. She is also tied for 11th in total points (37), T-14th in total goals (14), T-17th in points-per-game (1.76), T-24 in total assists (nine) and T-30 in goals-per-game (0.67).

- On Monday, Jurado was named a 2012 first-team All-American by CollegeSportsMadness.com. The senior forward is just the second Aztec women's soccer player to garner All-America honors since Catherine McGuire earned similar accolades during the 1998 season.

- The San Diego State defense has allowed just 11 goals in 2012, with just one coming in the second half or in overtime. A big part of that success is the stellar play of goalkeeper Rachel Boaz. The redshirt sophomore has a miniscule goals-against average of 0.49, which ranks sixth in the nation. The Murrieta, Calif., native has also tallied 10 shutouts this season and is just two away from setting the single-season record.

- Boaz sits atop the league's leaderboard due to, in part, the cohesiveness and steady play of the Aztecs' starting backline of Haley Palmer, Kory Spotts, Carli Johnson and Rachael McGlinchy. Johnson has played 1906 of the total 1925 minutes this season. In the last 630 minutes of action, meanwhile, McGlinchy (609), Spotts (603) and Palmer (578) have all logged consistent minutes.

Against the NCAA Field
San Diego State has played against five teams that advanced to this season's NCAA Tournament. In those contests, SDSU posted a record of 3-1-1 with its wins coming at nationally ranked Portland, vs. then-No.5 Pepperdine and Arizona State. The tie occurred at Santa Clara, while the lone loss coming at the hands of current No. 1 Stanford in a game played at a neutral site.

A Win Would...
- ... Give San Diego State its first NCAA Tournament win since 2009.
- ... Even the Aztecs' all-time NCAA Tournament record to 3-3.
- ... Give San Diego State its 20th win of the season, the most in program history.
- ... Extend the Aztecs' winning streak to 12.
- ... Set up a matchup with either No. 22 Pepperdine (14-6) or No. 23/17 California (15-5).

:burp: