The Group of Death is not a Bruce Lee movie. Actually the “Group of Death ” is just as arbitrary as the INC claiming that they built the “World’s Largest Dome Arena“. The title Group of Death in the context of the FIFA World Cup is a indeed a subjective label but here Bleacher Report explains why people come to that conclusion. The label may be subjective but the fact remains that the USA were able to battle their way out of the so called Group of Death. Which may be the most amazing thing in world sports because almost every country except the U.S. and the Philippines obsesses about soccer 24/7, 365.
The U.S. obsesses about the NFL and it is not even close when it comes to advertising.
So by definition great athletes in the US will gravitate to the gridiron variety of football. The NBA will also get its fair share of America’s great athletes. Not as much as they did in the 80s where there was almost no foreign born players. Look how many players the champion Spurs had who were not born in the US? The same can be said about the once “National Pasttime” baseball. 77 % of Major League baseball players still born in the US. Hockey may be thought of as more Canadian, Swedish or Russian sport than an American sport. Yet a quarter of the world’s top hockey league is composed of people from a nation that cares more about football, basketball , baseball and NASCAR than hockey.
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Quick review, the US hosts the best gridiron football, basketball, hockey and baseball in the world. They supply a significant amount of players to those four leagues plus the number of male athletes that medal in the Winter and Summer Olympics. After all those entities get their share of athletes, the leftovers play soccer. These leftovers came out of the group of death and made it to the surviving 16. To quote a common contemporary idiom, “mind blown”.
Team USA does have some German/ US dual citizenship people on their roster but we are not talking Andray Blatche type ringers here. Countries like the U.S. and the Philippines that really do not care about soccer will often be Plan B for dual citizenship types if they are good enough to be given the choice. The best athletes of the US are playing centerfield, point guard or quarterback and they still got out of the “Group of Death”. Their culture relegates soccer to fifth in importance among team sports. They still have the likes of Michael Phelps and yet are still standing with 15 other teams after group play in the world’s biggest tournament. I am not sure if the athletes in the US playing world class soccer are even leftovers. They are so far down the food chain they are just a rumor. Yet they are in the knockout stage.
Pinoy soccer is historic against one of Fabio’s favorite places. That is how history is made. Ask Fabio
You want a local angle to this? I am sure there are people who think the Azkals are a big deal in the world when they are not. Why should they be? This country does not even care to have big time soccer organically yet they want to be recognized externally. They call a victory against Maldives “historical”. I like to think I know a little bit about sports, the only thing that was historical for me was that I had no idea the Maldives had a football team capable of playing in a historic game. For me the Maldives was a place international hunk Fabio would take his “special lady” when he wanted to surprise her. All they would need are the plane ticket, bikini and a toothbrush. I am not making this up.
50 year old slackers allergic to hard work and achievement are heralded in this culture. That trickles down to international sports.
Now that we see what the US can do with their fifth most relevant team sport. Imagine what the Philippines can accomplish if they devote themselves to one sport that nobody else in the world devotes themselves to? Oh wait bad example. We already do that. Brazil devotes themselves to football and every World Cup they are contenders. Philippines devotes itself to basketball and they still resort to naturalizing NBA bench players with no connection to the country and they call it pride.
Pinoys cannot be world class in sports. If pictures like this are not created out of satire. Taken from http://bekindtoustrolls.wordpress.com/2012/07/11/whos-the-real-superhero/
My thoughts on this are very simple. Like what you like. Just don’t expect world wide attention if you can’t compete with them. Like what you like and don’t make nationality a qualifier to what you like. You want to get a bunch of foreigners who never lived here or went to school here or can even sing the national anthem yet you identify with them as a “Filipino ” team I will call you on that. You want to devote yourselves to basketball fine. Then please line up in the buffet line where they serve humble pie when we are not significant internationally. The world resents America for not worshiping soccer the way they do. Yet, they made it out of group play. Pinoys are the exact opposite with basketball. Complete devotion yet the culture does not produce a significant player or significant team with any kind of notoriety.
Pinoys do not well in international sports because they don’t know where to look.
The Filipino only loves basketball. That’s a fact. But they get beat at their dominant sport by countries that prioritize soccer and baseball over basketball. What glory is there in being the only basketball myopic country in the world when other countries leftovers beat you ? None really. Just remember that if you think PBA is quality basketball. One of the most prominent PBA players was married to Kris Aquino. Shows you how little prestige there is in being a professional athlete in this country. You get to the pinnacle of sports in this country and Kris Aquino gets to be your wife. Some honor.
Putting a very sharp needle into the balloon known as Pinoy Pride since 2012.
Just like you, you devote your time calling your work intellectual lmao when it is nonsense generalizations that even kindergarten already know
In your words “kindergarten already know” proud to be Pinoy !!!!!
Maybe kindergarten kids already know this, maybe. You sure as hell did not understand this. Your answer is as creative and as deep as your handle.
Lmao why not criticize Arab Countries, lol they spend millions of dollars but doesnt even make the cut
Ur just a hater Stop it and it is not intellectual
It is junk this wouldnt even pass in a high school paper
This is my third piece on the World Cup since a week before kickoff. Maybe you already made up your mind that I am a hater. What you think of me is none of my business.
Tsk tsk, the only thing that is junk around here, Michael Lebron, is how so far you have not put any convincing counter-argument to the points Gogs has made here, and how you instead have decided to focus on attacking him personally. Any kindergarten kid can do that.
The truth is Asian countries Cannot compete in soccer because they are small and not athletic. It was already proven by Japan and KOrea
Have you seen their games? I know you are not an athlete but just a Chippy munching fatso who havent even ran a 5 km marathon
You stalking me says more about you than it does about me.
Asians cannot compete because they are small and not athletic.
That message alone already makes you sound like an idiot.
the reason they beat Asians in football is because they were better in that game but Japan and Korea stands a chance at winning, they were just not the better team this year.
But to counter what you said about asians being small and “not athletic”. In the Olympics alone, who do you think rivals the US? China. So they’re not asian since asians are “not athletic”
oh… and the fact that Japan, and Korea made it in the World Cup, made them already better and “competitive” compared to many European, African, and American nations.
So basically, you suck at this dude. Troll somewhere else lol! ^o^
Kyle.
China only rivals USA in minor sports, diving and in some cases athletics. Japan and Korea made the world cup simply because they only had to beat Asians, not Europeans. Africans or Americans. Filipino’s should forget American games and excel in their own areas of expertise. just my thought for what it is worth
Comments from GRP Facebook:
Who said anything about running a country through commercial and media hype? I admit the World Cup can be classified as that but it is what it is and it is there. Fact not opinion the US made it to the 32 and then they made it out of their group. I pointed out factors. Not sure what it has to do with hype. Philippines, there is a culture that does not exist and / or rely on hype.
In this piece yes I say soccer at times. It just so happens that I referenced the National Football League and it may have escaped you that 1) They are significant league 2) their ball is not round. 3) they have no goal keeper. Go to the US and no one refers to the LA Galaxy as a football team. So the use of the word “soccer” is proper in context with what I talk about. In the heart of Portugal or Columbia yes it is wrong.
My trademark is totally lame references. Unless you have a brain. You never said which one.
I do what I do so you kids appreciate the greats of yesteryear. Fabio is a true giant. No last name required. Yes the guy in Zoolander. Click link in what I wrote to listen to his tips on romancing your special lady or ignore at your peril.
I challenge you to a sports debate. You seem to have a sharp tongue Lets see if you can justify your cockiness
I have been following sports since 8 and I am an athlete not an armchair slob whose only good at doing nothing
All I care about is justifying what I wrote today. The rest of my time I want to spend doing meth.
and eating Chippy.
Since 8 eh? how old are you now? 8 and 1/2?
Filipinos cannot be world class lmao
Efren Reyes is the best pool player alive god damn you
Manny Pacquiao is the former pound for pound boxer paid $20 million dollars which is more than you can imagine and understand
Nonito Donaire is a 5x divison world champ
Mark Eddiva and Roldan Sangchaan ae UFC UFC god damn you UFC have you ever seen a Indonesian/Thai/Malaysian in UFC?
etc etc
I must have missed my issue of Sports Illustrated where they covered billiards. Manny Pacquaio is an example of rising above your circumstances. He does not represent the country, he represents himself. The state has nothing to do with him. I don’t know inner workings of UFC or their undercard or whatever. Besides it is less than two decades old.
coz ur not a fan dammn it thats why you dont know
Even Wesley So is recruited by USA
damn your fucking stupid, so what about Pacman? Ur point is no filipino is world class. Your twisting facts come on
You lose I own you dont piss me when it comes to sports
What do you have against spelling and capitalizing when appropriate?
YES, you are correct, Manny IS world class, in boxing…..where are the other 999,990 Filipino’s ?
Our girls are playing in World Cup of Softball
A filipino is playing in A Japanese Baseball league. Yes Japanese baseball, the baseball factory where the likes of ichiro yu dervish are made. Surely, low class athletes wouldnt be there lol
Filipinos rule the dragonboat comps
Paeng Nepomuceno etc etc
I dont undesttand you bro why the hate?
In Japan’s long history of baseball you site one nameless guy. Does anybody care who was last years dragonboat champ even you? Again,bowling does nothing for me. There is a PBA in the US but nobody cares even about them abroad. Locals don’t care about our baseball/softball teams playing abroad. My cousins ( a guy and a girl) have done it. Locals don’t care. Anyway bring up something relevant or there is a couch with my name on it and two unopened bags of Chippy.
Ur insulting athletes who work hard bro I can give you a list but since ur not a fan
who cares
LOL Dont you know filipino players are widely recruited prior to World War 2 lol U dont know coz ur not a fan
LMAO A filipno was the recipinet of Asian ORder of Merit in golf I guess you dont know Juvic Pagunsan lol
and try to search Cyna rodriguez, Princess Superal, etc lmao dont get mad at me when they became household names soon lmao
You call it insulting?? Back in July 3 2011 the media and Azkals fans were all over themselves that they beat Sri Lanka Brave Reds. You Google the football team and all the hits you get are Pinoy media bragging about beating the Brave Reds. Even their own country/ media did not care. Yet that is what pinoys resort to. My piece started off as World Cup and Basketball. Stop Shotgunning me. You can think you know more than me. This country voted in Noynoy Aquino who is useless, formless mama’s boy. That is all you need to know.
What are you grade 1? Sabi ko na nga ba ur just a hater kasi u only know Azkals and they just popped in 2010 lmao di pa sila locals lol
Dont be a hipster bro pangit un
Pagmalaki mo din ang filipino athletes
I thought trolls like you,”Michael Lebron”, couldn’t get any dumber, I was wrong
Is that all you can dish out against Gogs? Lame adhominems typically consist of the junk you just posted.
Go back to nursery since you are acting like an immature baby, little troll.
Filipino boxers are shown in Primetime in USA
Primetime in Fox Sports 1, HBO, Showtime, ESPN lmao
So I guess USA are such lowclass networks to show filipino talents
COME ON, arent their any other nationalities except filipinos coz they are low clas athletes hahaha LOL NOT
The problem with you is you only mainstream sports lmao soccer basketball lmao
That is why I dont consider u an intellectual lol Intellectual is bordering brilliant craziness and genius. The likes of bobby fischer and even Calvin Abueva
Yes Pinoys are world class athletes deal with it bro
Then what does that say about the typical Pinoy if you find me dumb? Again your choice of user id. It is so , so , so baduy.
He’s smart! Evidenced by putting Calvin Abueva and Bobby Fischer in the same sentence.
He’s considered smart if he is living in a world with rock bottom standards for intelligence -_-
Very funny. Why we need to include Arab countries in this topic?
We need to respect everybody’s opinion here. Gog did a mistake by writing “we are not world class when it comes to sports”. Is that enough to become a hater? We have some famous athletes, is that enough to become a world class? How many medals we earned from Olympics? How many medals require to become a world class? Or do we need a medal to become a world class? Tell me because I know nothing. One thing I only know…..most of us can’t accept negative comments /critisism. We only like head enlarging words like “you’re the best in the world” Of course…whose people in his right mind will not want those. Even me, I am not an athlete, I’m good at nothing. And I will surely like anyone who tell me I’m good at doing nothing. And I fucking hate anyone who will tell me I’m not good because I’m doing nothing.
The lesson here is one should not write articles that they barely know. The phillipine basketball team gives us pride when they qualified for world championships, the equivalent of world cup in soccer. They did this almost without Douthit (the naturalized american center)who was injured when they beat korea. Besides, even USA plays naturalized basketball players in the Olympics and World championships.
What am I missing? Pinoys only country in the world obsessed with basketball yet ultra excited by only qualifying? Because it’s rare. My point is about leftovers . You are facing leftovers and yet excited by merely qualifying. What pride? Naturalized? Why do you resort to that if you are so good and prideful? Beating Korea is rare. And their Football team will wipe the pitch with you 9 times out of ten. Is that all you got???
We can excel in football (or soccer) if we have that super-perseverance to do it. Here in Iloilo, the town of Barotac Nuevo makes the cut if we talk about passion for the sport. Also,we made another cut in softball. We are proud of our local softball girls which represents our country in the Asia-Pacific tournament of the Little League. I’m dreaming one day that we have our own International Football Club and beating Japan in the World Baseball Classic. 🙂
That’s a big if. I am aware of pockets of the Visayas that love it. Still it is a tall order to be expected to be significant internationally when there is very little Football played within our shores that moves the needle on the national level. Not even college football that gets 1% the attention of UAAP basketball. All these other countries obsess about it. We don’t . In my opinion we are cursed with a team that represents us that doesn’t represent us. Don’t know the national anthem , never rode a jeepney , never went to school here etc. Most are fine woth that because they get better individual skill in the short run. In the long run , you have to develop the game within. I do not see it that development and just like the rest of big picture Philippines, lacks infrastructure. So in conclusion , life is like a sewer. You get out of it what you put into it. Pinoys only care about basketball.