Comments on: The FIFA World Rankings: A Global Return to Reason http://www.runofplay.com/2008/10/08/the-fifa-world-rankings-a-global-return-to-reason/ Attacking Football Sat, 11 Feb 2012 05:36:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: henryholdbrooke http://www.runofplay.com/2008/10/08/the-fifa-world-rankings-a-global-return-to-reason/#comment-2251 henryholdbrooke Sat, 01 Nov 2008 12:23:19 +0000 http://www.runofplay.com/?p=2144#comment-2251 micheal essien was nominated ,why?because he hasnt play any match this season micheal essien was nominated ,why?because he hasnt play any match this season

]]> By: SteveH http://www.runofplay.com/2008/10/08/the-fifa-world-rankings-a-global-return-to-reason/#comment-2092 SteveH Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:36:56 +0000 http://www.runofplay.com/?p=2144#comment-2092 Hehe... Arsenal. You would be reaching wide there, Brian. It makes me wonder if all that <i>Victoria Concordia Crescit</i> nonsense they go off spouting attracts more Romance Language speakers. Then again, maybe all you get with Latin is dispassionate boffins and supporters who like secret decoder rings to draw themselves together. Hehe… Arsenal. You would be reaching wide there, Brian. It makes me wonder if all that Victoria Concordia Crescit nonsense they go off spouting attracts more Romance Language speakers. Then again, maybe all you get with Latin is dispassionate boffins and supporters who like secret decoder rings to draw themselves together.

]]> By: Brian http://www.runofplay.com/2008/10/08/the-fifa-world-rankings-a-global-return-to-reason/#comment-2090 Brian Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:12:00 +0000 http://www.runofplay.com/?p=2144#comment-2090 No offense here, Steve. Just wanted to make it clear that I do venture outside the Anglosphere from time to time. I mean, tomorrow I might even write about Arsenal! No offense here, Steve. Just wanted to make it clear that I do venture outside the Anglosphere from time to time. I mean, tomorrow I might even write about Arsenal!

]]> By: SteveH http://www.runofplay.com/2008/10/08/the-fifa-world-rankings-a-global-return-to-reason/#comment-2089 SteveH Thu, 09 Oct 2008 21:58:46 +0000 http://www.runofplay.com/?p=2144#comment-2089 Oops, I hope I didn't come across as a scold or, even worse, insensitive. I've only been a short-time reader, but I can tell much of what you say is in jest, with enough erudition to make it sound sort of serious. I suspect my own attempt in taking you to task failed to come across that way. I'll cop to being hamfisted, but hope you understand I didn't mean to offend. Oops, I hope I didn’t come across as a scold or, even worse, insensitive. I’ve only been a short-time reader, but I can tell much of what you say is in jest, with enough erudition to make it sound sort of serious. I suspect my own attempt in taking you to task failed to come across that way. I’ll cop to being hamfisted, but hope you understand I didn’t mean to offend.

]]> By: Brian http://www.runofplay.com/2008/10/08/the-fifa-world-rankings-a-global-return-to-reason/#comment-2087 Brian Thu, 09 Oct 2008 21:26:13 +0000 http://www.runofplay.com/?p=2144#comment-2087 Steve, I take your point, and have written about Africa <a href="http://www.runofplay.com/2007/11/01/football-and-globalization-a-very-special-run-of-play-report/" rel="nofollow">here</a>, <a href="http://www.runofplay.com/2007/11/12/who-runs-the-world-cup-part-one/" rel="nofollow">here</a>, <a href="http://www.runofplay.com/2007/11/12/more-world-cup-news-its-better-to-be-a-tourist-in-mozambique-than-a-shackdweller-at-kwamnyandu/" rel="nofollow">here</a>, <a href="http://www.runofplay.com/2008/01/24/a-mazy-stroll-through-thursday/" rel="nofollow">here</a>, <a href="http://www.runofplay.com/2008/01/25/a-weekend-of-late-revolutions/" rel="nofollow">here</a>, and <a href="http://www.runofplay.com/2008/03/21/qpr-throw-down-with-the-king-of-ghana/" rel="nofollow">here</a>, among other places. In this post, I was trying to make fun of the FIFA world rankings by holding them up to some culturally stereotypical images of alienation and poverty. And I'm not nearly comfortable enough with African stereotypes of poverty to invoke them quasi-mockingly. Steve, I take your point, and have written about Africa here, here, here, here, here, and here, among other places. In this post, I was trying to make fun of the FIFA world rankings by holding them up to some culturally stereotypical images of alienation and poverty. And I’m not nearly comfortable enough with African stereotypes of poverty to invoke them quasi-mockingly.

]]> By: SteveH http://www.runofplay.com/2008/10/08/the-fifa-world-rankings-a-global-return-to-reason/#comment-2085 SteveH Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:38:32 +0000 http://www.runofplay.com/?p=2144#comment-2085 I suppose it's only natural when the world's lingua franca (anachronistically named) happens to be your own, that your perspective would be Anglo-Yankocentric. But it might also do us some good in these times of whittled plenty to consider other, less fortunate lands. You mentioned Cameroon, for instance, or as they would say in their own lingua, Republique du Cameroun. It may not have the size (18 million people) or the wealth ($2,400 GDP per capita) of the other footballing powers, but they certainly have the zeal. I won't dwell on the money aspect much, but I would say the image of distended bellies and flies buzzing around eyes beats the pasty faces of Dickensian England any day. Even without exaggeration I think it's fair to say that few can afford every new green, red, and yellow kit that comes along. But this is a football-proud nation. Roger Milla is no doubt like Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Landon Donovan :-), and Jesus Christ all wrapped in one. And last month's away win against Cape Verde puts them that much closer to qualifying for what's sure to be a continent-wide exercise in mass hysteria. So maybe a nod their way is in order. Fitting into the FIFA egg carton of the world's very best is no small feat. (I just reread this and realize it sounds a little too earnest. Truth is, I mostly only care about the U.S. and England myself.) I suppose it’s only natural when the world’s lingua franca (anachronistically named) happens to be your own, that your perspective would be Anglo-Yankocentric. But it might also do us some good in these times of whittled plenty to consider other, less fortunate lands. You mentioned Cameroon, for instance, or as they would say in their own lingua, Republique du Cameroun.

It may not have the size (18 million people) or the wealth ($2,400 GDP per capita) of the other footballing powers, but they certainly have the zeal. I won’t dwell on the money aspect much, but I would say the image of distended bellies and flies buzzing around eyes beats the pasty faces of Dickensian England any day. Even without exaggeration I think it’s fair to say that few can afford every new green, red, and yellow kit that comes along. But this is a football-proud nation. Roger Milla is no doubt like Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Landon Donovan :-) , and Jesus Christ all wrapped in one. And last month’s away win against Cape Verde puts them that much closer to qualifying for what’s sure to be a continent-wide exercise in mass hysteria. So maybe a nod their way is in order. Fitting into the FIFA egg carton of the world’s very best is no small feat.

(I just reread this and realize it sounds a little too earnest. Truth is, I mostly only care about the U.S. and England myself.)

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