Monday, July 10, 2006

That's it?

Jenn and I went to Miami this Sunday to hang out with some friends and it just so happened that the World Cup final was on (I don’t want any miscommunication here: we did not specifically go to Miami to watch the World Cup final). To be honest, I had little to no rooting interest in the final. The 2 teams I hate the most: Brazil (for their Yankee-ness) and Argentine (for their disgusting style of flop-ball) were long gone. I like the idea of the host country winning the whole thing just because I think those local fans have put forth the most energy, they should be rewarded. Plus, of all the individuals that I watched during the matches, Germany’s Klose was BY FAR the most fun to watch for me. But, alas, Germany lost in the semis. So, in spite of my blog from a couple weeks ago, I couldn’t really get excited about the final because I wasn’t all that excited either way about either of the team.

And then, at the very end of the game, the worst possible thing happened: penalty kicks. There were several games decided by penalty kicks during the knock out phase of the World Cup. Each time, it left a bad taste in my mouth, but I didn’t say anything. Then, to have the CHAMPION decided based on a facet of the game that is probably about 10% skill on goal keeper’s side, 10% skill on the kicker’s side and 80% luck on both sides, that’s just absurd. It’s the equivalent of having the NBA Champion decided on Free Throws after the first inning. The World Series champion decided by a Home Run Derby in baseball after the 12th inning. The Super Bowl Champion decided on Field Goals after the first OT. Those are all horribly stupid ideas that would make the actual championship feel cheap and supremely anti-climactic. And guess what: the World Cup is as big as those 3 events rolled into one!

Blair commented that the team that gets the ball first in OT is decided by a coin flip. True, but that team still has to play the game the way it’s been played for the course of the regular time. And after a playoff game went into OT a few years ago, ESPN did an analysis of whether the team that wins the coin flip has a decided advantage and they really don’t. If they don’t score on their first possession, they actually LOSE more often than they win. So the luck factor there is marginal.

He then said, “Those guys have been playing for 120 minutes. You want them to play even more!?” “FUCKIN’ A I want them to play even more!” They’re playing FUCKING SOCCER!!!! Not practicing penalty kicks. At the very least make it semi-interesting and have it decided on corner kicks. First team to 5 scores off of the set play of the corner kick wins. You try ends once the ball exits the goalie box. At least the corner kick is a standard part of the game. A very frequent and extremely exciting play. The penalty kick happens maybe once every 3rd or 4th game. And yes, in the middle of the game, a penalty kick extremely interesting and usually deserved BASED ON THE COURSE OF EVENTS IN THE GAME! Used as the tool to decide who wins THE WORLD FRIGGIN’ CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE BIGGEST SPORTING EVENT OF THE WORLD, it sucks. It just sucks. There’s nothing good to say about it.

If you’re worried about the players being too tired, award an extra substitution at the start of every OT period. After the first OT period, which is played for the full 30 minutes regardless if someone scores, you go to Sudden Death, or the Golden Goal as it used to be known. You’re telling me these players don’t dog it in the last 15 minutes of OT just praying to get to penalty kicks? PUH-LEASE! That’s how Italy beat Germany!

Until the penalty kick thing is changed, I can’t blame anyone for not wanting to watch the World Cup. Why would you vest any sort of time into a game that’s only going end with a friggin’ Home Run Derby? The WORLD was robbed.

1 Comments:

Blogger RauluaP said...

Interesting take. I see what you mean about the event being much larger than a penalty kick. It's bigger than the game, really. But that doesn't change the fact that the game part of it is a total snow job when it ends on penalty kicks!

1:19 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home