The thread where Spring has sprung, and Penske has risen from the law. Word!

[Sidd Finch]

Originally Posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)

Get back to me after Uruguay/Mexico.

It would be incredibly stupid, and very surprising, if Mexico did not play hard to win. Unless I'm reading the charts wrong, if Mexico wins, they win the group, and they play the second place team from Group B in the first elimination match. That will most likely be South Korea.

If Mexico ties or loses, then they are second place in Group A, and they almost certainly play Argentina in their next game. No one would choose that opponent.

If Mexico is playing hard to win, then Uruguay will likely do so as well. Yeah, they could just shoot for a tie, but that's not so easy for a team that has stronger offense than defense.

I would expect a decent game, and I always like watching Mexico play.

None of this even takes into account Latin pride.

[Sidd Finch]

Originally Posted by Sidd Finch

It would be incredibly stupid, and very surprising, if Mexico did not play hard to win. Unless I'm reading the charts wrong, if Mexico wins, they win the group, and they play the second place team from Group B in the first elimination match. That will most likely be South Korea.

If Mexico ties or loses, then they are second place in Group A, and they almost certainly play Argentina in their next game. No one would choose that opponent.

If Mexico is playing hard to win, then Uruguay will likely do so as well. Yeah, they could just shoot for a tie, but that's not so easy for a team that has stronger offense than defense.

I would expect a decent game, and I always like watching Mexico play.

None of this even takes into account Latin pride.

Projecting out a little further, if Mexico wins Group A and then wins its first game in the Round of 16, then it will most likely face the winner of a game between England (or, possibly, US) and Ghana.

If Mexico takes second in Group A, it most likely gets eliminated by Argentina in the next game. If it survives, it most likely plays the winner of a game between Germany and US (or, possibly, England). I.e., it plays Germany (but only if it has beaten Argentina. Ahem.)

Assuming that (1) I'm reading this correctly and (2) these schedules have been translated into Spanish, I would conclude that the Mexican team fully understands how important it is to kick the shit out of Uruguay.

[Anne Elk]

Originally Posted by Replaced_Texan

A few days ago, I was moaning and groaning that poor Mexico had no one rooting for them in that first game against SA. My incredulous boyfriend looked at me and when he regained his power of speech, said "there are 45 million people in this country alone that are rooting for Mexico." "Oh. Right."

All the Irish were rooting for Mexico.

[Cletus Miller]

Originally Posted by Sidd Finch

Projecting out a little further, if Mexico wins Group A and then wins its first game in the Round of 16, then it will most likely face the winner of a game between England (or, possibly, US) and Ghana.

If Mexico takes second in Group A, it most likely gets eliminated by Argentina in the next game. If it survives, it most likely plays the winner of a game between Germany and US (or, possibly, England). I.e., it plays Germany (but only if it has beaten Argentina. Ahem.)

Assuming that (1) I'm reading this correctly and (2) these schedules have been translated into Spanish, I would conclude that the Mexican team fully understands how important it is to kick the shit out of Uruguay.

I didn't realize that 1A v 2B and 2A v 1B meant something different in Spanish. Guess I shouldn't have passed Spanish after all.

But yep, that's how I read the bracket, too.

[Icky Thump]

Originally Posted by Gattigap

AoN, just had lunch in a bar here in LA to watch the game, and found the crowd to be enormously and boisterously pro-Mexico

Hold on, let me call the LA Times.

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Of course Mexico has an incentive to push for a win. But like ivory coast's corner, are they likely to take a risk? Sure, France haven't put the ball in the net by need to make up 4 goals against RSA. So even a slim loss puts Mexico through. But it seems every time a team has abncentive to play for placement/seeding they don't show up or don't push.

But we shall see. Sidd even wrote two paragraph about it and he hates soccer. Isn't soccer great?

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by Sidd Finch

It would be incredibly stupid, and very surprising, if Mexico did not play hard to win. Unless I'm reading the charts wrong, if Mexico wins, they win the group, and they play the second place team from Group B in the first elimination match. That will most likely be South Korea.

If Mexico ties or loses, then they are second place in Group A, and they almost certainly play Argentina in their next game. No one would choose that opponent.

If Mexico is playing hard to win, then Uruguay will likely do so as well. Yeah, they could just shoot for a tie, but that's not so easy for a team that has stronger offense than defense.

I would expect a decent game, and I always like watching Mexico play.

None of this even takes into account Latin pride.

to most of us this reads like Adder posting a schedule of the porn he'll jack off to next week.

[Adder]

There is no way that wasn't a charge on Kobe (after the bad three he chucked up and the rebound Gasol pulled down by shoving Rondo out of the way). He basically threw his body at three defenders who were set in the lane.

As is, Kobe gets to make two free throws to put the Lakers up by 6 with about 30 seconds to play, and the game is effectively over. Might have been an interesting finish if he wasn't Kobe or it wasn't the NBA.

[ThurgreedMarshall]

Originally Posted by Adder

There is no way that wasn't a charge on Kobe (after the bad three he chucked up and the rebound Gasol pulled down by shoving Rondo out of the way). He basically threw his body at three defenders who were set in the lane.

You are absolutely right. That's why the call was invented. The whole "trying to draw a foul" phenomenon, which Kobe and Paul Pierce have taken to absurd levels, is a fucking embarrassment.*

My favorite part of the game was when Kobe was guarding Ray Allen near the end of the game. Allen tried to go down to the block to set Kobe up for a pick. Kobe grabbed him. He tried to come back out to receive the ball, Kobe pushed him and then grabbed him. When Allen finally got the ball and made his move to the basket, Kobe fucking hammered him--raked him across both arms right before he jumped and then let him jump. The ref blew the whistle and Kobe was furious, throwing up his arms in disbelief and then getting in the refs face to say that he never even touched him with such passion and anger that I actually believe that he believed he wasn't completely fucking lying.

I can't stand that guy. He's a piece of shit.

It might have been worth it to have the Lakers win, though, if only for the fact that Artest thanked his psychiatrist in his on-court, post-game interview.

TM

*eta: I think this word should be spelled with one 'r.'

[Gattigap]

Originally Posted by ThurgreedMarshall

It might have been worth it to have the Lakers win, though, if only for the fact that Artest thanked his psychiatrist in his on-court, post-game interview.

Yup. I'm not sure the Artest/Ariza switch ever really made sense, even given Artest's great Game 7, but he has been one entertainingly crazy fucker to watch.

[ThurgreedMarshall]

Originally Posted by Gattigap

Yup. I'm not sure the Artest/Ariza switch ever really made sense, even given Artest's great Game 7, but he has been one entertainingly crazy fucker to watch.

Since we're still talking about sports, last night at the Yankees game, a guy tried to play one of those vuvuzelas and security said, "Get the fuck outta here with that shit." Tossed.

TM

[Fugee]

Every once in awhile you can hear the cheer over the buzz of the vulvas.

ETA: And they have plenty to jump about so far.

[ThurgreedMarshall]

Originally Posted by Fugee

ETA: And they have plenty to jump about so far.

Can someone please explain to me why all these assholes writhe around in the grass in what is so obviously fake agony? Is it because it takes a while for the ref to decide whether to give a yellow or red card? It's fucking ridiculous.

TM

[greatwhitenorthchick]

Originally Posted by Fugee

the buzz of the vulvas.

I just wanted to see this after Fugee's name again.

[Fugee]

Originally Posted by ThurgreedMarshall

Can someone please explain to me why all these assholes writhe around in the grass in what is so obviously fake agony? Is it because it takes a while for the ref to decide whether to give a yellow or red card? It's fucking ridiculous.

TM

They fake it so often it's a surprise when someone is writhing around and is actually hurt enough to stay off the field as play continues.