World Cup Smokin'

[JJC]

This for all the soccer fans out there . . .

With the World Cup just a few days away and lasting for a month, I thought it might be a good time to start a topic on soccer and smoking.  Okay, it's mostly a soccer thread, but I think we could spice it up with menus or recipes for what we are planning or have served while watching the games.

I wouldn't say I'm a fanatic, but I did finish a huge work project a full month early so I could clear the decks to watch most of the matches (ah, the benefits of being an academic . . . ).  Everyone at work thinks I'm so incredibly organized, but my soccer buddies know better!

We have members who come from several countries with teams in the World Cup:  England, Switzerland, USA, and probably others.  Unabashed but good-natured cheering and ribbing is OK on this thread.

Any predictions?  I think the US will bomb in their group (unfortunately), Brazil has the most talent and will win the Cup again, and that Argentina, Germany, and Spain (finally) will be the semi-finalists along with Brazil.

As for smoking accompaniments, I plan to make lots of stuff:  smoked eggs for the early morning games on this side of the pond, smoked meat loaf for great lunchtime sandwiches, and two types of ABTs:  "normally" spicy ones for the guests who root for the team I'm rooting for, and hellishly hot ones for those who disagree with me . . .  ;)

Please chime in!

[manxman]

Hi John,

Thought it had been a while since you posted, now I know why. Getting all that pesky work out the way so you can settle back and watch the World Cup!! ;D

World Cup fever is literally at fever pitch on this side of the pond, particularly in England with flags on cars, merchandise in every shop and people booking time off work to watch.

I have a particularly good computer programme that generates all the different group tables once the results are entered if you are interested!!

It is difficult to see beyond Brazil. I think England will bow out in their usual timid fashion, probably on penalties but I can say that, I am not English!! Having said that I will be supporting them as most Manx people will be...... just can't see then getting beyond the quarter finals, semi's at best. Beyond Brazil I think it is pretty much an open field so we could be in for some upsets.

I have already done some brisket in prepartion for snacks, trouble is we are in the middle of a two week motorcycle festival and the weather has been uncharacteristically wonderful so much of it has been eaten already! Still have some bacon left and also am putting my boat back in the water for the summer later today so plan some fishy bits and pieces as well! (fish,lobster,crab)

Nice to see you back posting.

[tsquared]

Spain's looking good.
T2

[manxman]

Spain's looking good.

They struggled a bit first half yesterday but came good in the end. I think Argentina are the best looking team so far.

Long way to go yet tho!!

[nsxbill]

Agreed on Argentina...Damn, they look strong..  Best passing I have seen thus far.

Bill

[whitetailfan]

We have members who come from several countries with teams in the World Cup:  England, Switzerland, USA, and probably others.

I guess Canada was so busy watching the Oilers and hoping they could bring Lord Stanley's Cup back here, we done forgot to fill out an entry form.

Spain's looking good.

So's that Swedish Bikini team...oops sorry wrong thread :P

Unabashed but good-natured cheering and ribbing is OK on this thread.

Good because that's about all I'm going to be able to contribute here ;D ;D ;D

Hope y'all have a great month of viewing

[manxman]

So's that Swedish Bikini team...

You ought to see some of the Brazilian supporters...... nothing like a Brazilian in my view!! ;D :-[

[JJC]

Leave it to me to start a thread and then go incommunicado.  Needed a bit more work on my neck (spinal stenosis).  Needed to wear one of those ridiculous collars for a month that makes it almost impossible to keyboard because you can't bend your head down.

The good news was that a freind of mine brought over one of those tall, narrow dressers and put our bedroom TV on it so I could lie in bed and watch the matches.  If you have to be laid up, there's no better time than the World Cup!

Congrats to Italy for winning it all, and to France as well for a pretty entertaining final.  I'm glad the Germans made it to the semis as the home team.  The refereeing was terrible, but so were the players.  It's hard enough to referee without professionals trying to fool you by cheating. The incessant diving and acting--including some shameful dives by some of the world's best players--really needs to be stopped.  Maybe a video review panel that goes over the game afterwards and issues yellow cards for every blatant dive (hey, they can already do that for fouls that the ref didn't see) would do the trick . . .

Don't know if anyone will agree with me, but as bad as Zidane's head-butt was, there were two things I found much more disturbing:

1)  the Italian player calling Zidane's mother a "terrorist whore" just because she's Algerian was a blatant racist comment that deserved more than the 2-game suspension he received

2)  Cannavaro's deliberate attempt to injure Henry in the first minute of play.  If you look at the video, it's very obvious that Cannavaro sees that Henry is looking away from him at the ball, and then moves into Henry's path and raises his shoulder to make sure he whacks Henry's head with it.  Too bad French TV didn't send that piece of video to FIFA . . .

Ah well, can't wait for the next World Cup!

[tsquared]

Next world cup they need to sit all the players down, give them a brewski  and make them watch one of Don Cherry's rock 'em sock 'em hockey videos. ;D  Then they'd realize that being tripped and falling on soft grass is not necessarily grounds for writhing in agony.
(Another made in Canada solution! ::)
T2

[manxman]

Hi John, sorry to hear you have been having problems with your neck again. No fun at all, I can vouch for that having had a couple of neck problems over the past couple of years. Glad to see you got to see the Wolrd Cup though.

Having said that the World Cup was very disappointing, poor referees and poor players (the bigger the names the bigger the diasppointment in general!) and like many top "sports" nowadays more a testament to big business than anything else with it's hype and build up but little substance. Very few of the big names cames away with their reputations enhanced, Henry included.

To be fair the Germans did a very good job at staging the event...... a credit to them.

The biggest scandal in my view was Sven Goran Ericcson taking £25million ($40million) off the English Football Association to produce a team that played the way it did, he was by far and away the best paid coach at the World Cup and it was disgraceful, the England players were more like pleasurebeach donkeys thatn thoroughbred racehorses!!

Been to watcha gane here on the island today, Liverpool V Manchester United stars of yesteryear featuring players of 10 to 15 years ago...... best game I have watched in a while in terms of value for money!! ;D

[nsxbill]

Two of my kids were quite  involved in youth soccer, as were my wife and I, as they participated in this wonderful sport.  Wife actually coached, and son at 11 moved up into under fourteen select club.  It was exciting times traveling all over to the games with the pinnacle, big club tournament at Reno.  It is such a joy to see kids of all sizes and ages playing a game that enourages skill and not how big or fast you need to be on a steroid assist.  Speaking of kids...the high priced prima donnas and the dives at World Cup.  Quite an embarassment to see that example being set for the upcoming players who so look up to these pros!

I truly enjoyed the games this year, and still wish Argentina would have been part of the final.  Maybe next year....  I am sure looking forward to the games.  I love football and tend to get interested in basketball when it gets to the playoff times, but the other futbol is of my favorite things to watch despite low scores.  The skill and the finesse seem to be unfortunately lost on most of the American viewers.

John, I wish you a speedy recovery! 


Bill

[manxman]

Quite an embarassment to see that example being set for the upcoming players who so look up to these pros!

Sadly that is true of so many professional sports nowadays, just look at recent events at the Tour de France and the incidence of drug abuse in athletics to name but two.

The game I enjoyed most was the Argentina/Mexico game, I would have liked either Argentina or Brazil to have met Germany in the final, a South America/European final would have been a great spectacle in my view.