5.06.2008
Wilbon on PTI: Anti-Streamers, Pro-Basketball Beatdowns
Dang y'all Michael Wilbon is pissssssed about the now-patented Toronto Toss™. In fact he's more upset about it than it's victims are. In a nutshell the ESPN host --who is one of the few that actually knows a thing or 2 about the game and has been known to write about it on occasion-- thinks that the practice is "bush league" and "garbage". I often agree with his thoughts on soccer but in this case I'm on the fence.
Sure, it adds to the already insane vibe in the park, but he has a point when he says that MLB would never stand for a pitcher being wrapped up like a maypole. But then any and all credibility gets thrown like so much toilet paper when he suggests that NBA stars Steven Jackson and Ron Artest would be justified in administering an ass whipping if someone did that to them.
So that's "no" to throwing paper so ultra light it will dissolve when it touches the players sweat, and "yes" to jacked up b-ballers stalking America's arenas while muttering to themselves "I wish a mother f*cker would thrown something." Hey, WWE...need a commissioner?
And what's with the next topic on the list being "Horse Sex"? Yikes!
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22 comments:
I am all for supporting your team but I don't like the streamers being thrown at players. Interrupting play is lame. Support your team and go insane but don't mess with the game.
http://www.soccerpubs.com/boards/index.php?showtopic=27616
What a twat, Baseball pitchers are absolute pussies with the "Crowd noise puts me off, they should just be quiet" utter bollocks
What an extreme dick. Not even for the commentary. But for choosing this one single event to consider for use as color commentary on MLS.
Seriously, I hated this guy before, now the guys I work with will be told to turn his stupid ass off.
When Wilbon opens his mouth that's garbage. Just say you don't get it and go back to talking about guys playing grabass in the dugout.
What the hell, Wilbon.
He totall flips out about this. why is this such a big deal?
Why does he have to call it out like this with such anger and a$$holeness. "When you have a junk product like that". Excuse me?!
Horse $hit, man, horse.
Best part about this is LeBartard saying "you're unreasonably outraged by it." Nail on the head stuff right there. And i usually despise LeBartard.
Dear Wilbon,
Go join Jim Rome in the Neanderthal corner.
sincerely,
The Rest of the World
I love the streamers. Toronto is showing the rest of the league how to support a team, by going out there and doing whatever you can to make your field unplayable to the opposition. That is what home field advantage is all about. If other teams had the same dedication and rowdiness as Toronto does it would sure level out the playing field.
What a complete ass
Does this make hockey "bush league" for hat tricks, squid and rats being throw on the Ice? What about Basketball where players regularly beat the shit out each other and fans? Maybe Baseball where Fans actually interrupt play by Catching Balls out of players hands?
Maybe this knob-gobbler should just keep his mouth shut and talk about basketball. Lord knows that's easy just wait for some giant idiot to dunk it then go to the other end and to the same.
what a cock
The ultra-
While I don't agree with all of your comment, you do make an extremely good point about the hockey squid. I'd love to know if he thinks this degrades the NHL product.
2,000 TFC fans should make a road trip to Wilbon's house and plaster the whole place with red streamers.
Brilliant post.
does it matter what his point is? he's discussing MLS on pti, be it a good or bad editorial it's still MLS mentioned in mainstream media.
First of all folks, Rome and Wilbon are nothing alike. Wilbon actually likes soccer while Rome absolutely despises the game. That is why his argument is a legitimate one.
It's one thing to throw streamers when your team scores. It's something totally different to throw them at an opposing player with the intention of keeping them from converting a corner kick. Wilbon's point is not against streamers. He's against throwing streamers with the intention of affecting the game. I agree with him.
AS far as streamers in general go, I definitely prefer the pristine pitches of England over the littered pitches I see in MLS.
As far as caps and squid, those are not thrown on the ice during play so they are very different from what they do in Toronto.
First of all (for my post): it's not squid, it's octopus.
Second, and addressing the issue at hand: THIS ISN'T GOLF. As long as no one's getting hurt by crepe paper, toss away. It'll make beating up on TFC even more meaningful for a visiting squad.
Personally, I like the streamers but an unrolled streamer could cause an injury. TFC fans are lucky it hasn't happened yet.
If MLS wants to make any sort of ruling on the streamsers, they have to determine which group of fan they really want to go after; the more casual fan who pays attention to the US Big 4 (streamers ARE bush league) or the more knowledgeable soccer fan that probably doesn't have a problem with them.
The idea of a US "big 4" is kind of silly.
And anyone who thinks streamers are "bush league" has obviously never seen a Boca/River clasico.
Isn't the "Big 4" referenced by rhdigitalys the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL?
You weren't thinking Galaxy, Dynamo, Revolution, United (or some other such mess) were you?
@briguy Exactly what I was referring too.
@chilx 99.9% of American's haven't seen a Boca-Rivers clasico, what's your point?
MLS is an American league, not an European or Latin league. Things are different here.
Right now it MLS is trying to broaden their appeal in America (this is important). That means catering to American fans. MLS doesn't need to return to overtimes and penalty shoot-outs, but there are professional standards observed in other American sports leagues. Differing from that established mode of presentation might not be appreciated by the people MLS wants to attract (these people don't watch Boca vs. Rivers son).
F**K you Wilbon I thought you were one of us. You F*****G Pussy.
these espn guys are dorks. he doesn't even watch soccer so he should have no place commenting. stick to basketball
The people MLS is going after know very well that streamers are anything but "Bush League" as they watch world football.
The days of appealing to "Joe Six Pack" are over (Thank the lord)
I don't care what the rest of the world does. Throwing trash on the field is ... trashy. Sure, it's funny, and I understand fans THINK it's a show of support. But, come on. It is completely disrespectful and it does make a mockery of a beautiful game. Do we really need to act like this to enjoy our sport? Isn't the product enough. Let's all grow up.
The people tossing streamers in that video are probably not Americans.
Other "American" sports don't have entire sections who sing, beat on drums, and jump up and down the entire game. Would that be tolerated in baseball?
I am a relatively new soccer fan, and 4-5 years ago I hadn't seen or even heard of Boca v. River or America v. Chivas or any of the other giant derbies that gain international attention. This is an international game, and deserves nothing less than to be treated as such. To me, that means loosening up a bit and accepting other forms of support that may not be what we Americans are used to. I welcome any kind of support that does not lead directly to injury or harm to anyone.
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