High Stakes Soccer
North Korea did pretty well against top-ranked Brazil in their World Cup matchup on Monday. It was 2-1 for Brazil, but considering how, um, hard it is to develop great young athletes in a country like North Korea, all in all not a bad showing. Unfortunately for the team, losing has consequences.
From Abu-Dhabi's English-language paper, The National:
One of the most fabled stories of international sport comes from the 1966 World Cup, when the North Korean side won the hearts of many in a stunning upset of tournament favourite Italy in Middlesbrough, England. The underdogs had shown, as did their 2010 counterparts, that the quality of an athlete does not depend entirely on the nature of his government.
Sadly, sport cannot always transcend politics. The 1966 upset is now part of sporting lore; the story that North Korean refugees tell about the aftermath is less well known. After falling to Portugal in the quarterfinals, the North Korean side reportedly returned home to a peculiar welcome. Some members of the team were imprisoned in the country’s brutal labour camps for their “disappointing” performance.
Yikes.
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Comments :
May '10
Re: High Stakes Soccer
That reminds me of the beatings that one of the dastardly Hussein boys meted out on returning Olympians.
Re: High Stakes Soccer
Thanks for the NorK soccer update, Rob. Not being a huge soccer fan, I haven't watched any of North Korea's games. But apparently the Chinese have:
May '10
Re: High Stakes Soccer
Helping out with my son's Little League team last year, I found that beatings and torture had virtually no effect on the performance of 12-13 yr old boys. It generated a lot of phone calls from the parents, though. :-) [Please note the emoticon. It is there to indicate that I didn't really beat and torture young boys.]
Re: High Stakes Soccer
The Logo approves of your use of emoticons, Scott.
Jun '10
Re: High Stakes Soccer
One of my students from years ago gave me a Jolly Roger below which reads: "The beatings will continue until morale improves." I haven't actually had to beat anyone since the day I ripped the head off a freshman and drank his warm blood from his severed skull. But that's just me; your mileage may vary. BTW, when you're secure in what you believe, you don't need an emoticon.
Gotta go. That damn police chopper with the searchlight is back.
May '10
Re: High Stakes Soccer
The Logo
The Logo approves of your use of emoticons, Scott. · Jun 17 at 9:40pm
Didn't Rob say kind of like truth in sarcasm, there's truth in emoticons? ;-) That wink face bugs me. I feel cheesy using it since I never wink in real life. We need a software plug-in with Ricochet, so we can use better faces. Logo, can you add that to my wish list?
May '10
Re: High Stakes Soccer
Andrea Ryan
The Logo
The Logo approves of your use of emoticons, Scott. · Jun 17 at 9:40pm
Didn't Rob say kind of like truth in sarcasm, there's truth in emoticons? ;-) That wink face bugs me. I feel cheesy using it since I never wink in real life. We need a software plug-in with Ricochet, so we can use better faces. Logo, can you add that to my wish list? · Jun 17 at 10:06pm
No, Andrea, the wink face, from my standpoint, is not there to express anything other than me being too lazy to hit the shift key. I myself prefer the green-colored big toothy grin.
May '10
Re: High Stakes Soccer
Duane Oyen
Andrea Ryan
The Logo
The Logo approves of your use of emoticons, Scott. · Jun 17 at 9:40pm
Didn't Rob say kind of like truth in sarcasm, there's truth in emoticons? ;-) That wink face bugs me. I feel cheesy using it since I never wink in real life. We need a software plug-in with Ricochet, so we can use better faces. Logo, can you add that to my wish list? · Jun 17 at 10:06pm
No, Andrea, the wink face, from my standpoint, is not there to express anything other than me being too lazy to hit the shift key. I myself prefer the green-colored big toothy grin. · Jun 18 at 7:07am
So, your shift key qualified as a necessary key...and, was spared the same fate as your ripped off Caps Lock? I think you should send me all your unwanted keys from your keyboard to replace the return key my toddler thought I didn't need on mine.
Re: High Stakes Soccer
I've always wondered about the power of emoticons. Do they work for everything? Like, a note from your doctor: Dear Rob, Awfully sorry, but that tumor is inoperable :(
Or can it soften an otherwise blood insult? Dear Rob: You are a complete moron. Your writing is at best uninteresting and at worst totally lacking in insight, style, or value. Please choke to death on a ham sandwich. Sincerely, A disgusted reader. ;)
Maybe I can make up a really impossible to understand one? Dear Peter: We need to talk about Ricochet matters this weekend. Rob (*>
May '10
Re: High Stakes Soccer
Oh, Rob... Ahhhhhh!! Ha ha ha ha ha! :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
How else am I supposed to convey paroxysms of laughter?
May '10
Re: High Stakes Soccer
I've always felt that emoticons made it appear that I'm laughing at my own jokes. :-) See what I mean? Good-God-in-heaven, I hate emoticons. :-( But Logo, I shall continue using them, if I must. :-)
May '10
Re: High Stakes Soccer
....and Rob, I've been looking over that secret-code emoticon you've got going with Peter: A crescent, a star, and a greater-than symbol. Interesting. What exactly are you two intending to discuss at this secret meeting?
Allahu Akbar. (*>
May '10
Re: High Stakes Soccer
I think Rob is secretly flipping Peter the bird. I distinctly see a beak.
Scott Reusser: ....and Rob, I've been looking over that secret-code emoticon you've got going with Peter: A crescent, a star, and a greater-than symbol. Interesting. What exactly are you two intending to discuss at this secret meeting?
Allahu Akbar. (*> · Jun 19 at 6:56am
May '10
Re: High Stakes Soccer
Well I'll be darned, Andrea; it IS a bird. Kinda cute, in fact.
May '10
Re: High Stakes Soccer
It is, isn't it? At first, I thought it was a furtive scheme to go duck hunting without the Logos clueing in, but then I realized duck season's over.
May '10
Re: High Stakes Soccer
I also like the italic smiley. Cute in a warped, little way... :) or :(
If Ricochet ever has a slow day they could have an emoticon contest. Who knew you could make a cute bird out of symbols used for substitute cussing.