The link is there to ground the discussion in facts vs hyperbole. So many times on FR it becomes a food fight over subjective assessments when, in reality, there is more unity than dissent.
Again, you said “ This is p!$$poor planning on so many levels. It embarrasses me.”
For the record, embarrassed means feeling or showing a state of self-conscious confusion and distress
Now, if, say, the 250th Celebration this July 4 in, say, Philadelphia reflects p!$$poor planning on so many levels, I’ll prolly have some feelings on that. This is my country, Philadelphia is the cradle of liberty (and my home town), and July 4 is a big deal. I’ll be let down. Maybe disappointed. But not embarrassed.
However, I harbor zero potential for embarrassment, nor even pride, in America’s part in the World Cup. It’s not on my radar, I have nothing to do with it, and I don’t follow soccer. It ranks up right below my concern for whether or not the National Association of Landscape Professionals’ conference in November 2026 is a success - https://www.landscapeprofessionals.org/ELEVATE.
The extent to which a state of self-conscious confusion and distress may arise from others’ perception is a matter of the “sin” that’s committed, and the proximity of the sinner to me. Messing up the estimation of ticket prices and expected attendance at the World Cup, to me, is meh, and I could care less what Europeans or even fellow American think of that mess. However, if a close family member posted a hideous, tasteless video on YouTube that got attention, then I would most likely be in a state of self-conscious confusion and distress.
Men and women DO get emotional at different things. Guys will get really angry on Sunday in the fall when a touchdown is called back on a questionable holding penalty. Women will look at us and say “what happened to the guy who could care less about the World Cup?” And we will rationalize the outburst, and chalk it up to injustice. Go figure.
Thanks for the sober discussion. And if it matters, I do hope the local businesses don’t lose money due to the logistical mess up’s.
*** Guys will get really angry on Sunday in the fall when a touchdown is called back on a questionable holding penalty. ***
I guess I’m part guy then. I get just as bent out of shape over bad calls as the next guy.
For the record, I’m a woman that likes a lot of sports. My favorites, in no particular order, are football, soccer, hockey, baseball, golf, tennis, basketball, and lacrosse. Love college football, but the NFL is just ok. I’ll watch it but don’t care until college football is finished.
We watch sports nearly every night. Tonight is playoff hockey. Colorado vs Vegas. Vegas is up 2-1 in the third period, and Vegas beat Colorado the other day, 4-2.
I don’t know why people here hate soccer so much. It’s just another sport. It will never take the place of football, basketball, baseball, or hockey, so why all the bashing?