Why I will never support the English soccer team.

[Colonel Kurtz]

We're not gonna meet on this topic. Get back to me after watching a few games of professional soccer or the next round of the championship and let me know how many players are running to the ref to confess their misdemeanors. Should be an interesting (though short) read.
I've never once mentioned how I believe team sports should be played. Just how they are played.
You seem to have difficulty differentiating between the two.

Sigh! I am all out of troll food.

[Dasayev]

Oh give me a break - human instinct!!! Is that how you are going to describe every handball from now?

He could still have held his hand up ( no pun intended ) and said "no goal ref - that was handball". The fact that he didn't ( and what he said after ) is a disgrace to the himself and the AFA imho. He will reap the whirlwind.

What are you on about, reaping whirlwind? You do know that Argentina went on to win the world cup. Some whirlwind.

Maradonna was only engaging in a bit of viveza. If he had of told the referee, it would have been un-Argentinian. And if we compare his unsporting behaviour with that of England during the Falklands War - when they sank the Belgrano - at least nobody died.

[Skrynesaver]

"Two world wars and one world cup" - that's enough to put anyone off.....

After the headline was proudly displayed prior to another exit on penalties, another Irish barman politely inquired "Are the Americans coming on for the second half then?"

[merle haggard]

Oh give me a break - human instinct!!! Is that how you are going to describe every handball from now?

He could still have held his hand up ( no pun intended ) and said "no goal ref - that was handball". The fact that he didn't ( and what he said after ) is a disgrace to the himself and the AFA imho. He will reap the whirlwind.

oh for fs . Hitler gassed a load of jews and reaped the whirlwind . Scoring a dodgy goal against england , annoying as it may be to englsihmen and those who aspire to be such , most certainly does not bring the gods of destruction and retribution down upon ones household . It only annoys limeys and those who identify with limeys to a ridiulous extent .
In my opinion england reaped the whirlwind due to their arrogance and behaviour in general , and God did indeed direct maradonnas hand on that occasion . He was gods instrument of punishemnt . a punishment that torments them and their camp followers even to this very day .
He also later directed chris waddles foot in a penalty shoot out as he went for a point that would have been the envy of stevie McDonnell had it even been 50 yards to the left . The only other time ive laughed so loud at a football match . Apart from that opening goal by san marino

[merle haggard]

After the headline was proudly displayed prior to another exit on penalties, another Irish barman politely inquired "Are the Americans coming on for the second half then?"

.they really do actually believe they , england , won 2 world wars with a bit of help from the sidelines . Its bananas

[Toland]

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[drkpower]

I play rugby and hurling so shall i start supporting the Springboks because they are the best in the world or the all the blacks because they are better to watch? Shall i watch kilkenny cause Cork are not up to it ?

I dont think you understand the point.

It was about supporting the game at the top level. So supporting Cork is supporting the game at the top level (even if they dont win much anymore).

What is suggested by many here is that it is unpatriotic or dishonest to support the top tier of a sport when you could be supporting a LoI team or the local U15s rugby side (on the basis that they are more local to you).