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veescot

Listed below are comments made by veescot between Thursday, 26th June 2008 and Wednesday, 20th August 2008.

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Telling stories in Beijing 07:38am on 20 Aug 2008 Joyfulxinxin, mounchacha and others seem concerned about these stories being attached to the Olympics. There is a long tradition of human interest stories being run beside major international events, not to detract from the sporting action, but to fill -in the background.
I was fortunate to visit China two years ago, and was delighted to see that people had arguments in the street, parking disputes and noisy teenagers, especially in Shanghai, but just as evident elsewhere. We talk about these things to show the richness and diversity of a culture, not to criticise that culture but to educate our own.
The politics of the PRC is radically different from the UK, and shapes society accordingly, but we could say that of every country in the world. Website Readers should look to the wider pages of the BBC and other News sites to see that we are much more critical of our own country, but the key thing is that we are allowed to be critical of our own country. We are also allowed to visit other countries to see how they function. We do not always use these freedoms wisely, but we cherish them, and sympathise with those who don't have the same rights.
Spain are worthy winners 04:50am on 30 Jun 2008 Some good comments here. Fletch concentrates on what Spain did well, not on the negatives of the runners-up. Sporting fairness from German bloggers. It was mainly a good match to watch, but it seemed that the German side, so often classed as super-fit, seemed tired and off their game. Would Aragones have given Ballack a full game?

Too often, managers are media pressured to go with the big name, and in this case I felt that Ballack, although good in flashes, was not 100% ready. This team has some good young players, and will continue to grow in competence before 2010. Fabio take note - England need to take a chance on new blood and leave the prima donnas at home.

Good to see talk about sport, not national identity.....
Basel serves up a thriller 1:49pm on 26 Jun 2008 Bolek16, are you an american or a pole, and which team would you support at cricket?
From which lofty standpoint have you observed "english antipathy"? The back of a music hall, perhaps? I have lived in England for over twenty years and witnessed die- hard Londoners befriend all creeds and colours - in fact - many Brits ARE "all creeds and colours". Making jokes about things has always been the brit way of "dealing with it", and we don't make jokes about current atrocities such as Iraq, or the other Middle East regime which wages war with American Support......

If you have been looking under rocks you may have found some pondlife of the type you think typify Brits in general, but I think you'll find that Brits don't hate Germans, they hate N@21s - the other "N" word we don't want to see making a comeback.

The rest of you, move on! Don't re-run old conflicts, look forward to Future Contests. I'm going to monitor you all on Monday morning, and I don't want to see any Franco/Hitler, or Stalin /Hitler rubbish.

German Correspondents - please keep the jokes coming!
Basel serves up a thriller 11:41am on 26 Jun 2008 Dominoes and darts... Spot on about the panel. I usually like to watch the MOTD team, and like Linekar as a presenter, but they're maybe jaded after too many matches..........

What about Marcel Desailly as an anchor man for future tournaments. He is articulate, with better English than some panelists, and a recent working knowledge of the game.

In the Rugby World Cup / Six Nations there are pundits from the competing nations, who give good value for money, and a fresh perspective. There is no shortage of former, non UK, Premiership players who could give their views on international games.
Basel serves up a thriller 10:48am on 26 Jun 2008 Calm down, boys, its a game! All neutral observers have been waiting for the type of game that sets pulses racing. This was a great end to a match, and Fletch's comments are from the point of view of a professional fan who watches the game for a living. THE GAME IS WHAT COUNTS, NOT NATIONAL HISTORY!
To pull a result from a contest that was headed for penalties is a great achievement regardless of the nations involved, and to extrapolate from one drunk in a flat somewhere, to the entire British population, is a grave mistake. Most Brits admire sporting determination and national pride. We aren't criticising German team songs, we're admiring (and secretly envious of) this type of celebration. This is so much better that snarling and fist waving at the crowd, so often seen in the English Premiership.
No real football fans care what happened at Wembley years ago, or anywhere else years ago, for that matter.. Its this game, and the next game, that count.

Fletch's comments about 2006 are based on observations that "germany" as a united country had come of age. Prior to this we spoke of former west, or former east Germany, and the way the re-unification had affected society, sport, commerce, the whole nine yards.

In the UK we can admire Schumacher's swagger, Becker's bravado, and I for one was delighted to see Angela Merkel getting into the game in a big way!
We've moved on, feel free to join us.
On Sunday, we'll be watching to see if the final will be a great game - possible against a Russian team who are playing for a nation, not a union of states. Two relatively young nations contesting a major final. May the best team win!

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