Comments on: England’s Loss to Germany http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2010/06/29/englands-loss-to-germany/ Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:25:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: andy http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2010/06/29/englands-loss-to-germany/comment-page-1/#comment-478 andy Thu, 08 Jul 2010 15:16:30 +0000 http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/?p=1844#comment-478 have now come to conclusion that the main cause of fiasco was a wardrobe malfunction. Did you see them getting off the plane all dressed identically in their grey 3-piece suits? Now personally I have nothing against the grey 3-piece. At the right time and in the right place. But, en masse, this smacks of sartorial fascism. They looked as if they were going to a funeral - their own. But it strikes me that this is only the tip of an iceberg and what we are looking at here is the end of self-expression and individuality. The England players have become conformists, scared to deviate from a plan. Camus said 'I learned everything I know about morality from football'. Isn't there a little hint of the totalitarian creeping into the dressing room here? Maybe we need less of the quasi-military discipline and more of the romance of the game - originality, adventure and invention... have now come to conclusion that the main cause of fiasco was a wardrobe malfunction. Did you see them getting off the plane all dressed identically in their grey 3-piece suits? Now personally I have nothing against the grey 3-piece. At the
right time and in the right place. But, en masse, this smacks of sartorial
fascism. They looked as
if they were going to a funeral – their own. But it strikes me that this is
only the tip of an iceberg and what we are looking at here is the end of
self-expression and individuality. The England players have become
conformists, scared to deviate from a plan. Camus said ‘I learned
everything I know about morality from football’. Isn’t there a little hint
of the totalitarian creeping into the dressing room here? Maybe we need
less of the quasi-military discipline and more of the romance of the game -
originality, adventure and invention…

]]> By: Readings June 30 : www.literaryagenda.com http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2010/06/29/englands-loss-to-germany/comment-page-1/#comment-411 Readings June 30 : www.literaryagenda.com Thu, 01 Jul 2010 04:45:13 +0000 http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/?p=1844#comment-411 [...] Frears post on on England’s Loss Germany left me nodding in aprroval. Via The Paris Review [...] [...] Frears post on on England’s Loss Germany left me nodding in aprroval. Via The Paris Review [...]

]]> By: The Questions: 6 Questions on England v Germany « Scissors Kick http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2010/06/29/englands-loss-to-germany/comment-page-1/#comment-408 The Questions: 6 Questions on England v Germany « Scissors Kick Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:34:07 +0000 http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/?p=1844#comment-408 [...] England’s Loss to Germany “England’s performance was in a different league of awfulness from the regular awfulness that had been seen in earlier games. Before, the problem had been one of not seeming to care; the players behaving as though they deserved to win by virtue of the size of their wages. This time they definitely cared, they were fired up, ready to go and then when they got there, they were just awful.” (The Paris Review) [...] [...] England’s Loss to Germany “England’s performance was in a different league of awfulness from the regular awfulness that had been seen in earlier games. Before, the problem had been one of not seeming to care; the players behaving as though they deserved to win by virtue of the size of their wages. This time they definitely cared, they were fired up, ready to go and then when they got there, they were just awful.” (The Paris Review) [...]

]]> By: Steven Augustine http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2010/06/29/englands-loss-to-germany/comment-page-1/#comment-402 Steven Augustine Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:43:09 +0000 http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/?p=1844#comment-402 I'm with Stephen Duffy on this. Bookish men both straight and gay have got that "I'm Really Not A Sissy, Really!" anxiety to deal with, as we know. I like sports well enough (once a year) when *I'm* kicking the ball and seeing stars and badly out of breath while clutching at the stabbing pains in my chest and so forth but why the hell anyone needs to read about (or watch) uniformed millionaires cavorting around a diagrammed field is beyond me. Especially in this age of Corporate Sports in which any amateurish humanity has been steroided/power-pointed/synergized right out of it. When they put dogs or dudes in pits with bears again I *might* tune in, though. And, hey, I'm *lots* of fun, Martin du Gard... just ask my four-year-old when I'm vomiting my dizzy guts out over her beach ball! I’m with Stephen Duffy on this. Bookish men both straight and gay have got that “I’m Really Not A Sissy, Really!” anxiety to deal with, as we know. I like sports well enough (once a year) when *I’m* kicking the ball and seeing stars and badly out of breath while clutching at the stabbing pains in my chest and so forth but why the hell anyone needs to read about (or watch) uniformed millionaires cavorting around a diagrammed field is beyond me. Especially in this age of Corporate Sports in which any amateurish humanity has been steroided/power-pointed/synergized right out of it. When they put dogs or dudes in pits with bears again I *might* tune in, though.

And, hey, I’m *lots* of fun, Martin du Gard… just ask my four-year-old when I’m vomiting my dizzy guts out over her beach ball!

]]> By: Martin du Gard http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2010/06/29/englands-loss-to-germany/comment-page-1/#comment-399 Martin du Gard Wed, 30 Jun 2010 02:06:30 +0000 http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/?p=1844#comment-399 Amusing comment Duffy, but if you can't appreciate soccer than I'm sure you're not much fun as a person either. The bottom line Will is that England just wasn't a good team. This squad doesn't have superstars. No Messi, no Villa, or Ronaldo. Amusing comment Duffy, but if you can’t appreciate soccer than I’m sure you’re not much fun as a person either. The bottom line Will is that England just wasn’t a good team. This squad doesn’t have superstars. No Messi, no Villa, or Ronaldo.

]]> By: Martin du Gard http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2010/06/29/englands-loss-to-germany/comment-page-1/#comment-398 Martin du Gard Wed, 30 Jun 2010 02:05:55 +0000 http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/?p=1844#comment-398 Amusing comment Duffy, but if you can't appreciate soccer than I'm sure you're not much fun as a person either. The bottom line Will is that England just wasn't a good team. These squad doesn't have superstars. No Messi, no Villa, or Ronaldo. Amusing comment Duffy, but if you can’t appreciate soccer than I’m sure you’re not much fun as a person either. The bottom line Will is that England just wasn’t a good team. These squad doesn’t have superstars. No Messi, no Villa, or Ronaldo.

]]> By: Stephen Duffy http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2010/06/29/englands-loss-to-germany/comment-page-1/#comment-393 Stephen Duffy Tue, 29 Jun 2010 20:28:20 +0000 http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/?p=1844#comment-393 I don't follow the Paris Review for your sports coverage. I would also love to read about the other shades of my awfulness if you have the time. I don’t follow the Paris Review for your sports coverage. I would also love to read about the other shades of my awfulness if you have the time.

]]> By: England’s Loss to Germany « Scissors Kick http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2010/06/29/englands-loss-to-germany/comment-page-1/#comment-391 England’s Loss to Germany « Scissors Kick Tue, 29 Jun 2010 18:33:55 +0000 http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/?p=1844#comment-391 [...] England’s Loss to Germany “England’s performance was in a different league of awfulness from the regular awfulness that had been seen in earlier games. Before, the problem had been one of not seeming to care; the players behaving as though they deserved to win by virtue of their size of their wages. This time they definitely cared, they were fired up, ready to go and then when they got there, they were just awful.” (The Paris Review) [...] [...] England’s Loss to Germany “England’s performance was in a different league of awfulness from the regular awfulness that had been seen in earlier games. Before, the problem had been one of not seeming to care; the players behaving as though they deserved to win by virtue of their size of their wages. This time they definitely cared, they were fired up, ready to go and then when they got there, they were just awful.” (The Paris Review) [...]

]]>