tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2807806767960745481.post5990504603519109645..comments2024-03-21T22:51:15.684-07:00Comments on The Least Thing: The Soccer Coach as AnthropologistRoger Pielke, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04711007512915460627noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2807806767960745481.post-74925344976384728112011-08-12T06:29:34.991-07:002011-08-12T06:29:34.991-07:00Werner, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung and Der Spiegel a...Werner, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung and Der Spiegel are having some fun with German expectations of American stereotypes. ESPN has multiple networks and channels, in my case I had to perform the difficult task of flipping the channel from 144 to 142 in order to watch the entire game. No one need have missed the first Mexican goal;-)Roger Pielke, Jr.https://www.blogger.com/profile/04711007512915460627noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2807806767960745481.post-61012100776137960322011-08-12T02:48:41.915-07:002011-08-12T02:48:41.915-07:00Poor Klinsi: here more scorn from Germany, this ti...Poor Klinsi: here more scorn from Germany, this time from notorious spiegel-online:<br /><br />"Children's baseball instead of debut as a coach:<br />12 year old steals show from Klinsmann"<br /><br />http://www.spiegel.de/sport/fussball/0,1518,779634,00.htmlWerner Krausshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15094636819952421339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2807806767960745481.post-41723699832923143722011-08-12T00:11:20.782-07:002011-08-12T00:11:20.782-07:00"Klinsmann has to wait" is a headline in..."Klinsmann has to wait" is a headline in the Sueddeutsche Zeitung today. The article about the US-Mexico match is illustrated with a photo of, well, two baseball kids from the "Little League World Series". Why? Because ESPN2 transmitted the socccer match only after the kids' baseball was over, 21 minutes late. Thus, the American TV audience missed the first Mexican goal. This short article says a lot about the role of American soccer as perceived on both sides of the Atlantic.Werner Krausshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15094636819952421339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2807806767960745481.post-70087868086828366772011-08-11T04:34:00.265-07:002011-08-11T04:34:00.265-07:001:0 for Hans von Storch.1:0 for Hans von Storch.Werner Krausshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15094636819952421339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2807806767960745481.post-66161665047315401662011-08-11T04:30:14.249-07:002011-08-11T04:30:14.249-07:00Hi Werner,
Thanks!
1. Right. I'd argue that ...Hi Werner,<br /><br />Thanks!<br /><br />1. Right. I'd argue that JK should not look for any such "national style" much less try to create one. I see the causality the other way-round, just win baby, and he'll find that he has become a part of American culture.<br /><br />2. Remember, Texas is a whole 'nother country ;-) Football is interesting because by definition it is a part of American culture because it is played no where else (except as American export). It is like Aussie rules football or even Oktoberfest, which gain a cultural identity via its unique domestic context. That said, as a vehicle for conveying masculinity, popularity, capitalism etc. American football does not seem particularly unique.<br /><br />3. Indeed - "Just win baby" is my advice to Klinsmann in an American context. Even so, Roger Federer, Lionel Messi, Pele and even Dirk Nowitski are also mythical superheros even outside a US cultural context. But maybe that just reflects the globalization (or American-ization) of sports culture, or maybe just the relentless appeal of pragmatism ... or both ;-)<br /><br />I watched US-Mexico, and the first half was a disaster and the second half a revelation. Klinsmann succeeded in that his player experiments worked well and will provide the legitimacy needed for more such changes. A generational change is upon US soccer in many ways.<br /><br />I saw Klinsmann interviewed after the game on ESPN (in English for an American audience) and then later on FSC (in German for some German outlet). Based on his different demeanors in the two interviews I'd say that he is indeed pretty sensitive to the different national cultures that he was speaking to ... maybe an anthropologist after all?Roger Pielke, Jr.https://www.blogger.com/profile/04711007512915460627noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2807806767960745481.post-1635516385593424902011-08-11T02:34:09.805-07:002011-08-11T02:34:09.805-07:00Somehow I remember that the US-female team won at ...Somehow I remember that the US-female team won at least two world championships? Thus, US-Fußball has significantly contributed to this sport on a global level.Hans von Storchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08778028673130006646noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2807806767960745481.post-24539639926679331012011-08-10T23:30:47.835-07:002011-08-10T23:30:47.835-07:00Roger, here a few comments:
@1 No doubt, you are ...Roger, here a few comments:<br /><br />@1 No doubt, you are right. But there is no developed or fully organized national "soccer culture" yet, as it exists for example in football. No "national style", to put it in Klinsmannian terms. Maybe exceptional players are enough, but in Europe most nations or clubs developed this kind of "national style" - just look at Spain or Germany these days.<br /><br />@2 Sure, there is more to American culture than only the Super Bowl. I just wanted to show that football indeed is a cultural activity which goes far beyond the pragmatism of winning and loosing. And considering it's importance concerning cultural concepts of gender roles (rude men, cheerleaders), of how to be popular and successful, of capitalism and its dominance over masculinity (players have to wait until TV commercials for anti-depressants are over) etc - I wouldn't underestimate the role of football in overall American culture.<br /><br />@3 Lance Armstrong, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods etc are not imaginable elsewhere; their status as mythical super heroes is also "decidedly not pragmatic from a pure sports perspective". But what I consider very "American" is that there is no concept for losing. You always win, or else you are not existent.Sounds American to me. <br /><br />But for sure it's true, Klinsmann needs some forwards and, not to forget: a defense helps a lot, too. (1:1 seems to be a good start, I guess. Haven't seen the match against Mexico).Werner Krausshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15094636819952421339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2807806767960745481.post-46294741665282320652011-08-10T15:28:08.722-07:002011-08-10T15:28:08.722-07:00Hi Werner,
Thanks much for the thoughtful comment...Hi Werner,<br /><br />Thanks much for the thoughtful comment. Let me respond with a few points.<br /><br />1. Soccer is here in the United States. How might we measure this? Well, attendance at MLS games is about the same as the Bundesliga 2, Série A in Brazil, and the English Championship. TV ratings are high and it is by far the most popular sport among children. It is not the most popular sport and it is probably celebrated by 10s of millions, not 100s of millions. But it is really here. Klinsmann need not worry about that.<br /><br />2. The Super Bowl is a big part of American culture (as are baseball and Texas football) but they are not the same thing as American culture, which is far more diverse in sport as well as beyond sport. But in both types of football, Al Davis' philosophy reigns.<br /><br />3. The pragmatic bent in American sport is not unique, to be sure, but it is characteristic in ways that it is not elsewhere. The reaction to Dunga's failure in Brazil in the last world cup would not happen here and the phenomenon that is St Pauli also would not be found here. (Both decidedly not pragmatic from a pure sports perspective.)<br /><br />The US soccer coach need not be an anthropologist, he needs to worry more about finding forwards who can reliably finish ;-)Roger Pielke, Jr.https://www.blogger.com/profile/04711007512915460627noreply@blogger.com