An expletive dropped. An organization called out. A culture and country put on blast. Another American athlete legitimizes the stereotype.
And yet, silence. No response, no rebuttal. No distancing of self or country from the comments by Tim Howard, a player who felt -- dare we say -- disrespected.
Mexico beat the U.S. 4-2 to win the 2011 Gold Cup.
"It's just Mexico," the silence screams. "They don't count." No one does, not when it comes to the United States, American athletes and those sports the world should be grateful we decided to honor with our presence and participation.
And we wonder why the world sometimes hates us.
It's been four days since the US. goalie lost it. Four days since Howard defiantly complained about CONCACAF (as the federation responsible for the 2011 Gold Cup) for the decision to allow the on-field postmatch/post-tournament ceremony to be done in the language of the team/country that won as opposed to the language of the land in which the match was played. CONCACAF had the gall to do so while in the presence of a team to whose country the world apparently should always bow.
"CONCACAF should be ashamed of themselves," he said. "I think it was a [expletive] disgrace that the entire postmatch ceremony was in Spanish. You can bet your ass that if we were in Mexico City, it wouldn't be all in English."
Typical American.
At least that's how the world will see it, even though he has since apologized. They'll see another coddled, pampered, pretentious, star-bred American athlete "unhappy" because America wasn't placated; America's feelings were not taken into consideration during an event in which the U.S. team happened to come up short, in a sport the U.S. has failed to dominate.
There's an old saying in sports that transcends language, culture and country: "If you can't handle an opponent's celebration, don't lose."
Mexico's fans, many of who bear twin allegiances, celebrated a win in California.
Say "amen" if any of these words hit a nerve: Smug. Spoiled. Egotist. Crass.
Say "amen" if any of these words hit home: Insolent. Insincere. Narcissistic.
The U.S. has a history of making the world feel all of those aforementioned words define who we are. Not just in sports, but in how we live day to day. We breed our own contempt, we give others reason to feel that way about us.
Howard's comments, although plausibly "justified" to some (which speaks to the silence in response to his rant and some columns defending him), feed into the global belief that too many American athletes can be and are void of humility. That they can be and are contemptuously impertinent. That if something doesn't go "their way" our athletes will be the first and loudest to complain and/or find fault.
Even if Howard was right, was it necessary to speak? Especially after a loss? Especially after future international superstar Giovani dos Santos had him stretched out on the pitch, arms swinging, looking like a swimmer instead of a world-class goalie trying to stop Mexico from including him in its country's Gold Cup highlight reel?
Commenting on the language used during the postmatch/post-tournament celebration comes of as something only a jerk would say. Especially when it was not done in your preferred native tongue. It's something only someone from a spoiled, pompous, arrogant, overcompensated land would feel comfortable enough to say when cameras and mics were around. Something the stereotypical American athlete would do.
Say "amen" if any of this rings true.
"I've always seen in athletics an anti-American sentiment throughout the world. Most of it through jealousy or envy," former USA softball gold medalist Dot Richardson once said. Envious foes often look "down upon" as opposed to "up to" American athletes for what they have and what they have been given instead of what they've earned. Jealous countries resent that Americans sometimes think the world wants to be like "I," not Mike.
Tim Howard fell down on the job, then in decorum.
These views are inflamed when American patriotism goes into overdrive. When "we" stop thinking or caring about how we might sound or come off to others. Others who may not have what we have, others who may be envious or jealous.
Ask how we'd react if the Nike were on the other foot, the Tiempo Primer SGT on the other hand? If the 2011 Gold Cup were played on Mexican soil and the USA won and Alfredo Talavera, Mexico's goalie, in an interview following the his team's loss, publicly berated the ceremony for being done in English and called it a "disgrace," how would America feel? How would people in the U.S. respond?
Beyond that, how would that make them look?
Howard's words (and feelings) at this point are not going to ignite an international incident, but they don't at all help redirect the way our athletes are perceived. He has become the latest example of why the U.S. and American athletes are easy to hate on, but easier to hate.
Scoop Jackson is a columnist for ESPN.com.
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Conclusion:
There are numerous Americans on SBR, and in general, that share the same arrogant, superior mentality that Tim Howard does. What's the basis for this superiority? The fact that the US is by a landslide the most indebted nation in the world? The fact that obesity and crime rates in the US are out of control? The fact that financial stability of Medicare and Social Security resemble the stability of a house of playing cards? The fact that America's housing market and unemployment figures are embarrassing? Tell me, why is the US so great? I'd like to know.
The US did lose this match, and the Gold Cup, even the slightest controversial comment you make will label you a whiner, like Howard was here. How old is Howard? Was he not able to bottle up his emotions and suck it up like countless other championship match losers have done in the past? Why even bring up the fact that the ceremony crowning the winner was done in Spanish? Wasn't over 70% of the stadium Spanish speaking? Why does he even care, why does it affect him? Does he not realize that he represents the US and US soccer and that his comments will negatively affect the image of those two institutions? The sad thing is that I'm convinced that there are numerous Americans out there that agree with what Howard did. It's this type of classless, inconsiderate, arrogant and ignorant behaviour that gives Americans these negative stereotypes around the world. They go around puffing their chests out proclaiming they're the best, yet have nothing to back it up with, except blowing a 2-0 lead and eventually losing the game 4-0. They expect the world to hold their point of view, and when the world doesn't, you get tirades like this from Howard. Why does Howard and other Americans share this mentality and how do they justify it?
Any constructive feedback is welcome.
Please refrain from using generic one liners such as momma jokes and "moron" in your replies, it will only solidify that you lack the mental ability to come up with an original post.
Hated those teachers that made you submit it on-line so they could tell whether or not you copied from the Internet
