[kj] OT: WC - it's the media

[fluw]

if you live an active athletic life in america and get out and 
participate in sports you will see that soccer/football is very popular 
in the US.

 i live across the street from a very large metro park - "washington 
park" in albany (designed by frederick olmstead same as central park in 
NYC btw) and everyday there are tons of people streaming over there to 
play soccer/football proudly wearing their WC propaganda. likewise, the 
athletic fields about town and in the suburbs in general are loaded with 
'em.

now i could point out that most of the players are far from your average 
bushy moustach wearing, light beer guzzling, cheese dip and wonder bread 
snarfing slovenly sub - masculine anglos, but despite their population 
numbers, america isn't just about them anyway.

 _on the other side of the coin:

_the US's NBA ( national basketball association ) is having it's 
*"finals" *right now and a 7 foot/2.133 6 meter/ 2.333 333 333 yard 
blonde german named _*Dirk Nowitzki  *_is shooting three pointers, 
blocking shots, posting up, driving for dunks and out maneuvering big 
and little men alike. generally he is dominating the highest league of a 
sport invented in america. even though he is the first european to have 
such success in the NBA and Dirk will surely be named MVP of the finals 
- he doesn't receive any airtime in /deutschland/ atm because of the 
world cup, so it goes both ways. Dirk also does not receive nearly as 
much attention in the US as he would if he were a _non_ white US native, 
because of the media demographical polling, basketball stars in america 
are promoted only if they are african american.

i blame the media's demographic marketing bias and their propensity to 
follow a story only when it is a given of common knowledge in the mass 
majority and has the numbers for support ensuring the story will be 
accepted by the public with no risk of a flop.

and that propensity is essentially a prejudice grown from the poorly 
aerated bowls so many media people swim in.

just look at all the political stories out there that are not getting 
air time. most of george bush's cabinet might be in prison right now if 
the media took enough initiative to report all the facts that are known. 
but they stick with what the guy in the next cubicle is typing, who is 
sticking with what the guy at reuter's is reporting, who is sticking 
with what the press secretary is spinning, who is speaking verbatim from 
some horses ass.


Jim Harper wrote:
> I know that's the official line, but there *are* fans in the US.
>
> */Alex Smith <vassifer at earthlink.net>/* wrote:
>
>     Well, the real truth of the matter is that the US doesn't give a
>     damn about the World Cup.
>      
>     Alex in NYC
>
>
>
>
> http://www.flipsidemovies.com
> http://jimharper.blogspot.com
>
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