Instant replay. Soccer may be a sport that has increasingly encouraged more physical play, more egregious fouls, and even serious acting skills (so much so that some players might consider getting some head shots taken for auditions), but I'm guessing most people haven't seen a World Cup riddled with quite so many terrible calls as the glorious WC 2010 (is it a coincidence that WC also stands for "water closet"?). It doesn't even seem like anyone has accepted a payoff--most of the refs are equally crappy.
When I've expressed my intense dislike of unfair calls in the past, my husband has tried to assuage my fury by explaining to me that refereeing mistakes, no matter how horribly wrong, are part of what makes people passionate about football (if by "passionate" you mean wanting to punch the ref, all players, and all fans of the opposing team, then tear your hair out after your team has been robbed of a fair game or even a win). However, after watching this year's World Cup, even he's having a hard time denying that instant replay would be a welcome addition to the sport of soccer. Hey, once in awhile, the gringos actually get it right. On the other hand, you have people like Rep. Steve King (R-IA) who spout these little gems:
"King said that under only one circumstance does he support amnesty for illegal immigrants: 'Every time we give amnesty for an illegal alien, we deport a liberal.'" (http://motorcityliberal.blogspot.com/2010/06/steve-kings-immigration-plan-deport.html)
Is it a shock to anyone, then, why some Americans feel both proud of and embarrassed by their country?
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