John Derbyshire Is a Great Man

An absolutely fabulous post on the Corner:

Posh and Beck can smile and glitter all they like, they won't get Americans to like soccer.

Yesterday morning my son's football training season started. Yep, the Huntington Bulldogs.

We began with a mass meeting, parents & kids, on the field, addressed by Bud Willie, chairman of the Bulldogs board. Bud laid out the football basics for newcomers.

One of the points he stressed was that football, much more than other team sports, is for specialists. Playing THIS position, you need to be really good at A, B, and C. Playing THAT position, A, B, and C aren't so important, but you need to be really good at X, Y, and Z. So it's extra important not to miss a practice, or you may never get a start on skill X, etc., etc.

He compared this with other sports, where skills are more fungible. He spoke respectfully of baseball, basketball, even lacrosse. Then: "...And not forgetting soccer. How does it work in soccer? I'm not
sure. They run round kicking the ball. Then they run round some more and kick the ball some more. Who knows? Who cares? Anyway, back to football..."

There speaks the soul of America. U—S—A! U—S—A!

I can only pray that his analysis is correct.