BTHarner

Just to respond to a few of Durban's points. 1) The world will see plenty of Pulisic's talents on the field for Dortmund and wherever else he plays in the future. He is a prodigious talent. He also makes me feel old because I saw his dad play indoors for the Harrisburg Heat. It is a source of regional pride that someone from Central PA could make it big on the world stage. 2) Speaking of indoor soccer, Canada's participation in Mexico 86 was really remarkable given that many of the players were playing in the MISL. I remember reading about how FIFA banned Tino Lettieri's stuffed parrot, which he kept in the goal as a good luck charm while playing for the Minnesota Strikers. 3) I do not feel sorry for FOX. They knew well that the only team guaranteed a spot in the World Cup is the host, which was known at the time of the bidding in 2011. They will take a hit next summer, no doubt. However, they have the rights through 2026, and a World Cup likely headed to North America. They will be fine in the end as this should more than make up for the US absence in 2018 and a 2022 Cup held during football season. 4) The impact on MLS cuts both ways. It's role in developing players for the US will be called into question, yet it's reputation for developing players in Latin America and making CONCACAF much stronger as a whole has been acknowledged. Actually I take perverse pleasure in the fact that the league which is belittled by many in the US had two of its players- Romel Quioto (Houston/Honduras) and Roman Torres (Seattle/Panama) score the goals that sealed the Americans fate, I agree with LatinXTC's statement about the American men's team. I have always just sensed an arrogance through the years that they have not earned the right to display, in contrast with the women who have earned the right to be arrogant, but remain rather humble (except for Hope Solo). I would be very upset if the women would miss their World Cup, as they almost did in 2011. The men, however, I was over it almost instantly. I can understand the outrage of many fans as any soccer fan born after 1976 probably doesn't remember a World Cup without the US, but I remember 1982 and 1986. I also remember that nations such as England (1994), and France (1990 and 1994) have missed World Cups (albeit in the 24 team format), these things happen sometimes, especially as the competition gets tougher. US Soccer needs to take this as a wake up call and make the necessary changes moving forward or risk a repeat four years down the road.

And where was Canada when all this went down (just teasing)? The USA did all its supporters a favor by crashing out. I am certain that, based on the way this team played during this cycle, an embarrassing group stage elimination was inevitable. Having qualified repeatedly, this group probably felt entitled to qualification and felt no need to make any sort of effort. Their complacency, and the insufferable smugness of coach Arena, bit them in the backside. The World Cup is the World Cup, with or without the USA. It will be spectacular, and it just might make me forget about turning 50 in the middle of the tournament.

That seems to continue a recent trend. Since the expansion to 32 teams in 1998, you have had 20 teams return from 1998 to 2002, 2002 to 2006, and 2006 to 2010. However you had 25 teams from 2010 return in 2014. As of now, the only 2014 teams mathematically eliminated are two you mentioned, Cameroon and Algeria, plus Ecuador. Additionally, there have been only one debutante in each of the last two World Cups (Slovakia 2010, and Bosnia-Herzegovina 2014). It should be noted that there are still 19 spots to be claimed and there are a number of nations not present in 2014 who have a chance to qualify.

Unfortunately, civility is a quality that is becoming scarce in our world today.

Yes, let's not do 2017 again, there is a certain Penguins fan at work who just drives me nuts.

Nothing is going to happen, the Games will come and go and then people will start fretting about going to Tokyo because it's too close to North Korea. The odds are better that you'll catch the Zika virus in February in South Korea than being killed by a North Korean missile. People are so gullible these days.

I think the Olympic Channel dropped the ball when it did not add the ceremony videos from LA 1984 to coincide with the 2028 award last week. I notice they did see to it that they were removed from YouTube.

Who would have imagined that, when I wrote this post seven years ago, we would have an Olympic Channel where you could watch the opening ceremonies (at least from 1988 on) without commentary (I think 2016 has the commentary though). Some of the other titles I was able to uncover by using the Shazam app on my phone include: French National Defile March https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vU6L_7IgcY Crown Imperial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WMrQe87gRk Coronation March https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=coronation+march+tchaikovsky Hands Across the Sea https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnlZuUptyHw Stars and Stripes Forever https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mRn9chmRAY Washington Post March https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzIH7vytjEE There are others that Shazam cannot identify. I do not know if any of the other posters from 2010 still visit here, but I hope this proves helpful if they hadn't found this info since then.

The trend of using a logo featuring the respective trophy dressed with some ornamentation is starting to get a little bland, especially when the only trophy with any bit of near-universal recognition is the men's WC.

The mass exodus is completely understandable given that many threads have degenerated into trolling, bickering, and belittling. It has become incredibly difficult to conduct an intelligent conversation about anything Olympic, and the lack of opportunities to discuss the bid process will not help. Also, given the fact that we do not have many regulars residing in the next few host countries means that the build-up to the Games will likely pale to past Games.

Australia actually is little further up in the Hangul alphabet. They should be before Austria, but they aren't listed here.

I'm resisting an extremely strong temptation to buy it. I never seem to have time to watch a two hour film, let alone that much material, so I'm not sure it would be worth the money. That and it would be difficult to find the films to keep it up to date. I bought the World Cup collection in 2010 and I can't find a film from 2014 to keep it current.

That means that God Save the Queen was played as many times for Hong Kong in 1996 as it was for Great Britain.

Love the old pictures ejaycat. All those oil wells make for an interesting backdrop.

Here it is, ready to begin life as a college football stadium. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2017/08/28/stadium-formerly-known-as-turner-field-begins-a-new-chapter/105042424/